Under the staff's guidance, Felix entered a room. There were already several people inside. Besides Aiden and Asher, there were two others wearing masks gathered together.After sitting down, Aiden suddenly turned to Felix. "Have we met somewhere before?" he asked.Felix was shocked. Aiden's perceptiveness was terrifying."Have we? I don't seem to recall…"Without saying another word, Aiden closed his eyes and began resting again. A short while later, an elderly man came in with an unpleasant-looking middle-aged man."I am Wayne Sutcliff, but you can call me Mr. Sutcliff. I'm the person in charge of the Obsidian Auction." He stretched out his right hand and introduced, "This man next to me is the consignor, Ross Livingston."With that, Wayne got straight to the point. "Mr. Livingston wants to know which master healer you're inviting."Aiden spoke first. "Magnus Grimwald from Medic's Haven."Felix's gaze deepened after he heard that. The Greenes were quite formidable. Magnus
"There's no first come, first serve. All four participants can diagnose the patient at the same time. The specific requirement to claim the item is for whoever can cure the patient the best."This is absolutely fair, don't worry," Wayne said.The severity of the patient's condition was evident. Even with a master healer like Lemuel getting invited, Wayne's calm demeanor suggested that the case was particularly challenging.…It was two in the morning when Felix returned home. He had taken off the Shadow Mask before he entered his house. Melissa, who had been waiting, threw herself into his arms. "Felix! I'm so sorry!"Felix smiled and comforted her, "It's okay, it's okay. No matter what happens next time, tell me the truth, okay?"Melissa wiped away her tears. Her fear was evident in her eyes. "It's not like that. He was always by my side. I didn't dare to tell you the truth."As she said this, Felix's expression turned solemn. "Who brought you to the auction?"If the root o
Felix almost turned around out of pure instinct. Who wouldn't react when someone called the name they had their whole life? Fortunately, Felix recognized that this was Aiden's voice, so he held back.His strong willpower allowed him to control his impulses and resume his movements, at least on the surface, without any signs of hesitation."Did you see Felix somewhere, Aiden?" Asher asked in confusion.Aiden shook his head with a smile. "I must've been mistaken."This time, the meeting place was actually the same auction hall they had been to before. Felix was still feeling a little uneasy after sitting down.After his strength improved, his wariness toward Aiden began to decrease. However, this time, it instantly shot back up to an even more exaggerated level.Calling Felix's name to test his reaction meant Aiden believed this "middle-aged man" was Felix somehow. Although he wasn't fully certain, the situation was terrifying enough.Soon, everyone gathered. Felix saw Craig from
"To me, I only care whether they are patients or healthy people—nothing else matters." After Magnus said so, Lemuel nodded in agreement. He clearly shared the same thought. Right then, Wayne turned his attention to Craig. "I hope you could do this for the sake of Skyward Guild, Dr. Dixon. We invited you here today because you're just a master healer who has no relations to the headquarters. "Once our transaction is complete and everyone leaves, whatever happens next has nothing to do with Skyward Guild." Craig remained silent. Skyward Guild was an influential powerhouse with an extensive network of connections, including many high-ranking officials at the headquarters. After all, he was just their chief medical officer, not a warlord. So, he decided it was best to let the matter drop after weighing the pros and cons. Felix was not particularly concerned. Business was business, and given the involvement of the Dragonspine, Dane's identity as a criminal could take a backseat.
