The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Across the globe, everyone watching the duel was frozen in stunned silence. They had just witnessed something that seemed utterly impossible—Klaus had actually evaded a shot from Max.

Everyone knew the terrifying reputation of Max's 'See True Dark Eyes.' It was said that nothing could escape those eyes once a calculation was made. But Klaus had shattered that belief. Max had calculated every tiny detail, picking the perfect outcome, yet somehow, Klaus—with his eyes closed and back turned—dodged the attack without even drawing blood.

"How?" Max asked disbelief in his voice.

"You missed," Klaus replied with a smirk.

"This is not possible," Max muttered, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He had never imagined anyone could evade his 'See True Dark Eyes'.

Klaus chuckled softly. "Just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean it's impossible. If it could be, then it was always bound to happen at some point. So, little brother Max, maybe aim better next time."

The crowd, still shocked, watched as Max stood there, unable to respond, shaken to his core by the impossible feat he'd just witnessed.

Max's resolve was starting to crack, and he could feel it. Before the duel, he had been boasting to his friends about how he would kill Klaus with a single shot. Despite knowing he was shameful due to the handicap Klaus had given him, his confidence still seemed well-founded.

Everyone knew the terrifying power of the 'See True Dark Eyes.' Once activated, it was believed to be unbeatable, and Klaus should have been as good as dead. Yet, somehow, that didn't happen. Now, standing there, Max couldn't believe what he was facing—Klaus had not only survived but evaded the shot.

Meanwhile, Klaus's thoughts were far from serious. 'Ah, I should've put my hands in my pockets before the shot. That would've looked so badass,' he mused.

Contrary to what anyone might think, Klaus was more concerned about how cool he appeared evading the attack. He would've looked even more impressive if he'd put his hands in his pockets.

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'There are still two attacks left,' he thought. 'Pocketing one hand now will make up for the earlier misstep.' With everyone still staring in awe, Klaus casually slipped his left hand into his pocket and, in a mocking tone, said, "Little brother Max, now I've given you a real handicap. Take your best shot—I'll catch it like a champ."

His arrogance was on full display, making him seem even more confident and commanding.

Many of the women watching couldn't help but stare at Klaus with hungry eyes. His current attitude—so domineering and arrogant—was captivating. A trait they cherished... well, most of them, anyway.

Max fumed, his frustration boiling over. He extended his hand, and a sleek arrow with red and golden markings materialized. It looked both majestic and sinister, radiating a dangerous aura. It's one of his many arrow-forming abilities, the Devil Piercing Sieging Arrow—one of Max's most powerful weapons, capable of easily piercing through anything.

He locked the arrow onto his bow and pulled back the string. His 'See True Dark Eyes' flashed once again, but this time there was something different. A red hue flickered in his gaze, burning with intensity as he focused on Klaus.

Klaus, standing with his back turned, sensed the shift. But instead of alarm, he only shrugged. He felt something locking onto his head. Under normal circumstances, he might have shuddered. But now, with Star Qi coursing through his veins, such abilities seemed insignificant.

"Devil Piercing Sieging Arrow!" Max shouted as he released the arrow. The moment it left the bow, it vanished into thin air. That was the arrow's ability—it remained invisible until it was just ten meters from its target. No matter the distance, it would only reveal itself at the last moment, perfect for deadly attacks from afar.

And with Max standing a full kilometer away, he was certain the shot would connect.

But Klaus merely smirked. "Puny attack," he muttered under his breath.

Klaus casually swung his arm in a graceful arc without moving from his spot. Just before the arrow could pierce his head, it appeared—dark and lethal, ready to strike. But Klaus had already sensed it. He tilted his head slightly, not even bothering to step aside.

His hand snapped forward, catching the arrow just an inch away from his head. It was both a graceful and elegant display of finesse and with his hand in his pocket, the whole scene looks just too domineering. Klaus's smile widened as he inspected the deadly arrow.

Then, with a simple flick of his wrist, he snapped the arrow in half. The once menacing Devil Piercing Sieging Arrow disintegrated into thin air, leaving nothing behind but Klaus's smirk.

Max, standing in the distance, could only watch in disbelief. One of his most powerful attacks was reduced to nothing in Klaus's hands.

"Just how?" In a lavish room somewhere in the world, a young man with short dark hair and sharp cheekbones slammed his fist on a table, shattering it in frustration. The young man is Ethan Duncan, one of the legacies of the Northern Union.

