The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Klaus cleared the first wave in just 15 seconds. The monsters were slow, and he didn't want to risk his life by rushing to meet them. Although 15 seconds was impressive, it wasn't unheard of, considering this was only the first wave and the monsters were Tier 2, ranging from Lesser to Dark class.

What truly shocked everyone was that Klaus cleared the second wave, made up of Tier 3 monsters, in less than 10 seconds. That was astonishing, and the disbelief was clear on the faces of everyone in the room.

"This trial was designed to test reaction speed and spell-casting speed," the lady said, watching the screen showing Klaus's performance.

The trial indeed aimed to measure reaction speed. The Annoying Clingy Spider Monkeys were fast but weak, making them perfect for testing speed and reflexes test. However, Klaus not only passed the trial, but he also did it in a way that rendered the test almost meaningless.

"Wait, how does he have so much ice essence? The area was about 2 square kilometers. How did he manage to freeze everything with just a touch?" someone else asked.

The room fell silent. They couldn't quite grasp what had just happened. Suddenly, another screen beeped, drawing their attention to Anna's projection.

She stood there, radiating ice qi that seemed to come from deep within her. Unlike Klaus, who used clever tactics to clear the trial, Anna took a different approach by creating an environment she could control.

First, she transformed her water element into ice vapor, filling the forest with an icy mist. Then, she pinpointed the spider monkeys' locations and movements using the mist. All that was left was forming ice shards, a skill she had mastered quite well. It took her just over two minutes to kill all the monsters.

In the past few weeks, Anna had grown significantly stronger. Although her clearing speed was slower than Klaus's, she demonstrated her deep understanding of the trial. The rules required them to clear the trial within a certain time, and both of them met that expectation.

Although Klaus's method was unruly, it wasn't frowned upon either. The trial was about killing monsters, and in the field, Klaus is an overlord.

After ten minutes, many started washing out. Although the Monsters in the second wave are weaker than most Tier 3 monsters, they are just too annoying. Fighting them requires great reflexes. However, that is easier said than done.

Many failed to clear it within 10 minutes so they were disqualified. Others also died. The Annoying Clingy Monkeys are just too fast and annoying when they latch onto you.

By the end of the ten minutes, only 8500 out of 102,900 people made it to the third wave. It was a huge washout, but one that is necessary to narrow things down.

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Back inside the virtual world, Klaus stood in a field of dried grasses. He could smell the scent of dry leaves. This made him give a thumbs-up to the creators of the virtual world. It's indeed 100% immersion like Anna said.

Suddenly, the third wave of monsters came into view. "Deserted Field Rat Vipers." Klaus immediately recognized them. They are Tier 4 monsters, each towering between 2 and 4 meters tall. Klaus narrowed his eyes looking at the monster's approach.

The Deserted Field Rat Vipers are a special kind of rat monsters that attack with their tails. As their name suggests, their tails are long and poisonous, similar to viper snakes. A single stab from these tails could weaken even a Saint.

Each Viper was fierce, radiating dense poisonous energy.

"Sorry, Fella, this big bro won't be fighting you head-on today," Klaus said, holding a small lotus flower in his hands.

He made the flower spin until it was the size of a basketball and then tossed it at the approaching monsters. When the lotus flower reached the group's center, Klaus whispered, "Explode."

The flower stopped spinning and exploded, freezing everything within a 3-kilometer radius. Klaus, who was inside the area, felt the ice-cold shockwave on his skin and smiled. "No wonder the heavens tried to stop me before I could name this skill. It's monstrous." He smiled.

"Too simple," Klaus muttered as he looked over the field of frozen rats. Just like that, he cleared the third wave in under 8 seconds, setting yet another record.

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"How is this possible?" The people in the room stared at Klaus's projection with stunned expressions. First, he cleared the first wave in just 15 seconds, which was impressive but expected, considering the monsters were only Tier 2.

Then he surpassed expectations by clearing the second wave of Tier 3 monsters in under ten seconds. Although this went beyond the trial's intended challenge, raw strength could be accepted.

However, the third wave was what truly astonished them. Tier 4 monsters, ranging from Lesser to Dark, were wiped out in under 8 seconds. This was extraordinary for someone at Klaus's level. Killing Tier 2 monsters was one thing, but for an Ascended to defeat Tier 4 monsters as if they were nothing was incredible.

