Chapter 174: A Boring Trial
Klaus stood still, only his fingers moving as the Void Piercing Needle darted through the air, piercing holes in the heads of monsters. Everywhere it went, creatures disintegrated into nothingness, leaving only the eerie silence of their death.
The needle moved with terrifying speed, killing relentlessly. Tier 4 monsters appeared, but they didn't even last a minute before they were obliterated. There wasn't even a hint of resistance in their attempts to withstand Klaus's attacks.
It was as if they weren't worth the effort. Even though Klaus is fighting these monsters at their full strength, this is still the virtual world. They lacked the natural aura of intimidation they would normally have on the outside. But still, there shouldn't have been such little resistance to the way Klaus was destroying them.
It felt almost too easy.
"At this rate, I won't even have to move an inch," Klaus said, disappointment creeping into his voice. He watched as the monsters fell one after another, feeling a sense of emptiness in their swift defeat.
The thrill of battle was fading, replaced by a dull sense of monotony. He longed for a challenge, something that would make his heart race. Instead, it felt like he was merely going through the motions, his skills wasted on such weak opponents.
Klaus sighed, wishing for a fight that would truly test him. He glanced around, hoping for a glimpse of something more formidable. But for now, the virtual world offered nothing but easy victories.
The Tier 6 monsters that appeared were all weaker than Klaus had expected. He couldn't quite understand why, but with his Eye of Malevolence observing the battle, he felt a strange sense of control. The monsters charging at him seemed like mere objects, each with countless ways to be destroyed.
He could pinpoint where to strike for an instant kill. As the needle moved, it became nearly invisible to the naked eye. The monsters didn't even realize what had hit them before it was too late.
Klaus knew if he were to start using the Nine Stars Ice Lotus Bloom right now, then the monsters wouldn't have much resistance. Even without it, they are not showing any resistance, not even in the slightest.
"Had I known I could use the Spirit Master Powers like this, I would have mastered using more than 100 needles by now," Klaus mused, watching as the monsters fell without a hint of resistance. The ease of it all left him feeling both powerful and unsatisfied.
The challenge he craved never came, on a bunch of weak monsters coming endlessly yet not able to do anything to him.
However, while Klaus was feeling bored, the thousands of young fighters were struggling. Many are facing overwhelming odds, especially those with slower killing speeds. Some were getting swarmed by the sheer number of monsters charging at them. Those who managed to kill faster were holding on, but it was only a temporary reprieve.
Even Klaus's friends were not faring as well as he was. On one side of the battlefield, Danny had switched to a heavy spear-like weapon, delivering devastating blows. But it wasn't easy for him either. Soon, he would be overwhelmed by the relentless tide of monsters.
Daniel was also in the thick of it, wielding his axe with heaven-shaking might. Both Dannys are brute-strength fighters. They rely on heavy weapons to deliver powerful attacks
Brute strength fighters have some devastating attack power, but when overwhelmed, their killing speed would slow dramatically. Daniel was doing his best to kill as many monsters as possible before the situation became unmanageable. The weight of the battle pressed on him, and he knew time was running out.
Mark was having it slightly easier, but not by much. His spear spun, stabbed, and struck as he focused on killing as fast as he could. However, in this large-scale battle, he struggled to keep up his killing speed. Spearmen are powerful fighters, but in this chaotic situation, he felt the weight of the monsters closing in.
Kay, on the other hand, was in his element. His fire arrows are activating every second, raining down flames on the monsters. He moved with agility, ensuring he kept his distance from the approaching threats. As an archer, it was only natural for him to maintain that gap.
Kilian on the other hand is swinging his blazing sword, slicing through monsters and unleashing arcs of fire with each strike. His attacks were lethal, and even without awakening his sword qi, his attack power was very impressive. The fire danced around him, making each move look both beautiful and deadly.
Lily, his sister, appeared to be one with the wind. With her affinity for the wind element, she was the fastest in the group. Her sword sliced through the air, sending wind arcs that cut silently through the monsters. She moved effortlessly, her speed making her a difficult target as she darted around the battlefield.
They all seem to be giving it their all as they battle the monsters like their life depend on it. well, it kinda does.
As for Anna, she was on an entirely different level. Like Klaus, she stood in one place, her staff stabbed firmly into the ground. Around her, a 1-kilometer radius was frozen solid. This was her killing zone. Although one can tell by the paleness on her face that she is struggling to keep the killing zone active, she doesn't back down either. She stood there with a determined look on her face.
Any monsters entering that zone were faced with a grim fate. Weaker monsters were frozen to death instantly, while stronger ones were encased in ice and pierced by sharp shards that were shooting from the ground. It was the perfect killing domain, and Anna was fighting to maintain it for as long as she could.
Despite the toll it took on her, she remained resolute, channeling her energy to keep the deadly frost alive. She wants to be within the top ten so she is doing all she can to enter that ranking even if it means she just wants to impress Klaus.
As for Hanna, she maintained her killing streak, but the paleness on her face signaled that she would soon be overrun. Despite her impressive speed, she was still an average awakener, and her stats were not that great. The struggle was evident.
In just 20 minutes, 10,000 young fighters had been eliminated. With each passing second, stronger monsters continued to appear, increasing the pressure on everyone.
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"I think this trial is meaningless for him. Just look at how he is killing those monsters— is he even human?" a man in the observation room said, watching Klaus.
He stood with both hands behind his back, eyes closed, relying solely on his senses and mind to control the Void Piercing Needle.
If only they knew that even with his eyes closed, Klaus was as deadly as ever. He is a paragon, someone who doesn't need to follow the same rules as everyone else. So it's only natural for him to be this powerful.
But they only see him as an Anomaly, unable to comprehend just how powerful can a master be.
"Even after making his trial extra hard, he seems just fine. Just how powerful is he really?" another observer wondered aloud. The War Goddess watched all of this with a gentle smile on her lips, clearly impressed by Klaus's performance.
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"Tsk, this trial should just end already so I can enter a forbidden zone and have a real fight," Inside the Oracle, Klaus muttered, frustration seeping into his voice. It had already been 45 minutes, and even with zombies now flooding the battlefield, it felt dull to him.
The thrill, the rush, the fun—he craved that adrenaline. Some might say it's strange for one to feel that, but Klaus didn't care, the zeel he brought for the Regional trial was washed away. He is bored and everyone watching can see that.