There was no other choice. Felix could only make his face flush a little red. He was supposed to be suffering from brain cancer, not a total lack of reaction. Given her stunning body and gorgeous face, it would be weirder if he didn't react at all when she was so up close and personal.Finally, Yanny stood up, repeatedly bowing as she apologized. However, she moved so slowly that the few undone buttons on her top gave him an even clearer view. It was so clear that he could see everything perfectly even though he was lying down."It's fine," Felix said.Yanny let out a relieved sigh, then she flashed him a sweet smile."You're Felix Zeller, right? That's a really nice name. The results will take a little longer, so don't stress too much, okay? No matter what, you'll be able to live normally."As she spoke, she suddenly lifted her shirt, pointing at her smooth, flat abdomen."I used to have cervical cancer, but now I'm completely cured. That's how amazing Rebirth Sect is! Look, not
Felix sighed internally but exaggerated his reaction. "You… You want to help me bathe?"This would be an incredibly awkward situation for most people, but Yanny acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world."Of course! As your guide, we'll be inseparable from now on. We'll even be sleeping in the same bed. So what's wrong with helping you bathe?"Felix quickly pulled his hand away and rushed into the bathroom. "You don't need to do that. I can do it myself."After watching the bathroom door close, Yanny's lips curled into a subtle smile. This behavior was normal to her. Give it a few days, and things would be completely different.After his shower, Yanny took Felix on a walk around Rebirth Sect's compound. It was an opportunity for him to gather useful information."The ones in yellow robes are our elders. When you see them, place your palms together in front of your chest and give them your best smile."Felix smirked. "I thought I'd have to kneel or bow or something.
"In this life, we have reached our limit. We must be reborn to the next. But this doesn't mean literal death. The burdens of your past mistakes will be carried by your previous life, just as the beauty you long for in your heart will one day take root and bloom," the overlord said.While listening to the overlord's words, Felix had to admit that his speech was incredibly persuasive. If recovering from cancer was also part of the experience, resisting brainwashing would be nearly impossible."Come on, Felix," Yanny urged. "Every new member gets a personal meeting with the overlord after the sermon."As the others left the hall, Yanny led Felix forward.With his palms pressed together and smiles in place, Felix played his role well. He added a touch of awkwardness, letting his eyes show a mixture of uncertainty and longing."Felix, welcome to Rebirth Sect."After supposedly summoning his courage, Felix asked, "When will my illness be cured, sir? The doctors told me I only have thre
Felix narrowed his eyes. He believed this so-called step to some extent. After all, this was an organization; it was normal to haze the newcomers. However, Yanny said that there was a second step, which made him doubtful. Yanny lay on the bed as she looked at Felix, who stood frozen with his head turned away. She said seriously, "Give me a massage, and don't miss a spot. Otherwise, you'll be punished!"Felix heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought it would be something more extreme. But this was harmless, an inconvenience at best. Just as he was about to go over, a thought rang in his mind.No, what if there was a third step? Besides, he didn't know whether she was a human or a Malevolent Phantom. But even if she was human, he would never engage with her this way."I'm sorry, but I haven't been able to feel much since I got a brain tumor."Yanny seemed prepared for this response and smiled. "I'm not asking you for anything. Take this as your treatment. I'm already a senior in Reb
The older woman, Mylo, pounced at Felix, and he quickly grabbed her wrist, pretending to panic. "N-No! I don't want this."In his mind, he thought of a small trick to play on her. If this woman was indeed a Malevolent Phantom, she couldn't resist. Otherwise, if he died, that would be a waste of a soul. Even so, he dared not look at her with his Spirit Eye. He wanted to wait until she showed her fangs. Besides, there was nothing to hide now.Sure enough, Mylo licked her lips and allowed Felix to grab her wrist. She feigned shyness. "Oh! You're holding me too tightly! It hurts!" However, Felix immediately felt a strange disturbance in his soul."Ack! You're not an ordinary person!" she screamed in shock. Fortunately, Felix had set up a sound barrier in advance, so there was no need to worry about sound escaping."Hahaha! So you're really a Malevolent Phantom!" Felix shouted.Mylo had launched an attack on Felix's soul! But it was quickly deflected by his Infinite Shield, which m
Felix was so shocked that he was speechless. Rebirth Sect had 50 Malevolent Phantoms? What was this? If he hadn't just tortured Mylo's spirit and seen the truth with his own eyes, he would've thought she was lying.Upon seeing his reaction, Mylo quickly added, "It's true! There are really 50 Malevolent Phantoms in Rebirth Sect—five A-tiers, 15 B-tiers, and 30 C-tiers. It's all true!"Such a number of Malevolent Phantoms gathering together was unheard of and completely different from their usual way of life. "Why are you all gathering?" Felix asked.Perhaps Mylo was afraid of being tortured by Felix, for she answered immediately, "Because of food! You humans are growing stronger; even martial artists who don't know soul attacks can kill us C-tier Malevolent Phantoms."Besides, we have to avoid surveillance and getting caught. But since we came here, we can eat at least two to three times a month! We don't even have to worry about anything, so why not?"Felix pondered about this.
Mylo explained, "We don't lack food, and these ordinary people are all supported by Yosef. He calls this his long-term strategy. None of us Malevolent Phantoms are allowed to touch the staff here. Otherwise, the consequences would be miserable."People like you in the headquarters know that we can't kill one another, but there are many ways to make us suffer. Sometimes even worse than death."Felix's expression turned grim. "So the 'lack of food' means people like me who come and see Riley for his reputation?"Mylo shrank back from the intensity of Felix's gaze. Murderous energy filled every inch of the room, and she quickly turned away. "Yes, patients are coming here for treatments. Us C-tier Malevolent Phantoms just need to play the role of someone who has already been taken by spending time with their families. That's our task. "We have a week to observe their habits so we don't arouse suspicion. Besides, with human emotions, people experience ups and downs in life and often
Felix knew Mylo didn't mean it."Don't get me wrong. I said you must die because I'm here to devour your soul. If you're still alive, the news will reach Yosef's ears in seconds. No matter if he suspects you or me, nothing good comes from it," Mylo explained.Felix agreed. "Alright, I can fake my death, and I guarantee that no one will notice it. However, you have to tell me how you're going to deal with the dead body first."There was no crematorium here, so it was unlikely that the bodies would be burned. It would create heavy smoke, and Yosef wasn't that stupid."Buried in soil, in the backyard of Rebirth Sect. A layer of underground was dug out during construction, and that's where the bodies are buried. However, fresh bodies have to be stored in the morgue for three days."Some Malevolent Phantoms like to destroy bodies for pleasure, and it's allowed by Yosef. So if someone enters, you'll have to find a way to hide," Mylo said.Felix took a deep breath, composing himself. "W
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