The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Whoever said peace is the only way out lied to you all.

Sometimes, you have to use threats to get what you want.

Klaus knew that, so he manned up and threatened the dragon that was nearing the stage to ascend and become a Supreme God before Paragon captured him, Klaus’s first incarnation.

Klaus also knew how to play his cards, and this time around, he went for the ace right off the bat.

The dragon up in the air was a being that shouldn’t even exist in this known universe. So the fact that Klaus had just threatened it was bold—perhaps even stupid.

But it got the job done.

Knowing his past as Paragon, the one who imprisoned this dragon, he understood that, in some way, the dragon feared him. So he used that, and it worked. If one of him could imprison a whole Pseudo Supreme, imagine nine of them.

The dragon is smart, so it chooses to tread carefully.

“The Monarch of Despair,” Klaus echoed what the dragon Allister said.

⟪Indeed, I am one of the 13 Monarchs. Of course, in this universe, we are known as the 13 Leaders of the Apocalypse or, as most choose to call us, the 13 Giants of Annihilation.⟫

“None of this sounds like something good. Tell me, why all these titles?” Klaus could only see the end staring at him from above, but he also knew it wouldn’t be that simple.

⟪Have you heard this phrase before: “During the Primordial Era” or “During the Chaos Era”?⟫

“Yes. I’ve heard quite a lot, actually.”

⟪Well, all this is something we call echoes of the apocalypse. You see, when a universe is formed, it has to walk a path that, in the end, will lead to its destruction or ascension. We call it the Uprising. This Uprising is when the known universe and its mirror will clash.

And when I say the mirror, it’s not in the sense that it would house the same people as you. No, the mirror is the universe of the disruptors. I am a disruptor meant to bring the fall of this universe, and so are the 12 other monarchs.

We are what you call the coming of the apocalypse. When the time comes, a gate would open, and we would come… well, that was how it was meant to be until you came and changed everything.⟫

“Wait a minute. You mean to say that you, this *you*, are meant to one day destroy this universe and everything it contains?” Klaus asked, forgetting to even ask about what he did.

⟪Like I said, it was the purpose of my life. But not anymore, I guess. You made sure of that…⟫

“What did I do?” he asked.

⟪You tell me. You defeated Despair, Starvation, Discord, Anarchy, and Harrows. So, in a way, you stopped the apocalypse. While I would love to see this universe burn, I don’t know if that will ever come to pass.⟫

“So that’s it, huh? I guess these 13 monarchs are all talk and no bite. If a single me was able to break into your little universe, defeat five of you, and even trap you, then I guess I was awesome.

I mean, you’re practically a god, right? So what happened? Did I scare you to the point where even you started feeling despair?” Klaus taunted, making the dragon narrow its eyes at him.

⟪You have to know every cycle cannot be stopped. You prevented what should have ended in the Primordial Era. But since the universe is still in one piece and hasn’t ascended, something is still at play here.

You can gloat now, but know that while five of us are now basically your tools, there are still eight of us, and who knows what has happened since we were gone?⟫

“You can’t take this moment from me, Mr. Dragon. I didn’t reincarnate nine times to let you spoil this moment for me.”

“But don’t worry, I’m not wicked. Since you are practically my subordinate now, I wouldn’t treat you badly. Just tell me what I want from you and how to get to the other four Monarchs.”

Klaus was feeling rather good at the moment. It was as if he had been waiting to experience this moment for a very long time.

Even the discovery that this universe might still be in danger didn’t seem to affect his mood. He was on cloud nine, and he loved it.

⟪The deal was for me to teach three of my skills to you. I will now display my skills, and you pick three from them. As to whether you can learn any, that will depend on you.⟫

Klaus kept staring at the dragon, and just as he expected, it moved and transformed into a dragon man. He looked quite old, with greenhorns, despite his true form having dark scales and red horns.

‘Green eyes, greenhorns, and green hair in human form—worthy of being a nightmare,’ Klaus mused. But he also knew this wasn’t exactly something he could play with.

The dragon man waved his hand, and a giant stone tablet appeared. On this giant stone, seven names materialized.

****

→ Face Of Despair

→ Falling Into Despair

→ Domain of Despair

→ Echoes of Despair

→ Dreams of Despair

→ I Call It Despair

→ Changes of Despair

****

⟪These are the seven skills you will choose from. Take your time and select. But remember, there are no refunds here, so the moment you make a selection, you can’t change it. Now, whenever you’re ready, you can make your choice.

Of course, there will be no descriptions for any of the skills, so you will have to choose wisely. Also, I know you already know some of the skills—that’s fine, but if you don’t select them, they will be wiped from your mind. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire

Lastly, until you select the three skills, you cannot meet the other four monarchs. Good luck, and be sure not to renege on your deal.⟫

He vanished, leaving only the tablet behind. Klaus didn’t seem to care, mainly because he knew the dragon was watching just out of sight.

What he didn’t know, however, was that the five monarchs he had trapped had already been replaced.

The end, as they say, is nigh.