As the sun dipped below the horizon, Felix sat alone at a small street-side barbecue joint, deep in thought. He was still wondering when he should tell Cordelia and Nerissa about the Starmark. After all, this could very well be the beginning of a final goodbye.

Aside from preparing for the Ancient Sage, he had another pressing goal—he needed to push his soul cultivation even further over the next three months. The stronger he became, the better his chances of winning the championship.

The fastest path forward was through the Mystical Explosive Orb. Now that he had the power to take on an S-tier Malevolent Phantom, it was time to plan things out properly.

Before, he had to keep a low profile because of the looming second wave, but now that the Starmark gave him a clear path, there was no need to keep hiding his strength.

Still, he would need Donna's help since there was no way he could find an S-tier Malevolent Phantom on his own, especially the first one he wanted to hunt—Specter