Passing the envy trial was pretty much out of the question for Felix. That left greed.When it came to desire, who didn't have it? No matter how powerful or wealthy someone was, there was always something or someone they longed for. Out of the remaining trials, greed seemed like the only one Felix had a real shot at passing.As he stepped into the sixth trial, a voice echoed in his ears, "Why does Lucas get to have everything? Is it just because his family has power and money? Humph! If I had that kind of background, I'd be even more respected than he is."Felix found himself wearing a school uniform, holding a chemistry textbook. He glanced at a boy nearby, surrounded by admiring classmates, and smiled."Don't overthink it. In the end, you have to rely on your own efforts. Our parents gave us life. That alone is the greatest treasure," Felix said."Tsk! You're just saying that. Your family's well-off, too, but compared to Lucas? Not even close. You expect me to believe you're not
Felix didn't hesitate. He grabbed Nerissa's hand. "The Lone Paragon is important to me, but how could it possibly compare to you?"As soon as the words left his mouth, the scene around him shifted. The familiar hall reappeared.He sighed. "I knew I wouldn't make it through."Felix let out a bitter laugh. In the end, he failed the final trial. It was a test that relied purely on his decision. Without external interference, it was impossible for him to pass. After all, he was never someone consumed by greed.Whether or not the Lone Paragon had a final piece left, choosing between it and Nerissa required no hesitation at all."You've failed. Leave now," the gatekeeper said.With no other choice, Felix walked away. He was just one step away from seeing the S-tier Malevolent Phantom. And yet, he had still fallen short.The moment he stepped out of the seventh trial, darkness engulfed him. Then, his eyes suddenly snapped open.He was still in his room. And outside, daylight had alrea
Before long, the so-called head chef arrived. He was a tall, lean, middle-aged man who immediately lowered his head at Felix."I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, sir. Please accept my sincerest apologies."That was the first confirmation of Felix's suspicion. His eyes lit up."It's fine. Since you're being so polite about it, just make sure it doesn't happen again.""Of course! Thank you for your understanding."Back at the table, Lindsay chuckled. "You got lucky! If that grumpy chef had come out instead, you'd probably be crying right now."After breakfast, Felix wasted no time heading to the designated meeting spot. Another agent from headquarters had been sent today, and Felix immediately made his request."I need the full list of kitchen staff at Laurel Resort. The more detailed, the better. Hurry!""Understood, sir."Anyone who hadn't spent a night at the resort could come and go freely during the day. To avoid suspicion, headquarters typically rotated personnel.
When Felix woke up, he sighed. Just as he had expected, the night had been eerily quiet. Nothing had happened.The people at Laurel Resort had clearly been through the trials before. The voices he had heard must have belonged to those trapped here. Their only thought now was to keep living in this place until death took them.The disappearance of the head chef was enough to confirm that people had already died at Laurel Resort. The exact number was unknown, but it was imperative to put a stop to it before more unexpected incidents occurred. After all, the S-tier Malevolent Phantom was acting purely on instinct. What if, one day, its soul core completely collapsed? Could the humans trapped here still be considered safe?At the designated meeting spot, Felix met with the personnel sent by headquarters."Sir, the three individuals you requested successfully checked in before sunset yesterday."Felix nodded. "Good."Then, a thought crossed his mind. "Do you have any countermeasures
Since the trial had begun, it had to be the three people he had arranged through headquarters.Before long, a man appeared. He had only one ear but was incredibly muscular."Donovan Williamson, welcome to House of Wrath. I am the gatekeeper of this trial," Felix said. "You failed the first challenge, so you should know the rules by now. Before you can truly challenge me, you have to complete a test first."The familiar screen appeared again, displaying the same words—anger and damage.Donovan didn't say a single word. Instead, he simply looked around the grand hall, studying his surroundings with curiosity."Alright. Let's begin," Felix continued.The same little girl from before appeared, selling her roses with the same pure, innocent smile.Donovan slowly bent down and gave her an eerie grin. "Alright. I will buy a rose from you. However, in exchange, you have to give me a gift," he said.The girl blinked. "What gift do you want?""Your eyes."The moment he spoke, Donovan g
As soon as the attendant finished speaking, Felix felt a surge of excitement."Finally."He followed the attendant down a secluded path to the most remote building in Laurel Resort.Felix had been here before, but the last time he tried to enter, the attendant stopped him. He could also sense a terrifying spiritual force lingering in the area, making it clear that forcing his way in was impossible.He hadn't forgotten what Donna had told him. Going head-to-head with an S-tier Malevolent Phantom was no different from seeking death.However, he had no trouble entering when he entered with the attendant. That only confirmed his suspicions that a gatekeeper wouldn't be discarded so easily. He was certain the Malevolent Phantom wanted to devour him."The boss is inside. Just go straight ahead." The attendant opened the door and stepped aside, clearly unwilling to enter."Thank you."As soon as Felix walked in, the door shut behind him.The hallway wasn't long, but even with the lig
