On a rainy night, a coaster bus cruised down the provincial highway. From the outside, all passengers appeared to be sleeping, creating a stark contrast with the pounding rain. Felix was among them, but he was the only one with open eyes. Earlier at the clinic, he had realized that to catch a lion, one had to enter its den. After questioning Tom, he learned that Tom had scheduled a transport for tonight, so he infiltrated the group. Tom was driving, still with a silver needle embedded in him—though a different one. This served two purposes: avoiding suspicion and making sure Tom understood that his relief was still in Felix's hands. The new needle would only cause agony once in a day when urinating. While this lifted most of his nightmare, his fate remained in Felix's control. So, he would not dare do anything rash. Before boarding, everyone had been given a bottle of liquid that quickly induced sleep. These people had not shown any fear. After all, they had each received 10,00
A smirk appeared on Yadier's face."Hah! At least you know your place! As for why we're going to such lengths—first, Felix is Dragonia's master healer. Kill him, and they lose a master who can pass down the knowledge of traditional medicine. "Second, we want to prove that Dragonia's martial arts are child's play compared to our shadowstalking techniques. Now hold that coffee steady. The show's starting." By the bus, Felix had stepped out, finding the scene oddly familiar. Ten fighters in purple combat suits surrounded him, while the driver stood at a distance with a smug grin as if victory was assured. "You must be Yadier's right-hand man. You can tell me where to find him." The driver's smile widened. "How dare you talk big even at death's door? Your confidence must come from being a martial artist, isn't it? How naive. These are ten mid-ranked shadowstalkers from our homeland. You're finished!" Felix's expression turned peculiar as he asked, "Ten mid-ranked shadowstalkers?
Yadier revealed that there was another Steele family overseer for Gray City and its neighbors, named Ollie Steele. But he had returned to Astoria the day before on urgent business. This did not diminish Felix's killing intent. Yadier had revealed plenty, which was befitting his status as a direct family member. He knew almost every operation in Dragonia. Felix compiled information about other labs and personnel, then passed it to Alistair to give to Xena as an anonymous tip. This would be enough to uproot all Steele family operations in Dragonia. But prosecuting them internationally would prove challenging. Evidence aside, cross-border politics made things complicated, so Felix decided to handle this personally. He just hoped Xena would not assign him any missions in the coming days.…"I'm coming with you!" Back at the villa, Nala's eyes showed fierce determination to accompany Felix to Astoria. "Don't complicate things. I'm going there to kill people—quite a few of them.
"Felix?" a familiar voice called out as Felix was leaving the airport. He turned, surprised. "Jack? What are the odds?" It was indeed Jack, who rushed over in a few strides. He laughed and said, "I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. If we hadn't known each other for years, I might've thought you had a twin brother." Meeting Felix anywhere in Dragonia would have been one thing, but they were in Astoria. It was incredible. "What brings you here?" Felix asked."Business! Ms. Kinsley's company is doing well. She established preliminary cooperation agreements here earlier, so I'm just here to finalize things." Felix looked around and teased, "Jack, you're supposed to be a big-shot executive now. Don't you look kind of modest here, traveling alone?" Jack threw an arm around Felix's shoulders with a laugh. "I'm keeping it low-key, you know? Besides, though I hate Astoria, experiencing their unique cultural scene is easier when you're flying solo." The mention reminded F
After about 30 minutes, Jack returned to the private room. "That was quick," noted Felix. Jack grinned. "Of course! Like I said, it's just a formality. Ms. Kinsley handled everything earlier. Actually, with Nessa busy training, I thought I'd explore some local entertainment. "Do you want to join tonight? The company contacts can arrange everything. It's totally safe—no scams." Scams? Felix found it amusing. What scammer would dare try anything with a martial arts master like himself? "This liquor's basically water. Let's make do with it. By the way, I never asked—what brings you to Astoria?" Felix glanced at him with a smirk. He joked, "I got invited by a beautiful Astorian lady." Jack scoffed. "Yeah, right. Cheers!" Just as they raised their glasses, the door slid open. Four burly men sat down rudely on both sides. Judging from their tattoos, they were likely local gang members. Jack frowned and asked, "Can I help you?" They did not respond, either unable or unwill
"Jack!" Felix's voice finally snapped Jack out of his trance. "Let me introduce you. This is my good friend Jack Graham, and this is Luna Starfire." Felix was exasperated. He had called Jack's name three times while the guy just stared at Luna until she grew uncomfortable. "Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Starfire." After barely shaking hands, Jack's expression suddenly changed. He jumped up. "Excuse me. I need to use the restroom." Honestly, Felix was stunned. He could tell exactly what had happened to Jack, but wasn't this a bit extreme? Though considering Jack's obsession with Astorian media when he was younger, perhaps it made sense. The awkward moment was saved by Luna's amused smile. "Your friend's quite entertaining, Dr. Zeller." Entertaining? Felix seized the chance to change subjects. "Tell me about your friend. The case doesn't seem urgent, right?" Luna nodded. "To be direct, her situation is similar to Jenna's." Ah, fertility issues. Indeed, it was not life-threa
Why was Xena asking Felix to return, even though there was no mission for him? Felix frowned. "Why?" "No reason needed! You're a Dragon Knight under my command. When I order you back, you come back!" Such forceful authority would have been impossible before, but now Felix did hold the Dragon Knight title—no disputing that. "I have a patient here, Xena. Don't put me in this position." After a brief silence, Xena's voice softened slightly. "Whether you have a patient or not, I know you well enough. You're in Astoria for something else. I might not ask, but I know plenty. "Felix, this situation is bigger than you realize. It's not something you can handle on impulse. Understand?" Clearly, Xena had guessed Felix was targeting the Steeles. Her "urgent matters" that let him board the plane must have been Alistair's anonymous tip. "I really do have a patient. Sorry." He hung up. After several minutes without another call, Felix relaxed. He only received a text message. It was
Felix had only been testing the waters. "No worries. It's just a thought. Let's focus on the treatment." As expected, May had the same condition as Jenna. It was latent uterus syndrome. "Thank you so much, Dr. Zeller." May broke into tears of joy, knowing she could conceive once her husband was cleared. Across cultures, continuing the family line was paramount, and infertility was devastating for women. May left on urgent business, and Luna led Felix to the study, where Kyro waited. "I hear you have important matters to discuss, Dr. Zeller. Rest assured, this study is specially constructed for absolute privacy." Knowing Kyro's standing, Felix decided to take his chance. He pulled out his phone to show Yadier's complete confession. After watching, Kyro slammed the table and breathed heavily with rage. "Those beasts! I thought the Steeles' local activities were heinous enough. I didn't think they'd do something worse." Luna's eyes burned with fury. Her anger was obvious eve