Felix had not counted precisely, but at least 20 people had died in the haunted house. Thus, no hesitation was needed there. At sunrise in Guneria's desert, Crimson Oak Prison looked unlike other facilities. Instead of towering walls, simple electrified wire fencing enclosed its perimeter. The nearest town lay over 100 miles away. Under the scorching sun in the desert, escape meant certain death without food or water, not to mention the venomous snakes that roamed the wasteland. Since the Westerio Order took control, prisoners enjoyed more freedom during daylight hours, but the death rate had climbed. Every inmate knew selection for the underground level meant almost certain death. A riot had broken out shortly after the Order took over, but they quickly suppressed it. Elliott sat on a bench in the common area, staring blankly at the rising sun. He never imagined becoming a prisoner. Though never arrogant, his position had been respectable. Life truly was unpredictable. Unk
Felix turned to look at Elliott with a slight smile. He had expected to search further but found him sooner than anticipated. Having vented his anger, Felix planned to leave with Elliott. That was when two Scarlet Cardinals from the Westerio Order appeared beside Elliott. Their presence at a mere prison showed this place wasn't ordinary. "Felix! Make any move, and Elliott dies!" Felix kept smiling. "Interesting. So you know who I am." It made sense because the Order belonged to Eloise now. Avoiding needless casualties was logical since she knew his strength. The entire Order combined probably could not stop him. The Cardinals' fearful eyes confirmed as much. "Dr. Zeller, forget about me! Kill them!" Elliott seemed ready to die, shouting desperately. The two Cardinals did not stop him. They had been hiding and were afraid to flee. It was not until Elliott's outburst that they found a way to survive. "You'll need more than threats to stop me," Felix saidOne Cardinal smile
"Are you two mourning the monster? Don't worry; I won't let it die alone," Felix said.Before they could process his words, Felix's voice came like a whisper, and the Cardinals lost consciousness. "Let's go, Elliott. I came to rescue you." Elliott's mind raced as he immediately grasped the situation. "Are you taking me to Dragonia? I have nothing left here and can't stay. "Since we're going, we should bring something valuable. Can we visit the basement? All the Westorio Order's research data is there." Was the data about the monster? Felix smiled. "No need. Our country doesn't do such revolting things." Elliott persisted, saying, "Dr. Zeller, it's more complex than that. There's much you don't know. Trust me, your country will need this data." Left with no choice, Felix headed to the basement with Elliott. No resistance remained, and the surviving guards had fled. After the Cardinals and the monster died, what could they do? "We'll probably encounter a bald old man later
Now that he was certain the experiments involved Malevolent Phantoms, Felix wanted no delays. Though unsure of this Phantom's importance, he would not let the Westorio Order reclaim it. While playing the flute, he watched the old man freeze, clutching his head in agony. Within ten seconds, he collapsed motionless. Elliott stared in disbelief at how easily Felix had handled it. After putting away the flute, Felix rushed out with Elliott. The old man had clearly been a C-tier Malevolent Phantom. The flute alone would not have worked otherwise, without even needing the memorial coins. Later, Elliott explained in the Cadillac, "The Order imprisoned me at Crimson Oak to force my participation in their experiments. When I refused, they waited. They knew I couldn't escape anyway. "I learned much about their work. That old man, who was the Phantom you mentioned, was their test subject. Only a week ago did they achieve what you saw; he could control the monster to attack, though still u
Felix said, "Don't worry, they won't dare chase us." They surely knew it was Felix who raided Crimson Oak Prison, and only those tired of living would pursue him. Felix and Elliott took the same smuggling route Luna had arranged to bring Helena back to Dragonia. Days later, Xena waited with a force similar to Helena's arrival at a Dragonian port. The area was under martial law, which showed how seriously they took Elliott's experimental data involving the Phantoms. It was their highest priority now. "This is Xena, our Phoenix Warlord. Everything's been arranged," Felix explained.After exchanging greetings, Elliott hugged Felix. "Thank you, Dr. Zeller. You changed my fate." While watching Elliott drive away, Felix noticed Xena's hesitation and spoke first. "Go ahead and tell me. It's not like I ever catch a break anyway." Xena looked embarrassed. "Headquarters has a mission, but you just returned. I thought about declining it." For over three years, Felix had devoted himse
