The Demon Monarch System

----

In the corner of the desolate cave, Fuhrer picked up a miscellaneous twig. Not only was he imparting knowledge, but he was also cautioning Apollo in his endeavors. "Alright young one, to quell your curiosity, I'll answer you frankly; it is absolutely possible to transverse between the rings," Fuhrer revealed while tapping the stick in his hand on the ground.

The hardened ground started to soften to the point that a small fraction of the stick sunk into the ground. Once this happened, Fuhrer nodded to himself. The ground was now in a prime condition to add an illustration to his explanation.

"Good, but how do I gain access to it? Is it like the doorway to the enter the rings in the first place?" Apollo questioned while taking a short seat next to Fuhrer.

"Nope. That isn't the case at all. It is always easiest to reside within the first world chosen for a Demon at birth. To transverse to another world requires the individual to possess adequate talent," Fuhrer revealed. At the same time, he drew the figure of a person on the ground before them.

Right after, he drew the shape of a circle around the person, "This symbolizes a person within the Ring designated to be the best for their growth. As you can see, it is just but a simple person. There are no shackles or such things. There is only the presence of the demon's body.

"Now this," Fuhrer said before drawing the image of the Infernal Nucleus and Tainted Temple within the figure, "These are the two structures of power. Each of them would be saturated with the aura of the initial Ring's Sin. Are you following?" Fuhrer asked while glancing in Apollo's direction. 

After a moment of silence, Apollo nodded, "I understand. Are you trying to say the demon's body would be used to this Ring? In other words, the environment of the other Rings aren't identical to Ashiraem?"

"Correct, there is a stark difference. Every world outside of the 2 anomaly Rings possesses a singular Sin. The presence of other Sins isn't allowed. Can you guess why?" Fuhrer smirked. This was a small test. Fuhrer had already presented him with hints in the past. The answer only required him to ruminate over what Fuhrer had introduced him to.

Thus, to find the answer, Apollo pondered this matter for quite some time. 'Other Sins aren't allowed in the different Rings? To me, this seems like categorization. But, it definitely goes deeper than that. Fuhrer wouldn't just ask me a question centered around that,' Apollo surmised.

Apart from this realization, he continued to wrack his brain to determine just what could be the cause. Then, it dawned upon him. Fuhrer possessed two Sins, but neither of them could be melded together without a medium to act as a catalyst. Hence, there should be a deeper reason as to why this is so.

Although unsure, Apollo voiced his comprehension, "I think this has something to do with the source of Sins. If I'm not mistaken, the relationship between the sources shouldn't be the slightest bit friendly."

A proud smile appeared on Fuhrer's face as he nodded, "That's correct. The issues stem from the fact that the primal sources of Sin don't get along with one another. This is all due to the desire to reign as the strongest Sin. Except, each Sin has its strengths and weaknesses. Thus far, none of them has shown the prospect of the apex Sin."

"So how does this relate to talent?" Apollo questioned after failing to link the topics together.

"It's quite the self-explanatory matter, all you do is need to possess an affinity for the Sin of the Ring you wish to enter. Of course, it isn't as simple as I say it is. The level of affinity must surpass the Lesser State. After all, Lesser Demons are seen as nothing more than cannon fodder."

Fuhrer then drew six other rings surrounding the image of the being at various points. Afterward, he drew multiple connecting lines back and forth in an almost haphazard manner.

"The destination you end up in isn't set in stone. It's all determined by the saturation of your potential and your thoughts at the time. In other words, you don't need to possess a Sin to enter a specific Ring, you just need to possess the potential to practice it. Thus, you can end up anywhere you wish within the 7 initial Rings. As for the last two, entry is only granted if you're chosen.

"However, I would refrain from entering until you're strong enough. The weakest beings in those worlds reside at the level of a Noblesse," Fuhrer warned. A glimmer entered his eyes as he peered into the distance and monitored the movements of certain individuals.

'They don't seem to be privy to his identity or his existence yet. Unfortunately, that will soon change. If they have approached Phase 3 of the inheritance, I'm sure they would have witnessed a glimpse of history. If they feel the aura of the Domination Intent, the background will be linked together and maybe even coveted. May you grow with haste,' Fuhrer thought as he wordlessly gazed upon Apollo.

Upon noticing the look in his eye, Apollo adopted a strange expression, "What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

"Not in the slightest, I am just thinking about some matters. It's not worth mentioning right now. So tell me, what do you intend to do?" Fuhrer responded while avoiding the topic. For now, it was best he didn't increase the pressure Apollo was under. There was enough on his plate as is.

"Ah, okay. Hmm, well, for now, I wish to venture there," Apollo said while pointing towards Saehtyn's castle. As he looked there Fuhrer assessed his decision.

"It isn't a terrible choice, but I'll let you know now, there are three civilizations in that direction. In addition to the Lord's city, there are two others. And, each of them is governed by a Noblesse appointed by the Lord. Luckily for you, any of these three choices possess a portal altar," Fuhrer revealed.

After informing Apollo of this, he turned his head. The sounds of cracks could be heard as the dark crystalline cocoon surrounding Typhir began the process of shattering. Compared to Apollo's, the momentum was much smaller despite being larger in size. 

Nevertheless, the cocoon soon completely shattered and revealed Typhir's current physique. Different from Apollo, his size towered above. While Apollo was approximately 2 meters tall, Typhir was 3 meters tall. Furthermore, he had noticeably more spurs jutting out from his joints.

In awe, he looked down at his hands and clenched them. The crackling from his joints traveled for a surprising distance before disappearing. Immediately after, he brandished the greatsword given to him by Fuhrer and executed a downward slash.

A gust of wind bombarded the ground and left a tiny fissure when he paused his strike right above it. Although underwhelming, the wind pressure from his strike burrowed into the ground.

In light of this display, Fuhrer approved of this strength for his current level, "As I thought, he's a titan-type. Most of his future prospects will revolve around the physical. The combination of Wrath and Pride indeed suits you. Now, it's time you venture along. Don't forget your serpent as well."

Apollo nodded and signaled towards Typhir before exiting the cave. In his mind, he issued a command to the system. As a result, another prompt appeared before his eyes.

〈System Alert! The target has been determined. Honing in on the position of the intended target. Process complete! Intended target: Furcas.〉

"Furcas?" Apollo muttered while examining the screen with a confused expression. While the name was a nice addition, he didn't know much about the demons. This was especially true for the hidden pieces.

Meanwhile, Fuhrer's expression shifted when he heard this name. The name brought back wily memories as he recalled this particular individual, 'You'll have quite the experience cut out for you if this is the next member of the Lost Council you are locating. However, it is also in your best interest that you find them.'

Of course, Apollo wasn't privy to this little conversation taking place in Fuhrer's mind. According to his beliefs, it was better for Apollo to experience everything firsthand rather than be spoon-fed.

Thus, the first journey of Apollo and his incomplete household began from this moment. Unbeknownst to him, the rising path would soon present itself. His uniqueness was bound to appear once he realized how to take advantage of the benefits the system had given him.

----

Shortly after they left, Apollo looked at Typhir with a solemn expression, "Prepare yourself. Beyond this point will be danger lurking in all corners. We must stick together. For this, I'll teach you the technique."

The darkness started to swallow Apollo's body before he blitzed forward.