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Inside Ashiraem, outside the walls of the Dakea Stronghold..

Apollo was quite surprised that Fuhrer opened a portal linking directly to the Dakea Stronghold upon return. After all, locking on to this specific location while countless miles away was challenging to do. Beyond that, opening a portal here reduced Apollo's workload by at least fifty percent.

Not only was the Dakea Stronghold within close proximity of Ashiraem's Tower, but Apollo also wanted to consult with Xonnomor on his progress with his return to power and monitor Arleo's state.

Due to his injuries, Arleo was an asset that had yet to be utilized. If trained properly, he could adopt the ways of Fuhrer and Typhir since he possessed the same set of Sin. While their battle style might not necessarily agree with his inherent behavior, learning their Sin application would be beneficial nonetheless.

Meanwhile, Amduscias gazed at the Dakea Stronghold silently, soon presenting a nostalgic expression. "The geezer Furcas, I can sense him nearby. I wonder if he's still attached to that pipe of his."

"What do you think? You know that hobby isn't just for show. Furcas's pipe is linked to his abilities," Valac replied with a scoff. Having Amduscias accompany them back to this ring caused conflicted emotions in Valac.

On the one hand, he was delighted that Amduscias was near, potentially allowing Valac to learn more about the spear. On the other, Amduscias's general presence left him in a foul mood.

'Damn it.. I hope the Lord doesn't favor him more than me. Yes, he is strong. But I've been with you longer, so I'm by far more dependable!' Valac thought to himself with a deepening frown. Eventually, he started grumbling incoherently while kicking the wall before him constantly.

"Whoa, what's with the attitude? Is it not you who pleaded for me to train you once before," Amduscias responded in a teasing tone. Since he knew it would infuriate Valac, Amduscias continued to tickle that sensitive spot.

"Damn you! Shut your mouth! Why don't you find a nice cave and create some ice mirrors to stare at yourself all day long. It'd be befitting of your disgusting, narcissistic mug," Valac spat.

In response, Amduscias merely chuckled before walking away with a sentence. "My spearmanship is better than yours."

Meanwhile, as their bickering took place, Apollo looked over towards Fuhrer, "Walk with me. You can fill be me on the specifics that took place in Guloria while we do."

"My pleasure," Fuhrer replied, walking beside Apollo. Since they'd completed their task, Apollo allowed both Sapphyr and Typhir some rest. Besides, there weren't any tasks that needed tending to at the moment.

Not to mention, Apollo felt they earned their right to relax after receiving Amduscias's beat-down. While Sapphyr didn't join in the battle, she was mentally exhausted from the high-strung state she was forced to stay in.

After all, Amduscias's dark lightning possessed a wide range. So even the attacks that weren't aimed at her usually ended up in a too close position for comfort. Thus, Sapphyr had to remain conscious of Amduscias's lightning at all times.

Apollo focused on gathering as much information as necessary while everyone parted ways. He started by asking the most critical question.

"Out of all of the Dukes and higher, how many possess a Dominion?" Apollo asked.

"All of them," Fuhrer answered. He didn't spare the question any thought because one of the requirements to become Demonic Duke was to possess a Dominion. Fortunately, there seemed to be more to it.historical

"However, not every Duke has mastered their Dominion to the same extent. Amduscias should fall somewhere in between or even at the higher end of the spectrum."

"Interesting. And how about Asteroth? Where would his ranking fall amongst the Demonic Dukes?" Apollo questioned.

"Approximately fifth. But, it would be best to remember that it's unknown whether Asteroth deserves this ranking. Amongst the Dukes, he's one who rarely used his Dominion," Fuhrer said with a complicated expression.

A Dominion created from an Aura of Destruction typically evolved into something catastrophic. If utilized wrong, then it could potentially eradicate all within its vicinity, even if this wasn't the intended outcome.

Apollo fell silent while listening to Fuhrer's explanations. According to Fuhrer, Asteroth's first usage of his Dominion required one of the King's involvement to neutralize its effects. It was a Dominion that was far beyond his control.

Luckily, this was an event that took place far in the past. During that time, Asteroth was a freshly evolved Noblesse. Most of his experience was limited to his Aura alone; he wasn't accustomed to managing a Dominion.

