The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

"Klaus sure knows how to antagonize his enemies," Cephas, the instructor, said to the other instructor back in the observation hall. The others around him, who were watching the various scenes on the screens showing the competition, nodded.

They all watched as Klaus eliminated almost 200 people from the game when he could have taken his team and gotten a head start.

"He and the Three Legacy heirs are not on good terms, so it's only natural for him to get back at them. But that left his team vulnerable," one of the instructors said, watching a screen showing Klaus's team clashing with a horde of Tier 6 monsters.

"Well, they're holding on, so if he hurries, he might be able to save them in time," Cephas said as he watched another screen showing Klaus running after his team.

The trial was designed in such a way that after crossing the gate at Alpha, each team would have to fight hordes of Tier 5 monsters before moving toward the Fractured Mountains. It was only after they crossed that obstacle that they entered the Fractured Mountains.

This also means that if they manage to survive the obstacle right after walking through the gate at Alpha, the real hunting can begin. The rest of the way would be a one-way path with different routes. If you want to reach the Willow Mountains quickly, it will depend on your cunning abilities as well as your strength.

Klaus's team took the first step immediately after they arrived at the Fractured Mountains on one side. The others would also appear on their side, and once they started moving, their paths would either converge, provided they all chose the same route.

After moving for a few minutes, Klaus heard the sound of battle. He slowed down, quickly hid himself, and started watching Anna and the team fighting different kinds of Tier 6 monsters. Enjoy new chapters from empire

Anna stood in the center, casting spells as she controlled the battlefield. Miguel, Danny, Daniel, and other heavy hitters were at the front, stopping most of the monsters.

Hanna, Kay, and the other archers were shooting at the monsters from a distance, aiming to reduce the rate at which they approached as the team slowly kept moving.

"Lily, go support Kilian and Omari," Anna ordered, prompting Lily to move quickly, like the wind, stopping only when she was within attacking range. Kilian, her brother, and Omari Hackman were locked in battle with a Tier 6 Demon-Face Dagger-Legs Spider.

It was a huge spider with a twisted demon face and razor-sharp, twelve legs that could easily tear through armor. Thanks to Omari's sharp sword attacks, empowered by his awakened sword aura, and Kilian's lethal fire sword strikes, they were holding their ground and had even managed to cut off one of its legs.

Lily quickly executed a series of slashes, sending wind arcs that swiftly cut off two more legs, reducing the spider's total to nine. With her joining the fight, the two swordsmen were able to relax a little.

However, the battle wasn't over. Lightning arrows streaked through the air, piercing the heads of monsters charging at the team.

Hanna, who had improved greatly after months in seclusion, was using minimal essence and great strength with pinpoint accuracy to land precise strikes on the monsters. She has improved greatly from how she was during the Regional trial.

However, she wasn't the most brutal on the battlefield—that spot was reserved for Danny, who brandished his huge axe with terrifying strikes.

One thing about brute fighters is that most of their essence goes into enhancing their stamina, as they need full endurance for prolonged battles. Danny was swinging his axe, taking out monster after monster.

Daniel, his sworn brother, wasn't far behind either. He was swinging a massive hammer—huge, heavy, and with enough force behind each strike to burst skulls and shatter bones. He was swinging with all his might.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Miguel was also doing everything he could to keep killing, all while avoiding the use of any active skills. Klaus had already told them that when it came to battles with monsters from Tier 6 and below, his involvement would be minimal.

He wanted them to understand that he wouldn't carry the team—that would be boring for them. While his presence gave them an upper hand, they would have to do the work. He had already given them a head start; what they did with it depended on their own strengths.

The initial ratio was 100 against 400, but after thinning down the number of the Legacy alliance to 200, the rest would depend on how well they played their cards.

Klaus knew his presence in the team would put the others in danger, so while he provided extra support, they had to fight for their spot and the chance to win additional Mountain Dew and cores.

***

Back in the observation hall, the instructors and those who had been eliminated were watching the screens showing the trial. Some were shocked when Klaus chose to stay behind and watch his team battle the monsters.

However, those who knew what Klaus was capable of decided to ignore him and his team, opting instead to watch the other teams. The Northern, Southern, Western, and Central region teams, after crossing the door, clashed with the Tier 5 monsters.

Thankfully, none incurred any casualties, so they quickly advanced forward. However, just as they were about to enter the Fractured Mountains, another horde of monsters descended on them, forcing them to enter combat mode immediately.

But not everyone engaged in combat. Ella, who was leading the Central team, used the messaging feature in Oracle to send messages to the other teams. Just like in the real world, you can call or send messages to anyone in Oracle.

Immediately after receiving her message, the other teams followed Ella's strategy. Half of her team went into combat mode, while the other half, led by her and Ethan, maneuvered around the horde and started advancing.

Max took charge of the remaining half of the team, leading them into battle as they clashed with the monsters. The other regional teams also adopted a similar tactic—sending half of their members into combat while the rest bypassed the fight and proceeded into the Fractured Mountains.

A little over an hour later, the Central team converged with the Southern, Northern, and Western teams at a location Ella had marked on the map and shared with them.

Once the 100 participants gathered, Ella issued another command, dividing the teams into three groups again—one led by her, the second by Ethan, and the third by an archer named Alvaro, who had topped the regional trial in the Northern region.

"Ethan, your team should head toward the waterfall. My team will move around the river, and Alvaro's team will take the normal route," Ella instructed.

"This way, we can ambush them from both sides while they're engaged with Alvaro's team. If my calculations are correct, Max and the others will be behind them, so all we have to do is hold out for a while.

Remember, don't engage Klaus directly. Eliminate his team first—his time will come soon enough."

They nodded and headed their separate ways. This time, Ella wanted to be ahead of the game, as it should have been from the start. She liked being in control, and finally, she had taken the lead.