The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse
Chapter 57: Sword Aura True Awakening

He turned just in time to see two more Zombie Generals charging at him, their clubs raised high. Klaus sidestepped the first, but the second managed to graze his shoulder. The impact sent him spinning, his feet skidding across the ground.

"Damn it," Klaus muttered, feeling the sharp sting of the hit. Although he still has some stamina and his bones are bracing for the impacts, the pain can never be ignored. He couldn't stop, or more like he didn't want to stop. He wanted to test his limit and for one, he got exactly what he craved. He has already taken down one General, however, the remaining six are even more terrifying now.

Taking down one made them gain more room to coordinate their attacks. They now backed each other up, following up each other's attack. It's like they know each other's rhythm. These zombies are more lethal and intelligent than the Tier 4 and below.

He raised his sword, blocking another attack, the force pushing him back a few meters. Klaus grits his teeth, pushing back against the weight of the club. His arms shook, but he held firm.

Then, he felt it—a familiar surge of energy building within him. His Star Diagram cultivation method was kicking in, circulating his qi through his body, healing him. Klaus immediately felt rejuvenated, almost like he hadn't had any injuries during the battle.

'So it works this way too' Klaus said inwardly trying to replicate the feeling. However, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't get it. It was like just when his injuries were about to get severe, the Star Diagram kicked in.

Unbeknownst to Klaus, just when his internal injuries were starting to become more severe, the tattoo on his back took effect lighting up subtly and the Star Qi circulated within him.

"With my Star Qi pool, I can do this all day" Klaus muttered, summoning every ounce of power he could muster. He released another blast of ice, freezing the ground beneath the Zombies' feet. The creatures stumbled, their balance thrown off.

Klaus didn't waste a moment. He dashed forward, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision. He aimed for the neck of the nearest Zombie General, but the creature raised its club just in time to block the strike. The impact sent vibrations through Klaus's arms, but he didn't back down.

With a quick twist of his wrist, Klaus redirected his sword, slashing at the Zombie's side. His blade cut through its armor-like skin, and the creature howled in pain. Klaus pressed on, delivering a flurry of blows, each one chipping away at the Zombie's defenses.

But the other Zombies weren't standing idly by. One of them lunged at Klaus from behind, its club crashing into his back. Klaus gasped as pain exploded through his body. He staggered forward, barely managing to stay on his feet.

"Fuck, this bastards are too vicious" he muttered through gritted teeth, forcing himself to stand tall. He spun around, just in time to block another attack. His sword clashed with the Zombie's club, sparks flying from the impact.

Klaus was panting now, struggling to take in breaths. His vision blurred, but he refused to fall. He could feel the blood running down his side, mixing with the dirt beneath his feet. But then again, the Star Qi circulated and he was filled with energy yet again, healing all wounds again.

The Zombies circled him again, their eyes glowing with a hunger for death. Klaus raised his sword, and the moment he summoned his strength, he felt something shift within the blade. As a Weapon Overlord, he instantly understood what was happening. That sensation he'd been feeling in his sword—it was stirring again.

At first, Klaus had thought he'd already awakened this power, but now he was drawn deeper into the energy. The sharpness of the blade felt enhanced, and he could sense a new connection forming. It was as if the sword and he were linked, bound by a shared force.

"Well, isn't this exciting," Klaus thought with a wry smile. He could feel the difference—his aura felt sharper, more refined. His next attack would be something far more precise and deadly.

"Let's give it a try," he muttered, tapping into the energy pulsing within the sword. As soon as he did, the blade began to glow with a golden light. An oily, swirling energy coiled around the edge of the weapon, and Klaus could feel its sharpness intensifying. He was certain now—this sword could cleave through a mountain with a single strike.

Ice essence and star qi surged into his sword, the two energies blending powerfully. At the same time, he stomped on the ground, freezing the area within a kilometer around him. The sudden frost forced the Zombie Generals to stumble back, giving Klaus the opening he needed.

Without hesitation, he unleashed two Moon Slash attacks. Two icy arcs, now glowing with a golden aura, shot out of his sword, slicing toward the generals. The first zombie was too slow to react, and the arc cut cleanly through its body, splitting it in half. The second general, quicker on its feet, raised its club to block the strike.

Though it managed to halt the arc, the force of the attack was too much. The club cracked and shattered into pieces.

"That's more like it," Klaus muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Let's see who has the last laugh." With that, he dashed toward the now weaponless zombie.

