The Demon Monarch System

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At first, Apollo thought about confronting them outright and killing them, however, that wasn't the smartest decision to opt for because of the Demonic Massacre Wave's horrendous consumption rate. Therefore, Apollo was forced to take a more indirect route.

Apollo darted through the forest while constantly shifting his directions. Not only was he operating according to his desires, but he was also taking into account some of Azridan's suggestions as well.

[Yes, make them pay. How dare they have the gall? It'd be different if you were weaker, but as long as you pay your cards right then you have a chance.]

"I think so as well. We'll just have to give them a small gift" Apollo agreed while continuing to zoom through the expanse of the forest. Soon enough, he caught glimpses of creatures that seemed to blend in with the encroaching night.

For a moment, Apollo narrowed his eyes as he examined what seemed to be multiple large and violent deer. Their blackened coats and crimson eyes shined as they looked up, shifting their attention towards him. They varied in size from some fully grown doe and bucks to their fawns.

As soon as Apollo entered, they became defensive of their youths. On the other hand, Apollo gazed at their information and smiled. "It seems they're of the darkness element. I wonder… would the night have beneficial effects on that element?"

「Monster Name: Dark Shadow Does

Rank: Late Stage Rank 1 Spirit Beast

Health: 5,600/5,600」

[It is indeed possible, but what do you intend to do? Surely you have devised some plans, yes?]

"I have," Apollo nodded before utilizing the Partial Shade Silhouette which seemed more potent now than before. Under the guise of the night, Apollo used his dark technique to snatch one of Dark Shadow Does' youths.

Shrieks of rage sounded behind Apollo but he was already extremely far away as he never once ceased moving.

The shadows of his silhouette turned into a blur while encroaching on the position of the unsuspecting trio. As he looked behind him, he caught sight of the galloping deer beast approaching him quickly, but not fast enough to warrant fear.

'So this is what using this technique during the night does? If only I could increase my mastery of this technique, I wouldn't have to worry about lacking agility. Regrettably, it seems locked by my demon body,' Apollo thought as he looked down at the young beast in his hand.

"Unfortunately for you, you'll have to become a sacrifice," Apollo uttered as he gazed into the young fawn's curious eyes. Despite the foul nature of his upcoming actions, Apollo's expression didn't seem remorseful. It was merely something he need to do.

'As they, some matters require...sacrifice.'

Eventually, Apollo arrived holding this beast which caused the three fellows to look at him with weird gazes. However, their expression soon became odd as they watched Apollo turned the beast towards them and slit its throat.

Blood sprayed all over them, soaking them in the scent of this blood.

"Enjoy my gift," Apollo said with an amicable smile whilst throwing the lifeless deer into the midst of the trio. Without a second to waste, Apollo hightailed it out of there, leaving a fading shadowy image in his wake. Confounded by his actions, indignance flooded their minds.

"What de' fuck!? Stop playing around youth. Get back 'ere," Vren bellowed before falling silent. His indignation soon transformed into shock after witnessing the incoming horde of deer!

"W-what did he do?! Get rid of that beast. He's lured a horde of them in this direction," Krone snarled. Unfortunately for them, the way Apollo launched the young fawn, the blood splattered across all of them. Its unique scent was imprinted on them.

On the other hand, Slaid remained appalled by the shadowy wisps encasing Apollo's retreating figure, 'I was correct! He was hiding his speed; he must possess even more secrets.'

Conversely, harrowing bleats sounded behind them, interrupting their thoughts as they began to rush into the distance. However, the scent of their young's blood and its lifeless carcass plunged the horde of deer into madness. Hellbent on revenge, they pursued the trio drenched in the scent.

Meanwhile, scaling a tree, Apollo concealed all signs of his presence, even erasing the dark aura he exuded. Directly under him, he witnessed the distance between the two parties shortening.

[They're burning their essences to increase their strengths. Like this, they'll catch up to those three in a short period of time.]

On the other hand, the trio continued cursing Apollo and then at each other for their blunder.

"Damn! Why didn't we kill the kid when he had the chance? It turns out he's a conniving rat," Slaid scowled as he pulled ahead of the others but the difference was barely noticeable.

"Fuck! I say we should've killed him. We should have just taken his belongings and be done with it. Boss, I 'dink you were too greedy! He is more vicious than we thought. We should have known this!" Vren berated as he fell behind the others. Agility was far from being his forte.

"Tch… shut up already. I know! The way he killed without flinching and carved that beast… I should've suspected something like this. But damn, you fail to realize one thing! He can utilize some type of energy and he's kept it hidden from us all this time," Krone growled as his eyes turned crimson just thinking about that hateful youth.

At that moment, numerous shadowy wisps gained on them. Left with no other choice, they split apart and dodged. It was then brought to their attention that the situation was worse than they thought.

"Long-distance skills. Our intentions are futile. We'll stay and fight. Conserve energy and remain wary!" Krone commanded while withdrawing his sabers.

In mere moments, they were forced into battle, with their side focused on defense. However, lurking in the shadows above, Apollo smiled, 'You reap what you sow. You wanted to cheat me out of my rewards and covet my items, I'll covet your life!'

Gradually, Apollo's body seeped into the darkness, awaiting the most opportune time to strike.

Multiple cuts had already appeared on the body of the two and they were showing signs of essence exhaustion. Despite their efforts at killing, the numbers were still large and difficult to deal with.

'Not much longer, Apollo thought as he made a move that baffled Azridan.

[Lad, could it be you're going to try doing that?]

'Yes, I will,' Apollo admitted. Then, Apollo made a decisive move.  Increase Strength by 2.4, Vitality by 1.2 and Agility by .3. After all, you said their deaths can't be light.'

〈System: Strength increased by 2.4. [Strength: 67.6 → 70.0]〉

〈System: Agility increased by 0.3. [Agility: 65.2 → 65.5]〉

〈System: Vitality increased by 1.2. [Vitality: 48.8 → 50.0]〉

Apollo's remaining stat points were exhausted in an instant, but the empowerment was worth it. His actions caused him to receive a notification that surprised and further accentuated his desire to kill.

"So, this is the first milestone to achieving that? I wonder what the next milestone will be," Apollo murmured while he glancing at the message.

〈System Alert: Your following actions have caused the consumption of the Demonic Massacre to lessen but still remain hidden. [70.0 Strength & 50.0 Vitality].〉

〈System Alert: Continue increasing your parameters to unearth more information about this lethal technique.〉

A small barrier felt as if it had shattered as he clenched his fist. '50 Vitality. Although it isn't 100, it feels much better than before.'  At this point, his health had breached the 2,000s; an amount on par with some beasts.

[As I mentioned before, a demon's physique is ungodly. Just wait until you witness what happens when you attain a small mastery in that abysmal practice.]

"Your words just make me desire it more. However, that is beside the point. It's time…" Apollo response as his gaze chilled. The trio's breaths had grown ragged and uneven as they clung to desperate straits.

It was now Apollo's turn to act. He jumped from the branch with a light tap of his foot and spread his arms as his descent began. At this same time, his stamina meter drained at a disturbing rate, however, the exchange was worth it.

Large fluctuations of a deadly aura inherently different from Natural Essence took place, alerting the group of mercenaries. Raising their heads, they remained confounded by shocking events.

"WHHAAATTTT?!"