The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse
Chapter 48: Start of a Slaughter

As soon as Klaus entered Ruin City, he pulled up a map from the watch on his wrist. According to the map, he had entered a Tier 2 Forbidden Zone known as Ruin City. This place was once a thriving metropolis before the Apocalypse. Now, it was a dangerous territory ruled by a pack of White Strip Mountain Wolves and other terrifying monsters, each a menace to society.

From the limited records Klaus had found, he learned that aside from the wolves, the area was home to several other vicious monsters. Notable among them were the Red Scale Python, the Jade White Mountain Lion, and the Ground Drake Lizard King. These creatures were all Tier 5 Terror Monsters, and their locations had been marked on the map.

Even though Klaus had grown stronger, he knew better than to go after a Tier 5 monster right away. He wasn't about to take on the big threats just yet. First, he needed to understand his own abilities better and figure out how to use them effectively in combat.

For now, his goal was to hunt smaller monsters, test his limits, and gradually work his way up to the more dangerous creatures lurking in the city.

"Tier 3 should be a good start," Klaus thought to himself. He knew these monsters were different from the ones he'd faced before, but he was eager to test himself. He didn't want to underestimate them, but he had grown far stronger than he once was. His confidence pushed him to aim higher, even if it meant taking on more than he could handle.

With that thought, Klaus ventured deeper into the city. The broken ruins surrounded him, remnants of a world long lost to chaos. After a few minutes of walking, he suddenly stopped. Closing his eyes, a smile crept onto his face. "I guess that painful transformation wasn't for nothing," he muttered to himself.

His senses had expanded dramatically. Now, he could detect anything within a 5-kilometer radius. It was more incredible than he had imagined. He could feel the presence of monsters, their realms, and even their classes. At that moment, Klaus could sense a dozen Tier 3 monsters nearby, ranging from Lesser to the Great class, all within his expanded range.

Wasting no time, he locked onto his first target: a spike-tail crocodile, a powerful lizard-type monster. As he approached within 200 meters, the creature sensed his presence and charged at him, its sharp tail poised for attack.

Klaus smirked, clearly unfazed. His sword went into a casual swing, slicing through the air effortlessly without even bothering to channel his elemental essence or star energy into his sword. The blade cut clean through the monster's neck, and its head rolled to the ground.

Just like that, a Tier 3 Great Monster was killed—without Klaus breaking a sweat. No elemental essence or star qi was used. Just a normal swing.

[You have killed a Tier 3 Great Monster called Spike-Tail Crocodile. You have received 7,000 Exp.]

[You've earned 2,500 ranking points.]

"As expected, killing mutated monsters pays more than the ordinary ones," Klaus thought with satisfaction. The last time he killed a Tier 3 monster, he had only received 3,000 Exp. This time, however, he had gained 7,000 Exp.

In addition to that, he had earned 2,500 ranking points for his first kill in the zone. "This is a good start," he said to himself with a nod of approval. He quickly stored away the monster's body in his space ring and was about to move on when something caught his eye. On the ground, there was a small, glowing object.

"So this is the core," Klaus muttered. He had read about these on his way to the zone, so he immediately recognized it. The core was smaller than an egg, yet as he held it, he could feel the boundless energy it contained. After admiring the core for a moment, Klaus placed it inside his space ring and set his sights on his next target.

"I need to level up quickly," Klaus whispered as he swiftly stabbed his sword into the neck of a Berserker Rat, another Tier 3 Great Monster. It barely had time to react before it fell lifeless to the ground. Klaus moved seamlessly from one monster to the next, cutting them down with ease.

Despite not distributing his 700 points from previous level-ups, Klaus's speed had already become monstrous. He was moving with incredible agility, far beyond what he'd once thought possible.

[You have killed a Tier 3 Great Monster called Blue Fur Rabbit. You have received 7,000 Exp.]

[You've earned 2,500 ranking points.]

"How curious," Klaus mused. "There are no Dark Monsters here. Does that mean these monsters live in a hierarchy based on class?"

After killing 23 monsters, Klaus noticed that every single one had been a Tier 3 Great Monster. Not a single Dark monster or anything higher-tier had appeared. It started to feel like he was stuck fighting weaker opponents, far below his current level.

