The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Chapter 20: Entering the Everlasting Zombie Forest

After leaving the city, Klaus set out on his journey. This time, he wasn't heading to Sunlight Forest, so instead of going east, he took the westward path. Two hours of steady speed walking brought him to a checkpoint, similar to the one he passed through on his way to Sunlight Forest.

Fortunately, he wasn't alone this time. There were a few other people there, all going through security checks. The process was the same as before—they scanned everyone, and you had to pay the fee before being allowed to pass.

But unlike Sunlight Forest, getting into this one required taking a shuttle. The shuttle was reinforced with military-grade metal, a precaution to prevt any sudd accidts from the occasional monster attacks that happ on the way. They took safety seriously here, making sure everyone tered the forest unharmed.

The Everlasting Zombie Forest was no ordinary forest. It was one of those places filled with wildlife so dangerous that it could threat tire cities or ev a country. It was massive, teeming with vicious monsters. Sometimes, these monsters would swarm out of the forest in tides, attacking the nearby cities.

Ross City, Guan City, Hamid City, and Felin City were the closest to this forest, which meant the city guards were always on high alert. They also made sure that anyone who vtured into the forest came back without any nasty infestations.

The forest earned its name, Zombie Forest because a huge part of it was infested with zombies. But these wer't the slow, shambling zombies you see in movies. These were fast and vicious, and some say they've ev heard them speak, though that's a rare occurrce.

Just as there are differt kinds of monsters, there are also various types of zombies in this forest. Although these zombies don't offer any food value wh killed, most of them carry something rare and valuable—a Zombie Stone. These stones have some medicinal properties that make them highly sought after.

It's said that absorbing a Zombie Stone can grant some resistance to zombie bites. While there's no cure for the zombie virus yet, those who ar't fully overtak by the virus after being bitt can sometimes be cured. Because of this, Zombie Stones are incredibly valuable.

That's why so many advturers vture into this dangerous forest. But as the saying goes, the greater the value, the greater the danger. The Everlasting Zombie Forest is not a place for the weak. Most people who ter are either at the Peak Ascded stage or have reached the Master stage.

As Klaus approached the line for the shuttle, a few people began to notice him. They ssed his cultivation base, and some of them started to sneer and whisper among themselves.

"What's an Awaked doing here?" one of them muttered, loud ough for Klaus to hear.

"He must have a death wish," another one snickered, shaking his head.

"Probably thinks he'll get rich quick," a third person added with a smirk. "He won't last five minutes in there."

Their mocking remarks continued, growing bolder as they sized Klaus up. They seemed to find his presce amusing as if they were watching a lamb wander into a lion's d.

But Klaus didn't react. He wasn't here to prove anything to them. He had a purpose, and their words didn't matter. He kept his focus straight ahead, ignoring the taunts and jeers.

Some of them tried to catch his eye, hoping for a reaction, but Klaus didn't give them the satisfaction. He knew better than to gage with people like this. They wer't worth his time or ergy.

The line moved slowly, and the sneers continued. But Klaus remained calm, his mind already on the task ahead. He was here for a reason, and nothing was going to distract him from that.

Wh it was Klaus's turn, he paid his fee and received a badge. The cost this time was 00 gold coins, partly due to the shuttle ride, but the badge was good for four tries into the forest. After the fourth time, he'd only have to pay half the fee if he wanted to keep hunting there.

As Klaus took the badge, the guard who handed it to him offered some advice. "Little brother, you shouldn't wander too deep into the forest. Hunting in the outer section is good ough."

Klaus nodded, accepting the badge. "Thank you, big brother."

"Hrick."

"Thank you, big brother Hrick. I'm Klaus. Next time, I'll be in your care," Klaus responded with a smile. Hrick seemed far better and fridlier than those guys who had scammed him at the Sunlight Forest border.

"Just be careful out there," Hrick said as Klaus turned to ter the shuttle. It had 5 compartmts, and he chose the 5th one, lying down to relax. The border to the forest was about 70 miles away, so he knew it would take some time to get there.

As the shuttle moved, Klaus noticed a few others in the 5th compartmt, but they kept to themselves. No one bothered him, so he settled in, feeling at ease.

