THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC266: Besieged by Hellhounds (1)
The Calamity Valley, according to what Fruity knew from his past self, is a region—or more like an entire continent—in the Tormented World, where various kinds of monsters live. In this world, the monsters are referred to as Demons.
Although he doesn't have all the knowledge, the little he does have is enough to inform him that the monsters in this world are more sentient than those in his own world.
When they grow to a certain stage, they can take human form and communicate as humans do. However, although they can take human form, they retain some of their monster features, making them distinguishable from humans.
This also means they are intelligent creatures, and because Fruity knew the knowledge he had was probably outdated, he started his journey with his full strength restored. He had become a Saint, which meant he had formed his Star Core, but he still hadn't saturated it enough to advance to the Sage Stage.
He still needed a lot more resources to do that, so he knew he had to tread carefully. After two weeks of travel, he finally arrived at the borders of Calamity Valley.
"This is going to be dangerous." Standing atop a mountain and overlooking the vast expanse of calamity lying in wait for him to traverse, Fruity could only smile before stepping into the air.
He had become a Saint, so to a certain extent, he could walk in the air. Fruity had no experience in this field whatsoever, but if you have memories of your past self, you can do much more than just walk.
After moving through the air for a few hours, he finally entered Calamity Valley, making him descend to the ground and continue on foot.
It took him another week just to move through a grassy field. He encountered a few monsters, but they weren't that strong, so he simply devoured them and continued his journey.
His Devouring Ice allows him to consume anything and extract its essence energy, with a part absorbed into his Star Core and another part absorbed by the Devouring Ice.
So far, his Devouring Ice is the strongest of the three because he has been using it ever since he woke up.
However, that doesn't mean the others aren't powerful. He just doesn't have to use them unless it's necessary. He also knew that once he obtained Ice-type monsters, he could absorb their cores to strengthen the other types of ice.
For a while, as he moved through the valley using the layout from the map he received from his past self, he never stopped killing.
"I should be nearing the territory of the Single Horn Flame Lions." After a month of entering the valley, he began to approach a territory he recognized from the map.
"They should be peaceful enough, according to what my past self indicated." Fruity smiled and then started walking toward the region.
He planned to pass through there to reach the Cracked Path, where, according to the map, he would have to cross within a day, or more precisely, before sunset; otherwise, he was done for. He had to move fast, so without hesitation, he entered the territory of the Single Horn Flame Lions.
A day later, he appeared outside a camp manned by a few figures walking around the perimeter. Fruity activated his Eye of Despair and decided to investigate.
However, just as he activated it, he sensed some figures approaching. Looking with his enhanced vision, he immediately recognized them as Hellhounds.
He immediately took to his heels and dashed away. However, he was already discovered. The reason he ran was that the Hellhounds, true to their name, were a dangerous kind of dog-like monster that hunted for blood.
They were flame-type monsters specialized in hunting. They tracked their prey through scent and blood, making escape very difficult.
Fruity spared no expense as he pushed his speed to the limit, but he had only been moving for a couple of minutes when he sensed more Hellhounds approaching from all directions.
"How come I didn't notice them? I was being careful," Fruity muttered, extending his senses to look for an opening.
"If I go east, I might be able to break through faster before their reinforcements arrive. Maybe I can escape by then," he muttered, running toward the east.
He ran toward the east, knowing he had to go south if he wanted to continue his journey as planned. But he couldn't do that. With thousands of Tier 5 and Tier 6 Hellhounds approaching, each exuding a powerful aura, he knew he had to escape first and then find a way to continue.
"Almost there," he muttered, realizing that the only way out would be to fight and create an opening in the eastern section quickly to escape.
When he was about a kilometer from the approaching Hellhounds, he raised his staff, and dark ice began exuding from it.
"Annihilation Ice: Ground Frost Arrows!" He stopped and jammed the staff into the ground, instantly freezing the space around him.
From the frozen ground, ice arrows began shooting up. The Hellhounds that came within range were instantly annihilated. However, it didn't stop there; when the ice landed on the monsters, it began to spread, creating a form of ground domain that would annihilate any Hellhound that stepped on it.
It was very powerful, but it required significant stamina and Qi. This meant Fruity could only use it for a limited amount of time.
"Chaotic Ice: Icy Wind," Fruity activated another technique, and this time, as the monsters started to freeze, a powerful icy wind began to blow.
There were no visible changes to the environment due to the ice; however, when the wind reached the approaching Hellhounds, it was as though their minds were taken over by something.
The Tier 5 Hellhounds began to kill each other as if they had instantly lost their minds. The primary property of Chaotic Ice was chaos and disorder. Unlike the Annihilation Ice, which obliterates anything it touches, or the Devouring Ice, which consumes everything, Chaos Ice was more of a mental attack.
It created chaos on the battlefield. Fruity knew that with such a large number of enemies, he could control the disorder and let some of the monsters kill each other. This, of course, only worked on the Tier 5 Hellhounds.
His soul strength wasn't strong enough to affect the higher-tiered monsters, so he could only target those in the same realm as him.
"Unless, of course, something were to happen to weaken their souls, causing them to lose control for a moment," Fruity muttered with a smile, despite the chaos raging around him.
With a sudden thought, the Pentaface Bead appeared behind him. Then he muttered something, and the first face turned forward. From that face, a bell appeared—the Bell of Harrows.
Ding!
After enlarging to a certain size, it rang, sending a shockwave of soul and sonic attacks across the entire battlefield. At the same time, Fruity repeated the Chaotic Ice technique. This time, when the skill was unleashed, both the Tier 5 and Tier 6 Hellhounds went into a frenzy, attacking each other.
"All I needed was to think and strategize. Now I can kill them all and move through this section unimpeded," Fruity muttered as he prepared to unleash another attack.
The soul attack from the Bell of Harrows had cracked the monsters' soul defenses, allowing the Chaos Ice to infiltrate their minds and souls. The result was clear.
"10% of my spiritual qi has been used up already. I need to end this quickly," he said, moving toward a certain direction. A while later, he stopped, gripping the staff with both hands.
"Annihilation Ice: Total Annihilation!" A wave of ice burst forth, creating a tsunami of ice that swept across the battlefield, destroying everything in its path. The attack was so powerful that even Fruity, who had activated it, was forced to use his staff to brace himself to avoid being blown away.
The entire space suddenly fell silent. Fruity smiled, knowing that, for now, he had killed the thousands of Hellhounds pursuing him. By the time more arrived, he would be long gone.
But before his smile could fully form, a powerful attack tore through the sky, aimed directly at him.
"Human, die!" A cold voice reverberated across the space, shattering the ice that had spread everywhere. Fruity spun his staff, raising an ice wall, but it was instantly shattered as the attack landed, the shockwave sending him flying.
Suddenly, a figure about 4 meters tall, muscular with jagged features, wielding a large rod, appeared in the sky. Before Fruity could register this new arrival, another fire attack came flying toward him.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC267: Besieged by Hellhounds (2)
According to the map, Fruity should be crossing the domain of the Single Horn Flame Lions by now. Instead, he found himself blocked by an attack from a Tier 7 Devil.
The Single Horn Flame Lions are demon monsters that don't have sight, so they can only sense their surroundings using the horn mounted on their heads.
Like the Hellhounds, they can also track their prey using blood and sound. But if none of these signals are present, they wouldn't be able to do much, which means Fruity could have crossed their domain by moving quietly or even through the air.
However, here he was, being attacked by Devil monsters.
"I really didn't want to waste spiritual essence, but I guess there's no choice now." Despite the attack aimed at him, he wasn't scared.
"Devour." He raised his staff, forming an ice wall made from Dark Gold Ice. The moment the attack hit it, the ice wall absorbed the blow but shattered. Fruity quickly raised another ice wall, which prevented the shockwave from reaching him.
"Human, why did you kill my soldiers?" the monster asked, perhaps noticing how easily its second attack had been absorbed.
"Die." In response, a large Dark Ice spear appeared in the air and shot toward the monster. Without waiting to see the outcome, Fruity immediately turned and started running. However, he hadn't even covered a kilometer when four more powerful presences appeared, surrounding him.
"Do you think you can run after killing our people?" A tall, dark figure said, appearing in the air.
"It was self-defense. They attacked me, so I had to defend myself," Fruity replied, seeing no way out now.
"Then defend yourself."
Five attacks suddenly appeared in the air, all aimed at him. Fruity quickly muttered something, and the bell appeared, instantly covering him.
Dang!
The five attacks struck the bell, making it ring loudly. Powerful sonic and soul attacks burst out from the bell, instantly hitting the five figures.
The figure who had already tanked one of Fruity's attacks couldn't defend against both the sonic and soul attacks, so its soul was immediately extinguished, causing it to drop from the sky. As for the other four, their weapons, along with their bodies, fell from the sky, hitting the ground with a thud.
On the ground, they clutched their heads, blood oozing from their orifices. The sonic attack from the bell was just too much. Thanks to his two years in seclusion, Fruity had studied it extensively, allowing him to control the bell to increase the sonic output while reducing the soul attack.
