"Inform Candace that the owner is on their way. Let's stabilize the situation for now. What do you think, Warlord of Thunder ?" Xena asked tactfully, giving the Warlord of Thunder the respect his position warranted.He nodded. "That's workable. But convincing the owner to go inside—that's the real challenge."When faced with a ruthless and murderous criminal like this, stepping in would be as good as a death sentence. As an official organization, they had to disclose every detail without hiding anything. It was a daunting task, as any ordinary person would likely shrink back."I'll handle the persuasion," Xena offered. "Let's move to the shop next door. Too many people might make the owner more nervous."A few minutes later, Alistair entered the shop, his expression slightly unusual."Warlords, the owner is here," he informed them."Good. Send them in, and you step out," Xena instructed.But Alistair hesitated, standing rooted to the spot, prompting Xena's displeasure."Is some
"Stop!" Xena's sharp voice rang out, and in an instant, Alistair and one of the Warlord of Thunder's commanders stepped forward, blocking Felix's path."One minute? You don't seem like an ordinary person," the Warlord of Thunder said coldly. "I explained the gravity of the situation to you, even prepared to discuss how to handle it once inside, and yet here you are, blindly confident. Who do you think you are?"Given Felix's attitude, there was no way the Warlord of Thunder would remain polite. Even Xena, who had been silent, was visibly furious."Felix! I know you're strong, but the enemy here is Candace Shadowmere—the Five of Hearts from the Thirteen Aces. This isn't as simple as you think! We're in a crowded area. If this gets out of control, do you realize how many lives could be lost? Can you bear that responsibility?"Felix turned slightly but showed no emotional reaction. He understood their concerns—they prioritized the bigger picture."I said one minute, and I mean one mi
"Hey! Am I not your employee anymore? I've been working so hard, and now something happens, and you're just dusting me off your hands?" Melissa complained, her voice full of indignation.Felix frowned, his temper flaring. "Be clear with your words! Who's dusting their hands? If someone overhears, they'll misunderstand!"Nearby, Candace's neck veins bulged in anger as she pointed a trembling finger at them. "You're asking for death!"She was the infamous Five of Hearts from the Thirteen Aces, a name that struck fear into countless people. Yet, these two had the audacity to flirt in front of her?"Shut up, you old hag! You're just a dying woman making noise. What's your problem?" Felix snapped.Felix shot Candace a single glance. Her entire body stiffened, her breathing halted, and her eyes were filled with sheer terror."Y-You're not secretly some ancient monster in disguise, are you?" Candace stammered.As someone at the Oceanus Realm, she couldn't believe that a mere look from
Tens of thousands of people? The weight of that number was staggering. In Dragonia, where large-scale incidents had been avoided for years, even a disaster involving a few hundred people would be considered catastrophic—something no one could afford to be held accountable for.It was precisely this fear of collateral damage that had Xena and the Warlord of Thunder so concerned earlier.Felix, on the other hand, didn't seem particularly moved. After all, there was no guarantee that what Candace was saying was true.For all he knew, she could just be spewing nonsense in a desperate attempt to avoid death.But the expression on the Warlord of Thunder and Xena's faces had completely changed. If Candace had shared this information privately with only the two of them present, they might have dismissed it as a lie.However, with so many people in the clinic, including civilians like Felix and Melissa, they couldn't take that risk. If they ignored her and a tragedy of this magnitude actua
Candace noticed that the three of them remained silent, their faces somber.She continued, "I am aware that your headquarters houses powerful masters who may be able to defeat Skybound Revenant. However, by the time they arrive at the scene, many innocent lives may have already been lost."The Warlord of Thunder and Xena's expressions darkened, knowing that Candace was speaking the truth. While the headquarters may have strong individuals who can handle dangerous situations, it takes time for them to reach their destination. At that time, how many more people would fall victim was something unknown.Plus, modern weapons like missiles were not effective against a single target, and no one knew for certain how fast Skybound Revenant could move. The fact that he could fly only added to the problem at hand."Do you have proof? We can't just take your word for it," the Warlord said.Suddenly, Candace pulled out a small, round glass container from inside her arm."My husband gave thi
"Mr. Zeller, she can't die! Hurry up and do something!" the Warlord of Thunder shouted.At this moment, no one cared about anything else. The Warlord of Thunder immediately became anxious. If Candace died, the whereabouts of Skybound Revenant would never be known again.Even if they searched sect by sect, there would be too many unexpected situations that could occur. Moreover, who could guarantee that what Candace said about the sect was the truth? What if she had held something back?Felix shook his head in response."The impact of the martial energy on her body is currently taking its toll. Any external interference will only worsen the damage instead of promoting healing."After a few minutes, Candace's body stopped convulsing, and there was no more blood coming from her nose and mouth."Is she okay now?"Xena also turned to Felix, knowing how skilled he was in medicine."It stopped, but she's gotten even weaker. When I first saw her, I thought she had about a week left, bu
