In that moment, the responses came quickly."Ken Zeller""Carson Zeller""Bryan Zeller"Each name that was called out made Felix's disappointment deepen. They were all his father's siblings—his own relatives.Years ago, Matthew had handed the company over to them. And now, they were pulling this kind of stunt on their nephew? It was revolting beyond words."Are these debts something my father owed?" Felix asked coldly.No one dared to lie anymore."No, Mr. Zeller. The debts are from the current Zeller Group. They've been stalling on payments, and just yesterday, they told us to collect it from you. They said if we harass you for three days straight, they'll pay us back.""That's right. That's what happened!""Same for me."Felix waved them off dismissively. "Get lost."The group scrambled to leave, practically falling over themselves in their haste. Once they were gone, Felix turned to Stinger."Stinger, what did you find out?"Stinger, ever respectful, replied, "Zeller G
"It's funny, isn't it? I heard Felix also cut ties with Warren. Apparently, he managed to squeeze nearly 30 million dollars out of him, thanks to Uncle Matthew's old connections," Sabrina said with a smirk.Someone immediately chimed in with a laugh, "That's about as far as Felix's talents go. Warren must've been the fool here. If it were up to us, Felix wouldn't have gotten a single cent."At this point, Carson spoke up, "Enough of that. Get ready, everyone. The big shot I went to great lengths to invite is coming. After tonight, Zeller Group is going to soar to new heights!"The group eagerly moved toward the banquet hall's entrance, with Sabrina trailing behind. She leaned in toward Jolene curiously and whispered, "Mom, who's this big shot Uncle Carson is talking about?"Jolene smiled knowingly. "It's someone from the Kinsley family, the wealthiest family in the city. They're interested in investing in Zeller Group, and the deal is almost finalized. If all goes well, we'll be se
The Zellers froze for a moment. Then, they either burst out laughing or wore looks of disdain."Felix, you're kicking us out? On what grounds? With that foul mouth of yours?" one of them sneered.Seeing a crowd of guests gathering to watch, Carson decided to make his move. He was already in the right, so there was no reason to hold back."You're the one who started this, and as your uncle, I've been more than fair. You're the one who doesn't know how to appreciate kindness!" he snapped, raising his hand in command. "Get him out of here!"At his signal, a group of black-suited bodyguards rushed toward Felix, clearly prepared for this moment.Nearby, the spectators murmured among themselves."Felix? Isn't he Matthew's son?""Yeah, that's him. I heard he disappeared for three years, and now, he's back.""He's young and full of himself. He probably thinks he can reclaim what was once his, but does he really believe that's possible?""This kid doesn't get it. He didn't take over wh
Leo was shaking with rage, his whole body trembling as he pulled out his phone."Alright! Keep acting tough! You said my uncle bows to you, right? Fine! You're dead! No one's going to save you now!""Let me make the call."Before he could dial, Felix had already beaten him to it. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number, putting it on speaker."Yes, Felix," a woman's voice answered on the other end. "Do you have a cousin with the last name Mitchell?" Felix asked casually. "He seems pretty full of himself. I'll leave the rest to you—I don't want to see him again."Cousin? Wendy's voice suddenly grew cold. "Leo Mitchell! Is that you?"In an instant, the once-arrogant Leo turned into a meek kitten. "Wendy? Is that you?""Who else would it be? Haven't I told you to never mess with anyone named Felix? What? Did a horse kick you in the head, or have you gone deaf?"Leo swallowed hard, his eyes filled with fear. Wendy had indeed warned him, but how could he have known that some
Felix paused and turned to look at Carson."You're saying you have something I need?"Carson swallowed nervously, knowing this was his last card to play."That's right. I have your parents' photo album—the one from when they were young. It's in my possession. "Felix, I'm begging you. For the sake of family, let us off this time. I'll return the album to you untouched, I swear."Felix smiled at the mention of that.He chuckled softly. "The photo album? Keep it. Instead of using it as a bargaining chip, why not look through it yourself? Maybe it'll remind you of the people who helped you get to where you are today."Carson's face went ashen. Who could have imagined that the "worthless" Felix, who disappeared for three years, would return with such power? The wealthiest man in the city, Kane—any one of them could crush the Zeller family without a second thought, yet they all treated Felix with respect. But too bad there was no cure for regret in this world.…On his way home