He knew his soul wasn't strong enough to kill these monsters with soul attacks alone. However, the Sonic attack was a whole different story. If he played his cards right, he could kill even stronger monsters with just the two attack combinations.
However, the price was steep. From the look on Fruity's face, one could tell he had used a large portion of his spiritual qi for that attack.
"I need to leave this place fast before something stronger shows up," he muttered, dismissing the bell, although the bead remained.
"Devour," he commanded, waving his staff. Ice burst from the ground, wrapping around the monsters. He intended to devour them, but when his ice enveloped them, he felt his control being cut off.
Sensing something ominous, Fruity immediately bolted without hesitation. This time, he managed to escape, leaving the four devil monsters on the ground, still enduring the torment in their brains.
Whatever had severed his control over the ice was something he didn't want to face right away. He was too drained. So, he ran, and for ten straight minutes, he didn't stop.
After thirty minutes and thousands of kilometers, he paused to catch his breath. He had run further east, deviating far from where he originally intended to go.
He was supposed to cross the territory of the Single Horn Flame Lions, which now seemed to be occupied by the Hellhounds. Then, he needed to traverse the Cracked Path, located south of his current location.
After that, he would journey through the Weiling Trees Forest. From there, he only had to cross the Born Bridge over the Black River. He would then be greeted by Illusion Mountain, his intended destination.
Roughly, he estimated it would take a year and a half to reach there, but now, with this new complication, he had to change his route. The new path would take him near the borders of the Medusa Bone Python Domain, a place that, according to the map in his mind, he should avoid at all costs.
The Medusa Bone Python was an ancient serpent that could easily kill both people and monsters with a single gaze. Approaching that region was suicide. Even through his senses, the moment he met the snake's gaze, he would turn to stone.
And relying solely on his hearing to navigate such a dangerous region wasn't an option. Now, he either had to return west, where he came from, and then circle through the north, where he'd have to cross the Silent Mountain.
He knew nothing about that place, as the map in his mind contained no information on it.
"Ah, what a headache," Fruity muttered, frustration evident in his voice as he gazed back at the Hellhound domain he had barely escaped from.
"It'll take me another month to get to Silent Mountain, and since I know nothing about the place, I'll have to be extra careful. Judging by how things are going, it will take more than two months to cross it."
And that's if everything went smoothly. "I can't come back here ever again, at least not while I'm this weak." Fruity glanced back at the domain of the Hellhounds.
"Well, at least I managed to bridge the gap a little. After more killing, I'll probably be able to break through to Sage within 6 months," he smiled, turning back toward the western road.
He found a cave, and for the next week, he decided to rest and recover. The journey to the north would require all the strength he could muster.
A week later, Fruity was ready to start his journey to the north and eventually head east. During the past week, he had hunted monsters and stockpiled rations for the long trek ahead.
He set off, and for weeks, he journeyed through dangerous terrains, battling and slaying monsters as he pressed forward.
Four days into the third week, the Silent Mountain came into view. Gazing at it from afar, Fruity wasn't sure if he had made the right choice coming this way.
On his way north, he had considered many plans. He could have stayed in the west, hunting more monsters. Once he became a Sage, he could have tried his luck passing through the Hellhound domain. But he quickly dismissed that idea.
If he took that path, he would need at least half a year to fully saturate his Star Core before forming a Sage Core. Even then, he wasn't sure if he could defeat whatever had driven him away from the Hellhound domain.
But even if he succeeded in killing it, he would still have to cross several other treacherous domains before reaching Illusion Mountain. Time wasn't on his side, so the best option was to keep moving forward and take his chances.
"I can't turn back now. I might as well embrace this path and add new information to the map. Who knows when I might need it again?" Fruity muttered to himself. Steeling his resolve, he started toward the eerie Silent Mountain.
A few hours later, he finally set foot on the mountain. Sensing no immediate danger, he ventured deeper into its depths.
A week passed without incident, and Fruity began to feel comfortable in the region. However, just as he was starting to relax, a voice, both familiar yet distant and menacing, echoed in his mind, freezing him in place.
"I have been waiting for your arrival, My Lord."
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC268: Yuying
Fruity immediately froze when the voice spoke. For some unexplainable reason, the voice seemed to have a hold on him, like something he should remember, yet somehow, he didn't. This made him freeze up.
It wasn't out of fear or terror. It was more like he should have been able to recognize that voice, but he couldn't, and this brought a sense of pain to him. The kind one would feel from watching the face of the one they love but couldn't feel anything.
The voice spoke from behind him—no killing intent or any form of energy could be sensed, meaning the voice meant him no harm.
However, he just couldn't muster the effort to turn and face the feminine voice that had spoken to him.
"Master, you haven't forgotten about me, have you?" the voice spoke again, this time softer than before. She had even changed his title from "My lord" to "Master," which further made Fruity believe he was in for a ride through his past self's memories.
He turned slightly toward the source of the sound. For a moment, he expected to see a human-like figure looking back at him, but when he turned, his gaze met that of a 2-meter-tall Black and white fox with a cute tail and a bone-like crown sitting on its head.
Fruity's brows furrowed. The voice was so natural and human that he had expected to see a person, but a fox? That was just too bizarre.
"Oh, I see now." While Fruity was still staring at the fox, it transformed into a human form.
Once the transformation was complete, it became a woman in her mid-20s. She had an athletic frame, gray eyes that seemed to hold a hint of darkness, and beautifully sculpted features. Her black and white hair was perfectly tied behind her.
She was now clad in dark leather armor that clung to her skin like a second skin. Fruity watched her transformation with fascination, though his mind raced with thoughts of how to escape the situation. Even without scanning the lady, he knew she was several times stronger than him.
He couldn't possibly kill her. However, a part of him also wanted to see where this went. So far, the beautiful lady had referred to him twice with a title that suggested she meant no harm.
"It seems you haven't awakened your memories yet, Master." While Fruity was examining her, she spoke again, this time with a slightly sad expression.
"Who am I kidding? You still haven't awakened your bloodline, your physiques, or even the true form of your element. No, you haven't even awakened all the Forbidden Ice, and why... why are you only a Saint?
Master, why are you this weak?" the fox lady said, starting to pace.
"You are a Paragon, so why are you this weak? Even the Demon Slaying Staff hasn't awakened yet, and oh, you're still using Spiritual Qi. This is bad, this is really bad," she kept muttering, which only made Fruity's brows furrow as he listened.
'What is this lunatic talking about?' he thought inwardly.
"Master, are you calling me a lunatic?" Suddenly, the fox lady stopped pacing and looked back at him.
'She can read my thoughts,' Fruity thought, his grip tightening on the staff.
"I'm sorry, Master, I shouldn't have done that. It's just... I was waiting for... well, a powerful version of you, but the current you is just too weak. What happened? Haven't you awakened your past memories yet?"
"I feel like we're missing some critical exposition here, so why don't we de-escalate and take this another way? We can start with your name and a little about you," Fruity said, forgetting all the escape plans he had in mind. The lady could read his thoughts, which meant all ten escape plans he'd come up with were now obsolete.
He had to respond to the situation as it was and focus on learning more about this fox lady and what she kept rambling on about.
"Okay, Master," the fox lady said. "My name is Yuying. I am the 4th member of the Paragon Guards, created by you with only one purpose: to serve you for all of eternity." The fox lady, now identified as Yuying, finished her introduction, and that was about all Fruity could grasp.
"I believe we've entered uncharted territory here. Yuying, nice meeting you. I'm Fruity," Fruity said.
"Nice to meet you again, Master," Yuying replied.
"I think calling me Fruity will suffice."
"No, it is required of me to refer to my Master as Master or My Lord," Yuying said, and from her expression, Fruity knew she wouldn't be changing her mind anytime soon.
"Okay, Yuying, why don't we start with why you think I am your master? I'm just a renegade monk led to this godforsaken world by a maniac. I don't remember ever being a Master or a Lord," Fruity said.
But inwardly, he knew this had something to do with his past.
"No, Master is the 4th Paragon," Yuying said.
"Let's say I am. Care to tell me what a Paragon is?" Fruity asked.
"Yes, a Paragon is the strongest being in the entire universe and beyond," Yuying said with a smile. Fruity had expected that answer, so he wasn't shocked. But, like anyone, he wanted more details.
"I can tell you I'm no stronger than an average human. But let's say I am this Paragon. Care to tell me why you're calling me your Master? Sorry, but I don't recall taking in any guards," Fruity said.
"You don't remember yet, which is why you're saying that. But I, along with eight others, were created by the First Paragon as guards and light-bearers tasked with locating the Paragon whenever you reincarnate," Yuying explained. Fruity raised his eyebrows upon hearing that.
"So you're saying I'm the reincarnation of the master you once served?" Fruity asked.
"Yes, Master, you are the 4th incarnation, and so far, the weakest," Yuying said with a sigh.
