THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC277: The Bridge Guardians Attacked
Fruity and the Fishman clashed, creating a loud explosion that instantly sent shockwaves all around. The Fishman had thick arms, ashy blue skin, a large shark-like head, and razor-sharp arms that could easily cut through the thickest defense.
The clash was intense. Despite his body tempering, Fruity felt his arms go numb when their weapons met.
"Water Slash!" The Fishman immediately activated its first skill, slashing its blade-like arm. A powerful arc of water cut straight at Fruity, who spun his staff and raised a thick ice spear.
The two attacks collided, exploding instantly. Fruity was pushed back, but so was the Fishman. It was strong, almost at the level of a Deimos, but Fruity wasn't weak either. Five years ago, he might have struggled, but now, after learning hundreds of skills, techniques, and spells, he was no longer weak.
"Ice Pillar: Dawn of a Thousand Arrows!" Fruity instantly activated his second technique. A tall ice pillar rose from the ground, towering behind him. From the large pillar, thousands of ice arrows rained down on the Fishman.
The Fishman immediately raised a water shield. This was easy for it, as they were fighting in its domain. It has an affinity for the water element so fighting beside a water body was an advantage for it.
Fruity, seeing how his arrows bounced off the water shield, smirked. Placing two fingers on his forehead, a powerful soul attack erupted, hitting the Fishman heavily.
The shield shattered when the soul attack landed on the Fishman, but Fruity didn't celebrate. He had only broken its defense—the true attack was yet to come. First, he needed to ensure the Fishman wouldn't be able to defend itself.
The soul attack was just the beginning, and from the result, Fruity knew he couldn't drain its soul energy yet. He could only create more chaos and hope for the best.
"Ice Pillar: Doom's Arrow," Fruity muttered, seeing the Fishman was about to activate an offensive skill. It was enraged by the sudden soul attack.
The pillar behind Fruity rose and transformed into a 30-meter-long, thick, and pointed arrow made of ice. One thing Fruity noticed was that he could naturally use the ice element—not any specific type, just normal ice. People would only recognize that he possessed Forbidden Ice once he activated them.
For now, he was simply testing how well he could fare without using his special elements, and so far, he had exceeded his own expectations by a huge margin.
"Go!"
He pointed his staff forward, and like a bullet, the massive arrow sped toward the Fishman, bringing immense pressure with it. However, instead of raising a solid defense, the Fishman simply swung its hand, sending a sharp slash that instantly obliterated the large arrow.
"What the..." Before Fruity could finish his sentence, the Fishman appeared right in front of him, stabbing its sharp arm toward his heart.
Fruity quickly tapped into a technique he had learned, switching his position by using the ice as a conduit. Although he managed to dodge, the technique required a great deal of stamina, and he immediately felt his body growing tired.
"That was one strange movement technique," Fruity thought, recognizing the movement the Fishman had used. He had learned a similar technique himself but hadn't given it much thought when Yuying made him study it. In fact, he had learned dozens of such techniques but hadn't taken the time to master them.
Just as he freed himself from the sudden attack, he saw the Fishman stabbing a long spear made of water toward him. He wanted to ask how that was even possible, but before he could react, he felt a sudden attack from behind.
He quickly raised an ice wall, then kicked back while thrusting his staff forward. The two attacks collided, creating an explosion.
'I can't underestimate this Fishman, and since I didn't bother to master the movement technique, I'll have to use another method without resorting to the forbidden ice just yet. I have to kill it without using any of my trump cards,' Fruity thought inwardly, knowing this was no time to joke.
However, he also wanted to test himself. Having such powerful ice elements seemed great, but without them, he wanted to see what kind of person he truly was.
"Round two," Fruity muttered, his staff transforming into a longsword.
"Moon Slash!" He swung the sword dozens of times, each swing sending sharp arcs of ice shaped like crescent moons.
The Fishman raised its defenses, but the sudden consecutive attacks were too strong, breaking through its defense. Some of the ice arcs even landed on its body, dealing with ice damage.
"One with the Sword: Moon Epic Slash!" Fruity, having gained some advantage and momentarily disrupted the Fishman's momentum, followed up with a new form of Moon Slash. He raised his sword high, and like a current, Ice Qi surged into the blade.
He slashed the sword diagonally, and like a flash, a sword light made of ice shot out, pulling the pressure around it and directing it toward the Fishman.
In response, the Fishman's blade arms morphed into a pair of large hands. It brought them together as if about to pray, but after muttering something, a large shark—about 30 meters long and made entirely of water—appeared and surged toward the ice arc coming from Fruity.
Boom!
The two attacks connected, creating a liquid explosion.
"Waterfall!" the Fishman said immediately after regaining its footing from the explosion. Instantly, a tsunami of water surged behind it.
Pointing forward, the massive wave rose above the Fishman and started rushing toward Fruity.
"Ice with Sword: Moon Slash Kill!" Fruity, in response to the destructive attack, raised his sword again. This time, a wave of ice surged from all around him entering the sword in his hands. His eyes were closed as if sensing the incoming attack.
As expected, just when the tsunami was only a few meters from him, his sword fell in a vertical slash. A powerful ice arc cut forward, slicing the tsunami in half. But it didn't stop there—it moved forward, striking the Fishman and sending it flying like a ragdoll.
The Fishman slammed hard into the soft ground.
Fruity, realizing he had underestimated the Fishman, immediately followed up with another attack. However, just as the attack was about to connect, a powerful, bloodthirsty aura erupted from the Fishman, instantly slowing him down.
'This power...' Fruity was startled, feeling his strength drop—or more accurately, feeling his body fail him, as though he were scared. But he knew he wasn't afraid, not in the slightest. Yet, for some reason, that sensation lingered.
To confirm his suspicion, the Fishman clapped its hands together again, and another large water shark surged forward. The fish surged forward with a terrifying pressure.
Fruity, in the process of preparing another sword slash, immediately felt his reaction speed slow down, and worse, the rate at which he was channeling his ice Qi also faltered.
"Devouring Ice: Absolute Wall," Instead of continuing with the sword attack, he muttered instead, raising a wall of Dark Gold Ice. The water shark slammed into it, creating an explosion that shattered the wall. However, the attack was also devoured.
Fruity quickly started exuding his Devouring Ice over himself, instantly absorbing the pressure that was affecting him.
'I need to ask Yuying what that was, but first, I need to get payback,' Fruity thought, immediately activating three more Ice Elements.
"Hypnotic Ice."
"Abyssal Ice."
"Annihilation Ice."
At once, three more types of ice joined with the Devouring Ice, creating a 2-kilometer domain of ice that instantly trapped the Monster Fishman within.
"One with the Sword: Moon Epic Slash!" Fruity didn't waste a second, unleashing a powerful sword attack that slammed into the Fishman, who was struggling to defend its mind.
"Abyssal Ice: Unbreakable Chains!" The Fishman, sent flying, was immediately ensnared in the air by thick, dark red ice chains. As soon as the chains locked onto it, the Fishman's screams filled the space.
"Mighty Cauldron Descent!" Fruity didn't let up. He conjured a large cauldron made of thick Dark Annihilation Ice. It hurtled forward, and before the Fishman could recover, the massive cauldron slammed into its head, exploding it instantly.
Its huge body dropped to the ground cementing his kill. He had just killed a Tyrant while just a Sage.
But Fruity wasn't happy for someone who had just killed a Peak Tyrant, not even in the slightest.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC278: The Illusion Mountain
From the moment Yuying vanished to face off against the other Fishman, it took her just two exchanges to chop off her opponent's head.
Without even bothering to collect its core, she turned her attention back to Fruity, who was facing the other Peach Tyrant—the second bridge guardian.
At first, she was shocked by how Fruity was handling his opponent, not using any of his ice elements.
However, she quickly calmed down when she saw how he was managing the fight. It took only a few exchanges for her to notice some discrepancies in her master's attack patterns.
She would tell him about them later, so he could fix them before his next battle. As long as her master hadn't regained his memories, she would continue to be his teacher.
Intrigued by the exchanges, she watched closely. Near the end of the battle, she noticed a change in Fruity's expression. She wanted to step in and help, but before she could move, she saw Fruity get serious and activate his ice elements, killing the monster within seconds.
Immediately, she moved and appeared beside her master.
"That was its Aura."Yuying said "Just like soul, mind, qi, and body cultivation, there are other forms of cultivation, and one of them is Aura cultivation," she explained before Fruity could ask.
"What is it?" Fruity asked.
"It's a form of pressure that, if cultivated to its peak, can be used to suppress your opponents or even kill them without raising a weapon.
There are different forms of it. For example, there's sword aura, which is achieved through sword mastery—most call it sword qi," Yuying explained as she drew her thin sword.
As soon as she did, it began to glow golden. "This energy around the sword is sword qi. Using it amplifies any attack I unleash with this sword."
Fruity nodded, examining the aura around the sword. He could sense something powerful behind it, but he didn't fully understand it yet.
"Of course, if you continue to cultivate it to the highest levels, you'll be able to project just the sword aura and even craft weapons from it.