Callum appeared somewhat surprised and then turned his head, calling out, "Hugo, come here and explain what's going on."To Warren's surprise, Hugo was there, too. He felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Out of all the connections he had, the most influential person he could reach was Thomas. The others wouldn't even get the chance to step through the door, let alone strike up a conversation with Callum. Sure enough, Hugo walked up to Warren, who had just started to stand. Without any warning, Hugo kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him stumbling back. His face was icy as he said, "Warren? I gave you a chance, didn't I? I said by sunset, and clearly, you failed to deliver. Just wait—within a week, your company will be done for."Even Thomas hadn't expected Hugo to act so brazenly, completely ignoring his presence. Warren was, after all, his guest, and in normal circumstances, even the most disrespectful people would think twice before acting out in front of their host."E
Early in the morning, Felix was leisurely strolling through the park in Tabiner Bay, breathing in the fresh air. After a short walk, he paused. His attention was caught by an elderly man who was standing nearby. Beside the old man was a beautiful woman, and a middle-aged man stood a few steps behind them."This old man."Felix studied the elderly man for a moment, hesitating before he finally decided to approach."Grandpa, what do you think of Tabiner Bay?" the woman asked, her bright eyes sparkling. The old man nodded approvingly as he looked around. "It's nice and peaceful. It's a good place to spend my retirement. But, ah… There's no place quite like home."The woman smiled, her eyes full of affection. "There's even a fishing area here. I think it's perfect for you, Grandpa! But I won't have much time to visit you if you stay here. Are you sure you don't want to live with us?"Just as the old man was about to respond, a voice interrupted, "Excuse me, sir."Felix had approa
"Grandpa! Is what he's saying true? How could that be possible?" Sherlyn Holt gasped in disbelief.The old man let out a bitter smile and nodded. "Yes, Sherlyn. Around midnight every night, I've been suffering from severe abdominal pain. I've had my medical team and a few highly regarded doctors examine me privately, but none of them could find the cause. "Since I wasn't experiencing any other issues, I didn't want to worry you, so I kept it from you."After revealing this, his expression grew thoughtful. "I never thought that I would encounter such a young master healer here in Avesburgh at my age. It seems fate is being kind to me."Jairo and Sherlyn were stunned and speechless. How could they believe that Felix, whom they had initially dismissed as a charlatan, was now being hailed as a master healer?"Sherlyn, apologize to him."Taking a deep breath, Sherlyn walked over to Felix and apologized respectfully, "I'm sorry for my rash behavior earlier. Please, forgive me and he
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
"Can you cooperate now?" Felix asked calmly.Lina snapped back to her senses, her face burning with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I'll fully cooperate from now on."Sure enough, seeing the richest man's daughter completely fold made the rest of the group abandon any rebellious thoughts. Whatever frustration they had been feeling vanished instantly.Once they were settled, Felix began examining them closely. This was not just a casual observation. He activated his Spirit Eye, a skill from the Phaeron Codex that allowed him to see into a person's soul.After reaching Higher Spirit Realm, Felix had gained access to this ability, but he had never actually used it to inspect a Malevolent Phantom before. Still, he was sure of one thing—their souls would look nothing like normal humans'.So, checking with Spirit Sight was a far more reliable method than looking at whether someone's wounds were healing.When Felix finished scanning all nine people, he froze, completely s
