Chapter 401: A Candle Much Brighter Than The Rest

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Apollo's eyes flashed with intrigue when he heard the words of this demon. According to what he said, the culprit of them tracking Apollo wasn't the Nautilus, but rather the unique scent produced by the Fragments of Sins in his possession. Though, he wasn't aware that they even carried such a thing.

'I guess there is still much for me to learn about the resources we demons use,' Apollo thought. However, he continued to watch the actions of the demonic trios to see how strong they were.

If they failed to break out of the illusion, then that meant these demons were weaker than Elaia. Granted, they could also be extremely physical demons with weak mental capacities, which meant they were susceptible to mental attack.

Even if that was the case, keeping 3 demons under an illusion simultaneously was severely taxing for Elaia. Although her initial actions were focused on the environment, after entering the laid trap, it switched to constant consumption of her mental energy.

So, it became a matter of her mental endurance for now. That was, if Apollo's intentions were to merely keep them in place. After all, he had already verified that were indeed some demons tracking him.

"Do we smash them!?" Jorgun bellowed while emitting a hostile air. A churning sound echoed from his muscles as he activated his special trait, ready to rush the three at any given moment.

However, Apollo lifted his hand and restrained Jorgun's actions, "No. Not just yet. I want to see something." It wasn't apparent at first, but Apollo noticed something interesting about this bunch, the tattooed emblem located on their left shoulders.

Given the information he possessed, this tattoo immediately caught his eyes because it matched the insignia of the stronghold he wanted to target. 'Members of the Dakea Stronghold? What are the odds that their grunts would be tracking me as I hatch a plan to pry their belongings from right under them?'

In addition to having Fuhrer infiltrate their ranks and understand their chain of command's power, Apollo started to hatch another plan. One that would allow him to walk into the doors of the stronghold without being stopped. And, it didn't require him to raise a disguise at all.

"I-I… don't know how much longer I can hold the looped illusion. They'll start to sense us soon enough," Elaia said suddenly while revealing a pained expression. The amount of mental energy she was expending to keep them suspended in the illusion was substantial.

"How long?" Apollo questioned before gazing directly at the three who traveled in circles. Of course, they weren't aware that they were doing so. To them, it seemed as they were tracking the scent of the Fragment of Sin.

"Thirty more seconds, max," Elaia said, but one could tell just how discomforting her actions were from her shuddering breaths.

"Understood," Apollo replied before stepping out from the shelter of the alley. He walked before the three before waving his arm towards Elaia, "You can dispel it. It's no longer needed."

Immediately, Elaia ceased her usage of mental energy, causing the illusion to dissipate and return the demonic trio to their rightful senses. But, being greeted by Apollo staring them down left them with odd expressions.

Regardless, no sudden moves were made before the demonic with the wolf-like features realized that the source of the scent was, in fact, this demon standing before him. 'Such a strong stench of fragments despite being so young?'

"Is there any reason that you have been following me for quite some time now?" Apollo inquired while silently evaluating the strength of the trios. Although he knew their reason because of the information revealed inside the illusion, he wanted to test if these demons were confident enough to openly voice their motives.

Besides, a short evaluation was all he needed to learn that outside of the demon with the wolf-like features, the other two demons seemed to be regular Ifrits who gained a decent amount of intelligence. While they were both Greater Demons, one of their signatures was more pronounced than the other, symbolizing their increased strength in comparison. 

"A reason? There is always a reason. In your case, I believe you should have touched something enticing recently. Care to share some of that wealth," the wolf demon said with a menacing smile. His canines were on full display, yet Apollo remained unimpressed.

"Does the sun set when you tell it too? Do the stars shift when you command them? If not, what makes you think your request will incite my action?" Apollo said with a light chuckle.

"Are you... taking us lightly?" the wolf demon said with a growl. However, Apollo merely shrugged at his question.

"You're more than welcome to approach me. After all, you were led here for a reason," Apollo said. A blaze of Ira then started circulating over his right arm. 

The demonic trio on the other side clicked their tongues. They found Apollo's actions to be foolish. Who in their right mind would welcome a three-on-one? Either he was insane, or he was taking them lightly. Either way, Apollo's words were enough to spur their reaction.

A heated aura appeared around all of them before rushing towards Apollo.

In return, he smiled. 'Finally. A chance to understand how I compare against regular demons. My demons were created by the system, so they possess a noticeable advantage. But, going against these fools will give me a more distinct idea.'

Instantly, Apollo made a retreating step to create some room. While doing so, his eyes shifted about, taking in all the actions these three demons performed. The wolf demon rushed him with a frontal attack while the two Ifrits split apart and attacked him from both sides.

Clearly, this trio possessed prior battle experience as their rhythm seemed trained. Nevertheless, Apollo didn't regret his decision.

Although he was still in the middle of floating backward, Apollo stamped the floor and shot forward at a frightening speed. Unlike his usual course of action where he used one of the Baleful Steps to accelerate, there was a burst of Ira lingering on the ground.

Not only could it be used for attacking, but if it was placed right, then the explosion caused by its initial usage could be leveraged to increase one's instantaneous movement. And, Apollo did just that.

Instead of the two Ifrit's attack landing on Apollo, their fist collided and caused one of them to take a few steps back while shaking off the pain.

Meanwhile, Apollo closed the distance with the wolf demon and headbutted him in the face.

Boom!

The wolf demon's body crashed into the wall causing a series of reverberating noises. However, despite the force of Apollo's strike, he didn't manage to destroy the wall that the demon was forced into.

'Quite sturdy,' Apollo mused before making another sudden move. He leaned backward before planting his hands on the ground while simultaneously kicking his legs.

Bang! Bang!

Two muffled echoes sounded as he fended off the Ifrits who successfully defended against his attacks. Though, while they managed to defend, both of them frowned after receiving that kick.

"What a heavy attack," one of them murmured.

Apollo was only one person, yet he was keeping three demons at bay simultaneously. Granted, this was only possible because of his passive skill attached to his improperly trained Acedia. 

With his slowed perception, he could read the rhythm of the battle much easier. Especially since their speed was about 5% slower than his own. This gave him more than enough time to formulate a surefire route of retaliation.

On the other hand, these three felt as if they were fighting a well-trained general. All of his actions neutralized their attacks beautifully.

'This guy has to be a talent. But where did he train? And, is he affiliated with any organization?' the wolf demon wondered while cracking his neck and staring at Apollo with narrowed eyes.

Rather than extorting him for his Fragment of Sins, the wolf demon started to fabricate other plans.

Suddenly, Apollo spoke with a smug smirk, "If that's the extent of your abilities then I'll have to stay, there will be no wealth shared amongst us at all."

Although his expression was infuriating, the wolf demon shook his head. "It's useless. Stand down. He understands how to defend himself well. But, I'm wondering, are you willing to hear another offer? It'll be much more appealing, perhaps, a spot in a stronghold if you're unaffiliated?"

It was faint, but Apollo smiled once he heard this offer. After all, what else would a stronghold seek if not wealth and strength?!

'A bright candle to not make the wrong judgment.'