Chapter 455 - Increasing Irritation

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Xonnomor revealed a surprised expression after hearing Saehtyn's chuckle. After all, he wasn't expecting him to be so agreeable because most individuals of Saehtyn's level were challenging to deal with, and their demands for compliance were exorbitant.

Fortunately, Saehtyn's worries were limited to deepening his strength and uncovering the culprit behind his diminishing authority. So, he ignored most matters that weren't relevant to increasing his power. And, it just so happened Xonnomor's actions existed outside his interests.

Therefore, Xonnomor stashed the newly created weapon before going on another break.

Right after he stowed the item, his father appeared within the forge doors. At first, he gave Xonnomor a peculiar look but then looked elsewhere. The odd expression wasn't towards the item Xonnomor created; his earlier revelation still loomed over his father's head.

"We've acquired the forces, and they're headed to the ruins right now. In the best case, we'll hear from them in a few days' time. At worst, it'll be a few weeks. I hope the material in your possession will suffice until then," Xorgrah said.

He didn't pause at all as he reversed his steps and exited the forge while leaving a simple message. "I'll be back within a few weeks."

'Hm?!' 

Xonnomor's eyes widened when he heard this. The leading thought on his mind until now was getting his father away from the forge to create the household's weaponry. Therefore, his father's statement was music to his ears since he didn't need to worry about that matter anymore. 

It appeared Xorgrah had other matters to tend to. 

"Are you meeting another organization inside Ashiraem?" Xonnomor questioned while lifting his head towards his father's back.

"I suppose you can say that. I'll be monitoring Tirasha's progress and supervising her transformation into an Archdemon. I'll also be able to get in contact with Lucifer amongst other matters that need my addressing."

He didn't feel any envy towards Tirasha for receiving their father's guidance. Since his father was a demon of pride, Xonnomor didn't expect his guidance. Similar to how his father oversaw Tirasha's progress, Xonnomor's mother managed his earlier progress.

However, after becoming an Archdemon, he was listed as a mature power. Thus, there was no reason for his progress to be constantly monitored. An Archdemon was more than strong enough to fend for themselves, especially those like Xonnomor, who possessed a fair share of adequate equipment and a decent control of Hellfire.

"Tell Tirasha I wish her luck. And, when she accomplishes the evolution, I'll forge a complimentary item for her," Xonnomor commented as he recalled his sister's traits and general equipment. 

"Noted," Xorgrah nodded before disappearing with a faint golden mist. Once he disappeared, Xonnomor turned towards Saehtyn. Since he needed to make sure Saehtyn remained quiet, Xonnomor felt compiling Saehtyn's requests from now was best.

Once Xonnomor gathered all of the information, he could form a piece of unique equipment for the demon.

"Well, seeing as you have that axe, what else do you require?" Xonnomor asked. Except for a piece of defensive equipment, Xonnomor couldn't fathom what else Saehtyn would desire. 

Another weapon? That was quite improbable. Outside of axes, Saehtyn didn't fancy any other weapon type.

A shield? Also unlikely. Saehtyn's battle style didn't incorporate defense in the slightest. Introducing a shield would only limit his maneuverability and weigh down his already large frame.

So, Xonnomor didn't even try to guess the answer.

"I'd like an item similar to Asmidia's or… another axe, except better," Saehtyn said after giving the answer some thought. Amongst the Lords, Asmidia was the only one who possessed an item that significantly increased her Sin's effectiveness. Though it came with some vast drawbacks, the benefits were worth the consequences.

If he could get his hands on a similar item, then perhaps the outcome of another fight with Irzanach and his entourage would yield a different result.

"So… you want an accessory," Xonnomor muttered with a meaningful expression. Although his knowledge on the topic was lacking, it wouldn't take much for him to apply the forging process to this type of crafting sequence. Unlike creating a weapon, a small accessory called for minimal amounts of material.

Therefore, the margin for error was much less severe. With the reduced material usage, Xonnomor's allowed failure increased unless the remaining material was sparse. Should that happen, then each attempt became precious.

After all, he was almost positive the team sent into the ruins would return empty-handed. Though he wasn't too familiar with Apollo's behavior, Xonnomor understood that someone in his position would wipe the premises clean, leaving not even a speck for another party.

"More or less. But, as I said, a weapon would suffice as well," Saehtyn replied before returning his attention to the forge. The earlier weapon made a deep impression because he felt Xonnomor's understanding of the runes underwent a transformation.

Compared to his first attempts, the complexity of the runes was1 at least thirty percent more refined. However, the translation of developed understanding wasn't as simple as increasing the weapon's potential by thirty percent.

Since the runes were a core component of the item that influenced all of its effects and principles, every aspect would receive a considerable boost, which summed up to more than a mere thirty percent increase.

"Alright, that'll work, I suppose," Xonnomor nodded as he closed his eyes to ponder the endless possibilities. Since Saehtyn wasn't specific about the type of accessory, Xonnomor was left with a wide array of choices.

Until it was time to forge the item, Xonnomor kept the creation in the back of his mind. Instead, he worked on increasing his power as quickly as possible. After all, Apollo gave his time limit to regain his strength.

It would take all of his focus to accomplish that daunting task.

…

While Xonnomor handled the creation of the incomplete armaments, an uncommon situation took place near the base of Ashiraem's Tower. Since it was an area imperative to Apollo's travel, Asteroth situated himself in the periphery of the tower's territory.

His sharp senses would give him the edge needed to sense Apollo's presence as soon as it came near. For someone who was a part of the original Dominus Household, it was impossible to hide the presence of its emblem. 

Apart from recognizing the feeling, the old insignia would also emit a strange signal as if it was beckoning to the newly recreated household. While this information wasn't public, Asteroth was confident in his personal strength.

"Tch… just what the hell is taking you so long? You should have appeared by now! How are you to reappear, yet be so slow in reclaiming the leftovers of our old power," Asteroth grumbled in annoyance as he punched his fist forward.

A stone wall not too far away was destroyed from the pressure behind his attack, which was quite tricky to accomplish, seeing as Apollo barely dented the stones found inside the outskirt of Firaria. 

Granted, he didn't use his full power, nor was he empowered by his bloodline at the time. So a comparison of his current capabilities was challenging to gauge. 

As indicated by his prior reputation, Asteroth wasn't a demon famed for his patience, so the fact Apollo had yet to show himself made him even more irritable than normal. Although he didn't know what to expect as far as the person went, since the intensity of the ripple was odd, it didn't matter.

Asteroth simply wanted to target to vent his deeply repressed frustrations on. As long as that target appeared, he was fine with whatever form they took.

The large raucous caused by the destruction of the wall caused many of the surrounding demons to avoid Asteroth. If just the aftermath of his effortless attack created this destruction, just what would he be capable of to them.

While the core area of Firaria was predominately Archdemons, there were a sparse number of Lesser Demons exploring the area as well, and from what they saw, it was impossible for them to survive such an attack.

Even the Noblesse would find it difficult to resolve this attack. After all, how could they easily resolve something that even a Monarch's Candidate had trouble dealing with?

During his episode of irritation, Asteroth also noticed the disappearance of Saehtyn's aura. However, it wasn't his business, nor would he intervene again. By no means would he risk missing the presence of the awaited party.

'Sooner or later, we'll have a pleasant meeting,' Asteroth thought as he glanced up.