Felix was surprised that the Steele family was making the first move. He asked, "I thought the Starfires ranked above the Steele family. How dare they show up like this?"Micah explained, "That's what confuses us, too. It's just Mr. Ollie Steele from the Steele family. He's not even anyone important, yet he's acting so arrogantly. We've never seen anything like this."Felix headed inside without further questions, finally about to meet Ollie, who had been in charge of Gray City in Dragonia. Inside, he found Luna facing off against a sleazy-looking young man. "Ollie, you're being ridiculous!" Luna snapped.Ollie sneered, "Ridiculous? Luna, you used to have the right to say that, but now your family's fate is in our hands. Why act so pure in front of me?"He reached out his hand and added, "Spend one night with me, and I'll make sure your family is treated well." Luna slapped his hand away and stood up, her presence still commanding. "I'd like to see what gives the Steele family
"Mr. Steele!" The six Steele family guards tried to rush forward, but Selmer stopped them.He flashed a sinister smile and clicked his tongue. "My, my! Still trying to make a move on us?"With several sharp cracks, all six collapsed with broken necks, shocking both Luna and Micah."H-How dare you kill my men and humiliate me! Felix, Luna, you're both going to pay for this!" Ollie shouted.Luna panicked. "Dr. Zeller, you've gone too far! There's no fixing this now!"Felix remained unfazed. He asked, "What's wrong? Are you afraid of the Shadowstalker Emperor's decree?" Luna thought Felix was out of his mind for stating the obvious. If it were not for the decree, she would have already taken things into her own hands.Felix called out, "Selmer, contact him."Selmer immediately initiated a video call, which was quickly answered by the other party."Selmer, is there anything I can help with?" came a familiar voice. Ollie, Luna, and Micah all recognized it immediately. Felix as
Felix felt a chill down his spine at the news about a simple brush coming to life. Nala explained, "As soon as we entered Astoria's airspace, the brush started trembling like it wanted to write. When I gave it paper, it wrote 'alive.' The writing was messy but readable." It was the first time Felix had heard such a thing. He asked, "Are you arriving soon?"Nala replied, "Yes. I know you're in a hurry, so I chartered a private plane.""Alright. Let's discuss this further when we meet. I'll arrange for your pickup."Soon, a helicopter from the Starfire residence was headed to the airport. Shortly after, Nala arrived with Alfie, who had accompanied her for security. Felix asked, "Is it still shaking?"Nala nodded and retrieved the box, from which faint thuds could be heard. When she opened it, the trembling brush was inside, its movements wild and erratic.Even more bizarre, when the box was removed, the brush floated midair, refusing to fall. Alfie slid a piece of paper benea
Nala felt helpless, knowing she had many resources back in Dragonia but none here. Felix held onto the brush, refusing to let Alfie take it. "I'm the strongest here—you'd likely die facing them," he explained.He refused to hand the brush over to Alfie, and the latter's expression tightened. It was not a matter of pride—this was a task that could very well cost him his life."No!" Nala grabbed Felix's arm, unwilling to let the man she had grown to love risk his life. Even Selmer stepped forward, saying, "Sir, let me have a go. My life is yours to risk."Luna suddenly spoke up, "Why don't we just leave the brush somewhere? If they're after it, we don't need to sacrifice anyone."An awkward silence fell as they realized the simple logic of her suggestion.After that, they placed the floating, trembling brush in their previous battleground. Then, Felix, Nala, Alfie, and Selmer hid nearby to observe. About ten minutes later, a massive explosion announced the arrival of a mysteriou
With that roar, Felix finally understood that the monster's target was Nala. He knew he could survive if he abandoned her right now, but how could he do that when she only came to Astoria because of him?As the distance between them and the creature grew shorter, Nala shouted desperately, "Let me go, or we'll both die!"Being only at Pulse Realm, she would have been caught immediately if she ran alone. It was also why Felix had been carrying her all this time."Shut up!" Felix shouted, his heart racing as he realized they had less than five seconds before the creature would catch up to them.In a split-second decision, Felix roughly pushed Nala forward and turned to face the charging monster. He commanded, "Run!"Nala fled with tears streaming down her face, not daring to look back. She knew Felix was buying her time with his life.The ground shook violently as the surrounding rocks crumbled to dust and trees were ripped from their roots. At that moment, Felix unleashed several p
