The Demon Monarch System

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"Ahahahaha, how about now? Are you willing to listen to me? If not, you're more than welcomed to try that foolishness again," Destrys squeezed through a fit of boisterous laughter. He couldn't help it seeing his warning wasn't heeded.

Since he was the one who created this space, he was more than qualified to issue a warning. Yet, Apollo didn't regard it with sufficient belief.

"Tsk, tsk. Pride is a terrible thing, I tell you," Destrys commented with a click of his tongue. Truth be told, he was disappointed in Apollo's actions. It showcased an increased level of pride, to the point it was detrimental. Any logical person would have acted upon Destrys's warning.

"Ugh...fine. I will listen to you," Apollo groaned, trying to shake off the after-effects of the rebound. Be that as it may, due to his scarce mental strength, it wasn't as easy as before. 

"Hmm...should I intervene? Or, should I use this as a way to teach you a lesson. When someone much stronger than you gives a warning, I suggest you take it into account better," Destrys said.

In light of his reprimanding words, Apollo could only show a bitter smile. After all, Destrys was correct. It was due to his confidence in his current strength that he thought he was ready to skip straight to the middle levels of the inheritance knowledge.

Regrettably, the result denounced that idea thoroughly.

"Nevertheless, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The fact you were only repulsed mean you're not as lacking as I previously believed. The issue is in your method," Destry revealed a light smirk.

When Apollo approached the gate, the method he used was rather crude. He used large amounts of mental strength whether consciously or unconsciously, to combat the worsening atmosphere. This posed a large exhaust to his reserves. 

As the atmosphere grew increasingly murky, the strain on his mental strength increased in accordance. As a result, his reserves were akin to a lake with a drain ditch attached. Once the valve was upon, a torrential stream flowed away from him.

"My methods were wrong?" Apollo muttered, seemingly confused. Usually, whether he was confronted with an issue, the correct route was to defend himself. Hence, he instinctively reacted to this environment. 

But, according to Destrys' words, that mindset was flawed. Not everything could be defended against. To deal with unique situations, one needed to become flexible. They needed to become a variable themselves, someone who was able to act interchangeably.

"There is a difference between being proactive and reactive. And just now, your merely reactive. In this case, that won't do. If you want your current mental strength to work with you, you must understand how to make it malleable. Only then will a small amount stretch a long way," Destrys said, taking up a rather composed expression.

He stretched his hand before Apollo and opened it until his palm faced the sky, "What the control of my own energy." Without pause, Destys utilize a palm-sized amount of mental energy. 

As it appeared, it possessed no presence. For this demonstration, he stripped everything bare and used only the most basic of energies. Gradually, the energy started to change shapes. From a crude-looking ball, its edge was ironed out until it was a smooth sphere.

Under the influence of Destrys' will, the energy changed into a cube, then a prism. Finally, it started to divide over and over again, until it was numerous identical yet minuscule copies of the original sphere.

Be that as it may, the presence of the energy wasn't compromised. In fact, each of the tiny spheres conserved the presence of Destrys' initial energy pressure. Suddenly, it flattened into a sheet of paper in his palm. 

"You see, this is the manipulation of energy. Every property of your energy should fall under your influence. It is a part of you, so you must always take time out to understand it. Even if you master techniques, it means nothing if you haven't perfected the energy source. You'll just be inhibiting the potential of the technique," Destrys informed.

Afterward, he clenched his hand and allowed the motes of energy to flow into Apollo's mind. Rapidly, Apollo's dried-up mind was rejuvenated, similar to a dried-up oasis experiencing a boon of rain. 

"Attempt it again, but this time, remain conscious of your decisions. Don't react, move proactively," Destrys urged. At the same time, he took a step back with a small grin on his face.

Although he had imparted some basic knowledge about manipulation, it wasn't as easy as he made it seem. Frankly speaking, people were just vessels of energy. Even the energy they absorbed wasn't theirs per se. 

