The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

720 green balls popped in less than five seconds. The screen displayed Lulu’s score, leaving Klaus staring at it in awe. He had asked her to take the test, and now he wished he hadn’t.

Despite limiting herself to controlling only 64 needles, just like Klaus, she managed to destroy all the green balls without even scratching the red or yellow ones—and she did it all in under five seconds. That was wild, and Klaus just stood there, staring at the screen with a bewildered expression.

“Brat, you don’t have to feel bad. That young lady has an extremely strong mind and far more experience than you,” the senior said, trying to comfort him.

Even the War Goddess was impressed by Lulu’s display. Spirit Masters are incredibly dangerous on the battlefield. To them, anything they can lift with their minds is a weapon. Even the weapons their enemies are holding become potential weapons.

The ability to control virtually any weapon with just their mind is overpowered. Klaus, who had used his Needle to kill thousands of Zombies, knew exactly how lethal it could be. So watching Lulu destroy hundreds of balls in less than five seconds made him truly grasp how terrifying a Spirit Master could be.

“You’re impressive, Lulu,” he said. Klaus wasn’t jealous; he was just too shocked. But that shock only fueled his determination to improve. If he wanted the upper hand in combat, he had to do more and be better.

He has Star Qi, which is far more powerful than Spiritual Qi, and combining that with his ability to wield flying weapons in battle would make him a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

Of course, Klaus first had to become better at controlling the weapons, and that required him to train his mind.

“You’re impressive too, Klaus. I can see you’re already making progress. So for today, focus on building your mental fortitude at double speed and see if you can add more needles to your control,” Lulu said, and Klaus nodded in agreement.

He really wanted to increase the number of needles he could control while maintaining precise control. The next time he entered combat, he wanted to have the upper hand, no exceptions.

With that, Klaus returned to popping more balls. He aimed for a perfect record: popping all 720 green balls without touching any of the red or yellow ones and doing it in under a minute. That was the target he set for himself on his first day.

Klaus might not show it, but he was competitive. He knew he wouldn’t surpass Lulu anytime soon, but that didn’t mean he would fall far behind. No, he wanted to make great progress, so he set ambitious goals for himself.

Thirty minutes later, he managed to add two more needles to his original 64, bringing the total to 66. However, he didn’t use them just yet. He focused on mastering the 64 first, improving his mental capacity to handle them before adding more.

Two hours later, he had developed enough mental strength to control 70 needles. Using the original 64, he finally managed to pop all 720 green balls without touching any of the red or yellow ones. However, it took him 2 minutes and 20 seconds to complete the task.

But he wasn’t satisfied with that, so he went back to it. Using the 64 needles, he kept training, and two more hours later, he finally achieved his target. By the time the last needle popped the 720th ball in 58 seconds, he was exhausted.

However, having achieved his goal, Klaus was visibly happy. Lulu also looked impressed by his hard work.

She had been pressuring her father for weeks to let Klaus come to Arcadian City after she heard he had woken up after the assassination attempt.

Just like Lucy and the others who were already at the academy, they were allowed to come home to get their affairs in order because once they went back, it would be a year before they could return home. So, she wanted to meet him before leaving.

She had been trying to meet him before she headed back again—and now she had.

She would have plenty to talk about with her friends once she returned to the academy. Klaus had become every young warrior’s idol or nightmare; he was not only popular in the cities but equally renowned in the academy.

It was rare for someone so young to achieve so many heaven-defying feats. She genuinely looked impressed watching Klaus train for the past four hours nonstop.

It became clear to her that the young man who appeared on the City, Regional, and Union Warrior Ranking Charts was no weak or an overhyped warrior. He was the real deal.

“I guess that’s all my brain can take for today,” Klaus said, gulping down a chilled water.

“You impressed me, Brother Klaus,” Lulu said.

“You can just call me Klaus. I should be the one impressed by your superior control. Thank you for the pointers,” Klaus replied with a small smile.

“No need to be modest, Klaus. I know that in just a few more weeks of training, you’ll surpass me. You’re a genius, and I really want you to come to the academy soon so you can show everyone what you’re made of,” Lulu said, genuinely pleased.

“I’ll do my best to pass the Union Trial and the World Trial so I can join. I hope by then we can train together some more,” Klaus said.

“We still have a few more days; we can train as much as you want,” Lulu replied.

“Then I’ll make sure to wear you out over the next few days,” Klaus said before bidding her goodbye. He left with Miriam back to their room. After they left, Dave Arcadian appeared in the training room.

“What do you think? Is he up to your standards?” he asked with a small smile.

“He exceeded my expectations. What took me months to achieve, he accomplished in just hours. This young man is a genius,” Lulu said.

“Well, well, well. I guess only Klaus could make my little girl look genuinely flustered,” Dave said. He had been watching their training on a screen the entire time so he knew what she was saying was true, but again hearing her daughter who doesn’t regard anyone as a worthy opponent praise Klaus like that, he was taken aback.

“Dad, I mean it. Klaus is a monster. I wonder how those arrogant bastards back in the academy are going to feel when he steps in there,” she said with a smile.

On the other side, Klaus, who had just reached his room, was so tired that he fell onto the bed. Miriam looked at him for a while before moving to remove his sweaty shirt. “You should learn to take care of your hygiene, Mr. You’re not the only one in the room.”

“Thank you for your concern, my dear, but a little massage would do wonders,” Klaus said in a tired voice.

“Keep dreaming,” Miriam replied.

“I know you’re not romantic at all. I guess I’ll have to ask Lulu to help me next time,” Klaus said in a teasing tone. He was too exhausted to look at Miriam and read her expressions, so when he felt her touch on his back, he was taken aback.

“Don’t say a word, or I’ll stop,” Miriam warned.

Klaus smiled before using his Spirit eye to look at her expression. Watching the pink cheeks as she massaged his back, he knew the mighty War Goddess had fallen for the white-haired Paragon. Slowly he drifted into sleep under her careful touches.