38 Ease of Battle
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Apollo found a target not long after he zoomed out of the cave.
Once located, Apollo wasted no time targeting a lone bear-type Spirit Beast. He brandished the Dark Cutter and dashed from behind a tree.
Pucht!
Before the bear could react, it was dealt with. A swift stab to its throat ended its life before it could raise its defenses. But, see as it was only a Rank 0 Spirit Beast, its experience wasn't worth mentioning.
After all, Apollo required nearly 20,000 experience to level up. Hundreds of experience, while useful, wasn't enough to move Apollo.
Hence, he continued his pursuit in search of more victims. Unbeknownst to him, starting the demonizing process sparked a change. Gradually, the darkness within seeped out with less restraint.
Steadily, exacting his ire was becoming Apollo's main motive.
Meanwhile, in a short 30 minutes, Apollo had slain as many Spirit Beast as he would typically slay within a day. However, that was to be expected because he was essentially 3 times faster than before and his strength matched the material of the Dark Cutter, which enabled him to maximize the effectiveness of the knife's sharpness.
To put it differently, he had finally become a force to be reckoned with amongst the low-level Spirit Beast community. Yet, despite his actions, Apollo was still dissatisfied.
"This isn't fast enough," Apollo muttered.
Although his speed was fast, it wasn't up to his standard with his desires. The distance from completing the quest was right there. He wished to annihilate the remains of the quest in one fell swoop.
[Oh? Becoming greedy? Your efficiency has already risen by over 400%. How much more do you need?]
"I need it all. I will rest once everything has been dealt with," Apollo replied with apparent sins of greed peering through his actions. Afterward, he increased the rate of his slaughter even further.
A new target was located every couple of seconds, and he kept them within a level that allowed him to kill them in a single strike. Although it would reward more experience to find strong enemies, he wasn't looking for a fair fight, Apollo only wanted to complete his task.
Eventually, Apollo found himself in the middle of a pack of wolves, but his nerves didn't tense up. For one, they were foes he dealt with before so he understood their weaknesses. Secondly, a group meant a collection of numbers to him.
Prepared, Apollo shifted his eyes back and forth with a smirk. To welcome their assault, Apollo dropped his defenses. And, the wolves bit the bait and foolishly rushed him.
Boom!
A Twin Fanged Wolf's body slammed against a towering tree and lifelessly slid down it after experiencing Apollo's horrifying kick.
Without delay, Apollo twisted midair and stabbed his knife through another's spine. Like butter, it pierced it; killing another.
All the while, his stamina was barely taking a hit. It only took 1-2 hits to kill these beasts now and as a result, he used his stamina more efficiently.
[Oh my. Is this the appearance of the residual sin effect? How intriguing, he is channeling a modicum of his wrath.]
Azridan's voice didn't reach Apollo and instead seemed as if he was talking and evaluating the situation amongst himself. While doing so, the fervent bloodlust in Apollo's eyes intensified the more he killed.
[Hoho, it seems my little gift is interacting with him well. It was only a small introduction yet it appears to be what he needed. In that case, it is only a matter of time.]
Suddenly, pained whimpers escaped the mouths of Apollo's victimized Spirit Beast. However, Apollo remained numb to their acts of surrendering and treated them as simple sources of experience and an objective to clear.
[Yes, he is indeed awakening that trait, albeit slowly given the environment. How ruthless. Other than Saehtyn and myself, no one else has wielded it correctly in an uncountable number of years.]
Pucht!
The last wolf fell, but Apollo's still dissatisfied expression glimmered through his blood-soaked appearance. Although he was avoiding the Rank 1 Spirit Beast, it seemed going against them would be inevitable, and there were two reasons why.
First, the population dwindled exponentially courtesy of his massacre. Not to mention, cannibalism and other people visiting the area dwindled the numbers as well.
As for the other, it seemed the repugnant stench of blood forced the other nearby Spirits Beasts into hiding.
Thus, Apollo's mindset started to shift.
'Why not kill two birds with one stone? After all, the system existed to rectify some issues that would otherwise plague other inattentive cultivators.
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Unbeknownst to Apollo, he took a detour while traveling towards the inner region of the forest. As a result, Apollo came in contact with a cave. Initially, it wasn't his fault, he was merely following the path hosting the most Rank 1 Spirit Beasts.
By the time Apollo arrived, he had already killed over 200 Rank 1 Spirit Beasts in the span of a few hours; a number which slightly pleased him. However, Azridan warned him of what rested inside the entrance they stood before.
[Just a reminder, this cave is unlike that one we took control of. It isn't vacant, it's already occupied. Sadly, I'm not entirely sure what type of beasts they are, so remain vigilant.]
"Its spiders," Apollo responded almost immediately. It was so quick that even Azridan questioned the validity of his statement.
[How do you know? They're so deep underground even I'm unable to sense it. Granted, my abilities are based on your strengths.]
"Call it a sixth sense. I was once afraid of them in my first life," Apollo revealed. Initially, Azridan didn't understand but after hearing this admittance, he pieced it together.
It was faint, but Apollo shivered the moment his eyes fell upon the cave entrance. Furthermore, his skin crawled, which was an indication of fear. But as far as he remembered, only one thing invoked fear in him like this.
[Ah… so that's how it is. I guess this is also a neat aspect for detection. Using your fear to ascertain what you're up against. What a whimsical tactic.]
"Heh, why does it feel like you're teasing me?" Apollo chuckled. Simultaneously, Apollo entered the cave without much thought. As stated before, these spiders "were" once his fear. Now, he had no qualms being in their presence.
After all, the conditions of that dilapidated hut were terrible. So spiders were a natural occurrence.
Meanwhile, Apollo found himself questioning something Azridan said moments before, "I don't understand, how exactly do you sense things?"
[That's an incorrect statement. I don't sense things, per se. I only take what your eyes see and analyze it. So, in a sense, you can say I'm using your perception but building upon it with my own.]
"Ah, I see. So that's how the process works," Apollo thought before once again focusing on his surroundings. As he advanced, the signs of being the territory of spiders became apparent. The walls were wet with web secretions, some fresh and some old.
Finally, Apollo arrived through a tunnel and peek around the corner. The sight was an utter shock, even causing Azridan to chime in.
[Oh wow. This is more than I expected.]
"Is this... Well, fuck. We've walked right into a breeding ground!" Apollo sputtered as he remained flabbergasted by the expansive layout before him. He had truly found himself in the heart of a sticky situation.
