Felix was aware that Ancient Sage had given some Mirror Shards to the Grand Protectors. But even if they had those on them right now, Felix didn't believe the Protectors could easily counter attacks from an Ethercore Realm expert. No way he was going to be embarrassed here. Besides, such an intense martial arts battle was a rare treat. "That's strange. Why isn't he using Lone Paragon?" The middle-aged man, Rupert Perez, was the only one watching from the sidelines. His brows furrowed as he observed Felix, who was barely defending himself. Their assessment had shown that Felix with Lone Paragon activated was incredibly powerful. Finding Anson's corpse with clear signs of instant death was proof enough of Felix's capabilities. Rupert wondered if Felix actually wanted to defeat three Protectors without relying on Lone Paragon. There was no way he could do that! The three attackers had noticed this, too. They'd been holding back as they waited for Lone Paragon to activate. But
Rupert was shocked, but the three Protectors fighting Felix were totally freaking out. They knew for sure that Felix hadn't activated Lone Paragon. As martial artists who had spent years training to become incredibly powerful, they could have easily spotted it if Felix was just faking weakness. But without Lone Paragon in the picture, they had no explanation for what was happening. They'd never heard of any martial arts technique that would slowly grow stronger during battle. It made no sense. If Felix had suddenly broken through to a new realm while fighting, that would be one thing. Such rare cases existed throughout history. But this was something else entirely. "I guess that's all you guys have to offer me. What a shame." Felix smiled through his injuries. The fight was getting easier by the minute—even he could feel himself getting stronger. "Don't get so cocky, Felix!" The three Protectors yelled as they all activated the forbidden technique passed down by Ancient Sage
Not long after Felix started walking away, he sensed something strange. He quickly raised his right hand as an object fell rapidly from the sky. It moved so fast that normal people wouldn't even see it. For Felix, tracking it was not hard. He also noticed how it didn't seem to have much force behind it. What could it be? The next moment, his expression changed as the object went through his right hand and vanished into his body. He was shocked when he realized the object had entered his soul. "What the hell is this thing?" Everything happened so quickly and strangely that he didn't even have time to react. About ten seconds passed before he realized his soul wasn't damaged. Finally able to breathe again, he took time to examine the object. It was a palm-sized square plate that was completely black and seemingly made of some kind of metal. The plate showed the number 2034 with nothing else on it. "Is this plate a soul-bound weapon or something else?" Felix tried for a while
When Gerald said it was something from beyond this world, Felix froze for a moment. He then jumped to his feet, pointing at Gerald with a trembling hand. "Holy crap! Do you actually know what that thing is?"Gerald didn't look too happy. "Watch how you talk to me, you brat! Sit down." Though he didn't give Felix an answer, Felix could tell Gerald really knew something. He sat back down immediately. "That object is called a Starmark. What you received is the lowest rank—an Iron Starmark. Like I said, it's something from beyond this world, not from Earth." Felix was starting to question Gerald's background. How did he know about something like this? "Since you've received an Iron Starmark, I should call Dahlia and Karina to join us. It's time to reveal everything. Whatever questions you have, wait until all three of them are here." Even though Felix desperately wanted to know everything, Gerald had made up his mind. Felix knew there was no point in asking now. By afternoon,
Sergio glanced at Gerald with disdain. "Don't get your hopes up too soon. The Starmark is just a ticket in the door. We have no idea how far Felix will actually make it." Gerald immediately bristled. "Jeez! Stop being so negative about us. Would it kill you to be optimistic for once?"Whatever. I'm going to take a nap. At least I can finally explain things to those brats. I was still stressing about how to handle Eloise." Time passed. In the living room of the hotel suite, Dahlia and Karina sat on the couch, both glowing and looking more feminine than before. "I can't believe you're actually so experienced and adventurous, Dahlia." Dahlia kept a poker face. "I learned by watching all sorts of things. But I'm definitely not as loud as you." Felix, fresh from his shower and dressed, was speechless hearing this. Even with all his power, he was no match against both women. In fact, he felt he had been taken advantage of. "Can we drop this topic already? Mr. Hoffman and Eloise
As Gerald walked in, Eloise stood up. Despite what she had done, she still respected him as her mentor. She actually just wanted to know the truth. "Well, look who decided to show up!" Gerald snapped. Something flickered in Eloise's eyes, but she changed the subject. "Do you really need Dahlia and Karina here for this?" Dahlia and Karina looked dumbfounded. They still had no clue why they'd been called over, though they had a gut feeling something big was coming. "Obviously. Why else would I call them? Eloise, if I didn't care about you, I would've flown overseas and killed you myself for what you pulled. Or do you think I couldn't?" Shocked, Dahlia and Karina gasped. Why would Gerald say something so harsh? Felix was the only one who understood the situation. Indeed, Eloise had done something that had crossed some serious lines. Eloise gave a bitter smile. "I just wanted to know the truth about myself. Is that so wrong?" Gerald snorted again before speaking, "All nine
Gerald said, "My old friend had enemies—serious ones. If I don't keep you sealed, your soul's energy will start to radiate once you reach a certain level. When that happens, it won't matter how far away those enemies are—they'll sense it instantly. And by then, not even I could protect you."As he spoke, Gerald turned to look at Eloise. "Are you satisfied with that explanation? Or are you still skeptical?"Eloise stayed silent, and even Felix could tell she probably was not buying it. After all, they were already talking about aliens—stuff that sounded completely out there and impossible to verify. Naturally, it was hard to believe.Gerald seemed to read the doubt on her face and chuckled. "If you want, I can remove the seal right now. You'll be free to train however you want, and I won't stop you anymore. "But you need to understand something—if that ends up attracting the enemies and gets you and your eight apprentices killed, that has absolutely nothing to do with me. I've alre
As soon as all three of his senior apprentices turned to look at him, Felix felt the pressure pile on. There were so many things he did not quite understand yet. He asked, "Mr. Hoffman, are you serious? You're saying this Starmark doesn't just protect my seniors—it can actually stop the second wave from hitting Earth?"Gerald nodded seriously. "Would I joke about something this big? There's an organization out there in the universe called the Star Alliance. At least from my time until now, they've always followed the rulings of the Star Gate. "Every 500 years, the Star Alliance hosts a massive competition to find the top talents across the universe, where participants are put through a series of tests and battles. The prizes are insane—especially for the champion. Not only do they get rare and powerful rewards, but they also get to claim an entire planet as their own territory. Do you understand now?"Felix was starting to get it—kind of. He asked, "So, the Starmark is basically a
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