The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

As soon as the controversial news broke, detailing the deeds of the assassins the Renegade had killed and their hidden presence in society, panic and fear swept through the entire globe.

The list of names contained people many had interacted with daily for years—friends, lovers, and family members. Countless people were left devastated after learning about their secret lives.

Klaus hadn’t just stolen Aya Middlestone’s memories; he had also taken highly classified data about all the assassins under her control and throughout the Northern Region.

Aya was a major player, and the information she held was extensive. Now, everyone had access to it.

“I can’t believe I went on a date with a killer. Good Lord, I even ghosted her on the second date… Damn, I came this close to dying.”

“He was my barber! To think I sat in his chair and let an assassin use clippers on my hair… One bad impulse, and he could’ve slit my throat. Damn, I got lucky.”

“He was my personal trainer… Trainer Nathan, an assassin? Unbelievable.”

“That’s it. I’m done dating. You never know when your next date might be the angel of death. Screw you, Nancy—or whatever your name was…”

Across the internet, reactions poured in from people who had unknowingly interacted with the assassins. The posts quickly went viral, each more shocking than the last.

One man even called off his upcoming wedding after discovering his fiancée was best friends with one of the assassins.

The chaos was palpable. For many, it was a grim reality check. Suddenly, the desire to weed out these hidden threats and reclaim their fragile, apocalyptic peace became stronger than ever.

But while civilians were consumed by panic, the powerhouses of the world were on edge, holding emergency meetings to respond to the unfolding chaos.

In one shadowy corner of the world, the Dark Order convened for the first time in 20 years. They couldn’t ignore the devastating blow dealt to their organization.

This time, every leader gathered to determine the way forward—even the elusive true leader of the Dark Order made an appearance.

For the first time, the full might of the Dark Order stood united in a single room—a sight both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

Among them were 32 Sovereigns, their power ranging from early to peak stages. But the undeniable centerpiece of the gathering was the Peak Transcendent, the leader of the Dark Order.

Their presence alone radiated a pressure that would make even seasoned warriors tremble.

Each member wore dark masks that covered their faces from the nose up, concealing their identities while adding to the ominous atmosphere in the room.

“I think we all know why we are here… So speak up. What are your thoughts on this strange, hidden fellow?” the Leader said.

In the Dark Order, he was referred to as the Reaper. Across all of Earth, he was perhaps the most skilled killer. Well, he hadn’t met Klaus yet—the Lord of Slaughter.

Nonetheless, the Reaper was terrifying and deadly.

“Leader, I know this isn’t the time to point fingers, but everything started when we decided to make our presence known by trying to assassinate that brat in broad daylight,” one of the Sovereigns said.

“Dark Lord Nine, what are you hinting at?” another masked assassin asked, narrowing his eyes behind the mask.

“I’m not hinting at anything, Dark Lord Seven. I’m stating facts,” Dark Lord Nine replied. “This is all due to our negligence. Just because the Overlords never intervened to subdue us, we became complacent. We acted cocky… and look where that’s landed us.

“Dark Lords Four, Six, Seventeen, and Twenty are now dead, along with hundreds of our finest. I say we brought this upon ourselves.”

“Dark Lord Nine is right,” Dark Lord Ten agreed. “We allowed arrogance to blind us, and in doing so, we fell into the hands of an even more arrogant killer. Now, he’s using us to build his fame.”

In the Dark Order, aside from the Leader, who was called the Reaper for his unmatched killing talent, the Sovereigns were known as the Dark Lords, while the great sages were referred to as the Dark Elders.

There used to be 36 of them. But with Aya Middlestone, Hong, Red Lady, and Lex now dead, only 32 remained. And now, they were all beginning to blame their rash decision to use the rising star as a stepping stone for their reputation.

It had backfired spectacularly.

“We can’t change the past now, Dark Lord Nine. The key figures who proposed that idea are dead. We must focus on ensuring the Renegade doesn’t achieve whatever goal he’s after,” Dark Lord Fourteen said.

“That’s true, but there’s a question none of you are asking,” Dark Lord Two interjected. “Do any of us even know this Renegade? Another question: do we know his or her cultivation base? And lastly, what about their connections?

“Somehow, this person managed to uncover the identities of four of our finest. Because of that, hundreds of our assassins are now dead. That is deeply troubling to me.”

Her words left the room in silence.

Indeed, they all shared the blame, but most of it fell on the late Aya.

In her ambition to rise through the ranks and claim the position of Number One, she proposed the reckless idea of using Klaus to demonstrate their dominance to the world.

It was a foolish and shameless plan that backfired spectacularly in ways no one could have anticipated.

Klaus not only survived but returned more arrogant than ever. He openly threatened them, dragging their name through the mud without hesitation.

But that wasn’t the end of their troubles. Just as they began attempting to rebuild their shattered reputation, a new threat emerged: someone who started targeting them.

At first, they all believed it was Klaus Hanson. After all, he was their only known adversary. They had tried to kill him, failed, and now he had declared open war against them.

Naturally, they wanted him dead. Yet, they had never truly considered him a serious threat.

To them, Klaus was nothing more than an overambitious nuisance, a small fry who had grown a bit too bold. They believed they could crush him at any time.

But then, this mysterious new figure emerged. Unlike Klaus, this person remained nameless and unknown, yet far deadlier. Without warning, they began killing more of their people, striking fear where arrogance once reigned.

At first, Aya tried to handle it on her own, using her investigative skills. Naturally, she suspected Klaus and was determined to kill him.

But then she died, and the threat of pursuing them became apparent.

Well, it’s not completely apparent. The true identity remained hidden, but their moniker sent shockwaves through the group, sparking panic.

It had been decades since the Order was formed, and for the first time, they faced something they couldn’t control.

Over the years, they had been ruthless, arrogant, and feared by many. They had killed thousands without a shred of remorse, believing themselves untouchable.

But now, for the first time in decades, they felt fear. And this fear came in the form of a Renegade—a relentless force who vowed to wipe them out to the last. In their eyes, he was a true killer.

Because of this, they were panicking, though they tried to suppress it. The truth was, they had no idea who this Renegade was.

However, the question posed by Dark Lord One made them feel uneasy, forcing them to rethink everything.

“While we don’t know the Renegade’s identity, we do know someone who started all of this. So, my question is this: what is the Renegade’s connection to Klaus Hanson?”