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.
Felix could not understand why these two had shown up again, especially since his dealings at the Obsidian Auction with the Dragonspine should have left no traces."I won't say it twice," Asher warned, but Aiden ignored him and turned to the woman instead."What seems to be the problem?" Aiden asked, his demeanor commanding respect.Intimidated by Aiden's imposing presence, the woman reluctantly answered, "I have a terrible headache."Aiden snapped his fingers, and his men immediately placed stacks of cash on the table. "Here's 100 thousand dollars. It's all yours—how's your headache now?"The woman excitedly clutched the money to her chest, backing toward the door with a broad smile. "It's gone! The pain is completely gone! Thank you so much!" In the inner room, Melissa felt furious even without seeing what happened. She would have stormed out to confront them if Nala had not held her back."Felix, isn't my way of treating patients faster and more effective than yours?" Aiden
No one showed Felix where to go, with only Asher standing beside him as they waited for Aiden to return."Felix, don't be so stubborn. You can't fight the inevitable! You should be grateful that Grandma is willing to let you return to the Greene family," Asher urged, but Felix remained silent."If it weren't for Uncle Victor, do you think I'd be this patient with you? Today is your best chance—if you cure Grandma, you'll prove your worth, and no one will oppose your return to the family."When Felix continued ignoring him, Asher finally became quiet. Ten minutes later, Aiden appeared, pushing a wheelchair, followed by over a dozen impressive-looking individuals.Felix studied the elderly woman in the wheelchair. Despite her silver hair, her skin showed remarkably few wrinkles—a testament to decades of careful maintenance. "Grandma, this is Felix Zeller," Aiden announced.Meredith Armstrong, the Greene family matriarch, did not even bother to flash a smile. She said coldly, "Vict
Aiden made a subtle hand gesture behind his back. He and Meredith knew that someone like Felix, who would not even acknowledge his own father, would never respect the Greene family's authority.They had not really brought him here to treat Meredith's condition—their true intention was to eliminate Felix. The Greene family had always been ruthless—if someone could not be controlled, what was the point of letting them live? This was especially true since Felix carried Greene blood but refused to serve the family's interests.However, Felix's Dragon Knight status complicated matters. Since it was an official position appointed by headquarters, killing such a person would mean directly opposing the organization—something even the Greene family could not afford."What do you think you're doing, Felix?" Aiden asked with a barely concealed smirk. He had deliberately used Felix's friends to provoke him into attacking first, which would give the Greene family legitimate grounds for retal
"Have you forgotten what I always taught you? The Greene family never fights a battle without certainty. Send an expert to test Felix's abilities first—just testing, mind you, nothing lethal," Meredith instructed.Aiden nodded in understanding. "Yes, Grandma."…At Xena's residence in Yartford, Felix sat silently on the couch until Xena broke the silence. She said, "About your earlier situation, you don't need to worry for now. "While you're on assignment, headquarters will protect your family members, and since you have no acknowledged relatives, this protection extends to your friends."Felix looked up with interest. "Is that really possible?"Xena nodded. "Yes, I've authorized it personally. No matter how powerful they are, the Greene family wouldn't dare openly defy headquarters. "You can rest assured about that. However, how you resolve your conflict with them after the mission is your own business."How to resolve it? Through elimination, of course! Now that his anger h
While looking into those bright eyes, Felix, who intended to brush things off, finally admitted it. "Yes, it's me."Xena waved her hand dismissively, silently telling him to leave.Felix couldn't figure out what was going on in Xena's mind. He didn't know if Willow's letter affected her.For some reason, Felix felt a sense of relief. He had done what he could—the rest didn't matter.By the time he returned to Gray City, night had fallen. Nala greeted him, "Welcome back. Come eat."The timing was perfect, and Felix didn't question it since he was hungry. "Thank you."After finishing his meal, Felix stopped Nala from doing the dishes. "You gave up everything to be with me. Is it truly out of love?"Nala thought for a moment. "Not entirely. At the very least, I do care about you."Nala was being genuine, that was if she ignored Felix's abilities and his overly protective mother.However, Felix shook his head. "You don't even dare to show me your face. You should leave. There's no
"There is a way. That woman told me that if I could find a husband to defeat her brother, she'd give me the antidote. The only condition is that my husband cannot be from our place," Nala explained.Felix understood everything. "Is that why you targeted me? Did you think I could win the antidote for you?"Nala nodded. "Yes. I didn't think much of anyone from this part of town before. But then you appeared and won my heart."Felix studied her carefully. "Here's the deal. I'll ask for your help if I ever need it. In return, I'll defeat her brother as your husband and get you the antidote. After that, we'll be even."Though Nala was excited, she felt her heart clench. "Is that it? Can't we go further in our relationship?"Judging by his gaze, she knew it wasn't because of her appearance."At least for now, it's not possible. I'm going to bed." Felix waved her off.The next day, Nala went to the clinic early. Felix, who slept in until past 9:00 am, was startled to find Averill besid
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