Devouring Dragon Heir

In the observation room, a profound silence had fallen over the Paragons.

The live footage of Klaus's fight with Damian was being broadcast, with Damian surviving Klaus's meteor strike.

The raw power on display was unprecedented.

As Klaus's next moves were broadcast, a new wave of shock rippled through the Paragons.

Klaus, having just used immense firepower, now shifted.

He went airborne using his Blazing Sky-Dash (S), transforming into a streak of fire. He then activated Glacial Impaler (S).

A spear of hyper-condensed ice formed rapidly above his head.

The sheer size of the spear was horrifying to behold. He launched it directly at Damian.

Its speed was immense as it was aimed directly at the small figure below.

Damian could be seen smiling at the incoming attack as he accepted his defeat.

And then the rest of the events followed, marking Damian's defeat.

The thousands of participants watching, both live and on screen, were completely silent.

They were mesmerized by the intensity of the fight they had just witnessed. This was beyond anything seen in a ranking battle.

This battle was being called the "clash of titans" by the audience. Nobody knew who started this name, but it would surely go down in history.

In the observation room, the Paragons' expressions shifted from awe to deep concern.

The display of Klaus's dual elemental mastery, his ability to seamlessly switch between devastating fire and piercing ice, was a profound shock.

Neil Ashford, the Ravenstein patriarch, communicated with mental transmission, which was a technique that could only be achieved by someone at the paragon rank.

"He possesses both fire and ice. This is not normal for a single awakened. His power is too diverse."

"Yes, I agree we have to do something about him; otherwise both William and he are going to be a pain in the ass, and we won't be able to proceed with our plans smoothly."

"Fuck, where did William find him? did his son really leave an heir before dying all those years ago?"

William observed their nervous expressions from his seat; a simple, satisfied smile appeared on his face.

He saw their worry, their fear of Klaus's growing power. This was precisely what he intended. Magnus, beside him, remained calm, but his gaze was sharp as he silently observed everyone's eye movement in the room with his peripheral vision.

Meanwhile, Julie, observing the battle's end, felt a subtle shift in the spiritual realm. Her Elder Spirits, who had been watching the fight with intense focus, began to stir.

Gale, the Wind Spirit, mentally communicated to Julie, her voice filled with surprise. "Raphael, that man Damian. His energy signature is not from this planet. It is foreign and different from this realm."

Lumina, the Light Spirit, added, "Yes. His essence is pure, but it is tuned to a different energy. He is not the native of this world."

Julie's eyes widened. She looked at the dissipating pixels where Damian had stood.

"Not from this planet?" she thought.

"Is he also a celestial like me?" she asked.

"No, he is not from the celestial race either. Actually, we don't know; only those two might know more about this person," Gale spoke, hinting at the two oldest spirits of time and space.

At its mention, Chronos, the cat-like Time Spirit, who had been silent, now briefly manifested beside Julie.

She looked at Julie and simply nodded, confirming that she indeed knew about the man.

Julie's heart stirred. This information was crucial; she needed to ask Chronos about Damian further.

"Chronos Chan, can you tell me more?" she asked, looking at the floating cat.

The cat simply shook her head and disappeared, rejecting her request.

"Oh no!!" Julie made a disappointed expression.

Klaus, unaware of the Paragons' growing fears or Julie's thoughts, focused on his next objective.

He checked his score. He now had 4,900 points already, a significant lead. His earlier rampage had pushed his score dramatically.

He continued his hunt. He needed more SSS-rank-equivalent kills to reach SS-rank in the system's progression.

He activated his Blazing Sky-Dash (S), transforming into a streak of fire. He blazed through the vast virtual map.

One by one, he detected the locations of different monsters and participants using his Omniscient Tracking (SSS). He now targeted anyone without considering their ranks since truly strong monsters had mostly been killed.

He flew with incredible speed. His attacks were very lethal, reaping lives with just a touch of his sword, Lost Echo, which he continued to infuse with poison from Poison Body (SSS).

The SS-ranked and SSS-ranked monsters were limited in number, and most had already been defeated by other powerful participants.

