The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse Chapter 1484: The Jade Queens Mission

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Previously on The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse...
Klaus raced to the Jade Vault ahead of the Heavens Court, recalling his past defeat there. Meanwhile, ancient seals on statues began to crack, threatening to unleash sealed warriors in five weeks. Elsewhere, the Nirvana Divine Egg began its six-week incubation for the Jade Ant Queen's rebirth, and a team completed a gateway device, awaiting the seals' breakage to bring reinforcements. On the other side of the galaxy, a powerful mercenary legion, the 8th Scarecrow Legion, also waited for the gateway to open and begin their mission.

Klaus materialized on the Jade Vault's first floor, directly before a colossal statue. This monument depicted a warrior executing a sweeping sword strike.

After a brief examination, Klaus turned away. He acknowledged the statue's significance but paid it little mind, as it held no bearing on his current objective.

His goal was the seventh floor, a destination Queen Mantis had hinted would reveal something astonishing.

"Icon, commence scanning all floors and alert me if anything of particular interest emerges," Klaus commanded before shifting his attention to the next task.

He produced the Demon Bead and activated the portal.

Rory and the rest of his companions emerged first, followed by Crux. The 7th Jade Queen and her retinue then stepped through.

Four days had elapsed since their ingress into the Demon Bead, providing ample time for her subordinates' partial recovery. Fortunately, the Immortal Essence Water Klaus had supplied proved beneficial.

Crux had indeed inflicted considerable damage upon them.

Observing them, Klaus recognized their recovery, yet he also sensed a lingering apprehension directed towards Crux emanating from them.

"Welcome to the first floor of the Jade Vault."

All present surveyed their unfamiliar surroundings.

"Has it opened already?" Princess Evren inquired, her gaze fixated on the statue.

"No."

"Then how did you gain entry?"

"I possess backdoor access. Nevertheless, it will not be long before it opens to those still alive. Furthermore, I encountered the god beasts; they indeed carried orders to eliminate us all. I managed to persuade her to spare our lives, but the same leniency was not extended to others. However, if all unfolds as anticipated, the casualty count will be substantially diminished."

They acknowledged his words with nods, though their expressions betrayed their astonishment. The revelation of his encounter with a god beast, tasked with his demise yet emerging unscathed, evidently impressed them, significantly boosting their respect.

Yet, a persistent question lingered: what manner of being was he? Such extraordinary feats seemed beyond the scope of any ordinary human.

"So, what's next?" Rory asked, her hand clasped in Klaus's.

"We are within the Jade Vault, my dear. Our immediate course is to secure whatever we can before it officially opens. At that juncture, this place will be inundated with humans and beasts, escalating the challenges exponentially."

They concurred with his assessment.

The ensuing chaos upon the vault's opening would indeed be considerable. However, possessing a head start made leveraging this advantage the most prudent course of action.

A message from Icon arrived, which Klaus promptly opened.

<All floors have been scanned, and a map detailing the treasures has been generated. However, I have not identified any artifacts that would directly benefit you, Master.>

'That is somewhat surprising, wouldn't you agree? For a queen like the Jade Ant Queen, I would have anticipated the presence of formidable treasures.'

Klaus felt a pang of disbelief that no items of consequence to him were present on any of the first six floors.

<I surmise she shares your nature, Master. A significant portion of her treasures are likely soul-bound, rendering them usable only by her.>

'That reasoning is sound, yet still rather astonishing.'

<To be candid, Master, the quantity of treasures here is not abundant. Some may even be beyond your reach, safeguarded by intricate formations. I have also pinpointed the entrance to the seventh floor.>

Klaus resigned himself to this outcome, recognizing it was the only viable option.

Armed with this new intelligence, he knew his path forward. The hidden seventh floor was now his unambiguous target.

However, before proceeding, he turned to Princess Evren.

"I believe this is an opportune moment for you to disclose your reasons for entering this Nest."

Undoubtedly, her objective was treasure acquisition. While treasure hunting was a common motive, someone of her standing would not pursue ordinary riches.

As anticipated, she nodded and responded.

"I am indeed here with a specific purpose. In fact, now that I am within the vault, locating it should be quite straightforward." She glanced at her companions before continuing, "I seek the Jade Pendant."

Klaus inclined his head, maintaining his composure despite a flicker of surprise.

The Jade Pendant was a treasure of the mental category, known to amplify the wearer's psychic assaults. Klaus's prior, firsthand experience with its devastating efficacy explained his momentary astonishment at Princess Evren's identical pursuit.

<The Jade Pendant resides on the sixth floor, Master.>

'Thank you, Icon.'

Klaus inhaled deeply before speaking.

"The Jade Pendant is located on the sixth floor. Reaching it will require some time, but I am confident we can arrive before the vault is opened to the general populace."

Klaus intended to depart the vault ahead of the crowds, allowing him to strategize effectively for the impending dangers.

“I suppose I’ll be under your care then.” After the ordeals she had faced in the preceding days, she understood the futility of maintaining a proud demeanor. Klaus had demonstrated his capabilities, and thus, accepting his magnanimous offer was the only appropriate course of action. Then again, had she known that Klaus’s sole objective was to acquire the pendant so she might become significantly more potent and valuable for the impending confrontation, perhaps her perception of him would have been altered. ‘Icon, chart a course that guides us through locations where significant treasures are concealed. While I have no personal need for them, I do possess wives who might find them beneficial.’ ‘Well, I see no reason to refuse such a proposal.’ “In that case, we should commence our journey.” They soon departed. Merely a few minutes after their departure, a clone of Icon materialized from the void, a smile gracing her features. With a flick of her diminutive fingers, a portal shimmered into existence. From its depths emerged over a thousand beasts at the Real Immortal level, accompanied by five True Immortals, each and every one of them in their demi-human forms. “Very well, as we’ve agreed, let us all exert our utmost effort, and perhaps I shall be suitably impressed to grant you all a single drop of the Master’s blood.” They inclined their heads in acknowledgement and promptly set to their tasks. Icon observed their dispersal, an enigmatic smile playing upon her lips. What Klaus was unaware of was that, though the treasures might be unremarkable to him, they were numbered in the thousands and scattered throughout the vault, and Icon harbored the intention of securing every last one. Within a few weeks, when the vault eventually yielded its secrets, not a solitary treasure would remain. In her defense, she had not yet gained access to the vaults from Klaus’s previous existences. Therefore, when she managed to access those belonging to others, she would show no such restraint. Thus, they diligently pursued their objective. With Klaus poised to enter battle soon, he might find some of the retrieved treasures of use. Three weeks later, Klaus and his companions ascended to the sixth floor. By this time, Icon and her cadre of pilferers had already reached the fifth floor.