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,
Elliott, dressed in a white lab coat, was clearly one of the lowest-ranking members at the research institute despite his arrogance. He was a mere front for the team's efforts in developing the so-called "miracle drug". Guneria had deliberately chosen someone of such low standing as their representative, making their contempt for this competition evident."I'm Felix Zeller, representing Dragonia's traditional medicine scene," Felix announced, expressionless. The best way to deal with a provocateur was through actions, not speech.With a dismissive wave, Elliott gestured to a foreign man to approach."This is the patient we brought, as per the agreement. He has early-stage lung cancer. You're free to verify his condition."Similarly, William had a middle-aged man stand beside Felix. He was a 53-year-old male also with early-stage lung cancer, ensuring equal conditions for a fair comparison.Felix began examining the patient. Though he had already assessed the condition at a glanc
In most cases, nobody would reveal all their cards before a critical competition, especially with stakes this high. However, Elliott had done just that because he was overconfident. It showed his contempt for traditional medicine, and it was a tactic clearly planned in advance. Realistically, even in a hospital setting, the process of drawing blood and analyzing it would take longer than ten minutes; let alone curing a stubborn illness like cancer that claimed countless lives each year."We'll see," Felix responded, maintaining his composure. The Dragonian way was to act with overwhelming force only when necessary, leaving no room for the opponent to recover. Talking more would be pointless.A few minutes later, Elliott announced, "We've confirmed everything on our end. If you're ready, we can begin anytime."Just as Felix was about to speak, William abruptly stood up, saying, "Apologies, but Felix was a temporary replacement. The real representative has now arrived."What? Felix
Elliott looked utterly confident, convinced that as long as Dragonia didn't resort to breaking the rules by bringing in their seasoned traditional medicine masters, they had no chance of winning in the ten-minute timeframe. Just then, a young man stepped into the courtyard, exuding an air of pride and poise. Like Felix, he appeared to be around the same age."Is that him? Or are you planning to switch again?" Elliott asked with disdain, throwing in a bit of mockery.This time, William remained silent, letting the young man speak up once he had arrived."Do you think a mere miracle drug can challenge our thousands-of-years-old traditional medicine? Ridiculous!" the young man said.Oh? Elliott smirked, noticing that this new guy had quite an attitude. "Alright then, let the contest begin."But under everyone's watchful gaze, the young man stood there with his hands clasped behind his back."A contest? Are you even qualified? I am the direct disciple of Gerald Hoffman, and you thi
No one could have expected that the highly anticipated medical showdown between Dragonia and Guneria would end so dramatically. After all, both sides had taken it so seriously. However, Guneria had conceded defeat willingly."The legend of Gerald Hoffman truly stands unchallenged. No one can defeat him now, and he'll still remain unrivaled," Zara murmured.That prompted Felix to ask curiously, "What do you mean?""Back in the day, when Gerald practiced medicine to save lives, though he spent most of his time in Dragonia, he also traveled the world. It's said that many top figures across the world, from politics to business, were saved by Gerald. Just imagine his influence overseas. "Whatever was on that note, it must have been something dramatic enough to make Guneria's team give up without a fight," Zara explained.Felix's eyes sparkled with newfound curiosity. He hadn't realized Gerald had ventured worldwide. He had always thought he had remained only in Dragonia."Are you hea
Elliott's mentor sighed helplessly. "I can only tell you that this concerns a major figure whom Gerald once saved. To be blunt, if we refused to concede and insisted on a showdown with Gerald's disciple, it would anger him greatly. "And if that happens, our research funding would likely be slashed by at least half. Is that really what you want?"Stunned, Elliott fell silent. Losing half of their funding would be catastrophic and was practically a death sentence for their lab—a burden no one could bear."Is Gerald really that extraordinary? I just can't believe traditional medicine could be that powerful," Elliott muttered.Patting him on the shoulder, the mentor said, "To be honest, I, along with most others, opposed this so-called competition. We've seen firsthand the incredible strength of Dragonia's traditional medicine. It's truly like battling death itself. However, some people just refuse to believe it."Well, don't dwell on it. The people of Dragonia prefer to keep a low p
