Chapter 304: Hectic Atmosphere

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"Could it be time already?" Apollo muttered to himself. Based on the trembling of his body, his Diabolic Heart of Wrath was emitting a warning. If he didn't pay attention to it, he wasn't sure what the consequences would be. On the other hand, since he had just gotten into the groove of training here, he didn't wish to interrupt it. Thus, he was left in a rut.

'Do I just let the natural course of things take place or do I let Fuhrer interfere with this process and buy as much time as possible?' Apollo inwardly thought. However, what he didn't know was the fact that Chaos had already extended his stay multiple times over. If one took into account the disruption of time's flow, then the time spent here overshadowed the initial time remaining.

Of course, this was only with respect to the actual value. As for what Apollo perceived, it didn't seem any different from the natural flow of time. Only someone outside of the effects of Chaos would realize the effects of it with ease. Or, it would require someone's whose sensitivity to change was immaculate.

Nevertheless, as Apollo fell into a short stupor, Fuhrer glanced in his direction. Even without Apollo's behest, he could sense Apollo's internal system was in disarray, 'Ah, it would seem our limit has been reached. But, judging by his current expression, he isn't quite ready to leave yet. Very well, let me make a move in your stead.'

Before Apollo could request Fuhrer's assistance from his own judgment, Fuhrer ceased Typhir's training before raising his hand to the sky. As he did so, an ungodly amount of Suppression Intent appeared and formed a barrier around the entire current space.

Shortly after, it began to suppress time as well as the other energies here. Be that as it may, this action came at a consequence. Fuhrer's countenance started to pale ceaselessly with each passing moment. But, in exchange, Apollo's indecisive expression disappeared.

With the disappearance of the sensation bearing down on his body, it was pushed to the back of his mind. In the meantime, he focused on something much more important, ' Yes, I can continue!' 

Without a moment's hesitation, Apollo resumed his practice and continued to grasp control on the next set of fragments. After assuming complete control over Furcas' portion, Apollo instantly shifted to attempting Valac's. While it might have been fresher when compared to Furcas, it synergized with him very well.

As the contents of the fragment were broken down, Apollo basked in the sensation which resulted from its horrendous vibe. The energy then started to burrow into his core, penetrating the deep recesses of his Tainted Temple, and even coming in contact with his soul.

At first, this experience was quite odd. After all, Apollo wasn't used to any matters that pertained to letting his soul be laid bare. Yet, as this happened, the defenseless of his soul didn't feel wrong. In fact, he welcomed it! This was an experience that would allow him to learn even more about himself and delve deeper.

Furthermore, it could even be the chance needed to come across even more Demonic Conducts. As far as the Murderous and Torturous Paths went, he was sure that these were just the beginning, there had to be other behaviors that the upper echelon of demons took place. Thus, he was interested to learn about them.

Amidst the core energies of Valac melding with him, Apollo's soul took on an independent form. In short, he looked like an ethereal version of himself within a river filled with dark energies. As he swam around, he came in contact with numerous locked gates. 

And, each of those locks consisted of strange marking and what seemed to be a paper-like material. Upon witnessing this, Apollo was intrigued. 'Is this my soul? Could my soul currently have multiple seals? Wait...is this what Fuhrer was talking about when he mentioned relearning my true identity? Are the secrets of my existence hidden behind these obstructions?'

The more Apollo thought about it, the more the thoughts became plausible. As he sensed it, he could feel a familiar yet overwhelming sensation from the locks. Each of them possessed an aura that was innately similar to his own, just many times stronger. However, if he had to describe them, he felt as if all of them felt incomplete.

For example, he had this odd feeling that even after unlocking all of the seals, every last truth wouldn't be laid bare. In other words, his soul didn't carry the entirety of the story. If he wished to obtain that information, then he would also have to venture else.

Fortunately, the sensation of his soul was enough to enthuse him and make it so that he wanted as much strength as possible. All of a sudden, his eyes slammed open and the marvel before his eyes vanished. In its place, an overbearing pain wracked his body from the depths of his beings.

"A-argghh…it hurts!" Apollo bellowed, roaring as he was ejected from the chaotic pool he sat within. When he looked around, he noticed that Ouroboros had eaten his fill and left the pool long ago. Now, his eyes were closed as he did his best to digest the copious amounts of energy he absorbed.

Meanwhile, Typhir was on his knees heaving with an obscene number of cuts. If anyone sought to count the number, it would be an impossibility. It seemed the hell he had been put through while training wasn't anything to scoff at.

It wouldn't be a reach to say the pain he suffered was along the lines of what Apollo was feeling right now. After all, the Tenebrous Sword used fragments of the void to attack. And, from within the void is where Chaos was birthed.

In other words, those who could utilize the void and those who could weaponize Chaos stood among the same playing field. The only difference laid within the effects each of them could present. While the void could hide, Chaos disrupted. Each of them had its strengths, but at the end of the day, each of them possessed their own share of weaknesses as well.

On the other hand, an important event took place. Right before Apollo, a gate opened but it didn't drag him inside immediately like the other time. This time, it seemed to wait for him to enter as Fuhrer continued to grit his teeth.

'It is truly a shame that I have seen the day where a mere portal has overpowered me. Nevertheless, it can't completely do away with him. I'd rather him safely reenter than be thrown inside without remorse,' Fuhrer thought.

As Apollo rose to his feet, Valac widened his eyes in surprise, "Where does this link to? Are we engaging in the olden practice of culling worlds? Are we going on a journey of conquering? Will there be humans? CAN I KILL THEM!? Damn it! FUCKING ANSWER ME!" Valac screamed in excitement as he bubbled with fervent desire to wreak havoc.

As Apollo noticed this, he looked upon Valac and held out his hand. Since he had digested some of the energy, Apollo came across a nifty set of abilities derived from the system's authority, "Absolute Order! Valac, silence!"

"Mmmph! Mmmph! MMMPHHHH!" In response to Apollo's actions, Valac eyes widened. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get his jaw to unhinge. Moreover, the link between them thrummed with a command bouncing across it. 

Then, without a moment's hesitation, Apollo threw Valac within the portal. Afterward, he raised his hand and urged the rest to enter, "Go inside. We'll return to my world and aim to complete my transformation. Then, we'll hasten our actions and try to make our stay here permanent."

"Sound plan," Furcas uttered in response, entering the portal after the fretting Valac. Immediately after, Apollo picked up Typhir before glancing at Fuhrer, "You may release it," Apollo voiced with a nod before stepping through the portal."

A moment after Apollo entered, Fuhrer stepped toward the portal but just before it closed, he brandished his sword and split the entire cave in half. The half then turned into quarters and so on, and so forth, until finally, a single strike had decimated the area.

'I can't allow this to be found once again. Since we have exhausted its purpose, it is best I do away with it,' Fuhrer muttered to himself. All of a sudden, with a flash, the doorway to the portal disappeared.

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In Apollo's residence, a large portal opened up. A disheveled Valac was ejected first followed by the others in an orderly manner. Be that as it may, the moment they returned, not just Fuhrer, even Apollo frowned.

Due to the increased sensitivity of his Tainted Temple, he could sense a few things that warranted his worry. For one, the atmosphere of the academy was thrown into discord. Everything seemed erratic and the hectic appearance of the energies was unsettling.

Only one question entered his mind,  "Just what happened while I was gone?" Then, after a few moments, his attention fell upon the numerous notifications left upon his security system. There was only a select few with the authority to do so.