"Jeez, thanks for the encouragement. But I have to tell you, I don't feel like a Paragon. I don't even feel as strong as you're making it out to be," Fruity said with a smile.
"No, you are my Master. I have divined this moment and waited. There is no mistaking that," Yuying said confidently.
"Alright, say I am this Master of yours. What proves I'm really this 4th Paragon?" Fruity asked.
"That's because you've already awakened three of the Forbidden Ice elements you created. Although they're still weak and you haven't yet fused with the Seven Star Forbidden Ice Diagram, there's no mistaking it. Plus, you're using the Demon Slaying Staff. I created that, by the way," Yuying said, and Fruity's expression changed.
"You're saying I created the Forbidden Ice elements?" he asked.
"Yes, Master," Yuying confirmed.
"Why would I do something like that?" Fruity asked again.
"That is because, as a Paragon, the heavens will never allow you to grow using their resources, so you're forced to walk your own path. You created many things, always finding new ways to grow stronger," Yuying explained. "But fear not, Master. Even though you haven't awakened your memories yet, I will help you become stronger quickly."
Fruity calmed down a bit. He still didn't know what it truly meant to be a Paragon, and even now, he didn't see himself as one. However, the more Yuying spoke, the more his thinking began to shift. He could start piecing things together.
First, he'd awakened strange memories that allowed him to unleash powerful attacks and save his uncles from total annihilation. Then, he followed a map that led him to a world full of danger.
And now, he was standing face-to-face with the most powerful and beautiful person he'd ever met. But instead of running, he was here, with this powerful being, who was bitterly bowing at his feet. If that wasn't something to reflect on, what else could it be?
"Do you have a place where we can talk?" Fruity suddenly asked. He needed to understand more about who he was—or, more importantly, who he had been.
Yuying nodded with a smile and waved her hand. Before Fruity could react, a strange energy enveloped him, and in an instant, he disappeared—only to reappear in an elegant garden.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC269: Getting the Rich Kid Treatment (1)
"So, let me recap this. You, along with eight others, were created by my past self as guardians of the Paragon Stars and light-bearers, tasked with locating me whenever I reincarnate and helping me start my next path toward the next reincarnation.
"However, you don't know why I am reincarnating, and because of karma, you cannot tell me about my past selves, the last three in particular. Also, you're the only one who has awakened this time to guide and protect me. Does that about sum everything up?"
Fruity said, biting into an apple that Yuying had served him when they appeared in the garden. He wasn't one to reject food, after all.
"Yes, that's about it," Yuying replied, sitting opposite him.
"Okay, I believe you now," Fruity suddenly said with a smile.
"You do?" This time, Yuying was taken aback. For the last three hours, Fruity had been asking her a bunch of questions, clearly having a hard time believing her. So hearing his statement just now was a shock to her.
"I do. I happen to know when someone is lying, and for the past few hours, I couldn't sense a single lie from you. So, I guess you're telling the truth." Fruity said.
"Of course I was," Yuying sighed.
She had been worried that Fruity wouldn't believe her, and because of that, she was prepared to lock him up and convince him if necessary. After all, a thousand years in isolation would be enough time to reflect and digest some things.
"So where are the others? If there are nine of you, where are the other eight?" Fruity asked. He was shocked when Yuying said his past self, or more accurately, his original self had created them. She didn't say how he did it, but creating living beings was just insane to him.
"They are still asleep, and when I say asleep, I mean they're somewhere in the universe but haven't recovered their memories yet," Yuying answered.
"But you remembered, so how does it work?" Fruity asked. If the others don't remember him, how could she?
"With every reincarnation cycle, one of us awakens with our memories intact to search for you. As for the others, they will eventually remember, but the process will speed up the faster you grow. You'll even start sensing them as you get much stronger. The current you is very weak, but we'll fix that."
"By the way, Master, where are you headed? I've been tracking you ever since you entered this world and saw you were headed somewhere but had to take a detour. So, where were you going?"
"Illusion Mountain. That was my first destination in mind. But after I would have hunted down some monsters to awaken my other ice elements," Fruity replied.
"That will take you two and a half years at your current strength," Yuying said bluntly, much to Fruity's surprise. He had expected some directions or advice, but she spoke as if she had calculated it in her head without sugarcoating anything.
"Well, I'll get there eventually," Fruity could only smile, realizing his own calculations had been wrong.
"Don't worry, Master, I've made provisions to ensure your needs are met for the next five years," Yuying said, causing Fruity to raise an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" he asked. He knew exactly what she meant, but he feigned ignorance to see what kind of arrangements she had made.
"You'll need a vast amount of resources, Master. To become a Sage, and eventually a Great Sage, you'll require an immense supply. I've already prepared a lot and am still working on gathering more. For the next five years, you will undergo intense training and tempering as you work toward becoming a Sage."
"And when you say you've prepared resources, how much are we talking about here?" Fruity asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Enough to make you a Sage. A powerful Sage," Yuying said, this time with a small smile.
"Yuying, exactly how strong are you?" Fruity decided to ask. So far, Yuying had shown no signs of wanting to deceive him.
But even if she had some nefarious thoughts, Fruity knew it was already too late for him. In simple terms, he was beyond saving. So, he figured he might as well stick with the Fox Lady and see where it took him.
"I awakened 370 years ago, and thanks to my cultivation base being in hibernation rather than fully dormant, I was able to progress quickly through the stages. Currently, I'm in the Ascension stage for Body, Qi, Spirit and Mind cultivation."
"It was a long road for anyone to walk, but thanks to you, I was able to walk it easily. But don't worry, Master, the current me is strong enough to handle someone two or even three realms above me."
Fruity looked at her with wide eyes. He knew what the Ascension realm was—he had read about it. He even learned from his uncle Monks that the five Ancient Monks had reached that stage.
Even if he hadn't known, the hand that emerged from the rift during the battle at the Monastery belonged to an Ascension stage expert.
Seeing one right in front of him, both cute and surprisingly strong, Fruity simply couldn't understand why such a being would refer to him as "Master." It was both shocking and oddly comforting.
"What do you mean by hibernation?" Fruity asked. From her answer, it seemed her past self was even stronger, possibly beyond the Ascension stage. Did that mean his past self had reached even higher realms?
"Master, although you may not remember yet, you were the type who didn't tolerate weak people around you. You used to say, 'Weak people should just die so the strong can live their lives.'"
"I would never say something like that, but go on," Fruity replied with a smile, thinking, 'What a maniac I was.'
"Well, you did. Because of that, you ensured that every one of us pursued complete cultivation. And when I say 'complete,' I mean that, regardless of the talent or class we awakened, we cultivated the body, mind, soul, and Qi.
"This, of course, made us several times stronger than anyone else. As for hibernation, since we exist outside of fate and its rules. So when we enter Samsara to reincarnate, our cultivation base declines to the Master stage."
"But once we awaken, we just need to gather resources to restore our strength. It's easier if we awaken with our memories intact. But even without them, we still rise above others easily.
"However, it's not that simple. Despite having 370 years, I was only able to reach the peak of the Ascension stage.
"But it was enough for me to go anywhere and prepare for your arrival. So fear not, Master, I've gathered all kinds of treasures for body, soul, mind, and Qi cultivation. You will become the strongest in just a few years, and then you can continue with your plans for this incarnation. Of course, I'll be with you, as it was meant to be," Yuying finished with a smile.
Fruity could only sigh. He knew there was a lot to digest, and from the looks of it, this was indeed the best path forward for him. The coming years would be dedicated to cultivation, thanks to his past self ensuring that fate wouldn't get the best of him.
Learning that he wasn't connected to fate in the way he'd once believed, he knew using this advantage would make things easier. The heavens wanted him dead, so his past self had made sure that each reincarnation would help him grow stronger.
He still didn't fully understand what a Paragon was, but after hearing Yuying explain so much, he began to suspect that the Monks might have known—and that this could be part of the reason they were willing to sacrifice themselves for him.
Not everyone wanted a Paragon dead. Some actually revered them, and Fruity had just crossed paths with people who might fit that description. This realization only fueled his desire to become stronger and find a way back into the Ice World.
After all, he had used his one chance to enter by sending his uncles there instead. Now, he needed more tokens, and fortunately, he already had an idea of where to start once he escaped this strange world.
"Show me what you've got," Fruity said. Yuying waved her hand, and they were instantly transported to another place—a valley of some kind.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC270: Getting the Rich Kid Treatment (2)
As soon as they arrived in the valley, they were greeted by a lush yet formidable landscape. Powerful energies filled the air around them.
"What is this place?" Fruity asked.
"This used to belong to the Blue Feather Hawk Demons, but I wiped them out and repurposed them for your training. It contains powerful treasures, thanks to those demons' obsession with collecting anything rare and powerful," Yuying replied.
"I'm guessing you learned that from my previous self too." Hearing how she casually referred to mass genocide as if it were nothing, Fruity just smiled. He knew he would soon be committing similar atrocities—he had already started—but the teachings of the monks seemed to keep a part of his sanity in check.
