----
Both Apollo and the Lesser Ifrit dashed forward. From their momentum, their charge seemed to be equally strong. However, that was untrue. Since this was Apollo's first battle in this world, he failed to grasp how strength varied here.
When their strikes met, Apollo felt terror. With the arrival of the Lesser Ifrit's strike, Apollo's body sank into the ground. At the same time, just over 6% of his Health was shaved off from that single collision.
Even though the status of Lesser Demon seemed similar, that was a misconstrued notion. This was especially true for those of the Ifrit race. As mentioned by Azridan before, while they lacked worthwhile mental acuity, their physical capabilities were greatly amplified.
Now, Apollo got to witness this truth firsthand. As he gazed into the madness filled eyes of the Lesser Ifrit's towering figure, he kicked off his front foot in retreat. In response, the Ifrit bellowed once again.
While it was in pursuit, Apollo gauged the Ifrit's ability to damage was approximately 6 times greater than his. This assumption was backed by the fact blows from the Glories who were of similar strength only shaved off 1% of his health upon collision.
Naturally, this large difference left a sour taste in his mouth. If each battle were to be this difficult, how could he advance much less reach the destination he was drawn to. Not to mention, 6% of his Health wasn't a meager amount.
Although his Vitality wasn't overwhelming and unfit for his current strength, it was still notable when looked at as a whole. Additionally, it wasn't as lacking as before. The recent advancement added a great deal to his current reservoir. A few vital skills weren't the only thing that was unlocked.
Before the Lesser Ifrit could reach him, Apollo took a glimpse at his status.
----
(Demon Monarch System) Lvl.3
Name: Apollo Kaiser
Race: Lesser Demon [15.50%]
Title: Azridan's Successor
Age: 14
Level: 100 [Locked]
Experience: [Locked]
Health: 94%
Demonic Anima Reserves: 3,600 units.
-----
(Impermanent)
Body Cultivation Realm: ~Rank 8 Zul Warrior
Spirit Cultivation Realm: ~Rank 4 Spirit Apprentice
Meridians: Saint-Grade (Middle Tier)
Zuls: 7,800
Oz: 280
Strength: 390.0
Agility: 300.0
Intelligence: 280.0
Vitality: 200.0
Comprehension: 28.0
Willpower: 28.0
[«Traits»]- 5
«Pure Demonic Conversion»
-----------
[«Techniques»]- 5
«Hellfire Manifestation (I)»
«Infernal Doorway Summoning»
-----------
[«Elemental Affinities»]
Level 7: Fire, Darkness, Metal, Wind, and Lightning
Level 5: Earth
Level 3: Space
-----------
[«Demonic Servants»] [«Interdimensional Inventory»]
Stat Points: 0
Since he was incapable of creating distance between him and the Lesser Ifrit, Apollo tightened his grip on the Hellfire Manifestation and delivered another strong blow. Because he held the upper hand with momentum this time, he only lost 5% of his Health.
Be that as it may, there was still an overwhelming numb feeling in his arms as he received yet another blow. In a fit of rage, the Lesser Ifrit delivered a barrage of overwhelming smashes. Additionally, with its last blow, the Ifrit aimed a punch at Apollo's torso.
Fortunately, there was still room to defend. Correspondingly, Apollo held the scythe before him. However, with the sheer force instill in the blow, Apollo shot back like an arrow in flight. Had not for the rock he slammed into, there was no doubt he would be knocked flying even further.
Be that as it may, the blow still created a sizable distance of 200 meters between them. Apollo acted before the Ifrit could pursue and retreated even further without restraint.
Once far enough, Apollo took a breather. Moreover, he wiped the bloodstain from his lip as he looked at the opponent. As he glanced at his current health meter, he felt it was correct. After all, his body was feeling the aches of those repeated impacts. So much so, he had half a mind not to return to battle.
Unfortunately, that wasn't an option. The only path to his destination was through this strip of enemies. Thus, after clearing his mind, Apollo recounted the way the Ifrit fought and dissected it for any weakness.
