The Demon Monarch System

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As the large boulder traveled closer to him, Apollo squinted. Usually, he would be able to sense some kind of energy emanating from something approaching him, however, this couldn't be said to be his current case. No matter how much he tried to sense the boulder, it felt dead. Or, at least, whatever energy the boulder contained was beyond his ability as of right now.

Left with no other choice, Apollo made an abrupt decision. He took a step back, exiting from some kind of temporary chaotic zone the crystal placed upon him. At the same time, both Seizin and Taranaki looked at Apollo with fervent coveting expressions.

"Yes! Albeit faint, this little roach is emanating some pretty pure Ira. If I were to absorb it, I'd further cement myself in the level of the Greater Demons! Come here you slippery loach!" Taranaki exclaimed. Without hesitation, he dashed towards Apollo's position.

Even if he was at full power, Apollo came to realize a very important bit of information, 'I am far from their match. From his acceleration alone, I can tell his Agility should be somewhere along the line of 3 times higher than mine. Not to mention, this is when the Baleful Steps are added into the equation.'

Fortunately, something surprising happened. As the Imp's claw reached him, it passed right through his body as if it was non-corporeal. At first, Apollo didn't understand why this was so. It was clear the sense of dread he felt was real and the danger that followed was imminent. 

Yet, nothing happened. Even the Imp himself was baffled by the situation. However, as he examined more closely, he came to a conclusion, "So that's what it is. Your soul has no source of sin! While you are here, you're so weak the world doesn't acknowledge you as worthy! Tch, if that's the case, you're useless."

Upon coming to this conclusion, the Imp turned around and left without a moment's notice. Similarly, Seizin was also frustrated by the situation. On the other hand, while these two were right, it wasn't the entirety of Apollo's situation.

〈System Alert! 1% of your soul strength has been exhausted to immediately nullify the effects of the Chaotic Temporal Dissonance. However, your presence will still fail to register at odd times.〉

'So that's why I felt marginally weaker the moment the boulder was about to make contact. Well, if this isn't something I can control. I should at least take it upon myself to learn more about this world before I'm ejected,' Apollo thought to himself.

Thus, Apollo traveled slowly in pursuit of the two retreating demons. Unfortunately, with every passing moment, the distance between the two parties grew wider. Additionally, no matter how much he tried, Apollo couldn't stimulate his body enough to allow it to execute the Partial Shade Silhouette.

After numerous attempts at doing so, Apollo completely stopped trying. In the meantime, he shifted his attention elsewhere. Albeit extremely faint, he could sense a gathering of auras that resembled his regular one.

The problem was, it was entirely too far into the distance, and based on the timer the system alert showed, there weren't even 5 minutes left. With that in mind, he began to ponder over some matters, 'The next time I come, is there a way to strengthen the connection? And, if so, will I arrive at the same point I did?"

The more he pondered, the more he wished Azridan completed the healing process of his soul. But, he was aware that damage to such an elusive thing would take monumental effort to correct. This was true even for someone as strong as Azridan.

The stronger the soul meant the more complicated it was to heal when damaged. It was like a puzzle with numerous extra pieces being added to increase the complexity. Likewise, it would be hard to solve once that complexity was deepened.

Hence, Azridan's current predicament. If it was him healing someone of a weaker soul orientation, then so much time wouldn't be sacrificed in exchange. Nevertheless, just because he was absent, that didn't mean he left Apollo without vital information.

In fact, as Apollo pondered, a message appeared before him.

〈System Alert! A message from the warden has been saved. All prerequisites have been met to receive it. Would you like to become aware of the contents?〉

Without delay, Apollo gave his consent. A moment later, a scroll of information appeared before his eyes.

[Azridan: In light of my absence, should you stumble upon the way to enter the first Nihilistic Ring your mind is linked to, I will depart some information to you. First, there are two ways to enter this place. The first is pretty much chaotic, literally. I'm guessing you were curious and tried to venture beyond using this method so I won't go into detail.]

