The Demon Monarch System

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Tanath and his member crept towards the entrance that led deep into the ruins with a skeptical expression. The area was void of any loot because Fuhrer sliced off every ore deposit they encountered. Unbeknownst to these demons, it was all stored inside Apollo's inventory after being thoroughly excavated.

Regrettably, this situation was unfavorable for Tanath. If he were empty-handed upon return, not just the impressive weapon in his grasp, even the large number of Fragment of Sins would return to Xorgrah's possession.

Partaking in such a long journey only to have the payment stripped away was unacceptable. 

'I thought this information was exclusive to the Council? How could it already be excavated to this extent? Could the Council have already sent a team and forgot about it?' Tanath wondered. The possibility of another unaffiliated party entering this place was slim.

After all, from what Tanath understood, the entrance was untouched. So either the people who entered this place knew of a hidden door, or something was amiss with the access.

Either way, Tanath couldn't understand how someone made it inside the confined of this sealed-off area, but regardless of the party inside, Tanath intended to see his given task through until the end.

"Everyone, prepare yourself," Tanath commanded as he narrowed his eyes and continued forward. Although its presence was extremely sparse now, he could sense an increasingly pure source of Ira. 

This place would be a beneficial area capable of producing significant progress in their Sin Purity. Still, the resource's abundance seemed to be lacking. Thus, the chances of accomplishing that progress were slim at best. 

Suddenly, one of his member's remarks drew Tanath's attention.

"Vice-Commander Tanath, I've found something! It seems to be a path leading to a storage area. I supposed this ruin possesses a type of vault area."

"Mm, now that you mention it," Tanath muttered with a slight nod. He averted his gaze from the wall before him and glanced down the pathway with a faint red hue illuminating his eyes. He could see a dense gathering of Ira swirling in an area.

However, its amount thinned at a rapid pace. It was only a matter of time until it vanished altogether. At that point, this place would become useless. 

'We should move. Either there are people actively absorbing this Sin Energy, or the materials here require the Sins' continued sustenance, therefore exhausting it in haste,' Tanath thought.

In the next moment, he dashed towards the spacious clearing where Typhir battled against the Iraym. The others followed behind him but struggled to keep up as his expression became solemn.

For reasons unknown to him, the exhaustion rate of the Ira skyrocketed without end. It was as if a ravenous beast had opened its maw to devour the nearby delicacy.

Eventually, Tanath arrived before the two colossal doors barring entry from the vault's interior. As he looked around, he found no signs of tampering even after scanning the doors thoroughly. However, this was an expected outcome.

How could a mere Archdemon sense the presence of the Aura of Domination? It was something beyond their understanding.

Nevertheless, Tanath couldn't allow the doors to prevent his entry. The same aura that opened the fissure, which revealed the ruin's entrance, appeared once again. Except, this aura was much denser. From what Tanath understood, the fortitude of these doors outclassed the stone covering the deeply embedded staircase outside.

Thus, it required more force in comparison.

…

Meanwhile, Apollo scratched Ouroboros's unique scale atop his head, "You can stop now, little buddy. We've caused them to appear faster."

Evidently, the shocking increase in exhaustion was due to Ouroboros. Since Apollo felt their advance was far too slow, he had Ouroboros deliver some incentive by devouring a large portion of the Ira that the others weren't interacting this.

This way, Apollo achieved the outcome he sought while the others remained unaffected by his actions.

"How impatient, young Lord. They would have arrived here eventually," Fuhrer said with a faint chuckle. Although he said this, he felt they were too precautious as well. Before leaving the area, Fuhrer erased their presence, so the odds of Tanath sensing their presence was next to impossible.

Yet, he continued to advance at a snail's pace until Apollo intervened.

"That may be true. But, a few worthwhile people are appearing. I'd like to understand just where I stand now," Apollo said in a calm tone. At the same time, he stood up from the stone he sat on and stretched his body.

In preparation for battle, his wings unfurled but then closed. Until he was ready, they were in a dormant yet active state. Since his strength had already escaped the realm of a typical Greater Demon, he wanted to see how it fared against a genuine Archdemon.

After all, 4,000 Strength was only on the precipice of stepping into the middle stages of the Archdemon stage. Fortunately for Apollo, evolution didn't limit his growth.

He could also devour stats from others as a courtesy of his unprecedented Sin variety.

Suddenly, Apollo turned his attention to the door as a crimson flame seeped through the tiny crevice in the middle. It was only a matter of time before Tanath's attack breached the door completely.

"They're here," Apollo said with a pleased grin. Unlike his previous confrontations, he didn't even touch Gram, leaving it embedded in the stone he sat upon previously.

Bang! Bang!

Finally, the two colossal doors fell, revealing a collection of over 60 demons staring at Apollo in shock.

Immediately, Tanath frowned as he peered around the area, noticing a few demons actively absorbing the Ira in the place. "Are you a part of the Council?"

"Are you?" Apollo countered in a neutral tone.

However, Tanath understood from Apollo's answer that he wasn't.

"If you're unaffiliated with the Council, then you shouldn't be here. It was you who extracted all of the resources in this place, wasn't it? So, unless you wish to face the retaliation of the Council, I suggest you relinquish them from your possession," Tanath answered. 

Unfortunately for him, this demand didn't affect Apollo in the slightest. All he did was give an amused giggle.

"By all means, you're welcomed to make me try," Apollo responded while lazily glancing at the demons behind Tanath's back. 'Roughly 60 Demons on their side, but over 80 percent of them are inconsequential.'

"I intend to," Tanath said before tightening his grip around the longsword in his hand.

As a result, Fuhrer stood up, but Apollo stretched out his hand and shook his head before he could. "Nope. You make yourself comfortable. Let's see the fullest extent of all of this."

Apollo's appearance changed immediately as he activated both his Dauntless Superbia and Infernal Ira Stigmata. The Dual Form of a Suprana and Iraym immediately appeared, causing the opposing side to question what appeared before them.

'Some type of special demon? What is this form? He looks… odd,' Tanath thought to himself. However, he snapped his fingers, causing the other 3 Archdemons to present their aura as well.

"A swollen confidence only contributes to an early grave. There are four Archdemons on our si. Are you sure this is something you wish to happen? I'll ask again; give us the resource you obtained from this place," Tanath warned.

But, Apollo was sure of his choice.

He grouped his fingers and slashed downwards, causing all of the Archdemon's eyes to widen as they split apart. A ghastly fissure appeared where they once stood as Apollo glanced around.

"Don't worry about my decision. It isn't me who is in danger," Apollo remarked before rapidly shifting his eyes towards the closest Archdemon. A giant black claw formed around their body as Apollo pulled his arm back, drawing this demon near him.

Their eyes narrowed as they roared, attempting to shatter the claw. However, Apollo didn't summon this claw to restrict their movement.

Whoosh! Bang!

Before the demon could break free from the claw, Apollo appeared before its position and lashed his leg out, kicking the demon into the wall with a terrifying echo.

Still, Apollo frowned a bit. 'That demon's strength should be in the same ballpark as mine. It was a clean hit, yet it didn't deal as much damage as I had hoped. Hm?!'

Apollo sensed danger and stepped back, splitting into three afterimages as he dodged an incoming attack. 

"You're making a grave mistake. Are these resources worth your life?" Tanath commented.

In response, Apollo winked. "Are they worth yours?"