Donna nodded. Honestly, she herself felt tempted. Devouring such a soul would bring immeasurable growth, so no S-tier Malevolent Phantom could possibly pass up such an opportunity. Donna said, "But Felix, remember this. If that so-called soul fragment wins, it's your problem to deal with. But if Malachar wins, you must finish it off within one minute! "We S-tier Malevolent Phantoms can fully absorb a soul within a minute. You should know exactly how much stronger Malachar would become afterward." Felix gave a cold laugh, not bothering to respond. The moment the battle was decided, Malachar would attack relentlessly in the very next second—Felix would have less than one minute to react. Regardless of who won or lost, this was definitely going to happen no matter what. "By the way, can the Mystical Explosive Orb only capture a Malevolent Phantom's soul essence?" Donna smiled bitterly. "That's how the orb was designed. Thanks for your concern. I know what you're thinking. If the
When Felix heard that Malachar had arrived, he tensed up. This was his first time being hunted by an S-tier Malevolent Phantom, and instead of fear, he felt incredibly excited. He sprang into action, vanishing into the barren mountain after a few quick jumps. Malachar was moving fast, so there was no time to waste. Arriving at a spot in the valley, Felix was surprised to see dozens of unmarked graves there. They were just small mounds of earth arranged neatly without headstones. What drew his attention was a large oval tomb in the center that was clearly made of stone. Even without a marker, the green stones alone were enough to show it was something special. The call from the Scholar's Arsenal was coming from inside. As Felix approached, a rumbling sound echoed as the oval stone structure split open down the middle. It revealed a pitch-black entrance leading underground. This soul fragment was hidden so carefully. It might actually remain undiscovered for thousands or even t
As the cracks on the stone sphere grew wider, Felix did not waste another second. He activated Soulweave and directed it to the Scholar's Arsenal inside him. Though Felix wasn't their actual owner, his soul consciousness existed within the Scholar's Arsenal. So when he performed the Soulweave technique from the Phaeron Codex, the four soul-bound weapons of the Scholar's Arsenal recognized Felix as their master. A visible vortex of soul energy formed instantly, pulling in the Scholar's Arsenal. Felix felt the Scholar's Arsenal trying to resist. Too bad for them—the Soulweave was already active in Felix's soul. It left them no room for rebellion as they were sucked straight into the vortex. He thought, "Damn it! I can't believe that it drains half of my soul energy." This technique was too costly, so there was no way he'd use it during battle in the future. The Soulweave process varied based on the quality of the soul-bound weapons—minimum three days, maximum nine. Now, he co
Though things had not gone exactly as planned, Felix hadn't grown this far on luck alone. He activated Lone Paragon, which enhanced his soul aspects by unleashing a fourfold boost in combat power. Lumen instantly shot toward Malachar. After exposing his true form, Malachar now had six legs and two antennas on his forehead, though otherwise he didn't look too different."You stupid brat, I can't believe you actually knew I wouldn't spare you!" Malachar grinned like a madman. Having devoured such a powerful soul, he was naturally in high spirits. With a casual wave of his hand, Lumen was knocked back as if hit by a heavy blow, returning instantly to Felix's side. "Benjamin!" This was no time for talk. They needed to take Malachar down before he fully digested Francis' soul fragment. "Having help won't save you. You've underestimated the power of an S-tier Malevolent Phantom." Benjamin had been preparing all along. Right then, he shot his right hand forward in a pointing gest
Though the attack seemed coordinated, everything happened incredibly fast. Felix and Benjamin worked together perfectly, so it took them just over ten seconds to finish off Malachar. Felix felt lucky. Without Francis' soul fragment and Benjamin's help, he would never have killed an S-tier Malevolent Phantom like Malachar. That was a close one. "Benjamin, we got him." Hearing Felix's voice, Benjamin, who had been fighting off exhaustion, smiled before passing out. Just then, the power rebound from the Mystical Explosive Orb surged through him. Felix realized that while Francis' soul fragment was gone, he had sacrificed the valuable Scholar's Arsenal as well. But absorbing the power rebound from an S-tier Malevolent Phantom's soul essence was a pretty sweet deal anyway. As he absorbed it, Felix was completely blown away—though he already knew how powerful S-tier Malevolent Phantoms were. The one he'd run into at Laurel Resort had been falling apart at its soul core, yet its p
Donna laughed with a teasing look on her face. "What? You only managed to kill one S-tier Malevolent Phantom because you had perfect timing and conditions. Yet, you're acting so confident now." Since Donna was a Malevolent Phantom herself, Felix had to be careful. Felix had no problem with Donna knowing he was at Superior Soul Realm before. But now that he'd jumped up to Ethercore Realm, he had to keep quiet about it since that was something that required soul enhancement. "I know my limits. Or are you saying you don't know the answer, either?" Donna held up one finger before answering, "You're currently at Superior Soul Realm. You'll have to reach Ethercore Realm to be able to fight against an S-tier Malevolent Phantom." Felix was genuinely surprised to hear that, but he played it cool. "Really? Looks like I won't have to run from S-tier Malevolent Phantoms much longer." As expected, Donna snickered and replied coldly, "It might seem like just one level away, but don't you
