As Wendy was about to speak, Bernard regained his composure and shouted, "How dare you!" In the next moment, Bernard suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed into Vincent's arms. Wendy was so frightened that she burst into tears and hurried outside. Even Xena's expression changed. Bernard's loyalty was more intense than she had anticipated, to the point of spitting blood over this matter."Joe," she whispered. Jordan nodded in acknowledgment and rushed over to check Bernard's pulse. His assistance helped calm Vincent and Wendy down a bit. "It's nothing serious. It's just a case of stress. A few days of rest will do him good, but during this time, make sure he doesn't face any more pressure." Given the sudden events, if Xena continued to press on the issue, she would no longer deserve the title of goddess of war. She left with Jordan. "Grandpa! I'm so sorry!" Wendy cried like a child. She just didn't want the Kinsleys to be defeated. But it wasn't her inten
Felix's lips curled into a slight smile. It was exactly as he had anticipated. He picked up the bowl he had prepared earlier and placed it by Zane's mouth. Then, he gently patted Zane's back three times with his right hand.On the last pat, Zane surprisingly opened his mouth and expelled something into the bowl. To the astonishment of Gilbert and Jane, Zane laid back down and fell asleep again."All done.""All done?" The couple stared wide-eyed, unable to comprehend the unbelievable turn of events.It wasn't until Felix approached them with the bowl and pointed to its contents that they understood. "This bug is the reason for your son's condition." Felix showed them the bowl.They looked down to see a white, worm-like creature in the bowl, resembling a dead earthworm, completely still. "This creature is extremely rare. It's called a Snowbug. I won't go into the details, but when it encounters a human, it will actively burrow into their body without leaving any wounds. "
"Milady." Belle grabbed Xena's arm, knowing just how terrifying Nocturno was as a wanted criminal. Unlike criminals who acted in the dark, he often appeared in public, yet he remained elusive due to his extraordinary strength. Even now, no one knew what his limits were."I've already called headquarters. Should we wait for their support before proceeding?" Xena patted Belle's arm, fully aware that she meant well. "It might be too late by then. Regardless of Nocturno's intentions to see me, this is undoubtedly the best opportunity to take him down. If we wait for headquarters, Nocturno isn't a fool—he'll have already escaped," Xena said."Don't worry. I'm not that easy to deal with, either," she added.Though she said this, Xena felt uncertain. Every Super S-rank wanted criminal was formidable in their own right.…Meanwhile, Felix had returned to his villa. He didn't intend to turn on the lights. Given the armed guards outside, suddenly illuminating the place would be hi
Xena glanced at Felix with a complex expression. "Please wait in the yard. My people need to search your villa. Don't worry. We won't mess up the place," she said."Okay." Felix nodded.When Belle emerged from the villa with her team, Xena left with just a glance. However, before departing, she said, "Sorry for the trouble." Felix was surprised. It was a miracle that this woman could maintain such a good attitude in front of him.… The child had already been sent to the hospital, and her parents were notified. Xena and Belle then drove toward the Phoenix Legion headquarters. Most of their personnel had been dispatched throughout Avesburgh to search for Nocturno, although they knew the chances of finding him were slim. But one question lingered. Why had Nocturno suddenly abandoned the child and not killed Felix, who was also sleeping in the villa? This was completely out of character for Nocturno. He was known to be brutal, which was why he was classified as a Super S-ran
Felix had already changed into his pajamas and finished washing up. He was now preparing for bed. However, just then, the doorbell rang. He was puzzled. Who could be visiting at this late hour?His expression was strange as he saw Xena on the video monitor."Do you have something else to discuss?" he said.Seeing that Felix was outside but hadn't opened the gate, Xena felt a surge of irritation. However, remembering her inner suspicions, she held back her frustration. "Although it's a bit late and my visit is somewhat inappropriate, is this how you welcome your guests?" she snapped.Felix opened the gate and turned to walk away. "Come in," he said.Xena was even more annoyed by his attitude. After all, she was the first goddess of war in Dragonia—beautiful and talented, the dream woman of countless men. Yet, every time she encountered Felix, it felt as though he had a way of filtering out her extraordinary beauty as if he simply couldn't see it."Get to the point. I'm
