Earlier, everyone had been at the entrance to welcome the guests.To be honest, Hugo couldn't see anything particularly special about the elderly man. He was sitting in an 80-thousand-dollar Cadillac CT6, accompanied by a middle-aged man and a beautiful woman.Unexpectedly, the elderly man was actually so formidable."I'm not sure about Mr. Holt's status, but he's undoubtedly significant. Dealing with Lord Kane should be a breeze for him. Even your grandpa said that Mr. Holt maintains ties with our family because of your great-aunt."After saying that, Callum suddenly became serious. "Have you developed feelings for that young lady?"Although Hugo didn't respond directly, his eyes spoke volumes."Keep your feelings in check! You're not in a position to touch that woman. The gap between you and her is too vast to bridge. Focus on dealing with Wendy. That plan is critical, and we cannot fail."Was it that serious?Before Hugo could process his thoughts, a Mercedes G-Wagon drove i
Seeing Callum's confidence, Kane shook his head and waved his hand, signaling Stinger and his team to release Hugo and step back."Very well, Callum. I'm curious to see what kind of backup you have to defeat me."Felix had ordered this task, and Kane needed to handle it thoroughly with no loose ends. Any hint of trouble reaching Felix would be seen as a serious dereliction of duty."Ha! You're indeed someone of great stature, Lord Kane. Your action now might help you avoid some blame."At this moment, four people emerged from the house behind them—two elderly men, a middle-aged man, and a beautiful woman."Kane, is it true that you're here to take Hugo?" Once they stopped, Callum's father, Edward Lambert, was the first to speak. His tone carried a certain air of authority."Indeed. He has crossed the wrong people. What problem could there be with me taking him away?"After saying that, Kane shifted his gaze to Ernest, who was standing next to Edward.Despite Ernest's plain appe
Felix was satisfied with this outcome. Ernest did not immediately drive Kane out because of Hugo."Felix Zeller? How dare you show up?" Hugo sneered upon seeing Felix."The Lord Kane you were so proud of will leave defeated. Do you really think you can turn things around? What a joke!"Before Hugo could continue, Callum slapped him across the face. "Shut up! This is not your place to speak."What a foolish son! With Ernest present, Hugo should be trying to make a good impression as an innocent party. His provocation only served to bring momentary pleasure and greater loss."Sir?" Ernest, recognizing Felix, immediately stepped forward to stand in front of him."Mr. Holt Senior, it's a surprise to see you again so soon," Felix greeted.Following behind, Sherlyn had a surprised expression."Are you the one with a grudge against Hugo?" Ernest, being an elder, could quickly discern the situation.Before Felix could respond, Edward was already anxious. "Do you know him, Mr. Holt Sen
Upon receiving Felix's assurance, Hugo leaped up. "No, no! Thank you, Mr. Zeller, for this opportunity. Thank you!"Hugo grasped Felix's hand with both of his, showing immense gratitude. When he realized Felix was Ernest's savior, he thought his fate was sealed. To his surprise, the situation took a dramatic turn."Are you happy with this result, Mr. Holt Senior?" Felix asked as he prepared to leave.Ernest's eyes gleamed with a brief flash of insight, and he nodded. "Yes! Perhaps life's destiny is truly preordained."Felix smiled. As expected of someone who had survived the battlefield, Ernest saw through the essence of the handshake.On their way back, Kane couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Zeller, are you really letting Hugo off the hook? Regardless of your Dragon Lord status, you could have done whatever you wanted after saving Mr. Holt Senior's life."Felix shook his head. "No, Kane. You're still too caught up in the underworld mentality and seeing things narrowly."With Mr. Holt
The sun rose. Felix had finished his morning routine and was pacing back and forth in his room.He was debating whether he should approach Warren and seek forgiveness. Hugo's troubling actions toward Warren weighed heavily on Felix's conscience.He remembered clearly from his childhood that even Matthew had said more than once that Warren had a straightforward personality and would never let himself be taken advantage of. Yet now, because of him, Warren was trampled by Hugo and didn't dare say a word.Even though Felix had already dealt with Hugo, and Hugo's time was running out, he couldn't openly acknowledge it.Just then, Kane's call came through. "Mr. Zeller, I've found out that Warren left early this morning and is at the office of Concord Bank's deputy manager."Unable to contact Warren directly, Felix had asked Kane to find out."Got it." After hanging up, Felix made up his mind and drove to Concord Bank.…Half an hour later, in the office of Concord Bank's deputy manag
Alex was terrified. He immediately shouted at Warren, "Warren! Are you out of your mind? How dare you speak to Mr. Zeller like that? You're the one who should get out!"Then, he hurried over to Felix, his attitude groveling. "I'm really sorry, Mr. Zeller. This is one of my clients. Please don't mind him."However, Felix only looked at Warren. His eyes were full of guilt. "I'm really sorry, Uncle Warren. I'll wait for you outside. I owe you an explanation."After saying this, Felix turned and walked out, leaving Alex standing there, dumbfounded.Uncle Warren? Felix, the holder of the Supreme Black Card, was addressing Warren as "Uncle Warren"? What was going on?"Humph! I'd like to see what kind of explanation you think you can give," Warren muttered.Seeing Warren head for the door, Alex quickly came to his senses and grabbed hold of him. "Warren! Y-You know Mr. Zeller? Why didn't you say so earlier?"Consider your loan approved. No, I'll get you a one-billion-dollar loan right