At that stage, you'll become nearly invincible as a swordsman," Yuying added, causing Fruity to raise an eyebrow.
"So, was that what the Fishman used?" Fruity asked. "I feel like its aura was different somehow—it didn't look sharp like yours."
"No," Yuying replied, "the Fishman cultivates a different form of aura. Its aura is one of slaughter. Most people call it Death Aura, but its true name is Asura. It's perhaps the strongest of all the auras known so far," she added with a small smile.
Fruity, on the other hand, wore a shocked expression. "Aren't you exaggerating a bit? The aura it unleashed wasn't that strong—I easily devoured it," Fruity said.
His devouring ice could absorb almost anything, from cultivation pressure to bloodline suppression, so Fruity knew how powerful the aura was, but it hadn't been strong enough to harm him. It was easily consumed.
"That Fishman's aura was a far cry from what true killing aura looks like," Yuying said, her tone carrying a hint of disdain as if she was irritated by the Fishman that Fruity had killed.
"There are many types of auras, Master. True Killing Aura can be born from constant slaughter and absorbing the blood essence of your opponents.
That Fishman's aura was born from slaughter, but it seems it never learned how to absorb the blood essence of its targets—or perhaps it didn't know the right monsters to target to awaken its True Killing Aura or Asura Aura," Yuying explained.
"Are you saying there are specific monsters that can awaken one's Killing Aura?" Fruity asked.
"Yes," Yuying nodded. "I once met a demon who possessed True Ice Killing Aura. From what I learned, it only hunted Ice-type monsters. Asura Aura requires a distinct race of monsters."
"If you don't mind, we can stop at a place on our way to the Central Continent. If we're lucky, we may be able to obtain the Aura Codex."
"I assume we'll have to kill the owner for it?" Fruity asked, and Yuying nodded with a slightly embarrassed expression.
"That thieving lion won it after an intense auction battle 47 years ago. I promised to get it back, but I got occupied. Now that you want to learn more about Aura cultivation, I will help you obtain the complete codex on aura awakening," Yuying said, making Fruity nod.
"So, aside from sword aura, what other aura are you cultivating?" Fruity asked.
"Chaotic Soul Aura. It's essentially a soul cultivation method, but instead of using spiritual energy to unleash soul attacks, my aura can do that," Yuying replied. "And one thing about auras—with enough mastery, you can merge them in combat. So, imagine getting hit with soul attacks even after defending against a sword aura."
"That does sound awesome. I guess there's still a lot more for me to learn," Fruity said with a sigh. "We'd better get moving fast, then."
Fruity spent the next 12 hours devouring the entire dark river and its inhabitants before crossing the bridge with Yuying. He wasn't sure if the river would ever recover, but he didn't care. After all, his elements had grown stronger by devouring everything, eradicating yet another race of water monster Demons.
They spent the next few days traveling several miles before, on the 10th day, a very tall mountain came into view. As soon as they saw it, Fruity knew that was where he was meant to go.
"That place looks like a nightmare," Yuying said. "Even from three miles away, I can already feel the hypnotic effect hitting me."
"I don't feel anything, but my Hypnotic Ice is getting excited for some reason," Fruity said, gazing at the mountain, which seemed to touch the clouds.
Of course, he knew it was merely an illusion. The mountain was called Illusion Mountain due to its bizarre effects on the mind. Many might not regard illusionists as true opponents, but a true illusionist is a very terrifying foe.
Losing control of your senses and body while wandering in a fantasy world in the middle of combat is something nobody wants to experience.
There was a saying: a true team-up is one with a Soul Master and an Illusionist. In a dire situation, they can create miracles.
Fruity knew the next task would require stronger mental and soul strength, but he also realized he needed to understand his Hypnotic Ice better before making any sudden moves.
In truth, the mountain ahead wasn't something he had enough confidence to climb, but based on what his past self had left him, he knew he had to take the next step, ready or not.
"I assumed you'd be resting inside my soul space, seeing as you're already feeling the effects," Fruity said, and Yuying didn't hesitate to accept the offer. Though she was stronger in terms of cultivation, Fruity's mind cultivation was superior.
He quickly placed her in his soul space, and with sturdy steps, Fruity began making his way toward the strange mountain.
"Master, if you feel like you can't handle it, don't force yourself. We can go back, train more, and return stronger later," Yuying said from inside his soul sea, clearly worried.
Fruity just smiled and kept walking toward the mountain. When he got within 2 kilometers of the mountain's base, his mind was struck by an illusion, but like a titanium wall, the Sage Mind and Unshakable Mind techniques he had cultivated shielded him from it.
Fruity snorted and kept moving. Soon, he arrived at the base of the mountain and began climbing. As he ascended, his mind was repeatedly attacked by various illusions, but he continued onward.
A while later, after reaching nearly halfway up the mountain, he stopped and extended his hand. Immediately, green ice burst from his body, enveloping the entire mountain.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC279 Hypnotic Ice Upgraded
"Master, what is going on?" Yuying's voice echoed from within Fruity's Soul Sea as the energy burst out of him.
"I don't really know, but my Hypnotic Ice seems to be reacting to the illusions covering this mountain," Fruity replied, watching as the green ice continued to spread across the mountain. The more it spread, the more he sensed his Hypnotic Ice growing stronger.
"This is interesting. It's like the ice is absorbing the illusion surrounding the mountain," Yuying observed. "Have you located where the illusion is coming from?"
"No, but the ice hasn't fully enveloped the mountain yet, so let's wait," Fruity said. They resumed waiting as the ice slowly turned the mountain green.
So far, the Hypnotic Ice hadn't shown Fruity anything too impressive. Sure, it had helped him take down thousands of monsters, but compared to the Devouring Ice or the Soul Eater, it paled in comparison.
From his observation, the ice could only trap Tier 6 creatures and below. But Fruity didn't have time to hunt such weak monsters; he needed to deal with the big guns. He needed to be using the hypnotic ice more actively.
However, he didn't know how to make it stronger. Sure, devouring monsters and treasures would allow him to add some energy to the Hypnotic Ice, but the progress would be slow. He needed something immediate.
Something that could rival the wailing power of the Chaotic Ice. So when he sensed his Hypnotic Ice reacting to the mountain from miles away, he knew something great was about to happen. To his surprise, it was happening.
The green ice continued to spread, and with every small advance, the ice grew stronger. Fruity, the owner of the ice, could also feel his strength rising—or more specifically, his mental strength increasing.
"Master, can I come out?" Yuying suddenly asked. Fruity didn't respond immediately. He slowly lowered his mental defenses, checking to see if the illusion would retaliate. After a while, he sighed.
"Come out," he said, and Yuying appeared. As soon as she materialized, she began spreading her senses. After confirming there was no immediate danger, she sighed in relief.
"This is going better than I expected," she said with a small smile.
"Yuying, you're traveling with someone wielding seven forbidden ice elements. Of course, things will unfold in unexpected ways," Fruity replied with a grin.
After everything he'd seen, Fruity now understood why the seven ice elements he wielded were forbidden. Although he did not know what was creating the illusion on the mountain, he knew it wasn't meant to be traversed the way he was doing it.
The illusion was intended to temper the minds of those brave enough to climb it. However, Fruity wasn't just resisting it—he was absorbing it.
This wasn't something normal ice should be able to do. But who was he if not someone with a huge grudge against the heavens? Yuying had already told him that his very existence was like a slap in the face of the heavens, and they would do everything they could to limit his growth.
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Because of this, Fruity had not only become power-hungry, but he had also stopped caring about things that others might consider bad. Of course, he wouldn't harm innocents.
But being surrounded by thousands of different races of demons who knew only one thing—destruction—he knew not to hesitate when it came down to doing what was necessary to grow stronger.
The mountain was just an obstacle on his path to greatness, so naturally, he couldn't resist when his ice started devouring its power.
"It's almost done absorbing everything," Yuying said, using her senses to follow the devouring process. She did not know what would happen if her senses went beyond the Hypnotic Ice, so she kept her pace slow, carefully watching the illusion get consumed.
After 12 hours, the entire mountain turned green, signaling that the absorption was complete. Fruity, sensing that his ice had absorbed everything, immediately deactivated it, revealing the mountain's true form.
It looked like the jagged remains of a colossal bone—a very large bone, given its size and height. Although the illusion had made it appear even bigger and taller, after being devoured, the mountain still stood towering, though not quite as imposing as before.
"It looks like the head of a very powerful beast," Yuying remarked, then asked, "Do you sense what you're here for?"
"Not yet, but I think my Hypnotic Ice is upgrading," Fruity replied, sitting down. "Guard the surroundings. I want to see what's happening." He closed his eyes, and as if entering an illusion, his mind slipped into another space.
As soon as he appeared in this new space, he was taken aback. "This is the monastery," Fruity said, looking at the familiar surroundings. He quickly began spreading his senses, and it didn't take long for him to detect something.
Before he could act, the presence he sensed appeared before him.
"These are runic cards," Fruity immediately recognized the objects that appeared before him.
"But why is there a place like this? I don't feel the same connection with the other elements." Just being in that space, he could sense his mind-expanding and slowly growing stronger.