"Happy now?" Xena asked, her expression displeased."Very," Felix replied with a smile and a nod. Dealing with someone like Xena required a different approach. In fact, he wasn't trying to take advantage of her—it was just a way to keep their dynamic intact. After all, chances to outmaneuver Xena didn't come often.As the sun set, the people from headquarters finally arrived—a gray-haired elder and a middle-aged man."Greetings, Marine Asura and Dr. Dixon," Xena said politely.She had already given Felix a heads-up about the two visitors. The middle-aged man was Marine Asura, a Hellbringer from headquarters, whose strength was so formidable that even the Warlord of Thunder was no match for him.The elder was Craig Dixon, the most skilled physician in the headquarters."Who is he? Why is he allowed to be here?" Craig asked, glancing at Felix with a frown. His curt tone hinted at his bad temper. "Dr. Dixon, this is Felix Zeller, the owner of this clinic. He's a reclusive expert,
Craig responded with great confidence, "Based on your physical condition, I'd say you have at least two months to live. But it's hard to say if we factor in the backlash from your martial energy."Candace sneered. "Ha! I knew you were a joke. Dr. Zeller could tell with just one look that I only had a few days to live. You can't compare to him! Hurry up and bring Dr. Zeller to treat me!"Craig, who had been crouching, stood up in fury."Fine! Let's see how capable this Dr. Zeller of yours really is. You said he's better than me? Warlord of Thunder, go bring him back this instance."In fact, Craig had already thought it through. He didn't have much confidence in treating Candace. If her martial energy activated during treatment, he would be the one responsible for her death, destroying his hard-earned reputation.But with Felix as a scapegoat, he could easily shift the blame onto him.The Warlord of Thunder was astonished.Craig was one of the best physicians in Dragonia. Aside fr
Bob did not say much. He kept wondering if Felix and Wendy were just being polite. He was absolutely certain he would not be exposed. The waiter would never admit to intentionally causing trouble, and no investigation could possibly reveal anything. He might as well keep things as messy as possible. Less than ten minutes passed before Angie arrived. She did not even greet Felix, immediately rushing to the Azure VIP Room with Ian. Felix remained in the main hall. It was past the lunch rush, so the restaurant was almost empty and quiet. Suddenly, Bob heard Felix's voice say, "I won't be here for more than a few days, so you really didn't need to use these tactics." "Mr. Zeller, were you speaking to me?" "You know exactly what I mean. Don't do this again." Felix was not naive. He could tell from how Bob had been helpful in the main hall but went silent in the private room. Something was definitely fishy. But Felix was totally focused on the Malevolent Phantoms now, and he
Just as Felix turned, the bathroom door opened, and a woman walked out. Seeing how the hem of her dress was wet, it was clearly from washing off spilled wine. "Mr. Zeller?" With just a glance, Felix was instantly wordless. Of all people, it was actually Wendy. "Oh, Wendy. What a coincidence!" Seeing Felix in his professional attire, Wendy was stunned. "What are you doing?" "I'm working as a front desk manager at this restaurant." Hearing this, Wendy remembered Felix was currently running important tasks nationwide. So, this made perfect sense. "Since we know each other, let's just drop this. The waiter didn't mean to cause trouble. There's no need to make such a big deal." Franz had already walked over at that moment. But he was shocked to see Wendy knew the front desk manager and was even addressing him so respectfully. "Got it, Mr. Zeller. Sorry for the trouble." Felix nodded and left. Bob followed, but a bad feeling crept into his mind. How did Felix know Franz's
Sally heard the intercom call, too, and her admiration for Bob reached new heights. Everyone in the restaurant knew that for VIP rooms like the Azure Room, customer complaints could not be handled by a front desk manager. Only the general manager—like Ian—could deal with it—and if he couldn't, Angie herself would have to step in.This was clearly Bob's setup. If not, Felix would not have had to go over. Bob had taken advantage of Felix being new and clueless about the rules.But his guts were something else. He was actually sacrificing one or two waiters just to go up against the boss' daughter. Was this really just about a front desk manager position anymore? In the Azure VIP Room, there were only two people by the massive table. A waiter knelt on the floor, body shaking uncontrollably. Just this scene told Felix the guests were definitely high-profile. "Who are you?"The young man with a powerful presence immediately frowned when he saw Felix."Hello, sir. I'm the front des
