The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 1478: A Trap

The reason why Klaus didn’t play the Star Monarch card when he first laid eyes on the bird was that he felt no resonance between him and the bird.

That was because the one they had fought for the past two hours was merely a clone. So he sensed no likeness between them. However, when she revealed her aura through the void, Klaus sensed it.

Of course, he could have stopped then, but he had to prove himself, and so he used the time and gravity law to push her to a corner.

Once that was achieved, he knew he had to stop before he angered the bird lady any further. Already, she had them on thin ice. If it were only Klaus and perhaps Rory, escaping would have been simple. But carrying the others along with him would have been impossible.

From his calculations, the time it would take to send them inside the Demon Bead before making a run for it would be four seconds. That was plenty of time for the bird lady to kill them all.

So he made a gamble, and it paid off.

Now, he had stunned teammates and a humble bird staring at him.

"Let’s talk inside the void," Klaus took one step, and he vanished, appearing inside the void. The bird lady stood up and followed him.

"Uhm, what had just happened?" Omen asked, his expression riddled with confusion.

They all turned to Rory, who they knew was much closer to Klaus. However, seeing the confused look on her face, they could immediately tell she was as confused as they were.

Princess Evren was both confused and a bit angry. She and her team suffered the most. However, just when Klaus and his team were about to get revenge, everything turned upside down, transcending the realm of common sense.

Meanwhile, inside the void, Klaus faced the bird lady.

"Why were you chasing that lady and her team?" he asked, and the bird lady sighed.

"Her blood smells nice, so I wanted to eat her,"

Klaus furrowed his brow, a bit amused, "I see. So you are a blood-type bird, huh?"

"Yes. My true form is that of a Blood Eye Hawk. I have reached the peak of the demigod stage and am now planning to sense my divinity and step onto the path of God Ascension. If my luck turns out to be a good one, I would one day become a God Beast."

Klaus’s golden eyes changed color, becoming green for a few seconds before a smile appeared on his face.

"I see. You have a 20% chance of becoming a God Beast or die trying. However, with my help, you are 100% guaranteed," Klaus smirked, "I know you don’t doubt me because you can smell it in my blood,"

She looked calmly at Klaus for a few minutes before she nodded.

"Then I suppose you are willing to join me. While I am a bit short on time right now, simply because where I have to go can’t be delayed any further, I will give you my blood once that is handled.

Before that, however, if you accept becoming my contracted beast, I will bestow on you a technique that will aid you better in the adventures we will soon be embarking on."

The bird lady said nothing for a few minutes before she asked, as if seeking confirmation.

"Are you really the Star Monarch?"

Klaus laughed and nodded, "I am. This also means I am the Paragon, which I suppose, since you have heard of the Star Monarch, you already know."

She nodded.

"Though I have to ask, how did you hear of the Star Monarch? From what I learned from Queen Mantis, this place had been sealed for the past million years. If nobody was able to come inside during that time, how come you are aware of his name?"

The bird lady let a smile appear on her face.

"Oh, so you are not aware, huh?" she laughed, making Klaus furrow his brow, his sixth sense telling him he was in danger.

"What am I missing?"

"A lot, actually. You see, this Nest is now under the rule of the Four God Beasts. All four of them were alive millions of years ago when the Star Monarch entered this place, and so they are aware of him.

I am one of the three demigod beasts under one of the God Beasts. In fact, you are currently in her domain, so she will soon reveal herself. With me here, she won’t kill you on sight. However, you might end up becoming her slave.

You see, the smell of human blood is what we all crave. Every Calamity beast in here craves human blood, and so there will be a hunt very soon. We were somehow made aware that a steady stream of humans would be entering the nest, so we have prepared well to welcome you all.

In other words, somebody wants you all dead, and so they made us aware long before you came. There is going to be a massacre if it hasn’t already started." She scoffed and added, "I wonder who would be wicked enough to want you all dead."

"Heavens Court," Klaus gritted his teeth.

He didn’t even have to doubt his words. In every aspect of this, the Heavens Court had more to lose and gain. If they could kill everyone, the reincarnation of the Jade Ant Queen would fall into their hands.

And since their sealed warriors would soon be revealed, if anyone survived and left these places, they would expose them. So, in this case, there was only one move: kill everyone.

Klaus felt a chill run down his spine.

There was no aspect of this where he came out on top. First, there were four gods in the nest. Even if he managed to somehow get his hands on the Jade Ant Queen, escaping from them would be impossible.

’I doubt her rebirth would be subtle. This means she will draw attention, and I would be right in the middle of it all.’

’Damn it. These wicked people, they just don’t value human life.’

Klaus turned and looked at the bird lady and asked:

"What is your name?"

"Crux,"

"Well, Crux, can you take me to the god you serve?"

She nodded, "I can do that, though I can’t guarantee your safety,"

"Don’t worry about that. I will be fine,"

She nodded, and Klaus began drafting the contract with her. It took a few minutes to handle everything. Afterward, they returned to the wilderness.

"Hello everyone, meet Crux. She will be joining us from here onwards," Klaus introduced her, and none of them said anything for a few minutes.

It was Princess Evren who spoke after five minutes.

"Thank you for saving us, Renegade Hunter, but how sure are you that she can be trusted?" she spoke from her trauma, and Klaus knew that. However, he wasn’t about to be that kind of gentleman when he had just learned he had walked into a trap.

He hated walking into unknown traps. So he was pissed, and Rory, who was somehow connected to him, could sense it.

"Well, Princess, Crux is now a part of my team, so I don’t really need to assure you of anything. But let’s pretend for a minute and examine the fact that I just learned there are four God Beasts in this nest, and each one is out to get us. Do you feel safe."