"I'll have to ask Yuying once I'm out, but first, let's see what these cards are about." Twelve cards hovered before him, each one blank. He reached out and touched the first one. As soon as he did, the card began to glow green, and before Fruity could blink, it transformed from blank into a card with patterns inscribed on it.
"Illusion Domain." There was writing on it in the runic language, which he immediately recognized. As soon as he spoke the words, the runic text moved from the card and entered his forehead. Fruity blinked once or twice before sighing.
"It's a technique—an illusion-type technique. How awesome." He smiled and then reached out to touch the second card. It, too, transformed, and once it settled into a card with a series of patterns on it, Fruity quickly read its name.
"Giant Bone Mountain Descent." His mind filled with another technique, making him grin.
"It seems the Hypnotic Ice has evolved to another stage," he said, looking at the remaining ten blank cards. He reached out and touched the third card, but nothing happened. It remained blank. He tried the others, but none of them changed.
"Two out of twelve, huh? That's more than enough." Since he was connected to the Ice, he knew just how powerful it had become. And now, with two new techniques, he had grown exponentially stronger. He took a moment to absorb the place before snapping his fingers.
The space shifted into a green cloud, and within that cloud, the twelve cards hovered in front of an ice chair. Fruity admired his creation with a smile before leaving the space and returning to the real world.
"What just happened?" Fruity was immediately greeted with Yuying's direct question as he opened his eyes. She looked incredibly pale.
"What happened to you?" Fruity asked, concerned.
"You tell me, Master. Why did you punish me by sending me into an illusion?" Yuying asked, pouting.
"Say what?" Fruity replied, confused.
"When did I do that? All I did was enter this strange space connected to the Hypnotic Ice and received—well, more like activated—two techniques."
"Wait, you entered an elemental space?" Yuying's pale face immediately lit up with eagerness, a stark contrast to her earlier expression.
"You knew what that was?" Fruity asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course, Master! Every element has its own space, but you shouldn't have been able to access it—not this early," Yuying said, her hand brushing her lips thoughtfully.
"Unless... your element has already reached the Realm rank," she added suddenly.
"And what's that?" Fruity asked, clearly clueless about the concept. He knew he had to listen closely to his teacher for yet another crucial piece of information.
"Condense the Hypnotic Ice let me see" She requested and Fruity promptly obeyed.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC280 Heavenly Punishment
"You... you really have upgraded your element to that rank," Yuying said, her eyes widening as she gazed at the crystallized green ice suspended in Fruity's hands.
This time, just from a mere gaze, she could start to feel the illusions affecting her mind.
"It seems so, but what is this rank you keep mentioning?" Fruity asked. Although he had anticipated something like this happening sooner or later, he still wanted to know if he had made significant progress. Yuying tended to exaggerate at times, so he wanted a more in-depth explanation.
"Basically, just like there are ranks and stages for realm cultivation, anything that can be cultivated also has ranks, stages, or levels. The elements are no different. However, cultivating an element isn't something that can be accomplished easily.
The first stage, which all your other elements are currently in, is known as 'Common Rank.' It's the initial stage for all elements. The second stage is called 'Refined.' It's when you begin to understand the laws that govern the elements.
The third is 'Realm Rank.' After comprehending the laws of the elements to a certain extent, you can open a space within the element, known as an elemental space or realm.
This space will later help you to easily comprehend the laws and further increase their power output." Yuying was trying her best not to go full-on bookworm, but Fruity was rather intrigued.
"You once said the laws govern many things and that they are the same thing that restricts a paragon. So, if that's the case, would the same laws apply to a forbidden element?"
"Yes and no. Yes, because everything has laws governing it, and no, because if it's forbidden, then you're dealing with something entirely different," Yuying explained.
"I don't get it. Do the heavens determine my forbidden elements or not?" Fruity asked.
"They don't, but that doesn't mean nothing is enforcing these laws. The reason you don't feel restricted is because you have some level of supremacy over these elements," Yuying replied, trying her best to answer without invoking another heavenly punishment.
"So, is there another heaven that determines what is forbidden?" Fruity pressed.
"Yes and no," Yuying answered again.
"Then what is yes, and what is no? I just jumped a whole rank to unlock an entirely new realm. I feel like there's something here I need to understand," Fruity said, forgetting about Karma for a moment.
"When I was inside the elemental space, I sensed something... something important, something I feel like I should know."
"That will invoke Karma if I say something, Master," Yuying said in a light tone.
"Come on Yuying, I need to know this" Fruity asked making Yuying sigh helplessly. She knew what was about to happen but she didn't have the confidence to say no to her master.
"Forbidden Heavens," Yuying said just two worlds, but it was enough to make the heavens roar and dark clouds form. The entire bone mountain shook and from within the clouds, a thick spear made of red lightning shot out, aimed directly at Yuying who immediately turned pale.
"Abyssal Ice: Ice Wall"
"Eye of Despair: Void Eyes
"Bell of Harrows: Divine Bell"
Fruity spared no effort, sacrificing 80 percent of his spiritual energy to raise three powerful defenses, covering both him and Yuying.
BOOM
The spear pierced the dark, huge eye, shattering it instantly. It then struck the massive dark-red wall, which crumbled after a few seconds. With a resounding bang that shook the entire Bone Mountain, the spear finally collided with the bell.
It was a powerful impact, but the bell held, only cracking with a few lines before the spear dissipated. As the dust settled, Fruity collapsed on his back, gasping.
"That was close," he muttered, a small smile forming on his face. The smile came because when he heard those two words, another wave of memories from his third incarnation flooded into his mind. He now had a bit more clarity on things.
"So that bastard hid part of his memories in the realm of an element. What if I hadn't been able to awaken that element?" Fruity muttered, reaching for the pale Yuying to help him sit up.
Despite not being struck by the heavenly punishment, Yuying was still traumatized by the mental pressure she had received. It felt as if the heavens had looked down on her and spat in her face.
"Sorry about that, Yuying. I'll make it up to you later by helping you kill the Nine-Tail Fox to awaken your bloodline," Fruity said with a small smile, glancing at the Fox Lady who was trying to seem okay but failing miserably.
Fruity sighed, He walked closer and cupped her cheeks in his hands. Looking right into her eyes, he said, "I am sorry Yuying, I never knew the heavens would react that aggressively."
Yuying nodded but was still pale. Fruity planted a kiss on her forehead and then he let go.
With a wave of his hand, a mist of green ice appeared, enveloping her. "Maybe a few hours inside this illusion will help," he said, feeling guilty for pressuring her into that situation.
But he had no choice. The thing he sensed required her to say those words, so even though he knew what was coming, he had to know. Yuying, ever the good guide and servant, had decided to sacrifice something.
Saying those words had surely been reason enough for the heavens to target her, but Fruity had anticipated that and was prepared. The heavens hated his existence but couldn't outright kill him, so they were always listening for when he slipped up, ready to set him straight.
Now, Fruity had once again unlocked part of his memories from his third incarnation. Although he still didn't know exactly who he had been back then, he had more than enough now to know he had been someone very brilliant.
"Hiding memories inside an elemental space—that was genius," Fruity thought, sitting in lotus posture as his Immortal Ice started healing his fatigue.
The memories he received were more like pieces of information: cultivation techniques and locations of some treasures in the Tormented World. Fruity knew better than to fully trust the information.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his past self. After all, that would be ridiculous. He trusted his past self, but he also knew that the information wasn't safe to follow blindly.
He had already tried that once and ended up in a den of Hellhounds.
So he knew better than to charge in headfirst. With Yuying's guidance, he would enter a witch's temple and get the chance to partake in the Tormented Bloodline Awakening Trial. Once he awakened his bloodline, he could pursue those treasures—after all, he needed them for what was to come.
After a few hours, Fruity had recovered 80% of his spiritual qi, so he stood up and began climbing to the peak of the mountain. Yuying still hadn't woken from the illusion yet, so all he could do was go find what he had come for.
At first, he wasn't sure what that was, but after unlocking another section of his memory, he knew where to go. Even without the memories, though, he wouldn't have wandered aimlessly for long.
Upon reaching the peak of Bone Mountain, Fruity quickly moved to a particular spot where a stone statue stood. Without wasting any time, he jammed his staff into the statue, shattering it.
The moment the statue broke apart, a palm-sized cylindrical object fell and hovered before him. Even though he knew what to do and where to go, he had no idea what the object in front of him was. Nevertheless, he grabbed it, stored it in his space ring, and began his descent down the mountain.
A while later, Yuying woke up from the illusion, looking much healthier.
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"Thank you, Master," she said with a small smile, but Fruity could tell she was pretending. She was still shaken, but not wanting to make her lose confidence, he simply nodded and retrieved the disc-shaped item he had gotten from the peak of the mountain.
"Do you know what this is?" Fruity asked, showing the disc to Yuying.
Yuying's eyes widened. "This... this is a soul item, but not just any soul item. It's one of the Nine Forbidden Ancient Relics, the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram!"
