Felix's expression shifted slightly when Xena's name was mentioned. Of all the possibilities he considered, Xena was not among them.Mistaking Felix's reaction for hesitation, Larry decided to lay all his cards on the table. "I'm not just talking about a quick meal, Mr. Zeller. I want to give her a grand reception—if you understand what I mean."Larry's motivation made sense. He was devoted to his restaurant business, and what better way to gain instant recognition than hosting a celebrity of Xena's caliber? With proper publicity, success would be inevitable."Let me guess—you also want to take photos with her and display them in your restaurant?" Felix asked wryly.Larry shifted uncomfortably. "Come now, Mr. Zeller, I know my boundaries. Lady Summers isn't some regular celebrity, so photos are obviously out of the question."The mention of Xena made Felix contemplate the situation carefully. He considered potential alternatives but realized even someone like Vivian, the current
Since Felix had been dragged into the Phantom Poison incident because of her, Xena felt somewhat guilty. Thus, she agreed to the talk. "Alright."As they walked out, Jaden seethed with frustration. If not for his promise to Zara, he would have confronted Felix already."Felix, I'm going to win Xena over before she becomes Warlady," he muttered. "If you're smart, you'll back off now. Zara can't protect you forever."While walking through the neighborhood, Felix decided to skip the small talk. "Have you heard of Yardley Dining?""No, I haven't." Xena shook her head.However, her heart unexpectedly raced, and she could not explain why. Was Felix really planning to pursue her? "I need a favor from Mr. Larry Laird of Yardley Dining," Felix explained. "His condition is having you dine at his restaurant—a very formal, special dinner."Hearing that he was asking for a favor, Xena's excitement instantly deflated. "Absolutely not! I'm about to become a Warlady. Do you expect me to be a p
Jaden's sudden proposal caught Xena completely off guard. In all honesty, the man kneeling before her checked all the boxes of her ideal partner—handsome, kind, accomplished, and backed by the prestigious Crimson Sage Sect. Sadly, the timing was not right. Xena explained gently, "Jaden, you know my grandpa asked me to date Felix for a month. There's still about two weeks left. I hope you understand."Jaden stood up, looking somewhat embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I completely forgot about that."The euphoria from his breakthrough had made him impulsive, momentarily forgetting about Felix, whom he considered insignificant. Nonetheless, he noticed the look in Xena's eyes and felt he still had a chance, especially considering Xena's promotion to Warlady would happen much later. Shortly after Jaden left, the doorbell rang. Xena was a little annoyed, wondering how everyone seemed to know her whereabouts so easily. Then again, it could be Felix.But as soon as she saw who it was, she went
Leia continued, "The second way is to do him a favor. The only opportunity we know of is through his chronically ill sister. But this won't be easy—Alistair once used his greatest war achievement to convince Lord Hector to summon Silas for her, but even Silas couldn't help."Xena's expression fell. If Dragonia's second-ranked healer, Silas, could not help, what hope was there? Any leader knew the invaluable worth of having a capable commander. Hence, earning Alistair's genuine respect was crucial to securing her position as a Warlady."Leia, did you come here just to discourage me?" Xena asked with a bitter smile. "Both options are impossible for me."If Silas could not help, what could she do? Even if she did become Warlady, getting Silas' attention was not guaranteed. And as for the top-ranked healer, that was even less likely. Leia replied, "Don't you know any master healers? Dragonia's history spans centuries. The current top-ten-ranked healers are just those who seek the
Half an hour later, a group of men arrived at the scene, each exuding a fierce, battle-hardened demeanor. It was clear they were experienced combat veterans. "Captain Hill, punish me as you see fit," the first man said with his head bowed low. "I failed to protect Ms. Hill."The man who commanded such respect appeared to be in his 40s, with a square jaw and a cross-shaped scar on his forehead. His cold gaze alone was enough to send a shiver down anyone's spine.Alistair replied, "It's not your fault. Yara has been suicidal for a while now. She must have used her inner energy for that burst of movement, despite her condition. You couldn't have kept up. Did her trace disappear here?"The man nodded. "Yes, she could be nearby or much further away." Thanks to his unique practice, he could track a person's scent as long as they did not leave a certain radius.Alistair bit his finger until it bled and began murmuring something. His men's faces paled at this action, and one spoke up
Alistair declared, "In my life, I've only kneeled before my parents, but today, I kneel before you, sir. Please, I beg you to save Yara's life."The dozens of men present suddenly dropped to their knees as well. They all owed their lives to Alistair many times over, so this gesture came naturally to them. Alistair continued, "We broke into your home and attacked without knowing the truth. I'll cut off my own arm if that's what it takes for you to forgive us and save my sister."He raised his right hand, his expression unchanging as he prepared to strike his left arm."If you actually do that, I won't help Yara," Felix warned quickly.Alistair was caught off guard, and his eyes lit up with hope. "You'll help her?"Felix sighed. In truth, he was genuinely moved by Alistair's character. He had met many military men before, but never one like Alistair—someone who combined fierce loyalty with such devotion to family."Everyone, please stand up. This is making me uncomfortable," Feli
As the sound faded, Xena walked in and was surprised to see Felix there. She quickly masked her reaction and ignored him, secretly hoping he would not mention their relationship in front of her subordinates, especially Alistair—that would be too embarrassing."Lady Summers!" Alistair and the others bowed respectfully. Just as predicted, Alistair was not the type to disrespect authority, though his true loyalty remained questionable.Xena acknowledged them with a slight nod. "Quite a commotion here. Is there anything I can help with? I know I don't officially start until tomorrow morning, but I hope you don't mind me asking." The others remained silent until Alistair spoke up. "It's nothing serious. My sister just went missing for a while, but we've found her. Thank you for your concern, Lady Summers."Felix stood there silently, smart enough to pick up on Xena's deliberate attempt to hide their relationship."I see. I'm glad it was just a false alarm," Xena replied.As Alistair
Recognizing Xena's honesty, Alistair had already begun to accept his new superior. "Thank you for your concern, Lady Summers. Mr. Zeller has already found a way to treat Yara—now I just need to wait." After Alistair left, Xena turned to Felix. "You've done me a huge favor."Felix was annoyed. Xena had directly claimed him as her boyfriend without giving him a chance to explain, and she had gotten away with quite an advantage.He stepped closer to her with a mischievous look. "Oh really? How do you plan to thank me?"For some reason, Xena felt flustered. He was standing so close that his scent overwhelmed her senses, leaving her feeling strangely unsettled. She stuttered, "W-What are you doing?"Wanting to teach her a lesson, Felix suddenly grabbed the back of her head and kissed those coveted lips that many men had only dreamed of touching. The sudden contact left Xena's mind in chaos—she had never been touched by a man before, so her stunned reaction was natural. When Felix's
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