The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

In Ross City and nearly fifty other cities, every scre was fixed on one location: the Ruin City Forbidd Zone. Wh the apocalypse struck, technology took a massive hit, but it didn't stay down for long. Just five years into the chaos, scitists and gineers—smarter than the greatest minds the world had ever se—began to emerge.

These individuals had awaked with new talts and classes that hanced their intelligce far beyond normal limits. As a result, technology advanced rapidly. This progress came with both befits and dangers, reshaping the world in unexpected ways.

A few hours ago, Klaus made an appearance on both the City and Regional ranking charts. His battles quickly became the talk of every city. Media houses across the Northern Union broadcasted his fights, and within hours, Klaus's fame skyrocketed. People were astonished by how quickly his name spread, not just in Ross City, but beyond.

But th, chaos erupted. Out of nowhere, Klaus, who had be ranked 90th on the City chart, shot up to 35th. At the same time, his position on the Regional chart soared from 360th to nd. The tire Northern Union wt into a frzy.

Amidst the chaos, the military redirected their satellite feed to the Ruin City Forbidd Zone just in time to capture Klaus's clash with sev Zombie Gerals. The video was broadcast across every scre, captivating viewers as if they were watching a live tournamt.

With technology now more advanced than ever, the world watched in awe. Klaus, however, remained unaware of the spectacle his battles had become. He was too busy fighting for a few more points, oblivious to the chaos unfolding in the cities far behind him.

Wh Klaus took down the first Zombie, everyone watching held their breath in shock. But th, as if it were nothing, he wt on to slaughter the others with ease. This left the audice ev more stunned.

In a lush room, five individuals in army uniforms watched the battle, their expressions filled with disbelief.

"What do we know about him?" asked a figure with a beard and a bald head.

"His name is Klaus Hanson," one of the officers replied. "He awaked about two weeks ago and lives with his mother in Ross City. His father was the Mad Hunter, who wt missing six years ago."

"That's all?" the -bearded figure pressed.

"Yes, Geral. There's not much else. Aside from his rect rise to fame, we don't know much about him."

"Good," the Geral said with a nod. "That will make things easier. Sd m to the Ruin City borders to welcome him wh he comes out."

"Geral, we can't do that," one figure in a navy uniform quickly interjected.

The Geral's brow furrowed. "And why not?"

"The higher-ups issued a direct order," the navy officer explained. "We can't recruit him unless he chooses to list on his own. We're also forbidd from interfering in his affairs. Furthermore, once the battle ds, we're to redirect the satellite."

A tse silce fell over the room. The only sound was the steady thumping of their hearts, which seemed to slow as the weight of the situation sank in.

All they could do now was watch as Klaus fought against the remaining Zombies, powerless to act.

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In another place, two individuals watched the battle with shocked expressions. One of them suddly broke the silce. "You said he's just an Ascded?" the figure asked, still trying to make sse of what he was seeing.

"Yes, sir," replied a young man dressed in a neat, tight-fitting suit. "He awaked about two weeks ago. Within a few days, he ascded, and ever since he's be hunting. He tered the Forbidd Zone three days ago."

"And you believe he's the one who saved Anna?" the man asked again, his eyes still glued to the scre where Klaus, with his hair, was battling the Zombie Gerals like a seasoned expert.

"Yes, sir. I followed the younger madams a few hours ago wh I noticed them sneaking out. They met up with some other young people, and from what I overheard, it seems they know this young man."

Dav Ross, the patriarch of the Ross family, pondered this for a momt. "Hry, do you think we should bring him to our side? Give me your honest opinion."

Hry, the butler of the Ross family, sighed before answering. "I don't think that would be wise," he said carefully.

Dav raised an eyebrow at the response. "Oh? Why not? Explain."

"From what I've observed," Hry began, "this young man doesn't seem like someone who would follow orders easily. He was a nobody before, but now that he's gained some fame, arrogance will naturally come. That's expected. However, there's something differt about him—he may become the kind of person who channels that arrogance in a good way."

Dav leaned back in his chair, intrigued. "What makes you say that?"

Hry nodded thoughtfully. "He's still new to the cultivation world. He doesn't know much about it yet, so he'll probably spd time trying to figure things out. And what better way to do that than by joining the strongest academy in the world?"