[However, the second way is the vital way for a Demon to return to his world. You must utilize the organ made by Sin to link back to your world. In your case, there is only the Infant Heart of Wrath. Use that to etch the opposite drawing of the stigmata on your mind. When the two collide, you'll awaken your ability.]

[Should you find yourself in the ring early, do your best to stay hidden and survive. If not, your mind will be submerged in a debilitating fury upon returning to whence you came.]

After reading the message, it disappeared. On the other hand, Apollo now understood. His thoughts were indeed correct, to travel deeper into his mental training would require the inverse flow of his body. Besides this, he also felt there was a hint laced within that he had yet to decipher. 

"So, that means to come back here and enter the right way, I must complete that task beforehand. It is pointless to be here if I'm unable to gain any strength from it," Apollo muttered. Afterward, he took a step forward aimlessly.

Not only did he continue to contemplate how to handle the reverse inscription, but he was also curious about the matter of creating a household. According to Azridan, it was vital to someone who sought to become at least a Noblesse.

Which, in other words, was an Archdemon who gained an extremely noble status. However, that was far from the top of the food chain. 

Meanwhile, subconsciously, Apollo continued to wander forth. As he did so, the feeling from the familiar sensation grew intense. Although he was sure he'd never been here, this aura that he was chasing; he was sure he had felt it somewhere.

'I'm in the world of Ira. Everything here is so pure. Does that mean the direction I am following, is this where this world's rule presides? If so, then I must seek them out on my journeys. He should have the means to correct my issue with Ira,' Apollo thought.

Once his mind was made up, Apollo continued advancing. In doing so, a large castle with magma spires reaching the sky entered his eyes. Based on the distance alone, Apollo knew he wouldn't' reach there. 

Fortunately, that wasn't his current objective. He sought to sear the location of this place into his mind. That way, by analyzing the landscape, he would understand his location. Despite the world being expansive, this castle seemed to take up a quarter of the landmass.

Needless to say, the ruler must have an abundance of loyal servants to occupy such a magnitude of land. Just as he continued with his actions, he was unaware of a change he caused.

----

Inside the Lord's Castle of Ashiraem,

"Hmm? I know this scent. Has Azridan returned?" A being of great origin sat up from slouching in his throne. He then looked in Apollo's general direction with interest.

"No, that seems wrong. Although Azridan's scent is present, it is being overpowered by another. Oh? Has someone been scalded by Ira? Interesting. I must go meet them," he chuckled.

Before he could make a move, an attendee by his side gripped his arms, "Lord Saehtyn wait! You know you have a meeting with Lord Beelzebub. If you leave him idle, he is sure to cause issues in this world. You remember how he devoured the Infernal River last time," the attendee frowned.

"Tch, damn glutton. I promise I'll only disappear for a second," Saehtyn replied. Before the attendee could answer, he opened a fiery portal and stepped through it.

 Immediately, he arrived before Apollo. At first, he was surprised by Apollo's tiny stature. From his 100-meter tall form, Saehtyn shrunk until he was just over 3-meters tall.

Right after, he stepped towards Apollo, "Are you related to Azridan?"

In response, Apollo looked at this person in curiosity. For reasons unknown to him, the person before him felt both unreasonably dangerous and oddly family. Hence, Apollo nodded, "Yes, I am."

"In what way," Saehtyn questioned while crossing his arm. An oppressive aura leaked from him that began to singe Apollo's skin.

Shockingly, Saehtyn could bypass the Chaotic Temporal Dissonance!

"Successor…" Apollo answered after much difficulty.

"If that is true, then tell me his last name. The people who can utter it can be counted on two hands." Contrarily, Saehtyn increased his pressure. Over the years, there were many who have claimed to have a relationship with Azridan.

But, what many didn't know is, Azridan is the one who gave pointers to the Lords. Thus, allowing anyone to blasphemy his name was something they wouldn't do.

Under the pressure, Apollo fell to his knee. At the same time, only one thought passed through his mind, 'Strong. Overwhelmingly strong. This must be the ruler. I...can't even breathe.'

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