"Madam Goddard, these are your favorite foods," Nellie said softly.Deborah's lips moved slightly. "I don't have an appetite. Take it away."Setting the food down, Nellie walked over to her. Using telepathy, she told her, "You'll definitely eat today because I just got a call. It was from Felix. He used someone else's phone to call me."What? Deborah sat bolt upright, her gaze sharp and piercing. "What did you just say?"Nellie was startled by her reaction."I wouldn't dare lie to you, especially not about Felix. I'm not sure how he escaped from Echo Cavern, but he's alive. That much is certain, and I've already confirmed it. It was definitely him."At that, Deborah grabbed both of Nellie's arms tightly. "When… When is he coming back?""Felix said he needs to handle something very important while pretending to be dead. Once it's done, he'll come back to see you. He asked me to tell you but also to keep it a secret. Don't let anyone else know."Tears of joy welled up in Deborah'
The stone Averill gave to him had proven its worth. She had mentioned that if Ophelia were nearby in Martial City, the stone would react once they were within a certain range. At the moment, it was perfectly validating her claim.In Martial City, Deborah cared abundantly for him. On top of that, Nerissa was insistent on getting engaged with him upon their first meeting. Nonetheless, it was not his home. Sensing Ophelia's presence made his heart race with excitement."A genius who isn't one of the Top Ten Menaces? I love tormenting your kind," a voice said.Just as Felix tucked the stone away, a man and a woman appeared ahead. Both were sneering at him."He's so handsome, isn't he?" the woman said, turning to the man. "Husband, don't kill him outright. I want him as my boy toy! With that face and his strength, he'd be so much fun to play with!"Their appearances were so hideous that they were almost comical. If it weren't for the oppressive aura they deliberately emitted—proof th
"Stop overthinking. Are you hungry? Let me cook for you," said Ophelia.Felix nodded. He was more than just hungry. After months of surviving on fasting pills, he hadn't had a real meal in ages. His craving for food had only intensified.Half an hour later, Felix was devouring the meal ravenously while Ophelia watched him with a beaming smile."By the way, Ophelia, why are you in a place like Ghosttown?" he asked between bites.He wasn't worried about her safety. After all, her strength was indisputable. To be honest, even though he had reached the Transcendent Realm, he still couldn't gauge the true level of his fellow apprentices' abilities. Each had mastered different skills, making it even harder to deduce."I like it here," Ophelia replied with a grin. "I've killed plenty of scum, and now my reputation keeps most trouble away. Life here is peaceful and free, unlike the city. It's too complicated there."Fair enough. The city was full of tangled power struggles where "killing
Felix's expression darkened further as he glared at the Skeletal Demon. "Kevin Beasley? Is it the same person I'm thinking of?"He couldn't forget the Dragonia Martial Arts Competition. He'd nearly killed Aiden then. However, Aiden's mentor, Kevin, had appeared and saved him.The Skeletal Demon swallowed nervously, terrified of saying the wrong thing. "I know Kevin spent many years in the capital before returning to Martial City. I'm not sure when exactly he came back."That confirmed it. It had to be Aiden's mentor."What does he want with the Dragonspine?"The Skeletal Demon shook his head, his face pale. "I don't know. I don't even know how he found out I had it. I got that thing a year ago."The Dragonspine was already in Kevin's hands. Any further questions felt pointless."How do we find him?" Felix asked.The Skeletal Demon gave a bitter laugh. "I swear I have no idea, sir. Kevin was always elusive, and now I've got even less of a clue where he might be."Felix sat alon
"Probably," Ophelia said with a shrug. "Mr. Hoffman only mentioned that the Three Forbidden Lands could be helpful to you. He wasn't too sure about the specifics. He's too busy, so he sent me to help you explore them."Felix was startled. "Ophelia, don't tell me… you've already been to all Three Forbidden Lands?"When Ophelia nodded, Felix was stunned. The Three Forbidden Lands were places people in Martial City feared to even talk about, yet she had gone to all of them and returned unscathed. It was hard to believe."How else could I gather information for you? Look at you, acting all surprised. Honestly, Naomi would've been better suited for this task, but she couldn't give up on her dream of helping her village prosper. So here I am."Felix chuckled bitterly. His fellow apprentices really went above and beyond for him."Still, the results weren't bad! I can't guarantee everything, but I'm quite proud of one thing. I've figured out the correct order to visit the Three Forbidden
It was only at that moment that Felix remembered to think about why the Skeletal Demon had come here in the first place. The Shepherd Ghost hadn't explained it before.Stepping outside, the scene that greeted him left him utterly stunned.On both sides of the street, people were racing back and forth at incredible speeds. Some even leaped into the air, pushing their agility to the limits. The whole display was chaotic, and Felix had no idea what was going on.Suddenly, something caught his eye. He sharply turned his head to one side, barely catching a glimpse of something that flashed past. It was so fast it defied description, but judging by its size—about as big as a cat—he could be certain it wasn't human."Take a closer look at what's in front of each house," Ophelia said.Felix snapped out of his daze and scanned the entrances to the houses. Sure enough, a bowl was placed outside every door. What was in the bowls made him pause. It was a simple serving of steak, something one
