After a moment of hesitation, Felix agreed to exchange contact information with Zara."I live in Avesburgh," he said.With his details in hand, Zara smiled sweetly as she watched him enter a taxi."I've met an interesting person, sir. It's the first time since leaving the mountain that I've been defeated by someone my age," Zara muttered.…Felix soon arrived at a bustling commercial street in Yartford. He couldn't help but marvel at the sight. There was a small, 20-square-yard pasta shop with a long line of customers. People were eating their pasta while standing or squatting all around."Indeed, when one door closes, another opens. It's just a matter of time."This pasta shop belonged to Madeline. Despite its tiny size, its prime location in the city meant that the annual rent was a steep one million dollars. While a price might be unreasonable in a place like Avesburgh, it was apparently worth it in Yartford."Felix, you're here," Madeline greeted him warmly as she stepped o
Although Curtis had woken up a few days earlier, Felix hadn't been overly concerned, knowing that each person's recovery time depended on their physical condition."I'm in Yartford. I'll see him when I get back," he replied to Xena.In response, she abruptly hung up, showing her impatience.Around 7:00 pm, Felix and Madeline arrived at the restaurant."Does your boyfriend's family have a lot of money?" Felix asked, glancing at the upscale entrance, which suggested a high-end dining experience.Furrowing her brows slightly, Madeline replied, "No, he just works at a company, earning a little over ten thousand dollars monthly. However, this is his family's first time meeting me, so it's understandable they'd want to splurge a little."That made sense to Felix. A young man was already seated inside when they entered the private room."Luke, let me introduce my cousin, Felix Zeller. He happened to be in Yartford for business, so I invited him along. Is that okay?" Madeline asked.Lu
Lilian slammed her hand on the table, fury radiating from her."Are you an idiot? A woman like her is fine for a fling, but marrying her? Do you think Mom and Dad would ever agree to that? Absolutely not!"After saying that, she turned her gaze to Madeline. It was clear she understood Luke's character."Listen carefully, Madeline, if you truly love my brother, then stop pestering him! You know what kind of person you are."At that moment, Felix finally spoke up. "It's true that Maddy worked as a hostess in a karaoke bar. That's undeniable, and I believe she wouldn't try to argue against it. But everyone deserves a chance, don't they? "Maddy's father left her with a heavy debt, and she had to take this job to pay it off as quickly as possible. She has maintained her integrity. She was just a hostess and didn't do anything inappropriate."He walked over and patted Luke on the shoulder, continuing, "I'm saying all this because I think your character is worth defending. At least Mad
Since Felix had promised to support her, Madeline stood up straight. She longed to prove herself, especially since she had found success in her work. She wanted to find love and a family full of warmth, too. She had known Felix since they were young. He wasn't one to make empty promises. Since he was standing up for her, he must be confident about himself.Lilian, however, sneered in disdain. "She's losing out? Are you even hearing yourself? There aren't many in Yartford who would dare to say that about joining our family. Ha! Birds of a feather flock together."Felix casually tossed a Diamond Card from Concord Bank onto the table, saying, "We're about the same age, right? Let's see how rich you really are."With a quick glance, Lilian recognized the card. After all, given her family's financial standing, there was no way she wouldn't recognize a Concord Bank Diamond Card. Her expression briefly changed, but then she scoffed."So, you aren't entirely useless. I guess you must be
"Hey, are you two here for dinner too? Are you here for dinner with Mr. Jackson?" Walter asked.Lilian hurriedly replied, "No. Is Sean having dinner here?""Yeah, he's having a meal with a few heavy drinkers. I was just on my way to grab more wine from the car. Anyway, I gotta run."Just then, Luke stopped him and asked, "Walter, do you… do you know that guy?"They had seen it clearly. Walter had stepped aside and respectfully bowed to Felix. It felt so surreal to them.Walter turned back to them, his brow furrowing. "Not exactly. Why are you asking? Do you know him?"If Walter didn't exactly know him, why was he acting so respectful to him?Luke's mind raced as he asked again, "Isn't he Felix Zeller?"Instantly, Walter's expression turned serious. "That's right! Did you offend him? Be honest; this could be serious."Lilian trembled slightly. She opened her mouth but seemed lost for words. Luke, however, laughed."Come on, Walter, relax. He's my girlfriend's cousin. There's n
Outside the restaurant, Felix and Madeline stopped in their tracks."Felix, thank you. Perhaps I've said that too many times, to the point it's lost its meaning," Madeline said.Felix smiled. "You don't need to thank me. Just make sure you don't look down on yourself."Madeline brushed her bangs back, looking calm and collected. "Don't worry. I won't do that again. However, I didn't expect Luke to stand up for me like that today."Felix nodded. "He's a good guy. It's hard for him to hold onto such values, especially given his wealthy background."At that moment, Luke and Lilian hurried over."Maddy, my… my sister wants to apologize to you," Luke said.Madeline raised an eyebrow. She looked at Lilian, who couldn't even meet her gaze. She acted so differently from her earlier haughty demeanor."Do I deserve your sister's apology? Since she has already spoken her mind, there's no point in her putting on an act."Felix, however, seemed to understand the change. It was likely becau
"Do you need me to feed you?" Zara asked. Felix looked at Zara, puzzled. For some reason, she seemed like a different person. She was suddenly acting warm and even showing a bit of a softer side."Don't act like that. You're making me nervous," Felix said.Felix devoured his breakfast, wanting to get through the meal quickly. Meanwhile, Zara sat across from him, resting her chin on her hands."Is it because you think I'm ugly?" she asked."No, not at all. I've been around many beautiful women, so I don't care if a person is beautiful or not. We are all given a life. Beauty has advantages, sure, but being less attractive doesn't mean you can't live a full life."Zara's eyes brightened. "Impressive. That's the most sincere answer I've heard from a man."By 10:00 am, people began arriving at the Traditional Medicine Association headquarters. This event was not open to the public, so the attendees were limited to those who witnessed the recommendation of nine candidates the previou
Following Timothy's pointed direction, Yvonne was stunned. If not for her training, she might have blurted out her true thoughts.Felix Zeller? It was actually Felix!Nala couldn't help but glance over as well, and a flicker of surprise crossed her gaze. This trial was kept highly confidential. Otherwise, they wouldn't have needed Timothy to ensure order and security. Not even Nala knew who the representative would be. Learning it was Felix was shocking as he was the fiancé she had dismissed. Not only was he a doctor, but his skills had also reached such a high level."Tim, you don't seem thrilled about this choice," Nala stated. She had known Timothy for years, so she easily understood his tone."Of course I'm thrilled. Why wouldn't I be?"Since Felix had already been selected, Timothy knew he shouldn't make discouraging remarks. They were all representing Dragonia, and unity was paramount."Take a seat for now. The team from Guneria just arrived, and one of them is a general,
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