Klaus wasted no time.
He created over 100 clones using illusions and made them tangible before sending them running deep into the forbidden zone.
The moment the last one left, dozens of chunks of ice appeared before him, and then he took out a dagger.
He doesn't have a carving knife.
"I should probably create a carving knife using the Paragon Forge." He picked the first chunk of ice and started to wait.
In one location inside the forbidden zone, a clone of Klaus was moving when suddenly, something passed by him, severing the head from his body.
The figure moved very fast, and before Klaus could record who killed him, it was already over. However, standing atop a tree several kilometers away was another clone version of Klaus, who saw everything, meaning Klaus also saw it.
Back inside the cave, his hands moved, and soon, a sleek serpent was carved from the ice, instantly filling the cave with a rather powerful aura.
The aura of a peak Tier 10 started coming out from the sculpted serpent.
Klaus quickly threw it into his space ring and picked up yet another chunk of ice.
Somewhere else, a clone of him smoking a pipe was moving like he owned the place when suddenly, he was reduced to a chunk of ice.
Again, far from them, another clone of him saw this happen.
Klaus quickly carved out the killer, revealing it to be a humanoid lady with no eyes and long, jagged hair made from what appeared to be icicles.
Just like the first, the aura coming from it was very powerful, so Klaus had to put it away before focusing on the rest.
Soon, he carved out ten creatures without even breaking a sweat.
The Supreme Sculpting Art he learned allowed him to capture the true essence of any living thing he saw and could remember.
This meant he would be able to convey the true nature of the beasts his friend would be fighting. At that moment, he was blown away by the nature of beasts hidden inside this forbidden zone.
"This is concerning," Klaus said, watching the zone through the eyes of his clones.
[I've already told you, your world is weird. It has the most unique yet dangerous creatures you will only find in some dangerous zones in the universe.
The fact that they are here is already enough for you to know that the awakening won't be any different.]
"I know, Senior. It's just that seeing them and knowing there are even more hidden all over the Earth can be heartbreaking sometimes."
⟦Then, it's a good thing you awakened the Star Monarch Bloodline when you did. With this, you can get the best of both worlds.⟧
"Yeah, well, I can only sense resonance with four of the ten I've carved. This means seven of them will have to be killed," Klaus sighed.
⟦But that means three more powerful allies you'll gain. Your next battle will be easier with stronger beings to aid you. Also, their bodies will be needed for the warriors you'll create.⟧
"I guess when you put it that way. I just hope I can unravel all the dangers before the awakening. I'm strong, I have strong allies, but I can't help feeling shaken whenever the thought of the awakening enters my mind."
⟦Just do your best. It's all you can do, and trust your allies to help you.⟧
Klaus nodded just as one of his clones was killed; he immediately sprang into action and started carving that one, too.
It took just a few minutes for another to be killed, confirming that there were indeed twelve beasts lying in wait for his team to enter the fray.
This also meant they were positioned in strategic locations, so he could easily assign targets.
Klaus was pleased with this outcome. However, for some reason, he couldn't help moving away. This prompted him to unleash more clones that managed to avoid the locations where his other clones had died.
An hour later, one of the clones came to a stop when his eyes landed on something that made Klaus break into a cold sweat.
"What in the world are those things?"
He was staring at two humanoids, each wielding what appeared to be a club made of metal. They were three meters tall, their bodies covered in metallic armor that acted as their skin.
"These aren't creatures from this world," Klaus muttered, forgetting to sculpt them.
But that was probably for the best, considering when he sensed their aura, they weren't Tier 10 but Tier 11.
"Level 2 Tier 11s," he muttered, swallowing hard.
⟦Those are Ant Kings,⟧ the Senior said.
⟦They are a mutated kind of ant that shouldn't be possible, considering the ritual known to cause such a mutation shouldn't exist on Earth.⟧
"You don't think this has something to do with the figure we suspected was behind that ritual in the forbidden zone I cleared about a year ago"
Klaus asked, thinking back to when he nearly died handling the demon zombies that performed the ritual, creating eight abominations.
⟦It's possible because I can't think of any reason why these two creatures would be here on Earth. It shouldn't be possible.
This then begs the question: who is that figure, and where is he from?⟧
"That's something I plan on finding out when I catch him."
⟦This means the monster you're after won't be any different. Do you want to risk it, knowing the dangers?⟧
"I won't send my allies to their deaths, so I have to get to the bottom of this," Klaus commanded his illusion clones, directing them toward the location where he was certain the monster lurked.
The moment the clones appeared, the two ants attacked, killing them in a rather pitiful way. However, the cunning Klaus had other plans.
As the clones started dying, he switched with one of them he had positioned a couple of meters from the dying ones.
He then used a skill he received from Pickle Berry.
The space around him began distorting as he channeled his lightning energy into his wings. He moved, and like a blur, he passed the two ants, who were now drowning in poison mist.
The moment he slipped by them, he switched back with his clone just as a piercing sting stabbed through its chest.
"That is..." Klaus switched again with the clone outside the zone, just in time to evade the monster's aura sweep.
"We can't afford to wait any longer; this bastard must die before it breaks through," Klaus said to himself as he used the connection with his ladies to teleport back to the temporary camp they'd set up.