Therefore, a significant disturbance occurred at the time.

"Are all of the Dominion created from the Aura of Destruction like that?" Apollo asked. Although his expression didn't show it, listening to Fuhrer's story made Apollo worry about Typhir's progression. When it came time for his Dominion, could the same mishap arise?

"Depends. The volatility of that type of Dominion relies upon the density of the Aura and one's mental state. As I told you before, Asteroth can only be described as extremely reckless. So it's to be expected that his Dominion would be something unreasonable," Fuhrer answered in an indifferent tone.

"I see," Apollo muttered while gradually digesting all of the information he gained from the conversation. Unlike with Amduscias, Apollo was warier of Asteroth's ability.

'I'll have to be careful of Asteroth activating his Dominion. If possible, I'll have to find a way to restrict him from using it altogether. Regrettably, I'm not sure if that's possible for me right now. I have zero authority over his actions since he is one of the pieces with a rogue nature,' Apollo internalized.

It'd be troublesome to receive more damage than the crimson jewel embedded in his chest could handle. However, it was pointless to mull over the possibilities any longer. At most, it would only lead to Apollo doubting his current strength.

Hence, Apollo shook off his thought before walking inside Xonnomor's forging room. Upon doing so, Apollo received a faint shock. The sight of Xonnomor mediating his hammer with dense Ira palpitating from his body entered Apollo's view.

The hammer levitated in the air, rotating as if it was a spinning top. Every time it levitated, a pure strand of Ira entered the cloud of Sin surrounding Xonnomor's power. This scene was the product of Xonnomor pondering Saehtyn's weapon.

Compiling Saehtyn's strength and analyzing the properties of all the materials forced Xonnomor into a unique state of highly productive thoughts. Unexpectedly, Saehtyn remained in the forge, quietly watching Xonnomor as he continued with his actions.

His eyes drifted towards Apollo and Fuhrer as they noticed their entrance. Saehtyn revealed a faint smile while pointing towards Xonnomor. "It appears you've chosen a capable forger. I've never seen someone adore their craft so much that it attunes with their power."

"It's elementary but commendable," Fuhrer said while remaining unaffected by what he saw. In truth, Fuhrer felt it was unimpressive after comparing it against all of the wonders he witnessed in his extensive lifetime.

In his eyes, this state was only worth praise if it could be maintained for more than a day, which was something he had witnessed countless times before. After all, creating an Armament was tedious work.

It wasn't created in one sitting. Creating a prime Armament required continual forging of materials. For example, it took 66 days to forge Brynhildr's base. What's more, producing the soul and nurturing it took over six years.

"I suppose not much would surprise you based on that calm tone of yours," Saethyn said with a wry chuckle. Aside from a brief glance, Fuhrer didn't give much of a response, which doubled as an answer in itself.

"Anyway, you came to talk with him, but I doubt he'll be ready for conversation anytime soon," Fuhrer said.

"Yeah, I doubt he will as well," Apollo agreed. Since he couldn't get Xonnomor's attention, Apollo focused on Saehtyn. "Have you been here since we left?"

"Correct. Seeing as I was offered an item of choice, it's only right that I show this matter my undivided attention," Saehtyn said while suddenly leaning forward after noticing Apollo's odd expression.

"A promise? Speaking of which.." Apollo paused before looking towards Xonnomor, "When does his father return? From what I heard, he won't be taking shelter within their special area?"

"Nope, he wants to surveil the Rings and monitor their condition, but I don't think he'll visit them all in one go. Not only is that not practical, but he'll need to refill his expended Sin continually. Also, have you run into that annoying individual recently?"

"Before more specific. I'm sure annoying individuals are abundant amongst the Rings," Apollo replied with a smirk.

"The most annoying one of them all, Lucifer. I sense faint signs of his presence on you, Saehtyn replied. His tone was akin to a grumble since the mere thought of Lucifer's insufferable behavior left him disgruntled.

"Ah, that's right. We had a small run-in with him. Just as I advised you, my trusted follower also advised his progress.. I suggest you all search for those solutions with haste as I will do the same."