The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

Dean sprinted forward, but the wraiths chased relentlessly, their speed rapidly closing the gap between them.

And, to make matters worse, new obstacles emerged ahead. Without hesitation, he grabbed Tyler and threw him toward the danger like a human shield. There was no way Dean could handle all the wraiths on his own, but Tyler's abilities gave them a slim chance.

"Don't worry, Elder Dean! I can control a hundred of them-we'll make it out for sure!" Tyler braced himself confidently and rushed out, thinking he had everything under control.

However, Tyler did not realize that Felix had anticipated this move. The latter muttered with a smirk, "I knew you'd pull something like this."

Just as Tyler was about to use his powers to seize control of the wraiths, Felix appeared out of nowhere. He chuckled coldly and vanished again.

In the blink of an eye, Tyler's confidence shattered as he collapsed in a pool of blood. He was not even an Aetherial Realm martial artist, making him no match for Felix, who eliminated him as easily as crushing an insect.

"Tyler!" Dean and Kendrick's eyes widened in horror, their worst fears becoming reality. They had been so focused on escaping that they had underestimated Felix's ability to move freely among the wraiths.

"How the hell can he move like that? How?" Kendrick roared, coughing up blood as his frustration boiled over.

Yet, there was no one left to answer his questions. The wraiths surrounded them from all directions, ensuring that even Dean stood no chance of survival.

Ten minutes later, Felix strode through the now-silent Maximus Manor, calmly gathering the herbs he needed. Not a single body remained in the courtyard; the wraiths had dragged them all away to be discarded outside of Corpse Town.

The manor, once filled with screams, was now eerily peaceful. It was as if the horrors from earlier had never happened.

"Finally, the Maximus family is done for," Felix muttered. He had initially planned to reach the late stage of the Transcendent Realm before seeking them out, but fate had other plans.

One of the prisoners brought into the town had coincidentally met the Maximus family, setting events into motion earlier than expected.

To his surprise, Felix found that, besides the prisoner's herbs, the Maximus family had stored plenty of valuable resources in the manor. It seemed that in their panic, they had not managed to take everything with them.

...

Seasons passed in a blur, and a full year went by. One day, Dickson arrived once more at the entrance of Corpse Town, escorting a new group of prisoners. His mind raced with uncertainty as he wondered if Felix was still alive after all this time. swnovel

Six months earlier, the royal family's operatives had pulled out, assuming Felix had died within the town. Continuing to monitor the area had seemed like a waste of resources. Even Ezra, who had insisted on keeping tabs, was starting to lose faith. noveldrama

swnovel

Over the past year, Harmony Clinic had nearly exhausted its supply of materials for refining the Ascension Pill.

While they had managed to gather new herbs, the accumulated stock from previous years was irreplaceable. The clinic's elders and deputy chiefs were becoming increasingly restless, frustrated with the depletion of resources. swnovel

"Please! Don't send me in there! I'm begging you!" one of the prisoners wailed desperately.

His pleas fell on deaf ears as Dickson raised his hand, ready to order the guards forward. Before he could give the signal, two figures suddenly appeared and blocked the prisoners' path.

"Dickson, that's far enough," one of them declared. "Mr. Whitwell has issued new orders. From now on, prisoners will be used for pill-testing trials instead of being sent to Corpse Town."