In the morning, Felix visited the dental clinic where the two women had their teeth cleaned. He found nobody suspicious there. He had already reviewed the relevant videos. They only had a routine teeth cleaning with barely any interaction. Any hope of finding a lead this way was completely crushed. After leaving, he received a call from Angie and rushed to an incredibly luxurious restaurant. "Felix, how about working as a front desk manager here?" she asked.What should have been a simple job offer now felt like she was tentatively seeking his permission. "Sure. But Ms. Sinclair, I have one condition."Angie smiled and said, "Go ahead.""I have some personal matters to deal with here. So, when I need to leave to handle something, I hope I can get time off normally." Angie thought that was nothing. She glanced at the middle-aged man beside her. "No problem. This is the restaurant's general manager, Ian Goodwin. Just give him a call when you want to leave." Ian immediately
Felix raced to a repair shop in Kashmere. Upon reaching the premises, he quickly jumped the fence and entered. According to Chloe, she had been held captive here. She had barely managed to grab a phone and call for help. No one could possibly be interested in her smell, so Felix genuinely hoped the Malevolent Phantom would show up.The moment he entered the yard, all the lights blazed on, turning the place as bright as day. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry!"Chloe emerged, looking disheveled. Reeco—the man from the barbecue stand—was grabbing her hair. About 20 other guys surrounded Felix with weapons in hand, wearing menacing grins. "Did you think I'd have to visit you myself? Look at you, walking right into our trap!" Felix was utterly disappointed. He'd completely forgotten about these insignificant men, and now, they had wasted his time. "I'm here. Let her go."Surprisingly, Reeco shoved Chloe to the ground and waved his hand. "Get him!" The first man charged with a massiv
Felix nodded and said, "Exactly. Let's investigate quickly." Because of the Malevolent Phantoms, headquarters' main focus was now cases related to them. Regular cases were handed over to law enforcement so personnel could be mobilized incredibly fast. After leaving the scene, Felix went home to wait for the results. At sunset, Marley arrived. "You were right, Mr. Zeller. The young woman with the lingering fragrance definitely had body odor before her death." Felix got excited, reviewing the materials while asking, "Did you guys figure out why they were at the abandoned building?" That was the first crime scene, and Felix was sure of it. The fact that these people would go to such a remote location seemed suspicious. "Yes, we did. They would occasionally record videos about paranormal stuff. They go to scary places, then post online to gain attention and make some extra cash. "They had finished filming at the abandoned building and were probably preparing to leave when the
It had only been one day since the A-tier Malevolent Phantom had last attacked. Was it losing its mind?Felix's face darkened. He didn't say a word. He just stood up and hung up the phone. "Sorry. I've got an urgent matter to handle." Normally, Angie would have thought this was incredibly rude. He had come asking for a favor, yet he was leaving so abruptly. But after what just happened, everything had changed. "Lindsay, did you really not know Dreamscape is Felix's cousin?" Lindsay gave a bitter smile. "Do I look like I know? Even if I did, I'm not the type to go begging for help." Her frustrated smile just deepened Angie's confusion. "Wow, you've just thrown me a major curveball! Felix has a connection like that, and I'm trying to find him a job? It's like teaching a professional chef how to boil water." But Lindsay saw things differently. "Angie, I can't say I know Felix super well. But from our school days and our recent encounters, I can vouch for his character. "The f
Chad and Lindsay were absolutely sure that it was Dreamscape's voice. Felix asked, "Hey, do you know Lindsay?" "Yeah, she's quite good at singing. Her technique is solid, and she nails the emotional delivery. She's got a bright future ahead."Lindsay immediately covered her mouth and cried. If her comment was posted online, it would instantly boost her market value by tenfold or even hundredfold. After all, it was something Dreamscape had said. "So, here's the thing. Lindsay's my old friend, and her real dream is acting. I was wondering if you could help introduce her and help her make that dream happen." Chad was excited. Dreamscape might be just a singer, but her status in the entertainment world was unparalleled. Even a casual comment from her carried massive weight. "Sure, I'll send you my manager's number. Have Lindsay contact him. I'll put in a good word, but tell her not to forget her main gig—she really can sing." "Got it! Thanks, then. Bye!" After hanging up, th
Everyone looked at Felix, their eyes showing different reactions. "Felix, thanks for your good intentions. But sometimes, we just can't make things go the way we want them to." Lindsay quickly tried to smooth things over, knowing Felix meant well. But sometimes, well-meaning lies just would not cut it. Yet, Felix spoke again, "I know someone who can probably solve your current crisis. So, you really don't need to do something you don't want to do." Chad could not hold back anymore. He wondered what kind of friend Felix was to talk big so casually. "Listen up, you brat! The worst thing you can learn in life is bragging. For every lie you tell, you'll need a hundred to cover it up. Got it? "Stop giving Lindsay false hope. You're just making things worse." Angie frowned, too. Though she knew Felix meant well, how could this possibly help? "I wonder if Dreamscape could solve your problem." Dreamscape? The two who were about to leave turned back, their eyes filled with dis