Felix had never imagined running into Gerald on the street after all these years. Finally, he had a chance to properly discuss Eloise's situation. This encounter felt so unreal that he had rushed out of the cab without thinking. But when the person turned around slowly, his eyes were filled with confusion. "Who are you?" he asked.Felix stood dumbfounded, at a loss for words. From the cab, the man's side profile and the way he walked matched Gerald exactly. They even shared the same clean-cut hairstyle.But upon seeing his full face now, Felix realized his mistake. The man merely resembled Gerald. "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone else." The old man said nothing and walked on. Felix hailed another cab and left. Less than a minute after Felix departed, a burly middle-aged man fell into step beside the old man. "My lord." Without breaking stride, the Ancient Sage spoke. "Did you hear that young man call me Mr. Hoffman?" "Yes. What would you have me do?" The Ancient Sage
Felix felt relieved that Zion had this kind of attitude. Otherwise, he would have been worried about being questioned. When they first met, Felix had already sensed that Zion was a master of the Transcendent Realm, proving that the Warlock family was far from ordinary."Sir, I have a question for you," Felix said. He had wanted to meet Zion for a long time but never had the time or opportunity. Now that they had crossed paths, he was not going to miss the chance."Go ahead," Zion replied."Do you remember when Ronan and Melissa first met and we spoke on the phone?" Felix asked.Zion nodded. "Of course, I remember. It's been over three years, but I'm not that old to start forgetting things like that."Since Zion still remembered, Felix decided to get straight to the point. He said, "Back then, when you found out my mentor was the miracle doctor, you referred to him as the Ancient Sage. Is that correct?" Zion seemed surprised by the question but answered without hesitation. "That'
Zion explained, "I was one of them. Another was a man with the last name Summers, and of course, there was Dr. Hoffman. As for the fourth... I never figured out who he was. In the end, none of us succeeded, and maybe that had something to do with that unknown man."After Zion left, Felix sat there with a strange expression. He wondered just how captivating Sarah had been back then to attract so many men at once.Moreover, there was no doubt that the Summers man was Xena's grandfather, Curtis. The tangled web of emotions behind this old love story was likely more complicated than it seemed. Or perhaps Zion just did not want to talk about it. Either way, he had given Felix a direction to follow—if he wanted to unravel the mystery of the Ancient Sage, he had to find Sarah.…The plane took off, and Felix closed his eyes to rest. The first-class cabin was relatively empty, with only four passengers, including an interesting pair—a grandfather and granddaughter—playing handheld video
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
The next morning, Felix rushed back to Innswood Village. Just as he arrived, the Flame Monarch brought people to the Green King's Manor."Joaquin is dead?"The Green King quickly replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. The content of my letter is true. I wonder if you still remember that doctor, Felix Zeller?"The Flame Monarch rubbed his chin, and a man appeared in his mind. "Of course, I do!" Then, he burst into laughter. "I didn't expect him to hide so much strength that you aren't even worthy of being his opponent."The Green King looked a little unwilling. "We only exchanged a few moves. If it had been a true fight, the winner would be uncertain. I only let him go because I was worried the entire Cloud City would be affected."A smile appeared on the Flame Monarch's face. He seemed to find this amusing. "How interesting. A doctor suddenly seemed to have gained the strength of an Earthly Realm martial artist. It seems like he has a lot of secrets!"Are you sure he went back to Innswood
