Felix maintained a straight face. "You're lucky to get anything at all. I never promised a fancy meal."Billy's frustration grew as Delilah barely spoke during breakfast and left quickly after eating just a little.Almost immediately after she left, he exploded, "Felix! What did I ever do to deserve this? I've dreamed about dining with Dreamscape countless times, and this is how you ruined it!"Felix snorted, pointing at Billy. "You're lucky I kept my promise at all, you fat idiot. After what you pulled, you deserve a good slap or two.""What did I do?" Billy demanded indignantly. "If you don't explain yourself, I'll put funeral wreaths in front of your clinic this afternoon."Felix simply watched Billy's reaction before continuing, "Queenie deceived me. There was never any haunted tattoo situation. What do you have to say for yourself?"Billy deflated and slumped in his chair. "Don't blame me! Queenie offered too much money. I couldn't refuse! Besides, it wouldn't have hurt you.
Felix stared in bewilderment at Clement's intense reaction. "What happened?"Suddenly, Clement released his grip and let out a bitter laugh. He said, "Never mind. Perhaps this is my fate. I shouldn't blame others for it."Then, he got into his car and drove away, leaving Felix completely confused but certain something serious had occurred.…At the clinic, Felix could not sit still and finally decided to call Willow. "I wanted to ask about Clement—""Don't bother!" Willow snapped. "Felix, don't contact us anymore. I wanted to yell at you, but Clement is right—sometimes, we have to accept our fate instead of blaming others. "You did save Darcy, and we'll always remember that. Let's leave it at that."The line went dead, and when Felix tried calling back, he discovered he had been blocked. "Damn it!" He slammed his hand on the desk in genuine anger. Willow had been the key to reconciling with Xena, and just when things were looking promising, this mystery situation had erupte
Felix tried calling Ryan but got a "temporarily unavailable" message. He asked Oscar, "Did Tristan mention why he's doing this?Oscar shook his head. "No. He wouldn't budge no matter how much our chairman begged. We finally got this huge loan from Concord Bank and were about to take the company to the next level. Now, it's all falling apart."Felix found it strange. After all, there was no reason to go after Clement if someone wanted to target him. They were merely friendly neighbors during his short time in Gray City, so their connection was not that deep."Did Clement agree to sell?" Felix asked."What choice did we have? The Jacintos are too powerful. Even selling at a low price would at least cover our debts and let us survive. We'll lose everything if we don't sell."Felix finally understood why Clement had been so emotional—Tristan must have said something specifically threatening in private. "When's the contract signing?""Tomorrow morning at the company," Oscar replied.
Tristan sneered with contempt. "Do you actually think a mere card can stop a loan collection? Who do you think you are?"However, Dorian's composure crumbled as he suddenly stood up and grabbed the card, his face filled with shock. "Y-You're a Supreme Black Card holder!"The standards at Concord Bank were incredibly strict. Even if Felix had shown a regular VIP card earlier, no one could access his other credentials without proper authorization. This explained Dorian's astonishment, especially since Felix had only presented a Diamond Card during their last encounter."Is there a problem?" Felix asked calmly.Dorian was terrified. "No problem at all, Mr. Zeller! I promise to execute your orders immediately, regardless of what anyone else says."He was not joking. After all, a Supreme Black Card held immense power. One call to the international headquarters could get the Dragonia branch president fired in seconds."Get it done," Felix commanded.As Dorian left, Tristan's express
"I'm sorry, Felix. I was too emotional and believed Tristan's words," Clement apologized.Felix waved his hand dismissively. "No. I should be the one apologizing. My personal grudges ended up affecting you both."It was obvious that everything had been resolved, or these two would not have come to see him."Don't say that! Mr. Yardley told me about the additional 500-million-dollar loan, interest-free this time. I don't know how to thank you enough," Clement said earnestly.The interest on a mere 500-million-dollar loan was nothing compared to earning the favor of a Supreme Black Card holder—anyone in that position could do the math. Felix had planned to reveal things gradually, but at this point, there was no use hiding anymore. After all, Clement and Willow were not foolish. They knew a simple neighborly relationship could not run this deep, though they had not dared to ask. The incident with the Jacinto family had shown them that Felix was far more than just a doctor."Actual
Honestly, Felix was startled by the sudden appearance. Standing before him was a young girl in her teens, wearing pigtails, jeans, and a green T-shirt. While not strikingly beautiful, she embodied cuteness to perfection, especially with her dimples when she smiled and a tiny fang that made her utterly endearing."Who are you?" Felix asked cautiously.The girl maintained her smile and extended her right hand. "You can call me Cynthia. I'm your sister-in-law."Before he could say more, Felix suddenly recalled her opening words. "Wait! Did you just call me brother-in-law?"Cynthia nodded cheerfully. "Yep, you're my brother-in-law! Oh, come on! Do you want Abyssal Surge Sect gone or not? I really want to do something for you!"While puzzled, Felix casually replied, "If I say yes—"Before he could finish, Cynthia vanished, her words and giggles echoing in the air. "Got it!"Though confused, Felix was certain of one thing—Cynthia was incredibly powerful, likely at Blood Realm level
"I had no choice but to leave and await your next instructions! But just minutes after I left, I suddenly sensed an overwhelming smell of blood coming from Abyssal Surge Sect, so I rushed back," Vivian added.She kept taking deep breaths as she spoke, seemingly overwhelmed by the memory of the scene that had left her too shocked to speak normally."It was literally a sea of blood and bodies! The entire Abyssal Surge Sect was dead, not a single survivor! Mr. Zeller, it took me about five minutes to return, but in that incredibly short time, someone powerful enough had completely annihilated this mighty organization."Even their livestock was dead—absolutely no survivors!"Felix immediately jumped to his feet, unable to provide Vivian with an answer. Among those he knew, only his seniors possessed such power.However, he had not contacted any of them, and even if he had, they could not have arrived so quickly. Most importantly, his seniors would never commit such slaughter without l
Nala turned pale at the sight, while Alfie immediately assumed a defensive stance."How dare you!" Nala exclaimed.Cynthia playfully twirled her pigtails, maintaining her innocent smile. "You're Nala Hughman, right? Don't worry. I won't kill you—only because you have an engagement with my brother-in-law, not because of your family. "Though from what I hear, you're not doing so well with your family, either. Otherwise, why else would you be hiding in this city?"Those few sentences confirmed Cynthia's identity to Nala, who managed to compose herself. "So, Felix really does have another engagement there?"Pride flashed in Cynthia's eyes. "With my sister, of course! She told me not to cause trouble because she's confident she'll win Felix's heart. You'll all have to step aside eventually."Though Nala did not know Cynthia, their brief conversation revealed that the girl came from an extraordinary background. Not only did she know everything about Nala, but she even possessed incred
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