The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse Chapter 1402: Meeting The Star Monarch

Klaus anticipated that the technique would manifest right away once he directed his energy toward it. Yet, to his surprise, he discovered that solving a puzzle was required before he could access the technique.

The puzzle seemed basic: he needed to arrange nine runes in the correct sequence to unlock the technique.

Initially, it appeared quite simple. But that impression shifted as soon as he began to decipher the runes.

At the start, a single word came into view, yet concealed inside it were multiple others, and the further he delved, the more layers he revealed.

It's as though one word contained two, those two held four, and the process continued layering endlessly until it defied logic.

In just five minutes, he had uncovered so many details that he was utterly lost on how to determine the proper placement for each rune and the reasons behind it.

'This feels just like the matrix all over again.'

A grin formed on his lips, and then he took a novel approach. Rather than delving into the meanings of each rune—which he realized would consume days—he chose to concentrate solely on the surface words.

He showed no desire to probe further into the runes. His attention stayed fixed on the terms they symbolized.

Within under two minutes, he had read and grasped all the words.

"Elements, Star, Shadows, Blood, Divine, Arrogance, Death, Illusion, War"

These represented the deciphered runes. They proved relatively simple to interpret, given his ability to read ancient runes.

Still, understanding them differed from applying them. He possessed skills in decoding intricate languages and codes, but utilizing them to resolve the issue proved somewhat demanding.

With time pressing, Klaus delved much further into the nine, ensuring he avoided getting lost in the excitement of exploring each rune's significance.

Rather, he examined the surface level, seeking connections to fill in the gaps.

The Burning Angel, aware of this, watched Klaus intently, convinced that even if solvable, the puzzle would demand several hours from him.

'It required 300 hours for me to crack it. I'm curious how long you'll need, kid.'

Klaus stayed seated for a full hour, achieving zero advancement. Even Icon couldn't assist. She attempted a deeper scan, but it soon became evident that she too faced limitations.

He withdrew his focus and opted to reexamine the words once more. But instead of personal scrutiny, he instructed Icon to run a search.

'Icon, run a search on all nine words and report your findings.' Icon immediately complied, spending 20 minutes on the task until she uncovered something noteworthy.

[The words themselves are quite ordinary overall. An open-ended search yielded endless irrelevant results that made no sense at all.

Ultimately, it was a waste of time, so I switched to a targeted search centered on Heaven’s Court and Warrior Tower.

The outcomes were quite surprising. 'Elements' showed up frequently in contexts related to the 8th Paragon. That struck me as odd, so I queried 'Star,' and that's when everything fell into place.

'Star' connects to the 9th Paragon, the Star Monarch. To confirm, I ran another search, and 'Shadows' emerged as tied to the 5th Paragon.

Master, I believe these words correspond to the nine lives you've experienced.]

'But if that's true, then this individual must have known something about me, and he's attempting to verify it.'

[Thus, if the Master cracks the puzzle, it would affirm your status as the Paragon, giving him justification to eliminate you.]

Klaus's frown deepened considerably.

He was far too perceptive to overlook the Burning Angel's scheme. The angel had leveraged Rory’s life and her father's to coerce him into tackling this puzzle.

Failure or refusal meant their deaths; success exposed his secret. In either scenario, peril loomed.

It formed an impeccable snare, and he had undoubtedly stepped into it. Nevertheless, Klaus couldn't shake the curiosity about why the Burning Angel obsessed over his identity and why he'd claimed no intent to end his life.

He dismissed the notion of 'I just want to battle the Paragon' as nonsense. Some motive existed, one that urged him onward to unravel the puzzle.

To confirm his suspicions, he directed Icon to conduct another inquiry...

'Icon, can you determine when this technique originated, its creator, and any previous learners?'

[As an ancient technique, precise details elude me. However, certain obscured records mention a mighty Primordial beast once loyal to the Star Monarch, possessing eyes known as the Seven Dominion Eye.

Regarding prior learners, that's unclear, but this puzzle has indeed been solved in the past.]

'Ah, so the Angel isn't sharing the full story. If he's cracked it before, then he already understands this puzzle, implying he suspected my capability to do the same.'

Klaus smiled and shook his head. 'He knows I'm the Paragon, Icon. He's merely seeking confirmation before disclosing his own identity to me.'

[How confident are you?]

'As certain as possible. Examine the Star rune more closely. I overlooked it initially, but now with the connection made, the words align logically.'

[It is not too late to live a beautiful life.]

'Those were my words to someone from ages past. That person was a gravely injured angel teetering on death's edge. I rescued her and nurtured her for millennia.

Upon our separation, I uttered those words to encourage a fulfilling existence for her, free from vengeance.'

[Are you implying the Burning Angel shares a connection with this individual?]

'Only one way to confirm.'

Klaus rearranged the runes into their proper alignment. Moments later, the technique unlocked. But rather than a flood of runes, his consciousness transported him to a riverbank, where a solitary figure reclined on a lounger, basking in the sun.

Even from afar, Klaus recognized the figure instantly. There was no chance of confusion.

"I never imagined you as the type to sunbathe, Efad."

"What can I say? I enjoy experimenting with new pursuits." He glanced back with a smug expression. "You ought to give it a shot sometime."

Klaus grinned and settled into the adjacent lounger. He paused to savor the fresh air before posing his query.

"The Burning Angel—care to explain who he is and why he's so determined to uncover my true self?"

"Oh, you don't recall him, do you?"

"Should I?"

"Indeed, you should. After all, he's the sole being in the Universe bearing a Primal Bloodline, a gift you bestowed upon him across several lifetimes."

"Primal Bloodline. What does that entail?"

Efad turned to regard him briefly. "The Primal Bloodline stands as the sole lineage capable of ascending to the primordial realm.

He serves as the contingency you established upon entering this universe."

"Entering?"