The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 543 What Doesnʼt Kill You Makes You Stronger (3)

Klausʼs arm was bent at an unnatural angle, but he still gripped his sabre tightly, showing no concern for the grotesque state of his limb.

Then, with a sickening snap, the arm straightened, almost mechanical like a robot arm. It looked painful to watch, but he was smiling.

Klaus wore a grin that seemed to mock his bodyʼs pain. His chest was torn open, blood flowing freely from the deep wound.

His sides were riddled with hundreds of cuts—some shallow, others viciously deep.

One of his legs displayed a glaring white bone, exposed and devoid of flesh, with no hope of healing anytime soon. Yet, not a single groan or pained sound escaped his lips.

He endured it all with unyielding resolve.

What a maniac.

”Three,” Klaus muttered with a grin before he moved.

Well, vanished.

In an instant, he reappeared beside the Shaman, who instinctively cast a spell to teleport himself away. Klaus smirked and spat a mouthful of blood, his grin widening as if savouring the moment.

Then he moved again, relentless, shadowing the Shamanʼs every escape.

Soon, they were darting across the battlefield, a deadly game of predator and prey. But this wasnʼt some twisted chase for amusement. No, this was what Klaus called ʼdestructionʼ.

Connecting the pieces would take a minute, but a minute was far too long for his opponents.

The white-haired paragon pursued the Shaman mercilessly while the Alien, Demon, Troll, and Shadow scrambled to isolate him.

Klaus wasnʼt making it easy.

”Thirty seconds.”

”Twenty-nine seconds.”

”Twenty-eight seconds.”

Klausʼs countdown rang across the battlefield, each number loud enough to reach his five adversaries.

A collective unease settled over them, the numbers ticking down like the approach of a storm. Klaus wasnʼt making any attempt to plot in silence.

He was running with his battered body, every step forcing blood to sip out through the white exposed bone.

They all wanted to know what would happen when the countdown hit zero, but none of them wanted to be the ones to find out.

Unfortunately for them, it wasnʼt their choice. They werenʼt doing much against this diabolical, unyielding human who simply wouldnʼt die.

It was as if he had nine lives or something.

Actually, he did. But with his bloodline unawakened, those lives were dormant.

He wasnʼt immortal—not yet. But at this moment, no technique or spell seemed to measure up to him.

Klaus weaved effortlessly through their attacks, counting down almost casually. The five warriors had never imagined they wouldnʼt be able to subdue a single Saint.

It was surreal, but it was happening. The realization settled in for a moment—they were going to lose.

Losing was the easy part.

Dying? That was a terrifying possibility none of them were willing to face. If they could, theyʼd vanish from the battlefield, leaving this maddening human behind.

But then the timer hit zero. And everything changed.

Klaus moved. In the blink of an eye, he was behind the dual-wielding demon swordsman, who froze in shock, completely unprepared.

The swordsman barely had time to react, his breath catching in his throat. Panic seized him as he instinctively tried to defend himself—but he protected the wrong place.

”Not your neck, dummy. You wonʼt be dying just yet,” Klaus murmured, a sharp grin splitting his face.

His saber flashed, slicing through the air with deadly precision. The next second, a piercing scream, raw with pain and anguish, echoed across the battlefield.

”Never bring a tail to a sword fight,” Klaus quipped with a smirk, but it quickly faltered. He frowned. ”Damn it... I ruined the line. It should be ʼnever bring a tail to a saber fight.ʼ”

Klaus smirked.

There was no time to dwell on it. He moved again, swift and calculated. Behind him, the swordsmanʼs body began to glow ominously.

His eyes turned bloodshot, red smoke curling and seething from within as an unholy energy surged through him.

Klausʼs smile returned, but it was tight. ”Thatʼs not good,” he muttered under his breath. Then, with a quick exhale, he added, ”But itʼs within calculation.”

The sound of chains rattling reverberated across the battlefield, accompanied by a devastating impact that shook the ground. In an instant, the 200-meter radius was plunged into a fiery hell.

Flames erupted, consuming the space, while chains forged of fire snaked and rattled everywhere, creating a chaotic and terrifying scene.

Klaus had unleashed the Law of Self he had claimed from the Demon Hellhoundm Zarok he defeated in the first trial.

The [Hell Chain Domain] materialized, turning the battlefield into a nightmare of heat and destruction.

”The first rule of killing a shadow,” Klaus said with a sly smirk, ”is to heat things up.”

As if summoned by his words, the shadowy assassinʼs full form emerged from the flames, now tangible and vulnerable.

Klaus wasted no time, launching himself into the fray. He activated [Shared].

He moved like a boomerang, striking fast and retreating before his enemies could retaliate. Each hit was precise, calculated, and relentless, ensuring they couldnʼt disrupt his rhythm.

The demon swordsman, who had activated a body-enhancement technique to crush Klaus, quickly became outmatched. His plan to dominate the battlefield crumbled under Klausʼs sheer speed and agility.

No, the swordsman wasnʼt having an easy time at all.

Klaus was a blur on the battlefield, and his movement technique barely made him visible. The Ascendants could track him, but their reactions lagged behind his otherworldly speed.

Klaus was pushing his body to its absolute limits, knowing he had only 60 minutes to finish this fight. If he failed, there wouldnʼt be another chance.

The [Shared] last for only 60 minutes.

”Silly me,” Klaus muttered with a mischievous grin as he remembered the latest [Law of Self] he had acquired: [Sky Dominion].

When activated, it granted a 300% boost to his stats—but the condition was that the battle had to take place in the air. Glancing around, Klaus realized the fight was already airborne.

He grinned wider at the thought of what might happen. Could he activate two [Laws of Self] simultaneously? Or perhaps fuse them into one? The sheer possibility made his heart race.

”Time to find out,” he said with a mad gleam in his eyes.

Klaus activated [Sky Dominion], and his body surged with power. Energy erupted within him, his speed tripling, strength, stamina, and everything else.

And so did his grin.

At that moment, Klaus felt like a god.

But his body was also overwhelmed, and as such, he could explode if he forced himself too much. He only managed to contain the power because of the alien armour he wore.

Still, he was now strong, and he wouldnʼt risk his life for nothing. No, he wouldnʼt. Klaus declared it in his heart.

ʼThe fighting ends in the next 30 minutes.ʼ

Thatʼs how long his body could handle the overflowing energy. Any more time wasted, and he would explode.

ʼTime to kill some bastards.ʼ Klaus moved, and the next second, he clashed with the Alien Odachi wielder. The long Odachi swung toward him, but Klaus was fast—very fast, in fact. Your journey continues with

He always evaded, as if he knew what was about to happen.

Of course, he knew. After all, he was also using [Weapons Domain]. This allowed him to anticipate his enemyʼs moves. Thankfully, he loved the hand-to-hand combat.

”AaarrrggH~!”

That was the cry of a shadow assassin whose shadow heart had been pierced by two Void Piercing needles.

The shadow assassin died...Klaus killed a Level 3 Ascendent...