The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 267: Besieged by Hellhounds (2)

According to the map, Fruity should be crossing the domain of the Single Horn Flame Lions by now. Instead, he found himself blocked by an attack from a Tier 7 Devil.

The Single Horn Flame Lions are demon monsters that donʼt have sight, so they can only sense their surroundings using the horn mounted on their heads.

Like the Hellhounds, they can also track their prey using blood and sound. But if none of these signals are present, they wouldnʼt be able to do much, which means Fruity could have crossed their domain by moving quietly or even through the air.

However, here he was, being attacked by Devil monsters.

”I really didnʼt want to waste spiritual essence, but I guess thereʼs no choice now.” Despite the attack aimed at him, he wasnʼt scared.

”Devour.” He raised his staff, forming an ice wall made from Dark Gold Ice. The moment the attack hit it, the ice wall absorbed the blow but shattered. Fruity quickly raised another ice wall, which prevented the shockwave from reaching him.

”Human, why did you kill my soldiers?” the monster asked, perhaps noticing how easily its second attack had been absorbed.

”Die.” In response, a large Dark Ice spear appeared in the air and shot toward the monster. Without waiting to see the outcome, Fruity immediately turned and started running. However, he hadnʼt even covered a kilometer when four more powerful presences appeared, surrounding him.

”Do you think you can run after killing our people?” A tall, dark figure said, appearing in the air.

”It was self-defense. They attacked me, so I had to defend myself,” Fruity replied, seeing no way out now.

”Then defend yourself.”

Five attacks suddenly appeared in the air, all aimed at him. Fruity quickly muttered something, and the bell appeared, instantly covering him.

Dang!

The five attacks struck the bell, making it ring loudly. Powerful sonic and soul attacks burst out from the bell, instantly hitting the five figures.

The figure who had already tanked one of Fruityʼs attacks couldnʼt defend against both the sonic and soul attacks, so its soul was immediately extinguished, causing it to drop from the sky. As for the other four, their weapons, along with their bodies, fell from the sky, hitting the ground with a thud.

On the ground, they clutched their heads, blood oozing from their orifices. The sonic attack from the bell was just too much. Thanks to his two years in seclusion, Fruity had studied it extensively, allowing him to control the bell to increase the sonic output while reducing the soul attack.

He knew his soul wasnʼt strong enough to kill these monsters with soul attacks alone. However, the Sonic attack was a whole different story. If he played his cards right, he could kill even stronger monsters with just the two attack combinations.

However, the price was steep. From the look on Fruityʼs face, one could tell he had used a large portion of his spiritual qi for that attack.

”I need to leave this place fast before something stronger shows up,” he muttered, dismissing the bell, although the bead remained.

”Devour,” he commanded, waving his staff. Ice burst from the ground, wrapping around the monsters. He intended to devour them, but when his ice enveloped them, he felt his control being cut off.

Sensing something ominous, Fruity immediately bolted without hesitation. This time, he managed to escape, leaving the four devil monsters on the ground, still enduring the torment in their brains.

Whatever had severed his control over the ice was something he didnʼt want to face right away. He was too drained. So, he ran, and for ten straight minutes, he didnʼt stop.

After thirty minutes and thousands of kilometers, he paused to catch his breath. He had run further east, deviating far from where he originally intended to go.

He was supposed to cross the territory of the Single Horn Flame Lions, which now seemed to be occupied by the Hellhounds. Then, he needed to traverse the Cracked Path, located south of his current location.

After that, he would journey through the Weiling Trees Forest. From there, he only had to cross the Born Bridge over the Black River. He would then be greeted by Illusion Mountain, his intended destination.

Roughly, he estimated it would take a year and a half to reach there, but now, with this new complication, he had to change his route. The new path would take him near the borders of the Medusa Bone Python Domain, a place that, according to the map in his mind, he should avoid at all costs.

The Medusa Bone Python was an ancient serpent that could easily kill both people and monsters with a single gaze. Approaching that region was suicide. Even through his senses, the moment he met the snakeʼs gaze, he would turn to stone.

And relying solely on his hearing to navigate such a dangerous region wasnʼt an option. Now, he either had to return west, where he came from, and then circle through the north, where heʼd have to cross the Silent Mountain.

He knew nothing about that place, as the map in his mind contained no information on it.

”Ah, what a headache,” Fruity muttered, frustration evident in his voice as he gazed back at the Hellhound domain he had barely escaped from.

”Itʼll take me another month to get to Silent Mountain, and since I know nothing about the place, Iʼll have to be extra careful. Judging by how things are going, it will take more than two months to cross it.”

And thatʼs if everything went smoothly. ”I canʼt come back here ever again, at least not while Iʼm this weak.” Fruity glanced back at the domain of the Hellhounds.

”Well, at least I managed to bridge the gap a little. After more killing, Iʼll probably be able to break through to Sage within 6 months,” he smiled, turning back toward the western road.

He found a cave, and for the next week, he decided to rest and recover. The journey to the north would require all the strength he could muster.

A week later, Fruity was ready to start his journey to the north and eventually head east. During the past week, he had hunted monsters and stockpiled rations for the long trek ahead.

He set off, and for weeks, he journeyed through dangerous terrains, battling and slaying monsters as he pressed forward.

Four days into the third week, the Silent Mountain came into view. Gazing at it from afar, Fruity wasnʼt sure if he had made the right choice coming this way.

On his way north, he had considered many plans. He could have stayed in the west, hunting more monsters. Once he became a Sage, he could have tried his luck passing through the Hellhound domain. But he quickly dismissed that idea.

If he took that path, he would need at least half a year to fully saturate his Star Core before forming a Sage Core. Even then, he wasnʼt sure if he could defeat whatever had driven him away from the Hellhound domain.

But even if he succeeded in killing it, he would still have to cross several other treacherous domains before reaching Illusion Mountain. Time wasnʼt on his side, so the best option was to keep moving forward and take his chances.

”I canʼt turn back now. I might as well embrace this path and add new information to the map. Who knows when I might need it again?” Fruity muttered to himself. Steeling his resolve, he started toward the eerie Silent Mountain.

A few hours later, he finally set foot on the mountain. Sensing no immediate danger, he ventured deeper into its depths.

A week passed without incident, and Fruity began to feel comfortable in the region. However, just as he was starting to relax, a voice, both familiar yet distant and menacing, echoed in his mind, freezing him in place.

”I have been waiting for your arrival, My Lord.”