The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Ten hours passed, and no new assassin came to the resort, so Klaus could finally relax. His mother-in-law, Cynthia, had fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion. Klaus stayed awake the whole time, his mind drifting, trying not to focus too much on the tempting body lying next to him.

After those ten hours, Cynthia woke up, looking more recovered. Her face had regained its color. But as soon as she became aware of the position she was in, she quickly moved away, her expression slightly flustered.

"I'm a terrible mother," she muttered, probably thinking back on what had happened between her and Klaus. It had been an intimate moment, much more than it was ever meant to be.

She had been the one to suggest the kiss during the planning phase, but now, remembering how heated things had gotten, guilt washed over her.

"I wouldn't say that," Klaus replied with a smile. "From the way I see it, you played your role quite well. No need to feel guilty, Mother-in-law."

He smiled, unbothered. Yes, he had enjoyed his time with her, and instead of feeling any shame, he looked pleased with himself. Clearly, Klaus wasn't concerned at all.

Cynthia's face flushed deeper as she turned away, her heart racing. The words Klaus said, combined with that smile, made her feel uneasy.

She couldn't understand how he was so calm about it all, especially after what had happened. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, trying to create some physical and mental distance.

"You shouldn't be so casual about this, Klaus," she whispered, her voice barely holding steady. "I crossed a line. A huge one."

Klaus raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the headboard, completely unfazed. "A line? You think so?" He chuckled softly, shrugging as if her worries were trivial. "Look, no one got hurt, and we're both alive. I'd say it worked out perfectly."

Cynthia bit her lip, still unable to shake the guilt gnawing at her. "Still, I am not happy kissing te boyfriend of my daughters. It's just too not right" She said quietly.

Klaus stretched his arms casually. "No worries Mother-in-Law, it was just a role we both played to get what we wanted, no need to overthink it"

'Ouch' Hearing Klaus's reply, Cynthia felt a sharp pang in her heart. Klaus clearly viewed their kiss as a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. But for her, the reality of that moment was much heavier.

She had shared something intimate with him, and the knowledge that he was her daughter's boyfriend made her feel both guilty and heartbroken.

'What am I thinking?' she scolded herself. 'Like he said, it was just a kiss. So why do I feel so sad hearing him?' She snapped herself out of those thoughts, trying to regain her composure.

"Good, then this stays between us," Cynthia said firmly, her voice steadying. "I don't want Anna or Lucy hearing about it." She glanced at Klaus, her expression serious, hoping he understood the weight of what she was asking.

Klaus nodded, his demeanor relaxed. "Of course. This is our secret." He flashed a reassuring smile, but it did little to ease Cynthia's turmoil. She felt a mix of relief and dread, knowing that this moment would linger in her mind long after they left the resort.

"Good, you can leave now. I need to take my bath," Cynthia said, causing Klaus's smile to falter.

"Since we started this, why not end it by sharing a bath?" Klaus teased, already climbing down from the bed.

"Brat! I'll tell your mother," Cynthia shot him an angry look, though a smile tugged at her lips. This boyfriend of her daughter's was more shameless than she had thought.

Klaus laughed, leaving the room and heading to the next one. He knew the maids had already cleaned up the aftermath of the chaos—the dead bodies were gone, and even the broken windows had been fixed. After taking a quick bath, he returned to meet Cynthia again. Stay informed at m-vl-em,pyr

She was now fully clothed, looking like the graceful mother-in-law she was meant to be. But deep down, Klaus knew their kiss wouldn't wash away anytime soon.

"So, what's next?" he asked, trying to shift the focus away from their earlier encounter.

"Since this is all the operatives they have in the Eastern Region, it will take time before they send more people to kill me. This means the same for you. They won't be coming after you anytime soon, if you are lucky enough" Cynthia explained.

"Does that mean they only send weaker assassins to targets in the Eastern Region? With the secret you have, they should be sending stronger assassins," Klaus said, puzzled. He couldn't understand why only ten Saints and eight Sages had been sent this time.

He recalled that eight of the assassins he had killed were not even on the Tier 1 assassin list he had copied from the Dark Order safe house in Hiroshi City.

"If what you said is true, then it means the list you have has already lost some assassins," Cynthia said, her brow furrowed in thought. "Eighteen Tier 1-level assassins should have come, but only ten showed up."

"So, the other eight are dead, and I only killed one. I'm sure at least one of them was killed by their own group, which means some targets they were meant to kill managed to survive their assassination attempts by taking out eight more," Klaus concluded, piecing the information together.

"How exactly are the Tier levels structured in the Order?" he asked, curious about the hierarchy of the assassins. He knew Cynthia had the answer so he used the chance to ask.

"From what I know, there are four tier levels," Cynthia began, her voice steady. "This means, that in the Northern Union, there are 100 assassins in total. Tier 1 is made up of Saint-level assassins, and from your list, it's clear there are 20 of them."

Klaus nodded, recalling the list he had found. It made sense now why some of the assassins hadn't seemed as strong as he had expected.

"As for Tier 2, they consist of Sage-level assassins. I know for a fact that Assassin number 89 down to number 50 are in this tier. They completely disregard Saint-level assassins, which shows just how dangerous they are."

"So the higher the number, the weaker they are?" Klaus clarified.

"Exactly," Cynthia confirmed. "Tier 3 assassins are Great Sages, and they're responsible for taking down high-level targets. From number 49 to number 11, it's all Great Sages. I doubt they'll come after us—at least, not yet. But they're definitely a bigger threat."

Klaus listened carefully, his mind processing the hierarchy. He wasn't too worried about the lower tiers, but the idea of encountering a Great Sage was unsettling.

"And then there's the 4th Tier," Cynthia continued. "They're on the same level as the War Goddess, but some are even stronger than her. After the Sovereign stage comes the Transcendent stage, and above that is the Ascension stage. That's the level where the Overlords are."

Klaus swallowed hard. "So, does that mean the Dark Order has assassins at that level?" He needed to know for sure, not wanting to make any reckless moves.

"No," Cynthia said, shaking her head. "As far as I know, their strongest assassins are at the Sovereign level. But their leader might be beyond the Sovereign stage—though definitely below the Ascension stage."

Klaus exhaled in relief. "That's a small comfort," he muttered. He had feared the worst, but knowing the Order's limits gave him some room to breathe. Still, the thought of a Sovereign-level assassin made his blood run cold.

'I need to become stronger. Faster,' Klaus thought to himself, the weight of the situation settling in. He knew the Dark Order wasn't acting on their own—they had been hired. And if powerful people were after him, they wouldn't stop until he was dead.

"Ha, looks like I have a lot of killing to do," Klaus muttered under his breath, a dark edge to his voice.

Cynthia raised an eyebrow at his words. "Klaus," she began cautiously, "don't let this turn into a path you regret."

Klaus flashed her a grin, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Regret? No, Mother-in-law, I'm just getting started."