Chapter 501 - Horrendous Situation

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Apollo's expression grew surprised as he listened to Fuhrer's confirmation. After all, until now, finding a demon with a developing Aura was next to impossible. Even the Lords didn't have this luxury because of their unique circumstances, yet Xorgrah displayed faint signs of this power awakening.

Of course, Apollo would feel surprised over this matter. Because of Fuhrer's analysis of the current situation, Apollo was under the impression that opening a demon up to the possibility of creating an Aura required the assistance of the system. Apollo believed this power could prosper only prosper once the system erased the impurities from a demon's physique.

However, Apollo's assumption appeared to be flawed, judging by this current situation.

'Perhaps the training he experienced was rigorous compared to other demons. Otherwise, how could his situation be so different from the rest? Based on what I'm sensing, he'd be a sufficient challenge for the Lords if he were to become serious. Is this why he's able to travel the Rings unhindered?' Apollo thought to himself.

In addition to his identity as a high-ranking member of the Council, Apollo previously felt there were other reasons for Xorgrah's confidence in traversing the Rings while remaining untouched. Now, Apollo's suspicions were confirmed. If it was a known fact that Xorgrah had reached this level, then the chances of being confronted were abysmally low.

Not many wanted to risk their safety to satisfy their ego. Besides, Xorgrah wasn't a pushover in the slightest. Based on Xonnomor's stories, he possessed a headstrong and confident demeanor. Such a disposition wouldn't allow him to suffer disrespect and standby idly. If it was within the realm of his abilities, he was bound to retaliate.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Xonnomor's forging room grew tense as both Fuhrer and Apollo remained quiet. Granted, they were only silent on the surface. In truth, they were passing messages back and forth through their mental connection.

"If you had to make a safe assumption, what would you estimate his Aura would be based on the current signs? Destruction? Suppression? Surely it should be something linked to this unyielding attitude," Apollo questioned. 

At the same time, he rubbed his chin in thought while recounting all the information on Xorgrah to see if it was possible to draw any sound conclusion. Unfortunately, Apollo realized his knowledge outside of the trivial amount of information Xonnomor delivered was severely lacking.

'It's not enough to conclude a promising option. At least… it's not enough for me. But if it's someone with a tremendous amount of experience, then perhaps it is possible,' Apollo inwardly thought while fixating his gaze on Fuhrer.

"Assuming an Aura? Although it sounds effortless, countless factors need to be accounted for when calculating the numerous possibilities. The major one is their source of power. If there are any unknown variations in their power, then there's a chance our theory could be in direct opposition of the truth," Fuhrer responded with a calm expression.

All the while, Fuhrer continued to look at Xorgrah before showing a faint smile. "Of course, we could always verify the speculation ourselves. While we may not want to hurt the fellow, a friendly spar is permissible, no?"

"Friendly spar? Are you sure something like that falls within the confines of his patience? What if there are some sort of mishaps and one of the sides becomes overly heavyhanded? I'm sure traces of enmity will arise at that point," Apollo countered.

In response, Fuhrer was silent for a moment as he pondered the chances of said scenario taking place. While there was a decent chance of this happening because of the unfamiliarity between both sides, Fuhrer felt it was still a risk worth assessing. 

At most, they'd make Xorgrah of their existence. After all, the Council that backed him were all sheltered inside a closed-off area. There was next to no chance of them rendering aid in time of crisis.

Setting aside their decision to guarantee their security by forgoing their roles, there was also the fact that there was no word from Xorgrah's father in over thirty years. Because of this lengthy period without contact, there were rumors of a takeover festering about the Council wanting to assign a new Chairman.

Should that happen, the Council would undoubtedly revoke the status of royalty Xorgrah, and his family possessed. In addition to the Council acting lethargically to ensure his family's safety, they would just use their immense resources to cultivate a new powerhouse in the ranks, one they could adequately control.

Finally, Xorgrah couldn't take the silence as a thick vein pulsated on his forehead as he tapped his finger against his forearm. "Oh~? Isn't it kind of rude not to address a question? I thought I was being pretty amicable with my question?"