"You believe he'll join the Celestial Mountain Academy?" Dav asked.

"Ev if he doesn't want to, they'll come for him," Hry replied. "I've already se two of the academy's studts with Miss Anna just a few hours ago. It seems they're trying to recruit him. That kind of atttion can turn anyone arrogant."

Dav frowned slightly. "So what do you think we should do?"

"It's simple, sir," Hry said with a calm smile. "Miss Anna is the key. She seems to hold Klaus in high regard. She didn't ev reveal his idtity wh his mother asked about him. We should let her build a connection with him. Through her, we can establish ties with him as well."

Dav nodded slowly. "You think other families will try the same?"

"Absolutely," Hry said. "The Felin family has already made a move. We must rely on Miss Anna to sure we're not left behind."

Dav Ross sat in silce for a momt, contemplating Hry's words. The flickering images of Klaus battling the Zombie Gerals continued to play on the scre in front of them, but his mind was elsewhere. He knew Hry's advice made sse. The boy was powerful, and determined, and clearly had the pottial to become a major force. But he also wasn't the type to be easily swayed or controlled.

Finally, Dav spoke. "Alright, we'll follow your suggestion. Let Anna handle it. But I assume she won't agree to our arrangemt easily, so make sure she has everything she needs and stays out of their business. Whether this succeeds or fails will depd on her charm."

Hry nodded with a smile. "Sir, what about Lady Lucy? She seems to have tak an interest in this boy," Hry added suddly.

Dav Ross chuckled lightly at Hry's observation. The idea of his daughter Lucy being interested in Klaus amused him more than it surprised him. He knew Lucy was strong-willed and indepdt, much like Anna. The thought of her showing interest in a boy—especially one who has just awaked amused him.

"Oh, really?" Dav asked, his tone still light with amusemt.

"Yes, sir. I've caught her a few times scrolling through posts about him. She seems curious, at the very least," Hry replied. As a diligt butler, he paid close atttion to such details.

"Well, she's 8 now," Dav said with a shrug. "She can do as she pleases. Just keep an eye on them and make sure they're safe."

Dav turned back to the scre, just in time to see Klaus deliver the final blow to the last of the Zombie Captains. His shocked expression intsified, and th suddly, his eyes wided.

It wasn't just him, everyone watching the scre held their breath wh the colossal monster appeared from within the Ruin City.

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Klaus's heart raced. He straighted up, scanning the area for the source of the roar. The air a him felt heavy, thick with an intse pressure that made it hard to breathe. His grip tighted a the hilt of his sword as he braced himself for what was coming.

A massive figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, shaking the earth with every step. This creature was unlike anything Klaus had ever se before. It was towering, easily twice the size of the Zombie Gerals, with thick, dark fur and glowing red eyes filled with malice. Its claws were long and razor-sharp, and its body radiated an aura of raw power and bloodlust.

Everything about the monster screams bloodlust and danger. Klaus could sse that the aura coming from the new breed of Zombie standing before him was that of a Terror grade Tier 5 Zombie, the strongest creature in the Ruin City.

Klaus muttered under his breath as he stared at the monstrous Zombie. "What kind of monstrosity is this?" The creature stood about 3.4 meters tall, its sheer size both daunting and bewildering.

Its body was a grotesque amalgamation of fur, rott flesh, and bone-like armor, resembling a nightmare made real. Klaus knew he had to act quickly. He reached for his sword, feeling its familiar weight and the sharp, cold flash of light as he swung it.

Since awaking his Sword Aura, Klaus felt a deeper connection with his weapon. He knew that in terms of sheer strgth, he was no match for the colossal monster charging toward him. His only chance was to strike first and avoid letting it land a blow.

He tighted his grip on the sword and closed his eyes. Instantly, his heartbeat slowed, and he became acutely aware of his surings—the wind, the thudding footsteps of the monster, and the subtle link forming betwe his mind and the sword.

Although he was not fully synchronized, the connection was strong ough to guide him. With a sudd jolt, Klaus's eyes snapped op. He swung his sword upward with precision.

A thin arc of ice shot out from the blade, streaking toward the giant Zombie. For a momt, time seemed to stand still. Th, with a deafing thud, the Zombie split in half and collapsed to the g.