Jack clapped his hands and grinned. "Well, I'm off to bed, then," he said, his carefree attitude a blessing in its own way.A while later, Vivian walked in and reported nervously, "Mr. Zeller, there's one more thing I forgot to mention."She was still adjusting to her new role serving the formidable Dragon Lord, and it showed."What is it?" Vivian handed him a piece of paper. "We found this in Olly Davidson's room at the Great Imperial Sect. It seems to be the cause of everything."After reading it, Felix frowned. His analysis was correct—Xena would not have supported the Great Imperial Sect's actions against him. Someone else was pulling the strings from behind the scenes.Judging by the level of detail in the letter, the person behind it knew far too much. Hence, it was surely not an outsider. An hour passed, and Felix remained seated in the living room, expecting a busy night. Suddenly, the door burst open, and Xena stormed in, fuming. "Felix!" she shouted.Felix staye
After Xena left, Vivian called Felix. "Mr. Zeller, the Phoenix Legion has completely surrounded the Great Imperial Sect. What should we do? Do we keep waiting?"Felix had anticipated this. He knew mentors were like parents—no matter how Jaxon had treated Xena, she would always care for him unless he had done something unforgivable.As the goddess of war, Xena understood the Earthen Hall's assassination capabilities all too well. Jaxon and his people would not stand a chance, so this was her only option. Moreover, Felix could tell her plan from her remark just now.Once he was no longer a member of Dragon Alliance, the Earthen Hall would have no reason to keep their forces at the Great Imperial Sect."Hold our position for now. We'll see how things play out tomorrow night," Felix instructed."Yes, sir!" Vivian replied.…At dawn, Yvonne, who had not slept all night, finally made the call. "Do you have a surprise for me?" the woman's voice chimed with a playful tone, indicating
Felix stared at the man for a moment before it dawned on him. "You're the guy who lent money to Madeline, right?""That's right! We've met before, so you can just call me Mr. Adams," Hunter replied with a grin.Felix frowned. Stinger was supposed to deal with this guy already, but here he was, seeming more comfortable than ever.Sasha interrupted, "Mr. Adams, we'll deal with your grudge later. I haven't had my say yet."She turned to Felix, her voice dripping with contempt. "Felix, you've lost your protection now that Lord Kane is gone. Don't you think it's time to settle the score for hitting me and disrespecting me repeatedly?"Ruth chimed in, "Exactly! This punk humiliated me, too! It's time we get even." Felix played along and asked, "What do you want me to do?"Sasha leaned back, crossing her legs with an air of superiority. She smirked, thinking she had the upper hand. After all, once you lost your connections in the real world, you were nothing more than a powerless no
After pondering it for a while more, Felix still could not put a face on that name. Not wanting to waste more time, he grabbed a machete from one of the thugs and threw it with deadly precision. Hunter was about to retort Stinger, but he was silenced immediately.The blade sank deep into Hunter's chest. He stared in disbelief at his chest, mumbling, "Y-You killed—" Yet, before he could finish his sentence, blood gushed out from his mouth, and he collapsed to the ground. Meanwhile, Sasha and Ruth screamed in terror, having never witnessed such a brutal act of violence before. The sight and smell of blood filled the air, intensifying their fear.Felix approached Sasha, who broke down in tears. She pleaded desperately, "Felix! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry! I truly am! I promise I'll never bother you again!" Ruth was equally terrified and instantly fell to her knees, trembling and sobbing. "It was all Sasha's idea! I had nothing to do with it! Felix, please let me go. I don't
At 3:00 pm, Felix and Jack sat across from each other in an all-you-can-eat barbecue restaurant. Jack grinned and commented, "Great minds think alike, huh? Neither of us had lunch, so this timing is perfect."Felix looked puzzled and asked, "Don't you have work today?""Nah, I switched companies," Jack replied casually.Felix was surprised, knowing that Jack had been thriving at his previous job and was on the verge of becoming a vice president thanks to Felix's influence.Jack continued, "I just started at my new place this morning. I'm now the head of Stellar Group's Avesburgh office. It was a no-brainer, really." Seeing Felix's stunned expression, Jack chuckled and placed a few pieces of meat on Felix's plate. "Eat up, Felix. I owe you a lot, you know."Felix was baffled, knowing he had not spoken to anyone about this. He wondered how Jack had managed to land such a position without connections. After a hearty laugh, Jack explained, "The president of Stellar Group is chasi
