Kingston's soul was covered in dense soul ties, and countless threads wove through his soul."I'm a Black Soul Scout, second to the White Soul Scout! I have many secrets up my sleeves. Do you really think you can get priceless information out of me, Felix? Stop your wishful thinking!" he sneered smugly."Maybe you think you're truly powerful, but these ties are all linked together! Just cutting one would crush my entire soul. In the end, you'll get nothing!"Felix had miscalculated. He didn't expect the Scarlet Lord to be so cunning."I'd advise you to let me go. Just because we're not confronting you head-on, doesn't mean we're afraid of you! There are reasons why we're not. But if you kill a Black Soul Scout like me, the Hall of Souls will definitely go to war with you!"As Kingston spoke, he felt like he had more and more control over the situation; like the tides were turning in his favor. "You've provoked the Ancient Sage, killing two of his Eight Guardians. Do you really t
Felix hadn't realized anything was wrong until he returned to Newtown that evening. He was totally stunned when he saw the scene before him. "What's going on here?" The massive living room was filled with beautiful women. Besides Eloise, Dahlia, and Karina, all his other fellow apprentices had somehow arrived. Including Nerissa, there were seven gorgeous women in total. Felix felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, and he felt nervous. After all, what man wouldn't feel uncomfortable with seven beautiful women giving him such suggestive looks? "Don't ask. It was all Aunt Cordelia who invited us here," Rosalie said with a mischievous smile before Cordelia stood up. "Alright, everyone, go get ready. Don't worry. Nerissa has already agreed, so I'll handle the rest of the arrangements." The women departed one by one, leaving behind a thoroughly confused Felix. "Mom, what are you trying to do?" Cordelia walked over and took Felix's hand. "You're not getting any younger, F
Felix thought he had misheard. There was no way Malevolent Phantoms would provoke humans. "Do you know what you're talking about?" On the other end, Xena raised her voice, as if to remind him that this was serious business. "You heard me correctly! Do you remember Medic's Haven?" "Of course I do." Because of a man named Ethan, Felix had visited Medic's Haven back then. He hadn't paid much attention to it since then. After eliminating some corrupt elements, Medic's Haven's existence had only benefited Dragonia with no downsides. Many highly skilled traditional medicine practitioners were trained there, and Silas was one of them. "What does this have to do with Medic's Haven?" Xena continued, "A Malevolent Phantom has appeared at Medic's Haven and claimed to have occupied the place. It's demanding we send highly skilled medical practitioners there, or it will start killing people." What the hell! Had it completely lost its mind? Felix's expression changed. He was sure the
Jack mumbled, "Damn it, I'm so jealous you have so many wives."Felix thought to himself, "Oh no." And sure enough, Vanessa's face darkened with anger. "Nessa, he's just talking nonsense while drunk. Don't take it personally." Vanessa stretched her neck and smiled, though her smile made even Felix feel uncomfortable. "Listen to yourself. Why would I get upset over what some drunk man says?" As he watched the car drive away, Felix silently mourned for his good friend. He guessed that when Jack woke up tomorrow, he'd be in for a world of hurt. The next morning, Felix was in the car heading toward Medic's Haven when he received a call from Donna. "There's an A-tier Malevolent Phantom inside Medic's Haven. Don't worry, an S-tier would absolutely never do something like this." So it was indeed an A-tier, just as he had suspected. "How did this thing manage to erase ten people's souls simultaneously? And according to the monitoring personnel on site, no one even saw the Malevo
Felix looked at the middle-aged man who had just appeared. The man's gaze was icy cold, and he definitely didn't look like he was joking. Felix asked, "Is that so? Where should I strip?" While pointing with his right hand, the middle-aged man spoke firmly. "Right here." Felix couldn't help but snicker. "What an unreasonable demand." He had never heard that visitors of Medic's Haven were required to strip for a body examination. Not just Medic's Haven—there couldn't be such an unreasonable requirement anywhere else in the world. "Fine then. I wish Medic's Haven continued success." With that, Felix turned to leave but was suddenly called back. "Wait, young man. Don't go yet." Felix turned around to see another middle-aged man who had just emerged. As the man was about to speak, his eyes suddenly widened. "Are you Dr. Zeller?" Felix wondered if that man had recognized him. This wasn't surprising, considering the commotion Felix had caused at Medic's Haven back then. After
Magnus was the Supreme Elder of Medic's Haven and had met with Felix not long ago. He was a man of integrity who had devoted himself to advancing traditional medicine. Yet, he was now dead and couldn't even rest in peace. After all, his body had been torn to pieces and hung up as a warning to others. "Screw this! I'll kill that bastard!" Finally, Felix could not contain himself anymore. He was here to kill the Malevolent Phantom anyway. The process didn't matter as long as he could get the job done. Claro and Roger were terrified. They seemed to have anticipated this reaction and rushed to persuade him, "Dr. Zeller, please stay calm!" "You absolutely cannot act rashly. Though we also want to avenge Mr. Grimwald, that Malevolent Phantom holds the lives of thousands of people in Medic's Haven." Felix slowly sat back down, remembering what Xena had told him. If he couldn't figure this out, he could not afford to move. He couldn't bear the responsibility for thousands of deaths
Inside the pavilion, Felix reached the top floor. He spotted a young man with tan skin lounging on a couch. On the floor beside him was a pitiful-looking woman. The woman did not react to Felix's arrival at all. Her eyes were blank. The young man, however, spoke up. "Check her out. Can you fix her?" Felix did not move. Instead, he asked, "What happens if I can heal her?" This young man was clearly Koros, the Malevolent Phantom. He looked up at Felix with surprise. "Interesting. You're the first person who didn't even bother looking at her before trying to cut a deal." Though Felix stayed silent, his expression made it clear he was waiting for an answer. "It's simple. If you heal her, I'll leave Medic's Haven, and all these people can go on living their lives. Pretty good deal, right? But the real question is—can you actually do it?" Felix remained rooted to his spot. "I thought A-tier Malevolent Phantoms were stuck in their territories. How are you moving around freely?"
Felix said, "I can try to save her, but headquarters gave me an order I must follow first." Upon seeing how Koros seemed unhappy but did not lash out, Felix knew he had an opening. "You need to tell me how you're controlling the lives of so many people in Medic's Haven." Koros licked his lips with a mocking smile. "You brat, do you think I'm an idiot? Why would I reveal the very thing that's keeping you in check?" Felix spread his hands. "Then I'm sorry, but I'm sure you know we have to look at the bigger picture here. Yes, we care about these few thousand lives, but compared to them, the billions of people in Dragonia matter more. "If you won't tell me, I'll have to follow headquarters' orders and leave. And I'll fight back if you attack me. Test me if you don't believe it." He refused to be led around by Koros. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be the few thousand people in Medic's Haven who would die, but many more in the future. Koros' face went through a series of emotions.
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