The Demon Monarch System

Chapter 387 - Path To Conquering

----

As soon as Apollo touched down in Ashiraem, the way he breathed and even interacted with the ambient Ira was vastly different. In fact, just the slightest inhale caused a visible stream of Ira to flow towards his nostrils. And, this wasn't him focusing on absorbing Sin Energy, it was just the current state of his affinity with the Sin.

The development not only surprised Apollo but even Fuhrer was pleasantly surprised by the current situation. Nevertheless, Apollo didn't pay attention to this for much longer. Instead, he immediately made some plans.

"Fuhrer, now that we're back in Ashiraem, I think we should visit your true body. What do you say, it's something we should do, right? Should some changes have taken place after meeting with Destrys?" Apollo asked before looking into a general area.

Unlike his first time here, he understood the basic layout of this zone. While it wasn't sufficient to say he was familiar with the area, his perception was strong enough to clearly indicate what existed in his immediate area.

Besides that, he could also sense the festering link between him, Fuhrer, and Fuhrer's original body which sat at the core nod of the grand barrier protecting the Nihilistic Rings. The stronger Apollo became, the more the presence of that barrier became apparent to him.

'Although it's faint, I can sense a bizarre aura weaved into the atmosphere. It seems to be mixed with 3 types of powers, but it's difficult to distinguish their origins,' Apollo thought silently while glancing upward.

Meanwhile, everyone else observed their surroundings, especially Valac who possessed an irregular expression. One Apollo soon caught wind of.

"Why do you look so awkward?"

"Ahem, me? I don't look weird at all, my Lord," Valac replied instantly. It was faint, but Apollo could tell that Valac was fidgeting nervously. Clearly, his claims didn't match his behavior, which caused Apollo to narrow his gaze.

"Are you lying to me?" Apollo asked. Although his tone was somewhat light, an oppressive aura began leaking from his aura, frightening Valac in the process. If this was before, he would have clashed heads with Apollo but after witnessing that beat down and the genuine threat revealed by Apollo, Valac didn't press his luck at all.

"N-no, my lord! I just sense Asteroth. He's here in this world and he's angry. Plus, he's been in this exact position before. Other than that information, I don't know the rest," Valac blurted while constantly shaking his head.

Whereas Valac was on edge, Apollo grew curious. "Just how do you know that he's is here and nearby?"

'The system gave no indication, so does Valac possess something that the system doesn't?' Apollo wondered.

Not long after, Valac shook his head, "We've always shared a link. The Old Monarch bestowed our power together. So, compared to the rest of the demons, the link we share is deeper, embedded in the depths of our powers."

"If that's the case, are the state of your personalities similar?" Apollo asked after giving Valac's words some thought. If their powers were of similar natures then perhaps the power affected their developed personality. After all, it wasn't odd for a Sin Path to influence one's behavior.

In fact, that was the ultimate purpose of a Sin Path—to mold its possessor into the vessel bearing the most fitting qualities. If their aspects didn't blend seamlessly, then there was a chance that the Sin Path was incomplete. An indication that one's evolution process would soon peter out and fall into stagnation.

"Hah, similar. You haven't the slightest clue, my Lord. Just wait until you meet Asteroth. Oh, you think Valac is bad? He is but a child compared to what awaits you when dealing with him.  Asteroth is a grown man whose temper resembled that of a toddler throwing a tantrum," Furcas snickered, clutching his stomach as he entered boisterous laughter.

Upon hearing these words, Apollo didn't know how to react. Truth be told, he didn't mind an unruly subordinate. As long as he was stronger, he could always put the person in their place. What bothered Apollo was the fact he was currently unaware of Asteroth's position, nor was he ready to face him.

But, if he shared the same innate link that allowed Valac to sense his general movement then chances are he was aware of Valac's general position now that he was in Ashiraem. However, Apollo was curious as to whether Asteroth knew Valac was in the grasp of others.

