Only one man entered the room. He seemed to be in his 40s and was impeccably dressed. He even wore a subtle smile that did nothing to diminish his overwhelming presence. The entire banquet hall fell silent at his arrival. Felix frowned. "What's going on?" George's eyes widened in recognition as he said, "Well, well... I can't believe Lilian had the nerve! Five years after the Starlight incident, someone cleverly tried to pull one over on Lady Nala. The bastard actually succeeded and fled overseas. "Now that Alfie's shown up, they must have caught him. Looks like it's time for everyone involved to face the music." As he spoke, Lilian cowered behind Terrance with a trembling voice. "It wasn't me, Mr. McDonald. You've got the wrong person, I swear!"Alfie stood motionless. His smile was unwavering as he slowly raised his right hand. "Will you come with me, or should I make you? The outcomes of your decision would be quite different." Terrance swallowed hard before stepping forw
No matter how capable Felix was, he could not possibly defeat Nala. Madeline could not let her family drama ruin her first love and life savior. But Alfie's smile faded as he studied Felix. "You're Mr. Felix Zeller, right? Since you've spoken up, there may be room for negotiation. Lady Nala owes you a favor from the orphanage incident. But are you sure you want to waste it on someone like Lilian? After all, a favor from Lady Nala is invaluable." The revelation that Nala owed Felix a favor stunned everyone. Lilian saw a glimmer of hope and collapsed at Felix's feet, sobbing, "Felix, please save me! I don't want to die!" When he remained silent, she turned to Madeline. "Please, Maddy. Help me convince him. I was deceived! I never would've dared cross Lady Nala!" Madeline did not hesitate at all. How could she possibly let Felix waste such a precious favor? But he spoke first before she could, "Let Lilian go." Alfie nodded. "Very well. Consider Lady Nala's debt settled, then
Ernest's eyes narrowed as he studied Felix, which made Felix feel embarrassed. "You want to attend Xena's appointment ceremony?" Seeing Felix nod, Ernest suddenly laughed before saying, "No." Felix was baffled. Given their relationship, this should have been a simple request. "I can't betray Sherlyn like that. She'd never forgive me for helping her rival." Ernest chuckled, showing his playful side while Jairo watched in amusement."Mr. Holt Senior, you've got it wrong. I'm just curious about the ceremony." "Really? I've been around long enough to know better. Are you saying there's nothing between you and Xena?"Felix fell silent. He did not want to lie to the old man. "Goodbye, then." Watching as Ernest walked away, Felix felt helpless. Left with no choice, Felix called Hector after getting home. He needed to attend the ceremony. He had to signal Xena about Madam Spring's situation and save his own life. Their relationship had been tough from the start, with simple
"Mr. Holt Senior, how did you know he would attend? His connections must be limited now," Jairo said."True. Felix lost his martial powers, and his medical skills have dwindled. But I think he isn't as simple as he appeared to be. Look. He managed to get in." Jairo was impressed. This was not some ordinary party. It was an official ceremony that only people connected to the authorities could attend, yet Felix had secured entry effortlessly.…Xena's appointment ceremony was being held at the Wolfie troops' base. The guards stopped Felix's car when he arrived. "Hello, I'm here for the ceremony." "ID please." The guard took it but radioed instead of checking the list. "Lady Leia, Mr. Zeller has arrived. Please verify." After that, he turned to Felix. "Please step out and wait for Lady Leia's verification." "Alright!" Someone was sent over to drive Felix's car away, so he stood at the side waiting. Right then, a Bentley arrived. The guard went over to verify their identitie
Dissatisfied, Aimee turned to look at whoever was speaking. When she saw the elegant woman addressing Felix, she became even more upset. She started to speak but stopped when she saw the soldiers saluting Leia. This was Wolfie troops' territory, after all. Still, she memorized Leia's face. If she could not handle this, Xena certainly could. This was Xena's big day being crowned as Warlady, so no outsiders were allowed. Even Aimee was here only because she was a relative. How did Felix get in? Someone must have broken protocol. "You must be Leia, right?" Leia studied Felix. His reputation preceded him. This young man who had earned even Hector's respect had truly hidden his power well. "Yes. Please follow me." Inside, Leia said, "Lord Hector is with important guests. He suggested you wait in the waiting room." Felix raised his hand. "It's okay. Let Mr. Downy handle his business. I'm just here for the ceremony. We can always catch up another time." Felix knew better than t
