The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse
Chapter 51: A Sea of Flame Burning everything

Klaus barely had time to brace himself when the flame orb exploded. The sound was deafening like thunder splitting the sky apart. The ground shook violently beneath his feet, nearly knocking him over.

A massive wave of heat rushed toward him, so intense it felt like his skin might burn away. Klaus stumbled back, shielding his face with his arm as the world around him turned red and orange from the flames. The explosion was far bigger than he expected, far more chaotic than he could have imagined.

The blast spread out like a tidal wave of fire, swallowing everything in its path. Monsters in the immediate area were obliterated instantly, their bodies disintegrating into ash before they even had time to react. Those further away were caught in the flames as the fire expanded, their pained roars cut short by the sheer force of the detonation.

The city ruins around him began to crumble further. Old buildings that had been standing on shaky foundations collapsed as the shockwave hit them. Stone and metal alike melted under the intense heat, turning into pools of molten slag. Ancient towers, long abandoned and worn by time, were swallowed whole by the raging firestorm, their tall frames crashing to the ground like brittle sticks.

Klaus could see the flames spreading outward for kilometers. The once mighty-ish Ruin city, now reduced to a decaying wasteland, was being consumed entirely by the fire. The monsters that had once roamed these ruins in countless numbers were no more. Thousands of them, Tier 5 and lower, were completely wiped out, their bodies vanishing in the flames.

The fire wasn't just eating away at the city—it was swallowing the very earth. Trees, rocks, and even the ground itself were melting under the intensity of the flame. Huge craters formed where the explosion hit hardest, and deep fissures opened up, swallowing debris and anything else that had managed to survive the initial blast.

Klaus watched in awe, stunned by the scale of the destruction he had unleashed. His body trembled as he realized how far beyond his control things had gone. He had only intended to destroy the monsters, but now it seemed like the entire landscape was being erased.

The flame showed no mercy. It burned with a terrifying hunger, consuming everything in its path. As the fire spread, the screams of the few remaining monsters echoed in the distance, but they were short-lived. Nothing could survive the all-consuming heat. The ruins of the city were now nothing but a massive sea of fire, stretching as far as Klaus could see.

The ground beneath him cracked, and Klaus had to jump back quickly to avoid falling into one of the newly formed chasms. The force of the explosion had shattered the earth, causing it to buckle and break apart in large sections. Pieces of the ground crumbled and fell away into the flames, leaving behind only charred remains.

Klaus took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. He tried to calm his racing heart, but it was impossible. The power he had unleashed was overwhelming. The devastation was beyond anything he could have imagined.

As he looked out over the destruction, Klaus couldn't help but feel a strange mix of awe and fear. The flame ball had been far more powerful than he intended, far more dangerous. He had tapped into something he wasn't fully prepared for.

The once dark and ruined city was now lit up by the flames, but it was a city no more. It was just a wasteland of charred remains, empty of life, save for the roaring fire. The monsters were gone, completely wiped out by the explosion. Not a single one had escaped.

Klaus wiped sweat from his brow, his body still shaking from the aftermath. The heat was beginning to die down, but the devastation remained. The air was thick with ash and smoke, making it hard to breathe. The once solid ground was now littered with deep scars from the explosion, the remnants of buildings scattered across the blackened landscape.

Klaus took a step forward, feeling the cracked earth under his feet. He glanced around, trying to grasp the full scope of what had just happened. The silence that followed the explosion was almost eerie, a stark contrast to the chaos that had erupted moments before.

For a brief moment, Klaus felt a sense of satisfaction. The monsters were gone, and he had succeeded in testing the limits of his power. But that feeling quickly faded, replaced by a growing unease. The cost had been too high. He had lost control of the flame ball, and the result had been nothing short of catastrophic.

The ruined city was now a wasteland of fire and ash, the land itself scarred beyond recognition. Klaus couldn't help but wonder what kind of consequences his actions might have. He had unleashed a force that he barely understood, and now the world around him was paying the price.

Klaus let out a heavy sigh, his mind racing with thoughts of what to do next. The destruction he had caused was immense, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he had crossed a line. As the flames slowly began to die down, Klaus turned away from the scene of devastation. There was nothing left for him here now.

