Jack was so startled he nearly wet himself when he realized Vanessa was standing right behind him. He scrambled to explain, his voice full of nervous laughter."Nessa, honey, I was just joking with Felix! Come on, everything here—inside and out—runs by your word. You know that, right?"But Vanessa wasn't one to let things slide easily. She crossed her arms, a sly smirk on her face."Whatever. I heard it all. You can explain all you want, but as punishment, don't expect me to wear black stockings or sleep with you for the next week!"Her tone was playful but firm, and before Jack could respond, she turned her attention to Felix, her expression brightening."Felix! What a coincidence running into you here! Cici and I were just having a few drinks and chatting, and here you are!"Without waiting for Felix's agreement, Vanessa waved enthusiastically. "Cici, come on! Let's share a table."Felix sighed inwardly. While it seemed like Jack genuinely hadn't planned this meeting, Felix wa
Felix's lips curved into a subtle smile, though his words carried a polite tone. "Xena, I wasn't trying to dodge, really. It's just that—""Come if you want! I don't care!"The call ended abruptly with a sharp click. Felix rubbed his nose, chuckling at her short temper. Her promotion clearly came with a proportional rise in her fiery attitude.Of course, he was going to go. But since this was Xena's domain, he figured he might as well use the opportunity to make her owe him a favor. If she could soften her stance and influence Curtis, things would undoubtedly take a smoother turn.When Feliz arrived at the Wolfie troops' base, Alistair was already waiting at the entrance."Where's the wanted criminal?" Felix asked."In the infirmary," Alistair replied, hesitating slightly.Felix raised an eyebrow. "Out with it. What's the issue?""Well… someone's already treating him."Felix tilted his head, intrigued. "Didn't you say your doctor couldn't handle the situation? What happened? D
Ethan was furious. "You're questioning my medical skills? Who are you? What qualifications do you have? Phoenix Warlord, I need an explanation!"To his surprise, Xena simply responded, "He does have the qualifications, so I suggest you answer his questions, Dr. Calhorn."Ethan, taken aback, couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was someone around his age speaking with such authority?"Fine! But if you can't give me a satisfactory explanation today, I'll report this to the headquarters and demand they settle this! I, Ethan Calhorn, come from Medic's Haven, and my visit here is part of our agreement with headquarters—to provide medical aid during emergencies. "Do you think I'd willingly be here otherwise?"Felix remained calm, pointing with his hand. "You used the Hexa-Point Needle Method, didn't you?"Ethan's expression changed immediately upon hearing this."The Hexa-Point Needle Method, as the name suggests, involved six needles. You only used five. Sure, they might not notice
Once inside the office, Xena appeared slightly apologetic."Sorry for dragging you into this and getting you threatened. But don't worry—Ethan is definitely in trouble. Regardless of his motives, he won't be getting out for at least ten years."Felix dropped into a chair with a casual smile. "Why the formality between us?"Xena rolled her eyes at him but couldn't deny the lingering fear in her heart. If she hadn't personally made that call to Felix, Ethan might have walked away scot-free, and a month later, when the criminal died, the blame would have fallen squarely on her shoulders.As someone newly appointed, the last thing she needed was a disaster of this magnitude."Well, since I saved the day, how do you plan to thank me?" Felix asked.Xena thought for a moment before replying seriously, "I know you've been working hard to clear your name and even went to see my grandfather. But you have to understand, he was directly involved in that incident. With his age and experience,
"Felix! Something's happened to Nessa!" yelled Jack."What happened?" Felix asked immediately."I don't know!" replied Jack anxiously. "She sent me a message asking me to look for you, mentioning something about Martial Alliance visiting her home to stir up trouble. She didn't pick up when I tried to call her."Martial Alliance? Felix abruptly recalled that Vanessa was a martial artist, so her family definitely had connections to the world of martial arts as well—except they shouldn't have been that intricately involved, so how had they gotten entangled with the Martial Alliance?"You can stop concerning yourself with this matter," he told Jack. "I'll handle it!"He had to get to the scene in person. It would be best if he could solve it by himself and only pull out his trump card—Dragon Alliance—if things didn't work out.Even if outsiders may be clueless, he couldn't be more aware of Dragon Alliance's current situation. They were like a sheep donning a wolf's pelt right now, re
When Brock saw that Vanessa was about to be carted off by the Martial Alliance members, he moved to block their path. He was like a lion who had woken from its slumber, his submissive attitude vanishing and replaced with an imposing demeanor."Let go of her!" he barked.Amaya sneered disdainfully at him. "What, are you going to get physical with us? You'd better think things through, Mr. Meyer. Once you make a move against us, your entire family will be implicated."She patted Vanessa's face. "If you follow along obediently, I can plead your case with Mr. Tate later in order to allow your family a grace period of one year. How's that for a deal?"Angry, Vanessa asked in a low voice, "Will you keep your word?""Of course!" Amary replied.Vanessa immediately turned to look at Brock."Please make way, Dad," she said, attempting to reason with him. "Our family can't afford the consequences of acting against Martial Alliance! After I'm gone, get Jack to contact Felix Zeller. He'll be
"M-My name is Xerxes Tate, Mr. Zeller," Xerxes said humbly. "I've been wanting to apologize to you in person for being so blind before. Don't worry. I'll definitely follow the rules to the letter when driving from now on."Seeing as his attitude was decent, Felix loosened his grip on Xerxes' shirt."What's going on over here, then?" he asked. "Are you trying to take my friend away?"Swallowing, Xerxes ordered Amary to come over to them, then explained, "I was just sleeping in the car, so I don't know a thing about what's going on. But don't worry, Mr. Zeller, because I'll definitely get to the bottom of this."As soon as the words left his mouth, he slapped Amary twice without showing the slightest sign of holding back."Who gave you the bright idea of taking away Mr. Zeller's friend?" he demanded. "Are you courting death?"At this point, Amary had realized that Felix's identity must be extremely terrifying, because why else would Xerxes behave in this way? That said, she had no
"Who's this fellow?" Dalton asked. He was confused at the sight of Felix. After careful thought, he realized that he had never seen him before."Dad, he's Felix Zeller," Brock answered. "Just now, the people from Martial Alliance—"Before he had even finished speaking, Dalton's expression darkened."Martial Alliance came again?" he asked in distaste. "Do they really think us Meyers are pushovers? Why didn't you call me?"Brock smiled wryly. "Why else, other than that we were afraid you'd worry?"What would they achieve by calling Dalton anyway? They had already exhausted their connections. Who would dare help them once they heard that the Meyers had offended Xerxes' personal subordinate?"Although this may sound shameless, when Curtis arrives later, I'm going to ask him for a favor even if I have to beg for it. The situation with Martial Alliance is ridiculous!"Xena was the Phoenix Warlord. Handling a minor issue like this would be child's play to her."The matter's already be
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