The Greenes' involvement was no surprise after their previous confrontation, and, of course, they would not miss this opportunity abroad. Skyward Guild's presence also confirmed Felix's suspicions."Enough talk. I'm not exactly a fan of Guneria either, so let's not waste time," one of the elders said casually."Perfect, I couldn't agree more!" Felix's smile grew brighter as his aura surged, causing both men to look at him with surprise."Gage wasn't wrong at all—this young man has indeed reached True Blood Realm," one master remarked. Though they maintained their composure, they were shocked that someone so young had achieved their level. After all, it had taken them decades of training to reach it. The comparison was enough to make them choke on their frustration. Still, it did not matter much. There were two of them, both in the True Blood Realm, while Felix was alone. Two against one—the odds were solidly in their favor.Felix chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "You two old-ti
Felix moved with lightning speed, his overwhelming presence leaving the two martial artists unable to even resist. "Enough talking! Submit, or die!" Felix demanded, his tone icy and commanding.Since gaining the loyalty of Selmer, a Blood Realm major mastery warrior, Felix had prioritized subduing his enemies whenever possible. These two True Blood Realm masters presented an opportunity too valuable to waste. "I'll submit!" Louise, the elder working for the Greenes, responded immediately. As a hired hand with no true loyalty to the Greenes, his quick surrender was unsurprising.Felix turned to Skyward Guild's master, slowly raising his right hand. "I am a Guardian of the Skyward Guild, and you expect me to submit? If you dare kill me, the Skyward Guild won't—" Before he could finish, Felix struck him down. After that, he used the Soul Sealing Needle on Louise, successfully adding him to his ranks. Though he now commanded only Selmer and Louise, Felix believed his force woul
After finishing his business, Felix decided not to let Louise return home just yet. A True Blood Realm fighter could still be quite useful, especially since Felix was about to embark on a critical mission. It was better to make some extra preparations rather than risk anything going wrong.The next day, around noon, Felix visited a restaurant in Drapetown. After ordering several dishes, he made an unexpected request to the server. "Could I speak with your owner? I'm interested in buying this restaurant—money is not an issue," Felix said.The server responded politely, "I apologize, sir, but our owner has made it clear that the restaurant isn't for sale."As if anticipating this response, Felix gestured toward the packed dining room. "Is that so? Well, all these people are with me. Don't worry, they won't cause trouble, but I can't control how long they'll stay here to dine."It was only 11:00 am, typically a time when the restaurant would have just one or two tables occupied. The
As the sun began to set, Helena sat in a private room of the Drapetown restaurant, listening to her subordinate's report."Ms. Mooney, we've uncovered his background! Felix is quite something—he's connected to the Starfires in Astoria, supposedly the beloved grandson of one of Kyro's old friends. However, our Westerio Order's investigation suggests there's more—he's likely the Shadowstalker Emperor's illegitimate son."Helena's eyes sparkled with interest as she laughed. "The Shadowstalker Emperor's son? Well, that explains everything. With Reagan's status in Astoria, it makes sense for the Starfires to step in as a cover to avoid scandal." Her subordinate nodded in agreement. "This guy seems to be quite carefree and privileged, and his features suggest mixed heritage—likely between the Shadowstalker Emperor and someone from Dragonia."Apparently, he got bored in Astoria and decided to find the best Dragonian cuisine to franchise worldwide. Money really does allow for such whims.
"So, how would you like to discuss this? Perhaps like this?" Helena purred as she placed her index finger on Felix's forehead.Felix immediately felt his Dragonspine trembling, responding to whatever trick she was pulling. He struggled internally, unsure how to react to Helena's technique since he needed to fake his response.Deciding to maintain his lustful persona, Felix widened his eyes and feigned an expression of ecstasy while muttering suggestive nonsense. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Helena returning to her seat, clearly satisfied with the effect of her power. She said, "I didn't want to use my abilities on you, but you were too eager. No one tries to seduce someone on their first meeting, though this works out well—now you won't be able to stay away from me."Felix's overeagerness actually matched his supposed identity perfectly. As Reagan's illegitimate son, why would he need to think twice about anything in Astoria? Getting whatever he wanted would be natural f
Was Reagan really coming? Of course, he was—it was all part of Felix's plan since Reagan was now under his control. Felix had maintained this elaborate charade in case his first attempt to capture Helena failed, knowing he might need to try again.He had privately contacted Elliott without revealing the true nature of his mission, only mentioning his desire to take someone from Dragonia. Given Helena's appearance, her citizenship papers were likely forged anyway. Elliott agreed to help immediately, knowing that even foreigners sometimes got sick. Felix's extraordinary medical skills made the decision easy, as he could be their last hope when modern medicine failed. The plan centered around the desert biochemical research facility where Felix had previously been held captive. According to Elliott, this facility was one of Guneria's highest-priority projects, and its perimeter was surrounded by a strict 12-mile no-entry zone. While they did not have extraordinary fighters, they po
Impressed by Jesse's loyalty, Helena teased, "How many Scarlet Cardinals can you gather on such short notice?"Jesse fell silent, realizing the impracticality of the suggestion. The 12-mile perimeter in the desert was too vast. It would require over 20 Scarlet Cardinals for complete coverage, and there were not even that many in all of Guneria.Helene continued confidently, "Don't bother. No one who could overpower me exists yet, so let's not make a big deal of this. Neither Reagan nor that facility would have such a person." She had completely dismissed Felix as just an ordinary person, thanks to his masterful use of the Nightshade Discipline technique borrowed from Darren. With Felix's skill level, using it perfectly masked his martial artist aura, making him seem utterly unremarkable.…As they approached the facility, Felix felt elated when he noticed all traces of the powerful guards had vanished. Elliott was telling the truth—the Westerio Order really would not dare come ne
Elliott covered the microphone and turned to Felix. "There's a problem. Who is the woman you wish to abduct? Mr. Robins just told me that a high-ranking member of the Westerio Order approached one of ours and demanded a woman named Helena be safely escorted into the city once this was over.""What?" Felix's expression fell. If that was true, his plan was ruined. Waiting for another chance could take forever. "Is there no way to resolve this?"Elliott pondered for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Let's put it this way. Mr. Robins has a lot of influence. There won't be a problem if he crosses the senators. You've met him before. He's the one deeply knowledgeable about Dragonia's culture. However..."Elliott trailed off. But Felix caught on—everything came with a price."Tell Mr. Robins he can find me in Dragonia if he needs anything, or I can come to him." Felix sighed.Elliott nodded and relayed the message. Shortly after, he hung up the call. "He agreed. It's mainly because you
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