Felix noticed that the oppressive darkness around him seemed to thin ever so slightly. It was such a subtle change that an ordinary person would not have sensed it, but with his heightened awareness, he picked up on it immediately."Finally, some progress. Let's keep going," he muttered to himself, determination flaring in his eyes.…Time passed, and three months slipped by in the outside world. The frenzy surrounding Harmony Clinic's bounty on the Maximus family began to die down. Despite the massive search effort, no one could find any trace of them. It was as if they had vanished into thin air.Rumors circulated that the Maximus family might have fled to the capital. After all, how else could they avoid being discovered by so many skilled trackers? Regardless of the speculation, Deborah's health rapidly deteriorated.The loss of her beloved apprentice, coupled with her inability to avenge him, had broken her spirit. Bern personally diagnosed her condition and could only sigh i
Felix muttered, "Let's hope this thing is worth it. Otherwise, all that suffering wasn't worth it."He sighed and looked around again before chuckling bitterly. "But how the hell do I get out of here?"Suddenly, a flash of white light illuminated the cave. A new opening appeared in the stone wall ahead, glowing softly."It's Lumen!" Felix exclaimed in shock. The light had come from Lumen, confirming its presence.He stepped through the newly formed entrance without hesitation. The moment he passed through, his vision blurred, and he instinctively shut his eyes.When he finally adjusted to the brightness and opened them again, he saw something he had not seen in what felt like an eternity—the sun."Am I really out?" Felix whispered in disbelief.Turning around, he saw the entrance to Echo Cavern. As soon as his eyes landed on it, the entrance began to collapse, sealing itself shut within moments."It looks like Echo Cavern only existed because of Lumen. Now that Lumen has merged
Nellie quickly covered her mouth. If it weren't for Felix's reminder, she might have screamed out loud.However, she soon regained her composure and demanded, "Evidence!"After all, this was a person who had been dead for over three months. Since he had reappeared via a phone call instead of in person, Nellie had every reason to be skeptical. After all, Felix had entered Echo Cavern, one of the Three Forbidden Lands—surviving that was almost impossible.Felix had anticipated this reaction, so he gave his answer without hesitation. "Back when I first arrived, Nellie, you tried to... do something to me. Does that count as evidence?"How could Nellie not believe him? That kind of thing was something only the two of them knew. No one else could possibly be aware of it.Suppressing the wave of emotions inside her, Nellie said urgently, "Then hurry back!"Even though she had a million questions, she knew this wasn't the time to ask."Nellie, I know Madam Goddard is worried about me,"
"Madam Goddard, these are your favorite foods," Nellie said softly.Deborah's lips moved slightly. "I don't have an appetite. Take it away."Setting the food down, Nellie walked over to her. Using telepathy, she told her, "You'll definitely eat today because I just got a call. It was from Felix. He used someone else's phone to call me."What? Deborah sat bolt upright, her gaze sharp and piercing. "What did you just say?"Nellie was startled by her reaction."I wouldn't dare lie to you, especially not about Felix. I'm not sure how he escaped from Echo Cavern, but he's alive. That much is certain, and I've already confirmed it. It was definitely him."At that, Deborah grabbed both of Nellie's arms tightly. "When… When is he coming back?""Felix said he needs to handle something very important while pretending to be dead. Once it's done, he'll come back to see you. He asked me to tell you but also to keep it a secret. Don't let anyone else know."Tears of joy welled up in Deborah'
The stone Averill gave to him had proven its worth. She had mentioned that if Ophelia were nearby in Martial City, the stone would react once they were within a certain range. At the moment, it was perfectly validating her claim.In Martial City, Deborah cared abundantly for him. On top of that, Nerissa was insistent on getting engaged with him upon their first meeting. Nonetheless, it was not his home. Sensing Ophelia's presence made his heart race with excitement."A genius who isn't one of the Top Ten Menaces? I love tormenting your kind," a voice said.Just as Felix tucked the stone away, a man and a woman appeared ahead. Both were sneering at him."He's so handsome, isn't he?" the woman said, turning to the man. "Husband, don't kill him outright. I want him as my boy toy! With that face and his strength, he'd be so much fun to play with!"Their appearances were so hideous that they were almost comical. If it weren't for the oppressive aura they deliberately emitted—proof th
"Stop overthinking. Are you hungry? Let me cook for you," said Ophelia.Felix nodded. He was more than just hungry. After months of surviving on fasting pills, he hadn't had a real meal in ages. His craving for food had only intensified.Half an hour later, Felix was devouring the meal ravenously while Ophelia watched him with a beaming smile."By the way, Ophelia, why are you in a place like Ghosttown?" he asked between bites.He wasn't worried about her safety. After all, her strength was indisputable. To be honest, even though he had reached the Transcendent Realm, he still couldn't gauge the true level of his fellow apprentices' abilities. Each had mastered different skills, making it even harder to deduce."I like it here," Ophelia replied with a grin. "I've killed plenty of scum, and now my reputation keeps most trouble away. Life here is peaceful and free, unlike the city. It's too complicated there."Fair enough. The city was full of tangled power struggles where "killing
Felix's expression darkened further as he glared at the Skeletal Demon. "Kevin Beasley? Is it the same person I'm thinking of?"He couldn't forget the Dragonia Martial Arts Competition. He'd nearly killed Aiden then. However, Aiden's mentor, Kevin, had appeared and saved him.The Skeletal Demon swallowed nervously, terrified of saying the wrong thing. "I know Kevin spent many years in the capital before returning to Martial City. I'm not sure when exactly he came back."That confirmed it. It had to be Aiden's mentor."What does he want with the Dragonspine?"The Skeletal Demon shook his head, his face pale. "I don't know. I don't even know how he found out I had it. I got that thing a year ago."The Dragonspine was already in Kevin's hands. Any further questions felt pointless."How do we find him?" Felix asked.The Skeletal Demon gave a bitter laugh. "I swear I have no idea, sir. Kevin was always elusive, and now I've got even less of a clue where he might be."Felix sat alon
"Probably," Ophelia said with a shrug. "Mr. Hoffman only mentioned that the Three Forbidden Lands could be helpful to you. He wasn't too sure about the specifics. He's too busy, so he sent me to help you explore them."Felix was startled. "Ophelia, don't tell me… you've already been to all Three Forbidden Lands?"When Ophelia nodded, Felix was stunned. The Three Forbidden Lands were places people in Martial City feared to even talk about, yet she had gone to all of them and returned unscathed. It was hard to believe."How else could I gather information for you? Look at you, acting all surprised. Honestly, Naomi would've been better suited for this task, but she couldn't give up on her dream of helping her village prosper. So here I am."Felix chuckled bitterly. His fellow apprentices really went above and beyond for him."Still, the results weren't bad! I can't guarantee everything, but I'm quite proud of one thing. I've figured out the correct order to visit the Three Forbidden