The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

A day after the top 100 were selected, the time for the competition finally arrived. The chosen 100 from each region gathered at a different building, where 100 sets of gaming chairs were prepared for each group. Klaus and his friends made their way toward the room, but before they could enter, 15 people were standing at the entrance.

"Klaus Hanson, I hope you're prepared. This time, I'll crush you," Max Duncan, the Devil Archer, said, his fist clenched. Beside him stood Ella and Ethan Duncan, along with several others who Anna quickly recognized as the top contenders from the Western, Northern, and Southern regions.

"Looks like the Doofus Legacies had to call in extra dogs just to face me," Klaus said, mocking them. It didn't take much for him to insult someone—just knowing they were against him was enough.

As expected, the faces of the 12 others immediately darkened upon hearing his insult. Klaus was too unpredictable, making it difficult to challenge him.

"No matter," Klaus added with a smirk, "I just hope you guys have something up your sleeves to make this exciting." He then gestured for his group to follow him inside.

Since the rules prohibited physical fighting, he could only hope to encounter them early in the competition so he could torture them in his own way.

"Don't worry, Max. Klaus will understand what it feels like to cross us soon enough," Ella, clearly the mastermind of this enterprise, said, tapping her brother on the shoulder.

Among the three Legacies, Ella was the strategist, the schemer, and the mastermind. Anything unruly came from her, and while many might say it didn't suit her, she was undeniably good at what she does.

As for the muscle, that was Ethan. Despite being just a Peak Master stage expert, he could unleash some powerful and terrifying fighting power. He was strong—very strong—which was the main reason for his arrogance, especially for his age.

Max, on the other hand, was more of a prodigy than an idiot among the three. He had awakened with a soul weapon, making him one of the top prodigies among the Legacies. However, he seemed to have a low IQ, so Ella always found a way to manipulate him.

Because of her, he had been disgraced in front of the whole world by Klaus. But despite that, he still listened to her. And this time, they had cooked up something for Klaus, who, after waking up from his trip down memory lane, would be in for a surprise.

"Let's go." Soon, they all appeared in the large hall where Instructor Cephas and some other instructors were already present to start the competition—the first of its kind.

"Welcome, everyone," Cephas greeted. "As I announced four days ago, this year's competition will be held based on region, and thankfully, it will take place in Oracle. It's the first of its kind, so be proud."

Many smiled upon hearing that. Oracle had certainly made things simpler for everyone. Although only 500 of them were present now, the rest were watching from their resting areas.

"Now, before I explain what the competition will entail, I have a few things to announce. First, the leaders came together and decided to enhance the reward system. Initially, all 5000 of you were to be given two Devil Cores and a vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew. However, that has now changed.

You will all receive a vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew and five Devil Cores instead."

Everyone, whether present in the hall or watching on the big screens, smiled slightly upon hearing that. While some might act wealthy and claim they had plenty, few could boast of casually acquiring Devil Cores to absorb. They were a valuable commodity.

So, getting five for free was already a huge deal for many.

"Then, for the 100 selected, you will receive an additional vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew and 3 Tier 6 cores Cores. But that's not all. For every 12 hours you remain alive in the competition, you will get another vial of Earth-Grade Mountain Dew and a Tier 6 monster Core.

So, do your best to survive, as the competition will take two and a half days to complete." Cephas scanned their happy faces and smiled.

"As for the region that wins, all participants will receive an additional two vials of Mountain Dew, so strive to win. And to the last person standing, you will receive a Tier 7 Core and a vial of Gold-Grade Mountain Dew."

At the mention of Gold-Grade Mountain Dew, everyone clenched their fists. Mountain Dew, something only available at the Celestial Mountain Academy, comes in various grades: Common, Epic, Earth, Gold, Heaven, Diamond, and Legendary.

It's something the academy holds dear because of its versatility. So, obtaining a vial of Gold-Grade Mountain Dew means one can experience explosive growth in cultivation once consumed. Enjoy new tales from empire

"Now, to the main event," Cephas said, suddenly switching on a screen displaying various views. "The competition is called Journey to the South, and as the name suggests, you will be traveling from a fixed starting point to a marked destination in the south.

"The start will be at a random location, and you and your team will have to travel several miles, facing various challenges and dangers, to reach a point known as Alpha. There will be a single entrance there that will take you to the next stage of the journey.

"The sooner you reach Alpha, the sooner you can enter. All of you will be traveling from different places but will have to enter through this single door to advance. Of course, there will be a catch, which you will discover when the trial begins.

"From Alpha, you may use any skills at your disposal to cross what we call the Fractured Mountain. It's full of dangers, so be careful not to fall into traps set by us or your fellow competitors.

"After crossing the Fractured Mountain, you'll need to traverse the Willow Forest, which is both dangerous and, some might say, fun," Cephas smiled before continuing.

"From the Willow Forest, there's one more obstacle to overcome before arriving at the southern destination. As for what the last obstacle will be, you'll have to find that out on your own.

"Once you reach the south, you'll need to head to a place called the Sage Eye. All you have to do is place your hand on the eye to be declared the winner. If two or more of you survive, you can either fight it out or choose one person to place their hand—it will be up to you.

"By our estimation, the trial will take two and a half days to complete. If, after that time, none of you manage to place your hand on the eye, the trial will end with no declared winner.

"So, do your best to clear the obstacles before time runs out."

Everyone was both shocked by the nature of the competition and pumped for some action. In reality, something like this couldn't be arranged, but with Oracle, as long as you can imagine it, you can model it.

With a quick gesture, everyone went to their side of the hall and sat in the gaming chairs. Max Duncan gave Klaus a quick, murderous glance before putting his helmet on. Klaus just shrugged and then put on his own Oracle helmet.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Soon, he was standing in a field with 99 others around him. Since they were all starting from the same fixed point, equidistant from Alpha, he knew that the moment the bell rang, they would have to move. He turned to the 99 with him.

"As you can see, the Central, Western, Northern, and Southern Regions have formed a cohort to wash us out—specifically me. But fear not. All we have to do is follow the strategies we came up with and adapt to the changes along the way.

And, well, try to have some fun. I know I will," Klaus said, and everyone nodded.

"Welcome to Journey to the South. The match starts in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... GO!"

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