The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

The roar was accompanied by a potent aura that immediately filled the surroundings.

Klaus quickly used his own aura to shield his friends, knowing they would lose consciousness if they remained under such a powerful aura for long.

Thankfully, the next second, the bird lady also unleashed her Peak Tier 8 aura to cancel a portion of the oppressive energy, which undoubtedly belonged to a Tier 9 beast.

"Hahahaha! Loewe, are you scared? You should be scared, right?" Suddenly, a voice boomed across the surroundings, shaking the trees and the very ground.

"Ko, what do you think you are doing?" the bird lady, Loewe, asked in a frightened tone.

It didn't take a genius to see she wasn't happy about the sudden turn of events. She and the presence seemed familiar with each other, but from her tone, it was clear this wasn't supposed to happen.

Klaus stood there with a calm expression, but inwardly, he was both excited and nervous. The presence carried the aura of a Tier 9 beast.

While he was eager to test his full strength against such an opponent finally, his friends were not equipped for this.

As if to confirm his feelings, a three-meter-tall humanoid tiger appeared. It had dark, tough fur, a tiger's head, juggernaut arms, and a pair of dangerously sharp razor-like claws.

"A Razor Claw Storm Tiger," Klaus recognized it immediately.

It was one of the monsters he had learned about from Instructor Simon. From what he knew, even long before they became true beasts, their claws were their most lethal weapons.

Just a single scratch would leave you in excruciating pain for weeks if not treated immediately. They are one nasty bunch that is not friendly to anyone, not even their fellow beasts.

The tiger, Ko, looked at Klaus and his group before returning to Loewe.

"Who are these prey? Have you developed a taste for human meat now? I thought you hate humans and their meat," Ko asked, his savage words making Anna and the others shudder.

"Whoever they are is none of your business. However, what are you doing in my domain?" Loewe demanded.

"Your domain is about to become mine, Loewe. You no longer have the strength to protect it, so it's only natural for me to take over in your absence," Ko replied, his gaze shifting to the distant Thunderberry Fruit.

Lightning crackled across his body, intensifying the already oppressive aura in the air.

"The rules are simple: you stay in your domain and guard the Lightning Apple Tree while I stay in mine and guard the Thunderberry fruit. That was the agreement we set for our territories," Loewe said firmly, though her voice betrayed a hint of unease.

Ko, however, responded with a sly smile.

"That was the rule until I broke through to the 9th Tier. Now, you're beneath me, and as such, I can kill you and claim your domain under my rule," Ko said. Then, his predatory eyes turned toward Klaus's group.

"And as for these preys... consider it a favor. I promise to kill you with dignity and not desecrate your bodies. That's the best I can offer," Ko said, salivating as he spoke.

Anna and the others glanced at Klaus, their wide eyes screaming sheer terror.

Ko and Loewe were both lightning-type beasts who had agreed to guard the two natural treasures that had suddenly appeared in the Monster Den Forbidden Zone.

Loewe, the bird lady, was in charge of the ThunderBerry Tree, which produced berries containing potent lightning essence.

These berries had the power to improve one's lightning affinity and control over lightning. They were a highly sought-after treasure for anyone looking to enhance their affinity.

But with a Peak Tier 8 half-beast guarding it, nobody dared to come close. This, of course, made Loewe believe she was invincible in her domain.

As for Ko, he was in charge of the Lightning Apple Tree, which had the ability to help lightning users awaken their lightning elements.

Of course, that was easier said than done, as consuming just one apple wouldn't make much of a difference.

However, much like Klaus's continuous consumption of Red Poison Peas, if someone were to eat the lightning apples consistently, their chances of awakening would greatly increase.

The apples also strengthened the lightning element. In short, anyone with a lightning element would find them irresistible.

However, unlike Loewe, who mostly deterred monsters and humans from approaching, Ko always went for the kill. Because of this, the academy removed his domain from the missions.

Now, back to Ko and Loewe.

The two had made an agreement to stay out of each other's way and never come into conflict. Because of this, they had never interfered with one another.

Well, that was until the ambitious Ko broke through to the Tier 9 stage.

With his newfound power, his first order of business was to invade Loewe's territory and claim it for himself. Loewe, who knew she couldn't defend herself against the now far stronger Ko, found herself in a dire situation.

"No need to resist, Loewe. We both know that you lost when I stepped into the 9th Tier. So just escape while you have the chance or face your death," Ko laughed arrogantly.

Klaus sighed, his gaze shifting from the tiger to Loewe.

"Looks like you've found yourself in hot soup Auntie Ladybird," Klaus joked, causing his friends' eyes to widen in shock.

At that moment, they knew their only chance was for the bird lady to clash with the tiger. During the chaos, they could make their escape.

But now, with Klaus drawing attention to them, Anna resisted the urge to pinch him and instead gripped his hand tightly. Lily mirrored her actions.

"Shut up, human. This is none of your business," Loewe shouted without even glancing back at Klaus.

"I know it's none of my business, but I'd like to make it my business," Klaus said calmly. "From where I stand, you have a 0% chance of winning and a 100% chance of escaping.

"But we both know you won't escape. No, you wouldn't leave your precious berries behind for this brute. So you really only have one choice—and it involves hearing the third option I gave you.

"My friends and I will help you take care of this brute."

"We are?" Hanna asked, her cute blue eyes fixed on Klaus in surprise.

Klaus smiled at her. "Yes. We will team up with the bird lady to take down the tiger. Bear in mind that we need just one berry to pass the mission, and I doubt this tiger will let us go if it kills Loewe.

"So our only choice is to join her side and win."

Klaus turned back to Loewe, who was now looking at him with narrowed eyes. Discover exclusive tales on My Virtual Library Empire

Deep down, she wanted to accept his offer, but part of her hesitated. After all, she had ended up in this forbidden zone after humans had killed her companions during one of their invasions.

Back then, only she and Ko had survived, fleeing into the Monster Den Forbidden Zone. She despised humans, yet survival instincts warred against her hatred.

Klaus smiled again, meeting her conflicted gaze. "Do you want me to repeat the third option...?"