The Demon Monarch System

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After traveling for what seemed like weeks on end, Apollo and the others finally came in contact with something unusual—the berserk beasts Kayn mentioned once before.

They were similar to Spirit Bears but resembled normal animals like boars, tigers, vultures, etc. However, the distinguishing features they all possessed were frenzied auras, bloodied eyes, and crazed hides standing on end.

Furthermore, their existence exuded a dangerous feeling. Unlike a Spirit Beast, these beasts gave off a maniacal vibe—cynical at its core. This was, of course, a product of their environment.

They were affected by the maddening byproduct of the Terrors seeing as this area was too close to in proximity to that forbidden domain. The unsightly aura spilled from the borders, resulting in the mutations before them.

Unlike humans, Spirit Beasts possessed variant internal systems. Simply put, they were internally stronger than humans at the same stage. Hence, they possessed the ability to counteract the miasma's effects, albeit barely. This was only true when it came to death from prolonged exposure to the miasma. Granted, if the difference between the miasma's intensity and their resistance was too significant, their meager immunity was rendered useless.

Nevertheless, Kayn urged all the youths to prepare themselves. "These types of beasts are issues you will run into frequently. Due to their state, they have been dubbed Demonic Beasts. Don't mistake them for typical Spirit Beasts; their capabilities have been slightly bolstered."

"Hm, if that's the case. Why have we taken this route?" Lily asked with a skeptical gaze. Based on Kayn's warning, this seemed like a risky route.

"Well, that's simple. Most of you have yet to develop battle instincts. We have focused on raising your cultivation, but we have neglected your battle intent in the process. You must know, when you get into an academy, it'll become a daily struggle from there on out," Kayn warned in a grim tone.

Apparently, their previous thoughts about the War Academies were wrong. They expected it to be like a stronger family. However, this was far from the truth. First and foremost, it was the frontline for producing "soldiers" for this world's army. Even the foot soldiers needed to be up to a certain standard.

Consequently, the entire atmosphere of the academies pivoted around competition. Everything relied upon your ability to claim it. This was true for all matters, including resources, housing, and completing tasks to ensure status. In short, they were only looking for the elite. Of course, there existed an underlying reason, but it was never disclosed to the outside.

"So to make up for that. You'll be throwing them into dire battle?" Apollo stepped next to Kayn with a meaningful look. In truth, he agreed with this way of training. Only when one experienced true overwhelming odds and sought to survive would their unbirth potential appear.

"Correct. All Demonic Beasts will be left up to you all to deal with. My hands are tied. Oh, you also have the choice to sit out if you would like. After all, you play an aberrant role." Kayn said while giving Apollo a meaningful look.

Apollo nodded and remained seated next to Kayn and simply watched as the others readied for battle. His control of his battle intent and abilities eclipsed that of the other youths. All that remained was for him to play catch up in terms of cultivation attainments.

Aaron looked at Apollo with small amounts of envy. He wished he was in his position, able to sit out on this endeavor. The Demonic Beasts before them numbered above 50. That meant each of them needed to deal with at least 5 of these beasts. The only remaining question was whether or not their essence reserves were sufficient.

Aaron placed his hand at his waist. He possessed a real sword, not some wooden toy, unlike the other time. Furthermore, this sword was a gift from Kayn to celebrate their achievements. In fact, all present youths were allowed to claim one weapon from the treasury. Needless to say, every one of them possessed at least a Rank 2 Weapon Artifact.

In the next moment, Aaron unsheathed his weapon while calming himself. He thought back to the earlier mock battles with Apollo. He had already felt what bloodthirst was like. In a sense, he understood the aura leaking from these beasts. In light of this, he wasn't as tense as the other youths.

He spared Lily a smiling glance, "Let's team up again."

"I was waiting for you to ask that," Lily replied, unsheathing her own sword. It was faint, but a different type of intent flowed in her eyes. This made Kayn raise his eyebrows in delight.

'It seems talented kids this generation are aplenty. Not only is there Apollo the bizarre one, but both Lily and Aaron show signs of creating their own intents. It's just hard to determine what path they'd take?'

Usually, intent took on all of your most vital qualities and melded them as one. With that, something more potent and unique to you would be born. Even if one was a sword wielder, the sword intent you developed was never the same as another's. After all, every person was unique.

Aaron approached a boar-type Demonic Beast with cautious yet unfaltering steps. In return, the beast's eyes gleamed with a ferocious light. It charged toward him, to which he sidestepped. He struck his sword—a simple, straightforward strike, yet it was aimed at the beast's vital spot.

It was a clean slash, opening a large gash. Afterward, Aaron followed up with a spin. Due to the battles engraved within him, he was extremely focused. He picked up even the most minute movements of the beasts. The sharp glint in his eyes was strengthening as well.

The silver aura prerequisite to the Quicksilver Sword Forms coated his blade. Three quick slashes were dealt amid him dodging the overgrown tusks of the boar. In light of Aaron's honed movements, he nodded.

'He isn't making many mistakes anymore. Moreover, those useless movements he used to make are nonexistent now. I'm proud of his growth, but he can still go further. If I remember what I read correctly, sword cultivators are famed for their unrelenting offense. He has yet to develop that.' Apollo thought to himself.

"It seems your training has paid off," Kayn commented on the battle with praise laced within his tone. Apollo raised his eyebrow in bewilderment.

"You saw our battles?"

"Well, of course. How can I be the Grand Elder if I'm not privy to all matters taking place on the family ground?" Kayn released a slight chuckle. However, Apollo felt there was more to it.

"If that's the case, you should be aware of all the events that took place in the past, no? Why did you allow them to happen then?" Apollo asked, his eyes flashing with interest.

"Hm, I have no answer for that. I guess it was up to fate to determine how things played out. Do you believe in fate? What would have been yours if I allowed you to live a life free of ostracisation? Do you believe my actions would have resulted in you suffering a different fate?" Kayn asked in a solemn yet light tone. He didn't understand it, but he felt his decision was correct.

[I guess I could understand his point of view in a sense. Perhaps if that were never the case, you wouldn't have come in contact with me. He isn't wrong; fate and destiny are elusive concepts, but they exist. We just don't know why or even, who or maybe what controls it.]

"I see. Well, it's in the past. I have bigger things in my vision than to dwell on this matter," Apollo responded to Kayn. His gaze fell upon the ensuing battle, all traces of his prior interest vanishing. All the youths struggled to handle the Demonic Beast attacking in groups. It continued this way until they started to seek aid from one another.

Crackles of lightning shot from one of the youths' hands as metal threads lacerated the body of the beast's body. Aaron spared some attention to help the others. Luckily, he gained his own benefits; he understood the intricacies of tweaking his essence output.

Soon enough, the battle was over without Apollo even lifting a finger. However, that couldn't be said about the others. Their auras were thin, and their countenances pale.

"This will take place numerous times. Recuperate, we'll advance after you all are done," Kayn disclosed before glancing at Apollo. His aura had become turbulent now that he had completed every change related to his evolution into a Lesser Demon.

It felt as if his body had turned into a devouring beast.