"He treats the brush like a sacred relic, which means he absolutely won't allow anyone else to claim it," Felix said, his voice firm.With that, he grabbed the brush in his hand. Instantly, a roar erupted from far away, followed by Alfie's alarmed shout."Damn it! The creature's turning back!"Selmer instinctively wanted to flee, but seeing Felix remain motionless, he did not dare move either. Disobeying his master in such a moment would be nothing short of betrayal."Step back," Felix said, his tone steely. "At this point, I have no choice but to take a gamble!"As the creature rushed back toward them, Felix's suspicions seemed increasingly accurate. If they did not solve this now, Nala would not be the only one dead. In fact, everyone who had come into contact with the brush—himself included—would eventually be hunted down.If this also involved its presence, that might mean Luna and the others were not safe, either."Mr. Zeller, just… be careful!" Selmer shouted, his voice he
The name Benjamin Stone was entirely unfamiliar to Felix, but he was beginning to piece together the situation. In ancient times, emperors were often called the Sons of the Dragon, and their presence was described as "dragon energy".Felix, with his unique possession of the Dragonspine, could very well radiate such a presence. Was it possible that this man knelt and called him "my liege" because he sensed the dragon energy emanating from the pen?"Stand and speak!" Felix commanded.The strange man obeyed immediately, rising to his feet. His tangled hair fell away, revealing a face marred by dirt and scars. Beneath his grimy exterior, Felix saw the features of a middle-aged man, his eyes cloudy but occasionally flashing with a murderous intensity. It was clear this man had seen countless battles, his energy thick with the bloodlust that only came from waging war—and winning it. Such a presence was impossible to fake. Nala and the others edged closer, curiosity etched across their f
"We still can't confirm if he's really from the Bronze Age over 2000 years ago," Felix mumbled thoughtfully.Everyone studied Benjamin carefully, finding it hard to believe. Yet, considering that his body had been used for ancient alchemical experiments by the greatest mystics of the time, it was not entirely impossible."I'm sure I'll have a way to verify it once we're back in Dragonia," Felix added confidently.At dawn, Felix and Nala were set to return home while Selmer stayed behind. The plan was for Reagan to gather the Steele family that night, eliminate them all, and then return. They were not worried about the Elders' Council for now, as Felix's betrayal would not be discovered anytime soon."Thank you for everything," Felix said on the private jet, still feeling guilty about the night's events. "Don't mention it. I've already decided to pursue you, so helping you is only natural," Nala replied simply.Felix frowned at her words. "A relationship between us is impossible.
The moment the topic came up, Felix's gaze flickered, avoiding direct eye contact. No matter how you put it, even though Xena would also benefit from it, it still felt somewhat unfair. It felt that way, especially since they weren't in a relationship. If they were married or at least dating, it wouldn't be an issue at all."I'm exhausted. I need another two days to rest," he said.Billy scoffed. "I know your soul energy is depleted, but trust me. Your fatigue will disappear instantly once your souls merge. The feeling is beyond words. I'm sure you've heard from the Malevolent Phantom how irresistible Soul Binding is, even for those who've already experienced love and passion."Wait, what? Felix was speechless. It seemed that there was really no way out of it."Oh, one last thing. After you and Xena… you know, your soul energy will be completely absorbed and stored away. That means you won't have any left to wield a soul-bound weapon or use any soul attacks. Are you sure you still
There was only one explanation—Felix really could heal soul damage."Of course, I healed him. Let me rest for a bit. Wake me up when the sun comes up."Felix was utterly exhausted. Even if an S-tier Malevolent Phantom appeared beside him, he couldn't be bothered to care. If Donna had truly wanted to kill him, she would have done it long ago. There was no reason for her to wait until now.As Donna watched Felix slip into a deep sleep almost instantly, her expression grew more complex.What kind of ridiculous joke was that? Even though Leonardo was a crossbreed, his soul had already inherited the traits of a Malevolent Phantom. While it wasn't exactly the same as a true Malevolent Phantom, the essence of his soul had changed.And yet, Felix had still managed to heal him. If word of this got out, it would shake the entire Malevolent Phantom world to its core.It was like finding out that some miracle doctor could cure any disease in the human world. People would go absolutely crazy.
