The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

[Abyssal Trenches – Bone Palace – King Kordax’s POV]

The Abyssal Trench is one of the most perilous parts of the sea.

Long before the apocalypse, scientists attempted to explore the sea; however, after numerous failed attempts and many deaths, they abandoned the idea.

Their reason was that some things are not meant to be explored.

And they were right—the sea is not a place that can be explored.

It houses some of the most dangerous beings in the world, and the Abyssal Trench is the most dangerous part of them all.

Currently, within the Abyssal Trench, terrifying sea monsters — beings humans had never laid eyes on before — line up in a chaotic display of strength and brutality.

Most are mutated forms of sea beasts that humans used to prey on before and during the apocalypse. Now, looking at them, one can only see the danger they pose.

There are thousands of them, their aura not paling in comparison to the humans.

In fact, as one heads toward the Bone Palace standing imposingly atop a small hill, the strength of the sea monsters only seems to rise.

This shows the hierarchy, and while every last one of them is a sea monster, they all seem to understand this hierarchy, so none is breaking it.

Most are complete monsters, while some are a combination of humanoids and monsters. Sharks have human-like bodies and shark-like heads. Crabs have twisted human-like bodies, crab legs, and even more horrific parts.

Inside the Bone Palace, a human — or almost human, if not for the horns on his forehead and the gills on his neck—sat on a dark throne made of bones.

In his hand was a dark trident, humming with the aura of death as his subjects knelt before him.

This is King Kordax, the brother of the mighty King Atlan, who betrayed his race by wielding the power of the Trident of Darkness many years ago.

To many, he had died after being banished to the Abyssal Trench, but in reality, he is very much alive and planning his return.

Standing on his left was a beautiful lady with short, green hair and cute little gills on her neck. On her back was a quiver housing powerful arrows, and in her right hand, a bow made from an unknown substance.

Then, to the right of the king was a young man, also handsome, but with much more sinister-looking features.

He had a pair of horns on the top of his forehead, just like the king, while the lady did not. He wielded a spear, and on his forehead, an eye tattoo that looked more natural than man-made could be seen.

“Stand up,” King Kordax said, and the sixteen individuals kneeling stood up. They were the sixteen generals of Darkness and the backbone of King Kordax’s success in the upcoming invasion of Earth.

“Has everything been prepared?” King Kordax asked, his tone cold as ice.

“Yes, my king. I have managed to raise 10,000 capable fighters for this invasion. Most are at the Tier 11 stage, with the strongest ones already at the peak of the Tier 12 stage,” one of the generals reported.

“Same here, my king. I managed to raise 12,000 capable fighters, with even three already at the Tier 13 stage.”

The other generals gave their reports, earning a nod from the King of Darkness, as they called him.

“I expect a successful invasion. Failure cannot be an excuse here.”

“We will make sure everything is in order, my king.”

“In that case, get ready. The formation is almost broken. It’s just a matter of time now.” The generals bowed and then left.

A few seconds later, a dark-cloaked figure appeared from the shadows, having next to no presence whatsoever.

The moment he appeared, the two standing on King Kordax’s left and right narrowed their gazes, fear passing through them for a moment.

It was clear they were wary of the new arrival, and that made them feel some form of fear.

“Skroll, how was your trip?” King Kordax asked in a rather soft tone this time.

Skroll answered in a deep yet soft tone, one that sounded like a combination of two voices, “It was a success, my king. The seeds planted on Earth will sprout a few minutes after we launch our invasion.

I made sure of that before returning. Additionally, regarding the issue with Lord Trench, he stated that he will participate in the battle but will only intervene if we are losing.

I assured him that we wouldn’t lose and that he should simply show his presence for a few minutes when the battle started; this way, the enemy would lose hope before the battle even began.

Aside from that, the one we were warned about long before he awakened has just reached the Ascendent stage, making him someone to be taken off the board early.

He may appear weak, but I saw firsthand what he can do, and I know he is a flight risk if left to roam the battlefield for long.

Aside from him, the guardians of the Formation have also revealed themselves, and I learned the Black Panther has recently reached the Tier 13 stage.

Though he still pales in comparison to our generals, he has the blood of the Panther Goddess flowing through him.

He must also be taken off the board much earlier.”

“That is why you are the right man for the job, Skroll. That said, be ready. This time, I want the entire surface world to know the name of the master strategist who manages to bring the mighty King Atlan to his knees.”

There was no happiness from Skroll despite being praised by the great King of Darkness. However, one could sense the rise in his aura when King Kordax spoke.

“You can leave now.” Skroll nodded and dissolved into the shadows, disappearing.

The king sighed and then turned to the lady standing on his right.

“Nebula, your mission is to take care of the one called Klaus Hanson. He must be dead within the first ten minutes. Do I make myself clear?”

Nebula nodded, “Yes, my king.”

King Kordax then turned to the young man. “Arwan, your job is to kill the Black Panther. I don’t want him interfering with the major battle.”

“I won’t fail you, Father.”

“I know you won’t because failure is not an option. You can leave now and get ready for when the formation comes down.”

Once they were gone, the king leaned back on his throne and sighed.

“I will accomplish what I set out to do years ago, and this time, I will not let anyone stand in my way… Not even you, brother.”

“Hahahahaha…” Suddenly, a voice came from the trident King Kordax was holding. “Still delusional, I see. You still think any planning will save you, that you will be able to become the ruler of Earth.

If you still have that lofty ambition, then you’ve already lost, Kordax. But even without that, failing to kill him when he was young was your only mistake this time.

Or what, you think I used my own soul to seal you away for all these years just because I had nothing better to do? I saw what you couldn’t see, and just like you, I prepared for this very day.

But good luck. Who knows, you might just succeed in dying this time.”

The mocking laughter coming from the trident left King Kordax with a frown on his face.

’We shall see about that.’