The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

“First was the Face of Harrows, the second was the Face of Despair, and now, the Face of Starvation… How interesting, yet disturbing,” Klaus murmured, examining the unusual face on the large bead.

Like the other two, it bore no emotion, yet simply looking at it was enough to make one feel many unsettling things.

“Senior, do you have any comments?” Klaus asked.

[Since we’re in a sharing mood today, why not add a little more karma to it…] the senior replied in a teasing tone.

“Go ahead, senior…” Klaus responded with a small, calm smile.

[Well, just like the other Forbidden Items, this bead is also forbidden… in other words, it came from one of the Nine Stars. There have been many theories about how it came into being, but the most trustworthy one is what I just told you.

As for what it does, you’ve already seen some of it. But now that you’ve found a way to unlock it, there seems to be more to it than just its faces granting you skills. That being said, the Pentaface Bead is a Forbidden Item with five distinct faces.

These faces are called True Faces of a Nightmare. Initially, I wasn’t sure if the names I knew were accurate, but since three out of five have proven true, I can only assume the others are as well.

From one to five, we have the Face of Harrows, the Face of Despair, the Face of Starvation, the Face of Anarchy, and the Face of Discord. These are all True Nightmare faces, said to originate from another place called the Forbidden Heavens.]

“The Forbidden Heavens…” Klaus pondered as if trying to recall something. Then he remembered the Heavenly Punishment Yuying received after he uttered those words in his life as Fruity.

‘Does this mean things I remember from my past life won’t incur punishments in this life?’ he wondered.

[Yes… the Forbidden Heavens. It’s a place beyond this realm, and as far as I know, it’s one of terror and damnation. Many have ventured there, and before you get curious, know that it’s not easy to reach… so let’s focus on what we know right now.

Experience tales at empire

That being said, these five faces embody pure terror, so use them wisely. A single misstep could unleash something akin to a calamity.]

“Thank you, Senior,” Klaus said, then accessed the ability in his mind. It appeared immediately, just like the abilities granted to him by the System—or perhaps the Apocalypse.

***

[Name: Hunger of the Void ]

[Skill Type: Cursed / Drain / Area-of-Effect]

Description: A forbidden skill born from the unholy nightmare of Starvation. It’s an unholy skill that shouldn’t be used lightly.

Effects:

– Physical Starvation: When this skill is used, the target will feel an immediate and intense hunger that cannot be satisfied by any physical means. Their Stamina and Strength will drain rapidly as their life force is consumed.

– Energy Drain: The skill siphons spiritual qi from those in the affected area, feeding it to the user.

– Mental and Emotional Drain: Those affected by the skill may lose clarity, becoming confused and disoriented. Their focus and willpower weaken, making them vulnerable to manipulation or mental attacks.

Note: This skill requires immense mental strength to wield. Using it without sufficient mental fortitude could plunge you into a state of Despair.

***

“How despicable… but I love it. With this, the Dark Order will regret ever crossing me,” Klaus laughed wickedly, formulating all the ways he could exploit this skill.

[Brat, that is one hell of a skill you’ve got there. With this, you can siphon energy from your targets, which you can either use to strengthen your core or to rejuvenate your own energy.

This means as long as you have enough mental strength to keep it active, you will never run out of stamina since you can easily convert the energy siphoned from the targets and use it to rejuvenate your stamina.]

“How awesome,” Klaus said with a beaming smile.

To most, this is a dangerous and sinister skill, but to Klaus, who knew he would never earn the heavens’ favor, it was a chance to level the playing field.

[That being said, you shouldn’t use it carelessly, since the backlash is several times more horrifying, to say the least.]

“I won’t, Senior,” Klaus replied.

The first face granted him the Bell of Harrows, which delivers both sonic and soul attacks. It also offers a powerful defensive skill, as any attack aimed at the bell would rebound with adverse effects on the attacker.

It’s a rather sinister skill. All Klaus needs is enough Star Qi to strengthen the bell, and when his opponents attack, their own efforts would trigger a sonic and soul attack, dealing considerable damage.

Of course, he can choose to deactivate the sonic and soul attacks, making it purely defensive. But why would he do that… unless it was a friendly spar? Overall, the Bell of Harrows is a skill he cherishes deeply.

The second face, however, granted him the Eye of Despair. This skill has recently become something of a menace. Initially, it had only three effects: Soul Gaze, which delivers soul attacks; the Eye of Malevolence, which inflicts mental attacks through unsettling hums; and the Soul Beam, which deals direct soul damage.

However, after the upgrade, he had unlocked three more effects of the Eye of Despair, and so far, they were the most dangerous skills in his arsenal. The Night of Terror thrusts the target’s soul and mind into a state of horror, filling them with unimaginable fear.

The Night of Agony is even worse. Instead of just horror, it assaults their minds and souls with a powerful force that brings intense, relentless agony. He had used it once during his time in Union City, and Klaus knew just how perilous it was.

Then comes the most dreadful of them all, the Night of Retribution. This revenge-type skill drives the mind down a path of pain and torture. Because of these skills, over 500 warriors are currently in seclusion, afraid even to consider continuing down the path of cultivation.

Initially, Klaus didn’t want to use these skills on the warriors sent by the three legacies. However, after what transpired between him and them during the genius gathering, sending a clear and sinister message was the best choice.

Now, they’re all thinking a hundred times before doing anything reckless. This was especially true for the Legacies.

After the Union Trials, where they failed to place in the top five, they went into seclusion, burning through their resources just to try to surpass Klaus.

But then again, while their effort was certainly admirable, they are still lacking. Klaus has yet again added another sinister skill to his crazy list of sinister and forbidden skills.

Now that the third face had unlocked, he knew for a fact that, if he used these three skills wisely, he could not only wreak severe havoc but also become untouchable when it came to manipulating the mind and soul.

“If only the Seven Forbidden Ice had awakened, I’d be several times more dangerous with these three skills,” Klaus thought. With a smile on his face, he moved on to the next item on his agenda.