Beside him stood a young woman, her wide, ocean-blue eyes filled with shock and fear. She is the other legacy, Anna Duncan, watching the duel with growing disbelief. For the past week, she had been confidently proclaiming that Klaus would easily crumble under her influence, dismissing him as nothing more than an arrogant fool.

But now, as the spectacle unfolded in the Oracle, unease crept into her chest. Anger, regret, and doubt warred within her. She was the one who venomously poisoned and pushed Max into challenging Klaus in the first place. She was convinced that no one could possibly surpass her.

She had even considered challenging Klaus herself, but her arrogant pride stopped her—it felt like lowering herself to his level.

Instead, she used her charm to set Max on Klaus, thinking it would be an easy victory. Now, watching in horror, she realized she had unwittingly led her brother into failure and possibly disaster.

Klaus had evaded Max's deadly arrow. Not only that, but he had caught one with ease. If that wasn't proof enough of who the true genius was, Anna wasn't sure what was.

Her pride and arrogance had clouded her judgment, and now she could only watch as Klaus effortlessly dismantled Max's arrogance and possibly, his future as an Archer.

And it wasn't just Ethan and Anna; people all over the world couldn't believe what they were seeing. Klaus was simply too domineering. Even after giving Max a huge handicap, he remained standing tall, as arrogant as ever.

"You must be wondering how I did it," Klaus said, his voice cold yet laced with a smirk.

"Let's just say my survival instinct is sharper than you might think. And although I know my mom is watching, and she'll probably spank me for what I'm about to say, I'll say it anyway," Klaus added with a playful grin.

Somewhere in Ross City, inside a grand hall, Klaus's mother smirked, watching her son's antics. "Yes, I will spank you for that," she muttered under her breath, causing Helen, her personal maid, to chuckle softly.

Klaus continued, his tone turning more serious. "The first time I killed a Tier 2 monster, I was just a Level 2 awakened. And it wasn't just one—there were two terrifying ones. I had no combat experience, no passive skills in swordsmanship, yet somehow, I survived."

He glanced at Max, who looked stunned. "Do you want to know how I did it? I'll tell you anyway—it's something I call survival instinct. It's the kind of instinct born from the sheer will to live."

"Your arrow just now had the potential to kill me. Honestly, if I had been even a split second late, I'd be dead. But my instincts picked up on it long before it entered that ten-meter range."

Klaus's voice hardened as he added, "You never stood a chance from the beginning, Max. I've tempered my instincts through countless battles, facing enemies several realms above me. Even if you had a thousand shots, you still wouldn't be able to kill me."

He paused for a moment before adding, "But I have to admit, I underestimated you. You're decent—I won't lie. Your skills show that you've got the potential to become a terrifying archer. I just hope after today, you don't lose the will to keep practicing."

Klaus's smirk returned. "Now, come at me with your third and final shot." Of course, he wasn't going to tell them the main reason he survived the two attacks, so he came up with something.

Max glared at Klaus's back, fury burning in his eyes. He locked another arrow into his bow, pulling the string taut. As usual, his See True Dark Eyes flashed, locking onto Klaus. This time, however, the arrow was different. It was pitch black, but the tip was coated with a reddish energy that radiated pure, intense bloodlust.

"It's the Devil Slayer Arrow," someone in the crowd watching somewhere whispered.

"That's one of Max Duncan's trump cards," another added. "It's a rare arrow formed from the purest spiritual qi. For him to use it now means his control over the darkness element is exceptional, and his spiritual qi is incredibly pure."

"If Klaus dodges this, he'll be a dragon among dragons," someone remarked.

"More like a dragon among tigers," another corrected.

Back in the Oracle arena, Klaus's sword appeared in his hand, its blade coated with a thin layer of ice and sword qi. He stood calm, one hand still in his pocket. As Max locked his gaze on Klaus, he let out a furious roar and unleashed his attack.

"Devil Slayer Arrow!" The arrow shot from the bow at a terrifying speed, streaking toward Klaus with deadly precision.

But at the same moment, Klaus swung his sword, turning slightly to the side. His sword, still sheathed in that icy energy, cut through the air, sending an ice arc flashing out.

What followed was almost mesmerizing. The ice arc met the arrow's tip, and like a hot knife through butter, it sliced the arrow cleanly in half. The two halves of the Devil Slayer Arrow streaked past Klaus's ears, missing him entirely.

"My turn," he said, his voice cold as ice.