The Demon Monarch System

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[It's pertinent to your growth that you understand the workings of these stigmata. Try extracting a small piece of essence from it and drawing it into your Infernal Nucleus but as you do so, try absorbing trace amounts of Natural Essence from this world as well.] ​​

Apollo nodded, following Azridan's instructions. The symbols over his heart and left arm glowed with a dark crimson hue as his insides warmed. At the same time, he absorbed trace amounts of the ubiquitous Natural Essence. Although he did so sparingly, it couldn't be said to look that way.

Due to his ravenous meridians, the Natural Essence flow toward him in an ample stream. It was like a child running toward a parent with gifts in tow. Subsequently, while examining his internals, Apollo looked on with disbelief.

While his meridians thrummed with power despite the faint injuries, another sensation was coursing throughout his body.

"W-what is this?" Apollo marveled.

[That is, your power.]

"My power? Does such a force reside inside me? If so, I need to reach higher heights to control this! But, what exactly is this?" Apollo questioned. The euphoric feeling of the vibrant energy coursing through him made him feel as if he was unbeatable. Compared to the originally colorless Natural Essence within his body, this felt much more fit.

In fact, the residual Natural Essence in his body churned and shifted color into tri-colored energy albeit faint and wholly unsolid. The black, crimson, and dark grey blended together generating a fiendish aura.

[This would be incomplete Demonic Anima. This is the purpose of the Infernal Nucleus, it is to gather Demonic Anima and disperse it through your body. Meanwhile, the purpose of your stigmata is to consolidate Sin and weaponize the Demonic Anima. One without the other is virtually powerless. Hence, a demon who loses their nucleus is one who will walk the path of futility.]

'What if they open that thing called the Tainted Temple? Wouldn't they be able to ultimately reverse the adverse situation they found themselves in?' Apollo asked, summoning a tendril of Hellfire. He examined its properties, learning he was incapable of imitating the exact flame he was refined by.

[Good question but not entirely. While it would open a new path for them, that type of task is a tedious thing to complete. Not to mention, you'd need to comprehend the more spirit-based Sins. Take Wrath, for example, that's more physical than anything.]

While listening, Apollo tapped the Hellfire against his fingers, he felt no heat emanating from it but when he touched it against the ground, it immediately began corroding the magic circle he was sitting in. Shortly after, the ground itself possessed a deep hole the size of a finger. Furthermore, the puncture was smooth and glossed over like fine glass.

"Damn! This is hot but why can't I feel anything? Wait, what were you saying? Spirit-based sins? But aren't all Sins, in a sense, spirit-based? Aren't they derived from emotions?" Apollo paused his actions, perplexed with what Azridan was disclosing.

The euphoria he experienced was ephemeral, replaced by deep intrigue. As Sins were the basis of his power, it was something he needed to know without the omission of any information. Hence, he gave Azridan his undivided attention.

[Oh, exemplary comprehension there. Correct, all Sin possesses two aspects—the physical and metaphysical or what you would call anything to do with the mind but that doesn't mean all can see that. Let's talk about the demon race Ifrits, they are beings of pure Wrath but possess no mental abilities. This is a form of equivalent exchange, a limitation is placed.

[In exchange for a stupendous physique, their intellectual ability is compromised. In the same way, when a Sin is chosen, it'd take a substantial amount of effort to learn the other half of it or choose a new one for that matter. Although every soul possesses numerous qualities, we all have a trait that makes us, undeniably unique.

[Fortunately, after you are proven worthy, this will no longer be an issue for you. Now, begin training your Ira and interacting with your created impure Demonic Anima. I'll give you pointers.]

Thus, Apollo returned to training. He attempted to familiarize himself with his current body but that was easier said than done. With each evolution, the requirements for training would become far more stringent. To put it differently, the longer he stayed in this world, the slower his progress would be.

Nevertheless, when an unbearable pain surged through his body, Azridan urged him to take a break. This meant his stigmata was funneling too much energy through his body. However, Azridan remained surprised. Every time this happened, he was shocked by how long it took for the next recurrence.

[Is this due to his mutated infernal Nucleus? It should be able to store a larger amount of impure Demonic Anima than a typical Lesser Demon. Then again, this Natural Essence isn't enough to convert the pure form of Demonic Anima so I can't make that assumption properly. To do so, he'll need to come in contact with the Spiritual Essence talked about in those books.

[On the other hand, why did the system choose this world? Are there things happening I'm unaware of? For the fastest progress, this lad could have been sent directly to the Demonic Linked Worlds. That way, he wouldn't need to go through this process but that is just my own impression.]

As Azridan pondered to himself, Apollo continued to acquaint himself with the stigmata. With time, he grew accustomed to the scorching sensation flowing through his body. When he became oblivious to his surroundings after a few days, Ouroboros awoke, blinking his shimmering amethyst eyes.

Filled with curiosity as well as desire, he slithered up Apollo's arm, finding himself on Apollo's neck. Baring his fangs, he bit Apollo's neck, siphoning a portion of the Demonic Anima he was converting. As a result, Apollo's eyes slammed open.

"Ouroboros, why'd you bite me?" Apollo muttered, stupefied by Ouroboros' actions. He turned his head but didn't pull Ouroboros off. First, he was still in his palm-sized form, thus, Apollo didn't really feel the prick. The only reason he was forced awake, was the reverse flow of the Demonic Anima that alerted him of something being awry.

"I smelled food so I ate. Is this not okay, Master?" Ouroboros' innocent voice appeared in Apollo's mind. It seemed as if he did no wrong, causing Apollo to fall silent for a moment. Alas, he ultimately gave in as the voice sounded as if this was something natural. Which of course, was the truth.

"Ah, so you eat Demonic Anima as well. Very well, we'll just have to share my source. I look forward to finding out what you're capable of in the future." Apollo responded nonchalantly, closing his eyes once again. This time, he didn't find himself in that same state.

Although he didn't realize it, he was subconsciously tracking Azridan's weakening voice. Thus, often he would sit and conversate with Azridan about things weighing on his mind. With that, he learned far more about Demonic Spirits and such.

Apparently, it was something unique to the system. Being as he wasn't in the world, the system allowed for a different type of control. Unlike the way Azridan controlled demons, Apollo was able to partially summon a Demon's soul!

When he learned this information, in his mind, Azridan's words grew faint and his directions absent. Amidst his training, Azridan had entered the long-awaited slumber. In turn, Apollo opened his eyes.

"I will accomplish all tasks handed to me. Before you awaken, I will at least arrive at the state inviting me to wield that Second Sin. I must," Apollo vowed to himself. With that pledge, he seemed to turn into a training fanatic, spending nearly all his time training his cultivation base.

While he neglected combat, it didn't linger on his mind. If there was one thing he was proud of, it was his usefulness in battle. In fact, amongst his age group, he believed it to be rarity for one to find one on par with him. After all, the training of a grand demon wasn't just for show. With time, his aura continued to increase, solidify and then bolster once again.

This repeated process of cultivation resulted in Apollo having various thoughts about the items he received. 'That Household Creation Medallion, I'll have to ask Azridan about it when he awakes. As it is now, I can't appraise items to obtain information.'

After a short while, Apollo once again retired to training his Demonic Anima. Meanwhile, the atmosphere of the ship in other areas grew fervent. The timeline was shortening and the selection event was near!