Yuying smiled and waved her hand, bringing them to a stop in front of a pond-like structure filled with a powerful kind of water.
"This is Bone and Meridian Cleansing Essence. By tempering your body inside it, your bones will be cleansed, making them much stronger, and your meridians will also be cleansed, making it easier to channel your energies," Yuying explained, and Fruity nodded.
They moved again and stopped in front of a cave-like abode. "This is the Hunting Cave. The deeper you go, the more pressure and pain you will feel in your mind. If you manage to endure, your mind will become stronger than ever."
"How deep does it go?" Fruity asked.
"It's about 12 kilometers deep, but you don't have to go all the way. I only managed to reach 4 kilometers, so you can take it slowly at first," Yuying said, and Fruity nodded.
They moved again, stopping at the base of a small mountain with stairs winding up its side to the peak.
"I call it Gravity Mountain. As the name suggests, as you climb those stairs, your body will be under constant pressure, which, theoretically, should improve your body's tempering.
"Of course, the current you wouldn't be able to climb even two steps because you're still just a Qi cultivator, but after going through all the body tempering processes I've prepared, you'll become much stronger before taking on this challenge."
Fruity nodded, and they moved to examine all the other resources Yuying had gathered over the years. In the end, Fruity was left with only one question on his mind: Just how many races of demon monsters has she decimated for these resources? But he sighed and moved on to the last location, about 20 miles away from where they currently stood.
"Master, I know you don't remember yet, but you're someone who loves to fight—a lot. So even though you're just a Mage now, I've prepared hundreds of techniques and skills for you. This will help you learn combat techniques.
I have served you for three generations now, so I'm confident that once you remember your past, you won't be angry at me for not doing more. But even if you are, I'll willingly accept my punishment without complaint," Yuying said, trying to hide the amusement on her face.
"Don't worry, Yuying, you've already outdone yourself. I'm sure only an idiot would be displeased with you," Fruity said, looking at the space containing various types of weapons, techniques, and training equipment.
"Thank you, Master," Yuying smiled.
"Since you've awakened this time as a Mage, you'll be training to become a Combat Mage. This means that aside from using just the staff to activate skills and techniques, you'll also be engaging in close combat with it.
Of course, if you're anything like your past reincarnations, you'll probably choose more than one weapon. But for now, you can pick the techniques you want and the weapons you'll be using."
Fruity didn't want to protest how Yuying kept comparing him to his past selves, but hearing it was starting to eat away at his self-confidence. From her tone, it was clear that Yuying missed his past self. He knew it wasn't his fault though—he had been living with monks who preferred peace above all else.
They weren't exactly the type to go to great lengths to secure all kinds of resources for him. The little they had, they gave to him, but it clearly wasn't enough.
He could only sigh and then move ahead to review the techniques she had prepared for him. From shelf to shelf, different kinds of techniques could be seen.
Of course, he might not rival his past selves, but he had a sharp mind. So, he did what he had done back in the Soul Temple—he scanned the techniques, not by reading, but by simply watching for a few seconds, allowing them to imprint themselves in his mind.
After an hour, he was done learning all the techniques and went ahead to pick one meant for spears and staff. Since he would be using the staff for skill activation, fighting with it seemed like a good idea.
He could already visualize how to train it—his brain was like a computer in that regard. All he had to do now was practice, and he would be able to flawlessly wield the staff in combat. The techniques all contained battle styles one could rely on to master their preferred weapon.
"I'll go with the Ten Thousand Demon Beating Staff technique for now, while I think about the next weapon to choose," Fruity said as he walked away from the techniques section.
"Master, aren't you going to take the technique?" Yuying asked, puzzled.
"No, I've already learned it," Fruity replied with a smile, watching her expression. He knew that he had finally shown something that neither of his past incarnations possessed. That realization was comforting, as he had expected.
"Does that mean you..." Yuying began to ask.
"Yes, I've learned all the techniques. Now, all that's left is to pick up the weapon and practice," Fruity answered, still smiling.
"Interesting. Once you become a Great Sage, we can head to the Chaotic Region and learn all the techniques there. I'm sure, with just an hour, you'll be able to learn everything," Yuying said before waving her hand, and as Fruity expected, they were transported to a new place.
"This will be your resting place for the time you spend here." Fruity and Yuying appeared at a location with a building built into a mountain. All around, the place looked like paradise.
There were various kinds of fruits and other food items that Fruity immediately fell in love with. He had become the type of person who wouldn't complain the moment he saw food. The last thing he wanted was to grumble about something he loved with his entire soul.
"You can rest for the next few days before your training begins. I'll be away for a few days, but when I return, we'll start your training," Yuying said, and Fruity nodded.
Finally, this was the "rich kid" treatment he had envisioned back when he and his uncle Monk were in Hammond City. He had seen the luxurious lives most of the youngsters there, who were also there to awaken their classes, were living.
He had asked his uncle about their situation, but all his uncle said was, that as long as Fruity had food and a place to live, he wasn't poor. Fruity, of course, didn't believe him—not even slightly. So, seeing this step up from his life back at the monastery, he was more than happy to spend the next few days relaxing.
Of course, he still had his priorities straight. For seven days, he relaxed and calmed his thoughts. On the eighth day, when Yuying returned from wherever she had gone, they began his training, which would last for the next five years.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC271: After five Years of cultivation
"Master, that will be the last round of lightning. It's the Lightning Tower containing nine levels, but at this stage, only the first level will be activated. Brace yourself, because it's going to be a dangerous one. After all, the heavens want you dead," Yuying warned.
Fruity, now standing with the Demon-Slaying Staff in his grip, looked up at the heavens, watching as the clouds churned and darkened.
He couldn't help but smirk as he watched the base of a tower, representing the first floor, slowly appear from the clouds. Suddenly, windows and doors littered around the first level swung open, and countless lightning monsters of different shapes and sizes began to pour out.
He wasn't scared in the least. After all, his last five years of intense training and tempering hadn't been for nothing.
Five years ago, he began his training with body tempering. Yuying had prepared all kinds of resources for him, so for months, he spent his time going from one medicinal bath to another.
He had tempered his body so much that after just seven months, he felt confident that with his bare hands alone, he could take on multiple Tier 7 devils.
After that, they moved on to the next phase of body cultivation, where he began climbing Griviy Mountain. His first trial was enough to prove that all the time spent enduring the medicinal burns on his skin and bones hadn't been in vain.
On his first attempt, he was able to climb ten steps before the pressure became unbearable. However, he didn't stop there. He adapted, using the pressure to temper his bones and muscles.
Within a few days, he advanced to the 15th step, and that became his training for another five months until he managed to climb the first 100 steps.
There were still 150 more to go before reaching the peak of the mountain, but he didn't have all the time in the world, so he moved on to the next phase: mental training.
He began by cultivating a secret technique called [Sage Mind]. According to Yuying, it would allow him to increase his mental capacity tenfold if he managed to overcome all the natural obstacles of the mind.
It took him just a month to break through these barriers, bringing his mental strength to a new level. Yuying then took him to the Hunting Cave. Fruity quickly entered, and for an entire year, he remained inside, pushing his mental capacity to its limit every single day.
After a year, he managed to advance 10 kilometers out of the 12-kilometer distance, an achievement that left Yuying both startled and pleased. Finally, she could see her past Master awakening within his current incarnation.
When he returned from the cave, his mental state was a bit unsettled, so Yuying gave him a break to rest and even taught him another technique called Unshakable Mind. This helped him develop mental fortitude that would be incredibly difficult to break.
With three years remaining, Fruity entered another cave called the Soul Breaking Abode, where he trained for a full year. Yuying gave him just one technique, the [Soul Mending Pagoda]. According to her, if Fruity managed to cultivate it to its peak, he would gain an incredibly powerful soul for both offense and defense.
The technique had nine levels, but even after a year of cultivation, Fruity only managed to reach level three. Still, it was more than enough to make him several times stronger when considering the synergy between the soul and mind.
With his body, mind, and soul tempered, Fruity moved on to the next stage: Qi cultivation. This stage required him to do two things: learn more techniques, skills, and spells, and choose from 69 different cultivation methods.
It was a difficult decision, knowing that if he chose the wrong one, he would be bound to it forever. But Yuying reassured him that he didn't need to worry. Unlike most people, he wasn't bound by fate with the heavens, meaning he could change cultivation methods whenever he wished—or even practice multiple methods simultaneously.
She even bragged about how valuable the techniques were. Of course, Fruity didn't ask where she got them from; he simply reviewed them all. After a full day of going through and memorizing everything, he made his choice.
He chose the ['Nine Star Ice Body Art.'] It resonated with his affinity for the ice element, so he selected it, and for the next year and a half, he focused on cultivating it.
By the end of the four and a half years, Fruity had become so powerful that he knew if he encountered the mysterious figure hidden within the domain of the Hellhounds, he would be able to take it down.