"You little brat! Have you finally remembered your mentor?" Deborah asked.When he heard her voice, Felix felt his nose sting with emotion. Unlike his other mentor, who showed love in a more reserved manner, Deborah was completely open about her affection. While the result was the same, the feeling was undeniably different."I'm sorry, Madam Goddard. I was planning to come see you right away," Felix said.Deborah's condition worried him, especially after his perilous journey to the Echo Cavern, one of the Three Forbidden Lands. Surviving such a place was a miracle in itself, and asking him to recount the experience seemed unnecessary. After all, no one would willingly venture there unless driven by insatiable curiosity or the lure of treasure."I'm doing much better now, so there's no rush. If you really care, though, why don't you focus on fulfilling the promise you made instead?""Promise?" Felix frowned. "I'm not sure I understand, Madam Goddard."The next moment, Deborah's
Seven figures emerged, striding confidently in their direction.The six trailing behind all wore black attire, exuding an oppressive aura. The young man leading the group, however, was even more striking. Dressed in a long golden robe, he radiated authority with every step.Even an ordinary person, seeing such clothing, would immediately recognize him as a member of the royal family. After all, in the entire Martial City, only the royal family dared to don such golden robes. Their royal guards, in contrast, wore imposing black uniforms.Caught off guard by their unannounced arrival, Wilson quickly stepped forward with a wide, welcoming smile."What an honor to have you visit our humble Xavier family, Your Highness. I apologize for not greeting you sooner."Though royalty commanded respect, it was more of a title than actual governance. Kneeling or performing grand ceremonial gestures wasn't customary in such interactions. So, Wilson merely clasped his hands together as a polite gr
The guide said, "This is where the selected contestants rest. The yard is huge and has everything you need. As long as you don't leave this yard, you're free to move around. I'll bring you to your room now."The yard looked huge, with fixtures of bridges and flowing rivers. Felix even passed by a fake mountain. It was large enough for hundreds of people to climb, standing thousands of feet tall and looked quite majestically.No one on Earth or Aquamarinus could have built such a luxurious residence. Felix could even see a bar and massage parlor, showing how indispensable technology was in the universe. His room was luxurious, around 2000 square feet, and was decorated with traditional but modern touches. "This is your room. I'll take my leave now, goodbye." The young man left with a bow. Felix turned around and stood on the patio. Outside his room was a large lake, with even fish swimming inside."A new neighbor? Did you just arrive today?" The sudden voice came from the patio
Felix arrived at the location of one of Nine Flames, where the guards instantly collapsed, their eyes rolling back as they fainted.By now, darkness had arrived. He walked forward without any hesitation, his right hand touching the flame.There was no need for any special tools. The flame simply vanished, and only Felix knew that it was absorbed in an instant by his Starmark.With the disappearance of the flames, people in many places immediately dropped to their knees.The light that should have lasted throughout the night vanished, and the darkness of Desolated Lands descended almost instantly. Every light went out in an instant.Screams echoed everywhere, and panic spread like wildfire. Even though their loved ones were close by, they couldn't see them with their eyes and could only communicate through voice.Scenes like this were unfolding in many places, even in Cloud City."It's really started," Eira said. She was in Cloud City. Although Luigi was standing on her left, h
Despite Thiago's murderous glare and overwhelming killing intent, Felix wasn't scared. In fact, it made him smile.Due to the unique trait of the Dragon Rebirth, his opponent had to harbor a true desire to kill him in order for Felix to grow stronger. Otherwise, it would all be meaningless. At least so far, everything was unfolding just as he expected.Meanwhile, Holt was silently praying like crazy as he lay on the ground. The battle had already begun, and his companion had understood his message. This was their only shot, however slim, at killing Felix.As time passed and the afternoon crept past 3:00 pm, his companion started to falter. His attacks were growing sluggish. He hadn't been injured, but he was clearly on the defensive now.Seeing this, Felix completely lost interest. Once his opponent lost the will to kill him, the Dragon Rebirth would no longer grow.Still, the battle wasn't for nothing. He'd made solid progress and was a little closer to becoming a Celestial Realm
Felix had clearly found Holt's weak spot. These guys were so desperate to extend their lives that they turned the entire Aquamarinus into a breeding ground. Obviously, they were terrified of death. As long as there was even the slightest chance of survival, they'd take it.And sure enough, Holt immediately agreed. He pulled out some kind of device and flew off, clearly contacting his comrades."But even if I agreed," Holt said, "the three of us split up and searched in different directions. Even if they rush over, they won't make it until tomorrow."The fear in his eyes was obvious, so much so that Felix couldn't help but laugh."How interesting," Felix said. "You made a deal with the Ant Queen, right? Couldn't she at least give you something to help you move freely through Desolated Lands at night?"Holt shot him a bitter smile. "The Ant Queen's children—the soldier ants—are born hunters. That instinct can't be erased. And honestly, we've never needed to go out at night anyway."
