The Demon Monarch System

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Inside the Dakea Stronghold…

Xonnomor held a piece of Purgatory Ore within his fingers, rotating it in place. It wasn't a piece that came from Apollo, but instead, was a sample gifted to him by the gargantuan demon standing before him.

"So? Is it something you can forge with? Aside from your grandfather, there is no one else who possesses the required expertise," the large demon said before pacing back and forth inside of Xonnomor's forge.

Their eyes darted back and forth repeatedly as they scrutinized the area within the forge. Although Xonnomor conducted a thorough cleansing of the premises, he sensed the faint of material outside his knowledge.

The demon didn't address the anomaly for now, but he did spare Xonnomor and an odd look before moving around the room's perimeter. He approached the mold used to forge Gram and touched the interior.

'A faint residue and lingering heat from two different flame energies,' the demon thought. Finally, he turned back towards Xonnomor with a meaningful expression, "Is there something you would like to reveal to me?"

"Not particularly, Father," Xonnomor immediately replied. He didn't even avert his gaze from the piece of ore within his hands as he thought of something. 'I didn't expect another ancient material to be in their possession. And father has given it to me?'

The large demon before Xonnomor was his father, Xorgrah, who followed the path of pride. Therefore, his appearance was similar to that of a Suprana, except his skin possessed a tinge of black, turning his skin a gray shade instead of the typical pure white.

An indication that his Suprana Bloodline held impurities. Judging by the irregular skin color, his bloodline classification fell into the Major Category.

Generally, bloodlines such as the Iraym, Suprana, and other pure Sin Bloodlines fell under the Perfected category. For example, Zarkath's Perfected Ifrit Bloodline was an inferior bloodline perfected by the system, granting it obscene upgrades.

"Are you sure? Do you mean to tell me you didn't recently forge an item using this rare mold as the foundation?" Xorgrah questioned with a narrowing gaze. With his sharp senses, he could tell if Xonnomor was lying to him.

If he truly wanted to obtain an answer, he didn't require proof to do so.

"Hmm?" Xonnomor finally raised his eyes towards his father, who stood by the mold resting in the forge. Since he knew a blatant lie was pointless, Xonnomor chose his words carefully.

"Correct. I used that mold, but the outcome was defective. Without materials like the ones used to forge Saehtyn's axe, the inscriptions of the mold can't experience a proper engraving."

"I see," Xorgrah nodded.

Though Xonnomor didn't reveal the truth, his words originated from a true scenario that happened to more than just himself. Before he got his hand on this one, his grandfather had once tested the molds to see their value.

The inscriptions embedded into the molds were too tyrannic for normal materials, causing their destruction within a few seconds of creation. Once activated, the influx of Ira corrupted the weapon instantaneously.

Just the emanations from their inactive state cause the immediate corrosion of the weaponry. Without the proper material, it was an absolute horror to contain its energies.

It was then that Xonnomor's grandfather learned the molds existed to make a specific type of phenomenal weapon. This discovery catapulted his forging knowledge just by studying the inscriptions and was the event that precipitated the Council's decision to excavate all the hidden ruins within the Nihilistic Rings.

They were interested in uncovering the disparity between the ancient strength of the demons and their attainments today. Was there even a comparison to be made?

"How is Tirasha? You've just come from Suprenis, right?" 

"Correct. And she is in a far better state than you are. It won't be long before she crosses the threshold and becomes an Archdemon. As for you… why has your aura stagnated like this? Have you experienced zero progress since my last visit?" Xorgrah asked with a disappointed look.

In response, Xonnomor grimaced. He knew this question would come up in their conversation. Apollo's actions were difficult to recover from in a short time frame. Thus, in Xorgrah's eyes, Xonnomor's progress was at a standstill.

Before being sent to Ashiraem a decade ago, Xonnomor was already an Archdemon.

Therefore, Xonnomor's identical state mystified Xorgrah. He knew it wasn't a matter of talent since Xonnomor possessed an abundance of it since young. Thus, there was only one obvious answer to him.

"Have you neglected your progress to chase your grandfather's aspirations?" 

Instead of answering, Xonnomor's expression changed drastically. 

"And Grandfather? How is he?" Xonnomor asked while putting down the Purgatory Ore. During their transmission, Xonnomor refrained from asking this question because of the news he revealed. Surely, asking his father any question after revealing terrible news was not the best idea.

Although he wasn't a demon of wrath, most demons possessed a nasty temper as a part of their innate being. Even if it didn't rival on the brink of turning into a Sin, it was extremely volatile.

Eventually, Xorgrah refused to address this matter. "It's not something you should concern yourself with. Instead, you should study these materials to increase the chances of you forging the needed weapon."

"What is this weapon for?" Xonnomor questioned with a deepening frown. He never appreciated how much the upper echelon of the Council withheld information. Even if he asked the other members of the Council, this was the answer he would receive.

Despite his identity as royalty within the Council, the other demons didn't honor his status. After all, both Xonnomor's father and grandfather held two of the highest positions. So, if they ordered the others to conceal information, even Xonnomor couldn't get them to reveal it.

Still, he felt there was some knowledge that he should know. For example, the state of his grandfather and why his father came to him to forge some sort of weapon.

"Think of it as a safety precaution. Until we find out the severity of the situation, let's hope we'll never have to use it," Xorgrah replied before glancing out the sole window inside the forge. His eyes fell upon the damaged tower with a solemn expression.

'That's more damage than I suspected. I'm glad I appeared here in person. Now that I've witnessed it with my own eyes, it's even more reason for us to have a sit-down,' Xorgrah thought.

Meanwhile, Xonnomor expression remained complex. Based on his father's description, Xorgrah sought a weapon even stronger than Gram. However, Gram was at the crux of his forging capabilities.

Nothing except pristine materials was used to forge it, yet it was still incomplete. He knew it, and so did Apollo. Thus, if his father wanted him to forge something beyond that, it was impossible.

"I might be unsuitable to accomplish what you seek. As with all materials, there are some unwanted impurities. Unfortunately, they aren't something I can smelt at my current power," Xonnomor said with a sigh.

However, Xorgrah didn't expect Xonnomor to be capable of this by himself.

"Who said I expected you to do so alone? You will receive some help. I just need to request their support. I'm sure they'll be more than willing to help," Xorgrah replied before once again circling the room. 

'It's difficult to sense, but there is certainly something obscure here. Something I've never sensed before, so I can't identify it.'

Whenever he passed a certain area within the forge, he sensed an aura that was beyond him. As Xonnomor failed to sense it all together, it was something he couldn't erase. Though they were unaware, it was a piece of Apollo's dominating aura, a principle far beyond Xonnomor.

Fortunately, the Aura of Domination was something fabled and unrecorded in the annals of history. Aside from being the Monarch's unique power, there was no other information surrounding this power; its sensation, color, techniques―nothing.

As a result, Xorgrah was left at an impasse as far as locating the owner went. But, it wasn't a matter important enough for him to spare his undivided attention to. It was an inconsequential amount, ultimately losing value in Xorgrah's opinion.

Soon after, Xorgrah approached the forge's exit. "Get all the damage done to this place fixed. As an extension of the council, this place should look immaculate at all times."

"Understood. Will the fixers be here shortly?"

"Correct. In the meantime, I expect you to focus on deepening your familiarity with those materials. Until then, I'll be paying the Lord of this place a visit to discuss our actions moving forward," Xorgrah said, but then stopped.

After a brief pause, he continued, "Once that is over, we should have the help we need to forge those weapons."