He had mastered many skills, techniques, and spells, and he was certain that in his next battle, whether against a monster or a human, he wouldn't need to worry.
Of course, his relationship with Yuying had also developed greatly over the years. When his soul became exceptionally powerful, Yuying suggested that he could house her within his soul sea, which he did. For some reason, Yuying preferred to remain there, guiding him as he progressed.
With all that knowledge and power, he spent the remaining months before the five-year mark focusing on increasing his cultivation and breaking through to the Sage Stage.
After just four months, he broke through, and now he was facing his tribulation, which wasn't difficult at all. From the start of the tribulation, all he did was sit down and cover himself with the Bell of Harrows.
Now, watching the lightning monsters escape from the tower, Fruity could only smile as he activated a technique he had mastered over the years.
"Ice Pillar: Dawn of a Thousand Arrows," he called out.
A large, towering pillar of ice appeared, and from its body, thousands of arrows shot forth, each one destroying a monster before they could even get close to the bell.
"I can feel my spiritual Qi becoming stronger," Fruity muttered.
"Of course it is. You are now sensing the Star Qi, which will fully unlock once you become a Great Sage," Yuying said from inside his soul sea.
"What is Star Qi?" Fruity asked.
"It's another form of energy, but incredibly powerful. It's from your core, the Paragon Star. It's the only energy that the heavens don't have control over," Yuying replied.
"Let me guess, I created that," Fruity said.
"Yes, Master. You haven't just created us; you've created many things, even a whole race of..." Before Yuying could continue, the heavens roared, and a red lightning bolt shot toward Fruity. He immediately stood up and jammed the staff into the ground.
"Eye of Despair: Void Eyes." The second face of the Pentaface Bead activated, and a huge dark eye snapped open just as the red lightning was about to hit Fruity.
Like a black hole, it swallowed the lightning, but Fruity coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"I'm sorry Master. I was so excited that I forgot about your situation with the heavens," Yuying said in a sad, guilty tone. She had accidentally triggered divine punishment by revealing too much, nearly costing Fruity his life.
"Don't sweat it, Yuying. It was my fault for asking," Fruity said, but deep down, he was happy to have learned something forbidden about himself. Unknowingly, he had just unlocked a trait within himself that would forever push him to rise above any obstacle set by the heavens or anyone else.
A short while later, he was done with the tribulation, finally forming a Sage Core. Yuying emerged from his soul sea and congratulated him. She then retrieved seven large cores, each exuding potent Ice Qi.
"It's now time to awaken the other four forbidden ice elements," she said with a smile.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC272: Awakening Four Forbidden Ice Elements
"Are those...?" Fruity raised an eyebrow, looking at the monster cores in her hands.
"Yes, these belong to the Seven Forbidden Monsters you needed to kill to awaken the four other elements," Yuying answered with a smug smile.
"I was bored in between your training, so I hunted them down and killed them. This will also make things faster for you," she added.
Fruity could only smile. "How strong were they, and what makes them forbidden?" he asked.
"Tier 9, and the reason they are forbidden is because they possess a type of ice the heavens don't approve of. You see, although this kind of ice isn't made by the heavens, it doesn't mean others can't awaken it. As long as it exists, it will eventually awaken in someone else," Yuying replied.
Fruity nodded. He already knew as much. The reason the Lightning Valley came after him was because they feared the kind of person he would become.
He was sure that, aside from them, other powerhouses would have made their move eventually; it was just that the Lightning Valley beat them to it.
But now that he had a sure way to awaken the elements, he knew for a fact he wouldn't be returning to the human world the same way he came.
This time, he planned to make sure that once he was finally done, nobody would ever raise a weapon against anyone who awakened a forbidden element. After all, he was the progenitor of all forbidden elementals.
"I'll reward you later, Yuying. For now, let me awaken the last four elements to make it a complete set," Fruity said, forming a series of hand seals.
A short while later, a circular, complex diagram appeared on the ground. He sat down and placed the seven cores in the circle. He had already awakened Annihilation, Chaos, and Devouring Ice, but that didn't mean he couldn't make them stronger.
He formed another set of hand seals, and the circle began to absorb the cores, transferring their energies into his body.
The Annihilation Ice is known for its deadly nature. As its name suggests, anything it touches—unless it's exceptionally powerful—will be destroyed. This means that as Fruity's control over it strengthens, his killing power will become several times more lethal.
Then there's the Chaotic Ice. This one deals more with the mind than with physical damage. Its main property is creating chaos, and what better way to create chaos than by messing with the brain? Fruity had seen firsthand what that was like.
Lastly, there was the Devouring Ice, which Fruity had realized had more properties than just devouring. After his battles, the ice had grown much stronger by absorbing the essence of everything he killed.
However, after chatting with Yuying, who seemed to know more about this forbidden ice, Fruity learned that the Devouring Ice is the nucleus of all the other types of ice. It can devour energy from anything and convert it into ice energy.
At first, Fruity thought the energy devoured was only for the Devouring Ice, but now he knows that the energy can be distributed to the other ice elements. He can even stop the Devouring Ice from absorbing energy entirely and allocate it to the other elements instead.
However, to accomplish this, he must first awaken all seven ice elements. Now, he was working toward achieving that.
Five hours later, the cores were devoured by the diagram, and Fruity began radiating an intense, chilling aura that instantly froze everything within a 10-kilometer radius around him.
A while later, a diamond-shaped tattoo appeared on his forehead and began to shine. Within seconds, Fruity experienced seven powerful bursts of ice energy each erupting from his body. When everything finally settled, the entire area where he had been cultivating lay in ruins.
In front of him, seven diamond-shaped ice formations—each emanating a different type of ice energy and glowing in distinct colors—hovered before him.
The Annihilation Ice, with its dark hue; the red Chaotic Ice; the dark gold Devouring Ice—and now, four more. The dark red Abyssal Ice, the deep green Hypnotic Ice, the white Immortal Ice, and the smoke-like Soul Eater Ice.
"Congratulations, Master! You have finally awakened all the Ice elements. All that's left is training them to their peak," Yuying said, looking incredibly happy as she watched the seven different ice forms floating before her Master, Fruity.
"Thank you. But can you tell me more about these new additions? They didn't exactly come with a manual," Fruity asked.
"I can't say much because of our neighbors up there, but I can tell you a little about their true nature, and from there, you can come up with a way to use them."
Fruity nodded, knowing that understanding their nature would give him a solid foundation to work with. 'At least my past self left me with some techniques I can utilize for now as I work to unlock his memories,' he thought.
"The dark red one is Abyssal Ice, and as the name suggests, it has something to do with darkness and sinister forces. Essentially, it taps into a form of energy known as Abyssal Energy, which comes from a place called the Abyss. This energy has no healing properties, so any beam or attack that is used from this ice is demonic and serves only one purpose: destruction.
The deep green one is Hypnotic Ice. The reason I made you train your mind was because of this Ice. Yes, it's used for hypnosis and illusions, and yes, it grows with your mental strength. When I say it grows with your mind, I mean that it becomes stronger as your mind becomes stronger.
Basically, it amplifies your mental capacity many times over when in use. So, if you want to maximize its potential, you need to continue training your mind.
The white one is Immortal Ice. Even from its appearance, you can tell it's meant for healing. But you might wonder why something meant for healing is considered forbidden. The answer is simple: it's not called Immortal Ice for nothing.
If normal healing ice restores your health at a rate of 0.005% per second, Immortal Ice will do so at a rate of 0.5% per second. It's incredibly powerful, and though I can't explain why right now, it would be best to use Devouring Ice to strengthen it faster.
Finally, there's Soul Eater Ice. Among all your ice elements, this is the most dangerous. I won't say much, as everything about it is highly sensitive, but imagine a battlefield filled with smoky ice that does two things: it eats away at the souls of your enemies and feeds their soul strength directly to you."
"Now, that is what I call forbidden," Fruity said with a smile. He could only imagine the evil he could do with it.
'Inner peace,' he sighed, realizing he was becoming what Yuying had always described him as. He was a monk, yet in his mind, there was nothing peaceful. He remembered everything that happened when he, his mom, and Haniva fled from his kingdom.
The pain and all the heartbreaking feelings were eating away at his resolve every second. The current him was more than ready to go berserk when he could no longer hold on.
Almost half of the monks had died during their battle with the Lightning Valley. These monks were his uncles, so if anyone assumed he was too peaceful as a monk to seek revenge, they were mistaken.
The only thing more dangerous than a bloodthirsty maniac is a peaceful monk who is grieving. Inner peace or not, Fruity was in pain, but for now, he was barely keeping it down.
"So, what next, Master? Now that you've awakened the elements, what's next?" Yuying asked, excited for what was to come.
"What can you tell me about the Tormented Trial?" Fruity asked, and Yuying's smile died down.
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[Author's Note]: This month, I'll be releasing 3–5 chapters per day. Bonus chapters will be added when the Power Stone threshold is met. Additionally, sending Golden Tickets will also unlock bonus chapters.