The zombie tried to retreat, moving quickly to escape, but Klaus was ready. He stomped the ground again, expanding the icy field, freezing everything in its path. The retreating general found its movements restricted, its escape cut off.

Klaus wasted no time. He thrust his sword forward, driving it through the zombie's back. Ice spread rapidly through its body until it crumbled into frozen fragments. In mere moments, three out of the seven Zombie Generals had been slain.

Klaus grinned, finally feeling like he had control of the battle. He turned his gaze to the remaining four Zombie Generals. Their bloodthirsty eyes gleamed with rage, but now there was a flicker of caution like they were fearing him, something that shouldn't be possible, they are zombies, not humans. Fear is not part of their emotions. Klaus could see they were growing wary of his power.

One of the zombies, the largest of the remaining four, charged at him with a roar. It swung its massive club toward Klaus's head, moving faster than the others. Klaus narrowly dodged the attack, the club smashing into the frozen ground, sending shards of ice flying everywhere.

Klaus spun to the side, taking advantage of the zombie's slow recovery. His sword glowed again as he slashed it upward, aiming for the creature's arm. The blade sliced through with ease, severing the arm at the shoulder. The zombie let out a screech as its weapon fell from its grip.

Not waiting for a counterattack, Klaus quickly stabbed his sword into the zombie's chest. Ice spread rapidly through its body, and in seconds, the giant zombie crumbled to the ground in frozen chunks.

"Three left." He muttered

Two more zombies rushed him together. One swung a jagged club while the other had a sharp claw-like club that glowed with a red, ominous light. Klaus braced himself, his mind racing. He knew he couldn't take them head-on like before. He noticed the Zombies were using some kind of skill that made their weapons hurt more than they used. Although he might not die from an impact, he was rather cautious.

He dodged the claw club-wielding zombie's strike, stepping back just in time. But the clawed zombie lunged forward, nearly catching him off guard. Klaus ducked under the attack, feeling the claws graze his armor.

Quickly, he spun around and slashed at the clawed zombie's exposed back. The blade cut deep, and ice rapidly covered its body, freezing it solid. With one strong kick, Klaus shattered the frozen creature into pieces.

"Two left." He muttered with a grin

The second club-wielding zombie didn't hesitate. It roared in fury and charged again, swinging its jagged club wildly. Klaus knew he couldn't let the creature keep up this relentless assault, so he decided to change tactics.

Instead of backing away, Klaus rushed forward, meeting the zombie head-on. At the last second, he ducked under the zombie's swing and thrust his sword upward. The blade pierced through the zombie's chest, and Klaus twisted it, forcing ice to spread out rapidly.

The zombie froze in place, its body turning into a block of ice before crumbling apart like the others.

Only one zombie remained.

This last one stood still, its glowing eyes watching Klaus carefully. Unlike the others, it seemed to understand the danger it was in. It didn't rush at him. Instead, it began circling, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Klaus smiled, admiring the creature's caution, but he knew it wouldn't save it. He took a deep breath and prepared himself. His sword was glowing once again, its golden aura swirling with ice essence.

"Circling me won't save you, bro, it's better we end this now. I don't have much time" Klaus taunted

Perhaps being angered by his words, the zombie finally lunged, but Klaus was ready. He sidestepped the attack and, with a single, precise slash, cut the creature's legs out from under it. The zombie fell to the ground, unable to move.

Klaus raised his sword high and brought it down, stabbing the creature through the chest. Ice spread one last time, and the final zombie turned to frozen dust.

"Sword Aura, quite amazing," Klaus muttered, watching the golden aura coil around his blade. From the beginning of the battle, he had faced two problems. First, he couldn't block multiple enemies while counterattacking.

Second, his attacks lacked the sharpness he needed. But now, that had changed. The awakening of his Sword Aura had refined his strikes, making them sharper and more precise.

"I guess that's it," Klaus grinned to himself. "Time to collect my spoils of war, hehe." He sheathed his sword and bent down to gather the Zombie Stones from the fallen generals.

But before he could reach for the first stone, a powerful roar echoed through the forest. It was deafening, shaking the trees and sending birds scattering from the treetops. The ground beneath him trembled violently, causing Klaus to freeze in place. His instincts flared up in alarm.

Suddenly, Klaus heard the senior spoke from his soul sea

"Be ready, Klaus," the voice said. "You are about to face a true opponent."