"Is it because I'm a martial artist? How did he figure that out?" Felix wondered to himself. He got in the car without resistance. In a country flooded with weapons, anyone bold enough to show a gun was surely ready to use it. The submachine guns couldn't hurt him, but gunfire at an airport would draw massive attention. News coverage would follow, which would kill any chance of completing his mission. After all, who wouldn't make headlines after surviving multiple gunshots? "That's more like it," said the blonde man, satisfied with Felix's compliance. At his nod, the van started moving. Two hours later, they had left the city behind as they drove through endless desert, which was typical Gunerian landscape. They continued off-road for another hour before reaching a compound surrounded by high walls. Armed guards at the entrance meant this was no ordinary facility. "You can get out now!" As Felix stepped down, he could not determine the compound's purpose. A dozen gunmen sur
"It really is you, Dr. Zeller," Elliott said. Jed stood dumbfounded. How did this random Dragonian martial artist know Elliott?Elliott might not have been a big deal himself, but his mentor was legendary. That was why nobody dared to disrespect him."My sincere apologies for the trouble, Dr. Zeller." That one demonstration from Felix had completely won Elliott over back then, which explained his respectful demeanor. "Jed, come apologize!" Jed complied immediately in fear. After all, his future depended on Elliott's good graces.Once they settled in a room with coffee, Felix asked, "You're conducting human experiments here, aren't you?"Elliott pondered before responding, "My mentor always said the most skilled Dragonian traditional medicine practitioners were also martial artists. Seeing you easily defeat Jed proves that point. I'm sure you noticed he isn't ordinary, right?"Seeing Felix nod, he continued, "Yes. We're doing biochemical human trials, but I can't disclose more
"You'll show me what a Dragonian martial artist can really do?" Jed scoffed to himself. How scary could it be? If Felix didn't know Elliott, Jed would show him what his transformed state could do.The next moment, Felix threw a casual palm strike into the air. A thunderous explosion followed, blasting a hole in the wall big enough for a car to drive through. Jed and Elliott stood wide-eyed while the armed guards gaped in disbelief.This had to be a joke! How could any human do this? How could a palm strike from 200 feet away cause such destruction?The wall contained reinforced metal, so even an RPG could not breach it. Only a tank stood a chance. Yet, Felix had just demolished it with pure human strength."There are quite a few martial artists like me in Dragonia, some even stronger." Felix left them with that thought before getting in the car. He had exaggerated a bit for intimidation. Truth be told, his power level was rare even in Dragonia.Jed gulped at the sight. His s
A cold glint flashed in Felix's eyes. "Did you find out where John lives?"Luna nodded but looked helpless. "I did, but May mentioned he hasn't been home for months. She learned this by chance, so she has no idea where he's staying now."Months? Felix frowned and wondered if he had been doing that since the lab incident. This bastard John was paranoid enough to abandon his own home. Was he that scared of dying?John spent money and connections just to watch airports, even here in Guneria. He was certainly a crafty old fox. "I know some people here. Do you want me to ask around?"Felix waved it off. "No need. John's too influential here, so your contacts might alert him."He had already investigated Wealthhealth Pharmaceuticals. It was a major corporation in Guneria, and with John's connections, he was thriving here. Without absolute certainty, any investigation could tip him off and make him flee to another country. Felix had considered asking Elliott's help but decided agai
John's face changed when he heard Gage's words. He grabbed his desk phone and said, "Get me a ticket out of the country immediately—anywhere except Dragonia!"Gage just smiled silently, making John uncomfortable."To be frank, I'm really terrified. Elders' Council has tried multiple times, yet Felix is simply impossible to kill. His power keeps growing more terrifying. I'm just a coward with no powerful protectors like you. So, this is my only option."Gage nodded. He said with a smile, "We remember your service to the Council. Too bad you crossed into the Grand Elder's most hated domain. Otherwise, you'd have plenty of protection."John sighed helplessly. Business was about profit, so sometimes he couldn't control himself. Besides, how was he supposed to know what the Grand Elder hated?If he had known experimenting on those children would anger the Grand Elder, he would not have touched it no matter what. Though it had advanced his company's pharmaceuticals, losing the Grand Eld
After using a needle on an employee for information, Felix learned that no one could access the top ten floors of Wealthhealth Pharmaceuticals without John's permission as the CEO. Even his secretaries worked below the tenth floor.Even if he got in, a forced entry would alert John immediately. He would be gone before Felix reached him. …Around noon, a Maybach emerged from the underground parking garage. It was followed by five identical cars without license plates.From what the employee said, Felix knew this was John's vehicle. But he detected three people in each car through his senses. Having never seen John, he could not distinguish his energy from the others.The six cars split up at the first intersection, making tracking nearly impossible. "Forget it. I'll focus on treating Yasmin's cousin first. I'll have to ask Elliott for help later," Felix concluded.…Around 3:00 pm, Felix and Yasmin arrived at a suburban residential area. Guneria's vast territory and relatively
Yasmin helped Linda up, then turned to Felix. "Dr. Zeller, you can treat this, right?"He was the first to identify Linda's condition, so surely that meant hope. Why else would Linda be so emotional?"There are two options. Please sit down, and I'll explain."Only after Felix spoke did Linda return to her seat, her attitude completely transformed. "Please go on, Dr. Zeller."After a moment's thought, Felix said, "First, I can use acupuncture to control your condition and reduce it to once a month."Before he could mention the second option, Linda's face fell."Is there no complete cure?" She never wanted to experience the unbearable itching and disgusting scales again."There is, but it requires something I don't have. We need to find the person who caused your condition."The substance in Linda's body wasn't exactly a toxin—it was more like a hormone that had fully merged with her hands. Even with Felix's expertise, he could not completely remove it. The only alternative was a
"I can't ask him to meet me. He hasn't blocked me but won't respond to messages or calls. But I know where he lives. He's a painter, so he barely leaves his house," Linda said. Things would be perfect if he were still around. "Give me the address. Yasmin and I will go. You stay home and wait for our news."After sharing the location, Linda added quietly, "Dr. Zeller, you won't hurt him, will you?"Yasmin covered her face in exasperation. Even after what he had likely done, Linda was still worried about him. Love really did make people hopelessly blind."Wake up, Linda! Dr. Zeller's here to treat you, not hurt people! I'm the one who won't let Pierre off easy. Say one more word, and I might slap some sense into you!"Hearing Yasmin's threats, Linda fell silent. In the car, Felix smiled. "Ms. Qualls, you're quite perceptive."One sentence cleared Felix of responsibility while hinting at Pierre's fate. No wonder her father trusted her with Qualls Pharmaceutical at such a young ag
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