For now:
- 10 Golden Tickets = 1 bonus chapter
- 50 Golden Tickets = 2 bonus chapters
- 100 Golden Tickets = 4 bonus chapters
To read the latest chapters as soon as they're available, consider purchasing a privilege. Welcome to the month of November!
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC273: The Tormented Trial
From his past self, Fruity knew that awakening his bloodline—something Yuying said was necessary before becoming a Great Sage—was crucial. This, of course, meant walking the path set by his maniacal past self, which involved taking a mysterious trial. He only knew its name and the direction to find it.
However, after the incident with the mysterious map in his mind, which led him to the domain of the Hellhounds, he knew better than to trust it. Even if the map had been accurate, he would still have asked Yuying, who seemed to know everything about the Tormented World.
"Master, are you planning to enter the Tormented Trial? There are many—so which one do you want to enter?" Yuying asked instead of answering directly.
"I'm not really sure," Fruity replied. "But from what little I remember from my past self, I need to enter the Tormented Trial to awaken my bloodline. So, what can you tell me about it?"
"Oh, so it's the Tormented Bloodline Awakening Trial? That makes sense," Yuying said with a puzzled expression.
"You don't seem too pleased. Aren't you the one who was always pushing for me to awaken my bloodline before reaching the Great Sage level?" Fruity asked, sensing her hesitation.
"I know, Master, but of all the Tormented Trials in this world, the Bloodline Awakening Trial is the hardest to enter. You can easily access the others, but that one... it's just too difficult to get into."
"But don't worry Master, we can use other methods to help you awaken your bloodline," Yuying answered, though the look on her face made Fruity suspect she was hiding some worse details.
"Yuying, why don't you tell me what I need to know, and then I'll decide whether I want to follow through or explore the other alternatives that I know you'll be eager to explore with me," Fruity said with a reassuring smile.
It seemed to have worked, as Yuying sighed and decided to let the information flow.
"To be able to enter a Tormented Trial, you must first join a Witch Temple. But it's easier said than done. To join a Witch Temple, you must complete three impossible tasks, and even then, there's no guarantee they will select you.
Yes, after completing the three impossible tasks, there's still no guarantee you'll be selected. But if you're lucky enough to be chosen, then you'll have to work your way up from Witch Soldier to Witch General."
"Wait a minute—start by telling me what a Witch Temple is first," Fruity interrupted, starting to understand why Yuying said the trial was hard to enter. However, he wasn't dismissing the idea. So far, things had been relatively easy for him thanks to Yuying, so he felt like he needed a challenge.
"In this world, a Witch Temple is like an organization that oversees various regions and powers. They function like kingdoms. There are five Witch Temples in this world, and they're all located in the central region, which is the main continent of this world.
They're very powerful, and from what I know, they have ranks. For newly joined members, they start as Witch Soldiers.
Then, there are ranks like Witch Masters, Witch Captains, Witch Generals, Witch Saints, and finally, Witch Sage—the highest authority, at least among the ranks I'm aware of," Yuying explained, making Fruity nod in acceptance.
"Continue," he said.
"So, as I was saying, to join or be recognized by a Witch Temple, you must complete three impossible tasks. Well, at least one can be achieved relatively easily," Yuying said, making Fruity raise an eyebrow.
"Let me hear it," he said.
"First task: You must eradicate an entire race of demons from their domain and obtain the Witch Hunter mark. This is earned after killing the leader and every last one of its subordinates. This can be achieved since it doesn't specify the strength level of the monsters you have to face.
Second task: You must go to the northern part of this world and retrieve a treasure that can only be found in a region ruled by dragons known as the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons. This, of course, isn't easy, but if you're lucky, you won't get roasted before you even step into their territory.
For the last trial, you must seek out the Hunting Harrow, said to be from the darkest and hottest depths of the abyss. Your task is to pluck a single feather from its wings and present it at the Witch Temple.
Thousands, if not millions, have died at this stage. So, Master, do you think you can handle it? I won't be able to help you this time since it's forbidden."
"Sounds like fun," Fruity said, feeling excited for some unknown reason. Yuying looked at him and then decided to continue.
"So, if you manage to complete these tasks and join a Witch Temple, you'll have to complete more tasks to earn enough points to rank up. Once you become a Great Sage, you'll be eligible to enter the trial. However, this will require you to hold your cultivation base at the Sage Stage.
Seriously, Master, you can forget about this trial. Let's hunt some stronger monsters and take their blood essence instead. We could even hunt down a few Angel Demons who are Said to possess some of the strongest bloodlines," Yuying suggested.
Fruity smiled upon hearing her suggestions. He was curious to know more about the Angels, but he figured that could wait. For now, he wanted to understand why his past self had been so determined to join something that seemed nearly impossible.
"Another question: how long would it take me to travel from my current location to the Northern Region?" Fruity asked, needing to know before making any further plans.
"With your current speed, it would take you about 12 years. But if I were to take you, it would take a little over 2 years," Yuying answered, making Fruity smile.
"And I suppose the last task is in the Central Region?" he asked.
"Yes, it will take us another couple of months to get from the Northern Region to the Central Region. So, if you want to continue, you'll have to keep your cultivation base at the Sage Stage for the next 10 years," Yuying explained.
"But I suppose there's a reason behind this heavy task. This trial wouldn't just be some scam, right?" Fruity asked.
"Of course not," Yuying replied. "Bloodlines are unique to everyone. Even two people with the same bloodline won't necessarily have the same bloodline talents. So, people are particular about how they awaken their bloodlines.
While some people naturally awaken their bloodlines, especially female cultivators when they awaken their constitutions, this trial is designed to awaken the latent bloodlines of a person or beast and elevate it to the highest grade."
"What are these grades, and why are they important?" Fruity inquired.
"In the bloodline system, there are different grades, starting from Common, Noble, Royal, King, Ancient, Divine, Immortal, and God. It's similar to how there are different grades for weapons and techniques—the higher the grade, the more powerful it becomes.
For example, someone with a Noble-grade bloodline, even if they're a realm lower than someone with a Common-grade bloodline, will be able to suppress them easily just with their bloodline pressure. But that's not all. Bloodlines bestow many abilities to a wielder, so awakening a higher-grade bloodline means gaining more and stronger abilities," Yuying explained.
"So, this trial ensures you awaken your dormant bloodline and upgrade it, correct?" Fruity asked, and Yuying nodded.
"But there are other ways to awaken your dormant bloodline and even strengthen it using other bloodlines. You don't really have to go through all the trouble of joining this trial," Yuying said, not wanting Fruity to waste his time. But the violet-haired monk had other plans.
"I'll use the trial to awaken my bloodline, and then we'll use your method to make it even stronger. After all, my past self wanted this for me, so who am I to question myself... ha!" Fruity said, making Yuying smile slightly. Whether she liked it or not, her master had made up his mind, and she could only guide him through every step of the way.
"Let me train for a few months, and then we can head to Illusion Mountain for the items I need there. But while we're at it, what can you tell me about the Hellhounds?" Fruity asked with an evil smile.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC274: Eradicating The Hellhounds
Two months after Fruity became a Sage, he finally ended his training arc with satisfactory results. The last two months were spent pushing his mind to the limit, trying to walk the entire 12km inside the hunting cave. But no matter how hard he pushed, he only managed to cover 10.5km.
Still, it was a monstrous achievement for someone of his strength level. From what Yuying had told him, he should have only been able to walk 5km, and that was if he were a prodigy. So, 10.5km was more than enough for someone like him, someone said to defy the heavens—a true paragon.
Yet, Fruity still wanted to complete the full 12km, but he couldn't waste all his time training. He needed to go to Illusion Mountain to retrieve the item left behind by his past self. To do that, he first had to pass through the Wailing Forest and cross the Black River using the Bone Bridge.
However, before doing any of that, there was something else he needed to accomplish—something that, if successful, would bring him one step closer to joining a Witch Temple, which was also a step closer to entering the Tormented Bloodline Awakening Trial.
"We can just leave now and look for a weaker domain to subjugate, Master," Yuying said.
Fruity had already told her he planned to eradicate the Hellhounds, which, according to his reasoning, would earn him the Witch Mark—one of the three tasks he needed to complete to join a Witch Temple.
"Yuying, you were the one constantly telling me how weak I was, or rather, how weak I am compared to my past incarnation. Well, I'm not weak anymore. I literally have seven forbidden ice elements at my fingertips, along with a boatload of techniques, skills, and spells to choose from.
Even if that weren't enough, you've made sure I've mastered combat using the staff, sword, and bow. I'm sure that's enough to complete the task," Fruity said.
"I know, Master, but the strongest monster in that place is a Pseudo-Deimos—a peak Rank 8 Tyrant on the verge of becoming a Deimos. That means it's practically a Beast now, making it several times stronger," Yuying said, her expression filled with concern.
"Still, I don't know if I can kill it without fighting it. We can only hope it's not a monster among monsters. But even if it's stronger than me, you can always step in and kill it, making the task null. I can always try again later.