Once Felix left, there was no reason for anyone else to stay. They all knew finding the Frost Crystal was crucial. Without it, everything else would be pointless. Craig's departure was particularly awkward. Even with the Frost Crystal, his skills weren't sufficient to fully cure Dane. The gap in medical expertise was just too wide. On his way back, Felix was about to call Seven when he remembered Mira's recent call. That unknown number might still be active. He was running out of options, and his resources were extremely limited in comparison to the Greenes'. Without Mira's help, even if the Frost Crystal still existed somewhere, the Greenes would have far better chances of finding it. "Felix." Felix sighed with relief when he heard Mira's voice on the line. "I thought you might have ditched this number." "I was about to, then you called." Contacting Mira would be much more reliable than dealing with Averill, who would probably just show up at his place trying to get him in
Felix was curious about what kind of strange occurrences would have the headquarters so short-staffed. "When do I leave?" "Early the day after tomorrow. Since this is your first operation, I'll send someone to assist you. You'll still be in charge. I've sent the details to your phone," Xena said.The call ended abruptly. Indeed, it was strictly business. He had to handle it properly since he had taken on this assignment, and this job was tied to the Dragonspine too. Felix immediately started reviewing the mission details. The village was called Pine Valley, tucked away in a remote mountainous region. The reported "strange occurrences" were just disappearing livestock. There were chickens, ducks, and sheep vanishing every few days. Felix had a strange look on his face after reading the information. How could livestock disappearing in a village near the mountains be considered strange? With dense forests around, weren't predators expected? Still, his opinions didn't matter if th
Felix turned around, and his expression darkened. "I won't hire her." Bewildered, Melissa's smile froze. Felix was usually quite patient. He wouldn't dismiss a stranger so harshly without even asking for more of their information. "If you hire me, I can help you find the Frost Crystal!" the woman said.Felix, who had been about to walk away, clenched and unclenched his fists. "That damn fatso!" He wanted nothing more than to storm into Floral Wreath Boutique next door and beat Billy to a pulp. "Do you know each other?" When Melissa asked curiously, Felix just nodded. He was still thinking. The nurse applicant was none other than Nala, who was still wearing her signature veil. Why else would he react this way? To his surprise, this answer only made Melissa happier as she linked arms with Nala. "Perfect! Since you know each other, Felix will definitely keep you around." Felix's expression darkened further. If he wasn't certain Melissa was fine, he would have suspected Nala
At this, Nelly's eyes started to become teary. "I… I do need something. After seeing your medical skills, I remembered my cousin. She's disabled—not from birth, but after a high fever when she was four that left her unable to hear anything. I was hoping you could take a look at her," she said.If it was not congenital, it could be treated. "Of course. Let's go. Keep your money. Every second counts when it comes to changing someone's fate, if you know what I mean," Felix said.Nelly quickly apologized, "I understand, Felix. I promise I won't do this again." Tom was still in Gray City. Killing him could wait as long as it was done before sunset. They arrived at a run-down neighborhood in Gray City, where Nelly's cousin lived. The conditions were below modest. In fact, it was downright poor. "Poor June. After her mother died, her father ran away from gambling debts and left her alone to survive. Thankfully, a factory hired her despite her disability; I can't imagine otherwise!
As soon as Chelsea's finger touched a card, it turned and displayed the number one. Hendrix immediately heaved a sigh of relief. Although there were no longer any tricks at this point, it all depended on their strengths and luck.If anyone met Chelsea in the first round, then it would definitely affect the morale of the rest of the battles. After Chelsea, several people jumped out simultaneously, including Lachlan and Felix. When Felix touched a card, it revealed the number three.Hendrix quickly frowned and looked over. There was another person he didn't want to fight—Felix.During the two days of rest, he talked a lot with Yvian. Of course, he had learned some things, like the cooperation with Lyle and Felix. This made him feel unsettled, but he didn't expect that they would meet.Once everyone had drawn their numbers, Chelsea and another player who had drawn the same number stayed on the island. The rest temporarily left the island."Begin!"The fight between the two start
Holly was right—Felix could no longer question it. He smiled bitterly as he realized he had no choice in the matter. He thought for a while before suggesting, "What about this, if you're really part of their family, come back to Earth with me after the competition. Can you do that?"Holly agreed willingly. "Of course, I'm looking for family. That isn't an issue."Once Holly left, she contacted someone. A look of astonishment flashed in her eyes as she read Felix's information."Oh? I didn't expect this guy to be so well-known! Has Star Alliance already contacted him and offered a position as the Elder of External Affairs?"Given this information, it was evident just how powerful Holly's connections were. After all, not many people in Star Alliance knew of it.Since they were offering him the position of Elder of External Affairs, it seemed that Felix had already formed the Way of Mind. Holly didn't expect someone from such a barbaric planet to be so powerful."How interesting