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC281 The Seven-Star Forbidden Diagram
"Ancient Forbidden Relics?" Fruity asked, puzzled. Deep down, he knew he knew something about it, but he just couldn't recall what.
"I'm sorry, Master, but I don't know much. All I know is that this relic is one of the nine Ancient Forbidden Relics from the Primordial Era," Yuying answered. "But even though I don't know much about it, I do know that if you manage to fuse with it, you will obtain the legendary Seven Divine Beasts Art," she added.
"Now, that's something to go on," Fruity smiled. The Seven Divine Beasts Art—he knew about it, or more like his past self knew about it. Conveniently, he also needed to know about it at this very moment.
It was a powerful technique that, once cultivated, allowed one to transform any of their elements into a beast form. If Fruity managed to fuse with the relic, he would obtain the Seven Divine Beasts Art, which would allow his elements to transform into seven Divine Beasts said to have gone extinct after the Primordial Era.
"It's of no use then. The Seven Divine Primordial Beasts are long extinct. I would need at least a part of them to activate their spirits using the Forbidden Diagram," Fruity said. However, immediately when he said that, something seemed to click making him raise an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, Yuying. You'll have to stand guard—I need to meditate for a while."
Yuying nodded, and Fruity assumed a lotus posture, closing his eyes and entering a meditative state.
He had just remembered something he shouldn't have, which made him wonder what else was hiding beneath the surface, waiting for him. As someone who cultivated two powerful mind techniques, Fruity knew when something was off in his mind. So, he entered meditation and remained seated, eyes closed, for the next two days.
On the third day, he opened his eyes and sighed. "It's of no use. Even with this relic and the technique, I still don't have anything containing the essence of the Seven Divine Primordial Beasts."
He went through his memories but couldn't find anything that could help him. However, he did come across some information on the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram. But it all boiled down to whether he would be able to secure the essence of such primordial beasts.
"Don't worry, Master. I know someone who might be able to help with that. He's some kind of collector of ancient artifacts, so if we can get to the Central Region, we should be able to learn something from him," Yuying said, noticing the defeated look on her Master's face.
"You said you were created during the Primordial Era, right?" Fruity asked. Although he still hadn't accepted the fact that he was the one who created her, he could at least pretend he wasn't affected by it.
"Yes, Master. All nine of us," she replied with a smile.
"Then what can you tell me about the Seven Divine Primordial Beasts?" Fruity asked. "I have some knowledge, but it's foggy."
"It's a long story, and I can't share everything, but it's said that during the Primordial Era, nine separate phenomena occurred. Nine stars fell from the sky, birthing different beings or things. From one of these stars, seven eggs said to be divine in nature birthed seven Divine Beasts: the Diamond Horned Qilin, the Vermillion Flame Phoenix, the Celestial Thunder Serpent, the Abyssal Leviathan, the Jade Wind Tiger, the Golden-Eyed Abyss Dragon, and the Radiant Solar Lion.
These seven Divine Beasts were the guardians of one of Hell's Dark Dreadful Gates. I can't say much more, but when I awakened the next generation, they were gone, along with the Primordial Era. Nobody knew where they had gone or whether or not they were still alive.
However, I think you already know what happened, so there's no need to speak it out," Yuying said.
Fruity sighed. Indeed, the Primordial Era was destroyed. While some things from that time might have survived, many perished. So it was only natural to assume that the Seven Divine Beasts had also perished with them.
"I guess I can't have everything," Fruity said, placing the disc on the floor. "At least with this, I can somehow use my elements more efficiently." He sighed.
"You should probably step back, Yuying," Fruity said, and Yuying moved back several meters.
Taking a dagger from his soul ring, Fruity cut his palm and dripped his blood onto the disc, which immediately absorbed it. After a few more drops, it started to glow red, and with a subtle burst of energy, a huge diagram appeared beneath him.
He then began to rise slowly from the ground along with the disc. After rising to about 20 meters, the disc started to release a wave of energy that forced Yuying to step back even further.
After a while, the disc stopped spinning, but it reduced in size to a very small, thumb-sized die, which then moved and embedded itself in Fruity's forehead.
The moment the die entered his forehead, Fruity felt his entire body fill with a strange energy. His consciousness immediately fell into slumber while still hovering in the air.
This process took a whole week before suddenly, a wave of powerful energy burst from his body, and a magnificent ring with seven stars inside it appeared behind him.
The moment the ring appeared, he underwent some slight evolution that changed some aspects of his appearance. While his monk's attire was still perfectly clad around his body, it seemed to have undergone some modification that added a layer of security and finesse to it.
It looks cooler when instead of it tied with a cloth around his waist, this time, a golden belt with some pattern on it appears to tie the robes well. But it wasn't only his attire that went through the changes.
He became more handsome, even for a monk, but I suppose he wasn't a normal monk. His eyes were silver violet, reminiscent of his hair, which had now extended further behind him. His facial features had also enhanced, making him seriously handsome for a monk.
His muscles became slightly refined, giving him the athletic warrior physique that, under normal circumstances, a 23-year-old shouldn't have. Yet nature had been kind to him. He had become an incredibly eye-catching human.
But appearance aside, Fruity sensed that his energy had become incredibly powerful and thicker.
"It's Star Qi, Master! You have unlocked Star Qi," Yuying said with an excited smile. She retrieved her sword and swung it in a wide arc, sending out a quick sword light that cut a chunk off the mountain.
"Finally, I can use it again!" Yuying was more than happy.
"What happened?" Fruity asked. He was the one who awakened Star Qi, so why was she happier than he was?
"Master has awakened Star Qi. This means the Paragon Star has started to awaken, which also means all the Paragon Guards will start to awaken. And we can now use Star Qi, just like Master," Yuying said with a beaming smile.
"Great, then. But why does it seem like yours is weaker than mine? I can sense it, and it's not as strong as what is flowing through me," Fruity inquired. Besides his enhanced appearance and the unlocking of a new form of energy, he also felt a stronger connection with Yuying.
"That's because we are not the true owners of this energy; we are just tapping into yours, so automatically, we won't have the real deal. But even if it's only 60% of the true Star Qi, it's still many times stronger than the strongest energy in the heavens," Yuying said, her shoulders high.
"Good, then. We will need it for the journey to the North and Central Regions," Fruity said. "First, however, let's head to the domain of the Quick Finger Ratmouse. I have something to claim there."
Fruity, along with his excited servant, guard, and teacher, left as they began their journey to the North, but first, they had to make one important stop.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC282 Journey Toward The North
When Fruity asked Yuying how long it would take him to travel from the Eastern part of the Tormented World to the Northern region, she said 12 years. However, if she carried him, it would take only 2 years—after all, she wasn't an Ascendent for nothing.
But everything changed when Fruity awakened his Star Qi. He had become stronger and faster, far beyond his expectations. This, of course, affected Yuying too, making her even stronger.
Because of this, Fruity no longer wanted to travel the way they had initially planned. There were hundreds of domains between them and the Northern Region, and while the current Yuying could have made the journey in just 8 months, Fruity preferred the idea of going on a road trip.
Thanks to the second memory he received, he now had a more updated map in his mind. So, instead of the 8-month journey, they embarked on a 1.5-year journey where Fruity planned to strengthen himself and his elements by devouring various things along the way.
The first thing he devoured was a 200,000-year-old tree said to contain the vitality of the deceased Quick Finger Ratmouse. These demon monsters were known for their ruthlessness. When they appeared within a domain, they wouldn't stop until they'd taken everything from it.
Fruity, knowing this, was quick to repay them by stealing something they had cherished for many years. Using his hypnotic ice, the Ratmice didn't even notice until he was long gone. He wanted to avoid causing more chaos for himself, so he decided to avoid conflict as much as possible.
The year and a half they would spend traveling through the horrific Tormented World wasn't for sightseeing. Fruity wanted to gain as much experience and mastery over his elements as possible before returning to the human world.
So far, his strongest element was the Hypnotic Ice, which had broken through from Common Rank to Realm Rank. This made many things easier for Fruity, but he knew relying on just one element to solve all his problems wasn't the answer.
He needed to strengthen his other elements as well. Yuying, who, from what Fruity had observed, had already traveled the entire world, was incredibly helpful in identifying the best places to pass for maximum rewards.
Initially, Fruity wanted to simultaneously strengthen all his elements, but after seeing little to no improvement despite absorbing large amounts of energy, he knew he had to change his approach. That's when he decided to focus on one element at a time.
He knew he couldn't elevate all his elements to Realm Rank within just a year and a half, so his goal was to advance as many elements from Common Rank to Refined Rank as possible. This would allow him to use them more effectively and efficiently.
For his first choice, he selected Devouring Ice. The reason was simple—by strengthening Devouring Ice, he would be able to do more, devour more, and absorb energies more efficiently, which would, in turn, help him raise the strength of the other elements faster.
So, for three months straight, he allocated all the energy he obtained from devouring anything containing qi to the Devouring Ice. Yuying ensured they always found the next thing to devour, and after three months of devouring thousands of monsters and treasures, the Devouring Ice ascended to Refined Rank.
