Felix frowned. "What's your deal?" The young man moved with total class, his eyes radiating pure confidence. "Was it hard to understand what I just said? I said you can leave now." Justin sensed something, too, so he screamed, "Help me!" The young man coldly laughed, casually blocking Felix's soul attack with a raised hand. "Are you really going to try something with me here?" The truth was, Felix had zero interest in fighting an S-tier Malevolent Phantom right now. He never wanted to fight against one in the first place. After seeing what Justin could do as an A-tier, he could tell how much more terrifying an S-tier would be.But there was no chance Felix would let his prey walk away that easily. Plus, what confused him was that Donna had mentioned Malevolent Phantoms never fought each other. What was this Phantom thinking? Perhaps he did not have a Mystical Explosive Orb now. Or was he really just trying to save one of his own kind? "I wonder what will happen if I tell D
Justin went into a maniacal laugh. "Kill him quickly! His soul must be incredibly delicious." Slowly lifting Justin's head, the young man's eyes turned ice-cold. "Do I need you to tell me how to do things? While I can't kill you, I know plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead if you say another word."Justin was terrified, so he immediately shut his mouth. He probably would not dare to say a word again. Suddenly, a phone rang. The young man pulled out his phone. He sighed before even answering, then tucked it back in his pocket. "You little brat, try to attack me again, and I won't care about Donna's feelings!" He tossed Justin's head to the ground and strolled away, humming a tune. Justin panicked. "Save me! You can't abandon me!" Felix's face darkened. He instantly killed Justin, then stood frozen in place. Though the encounter with the S-tier Malevolent Phantom was brief, he was genuinely scared. Even with the Lone Paragon activated, would he stand a chance agains
Felix stood pondering. Donna's warning about not visiting Laurel Resort meant notable danger. They were working together, and if something happened to Felix, they would need a new vessel for the Mystical Explosive Orb. She had invested so much time finding someone like Felix, whose soul essence collection abilities were solid. Naturally, she would not want to switch easily. But what could be the danger at that resort? Unable to stay passive, he immediately called Xena. He did not even care about how late it was already. It was something they were all used to anyway. As expected, she answered after a few rings. She sounded like she had been woken up. "What is it?" Felix's late-night call immediately put her on alert. "Does headquarters have any information about Laurel Resort?" After a few seconds, Xena responded, "No. What information did you get?" "Just check it for me." "Okay." He also notified the headquarters' local Monaire representative about the bodies. They co
Milo said, "Exactly. A nation protects its people. When things get serious, nobody can stay safe. Even hiding in the mountains won't guarantee your security. "Martial artists do carry a legacy of duty." After chatting with Milo, Felix left. Milo and Melinda were heading to the airport. Since their mission was done, they needed rest. Felix could not provide any updates on the investment in Yolanda's company yet. After all, a 50-billion-dollar deal would take more than a day to assess. No one would believe a snap decision. When he was leaving the hotel, Lars' call came through. It was surprisingly early for a rich young man like him to call. "What's up, Mr. Lennings?" "We've got a problem. The Meyers are planning to crush Yolanda's family today. What should we do?" What? That was lightning-fast. The Zuckerbergs were already on the edge. One more push from the Meyers, and they'd collapse before Felix's "think tank" could even consider investing. Of course, Felix was not go
Zachariah's face darkened. Felix's arrogance was getting out of hand. He thought, "Alright, then. I'll have my father know about this—we'll show you how even someone like Fifteenth Overlord couldn't help you." Initially, they would have shown some professional courtesy. But Felix's bold attitude immediately changed his approach. After entering the living room, Zachariah whispered something to Colton, then glared viciously at Felix before sitting down. Louise began making polite small talk with Colton, carefully avoiding the real purpose of his visit. When the moment felt right, he spoke up, "Mr. Meyer, I have a small favor. This young man and I have a family connection. I'm asking you to consider the Zuckerberg family's situation. "Could you do me a favor and let this go? Of course, he and Zachariah had a minor conflict. But that's just typical young people stuff." Colton laughed. "How can I refuse? But my family has a reputation. Their conflict has already spread through M
FSince the start, Felix sat there without saying a word. The moment he arrived, he had already expanded his domain, yet he could not find anyone matching Fifteenth Overlord's description. As he watched the Meyers father-son duo, their reactions confirmed his suspicion—the man was not home. Since that was the case, the only option was to tie these two up and wait.Just as the Fifteenth Overlord's killing intent grew stronger, a voice suddenly rang out. "Releasing such intense bloodlust in my house? Looks like I've been too nice to you."Before the words had even faded, a figure abruptly appeared in the living room. His face was covered, leaving only a pair of piercing eyes visible."Uncle Chris!" Zachariah was ecstatic, immediately pointing at the Fifteenth Overlord. "He's trying to kill us!"The moment their backup arrived, relief washed over the father and son, their eyes now burning with unrestrained vengeance."I thought you weren't home," the Fifteenth Overlord said, but he