Felix had not met any chief leaders since taking over Dragon Alliance, so this was a first. It seemed that after the recent gathering of all chiefs, someone had finally grown restless."Let's set it for tonight," Felix replied to Vivian's call.Vivian hesitated before asking, "Mr. Zeller, could I meet you in person?""Sure," Felix agreed.Within 20 minutes, Vivian arrived. Felix had already sent Jack away, knowing his friend would have teased him endlessly about Vivian's beauty."What's the matter? Why do you need to talk about it in person?" Felix asked. Vivian sat across from him, her eyes blazing with anger. "Mr. Zeller, Mr. Jones is out of line! I can't believe he's demanding that you go to him!"So, it appeared that Yale Jones was the chief leader who had come to town. Felix frowned. "He told you that himself?"Vivian nodded. "Yes, and he insisted even after knowing your status as the Dragon Lord."Vivian was fuming. Ever since joining Dragon Alliance, she had heard co
Xena snapped, "Enough talk! Mr. Jones is waiting inside. Listen carefully, Felix! If I catch you slipping up even once, I'll make your life a living hell!"Without Dragon Alliance's protection, Xena believed Felix would be powerless. Even though she was not close to Gregory, Jaxon was clearly affected by his death.The image of Jaxon grieving still haunted her, and she was determined to make Felix pay. If it were not for her duty as the goddess of war to follow the rules, she would have struck Felix down long ago. "There might never be a day like that between us," Felix replied calmly. He suspected Dora was not bluffing about having information on the Veilflower. If he could get his hands on it, he would be just one herb away from waking Curtis. That was the real reason for his confidence. As Felix entered the suite's bedroom, a faint breeze closed the door behind him. Then, he studied the middle-aged man standing before him with interest. The man was about six feet tall,
Yale was taken aback, but he quickly chuckled and said dismissively, "You young folks sure know how to talk big these days."If it were not for his worry about the real Dragon Lord showing up too soon, he would have swatted Felix like a fly."This is your aunt, Yvette Harrington, right?" Yale asked, tossing a photo onto the table.Felix's expression faltered as he picked up the photo. The woman in the picture was attractive, with a sweet smile. Time seemed to have been kind to her. She was indeed his mother's younger sister—there was no way Felix would not recognize her."So this is your trump card?" Felix asked, his voice steady.Yale smiled. "Don't you think it's enough? I've investigated you thoroughly. Your father's relatives are worthless—you've taught them a lesson before I even had to lift a finger. But your aunt... She's different, isn't she?" Felix remained silent, memories flooding back. The Harrington sisters had their share of conflicts when they were younger, leadi
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
The purple-haired woman stood still while watching Felix without expressionlessly, as if examining something. Felix grew tense. This woman did not feel alive, yet she wasn't dead either. She was not exuding any essence at all. As a Grandmaster, he could sense everyone's unique essence after a single encounter, but this woman was different. She was totally untraceable. Was this the mysterious S-tier Malevolent Phantom? Incredible. A minute passed with neither moving. Having never encountered one before, Felix felt extreme danger from their first contact. Better to avoid fighting if possible. The woman licked her lips, then retreated behind the clown statue. When Felix rushed over, she had vanished without a trace. Even he could not tell when or how she had disappeared. "Damn, I can't underestimate these Phantoms." Even with his mastery of Ethereal Constitution, Felix had been extremely tense. That showed just how formidable S-tier Malevolent Phantoms were. Given the situat
Felix wanted to call Xena and ask if he could kill this type. She had mentioned that A-tier Malevolent Phantoms who killed for pleasure could be eliminated, as letting them live would result in countless deaths. "You're a martial artist from Dragonia!" In less than a second, the Phantom charged again with fully regenerated legs. But it stopped at its previous position without attacking rashly. "Now that you know, why not leave?" Felix retorted.The Phantom's three mouths moved continuously. "Leave? You'll still die. When I came in here, I was shot over a dozen times. After your attack, my recovery rate is at its peak. You won't escape." Felix smiled. "Who said anything about escaping? Why not just kill you?" The Phantom burst into laughter again. "Haha! Kill me? You humans know so little about us, yet you think you can kill me? Come on then, let's see if you have what it takes." Felix took out the small flute Billy had given him and began to play. The A-tier Phantom proved
It was already past eight when Felix left the club, which was long after nightfall. Felix raced through the city streets. Luna's life was in danger, so this was the fastest option. According to Luna, she had accompanied a client to an amusement park. The thrill-seeking client tried everything from roller coasters to other rides before suggesting they enter the park's haunted house. That was where the horror began. Luna described seeing a monster without eyes or a nose, but with three gaping mouths filled with saw-like teeth. Instead of ears, it had two dark brown arms that could extend and contract. She was hiding somewhere in the haunted house. She had not been found yet, but she was terrified and uncertain of her safety. That was why she called Felix for help. Without question, this was a Malevolent Phantom. What puzzled Felix was how Luna could see its true form without knowing the soul-reading forbidden technique. Was it some innate ability? Another possibility was that t