The moment its rank rose, Fruity selected the next element, Annihilation Ice. His choice wasn't based on short-term goals; otherwise, he would have picked Soul Eater Ice. However, Fruity had now become something of a Combat Mage.
This meant he could fight in close combat while also casting spells and magic. Because of this, he needed an ice element capable of dealing maximum damage. Annihilation Ice was perfect for that, so he wasted no time switching his focus to it.
As he strengthened it, he also used it in combat, developing minor techniques to use it efficiently in both combat and spellcasting. It took him four full months to push it to Refined Rank, and by then, they had traveled halfway to their destination.
For the third element, he chose Chaotic Ice, which also took three months to push to the Refined Rank. But when Chaotic Ice rose to Refined Rank, something strange happened.
Fruity received a mind-attack technique called Mind in Chaos. When the technique entered his mind, he was shocked beyond his senses. At first, he thought it was due to his immense mental strength or his past memories, but after reviewing the technique, he discovered it was linked to the Chaotic Ice.
The technique allowed him to imprint chaotic thoughts into the minds of others. While its effectiveness depended on the power of his own mind, the chaotic ice would amplify the attack twofold every time he used it.
The worst part? If the imprint stuck, it would begin to grow, burrowing into the deepest parts of the target's mind. This would make them lose control of their awareness, which—if it didn't kill them—would give Fruity all the openings he needed to finish them off.
After that, Fruity moved on to strengthening the Soul Eater Ice. For this, Yuying advised they should only target monsters with powerful soul strength. Although it would be extremely difficult to navigate, devouring the souls of stronger monsters meant the ice would become much stronger after breaking through.
Three months later, Soul Eater Ice also reached Refined Rank, and Fruity's soul strength grew significantly during this time.
Next was Abyssal Ice, which also took three months to push to Refined Rank, causing Fruity and Yuying to delay their travels by an extra month. But it was worth it. With one ice element at Realm Rank, five at Refined Rank, and the last at Common Rank, Fruity felt stronger than ever.
He considered delaying their journey by another two or three months to strengthen his last element, but Yuying warned him that if they didn't hurry, they might miss their transport to the Northern Region.
When crossing from one region to another, they would encounter a spatial field that could only be traversed using a flying spatial boat. Yuying had already secured enough funds for the trip and even arranged a way for Fruity to blend in.
Essentially, Fruity had to disguise himself as a demon. A human—especially a handsome one—traveling through the world of demons would attract far too much attention. The demons preferred human meat to their fellow demons' meat.
However, Fruity rejected Yuying's method and used the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram to change his appearance. During their journey, he had collected many essence blood from demon monsters, so using one of the Diagram's abilities, he transformed into a Blue Horn Hawk demon.
It was one of the monsters he had practiced his targeting and reflexes on during their travels. From what he observed, Blue Horn Hawks were adept in both aerial combat and flight. The Forbidden Diagram didn't just alter his appearance; it also gave him some of the traits of the monster he turned into.
But since he was originally human, his demi-human form was even more eye-catching than the average Blue Horn Hawk. In short, he remained handsome, no matter what creature he transformed into.
Additionally, the powers of the Forbidden Diagram ensured that no one could sense he was human, so Fruity felt confident in his disguise. Yuying, already a Demon Fox, simply retained her original appearance.
On the 16th month after they had set out, they finally crossed into the Northern Region. Wasting no time, they began traveling to the domain of the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons, one of the overlords of that region. Yuying carefully avoided the domains of other monsters, so it took them an additional two weeks to reach the dragons' territory.
Once there, Fruity immediately put into motion the plan he had been developing for 16 months. Knowing he was out of his league in terms of raw power, he relied on his sharp intellect to get what he wanted.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC283 Entering the Dark Flame Chaos Dragon Region
"Yuying, next time you want to convince me not to get into something dangerous and difficult, be sure to use all your weapons," Fruity said, hiding behind a thin tree with Yuying.
When Yuying told him about the tasks he needed to perform in order to qualify to join a witch temple, Fruity never bothered to ask what he needed to do in the domain of the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons.
It was only after they entered the Northern Region that she mentioned he would have to steal a dragon horn from their ancestral burial site. Essentially, in the domain of the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons, when a dragon dies, it sheds its horns.
After they are buried, the horns are placed—more like planted—on the grave as a sign of respect. This, of course, means the site is heavily protected.
"Master, if it's too hard, we can go back and look for other ways to awaken your bloodline," Yuying said. She didn't want to admit it, but she was hoping her master would take up her offer. However, Fruity was unwilling to do that.
Just like when he had forced her to say the word that resulted in heavenly punishment, he could sense that he needed to take this trial. Because of that, no matter the danger, he was determined to navigate it somehow.
"Don't worry, Yuying. Go inside my Soul Space. I will handle this easily," Fruity said, sending Yuying into his soul sea.
"First, I need to blend in. Thankfully, the Forbidden Diagram can handle that. I just need to do a soul search to copy their memories." Since the Diagram can't copy the memories of those Fruity transforms, he has to do that manually.
He doesn't know much about the Diagram, but so far, he has learned that he can either use the blood of monsters to change his appearance or fully transform into them. Because of this, he planned to hunt for blood first before moving forward with his other plans.
With swift movements and zero presence, thanks to his Devouring Ice ability, Fruity entered deep into the territory of the demon dragons.
A few hours later, he came to a stop when he sensed the presence of four Tier 6 Dark Flame Chaos Dragons. He got close, making sure his presence went unnoticed.
"This hunt was a burst. We should head back. Maybe Kaldros and his team will get lucky this time," one of the dragons, in their demi-human form, said with a sigh. Continue reading stories on empire
"He would love to rub it in our faces," another said.
Fruity scanned him with his senses and decided that transforming into this one wouldn't be a bad idea at all. Among the group, he was by far the most handsome.
"Alright, let's go. Whatever happens, happens," the one who seemed to be their leader said, prompting the four hunters to begin heading back.
'Although the Forbidden Diagram can change my realm to match the realm of any monster I turn into, having the same realm naturally offers some advantages. It will be easier to simulate their traits,' Fruity thought as he began circling around them.
The four dragons, who were moving, suddenly felt their surroundings grow cold. This immediately put them on high alert, ready for battle. But before they could search for the source, a wave of dizziness hit them, causing them to collapse and fall unconscious.
"Sleep tight, teammates. Even Tier 7 or 8 would struggle to withstand my mental attacks," Fruity muttered as he stood beside the unconscious dragons. After refining the Chaos Ice, his mental strength had risen considerably.
He quickly formed a hand seal, and a miniature pagoda appeared, entering the forehead of the handsome dragon. As soon as it did, the dragon's memories began flowing into Fruity's mind.
He did the same for the other three, and with a gesture, the handsome fellow was devoured, leaving behind only a drop of his blood.
Fruity gestured for the blood to flow to his forehead, where it was immediately devoured by a star-shaped tattoo that appeared on his forehead. A red mist surrounded him briefly. When it cleared, he had fully transformed into the handsome dragon.
He quickly sheathed the weapons he had picked up earlier and made sure everything on him was intact. The Diagram was able to recreate his attire, so he didn't need to remove them before killing his target.
"This will do," Fruity muttered before lying down beside the three unconscious dragons. A while later, someone tapped his hand, waking him up with a tired expression.
"What happened?" he asked, noticing the other three were now standing, weapons in hand but looking exhausted.
"It seems we were attacked, but by what?" the leader said with a frown.
"We're alive, so we should vacate this place quickly," one of them suggested.
"Drakthar is right, we should leave," Fruity, now in his demi-dragon form, said. The others nodded, and without overthinking it, they left and headed back to their sanctuary.
From what Fruity had gathered from their memories, they were hunters from a part of the Dark Flame Chaos Dragon domain.
In the Dark Flame Chaos Dragon Domain, there are various sections, each ruled by a Tyrant. From what Fruity gathered from their memories, there are five sections. The group he encountered was from the Chaos Section, ruled by a Tyrant-rank dragon called Morthrak, who is the third strongest Tyrant in the Chaos Section.
There are two other Tyrants, one of whom is a Divine General currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to become a Deimos (Tier 9).
Fruity, of course, wanted to infiltrate the Ancestral Burial site. He quickly found out that, to gain entry, he would have to become an Ancestral Guardian—guards responsible for protecting the burial site.
Fruity managed to identify three of these guards currently residing in the Chaos Section. All he needed to do was kill one, transform into him, and wait for his rotation to guard the site. When it was his turn, he could steal the horn and escape before the Demon Dragon King caught wind of it.
After all, the strongest dragon in the Dark Flame Chaos Dragon Domain was a Tier 11 dragon, a realm higher than Yuying. If Fruity didn't play his cards right, and the only Dreadnaught in the domain intervened, his bones wouldn't even be left to bury.
"Same time tomorrow, right?" Fruity asked his teammates as they arrived at the large wall protecting the Chaos Section, commonly referred to as Chaos City. They nodded before retiring to their homes
Fruity, who lived with his father, a blacksmith, quickly went home and, like a good son, informed his father about their hunt. As expected, his father scolded him for being weak, something normal for demons who crave strength.
