The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

As soon as Klaus returned from Stone Valley, he went into seclusion to tackle something he had been putting off for too long. When he killed the Fire Horn Leopard in the Fire Region of the Demon's Abode, he obtained a rare flower called the Fire Tulip.

According to the senior, absorbing it would enhance his control over fire and grant him a certain degree of fire resistance. Klaus had either postponed it or, more truthfully, forgotten about it. The were many things he was dealing with.

However, on his way back from Stone Valley, he remembered. So after spending a few hours with his mom and Miriam, he entered seclusion to finally consume it.

Now, sitting in lotus posture inside his training room, Klaus retrieved the Fire Tulip, and immediately, the temperature spiked.

"It's hot," Klaus muttered.

Despite having the fire element, powerful flames could still burn him. He hadn't achieved full-fire immunity yet. Even someone like Nari, who had stronger control over the flame element, still got burned when touching extremely powerful flames.

"Okay, Senior, how do I absorb this?" Klaus asked the senior inside his soul sea.

"Eat it," the senior replied instantly.

"Wait, what? Are you trying to kill me? You want me to eat this hot thing?" Klaus was taken aback. The flower in his hand was already scorching, yet the senior expected him to put it in his mouth. That felt like a death wish.

"How else are you going to absorb it? Eat it, and the full essence of the flower will be absorbed into your body," the senior replied, offering no other alternatives.

Klaus sighed, knowing he had no choice but to follow the senior's instructions—not that he liked the idea one bit.

Steeling himself, he opened his mouth and bit down on the entire tulip. He barely had time to chew before the flower dissolved in his mouth, instantly getting absorbed into his body.

Hot smoke escaped from the corners of his lips as the fiery essence entered him. At the same time, Klaus felt his body heating up rapidly.

His skin started turning red as the flame's essence began to integrate into his body. His appearance is enough to tell one that he is enduring a lot of torture.

Klaus gritted his teeth as the heat inside his body intensified. His skin turned a deeper shade of red, and he could feel the fire essence spreading through his veins like molten lava. Every cell in his body seemed to burn, the heat becoming almost unbearable.

His breath came in ragged gasps as waves of fiery energy surged through him. He could feel the Fire Tulip's essence merging with his core, but the pain was intense. Sweat poured from his body, evaporating almost as soon as it appeared.

Klaus forced himself to stay calm, knowing that resisting the process would only make things worse. He focused on controlling his breathing, trying to guide the energy flow within him. The heat in his chest built up, almost as if his heart was about to explode.

Suddenly, a sharp burning sensation spread through his entire body. Klaus clenched his fists, trying to stay grounded as the heat continued to rise. His muscles tensed, and he could feel the fire essence rushing to his fire element, where it began to settle.

Slowly, the burning sensation started to fade, and his skin returned to its normal color. The fiery energy still lingered, but now it felt more manageable. His body was absorbing the essence, refining it, and Klaus could sense his control over the fire element becoming stronger.

His body, though still hot, was no longer burning. The intense heat had reduced to a steady warmth, pulsing within him. The process was almost complete.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Klaus took a deep breath. The absorption was done. He had survived.

At the same time, messages flashed before Klaus's eyes.

[You have absorbed a large amount of Pure Fire Essence.]

[Your Fire Mastery has increased significantly.]

[Your Fire Resistance has increased significantly.]

"I didn't know the system could do that," Klaus muttered. The system interface that appeared after awakening had always been a mystery to everyone. Nobody fully understood it, and Klaus was even more clueless.

As someone who dropped out of school, Klaus had always seen the system as nothing more than a screen that displayed his status and kills. Seeing these new messages felt like a wake-up call.

He knew if he asked the senior about it, he'd just shrug it off, so instead, Klaus decided to ask a question that was more pressing at the moment.

"Senior, what are the stages of elemental mastery? You mentioned something about Elemental Laws too. Could you explain a bit more? At least give me something," Klaus asked, hoping not to walk away empty-handed.

"I can answer your first question, but as for the second... you know why I won't say much," the senior replied, making Klaus smile.

"Elemental Mastery progresses through the following stages: D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS, SSS+, SSE, and SE. Each stage reflects how much control you've gained over the elements you have an affinity for. To advance, you need to cultivate by absorbing large amounts of elemental essence.

A good example is the Fire Tulip you just absorbed. But that's not all. Once you become a Saint and form a Star Core, you'll begin to sense the Laws associated with your elements. And though I won't go into detail, most people awaken the true form of their elements starting at the Saint stage."

"Like my fire element?" Klaus asked.

"Yes. Although you've awakened it, you still don't have access to its full form. So, for now, you're not even at the D stage," the senior clarified.

"How can I increase my mastery to reach that stage?" Klaus asked, intrigued.

"There are several ways. First, you can cultivate in extremely hot environments for fire elements, or in cold, freezing places for ice.

Another way is to practice manipulating your elements in as many ways as you can think of. This can trigger changes that might help raise your mastery. You can try molding different shapes and forms and see if you can trigger a change.

You can also fight others with similar elemental affinities. Battles can teach you new ways to control your element or reveal unknown strengths you didn't know you had. Realizing something like that can improve your mastery.

The easiest method is to kill more devils or high-level monsters and absorb their cores, as you've already started doing. I won't go deep into it now, but there are other treasures out there that can help you immensely.

As you grow stronger, you'll discover more methods," the senior concluded.

"Thank you. I guess I have to step up my game," Klaus said. He had awakened nine different types of fire elements, and although he didn't yet have mastery over even one, he had already seen significant improvement.

He could use fire for attacks while the flame dragon was also rampaging. So that alone gave him confidence that once he fully awakened all nine, his power would be formidable.

In addition to that, Klaus was also making plans to awaken the lightning element during his next tribulation. From what he had experienced in the Fire Region, unlocking the lightning element would make it easier for him to face the challenges of the tribulation.

First, Klaus intended to hunt some lightning-type monsters in preparation for his breakthrough. He was currently at Level 8, but with the number of cores given to him by Dave Arcadia, he knew he would soon bridge the remaining gap.

Having made up his mind about his next course of action, Klaus left the training room to relax for a while. He remembered Luna, the assassin who had tried to kill him in the Devil's Abode, would be arriving soon. He had given her a month, and that month was already up.

It was time for him to start making some bold moves; the Dark Order wouldn't kill themselves, so somebody had to.