Felix was curious about what kind of strange occurrences would have the headquarters so short-staffed. "When do I leave?" "Early the day after tomorrow. Since this is your first operation, I'll send someone to assist you. You'll still be in charge. I've sent the details to your phone," Xena said.The call ended abruptly. Indeed, it was strictly business. He had to handle it properly since he had taken on this assignment, and this job was tied to the Dragonspine too. Felix immediately started reviewing the mission details. The village was called Pine Valley, tucked away in a remote mountainous region. The reported "strange occurrences" were just disappearing livestock. There were chickens, ducks, and sheep vanishing every few days. Felix had a strange look on his face after reading the information. How could livestock disappearing in a village near the mountains be considered strange? With dense forests around, weren't predators expected? Still, his opinions didn't matter if th
Felix turned around, and his expression darkened. "I won't hire her." Bewildered, Melissa's smile froze. Felix was usually quite patient. He wouldn't dismiss a stranger so harshly without even asking for more of their information. "If you hire me, I can help you find the Frost Crystal!" the woman said.Felix, who had been about to walk away, clenched and unclenched his fists. "That damn fatso!" He wanted nothing more than to storm into Floral Wreath Boutique next door and beat Billy to a pulp. "Do you know each other?" When Melissa asked curiously, Felix just nodded. He was still thinking. The nurse applicant was none other than Nala, who was still wearing her signature veil. Why else would he react this way? To his surprise, this answer only made Melissa happier as she linked arms with Nala. "Perfect! Since you know each other, Felix will definitely keep you around." Felix's expression darkened further. If he wasn't certain Melissa was fine, he would have suspected Nala
At this, Nelly's eyes started to become teary. "I… I do need something. After seeing your medical skills, I remembered my cousin. She's disabled—not from birth, but after a high fever when she was four that left her unable to hear anything. I was hoping you could take a look at her," she said.If it was not congenital, it could be treated. "Of course. Let's go. Keep your money. Every second counts when it comes to changing someone's fate, if you know what I mean," Felix said.Nelly quickly apologized, "I understand, Felix. I promise I won't do this again." Tom was still in Gray City. Killing him could wait as long as it was done before sunset. They arrived at a run-down neighborhood in Gray City, where Nelly's cousin lived. The conditions were below modest. In fact, it was downright poor. "Poor June. After her mother died, her father ran away from gambling debts and left her alone to survive. Thankfully, a factory hired her despite her disability; I can't imagine otherwise!
Instead of rushing to beat up Tom, Felix held up his right hand with a silver needle between his fingers. "I don't care whether those five people at the clinic deserved to die or if they made some deal to sacrifice their lives. But you showed absolute disregard for human life, and that deserves consequences. "Once I insert this needle, you'll have constant urges to urinate, even without drinking water. It will be extremely painful each time you pee. There's only one way to fix it, and that's to remove the needle. But if you do that, you'll die." Before Tom could react, the needle was already in the back of his hand. "The choice is yours," Felix said.As Felix walked back into the yard, Tom scoffed. "Who do you think you are? Did you think you could control my body with a mere needle? What an idiot! If you want to play games, that's fine. Let's see if anyone can save you this time." Just as he was about to pull out the needle, Tom's body jerked. An overwhelming urge to urinat
Nala could not believe how well that trick had worked on her first try. Late that night, she suddenly woke and rushed to the main hall just in time to see a cloud of smoke dissipating. Without hesitation, she struck. The next moment, Felix appeared too. He frowned at the figure lying on the ground. "Were they after you?" Nala shook her head. "That's unlikely. I have no enemies in all of Dragonia. Besides, look at his clothing." Felix examined the body, muttering, "Is this some kind of stealth suit?" The outfit was pitch black, with only the eyes visible. "No, this is an Astorian shadowstalker's combat gear." Astoria? Shadowstalkers? Felix was puzzled. The only Astorians he knew were Luna and Kyro Starfire. But given their character, they would never betray his help by sending assassins. "You hit too hard. We should have kept him alive." It was a shame the intruder was dead. But Nala shook her head again. "I didn't kill him. For a low-level shadowstalker like this, I can
Standing by the car, Hope had changed from her normal clothes into a revealing outfit. She was dressed in black stockings with ultra-short shorts and a black lace crop top. Her loose clothing earlier had hidden it, but now Felix could see she was quite curvy. As she felt his stare, Hope blushed. "I... I thought this might make it easier to get information from the young men in the village. It's better than using money, right?" Felix immediately shut down the idea. "Change back now. You'd cause an instant commotion dressed like that in the village. We're here on a mission, not to attract too much attention." An outfit like that would turn heads even in the city streets, let alone among young villagers. It was asking for trouble. "Oh... right." Finally reaching Pine Valley, they parked and were struck by the view. The houses were uniformly built and remarkably neat, which was likely because of government development plans. With terraced fields stretched along one side, the sight
