"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
"Lady Summers, you should take it. Everything's under control right now," Alistair suggested.Xena stepped aside and answered the video call. "Grandpa, what—"She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes widening in shock as the screen showed not Curtis, but a short elderly man with dark spots all over his face."Lady Summers, it's an honor to finally meet you," the man said, instantly triggering Xena's anxiety."You're Sonny Balcom!" she exclaimed.Indeed, this was Sonny, ranked second-to-last among the Thirteen Aces in the Super S-rank wanted criminals list, and the creator of Bloom Seeds. When Sonny's name was mentioned, Alistair rushed over and immediately recognized Sonny too."Well, well, Lady Summers seems to have quite a memory of us Thirteen Aces, recognizing me so quickly." Sonny chuckled.Forcing herself to stay calm, Xena exchanged a glance with Alistair, who quickly left. She asked, "What do you want, Sonny?""Oh, nothing much—just want to play a game!" Sonny smiled. "Since
"You recognized him quickly! Yes, it's your boyfriend Felix. I'm not wrong, am I? This guy solved my Bloom Seeds, and you took care of him for quite a while. Can you really say there's nothing between you?" Sonny taunted.Xena's mind went blank. That explained why Felix's phone was unreachable. Sonny had kidnapped him, too.She demanded, "What are you trying to pull here?"Sonny stepped in front of Curtis, giving her a smug look. "I told you, it's just a game. Now, let's start. Watch closely, Lady Summers."After removing Curtis' gag, Sonny asked, "Should I kill you or him? One of you must die while the other lives." Curtis remained calm, glancing at Felix before responding, "Kill me. I'm old and have lived long enough." Then, he turned to the phone camera. "Xena, live a good life with Felix—he's someone worth trusting."Xena screamed hysterically, tears streaming down her face, but she was helpless to do anything."Well done, Mr. Summers Senior. Such noble thoughts—no wonder y
Nevertheless, Alistair understood Xena's emotional state. When one's family was involved, all rationalities seemed to go down the drain. Hence, he decided to wait for another opportunity to share his thoughts.…Felix went to Yardley Dining for his four-hour training session the next morning. He noticed Vivian wanting to say something and said, "Am I that scary? Just tell me what's on your mind." Vivian nodded and explained, "The Martial Alliance asked me to visit them. I'm not sure if it's related to Andrei's situation."After some thought, Felix responded, "Then, go. Don't let Dragon Alliance appear weak."When Felix returned home, he found both the gate and the front door wide open, as if someone had broken in. Rushing inside, he was puzzled to find Xena sitting in the living room, her face ashen as if something serious had happened."Xena, what brings you here?" Felix asked.Xena stood up and examined him with ice-cold eyes. "Keep acting! Everything ended safely, and now, y
Felix's face darkened with concern. He pressed, "Ryan, are you sure you want to take responsibility for what you said?"After a pause on the other end, Ryan replied, "Nothing happened, so what do you want me to say? This is ridiculous!" Then, the line went dead, prompting Xena to let out a cold laugh. "Can't even find someone to back you up. Felix, I finally understand everything now. You're a failure as a person, but at least you can brag about fooling the Warlady once," Xena said before walking away.Her understanding of "everything" meant she believed Felix's rescue of those dozen kids was just an act to impress her. None of this would have happened if she had not been so moved by that moment. Especially since Felix admitted that saving those children would not have cost him his life—he would only lose his fighting abilities. Then again, none of that mattered. Any fool would know it was worth trading combat skills for Xena's affection. After all, being known as the Warlad
Of course, there had always been people who cared about nothing, like Madam Spring, who poisoned Curtis with Phantom Poison. As a lone wolf with only revenge on her mind, she did not care about the consequences or who was involved.However, those with families or organizations had to be more careful. When the government stepped in, everyone involved would pay the price, and they could not just offer up a scapegoat to make it all go away. Still, these were just Felix's theories. Whether the Elders' Council had other reasons for keeping him and Xena apart remained a mystery for now."Mr. Zeller, I can see you're a reasonable man," Ryan said. "I really wanted to help you, but my hands were tied! I even told my grandfather about your true identity, but he still insisted I lie."Felix suddenly chuckled. "Let me guess—he said something like 'Dr. Hoffman is a legendary master healer who saves lives. He wouldn't wipe out an entire family, so the choice is obvious,' right?"Ryan's awkward
