The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

The map Fruity got from his past self showed that he would have to cross the Dark River before reaching Illusion Mountain. The river was a mystery, even to Yuying, who had no concrete description of it.

All she said was that the river had a guardian that lived within its depths, and from what she knew 50 years ago, it had been a Beginner Tyrant (Tier 8) back then.

And 50 years was a long time, so she estimated it had likely become a Deimos (Tier 9) by now. Aside from that, there were river monsters that attacked using the water element.

Fruity, of course, was prepared for a huge fight, knowing that the guardian wouldn't attack unless provoked, according to Yuying. He planned to cross the bridge quickly since flying wasn't an option there.

The place had some strange law governing it, making it impossible to fly over the river. Fruity knew taking the bridge was his only option, but he didn't expect that as soon as he appeared within the range of the river, not one but two of his ice elements would react excitedly to it.

"It seems we should prepare for a fight soon. My Devouring and Abyssal Ice seem to have a liking for the river, so I'll be devouring it," Fruity said, making Yuying nod with a smile.

Finally, she would get to fight alongside the latest incarnation of her master—a great honor and privilege she planned to use to tease her comrades when they awakened and found their way to them.

"How do you want to go about it, Master?" Yuying asked, taking out an elegant, thin sword from her space ring. Once again, Fruity was struck with yet another surprise.

'It seems this world is more than just a monster's abode,' he thought.

From what he had seen so far, there was more to this Tormented World than anyone might think. Yuying had already shown him enough for him to realize that the world he had entered was civilized in some way.

Of course, the monsters he had encountered so far were just bloodthirsty idiots, but seeing what Yuying was capable of, he knew there was a whole world out there waiting for him to explore.

For one, he wanted to explore as many places as possible and learn as much as he could before returning to his own world. He had never had the chance to explore his own world, so he would use this opportunity to do so.

The only downside was that, no matter where he went, he would have to be extra careful. According to Yuying, it was rare to meet a peaceful demon in this world. Every monster and beast would try to kill and devour him, so Fruity had started to live his life with that mindset. It would only make things easier for him in the long run.

"Let me start devouring. I'm sure they'll attack the moment they sense something is wrong. You won't have to worry about the small fry—just be on the lookout for the Guardian you mentioned." Yuying nodded and spread her senses, covering the entire river.

Fruity did the same, and with a gesture, the Devouring Ice and Abyssal Ice covered the entire river. Fruity instantly felt a surge of energy enter his body, making him smile.

His focus was also drawn to what the Abyssal Ice was doing, and from what he could tell, there seemed to be traces of Abyssal energy within the water, which it was absorbing.

"Here they come," Fruity said as soon as he sensed Tier 6 and above monsters charging toward the surface. He did not attempt to draw his weapons; instead, he activated his Hypnotic Ice, creating an illusion of calm for the monsters.

He had learned a few tricks before leaving, so the illusion he crafted was of a serene Waterland where life was peaceful, instantly drawing the water-dwelling monsters into it.

Fruity's mental capacity and soul strength were formidable, so even though the illusion was just a basic smokescreen, it was enough to penetrate the minds of thousands of monsters.

He then moved to the next logical step—activating the Soul Eater Ice. In that instant, the entire river began to churn. The monsters trapped in the illusion had their souls devoured, but that wasn't all; the Abyssal energy within them was also being absorbed. To make matters worse for them, their bodies were being devoured as well.

Fruity knew he had to act decisively, so all the energy being devoured was fueling the Devouring Ice this time, making it stronger by the second.

His soul was also growing stronger, allowing him to maintain control over the four Ice elements for as long as possible. Thousands of monsters appeared, but when they got within reach of the Hypnotic Ice, their minds became foggy, and they slipped into the unconscious domain of illusion.

"Looks like Tier 7 monsters have stronger minds and souls," Fruity muttered, noticing some of the Tier 7 water devils struggling to break free. His mental strength was formidable, but not strong enough to trap hundreds, if not thousands, of Tier 7 devils.

"But I came prepared," Fruity said, and with a flick, a red ice mist began to spread across the river.

Since the Hypnotic Ice was struggling to hold the monsters, why not give them something else to resist?

In an instant, chaotic thoughts spread into the monsters' minds splitting their resistance and causing them to instantly succumb to the illusion.

"Looks like the Chaotic Ice copied the wailing of the tree monsters," Fruity remarked, clearly amazed. He hadn't expected that improvement.

He had been searching for ways to make the Chaotic Ice more powerful, but it seemed his worries were unnecessary. The Ice seemed to copy anything chaotic on its own. This also meant that to gain more skills for it, he had to be around chaotic things—more specifically, things that possessed mind attacks.

"I told you, Master, all you had to do was understand the nature of the element, and you could come up with ways to use it," Yuying said with a smile. But deep down, she was shocked to her core by the sheer chaos her master was unleashing on the Dark River and its inhabitants.

"I guess the Ice elements are stronger than we thought. I'll have to get more creative next time. After retrieving the item from Illusion Mountain, on the way to the Northern Region, I'll make a few quick stops to train and synchronize them properly so I can use them more effectively in combat," Fruity said with a smile.

"That's a great idea, Master," Yuying said, clearly excited. Knowing they would be leaving a trail of destruction, she was more than happy to go along with her master's plan.

Although Fruity didn't remember his past, he was getting closer, and soon, with the sheer destruction and power he would gain, he'd be a step closer to uncovering who he was and what he needed to do in his current incarnation.

"Who dares intrude in my domain?" A powerful voice suddenly erupted from deep within the Dark River, sending shockwaves all around.

The moment this presence emerged, the devouring of the river halted, freeing the monsters trapped in the illusions and chaotic thoughts.

"Yuying, why do they always say that? They could just come straight at us and attack," Fruity asked, half-amused, recalling similar declarations from the Hellhounds and the Tree Monsters.

"It's to make their presence known before they attack," Yuying replied with a straight face, unaware that Fruity was being sarcastic.

Just as Fruity was about to respond, a powerful water spear shot up from the depths of the river, heading straight toward them.

"Ice Cage!" Fruity quickly raised an ice barrier around himself and Yuying, defending against the water attack. Once the attack settled and he lowered the defense, they sensed two powerful presences appear in front of them.

"Two guardians, and they're Peak Tyrants," Fruity muttered with a slight grin.

"I can take them both, Master," Yuying said, stepping forward.

"I know, Yuying, you're the best, the strongest. But why don't we share? There are two of them and two of us," Fruity said, spinning the staff in his hand.

Yuying nodded and, with a single step, she vanished. At the same time, the presence that had attacked also disappeared, reappearing 10 kilometers away from Fruity.

"Looks like it's just me and you now," Fruity said, pointing his Demon Slaying Staff at the demi-human-looking Fishman.

"Want to attack first, or should I?" he asked.

In response, the fishman charged forward, razor-sharp arm swinging. Fruity smirked and dashed forward to meet it.