The waves swayed, raising the water high into the air. Klaus halted his advance and waited for the abomination hiding within the depths to make its appearance.
He could sense it—very strong, very large—and from the waves alone, he knew he was about to have a good fight.
He was excited.
The waters splashed, sending a shockwave that blasted the ice coating the water. Klaus was pushed back, but fortunately, he remained within the confines of the Ice Lotus.
He stood his ground—well, more like he stood on his ice—as he watched the colossal abomination emerge from beneath the surface.
The first thing he noticed was the rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth lining the colossal maw of the crocodile’s head. There were countless teeth, intimidating to behold.
Klaus observed the crocodile’s head and frowned.
‘It’s rising,’ he thought inwardly.
The crocodile’s head began to rise above the raging surface of the water. Its colossal green neck followed, matching the head in size.
Then a muscular frame appeared. The front legs that were supposed to allow it to crawl had transformed into hands, now ending in razor-sharp claws. It rose to waist level, and its roar sent torrents of waves crashing from its maw.
“Maw of the Abyss,” Klaus muttered, frowning. His mind was instantly reinforced by the [Sage Mind] and [Unbreakable Min] techniques.
He had fought this monster before, back in the Tormented World. He and Yuying had one time gone to kill a Nine-Tailed Demon Fox so Yuying could steal her bloodline.
One of its guards had been a Maw of the Abyss. It was a demon back then, very powerful. However, he was also a Saint at that time, so the battle had been a quick and decisive one. Now, he is a mere Master stage expert
If the monster before him was anything like the one he had fought before, he knew he was in trouble. That time, he had Yuying by his side.
“Damn it…” Klaus cursed, putting away his sword as a spear appeared in his hand.
“No Annihilation Ice this time; gotta do it the old-fashioned way,” he thought, his grip tightening on the two-meter spear.
The monster rose higher, its massive waist now visible above the surface. At 2.5 meters tall, it was enormous, imposing, and undeniably threatening. Klaus knew that well.
When he fought it with Yuying, she had warned him that mind attacks were off-limits. The creature possessed a formidable mind and a berserker ability that activated if its mind was attacked. Using his Eye of Malevolence would be too risky, as even a mere gaze could provoke its mind.
‘I don’t the lightning element just yet’ Klaus muttered.
He recalled Yuying had told him that lightning was one of its weaknesses. Klaus would have to rely on the two elements he currently wielded: ice and fire. Discover hidden tales at empire
‘I could just summon the dragon and finish this in a few strikes,’ he pondered, but then he noticed something that made him smile.
“I will kill it with a single strike,” Klaus declared.
His voice carried, cutting through the sea’s roar and the monster’s deafening roars, which served as a mental attack or to many, mental torture.
According to Yuying, its tongue contained an amplifier that intensified its roars, making it nearly impossible to hear anything else. One could get mad from hearing those roars and howls.
Klaus’s statement echoed across the battlefield. Thousands of young warriors and instructors watching heard him. Even Ella, Ethan, and Max, who had woken from Oracle with beaten expressions, caught his words.
“I feel like we’re missing out on something… maybe we should log out,” Omari said. The two women beside him on the shore, still shaken by Klaus’s display just a few minutes ago, nodded. They haven’t exited the trial yet.
A second later, they exited Oracle and began watching the large screen, showing Klaus facing the colossal monster. They remembered hearing its roar from 40 kilometers away while in Oracle.
Klaus made his move—a classic one.
The monster had incredibly tough skin—tough enough for the Void Piercing Needle to pierce, but it would require a strong mental push, which Klaus preferred to avoid. So, he turned to his only move, knowing he didn’t yet have the lightning element.
He spun the spear, coating it in ice, and hurled it into the air. The monster roared, opening its massive maw and unleashing torrents of shockwaves. But Klaus was right on cue.
Riding the shockwave, he leaped high into the air, cracking the ice beneath him. Then, with a powerful kick, he struck the blunt end of the spear, sending it flying with its pointed tip aimed directly at the monster.
Its mouth was wide open, and in an instant, the spear pierced through. Just like that, Klaus had killed the monster with a single attack. It fell backward, splashing into the sea and raising waves everywhere.
He had put a lot into that kick, so by the time the monster registered the attack, it was already too late.
“It actually worked,” Klaus sighed, gazing at the 5-meter body of the slain beast. It was considerably taller from the waist up than below.
Moving past it, Klaus approached the Sage Eye and placed his hand on it. The moment his hand touched it, Cephas spoke.
“Congratulations, Disciple Klaus, you have emerged as the winner of this year’s Genius Gathering competition.”
Klaus nodded, and then his vision darkened. The next second, he was back in the gaming chair, everyone staring at him.
Awe, shock, anger—and most of all, hatred—filled their eyes, though there were a few concerned looks from Hanna, Anna, and Lily.
Klaus sighed. “I’m okay,” he said, not wanting to get into things yet.
He’d already sensed the gaze of three people watching him from the other room. Only a glass wall separated them, but he could feel their killing intent aimed squarely at him.
Clearly, Ella, Ethan, and Max hadn’t learned their lessons yet; they wanted more. Klaus was fine with that. Killing them now would solve a lot of future problems.
“Everyone, gather around!” Cephas’s voice suddenly cut through the crowd, granting the three Legacies another day to live. They could die tomorrow if they want.
Klaus’s mind wasn’t in the best place right now; he needed to meditate.
If not for the Mad Berserker Red Tiger Core, he wouldn’t have bothered competing in this trial.
Of course, he could have gone hunting for it himself, but that would’ve been a waste, so he decided to kill two birds with one stone.
Cephas addressed the group, and five minutes later, a case containing the core was handed to Klaus under the jealous gaze of many. As for the other rewards, everyone would receive them the next day, which was also the final day.
The trial had ended faster than most expected. Klaus left with his friends, and soon he was back in his room, where he immediately entered a meditative state. For the next few hours, no one disturbed him.
When night came, however, Anna and Lily entered his room. Klaus was still meditating, so they didn’t interrupt. Three hours later, he opened his eyes.
It was time for some apologies and damage control.