Felix felt a chill ran down his spine when Billy said he was haunted."A master practitioner has cursed you," Billy explained between bites. "They're so skilled that I couldn't even sense it when you first walked in."Felix checked himself but felt nothing unusual. "I feel fine, though. What kind of curse are we talking about?"Instead of answering right away, Billy casually continued eating. "There are many types of curses, both in Dragonia and abroad. From what I can tell, this is the work of a foreign expert."He paused to take another bite, then added, "These masters are especially dangerous. All they need is something you keep close to you, and they can attack you remotely. From the looks of it, they've already started." Felix jumped up in alarm. "Stop joking around! I don't feel anything, and the Dragonspine isn't even reacting!"Billy smirked. "That's because your soul is unusually strong. What's strange, though, is how much it's grown in such a short time. I mean, the th
"Let's go," Xena said.After getting off the plane, Felix got into a car with Xena behind the wheel. She was driving herself, with no one else accompanying them."In the backpack, you'll find everything you need for Martial City. I'll explain each item as you take them out," she said.Felix grabbed the backpack from the back seat and opened it, finding only a few items inside.Xena explained, "This phone only works in Martial City. Due to the barriers, it can't connect to satellites, but it works perfectly within the city. It's unregistered too, so you don't need to worry about being tracked."The device was more of a chunky block than a modern phone. It had an archaic feel and a tiny screen that did not support video calls or other advanced features."What's this card?" Felix asked as he pulled out another item—a card that looked like an emerald-green bank card. The only difference was that it appeared to be made of emerald, with elegant swirls of pale green throughout."That's
"Wait over there. They won't dare touch you," Felix told Xena while maintaining a calm expression as he faced the six Council Elders.In the past, he might have been less confident against these formidable opponents. Each of them was strong enough to challenge those above their level, which was precisely why they had earned their positions as Council Elders.Having dealt with Gage before, Felix knew his cunning and temperament were terrifying. All that made him an exceptionally dangerous adversary."Felix, are you sure about this?" Xena asked worriedly, wondering how the Elders' Council dared to act so boldly and who this Grand Elder was that could hold off the Protector."Just go," Felix replied, his tone firm.Gage took a step forward, his expression cold. "I know you're keeping your cool because you have the Lone Paragon on your side, but relying on something like that won't change your fate." Felix smirked. "Skip the speech. You chose this location because you plan to hide i
"Felix, don't worry! You're on an official mission to Martial City. That scoundrel is an unexpected problem, but I'll ensure your safety," the Protector reassured Felix as he handed Felix two tokens.The Protector explained, "The red token is essential for entering and leaving Martial City. Without it, no one can safely pass through the barriers. Each token only works once before turning to dust, so guard it carefully. They're extremely rare and valuable, even within Martial City." Felix nodded in understanding as he accepted the tokens, but his attention was drawn to the yellow one. It was round and slightly mysterious."The yellow token wasn't something I originally planned to give you," the Protector continued. "It's not ideal for your growth, but given what just happened, I want to ensure your safety above all else.""If that old man from the Elders' Council comes after you again, don't hesitate to crush this token. Someone will come to your aid immediately."Felix was unsure
Even if the old man did not ask for Felix's help, he would definitely lend a helping hand. After all, Felix was never the type to just stand by and watch, whether it was his nature or what Gerald had taught him. Since he encountered the situation, there was no way he could ignore it. Besides, it was clear the old man was having a heart attack, and the little bottle he clutched likely contained some kind of fast-acting medication. Felix quickly ran over, opened the bottle, and handed it to the old man, who immediately took three pills. In less than a minute, the man looked as if nothing had happened."Thank you so much," he said.Felix smiled and replied, "No need to thank me. It's just the right thing to do."As Felix turned to leave, the old man grabbed his arm urgently. "You're really a good person. Doing something so kind without even leaving your name? But I can't just let you go without repaying your kindness—wait a moment." With that, he pulled out his phone and made a q
According to Billy, one's energy signature would essentially be an extension of their soul's frequency. While he could mask it temporarily, it would only last for about a year—making it permanent was simply impossible."Felix, come with me. I'll make sure to repay you properly. Trust me. I have the means, so don't turn me down," the old man insisted.Feigning hesitation, Felix eventually agreed and got into the Audi A4. As the car moved, the two of them chatted casually, though Felix remained cautious."Where are we headed, sir?" Felix asked when the car began to slow down. He noticed, with some surprise, that they were entering a massive cave."This is my summer retreat. It's normal to be curious if it's your first time seeing it," the old man replied with a smile.Felix simply nodded and said, "Oh."The car came to a stop inside, and Felix followed the old man out. To his surprise, a group of more than a dozen people was waiting there. At the center, an elderly woman sat in a c