Two of the Thirteen Aces had been captured by chance, but the records from the headquarters showed Xena had made the arrests. That was undeniable. As she scanned the audience, Xena maintained her military bearing. But her eyes froze on the back row. Felix? What was he doing here? Quickly composing herself, she delivered the standard promotion speech. After the ceremony, everyone left promptly, as this was not a social gathering where people would enjoy food and drinks. When the crowd cleared, Felix approached her. "Congratulations, Xena!" She had mixed feelings. She did not expect his presence today—even hearing him congratulating him. "Thank you." Felix left with a smile, having achieved his goal. Almost immediately, Aimee rushed over with dissatisfaction. "Xena, someone let a nobody like Felix in on your big day! We need to investigate this, and he shouldn't get away with it, either!" Truthfully, Xena felt oddly pleased by Felix's presence. Both the God of Death's cap
In a private room, Hector beamed. "Xena, I cleared my evening to celebrate with you. Where are you taking me to dinner?" Looking at him, Xena felt nothing but gratitude. Without him as her mentor, she would not be where she was today. "Let me cook for you at my place. I can't think of a restaurant worthy of this occasion." Though she was now Phoenix Warlord and was equal in rank to Hector, her respect for him remained unwavering. "Sure. I'll try your cooking, then." Noticing her expression, Hector asked, "Is there something on your mind?"After hesitating, Xena asked, "Lord Hector, did you have Leia bring Felix to my ceremony?" He thought it was something more serious, so he laughed and said, "Yes. Is that a problem?" So it was true. Xena pressed on, "Do you know Felix?" "I've known him for quite a while! He's treated me a few times. You probably know how amazing his medical skills are firsthand."This revelation stunned Xena. Why had Felix never mentioned this? "Do you
Finnley laughed. "Hah! You're quite well-informed. You even know about my brother's wedding! But you're overestimating yourself. Did you think I'm all talk because I haven't struck you in our previous encounters?" He stepped forward with eyes full of contempt. "That's only because Xena warned me. She said she'd blame me if anything happened to you—proof or not—and never give me another chance. Otherwise, you think you'd still be standing?" Felix's eyes narrowed. He had wondered why Finnley—the Walsh family's heir—had been so restrained. So, Xena had intervened."Fine! One last chance. If you can make me kneel and apologize at my brother's wedding, it's over. Otherwise, you'll write a suicide note and end it. Deal?" Suicide? Felix chuckled. "Sure. What if I back out?" Turning away, Finnley left a final threat. "Then, everyone connected to you dies. You know I can do it." After learning Finnley's identity, Felix deduced that Yvonne's fiancé had to be his brother. There was onl
The moment the topic came up, Felix's gaze flickered, avoiding direct eye contact. No matter how you put it, even though Xena would also benefit from it, it still felt somewhat unfair. It felt that way, especially since they weren't in a relationship. If they were married or at least dating, it wouldn't be an issue at all."I'm exhausted. I need another two days to rest," he said.Billy scoffed. "I know your soul energy is depleted, but trust me. Your fatigue will disappear instantly once your souls merge. The feeling is beyond words. I'm sure you've heard from the Malevolent Phantom how irresistible Soul Binding is, even for those who've already experienced love and passion."Wait, what? Felix was speechless. It seemed that there was really no way out of it."Oh, one last thing. After you and Xena… you know, your soul energy will be completely absorbed and stored away. That means you won't have any left to wield a soul-bound weapon or use any soul attacks. Are you sure you still
There was only one explanation—Felix really could heal soul damage."Of course, I healed him. Let me rest for a bit. Wake me up when the sun comes up."Felix was utterly exhausted. Even if an S-tier Malevolent Phantom appeared beside him, he couldn't be bothered to care. If Donna had truly wanted to kill him, she would have done it long ago. There was no reason for her to wait until now.As Donna watched Felix slip into a deep sleep almost instantly, her expression grew more complex.What kind of ridiculous joke was that? Even though Leonardo was a crossbreed, his soul had already inherited the traits of a Malevolent Phantom. While it wasn't exactly the same as a true Malevolent Phantom, the essence of his soul had changed.And yet, Felix had still managed to heal him. If word of this got out, it would shake the entire Malevolent Phantom world to its core.It was like finding out that some miracle doctor could cure any disease in the human world. People would go absolutely crazy.
