The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 188: I Can Do Both

”Mother-in-law, Iʼm looking forward to our next picnic. I hope next time itʼll be all sunshine, with no distractions,” Klaus said, giving Cynthia a playful wink as he dropped her off at the Ross Mansion.

Cynthia Ross blushed slightly, her cheeks warming at his words. This bastard is too shameless, she thought, shaking her head before quickly closing the door to hide her embarrassment. Klaus grinned, watching her reaction, before heading back to his own home.

When he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of his mother chatting with the War Goddess. His smile widened, and he dove into his motherʼs embrace.

”How was your outing?” she asked, stroking his hair like she always did.

”Better than I expected,” Klaus replied with a smirk. Indeed, it had turned out far more interesting than he imagined. The War Goddess, who knew all too well what Klaus had been up to, narrowed her eyes.

She couldnʼt decide whether to scold him or pry for more details. Either way, she knew Klaus had gotten himself into some mischief.

”Nice to see you had fun. By the way, your sister and some of your friends went on a hunt a day ago,” his mother said.

Klaus nodded absentmindedly, already aware of that. Hanna has already messaged him. ”Iʼll rest for a day and get back to training,” he said, breaking from his motherʼs embrace and heading to his room.

Once inside, he tried calling Ohema, but as usual, it didnʼt go through. She had been unreachable for weeks now. He was worried but continued to wait as she told him before leaving the last time.

”Sheʼll call when sheʼs available, I guess,” Klaus muttered to himself before flopping onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, trying to shake the unease creeping in. A few seconds later, his eyes shifted toward the door as the War Goddess stepped in.

”You, what exactly did you do on that mission?” she said, her tone sharp

Klaus grinned lazily. ”You know... had fun, made out with my mother-in-law, killed a bunch of assassins. Oh, did I mention I kissed my mother-in-law?” His grin widened, fully aware of the reaction he was about to provoke.

The War Goddessʼs eyes narrowed, and for a moment, she looked like she was either going to laugh or smack him. ”Youʼre impossible, Klaus,” she finally muttered, shaking her head.

”How are you, by the way?” Klaus asked with a grin. He knew exactly what she had been going through the last time they crossed paths, but now he wanted more answers.

”Iʼm not talking to you again,” the War Goddess huffed, turning to leave.

”Hey, youʼre the one who wanted to know what happened, and I already told you. Now itʼs your turn to spill something,” Klaus teased, flashing a wide smile.

”You should hurry back to training. The next trial will be hard, even for you,” Miriam said, trying to change the topic. The image of Klausʼs diamond boy is still sculpted in her mind. She just couldnʼt wipe that memory, not that she wanted to.

”Iʼll manage. Oh, my bodyʼs weak right now. Care to give me a shoulder massage?” Klaus shot his shot, his grin never wavering.

”Nope, Iʼm leaving,” Miriam responded, turning away—but not moving an inch.

”You keep saying that, but youʼre still standing here. Why, Miriam? You wouldnʼt happen to be harboring some evil thoughts, would you?” Klaus smirked, watching her closely.

Miriam blushed, her cheeks betraying her stoic expression. She didnʼt move. Instead, she stared at him, silently knowing that Klaus wouldnʼt stop teasing her or flirting.

Even though she kept telling herself she had no feelings for him—or at least thatʼs what she wanted to believe—Ever since the last time they met, ignoring him had become more difficult. Unwanted feelings were starting to creep in, whether she liked it or not.

She crossed her arms, trying to maintain her cool. ”Donʼt get ahead of yourself, Klaus. Youʼre not that charming,” she muttered, though her words lacked conviction.

”Uh-huh,” Klaus chuckled. ”I think Iʼm growing on you.”

”Stop dreaming,” she replied, but her blush deepened.

Klaus let out a soft laugh, enjoying the subtle back-and-forth. ”Iʼm just saying, itʼs cute how youʼre sticking around. You know, you can leave anytime you want, yet here you are.”

Miriam sighed. She knew it was foolish to entertain him, but something about Klaus made her stay. Despite her denial, her resolve was weakening.

”Youʼre impossible,” she said again, shaking her head.

”And yet, here we are,” Klaus replied, his eyes twinkling.

Miriam turned slightly, her gaze softening for just a moment before she caught herself. ”You should focus on getting stronger, Klaus. Not on me.”

”I can do both,” he said with a wink.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but a small smile tugged at her lips. ”Youʼre infuriating, you know that?”

Klaus shrugged. ”Comes with the territory.”

Miriam finally took a step away, but her lingering hesitation spoke volumes. ”Train hard. Donʼt die on me,” she said, her voice quieter than before.

”Wouldnʼt dream of it,” Klaus said, his tone softer.

With a final glance, she left, but not without a twinge of emotion she couldnʼt quite shake. The moment she stepped outside, Klausʼs mother met her gaze with a knowing smile.

”Heʼs gotten to you too, huh?” Klausʼs motherʼs smile widened as she eyed the flustered War Goddess.

Instead of running away, Miriam buried her face in Klausʼs motherʼs chest, clearly embarrassed. If anyone had seen the usually cold, ruthless, and bloodthirsty War Goddess like this, they wouldnʼt have believed their eyes.

”No need to be embarrassed, dear,” Klausʼs mother said with a chuckle. ”That bastard is just too shameless.” She sighed, amused. Only she could handle her sonʼs relentless teasing. Even goddesses werenʼt immune to his charms. It made her wonder what heʼd be capable of once he got stronger.

”Come here, let me fix that hair of yours,” she added warmly, running her fingers through Miriamʼs slightly disheveled locks. ”If youʼre going to fall for my son, you should at least do it with beautiful hair.”

”Auntie!” Miriam protested, her face burning with embarrassment, but she couldnʼt break free from the older womanʼs gentle grip. Klausʼs mother led her away, ignoring her attempts to escape.

As she walked, Klausʼs mother couldnʼt help but drop one more tease, her grin playful. ”You know, you should probably start calling me ʼmother.ʼ”

Miriamʼs blush deepened as she was being pulled away. Klausʼs momʼs laughter filled the house knowing no matter what, His no-good son would sink his hooks in her if he hadnʼt already.

As the saying goes, you learn from your parents. And clearly, Klaus had inherited some of his shamelessness from his mother.

Klaus spent two days relaxing with his mom and Miriam, enjoying a rare break from his usual intense schedule. After the second day, he decided it was time to leave for his own hunt. With a blank access card in his possession, all Forbidden Zones were open to him. No restrictions.

During his time at home, Klaus had researched countless Tier 4 Forbidden Zones, going through hundreds of them to find the perfect one. After much consideration, he picked his target.

He knew that the weakest creatures in a Tier 4 Forbidden Zone were Tier 6 Dark Monsters or Tier 4 Zombie Captains, while the strongest could be as dangerous as a Tier 7 Devil or a Zombie King. With that in mind, he made sure to prepare adequately.

Klaus planned to spend a few weeks in the Zone, sharpening his skills and pushing himself to new limits before returning home. The hunt would be brutal, but it was exactly what he needed to grow stronger.