Lumen flew out and quickly returned. Felix's expression eased completely, and with a step, he vanished from where he stood."Chasing me was fun last time, huh? Did you think it'd go the same this time?" he asked.When he reappeared, someone was already lying on the ground about ten yards ahead. It was a figure fully shrouded in a gray robe, a man named Holt Bovington.That was Felix holding back. Otherwise, Lumen's previous strike could've shattered Holt's soul on the spot."Felix Zeller? It really is you!" Holt's voice was full of shock. Whatever he'd planned to do was already too late. His soul had taken a devastating blow, and he no longer had the strength to fight."Yeah, it's me. Just like I suspected, you people really aren't all that strong when it comes to soul power."Felix had spared his life because he wanted answers."If you answer a few questions honestly, I'll let you live. Even with your soul badly damaged, I assume someone who knows about Nine Flames and Desolate
Three months later, deep within a mountain on Aquamarinus, a meeting was taking place. Who would've imagined palace-like structures hidden within the mountain itself?In one of the chambers, a sky-blue dome adorned the ceiling. Beneath it, three figures in gray robes sat cross-legged, their bodies cloaked in shadow. Their faces were completely obscured."I went to see the Ant Queen yesterday. There's definitely something wrong.""Enough with the vague talk. Be specific.""In just three months, the Ant Queen has lost millions of her children. Do you even understand what that means?"The atmosphere shifted as all three took a sharp breath. A long silence followed before one finally spoke, "Perhaps our earlier theory is right. Is someone hunting soldier ants in Desolated Lands at night?""It has to be. How else do you explain millions of casualties? At this rate, we're down to just a million soldier ants across the entire planet. If this keeps up, they'll be wiped out in a month. An
"I didn't expect you to be a doctor, too. Thanks," Myles said, but then suddenly froze. His mind started racing.Wait a minute! He took down a tiger of True Blood Realm. On top of that, he was extremely skilled in medicine. That could only mean…"You figured out who I am?" Felix asked with a smile, trying to put Myles at ease. Despite that, Myles couldn't hide his fear. "You're Felix Zeller?""That's right. Judging by your reaction, I take it I've become a traitor to The Recovery Association? Or maybe some kind of unforgivable villain?"The air grew a bit awkward, and Myles shot him a strained smile."Not exactly… It's just that you took down the Flame Monarch. That's kind of hard to wrap my head around."His expression shifted again."Actually, everyone's still pretty confused. When we woke up this morning, every city, town, and even the smallest villages received a message. Five days from now, the Flame Monarch is holding a Flame Ceremony."Felix paused, frowning. "What's t
With Lumen and Indigo attacking and the Infinite Shield defending, Felix held his ground. Occasionally, he cast minor spells that barely consumed any soul power. Even as the monsters surged toward him like a tidal wave, not one of them could so much as scratch him.Feeling the steady stream of energy flooding into him, Felix grinned. If things kept going like this, there was a high chance he'd break through to the next major soul realm—Soul Overlord Realm.If he could level up again during the elimination rounds, his odds of winning the whole thing would increase significantly. Especially since Soul Overlord Realm required soul enhancement, it was a whole different league compared to Aetherium Realm.Once he hit Soul Overlord Realm, he was confident he'd be able to go toe-to-toe in a soul battle with the powerful figure who had chased him during dusk.That guy didn't dare appear in Desolated Lands at night, which likely meant his soul wasn't strong. In that case, Felix might actual
The sun had already begun to set. After fleeing in a panic, Felix had no idea if there was even a single place ahead that could shield him from the coming darkness.A few minutes later, the presence chasing him within his domain disappeared. Logically, the pursuer should've caught up in less than ten minutes, but they gave up. Still, Felix didn't relax for a second. The darkness was about to fall, and that could only mean two things. Either the pursuer wasn't confident they could survive the desolate night themselves, or they assumed there was no flame nearby and Felix was as good as dead.Either way, this was the most dangerous moment yet.After sprinting several more miles, Felix finally stopped. All around him stretched a barren wasteland with no end in sight. Even though he had memorized maps to identify different areas, they were useless now. As darkness swallowed the land, all reference points vanished."Damn it! I guess I'll have to see for myself what the hell comes out i