Andrei always aimed for the safest approach in everything he did. When it came to dealing with Felix, Pierce was just one piece of the puzzle, and there was a backup plan that even Theodore was unaware of. "Dad! My… my legs are ruined! You have to kill Felix. You have to kill him!" Pierce cried.Andrei crouched down and gently stroked his cheek. "Don't worry. I'll definitely avenge you. For now, rest and focus on your recovery," Andrei said.Andrei's assurances comforted Pierce. After all, he believed Felix could not be a match for his father.Theodore asked, "Mr. Hawkins Senior, do you still plan to continue?" Andrei furrowed his brow before responding, "The Dragon Alliance's involvement was unexpected. Stopping now would indeed be a good choice, but I promised Perry that I wouldn't back down unless the odds were massively against us." Theodore remained silent. After all, everything was Andrei's call, and his own role was simply to advise.Andrei asked, "Can we find out what
Felix's expression turned strange as he contemplated the situation. Earlier, George had turned from enemy to friend because of Moonshadow Alliance, and any sensible person would know George would need Felix's help eventually. However, Ryan was different. He definitely did not know about Felix's connection to Moonshadow Alliance. Even if he did, given his much higher status than George, he would not actively try to curry favor. As he thought about it, Felix could not help but feel amused.Ryan laughed, seemingly aware of Felix's doubts. "What? Don't believe me? Treating kids should be routine as a doctor, but you're different. You sacrificed all your reputation without hesitation."Honestly, while I might seem carefree, I know when to respect people and their actions. You saved over a dozen orphans last time and put yourself on the line—that's worthy of this!" As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up. Felix was speechless as he looked at Ryan's genuine expression. There was not a
Setting aside everything else, everyone knew Gerald's apprentice would need to have exceptional medical skills. At his young age, Felix had never met anyone else who could claim the title of master healer, which made it too easy to spot an imposter. However, someone of Ryan's status did not seem like they would be easily fooled. So, Felix asked, "Do you know Dr. Hoffman's apprentice?" Ryan shook his head again. "No, but I can take you to meet him. It'll be up to you to make an impression because they won't do it as a favor to me. "All I can do is tell them how you risked everything to save those kids. With a healer's compassionate heart and seeing how many master healers support you, I believe Dr. Hoffman's apprentice might be moved too."Felix finally understood that Ryan had also been deceived. For the sake of Gerald's reputation, Felix knew he had to meet this impostor."Alright, I'll go with you," Felix agreed.Ryan stood up and waved dismissively. "I'll let you know when.
"Yvonne, it's me, Felix—" Felix barely got the words out before the call disconnected. His expression turned tensed as he realized Yvonne had no intention of keeping contact."What happened? Did she hang up?" Jack asked.When Felix nodded, Jack quickly tried calling back, only to hear that the number was no longer in service. Jack's face instantly turned pale, and he grumbled, "Damn it! If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have let you use my phone. Now Ms. Cooper's blocked me too!"Felix looked embarrassed. "My bad, but it won't affect your work." Jack took an angry bite of his breakfast, clearly annoyed. While he knew it would not impact his work, he had to find other ways to contact Yvonne.… Two days passed quickly, with Felix maintaining his strict four-hour daily refining of the ancient dragon's spine. That morning, he opened his eyes and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Averill! This isn't funny!" Felix exclaimed, finding Averill lying beside him as she stared a
Averill turned off the TV with a bored expression. "I'm bored, Felix. Let's play."At those words, Felix quickly waved his hands in protest. "No! Averill, don't try anything funny!" In his current state, without any martial arts abilities, he would be completely defenseless if Averill tried to force herself on him.Averill pouted and revealed a deck of playing cards from behind her back. "What's going on in that dirty mind of yours? I meant these cards, though if you want to play something else, I wouldn't mind," she teased.For once, Felix could not help but blush—he really did let his imagination run wild. He replied, "Fine. I can handle this game."Just then, his phone rang. It was Ryan, who had given him his contact info two days ago. "Felix, I'm driving over to pick you up now. Whatever important things you have planned, cancel them. The opportunity I mentioned is happening tonight."Felix frowned at the timing but agreed anyway. "Alright, come pick me up."After explainin
Solomon took a sip of his drink and laughed. "How could I possibly guess what the higher-ups are thinking? I just do what I'm told. Besides, isn't Dr. Hoffman's apprentice human too?" Ryan felt a chill at Solomon's words, considering Gerald's reputation was enough to make anyone think twice before making a move. He had known Solomon for a long time; Solomon's family was powerful, but the man was simply obsessed with martial arts.Solomon showed no interest in money or women. Instead, he would follow anyone who could make him stronger. While Ryan had never heard of the Elders' Council before, he knew they were definitely not a simple bunch of people. "Mr. Gill, do you think Dr. Hoffman's apprentice will agree?" Ryan asked uncertainly.Solomon shook his head. "How would I know what he's thinking when I've never met him? But since you've spoken so highly of him, I'll allow you to make an introduction. I must say, I admire anyone who would risk themselves to save those poor orphans.