Felix's expression fell immediately, and he tried to push the woman away. "Are you crazy? Get out!"However, as he closed the door, the woman stopped it from shutting. "You're a contestant in this year's Rank-Ascending Competition, right? I can sense that there's someone in Star Alliance protecting you."But there are some things you can't avoid," she said. "Either you take this chance to talk to me, or I'll ask myself. It shouldn't be difficult to find out where you're from."Felix realized the seriousness of her words as he gazed at the woman. She could sense the higher-ups secretly protecting him, but at least she couldn't figure out who he was—in other words, this woman was extremely powerful.No matter her purpose, if she really went to Earth, who could stop her? Since the Rank-Ascending Competition hadn't ended yet, and with Earth still a mess, who could stop the invasion?"Fine, come in," Felix relented.The corners of her mouth curled into a smile. "Hahaha! This is the at
"The Lord?" Felix wondered. But Jerry continued, "The Lord—the deputy leader of the Star Alliance. He's one of the champions of the Rank-Ascending Competition and one of the current fighters of the Star Alliance—Tyrone Linetti, nicknamed The Tyrant."When you were on the ninth floor of the Tower of Babel, he couldn't sleep a wink."Felix was shocked by the revelation. It turned out that he had no privacy at all, even in the tower. Besides the Spirit of the Tower, Star Alliance could also observe him.Before he could respond, Jerry nodded sagely. "Yes, Lord Tyrant discovered that you've successfully condensed the Way of Mind! Otherwise, why would he tell me to recruit you personally?"Sure enough, Felix's Way of Mind was discovered."You're so young, and you'd definitely rank among the top three in Star Alliance's records," Jerry said. "Hell, you'd even be better than Lord Tyrant! That is why Star Alliance is willing to make an exception for you."They're offering you the positi
However, Felix was the only one who sat there unmoving. Julius quickly pulled him up."That's Jerry Gonzalez, one of the top three elders in the Star Alliance. You can't even fathom how powerful he is! How dare you keep sitting there?" Julius muttered.Felix hated having to worship the powerful, but there were times when he couldn't help it. He watched as Scopulus bent over in a bow, greeting Jerry respectfully. That told Felix everything he needed to know."Mr. Gonzalez, what are you doing here?" Scopulus asked warmly. However, Jerry smiled and completely ignored him. Instead, he walked straight to Felix."Felix! I'm Jerry Gonzalez from Star Alliance. Are you free to chat? Let's head into a more private area."Everyone in the bar watched with bated breath, and their mouths fell agape as they watched the scene unfold. One of the top three elders of Star Alliance came all the way here to find a contender. This has never happened before.Even if there was a contender from a pow
Xenon helplessly said, "Dude, it doesn't matter if you sign the agreement. They've met their goal as long as you meet Lachlan in the round! If you lose to Lachlan, it doesn't matter if you live or die—you won't be able to save the Earth."At that point, you can't go back to Earth, so where will you go? Even if you run, you won't be able to escape death." Xenon was right—the Orions wanted to kill Felix quickly in the past so he wouldn't hinder their plans to invade Earth. …As Felix followed the two, he experienced the entirety of the Star Alliance headquarters. There was advanced technology that Felix had never seen before, as well as delicious food. "Felix, don't you want to check that place out? There are women from all races in the universe. You can do them however you want. Besides, Star Alliance will pay for it all," Julius teased.As a man, Felix naturally wanted to experience it all. But as a man with a family, he didn't want to. After a full day, no other families
Just then, Yvian interrupted, "Dad, since Felix is this sincere, I think we should tell him some things in advance—to prove our sincerity."After a pause, Lyle nodded, and Yvian looked at Felix, saying, "What I said about Star Alliance was a very big maybe. Because of your current situation, they may not even come to help you. If they do, I can't predict what they will do."But one thing is for sure—if you need Star Alliance's help, you must join them. My family can't compare to them. I believe you understand that." Felix looked a bit unsure but smiled. He replied, "Thank you for telling me the truth. Let's take a look at the contract."Lyle's eyes glinted mysteriously. He knew that Yvian's words convinced Felix. Sure enough, with someone like that, Lyle could only treat him with sincerity—lies and deceit were meaningless to Felix.After reading the contract, Felix confirmed that it was exactly as Lyle had said. There was not even a word out of line."Alright, I'll sign it," F
"No idea. Oh, right. My dad told me to check in with him, too," Julius said.Julius lifted his wrist, and a white wristband flashed briefly. Then, he closed his eyes.It was a communication device developed by Star Alliance. It was way more advanced than anything on Earth—it could handle video, voice, and even silent messaging—meaning it allowed direct brain-to-brain communication without anyone around knowing you were chatting.Right now, Julius was silently talking to Trent. "Father, Lyle just approached Felix to recruit him. What do you think about that?"To his surprise, Trent chuckled on the other end. "His instincts are still as sharp as ever. Don't worry about it. Lyle has always trusted his intuition, and so far, he's never been wrong. "His move doesn't affect us. You already have the upper hand. Like I said before, just stay friends with Felix. As long as you maintain that bond, it's as good as recruiting him for our family."When Julius thought back to how Felix had sa
Julius and Xenon exchanged a look and chuckled."Do you know why they gave you two days of free time?" Julius asked.Felix shook his head and signaled for him to get to the point."Among the ten finalists, those without a strong family background are prime targets for recruitment. Hence, you might be one of them," Julius said.Felix thought it made sense—it wasn't all that different from how things worked back on Earth."Recruitment by families? Do they expect you to change your last name or something?" Felix asked.Julius laughed. "Of course not. Every strong martial artist has their pride. No one would agree to something like that. The ones they're interested in are people with limitless potential, like you. Since you come from a developing planet, you have no resources—you're a perfect target."He added, "For instance, if my family wanted to recruit you, we'd propose an alliance. You wouldn't have to give up anything—you would only need to agree to a contract saying you'd hel