The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Klaus's question seemed casual, but he was being serious. In Fruity's memory, it was the Old Monk in that strange space who had given him the Nine Divine Beads, the first form. Now, Klaus sensed a strange familiarity between the tone of that Monk and the senior lurking in his soul sea.

He couldn't help but ask. As expected, the senior said nothing in response to his question, nor did he mention Klaus's recent brush with death. Klaus wondered if the senior was paying attention at all. Still, he didn't push for answers.

He nearly died, yet the one having residence inside his soul sea said nothing about it, clearly, he doesn't want to say things he doesn't want affecting him later.

Instead, he focused on studying the Pentaface bead. So far, he had unlocked only two faces, just like Fruity. He had access to the [Bell of Harrows] and the [Eye of Despair].

However, unlike Fruity, Klaus didn't need to bring the bead out when using these skills. The bead stayed within his soul sea, while the abilities manifested externally. He also discovered that the red eye he had awakened was now linked to the [Eye of Despair].

This meant that whenever he activated the skill, the terrifying red eye would appear. And because Klaus had star qi, his abilities were far more powerful than Fruity's. He realized with a smirk that he had become a walking nightmare.

The senior eventually told him a bit about the new eye's abilities. Klaus could now see with his eyes closed, but that wasn't the most impressive part. He could sense everything within a 40km radius, and if he focused in one direction, his range extended to 70km.

Aside from the enhanced sight, Klaus discovered something even more intriguing when he activated the skill through his eyes. He could sense when someone was lying. Clearly, it wasn't the best ability for combat, but in situations where the truth is needed, he can be a lie detector.

But what made the eye even stranger was that he could maintain his golden eyes while using this ability, though the effect would be significantly weaker compared to when he switched to his red eyes, he could still maintain his charming golden eyes while observing his surroundings.

But the red eyes offered more than just the ability to detect lies. With them, Klaus could see a person's soul to some extent and even manipulate it directly. This manipulation opened up a variety of dangerous possibilities. One of these was soul shock, where Klaus could overcharge a person's soul, leaving them vulnerable.

There was also the soul imprint, which allowed Klaus to leave a mark on someone's soul. This made it easier to influence or control them without their knowledge. To a certain extent, he could even penetrate their mind. Of course, the senior said he wouldn't be able to do that just yet, he is still weak.

The abilities seemed endless, and Klaus was determined to unlock every one of them eventually. He knew he was treading a fine line between power and danger, but the allure was too great to ignore.

"Uh, Senior, you don't happen to have a way for me to transfer techniques and skills to others?" Klaus finally spoke after examining the bead for a while.

"I do have a method," the Senior replied, "But you'll need to give me something of equal value in return to balance the karma."

"Fair enough," Klaus answered, nodding as he began to think. After a moment, he said, "I'll share a secret with you. I believe that should be enough for this transaction."

A while later, Klaus opened his eyes, still in the training room. But the second he did, he regretted it. "Sorry, Mom," he muttered with a sheepish smile. His new ability to see with his eyes closed had activated automatically, and he saw everything. And by everything, he meant everything.

Quickly, he deactivated the ability and calmed his racing heart. With a faint smile, he retrieved the package he had asked Hanna to order for him. He didn't have the shamelessness to discuss his new connection with Lucy with the Senior, so he left that topic for later.

For now, his next plan was to master using projectile weapons in combat. The weapon he ordered was a set of Needle-type weapons known as Viper Piercing Needles. These double-edged needles could be thrown by a skilled marksman or, in Klaus's case, controlled using his mind.

Opening the package, he found 360 sleek, golden needles, each about 4 inches long. They were thin, razor-sharp, and designed for precise strikes. Just holding one made his fingers tingle with excitement. This was going to be fun.

He grinned. "Time to get to work."

Klaus's star qi surged, and with a single thought, he connected with the needles. Sixty-six of them rose into the air, but almost immediately, he felt the strain. His vision blurred, and his face turned pale from the pressure on his mind.

"So that's my limit," Klaus muttered, feeling the weight hammering his brain. He felt every fiber of his brain stretching just but keeping the needles suspended.

Quickly, he released most of the needles, letting 60 drop back into their case. A wave of relief washed over him as the strain eased. His head cleared a bit, but he continued manipulating the remaining six needles, experimenting with their movements.

He didn't have a proper technique to control them in combat yet, but that didn't stop him from trying. The needles whipped through the air with terrifying speed, obeying his mind's commands. He gestured with his hands, and the six merged, forming a single thick needle that shot forward with a burst of speed.

Then, with another gesture, the needles separated. Klaus paused, a realization hitting him.

"Oh snap, I forgot!" he muttered, slapping his forehead. "I have a technique for this."

He remembered the [Ten Thousand Soul Needles] technique that his Senior had given him. It was specifically designed to manipulate needles created from his star qi. Flipping through the skill in his mind, he found what he was looking for—a method to control the needles with precision and power.

"Void Piercing Needle," he whispered, picking one of the attack patterns. He began practicing, merging the six needles into a single, larger one. But when he followed the pattern, something felt off. It didn't come together like he'd hoped.

"I need more needles," Klaus realized.

Ten more needles flew from the case, joining the six. Now, sixteen of them formed into a thick needle. But even with more power, it still wasn't enough.

"Not enough...," he muttered under his breath, his mind racing for a solution.

He released his control, and the needles scattered back into the air, hovering around him like a swarm of golden fireflies. Klaus quickly analyzed them, calculating the exact number he needed for the technique to work efficiently.

"Thirty-three," he muttered. That was the magic number.

He added 17 more needles to add to the original set, but as soon as he did, the familiar headache flared up again, sharp and throbbing. "Flying them solo puts less strain on my brain than merging them all together," Klaus grumbled. Despite the discomfort, he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, determined to form the Void Piercing Needle.

Slowly but surely, the needles came together, twisting and coiling in the air, until they formed a thick, gleaming golden needle, extending about 12 inches long. It hovered in front of him, vibrating with power.

Klaus stared at it for a moment, then smiled. "Now we're getting somewhere."

Klaus's eyes shifted to the titanium dummy standing a few meters away. Without hesitation, he gestured with his hand, and the Void Piercing Needle shot forward like a bullet. It cut through the air with a faint hum before drilling straight through the dummy's forehead, leaving a clean, gaping hole.

Klaus grinned evilly. "Now that is dangerous," he muttered drawing continuous holes in the dummy. A while later, a 6-foot dummy stood with holes littered all over its body. Klaus nodded with satisfaction and then went about pushing himself further by learning some more patterns from the [Ten Thousand Soul Needles] technique.