The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Silence...

That was what fell over everyone as they stared at the spot where the seven traitors' heads exploded. It was a bizarre sight for all of them, watching heads explode in rapid succession.

None of the 79 young warriors standing beside Klaus had ever taken a human life before. They are all green when it comes to that department.

They are warriors, training to fight both internal battles—against their fellow humans—and external ones against the monsters and Zombies that have plagued them since the apocalypse began.

Yet, as it stood, none of them had killed a human before. Despite competing in Oracle, where they battled other humans, seeing heads explode up close was simply too shocking.

Klaus had given them a chance to kill twenty opponents, but instead, they only beat them until Klaus chose to kill them instead. The ones Klaus had immobilized weren't killed by his teammates either; the twenty surrendered to Klaus's attack before he expected the seven traitors.

"You guys are too soft," Klaus said, looking at them. Even in this virtual world, where death wasn't permanent, they still hesitated to kill their opponents.

They were too scared to move. Hearing Klaus's voice now, they felt fear run down their spines. And it wasn't just them. Outside, the participants who had been washed out and those watching from their various resting areas wore frightened expressions.

"This kid is ruthless," Cephas said with a slight smirk. "But it's a good quality. At least he won't chicken out when it comes time to face his fellow humans," he added.

The other instructors nodded. Despite humanity's constant battle against monsters and Zombies, there were always those who sought to cause disharmony. For that, warriors would be needed to put them in their place.

When the time comes, no one will ask who's ever taken a human life—they'll deploy everyone. So despite the reluctance most of them feel about killing their fellow humans, when the moment arrives, they'll have to do it. It's better to start now and get used to it.

"However, this kid is something else. Look at his eyes—there isn't a shred of mercy in them. For some reason, I'm even getting chills just looking at them," Cephas added. Klaus's gaze was beautifully icy right then.

Back in Oracle

Klaus watched as, one by one, the 79 members of his team started to recover. After about 10 minutes, they had regained enough strength for him to put his next plans into motion.

"We're about halfway through the Fractured Mountains. If we take the straight route, we'll converge with those idiots," Klaus stated.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"How do you know that?" Lawrence asked, not daring to meet Klaus's eyes.

"Because while we were fighting them, Max and a second part of their team circled around us and headed that way," Klaus answered, making everyone raise an eyebrow.

"So the battle was a distraction?" Miguel asked.

"Yes and no." Klaus sighed, knowing he had to explain a few things. "While they truly ambushed us, it wasn't just to distract us alone. Yes, it was a big distraction, but Ella wanted to use the opportunity to thin down our team, and she succeeded—big time.

"However, she also lost 40 members, so while her distraction worked, her losses were also huge. But the team led by Max has roughly 40 members, which means we're still lacking in numbers," Klaus explained. Read latest chapters on empire

"All the more reason you shouldn't have killed the seven from our team," Lawrence protested. The members Klaus killed had been a significant blow to their numbers.

"They were traitors, and as such, they deserved to die. I just did you all a favor," Klaus replied with a smirk.

"How so? How does killing your own teammates do us a favor?" Lawrence added, clearly not pleased with how Klaus had handled the seven. "You could have banished them from the team, giving them a chance to at least cross the first 12-hour mark."

"Doing so would have been mercy. I don't show mercy to my enemies. But even if I decided to go soft, banishing them wouldn't bring back the seven they stabbed in the back. So let this be your first lesson from me: if you get a chance to take out a traitor, do it without hesitation.

At least when they're dead, they won't cause any more trouble for the team," Klaus said coldly, as expected.

"Still, you could have asked for our opinion before taking action. Acting on your own was disrespectful to us as your teammates. A leader should know when to consult the team," Lawrence replied, refusing to back down. He didn't like what Klaus did, even if it was necessary.

"Oh, so you think you could have made a more 'sound' decision?" Klaus asked with an amused expression.

"I know I wouldn't have killed them without the collective decision of the team," Lawrence said, and for some reason, a few members began nodding in agreement. Clearly, they were siding with Lawrence.

"Lawrence is right. You should have asked for our opinion before killing them," one youngster said.

"I think so too. Killing them was a cruel move. At least you could have allowed them to cross the first 12 hours so they could earn more rewards," another added, and soon, a few more voices joined in.

Klaus wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what was happening and, for once, he immediately came up with two ways to solve it as Anna's voice was being drowned out.

Miguel stood by, doing nothing—no smile, no anger—just standing there.

Klaus looked at the members protesting and smiled. His first thought was to kill them all, but he quickly realized that was just the bloodlust talking. Even in the virtual world, he could still feel the thirst for blood.

So he switched to the second method he had come up with.

"It seems some of you don't like the way I'm running the team. Why not form your own team and pick a leader to guide you the way you would have wanted?" Klaus suggested.

He knew Lawrence wanted to lead. He had seen it during the planning and strategizing a day before the trial started. So, Klaus wasn't surprised by this ruckus. It was also one of the reasons he had taken decision-making away from Anna—she wouldn't have been able to handle Lawrence.

"Very well," Klaus sighed, seeing about 70 percent of the remaining 80 members move to Lawrence's side. He wasn't surprised.

They had their reasons for leaving. The major one was his feud with the three Legacies. They didn't want to get caught up in that conflict.

The second reason was a promise Lawrence had made to them. He was quite wealthy, so some joined him for the money and resources he had offered.

"Since you 64 are no longer part of my team, if we win in the end, the reward meant for the region won't go to you 64. The same applies to us if you win," Klaus said, making it clear they were no longer on the same side.

"I'll give you half an hour—no, an hour grace period. Use that time to run off, because the next time we meet, I won't hesitate to behead you all," Klaus stated. Without any hesitation, Lawrence's team fled.

Klaus turned to the 15 members still in his team. Miguel had stayed, along with the Zhou twins and Omari Hackman. Three others remained—Lucas, an archer, and two mages, Scarlet and Ruby.

"Let's go. We'll take the left route," Klaus said, and his team of 16 began moving again.