The Demon Monarch System

Chapter 397 - A Hard Bargain

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Now that a task was delegated to everyone, Apollo traveled with the others to towards the largest hub. With Ouroboros wrapped around his shoulder, he traveled with Elaia and Jorgun in tow. 

"Masterrr, I'm hungry," Ouroboros complained while rubbing his cheek against Apollo's. Since Ouroboros was a beast who was born with an innate disposition towards devouring, his appetite was simply ravenous.

Therefore, Apollo was forced to pacify his hunger. However, before retrieving any of his items, Apollo observed his surroundings to make sure that the coast was clear. After all, Zarkath's presence was acquired because of his own greed.

But, just as he was prone to coveting someone's items, the other demons could be as well. So, it was safest for Apollo to take adequate precautions before executing any extreme movements. Only once he was certain that their trails were clear did he feed Ouroboros two Inferior Crystallized Chaos.

They disappeared in an instant as Ouroboros devoured them, but he seemed unsatisfied as he continued to nudge Apollo's cheek. "Master, some more pleasssse~"

Helpless in this situation, Apollo retrieved 5 of them this time. A tiny whirlpool appeared before Ouroboros as he swallowed these ones in an instant as well. Fortunately, it seemed like this total was enough for him as he hissed happily and remained on Apollo's shoulder without another word.

Meanwhile, Jorgun looked at the two, curious as to what that crystalline item was. Furthermore, he wondered if it was edible to him as well. But, he didn't voice his question because he didn't want to end up embarrassing himself again. 

So, he remained quiet while looking elsewhere. 

"Jorgun, don't let your thoughts drift off. I can't afford you losing your sense of direction. I expect you to stay by our side at all times," Apollo said, causing Jorgun to nod repeatedly.

"O-of course, lord! I's done no such thing. I am completely here. My mind is fine," Jorgun exclaimed with a slight stutter. Rather than pressing the matter further, Apollo simply nodded before matching their pathway to the route highlighted on the map. 

Although the map made it look small, the actual distance between their target and their initial position was immense. So despite their rushing, there was still well over half of their path remaining. But, if he could fly, Apollo could move much quicker by avoiding all the twists and turns created by the buildings.

Sadly, he didn't know if it was permitted. Although he passed by numerous winged demons, none of them utilized their wings. Instead, they traveled everywhere on foot. For the reason alone, Apollo assumed that flying within the confines of the city wasn't permitted.

And, if it wasn't then Apollo chose to abide by their mandates for now. Besides, although his pace wasn't his limit, it was by no means slow. The scenery changed rapidly as both Elaia kept up with his controlled pace.

Though, he was pleasantly surprised because physical actions were never Elaia's strong suit.

"How has the assimilation gone? Does it feel more comfortable than before?" Apollo inquired while examining Elaia from the corner of his eyes. 

"Yeah, it's not bad. Actually, I feel much better. Specifically, my illusion ability," Elaia said before producing a hazy light from her eyes. If this power was used on someone else, perhaps it would be difficult to go up against, but in Apollo's case, his mind deflected the mental power that Elaia's eyes projected.

Still, Apollo found her ability to be more powerful than he assumed. Although his mind neutralized the intrusion, it wasn't instantaneous like before, which meant that it required some effort to dispel the abilities she used. 

"If you become stronger, perhaps you'll be the one to enchant our enemies. Not only are you a beauty, but you can become a master of illusion as well," Apollo chuckled before concocting numerous plans in his mind. Each one of them required his subordinates to become masters of sin, as well as their own techniques.

After all, Sin Energy was merely a fuel source. There was still room to create something unique. For example, all of Apollo's abilities granted by his Sin Paths were unique to him. For the most part, his aura of domination played a large role in the optimization of his ability selection.

So, when his Sins melded with his aura, it created the path of dominating said Sin. Similarly, Fuhrer traveled the path of slaughter and suppression. Therefore, his application of Sin was different from Apollo's and even Typhir, who opted for destruction over suppression.

Nevertheless, the innate properties of the Sin Energies still remained. So at their core, all of their actions shared the same precursor. 

"A beauty… and master of illusion? I'll try," Elaia murmured in a timid voice before looking at Ouroboros who unknowingly took on the form of a little boy again. Rather than wrapping around Apollo's neck, he sat on his shoulders as a child would do their father.

Except, there was no need for him to hold on as his legs were akin to unbreakable hooks. Suddenly, Apollo felt some short silver hairs tickle his forehead. A chubby upside-down face appeared in his view, blocking it entirely.

"Masssster, I'm bored," Ouroboros started to complain once again. Plus, his stomach resumed its bodacious growls as he caught wind of innumerable scents that caused him to salivate. "I smell... deliciousss!"

Apollo leaned his head to the side and looked in the direction Ouroboros blocked to find an oversized tavern that took up an entire section. Based on the refined appearance, Apollo understood that he had come to the right place. The central information hub was, after all based out of a tavern.

But, to gain access required a special knock, which Apollo initiated. Except, the knock he used belonged to a special party.

The rectangular peephole slid open as a result of his particular knock, "What officer are you under?" A gruff voice questioned, but silence pervaded because Apollo was unsure of the answer to this question. Unbeknownst to Zarkath, the policy unique to this hub had undergone some minute changes.

Finally, Apollo tested the waters by giving an answer, "Officer Zarkath."

"Zarkath…" The gruff voice parroted, "We haven't heard from that fellow since he took that job from the Lord himself. How did you manage to obtain his officer pattern?"

"I asked him for it," Apollo responded truthfully, only to receiving a snorting sputter from the other side.

"Yeah, right kid. And I just managed to bed Lady Asmidia. Why in the hell would an officer give out his pattern freely and risk the ire of the All-seeing Nautilus?" the gruff voice retorted.

'All-seeing Nautilus? I guess this is the name of the organization,' Apollo silently mused. He then moved closer to the door while subconsciously leaking a faint aura of domination, "I don't know. Maybe because he's joined my faction? I come for information, else I wouldn't have made use of this knock."

Apollo then cut straight to the point, "I come seeking business. Do you wish to conduct some or not? The knock should be proof enough."

"Arghh…" A groan came from the other side of the door, followed by numerous tinkering noises, presumably the sound of a ridiculous number of locks being opened. 

Ultimately, the door swung open to reveal a demon with short horns and a frame that was even larger than Jorgun. Two oversized tusks jutted out from his jaw as his disheveled appearance was immediately noticed.

"How big of a business deal are we taking. Here at the central hub, we don't take orders less than 1,000 Fragments," the demon revealed.

"1,000, you say? I suppose that's an affordable limit. To make things crystal clear, I come with the intention of buying the tavern special," Apollo voiced while putting emphasis special.

Immediately, the demon's expression changed, turning into the most unsightly smile, "The name's Balrog, and we welcome your business." After welcoming them inside, the door immediately slammed shut behind them.

Then, Balrog took a seat behind one of the many tables. Meanwhile, Apollo took in the changes of scenery, noticing a number of demons whose appearance betrayed their orientation as a demon. Each of them exuded an air of eloquence exclusive to royalty. This included the help employed by this place.

"Using visual tactics to ensure your customers a good time, I presume?" Apollo said. Suddenly, a slender female placed a platter of bubbling drinks at the table. While their appearance was offputting, the scent that wafted into Apollo's nose was intrigued.

"Liquid Ira. Try it. At the same time, the leader will be with you shortly," Balrog said before rising from his seat. The "tavern special" was outside of his clearance. It required the head honcho's permission since the information was both sensitive and mutually destructive.