At 10:00 am, Sasha entered a café in Avesburgh."Good morning, Mr. Glover," she greeted.The one who had called her out was Ted. His stature was far beyond her reach, and she had heard he had a terrifying background. Even Hugo would respectfully address him as Mr. Glover.When she received the call last night, she was puzzled. No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't figure out what she had done to warrant a meeting with Ted."Have a seat," Ted said with a smile. "I looked around and found out that you know Felix. Your relationship with him is not ordinary." Instantly, Sasha stood up again, her expression in complete disarray."Mr. Glover, let me explain. While I do know Felix, I dislike him. I would not be in touch with him if it weren't for my dad. So, whatever trouble he's caused has nothing to do with me or my family," she clarified.In her view, Felix, the big fraud, had somehow gotten on Ted's bad side. It took guts to mess with someone of his stature. "Y
"Change?" The sales associate was taken aback by the request. She knew the customer was always right, but she seemed to have a bit of a temper and dared to question him."Why?" Felix frowned even deeper. "Looks like the favors from back then have gone to waste. It's only been three years, and you don't recognize your cousin. Sabrina, you haven't changed at all."Indeed, the woman before him, with her stunning figure, was Felix's cousin, Sabrina Zeller, the daughter of his fifth uncle. When Sabrina heard this, her eyes widened as she took a closer look at Felix, finally recalling something. "Oh, my God! Is that you, Felix? I can't believe you're still alive!" This instinctive reaction revealed the nature of their relationship. "I don't want to waste time talking with you. Get me another sales associate. You wouldn't want me to file a complaint, would you?" Whether from his father's side or his mother's, those relatives were all ungrateful ingrates. When Felix's father
As Nina prepared the sales agreement, Felix waited in the lobby.Milo entered the car dealership and headed straight for Sabrina."Sabrina, let's have lunch together. I was taking care of some business around this area and thought of you, but you didn't answer my calls at all," Milo said.Sabrina sneered. She usually had men interested in her wrapped around her finger, and Milo was one of them. After he bought a Range Rover last time, he had been pestering her relentlessly."Oh, Mr. Quinton, I'm at work. How could I have time to answer the phone?" Sabrina replied.After saying that, Sabrina suddenly thought of something and looked on the verge of tears, which Milo noticed."What's wrong? Who's bullied you?" he asked.Sabrina forced out a tear. "I'm... I'm fine!" she said.This was the perfect opportunity for Milo to impress the woman he loved. "Tell me! Damn it! Who dares to bully you? I'll stand up for you," he bellowed."Mr. Quinton, you're so good. I feel so safe with y
With a thump, Lincoln dropped to his knees and began thanking Felix, tears in his eyes. Every motion came from the heart."Get up, come on," Felix said, helping him back to his feet. "We met because of fate. Besides, if you hadn't led me out of that forest, I'd probably be dead by now."As Lincoln was lifted up, Mateo was already getting excited. "Hurry! Help me outside. I want to see what it looks like out there!"Out on the village path, two older women were walking side by side, gossiping and chuckling softly."Right? That guy got chewed out by Kimberly so badly that he couldn't get out of bed for three days. Serves him right!"Just as they were laughing, they caught sight of Mateo standing at the gate. They greeted him cheerfully, "Mateo!"He smiled back warmly. "Not asleep yet?"But before they could respond, both women froze mid-step. Their eyes widened as they stared in disbelief. Mateo was standing upright on his own. Lincoln stood a full yard away, not even close enough
Lincoln's jaw practically hit the floor as he stared at Felix in disbelief. "Felix, are you really a doctor?"Felix gave a sheepish smile, his expression just as confused."Yeah… I just remembered it a moment ago. No wonder I had flashes of those silver needles. Maybe it's because you talked about all this. It helped jog my memory. Thank you, Lincoln."Lincoln grew excited. "Then, Felix, can you heal my father's legs? He's been dreaming of walking again…"People from small villages had no idea what it took to treat legs that hadn't moved for a whole year. However, it actually worked out perfectly for Felix.What he needed right now was a safe place, away from danger, where he could think through the whole situation with Nine Flames. Everything else was secondary.Putting on a hesitant expression, Felix sighed. "I can try, but I don't have any silver needles with me."When the Starmark transported him, everything that wasn't part of his body or soul had been left behind on Earth.