Leonardo's body suddenly started convulsing, and with foam spilling from his mouth, even a fool could tell something had gone wrong.Damage to the soul was entirely different from physical injuries. If one got a cut, even without treatment, their body would eventually heal on its own. However, the soul wasn't like that. Any damage was permanent and had widespread consequences. Even if just a fraction of an inch of the soul was harmed, the physical reaction could be extreme.Felix let out a long breath. "Finally got it out. It sounds easy, but doing it was incredibly difficult. Even with my soul energy, I nearly couldn't hold on."The level of precision required to make such an impossibly fine cut was beyond imagination. To do it without causing any collateral damage would require soul energy beyond comprehension.Of course, Leonardo's soul had been damaged. There was no avoiding it."At least he's alive. You've done all you could," Donna said.However, Felix just smiled. "That'
At that moment, Felix turned to Norman. "Step outside and say the lines you've rehearsed. Then, I'll take your son with me. He'll be back by dawn."Norman was beyond relieved. If Leonardo could survive, nothing else mattered.He had long anticipated this day. Living on Earth, even if it wasn't intentional, he had killed more than one person. There was no way he'd be let off the hook.In the living room, Lina was in tears, bombarding him with questions, while Steve kept sighing heavily. No one could have imagined that a once-happy family would fall apart overnight."I'm taking Leonardo for treatment. I won't say it again."Seeing the scene unfold, Felix spoke up. With Norman's cooperation, things were going more smoothly. Since he had been assured that Leonardo would return safely, there was no reason for further resistance.The situation had to be handled strictly. There was no room for defiance.Just then, Xena arrived. She had actually been in Zuera since the day before but ha
Norman looked into Felix's eyes and knew there was no room for negotiation. He lowered his head in silence.Seeing this, Felix dialed Donna's number."What's up?" she asked."I found a crossbreed.""A crossbreed? Oh, you mean a hybrid? What about it?"Felix had no choice but to ask Donna for help. No matter how he looked at it, he also wanted to protect Leonardo."This crossbreed is only three years old and seems to have inherited a soul-related trait. He just killed someone out of pure instinct."Before Felix could finish, Donna had already guessed the situation. She let out a chuckle, her tone carrying a hint of eerie amusement. "Let me guess, you want to save the kid?"Felix didn't bother denying it. "That's right. I want to know if there's a way."After a long pause, Donna's voice came through again, "There is! But I can only assist. Since he's just three years old and hasn't developed much yet, I can mark the part of his soul that drives his instincts. "You'll need to
A trace of sweetness flickered in Norman's eyes, and he couldn't help but smile."Yeah, I never imagined it, either. Me, an A-tier Malevolent Phantom, actually falling in love with a human. I'm completely, hopelessly in love."Felix froze as he hadn't expected it to be true."You probably don't believe me. No other Malevolent Phantom would, either. But it's real. I truly love Lina. After experiencing what you humans call love, I was completely consumed by it. Maybe that's why, when we were together, our souls intertwined, and that's how Leonardo was born."Norman grew emotional as he spoke."Do you understand? When I realized that Leonardo had inherited the unique traits of a Malevolent Phantom's soul, I was overjoyed beyond words."But I regretted it instantly when I remembered where we were. Because it meant that if Norman was ever discovered, he would be in danger of being killed at any moment."And now, with your arrival today, I knew that moment had come. I just didn't expe
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