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
Curtis frowned, asking, "He's the person you were talking about?""That's right," replied Dalton.Sometimes, situations arose in which one needed to exercise discretion.Felix spoke up at that moment. "Mr. Meyer Senior, Mr. Summers Senior, I'm expecting a guest back home. I'm afraid that it's not an appointment I can reschedule, so I'll take my leave first."After Dalton had escorted Felix out, Curtis started questioning him again."Are you sure he was the one who helped your family and that he didn't ask for any reward?"Whatever the two old men discussed regarding the situation with Martial Alliance, it was no longer Felix's concern. He had already achieved the outcome he wanted—although he knew that Curtis wouldn't change his mind about him due to this incident alone, it was still a good start.…At that moment, there was an electric scooter lying on its side on a street in Canraville, and not far from the scooter lay an old man. There were many onlookers gathered around, an
"Who the hell's trying to play hero now?" Damon turned around, and his face immediately dropped. "Dr… Dr. Leonard?" Murmurs rippled through the crowd. "Isn't that the specialist from Mercy Hospital, Leonard Ziegler?" "It really is! Just last month, I waited two weeks to get an appointment with him for my mom." "Could this young man be some kind of medical prodigy? Even someone like Dr. Leonard is vouching for him." Clearly, Damon recognized Leonard and started stammering, "W-Well… if Dr. Leonard vouches for him, I have no objections." Felix was puzzled. He did not know Leonard. Given his own young age, it also seemed incredible that such a distinguished expert in modern medicine would vouch for a stranger in a life-or-death situation. Nevertheless, saving Arthur was the priority. Felix immediately began the acupuncture treatment. Within minutes, Arthur opened his eyes and managed to stand up with Felix's help. "Dad!" Damon exclaimed joyfully. The onlookers were amazed. A
The note read, "Felix, I've mastered the forbidden technique. Do you dare face me again tonight at the peak of Eastern Mountain?" Was it Solomon again? Felix smirked. He had spared Solomon's life last time to send a message, and also because he did not have martial powers then. It was a tactical retreat, but things were now different. If Solomon was so eager to die, why should Felix spare him? He had thought the Elders' Council would lay low for a while, but apparently not for long. As night fell, Felix drove toward Eastern Mountain. The familiar scenery reminded him of his previous misunderstanding with Xena, which was all because of this mountain. Near the mountain, he encountered a roadblock manned by armed Wolfie troops. He stopped and lowered his window. The guard spoke, "This area is temporarily restricted. Please take a detour." Detour? Where to? This was the only road up the mountain. "Alright." After driving a short distance away, he pulled over and reached for his
"Dexter Grimshaw!" Timothy shouted.Timothy's eyes flashed with intense focus as he suddenly turned toward a large boulder. Sure enough, a figure now stood atop it. It was a short, middle-aged man with dark, withered skin whose appearance could make one's stomach turn. His beady eyes radiated a bone-chilling gleam. Even without looking, Timothy would have recognized the Jack of Hearts from Thirteen Aces by his voice alone. "So you've shown up with your elite squad. It seems someone really did sell me out! Never mind, it actually helps clear up some questions I had," Dexter mocked.Timothy's presence was overwhelming as he sneered. "Heh! You're quite composed. Have you accepted your inevitable death and come to beg for mercy?" Dexter's eyes narrowed, rage flickering within. "Did you think I'll still get beaten up by you like before? If I'm showing myself, you're not leaving here alive!" Timothy showed no fear. He hadn't ascended to the rank of Martial Saint and became one of t
Timothy could not avoid the blade in time as he was still recovering from his previous move. It sliced through his right thigh, instantly revealing his bone as blood sprayed outward. "Damn it! He doesn't feel pain, does he?" Then it hit him–of course Solomon felt nothing. He was Dexter's zombie creation now. Catching movement out of the corner of his eyes, Timothy fought through the pain. He made a feint before charging straight at Dexter, who stood watching from his perch on the boulder. Despite Timothy's rapid approach, Dexter's face showed only amusement and no fear. "You think you're worthy to face me?" Dexter sneered.Just as Timothy expected, Solomon moved with frightening speed to block his path. As minutes ticked by, wounds appeared across Solomon's body as exhaustion creeped into his features. Though Timothy's elite guards tried to assist, Dexter's four zombies, who were equally immune to pain and injury, kept them thoroughly occupied. "Mr. Hunter, Solomon could ac
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