Fruity, unfazed by his fake father's scolding, went to bed. The next day, he followed the same routine for an entire week until the rotation for the Ancestral Guards came around.
He found an excuse to skip the hunt that day, and under the cover of night, he followed the three Tier 7 dragons as they headed toward the Ancestral Burial Site. His plan was simple: use the same tactics he employed against the Tier 6 dragons, but with a slight alteration.
Fruity diligently followed them, transforming back into his Blue Horn Hawk form, which was faster than the dragon form he had taken before.
"Guys, something's not right," one of the three Tier 7 dragons suddenly said, stopping and drawing his weapon.
"Velgorn, what seems to be the problem this time?" one of the others asked, addressing the dragon who had drawn his weapon. There was a frown on his face which meant they had been through this situation and a similar one before
"The air feels strange like we're walking through something," Velgorn said, glancing around cautiously.
"You haven't slept well this time either, huh? I feel fine, and Ghanorth seems fine too, so what's wrong with you? Are you not feeling alright?" asked the second dragon, Vuithan.
"Maybe you're right. I haven't had a good night's sleep these days," Velgorn admitted, though he remained on high alert, his senses heightened.
"Let's go," Vuithan said. After a slight hesitation, they began moving again.
A kilometer away, Fruity sighed. 'I guess I need to get closer for a quicker and maximum effect,' he thought to himself.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC284 Stealing a Dragon Horn
Fruity moved closer to the three Tier 7 Dragons, who were considered among the strongest in the entire Chaos Dragon domain.
He was using Hypnotic Ice alongside Chaos Ice to slowly put them to sleep, but he underestimated the awareness and mental strength of the dragon named Velgorn.
He used Hypnotic Ice to create an illusion of their surroundings, making it appear as it had from the start. Then, using Chaos Ice, he subtly began to imprint suggestions on their minds. He applied minimal pressure, ensuring they wouldn't notice his influence.
However, Velgorn managed to sense something, forcing him to move closer. Now, just 400 meters away from them, Fruity amplified the effect of the ice, carefully masking his presence to avoid detection.
After two hours, their minds still hadn't succumbed to unconsciousness, but Fruity could sense their growing dizziness as they approached the ancestral site.
After another 45 more minutes, the imprint finally settled into their minds, allowing Fruity to knock them out. Without holding back, he used Mind in Chaos to hammer their consciousness, knocking them out instantly.
Fruity quickly devoured Velgorn, and two hours later, he sensed them waking up again. The two remaining dragons asked many questions, but seeing nothing unusual except being knocked out unexpectedly, they continued their journey now being on high alert.
A few hours later, they arrived at the Ancestral Burial Site. Fruity subconsciously shuddered, feeling an immediate spiritual pressure emanating from the burial grounds. He knew he had to proceed with caution.
That place contains the residue soul energy of dead dragons and since he wasn't a dragon, the pressure was pressing down on him more than it would with the true Dark Flame Chaos Dragons.
"Vuithan, I will be guarding that damaged grave today. I need to clear my mind, and that place seems quiet and cool enough for me to do so," Fruity, in his disguise, said with a weary expression.
You have to give him credit—this violet-haired monk certainly knew how to act. His expressions and demeanor were so natural that Fruity couldn't help but wonder where that trait came from.
Yes, he inherited some traits from the monsters he transformed into; however, Velgorn wasn't one to show much expression aside from his upright and brilliant nature. This meant those traits were coming from Fruity himself.
After killing the dragon, Fruity felt a sense of loss. He saw his life flash before him and could tell that Velgorn was part of the 1 percent of good demons one could find in the Tormented World.
Although 99 percent of demons are terrible, the 1 percent are decent. However, Fruity didn't know this, and since Velgorn seemed more perceptive, he understood he had to proceed carefully to make things easier for himself. So he took out the variable to be safe.
"Alright, just don't stress yourself too much. We all know you're the hardest worker," Vuithan said, tapping him on the shoulder.
Velgorn went to inform their commander in charge, and just like his friends, the commander gave him the go-ahead to relax. This further confirmed to Fruity that he had killed the wrong demon, but it was already done—no need for him to dwell on it.
After leaving for his chosen destination, Fruity spent the rest of the day resting as he had intended. They would be on duty for a whole week, so all he could do now was play it safe and make his calculations carefully.
During the seven days they would spend there, they would patrol the burial site three times—on the second, fourth, and seventh days before they departed.
Fruity planned meticulously, ensuring that the section he would patrol on the seventh day would be the last place they would survey when the next batch arrived. By then, he would be long gone.
Three days went by, and during that time, Fruity surveyed the area and picked his target. It was a large dark horn, which, upon examination, belonged to a Tier 10 monster dragon. He knew that if he wanted a chance to be selected to join a witch temple, he must surprise them.
A horn belonging to an Argonaut (Tier 10) dragon seemed like the kind of thing that could cause significant chaos.
Five more days passed, and during that time, Fruity diligently set many countermeasures in place. It would take them three days to get back to Chaos City. He knew they would notice the horn was missing, so he was making sure he had a head start.
The disappearance of a Tier 10 dragon's horn would attract considerable attention, so he knew he had to make his plans and back them up with contingencies before stealing the horn.
Eventually, the seventh day came, and Fruity resumed his last shift with a determined look on his face. Gradually, around 3 in the afternoon, they were asked to conduct another sweep of the area before departing.
"Vuithan, that section seemed okay the last time we went through it, but to make sure we didn't miss anything, why don't we divide and conquer so we can finish early and go back?" Fruity, in Velgorn's disguise, suggested.
"Great idea, Velgo! We should do that. Since you're tired from all your hard work, take that section. Ghanorth and I will take the other two sections," Vuithan said with his usual smile.
Over the past few days, Fruity examined the guards' characters and noticed their behavior. One of his plans was to kill every last one of them, including their Tier 8 commander, but seeing how well they treated him, he decided to spare their lives.
However, that didn't mean he wouldn't play mind games with them. Vuithan liked to talk but lacked the self-confidence to make his own decisions. Because of this, Fruity made sure to always suggest ideas that Vuithan readily backed.
As for Ghanorth, he, too, didn't like talking, but he was the kind of person who valued friendship. Whatever Velgorn and Vuithan came up with, he never commented; he just followed along.
The three were like a package deal, so their commander always paired them together. Of course, Fruity knew that once they discovered it was Velgorn who stole the horn, the two would be in trouble. But he didn't feel guilty about that; after all, the two were anything but good people.
Vuithan tended to flirt with people's wives. He even went behind Velgorn's back and slept with his wife, so his death would be justified.
As for Ghanorth, let's just say that after he died, the ladies in Chaos City would finally find some much-needed peace and joy. Extracting their memories was the best thing Fruity could do to avoid making any foolish moves that could jeopardize his mission.
Fruity left to make his rounds. Of course, he wasn't actually making any rounds; he was stealing the horn. After an hour, they regrouped, and later that day, the next rotation came, and the three of them left.
They had three days to get back home, and a month later, they would go for another rotation. Fruity, who had made sure to buy himself some time, urged his friends to hurry back because he needed to see a healer somewhere in the mountains not far from Chaos City.
Because of that, it took them two and a half days to return to Chaos City. This meant that if his illusion hadn't been discovered, he would have another two days to flee from Chaos City.
But luck wasn't on his side. Three days after they left the burial site, the illusion broke, and the missing horn was discovered. They immediately sounded alarms that reached the Dragon King, who issued a lockdown.
Fruity, who had left the city and was now on his way toward the border, found himself blocked by twenty Tier 7 Dragons who had already received orders to stop anyone from crossing the border.
"Stop there! Orders from the Dragon King: nobody is allowed to leave the domain until after the thief who stole the dragon horn is caught," one of the guards said.
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Fruity smiled. "Well, gentlemen, I don't suppose any of you anticipated dying today."
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC285 Narrowly Escaping Death
Fruity's plan was simple. Since it would take three days to travel from the Ancestral Burial Site to Chaos City and another two days to cross the border, he aimed to put a half-a-day head start between himself and the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons. He set the illusion to break four days after he left the burial site.
This meant that if his companions hurried, as they did, allowing them to reach the city in two and a half days, Fruity would have crossed the border long before the news of the missing horn reached the border patrol.
However, the illusion he set at the mine lost its power three days after he left, causing the situation to escalate faster than he had anticipated. But this, too, was within his calculations.
He had already dealt with any suspicion that might arise had the blacksmith realized his son was missing, so the only thing left was to make sure his tracks were clean before leaving.
This meant he couldn't leave any witnesses behind, including the border patrol. He could have escaped by flying away in his Blue Horn Hawk demi-hawk form, but he knew it would only prolong the chase as long as there was information about his whereabouts.
There were shamans and seers with divination abilities who could locate him if they caught sight of him. Of course, Fruity knew the chances of that happening were low, as he couldn't be tracked while using the Forbidden Diagram to disguise himself.
But he wasn't willing to take any chances, so he decided to do the only logical thing—murder.
