Half an hour later, a group of men arrived at the scene, each exuding a fierce, battle-hardened demeanor. It was clear they were experienced combat veterans. "Captain Hill, punish me as you see fit," the first man said with his head bowed low. "I failed to protect Ms. Hill."The man who commanded such respect appeared to be in his 40s, with a square jaw and a cross-shaped scar on his forehead. His cold gaze alone was enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine.Alistair replied, "It's not your fault. Yara has been suicidal for a while now. She must have used her inner energy for that burst of movement, despite her condition. You couldn't have kept up. Did her trace disappear here?"The man nodded. "Yes, she could be nearby or much further away." Thanks to his unique practice, he could track a person's scent as long as they did not leave a certain radius.Alistair bit his finger until it bled and began murmuring something. His men's faces paled at this action, and one spoke up
Alistair declared, "In my life, I've only kneeled before my parents, but today, I kneel before you, sir. Please, I beg you to save Yara's life."The dozens of men present suddenly dropped to their knees as well. They all owed their lives to Alistair many times over, so this gesture came naturally to them. Alistair continued, "We broke into your home and attacked without knowing the truth. I'll cut off my own arm if that's what it takes for you to forgive us and save my sister."He raised his right hand, his expression unchanging as he prepared to strike his left arm."If you actually do that, I won't help Yara," Felix warned quickly.Alistair was caught off guard, and his eyes lit up with hope. "You'll help her?"Felix sighed. In truth, he was genuinely moved by Alistair's character. He had met many military men before, but never one like Alistair—someone who combined fierce loyalty with such devotion to family."Everyone, please stand up. This is making me uncomfortable," Feli
As the sound faded, Xena walked in and was surprised to see Felix there. She quickly masked her reaction and ignored him, secretly hoping he would not mention their relationship in front of her subordinates, especially Alistair—that would be too embarrassing."Lady Summers!" Alistair and the others bowed respectfully. Just as predicted, Alistair was not the type to disrespect authority, though his true loyalty remained questionable.Xena acknowledged them with a slight nod. "Quite a commotion here. Is there anything I can help with? I know I don't officially start until tomorrow morning, but I hope you don't mind me asking." The others remained silent until Alistair spoke up. "It's nothing serious. My sister just went missing for a while, but we've found her. Thank you for your concern, Lady Summers."Felix stood there silently, smart enough to pick up on Xena's deliberate attempt to hide their relationship."I see. I'm glad it was just a false alarm," Xena replied.As Alistair
Recognizing Xena's honesty, Alistair had already begun to accept his new superior. "Thank you for your concern, Lady Summers. Mr. Zeller has already found a way to treat Yara—now I just need to wait." After Alistair left, Xena turned to Felix. "You've done me a huge favor."Felix was annoyed. Xena had directly claimed him as her boyfriend without giving him a chance to explain, and she had gotten away with quite an advantage.He stepped closer to her with a mischievous look. "Oh really? How do you plan to thank me?"For some reason, Xena felt flustered. He was standing so close that his scent overwhelmed her senses, leaving her feeling strangely unsettled. She stuttered, "W-What are you doing?"Wanting to teach her a lesson, Felix suddenly grabbed the back of her head and kissed those coveted lips that many men had only dreamed of touching. The sudden contact left Xena's mind in chaos—she had never been touched by a man before, so her stunned reaction was natural. When Felix's
When Averill saw Felix's expression, she became puzzled as well. "Don't you know why Leslie needs to see you?"Felix felt like an idiot, completely lost in this conversation. "Did something happen?""I'm not here because of your online messages. I'm here specifically under Mr. Hoffman's orders," Averill explained. The mention of Gerald made Felix realize the gravity of the situation. His eyes turned cold with concern as he asked, "What happened to Leslie?" "She went somewhere and was poisoned with something rare—even Mr. Hoffman hasn't seen it before and can't cure it. He immediately sent her to find you. Since I was already in Canraville, Leslie asked me to give you a heads up." Felix felt both anxious and helpless. "How can I help if even Mr. Hoffman can't cure it?"Averill nodded confidently. "If Mr. Hoffman says you can do it, then you definitely can. I don't know the details, but Leslie will arrive in Canraville around 11:00 pm tonight. Just wait at home, and she'll find
"Jude, what's going on?" Michelle asked. Before Jude could answer, the heavy-set woman grabbed Michelle's hair. "What's going on? He's my sugar baby. How dare you seduce him? I'll teach you a lesson, you little homewrecker!" Just as she raised her hand to strike, a voice cut through the tension. "Stop right there!" The woman turned, eyes narrowing. She mocked, "Who the hell are you? Are you trying to play hero? Ha! So this little homewrecker has some tricks up her sleeves, huh? She's not just after one man!"Felix stepped into the room, striding confidently to Michelle's side, who was still trying to process what was happening. He warned, "Watch your mouth! I suggest you leave now. I would've taught you a lesson if it weren't for Michelle's birthday!" After all, this was Karina's niece, and Felix did not treat this matter lightly. The woman scoffed. "Interesting. Do you know who I am? How dare you talk to me like that!"Tired of the drama, Felix pulled out his gift. "Mich
Felix chuckled. "You don't need to tell me. Whatever story Lady Nala and I share, I don't want to know."As if anticipating his response, Yvonne placed her hand on his thigh. "This is my mission, so please don't make it difficult. What you do after hearing it is your choice."When Felix remained silent, Yvonne continued, "The parents who passed away weren't your biological parents. Your true bloodline comes from the Greene family of Yartford—one of the most powerful families in Dragonia." "I know, but in my heart, I only acknowledge those two as my parents," Felix replied firmly.Yvonne frowned, not expecting this response. "The Greene family made a marriage contract with Lady Nala's family years ago. Though no specific names were mentioned, according to the agreement, you and Lady Nala are the intended couple." Felix laughed bitterly. This explained Nala's interest—like Xena, she was bound by a marriage contract. "Well, I'm honored! But given Lady Nala's status and position,
When a woman said something like that, it showed just how strongly she felt.Even Felix was taken aback as he reached out to touch Yvonne's face. "If I can marry you one day, I won't need anyone's approval. I hope you can understand that."As the car door opened, Yvonne said, "I belong to Lady Nala in both life and death. Even if I'm deeply in love, we cannot be together without her permission. I hope you understand that as well."At sunset, the entrance of Yardley Dining was lined with a red carpet and flanked with rows of elegant torches. The waitresses, clad in dresses, wore bright smiles and were fully prepared for the grand event. A banner that hung above the entrance read, "Welcome to Yardley Dining, Lady Summers."The restaurant was closed to the public that day, all for the sake of one guest—Xena Summers. The smile on Larry's face as he surveyed the restaurant showed how happy he was. Larry Laird, the owner of Yardley Dining, hadn't expected Felix to pull it off. On top o
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