With a wave of his right hand, Felix revealed his true face. He said calmly, "Don't worry, they have no idea it was me."The old man seemed lost in thought for a moment before he finally spoke. ""As far as I know, only a Shadow Mask can achieve such a perfect disguise. Are you sure you're not from that side?" Felix was stunned. How did this old man even know about the Shadow Mask?The elderly man continued, "No wonder when our bodies made contact earlier, your bone age revealed you were just a young man despite your middle-aged appearance. It was the Shadow Mask all along." Felix was not shocked, knowing that any Blood Realm martial artist could instantly detect bone age through physical contact. This basic skill led the old man to recognize his prodigious talent."You're quite knowledgeable, sir, but I truly am not from that side," Felix stated.The old man sat down and added, "The Shadow Mask is exclusively circulated on that side, with only five existing. Obtaining one is q
Since the mysterious young man, Kendrick was the second person to identify Felix as a Dragons Destroyer practitioner. Kendrick said, "No need to hide it. Without Dragons Destroyer training, you wouldn't be able to sense the Dragonspine's energy signature and track it here."Kendrick's eyes filled with nostalgia as he continued, "The Maximus family ancestor was the first person to master Dragons Destroyer successfully. How else would I know about it or have frequent access to Dragonspine?"Felix was stunned to learn that the first Dragons Destroyer practitioner Gerald mentioned was actually Kendrick's ancestor. He admitted, "You're right—I do practice Dragons Destroyer."But I have a question. I recently encountered a young man from the other side who was incredibly powerful. I couldn't even fight back, yet he knew about my Dragons Destroyer training and even the exact number of Dragonspine pieces I possessed."Kendrick chuckled knowingly. "That must have been someone from the Max
Felix bowed deeply to Kendrick and said solemnly, "Sir, forgive me." During the drive back, Luna noticed Felix's somber mood, so she refrained from saying anything to him. Once they entered the city, Felix broke the silence and asked, "Do you have any connections for unofficial border crossings?""Yes, we have someone from Astoria who handles that. It's completely reliable," Luna replied. Felix nodded thoughtfully. "Let's keep it as a backup plan. We might need it someday."After encountering the Westerio Order, Felix suspected they might interfere with his mission. Given their absolute control abroad, legal routes home might become impossible. Hence, having alternative plans seemed wise.Felix spent the entire day indoors while Luna returned home at his request. With the looming threat of the Westerio Order, he felt it safer for her to leave Guneria. As night fell, Felix stood near an abandoned single-story house in the desert wasteland of Guneria. The nearest road was over
As Felix's words settled in, two figures emerged slowly from the abandoned house.Meanwhile, John was nearly delirious with excitement from his position far away. Despite his men being scared off by Felix's strength, John's mood remained unaffected, almost giddy. "Mr. Reynolds, why are you so happy?" his assistant, Eugene Klein, asked, confused by John's elated behavior. Given his usually cautious nature, John should have fled immediately after the failure. Yet, here he was, practically dancing with joy.John replied with a grin, "You wouldn't understand! Those two are terrifyingly skilled. Felix won't make it out of this, so I'm celebrating early. Go on, open that bottle of champagne I brought. You should have a drink too."John's experience and insight told him that Felix was most likely finished. Skyward Guild and the Greenes had sent two lethal experts, which explained why the Elders' Council had decided not to get involved. At that point, the outcome seemed pretty clear.
The Greenes' involvement was no surprise after their previous confrontation, and, of course, they would not miss this opportunity abroad. Skyward Guild's presence also confirmed Felix's suspicions."Enough talk. I'm not exactly a fan of Guneria either, so let's not waste time," one of the elders said casually."Perfect, I couldn't agree more!" Felix's smile grew brighter as his aura surged, causing both men to look at him with surprise."Gage wasn't wrong at all—this young man has indeed reached True Blood Realm," one master remarked. Though they maintained their composure, they were shocked that someone so young had achieved their level. After all, it had taken them decades of training to reach it. The comparison was enough to make them choke on their frustration. Still, it did not matter much. There were two of them, both in the True Blood Realm, while Felix was alone. Two against one—the odds were solidly in their favor.Felix chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "You two old-ti
Felix moved with lightning speed, his overwhelming presence leaving the two martial artists unable to even resist. "Enough talking! Submit, or die!" Felix demanded, his tone icy and commanding.Since gaining the loyalty of Selmer, a Blood Realm major mastery warrior, Felix had prioritized subduing his enemies whenever possible. These two True Blood Realm masters presented an opportunity too valuable to waste. "I'll submit!" Louise, the elder working for the Greenes, responded immediately. As a hired hand with no true loyalty to the Greenes, his quick surrender was unsurprising.Felix turned to Skyward Guild's master, slowly raising his right hand. "I am a Guardian of the Skyward Guild, and you expect me to submit? If you dare kill me, the Skyward Guild won't—" Before he could finish, Felix struck him down. After that, he used the Soul Sealing Needle on Louise, successfully adding him to his ranks. Though he now commanded only Selmer and Louise, Felix believed his force woul
After finishing his business, Felix decided not to let Louise return home just yet. A True Blood Realm fighter could still be quite useful, especially since Felix was about to embark on a critical mission. It was better to make some extra preparations rather than risk anything going wrong.The next day, around noon, Felix visited a restaurant in Drapetown. After ordering several dishes, he made an unexpected request to the server. "Could I speak with your owner? I'm interested in buying this restaurant—money is not an issue," Felix said.The server responded politely, "I apologize, sir, but our owner has made it clear that the restaurant isn't for sale."As if anticipating this response, Felix gestured toward the packed dining room. "Is that so? Well, all these people are with me. Don't worry, they won't cause trouble, but I can't control how long they'll stay here to dine."It was only 11:00 am, typically a time when the restaurant would have just one or two tables occupied. The
As the sun began to set, Helena sat in a private room of the Drapetown restaurant, listening to her subordinate's report."Ms. Mooney, we've uncovered his background! Felix is quite something—he's connected to the Starfires in Astoria, supposedly the beloved grandson of one of Kyro's old friends. However, our Westerio Order's investigation suggests there's more—he's likely the Shadowstalker Emperor's illegitimate son."Helena's eyes sparkled with interest as she laughed. "The Shadowstalker Emperor's son? Well, that explains everything. With Reagan's status in Astoria, it makes sense for the Starfires to step in as a cover to avoid scandal." Her subordinate nodded in agreement. "This guy seems to be quite carefree and privileged, and his features suggest mixed heritage—likely between the Shadowstalker Emperor and someone from Dragonia."Apparently, he got bored in Astoria and decided to find the best Dragonian cuisine to franchise worldwide. Money really does allow for such whims.
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