"Excellent! You didn't disappoint me. Rest assured, I'll give it my all," Solomon declared.Seeing this, Ryan frantically backed away. Though he had decent martial arts talent and had reached the Martial King level, he knew how terrifying Solomon was and did not want to get caught in the crossfire between these two.Felix nodded and slowly raised his right hand. "After one strike, we'll see if you're worthy of making me show my true abilities."Solomon did not feel insulted; instead, he excitedly drew his sword. If anyone else had spoken like that, he would have struck them down immediately, but Felix was Gerald's apprentice—he had earned that confidence.The next moment, Felix launched a blow toward Solomon, sending a gust of wind surging across the mountaintop. The wind was so intense that an ordinary person would struggle to stand, let alone keep their eyes open.Ryan was unaffected and strained to watch, not wanting to miss a single detail. Suddenly, a blade's light flashed, s
George quickly jerked the phone away from his ear, frowning. "Mr. Gibson, are you trying to make me deaf?"Then, something suddenly clicked in his mind. "Wait, what were you saying about Felix?""Felix never lost his martial arts—did you know about this all along?" Ryan demanded.George was stunned, and his eyes turned cold. "Don't push it too far, Mr. Gibson. Felix's body was damaged after that heroic act, and you're still trying to cause trouble for him? He's not as simple as you think."Ryan froze for a moment before replying, "It seems like you knew his true identity and set me up on purpose. But forget it—it was my fault for getting involved. Everything's fine now, so let's talk when we meet."After the call ended, George's confusion only deepened. He wondered what Ryan was talking about. Just then, a voice broke the silence. "If your father's letting you handle such a big contract with me, he must be planning to hand over more responsibilities."George quickly stood up wi
Two hours later, Felix was officially working for a local food delivery company in Notura City. The restaurant called out, "Delivery order number 19, ready for pickup."Since the city was famous for its unique cuisine, the local delivery services were far more dominant than Uber Eats or any national competitors, making it an easy choice."Alright. Thank you." Grabbing the takeout order, Felix packed it into the insulated carrier and hopped onto his electric scooter. Thanks to Yadiel pulling some strings, his account was set up so that he would only receive orders going to hotels and motels—everything else was blocked.Wearing his helmet and riding through the streets, Felix felt an unusual sense of peace. Ever since he had left the mountain, he had been constantly on the move, but now, blending into ordinary life like this felt strangely refreshing.He mumbled, "I wonder how that fatso is doing in Martial City, looking for the Phaeron Codex."Felix did not believe for a second t
"No need, Mr. Zeller. Since Ms. Jamison sent me here, your business is my business," Yadiel said smoothly.Felix frowned. "I wasn't asking you. Give me your account number.""Son of a—" Yadiel silently cursed, biting back his irritation. His patience had limits, but he decided it was not worth the argument. With a sigh, he rattled off the numbers.Felix tapped away on his phone, and a moment later, Yadiel's own device buzzed. He glanced at the screen and saw a deposit notification—five million dollars."Mr. Zeller, what's this for?" he asked.Felix answered casually, "That G-Wagon parked in the alley is yours, right? Five million dollars should be more than enough to upgrade to a G63. Go get yourself a new one."Yadiel was not entirely sure what Felix was playing at, but he had to admit that this level of generosity did make him feel a little better. Now that was more like it. Eunice didn't have total leverage over him, after all. Business should be a two-way street—that was ju
Draco saw his opportunity and jumped at it, eagerly pointing at Felix. He said, "Mr. Doyle! I happened to find out that this punk offended you, so I took the liberty of capturing him and waiting for your orders."Eddy stood there in complete shock, his confidence crumbling into dust. He had assumed Felix's bold spending and unwavering composure meant he had powerful backing, but if he had pissed off Yadiel, then no one could save him now."Shit! Please don't drag me down with you," he silently prayed.Yadiel's expression twitched with something unreadable as he stepped closer to Draco. He growled, "So, what you're saying is… I should be thanking you?"Draco's spine nearly folded in half as he bowed even lower. "Oh, no, Mr. Doyle, not at all! It's my honor to be of service to you."Yadiel had half a mind to slap him, but even that felt like a waste of effort. Instead, he asked Felix, "Mr. Zeller, how would you like to handle this?"Of course, Yadiel had been sent by Eunice. Otherw
Suzie felt like crying but had no tears left. She was terrified of completely disappointing Felix. She had just been pulled out of one hellhole, only to walk straight into another. How was that any different from being a complete idiot?Draco had not even bothered to gag her, which meant he did not care if she told the truth. This was his territory—his word was the only one that mattered.Felix barely glanced at the contract before saying, "So, you really think I'm just some rich fool, huh? Too bad—if you had just taken your winnings and enjoyed yourself, you could've made a solid profit, but instead, you just had to push me into handling this another way."Draco's smile disappeared. "Listen, kid! If you had real connections, you would've used them by now, and as for throwing away half a million dollars? My patience isn't unlimited—either you put down two million dollars and walk out of here with Suzie, or you get lost. "From now on, I will decide her future. Pick one."Felix sho
