Yvonne, who had followed them in, was just as baffled. Normally, Nala wouldn't care about such matters. Whether there were new suitors or someone chose to withdraw from the competition, it was all insignificant to her.But this time, she had come in person to question it, which was surprising.Ryan was equally shocked. Nala's actions seemed beneath her stature, as if implying that he, a mere suitor, were important to her."Why are you interested in knowing my reason?" he asked.George looked on with curiosity. This was unprecedented."Why? Is it wrong to be interested? Just tell me if you're willing to," Nala replied.Frowning slightly, Ryan spoke up, "There's no real reason. I'm tired, and there are plenty of people better than me. My odds were always low, so stepping aside is only natural."He didn't dare mention Felix's identity as the student of the revered medical doctor. Only a fool would miss out on that kind of detail.From the gleam in Nala's eyes, it was clear that sh
In Canraville, after four hours of refining the Dragonspine, Felix drove his Range Rover away. After only a short distance, he was blocked by a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.Two people stepped out of the car. One was Aimee, Xena's cousin, and the other was an unfamiliar but handsome young man."Felix, get out!"Aimee gestured for him to step out. Seeing that Felix was ignoring her, she walked over and knocked on the window.Knowing that Aimee wouldn't give up, Felix rolled down the window. "Are you done yet?"Aimee glanced at Felix coldly. "Felix, are you a man or not? Do your words mean nothing? You said you have nothing to do with my cousin anymore, so why did you meet her again?"Felix found it amusing. Aimee was so full of herself that she dared to interfere with the goddess of war's business."That was the last we would meet."At this moment, the young man next to her spoke up, "My name is Finnley Walsh, eldest son of the Walsh family, which is one of Aleshire's most prominent fam
Wendy felt a warm happiness in her heart. Were she and Felix a perfect match? Even outsiders seemed to notice that.But when she saw the darkened expression on the young man's face, she realized the gravity of the situation."He's not my boyfriend. If he needs anything, he'll come and look himself.""Understood, Ms. Kinsley."The young man stepped closer, looking displeased. "Boyfriend? Wendy, do you think I, Dylan Fraser, am someone to be toyed with?"Wendy frowned."Dylan, I don't know how I've offended you. Even if I do have a boyfriend, what does that have to do with you?""What?"Taking a deep breath, Dylan sneered. "Fine. It has nothing to do with me, right? From now on, business between our families is over. That's the price for lying to me."Truth be told, Dylan was quite impressive in many ways and would have been a suitable match if he was not such a playboy. He was known for being a womanizer, and he didn't bother to hide it at all.Rumor had it that he was seeing
Jack glanced at Felix with a smirk and teased jokingly, "What else can I do? You made my relationship with the general manager hit rock bottom. I might have to run away now."Vanessa was speechless. She knew Felix was extraordinary, and only Jack would dare speak to him this way."Don't forget Maddy's engagement party the day after tomorrow. She asked me to remind you.""I promised her, so I'll definitely be there."Refining the Dragonspine was a top priority, but attending an event in Yartford wouldn't be a problem, either. If he went late at 4:00 am, began the training, and returned the next day, nothing would be delayed.After going to the restroom, Felix came back to find Jack suddenly pulling Vanessa to her feet."Sorry, Felix. We've got to go. Something came up."Felix was puzzled. "Do you need my help?"They had planned to have drinks, so them leaving abruptly made Felix concerned."There's nothing you can do. We're leaving!"Vanessa looked helpless and, with her strai
Felix ultimately arrived at the Wolfie troops' base, though he was quite hesitant and didn't even know why himself.He followed Alistair down to an underground room, where Xena was already present. Sonny was confined in a cell, looking haggard and clearly having endured some tough days, though it meant little for someone like him."Sonny, I'm here. You can speak now."Xena felt complicated. She was about to hear the truth. She would finally know whether there was a hidden story or if Felix truly was a coward.Sonny grinned, stood up, and slowly approached the iron bars, looking at Felix. "You're here."Suddenly, his hysterical laughter echoed through the underground space. "You really came. This woman, Xena, must mean a lot to you! But so what? You're here, and I was just toying with you. You tricked me once, so now, we're even."Felix was emotionless. He hadn't expected that Sonny summoned him just for this.Xena shook her head and turned to leave, but Alistair became anxious
Just as Felix was about to turn away, Ernest saw him and called out, "Felix!"With no other choice, Felix braced himself and walked over.As expected, Xena frowned upon seeing him."Mr. Holt Senior, I'll take my leave for now," she said.Felix and Ernest had been neighbors back in Avesburgh. Since Xena came to know Felix's medical skills, she expected that Felix would show up at Ernest's birthday party tonight.Ernest, without thinking too much, smiled and looked at Felix. "Felix, let me introduce you. This is my son, Isaac Holt, Sherlyn's father."Isaac, in the prime of his career, had a dominant presence. He spoke respectfully to Ernest but turned his sharp gaze toward Felix."Are you interrogating a criminal?" Ernest immediately chastised him. A hint of helplessness flashed in Isaac's eyes.Felix had charmed Sherlyn completely, and as her father, Isaac couldn't even give him a stern look?"Hello, Mr. Holt," Felix said as they shook hands.Isaac nodded. "Hello. I've heard
At that moment, the masculine charisma oozed in those words Felix said could make anyone fall for him.Yvonne was no different, but she didn't forget that certain things remained true."Listen to me, Felix! If you dare show up at my wedding, you will become the person I hate most for the rest of my life."With that, she left. She was overwhelmed by sadness. Who wouldn't want happiness? But not everyone was qualified to have it.Even if Felix's passionate speech was sincere, putting aside Nala, just the Walsh family in Aleshire alone was an opponent Felix couldn't fight with.Rather than embarking on a perilous journey together, she preferred the ones she loved to live a peaceful and safe life.Having said everything that needed to be said, Felix didn't chase after her. He would fulfill his promise on the wedding day.He hadn't walked far before he was blocked by Aimee and Finnley."You don't seem to take my warning seriously."Finnley's expression was cold as he fixed his gaze
"Felix, don't bother with that fool. Let's go have a couple of drinks," George suggested.Felix didn't refuse them. He had nothing else to do at the moment, so he went along for a casual chat to pass the time."I heard that Sherlyn will be performing an opening dance for Mr. Holt Senior. I wonder who her male partner is. I couldn't find out," George said offhandedly, making Ryan chuckle."I'm not sure, either, but it definitely won't be an ordinary man. With the kind of background Sherlyn has, do you think she would pick a nobody for the opening dance? I suspect it's very likely her future husband."Since the topic was brought up, Felix couldn't help but be curious. "Why have I never heard of any of you wanting to pursue Sherlyn?"Sherlyn had a prominent family background. Ernest, though retired, still wielded influence, and Isaac was a general at the peak of his career. How could no one be interested? From a certain perspective, marrying Sherlyn might even be better than marryi
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