But I believe in my abilities, so there's no need to worry. And since we'll be traveling together to complete even more dangerous tasks, I should get familiar with the danger level so we can cooperate better in the future."
Fruity could sense that Yuying had become overprotective of his safety, which he knew was linked to something from his past self. Of course, he didn't ask, since he knew she wouldn't say anything that would add to his already boatload of Karma for just existing.
Yuying nodded, and with everything in order, they left for the domain of the Hellhounds. Last time, Fruity had managed to kill many of their Tier 5 and 6 subordinates and even took down a Tier 7 devil. This time, he was going for the whole deal.
With Yuying's assistance, they reached the domain within the hour, showing just how powerful she truly was. Fruity didn't waste a second announcing his presence.
As expected, within moments, he was swarmed by thousands of Hellhounds charging at him. But this time, Fruity didn't run. Instead, he stood his ground, waiting for them to get within 2km of him.
When they were within range, he jammed his staff into the ground. With a cold tone that matched the aura exuding from him, he muttered:
"Devour."
This time, the ice mist that appeared was thicker and darker than before, drowning them in a way that not a single sound escaped from the Tier 5 and 6 monsters as they were enveloped within the icy domain.
Within minutes, all the monsters charging at him had been devoured. Fruity wasted no time directing all the absorbed energy into the Immortal Ice. He knew that if the odds were stacked against him, he would need his healing ice more than anything.
"Human, you dare return?" Suddenly, four powerful presences appeared on the battlefield, each glaring coldly at Fruity. Last time, he had left them alive, failing to kill them.
"Yes, I have returned to finish what I started the last time," Fruity said with a smile before turning toward a specific direction. "I know you're watching, so why don't you come out and see how I kill your four subordinates without even raising my staff?" he added.
However, perhaps out of annoyance or because Fruity ignored them, the four Devils decided to attack—something they shouldn't have done.
"Soul Eater Ice," Fruity muttered coldly. The four were only moments away when they suddenly felt their senses cut off, and then everything went black. Their souls were extinguished in a split second.
"Told you," he said with a smirk, turning toward the same spot.
At that moment, Fruity sensed a powerful presence speeding toward him, a terrifying attack locked onto him.
"Devour," Fruity muttered, feeling his mobility restricted. He used the Devouring Ice to absorb the pressure—a technique he had learned while climbing the Gravity Mountain. It allowed him to break free just in time to dodge the powerful spear attack.
Looking up, Fruity saw a three-meter-tall demi-human, a twisted fusion of Hellhound and demon. Its appearance aside, the energy it radiated was overwhelming—so powerful that Fruity knew he was in for a real fight.
However, just as he was about to assume a battle stance, he noticed something on the monster's chest.
'That crystal... why is my Abyssal Ice reacting to it?' Fruity wondered. Not knowing the full extent of the rules involved in these things, he decided not to risk asking Yuying. Instead, he trusted his gut instinct.
He tapped into the connection between his Abyssal Ice and the crystal, and within seconds, he managed to discern its nature. A slight grin appeared on his face.
'I just need to hold it off for two minutes, and it'll be over,' Fruity thought. With that, he surrounded himself with Chaotic Ice, creating a 3 km-wide domain.
Boom!
His Demon Slaying staff clashed with the monster's spear, creating a sonic boom that caused the entire space around them to shake. Fruity smiled, realizing he was no match physically against the evolving monster.
But that wasn't something he needed to dwell on. He wanted to test his power, but he wasn't going to go in recklessly. Using the Chaotic Ice element, he disrupted the monster's concentration.
He could have used Hypnotic Ice, which would have had a more potent effect, but he didn't want to rely on too much of a handicap. Instead, he opted for the one that would only give him a slight edge. For the next two minutes, he and the pseudo-beast exchanged hundreds of attacks.
Neither of them had used any techniques or skills, but the chaotic exchange allowed them to gauge each other's strength. Of course, this was a deliberate misdirection on Fruity's part, who knew exactly what he was doing.
With the monster being both arrogant and prideful, Fruity knew it wouldn't take him seriously—its first mistake.
"You shouldn't underestimate your opponents in your next life," Fruity said after being pushed back a few meters.
"What do you know..." the monster growled, preparing to pounce again. But before it could move, it sensed something amiss.
Looking toward the spot where Fruity had pointed, the monster panicked. But it was too late.
"I know this... Explode," Fruity snapped his fingers, and like fireworks, the crystal on the monster's chest exploded, killing it instantly.
"Easy enough," Fruity said with a smile.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC275: The Wailing Forest
"Congratulations, Master," Yuying immediately said after exiting his soul sea. Fruity had learned how to create a space for her, so the Fox Lady had been resting there whenever she wasn't assisting him.
Since she couldn't interfere in Fruity's task of killing every last hellhound in their domain, she entered his soul sea as soon as they stepped foot inside the domain.
Now, looking at the triangular mark that appeared like a tattoo on the back of his left arm, Fruity could only smile. "I was lucky this time," he said.
"Luck is also a kind of your strength," Yuying replied, gazing at the monstrous body of the Peak Tier 8 Hellhound, which had reverted to its true form after death.
"Still, I got lucky," Fruity insisted. The crystal on the monster's chest was a result of its evolution to a Tier 9 monster. When a monster reaches Tier 8, it begins evolving into a Beast.
Beasts are different from monsters. Monsters don't resonate with the heavens, so they are much weaker than Beasts, who are recognized by the heavens and bestowed with unique skills and abilities. Beasts evolve into creatures more in tune with the heavens than monsters.
Some creatures are even born as Beasts, with awakened bloodlines and constitutions, but monsters must rise to Tier 9 before they can be recognized as True Beasts.
However, the evolution phase from Tier 8 to Tier 9 is a critical stage for them. It is during this phase that their bloodlines begin to awaken, determining the kind of energy they will harness—or more precisely, the kind of energy they will resonate with.
In the case of the Hellhound, it was awakening Abyssal Energy, which Fruity had some affinity for, thanks to his abyssal ice energy. So, he tapped into the crystal core, which, after evolving, would become a Beast core. He injected his ice abyssal Qi into it, and once it was filled up and under his control, he detonated it.
So, while it was indeed luck on his side this time like he said, Yuying was also right said, that luck is also part of one's strength. This time, thanks to his abyssal energy, he killed a peak Tier 8 Tyrant in less than three minutes.
Something he wouldn't have been able to do if it was the other way around.
"Devour," he said, consuming the dead bodies of the monsters lying on the ground. Once he allocated the absorbed energy to the Immortal Ice, he turned toward the direction he needed to go.
Yuying, who had been waiting as his guide and transport, quickly wrapped her energy around him. Before long, they were gone from the now unclaimed domain of the Hellhound, which would likely be claimed within the next 12 hours, as it hadn't truly belonged to the Hellhounds in the first place.
"In front is the Wailing Forest. From its name, you can get a fair idea of what goes on within those woods," Yuying said, making Fruity nod.
"But I think you shouldn't worry. Your mental capacity is stronger than most Sages, so you'll be fine. The mental attacks won't have much of an effect on you," Yuying added.
The Wailing Forest is nothing like a normal forest. It's home to a strange type of tree monster known as the Wailing Demon Plants. They don't attack like other tree monsters that use their branches and leaves. Instead, these monsters only attack mentally through the constant wailing one hears the moment they step inside the forest.
The deeper you go, the more intense their mental attacks become.
"I guess this will show me how much I've improved, and whether or not the months of mental torture were worth it," Fruity said with a smile.
"If you can't endure anymore, just let me know so I can teleport us away," Yuying said before entering her Master's soul sea. Being beside him might provoke some powerful demon plants to attack, which would be bad for Fruity.
He stepped into the forest, and the moment his foot touched the ground in the Wailing Forest, a torturous sound erupted in his mind.
Fruity paused for a few seconds before nodding to himself. He could hear the wailing, but it wasn't affecting him.
With his mind bolstered by his intense training in the Sage Mind and Unshakable Mind techniques, he moved as if he were taking a stroll through a small garden.
As he ventured deeper, the intensity of the wailing increased.
"Master, you can use this time to further train your mind. Slowly lower the defenses around your mind and let the sounds affect you," Yuying said from within his soul sea.
"Okay," Fruity replied. He did as she instructed, and immediately, he felt his mind being assaulted by different kinds of mental attacks.
However, it wasn't strong enough to overwhelm him. Still, he knew not to get ahead of himself by completely lowering all his defenses. While his mind was stronger, enduring hundreds of mental attacks was not something he could handle easily—if at all.
For twelve hours, Fruity moved steadily through the forest, enduring the wailing that was strong enough to shatter the mind of any Sage. But thanks to his intense training, he was able to endure it, even increasing his mental strength to another level.
"Alright, suckers, why don't you pay back for all the torture you put me through," Fruity said with an evil grin as he emerged on the other side of the forest.
Knowing that 99% of living things in this world were evil, Fruity didn't care much about their survival. So, upon seeing such a thick forest brimming with soul energy, he knew what had to be done.