Leonardo's body suddenly started convulsing, and with foam spilling from his mouth, even a fool could tell something had gone wrong.Damage to the soul was entirely different from physical injuries. If one got a cut, even without treatment, their body would eventually heal on its own. However, the soul wasn't like that. Any damage was permanent and had widespread consequences. Even if just a fraction of an inch of the soul was harmed, the physical reaction could be extreme.Felix let out a long breath. "Finally got it out. It sounds easy, but doing it was incredibly difficult. Even with my soul energy, I nearly couldn't hold on."The level of precision required to make such an impossibly fine cut was beyond imagination. To do it without causing any collateral damage would require soul energy beyond comprehension.Of course, Leonardo's soul had been damaged. There was no avoiding it."At least he's alive. You've done all you could," Donna said.However, Felix just smiled. "That'
At that moment, Felix turned to Norman. "Step outside and say the lines you've rehearsed. Then, I'll take your son with me. He'll be back by dawn."Norman was beyond relieved. If Leonardo could survive, nothing else mattered.He had long anticipated this day. Living on Earth, even if it wasn't intentional, he had killed more than one person. There was no way he'd be let off the hook.In the living room, Lina was in tears, bombarding him with questions, while Steve kept sighing heavily. No one could have imagined that a once-happy family would fall apart overnight."I'm taking Leonardo for treatment. I won't say it again."Seeing the scene unfold, Felix spoke up. With Norman's cooperation, things were going more smoothly. Since he had been assured that Leonardo would return safely, there was no reason for further resistance.The situation had to be handled strictly. There was no room for defiance.Just then, Xena arrived. She had actually been in Zuera since the day before but ha
Norman looked into Felix's eyes and knew there was no room for negotiation. He lowered his head in silence.Seeing this, Felix dialed Donna's number."What's up?" she asked."I found a crossbreed.""A crossbreed? Oh, you mean a hybrid? What about it?"Felix had no choice but to ask Donna for help. No matter how he looked at it, he also wanted to protect Leonardo."This crossbreed is only three years old and seems to have inherited a soul-related trait. He just killed someone out of pure instinct."Before Felix could finish, Donna had already guessed the situation. She let out a chuckle, her tone carrying a hint of eerie amusement. "Let me guess, you want to save the kid?"Felix didn't bother denying it. "That's right. I want to know if there's a way."After a long pause, Donna's voice came through again, "There is! But I can only assist. Since he's just three years old and hasn't developed much yet, I can mark the part of his soul that drives his instincts. "You'll need to
A trace of sweetness flickered in Norman's eyes, and he couldn't help but smile."Yeah, I never imagined it, either. Me, an A-tier Malevolent Phantom, actually falling in love with a human. I'm completely, hopelessly in love."Felix froze as he hadn't expected it to be true."You probably don't believe me. No other Malevolent Phantom would, either. But it's real. I truly love Lina. After experiencing what you humans call love, I was completely consumed by it. Maybe that's why, when we were together, our souls intertwined, and that's how Leonardo was born."Norman grew emotional as he spoke."Do you understand? When I realized that Leonardo had inherited the unique traits of a Malevolent Phantom's soul, I was overjoyed beyond words."But I regretted it instantly when I remembered where we were. Because it meant that if Norman was ever discovered, he would be in danger of being killed at any moment."And now, with your arrival today, I knew that moment had come. I just didn't expe
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