Without her trench coat, Michelle stood there in a black bodysuit with fishnet stockings and straps that created an alluring yet tastefully suggestive appearance."Michelle, what are you doing?" Felix asked helplessly, but Michelle walked toward him with a blush spreading across her face."Felix, I... I like you, and I don't know how else to express my gratitude. This is all I can offer."Michelle was undeniably attractive, and most men would have lost control by now. But Felix, having seen his fair share of beauty, found her merely average in comparison. Besides, even if she were stunning, he could never act on it—she was family to Karina, after all. "Don't do this, Michelle. I really only see you as a sister. Please put your clothes back on," Felix said as he reached for a robe, but Michelle suddenly lunged at him. Felix's brows furrowed. Even without his fighting abilities, his body was still far superior to an ordinary person's. He should have been able to dodge that predict
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
Felix wasn't the least bit surprised by the Flame Monarch's reaction, but he still feigned confusion. "Flame Monarch, I'm sorry... but I don't understand. What do you mean by soul-related injuries?"Just from that single line, Felix confirmed what he suspected—Aquamarinus had no concept of soul-based matters. Whether it was training methods or anything else, this realm hadn't yet touched that domain.The Flame Monarch stared at him, pressure radiating from his body. Felix immediately felt his limbs start to tremble under the invisible weight."You don't know? Then how could you claim to treat that man's condition?" Felix calmly pointed toward the herbs laid out on the table. "The force inside him is definitely strange. It triggered a memory... I once sensed something very similar, and it came from within that herb. It was purely instinct—when something feels familiar, there's a chance it might work."The Flame Monarch shifted his gaze to the herb, then said flatly, "Start from th
Felix gave him a direct and honest answer. "As long as I have enough herbs. I can treat him. I won't promise a full recovery, but one thing I can guarantee you is that this man won't die."For now, that was the best possible answer anyone could offer.The Flame Monarch replied, "Good. Begin. As long as you can keep him alive, you'll be handsomely rewarded."It seemed the Flame Monarch already knew something and never truly expected anyone to completely cure Christopher. Preserving his life alone would already be a feat."Flame Monarch, please reconsider!" one of the elderly doctors suddenly cut in, seething with resentment. "This boy is barely grown—how could he possibly possess such remarkable skill in medicine?"The Flame Monarch turned and gave him a cold, mocking glance. "If he can't do it, then can you?"The old man went silent. Perhaps fearing the loss of favor or acting out of sheer pride, he hesitated. Eventually, he found the courage to speak again."I admit I can't, bu
The Green King's expression changed instantly, and he turned to Felix in a hurry. "Dr. Zeller, please come with me to greet him.""Of course," Felix replied.For anyone in Aquamarinus, getting the chance to see the Flame Monarch up close was like a once-in-a-lifetime dream, and people would probably die happy just for that. Naturally, Felix put on a show of reverence as well, even if he didn't feel it deep down.As they reached the front gate, Felix saw several figures striding toward them with heavy steps. At the front of the group was a towering man, nearly nine feet tall. Even someone as built as Dave looked like a delicate bystander next to him.What stood out the most was his bright crimson hair, which flared upward like flames, making it look like his head was on fire. His facial features were fairly average, but the power behind his gaze radiated pure, undeniable authority.So, this was the Flame Monarch?Felix studied him closely. He suspected the man had cultivated some
According to the rules set by the Flame Monarch, the position of Minor Kings rotated every five years. Those who made outstanding contributions could keep their titles, but anyone who fell short would have to fight for their place all over again.The Green King knew he wasn't particularly strong—he was painfully aware of that. And with the next year marking the fifth year, the pressure was mounting fast. So when Christopher appeared, it felt like fate. If he could heal this man before the Flame Monarch arrived with his elite doctors, the credit would be immense, and his reappointment would be virtually guaranteed. Anyone who had never held a Minor King title wouldn't understand just how many perks came with it. If they did, no one would give it up willingly."I can treat him," Felix said calmly. "But I can't promise a full recovery."The Green King smiled. "Do your best. Even if you can only keep him alive, that alone is worth it."Two doctors before had said that Christopher's b