With a buzz, the crimson sphere trembled violently, releasing a thick red mist that quickly spread toward Felix.He didn't know exactly what it was, but he wasn't stupid. If it touched him, his chances of survival would plummet.With a thought, the Inkspire Quill appeared in his hand. He casually sketched a few strokes in the air. At first glance, it seemed useless, but Felix knew better. This was one of his trump cards.If the Inkspire Quill didn't work, he'd have to resort to one of the techniques from the Phaeron Codex."Ahh! What did you do? What kind of soul-bounded weapon is that?"A pained voice echoed through the room, filled with agony, as if something was corroding its very soul.The red shield that had been clashing evenly with Lumen, as well as the crimson threads attacking Infinite Shield, all faltered, their movements becoming erratic. Even the mist, which had been expanding relentlessly, began to retract.Felix wasn't about to waste this opportunity. Lumen shot fo
Inside a suite at Laurel Resort, a middle-aged man with a face full of pockmarks suddenly furrowed his brows. "Why am I still staying here? Something feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it."Muttering to himself, he got up and hurried toward the door. He moved so quickly that when he reached the lobby, he didn't even bother checking out. He just walked straight outside.However, he hadn't gone far before he suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Why are there so many people from headquarters here?"Sensing something was wrong, the middle-aged man's figure flickered and disappeared in an instant. Then, he reappeared by a mountain stream some distance away from the resort.He muttered, "That was close. I almost got surrounded. But why is headquarters deploying so many people to encircle Laurel Resort?"A voice suddenly answered him, saying, "Because there's a Malevolent Phantom inside. That's why."Before he could react, he realized his body was no longer under his control."F
Ginny was naturally present as well, and she spoke up at that moment. "Mr. Goldstein, no one wanted to see Justus die like that. But why did you bring your people to Longstone residence? Are you suggesting that his sudden death has something to do with us?"Joaquin's expression grew darker as he looked at her. He blamed Ginny for this, thinking that none of this would have happened if she had just agreed earlier. And now, they couldn't even determine the cause of death."No connection? That doctor from your household, Felix Zeller—he's the one responsible for Justus' death."Right then, someone spoke up from the crowd. "That's him! That's Felix Zeller!"Felix, who had been calmly sitting in a chair, finally saw Wagner standing among them. And in that moment, everything made sense."Wagner? You've gotten quite bold, huh?" Gras sneered.Wagner flinched at Gras's words, but remembering that he now had the Goldsteins backing him, he stiffened his spine and stood tall. "Cut the crap
In Cloud City, there were a few noble families. Nonetheless, behind the polite smiles, tensions surged. Infiltrating each other's estates with spies had practically become a tradition. While they rarely uncovered major secrets, the information they did gather always gave them a head start.So when the news broke, Gras didn't doubt it for a second. He jumped to his feet, furious. "This is outrageous! Their son dies, and somehow it's the Longstone family's fault?"Ryker looked just as puzzled, agreeing that the accusation made no sense.But Felix let out a quiet, weary sigh. "Mr. Longstone, I'm afraid this is probably my fault. I'm a doctor, and I've gotten a bit of attention lately. After they failed to determine the cause of Justus' death, and given our meeting earlier today, they likely saw an opportunity to drag your family into the mess." Gras's expression darkened, knowing that Felix wasn't wrong. After all, doctors could also be poisoners, and plenty of martial artists had fa
It was clear someone had said something to Justus. Otherwise, this situation wouldn't have escalated to this point.Felix said calmly, "It was a standard therapeutic massage technique, and I was blindfolded the entire time. Does that explanation satisfy you? Or would you rather find someone else capable of treating Ms. Longstone—I'll gladly step aside if you can."Justus sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. "Cut the crap, Felix. Don't act like I don't know exactly what's going through your head. Ginny's the heiress of the Longstone residence—Gras's precious jewel. Everyone knows that marrying her is like securing the entire household. Don't tell me that thought never crossed your mind.""It didn't," Felix said simply.Unfortunately, that answer was never going to satisfy Justus. He snarled, "Listen up, boy! I'm giving you three days to get the hell out of the Longstone residence. If you don't, you won't even get the chance to regret it. Everyone else might be afraid of Gras—but I
