The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse
Chapter 33: Tribulation ended, Klaus's Transformation

Klaus stumbled backward, struggling to keep his balance. The fear and pain were almost too much to bear. His sword was barely staying in his grasp, and his breaths came in ragged gasps. The snake's relentless attacks were pushing him to his limits.

"This is not how I fall, I refuse to believe this is how I fall" Klaus shouted lifting his own spirit as he faced off against the lighting snake.

Just when it seemed like Klaus might collapse, something inside him began to change. A surge of energy started to build within him, and his vision cleared. The pain was still there, but it was now accompanied by a fierce determination.

Klaus's grip on his sword tightened. His bloodied hands gripped the hilt with renewed strength. He felt a strange, powerful force flowing through him as if his very soul was igniting with a new power.

The snake lunged again, but this time Klaus was ready. He roared defiantly, his voice echoing through the area. With a powerful swing, he unleashed another ice arc, but this one was different. It was sharper, faster, and coated with a faint golden energy.

The ice arc met the lightning snake with a resounding crash. The creature's roar was cut off as the arc sliced through its body, freezing parts of it solid. The lightning snake convulsed and writhed, its attacks faltering.

Klaus was delighted so he pressed the advantage, unleashing even more terrifying attacks. His strikes were precise, and the snake's movements became sluggish. The ice arc continued to cut through the creature, reducing its lightning power and weakening it.

"My turn now, you monsters" Klaus's confidence surged as he began to regain his footing. His attacks grew more intense and erratic. The ice arc emanating from his sword became significantly stronger and more lethal.

"Is this what it means to understand the will of the sword?" Klaus muttered, clearly relishing the battle. If he could defeat the lightning snake, he would pass the tribulation. Determined, he spared no effort in his assault.

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Away from the tribulation zone, the lady watched in awe as Klaus unleashed devastating attacks on the monster.

"Heavens, to think he is on the track to awaken sword aura this early. This kid is a monster," she exclaimed, astonished by Klaus's power.

"This kid must be protected before the great families get their hands on him. I need to report this to the higher-ups," she thought, scanning the battlefield. But then, she frowned.

"He clearly needed privacy, which is why he came here. Reporting this will only draw more attention. I'll just keep an eye on him for now," she decided. Despite her resolution, she was deeply unsettled by what she had witnessed.

Back in the tribulation zone, Klaus had finally managed to destroy half the lightning snake. Now that he was in control, he made sure to inflict great damage knowing that the Snake was not alive. But to release stress, he made sure to torture it.

"You can die now," Klaus muttered. With a fierce roar, he delivered a decisive blow. His sword cleaved through the lightning snake, slicing it in two. The monster dispersed into runes and merged with Klaus.

As the clouds parted, revealing a clear sky, Klaus collapsed. Exhausted, he fell onto the ground, his body battered with broken bones and wounds.

As fatigue set in, Klaus felt a surge of energy erupts from within him. Everything went black. As he lost consciousness, a white icy mist burst from his body, cocooning him in a dome of ice.

Not far away, the lady in white appeared, her gaze fixed curiously on the ice dome.

"This is unusual," she murmured. "Aside from the tribulation, he's also undergoing a complete evolution. This kid is full of surprises. I can't afford to lose sight of him."

After observing the cocoon for a while without noticing anything else of interest, she decided to retreat and conceal her presence.

The ice cocoon remained undisturbed for 12 hours before it began to crack. The cracks started silently, but soon they widened, more fractures appearing across the surface. Suddenly, the cocoon burst open, sending shards flying. A white mist rose from within.

As the mist dissipated, a young man with white hair appeared, sitting in a lotus position. Klaus's hair had transformed from black to white and had grown slightly longer. His eyes were now golden with a hint of white. His cheekbones seemed restructured, making him look more handsome and refined.

The current him is enough to raise clamor when he appears in public. His white natural hair and golden eyes made both his appearance and gaze enchanting. In short, he has become a charmer, one who doesn't have to open his mouth to get what he wants.

His biceps were well-developed, showcasing a finely cut six-pack. His muscles had also developed, giving him a more fit and athletic physique.

Suddenly, a burst of icy energy erupted from Klaus's body, sending mist swirling into the air. He slowly stood up and retrieved a large black shirt from his storage ring.

"Good thing I bought more clothes last time," Klaus muttered to himself. As he was about to examine his newly transformed body, he suddenly turned his gaze in a specific direction, his eyes narrowing. He stared at the spot for a few breaths before looking away.