Klaus shook his head, trying to push away the lingering thoughts of the destruction he'd caused. "No point worrying now," he muttered to himself, trying to sound more confident than he felt. He glanced around the scorched battlefield, his eyes searching for anything valuable amidst the ruins.

Stepping carefully over charred remains, Klaus began his search for monster cores. He knew that after a fight like this, there had to be something left behind. But as he ventured deeper into the aftermath of the explosion, he found nothing. Not a single core remained intact.

He frowned, a little disappointed. "I guess that's the price of too much power," Klaus sighed, kicking a chunk of melted rock aside. His earlier excitement about leveling up faded a bit as he realized the downside of the destruction he'd unleashed.

Still, Klaus couldn't help but grin slightly at the thought of his newfound strength. Before using the flame ball, he had already reached Level 5, but now, after wiping out an entire battlefield of Tier 4 and even some Tier 5 monsters, he had shot up to Level 8. It felt surreal to gain so much power so quickly.

"Just four more levels," he murmured, thinking ahead to the next Tribulation that awaited him. Though the thought of facing another one made him uneasy, the promise of greater strength kept him motivated. He knew that leveling up wasn't easy, especially now that even Tier 5 monsters weren't giving him enough experience to push past his current stage.

Klaus chuckled softly. "At this rate, I'll need to replace even stronger monsters to fight if I want to keep progressing." He glanced around the battlefield once more, scanning the horizon for any signs of life. But the only thing that greeted him was the smoldering remains of his earlier rampage.

However, just when he could finally calm down, a deep, earth-shaking roar echoed across the ruined battlefield. Klaus instinctively raised his sword, his eyes narrowing as he turned toward the source of the noise. From the horizon, he could feel an immense surge of energy blasting toward him like a powerful wave.

He braced himself, gripping his sword tightly as a massive shadow began to emerge from the smoke and ash. The ground trembled with each heavy step the creature took.

"The Ground Drake Lizard King," Klaus muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible as he stared at the enormous scaly lizard charging toward him. The beast's body was charred and cracked, its once-imposing scales now marred by burns and wounds from the explosion.

"So it was caught in the blast too," Klaus said, a mix of surprise and grim satisfaction in his tone. He hadn't expected the explosion to reach so far or to inflict so much damage on a creature of this size and power.

The Ground Drake Lizard King, despite being on the brink of death, was still a terrifying sight to behold. It was massive, towering over everything around it, with dark, jagged scales that glistened under the fading sunlight. Its sharp eyes locked onto Klaus, filled with rage. Blood dripped from its wounds, staining the ground beneath it.

Though the monster was clearly on its last breath, its aura was as powerful as ever. It radiated an intense, suffocating energy that made Klaus's skin crawl. He felt his hair stand on end as the creature's presence grew closer, its bloodthirsty intent palpable.

"Even at death's door, it's still this strong," Klaus whispered, his eyes never leaving the lizard. He could feel the weight of the creature's aura pressing down on him, challenging his resolve. For a moment, doubt crept into his mind. He had just leveled up, but could he take down a monster this powerful in its final moments of rage?

The lizard let out another deafening roar, its scaly body charging forward with surprising speed for something so massive and injured. Klaus could feel the ground shake beneath him with every step the beast took. Dust and debris flew into the air as the creature barreled toward him.

Klaus quickly adjusted his stance, raising his sword and preparing for the inevitable clash. "No backing down now," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. The Ground Drake Lizard King was strong, but Klaus knew he had to be stronger. He had to finish what the explosion had started.

The distance between them closed rapidly. Klaus could feel the raw power emanating from the beast, a force that seemed almost tangible in the air. He knew he needed to test his limits before making any adjustments. "This creature is weaker than a True Tier 5 Terror Monster," he thought, "but it should be a good test."

With a determined look in his eyes, Klaus dashed forward, meeting the Ground Drake Lizard King head-on. The impact of their clash was nothing short of earth-shattering. The ground beneath them quaked violently, sending tremors that reverberated through the entire eastern region and beyond.