Anyone could see the striking resemblance between the two men. From their appearances, it was clear they were father and son. Victor's eyes welled up with tears. He would have preferred Felix to yell or curse at him irrationally. His calm attitude hurt more because it meant Felix saw him as a stranger. He could not even hate Victor. "I'm happy enough to have met you before I die." Victor pulled something from his pocket, and Felix's expression instantly changed. However, he had suspected it, seeing and feeling the item before he confirmed it. The thing in Victor's hands was the real Dragonspine. "It's yours now, my child." Felix accepted the Dragonspine. He planned to cultivate it after heading back. "I'm leaving then," Felix said."Do you really have nothing to say to me?" Felix stopped and laughed. "What should I say? Should I ask why you'd have a child you wouldn't raise? Or how could you do something so heartless? Maybe I should punch you, shouldn't I? "None of those
"It's up to you whether you want to believe it. I only told you because of your special position." Victor wheeled himself away, leaving Nala standing there stunned. The shock in her eyes only grew stronger with each passing moment. "That's Felix's mother?" Her expression shifted rapidly before she finally left with a bitter smile. …Four days flew by. Felix stayed at home and focused on cultivating the third Dragonspine he had received from Victor. It was a matter of utmost importance. With his current strength, it only took him four days to complete the process. He smiled as he felt the presence of three Dragonspines within him. "I've finally built the foundation Mr. Hoffman spoke of." With three Dragonspines now, there was no need to panic even if something happened to the original one Gerald had marked. He could sense other Dragonspines within a certain range now.As he stretched, Xena called. "Though it's a bit later than what I told you, they've arrived in Canraville. Le
Thaddeus smiled. "Just as I expected. Any other reaction would have surprised me." Xerxes then became curious. He sat down and said, "Dad, I know Mr. Zeller has strong ties to one of the Eight Great Martial Families, the Saphira family. That proved how powerful he is. "But Polaris is no pushover. They're powerful enough to challenge the middle-ranked families among the Eight Great Martial Families." Thaddeus nodded and patted Xerxes' head. "You've matured a lot since your encounter with Felix. I'm happy for you, so I'll tell you more! Felix isn't just any ordinary man. The Saphira family aside, he has Dragon Alliance backing him." Dragon Alliance? Xerxes was shocked as he broke out in a cold sweat. He felt wise for having set his ego aside and apologized to Felix immediately back then. If not, he might have been dead by now. "Doesn't that mean Polaris is asking for trouble by going after Mr. Zeller?" Thaddeus frowned. "Not necessarily. Polaris has deep roots too. I told you
Xena smacked Felix's head playfully. "What feels off? Are you afraid I'm setting you up?" Felix turned around and retaliated without hesitation–smacking his hand on her bottom. A blush instantly rose to Xena's cheeks. She glared at him but did not do anything more. "So springy," Felix thought. Coming back to his senses, he then quickly changed the subject. "Edmund is poisoned." Xena's brows furrowed. "Would it kill him?" "No, but the poison is quite unusual. The contact was too brief for me to determine its exact effects." This explanation put Xena at ease. "What's there to be suspicious about, though? Edmund is an elder of Medic's Haven and a skilled practitioner. Don't traditional medicine practitioners like you often experiment on yourselves?" Then she grabbed Felix's neck. "Try doing those kinds of things to me again and you're dead!" Felix just smiled. Her threats only proved that they had grown closer to each other. After all, women would only get mad at men they ca
Nala's body trembled hard as she spoke. She had spent one of her few ultimate trump cards just to verify Victor's words. It was something that could save her life in a crucial moment, but it was now wasted. This showed how powerful this mysterious person was. Nala could not even meet her in person, and she had to pay such a steep price for an answer. "I was wrong for underestimating you! I can't believe you could contact her at this time." Victor's face turned ashen. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. "Uncle Victor!" Asher rushed over and glared at Nala. "It's not her fault. My time has come." Blood now flowed from his nose, ears, and even his eyes. Even Nala's expression changed. What kind of illness could cause such a horrific death? "Felix, it's my fault. It's all my fault!" Both tears and blood poured from his eyes. "Of course, she wouldn't admit it now that you've managed to contact her! It's all my fault. Instead of giving my son hope, I've put him in great da
Malcolm was dead! He was the eldest son of the Crayden family–one of the Eight Great Martial Families. Was he really dead? Besides, Felix announced it as if he had witnessed it himself. Logically, this should have caused massive waves in their circles. Yet, they had not heard a whisper of it till meeting Felix today. George was startled when they reached the entrance. "Who are you waiting for, Dad?" The middle-aged man nearby was George's father, Reginald Zimmerman. After hearing George, he turned and hurried over. "Felix, you're here already!" Reginald exclaimed.Felix nodded. "Yes, Uncle Reginald. Were you here waiting for me?" "Of course! This little rascal didn't even tell me you'd arrived." His sincerity was obvious. George explained, "Dad, I saw you were busy entertaining your friends, so I thought I'd welcome Mr. Zeller myself." Though pleased with his son's relationship with Felix, Reginald knew proper etiquette was important. After all, Felix's support would decid
Their appearance at the front table seemed conspicuous. That was because even the youngest person seated there was in their 40s. Though Felix wanted to invite Madeline and Luke over, they declined. Sometimes, they had to know their place to avoid seeming presumptuous. Just as they sat down, an older woman appeared. "Aunt Victoria!" George stood and bowed respectfully. "The head of the Zimmerman family hasn't officially announced who their heir would be. But George's uncle, Xavier Zimmerman, basically runs things now. His wife, Victoria Morgan, is quite the shrewd operator," Ryan whispered to Felix. Felix stayed quiet. When George asked for his help, he could already guess this involved family politics. "George, is this the guy who caused trouble to the Walsh family from Aleshire, Felix Zeller? I hear you're good friends with him, aren't you?" "Yes, Aunt Victoria." Since they were not allies, Felilx saw no need to be overly polite to her. Besides, the look in Victoria's
"Lady Grey, you should have told us you were coming! I would have greeted you outside!" All eyes turned toward the voice. No one else had made such a grand entrance, so this was clearly someone extraordinary. Oddly enough, the one who had greeted her was not Reginald, who was having his birthday today. It was his brother, Dominic Zimmerman, instead. Many people thought it was strange. "George, what's going on? Your uncle seems like he's trying to steal the spotlight." Hearing Ryan's words, George furrowed his brows too. "I had no idea about this. When did Uncle Dominic get to know people from the Elders' Council? And this woman called Lady Grey must hold quite a position there. Felix looked over. "Have you guys heard of the Elders' Council too?" Now, it was their turn to be surprised. Ryan quickly explained, "The Elders' Council is an organization created by the Eight Great Martial Families. Of course, we know it. Is this your first time hearing about it, Mr. Zeller?" Felix
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