The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Klaus unleashed ten percent of his Star Qi, channeling it into a soul attack that struck the monster, making it stagger for a brief moment. Seizing the opening, he dashed forward, his sword aimed directly at the creature's neck. But just before his blade could land, the monster leaped back, narrowly evading the strike.

Klaus smirked. With a swift stomp, he sent shards of ice shooting toward the tiger. They erupted from the ground, striking the beast's chest and pushing it back several meters. This gave Klaus the chance to summon his Lotus flower once again.

"Ice Beam!" A freezing blast shot forward, hitting the tiger square in the chest. Simultaneously, Klaus's eyes flashed, and another soul attack slammed into the tiger, disorienting it once more.

"Moon Slash!" An icy arc cut through the air, coated with sword qi as it slashed across the creature's chest. This time, with the tiger still dazed from the soul attack, its defenses faltered. A deep cut appeared on its chest, making Klaus smile.

The tiger roared in pain, shaking the ground beneath them. Its eyes burned with rage, but the disorientation from Klaus's soul attacks kept it off balance. Klaus didn't let up—this was his chance.

He charged again, his body moving with practiced precision. With each step, the ground beneath his feet froze solid, leaving a trail of ice in his wake. He swung his sword downward, aiming for the tiger's weakened chest. But the tiger, in a last desperate move, rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike.

"Damn it" Klaus cursed under his breath but quickly adapted. He slammed his palm into the ground, sending ice spikes shooting up around the tiger, boxing it in. The beast snarled, its movements growing more frantic, but the cold bit into its skin, slowing it down.

"Another," Klaus's eyes flashed again. As before, the tiger faltered, its movements stuttering in the ice trap, giving him the perfect opportunity to strike. With its body momentarily frozen in place, Klaus's follow-up attack landed with a dangerous boom.

The force sent the tiger flying back, crashing into the frozen ground. But instead of feeling victorious, Klaus grew more disturbed. Despite his relentless physical strikes and repeated soul attacks, the tiger still seemed unnervingly strong, refusing to give in.

"How is it still standing?" Klaus muttered, watching as the creature began to recover, its fierce eyes locked onto him. His frustration deepened.

"Does this mean I have to use the Pentaface Bead?" he whispered. The tiger was already charging at him again, claws tearing through the frost-covered ground.

"No," he shook his head, steeling his resolve. "I need this fight to gauge my strength. I haven't reached my limit yet."

His grip tightened on his sword, the cold air biting at his skin. This battle wasn't just about survival—it was about testing himself. Klaus wasn't ready to rely on the bead just yet. He needed to push harder, to break through the barriers he knew still held him back.

Klaus could feel it deep within—he wasn't living up to his full potential. That arrow should never have sent him into a coma. Ever since he woke up, that memory continued to haunt him, gnawing at his pride.

He blamed himself for being weak. He should have been able to defend against that arrow, but instead, he had nearly died. Too weak.

The thought sickened him. He hated it with every fiber of his being. All he wanted now was to become stronger, much stronger. The way forward was clear—he had to break through the chains that were holding him back.

Wasting no time, Klaus dashed forward with renewed focus, his eyes locked on the devil-class tiger. His grip on his swords tightened, and this time, there was no hesitation. He wasn't going to rely on tricks or strategies. He was going to kill the beast with his bare strength.

"Time to break these chains," he muttered under his breath, the ice beneath his feet cracking as he lunged at the tiger, ready to push beyond his limits.

Boom!

Klaus clashed with the tiger, this time holding his ground. He wasn't pushed back, which was a good sign. He dodged a swiping claw and countered with a swift slash, landing a cut on the monster's left arm.

The tiger roared in frustration, but Klaus was already moving. He sidestepped a heavy stomp from the beast, and like a flash of light, his sword cut deep into its left leg.

His eyes flashed again, and the tiger, disoriented, closed its eyes for a brief moment. That was all Klaus needed. He aimed his sword at its chest, targeting a vital spot. Just before the blade could pierce, a sudden, violent burst of energy erupted from the tiger, sending Klaus flying.

He hit the ground hard, but instantly dashed forward again, freezing the earth beneath his feet with every step. His body moved on instinct, and his mind was laser-focused.

Klaus cursed himself for not using his [Absolute Ice Domain] to gain an upper hand. He could have made this fight easier, but he didn't want that. He had relied on those abilities for too long. This time, he needed to see what he could do with just his sword.

Clang!

His blade clashed with the tiger's claw, the sound ringing like metal striking metal. But Klaus didn't back down. He pressed forward, his attacks growing more precise, more dangerous.

Without realizing it, he was adapting to the tiger's speed and movement. His body started to flow with a newfound rhythm, and each strike carried purpose.

Unknowingly, Klaus was creating his own battle style. Every slash, every dodge was becoming part of a new technique, one born out of this fierce struggle. He wasn't just surviving—he was developing.

Klaus's swordsmanship was evolving without him realizing it. It was as if he had entered a new phase of combat, one driven by instinct and reflex, though still lacking the killing force needed to finish off the monster.

"I guess I'll just trade injury for injury and see who gets the last laugh," Klaus smirked, his body bruised and battered from the attacks he had sustained. There were cuts scattered across his skin, but thanks to his superior healing, he was holding on.

He grinned, feeling the tiger's stamina beginning to wane. "It's getting tired. Best time to see if my beheading technique has a future, or if it was just a dumb idea," Klaus muttered, clashing again with the beast.

The tiger had used several of its abilities, but Klaus's relentless close-combat pressure had prevented it from activating any of its more powerful skills. It was good for him—bad for the tiger. With each attack Klaus landed chipped away at its strength, slowly wearing it down.

However, Klaus knew the truth. Without using the Pentaface Bead, dominating a Tier 7 stage creature wasn't going to be easy.

"It's not like before," he admitted to himself. The other tiers had been manageable with his skill set, but this was different. It was a fight of pure endurance now, one that would force him to dig deeper than ever before.

Still, this was exactly what Klaus wanted. He needed to push himself, to see how far he could go without relying on external power, even if it was his power. But so far, the results were disappointing. He was doing badly—too badly.

"Let's end this. I need to reevaluate my strategy," Klaus muttered, realizing that if the fight dragged on for just a few more minutes, he'd lose. The tiger is strong and relentless, and even though it was weakening, so was he.

"Bell of Harrows," he whispered, knowing he had no other choice.

At once, the bell appeared. Inside his soul sea, his Star Qi surged into the first face of the Pentaface Bead.

Ding!

The bell rang, and the tiger froze. It was only for a moment, but Klaus didn't need more than that. His sword, now coated in shimmering sword aura, flashed forward with lethal precision. In the next heartbeat, the tiger's head was severed cleanly from its body. The head flew through the air and landed with a dull thud on the ground.

"Ha," Klaus exhaled, a mix of frustration and relief in his voice. "In the end, I had to use it."

He stared down at the fallen beast, knowing that he was no match for a true devil.

[You have killed a Tier 7 Devil Monster called Red Eye Sabertooth Tiger. You have received 500,000 Exp.]

[You have leveled up. Current Level: Level 5 Master. You have received 400 Stat points.]