Along the way, the shuttle was attacked by monsters. However, the shuttle's advanced mechanisms, built to handle such threats, took care of the situation quickly. Klaus couldn't help but admire how seriously the Ross Family took safety and business. This kind of protection made people feel secure, and many would be forever grateful to the Ross Family for it.

But for Klaus, this was nothing new. He was already aware of how the Ross Family operated, so he didn't pay much atttion to the praises others were murmuring. Instead, he just lay there, drifting off to sleep, which surprised the other passgers.

Whever a monster attacked, the others would tse up, some ev drawing their weapons in case things wt wrong. But Klaus remained completely unfazed, lying there as if he were dead.

His calmness was unsettling to some. They couldn't understand how he could be so relaxed wh danger was literally knocking at the shuttle's doors. A few of them exchanged glances, puzzled by his behavior.

As the shuttle continued on its way, more monsters tried to attack, but the shuttle's defses held strong each time. The passgers flinched and prepared themselves, but Klaus didn't move a muscle. It was as if he trusted the shuttle completely—or maybe, he just didn't see the point in worrying.

Evtually, the tsion eased a bit among the others. Seeing Klaus so calm made them realize that the shuttle was indeed well-protected. A few passgers ev began to relax a little, though they still kept their weapons close, just in case.

Finally, after what felt like hours, the shuttle neared its destination. The advturers aboard tsed up as they approached the Everlasting Zombie Forest. Ev from a distance, the sounds of roaring monsters echoed through the air, and the thick sct of blood hung in the atmosphere, putting everyone on edge.

"This is where we drop you off. From here on out, it's all up to your abilities and survival instincts," a voice announced as the shuttle came to a stop. The advturers quickly disembarked, weapons ready, and began making their way toward the forest's edge.

Klaus, however, lingered in the shuttle for a few momts longer. He felt something—an odd, familiar presce—but wh he looked a, he didn't see anyone. Frowning slightly, he dismissed the feeling and finally stepped out of the shuttle.

As he set foot on the g, the tsion in the air was palpable. Everyone a him was on high alert, scanning the area for any signs of danger. But Klaus stayed calm, his mind already focused on the task ahead.

He saw some people getting on the shuttle. It appeared they were people who had tered the forest and were now leaving. The stress and fatigue could be se on their faces as they climbed aboard after being checked whether they were infected.

Glancing a one last time, he shrugged off the strange ssation and headed into the dse forest. The dark trees loomed overhead, and the sounds of distant roars grew louder with every step.

"Hopefully, this time, I can make some great profit before leaving," Klaus muttered to himself as he vtured deeper into the forest.

As he moved further in, the eerie atmosphere of the Everlasting Zombie Forest sured him. The air was thick with tsion, and every step he took seemed to echo through the dse undergrowth. Suddly, a rustling noise caught his atttion.

"Spike Lizard," he noted calmly as a Tier monster appeared from the shadows. Without hesitation, Klaus swung his sword, sding a sharp ice arc slicing through the air. The attack hit the lizard dead on, killing it instantly with a single blow. Klaus didn't ev break a sweat.

Before heading out this time, Klaus had wisely distributed the 0 points he gained from his last level-up into strgth and stamina. The increase in strgth made his attacks far more devastating, while the added stamina meant he could dure longer battles without tiring.

But what really gave him an edge was his agility. It was off the charts now, making him faster than ever before. With his newfound speed, Klaus felt more confidt in his ability to survive and thrive in the Zombie Forest this time a.

"I should probably level up before looking for Zombies," Klaus said storing the body of the monster. He began moving again. The forest true to its name, just a few steps away, he countered his second monster, and that began his hunt. He currtly is a Level 6 Awaked, but he is several times stronger than normal awaks at the same level, so he began to run amok killing monsters about.

A little after two hours, he smiled looking at the message he wanted to see the most.

[You have leveled up. Currt Level: Level 7 Awaked. You have received 0 Stat points.]

[Next Level up: 300/38,400]

"Time to officially begin the hunt" Klaus smiled and dashed away, heading deeper into the forest.