The Demon Monarch System

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〈System Alert! The distance between you and Furcas has shortened a great deal. It is advised to use the Pulse to locate the exact positioning of the individual. However, keep in mind, their position is liable to change if the approach is incorrect.〉

As he looked at this Apollo noticed the thread was darkening before his very eyes. However, it wasn't dark enough yet. This meant there was still a decent distance between them. Thus, Apollo held off on using the Pulse. The last thing he wanted to do was engage in a manhunt to locate this guy after he went on the run.

If his personality was as bad as Saehtyn described, then Apollo was sure that he was an individual prone to doing so. It would save him precious time if he was much closer before doing so. Not to mention, there was also Typhir who probably couldn't keep up should they resort to a high-speed chase.

Be that as it may, Apollo stopped before the entrance to the castle. It was only now that he noticed a large crowd before the gates. At the same time, there was a raucous building up that attracted Apollo's attention.

"Fool! Let me in this instant!" A demon with ash-like skin bellowed to the two towering demon guards that patrolled the area as well as supervised the door inside. However, entry wasn't granted to any who wished it. 

Since the inside of the castle could be seen as a holy land for Ira absorption, entry also costed a hefty price.

"If you wish to enter, supply us with an adequate amount of Obsidianite. If you don't have it, then you may also use other types of material we demons utilize. Free entry is out of the question," one of the guards answered in a severe tone. 

"Why should I have to pay to enter? You should welcome our presence! We are what make this Ring strong! Without our presence, this would become a desolate area," the same voice continued to argue.

However, it was clear that the guards were becoming impatient as their grip on their dark halberds tightened, "Hmph, a lowly demon who has just evolved to become a Greater Demon. You are here because of your lacking ability, not because we covet you. You are merely stuck here because you can't resonate with another Ring."

When the crowd heard this, a burst of boisterous laughter bruited about that caused the demon in question to feel a wave of embarrassment. Slowly, his reasoning was being whittled away by the building rage in his mind.

"I won't tolerate this disrespect! Let me in or bare the consequences," the demon bellowed before unsheathing a damaged-looking shortsword. Despite the signs of damage, the edge was still sharp enough to slice through the floor like butter.

"Hoh? Consequences, he says? We would like to know just what consequences you can cause us to feel. Failure to pay is a crime and we will be the adjudicators for your crime. Our sentence, your death," the guards spoke in unison. Faster than the other side could react, the two demons made a move. 

They dashed towards the demon and each slashed down. The resulting collision made the demon who received the blow slide backward. Furthermore, anyone nearby moved back so that they wouldn't become involved nor implicated by this matter.

Be that as it may, Apollo caught wind of some murmurs that were circulating. Based on what he heard, this was quite the common occurrence. In fact, if such an event didn't happen at least once a day, they would find it weird. It was a regular happenstance for a demon who had exhausted all their resources to become vexed with their current standing. 

'Hmm, they'd rather test their existences than find a way to scrounge the entrance fee? I'm not sure what this Obsidianite is, but there are some resources that can be found simply if you seek them,' Apollo thought. 

On his way over, there were numerous times where he found Tainted Shards embedded in stones as well as some Anima Crystals. While their purity wasn't comparable to what Fuhrer supplied him with, they were still resources nonetheless. After all, they didn't say anything about purity. They simply asked for a fee. 

Under the assault of the guards, the demon who tried to combat them didn't last long. This was especially true when they revealed their peak Greater Demon power. When they worked together, even an Archdemon might face some losses. Thus, an initial Greater Demon just didn't suffice as their opponent.

After dealing with this demon and collecting its belongings, they acted as if nothing happened and beckoned for the next person who sought to enter the castle.

When Typhir saw this, he whispered into Apollo's ear, "If we just met the lord of this castle, why did we get dropped off on the first floor? Couldn't he had just taken us inside himself?"

Although Typhir's question was sound. In truth, Apollo understood why Saehtyn did so. If he did what Typhir was insinuating, it would be akin to painting a target on their backs when he just advised them to lay low. Hence, he didn't want to perform counterintuitive actions.

"That wouldn't be in our best interest for him to do so. Take a look at the behavior of these demons. Although one may think there is order, they can get unruly at any time. What if those favorable actions were to rile up a crowd that we can't combat? Furthermore, what if the lord is too lazy to intervene? Or, what if despite intervening, the participants don't refrain from their actions?" Apollo rebutted.

Under the continuous eye-opening questions, Typhir nodded in understanding, "Ah, so it is best for us to just follow the actions of others. Very well, but um, what exactly is the fee? I don't recall hearing an exact number."

"That is unknown. Perhaps there is a reason no number is given. What if they are giving small tests to see just how much one wishes to enter this palace? Then, the more generous the offer, the more likely they are to gain entry. Of course, there's also the chance of the guards becoming playful," Apollo stated while moving closer to the gate.

As he thought, the things everyone offered weren't one and the same. Some gained entry with what they presented and others didn't. When it was their turn, Apollo did something that shocked everyone.

"I don't possess any Obsidianite, but will Fragments of Sin suffice?" Apollo asked the guards.

For a while, they didn't answer yet looked at Apollo with an incredulous expression. Behind him, resounding laughter from the crowd could be heard. 

"Hahaha! Look at this fool! Why would you offer the sole resource that we visit this place for? That would make your visit redundant!" a booming voice revealed that made Apollo surprised. He was taken aback that these demons had to visit this place to get something he acquired so easily. 

This further cemented Apollo's decision to refrain from revealing Ouroboros. If a Fragment of Sin was something that was unique to this castle, then Ouroboros was simply a goldmine. Moreover, the Fragment of Sin obtained in the castle was tailored to Ira whereas the other Ouroboros created was propertyless. It was a blank Sin augmentor. 

"It will suffice, but since it is not advised to let such a precious resource go. Two will suffice, one for each of your entry," the guards said after recovering their wits. Naturally, Apollo felt this was fair and retrieved two of them.

Afterward, the gates opened and Apollo and Typhir entered.

Compared to the outside, the setting inside was much more comfortable. The level of Ira present was tailored to the needs of Lesser Demon. The moment he entered, the thread leading to Furcas continued to darken without pause.

At the same time, the shape also changed. It snaked around to different corners of the layout. At first, it seemed like it was useless, but when Apollo approached the first point, he soon learned it was like a maze. Each small entrance led to a specific area that made Apollo nearly want to destroy things.

"What the FUCK! Are we going in circles? What is going on here?" Typhir bellowed before punching a wall. Rather than causing damage, however, Typhir sucked in a sharp breath. The hardness of the walls was nonsensical.

It was then Apollo to stop holding off on using the Pulse. As he did so, he was utterly shocked by what he saw.

〈System Alert! Location of Furcas, Wiseman of Corruption has been found.〉