The Demon Monarch System

Chapter 540: Unusual Presence

Unusual Presence

Following the emergency meeting, all parties gradually dispersed since they needed to prepare for what they suspected to come. The fact that Brukti had yet to make a personal appearance meant he would only appear once he was strong enough to cause unforeseen destruction.

Since that was the case, the World Reclamation Task Force leaders felt it was better to prepare even their weakest members to sacrifice their lives. However, it wasn't a simple sacrifice. Instead, they were commanded to essentially commit suicide if they felt their death was inevitable.

On the journey back to their base, Odessa released a heavy sigh. "Why can't we just experience peace? All this endless fighting is tiring. If only our planet wasn't the one that was invaded."

"Yeah, but there's nothing we can do now. All we can do is continue to fight so that we survive. Do you want it to be them or us?" Nadida asked while turning towards Odessa. The question stumped her for a while as she fell silent, simply gazing back at Nadida.

Compared to her teen years, experienced at the start of the selection process, all signs of immaturity and unsightly greed vanished from Odessa's mannerism. Even if an extremely powerful soldier boasting high growth potential appeared, she didn't actively seek them out the way she did with Apollo.

Admittedly, Apollo's disappearance didn't just change Nadida but Odessa as well. Aside from missing Apollo, she also felt resentment towards him because he hadn't fulfilled his promise. He was supposed to enter her legion and become a guardian of all those weaker to ensure their safety and, more importantly, hers.

Sadly, after learning a part of his truth, Apollo couldn't care less about this piddling world. Even those he acknowledged in the past didn't enter his sights because the darkness in his soul had sprouted in full force, awakening his desire to rule over the demons.

These humans didn't fit the criteria, nor did he want to waste time on converting all of them.

"Wait a minute… whatever happened with that boy who entered the Endless Death Domain?" Nadida asked all of a sudden after remembering a pressing issue. An anomaly arose not too long after they graduated from their respective academies.

Some students experienced an unprecedented delayed awakening, receiving a Spirit and pulling them on the path to becoming even mightier. Likewise, one such individual remained an outlier throughout the entire experience.

"His name was Aaron, right? I don't know what significance he holds, but hasn't he refused to join a legion even now? He's like an untethered soul, appearing where he pleases," Odessa answered after recalling.

"Wasn't he closed to Apollo? Like family or something, I believe?" Nadida muttered.

"I think that's right, if I'm not mistaken. However, most of their family has been pulled into the war. So it wouldn't be odd if Aaron were to appear in the same area as them. Though… I'm not sure why you've thought about him all of a sudden," Odessa said.

In response, Nadida rubbed her chin in deep thought. The only reason she brought up Aaron's name was because of the matter that Soren and the rest had revealed. Since he often ventured into the Endless Death Domain, then Aaron should have been killed or, at the very least, seriously wounded by the intensifying miasma.

"Don't you find it odd that he's walked into the Endless Death Domain yet emerged unscathed every time? Aren't you curious how deep he went? Do you want to try going there ourselves? Just you and I?" Nadida asked.

"Walk into the Endless Death Domain?" Odessa muttered before turning her gaze to the right. The sight of an endlessly spanning chasm surrounded by a dense black aura reflected in Odessa's eyes. "Don't you know how insane that sounds? The Commander and Vice-Commander of a legion disappearing unexpectedly just to address our curiosities?"

"It might be crazy, but who's to say that is not something that we need to do? Sometimes good things come from spontaneous thoughts," Nadida muttered with a slight pout. She didn't know how to explain it, but she felt like someone should explore the Endless Death Domain and do so fast.

"Yeah, and sometimes it creates unexpected issues and even worse, sometimes imminent doom," Odessa retorted. But, after seeing nadida's pout, Odessa's stance wavered slightly. "Alright, alright. Let's say I entertained the idea just for a while; what will we do about my damaged vitality? We should at least wait until I recover fully before doing so."

"Eh… and how long will that take?"

However, Odessa didn't have a solid answer to this question. While she didn't expend too much vitality converting the remaining Essence and some of her vitality into a form that could sustain Nadida, a considerable amount of her energy was redirected towards nurturing her second Spiritual Mind. Fortunately, Odessa made an approximation after sensing how much she recovered in the little time she possessed thus far.

"I say no more than a month or so."

"Fine, I'm willing to wait that long."

…

Meanwhile, deep within the Endless Death Domain…

A figure sauntered through a valley surrounded by eroded stone. A dense liquid dripped from the rocks as a low sizzle filled the air every time a drop touched the surface below.

It was a male who appeared to be no older than Nadida or Odessa. They possessed light brown hair that faded into an unusual white color towards the end of each strand. Although their appearance seemed while it also carried with it a vague sense of refinement only found when sunlight cascaded on the reflective surface of tranquil waters.

What's more, despite their missing arm, the individual didn't seem unbalanced at all, even carrying a large spear across their shoulders. Evidently, the person in mention was Aaron, who was revealed to have ventured into the Endless Death Domain.

"Mmn, how deep have I come? This energy is truly unusual, but it doesn't matter," Aaron muttered to himself before coming to an abrupt pause. After a second, he turned towards his right and narrowed his eyes.

"Come out; it makes no sense for you to lurk in the darkness. I can see you very well."

Despite what he said, there was zero movement in the distance. Evidently, whoever he was talking to, didn't intend to move.

"I suppose this new high figure has sent you out to monitor my movement. After all, it must a be first for someone to visit this deep without having to turn back," Aaron said in a tone that seemed as if he was talking to himself.

Afterward, he pointed his spear to the sky. Then, after muttering what seemed to be a soft chant, a blinding radiance engulfed his spear in a faint heat signature that resembled the sun.

He didn't waste a moment of his time as Aaron thrust his spear forward immediately, blasting an apparent hole in the miasma before him. Though he managed to do so, the miasma collapsed quickly, filling in the sizable opening.

Be that as it may, Aaron witnessed the enemy on the other side followed by a low gurgle and then a deafening roar.

"Roooooarrrrghhhh!"

Suddenly, a robust figure burst through miasma with a large puncture wound in the pit of their stomach. Even though it continued to spew a vile liquid on the floor, the Terror continued to rush at him.

"Mmm, amusing," Aaron commented. He waved his spear in the next moment, creating a string of faint afterimages that soon merged as one to form a whip composed of soft white light.

Just as the Terror reached him, the whip straightened and dropped to the floor, cutting the Terror in half before it could inflict a single blow.

After finishing off the Terror, Aaron shook his head with a small sigh. "Just a simple Rank 3 Terror; I don't understand why it'd rush to its death like that."

Aaron didn't spare the Terror another look as he turned around and resumed his journey deeper into the unknown areas. But, a strange sight occurred as he moved into the distance.

The Terror, which usually seeped back into the Endless Death Domain to replenish the Death Essence exhausted during its creation, was engulfed by flame and soon burned to ash.

Even the Death Essence that seeped from the puncture wounds was burned thoroughly. Since this happened within the Endless Death Domain, two characters were immediately alert of this strange occurrence.

One of which being the newly born Brukti.

"Damn vermin, just what the hell are you for you to enter here. Something is not right here. Lord Az'kayzak, what do you suggest we do?"

"Don't worry. He's only combatting the expendable; we have much more important matters to focus on. Now, continue to grow stronger, so they don't see what's coming."