He gazed at the twenty Tier 7 Dragons, all in their demi-dragon forms, an evil smile curling on his lips. Over the months spent traveling to the northern region, Fruity had killed so many monsters that his demeanor had started to change.
He had become more evil than he realized. Yuying had noticed this, and she began trying her best to lighten his burdens, hoping that reducing his kills would help. But it didn't change anything—his bloodlust had grown too chaotic.
Of course, Yuying had already made plans to deal with that before he became a killing machine devoid of emotion.
"Stand back and consent to a search. You can then remain here until the lockdown is lifted," the young man, who seemed to be the leader of the border guards, said, ignoring Fruity's earlier comment.
"And what if I don't consent?" Fruity asked.
"Then we will use force," the leader replied.
"That's more like it. Why don't we get straight to that, then?" Fruity smirked, and without even blinking, his disguise vanished, revealing his human form.
"Sentient... Kill!" It took just a single glance for the leader of the dragon guards to give the order to kill him. The sight of Fruity's true appearance had triggered something primal in them.
What Fruity doesn't know is that the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons have been defending their ancestral burial site for many years against various demon races attempting to steal their horns.
The main reason they were made a target for trials to join a Witch Temple was due to their refusal to submit to the Witch Temples' rule. Unlike most monster races that surrendered, the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons, along with some other demon races, chose to remain independent.
This defiance led the Witch Temple to use them as pawns in their selection process for new members. In the Tormented World, although there are no humans, there is a demon race that resembles humans, known as Sentients.
These Sentients are among the strongest races in the world and the key members of this Witch temples, and for years, they have plagued the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons. To the dragons, Sentients are like a plague that must be eradicated.
When Fruity revealed his human-like form, it triggered an immediate response. The dragons, seeing him as a Sentient, descended on him with weapons and attacks, all aimed to end his life.
"Tsk..." Fruity smirked, and with a thought, a green mist of ice gushed out, covering a 1-kilometer radius. The twenty Tier 7 dragons attacking him were immediately devoured by the hypnotic ice.
"Giant Bone Mountain Descent," Fruity muttered coldly, activating one of the skills he had gained after the hypnotic ice reached the Realm Rank.
At once, a huge mountain of bone and ice descended upon the green mist, crashing down on the defenseless dragons who had fallen under his illusion.
They were only Tier 7 dragons, not very powerful when their mental fortitude was taken into account. Fruity, whose hypnotic ice has become more powerful than ever and whose mind and soul were stronger, easily subdued them.
Of course, this wouldn't have worked on someone like Velgorn, who possessed a powerful mind and soul. But because these Tier 7 dragons were mentally weak, their minds were instantly dragged into an illusion Fruity created.
Inside the illusion, they believed they were ganging up on him and beating him senseless. This, of course, made it easy to take over their minds, as that was exactly what they had been hoping for—to kill him.
They hated Sentients so much that they wouldn't hear reason the moment they saw one. Fruity just picked the right illusion trapping them in it.
Before they could snap out of it, they had already been crushed by a huge boulder that drained a large sum of Fruity's Star Qi. But it worked—they were flattened while lost in dreamland.
One thing about illusions is that once you fall into them, it becomes difficult to break free. In combat, even a second of vulnerability can cost you your life. Fruity had more than enough openings to kill them, and he didn't waste any.
Fruity, who hadn't moved a single finger, simply gazed at the flattened bodies. With a sigh, the devouring flame activated, consuming their remains and extracting the energy into the Immortal Ice—the only element he had yet to upgrade to the next rank.
"It'll take them at least five hours to get here. After all, there are six borders, and no one knows I came through this one," Fruity said before taking to the sky.
Now that he was a sage, his speed had increased several times, even in the air, so he left hastily, leaving no trace behind.
A while later, ten Tier 8 dragons arrived at the border, but to their shock, there were no guards in sight. It was as if the place had been abandoned for a long time. They searched for a while, but after finding nothing, they left.
A day later, they informed the king, who immediately issued an order to hunt down whoever was responsible. Men were deployed across the Tormented World to search for the stolen horn. News quickly spread throughout the Northern Region and soon reached the other regions. Continue your adventure at empire
The horn that was stolen wasn't just any ordinary horn—it belonged to the king's brother, who had died in combat while they were fighting the Witch Towers to maintain their independence.
It had been a crazy and chaotic battle. At that time, the current king was a prince, and his brother—whose horn was just stolen by Fruity—was supposed to become the king. But to secure the future of their race, his brother fought bravely and died a hero's death.
So the theft of his horn was a huge insult to the Dark Flame Chaos race. The section of the burial site from which the horn was stolen was reserved for the dragons who fought in that battle.
This enraged the Dark Flame Chaos Dragons. If the horn isn't returned within a few years, they may declare war on the Witch Temple. After all, it had been 670 years since a horn was stolen from their Ancestral Land, and this time, it was the horn of a martyr.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC286 Harrows Mountain
"Master, you really did it," Yuying said, now flying beside Fruity as they sped away from the Northern Region. It had already been a week since he left the Domain of the Chaos Dragons, and he hadn't stopped flying since then. He was back in his Demi-Hawk form.
Yuying emerged from his soul sea once they finally left the Northern Region. Now flying beside her master, she couldn't help but marvel. Fruity had just waltzed into the domain of one of the most powerful races of demon dragons, stolen a horn, and left, just like that.
"Never doubt me, Yuying," Fruity said with a smirk.
Truth be told before he acquired the Forbidden Diagram, he hadn't been sure how he would infiltrate such a domain without facing harrowing battles.
However, after discovering the many things he could do with the Seven Star Forbidden Diagram—of which the perfect disguise was one—he knew exactly what had to be done.
The disguise was so flawless that no matter the realm of the person, they wouldn't be able to see through it.
"I never doubted you, Master," Yuying replied with a smile. Experience more tales on empire
She had been worried sick when Fruity finally managed to enter the Ancestral Burial Site. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about leaving the soul sea to help him.
However, trusting her master, she waited as Fruity spent seven whole days planning and setting up measures before taking the horn.
Now, Fruity had only one thing left to acquire: the feather of a Harrow. Yuying had already told him this would be the greatest danger he would face. Their next stop was the border of the Central Region to cross over.
A month later, they finally crossed into the Central Region. But before heading to Harrow Mountain, Fruity and Yuying decided to pay a visit to an old friend of Yuying's.
150 years ago, Yuying and a Lion Demon, spent an entire day in a bidding war over a book that no one else recognized its true value. At that time, only Yuying, a strange collector, and the Lion knew that the ancient book was a manual containing one of the most powerful cultivation methods—Aura Cultivation.
In the end, the Lion won the bid taking home the manual.
The Lion knew because he had a unique ability that allowed him to see the true value of things. As for the collector, he was hunting for something similar but one that focused on souls. Yuying, however, sought it because it was a manual written by her master many years ago.
Yes, it was something written by Klaus's second incarnation. When Yuying awakened in the Tormented World with her past memories intact, she did everything she could to search for items connected to her master.
That was the role of the Paragon Guards. They were born many years before their master with one purpose: to prepare a head start for him when he awakened.
As a Paragon, Klaus wouldn't have opportunities handed to him—he had to fight for them. So, in his first life, he did the only logical thing: he cheated reincarnation.
It was safe to say that Klaus, or Fruity's original self, was a genius who saw what needed to be done and did it even better than anyone could have imagined.
A paragon wouldn't get the heaven blessing, neither would they be recognized no matter how peaceful they lead their life. So in other to make sure he was always reincarnated well, he made sure he prepared something that wouldn't necessarily interfere with the heavens, yet directly aid him.
It took them three days to reach the remote dwelling of the Demon Lion. Fruity and Yuying spent another two days observing him, and after confirming he was just a Tier 9 demon, the Master and Servant duo ganged up on him and beat him senseless—something Yuying had been wishing to do for many years.
After retrieving the manual, which had taken all of Fruity's mental strength to put the Lion Demon under an illusion, he placed a spell on him out of anger.
Three days later, the Lion, feeling unusually generous, decided to organize an in-house auction, giving away all his belongings to anyone with as little as ten Dark Stones.
In the Tormented World, the currency used is known as Dark Stones, considered the basic currency. The second tier is Soul Stones, and the highest is Moon Stones. Fruity, of course, knew his servant was wealthy, so he did not attempt to make his own money.
Two weeks later, they arrived in the first city since entering the Central Region. It was a city comprising various races but ruled by Molten Demon Golems. They stayed there for two days before boarding a flying ship to another city known as Ginnix Rat City.
According to the map they had, they would be able to enter Harrow Mountain from there. Fruity would have to pluck a feather from a Harrow, a monster said to come from hell.
Of course, this was an exaggeration. The Harrows were just monsters that lived deep inside underground volcanoes, and Harrow Mountain was one of the places they frequented. So, they had to go.
However, it wasn't an exaggeration when they said the Harrows were twisted demons whose hundreds of demon monsters had died trying to pluck their feathers. They were extremely dangerous.
Fruity had already obtained the horn and the Witch mark, so all that was left was to obtain the feather of a Tier 8 Harrow.