"Hey! Hand over all your money, or we'll shoot you dead." The cab driver snickered, clearly in on it. Felix was exasperated. The saying about not flashing wealth was true indeed, especially in unfamiliar cities. Of course, he was not scared, but this was a waste of time. "Go ahead and shoot me then." His response stunned them all. They had never encountered such a request. In Guneria, incidents like these happened far too often. One couldn't expect the safety of home here—people really would shoot. Sure enough, one of the men pulled the trigger. Almost simultaneously, Felix raised his right hand, catching the bullet between two fingers. The sight turned the three men to stone, stunning them. None of them had ever seen someone catch bullets with bare hands. If they hadn't witnessed it themselves, who would believe it? "My God! It's Havarian martial arts; run!" Two fled immediately, while the driver scrambled away, abandoning his car. This showed just how terrified they w
Felix felt like crying. After everything he had been through, his feelings for Gerald were beyond words. "Mr. Hoffman, I took another mentor in Martial City. Her name is Deborah Goddard, and she taught me pill cultivation. You won't mind, will you?" Gerald laughed and said, "Why would I? Pill cultivation will be extremely useful to you. If you hadn't taken up on her offer, I'd be the one punishing you." Then, Felix thought of something. "Mr. Hoffman, do you have any photos from when you were young?" "Why?""I want to see how handsome you were back then.""Hah! I'm enjoying the flattery. I was quite the charmer in my youth. My smile would make any girl swoon. But no, I don't have any photos, so don't bother asking." Felix had hoped to confirm if Gerald was the Ancient Sage Cordelia had mentioned, but that seemed unlikely now. Finally, he went on to the main topic. "I met Eloise."Gerald had been humming cheerfully on the other end, but the tune stopped at Felix's words."I
Felix knew about this. All of his nine fellow apprentices indeed practiced different techniques, and Gerald had said those exact words. "Five years ago, I discovered a technique perfectly suited for me by chance, far more powerful than what I practiced then. Eventually, I couldn't resist trying it. I thought I could seek Mr. Hoffman's help if anything went wrong, but nothing happened."Felix felt utterly helpless. "So, you took such extreme measures over this?" Perhaps Gerald had his reasons for lying about other martial arts techniques, but surely this reaction was excessive. "Felix, do you think I'm that petty? If it were just that, of course not. My progress with that technique was remarkable."Over two years ago, I reached its highest level. That's when I discovered a seal on my body." Felix froze. He recalled Kevin's words during their battle in Martial City about what would happen if his nine fellow apprentices broke their seals. Could it be true?"I confronted Mr. Hof
On the television sat a woman, her face devoid of expression. Anyone who saw her would be struck first by her royal bearing. Words like beautiful or gorgeous fell short. She commanded a presence like a queen, which would make anyone feel inadequate in comparison.But Felix did not feel that way. His jaw dropped, eyes filled with utter disbelief. The woman on the screen was none other than his fellow apprentice, Eloise. Felix knew no one could impersonate Eloise. Few had ever met her, let alone possessed the ability to mimic her demeanor. "Eloise?" His question betrayed his inner turmoil. "Felix." When the woman on screen responded, Felix lost all composure. He wished desperately that this was just a dream rather than reality. Eloise was the Grand Cardinal of the Westerio Order? Did that mean she had founded the organization? But why? No wonder they knew everything about him—it all made sense now."Leave us," she commanded.The Scarlet Cardinal bowed and left the room,
Since the prison had no ties to Guneria, Felix did not mind causing a scene there. Luna added, "I've managed to bribe someone inside the prison who can provide intelligence at any time."Felix felt moved. "Thank you for doing all this, Luna." He remembered seeing her text messages when checking his phone earlier, asking him to reach out upon his return. It seemed this was the reason why. "I'd do anything for you."Though the timing felt wrong, Felix spoke up, "I'm married now. Her name is Nerissa."To his surprise, Luna smiled. "Thank you for telling me. I never dreamed we could be together. What we have is already precious enough. It left the deepest mark on my life." Felix sighed to himself. Matters of the heart were the most troublesome, yet sometimes circumstances left no choice."When the time comes to rescue Elliott, I'll let you know," Felix told her as the plane began its landing approach. He needed to find Melissa and Ronan first. "Okay. Please be careful," Luna