At this point, Ralph turned to Felix and said, "Grace may be blind, but her hearing is extraordinary. If you try going out at night, she'll know immediately. Don't break our village rules—you've been warned!" So that was part of it. If she could recognize Ralph by his footsteps, her abilities weren't to be doubted. Sometimes, what the ears heard was more reliable than what the eyes could see. "This is your room. Grace sleeps in the outer room. I'll take my leave," Ralph said.Hope spoke without thinking. "Is there just one bed?" Felix frowned. How could a headquarters agent make such a basic mistake? Ralph probably thought they were married. "What's wrong? Can't you even sleep with me as your brother?" Felix joked.Shaking his head, Ralph left without another word. Upon realizing her blunder, Hope hung her head in silence. "Don't question Grace. The chief and villagers are too guarded, so asking questions will only make them more suspicious. I'll investigate myself when it'
In one fluid motion, the figure gripped the sheep's head with one hand, its body with the other, and effortlessly tore it in half. Blood poured everywhere as the figure began gulping down the blood and devouring the raw meat. This scene took Felix aback. Even the most ruthless criminals wouldn't consume raw flesh and blood like this. The creature ate with frightening speed and finished the entire sheep in about ten minutes. If not for the blood and wool on the ground, it might have seemed like a dream. "Damn it. I need to see what's really going on here." This horrific scene had piqued Felix's curiosity to the max. Since humans were involved, this definitely needed some investigation. He followed the sheep thief a short distance until they disappeared into a cave, after which all went quiet. At this point, Felix hesitated before reaching for his phone to contact Xena. Despite his abilities, he did not want to risk alerting whatever might be in that cave. The headquarters' spe
It would be a lie to say that Lachlan wasn't surprised when he saw Felix. As an Orion, of course, he was aware of the entire situation.Felix was sent to Aquamarinus, a planet that was known for its deadliness.Even a genius would most likely die there. However, Felix succeeded in breaking through. Although his strength had been confirmed indirectly, Lachlan didn't take it seriously. He even told his family that there was no need to cheat.As long as he was there, Felix wouldn't be able to pass his level. Felix sneered, but didn't respond. They just met, and they were already mortal enemies. If they had a chance, they would've killed one another. So why should they even attempt to be civil?"Julius, nothing has happened yet, and you're already kissing his ass?" Lachlan laughed mockingly. Felix stayed silent, so Lachlan couldn't be bothered to mock him. Instead, Lachlan turned to Julius, who smiled."I don't need to report everything I do to you, Lachlan. Just worry about yours
This was something Felix hadn't thought of. The Orions had been too arrogant and thought their people could kill him, but they didn't anticipate the special conditions on Aquamarinus at night. If it wasn't due to that, Felix wasn't sure if he would still be alive now."Why are you telling me this?" Felix asked.Julius looked at him oddly. "My family, the Leachs, are on par with the Orions and developing fast. We don't want any conflicts with you or Earth, so tell me, why wouldn't I make friends with a strong man like you?"Since you can break out of Aquamarinus, you have the qualifications to win. At least for now, the champions of the elimination rounds in the Rank-Ascending Competition are extraordinary people."He continued, "I'm just offering help now. Once you succeed in the future, you can help me, right? I have nothing to lose, so why not try?"Felix understood his reasons. In this case, he was completely alone, and making acquaintances with the Leachs was good."How hard
As soon as Julius entered, Felix turned on the soundproof barrier and asked impatiently, "How do you know I'm from Earth?"Everyone here was a stranger, and the distance between each of their hometowns was over hundreds of thousands of miles. How could Julius tell where Felix was from so accurately?Julius looked a little helpless. "Your name is Felix, and your elimination match was on Aquamarinus. Of course, I know you're from Earth."Well, that was quite the redundant answer."No, listen to what I have to say."After motioning for Felix to sit down, Julius continued, "In the Rank-Ascending Competition, some people in power can actually cheat within the rules. Have you heard of the Orion family?"Before Felix could answer, Julius had already guessed the answer based on his gaze. "Heh, seems like Earth isn't as barbaric as everyone thought. Since you're familiar with the Orion family, it will make things easier for me."Well, you got the right information. The Orion family is th
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