As vessels, they were just temporary containers. But, to manipulate energy meant to erase the universe's brand on that stream of energy and form your own. For weak beings, this process would take forever, but for those like Destrys,' it was akin to an involuntary response. 

Be that as it may, Apollo was intrigued, 'Manipulate energy? Mental energy is different from Anim and Sin, I can control those very well. This other type of energy seems to be more universal. In other words, Demons and Spirits probably aren't the only beings capable of using this.'

As this dawned upon Apollo, he prepared himself. He operated his mind to its capacity and churned his mental energy. Once his guards were raised, he recalled the sensation the atmosphere gave.

'If I can have my energy mimic the ambient density, I should be able to pass through unabated,' Apollo determined. Before he moved, however, he doubled and triple-checked his mental energy's state to confirm the validity of his theory, 'It should be possible.'

Once his energy reached a peak, Apollo dashed forward. The first circle was a breeze, presenting no difficulty at all. Then, the second circle of gates came. Unlike his prior attempt, since his mental state was utilized as a whole, the pressure wasn't noticeable to him.

But, he could also tell that from the first to the second circle, the atmosphere's density about doubled. 'Fortunately, I listened and was prepared this time.' While he did feel discomfort, about 10% of his mental capacity was exhausted to combat the increased pressure.

Nevertheless, within 30 seconds, Apollo cleared the second circle. Now, he arrived before his old nemesis. 'The third circle.'

Apollo's eyes narrowed just before taking his first step inside. The two pressures couldn't be compared. While the second circle only doubled the pressure, the third circle multiplied the pressure from the second circle by 4!

In other words, the pressure in the third circle was 8 times greater than the first one. Luckily, Apollo wasn't unprepared. The makeshift barrier of mental energy around him sharpened, piercing through the murky atmosphere.

Due to this, Apollo didn't have the luxury of sauntering. He rushed forward, matching the rhythm of his mental energy oscillations with his breathing.

As Destrys noticed this, he became interested, 'Hoh? Even though he'll fail again, the method he is using isn't bad. Only, it'll require a large reserve than what he has. Moreover, it seems he still hasn't learned the purpose of the pressure here.'

Destrys shook his head. Since the purpose of an inheritance site was to assess an individuals' knowledge, Destrys wouldn't just reveal all intents and purposes of this area. It was up to the one experiencing the tribulations to make those discoveries.

The faster it was done, the higher one's comprehension. Granted, sometimes that wasn't always the case. There were also outside interferences that could disrupt the comprehension process. For example, the presence of uncontrollable emotions and foreign sway.

On the other hand, as Apollo reached the gate, he possessed more mental energy remaining than last time. This discovery made him grin but, in the next moment, he was frowning yet again.

As he placed his hand against the gate's entrance, his expression paled. His mental energy was draining in an instant. Even after trying to utilize his Intent, it didn't have any effect.

[Mental Energy insufficient.]

'BOOM!'

Once again, Apollo was repulsed. But, as he flew back this time, there was a look of realization upon his face, 'It's not my energy volume that is lacking, I believe it is the purity. The energy comprising the gate is many times stronger than mine. But to reach that level...how long would that take?!' Apollo exclaimed inwardly.

This time, just before he hit the ground, he performed an aerial somersault and landed, "Tch, you didn't tell me it had such a nonsensical requirement," Apollo scoffed.

"Well, that was up to you to find out," Destrys shrugged. "Besides, it's not like the second circle possesses any technique to increase mental strength. Have you not noticed it yet?"

"I have...the benefits reside in the atmosphere. It makes no sense to rush here. I feel as if you were just goading me on," Apollo uttered with a frown.

"That can be true in a sense. After all, with your pride, only your failure can change your view. Now, go train properly in this area. It'll be best if you remain here until that lad outside wants to fetch you," Destry suggested.

After some time, Apollo agreed with Fuhrer's added insistence. "Fine, but before we do that. Shouldn't we get the person of interest?"