Felix had not planned on responding at first. After all, what he did back then was just a spur-of-the-moment decision—he never expected any kind of reward or follow-up.Nonetheless, now that an A-tier Malevolent Phantom was in the picture, it seemed that Eunice might actually come in handy. So, he asked, "You're probably someone with status here in Notura City, right?" Eunice froze for a moment before quickly responding with sincerity, "I'd say I have some influence, but if you need something, I'll do everything I can to help."Felix replied, "I'm Felix Zeller."Hearing his name, Eunice could not help but feel a little excited. This had never happened before—men were always the ones approaching her first, but this time, the roles were completely reversed.Felix added, "If you want to repay me, it's really simple. Do you know any big shots in Notura City's underground scene?"The underground scene? Eunice's mind went blank for a second. She felt like Felix was not playing by any
Felix thought Milo's explanation made sense. They chatted for a little while longer before Milo left Notura City.After she was gone, Felix sat at home, deep in thought. Since the Malevolent Phantoms's hunting ground was clearly hotels, maybe Eddy could actually be useful. Felix could not be everywhere at once, and without any pattern to the Malevolent Phantoms's hotel selection—even small motels had been targeted—there were simply too many places to cover.He mumbled, "It looks like it's time to implement my plan. I need a job that allows me to work in hotels."The only job that came to mind was food delivery. Delivery drivers had access to hotels, motels, and inns across the city without raising suspicion.Just as Felix was stepping out, his phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. Confused, he answered."Hello, sir," said the voice on the other end. "This is about the payment you made last night at the barbecue stand. There seems to be an issue. Could you come by for
Eddy froze, completely thrown off by the question. However, he did not dare delay, quickly responding, "Mr. Bennett, wasn't it half a million dollars?"Draco let out a cold snort. "Pathetic. You're so short-sighted. I know exactly what happened."That stranger forked over half a million to buy Suzie's freedom—someone willing to pay that much without hesitation definitely has more. And you just handed over the contract without trying to squeeze a single extra dime out of him? What a damn waste."So that was what this was about. Eddy was even more confused now—if they demanded more, he figured Felix would realize what they were doing. Plus, Suzie knew the exact amount of the debt."Tomorrow, take some guys and bring Suzie back," Draco ordered, his tone sharp. "That kid's a walking goldmine. I want to see how much more we can milk out of that rich idiot."Eddy's stomach twisted with unease. Summoning some courage, he said, "Mr. Bennett, that guy dropped half a million without blinkin
As soon as Milo left, Suzie hesitated for a moment before speaking nervously. "I'm sorry, sir. Did I make your girlfriend misunderstand? I can explain everything to her if you want."She had only caught a few glimpses of Milo but already felt completely out of place. With that kind of beauty and presence, Milo was the kind of woman who could leave others breathless—maybe only someone like her was truly worthy of a good man like Felix.Felix replied, "It's fine. Besides, she's not my girlfriend."A few minutes later, the guy with Eddy showed up, perfectly embodying the phrase "money talks". His eager, bootlicking smile was not fake—it was the real deal."Sir, is Suzie refusing to cooperate?" he asked, shooting Suzie a nasty glare. If Felix had not been there, he probably would have gone straight to roughing her up.Felix replied, "No. Suzie told me she owes you guys money. With the interest, it's up to half a million now, right? I already paid 200 thousand—I'll cover the remaining
Felix was irritated—after all, who would not be with a gun pointed at their head? Of course, for most people, the feeling would be sheer terror.Still, he did not act recklessly. In Dragonia, guns were mostly carried by law enforcement, and he did not want to risk harming an undercover officer by mistake. To his surprise, the person holding the gun was Milo. He remembered her well from the days of the Martial Arts Competition—she was a close friend of Ronan's.He blurted out, "Milo?"Milo closed the door and lowered the gun, her expression as calm as ever. She wore simple jeans and a T-shirt, and the sword she was once known for was nowhere in sight."Never thought our first meeting after your return would be under circumstances like this," he added.Once Milo confirmed that it was Felix, she let out a small sigh and stated, "Ronan—" Felix raised a hand to cut her off. "Don't worry about Ronan. I promise he'll come back safe in a year. He's with my sister now. Other than losin