"I need a stronger challenge. These monsters are just too weak," Klaus said with a hint of disappointment. He quickly realized he had become something of a bully. He hadn't even needed to use his Star Qi, yet he was able to kill dozens of monsters in less than 10 minutes. His power was truly terrifying.

As he reflected on this, Klaus started to understand that the star diagram he had cultivated was far more powerful than he had originally thought. Even though some of the monsters had sensed him and released their energy in defense, Klaus felt nothing from their attacks. Their aura didn't even faze him.

Back in the Sunlight Forest, he had barely escaped death when a Tier 2 monster locked him down. But now, facing Tier 3 monsters, he was completely unchallenged. He felt as though he was gliding effortlessly through the battlefield, moving from one kill to the next like a fish in water.

Not satisfied with the easy victories, Klaus pressed on, making his way deeper into Ruin City in search of something more worthy of his growing strength.

Roar!

The ground beneath Klaus shook as a deep, thunderous roar echoed through the broken-down city. It came from a few kilometers away. Without hesitation, Klaus sprinted toward the source. After a few swift steps, he arrived at a small clearing where an intense battle was already underway.

"They're fighting," Klaus muttered to himself, taking in the chaotic scene. Three large monsters were locked in combat for reasons he couldn't discern.

The first was a Dark Fur Mountain Wolf, known for its incredible agility and strength. Its dark, sleek fur rippled as it danced around the battlefield. Opposing the wolf was a Red-Eye Leopard, its glowing eyes dangerous to even glance at.

From his watch, Klaus recalled that the Red-Eye Leopard possessed terrifying hypnotic powers —looking directly into its eyes would plunge a person's mind into chaos, making them vulnerable to attack.

But what truly caught Klaus's attention was the third monster—a Diamond Tusk Elephant. Its massive body towered over the others, but it wasn't its size that made Klaus's heart race. No, it was the monster's tusks. Diamond Tusk Elephants themselves were often considered worthless despite their size, but their tusks were a rare treasure. Owning even one could fetch an impressive sum on the market.

Klaus's eyes gleamed with excitement as he surveyed the scene. "What a perfect opportunity," he thought. The Mountain Wolf's meat was highly prized, something that people would go wild for.

The Leopard's value was decent and even more enticing was the fact that it was a Tier 3 Dark Monster—killing it would not only add to his ranking points but also provide him with a body he could sell for more money.

"Let's see the power of Star Qi," Klaus muttered to himself, channeling a small portion of his star energy into his sword. The moment the energy flowed into the blade, it began to hum with life, vibrating with raw power. A golden aura enveloped the sword, instantly amplifying its strength.

"Fuck, this feels amazing," Klaus grinned, feeling invincible. His original plan was to ambush the monsters, but with the surge of power from his Star Qi, it became clear that they stood no chance against him.

Ice essence flowed from his body into the sword, freezing the ground around him in an instant. The sheer power left Klaus giddy with excitement. "Damn, this is great!" he exclaimed.

With a mischievous smirk, Klaus whispered, "Gentlemen, the Yama King says hi," and then lunged forward, slashing his sword at the Mountain Wolf. A dense crescent-shaped arc of blue ice, coated with golden energy, flew from his blade and struck the wolf. The attack sliced deep into the creature's skull, leaving a massive wound.

At the same moment, Klaus directed another arc of energy toward the Red-Eye Leopard. The strike was so precise and powerful that it cut the leopard cleanly in half before it could even react.

Finally, he turned his attention to the Diamond Tusk Elephant. A more potent ice arc shot from his sword, aimed at the creature's thick neck. Klaus had expected the beast to endure the attack, perhaps even retaliate, but to his surprise, the moment the energy connected, the massive elephant collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud.

Dead, just like that.

Klaus stared at the fallen monsters in disbelief. "Wow, that was... almost too easy," he murmured, his heart pounding with exhilaration.

"Although they are Tier Dark Monsters, I expected some resistance" Klaus only used a small portion of the energy he could channel, yet the monsters were overwhelmed, killing each with a single attack.

"Since that is the case, then I better use this time to level up and see whether or not, this City can contain us" Klaus arrogantly said storing the bodies of the monsters. He disappeared further into the City. What followed was howls, roars, and thuds. Klaus has finally found his groove and started his slaughter.

After about 2 hours, Klaus stopped and sat on top of a broken wall. he pulled the system message.

[You have leveled up. Current Level: Level 2 Ascended. You have received 300 Stat points.]