For Felix, someone at the Pulse Realm level was as insignificant as a bug—he could crush them effortlessly. However, since he had just arrived in Martial City and knew very little about the place, acting rashly could lead to unpredictable consequences. If someone stronger lurked in the shadows, failing so soon after arriving would be a disaster. Felix glanced at the corpse of the old woman and quickly came up with a plan.Within a minute, a group of dozens rushed into the cave, their faces shifting to surprise at the sight of so many bodies and all the blood. One of them muttered, "They're all dead?" Leading the group was a young woman who appeared to be in her 20s. She had striking features and a graceful demeanor. She wore a white dress, and her sharp, intelligent eyes scanned the scene."Miss, what's going on here?" one of the subordinates asked cautiously.The woman frowned and examined the area before noticing Felix huddling in a corner. He was crouched with his hands over
Felix did not dare to sprint recklessly, knowing that if he caught the attention of a true powerhouse, things could spiral out of control. In Martial City, he had to tread carefully. Xena had warned him that while killing was forbidden within city limits, anything outside was fair game, and no one would care."The spiritual energy here is so dense—it's worth the trip," Felix muttered, marveling at the environment.Back in the capital, his current level left him with no clear path forward unless he obtained a Dragonspine, which was nearly impossible. Absorbing spiritual energy there was futile due to its scarcity—it would take years to make any progress.Although Gerald's medical book mentioned pills as a way to advance, the higher the grade, the rarer the ingredients. For instance, after the martial arts competition, Felix contacted Yasmin to refine a pill, but three key ingredients no longer existed. Despite years of searching, even Qualls Pharmaceutical had not found a trace o
No matter how much a Malevolent Phantom knew, the only thing that was ultimately recovered from them was the extent of humanity's mastery over the soul—nothing else.According to Donna, when a Malevolent Phantom was killed, only a tiny fragment of their remaining soul was retrieved. It was not enough to record everything they had learned—only the most critical information was preserved.So, in the end, whatever intelligence a Malevolent Phantom gathered during its time on Earth did not matter.Felix narrowed his eyes and said, "You're pretty smart. No, actually, a lot of you Malevolent Phantoms seem to have figured this out. Is that why so many of you beg for your lives?"A flicker of hope flashed in the Malevolent Phantom's eyes, and he replied in a serious tone, "I know martial artists like you are bound by your oaths. If you swear on the heavens that you won't kill me, I'll give you some valuable information."Felix did not hesitate. Raising his hand, he declared, "I swear on t
Felix was a Grandmaster. From this close, he could tell immediately whether Malevolent Phantom had used a technique to heal his broken arm or if it had simply regenerated on its own. That was why he made that remark.The Malevolent Phantom frowned. He replied, "What are you talking about? I don't understand."Then, as if deciding it was not worth the trouble, he muttered, "Whatever. You're strong. I'll give you that. But this isn't that big of a deal, so I'll let you walk away unharmed."Felix's mouth twitched. This was the second Malevolent Phantom he had encountered—after Karina's incident—that actually knew when to back down.It seemed that just like humans, Malevolent Phantoms changed depending on their environment and way of life. The weaker ones, in particular, were more likely to adapt, which was probably why they only killed when they absolutely needed to feed."I'm just a martial artist," Felix said, smirking. "Are you really that afraid of dying?"The Malevolent Phantom
If Felix had not come, no one would have noticed the distinct scent on the victims' bodies. Without that clue, the culprits could have continued their crimes without restraint.He muttered, "Was this all planned by the A-tier Malevolent Phantom? I have a really bad feeling about this."The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it became. Could something this organized and meticulously executed really be the work of just one Malevolent Phantom? If humans were involved, that would be far more terrifying.When it came to outside threats, no matter how horrifying, the people of Dragonia had always been willing to fight to the bitter end. However, history had a way of repeating itself—if traitors had existed in the past, who was to say they did not exist now?Eventually, Felix said, "Chloe, here's the plan. Tomorrow, you'll go to this dental clinic. You won't see me, but I'll be watching from the shadows. I promise you won't be in any danger."Then, he pulled out a check. He ha
