The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse Chapter 1491: Jade Ant Queen’s Rebirth (4)
Previously on The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse...
"Behind you," a panicked shout alerted him. The assassin, brandishing a dagger of considerable length, glanced behind in response to the warning. This proved to be a critical error, for as he turned, a sword flashed from his left, its target his throat.
As an Immortal Lord, his reflexes were sharp, allowing him to shift his body upwards. Yet, it was all for naught. The instant he dodged the fatal blow, a spear surged from the earth, impaling his heart and marking him as Klaus’s second confirmed kill.
His body went limp, but it never touched the ground.
Mere meters from impact, it simply dissolved into thin air.
A smile touched Klaus’s lips as he shifted his form, becoming intangible, letting a shadow dart past him. It was his elusive adversary, the one who had been relentlessly attacking with the poisoned blade.
While a method to negate the dagger’s poison remained elusive, Klaus knew his [Intangible Me] skill offered some defense, provided he could anticipate the precise moment of an aimed strike.
Observing the eight remaining assassins closing in, a confident grin spread across his face. He moved, transforming into a swirling crimson mist.
In intricate battles, the augmentation of one’s capabilities arrives through numerous avenues, some demanding steep prices, even one’s life. Among the pinnacle ten methods, three stand particularly prominent.
The foremost is the Immortal Rings Explosion.
This stands as a premier technique for amplifying one’s combat prowess. Each detonation of an immortal ring unleashes a torrent of energy throughout the body, empowering the cultivator to execute devastating strikes.
When employed with mastery, it can even empower a demigod to dispatch a god.
Glancing to the side, Klaus recognized this very technique being utilized by Crux. As a Calamity Beast, the acquisition of Immortal Rings is innate to her being. Detonating a few to enhance her power posed no significant challenge.
However, the cost would be steep when her reserves of immortal rings were depleted.
The second method involves soul-burning, a process of consuming one’s soul to directly absorb Pure Soul Qi. This path is fraught with peril, as even a minor misstep can lead to a swift demise.
Few possess the courage to tread this dangerous ground.
The third method, however, is widely practiced and frequently leaves formidable powerhouses in a vegetative state after brutal confrontations.
It is known as Bloodline Burning, a technique that entails consuming one’s blood essence to achieve a temporary surge in power. Its high ranking stems from the fact that its effectiveness is directly proportional to the potency of the user’s bloodline.
Klaus was currently employing this very method, a luxury afforded by his exceptionally potent bloodline.
Naturally, the depletion of one’s bloodline carries inherent risks, as the regeneration of blood essence is an extraordinarily arduous process.
Indeed, in many instances, regenerating lost blood essence is virtually impossible, leading many to embrace this method at their own peril.
Klaus, however, exists apart from such constraints. His reasoning for utilizing this technique is surprisingly straightforward: the presence of his numerous wives.
Prior to the planet’s awakening, he had unlocked a novel ability intrinsically linked to his [Paragon Mark], termed [Bloodline Points]. This power grants him the capacity to transmute Paragon Points into Bloodline Points, which can subsequently be utilized to enhance his bloodline’s strength.
In essence, should his blood essence be entirely consumed, he merely needs to convert Paragon Points into Bloodline Points to fortify it, thereby restoring his blood essence to its full capacity.
Before the commencement of hostilities, he had queried Icon regarding his accumulated Paragon Points, aware that these points are accrued through both intimate encounters and acts of combat.
The greater the number of unions with his wives, the more points he amassed. Beyond this, his own vanquished foes, the kills achieved by his consorts, and the victories credited to any bearing his lineage contribute to his point pool.
While unaware of his companions' or his beast legion's current activities, or the exact frequency of his conjugal relations, a glance at his accumulated points left him utterly astounded.
---
[Paragon Points: 198,880,930,100]
---
The multi-billion total in Paragon Points assured him of unparalleled freedom of action, ensuring he would never face depletion, especially now that one million Paragon Points equates to a single Bloodline Point following his ascension to True Immortal status.
Thus, as he willingly depleted his Primordial Vampire Monarch bloodline, he harbored no apprehension, recognizing it would not spell his ultimate downfall.
In fact, while deftly evading a dagger aimed at his neck, his hand shot back, delivering a swift, decisive slap to a green-haired female assassin.
"That felt satisfying," he declared with a smile, before dissolving into a crimson mist once more, narrowly avoiding another assault from his persistent pursuer.
He reformed, and with an effortless gesture, one hundred spears forged from elemental metal erupted from the ground, converging their assault upon a single assassin.
She attempted to evade, but Klaus invoked the law of time upon her, drastically decelerating her movements.
She was impaled by all one hundred spears, her existence extinguished.
Witnessing the demise of another comrade at Klaus’s hands, the remaining assassins cast aside all apprehension. One individual ignited their life force, channeling a surge of power that propelled them into the ranks of the demigod stage.
Instantly, Klaus felt an immense pressure bear down upon him.
‘Damn it, I must eliminate him next before his power escalates beyond the demigod threshold.’
*BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM* *BOOM*
Before Klaus could make his move, four more assassins ignited their life force. Instantly, his body felt an immense heaviness, rendering him unable to evade when the mysterious person launched their attack.
<You have been poisoned with the Dantura Nightshade Toxin>
<You have been poisoned with the Dantura Nightshade Toxin>
<You have been poisoned with the Dantura Nightshade Toxin>
.
.
.
<You have been poisoned with the Dantura Nightshade Toxin>
Nine lethal strikes slashed across his neck, arms, and legs, escalating the toxin level within him to a critical point.
[Dantura Nightshade Toxin Lethality Level: 72%]
"Damn it," Klaus’s bloodline burned intensely, his power surging. However, as the five assassins, now the equivalent of demigods, unleashed their coordinated assault, he found himself utterly immobilized.
"Not today."
His eyes flashed with a crimson light, and a wooden staff vibrated from his very soul. Externally, Klaus raised his hand, and the wooden staff materialized. With a swift, fatal thrust, he drove it into the ground.
"Staff of Gravity," The earth convulsed, fissures snaking across its surface.
Klaus moved, weaving intricate hand seals that caused the staff to erupt in a blinding golden luminescence.
"Absolute Zero Gravity."
The five faux demigods hurtling towards him froze suspended in mid-air before plummeting downwards. Klaus had nullified gravity, employing the wooden staff's power to rewrite the surrounding laws, thereby forcing them to fight on equal footing.
Yet, by doing so, he was prevented from utilizing the law of gravity or any other law for that matter. But Klaus felt no concern, having already secured the next best solution to counteract the staff’s effect on him.
Observing the five faux demigods charging at him once more, his eyes briefly glowed dark before he offered a pained smile.
"I am still too weak."
He lifted his sword, and for the very first time since awakening the Primordial Vampire Monarch’s bloodline, he unleashed his partially awakened domain, the very same domain once wielded by the Paragon of War, Magnus.
"Domain of War and Carnage."
The ground ruptured, spewing forth molten lava, accompanied by the clatter of chains. Flames erupted from the lava, and from the scorching depths of the inferno, a single red eye blazed, unleashing a fearsome soul attack that washed over the entirety of the Jade Nest.