"Can you cooperate now?" Felix asked calmly.Lina snapped back to her senses, her face burning with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I'll fully cooperate from now on."Sure enough, seeing the richest man's daughter completely fold made the rest of the group abandon any rebellious thoughts. Whatever frustration they had been feeling vanished instantly.Once they were settled, Felix began examining them closely. This was not just a casual observation. He activated his Spirit Eye, a skill from the Phaeron Codex that allowed him to see into a person's soul.After reaching Higher Spirit Realm, Felix had gained access to this ability, but he had never actually used it to inspect a Malevolent Phantom before. Still, he was sure of one thing—their souls would look nothing like normal humans'.So, checking with Spirit Sight was a far more reliable method than looking at whether someone's wounds were healing.When Felix finished scanning all nine people, he froze, completely s
A few minutes later, Felix stepped into the restroom that had been sealed off. It was a fully enclosed space, with no windows—just a single ventilation fan. That meant there was only one entrance and exit.He examined the body sitting upright on the toilet in one of the stalls. The man's head was resting gently against the tiled wall. His pants were already pulled back up and fastened, clearly indicating he had finished using the restroom. More importantly, it was obvious no one had touched or tampered with the body.Felix commented, "No need to call in forensics. There are no external wounds, and his internal organs are completely intact. We can also rule out heart failure or brain hemorrhages. This wasn't caused by any natural condition."With his medical background, it only took Felix a glance to determine the truth.Johann replied, "Yes, sir. But then… what now? Should we interrogate those nine people?"The closer they got to confirming Malevolent Phantoms were involved, the
Felix said, "Go ahead, Delilah. Zara's in your hands now—take care of her on the road.""Don't worry," Delilah replied.Once Zara was gone, Felix stood there for a moment, feeling a weight settle over his chest. She had already been through so much just surviving the ordeal of Twinshade Body, and he had promised himself—without saying a word—that he would make sure she never suffered like that again.However, no one could have predicted the sudden arrival of the Malevolent Phantoms. That was a nightmare nobody could escape, and only by ending it would they have the right to even dream of a peaceful life.…That evening, as the sun dipped low on the horizon, Felix was having dinner with Luna at a quiet restaurant, and Paul had joined them, too."Thank you, Mr. Zeller. Holden is awake and doing surprisingly well," Paul said, raising his glass.He was genuinely grateful. Even the doctors had called it a miracle. Holden had a severed artery and was transported across a long distance
"Mr. Hoffman?" Felix muttered. No wonder Delilah had shown up in person."Why didn't Mr. Hoffman just call me?" he asked.Delilah shrugged, raising both hands. "Because it's not convenient. If you make one choice, I can report back and be done with it, saving everyone the time."Felix nodded, finally curious about this big choice. Then, Delilah asked, "Zara, the one with Twinshade Body, came to see you, didn't she?"That caught Felix off guard. "How do you know about that?"Delilah rolled her eyes with a little smirk. If one of her fans saw her like this, they would probably faint from the shock.She explained, "It's not like I'm psychic. Mr. Hoffman told me. Ever since you left Martial City and came back, he's had Ophelia keeping an eye on Zara the whole time, so of course he knows."Ophelia? That explained why he had not seen her around since coming back. "So, what's the choice Mr. Hoffman wants me to make? Is it really about Zara?"Delilah nodded firmly. "Exactly. Mr. Hoff
Donna said, "Felix, Specter's the kind of guy who'll stop at nothing. I'll hold back and observe for now, but if you really prove you've got what it takes, I'll act like I never even saw that woman."…Later, Zara was resting her chin in both palms with a sweet, innocent smile on her face. She hummed, "Mhm!"Felix let out a groan and rubbed his face. "Don't just say 'mhm'! Did you even understand what I just told you?"After piecing together everything Donna had said, Felix laid it all out for Zara. Since Specter could strike at any time and Zara still did not know what Malevolent Phantoms even were, he figured she needed to hear it all."Of course I understood. Relax, honey. I'm not stupid," Zara replied casually. Since she got it, Felix finally let himself relax, too. A weight lifted off his chest, and for the first time in a while, he really looked at Zara's flawless face. He thought, "Yeah—there's no way I can hold back anymore."He said, "Let's take care of something… imp
Felix finally snapped out of it. Just moments ago, Donna had looked so grim, claiming something big was about to happen. Yet now, after her whole speech, it was all about the benefits of Zara being a Hollow Soul.Donna said, "Hollow Soul has a unique trait. If consumed, it can greatly boost your chances of success.""Consumed?" That one word made Felix's face darken instantly. "Success in what exactly?"Donna had tried to be vague, but there was no way Felix did not get the implication. To put it bluntly, she was talking about eating Zara's soul."Whether you're stuck at a plateau in your cultivation, your soul is mutating, or you're trying to master powerful soul-based techniques—offensive or defensive—if it's soul-related, Hollow Soul can drastically increase your chances of success."Felix's expression shifted as something came rushing back to him. Billy had once told him that when the Mystical Explosive Orb absorbed enough soul essence to reach capacity, it could be used to re