Felix had not expected Gerald to bring up the Ancient Sage and the Eight Guardians on his own.Gerald replied, "Quit worrying about me and my brother. Karina already told me everything, and since you've already clashed with the Eight Guardians, you might as well see it through to the end."With that, the call ended. Felix felt a rush of excitement. At least now, he had something solid to report to Eloise.Of course, he was not arrogant enough to think this would be easy. If Gerald had set this as his goal, it meant the Eight Guardians were not just some random pushovers.Now that he had already crossed paths with Ashton, he did not need to look for trouble—the rest of them would definitely come after him sooner or later. There was no way they would just sit back and do nothing if one of their own was taken out.But so far, Felix had only encountered two of them—Ashton and Bonnie. The other six remained a mystery, and that was the real problem.By the time the sun was setting, his
Ian finally understood why Angie respected Felix so much. After all, he could even take time off whenever he wanted. Angie's gaze was filled with mixed emotions as she stared at Felix, saying, "Felix, to be honest, I don't even know how to talk to you anymore. "Even Wendy, the head of Kinsley Corporation, listens to you without question, yet you're seriously working here as a front desk manager?"She had already been shocked to learn that Felix's cousin was Dreamscape, but what she had just witnessed was on a whole other level—it was like a bolt of lightning striking her. In fact, she was starting to question if that whole "cousin" thing was even real.Her words were spoken casually, but they hit like a sledgehammer. Bob, who was already sweating bullets, felt his legs go weak and collapsed to his knees.He quickly shouted, "I was wrong! I never should've set you up—please, just think of me as nothing and let me go!"He never expected Wendy to be the very person everyone in Kas
Bob did not say much. He kept wondering if Felix and Wendy were just being polite. He was absolutely certain he would not be exposed. The waiter would never admit to intentionally causing trouble, and no investigation could possibly reveal anything. He might as well keep things as messy as possible. Less than ten minutes passed before Angie arrived. She did not even greet Felix, immediately rushing to the Azure VIP Room with Ian. Felix remained in the main hall. It was past the lunch rush, so the restaurant was almost empty and quiet. Suddenly, Bob heard Felix's voice say, "I won't be here for more than a few days, so you really didn't need to use these tactics." "Mr. Zeller, were you speaking to me?" "You know exactly what I mean. Don't do this again." Felix was not naive. He could tell from how Bob had been helpful in the main hall but went silent in the private room. Something was definitely fishy. But Felix was totally focused on the Malevolent Phantoms now, and he
Just as Felix turned, the bathroom door opened, and a woman walked out. Seeing how the hem of her dress was wet, it was clearly from washing off spilled wine. "Mr. Zeller?" With just a glance, Felix was instantly wordless. Of all people, it was actually Wendy. "Oh, Wendy. What a coincidence!" Seeing Felix in his professional attire, Wendy was stunned. "What are you doing?" "I'm working as a front desk manager at this restaurant." Hearing this, Wendy remembered Felix was currently running important tasks nationwide. So, this made perfect sense. "Since we know each other, let's just drop this. The waiter didn't mean to cause trouble. There's no need to make such a big deal." Franz had already walked over at that moment. But he was shocked to see Wendy knew the front desk manager and was even addressing him so respectfully. "Got it, Mr. Zeller. Sorry for the trouble." Felix nodded and left. Bob followed, but a bad feeling crept into his mind. How did Felix know Franz's
Sally heard the intercom call, too, and her admiration for Bob reached new heights. Everyone in the restaurant knew that for VIP rooms like the Azure Room, customer complaints could not be handled by a front desk manager. Only the general manager—like Ian—could deal with it—and if he couldn't, Angie herself would have to step in.This was clearly Bob's setup. If not, Felix would not have had to go over. Bob had taken advantage of Felix being new and clueless about the rules.But his guts were something else. He was actually sacrificing one or two waiters just to go up against the boss' daughter. Was this really just about a front desk manager position anymore? In the Azure VIP Room, there were only two people by the massive table. A waiter knelt on the floor, body shaking uncontrollably. Just this scene told Felix the guests were definitely high-profile. "Who are you?"The young man with a powerful presence immediately frowned when he saw Felix."Hello, sir. I'm the front des
In the morning, Felix visited the dental clinic where the two women had their teeth cleaned. He found nobody suspicious there. He had already reviewed the relevant videos. They only had a routine teeth cleaning with barely any interaction. Any hope of finding a lead this way was completely crushed. After leaving, he received a call from Angie and rushed to an incredibly luxurious restaurant. "Felix, how about working as a front desk manager here?" she asked.What should have been a simple job offer now felt like she was tentatively seeking his permission. "Sure. But Ms. Sinclair, I have one condition."Angie smiled and said, "Go ahead.""I have some personal matters to deal with here. So, when I need to leave to handle something, I hope I can get time off normally." Angie thought that was nothing. She glanced at the middle-aged man beside her. "No problem. This is the restaurant's general manager, Ian Goodwin. Just give him a call when you want to leave." Ian immediately