Weaker Harrows didn't like coming to the surface. Only Tier 8 and above came to hunt for food to feed their young below, so Fruity would have to face a Tier 8 Harrow if he wanted a feather. Of course, he could just purchase one, but it was extremely expensive.
Despite Yuying's suggestion to buy one, Fruity chose to reject it. His reason was simple: if he managed to kill an entire Harrow, they would be set for life. Yes, Fruity wanted to kill the whole thing; he wasn't just after a feather.
He knew it would take him a few more years to awaken his bloodline, and during those years, he would need wealth to secure most things. He now had an updated map in his mind and knew where to go to find some items left behind by his past self.
But to do that, he needed resources. Even though Yuying had some wealth, it wouldn't be enough for the two of them. However, even if it were sufficient, he knew that having extra cash would be the best step one could take.
So he planned to kill an entire Harrow. After joining a witch temple, he would do what he did best: grow stronger while he rose through the ranks to become a Witch General. Then, from there, his revenge plot would begin.
Yuying spent the next three days buying supplies that Fruity would need to lure the Harrow. After resting for a while, they set off—more precisely, Fruity entered the mountain while Yuying returned to his soul sea.
Fruity expected the situation to be harrowing, but to his shock, when he summoned the Harrow by spreading certain chemicals Yuying had bought for him, the monster couldn't do anything.
Expecting a tense battle, he summoned the Pentaface bead. To his astonishment, when the bead appeared, the monsters froze and collapsed. All he did was walk closer and drive his spear through its neck.
It was a strange moment for him, but after a while, he realized it was due to the first face on the bead. After all, it had some correlations to Harrows. The Bell of Harrows came from that face, so he chalked it up to that.
Two months later, he stood in front of one of the five witch temples known as the Dark Star Witch Temple. That day, when he presented his items for registration, the entire witch temple was in an uproar.
The horn of the Dark Flame Chaos Dragon said to have been stolen months earlier, had appeared, and Fruity, who had brought it, was immediately accepted as a Witch Captain—just one rank away from qualifying for the Bloodline Trial.
It took him three years to become a Witch General. Then, a year later, the opportunity to enter the Tormented Bloodline Trial came. It was also the day when the entire world of the Tormented experienced the awakening of a paragon: the first Master of the Blood Star.
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THE LAST PARAGON IN THE APOCALYPSEC287 Intense Bloodlust
Klaus, who had been meditating for seven days, opened his eyes. The moment he did, a powerful energy filled with bloodlust burst from his body, sending a violent force through his training room and, subsequently, the entire house.
The force was so intense that huge cracks began forming throughout the building. All over the house, both the maids and the security personnel rushed to the living room, fearing that someone might have attacked their Master or, worse, his mother.
However, upon reaching the living room and seeing Klaus's mother, Miriam, and Hanna standing there, equally shocked by what was happening, they became stunned. If it wasn't an attack, what could have caused their home to be in such a dire state? Experience tales at empire
Their questions were quickly answered when they realized their Master was not in the house. They knew whatever had happened was because of him. Yet, none of them moved. They stood still as if waiting for him to emerge.
Klaus, realizing he had woken up from his memory retrieval, quickly reined in the intense bloodlust surging through him. It was so overwhelming that, for a brief moment, all he wanted was to go on a killing spree.
But he knew that would be a terrible idea, especially when he saw the damage he had done to the house.
Chanting filled the air as he began reciting some of the calming mantras from his past life as Fruity. A few minutes later, his heart calmed, bringing the bloodlust down a notch. After 20 minutes, he returned to normal, suppressing the bloodlust to a level no one could detect, though it still lingered just beneath the surface.
He sighed and retrieved his phone.
"Seven days, huh?" he muttered, looking at the date on the screen. He had decided to delve into the memories left by his past self seven days ago.
He had witnessed years of training and killing—so much killing that just going through the memories provoked such intense bloodlust. Of course, Klaus was similar to Fruity in terms of killing. He had slain his fair share of monsters, Zombies, and humans, so it felt somewhat normal.
However, he hadn't killed enough to provoke such a destructive burst of energy, one that nearly brought down his house. It was safe to assume that the memories had affected him more than he had anticipated.
"I need to go for a walk," Klaus said as he stood up. He wasn't in the right mindset and needed some time to calm down. Getting some fresh air would help.
For the past 20 minutes, the maids, security, Miriam, Klaus's mother, and his sister, Hanna, had been standing near the entrance to Klaus's training room, waiting anxiously. Suddenly, the door opened, and he walked out.
The first thing Klaus noticed were the huge cracks in the ceiling and the shattered glass. He immediately realized he must have frightened a few people.
"Sorry, everyone. My training took a dangerous turn, but everything is fine now," Klaus said with a reassuring smile. He knew the maids and guards were more concerned for his safety than anything else.
And they had every reason to be. Klaus had already helped about 20% of them become Sages, and the rest were either Saints or at the peak of Sainthood.
Even Kofi was nearing the Great Sage realm. In just a few months, his Great Sage core would be formed, and he would face his tribulation.
The maids and guards nodded, smiles on their faces, as they left to begin repairing some of the damage Klaus had caused.
"Are you alright?" his mother asked once they were gone, walking up to him and holding his hand.
"I'm fine, Mom. It was just an unexpected reaction," Klaus replied.
However, what he did not realize was that, just like when his mother had somehow noticed his presence when he accidentally peeked at her months back, she had also sensed the intense bloodlust he had released moments earlier.
Even now, holding his hand, she could feel it. This, of course, triggered her motherly instincts—the kind that knew when something wasn't right with their children.
"Seriously, Mom, I'm fine," Klaus said, poking her cheek playfully. He knew she didn't believe him, but he couldn't just offload everything on her like that.
That would be an awkward conversation. His past couldn't be shared lightly, and he knew that much. Despite knowing some things about her own past, he could only endure and try to come to terms with his own struggles on his own.
The current Klaus is far from being fine. His mind is in turmoil from the flood of memories he has absorbed.
First, it was the painful memory of his mother and Hanna's deaths, followed by the tragic loss of half the monks who had planned to sacrifice their souls to activate a nameless token. This token was supposed to send Fruity to a land brimming with resources.
The monks didn't know exactly where Fruity would end up, but they believed the sacrifice of 10,000 willing souls would send him somewhere valuable.
However, Fruity couldn't bear watching his uncles die for his sake, so at the last moment, his resurfacing memories allowed him to break the chain of fate and redirect them to the Ice World.
In the aftermath, Fruity slaughtered tens of thousands, taking their vengeful souls and using them to open a portal to the Tormented World. From there, his journey was filled with bloodshed, moving from the Eastern Region all the way to the Northern Region.
Fruity's excessive killing even started to worry his servant, Yuying. Upon joining the Witch Temple, he continued his slaughter, driven by the desire to rank up and qualify for the Bloodline Trial.
However, these weren't his only accomplishments. In the three years before entering the Trial, Fruity also retrieved the Manual on Aura Cultivation, setting him on the path to awakening the True Killing Aura, also known as the Asura Aura (Slaughter Aura), as Yuying referred to it.
It took him two and a half years to awaken it, and back then, he had killed so much that he became numb to slaughter. Thankfully, the memories stopped just as he entered the Trial.
Klaus knew the memories that followed would be filled with the slaughter that would soon herald him to the world as the Renegade Monk—one who walked in opposition to the teachings of monks.
That being said, his brain is now f*cked up from all the slaughter, and now, remembering everything, the past and current bloodlust started to resurface.
"I'll just take a walk outside for a few hours to clear my mind," Fruity said, kissing his mother on the cheek before leaving the house. After he left, the three women in the room sighed.
"He was lying," his mother said.
"I can tell he's in so much pain, but it seems he didn't want to share, not even with me." Her expression grew sad.
"Mom, don't be sad. He'll open up when he's ready. You just have to give him some time," Hanna said, holding her mother's hand. Miriam also stepped closer, taking her other hand.
Like Klaus's mother, the two women could sense the bloodlust in him, especially Miriam, who now shared an intimate connection with him.
"Should I follow him?" Miriam asked, watching as Klaus walked out of the house.
"No, he wants to be alone, so we should give him his privacy," his mother said with a sigh. As a mother, it was only natural to worry. Thankfully, she had two amazing women by her side to comfort her.
Klaus, having just exited his house, decided to walk in a certain direction. He did not have anywhere particular in mind, so he simply began walking. However, after a while, he found himself in the slums, heading toward the house where he and his mother used to live.
When he arrived, he quickly sat on a stone beside the house. He gazed into the sky, and after a while, closed his eyes, clearly lost in deep thought. However, that didn't last long. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and, in a cold, menacing tone, uttered:
"I'm really not in the mood for any cat-and-mouse games. If you want to die today, then come out of the shadows. Otherwise, scram."
As if to emphasize his words, a dense bloodlust burst from his body, blowing everything away, including the makeshift apartment they once lived in.
But it wasn't the only thing blown away. From the shadows, a figure dressed in black emerged, holding his head and rolling on the ground.
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