For all he knew, Valac could have simply returned to Ashiraem to wreak havoc like in his past. But, Apollo couldn't move forward without achieving some type of confirmation. 

"Valac, when's the last time you were in Ashiraem?" Apollo questioned.

He was silent for a moment, but Valac ultimately answered after calculating the timeframe, "I think it's been close to 2,000 years since I've been in this ring. Most of my time was spent in Suprenis laying low and finally coming across that stronghold to take command of."

Apollo's expression grew complex after hearing Valac's answer. If he truly hadn't been here for over two millennia, then reappearing now would be odd. Especially after the signs of the reappearing Dominus Household.

Granted, there were a few other explanations for Valac's appearance, Apollo didn't expect Asteroth to be the reasonable type—someone who pondering the possibilities of other sound reasoning. Based on the stories of the others, Apollo took Asteroth as the irrational type.

"If that's the case, then he'll be on the hunt for our heads soon enough. Or, he'll be waiting for us somewhere we must visit if I'm not mistaken. Therefore, we move quickly and we move with purpose," Apollo commanded.

Afterward, his wings unfurled and he took the skies in search of a path. There were numerous paths leading to the position of Fuhrer's true body, but Apollo was only interested in the one littered with demons. 

Just traveling towards Fuhrer's position wasn't enough. Apollo needed to acquire experience and allows his followers to train as well. Despite these demons being from the same race, Apollo had no qualms destroying them for what appeared to be the "greater good".

Apollo acquiring strength took precedence over allowing these demons whose potential was virtually exhausted to continue existing. The best bet was to annihilate them in hopes of the next cycle of lower demons possessed a more worthwhile power.

Of course, this wasn't Apollo's only reason for doing so. He also needed to search for a way to enter or even locate the Lost Ring. According to his estimations, he was almost certain the sealed abilities were linked to that ring.

Perhaps until he ruled over that household irrevocably, the power wasn't his to use. Even so, this was a place that had been lost for countless millennia. But, then it hit him, the last to learn of this place's presence was Azridan.

'Azridan…' Apollo called out to him. Eventually, after a groggy pain, he answered.

[What do you need, lad?]

'Not too strenuous. I just needed some information. Can you perhaps recall the position of the Lost Ring?' Apollo questioned.  This was hit best bet, but unfortunately, Azridan's response was far from what he hoped to receive.

[That is a negative. We didn't seek out the Lost Ring. It beckoned us when we were deemed ready as candidates. It wasn't until I almost mastered every Sin that it reached out to me. But, for some reason, its position isn't cemented. It drifts endlessly. So even if I remembered its position, it would pose no help. It's bound to be elsewhere after countless millennia.]

'I should have thought as much. Of course, precautions were put in place as a means to deter any invaders,' Apollo thought. Since this was dead-end, Apollo didn't press the matter. 

Luckily, the information wasn't all useless. 'As long as I get every sin to a certain level, there's a chance of having the Lost Rings call out to me of its own accord. Regardless, there's a lot to be done.

Finally, Apollo located a cluster of Ifrits whose power signature eclipsed what he once face. By no means were they mere Lesser Ifrits, these seemed to be the genuine fiery demon

With a narrowed gaze, Apollo lifted his finger towards the cluster of Ifrits, "Dominus Household...conquer!"

Whoosh!

Everyone moved at the same time, with Fuhrer and Typhir taking the lead. Each of them brandished their sword, bisecting the nearest Ifrit. Under the siege of their powerful swords, these enemies didn't stand a chance!

Meanwhile, Apollo remained up above, monitoring the situation while remaining still. On the other hand, his experience meter in the corner of his eye continued to rise rapidly. Not only that, a stream of notifications indicating the source of his experience and the follower who earned the kill appeared in his sights as well. 

Gradually, Apollo formed a smile, thoroughly pleased by the update of the system. It made it convenient for him to understand the contribution of his subordinate. Of course, the system developed this way to assist his decision in assigning roles within the household.