The Demon Monarch System

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"Ah, that other tablet in my mind. There's so much information etched upon it but I can't discern them. At most, I can make out the first two lines," muttered Apollo as he closed his eyes and retired his perception to these two panels of symbols. Only then did it hit him, 'What language is this?'

[The Ancient Language of the Diabolical Daemos. In short, the runes are the source and the information you can decipher is derived from that. As you advance, you'll come to learn the origin and uses of these runes. After all, they are the foundation of the cultivation method. What do you think the stigmata are made of.]

〈Mantra: The Daemos lurk in the shadow....〉

〈Mantra: ...path of the warring flames.〉

'These mantras…' though Apollo as he uttered them slowly. Sure enough, uttering these mantras caused a reaction from the system as it presented a large screen that soon turned into an expansive list. After which, 2 of the lines of inscriptions morphed into information Apollo was familiar with.

[«Monarch's War Path Record»]

Technique. 1 - «Baleful Steps: Phantasmal Daemos»

Technique. 2 - «War Path: Nine Infernal Annihilations»

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"Hmm… these techniques, they sound…

[Tyrannical. Indeed it is so. The techniques are nothing short of tyrannical. Delve deeper into their information and you'll realize what I mean. For now, you should be able to execute or rather train to execute the first stages of each.]

Tapping on the names, each technique then further expanded relaying information Apollo wasn't previously privy to.

Technique Name: Baleful Steps - Phantasmal Daemos

Rank: Demonic 

Type: Movement Art

Level: 1/5

Active: Upon activating the Phantasmal Daemos, the body will be engulfed in the Tenebrous Dark Winds, as a result, one's physique is tested. The higher the attainments in this skill, the longer one can last in the state. Performing the first step, the «First Phantasm: Partial Shade Silhouette» allows one to begin comprehending the shadows.

«First Phantasm: Partial Shade Silhouette» - As long as one remains with stamina, this movement can be utilized. In exchange for a 50% increase to Agility, your stamina drains at a rate equal to 3 times your Agility.

Requirements: Strength: 50.0, Agility: 60.0, Intelligence: 30.0

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〈Mantra: The Daemos lurk in the shadow, engulfed by the darkness one melds with the indiscernible. A phantasm unable to be caught yet unleashes everyone's bane.〉

Technique Name: War Path: Nine Infernal Annihilations

Rank: Demonic 

Type: Martial Art

Level: 1/9

Active: As the name sounds, this consists of nine tiers. As long as one's comprehension and physique keep up with this technique, you'll be able to wield the Annihilations. It all begins with the first strike; The First Annihilation: Demonic Massacre Wave.

«Demonic Massacre Wave» - Channeling the inner vitality, sacrifices it in exchange for large amounts of eradication. The higher the consumption, the higher the damage. However, repeated use results in each subsequent use increasing in expenditure.

Current Stamina: 1,312 (Allowed Strike: 1)

Parameters: Undetermined.

Requirements: Strength: 65.0, Vitality: 45.0

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〈Mantra: Pinnacle of savagery. Each strike annihilates those who oppose it. Nine to conquer all and walk the path of the warring flames.〉

"I want to practice these! How can I increase my stats as soon as possible?" exclaimed Apollo with a fervent gaze. Based on the descriptions, all he needed to do was sacrifice stamina which was something that involuntarily recovered.

[As I said before, bring out those Essence Cores. We'll need to increase your parameters in order to properly utilize these things]

Without delay, Apollo emptied his pouch. Though, he remained baffled by the amount of essence that was pouring out of it. As far as he knew, at most, he possessed 50 of such things. However, based on what he counted now���there were at least 300!

"What the…" murmured Apollo whilst raising an eyebrow. Picking one up, he inspected it. Glancing around, he spotted blaring differences between all of them. Not only did the colors vary, so did the sizes and purity.

[As you can see, there is a difference between essence cores. Like cultivators, the state of a Spirit Beast indicates their attainments. First and foremost, the grade is equal to their cultivation. It determines the volume of the core. The rankings of the cores fall into a few categories: Inferior, Ordinary, Exceptional, Superior, and Spirit Heart. Typically, you can determine what you'll receive based on the beast's ranking. However, this isn't always the case. You'll find out that if you look at the cores received from the slain Variants.]

[Usually, those ones possessed at least exceptional ranked essence cores. Beyond that, they are separated into grades known as cycles. This pertains to purity. Much like a Cultivator there are 4; First, Second, Third, and Complete; each level increases the degree of purity. In essence, they'll hit harder than their peers.]

"I understand. So rank determines the size of the core, in other words, the benefits I can receive. The grade, however, indicates the disparity of minimum and maximum and the cycle is the chance or the range this will give me?" questioned Apollo as he based his words off his understanding before continuing, "Since I'll be consuming them, I'll also assume they have something to do with stats?"

[Precisely. More importantly, you can also directly absorb their essence. However, this is true only if the beast you retrieved it from didn't exhaust their reserves. For example, you will not receive experience from the Scarlet Flame Panther or Zephyr Wolf due to their desperate straits.]

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Apollo cursed the actions of those beasts. After all, they were Rank 3! Imagine the experience he would have received if he siphoned it from their cores.

[Don't be disheartened, there's still the fact that you can absorb their core essence. Let us begin. Perhaps you'll be able to awaken an ability.]

Examining the two cores from those beasts of mention, Apollo's eyes rose in astonishment. Each beast had exceptional Essence Cores! No wonder they were on par with each other.

[Exceptional Essence Core]

Element: Fire

Rank: III

Purity: Second Cycle

Benefits: Upon completely absorbing the core's essence, it can increase the Strength Attribute by 1.5 to 3.6 points.

Approximation: ~1.9-2.4

[Exceptional Essence Core]

Element: Wind

Rank: III

Purity: Second Cycle

Benefits: Upon completely absorbing the core's essence, it can increase the Agility Attribute by 1.5 to 3.6 points.

Approximation: ~2.1-2.9

'Hmm, it appears the Zephyr Wolf's approximate value is larger. Could it be there is a disparity within purity before reaching the next cycle?' thought Apollo.

[Correct! Even though there aren't intermediary grades, there are still differences. It goes without saying that everything can't be identical. You should understand the rest without me physically saying that. Now proceed to cultivate with these. Upon reaching your limit, we'll then switch.]

"Okay. But I must mention, I'm reaching my 3-day limit. I'll have to consume another Demonic Essence Pellet," replied Apollo before focusing intently on cultivation. Unbeknownst to him, certain events were beginning to take place within the forest.