The Demon Monarch System

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As Lance took Apollo and his group around the academy grounds, he disclosed the most vital need-to-know information. Firstly, it was brought to Apollo's attention that the outer, inner, and core areas weren't based on the standard of the student, but divided by the years.

Thus, the Outer Barracks belonged to the freshman as well as those who had yet to graduate into the second course. Similarly, the Inner Barracks housed the second years and the Core Barracks, the third years.

Naturally, each barrack was outfitted with suitable staff as well as multiple areas to deal with the everyday needs. However, every subsequent area was more spacious than the last. The smallest of them was undoubtedly the outer areas centered around the first years.

The groups continued to stroll through the Outers Barrack before stopping in front of a limestone building. As they looked up, the sign read "Resource Hall."

"This will be the most important building you will come in contact with. Not only does it regulate the flow of resources circulating throughout the Outer Barracks, but it is also where you'll pick up your complimentary starter pack," Lance stated while gesturing towards the large building.

As he now had their attention, he continued, "Once you claim what you need to, the ability to claim more resources will rest upon your actions. There are two ways to claim resources. The orthodox route would be to acquire academic credits by complete tasks assigned to you by Instructions. Additionally, you are rewarded a small amount based on the number of breakthroughs you make in cultivations.

"With that being said, you can also take look at the mission board located inside the Resource Hall. But, before we do that, we'll continue the tour of the freshman area. I don't think I need to tell you without proper credentials, entry to the other barracks is barred," Lance informed.

His eyes moved across the group as they nodded in understanding. Fortunately, this year's batch seemed to be filled with capable students that didn't lack mental acuity. 

Soon enough, Lance gave a complete tour of the freshmen facilities. In addition to the aforementioned Resource Halls, there were numerous training halls, different branches to study such as alchemy, formations, smithing, and a few others. Beyond that, there was also the living area.

Unsurprisingly, this didn't come free. To sustain the expenditure of the Vermillion NIght Academy, a small portion of the resources given to students were to be used to maintain any of the features used inside their personal living areas.

"Ahem, the guide is now over. I suggest you all visit the Resource Hall again to claim your starting resources. After that, you should follow the suggestions I gave pertaining to choosing a suitable cultivation method and preparing for classes. After all, they start tomorrow," Lance states before vanishing from the spot.

From the use of the Dark Element, it could be seen he held a seat in the Umbra Night Institute. Moreover, Apollo was once again fascinated by the control over his expenditure. As he was now, he sought ways to lessen the burden of his techniques. If his weakness were to be put into words, then it was the large consumption of his skills.

Just a single usage of the Demonic Massacre Wave resulted in a notable drop in his Demonic Anima Reserves. This was true even if he controlled it to the best of his ability. Although his consciousness was faint at the time, his body still remembered the obscene mastery it held over both Hellfire and Demonic Anima in general.

'It had been many years, but that voice spoke to me again at that time. Until now, I still don't understand who that is. Maybe I'll find out later, but what I need right now, is to learn how they controlled this power so well. If I don't get the backlash of the stigmata under control, then I fear my condition will only worsen over time,' Apollo thought to himself.

While he was lost in thought, the others departed the area, leaving him by his lonesome. When he came to, Apollo scoured his memory for the path leading back to the Resource Hall. Fortunately, his recall was improving by the day. Hence, it didn't take long at all for him to commit it to memory.

At the same time, he also memorized the location of the Housing Area. 'Based on the number of resources I get, that'll determine which ranked personal quarters I'll situate myself in.'

With a plan in mind, Apollo made his move. Since he was inside the walls of the academy, he didn't have to worry about exhausting his Demonic Aura. As a result, he executed the Partial Shade Silhouette to travel faster.

But, when he reached the Resource Hall, he became slackjawed. There were at least 2,000 other students lined up before him seeking to claim their starting package. It was now he understood why Lance said the first day was the worst. Everyone needed to do the same things.

Not only did they obtain their resources, but they were also administered a specific identification rank. It detailed their age, potential courses, and the number of academic credits. Additionally, at the very bottom, there was also a ranking.

This number was only relevant to the top 100 students. Based on their academic ranking, there were bonus rewards that could be gained for the semesters. That meant, per year, there were only 2 chances for students to receive extra items outside of what they exchange for their hard work.

'Oh this is a drag,' Apollo groaned as he looked at the snail's pace the line was moving. Unlike the trial selection, the academy didn't allot many instructors to handle this process. Furthermore, the items were prepared beforehand, they were compiled on the spot.

Thus, it took upwards of 2 minutes just to move a couple of spots. At the rate the line was moving, no one would be able to experience the academy's amenities. Instead, they'd be mentally exhausted from the torturous boredom they were subject to.

Since there was no other option, Apollo took the time to absorb trace amounts of the aura here. As he did so, he was shocked. Different from his prior experiences, when he absorbed the essence here, two strands of energy entered his body. Although he was familiar with Spiritual Essence to a certain extent, that was strictly related to theory.

What he absorbed was the Tainted Essence present in the shards. Thus, he was left at an impasse at the Spiritual Essence sat in his meridians. If he sent too much of his perception to his internals, then he would also be stuck in place.

As the meridians connected to the Tainted Temple was a gray area for him, it was something that required his undivided attention. In light of this, he came to a decision, 'I'll just try to mimic what that guy Lance did to the best of my ability.'

Silently, Apollo stood on line. However, if one looked closely, they'd realize a faint shadowy afterimage flickering from his body. The longer it stayed active, the more drops of sweat accumulated on Apollo's forehead.

In the meantime, he took a single step each time the line advanced. In this way, his body was filtering out the damaged parts through the continuous stimulation of the Natural Essence conversion. Of course, it wasn't rapidly healing him back to his peak state, it was just quickening the process.

Finally, after several hours had passed, it was Apollo's turn to enter the Resource Hall. Upon doing so, he was greeted by an old man with a full head of white hair. Be that as it may, his eyes betrayed the state of his body.

While his body seemed frail, his eyes well filled with exuberant yet dark energy. "Oh, I feel worthwhile darkness on you. Your stay here should be very eventful. Nevertheless, I am the Hall Master of the Outer Barracks Resource Hall, Robyn Graham. Pass me your identification card used in the trial."

Without hesitation, Apollo obliged. He couldn't wait to leave this godforsaken area. He just wanted to acquire his stuff and go.

Yet, that was easier said than done, Robyn's eyes widened as he looked at the information on the card before him. At the same time, he made some calculations in his mind, 'These markings for his potential, it's sky-high! It's already beyond baseline paragon potential. Fine, I'll make a concession for him. His 3 times will be increased to 5.'

"Don't say this old man has never looked out for you. When you get nice things, keep me in mind. Now wait here as I create your credentials," Robyn stated with a cheeky grin. He had found a golden goose! It was his fortune that he volunteered to come down from the top area of the Resource Hall.