The Demon Monarch System

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As a denizen of the upper races, and one whose original power reigned amongst the top of its people, the Goliath's death rewarded Apollo with an obscene amount of experience. Enough to catapult him over 15 levels! However, this was only possible because of the atrocious multiplier attached to the feat of killing a Titan member.

As a race deemed to be inconsolable, the enmity present between gave Apollo an additional benefit. The immense experience compelled Apollo to find more Titans to kill, but such a desire was illogical at the moment. Not only was it extremely dangerous to expose himself right now, but there were also members of the Titan race who were stronger than he could comprehend.

Thus, when Fuhrer saw his delighted expression, he moved to dismiss any of Apollo's irrational thoughts. "Although it might have been a thrilling experience, I would advise against anything you seek to do at this very moment. For now, there are other things for you to focus on."

Before answering, Apollo continued to gaze at the headless body of the Goliath. Beyond the experience, the Gula running rampant in his body tempted Apollo to consume his remains. With no further words, Apollo bent down and placed his hand against the Goliath's fallen chest.

In moments, the Goliath's body shriveled up at a bizarre rate. Nearly 5 seconds later, its body which previously stood over 5-meters tall was no more! Its body had been devoured without any indication of ever existing!

"Ah… don't worry, Fuhrer. I won't do anything foolish. In the meantime, there are things we have to get out of the way. How close would you say we are to taking ahold of her?" Apollo questioned while gazing forward into the crumbling nothingness.

"Based on your new evolution, if you manage to erect all of your stigmata and begin initial bonding with the Sins, then you should be more than strong enough to take ahold of her mind," Fuhrer responded after giving the matter some thought.

Obviously, the person in mind was Geneva. Now that he was a Greater Demon, corrupting her didn't run the same former risk. The possibility of her losing a great deal of her power because of the downgrade was no longer present.

After all, a Lesser Demon couldn't be compared to the newfound power birthed by the evolution to a Greater Demon. Not to mention, an evolution like Apollo's where all the Sin abilities were within finger length.

Although the remaining process was still painful, it was something Apollo could handle. Compared to Ira, the other Sins weren't as self-mutilating. On the contrary, the remaining sins posed more harm to others than to Apollo.

"Good, that's an answer I like to hear," Apollo muttered. At the same time, his body slowly started to revert to his human appearance., However, at a glance, stark differences could be seen. For one, instead of 16, Apollo now appeared to be around 18 or 19. All the time spent inside the Nihilistic Rings acted upon his body now that his empowered vessel was capable of an even longer lifespan.

The system previously withheld the effects as the physique of a Lesser Demon was too weak. If too much of the temporal difference built up in that fragile physique, his body could be ripped to shreds while passing through the spatial channels linked to the Nihilistic Rings.

This was even more true when mentioning the sturdier links between the Rings. Compared to the channel linked to Astarat, the channels interlocking the Rings were at least 5 times sturdier. That meant it ran 5 times the risk of harming Apollo.

Fortunately, after becoming a Greater Demon, this issue was resolved. Furthermore, another option was now available to Apollo now that he had become a Greater Demon. 

'One step closer to meeting with Saehtyn. Even though I've become stronger, I'm not exactly a match for a full-fledged Archdemon. If there are truly as many of them as he implies, then I'll have to at least reach the peak of my level,' Apollo thought.

"Ahem, my Lord. Do you wish to flee the area? There's not much else to do here, and it has become exceedingly unstable," Furcas remarked before glancing around. Although it wasn't overwhelmingly evident, Furcas' special technique enabled him to perceive the hidden.

The intricate nodes of the space were all destroyed, and it would only be a matter of minutes before the entire space collapsed. If they moved too slowly, then there was a chance of them suffering injury from the collapse of space. 

"Don't worry. I understand the dangers we face," Apollo nodded. After evolving, the sealed technique gained from the assimilation of Furcas' fragment begun the unraveling process. In short, Apollo's previously bounded ability was gradually shattering its restraints.

It was only a matter of time before those «Unbound Eyes» unleashed their full potential. As a result, Apollo also discerned the same threats Furcas mentioned.

"Fuhrer, I'll leave this up to you," Apollo said before walking to an odd corner of the room. Even though it seemed like nothing was there, Apollo stilled snatched the space before him and acquired a hidden sliver of what seemed to be a crystal.

'This thing emits the same frequency at that crystal piece found within the recess of that room. If I'm not mistaken, they should be two pieces of a whole. The only question is, where are the remaining pieces and what do they form?' Apollo wondered.

Sadly, the answers he sought weren't present at this time. So, he could only push it to the back of his mind. For now, escaping this place took precedence over his other worries.

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Moments after Apollo's killed the Goliath…

"W-what the heck! Odessa! Do you feel that? Why is everything shaking?" Nadida exclaimed with widened eyes. The change was far too sudden for her to understand. One moment, she was accepting a seemingly mystic item and in the next, the whole place felt as if the most alarming earthquake hit it!

Similarly, Odessa frowned because this was no normal earthquake. From what she could sense, the spatial wall holding this realm in place was falling apart. And, based on the origins of the tremors, the damage originated from the top of the realm. In other words, the secret area only Apollo was capable of entering.

"I think this is the doing of Apollo. I don't know what he did or acquired while up there. But it seems whatever was sustaining this place has either lost its purpose or has gone missing entirely," Odessa announced with a sigh. It seemed no matter what Apollo did, he was always the cause of trouble.

"W-what? If it's causing such a large disturbance, then does that mean he has obtained the core item of this place? I hate him! Why is he the one to always get the best stuff?" Nadida snarled. The more she felt this was true, the more she pouted.

In response, Odessa could only look at her with an incredulous expression. 'We face imminent danger of a collapsing realm and this is what you focus on!? Why is everything a competition with her?'

"Why are you looking at me like that? Shut up, don't judge me. Because I know you are," Nadida said with a glare.

Sighing with a look of defeat, Odessa could only shake her head, "Let's go. Crush the Inscription Key you required. It's not just an entrance to the door of your choice, it is also an exit for this realm."

"No, not yet. We have to wait for Apollo because we don't know if that area up there allows the escape method to be used. We need to guarantee his safety," Nadida declared, refusing to leave just yet. Although the area had become unstable, it wasn't severe yet so there was still time for her to await Apollo's arrival.

Upon noticing Nadida's expression, Odessa narrowed her eyes before whispering into her ear, "You like him, don't you? I mean, yes you are competitive with the others, but you don't show as much care for their safety as you do Apollo."

For a moment Nadida's eyes widening as she answered with a sputter, "W-w-whaa?! I don't know what you're talking about. It is normal for us to care about the safety of our friends!"

"Mmm," Odessa nodded with a meaningful expression before smiling. "Well, look. The person you're waiting for has arrived. But remember, his future might not be as pristine as you think. I mean, you saw how many Spirits he summoned, right?"

"I…" Nadida paused as she recalled the entourage Apollo entered the highest floor with. 'Could it really be true?'