The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

A day after the informative lecture on beasts and monsters, which earned Klaus a friend—a lecturer/instructor who specialized in beast and monster anatomy—Klaus once again attended the exhibition of the various factions.

Although there was a rule prohibiting recruitment until the rookies officially entered the academy, Klaus still received several invitations. They all wanted him to join their factions. His legend was well-known both in the outside world and within the academy.

However, Klaus had already promised Aoi Hiroshi that he would join the Yin-Yang Palace. Klaus, who always aimed to shine wherever he went, spent extra time at the booth set up by the Yin-Yang Faction, eager to learn more about them.

In the end, he got what he was looking for, and it was as he had expected. They were ranked at the bottom and lacked resources.

It was perfect for him, as he believed that with his presence, he could rise through the ranks and face-slap his haters, who he was sure would do everything they could to join the higher-ranking factions.

He was more than happy with the situation Aoi's faction was in and planned to tease her once he entered the Academy.

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Afterward, he spent more time meditating until the day arrived when the Eastern Region of the Northern Union would select their top 100 geniuses to compete with the other regions.

Despite his confidence in ranking at the top, Klaus joined the trial like everyone else. The lecturer who had given the lecture on Beasts and Monsters came to spectate at Klaus's request. They had gotten along quite well.

Strangely, Klaus found himself fascinated by the anatomy of monsters. It was a bizarre moment for him, which made him reflect on many things. He was a monk, that much was true, but to be someone intrigued by the anatomy of monsters was a whole different vibe.

He knew that trait came from one of his past incarnations.

Thanks to everyone using Oracle for a while, they were familiar with the Oracle system used for the Regional Trial. The monsters there were nearly lifelike. If you cut them, blood would flow, and even better, the battlefield would be littered with the bodies of slain monsters afterward.

This enhancement made the experience even more realistic and intense. So, when the trial began, everyone fought with great ferocity.

Each participant would receive a vial of Earth-grade Mountain Dew and a Tier 6 monster core. In addition, the top hundred would receive an extra vial of Earth-grade Mountain Dew and four devil cores.

Aside from that, there was a grand prize for the last person to come out on top, along with another reward for the entire region, which everyone knew would be shared among the participants.

So despite the tough nature of the trial, everyone pushed themselves hard, trying to hold on for as long as they could.

It took a full two hours before the trial finally ended. The enhanced trial was much more difficult now with all the modifications that had been made.

By the end of the day, the top hundred were selected. They all demonstrated exceptional fighting and killing abilities.

As expected, Klaus topped the chart, followed by Anna. And just like in the regional trial, Miguel came in third. Despite his bitter rivalry with Klaus, his combat power was undeniably brutal. He was a muscular fighter wielding a colossal double-bladed axe called the Demon Axe.

His killing power was devastating, but he lacked speed. Had he been a bit faster, he might have surpassed Anna.

Hanna, of course, maintained her position at fourth. Miriam had given her two skill books before she and Klaus's friends entered the forbidden zones for training, making her significantly more powerful.

Surprisingly, Lily took fifth place, with the Zhou twins, Lin and Zing, securing the 6th and 7th spots. Daniel came in 8th, while Mark ranked 9th this time.

Danny and Kilian took 10th and 11th, respectively, with Lawrence, Klaus's other nemesis, landing in 12th. Omari Hackman, another of Klaus's rivals, ranked 13th.

Surprisingly, someone who had ranked 302nd during the regional trial came 14th this time, shocking everyone. And it wasn't just a one-off occurrence. Of the top hundred from the regional trial, only 68 maintained their spots in the top hundred.

New faces emerged, and frankly, no one was surprised. Failure had pushed Hanna to train more vigorously this time, so it was only natural to see others rise to this level as well.

Klaus thanked the instructor who had assisted with the selection trial before dispersing for the morning. Later, the top 100 gathered again to strategize. As expected, Anna, their leader, was the first to speak.

"Everyone, I know many of you don't see eye to eye, which is normal given our age and the rivalries we have. However, I don't think I need to stress how important this competition is for each of us.

Most of us come from wealthy backgrounds, and while many have already encountered and absorbed a couple of Devil cores, an Earth-Grade Mountain Dew is something none of us can claim to have even seen before." Everyone nodded in agreement as she spoke.

Indeed, they had all absorbed a few Devil cores, but Earth-Grade Mountain Dew was something entirely new to them.

During the City Selection, they had been given Common-Grade Mountain Dew, which they treated as ordinary. During the regionals, they received Epic-Grade Mountain Dew, which, while far superior to the Common-Grade, still wasn't considered extraordinary.

Now, they were being offered Earth-Grade Mountain Dew, which, according to what they had heard from their older siblings and friends already in the academy, had over 20 times the effect of Epic-Grade Mountain Dew and 100 times that of Common-Grade.

They desperately wanted it, and since they had already secured a spot in the top 100, each of them would receive two vials.

But the final prize, which would be awarded to the entire region, was something they all knew would benefit them collectively. Anna's emphasis on it made perfect sense.

"What I'm trying to say is this: we all have our differences, but right now, we need to put those aside and work together to achieve a common goal."

From what Anna has said, everyone understood that she was addressing Klaus, Miguel, Lawrence, and Omari Hackman.

She couldn't afford to have them fighting amongst themselves, especially now that they were all on the same side. Winning for the eastern region is something she wanted.

Although, thanks to Klaus, she and Miriam are practically like sisters, Anna still wants to impress her. Not only that, but she also wants to prove to herself whether she can be a good leader like her sister. The Ross sisters are known for their skill in controlling the battlefield, and this is especially true for Lucy, who wields the wood element.

"Leader, don't worry. My misunderstanding with Klaus won't interfere with this alliance," Miguel said with an expressionless face.

"Good, and you can just call me Anna," she nodded.

"Same here. We can go back to our rivalry after this competition," Lawrence added, and Omari Hackman, the swordsman, nodded in agreement.

"Good," Anna acknowledged, then turned toward Klaus, who was sitting with a smile on his face.

"I know when it's business, Anna. Since the Legacies will likely try to cause trouble for us, I think I can hold off teasing Miguel for a few more days so we can crush them. After that, we can go back to our 'rivalry,'" Klaus said with a small smile.

"Then it's settled," Anna declared, and everyone nodded in agreement.

As much as Klaus would love to stir up some mischief, he knew when to be serious. Now, knowing the competition would be between him and the three Legacies, he had to step up, not just for himself but for his girlfriend Anna, who, though promising, was still too green to be a leader capable of competing against Legacies.