It was clear someone had said something to Justus. Otherwise, this situation wouldn't have escalated to this point.Felix said calmly, "It was a standard therapeutic massage technique, and I was blindfolded the entire time. Does that explanation satisfy you? Or would you rather find someone else capable of treating Ms. Longstone—I'll gladly step aside if you can."Justus sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "Cut the crap, Felix. Don't act like I don't know exactly what's going through your head. Ginny's the heiress of the Longstone residence—Gras's precious jewel. Everyone knows that marrying her is like securing the entire household. Don't tell me that thought never crossed your mind.""It didn't," Felix said simply.Unfortunately, that answer was never going to satisfy Justus. He snarled, "Listen up, boy! I'm giving you three days to get the hell out of the Longstone residence. If you don't, you won't even get the chance to regret it. Everyone else might be afraid of Gras—but I
In Cloud City, there were a few noble families. Nonetheless, behind the polite smiles, tensions surged. Infiltrating each other's estates with spies had practically become a tradition. While they rarely uncovered major secrets, the information they did gather always gave them a head start.So when the news broke, Gras didn't doubt it for a second. He jumped to his feet, furious. "This is outrageous! Their son dies, and somehow it's the Longstone family's fault?"Ryker looked just as puzzled, agreeing that the accusation made no sense.But Felix let out a quiet, weary sigh. "Mr. Longstone, I'm afraid this is probably my fault. I'm a doctor, and I've gotten a bit of attention lately. After they failed to determine the cause of Justus' death, and given our meeting earlier today, they likely saw an opportunity to drag your family into the mess." Gras's expression darkened, knowing that Felix wasn't wrong. After all, doctors could also be poisoners, and plenty of martial artists had fa
Ginny was naturally present as well, and she spoke up at that moment. "Mr. Goldstein, no one wanted to see Justus die like that. But why did you bring your people to Longstone residence? Are you suggesting that his sudden death has something to do with us?"Joaquin's expression grew darker as he looked at her. He blamed Ginny for this, thinking that none of this would have happened if she had just agreed earlier. And now, they couldn't even determine the cause of death."No connection? That doctor from your household, Felix Zeller—he's the one responsible for Justus' death."Right then, someone spoke up from the crowd. "That's him! That's Felix Zeller!"Felix, who had been calmly sitting in a chair, finally saw Wagner standing among them. And in that moment, everything made sense."Wagner? You've gotten quite bold, huh?" Gras sneered.Wagner flinched at Gras's words, but remembering that he now had the Goldsteins backing him, he stiffened his spine and stood tall. "Cut the crap
In the past, no one dared provoke a family war so openly as it would've been a blatant slap in the Green King's face. But this time, the Goldsteins had the upper hand. After all, Justus was dead, and the Longstone family was a prime suspect. Hence, even if blood were shed, it could still be justified.Joaquin knew this well. He also understood that Gras would never give up Felix for the sake of the Longstones' reputation, so even forcing the standoff served his purpose.Just as the tension reached its peak and a battle was about to break out, Felix stepped forward on his own. "You're the head of the Goldsteins, right? I'll go with you."Joaquin narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected Felix to boldly step forward."Dr. Zeller, please step back," Gras said.Felix glanced at Gras and said, "Thank you for everything, sir. But the truth will speak for itself. Once the investigation is done, I'm sure they'll let me return."Gras stayed silent, but Joaquin chuckled coldly. "Return? Do you
Not far away, Wagner silently prayed with all his might. "Come on, Felix, don't back down now. Keep acting like a hothead—because only then will you die."As for any retaliation from the Longstone family, he wasn't the least bit concerned. Things had already gone too far, and Joaquin clearly wasn't about to back down. He would definitely find a reason to escalate the fight, and if that weren't the case, Wagner wouldn't have dared tag along tonight.Maybe his prayer actually worked, because Felix shook his head. "Sorry, I came here just to cooperate with your investigation. Anything beyond that… I won't do."Just as Wagner thought Felix had sealed his fate, someone suddenly rushed in, holding something in his hand. "Mr. Goldstein! We've got trouble—Green King Manor just sent a royal summons!""What?" Joaquin's expression twisted as he snatched the letter. A summons from one of the nine Minor Kings was no small matter—when it was issued, compliance was mandatory. Ignoring it meant
Joaquin was on the edge of madness. He wanted nothing more than to kill Felix right there, but he didn't dare risk the entire Goldstein family just to satisfy that rage. Disobeying a royal summons meant immediate execution—there was no bluffing around it.After taking a deep breath, Joaquin forced himself to put on a smile. "Dr. Zeller, then tell me—what exactly do you need in order to head to the Green King Manor?"Felix had seen this kind of groveling far too many times before. "Gras is right outside your estate. Go talk to him. The sooner you two reach an agreement, the sooner I'll leave for the manor.""What? Gras is here?" Only now did Joaquin realize just how thoroughly he had been played. Everything had been a setup from the beginning, and he had walked straight into the trap.Time ticked by, and eventually, Gras strolled into the courtyard. He said, "Dr. Zeller, the talk went well. How's the view treating you so far?" From the smile on Gras's face, it was clear he hadn't
The reason Edmond dared to question Felix at all was that he was holding onto that one sliver of arrogance—he assumed Felix had only cured Christopher by pure luck, just because it happened to fall under his area of expertise.Otherwise, would he have even dared speak up? Not a chance.Once the silk threads were tied and tension filled the air, Felix spoke calmly after only a short pause. "Her Grace has a mild seasonal chill. It's nothing serious. I'll prescribe her some herbal blends—she'll recover within five days. Or, if she prefers a quicker route, acupuncture will do the trick."The Green King blinked, clearly stunned by the response. "You mean you can heal her without medication?""That's right. No medicine necessary." At the same time, a soft, melodic voice floated from behind the curtain. Sydney Haye said, "My love, that sounds perfect. You know I hate taking medicine. Please, Dr. Zeller, come in and begin the treatment."...15 minutes later, Felix stepped back out in
Days went by, and Felix had nearly combed through the entire Cloud City. He spent most of his time at places like restaurants and coffee shops. Regrettably, he was still no closer to finding out the Flame Monarch's fighting prowess. He couldn't get any information about souls as well. Virtually no one had talked about it.Felix was also aware that Gras was setting him up with Ginny, but she had made it clear to him that she was just patronizing Gras. So, she merely asked him to go along with it a little.After all, her dreams had never changed. She still wanted to become a martial artist, and nothing would sway her from going down that path. Things had been so quiet at The Recovery Association that it made Felix wonder if he was actually one of them. Eira had never appeared ever since the last time he saw her. Just like that, two weeks came and went. But then, someone's return to Cloud City disrupted the peace and uneventful life that was meant to go on. That day, Felix was e
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