'A simple yet overwhelming straightforward attack pattern. Even though some of the strikes look like a weakness, they close so fast that it can't be counted as such. Is overpowering them truly the only way to beat this opponent?' Apollo frowned at this thought. He refused to believe there was no way to defeat this enemy.
Not to mention, this was not how he wanted to spend his fleeting time here. Hence, he steeled himself, "Just over 40% of my Health is left. Before this expires, I need to find a way to deal with them," Apollo stated.
He dashed back into the fight. But, this time, he didn't allow himself to be tossed around. Even though the strikes hurt, he followed up with his own. In this way, he found that the Ifrit responded to attacks in a robotic way.
Once this revelation came to light, Apollo showcased a cunning use of his Partial Shade Silhouette. The moment before the Ifrit's next punch landed, he disappeared. When he reappeared, he was at its side. More importantly, his following slash caused a hurtling wind.
All of his fury was instilled into that strike. He sought to split the Ifrit in half with one ferocious blow! Sadly, such a dream was outlandish. Similarly, the Infrit turned its body and put its hand on its ribs. Unlike most areas of its body, the Infrits claws were reinforced with hardened magma.
Needless to say, it was a monumental task to break through its defenses. In light of this, Apollo's strike only diminished its health meter by 10%. This value only appeared because the curved blade of the scythe barely punctured its torso.
Obviously, due to its lacking mind, it wasn't capable of calculating angle and distances, hence, why the blow slipped through its actions. Although it was damage nonetheless, Apollo didn't feel a shred of elation.
As the demon looked at Apollo, he could see the rage in its eyes swelling. If this demon was anything similar to him, then when angry, their combat strength increased. Even before this was factored in, the Infrit was already a colossus of an enemy.
For the first time, Apollo was in a situation where he possessed zero leverage. There was no upper hand to take advantage of. Whether it was strength or agility, he was outclassed in all. Yet, for some odd reason, he didn't feel frustrated by this.
Different from his peers, Apollo was a firm believer that perilous situations are what gave birth to obscene power. When put in a precarious situation, it was when he felt most alive. In line with his thoughts, the Diabolic Heart of Wrath started to pulsate.
It took over the rhythm of his heart. In the beginning, it seemed erratic. But then, it started to follow a pattern. As it did so, Apollo's eyes turned crimson. While this took place, Apollo once again clashed with the Ifrit.
'More strength!' Apollo roared in his mind. Each of his subsequent blows became more violent. Furthermore, the ripples of energy that resulted from their fight alerted the other Lesser Ifrits that were further in the distance.
Needless to say, while these two stimulated their Sin Power, they attracted other demons. There was nothing more enticing than the chance to absorb more Sin.
By the time Apollo noticed this, the situation already took an unsightly turn. All of the foes moved toward the fight. Even if the Ifrits possessed no sense of camaraderie, there was a distinct difference in the quality of Sin before their eyes.
'Thump!' 'Thump!' 'Thump!'
In accordance with the unsettling situation, something similar to adrenaline rushed through Apollo. While a symphony of crazed roars resounded, Apollo smiled. It was odd indeed. While in this weird predicament, Apollo didn't frown, he smiled!
However, it wasn't baseless excitement. His Diabolic Heart of Wrath wasn't beating for no reason. It had a purpose and was fulfilling its task. Slowly, the Infernal Ira Stigmata extended down his shoulders to his fingertips.
At the same time, Apollo followed along with the Ifrits. He let out a bestial war cry as the Hellfire Manifestation flowed back into his body. From there, a string of system alerts sounded. However, the first one was the most important of them all.
〈System Alert! The Diabolic Heart of Wrath (Incomplete) prerequisites for the first ability have been met. As a result, it is awakened. You now possess the ability to activate your first demonic form.〉
With the appearance of the notification, a text of information appeared in Apollo's mind. In accordance, he uttered a single line, "Awaken the Iraym Bloodline!"
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