The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 188: I Can Do Both

"Mother-in-law, I'm looking forward to our next picnic. I hope next time it'll be all sunshine, with no distractions," Klaus said, giving Cynthia a playful wink as he dropped her off at the Ross Mansion.

Cynthia Ross blushed slightly, her cheeks warming at his words. This bastard is too shameless, she thought, shaking her head before quickly closing the door to hide her embarrassment. Klaus grinned, watching her reaction, before heading back to his own home.

When he arrived, he was greeted by the sight of his mother chatting with the War Goddess. His smile widened, and he dove into his mother's embrace.

"How was your outing?" she asked, stroking his hair like she always did.

"Better than I expected," Klaus replied with a smirk. Indeed, it had turned out far more interesting than he imagined. The War Goddess, who knew all too well what Klaus had been up to, narrowed her eyes.

She couldn't decide whether to scold him or pry for more details. Either way, she knew Klaus had gotten himself into some mischief.

"Nice to see you had fun. By the way, your sister and some of your friends went on a hunt a day ago," his mother said.

Klaus nodded absentmindedly, already aware of that. Hanna has already messaged him. "I'll rest for a day and get back to training," he said, breaking from his mother's embrace and heading to his room.

Once inside, he tried calling Ohema, but as usual, it didn't go through. She had been unreachable for weeks now. He was worried but continued to wait as she told him before leaving the last time.

"She'll call when she's available, I guess," Klaus muttered to himself before flopping onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, trying to shake the unease creeping in. A few seconds later, his eyes shifted toward the door as the War Goddess stepped in.

"You, what exactly did you do on that mission?" she said, her tone sharp

Klaus grinned lazily. "You know... had fun, made out with my mother-in-law, killed a bunch of assassins. Oh, did I mention I kissed my mother-in-law?" His grin widened, fully aware of the reaction he was about to provoke. Find your next read on m-vle-mpyr

The War Goddess's eyes narrowed, and for a moment, she looked like she was either going to laugh or smack him. "You're impossible, Klaus," she finally muttered, shaking her head.

"How are you, by the way?" Klaus asked with a grin. He knew exactly what she had been going through the last time they crossed paths, but now he wanted more answers.

"I'm not talking to you again," the War Goddess huffed, turning to leave.

"Hey, you're the one who wanted to know what happened, and I already told you. Now it's your turn to spill something," Klaus teased, flashing a wide smile.

"You should hurry back to training. The next trial will be hard, even for you," Miriam said, trying to change the topic. The image of Klaus's diamond boy is still sculpted in her mind. She just couldn't wipe that memory, not that she wanted to.

"I'll manage. Oh, my body's weak right now. Care to give me a shoulder massage?" Klaus shot his shot, his grin never wavering.

"Nope, I'm leaving," Miriam responded, turning away—but not moving an inch.

"You keep saying that, but you're still standing here. Why, Miriam? You wouldn't happen to be harboring some evil thoughts, would you?" Klaus smirked, watching her closely.

Miriam blushed, her cheeks betraying her stoic expression. She didn't move. Instead, she stared at him, silently knowing that Klaus wouldn't stop teasing her or flirting.

Even though she kept telling herself she had no feelings for him—or at least that's what she wanted to believe—Ever since the last time they met, ignoring him had become more difficult. Unwanted feelings were starting to creep in, whether she liked it or not.

She crossed her arms, trying to maintain her cool. "Don't get ahead of yourself, Klaus. You're not that charming," she muttered, though her words lacked conviction.

"Uh-huh," Klaus chuckled. "I think I'm growing on you."

"Stop dreaming," she replied, but her blush deepened.

Klaus let out a soft laugh, enjoying the subtle back-and-forth. "I'm just saying, it's cute how you're sticking around. You know, you can leave anytime you want, yet here you are."

Miriam sighed. She knew it was foolish to entertain him, but something about Klaus made her stay. Despite her denial, her resolve was weakening.

"You're impossible," she said again, shaking her head.

"And yet, here we are," Klaus replied, his eyes twinkling.

Miriam turned slightly, her gaze softening for just a moment before she caught herself. "You should focus on getting stronger, Klaus. Not on me."

"I can do both," he said with a wink.

She narrowed her eyes at him, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "You're infuriating, you know that?"

Klaus shrugged. "Comes with the territory."

Miriam finally took a step away, but her lingering hesitation spoke volumes. "Train hard. Don't die on me," she said, her voice quieter than before.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Klaus said, his tone softer.

With a final glance, she left, but not without a twinge of emotion she couldn't quite shake. The moment she stepped outside, Klaus's mother met her gaze with a knowing smile.

"He's gotten to you too, huh?" Klaus's mother's smile widened as she eyed the flustered War Goddess.

Instead of running away, Miriam buried her face in Klaus's mother's chest, clearly embarrassed. If anyone had seen the usually cold, ruthless, and bloodthirsty War Goddess like this, they wouldn't have believed their eyes.

"No need to be embarrassed, dear," Klaus's mother said with a chuckle. "That bastard is just too shameless." She sighed, amused. Only she could handle her son's relentless teasing. Even goddesses weren't immune to his charms. It made her wonder what he'd be capable of once he got stronger.

"Come here, let me fix that hair of yours," she added warmly, running her fingers through Miriam's slightly disheveled locks. "If you're going to fall for my son, you should at least do it with beautiful hair."

"Auntie!" Miriam protested, her face burning with embarrassment, but she couldn't break free from the older woman's gentle grip. Klaus's mother led her away, ignoring her attempts to escape.

As she walked, Klaus's mother couldn't help but drop one more tease, her grin playful. "You know, you should probably start calling me 'mother.'"

Miriam's blush deepened as she was being pulled away. Klaus's mom's laughter filled the house knowing no matter what, His no-good son would sink his hooks in her if he hadn't already.

As the saying goes, you learn from your parents. And clearly, Klaus had inherited some of his shamelessness from his mother.

Klaus spent two days relaxing with his mom and Miriam, enjoying a rare break from his usual intense schedule. After the second day, he decided it was time to leave for his own hunt. With a blank access card in his possession, all Forbidden Zones were open to him. No restrictions.

During his time at home, Klaus had researched countless Tier 4 Forbidden Zones, going through hundreds of them to find the perfect one. After much consideration, he picked his target.

He knew that the weakest creatures in a Tier 4 Forbidden Zone were Tier 6 Dark Monsters or Tier 4 Zombie Captains, while the strongest could be as dangerous as a Tier 7 Devil or a Zombie King. With that in mind, he made sure to prepare adequately.

Klaus planned to spend a few weeks in the Zone, sharpening his skills and pushing himself to new limits before returning home. The hunt would be brutal, but it was exactly what he needed to grow stronger.