Naturally, mind cultivators have stronger souls, and since he didn't possess any ice techniques that could steal mental strength or energy, he went for the best option: the Soul Eater.
'I guess he never changes,' Yuying thought inwardly, standing beside Fruity as he set his evil plan in motion, a small smile playing on her lips.
Fruity's Soul Eater eyes spread across the forest, and like a massacre, the tree monsters began wailing again. But this time, it wasn't due to mental attacks—it was a cry of agony from deep within their souls. Fruity was devouring their souls to strengthen his own, which had already begun growing more powerful.
"Human, what are you doing?" A thunderous voice suddenly boomed across the forest, hitting Fruity hard in the mind. But he just smiled, feeling his Sage Mind and Unshakable Mind techniques block a significant portion of the mental attack aimed at him.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Fruity responded, smiling at the clearly infuriated Plant Demon that growled at him.
Without a verbal reply from the monster, Fruity sensed another mental attack strike his mind. But just like before, his mental defenses blocked it, making him smile. Using a skill he had learned thanks to Yuying's meticulous preparations, he launched his own mental attack.
"Mind Shatter." Somewhere deep within the forest, a towering dark plant shuddered, and almost half of its leaves instantly began falling from its branches.
At the same time, a powerful presence erupted from within the forest. Fruity, standing just outside, devouring the plants, instantly realized he was out of his league the moment that presence descended.
"Yuying, we can leave now," Fruity said calmly. The Fox Lady smiled, and without a second thought, they were gone.
The presence that had appeared was one even Yuying recognized—a Deimos Monster, a Tier 9 being, specializing in mental cultivation. While Yuying herself was a Tier 10 existence, she knew that when it came to mental attacks, this creature excelled beyond her abilities. As the saying goes, a master of one skill is better than a jack of all trades.
Facing off against it would have been unwise. So, the best plan was to run, and that was exactly what Master and Servant did.
Soon, they appeared in front of the Dark River, which could only be crossed using the Bone Bridge. However, Fruity had no intention of crossing it peacefully.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC276: Devouring The Dark River
The map Fruity got from his past self showed that he would have to cross the Dark River before reaching Illusion Mountain. The river was a mystery, even to Yuying, who had no concrete description of it.
All she said was that the river had a guardian that lived within its depths, and from what she knew 50 years ago, it had been a Beginner Tyrant (Tier 8) back then.
And 50 years was a long time, so she estimated it had likely become a Deimos (Tier 9) by now. Aside from that, there were river monsters that attacked using the water element.
Fruity, of course, was prepared for a huge fight, knowing that the guardian wouldn't attack unless provoked, according to Yuying. He planned to cross the bridge quickly since flying wasn't an option there.
The place had some strange law governing it, making it impossible to fly over the river. Fruity knew taking the bridge was his only option, but he didn't expect that as soon as he appeared within the range of the river, not one but two of his ice elements would react excitedly to it.
"It seems we should prepare for a fight soon. My Devouring and Abyssal Ice seem to have a liking for the river, so I'll be devouring it," Fruity said, making Yuying nod with a smile.
Finally, she would get to fight alongside the latest incarnation of her master—a great honor and privilege she planned to use to tease her comrades when they awakened and found their way to them.
"How do you want to go about it, Master?" Yuying asked, taking out an elegant, thin sword from her space ring. Once again, Fruity was struck with yet another surprise.
'It seems this world is more than just a monster's abode,' he thought.
From what he had seen so far, there was more to this Tormented World than anyone might think. Yuying had already shown him enough for him to realize that the world he had entered was civilized in some way.
Of course, the monsters he had encountered so far were just bloodthirsty idiots, but seeing what Yuying was capable of, he knew there was a whole world out there waiting for him to explore.
For one, he wanted to explore as many places as possible and learn as much as he could before returning to his own world. He had never had the chance to explore his own world, so he would use this opportunity to do so.
The only downside was that, no matter where he went, he would have to be extra careful. According to Yuying, it was rare to meet a peaceful demon in this world. Every monster and beast would try to kill and devour him, so Fruity had started to live his life with that mindset. It would only make things easier for him in the long run.
"Let me start devouring. I'm sure they'll attack the moment they sense something is wrong. You won't have to worry about the small fry—just be on the lookout for the Guardian you mentioned." Yuying nodded and spread her senses, covering the entire river.
Fruity did the same, and with a gesture, the Devouring Ice and Abyssal Ice covered the entire river. Fruity instantly felt a surge of energy enter his body, making him smile.
His focus was also drawn to what the Abyssal Ice was doing, and from what he could tell, there seemed to be traces of Abyssal energy within the water, which it was absorbing.
"Here they come," Fruity said as soon as he sensed Tier 6 and above monsters charging toward the surface. He did not attempt to draw his weapons; instead, he activated his Hypnotic Ice, creating an illusion of calm for the monsters.
He had learned a few tricks before leaving, so the illusion he crafted was of a serene Waterland where life was peaceful, instantly drawing the water-dwelling monsters into it.
Fruity's mental capacity and soul strength were formidable, so even though the illusion was just a basic smokescreen, it was enough to penetrate the minds of thousands of monsters.
He then moved to the next logical step—activating the Soul Eater Ice. In that instant, the entire river began to churn. The monsters trapped in the illusion had their souls devoured, but that wasn't all; the Abyssal energy within them was also being absorbed. To make matters worse for them, their bodies were being devoured as well.
Fruity knew he had to act decisively, so all the energy being devoured was fueling the Devouring Ice this time, making it stronger by the second.
His soul was also growing stronger, allowing him to maintain control over the four Ice elements for as long as possible. Thousands of monsters appeared, but when they got within reach of the Hypnotic Ice, their minds became foggy, and they slipped into the unconscious domain of illusion.
"Looks like Tier 7 monsters have stronger minds and souls," Fruity muttered, noticing some of the Tier 7 water devils struggling to break free. His mental strength was formidable, but not strong enough to trap hundreds, if not thousands, of Tier 7 devils.
"But I came prepared," Fruity said, and with a flick, a red ice mist began to spread across the river.
Since the Hypnotic Ice was struggling to hold the monsters, why not give them something else to resist?
In an instant, chaotic thoughts spread into the monsters' minds splitting their resistance and causing them to instantly succumb to the illusion.
"Looks like the Chaotic Ice copied the wailing of the tree monsters," Fruity remarked, clearly amazed. He hadn't expected that improvement.
He had been searching for ways to make the Chaotic Ice more powerful, but it seemed his worries were unnecessary. The Ice seemed to copy anything chaotic on its own. This also meant that to gain more skills for it, he had to be around chaotic things—more specifically, things that possessed mind attacks.
"I told you, Master, all you had to do was understand the nature of the element, and you could come up with ways to use it," Yuying said with a smile. But deep down, she was shocked to her core by the sheer chaos her master was unleashing on the Dark River and its inhabitants.
"I guess the Ice elements are stronger than we thought. I'll have to get more creative next time. After retrieving the item from Illusion Mountain, on the way to the Northern Region, I'll make a few quick stops to train and synchronize them properly so I can use them more effectively in combat," Fruity said with a smile.
"That's a great idea, Master," Yuying said, clearly excited. Knowing they would be leaving a trail of destruction, she was more than happy to go along with her master's plan.
Although Fruity didn't remember his past, he was getting closer, and soon, with the sheer destruction and power he would gain, he'd be a step closer to uncovering who he was and what he needed to do in his current incarnation.
"Who dares intrude in my domain?" A powerful voice suddenly erupted from deep within the Dark River, sending shockwaves all around.
The moment this presence emerged, the devouring of the river halted, freeing the monsters trapped in the illusions and chaotic thoughts.
"Yuying, why do they always say that? They could just come straight at us and attack," Fruity asked, half-amused, recalling similar declarations from the Hellhounds and the Tree Monsters.
"It's to make their presence known before they attack," Yuying replied with a straight face, unaware that Fruity was being sarcastic.
Just as Fruity was about to respond, a powerful water spear shot up from the depths of the river, heading straight toward them.
"Ice Cage!" Fruity quickly raised an ice barrier around himself and Yuying, defending against the water attack. Once the attack settled and he lowered the defense, they sensed two powerful presences appear in front of them.
"Two guardians, and they're Peak Tyrants," Fruity muttered with a slight grin.
"I can take them both, Master," Yuying said, stepping forward.
"I know, Yuying, you're the best, the strongest. But why don't we share? There are two of them and two of us," Fruity said, spinning the staff in his hand.
Yuying nodded and, with a single step, she vanished. At the same time, the presence that had attacked also disappeared, reappearing 10 kilometers away from Fruity.
"Looks like it's just me and you now," Fruity said, pointing his Demon Slaying Staff at the demi-human-looking Fishman.
"Want to attack first, or should I?" he asked.
In response, the fishman charged forward, razor-sharp arm swinging. Fruity smirked and dashed forward to meet it.
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