Nala felt helpless, knowing she had many resources back in Dragonia but none here. Felix held onto the brush, refusing to let Alfie take it. "I'm the strongest here—you'd likely die facing them," he explained.He refused to hand the brush over to Alfie, and the latter's expression tightened. It was not a matter of pride—this was a task that could very well cost him his life."No!" Nala grabbed Felix's arm, unwilling to let the man she had grown to love risk his life. Even Selmer stepped forward, saying, "Sir, let me have a go. My life is yours to risk."Luna suddenly spoke up, "Why don't we just leave the brush somewhere? If they're after it, we don't need to sacrifice anyone."An awkward silence fell as they realized the simple logic of her suggestion.After that, they placed the floating, trembling brush in their previous battleground. Then, Felix, Nala, Alfie, and Selmer hid nearby to observe. About ten minutes later, a massive explosion announced the arrival of a mysteriou
With that roar, Felix finally understood that the monster's target was Nala. He knew he could survive if he abandoned her right now, but how could he do that when she only came to Astoria because of him?As the distance between them and the creature grew shorter, Nala shouted desperately, "Let me go, or we'll both die!"Being only at Pulse Realm, she would have been caught immediately if she ran alone. It was also why Felix had been carrying her all this time."Shut up!" Felix shouted, his heart racing as he realized they had less than five seconds before the creature would catch up to them.In a split-second decision, Felix roughly pushed Nala forward and turned to face the charging monster. He commanded, "Run!"Nala fled with tears streaming down her face, not daring to look back. She knew Felix was buying her time with his life.The ground shook violently as the surrounding rocks crumbled to dust and trees were ripped from their roots. At that moment, Felix unleashed several p
"He treats the brush like a sacred relic, which means he absolutely won't allow anyone else to claim it," Felix said, his voice firm.With that, he grabbed the brush in his hand. Instantly, a roar erupted from far away, followed by Alfie's alarmed shout."Damn it! The creature's turning back!"Selmer instinctively wanted to flee, but seeing Felix remain motionless, he did not dare move either. Disobeying his master in such a moment would be nothing short of betrayal."Step back," Felix said, his tone steely. "At this point, I have no choice but to take a gamble!"As the creature rushed back toward them, Felix's suspicions seemed increasingly accurate. If they did not solve this now, Nala would not be the only one dead. In fact, everyone who had come into contact with the brush—himself included—would eventually be hunted down.If this also involved its presence, that might mean Luna and the others were not safe, either."Mr. Zeller, just… be careful!" Selmer shouted, his voice he
The name Benjamin Stone was entirely unfamiliar to Felix, but he was beginning to piece together the situation. In ancient times, emperors were often called the Sons of the Dragon, and their presence was described as "dragon energy".Felix, with his unique possession of the Dragonspine, could very well radiate such a presence. Was it possible that this man knelt and called him "my liege" because he sensed the dragon energy emanating from the pen?"Stand and speak!" Felix commanded.The strange man obeyed immediately, rising to his feet. His tangled hair fell away, revealing a face marred by dirt and scars. Beneath his grimy exterior, Felix saw the features of a middle-aged man, his eyes cloudy but occasionally flashing with a murderous intensity. It was clear this man had seen countless battles, his energy thick with the bloodlust that only came from waging war—and winning it. Such a presence was impossible to fake. Nala and the others edged closer, curiosity etched across their f
"We still can't confirm if he's really from the Bronze Age over 2000 years ago," Felix mumbled thoughtfully.Everyone studied Benjamin carefully, finding it hard to believe. Yet, considering that his body had been used for ancient alchemical experiments by the greatest mystics of the time, it was not entirely impossible."I'm sure I'll have a way to verify it once we're back in Dragonia," Felix added confidently.At dawn, Felix and Nala were set to return home while Selmer stayed behind. The plan was for Reagan to gather the Steele family that night, eliminate them all, and then return. They were not worried about the Elders' Council for now, as Felix's betrayal would not be discovered anytime soon."Thank you for everything," Felix said on the private jet, still feeling guilty about the night's events. "Don't mention it. I've already decided to pursue you, so helping you is only natural," Nala replied simply.Felix frowned at her words. "A relationship between us is impossible.
Felix could not understand why these two had shown up again, especially since his dealings at the Obsidian Auction with the Dragonspine should have left no traces."I won't say it twice," Asher warned, but Aiden ignored him and turned to the woman instead."What seems to be the problem?" Aiden asked, his demeanor commanding respect.Intimidated by Aiden's imposing presence, the woman reluctantly answered, "I have a terrible headache."Aiden snapped his fingers, and his men immediately placed stacks of cash on the table. "Here's 100 thousand dollars. It's all yours—how's your headache now?"The woman excitedly clutched the money to her chest, backing toward the door with a broad smile. "It's gone! The pain is completely gone! Thank you so much!" In the inner room, Melissa felt furious even without seeing what happened. She would have stormed out to confront them if Nala had not held her back."Felix, isn't my way of treating patients faster and more effective than yours?" Aiden
No one showed Felix where to go, with only Asher standing beside him as they waited for Aiden to return."Felix, don't be so stubborn. You can't fight the inevitable! You should be grateful that Grandma is willing to let you return to the Greene family," Asher urged, but Felix remained silent."If it weren't for Uncle Victor, do you think I'd be this patient with you? Today is your best chance—if you cure Grandma, you'll prove your worth, and no one will oppose your return to the family."When Felix continued ignoring him, Asher finally became quiet. Ten minutes later, Aiden appeared, pushing a wheelchair, followed by over a dozen impressive-looking individuals.Felix studied the elderly woman in the wheelchair. Despite her silver hair, her skin showed remarkably few wrinkles—a testament to decades of careful maintenance. "Grandma, this is Felix Zeller," Aiden announced.Meredith Armstrong, the Greene family matriarch, did not even bother to flash a smile. She said coldly, "Vict
Aiden made a subtle hand gesture behind his back. He and Meredith knew that someone like Felix, who would not even acknowledge his own father, would never respect the Greene family's authority.They had not really brought him here to treat Meredith's condition—their true intention was to eliminate Felix. The Greene family had always been ruthless—if someone could not be controlled, what was the point of letting them live? This was especially true since Felix carried Greene blood but refused to serve the family's interests.However, Felix's Dragon Knight status complicated matters. Since it was an official position appointed by headquarters, killing such a person would mean directly opposing the organization—something even the Greene family could not afford."What do you think you're doing, Felix?" Aiden asked with a barely concealed smirk. He had deliberately used Felix's friends to provoke him into attacking first, which would give the Greene family legitimate grounds for retal
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