Ascension: Demon Monarch System

48 Monarch’s War Path Record
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'"Ah

that other tablet in my mind. There's so much information etched upon it but I can't discern them. At most

I can make out the first two lines

" muttered Apollo as he closed his eyes and retired his perception to these two panels of symbols. Only then did it hit him

'What language is this?''

'[The Ancient Language of the Diabolical Daemos. In short

the runes are the source and the information you can decipher is derived from that. As you advance

you'll come to learn the origin and uses of these runes. After all

they are the foundation of the cultivation method. What do you think the stigmata are made of.]'

'〈Mantra: The Daemos lurk in the shadow....〉'

'〈Mantra: ...path of the warring flames.〉'

''These mantras…' though Apollo as he uttered them slowly. Sure enough

uttering these mantras caused a reaction from the system as it presented a large screen that soon turned into an expansive list. After which

2 of the lines of inscriptions morphed into information Apollo was familiar with.'

'[«Monarch's War Path Record»]'

'Technique. 1 - «Baleful Steps: Phantasmal Daemos»'

'Technique. 2 - «War Path: Nine Infernal Annihilations»'

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'"Hmm… these techniques

they sound…'

'[Tyrannical. Indeed it is so. The techniques are nothing short of tyrannical. Delve deeper into their information and you'll realize what I mean. For now

you should be able to execute or rather train to execute the first stages of each.]'

'Tapping on the names

each technique then further expanded relaying information Apollo wasn't previously privy to.'

'Technique Name: Baleful Steps - Phantasmal Daemos'

'Rank: Demonic (High-Profound Art)'

'Type: Movement Art'

'Level: 1/5'

'Active: Upon activating the Phantasmal Daemos

the body will be engulfed in the Tenebrous Dark Winds

as a result

one's physique is tested. The higher the attainments in this skill

the longer one can last in the state. Performing the first step

the «First Phantasm: Partial Shade Silhouette» allows one to begin comprehending the shadows.'

'«First Phantasm: Partial Shade Silhouette» - As long as one remains with stamina

this movement can be utilized. In exchange for a 50% increase to Agility

your stamina drains at a rate equal to 3 times your Agility.'

'Requirements: Strength: 50.0

Agility: 60.0

Intelligence: 30.0'

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'〈Mantra: The Daemos lurk in the shadow

engulfed by the darkness one melds with the indiscernible. A phantasm unable to be caught yet unleashes everyone's bane.〉'

'Technique Name: War Path: Nine Infernal Annihilations'

'Rank: Demonic (Low Earth Rank)'

'Type: Martial Art'

'Level: 1/9'

'Active: As the name sounds

this consists of nine tiers. As long as one's comprehension and physique keep up with this technique

you'll be able to wield the Annihilations. It all begins with the first strike; The First Annihilation: Demonic Massacre Wave.'

'«Demonic Massacre Wave» - Channeling the inner vitality

sacrifices it in exchange for large amounts of eradication. The higher the consumption

the higher the damage. However

repeated use results in each subsequent use increasing in expenditure.'

'Current Stamina: 1

312 (Allowed Strike: 1)'

'Parameters: Undetermined.'

'Requirements: Strength: 65.0

Vitality: 45.0'

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'〈Mantra: Pinnacle of savagery. Each strike annihilates those who oppose it. Nine to conquer all and walk the path of the warring flames.〉'

'"I want to practice these! How can I increase my stats as soon as possible?" exclaimed Apollo with a fervent gaze. Based on the descriptions

all he needed to do was sacrifice stamina which was something that involuntarily recovered.'

'[As I said before

bring out those Essence Cores. We'll need to increase your parameters in order to properly utilize these things]'

'Without delay

Apollo emptied his pouch. Though

he remained baffled by the amount of essence that was pouring out of it. As far as he knew

at most

he possessed 50 of such things. However

based on what he counted now���there were at least 300!'

'"What the…" murmured Apollo whilst raising an eyebrow. Picking one up

he inspected it. Glancing around

he spotted blaring differences between all of them. Not only did the colors vary

so did the sizes and purity.'

'[As you can see

there is a difference between essence cores. Like cultivators

the state of a Spirit Beast indicates their attainments. First and foremost

the grade is equal to their cultivation. It determines the volume of the core. The rankings of the cores fall into a few categories: Inferior

Ordinary

Exceptional

Superior

and Spirit Heart. Typically

you can determine what you'll receive based on the beast's ranking. However

this isn't always the case. You'll find out that if you look at the cores received from the slain Variants.]'

'[Usually

those ones possessed at least exceptional ranked essence cores. Beyond that

they are separated into grades known as cycles. This pertains to purity. Much like a Cultivator there are 4; First

Second

Third

and Complete; each level increases the degree of purity. In essence

they'll hit harder than their peers.]'

'"I understand. So rank determines the size of the core

in other words

the benefits I can receive. The grade

however

indicates the disparity of minimum and maximum and the cycle is the chance or the range this will give me?" questioned Apollo as he based his words off his understanding before continuing

"Since I'll be consuming them

I'll also assume they have something to do with stats?"'

'[Precisely. More importantly

you can also directly absorb their essence. However

this is true only if the beast you retrieved it from didn't exhaust their reserves. For example

you will not receive experience from the Scarlet Flame Panther or Zephyr Wolf due to their desperate straits.]'

'Clicking his tongue in annoyance

Apollo cursed the actions of those beasts. After all

they were Rank 3! Imagine the experience he would have received if he siphoned it from their cores.'

'[Don't be disheartened

there's still the fact that you can absorb their core essence. Let us begin. Perhaps you'll be able to awaken an ability.]'

'Examining the two cores from those beasts of mention

Apollo's eyes rose in astonishment. Each beast had exceptional Essence Cores! No wonder they were on par with each other.'

'[Exceptional Essence Core]'

'Element: Fire'

'Rank: III'

'Purity: Second Cycle'

'Benefits: Upon completely absorbing the core's essence

it can increase the Strength Attribute by 1.5 to 3.6 points.'

'Approximation: ~1.9-2.4'

'[Exceptional Essence Core]'

'Element: Wind'

'Rank: III'

'Purity: Second Cycle'

'Benefits: Upon completely absorbing the core's essence

it can increase the Agility Attribute by 1.5 to 3.6 points.'

'Approximation: ~2.1-2.9'

''Hmm

it appears the Zephyr Wolf's approximate value is larger. Could it be there is a disparity within purity before reaching the next cycle?' thought Apollo.'

'[Correct! Even though there aren't intermediary grades

there are still differences. It goes without saying that everything can't be identical. You should understand the rest without me physically saying that. Now proceed to cultivate with these. Upon reaching your limit

we'll then switch.]'

'"Okay. But I must mention

I'm reaching my 3-day limit. I'll have to consume another Demonic Essence Pellet

" replied Apollo before focusing intently on cultivation. Unbeknownst to him

certain events were beginning to take place within the forest.'