"Don't give in to your impulses, young lady. Remember the rules." Just as Milo was about to throw caution to the wind and cut Aiden to ribbons, a voice rang in her mind. For some reason, the voice immediately calmed her down as if it was magical or something. "You'll pay for this," Milo said before she left and returned to Felix's side. Needless to say, she knew about the rules. More to the point, all contestants of the Dragonia Martial Arts Competition placed their lives on the line the moment they signed up for it. What really pissed Milo off was the fact that Aiden emanated an aura that only a Boneforging Realm martial artist possessed. There was a good reason she was this upset too.Ronan had just become a Blood Realm martial artist. He might've empowered himself with Bloodtinge and increased his fighting prowess threefold, but he would never be able to defeat Aiden, who was two realms above him. In other words, Aiden had this duel in the bag, and yet he struck a fatal b
This was the first time Melissa knew about Felix's fighting prowess. For a moment, she had no idea what she could say about the situation. She was even so pleasantly surprised that she was shedding tears of joy. Meanwhile, Nala was also grinning from ear to ear. She made a wise choice to fall for Felix. Billy was the only person who pursed his lips. Although he didn't say anything, his expression said everything. "I appreciate your respect for me." Milo was stunned for a while before she moved her hand away from the hilt of her sword. "But I'm yielding." It was Felix's turn to feel puzzled. As far as he was concerned, Milo wasn't the kind of lady who would give up this easily. In fact, she would've chosen to duke it out with him. "There's no reason to feel strange about it. I'm not powerful enough to take on a Boneforging Realm martial artist right now. I know that about myself. So, why do I have to fight you at all?"More to the point, we don't really know each other. Ronan
After Aiden lowered his hand, a black mark appeared between his eyebrows. Naturally, the others didn't know the meaning behind the mark, nor would they really care about it. After all, this was nothing worth getting shocked over. If it were, then Wally's earlier moves would've been downright earth-shattering. With that said, those who were in the know were anything but calm, and Lionel was one of them. "It's hard to believe that there's something you don't know about, Lord Lionel," Mira said teasingly.Lionel responded solemnly, "Do you know about it already?""I don't. I was merely a little surprised. It looked like Mr. Hoffman shouldn't have spared that old coot's life all those years ago."The Shadowdragon Warlord was stunned for a moment before something shifted in his gaze. "It sounds like Dr. Hoffman knew about it. I'll wager that was why he sent you here to oversee the competition."Mira giggled. "That's where you're wrong. I'm no match for that old coot. My fellow app
The diamond-shaped black mark on Aiden's forehead flickered with a dark glow before fading away. As this happened, his attacks changed dramatically, and his speed nearly doubled.He shouted, "Shadow Assault!" Felix began to retreat while defending against the attacks, which only fueled Aiden's confidence. He mocked, "You think you're worthy of fighting me? Die!" As Felix approached the edge of the arena, he suddenly smiled, causing Aiden's heart to skip a beat. Felix said, "Since you're finally going all out, I don't need to play around anymore."I hate to break it to you, but for someone from the Greene family who's supposed to be a prodigy, you're pretty disappointing.""Dragon Fist!" Felix roared. He had been fighting Aiden with basic moves this whole time without using any special techniques.Felix was a master of the Dragons Destroyer style, known for defeating opponents above his level. At the same level, he was practically invincible. So, there was no way Aiden could
Someone had actually come to Aiden's rescue. Felix's expression darkened as he recalled how he had planned to defeat Aiden fairly in the Martial Arts Competition from the moment he learned of his participation.Everything had gone according to plan until this unexpected intervention. Even with the Protector present, no one should have been able to interfere. No matter who Aiden's mentor was, pulling something like this off should have been impossible. Yet, it happened anyway.With Felix's sharp mind, he immediately suspected there was more to this situation than met the eye. However, no one would dare question the Protector, especially since no one else had been hurt in the process."I hereby declare Felix Zeller the champion of this Martial Arts Competition," the Protector announced.The scattered applause that followed reflected how the sudden appearance of the powerful fighter had affected everyone's mood. Felix shook his head and descended from the arena, deciding that dwelli
George and the others threw a celebration party for Felix's victory that night, and everyone was in high spirits. Even Milo, who usually avoided such gatherings, joined in the festivities.Despite drinking quite a bit, Felix cleared his mind when he got home and began studying the Lone Paragon technique. He could not resist exploring something that so many people had been seeking.When Felix opened his eyes again, he was shocked to find that dawn had already broken—time had passed even faster than during pill cultivation. "The Lone Paragon is just a fragment? How incredible must the complete version be?" he wondered aloud. Indeed, the Lone Paragon technique he received could triple his combat power without any side effects, but it was only a portion of the whole. He murmured, "Where is the rest of the Lone Paragon?"According to the text, the Lone Paragon techniques had to be learned sequentially, and Felix had only received the most basic part. Without this foundation, one woul
If not for Xena's serious expression, Felix would have thought he had misheard. He asked in disbelief, "An enemy invasion? How is that possible when our nation is so powerful?" Xena gave a bitter smile and explained, "I wish I knew the answer too, but as a warlord, my rank isn't high enough. I can only follow orders and tell you what's relevant to the mission. As a proper Dragon Knight, your duty is simply to obey." Since even Xena did not know the details, Felix knew pursuing that line of questioning would be pointless. He said, "Tell me about 'that side' then." Xena sighed with relief, grateful that Felix had not pressed further. "That place is where a large portion of our most powerful martial artists migrated from the capital years ago. They've thrived there, building families and communities, and their combat abilities far surpass what we have here."Felix had to agree with this assessment. He thought of Cynthia, his supposed fiancée's sister, and her incredible strength. T
Felix rolled his eyes at the notion of becoming the strongest in Martial City. He was not even bothered to respond to such an outlandish idea."Don't underestimate yourself, Felix," Xena insisted. "Look how young you are and already at the Boneforging Realm—that alone is remarkable. Don't you think it's possible with the Lone Paragon's power boost?"Xena felt mixed emotions, knowing Felix had hidden his true strength from her. He had already reached the Boneforging Realm, which meant he must have been incredibly powerful before, yet she had no idea."Whatever. I've accepted the mission, and I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee the outcome—no one can," Felix said.Their conversation continued until sunset before Felix left. While headquarters had shared extensive information about Martial City, Felix realized he would only truly understand it once he got there himself.Watching Felix's retreating figure, Xena opened her mouth several times but could not bring herself to speak. Sh
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