The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 182: It Was Just Business

When Klaus returned from Hiroshi City, the War Goddess was already at his house, acting like she owned the place. She had practically moved in.

Klausʼs mother was happy to see her children back, but Klaus knew she was more excited about Hannaʼs safe return. Somehow, his mother has stopped worrying about him like she did before. She knew the white-haired brat would always find his way home—he was tough, after all.

However, he knew a part of the reason was the war goddess who kept showing her some of Klausʼs feats. This made her calm down a bit knowing his son is no weak warrior. But she can never stop worrying about him

Klaus didnʼt stay to tease his mom or flirt with the War Goddess. He went straight into seclusion to check on something he had sensed when he slaughtered the people at the Everdark Hotel. Something had felt off.

Once inside his soul sea, Klaus was surprised to notice that the Pentaface bead had changed—just a little—on the first face.

Before, it had been a plain, emotionless face, a bit sinister but nothing unusual. Now, a small red rune had appeared, right on the forehead of the face on the bead. He had never seen it before.

He tried to study the rune, but like always, he made no progress. It was frustrating. Still, something was different this time. He could feel a faint connection to the bead now. It was weak, but it was there, and that alone was enough to spark his curiosity.

Despite not fully understanding the changes, Klaus felt an even stronger pull toward the Pentaface bead. He knew it was only a matter of time before he uncovered some secret hidden within it.

After spending the whole day checking on things and asking the Senior for advice, Klaus finally left his soul sea and seclusion. He wanted to spend some time with his family—and now, the War Goddess was practically part of that family.

Klaus didnʼt mind her presence at all. In fact, she seemed more relaxed and even happier when he was around. His mother liked her too, and she got along well with the maids, so everything seemed to fall into place naturally.

Of course, Klaus didnʼt stop shooting his shots now and then, teasing and flirting with the War Goddess whenever he had the chance. But she always brushed him off with a smirk. But that didnʼt stop them from sharing a peaceful dinner, recounting the events that had happened in Hiroshi City.

The next day, everything took a turn. Around 4 a.m., just a day after Klaus and Hanna returned, a piece of news broke out, one that shook the internet and the media, sending waves of tension through the city.

In Hiroshi City, an unpopular hotel had exploded in the early hours of the morning, killing everyone inside. Official reports claimed that the explosion was controlled, reducing everything inside the hotel to nothingness.

The media covered it like just another tragic incident, chalking it up to something routine—maybe an energy leak, a cultivation accident, or an attack. Buildings getting bombed wasnʼt unheard of in these times.

But then, an hour later, a post surfaced on the dark web, and it sent chills through everyone who saw it.

In the post were images—37 bodies with their heads severed, the heads placed neatly on the chests of the headless corpses. The captions attached to the post made it worse.

”It was just business... Chicken Order.”

That line shook the online underworld. Everyone knew that ”It was just business” was the calling card of the Dark Order, an infamous organization known for their ruthless kills. The sight of this post left people confused and on edge. Was a new group targeting the Dark Order? Was this a message? No one knew for sure, but the tension grew rapidly as the speculation spread.

Klaus, the very perpetrator behind the hotel explosion, was sound asleep in his room, completely unbothered by the chaos he had unleashed upon the world. The dark web buzzed with fear, and whispers of conspiracy were spreading, but Klaus slept without a care.

Suddenly, the door to his room swung open. The War Goddess stormed in, her eyes sharp and voice tense, waking him up in an instant.

”Tell me it wasnʼt you,” she demanded, standing over him, her arms crossed, her gaze piercing.

Klaus blinked, rubbing his eyes as if he hadnʼt just stirred up a city-wide panic. He sat up slowly, staring at her with a sly grin.

”What makes you think it was me?” he asked, his tone too casual for the weight of the situation.

”You know why,” she shot back, clearly not in the mood for games. ”That hotel explosion. The post. The heads. Itʼs all too... neat.

And that caption—donʼt tell me it wasnʼt your doing.”

Klaus stretched, his expression remaining unreadable. He didnʼt deny anything, but he didnʼt confirm it either. Instead, he smirked, glancing at her.

”Maybe it was just business,” he muttered, his voice low but laced with amusement.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she cursed under her breath. She knew Klaus too well. There was no way heʼd take an assassination attempt lying down. He played it off like he was fine, acting calm to keep his mother from worrying. But the War Goddess could see right through that facade.

As a battle maniac herself, she recognized the signs. Klaus wasnʼt okay—far from it. The bloodlust radiating from him was something she could sense without even trying. So when she saw the post, she didnʼt hesitate to pin the blame on him. It was just too... Klaus.

”You brat!” she snapped, but there was something else in her tone, something that wasnʼt just anger.

”Why didnʼt you tell me you were going after those bastards? What if a stronger assassin had been there when you attacked?”

Klaus raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting that twist. Instead of scolding him for the massacre, she was pouting because he hadnʼt invited her to the slaughter.

”Really?” Klaus muttered, half amused. ”Thatʼs what youʼre mad about?”

The War Goddess crossed her arms, her expression softening just a bit. ”Of course. If youʼre going to go on a rampage, at least give me a heads-up! I wouldʼve cleared my schedule.”

Klaus chuckled, shaking his head. ”Next time, Iʼll make sure to send you an invite,” he teased.

Despite the absurdity of the situation, the War Goddess couldnʼt help but grin back at him.

”You better,” she huffed, her pout only making her look cuter in Klausʼs eyes. It was a rare sight to see the fierce War Goddess, Fairy Miriam, act so playful.

Klaus grinned, his mind already wandering toward shamelessness. ”Fairy Miriam, why donʼt you let this younger brother of yours comfort you in other ways?” he teased, reaching out to take her arm, his grin widening.

Before his fingers could brush her skin, she disappeared in a flash.

”Playing hard to get, huh?” Klaus muttered, smirking to himself as he leaned back. ”I guess Iʼll have to up my game.”

Klaus knew it was just a matter of time, but for now, he will keep things PG and hope she doesnʼt run off anytime soon. He still has two beauties currently in seclusion and another one currently unreachable.

ʼI guess the more the merrier...Lol,ʼ Klaus smirked before falling back on his bed.

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In a dimly lit room, a masked man sat, his face partially illuminated by the glow of a projection. On the screen were the gruesome images of the headless bodies, the tagline beneath them staring back at him. His expression was hidden beneath the mask, but his posture hinted at deep anger.

Suddenly, his device beeped, shattering the silence. He tapped it, and another dark figure flickered into view on the projection. He didnʼt even have the time before a cold feminine voice came through the projection.

”Talk,” she commanded, her anger unmistakable.

The masked man straightened, his tone careful. ”Dark Lord, we are still investigating, but there is no concrete evidence yet. However, all signs point to one person.”

”Who?” the figure demanded, her voice even more venomous now.

He hesitated for a second before answering. ”Cynthia Ross.”