Leandre just took a few puffs of his pipe. "He can stay the night at your house. That's final."With that, he walked away.His tone was firm and unquestionable. With Leandre—the chief—showing his authority, Lincoln didn't dare protest any further. He could only give Felix an apologetic look."Sorry, Felix. I didn't know Leandre was so wary of outsiders."Felix chuckled. "It's fine. I'm just grateful he let me stay the night."Innswood Village was visibly poor. There was not a single brick house in sight. Everything was made of straw and wood, barely holding together.The village was small. According to Lincoln, only about 300 people lived there.On the way in, Felix had also learned that Lincoln's father was still alive, but he'd broken both his legs a year ago while out foraging. Since then, he'd been bedridden, and all the responsibility of supporting the family had fallen on Lincoln's shoulders. Honestly, Lincoln was as filial as they came."You must be Felix. Thank you for
If Nine Flames on Aquamarinus were the only thing keeping Desolated Lands from spreading, then wouldn't taking them mean total destruction for the planet?How many people would die if Felix really went through with that?However, if he didn't do it, he'd fail the elimination round. He wouldn't advance further and would lose all chance of winning. Once that happened, the second wave from the Orion family would arrive, and Earth would be the next to fall. That was guaranteed.For a moment, Felix's thoughts were a complete mess. Was this what Donna meant when she said that once one entered the Rank-Ascending Competition, one had to let go of everything and think only of yourself?"Felix, are you okay?" Lincoln asked.They'd gotten a little familiar along the way, so when Lincoln saw Felix stop in his tracks with a dark expression, he hesitated but still spoke up.Felix's train of thought was broken. He let out a bitter laugh. "It's nothing. Just remembered something. Let's keep goin
"A-Are you a martial artist?"The sudden voice made Felix turn around. It was the young man from earlier. He had returned, looking a little timid. Only now did Felix notice he was carrying a woven basket on his back."Yes." Felix nodded. Since the guy could even recognize what a martial artist was, it meant he wasn't clueless.A flash of admiration appeared in the young man's eyes. "No wonder you were able to take down that long-armed ape. Thank you, really."Felix wondered if that was all the gratitude he would receive. The young man looked like he was about to turn around and leave."Hey, could you help me get out of here? Honestly, I don't even know how I got in. When I woke up, it was like I had amnesia. I only remember my name and a few blurry things."The young man smiled warmly. "Of course! Good thing you said something—if night falls and you're still in Desolated Lands, you'd be as good as dead."Felix inhaled sharply, figuring that he couldn't avoid doing good deeds, af
"Is this a forest?" Felix asked.When the swirling lights around him finally faded, Felix had no idea how much time had passed. His body felt fine, but the moment he looked around, his expression changed.Towering trees surrounded him, with only the faintest shafts of sunlight filtering through the dense canopy. The trees were massive. By his estimate, they stood at least 600 feet high. There was no way trees like this existed on Earth.It wasn't just one or two of them. It was an endless forest, stretching as far as the eye could see. It was a literal sea of trees.Suddenly, Felix's right hand shot out and caught a small snake that had lunged at him. It wasn't only about the width of his thumb. However, it had a sharp triangular head and a green body. It hissed viciously at Felix. Even with its body restrained, it didn't back down at all."This thing's different," Felix remarked.He gave it a light squeeze, and his eyes widened. The snake's scales were hard like steel. It felt l
"Back then, I was an S-rank Malevolent Phantom," Donna said. "There were tons of restrictions placed on me, so I couldn't say much even if I wanted to. "But now that I've reforged my soul, those restrictions are gone. My soul power and memories are all intact, so you should understand what that means."Felix's interest immediately sparked. He knew almost nothing about the Rank-Ascending Competition, and neither did Gerald. Funny how a former Malevolent Phantom might actually be his best source of information."I don't know everything, but I can tell you what I do know, as it could be of a little help. First off, our wave of Malevolent Phantoms was just the first. "The next group coming will be from the Orion family. They're extremely powerful. One of their ancestors won the Rank-Ascending Competition generations ago. They've already contacted multiple planets, and Earth is their next target."That caught Felix's attention, as Gerald had mentioned something about powerful familie
Felix was startled. Cordelia's reaction meant something serious had happened."Mom! What's wrong?" he asked.It wasn't until he spoke that Cordelia seemed to realize her beloved Felix was awake. Without a second thought, she rushed over to him. "Felix, you're awake? Are you feeling okay? When we found you, you were covered in blood from head to toe."Felix wasn't concerned about himself."I'm fine, really. But what about you, Mom? What happened?"His question seemed to snap her out of it. Since he was alright, her expression lit up with joy."I'm just so happy. It's amazing news! Nerissa is pregnant!"Felix froze, completely caught off guard. Soon, panic kicked in. "She's pregnant? Wait. Does that mean I'm going to be a dad?"Even Nerissa looked shocked. She had only started noticing some symptoms and had gone for a checkup with Cordelia. She hadn't expected to be pregnant for real."That's right, you little rascal! Now do you see? Your mom's instincts were spot on! Look at
Just then, the Ancient Sage's meridians finally stabilized. Without wasting a second, he unleashed his strongest move once again."Lightning Matrix!"A huge mouthful of blood burst from his lips. His face went deathly pale as he activated the secret technique. Disregarding the harm he was inflicting on his body, he struck Felix. This time, he unleashed the true Lightning Matrix, not the lighter version he used against Felix previously. "Bring it on!" Felix was completely fearless now. Although his energy was locked in place and his body was paralyzed, he radiated power."I'm about to compete in the Rank-Ascending Competition. There's no way I'll die here."It was like something inside him snapped. Felix suddenly burst into motion. Instead of passively handling the attacks, he charged straight toward the three lightning palms crashing down on him.Even the Ancient Sage was shaken. He could hardly believe that a battle could escalate to this level.When the smoke finally cleared,