Not just the others—even the Fifteenth Overlord stood there in stunned silence, completely caught off guard by Felix's words. He thought, "The guy is wearing a mask, yet he still dares to say something so bold. Just how confident is he? This has to be the most arrogant thing anyone had ever said."Sure enough, Zachariah's veins bulged in fury. "Bullshit! Uncle Chris, he's insulting you right to your face, and you're just going to take it?"He could not understand why Chris was acting like a completely different person. For a split second, Zachariah even wondered if someone was impersonating him.Chris stood there, his expression completely unreadable. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Out of respect for the Fifteenth Overlord, I'm letting this slide. Zachariah will apologize, and then you'll leave."Felix suddenly reached out his right hand, and in an instant, Chris was yanked toward him, his throat caught in a firm grip. Felix sneered. "Still putting on an act? You kn
Besides, soul extraction required immense control over soul energy—one wrong move, and the soul could be damaged beyond repair, leaving the person a mindless husk. Worse, the process itself was excruciatingly painful."Start talking." Felix lowered his hand. He preferred getting information through direct confession rather than sifting through someone else's memories.After that, a simple soul search at the end was enough to confirm whether they were telling the truth. As for whether Chris was hiding anything important, it did not really matter. Just like the Blue Soul Scout Felix had captured in Kashmere, headquarters would handle the deeper interrogation later—nothing would slip through the cracks.Chris exhaled. "You already know about Soul Scouts, which means you've caught one before. I'll cut straight to the point—I know the exact location of a Green Soul Scout." Felix's interest was piqued. "Oh? Now that's interesting. Did you find out by chance, or was there a specific re
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
When Eira and Luigi saw that Felix was determined to go through with it, they moved instantly. Appearing right in front of him, they dropped to their knees."Please, Felix! For the sake of all those innocent lives, stop.""If you're really set on taking this flame, then kill us first."Seeing the two of them so resolute, Felix hesitated. The lives of hundreds of thousands—maybe even millions—now hung in the balance, all dependent on one decision from him."I haven't known you for long," Eira continued. "But from the way you avenged the 200 people of Innswood Village, I know you're not someone who kills without reason. You'd never turn a blind eye to the lives of ordinary people. "Please show them mercy. They've already suffered enough."Tears streamed down her face. The purpose of The Recovery Association was clear—overthrow the Flame Monarch, destroy the Nine Flames, and return Aquamarinus to what it once was. However, when it came to principles and morals, they were unwaveri
Felix thought that Gerald's advice really was spot-on. If he hadn't achieved Extreme Mastery, he could still beat the Flame Monarch. However, his subsequent journey would have been difficult. Winning first place in the Rank-Ascending Competition to protect Earth would've been almost impossible.With a casual wave of Felix's hand, the Flame Monarch collapsed to the ground. Thankfully, no one was around to see it. Otherwise, they'd have been scared out of their minds.The most powerful being on Aquamarinus, the Flame Monarch, just got instantly wiped out by Felix. To Felix, it was like crushing an ant and required no effort at all."It's time to complete the mission," Felix said.Just like that, he vanished. His speed was insane because Nine Flames were all scattered far apart. Since travel was banned at night, he couldn't afford to waste even a second.Honestly, he was curious what it would be like to go out at night. However, after thinking it over, he decided it just wasn't worth
Under the sunlight, Innswood Village looked even lonelier. If it weren't for Felix standing in the open field, the place would've looked like a dead town. Soon, a sound broke through the silent air. A person stood 30 feet in front of Felix. It was the Flame Monarch, whom Felix had met once."I really thought you were a member of The Recovery Association and that you'd laid a trap here. But it turns out, you're really alone."Felix replied, "I am a member of The Recovery Association, but why do I need a trap to kill you?"Oh? A member of The Recovery Association? The Flame Monarch smiled. "You're really brave, you know. You're the first person in Aquamarinus who dares to face me like this. Even the leader of The Recovery Association had been in seclusion, trying to reach Heavenly Realm before facing me."I don't know where you get your confidence from."Initially, Felix wanted to attack immediately. But he still had questions to ask. "There are only the two of us here. Sinc