The Demon Monarch System

----

The moment this window appeared from the system, Apollo watched the minute changes that took place due to him using the Pulse. At first, he thought the thread would simply undergo a change, but that wasn't the case at all. In fact, Apollo was utterly shocked by the effect the system had on him.

It was now that he understood faintly why the system warned that his position and standing would be revealed upon using this ability. Not only did the pulse ability rob him of the ability to sense, but it also honed in on Furcas' sole position. However, when it did so, Furcas also turned in his general direction with a peculiar expression.

In Apollo's eyes, he could see through walls and any other factors that prohibited him from peering further. But, he also couldn't see the numerous demons passing. Nevertheless, it was worth it when he realized Furcas's position wasn't too far at all.

A grey path illuminated that showed Apollo the sequences of doors he needed to access in order to arrive before Furcas. Once the effect of the pulse subsided, Apollo turned to Typhir with a serious expression, "We need to move now. Follow me as closely as possible. If you fall behind, I'll leave my aura for you to follow."

"Got it," Typhir nodded without hesitation. A moment later, the two started to zoom through doors without a moment's hesitation. In addition to the path being committed to his memory already, the thread from before seemed to mimic what he saw during the pulse. In other words, once the active ability was used, they both worked in tandem for a singular long.

With the speed Apollo was traveling, it didn't take long for the distance between him and Typhir to start expanding. Be that as it may, neither of them held any worry for this matter. While he ran, Apollo conjured some Hellfire on his finger and grazed against the floor.

At a glance, he was surprised. In any other situation, this Hellfire would leave a deep indent in the ground it was pressed upon. Yet, as he continued his actions, the most Apollo's Hellfire could do was leave an extremely faint trail. Fortunately, it was enough for Typhir to still sense.

Of course, it required some strain on his Tainted Temple to do so, but it still sufficed nonetheless. All of a sudden, Apollo sensed something and started utilizing the Umbra Phantom Mantle to move even faster. 

While he used the pulse, he caught on to a glimpse of Furcas' aura. Within that small window of time, he was able to glean Furcas' intentions of wanting to move. But, it also seemed as if movement techniques weren't his specialty. Or, at the very least, it didn't seem like he intended to move with extremely high efforts.

As the warping noise around him picked up, Apollo paid less and less attention to the stares he was receiving from other Demons. Naturally, these stares were spurred on by two things they found delicious. First, was the aura that his mantle dripped into the surroundings. 

Unlike Astarat, here in the Nihilistic Rings, Demons were more sensitive to the aura of higher arts. When they were used before them, some would covet, some would marvel and others would even go as far as to envy. Hence, there was a reason that the ring which houses the Sin of Invidia boasts an unspoken rule of not using your best technique before stronger spectators.

On the other hand, the Demons were also captivated by his stigmata. The more he used his techniques, the more his body was stimulated. As a result, his Stigmata began to pulsate. Unbeknownst to Apollo, his strong desire to meet Furcas was fueling his actions right now.

Soon enough, he came to a stop. After leaving the last portal, he was left standing before a dark tavern. At the same time, the thread turned abyss black while it vibrated with great vigor. When Apollo noticed this, he understood he had arrived at the right place.

However, instead of entering, Apollo waited outside. The longer he waited, the more the thread reacted. As such, Apollo closed his eyes and tried to the best of his ability to sense the reason why. Several moments later, he grasped his answer. To his surprise, he could sense movement coming towards him.

Furthermore, this was from both directions. In less than a few minutes, the portal behind him thrummed before it ejected Typhir. When he exited, he was heaving, "T-too fast. Too much running. How far did we go? What floor are we on now?"

"Heh, Typhir this is still the 1st floor. If you're complaining already, how would we ever arrive at the peak of the castle? The countless floors are sure to be just as, if not more boundless than this one. You should admire the fact there are even portals to shorten the distance," Apollo chuckled in return.

In response, Typhir groaned with a bit of discontent in his eyes, "They might be a large help, but the distance to each portal node is vast! We still have to travel a substantial distance on foot."

"True, but be on guard. The person we have come to see is arriving. Although I'm not sure how true Saehtyn's words are, we can think of them as holding some truth. After all, there is no reason for someone of his stature to lie," Apollo voiced while crossing his arms.

"Mmn," Typhir nodded while taking the same posture.

A short moment later, a strikingly thin figure exited the dark tavern doors while stroking his extremely long yet dashing white beard that flowed to his knees. Within his murky eyes were also signs of flickering wisdom. As he stared at Apollo and Typhir, he gave a wily smile that disoriented the two.

"It would seem that you have approached the second beacon on your journey. But, the question is why have you done so? Is destiny something that one must follow? Why not go against the grain and engage in what you truly desire. Destiny doesn't pertain to you," Furcas, the old demon chuckled before pulling out a long pipe from his tattered clothing.

Shortly after, he continued, "The signs arise, the embers turn into flames and the blanketing darkness reveals all. Those without the power will lose themselves to a greater cause."

He then flicked his overgrown nails and threw an ember of Hellfire into the pipe before taking a deep inhale. When he released it, the pungent smoke formed a symbol, "Ah, the words of the wise. Many may hear it and some may see it, but only a few shall understand."

Silently, Apollo and Typhir looked at each other in confusion. If not for the system, Apollo would have thought someone was playing a trick on him.

"Uhm...Apollo, what's wrong with this guy, and what the hell is he saying? Also, why is he smoking a pipe?" Typhir whispered to Apollo. Naturally, Apollo didn't have the answer so he simply shrugged. However, as the short few sentences repeated in his mind, he was almost sure that Furcas was delivering a cryptic message.

Be that as it may, before he could understand the message, he needed to understand something greater, 'Just what is Furcas' purpose. He's called the Wiseman of Corruption, but what does that symbolize? He's obviously important if the system suggested his position first. Think Apollo,' he continued to mull over the matter.

As he saw this, Furcas chuckled, "A clogged machine can't function properly just as a battered mind isn't useful to grandiose thinking. You, who dwelled in the past, have yet to liberate their mind and look towards the future."

"Who?" Apollo asked in return.

Before answering, Furcas gave a meaningful smile, "Why both of you fools of course. Your energies are displaced, therefore, neither of you truly look at the present."

In light of these words, both Apollo and Typhir squinted. A stranger was calling them a fool and also questioning their ability to think. Nevertheless, while listening to his words, Apollo was starting to grasp just what Saehtyn was speaking about.

'This old thing is skilled in infuriating people. I'm willing to bet this is how he gained his nickname. Wise quips to attack one's reasoning. However, he still remains a piece I must acquire. Thus, unlike the rest, this isn't something I can back away from,' Apollo surmised internally.

"So, tell me Wiseman of Corruption, is your mind unclogged? As an ancient demon, do you never think back to the times of the First Monarch? It is a shame your grandeur was never the same," Apollo retorted.

Apparently, these words touched a nerve as the murky look in Furcas' eyes disappeared completely and were replaced with a dark expression, "Utter foolishness again and see how I tear your mind asunder," He said as faint runes lit up across his pipe.