The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

"Good bow," Klaus said, examining the bow used by the demon Manticore. His injuries were now healed, and he had finished absorbing the Core, Soul crystal, and Blood Essence.

All that remained was to claim the weapon left behind. It was the spoils of war...

Strangely, they were all soul weapons. Of course, he wouldn't have left them behind even if they weren't soul weapons.

The bow was made from brown bone, with a string crafted from a fibrous substance. Just touching it made it feel more comfortable than one might expect.

He recalled how the Manticore demon had used it and could tell the bow had some enchantments. But now that he held it, he realized that perhaps the deceased demon was simply that skilled.

The only enchantments were [Auto Lock] and [Fast Reload], essentially the most basic ones a bow could have. In fact, even beginner-level bows typically carried those enchantments.

However, he noticed something else that made him regard the dead Manticore with newfound respect. The bow bore a seal.

He carefully examined it carefully and could tell it had a seal...

He didn't yet know what the seal was, but after studying the Skybound Bow Hanna used, he had learned that seals were often placed to suppress a weapon's full power. Once unsealed, the bow would become far more powerful.

If the seal had been locked all this time, then the demon he had just killed must have been a true menace. Klaus could easily have fallen to its attacks.

Thankfully, he had been smart enough to devise a counter for his Law of Self. Now, he had both the bow and his Law of Self.

He could only be thankful for how he was learning this Law of Self from all the demons he was killing.

Right now, when fighting in the air, his strength would receive a boost of 300%. Adding that to the 240% from the [Shared] boost, his strength would rise severalfold.

Perhaps he could finally kill a Level 2 Ascendant without suffering any injuries—or even take down two.

That, however, might also be a fleeting dream, as every level-up at the Ascendant stage was akin to the distance between the Earth and the moon.

But then again, he was a paragon, one who defied the laws. The rules didn't apply to him, at least.

"Alasbastar Sky Bow... Not a bad name," Klaus said, putting the bow away. He then requested his fourth challenge.

______________

< Oscar, One Horn Half-Demon >

-> The Runic Card Dealer

-> Rank: Tier 10 (Ascendent LVL 3)

-> Threat Level: SS (Medium)

-> The Seven Deadly Card Dealer.

-- Oscar was a human who somehow found himself in the world of demons—a realm of unfriendliness and despair. Life was that bad.

-- Somehow, Oscar came into possession of seven deadly cards. Once a struggling but brilliant Runic Mage, he was now the 6th Most Dangerous Hell Demon.

-- The seven deadly cards in his possession held terrifying powers that could not be taken lightly. Thanks to the cards, he alone was enough to destroy armies and kill thousands.

-- He had become dangerous and far more lethal than his former self. He had changed for the worse when he met a certain Demon King.

-- The once-weak human had inherited the bloodline of a demon king, bound by a promise to protect the kingdom when the king was no more—a vow between brethren.

-- After the demon king's death, Oscar killed the last demon he was bound to protect and used their soul spirits to purify the seven deadly cards, unleashing their terror.

-- Should you find yourself fighting him, ensure you never die at his hand, for your soul would be lost forever.

-- Dying is not an option here. So don't die.

-- As for his law of self, it remains unknown. Perhaps, he doesn't have one...

________________

Klaus didn't immediately say anything. He just stared at the descriptions with widened eyes, needing a moment to process what he was reading.

'Have I been scammed?' he thought. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

It just didn't make sense. He had life points, so perhaps, in death, he should respawn—but it seemed he was in for a freaky surprise.

"Please tell me I respawn after death," Klaus asked.

<No. Death in this particular Trial is permanent. So you must not die.>

Death... what a cold bastard.

Klaus couldn't understand why death existed. It was an unpleasant thing. Yet, at this moment, he risked knowing death firsthand, for at any moment, he would face off against a being of unimaginable power.

...There was no telling if he would greet death—and perhaps, forever.

But that wasn't the most important thing right now.

Klaus hadn't gleaned anything useful from the description he had received. There was no mention of Oscar's strength, his law of self, or what the seven cards could do.

Those details were crucial to him.

In battle, knowing even the smallest detail about your enemy could make a difference. But in his unfortunate case, he would be facing a completely unknown figure.

'I don't even know his height… this is bad.'

Great Sages? Fine.

Sovereigns? Very well.

Even Transcendents? He didn't care.

However, this situation revolved around a Tier 10 existence—someone on the same level as a Human Overlord.

Klaus was at his wit's end.

But then again, if this were like his previous battles, he would have gladly died once just to kill the bastard.

But death wasn't an option now. Perhaps his thirst to taste death once was seen by the heavens, and they even deny him that.

But the heavens have no jurisdiction in this trial, so perhaps today wasn't meant for him to die. Perhaps, this was why he never considered the possibility to begin with.

'I can only do my best and beat that guy senseless'

Klaus stood up and stretched his body for a few quick seconds, making sure his muscles were loose from what was to come.

He then retrieved five two-meter-long arrows and began tempering them using the [God-Killing Arrow Runic Tempering Art]

Since he was going to kill the unknown, he might as well prepare something that has the knack of killing a god.

Death is not an option.

He might not be lucky enough to die today, so he could only prepare for someone else's death. As for how he would do that, Klaus spent the next five days forging the best arrows.

When the five days were over and 24 arrows were ready, Klaus was ready too. It was time to kill some bastard and move ahead in the trial.

___

But then, he arrived at the place of the battle, and his heart nearly gave out.

"You've got to be kidding me," Klaus said, staring around the strange-looking bone arena. It was white and, well, just being inside, reeked of death.

"You're here to kill me, right?" a voice spoke, forcing Klaus to look at the cloaked figure hooded with a green, tattered cape. His face wasn't visible.

However, a single horn jutted out, and from the look of it, that horn had to go.

The figure was clad in tattered dark fabric fashioned into makeshift clothing, and he wore leather shoes—the only classic thing about him.

However, the most eye-catching feature was the seven cards circling him. They appeared to be made of diamond-like material, each adorned with a distinct drawing.

Klaus wanted those cards. His greed demanded those cards, so he resolved to kill the hooded figure for those cards.

"You're ugly..." Klaus blurted out, signalling the beginning of what might be his most dangerous battle yet.