So, Klaus only encountered really hidden monsters in the vast wilderness, those that had managed to evade other hunters, or those that had recently awakened in isolated areas.

He continued his points farming, endlessly killing anyone that came his way.

Finally, the SS-ranked kill count reached from 9 to the anticipated number of 10. He immediately sensed changes in his body as his mana capacity expanded and the strength of his body grew exponentially.

He now felt that he could defeat his past self—the S-ranked Klaus—with just a swift strike.

"Woah, this feeling is amazing. I didn't feel this earlier when I went from A-ranked to S-ranked."

[Host: The SS rank is a completely different league from the S rank. You didn't realize it earlier since you used to easily cross the ranks and fight due to various advantages you possess.]

"Hmm... I can't wait to reach the EX rank," he said with a smirk.

Suddenly the ground trembled, a new dot appeared on his map, and the location was the center of the map.

Looking at this new, powerful signature, Klaus immediately initiated a long dive from a great height.

He plunged straight towards the center of the map where his camp had been earlier, transforming his body into a blazing bullet of fire.

He moved with incredible speed, cutting through the air; his descent was like a shooting star. He looked forward to slaying the thing before it escaped.

The landscape zoomed in rapidly in his eyes as he descended.

The slight trembling of the ground turned violent. The entire map shook.

From the center of the map, where the ruins stood, a colossal beam of raw energy shot from the ground, piercing the sky. It was a pillar of pure, unadulterated power, reaching towards the heavens.

Everyone watching, both inside the VR and in the real world, looked at the pillar of energy appearing.

The clouds above the map darkened rapidly, churning into a turbulent, ominous mass. A tense apocalyptic environment was created, filled with a sense of impending doom.

Monsters across the map howled in fear, and their cries echoed through the forest.

The sun, which was previously a bright orb, began to turn a blood-red hue, casting an eerie, crimson light over the entire landscape.

Klaus, still descending, looked at the sky, his eyes fixed on the pillar of energy. A grim satisfaction settled on his face.

"This thing is going to be fun to kill," he exclaimed with excitement.

Outside, in the World Heritage Centre, Leonard, the host, spoke in a voice now filled with a mix of awe and tension.

"The EX-ranked monster has appeared! Will the strongest student of this generation, Klaus Bennet, be able to defeat it?!" Leonard's words, amplified across the globe, sent a surge of excitement and fear through the audience.

An ominous vibe flared up in the environment. The air grew heavy with anticipation as the audience looked forward towards the battle.

Although they knew that defeating an EX rank was an impossible feat to achieve and truly no one expected Klaus to defeat the EX-ranked abomination, they just wanted to witness the strength gap.

Klaus, now officially SS-rank in the system's progression, having just completed his 10th SS-rank equivalent kill, activated two of his most powerful skills simultaneously, Flaming God's Fury (SSS) and Glacial Overlord (SSS).

His body transformed, becoming a terrifying fusion of elemental power. One half of his body became covered in shimmering, razor-sharp ice, radiating intense cold.

The other half erupted in roaring, incandescent flames, radiating searing heat. He looked like a mutated ice and fire god.

A dual elemental affinity, and that too with the most opposing elements, thrilled the spectators, who now looked forward towards the upcoming confrontation.

Klaus took a direct flight towards the part of the map where the energy pillar emanated, his form a streaking comet of ice and fire.

The colossal energy pillar, which had been piercing the sky, suddenly dissipated, its light fading.

In its place, hovering above the ruins, a figure materialized. It was a blue-skinned alien, a Watcher, with a curved double horn protruding from its forehead.

Its build was incredibly muscular, radiating immense power. A smirk, cold and arrogant, was etched on its sharp, alien face. This was the EX-rank monster.

It looked around the virtual landscape, its black eyes scanning the environment, before quickly spotting Klaus, who was now streaking towards it.

The Watcher's smirk widened. It then moved, rising to levitate at Klaus's level, directly confronting him in the air.

"Ant," it called out to now Klaus's figure, which floated in the sky.