No one dared to stop Felix from leaving. After all, they all saw how Joaquin died. If the Green King didn't make a move, who else could?Everyone in the yard stayed silent even after Felix disappeared, especially the Green King. He couldn't believe that a doctor had surpassed even himself! That was simply incredible!He was in Earthly Realm. How many people on Aquamarinus had even reached Earthly Realm? Taking Felix's age into account, it was simply unbelievable."Your Excellency…" Dave spoke up first, and the Green King immediately snapped back into reality. He walked out with a dark expression without another word."Dad, is there a chance that Felix can survive?" Ginny suddenly asked. Gras shook his head with a bitter smile. "I don't know… At their level, it'll be like a fight between gods. Let's head back."A fight between gods? Ginny sighed. That truly seemed to be the case. Who could've thought that Felix was this amazing?…As night fell, Felix was in a room of an inn
Gras and the rest breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed like the Green King intended to protect Felix. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked such a question. After all, it all happened in Innswood Village, with no eyewitnesses.As long as Felix denied it, it would be impossible to trace. However, Felix nodded. "Yeah, I killed Caesar. He massacred over 200 people in Innswood Village. Doesn't he deserve to die?"The answer caught everyone off guard, but Joaquin gritted his teeth in anger. "How brave of you to admit it!"To be honest, even he wasn't expecting Felix to admit it. Everyone had clearly heard it, so it would be impossible for him to argue.The Green King looked helpless. Was Felix just incredibly stubborn? It was clear he was trying to help. Could Felix not see it?"Dave, take Felix away! We'll wait for the Flame Monarch to decide his fate."A member of the Royal Guards had been killed, and Felix admitted to killing him. No matter what strength Felix had hidden, it was no l
Ginny's face was full of disbelief. Just then, everything clicked. She finally understood how Felix came back alive.He had simply hidden his strength. Were there people who practiced both medicine and martial arts? Of course, there were, but there were only a few. And most of them could only excel in one aspect, yet Felix was great in both.The Transcendent Realm martial artists were killed without even reaching Felix. This meant that Felix was at least in Grandmaster Realm. Now, the possibility of Caesar being dead grew much higher.Joaquin, who had been writhing on the ground, almost forgot his pain. He never thought that a mere doctor could be a terrifying martial artist. Why did the Goldsteins mess with someone like this?"Dr. Zeller, you've already killed my son… Please spare the Goldsteins…" Joaquin lowered his head in reverence. There was no other way. He still had his wife and children. He couldn't sacrifice everything."Do you feel the pain now? Caesar slaughtered over
Gras's and Ryker's expressions were full of confusion. It looked as if they had seen a ghost. After all, Felix should've died against Caesar, yet he was here, standing by them, and alive!The half-dead messenger really wanted to thank Felix right now. He didn't lie!As Joaquin came back to reality, his panic dissipated. He turned to Felix unwillingly and said, "Humph! What kind of trick did you play on Caesar for him to let you come back alive?"Felix just looked at Joaquin. "Oh? That's what you think?"Joaquin snorted coldly, his eyes full of pride. "Nonsense! Of course! Did my son ask you to apologize to me first before deciding how to deal with you? If that's the case, then I support him as his father."Kneel. Kneel and apologize. Then, you can think about how to appease me."Felix burst out laughing, shaking his head. "You truly have an indescribable confidence in your son, Joaquin. Let me tell you the truth. Caesar has committed great crimes, and I've sent him on his way. I
Joaquin slapped the messenger to the ground while shouting, "Bullshit! Felix is a dead man. How could he come back on horseback? If you dare spew nonsense again, I'll cut off your tongue!"The messenger was terrified, quickly covering his face in fear. However, he still muttered, "But several people saw him. It was Felix…"Joaquin was so angry that he went straight up to the messenger and beat him up. Gras, Ginny, and Ryker turned to look at one another. To be honest, they couldn't believe it, either. Even if what the messenger said was true, it was still odd.After all, Felix went against Caesar, who was a martial artist in the Grandmaster Realm. How could he survive that? At the same time, in the Green King Manor, Dave came rushing into the yard, where the Green King was admiring the flowers."Your Excellency, I just got the report that Felix has entered the city."The Green King held a beautiful flower, admiring it without a care. His expression didn't change much despite the