Before leaving, Warren added one last condition. "If you can't make this happen, publicly declare that we have nothing to do with each other. Make it a clean break, and don't come near me again."Warren mentioned the partnership on purpose. Stellar Group's visit to Avesburgh and their plan to build a city within a city in the suburbs were genuine. Everyone in the business world knew about that.However, their prestige was unmatched. Ranked tenth in Dragonia, Stellar Group was far beyond Kane's reach. For Felix, it was an impossible task.Warren's real aim was to sever ties with Felix completely to prevent any potential danger to his family in the future.Money was secondary to him. As long as he had enough to get by, it was sufficient.Having accepted the deal, Felix wasted no time and rushed to Kane's place. "Kane, have you heard of Stellar Group?"Kane nodded. "Yes, I've heard of them. They're the tenth-ranked company in Dragonia. You can probably imagine just how significant t
By late morning the next day, both Xena and Belle were seated in a private dining room at a restaurant in Avesburgh."Milady, according to the intel, the president of Stellar Group was supposed to attend. However, our team at the airport confirmed that only the vice president arrived. Is it still necessary for you to host this lunch?"Xena chuckled. "Don't say that. Stellar Group is ranked tenth in all of Dragonia, and they're investing here in my hometown. As the host, it's only right to treat them to a meal. "Besides, others might not know, but you surely know that Stellar Group is just the smallest of that person's companies."That person? Belle suddenly remembered and immediately smiled."I understand now, milady. You're extending this courtesy more because of that person's influence. Though I must say, Stellar Group's president is quite the mystery. No one even knows their name yet. If you'd let me investigate further, I'm sure we could uncover it."Xena shot her a playfu
The existence of crossbreeds was classified as top secret by headquarters. If word got out, even if the general public remained unaware, just the knowledge reaching certain members within headquarters would cause mass panic.Would you dare to question whether your partner might be a Malevolent Phantom? Would you risk wondering if your child inherited some of its traits and became a crossbreed? No one wanted to shoulder that responsibility.Take Johann and his team, for example. They had absolutely no knowledge of crossbreeds, and their resistance right now stemmed entirely from their own moral convictions."Sir!"Johann didn't dare stop Felix outright, but he raised his voice to make his stance clear. The others followed suit, not to mention Lina, who was still sobbing uncontrollably, and Steve, whose eyes were red with fury as he glared at Felix without a hint of fear."Mr. Zeller! If you're really going to take my grandson, you'll have to step over my dead body first!"Tears st
"So what?" Lina asked. "Even if I lied, what does that person's death have to do with my son?"Felix suddenly roared, "Are you telling me that when you opened the door, your son never left your sight for even a second?""I—"Lina opened her mouth but suddenly found herself at a loss for words. That instinctive hesitation was the most telling of all."Get the car ready. Take her with us. We're going to Lina's house.""Yes, sir!"The convoy arrived at a luxurious mansion in Zuera. The moment Felix and his team rushed inside, they saw Steve sitting in the living room, holding a three-year-old boy in his arms."Mr. Zeller, why are all of you here?"Lina, restrained by Felix's men, screamed in a frenzy, "Dad! Save Leonardo! They're trying to take him away!"Then, she turned to Felix, shouting in fury, "You monsters! He's just three years old, and you suspect him of murder? I'll expose you! I'll take you to court!"By the time she finished, she was sobbing uncontrollably."Mr. Zel
Even though Lina knew Felix held an unimaginably high status—so high that even Steve feared him—his continued questioning and the direction of his suspicions pushed her to the edge. The mere idea that her son might be involved sent her into a silent rage.She was a mother, and when it came to her child, she did not care who the hell the other person was."I'm just asking questions," Felix said flatly. "Just answer them. Don't make me start quoting laws and rights to get you to cooperate."His voice was so calm. For a moment, Lina wondered if she had overreacted, so she took a breath and continued.She explained, "He wasn't in the stall. It's way too small in there. I left the door cracked open so he could see me, and since I had the tether on, plus the nanny and driver waiting outside, I wasn't worried about him wandering off."Felix did not say anything right away. He stood there, clearly deep in thought.Silvercrest Restaurant might have been an upscale dining place, but it was
