"This is for you."As Nala took out a box for him, Felix was confused."Who is it from?""Aiden."Aiden? Felix's confusion deepened."Why would he send me something?"Shaking her head, Nala explained, "I'm not entirely sure, but he made it clear that if you accept this, it'll settle the debt of him owing you a favor for saving his life. After that, you're even. No favors owed, no strings attached. "Honestly, for someone as arrogant as Aiden, he does have a shred of honor in him at times.""Repaying a life-saving favor with a mere box? Isn't that a bit too arrogant?" Felix thought to himself.However, Felix didn't care. If it had just been him and Aiden in the courtyard yesterday, there was no way he would've stepped in. The hatred between them was too deep—who in their right mind would save their enemy?Yet, yesterday's circumstances left him no choice. With so many people around, even headquarters had taken notice. Could they really have skipped over Aiden's antidote pill?
A chubby little baby danced with joy in front of the camera. His round face and big eyes made him utterly adorable.Felix knew that was him as a child, and the voice that followed sent a shiver down his spine. It was the kind of voice every child would cheer for—the voice of a loving mother."Honey, look! It seems like our son knows today's a special day. Just look at how happy he is," a man said.As the camera pulled back, two faces came into view.The man was handsome, and it was easy to tell it was Victor. However, the woman… Felix was captivated. This was what beauty truly meant. For the first time, he understood the true meaning of the word.While it's true that the woman with the most perfect looks so far was Zara, the woman in the video was the kind of beauty that would stay with one forever, especially when combined with an incomparable maternal glow. It was beyond words."Is this really my biological mother?"Just as the family was immersed in their joyful moment, the
Melissa glanced at Billy and curled her lips in disdain. "You talk like you know everything."Billy chuckled. "Of course I do. That unnamed mountain? Its core has been hollowed out quite a bit. The interior is massive, with a space that looks like some kind of martial training arena. "There are four enormous stone platforms in total, and even masters in Boneforging Realm can't leave a single scratch on them."Surrounding the platforms are stone-carved seats, clearly designed for spectating duels. The exact age of the site is unknown, and the government has been studying it for years. "Unfortunately, they haven't uncovered anything extraordinary about it. So, they decided to use it as the venue for this martial arts competition."Felix gave Billy a skeptical glance. Somehow, hearing it from him didn't make it any more believable."Yeah, right. Keep talking," Nala said as she laughed."Melissa, he's actually telling the truth."When they arrived at the base of the unnamed mount
"I'm sorry! I didn't know who I was dealing with. Please forgive me," the man begged.Though his mind was swirling with a thousand questions, the burly man apologized immediately. What choice did he have? If it came down to a match on the arena stage, was he really willing to risk getting beaten to death?"Thank you, all three of you," Felix said, nodding in gratitude.Of course, he recognized them. They were the people he had saved during the banquet incident."Dr. Zeller, you're being too polite.""This is the least we could do.""Without you, I wouldn't even be standing here today. Please, don't thank us."The three of them knew they had no hope of winning the competition. They were simply here for the experience. Even if they walked away empty-handed, building a good relationship with someone like Felix was well worth the trip.The contestants in the Stage One rest area were visibly stunned. Most of them were strangers to one another, and there had been virtually no interac
"Is that Lord Lionel? Who's the woman next to him? She's so beautiful and elegant," Melissa exclaimed in awe. Her attention was finally captured after Billy pointed out the figure in the audience."She's the legendary Chief Commander who retired from headquarters years ago. Of course, she's qualified to sit as an equal with Lord Lionel.""Really? She's so young, that's just unbelievable!" Melissa thought to herself."Mira, you really kept me in the dark," Lionel said, his tone full of mock resentment as he looked at the woman beside him."What, did you expect me to write on my forehead who my fellow apprentice is? Would that make you happy?"Despite sitting next to Lionel, she remained completely at ease, as if it were the most natural thing in the world."I didn't mean it like that. No wonder Felix is so exceptional. It turns out he's your apprentice, someone who was trained in the same school. It makes sense now. Only someone like Dr. Hoffman could produce a genius who excels i
"Fatso, are you sure you're going to jump to conclusions before the fight even starts?" Melissa said.Though Melissa had a point, Nala couldn't help but remain fixated on the mysterious Billy.She turned her gaze back toward him, curiosity gnawing at her. Honestly, she couldn't see anything extraordinary about the man bundled up in a heavy winter coat.His aura clearly marked him as someone in the Pulse Realm, so why was everyone so convinced that Ocean was doomed?When the names were announced, she finally learned that the opponent's name was Wally Ortiz. It was an odd name, to say the least."Die!"As the match began, Ocean showed no intention of holding back.This was his first fight, and he was determined to make an impression. He needed to demonstrate the brilliance of the second family of Dragonia and pave the way for future triumphs.Just as he was about to strike, the crowd collectively gasped. Ocean froze, sensing something was terribly wrong, but it was already too la
Back in the resting area, Felix had barely settled in when the announcer's voice rang out again.Suddenly, a section of the cliff face seemed to shift, startling everyone.The southern cliff wall, which appeared to ripple, revealed itself to be something entirely unexpected. It wasn't stone but a person.Until then, no one had noticed his presence. He had been sitting cross-legged with his head lowered, blending seamlessly with the cliff. One could tell he was no ordinary person."Competitor number three, Heath Stanton. Interesting," Felix muttered, a faint smile crossing his lips.Heath's ability to suppress his essence was exceptional. Even Felix hadn't sensed him. Surely, he had to be a powerful opponent."I... I surrender!"The competitor assigned to fight Heath had barely moved the boulder blocking their path when they turned to face him, then promptly bolted.Heath stood tall at nearly eight feet with a hulking frame that somehow seemed almost harmless. At the declaration
Felix mirrored the gesture as a sign of respect.Heath reminded him of Ronan in some ways—both carried an air of innocence and inexperience.The match began abruptly, with Heath making the first move. He remained rooted in place and sent a palm strike hurtling toward Felix from a distance.The power was palpable. If his earlier gesture could create gale-force winds, this deliberate attack shattered the very air.A cacophony of snapping and crackling filled the arena, showing just how terrifyingly powerful his seemingly straightforward strike truly was.Felix vanished from his spot and reappeared at Heath's flank, delivering a swift roundhouse kick.Heath didn't dodge or flinch. Instead, he absorbed the attack with his body and struck again.Immediately, Felix retreated several feet away.He felt like he'd kicked against a mountain earlier. It was completely ineffective against Heath, proving that the latter's body possessed incredible resilience to physical attacks.Moreover,