A few minutes later, Felix stepped into the restroom that had been sealed off. It was a fully enclosed space, with no windows—just a single ventilation fan. That meant there was only one entrance and exit.He examined the body sitting upright on the toilet in one of the stalls. The man's head was resting gently against the tiled wall. His pants were already pulled back up and fastened, clearly indicating he had finished using the restroom. More importantly, it was obvious no one had touched or tampered with the body.Felix commented, "No need to call in forensics. There are no external wounds, and his internal organs are completely intact. We can also rule out heart failure or brain hemorrhages. This wasn't caused by any natural condition."With his medical background, it only took Felix a glance to determine the truth.Johann replied, "Yes, sir. But then… what now? Should we interrogate those nine people?"The closer they got to confirming Malevolent Phantoms were involved, the
Felix said, "Go ahead, Delilah. Zara's in your hands now—take care of her on the road.""Don't worry," Delilah replied.Once Zara was gone, Felix stood there for a moment, feeling a weight settle over his chest. She had already been through so much just surviving the ordeal of Twinshade Body, and he had promised himself—without saying a word—that he would make sure she never suffered like that again.However, no one could have predicted the sudden arrival of the Malevolent Phantoms. That was a nightmare nobody could escape, and only by ending it would they have the right to even dream of a peaceful life.…That evening, as the sun dipped low on the horizon, Felix was having dinner with Luna at a quiet restaurant, and Paul had joined them, too."Thank you, Mr. Zeller. Holden is awake and doing surprisingly well," Paul said, raising his glass.He was genuinely grateful. Even the doctors had called it a miracle. Holden had a severed artery and was transported across a long distance
"Mr. Hoffman?" Felix muttered. No wonder Delilah had shown up in person."Why didn't Mr. Hoffman just call me?" he asked.Delilah shrugged, raising both hands. "Because it's not convenient. If you make one choice, I can report back and be done with it, saving everyone the time."Felix nodded, finally curious about this big choice. Then, Delilah asked, "Zara, the one with Twinshade Body, came to see you, didn't she?"That caught Felix off guard. "How do you know about that?"Delilah rolled her eyes with a little smirk. If one of her fans saw her like this, they would probably faint from the shock.She explained, "It's not like I'm psychic. Mr. Hoffman told me. Ever since you left Martial City and came back, he's had Ophelia keeping an eye on Zara the whole time, so of course he knows."Ophelia? That explained why he had not seen her around since coming back. "So, what's the choice Mr. Hoffman wants me to make? Is it really about Zara?"Delilah nodded firmly. "Exactly. Mr. Hoff
Donna said, "Felix, Specter's the kind of guy who'll stop at nothing. I'll hold back and observe for now, but if you really prove you've got what it takes, I'll act like I never even saw that woman."…Later, Zara was resting her chin in both palms with a sweet, innocent smile on her face. She hummed, "Mhm!"Felix let out a groan and rubbed his face. "Don't just say 'mhm'! Did you even understand what I just told you?"After piecing together everything Donna had said, Felix laid it all out for Zara. Since Specter could strike at any time and Zara still did not know what Malevolent Phantoms even were, he figured she needed to hear it all."Of course I understood. Relax, honey. I'm not stupid," Zara replied casually. Since she got it, Felix finally let himself relax, too. A weight lifted off his chest, and for the first time in a while, he really looked at Zara's flawless face. He thought, "Yeah—there's no way I can hold back anymore."He said, "Let's take care of something… imp
Felix finally snapped out of it. Just moments ago, Donna had looked so grim, claiming something big was about to happen. Yet now, after her whole speech, it was all about the benefits of Zara being a Hollow Soul.Donna said, "Hollow Soul has a unique trait. If consumed, it can greatly boost your chances of success.""Consumed?" That one word made Felix's face darken instantly. "Success in what exactly?"Donna had tried to be vague, but there was no way Felix did not get the implication. To put it bluntly, she was talking about eating Zara's soul."Whether you're stuck at a plateau in your cultivation, your soul is mutating, or you're trying to master powerful soul-based techniques—offensive or defensive—if it's soul-related, Hollow Soul can drastically increase your chances of success."Felix's expression shifted as something came rushing back to him. Billy had once told him that when the Mystical Explosive Orb absorbed enough soul essence to reach capacity, it could be used to re