The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 202: The Red Moon Ritual [Bonus]

”Overlord, thereʼs a Category Three distress signal from the Demonʼs Abode,” a voice announced suddenly. Inside the meeting room, where the eight Overlords had held their awkward meeting a few days ago, the Cold Lady was sitting comfortably. Her calm was quickly interrupted when a holographic projection of a woman appeared before her.

”Who issued it?” she asked, her voice sharp.

”Klaus Hanson,” the woman replied, causing a flicker of emotion to pass across the Cold Ladyʼs face.

”Which of the Protectors is nearby?” she asked urgently.

”War Goddess Miriam. Sheʼs already on her way,” the woman informed her, prompting the Cold Lady to let out a relieved sigh.

”Keep me updated on any further developments,” she instructed. ”And direct the satellite to monitor the Demonʼs Abode. Donʼt share the footage outside of this room,” she added firmly.

The projected lady bowed, and shortly after, the large screen in the room lit up, displaying the live situation inside the Demonʼs Abode.

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Back inside the Demonʼs Abode, Klaus stood still as the zombie lady began to speak. ”Everyone, I wonʼt say much, but after the ritual, we march toward the city that the Voltox idiots failed to conquer. We will take it, and show the Empress we are worthy to join her immediate army.

Fear not, the DarkBlood Demon Zombie is about to dominate the world alongside the Zombie Empress!”

Klaus shuddered. He knew all too well that this wasnʼt going to end well. He had fought during the Invasion at Arcadian City, and he had seen the countless lives lost. Hearing this plan, he realized just how catastrophic things could get if the ritual succeeded.

”Senior, how do I stop the ritual?” Klaus asked, his voice tense.

”Itʼs already started, and from the look of things, these pillars have generated some kind of forcefield. Youʼll need to destroy the dome first, then the pillars, all within the next 20 minutes,” the senior replied, making Klaus frown deeply.

”Thatʼs impossible. There are thousands of Zombie Generals and Kings. How am I supposed to get past them all?” Klaus asked, frustration creeping into his tone.

”Thatʼs your problem, brat. If you donʼt destroy the pillars within the next 20 minutes, there wonʼt be another chance. Unless, of course, you have the power to take on mutated Zombies,” the senior added, making Klaus frown even harder.

”Iʼll still have to try. If they succeed, with this army, theyʼll use Arcadian City as a stepping stone to impress this mysterious Zombie Empress,” Klaus muttered, not bothering to dwell too much on the mention of the Empress.

His task was clear: destroy the pillars. But first, he had to break through the forcefield. And to do that, heʼd have to get past the thousands of zombies guarding the area.

”For the first time, Iʼm really at my last leg,” Klaus admitted to himself. He didnʼt have a plan, and even his trump cards wouldnʼt do much in this situation. He is also too weak to compare to the danger the senior was on about about this ritual.

”Still, I have to do something,” he whispered, clenching his fists. No matter how grim it looked, he wasnʼt going to stand back and let the world fall.

”Well, these are experience points waiting to be harvested,” Klaus chuckled, surveying the line of Zombies standing on the battlefield, ready to be taken down.

He moved discreetly toward the ritual ground. As he got closer, he noticed some monsters already on their last legs, their bodies evaporating as they were drained by whatever dark magic the Zombies were using. The sight fueled his determination.

Using his senses, he examined the ritual ground and spotted various symbols drawn into the dirt, glowing ominously. ”How is this even possible? Theyʼre Zombies for fuckʼs sake,” he muttered, disbelief lacing his tone as he took in the gruesome setup that was siphoning the life force from the creatures in the Demonʼs Abode.

”I have to end this as quickly as I can,” Klaus said to himself, moving closer. He still had some distance to cover if he wanted his attack to maximize damage. He could feel the tension building within him, a fire that urged him to act.

”Senior, if I detonate the Dragon, will its energy drop?” Klaus asked, his mind racing with possibilities.

”No, it will only drop if itʼs killed. However, detonating it will drain your Star Qi,” the senior replied, a hint of reassurance in their tone. Klaus smiled, a plan forming in his mind.

|l-eʼ-

With his first strategy in place, Klaus felt a surge of confidence. He would detonate the Dragon near the Zombie Kings, hoping to take out a few of them in the blast.

Then, for the Zombie Generals, he would use the Ice Lotus, knowing they wouldnʼt be able to counter much. After that, he planned to unleash the Void Piercing Needle, taking out as many as he could before engaging in close combat.

After the detonation, Klaus knew there would be enough residue of ice and fire essence in the air to help him move faster. With his talent as a Celestial Elemental Overlord, he could use even the tiniest bits of ice or fire essence to boost his speed.

”I just hope these two detonations will help me level up. I need those 400 points,” Klaus muttered, aware he was walking a fine line here.

”Senior, karma aside, what kind of zombies will come out of this ritual?” He had to know.

The senior sighed, knowing this would bite him in the ass during Klausʼs next tribulation. But he had to tell him. ”Theyʼre called Blood Princes. Theyʼre zombies born from blood under the red moon.”

”Cool name. What about their powers? Care to give me a heads-up?” Klaus asked.

”Theyʼll be at least ten times stronger than the five devils youʼve already killed.” Klaus shuddered at that thought.

He gulped, imagining the chaos ahead. He had used decisive methods to kill the fire devils, but he knew that wouldnʼt work here. There were thousands of zombies he had to deal with first. If his instincts were right, heʼd be up against six Blood Princes and probably a Blood Queen too. The thought made his stomach churn.

”Miriam, please hurry up!” Klaus clenched his fist, urgency flooding through him as he moved toward the point where the two attacks would be unleashed. Time felt like it was slipping away, and he needed to be ready.

”Brat, make sure you donʼt bite off more than you can chew. These zombies arenʼt like the ones you faced before,” the senior warned, his tone firm. Klaus nodded, knowing the truth in those words. He had survived before, but this felt different. The stakes were higher, and he couldnʼt afford to make mistakes.

”This better work,” Klaus muttered. He sighed as a dragon and an Ice Lotus appeared in the air. At the same time, he felt his Star Qi being drained. The lotus absorbed some energy, while the dragon took its share as well.

”Go!” He pointed forward. The Zombie generals and kings around him sensed the new presence. They all growled, watching the dragon and the Ice Lotus approach them.

”This better work,” Klaus muttered again, watching the two attacks get closer. This time, he didnʼt smile. Instead, a serious expression crossed his face as he snapped his fingers.

”Explode!”

On one side, a blinding flash of crimson fire erupted, its wave washing over everything. On the other side, the Ice Lotus detonated, freezing everything in its path.

”Now!” Klaus shouted as the Void Piercing Needle shot forward. The next moment was chaos—ice shattered, and blood sprayed everywhere as the Zombies howled in pain from the burns of fire and ice.

”Nice one, brat!”