"Strange, I felt like something was watching me from there. Maybe I've just become too sensitive after leveling up," Klaus remarked, brushing off the feeling.

Meanwhile, the lady's eyes widened in shock in a concealed area. She was clearly surprised by Klaus's sudden awareness.

"This kid is interesting," she murmured with a smile. "He almost discovered me." Instead of being scared, a slightly mischievous smile appeared on her lips and she continued to observe Klaus.

Klaus now clad in an oversized black shirt stood there with his sword in his grip, his gaze on the screen showing his stats.

Name: Klaus Hanson

Age: 16

Talent: Celestial Elemental Overlord

Class: Weapons Overlord

Bloodline: Dormant

Physique: Nine Reincarnation Divine Body

Realm: Ascended - Lvl: 1/12

Strength: 330 | Agility: 370 |Stamina: 340 |Defense:200 | Intelligence: 200| Health: 1100

Spiritual Qi: 1,227,800

Stat Points: 700

"Looks like I've gained 100 points in every attribute, plus an additional 200 after breaking through to the Ascended stage. This is good, really good," Klaus murmured, smiling slightly as he observed his stats. His strength had increased several times over.

"Tier 4 monsters won't pose much of a threat to me, even if they come in hordes," Klaus said to himself. "Maybe I should replace a team and join temporarily so I can start entering the Forbidden Zones."

The Forbidden Zones were areas off-limits to most people, especially those like Klaus who lacked significant backing. These places were home to stronger and more dangerous monsters. It was said that these monsters possessed a Core, which, once obtained, could be used to enhance one's strength.

Experts claimed that the spiritual qi in the Forbidden Zones was much denser than in normal forests. Because of this, the monsters there were able to form cores. This also meant that a Tier 2 monster in a Forbidden Zone could be as powerful as a Tier 4 monster in an ordinary forest.

But these places are off-limits to ordinary people. To enter a Forbidden Zone, one must be part of a registered team, and that team must gain permission under strict regulations. If Klaus wanted to venture into these zones, he would need to join a team first.

"I guess I'll have to go see Uncle Ziggy and see if he can hook me up," Klaus decided. With that in mind, he checked his progress board.

[Next Level Up: 1,000/1,228,800 ]

[Remark: After each level up, 2,000,000 will be added to the next EXP requirement.]

"Fuck, This is cheating!" Klaus cursed in frustration. "If the heavens want me stronger, why are they making it so hard?"

But his complaints were heard by only two people—himself and the lady who had been secretly watching him.

"Adding a million points after each level-up is just cruel. But I guess it's better than the previous times when it doubles after each level," he muttered to himself. Normally, after ascending, the EXP requirement only increases by 100,000 to 500,000 with each level. For Klaus, though, it was a staggering 2 million.

"Huh, strange. Why isn't there a new skill added to my list?" Klaus muttered with a frown. During his battle with the lightning snake, he had sensed a new skill awakening within him. But strangely, it wasn't showing up on his skills list.

"I can remember the feeling of the skill, but it's not here. Where did it come from?" Klaus wondered aloud, but with no answer in sight, he turned away, gripping his sword even tighter. "Maybe it'll show up once I truly learn it," he decided.

Klaus took a deep breath and focused his mind. He closed his eyes, recalling the sensation he felt during the fight—the surge of power, the connection with his sword, the intense focus.

Suddenly, Klaus's sword began to glow red, and the temperature around him started to rise rapidly. He could feel the intense heat surging from the blade. "This feeling... it's the Moon Slash, but different," Klaus muttered.

As the sword continued to glow, Klaus's spiritual qi surged, amplifying the heat even further. The power within the sword was growing by leaps and bounds, far beyond what he had ever experienced before.

"Huh, what is this golden energy in the flame?" Klaus wondered as he noticed a distinct golden energy swirling within the flames that enveloped his sword. It seemed to be enhancing the strength of the attack, making it even more potent. Excited by this newfound power, Klaus grinned. "Let's see what you're made of."

He turned his gaze toward a cluster of towering trees in the distance. They were thick and sturdy, their bark nearly impervious to normal attacks. But Klaus was confident that this new power would cut through them like butter.

He took a deep breath, feeling the power build within him, then slashed his sword diagonally. With a loud boom, a powerful arc of pure red flames, coated in that strange golden energy, shot out from the sword.

The arc of flames tore through the trees, slicing through them as if they were nothing more than paper.

"So, this is the true power of the Moon Slash," Klaus muttered and then burst into a resounding laughter.