Chapter 5 : “Odds and Ends”

Felix stared at the severed dragon's head, his eyes narrowing in fascination. The cut was impossibly clean—no splatter, no jagged edges—as if cleaved by a blade beyond mortal craftsmanship. Intrigued, he stepped closer, drawn toward the restricted area reserved for nobility.

A soldier's hand clamped around his wrist. Stopping him ."Only nobility may examine the remains. Step back." Soldier says .

Felix didn't flinch. His cold, unreadable gaze locked onto the soldier, and for a heartbeat, the air itself seemed to thicken—a suffocating pressure settling over the man's shoulders like an invisible hand. The soldier's grip on Felix's wrist trembled, but duty hardened his voice.

"No. I won't let you."

A flicker of something dark passed through Felix's eyes. Not anger. Not frustration. Just… amusement.

"You're brave," Felix murmured, his voice so quiet it was almost lost in the crowd's noise. "But bravery won't stop me."

The soldier's breath hitched. His instincts screamed at him to step back, but discipline anchored him in place. His fingers tightened— a last, desperate show of defiance.

Then Felix smiled.

"No. I won't let you," the soldier repeated.

Before the situation escalated, Edric rushed forward, his voice strained with urgency. "He's not from here! He doesn't know the laws— forgive him !"

The soldier shook his head. "Ignorance doesn't excuse defiance. He broke the rules. The dungeon awaits." Should have taught him the rules earlier.

They shared back and forth.

Just then, a figure emerged from the crowd—tall, red-haired, and exuding an air of arrogance. The soldier paled, snapping into a rigid salute. "Sergeant Dain!"

Dain waved a dismissive hand. "Enough with the formalities. What's the problem?"

"This outsider crossed the barrier. He refuses to comply." And he tried to pressure me.

A smirk curled Dain's lips. Perfect. He needed a test subject for his new weapon, someone expendable to fuel his ego. "Still, laws are laws," he mused, though his eyes gleamed with predatory amusement.

Edric stepped in again. "Please, show some mercy—

"Mercy?" Dain cut him off, his smirk widening. "How about a duel instead? If he wins, he walks free. If I win… well, I get to keep him."

Felix, who had been feigning boredom until now, finally perked up. "Deal. But I have a condition."

Dain scoffed. "You're in no position to bargain. But fine—consider it your last request."

Felix's lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile. "Just don't cry and run when you lose."

The moment the words left his mouth, an overwhelming pressure radiated from Felix—an invisible force that made Dain's breath hitch. But pride quickly smothered his unease. But smiled anyways.

"Take him to the arena," Dain ordered.

As the soldiers led Felix away, he glanced back at Edric. "Thanks for the help. Don't worry—I'll be fine."

Edric's face twisted in disbelief. "But—"

"He's already lost the bet," Felix said simply before being shoved forward.

"They arrived". The arena was a stark battleground, its sands already stained with past conflicts. On one side stood Dain, the prodigy swordsman, his flaming blade shimmering with deadly heat. On the other, Felix waited, calm and unbothered.

"I needed a meat shield to test my new weapon," Dain taunted, twirling his sword. "And you walked right into my trap."

Felix tilted his head. "Or maybe you caught the wrong prey."

Dain's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second before he lunged, his fiery blade cutting through the air—only to miss Felix by a hair's breadth.

"What—?!"

Felix remained still, unimpressed. "Nervous? Your swings are sloppy."

Snarling, Dain attacked again, and again, each strike growing more frantic. Yet Felix dodged effortlessly, as if predicting every movement. Like even earth is bending into Felix favour. Finally, in a reckless fury, Dain swung with all his might—only for the flames to lick back at him, searing his own arm.

Felix seized the opening. A single, precise strike sent Dain crashing to the ground, Felix's blade resting against his throat.

"A weak man preying on the weak to feel strong,"Felix murmured. "I could kill you. But I won't. Consider this a lesson."

Dain's face contorted in humiliation. "You—you cheated!"

Felix chuckled. "Or maybe the odds were never in your favor."

As he turned to leave, Dain's enraged voice rang out. "SEIZE HIM! NO ONE HUMILIATES ME AND WALKS AWAY!"

Felix's grin returned, wild and exhilarated. "Oh? Changing the rules now? Fine—let me show you how to play properly."

With that, he bolted, weaving through the streets with unnatural speed. Soldiers gave chase, but Felix slipped through narrow alleys, "Some soldiers pursuers vanished mysteriously, others fell unconscious—struck by unseen forces. A few were swallowed by the earth itself."

Just as he blended into the crowd, he collided with a stranger—a man with ash-gray hair, who regarded him with sharp, calculating eyes.

"You should watch where you're going," the man remarked.

Felix muttered an apology, "but still reeling, the distant shouts... of soldiers reminded him he wasn't free yet. "

As he disappeared into the throng, the ash-haired man smirked.

"Interesting human being." Smiles.