"Bullshit! It only took a minute! Are you seriously done? Say one more word, I dare you!" Elliott shouted.Just as Elliott said that, his mentor loaded the patient onto the truck. "Start examining him immediately!" he directed.When the examination was done, Elliott stood in place, stunned, as he stared at the test reports. He was feeling an overwhelming wave of emotion.The patient they brought from the Guneria, who was in the early stages of lung cancer, was completely cured."Elliott, do you believe in the wonders of traditional medicine now?" his mentor asked.Elliott gave his mentor a complicated look."But… How is this even possible? A person with early-stage cancer was healed in a minute! What's the point of spending years and huge amounts of money on the drugs we've been developing?"The mentor chuckled. "Every field needs pioneers, doesn't it? Dragonia has a 5,000-year-old history. Keep working hard, and we can create miracles of our own, too."For the rest of his life
Lying flat on the bed, Felix responded, "Does it really matter?"Yvonne was at a loss for words, unsure how to answer. Without specific instructions from Nala, she didn't dare speak further."Rest well. I will take my leave," she said softly.As she reached the door, Felix's voice followed. "Soon, I'll have my answer. When the time comes, I want to hear what you truly feel in your heart."Yvonne gripped the door handle tightly and left him with a final parting remark before closing the door. "I hope you find happiness in your life. As for my answer—you'll never get it."Without dwelling on it, Felix picked up his phone and saw a missed call from an unknown number. He immediately dialed back, only to discover it was a disconnected line.Just a few seconds later, another call from a different number came in. He picked up, and he heard Gerald's voice."You little brat. You're not even picking up your mentor's calls now?" Gerald chided.Felix sighed, exasperated. Older people alway
The reason Edmond dared to question Felix at all was that he was holding onto that one sliver of arrogance—he assumed Felix had only cured Christopher by pure luck, just because it happened to fall under his area of expertise.Otherwise, would he have even dared speak up? Not a chance.Once the silk threads were tied and tension filled the air, Felix spoke calmly after only a short pause. "Her Grace has a mild seasonal chill. It's nothing serious. I'll prescribe her some herbal blends—she'll recover within five days. Or, if she prefers a quicker route, acupuncture will do the trick."The Green King blinked, clearly stunned by the response. "You mean you can heal her without medication?""That's right. No medicine necessary." At the same time, a soft, melodic voice floated from behind the curtain. Sydney Haye said, "My love, that sounds perfect. You know I hate taking medicine. Please, Dr. Zeller, come in and begin the treatment."...15 minutes later, Felix stepped back out in
Joaquin was on the edge of madness. He wanted nothing more than to kill Felix right there, but he didn't dare risk the entire Goldstein family just to satisfy that rage. Disobeying a royal summons meant immediate execution—there was no bluffing around it.After taking a deep breath, Joaquin forced himself to put on a smile. "Dr. Zeller, then tell me—what exactly do you need in order to head to the Green King Manor?"Felix had seen this kind of groveling far too many times before. "Gras is right outside your estate. Go talk to him. The sooner you two reach an agreement, the sooner I'll leave for the manor.""What? Gras is here?" Only now did Joaquin realize just how thoroughly he had been played. Everything had been a setup from the beginning, and he had walked straight into the trap.Time ticked by, and eventually, Gras strolled into the courtyard. He said, "Dr. Zeller, the talk went well. How's the view treating you so far?" From the smile on Gras's face, it was clear he hadn't
Not far away, Wagner silently prayed with all his might. "Come on, Felix, don't back down now. Keep acting like a hothead—because only then will you die."As for any retaliation from the Longstone family, he wasn't the least bit concerned. Things had already gone too far, and Joaquin clearly wasn't about to back down. He would definitely find a reason to escalate the fight, and if that weren't the case, Wagner wouldn't have dared tag along tonight.Maybe his prayer actually worked, because Felix shook his head. "Sorry, I came here just to cooperate with your investigation. Anything beyond that… I won't do."Just as Wagner thought Felix had sealed his fate, someone suddenly rushed in, holding something in his hand. "Mr. Goldstein! We've got trouble—Green King Manor just sent a royal summons!""What?" Joaquin's expression twisted as he snatched the letter. A summons from one of the nine Minor Kings was no small matter—when it was issued, compliance was mandatory. Ignoring it meant
In the past, no one dared provoke a family war so openly as it would've been a blatant slap in the Green King's face. But this time, the Goldsteins had the upper hand. After all, Justus was dead, and the Longstone family was a prime suspect. Hence, even if blood were shed, it could still be justified.Joaquin knew this well. He also understood that Gras would never give up Felix for the sake of the Longstones' reputation, so even forcing the standoff served his purpose.Just as the tension reached its peak and a battle was about to break out, Felix stepped forward on his own. "You're the head of the Goldsteins, right? I'll go with you."Joaquin narrowed his eyes. He hadn't expected Felix to boldly step forward."Dr. Zeller, please step back," Gras said.Felix glanced at Gras and said, "Thank you for everything, sir. But the truth will speak for itself. Once the investigation is done, I'm sure they'll let me return."Gras stayed silent, but Joaquin chuckled coldly. "Return? Do you
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