"It's like he wasn't even trying. Is the trial really that easy?" The lady wondered, but then noticed the screens turning red, indicating that other contestants had died. She immediately dismissed that thought. They are all Ascended but Klaus is just too abnormal.

"This kid is too monstrous," commented a woman in the corner, her slight smile showing both amazement and disbelief.

"Isn't the purpose of this trial to find extraordinary individuals? And now we've found a true monster,"

Just as everyone was reeling from Klaus's performance, a voice cut through the room. A beautiful lady, radiating authority and confidence, entered.

"War Goddess," everyone said in unison, standing up as she entered. She waved for them to sit, focusing on Klaus's projection.

The War Goddess stood at the front of the room, her proud smile reflecting her satisfaction. 'As expected, my little brother is indeed impressive,' she thought to herself as she watched Klaus's projection.

Suddenly, another screen beeped, and Anna's image appeared. She was breathing heavily but stood tall and confident. She was the second to clear the third wave after Klaus.

Although she managed to clear it within 3 minutes, it wasn't bad at all. If anything, it's the true definition of how extraordinary she is. She cleared it faster than one might think. But then again, if you size her against Klaus, she is still lacking.

A voice from the crowd of people in the room watching the trial spoke, "War Goddess, that is Anna Ross. Her control over the ice and water element is impressive."

The War Goddess nodded, her gaze still fixed on the screen. "Yes, I see that. Her control is indeed noteworthy."

The people in the room murmured in agreement. Anna's performance was impressive, and her mastery of her elements was clear.

"Three years ago, her sister Lucy was the top performer in the City and Regional selection. It seems her little sister is following in her footsteps. But it's unfortunate she's in the same trial as that monster," the lady commented, glancing at Klaus. The others nodded in agreement.

Anna had demonstrated impressive control over her Ice and Water elements, earning respect from those watching. Despite this, Klaus's performance had overshadowed hers, making it difficult for Anna's achievements to shine through fully. Nevertheless, her potential was clear.

Anna remained confident and resolute, showing no sign of discouragement. Her composure was commendable, and the War Goddess, observing from the front, nodded in approval. She was indeed impressed with Anna's performance.

After ten minutes, only 904 contestants had advanced to the fourth wave. The rest either didn't survive the ten minutes or failed to clear the trial within the time limit.

"The fourth wave will determine who will advance to the top 200," the lady announced. The room buzzed with anticipation as everyone watched who would be making it to the top 200.

When Klaus entered the fourth wave zone, he was taken aback. He found himself in a vast field filled with mirrors. His surroundings were a maze of reflective surfaces. Each mirror perfectly replicated his every move, creating countless reflections of himself.

"The fourth wave is on the other side of the mirror maze. Navigate through it and clear the wave of monsters before the ten minutes reach." The mechanic's voice said, making Klaus understand what to do.

Klaus observed the mirrors closely. Every slight movement, every twitch, was mirrored perfectly. The reflections multiplied his image, making it difficult to distinguish the real Klaus from the countless illusions.

He took a deep breath and focused. He knew this challenge would test his perception and reaction time. The mirrors were not just a visual obstacle; they could also be used to confuse and mislead him.

He moved cautiously, watching each reflection for any hint of movement or change. He tested the mirrors with small actions, like shifting his weight and adjusting his stance. Each mirror replicated these actions flawlessly.

Klaus realized that the real challenge was navigating the mirrors and understanding how they might be used against him. He had to stay alert and avoid being misled by the illusions.

He tried a few different strategies, such as sudden movements and quick changes in direction. Each time, the mirrors reflected his actions precisely, but they didn't provide any new insights.

As Klaus continued, he noticed a pattern in the reflections. Some mirrors seemed to distort slightly, indicating that they might be hiding something. He decided to focus on these mirrors, hoping they might reveal a clue about the actual path forward.

He moved toward the distorted mirrors, carefully avoiding any sudden or unnecessary movements. The more he focused on these mirrors, the clearer the pattern became.

Klaus found a series of mirrors that didn't perfectly reflect his movements. They showed a slight delay or distortion. He realized these might be the key to finding the correct path through the maze.

With renewed determination, Klaus followed the path indicated by the distorted reflections. He navigated carefully, using his observations to guide him.

As he progressed, he encountered fewer and fewer mirrors with distortions. This indicated that he was getting closer to the solution.

Eventually, Klaus reached the end of the mirror maze. A single, clear mirror marked the exit without any distortions. He stepped through it.

Immediately, he appeared on the other side; Klaus was greeted by a scene that made him smile.