Gale thought, "Hmph! Keep boasting, kid. Everyone wants to show off! When you fail, I'll make sure you'll regret being alive!" Gale remained convinced that someone just a few years older than him couldn't possibly achieve such a miracle. Xena was also shaken up and feeling equally skeptical. "Felix, you need to understand that this—" Before she could finish, Felix cut her off with a cold stare. "Instead of questioning me, bring some men over and guard outside! Who's the doctor here—you or me?" Xena trembled with anger. Given her status and the fact that she would soon be promoted to Warlady, even Brandon had shown her deference upon seeing her again. Yet, Felix dared to speak to her so rudely in front of everyone. "Saving lives takes priority. Your name is Felix, correct?" Regardless of others' opinions, Brandon only cared about freeing these children from the Bloom Seeds as a master healer. "Yes. I assume you know the Pierce of Trinity technique?" Felix replied."I do. I'
Brandon felt conflicted. Silas' medical skills far surpassed his own. Though they were only one rank apart, he knew the true gap between them. Compared to Felix, Silas would certainly be the safer choice. Brandon had only agreed to help Felix due to the urgent situation. But things could be different now with a better option available. Xena shared this thinking, which gave her the courage to speak out. "Felix, I know you wouldn't joke about something like this, but Dr. Grayson's skills are legendary, and you know it. For these children's safety, don't let pride cloud your judgment." Gale seized the opportunity to say, "Exactly! Even Dr. Quinn acknowledges Dr. Grayson's superior skills. It's best to wait for him to arrive." He thought, "Hmph! You got lucky, kid. If Dr. Quinn wasn't involved, I wouldn't even bother speaking up." He worried that if anything happened to these children, his mentor would be the one to bear the brunt of criticism, while Felix would face minimal cons
Gale watched with a strange expression. In traditional medicine, needles had no effect outside of acupoints. Every practitioner knew this basic fact. And yet, Brandon's jaw dropped. "The Five Points of Ascension?" Brandon asked in astonishment.Both Zara and Gale were astounded. Of course, they knew of the Five Points of Ascension. Certain acupuncture techniques stood supreme in Dragonia's 5000 years of medical history. While the Pierce of Trinity would intimidate most practitioners, the Five Points of Ascension were even more formidable. Even Brandon had not mastered it, yet here Felix was, performing them. The shock was beyond words. Splat!Within five seconds, the little girl turned her head and spat out a blood clot the size of a fingernail. Brandon's three silver needles then flew out, followed by gushing blood. "Zara!" Felix's shout snapped Zara to attention, and she rushed to stop the bleeding. As they moved on to the next child, Brandon's perception of Felix had c
Xena could not explain why, but seeing Felix lying there so brutally wounded made her heart ache terribly. "What happened here?" Just as Xena lifted Felix, a voice rang out. Zara, who was also crying, immediately became excited when she heard the sound. "Dr. Grayson! Please, save Felix!" Four people entered the room. Two had their faces concealed. One was the renowned Nala, who was known for her signature face veil. The other person was probably elderly, judging by the voice, and wore a demon mask. Given Zara's reaction and words as she ran over, this had to be Dragonia's second-best master healer, Silas. "Silas, you must save Felix no matter what. I've never had so much admiration for a young man in my life. He deserves your help. He saved over a dozen children from the Bloom Seeds!" Exhausted, Brandon was sitting on the ground. He knew Felix's condition was critical and spoke urgently. "He treated them by himself?" Silas looked at Felix in Xena's arms. The look in his eye
As a junior, Zara could only state facts. But Brandon clearly did not want to claim any credit. "Nonsense. I merely assisted. Success or failure rested with Felix. Truthfully, I've never seen such a passionate young healer in Dragonia in all these years. If anything happens to him, it would be a national tragedy," Brandon said.With traditional medicine's declining succession, Brandon's words were not exaggerated. They were spoken from the heart. "Dr. Quinn, you're too modest. Are you saying Felix's skills surpass yours?" Nala asked.Brandon nodded. "I admit it. He is indeed better than me. As in martial arts, skill determines rank in medicine. Age is merely a rough measure." His disciple, Gale, stood silently nearby. He had been thoroughly humbled by Felix. Remembering his earlier words, guilt and remorse consumed him. Hearing these answers, especially from Brandon himself, Nala's lips curled into a smile beneath her veil. Felix's medical prowess had reached such heights. No
Crippled! That word struck everyone present like a physical blow and left them frozen in place. "What… what do you mean by crippled? Will he be bedridden forever?" Xena clutched her chest as tears welled up. At this moment, she was not the revered goddess of war, just a helpless woman. Silas shook his head. "No, not exactly. The Five Points of Ascension ranks third among our highest medical techniques. Brandon knows how impossibly difficult it is to perform it, so he never mastered it in his entire life! Once mastered, it elevates one's medical skills tremendously. "The greater the effect, the greater the cost. Besides, Felix did it continuously over a dozen times. In my estimation, only the rumored one and the miracle doctor himself could do this without consequences!" Silas' eyes were filled with admiration. Such was a practitioner's compassion. Felix likely only considered the feelings of the children suffering from the Bloom Seeds, with no thought for himself. "Every one
Nala made no attempt to hide her thoughts. "That's right. To me, he's no different from any other cripple now. It's a shame, really. His hidden talents had made him worthy of being my fiancé. I was ready to give him a chance, but life's full of unexpected turns." As Yvonne tried to protest, Nala grabbed her collar. "I know what you want to say. Don't. Felix has lost all standing, including any claim to you. Did you think I hadn't noticed you falling in love with him? When he was still exceptional a few hours ago, I might have accepted him–and you could have been his naturally. "But he's ruined now, understand? You're forbidden from any further contact with him. Since Felix is no longer useful, it's time for you to serve your purpose. Your wedding will be held in one month." After Nala left, Yvonne looked toward Felix's room, tears flowing freely. She had said it many times before—Yvonne had no right to choose her destiny. Everything was at Nala's command. "Take care, Felix. I…
Felix froze, then gave a wry smile. "Is it fun joking with someone who just recovered from a near-death experience?" But Xena's expression remained serious. "Do I look like I'm joking?" When Felix collapsed bleeding last night, Xena felt her heart shatter. Only then did she realize her true feelings for him. Those were feelings she had been denying all along. "Yes, I am materialistic, but not mindlessly so! Reality has shown us countless examples of why matching social status matters! I have the looks, figure, and status of the goddess of war. Is it wrong of me to want a better partner?" Felix suddenly realized he had no counterargument. He remembered a news story about a man who worked to put his girlfriend through school. After she earned her doctorate, they married, but the marriage lasted barely two years. According to her, they had lost their common ground. Their vast status difference had created an unbridgeable gap in their worldviews. The internet had split opinions
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