The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse Chapter 1412: A Big Bounty

"How could this have occurred?" The Immortal Lord pounded his fist on the table, which splintered into pieces.

In front of him appeared a projection showing the Immortal Emperor, dispatched by the Mission Hall to monitor Blood Sword and eliminate him if the opportunity arose.

"I’m not sure, my lord. I was trying to uncover any link between Blood Sword and the Renegade Hunter when suddenly, an unknown account uploaded a post revealing not just my real identity, but also the killings I’ve carried out before, and my ties to the Warrior Tower.

Had I not spotted it in time, I might not be talking to you now." He stopped for a moment, let out a deep breath, then continued, "It’s odd how anyone could know all that. It felt like they had intimate knowledge of my life."

"That’s certainly peculiar. But surely you don’t suspect my involvement?"

"Never, my lord. I’ve known you my entire life. You’ve guided and raised me, so my faith in you is absolute.

Still, we must acknowledge that my details were exposed somehow, which points to a traitor in our midst."

He avoided rash judgments, yet the most reasonable conclusion pointed to an insider betraying them.

The Warrior Tower maintained various espionage teams; this particular group answered solely to one Supreme Elder.

He oversaw all operations, meaning no other Supreme Elder could possibly know the identities of these agents.

The sole path to such a revelation was a leak from someone with high access. Pinpointing the traitor immediately, though, proved challenging.

Besides this Immortal Lord, six additional figures held sway, each boasting their own esteemed status. Falsely accusing one would spell disaster.

"Seek out a secure location and stay concealed for the time being. I’ll investigate to uncover the traitor and ensure your safe return."

"Understood, my lord, and for what it’s worth, Blood Sword and the Renegade Hunter share nothing beyond their overconfidence and combat prowess.

Based on my surveillance, Blood Sword acts in sneaky, somewhat deranged ways. It’s wiser to avoid provoking him. We could swiftly remove him to resolve all issues.

Should he advance further, he might resort to every tactic possible to target us."

"Appreciate the advice. I’ll contact you soon." The connection cut off, leaving the Immortal Lord to exhale heavily.

"I realized they weren’t identical, but how can I sway a Supreme Elder from his determined course?" Another sigh escaped him.

He had mentored numerous agents, and through his efforts, the Warrior Tower revealed countless alarming secrets.

Thus, for one of his top performers to suffer such exposure, fury toward Supreme Elder Juo was inevitable. Yet, considering the elder’s recent frustrations, who was he to direct anger at someone already enraged with the world?

In any case, reporting the matter was essential.

As anticipated, his superior reacted poorly.

"Dispatch additional agents and direct the spies on Planet Stella to prioritize tracking the Renegade Hunter. With no sightings of him, he might not even be there. Locate him without delay."

***

[2 hours later]

"Lord Supreme, this live stream shows the Renegade Hunter enjoying afternoon tea alongside Lord Victor and Lady Rory. Clearly, he’s remained on Planet Stella throughout."

"But how is that possible..."

"Additionally, here’s footage of Blood Sword heading back to the arena."

The Immortal Lord itched to remark, "Even a fool could tell they’re different individuals. What’s stopping a rational mind like yours from seeing the obvious?" But valuing his survival, he held his tongue.

Supreme Elder Juo clenched his jaw tightly.

Though rage clouded his judgment, the undeniable tower recordings forced him to reconsider.

To err on caution, he delivered a final command, "Place a 10 billion HC bounty on Blood Sword. Whether he’s that insolent youth or not, he remains a felon who needs to be eliminated."

He terminated the link, and the Immortal Lord wore a serene, pleased look. At last, his pointless assignment drew to a close.

He placed urgent calls, and precisely at 7 am, the bounty activated. Klaus spotted it first, prompting a broad, wicked smile.

"Now, all I lack are weapon spirits, so with you delivering them to me, I trust there’ll be no remorse once this concludes."

Fear eluded Klaus, particularly as he reached the pinnacle of the Early Immortal stage, sensing his own terrifying might.

Lacking any Immortal Ring, he already knew a True Immortal would falter against him.

Imagine his dominance wielding his two Immortal Rings, plus borrowing three more temporarily via the Paragon Mark from his wives?

Far from dreading it, he embraced the threat, as it offered the perfect excuse to unleash fully and amplify his underworld renown.

Bounty hunters, upon viewing the reward, sprang into action, some scheming to strike during his upcoming fight. Naturally, that folly guaranteed doom, for stepping into the arena meant certain death.

Varkos would never tolerate interference in a duel. Even against Klaus, as long as it was tournament combat, no one could dodge the rules to assassinate him.

Still, with 10 billion Heaven Crystals at stake, unpredictability loomed.

Meanwhile, those elsewhere in the cosmos set course for Planet Yahmir. Such a massive bounty in Heaven Crystals was impossible to ignore.

Thus, they converged on Planet Yahmir, setting the stage for a clash with the infamous Blood Sword, who would soon unveil his authentic ferocity to all.

As the proverb warns, villains always harbor hidden tricks.

The day unfolded with escalating fatalities, and as 9 pm arrived, the initial round wrapped up. From 128 entrants, only 64 survived.

The carnage reached new heights, fueling the crowd’s delight—the bloodier, the better.

It sent shivers to witness such fervor amid widespread slaughter, yet who could fault their thrill?

Prior to the tournament’s second day concluding, the subsequent day’s matchups appeared.

Klaus drew the 13th Blood Tournament champion, a young fighter called Silas Keth, better known across the underworld as the Shadow Reaper.

Research by Klaus and Icon revealed he possessed four Immortal Rings and wielded darkness with unmatched intensity.

He ranked among the top 10 deadliest foes Klaus would encounter here.

On the following day, the preliminary bout commenced.