"That is true; we feel no disrespect emanating from your question. But, you must also understand that not everything is as simple as it seems. Just because you ask for our identity doesn't mean we're obliged to give it to you," Apollo answered indifferently.

A moment later, he continued, "Besides, it's not like you formerly introduced yourself either, no? Perhaps you should lead by example, and we can take it there."

At first, Xorgrah was surprised by the response as his eyebrows jumped slightly. 'It seems the youth are cultivating unprecedented gall. When was the last time such a young demon was bold enough to stand before me and talk calmly while uninfluenced by my pressure?'

Of course, Xorgrah wasn't aware that Apollo's Aura of Dominance possessed the unique trait of reducing the effects of all incoming pressure by approximately fifty percent. So, the pressure Apollo was subjected to remained well within the confine of his stats.

Although he wasn't wholly unaffected, it wasn't substantial enough for Apollo to present any signs of discomfort. Although, Apollo wouldn't show its effects even if that were the case. One thing Apollo vowed not to do was show weakness before any Demons.

How would he be able to germinate his reputation of a Demon Monarch if he were to lower his head to lesser members of his race? He was destined to be their controller, so there was no room for doubt to arise in their minds.

"How interesting," Xorgrah chuckled. Afterward, he gave a faint nod after admiring Apollo's confidence. "I like that confidence of yours. Make sure not to lose it, or at least have the power to always back it up. I mean, you do have that, right?"

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room grew tens of times heavier as a condensed surge of power burst from Xorgrah in undulating waves. While everything within 50 meters was affected by this dense aura, the individuals within the room bore the brunt of the aggressive pressure.

However, Saehtyn waved his hand lackadaisically, erecting a flaming barrier that exempted him from the pressure of Xorgrah's presence. Not only was he a part of the matter, but he couldn't be bothered to partake in whatever this would escalate into.

Meanwhile, Xonnomor's eye widened as a cold sweat seeped down his back. If it weren't for the image he needed to uphold, he would be in a corner nervously biting his nails while wracking his brain to solve this seemingly horrendous situation. 

'Dear lord, don't let their ballooned egos clash. There are too many precious items in this place. Some of them are even delicate! Oi oi oi!' Xonnomor thought to himself while glancing back over at the escalating situation.

Contrary to what he believed, Xorgrah didn't relieve his pressure after a few moments. Instead, he gradually increased his power output, allowing it to reach a level where some of the items within the forge emitted creaking noises as they started to rattle, resulting in Xonnomor panicking much more. 

Evidently, Xorgrah's pressure was too much for some of the weaker items in the forge.

Be that as it may, Apollo continued to stand relatively unaffected as he looked Xorgrah in the eyes. His gaze never once faltered as a faint smile appeared across his lip. 'I didn't expect his pressure to be this terrifying. Sadly… he's aiming it at the wrong person.'

Despite being at the Greater Demon level, the effects of the Supreme Demon Body weren't to be underestimated since it was a technique known to be the culmination of demonic power. The effectiveness of the body's resilience alleviated a substantial amount of pressure. After all, it was a technique that was only possible because of Apollo's bloodline's incredible abilities. 

Without the presence of his bloodline, the chances of suffering an injury skyrocketed. Not to mention, it'd be impossible to invoke the Supreme Demon Body in the first place; just simultaneously containing all seven Sins required an absurd amount of resilience that only the Supreme Demon Body could reward.

A moment later, a chuckle came from behind Apollo after he made an almost indiscernible gesture. A similarly monstrous, if not more horrifying aura, smashed against Xorgrah's pressure, causing him to be momentarily stunned.

"If this is the course of actions we're taking, I'm more than happy to oblige," Fuhrer said with a callous tone.

With the addition of Fuhrer's overwhelming aura, every item within the room threatened to shatter after experiencing the pressure of two opposing mights.

In the meantime, Xonnomor's heart was on the verge of shattering as he witnessed the precarious state of the items in the room. His emotions peaked by the moment.

'M-my precious things!!'