A Stronger Foe

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In a flash, 2 days went by and in those two days, Apollo made ample advancements by fighting against Spirit Beasts, with a majority of them being Rank 0.

However, unlike before, where Apollo used the Dark Cutter for battle, there was a long branch in his hand. While it looked like a normal stick, being that it came from a tree in the forest, it was obscenely sturdy.

After all, humans weren't the only things that became absorbed Natural Essence in Astarat. Vegetation did as well and their qualities were heavily reinforced because of it.

Apollo then used the Dark Cutter to carve the stick into a shape reminiscent of the bo staff he used back at the family estate. Once it was finished, Apollo waved it around to familiarize himself with its crude shape and weight.

Once properly familiarized with the weapon, he then sought an opponent. The only goal on his mind was completing the mission as quickly as possible.

Hence, Apollo attacked the moment he located his opponent. However, to his surprise, this particular wolf wasn't at the middle stage at all. It was a late stage Spirit Beast, which evaded Apollo's strike with ease.

The wolf moved its head to dodge the abrupt attack while simultaneously delivering a bizarre attack. A simple howl launched a burst of violent winds at Apollo.

Although unblockable, the attack wasn't impossible to evade. Plus, if he didn't, there was a chance Apollo's eardrums would rupture. Hence, Apollo twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the sound burst. 

Subsequently, Apollo moved in on the wolf and flicked his wrist causing the staff to ultimately find its way to its intended target, the wolf's eye.

The moment the staff made contact, Apollo retreated cautiously. After all, he wasn't sure how this opponent would react. And sure enough, it presented an odd reaction.

Before his very eyes, the wolf opened its mouth. In the center, small wisps of energy condensed into an orb of Natural Essence began to accumulate.

[As expected, this beast can manipulate Natural Essence already. Exercise precaution.]

'Without a doubt,' Apollo responded as he braced the staff behind his body before shifting his weight to his toes in order to react at any moment.

As the essence gathered, the wolf's chest expanded to nearly twice its size.

Several moments later, it fired the small orb of Natural Essence at Apollo before immediately condensing a second one. Startled by its speed, Apollo stabbed his staff into the floor catapulting himself into the air. But as he did so, the orb landed on the staff causing it to splinter.

That wasn't the end of it. A second one was soon fired, causing Apollo to frown. 'At moments like these, I wish I was able to utilize Natural Essence in the same way.'

Bang!

The orb slammed against Apollo's arms that formed a crossguard before his chest. The sound was slightly overwhelming as his arms were sliced continuously by the threads of Natural Essence within the orb. As the pain traveled through his body, Apollo felt the pendant around his neck instantly release a gentle aura.

When he landed on the floor, Apollo's arms fell limp for this short period. They had suffered entirely too much damage. Nevertheless, this didn't stop Apollo's pursuit. He performed a mad dash and he rammed into the side of the Twin Fanged Wolf due to the small bout of weakness that followed its consecutive fire.

Unfortunately, the wolf wasn't overly tweaked. It still retained enough energy to respond by head-butting his torso. Needless to say, it was quite a heavy blow as Apollo flew through the air and slammed against a tree.

As he rebounded against the tree, Apollo coughed up a mouthful of blood but still rose to his feet. 'This wolf is my last kill, yet it is proving to be difficult. Could be that it is too early for me to handle this kind of beast? Do I need to become stronger first?'

〈System: -76 Health!〉

〈System: 60/136 Health remaining.〉

[Not necessarily, just remember its advantages lies in the ability to manipulate Natural Essence. Otherwise, it isn't much stronger than the ones you have faced previously.]

'I thought as much. There doesn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary about this wolf,' Apollo agreed whilst surveying the wolf. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to kill this beast as quickly as possible. This had been the largest amount of damage he had suffered in one sitting. Luckily, the pendant in his possession or he would have undoubtedly fallen into a perilous situation.

The more he looked at the wolf, the more he thought this wasn't the case. Apollo the discard one splintered half of the staff and withdrew the Dark Cutter. While he exhaled, Apollo adopted a weird stance; he wielded both the broken staff as well as the knife.

In the next moment, his movements shifted as Apollo stuck low to the ground, kicking off his back foot. He utilized his agility to the best of his ability, by kicking his foot once again and bracing the ground before performing an arc step. At this moment this was one thing on his mind; kill.

He adopted a hit-and-run tactic that allowed him to deliver small nicks to the wolf. However, those small nicks compounded and soon presented their merits. As the wolf continued to lose blood, its movement became unsteady.

Still, it moved toward Apollo with bared fangs. In return, Apollo's returned the same expression, his sharpened canines were slightly apparent.

Since the pendant was healing him and the wolf's stamina seemed to be a disadvantage, Apollo surmised it was time to end this. He dashed forward haphazardly as the wolf opened its maw once again. In dire straits, it attempted to fire another orb of condensed Natural Essence. However, catching wind of this early, Apollo stomped his foot accelerating preemptively.

Before the orb could fully form, Apollo lashed out his arm and flung the knife directly inside the wolf's mouth. Not only did the knife pierce its skull from the inside, but the orb also exploded and mutilated its head. As a result, Apollo received multiple notifications.

〈System Alert: You have killed a Rank 0 Spirit Beast (Late Stage Twin Fanged Wolf).〉

〈System: 180 [90+90] Experience gained.〉

〈System: Congratulations, you have reached Level 36.〉

〈System: Experience: 140/3,600〉

However, the notifications were far from over.

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(Demon Monarch System) Lv.2

Name: Apollo Kaiser

Race: Demi-Demon *Unique

Title: Azridan's Successor

Age: 11

Level: 36

Experience: 140/3,600

Health: 139/139

Stamina: 139/139

Strength: 14.0

Agility: 5.4

Intelligence: 13.0

Vitality: 5.3

Stat Points: 0.2

...

'After that last level, I feel like I'm growing stronger steadily. I think I understand why you chose at least Lv.40 for the quest objective. It produces a worthwhile change, doesn't it?' Apollo questioned while breathing heavily in an attempt to gather himself.

[Correct, but there are more important matters. Have you sensed that? I sense people nearby and judging by their cultivation bases, it would seem they came to this forest with a purpose. More importantly, they're closing in on your position. I'm guessing your earlier battle and the beast's Natural Essence fluctuations have alerted them. Prepare for confrontation.]

"People? Could it be mercenaries or the like?" Apollo whispered as he retreated and hid behind a tree while making his presence sparse. Not much later, a snap of a branch was heard as multiple figures landed where Apollo once was.