"Can you cooperate now?" Felix asked calmly.Lina snapped back to her senses, her face burning with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I'll fully cooperate from now on."Sure enough, seeing the richest man's daughter completely fold made the rest of the group abandon any rebellious thoughts. Whatever frustration they had been feeling vanished instantly.Once they were settled, Felix began examining them closely. This was not just a casual observation. He activated his Spirit Eye, a skill from the Phaeron Codex that allowed him to see into a person's soul.After reaching Higher Spirit Realm, Felix had gained access to this ability, but he had never actually used it to inspect a Malevolent Phantom before. Still, he was sure of one thing—their souls would look nothing like normal humans'.So, checking with Spirit Sight was a far more reliable method than looking at whether someone's wounds were healing.When Felix finished scanning all nine people, he froze, completely s
A few minutes later, Felix stepped into the restroom that had been sealed off. It was a fully enclosed space, with no windows—just a single ventilation fan. That meant there was only one entrance and exit.He examined the body sitting upright on the toilet in one of the stalls. The man's head was resting gently against the tiled wall. His pants were already pulled back up and fastened, clearly indicating he had finished using the restroom. More importantly, it was obvious no one had touched or tampered with the body.Felix commented, "No need to call in forensics. There are no external wounds, and his internal organs are completely intact. We can also rule out heart failure or brain hemorrhages. This wasn't caused by any natural condition."With his medical background, it only took Felix a glance to determine the truth.Johann replied, "Yes, sir. But then… what now? Should we interrogate those nine people?"The closer they got to confirming Malevolent Phantoms were involved, the
Felix said, "Go ahead, Delilah. Zara's in your hands now—take care of her on the road.""Don't worry," Delilah replied.Once Zara was gone, Felix stood there for a moment, feeling a weight settle over his chest. She had already been through so much just surviving the ordeal of Twinshade Body, and he had promised himself—without saying a word—that he would make sure she never suffered like that again.However, no one could have predicted the sudden arrival of the Malevolent Phantoms. That was a nightmare nobody could escape, and only by ending it would they have the right to even dream of a peaceful life.…That evening, as the sun dipped low on the horizon, Felix was having dinner with Luna at a quiet restaurant, and Paul had joined them, too."Thank you, Mr. Zeller. Holden is awake and doing surprisingly well," Paul said, raising his glass.He was genuinely grateful. Even the doctors had called it a miracle. Holden had a severed artery and was transported across a long distance
"Mr. Hoffman?" Felix muttered. No wonder Delilah had shown up in person."Why didn't Mr. Hoffman just call me?" he asked.Delilah shrugged, raising both hands. "Because it's not convenient. If you make one choice, I can report back and be done with it, saving everyone the time."Felix nodded, finally curious about this big choice. Then, Delilah asked, "Zara, the one with Twinshade Body, came to see you, didn't she?"That caught Felix off guard. "How do you know about that?"Delilah rolled her eyes with a little smirk. If one of her fans saw her like this, they would probably faint from the shock.She explained, "It's not like I'm psychic. Mr. Hoffman told me. Ever since you left Martial City and came back, he's had Ophelia keeping an eye on Zara the whole time, so of course he knows."Ophelia? That explained why he had not seen her around since coming back. "So, what's the choice Mr. Hoffman wants me to make? Is it really about Zara?"Delilah nodded firmly. "Exactly. Mr. Hoff
Donna said, "Felix, Specter's the kind of guy who'll stop at nothing. I'll hold back and observe for now, but if you really prove you've got what it takes, I'll act like I never even saw that woman."…Later, Zara was resting her chin in both palms with a sweet, innocent smile on her face. She hummed, "Mhm!"Felix let out a groan and rubbed his face. "Don't just say 'mhm'! Did you even understand what I just told you?"After piecing together everything Donna had said, Felix laid it all out for Zara. Since Specter could strike at any time and Zara still did not know what Malevolent Phantoms even were, he figured she needed to hear it all."Of course I understood. Relax, honey. I'm not stupid," Zara replied casually. Since she got it, Felix finally let himself relax, too. A weight lifted off his chest, and for the first time in a while, he really looked at Zara's flawless face. He thought, "Yeah—there's no way I can hold back anymore."He said, "Let's take care of something… imp
Felix finally snapped out of it. Just moments ago, Donna had looked so grim, claiming something big was about to happen. Yet now, after her whole speech, it was all about the benefits of Zara being a Hollow Soul.Donna said, "Hollow Soul has a unique trait. If consumed, it can greatly boost your chances of success.""Consumed?" That one word made Felix's face darken instantly. "Success in what exactly?"Donna had tried to be vague, but there was no way Felix did not get the implication. To put it bluntly, she was talking about eating Zara's soul."Whether you're stuck at a plateau in your cultivation, your soul is mutating, or you're trying to master powerful soul-based techniques—offensive or defensive—if it's soul-related, Hollow Soul can drastically increase your chances of success."Felix's expression shifted as something came rushing back to him. Billy had once told him that when the Mystical Explosive Orb absorbed enough soul essence to reach capacity, it could be used to re