As Wagner watched Justus explode in rage, he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. With what he'd just uncovered, there was no need to exaggerate—it was already explosive enough on its own.After all, Justus' future fiancée was touched in that kind of intimate way by a young, healthy doctor. Any man with a spine would lose it."But Justus," Wagner added with a smirk. "Didn't Felix just get publicly praised by the Green King?"Cloud City wasn't that big. Anyone with any influence had been keeping close tabs on Green King Manor—especially with the mystery man who walked out of Desolated Lands involved. So, the news of Felix being rewarded had already spread far and wide.Justus clenched his jaw. "So what? It's just a flash in the pan. If he was truly skilled, the Green King would've kept him. But as long as he hasn't climbed into the Green King's inner circle, I can crush him whenever I want."Wagner's grin widened. That was exactly the attitude he needed. If Justus had shown
The moment the Flame Monarch mentioned the Healer Sage, the Green King's expression shifted noticeably. "So the Sage really was living out there in seclusion... No wonder. Flame Monarch, does this mean you've taken a liking to Felix?"But the Flame Monarch waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need for that."That response made the Green King secretly rejoice. If the Flame Monarch didn't intend to recruit Felix, then he understood why—and that was perfect. It meant the opportunity to take Felix under his own wing was wide open.The night passed quietly. Felix stood beside Christopher's bedside, noticing the man's breathing had grown steady and stable.At this point, the herb had run its course and was no longer effective. But what was left inside Christopher's soul—a strange, lingering force—was exactly what Felix had hoped for.Christopher was alive but completely unconscious. The remaining energy had no regenerative properties, which meant he'd likely never wake again. For Fe
Felix wasn't the least bit surprised by the Flame Monarch's reaction, but he still feigned confusion. "Flame Monarch, I'm sorry... but I don't understand. What do you mean by soul-related injuries?"Just from that single line, Felix confirmed what he suspected—Aquamarinus had no concept of soul-based matters. Whether it was training methods or anything else, this realm hadn't yet touched that domain.The Flame Monarch stared at him, pressure radiating from his body. Felix immediately felt his limbs start to tremble under the invisible weight."You don't know? Then how could you claim to treat that man's condition?" Felix calmly pointed toward the herbs laid out on the table. "The force inside him is definitely strange. It triggered a memory... I once sensed something very similar, and it came from within that herb. It was purely instinct—when something feels familiar, there's a chance it might work."The Flame Monarch shifted his gaze to the herb, then said flatly, "Start from th
Felix gave him a direct and honest answer. "As long as I have enough herbs. I can treat him. I won't promise a full recovery, but one thing I can guarantee you is that this man won't die."For now, that was the best possible answer anyone could offer.The Flame Monarch replied, "Good. Begin. As long as you can keep him alive, you'll be handsomely rewarded."It seemed the Flame Monarch already knew something and never truly expected anyone to completely cure Christopher. Preserving his life alone would already be a feat."Flame Monarch, please reconsider!" one of the elderly doctors suddenly cut in, seething with resentment. "This boy is barely grown—how could he possibly possess such remarkable skill in medicine?"The Flame Monarch turned and gave him a cold, mocking glance. "If he can't do it, then can you?"The old man went silent. Perhaps fearing the loss of favor or acting out of sheer pride, he hesitated. Eventually, he found the courage to speak again."I admit I can't, bu
The Green King's expression changed instantly, and he turned to Felix in a hurry. "Dr. Zeller, please come with me to greet him.""Of course," Felix replied.For anyone in Aquamarinus, getting the chance to see the Flame Monarch up close was like a once-in-a-lifetime dream, and people would probably die happy just for that. Naturally, Felix put on a show of reverence as well, even if he didn't feel it deep down.As they reached the front gate, Felix saw several figures striding toward them with heavy steps. At the front of the group was a towering man, nearly nine feet tall. Even someone as built as Dave looked like a delicate bystander next to him.What stood out the most was his bright crimson hair, which flared upward like flames, making it look like his head was on fire. His facial features were fairly average, but the power behind his gaze radiated pure, undeniable authority.So, this was the Flame Monarch?Felix studied him closely. He suspected the man had cultivated some
According to the rules set by the Flame Monarch, the position of Minor Kings rotated every five years. Those who made outstanding contributions could keep their titles, but anyone who fell short would have to fight for their place all over again.The Green King knew he wasn't particularly strong—he was painfully aware of that. And with the next year marking the fifth year, the pressure was mounting fast. So when Christopher appeared, it felt like fate. If he could heal this man before the Flame Monarch arrived with his elite doctors, the credit would be immense, and his reappointment would be virtually guaranteed. Anyone who had never held a Minor King title wouldn't understand just how many perks came with it. If they did, no one would give it up willingly."I can treat him," Felix said calmly. "But I can't promise a full recovery."The Green King smiled. "Do your best. Even if you can only keep him alive, that alone is worth it."Two doctors before had said that Christopher's b