Xena was stunned. She had not been selected, so why was Seth requesting to see her? It did not make sense. "Thank you, we'll be right there!" Belle quickly responded before turning to Xena. "Milady, it's strange, but why question it? Your grandfather's life is at stake." Xena agreed. This was not the time to overthink things. As they were about to enter, Felix walked out of the room. Despite passing each other, he did not say a word. "Did he get picked? Talk about dumb luck," Belle muttered. Xena did not dwell on it and went inside. "Hello, Dr. Fingle," Xena greeted.Seth remained seated as he said with a smile, "No need for formalities, Lady Summers. I've heard about your grandfather. I wanted to let you know that after I treat these ten patients, I'll come to your home." Though overjoyed, Xena could not help but ask, "If I may ask, Dr. Fingle, why are you willing to see my grandfather?" A flicker of confusion crossed Seth's face. But, given he was experienced at his job
"Are you saying he shouldn't have asked Dr. Fingle to see my grandfather?" Xena questioned.Frightened, Belle quickly waved her hands. "No, no! Milady, you know that's not what I meant." "Sometimes it's better to say less. Regardless of everything else, Felix did a good thing this time," Xena chided.The more Xena spoke, the more uncomfortable Belle felt. "Milady, Felix must have ulterior motives. He's going to such lengths to save Mr. Summers Senior because of that prenuptial agreement. When he wakes up, you'll surely do whatever he says." Even Xena was at a loss for words, especially since Belle's reasoning seemed sound. "It doesn't matter now. I just hope Grandpa will be alright. We'll deal with the rest later." Xena's response had actually shown her changing attitude toward Felix. She was no longer as aggressive and unyielding as before, though she had not realized it herself. …At two o'clock in the afternoon, in Xena's home, Seth slowly stood up. "Since you've already
Olly took out a box and opened it, releasing a unique scent. "This is a snakefruit. I can lend it to you for now. Have your people smell it. You might get some leads." Xena did not take it. That was because she realized she found the scent oddly familiar. She was certain she had smelled it on someone before. "What's wrong? Does it ring a bell?" Olly asked.As she was snapped out of her thoughts after hearing Olly's question, Xena quickly said, "Not yet. Don't worry, Mr. Davidson. I'll assign more people to investigate this." "Good. Thank you, Xena. He was my disciple after all, and it concerns the reputation of the Great Imperial Sect. We need answers." After Olly left, Xena suddenly froze. She remembered why the scent was familiar—she had smelled it on Felix. When she shared a bed with Felix last night, she wondered why he smelled so good. She had assumed it was a men's cologne, but now she realized it was the scent of snakefruit. Since Felix was also a martial artist who w
As expected, Jack looked at Felix while clearly trying to suppress his anger. "Felix, I've realized something. This kind of woman isn't worth pining over." Felix nodded and took out his phone. Trina continued to look down on them. "What? It sounds like you want revenge. But do you even have the means to do it, Jack? You're just a washed-up loser who tricked me into coming to Avesburgh. How dare you talk big?" Her boyfriend also threatened, "You really don't know what's good for you!" Right then, Felix's call connected. He was calling Yvonne, of course. Though their relationship was still undefined, he knew she would not refuse his request. "Felix, what's up?" Yvonne asked."I need you to fire two people from your Avesburgh branch's office. One's named Trina, and the other is her boyfriend." "Alright!" Yvonne readily agreed.After he hung up, Felix patted Jack's shoulder. "Let's go. It's taken care of." Jack immediately felt relieved and left with Felix without another wor
Felix's expression mirrored the manager's confusion. Since when did the Phoenix Legion have time for this? Or was there something more going on here? "Bro, what the hell? I've never heard of the Phoenix Legion messing with places like this before." Jack's eyes widened. He looked to Felix for answers as the hostesses scurried out. "Relax. They're probably using this as a front to catch some fugitive," Felix guessed. His explanation seemed to satisfy Jack. It made sense; otherwise, it would be hard to justify why the Phoneix Legion would come all the way to this club. "So, what about Madeline? I'm still in shock seeing our former class sweetheart here, of all places," Jack remarked.Felix's expression darkened. He could not believe it either. Back in their innocent days, he and Madeline had dated for two years. They had been naive then, and a kiss was as far as things went. There was definitely no rolling around in the sheets, but the memories they shared were still sweet. Mad
There was no way Felix did not know that man. His eyes seemed to ask if Xena had any proof of his crime."I said I don't know him. Why would I need to look closely?" Felix shot back.Xena laughed coldly and said, "You smell like snakefruit. I caught a whiff last night, and I can still smell it now! The guy in the photo had also been near a snakefruit. So I've got good reason to think you're a prime suspect in his death!" Felix leaned back on the couch. Crossing his legs, he looked completely unbothered. "Smell? That's rich. If a woman dies and you smell the same perfume on another woman, does that make her a murderer? What kind of logic is that?" Xena was fuming. She had expected this, but she had not realized Felix would be this brazen. She knew exactly how skilled Olly's disciple had been. Even someone with a gun would have had a hard time taking him out. "Fine. In that case, be ready to report to the Phoenix Legion anytime," Xena said with a huff.In the past, Felix might h
Madeline had gone home? Felix fell silent as he rested his chin on his interlaced fingers. Everyone has a golden period in their past, especially during their school days. Whether it was a real relationship or just a crush, seeing that person again as an adult felt like a good ending to their youth. This was especially true for Felix and Madeline. How could he not care when he saw her in this situation? "I'll pay 50 grand. Get her back here," Felix said.The manager shook his head. "Sir, it's not about the money. It's in her contract." Felix raised his offer. "200 grand." The manager froze as he gawked at Felix. Had he heard that right? 200 grand? "I'll throw in another 50 grand for you if you bring her back." Money was no object to Felix. He had more than he could spend anyway. "Give me half an hour, sir. She'll be here, I guarantee it." Money really could make people do anything. "Damn, first love's got some pull. 250 grand, just like that." Jack gave him a thumbs up.
By the time Jack returned to the private room, Madeline was gone. "What happened?" he asked. After Felix explained the situation to him, Jack sighed deeply. "Family can really mess you up, huh? I got kicked out, but at least I'm not drowning in debt. Damn." …It was midnight when they got back to Tabiner Bay. Instead of going home, Felix went to Yvonne's villa. He had received a call earlier. "Yvonne, what's up? It's pretty late," he said after he greeted her.Yvonne glanced at Felix. She then got up and said, "Have a seat. I'll be right back." She came downstairs a moment later, and Felix froze in his tracks. Yvonne was not even wearing pajamas. She was in purple lingerie that would make any man lose his mind. Her face was slightly flushed, and her eyes kept darting away, which made her even more alluring. "After last time, I… I've been thinking about it every night. Would you be willing to sleep with me again? I'm not looking for a commitment or to disrupt your life." F
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