"Clement?" a middle-aged man with a huge belly stepped out and called out when he spotted Clement."Oh, Vernon. Are you having dinner here, too?" Clement forced a smile and kept his tone polite, though he actually could not stand the sight of the man. Vernon Parker had been one of his company's veterans. After he took over when his father passed, he quickly discovered Vernon's shady dealings behind the scenes. If left unchecked, those schemes would have eventually bankrupted the company. So, Clement had fired him without hesitation. Life had a twisted sense of humor, though. Vernon's nephew had struck it rich, which meant Vernon was now doing quite well himself. He would use his new power to undermine Clement's company whenever possible. As Vernon walked over, his smile dripped with contempt. "Drop the act. We both know where we stand." Clement maintained his composure. "Whatever happened, you were still one of our first employees. It's only right that I show you proper respec
In the other private room, Felix had already arrived and was sitting with Clement. "Don't worry. Someone has hit the back of his car. That's what's holding him up." Felix was telling the truth. When he had come up in the elevator, Dorian had called to apologize. He even sent a WhatsApp video of the accident scene as he was worried Felix might be angry. That was how driving was. No matter how good he could be behind the wheel, he could not control other drivers. Given Felix's status at the bank, Dorian would not dare stand him up even if his life depended on it. "No problem at all. Guests can be late, and it's perfectly normal. I really can't thank you enough for all this trouble, Felix." Clement was socially smart enough to show the right attitude when asking for help. If he could not even tolerate someone being late, what was the point of further discussion? "How big is your company's funding gap? How much are you looking to borrow?" Hearing this, Clement thought Felix was w
Before Douglas could respond, Vernon jumped in, saying, "Oh, Clement, look at the company you're keeping! If this gets back to Mr. Yardley, you won't be able to survive anywhere in Gray City. You know the consequences." Clement was dumbfounded. He even started to wonder if Felix was just dropping names. After all, Dorian's status was on a completely different level.Douglas went even further by turning to Clement and saying, "Either you slap him twice, or you're blacklisted at Concord Bank after tonight. Your choice."He had been looking for an excuse to put this arrogant brat in his place. How dare someone try to get a loan while bypassing him, the lending director? Felix had just handed him the perfect opportunity. "Whew! Dr. Zeller, I'm so sorry that I'm late!" Just as Clement was about to throw them both out, heavy breathing came from the doorway. A man appeared, bent over and red-faced, clearly having run quite a distance. Before Felix could speak, Douglas and Vernon tur
In the private room, Clement was incredibly nervous. He never imagined Felix's contact from Concord Bank would be Dorian Yardley, the prestigious branch manager himself. "Dr. Zeller, I wasn't trying to keep secrets from you." After sitting down, Dorian smiled. He would have been in hot water if he had messed up this encounter. "It's fine. Status isn't important to me since you're all my patients." Dorian's smile widened. "No wonder your medical skills are so extraordinary at such a young age, Dr. Zeller! Few people could maintain such principles these days." Felix waved it off and turned to Clement. "Let me introduce my friend, Clement Parson. He's the one I mentioned earlier who's facing some troubles. I'd appreciate it if you could help, Dorian." Clement rushed over to shake hands as Dorian spoke, "That's a small matter. Dr. Zeller saved my life, after all. I'd look like an ungrateful person if I couldn't help with something this simple." By this point, Clement was too ha
"Why are you so fired up this early in the morning?" Felix asked.Melissa was still fuming. "Boss, haven't you seen what happened to the shop next door? It turned into a floral wreath boutique overnight!" A floral wreath boutique? Felix hadn't noticed earlier. He only remembered there being a beauty salon next door that was not doing well and was looking to sell. How did it become a floral wreath boutique? "Here's to good business! Looking forward to being neighbors." Billy walked in with a grin, which sent Melissa storming to the back room with one last comment, "That stupid fatso is the one who opened the boutique!" No wonder Melissa was so angry. No business would want a funeral flower shop next door. "Billy, what's your deal here?"Billy grinned and said, "Nothing. I quit my job at Sixview Peak and need to make a living somehow. Since this is all I know, I figured I'd scrape by with a funeral shop. You know better than anyone how effective my merchandise is against spir
Darren frowned. "Didn't you hear what I said? Why are you still making offers?" Three years ago, Darren would have jumped at any offer and been terrified that they would change their mind. He would have sold it for even a few hundred thousand dollars, let alone millions of dollars. But back then, no one was interested. He hadn't known the value of the Nightshade Discipline or even that martial artists existed. Now that he knew, he wouldn't sell even if people were making offers. He often marveled at life's ironies. "When I say a building, I mean any building in Gray City. Name it." Any building? Darren almost laughed. Who was this guy trying to impress? "What if I said Summit Tower?" Summit Tower was a prime office building in downtown Gray City. Construction alone had cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and its value had skyrocketed since. Buying it outright would cost over a billion dollars, and that was assuming the owner would even sell. The rental income alone prov
Isabella gave an awkward laugh and put away her compact mirror. She had good principles, so she had never gotten involved with wealthy customers at the dealership. But people like Felix were truly rare. Soon after Felix arrived, he got straight to the point. "To be honest, Isabella, I need to buy something from Darren. I need your help."Having been warned by Nelly, Isabella thought for a moment before responding, "Felix, it's not that I don't want to help, but I've turned Darren down a few times already." Felix smiled. "You must have some feelings for him, right? Otherwise, you would have blocked his number by now." Isabella did not deny it. "Yes, I do. But marriage and life together need to be practical, you know? Darren's a good person and nice-looking, too, but he only has that one massage parlor. He can't even afford a decent house in Gray City, let alone anything else. "I'm not being materialistic, but there are basic living standards to consider." It was just as Felix
If this hadn't involved Gerald's orders, even someone as playful as Averill would not joke about it. Felix had almost thought she was teasing. "What do you mean, 'fiancée'?"Averill seemed to anticipate his questions. "You lucky dog! Your engagement to Xena was arranged by Mr. Hoffman, Lady Nala through the Greenes, and this fiancée I just mentioned? It's arranged by your birth mother. Get it?" Felix exploded. "What the hell? Am I some kind of commodity? Everyone's just arranging marriages for me!"Gerald was family, so that was different. But what gave the Greenes and Cordelia the right to do this?"I don't know the details. But according to Mr. Hoffman, this fiancée of yours is seriously dangerous. He kept muttering about them sending someone. He doesn't know when they'll show up, but he wanted you to be prepared."Prepared for what? Felix refused to acknowledge any engagement except to Xena, especially after seeing how Nala would do anything for power. Thank goodness she and
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