If the government was planning to just attack Hall of Souls with missiles, they must have been seriously pissed off this time.But it made sense. After all, countless people had risked their lives fighting Malevolent Phantoms, while Hall of Souls not only failed to resist but actually conspired with them. That was truly despicable. Felix asked, "But how are you sure what the Black Soul Scout said is true? Even with soul memory extraction, wouldn't you need to verify it?"Xena answered, "Of course. Everyone's worried about hurting innocent people. Our national guardian has already checked a few locations personally. He has confirmed they're definitely Hall of Souls laboratories or bases." The guardian? Felix frowned. "Isn't that overkill? Why not just let the guardian eliminate them all directly?" Xena's voice turned colder. "How could that possibly be as intimidating as missiles? We haven't located the leader of Hall of Souls, Scarlet Lord. That's why we need something that sen
The chase continued as the city lights grew distant behind Felix. Eventually, the buildings disappeared. Felix had reached somewhere with strange rock formations jutting from the ground. He had no idea where they had ended up. "Did they stop running already?" Through his domain sensing, he could tell the abductor had halted, forcing Felix to consider his next move carefully. "Even if it's a trap, I've got to go in." He couldn't abandon Benjamin. If he did, what kind of person would that make him? He just had to face whatever his enemies had planned for him. Right then, the abductor started moving again, but they had left Benjamin behind. Wondering if the abductor had given up, Felix's thoughts raced, but he maintained his speed. The priority was securing Benjamin's safety. He would deal with whatever else came after that. When he finally stopped, Benjamin was still unconscious while lying on some rocky debris. At that moment, Felix sensed four figures rapidly approaching th
It would be a lie to say that Lachlan wasn't surprised when he saw Felix. As an Orion, of course, he was aware of the entire situation.Felix was sent to Aquamarinus, a planet that was known for its deadliness.Even a genius would most likely die there. However, Felix succeeded in breaking through. Although his strength had been confirmed indirectly, Lachlan didn't take it seriously. He even told his family that there was no need to cheat.As long as he was there, Felix wouldn't be able to pass his level. Felix sneered, but didn't respond. They just met, and they were already mortal enemies. If they had a chance, they would've killed one another. So why should they even attempt to be civil?"Julius, nothing has happened yet, and you're already kissing his ass?" Lachlan laughed mockingly. Felix stayed silent, so Lachlan couldn't be bothered to mock him. Instead, Lachlan turned to Julius, who smiled."I don't need to report everything I do to you, Lachlan. Just worry about yours
This was something Felix hadn't thought of. The Orions had been too arrogant and thought their people could kill him, but they didn't anticipate the special conditions on Aquamarinus at night. If it wasn't due to that, Felix wasn't sure if he would still be alive now."Why are you telling me this?" Felix asked.Julius looked at him oddly. "My family, the Leachs, are on par with the Orions and developing fast. We don't want any conflicts with you or Earth, so tell me, why wouldn't I make friends with a strong man like you?"Since you can break out of Aquamarinus, you have the qualifications to win. At least for now, the champions of the elimination rounds in the Rank-Ascending Competition are extraordinary people."He continued, "I'm just offering help now. Once you succeed in the future, you can help me, right? I have nothing to lose, so why not try?"Felix understood his reasons. In this case, he was completely alone, and making acquaintances with the Leachs was good."How hard
As soon as Julius entered, Felix turned on the soundproof barrier and asked impatiently, "How do you know I'm from Earth?"Everyone here was a stranger, and the distance between each of their hometowns was over hundreds of thousands of miles. How could Julius tell where Felix was from so accurately?Julius looked a little helpless. "Your name is Felix, and your elimination match was on Aquamarinus. Of course, I know you're from Earth."Well, that was quite the redundant answer."No, listen to what I have to say."After motioning for Felix to sit down, Julius continued, "In the Rank-Ascending Competition, some people in power can actually cheat within the rules. Have you heard of the Orion family?"Before Felix could answer, Julius had already guessed the answer based on his gaze. "Heh, seems like Earth isn't as barbaric as everyone thought. Since you're familiar with the Orion family, it will make things easier for me."Well, you got the right information. The Orion family is th
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