The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

Dean suddenly burst into wild laughter. "You're right! When I said tomorrow, I was just messing with you. This ends now, Felix-right here and right now!"

Nearby, Tyler gave a cold smirk and waved his hands. From the dark alley across the way, over 100 wraiths surged forward, blocking Felix's only path of retreat.

He mocked, "So, Felix, what will it be? You can either come inside or deal with those monsters behind you."

Dean had already made up his mind to use a desperate technique, even if it hurt him in the process. His earlier fight had given him a clear measure of Felix's strength.

Though Felix was still technically in the middle stage of the Transcendent Realm, he seemed to have a secret technique that boosted his combat power to frightening levels.

Felix could now fight against masters of the Transcendent Realm without losing. To kill someone like him would require Dean to reveal his trump card. And anyone who had reached Dean's level always had a trump card or two hidden up their sleeve, so he was confident Felix had reached his limit.

Felix raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly. "Oh? You can even control these wraiths? The Maximus family is full of surprises."

He was genuinely impressed. He had assumed the Maximus family was barely surviving in Corpse Town, too scared to leave the safety of their blue barrier.

However, it seemed someone among them had learned a soul-based art to manipulate these wraiths, something he had not expected.

In truth, the wraiths were simply soul remnants created by the Phaeron Codex's protective aura. They were nothing more than spiritual trash, byproducts of the Codex's defense mechanism.

"Felix, this is the end for you!" Kendrick mockingly waved as if saying goodbye. Felix smiled, unfazed. "Oh, it's definitely the end, Kendrick. I wonder if you'll regret how you treated me all those years after what's about to happen."

Without another word, Felix stood perfectly still. His dagger, Lumen, suddenly shot forward like a flash of white light, moving so fast that the Maximus family members could barely register its presence.

In less than five seconds, every one of the hundred charging wraiths collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"W-What the hell just happened?"

The Maximus family members, who had been watching the fight with smug expressions, were now in complete shock. Tyler, who controlled the wraiths, was frozen in disbelief.

These wraiths, which even their elder struggled to contain, had been slaughtered by Felix in an instant. Meanwhile, Felix gave a mocking wave, mimicking Kendrick's earlier gesture, before guiding Lumen toward the Maximus family's

manor.

The blue shield meant to guard the estate was no match for the dagger. It pierced through the barrier like paper, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.

Lumen flew inside the manor and pierced the large blue crystal housed within. The crystal shattered intonoveldrama

countless fragments, bonet

across the floor. Since both the shield and the crystal were soul-based, Lumen easily fore through them as if they were nothing. swnovel

As the crystal broke apart, the protective blue barrier around the courtyard vanished entirely. Felix did not hesitate and leaped to the rooftops, quickly leaving the area. With him gone, the wraiths inCorpse Town would no longer fear appearing. swnovel

There was no need for Felix to dirty his hands by killing Dean and Kendrick

himself. The wraiths would take care of it for him.

"Shit! Run for the exit!" Dean roared, grabbing Kendrick and Tyler as he sprinted away.

In a life-or-death crisis like this, the

other Maximus family members were nothing more than expendable pawns. A horde of wraiths flooded into the manor, and the scene quickly turned into a nightmare. Screams echoed as the creatures tore through everything in sight. swnovel

"Felix!" Kendrick bellowed in rage.

Each time he believed Felix was cornered, the man always managed to escape death. His hatred had reached an unimaginable level.

"Tyler, control those damn things in front of us!" Dean barked as they continued their desperate retreat.