The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

Time flew by quickly, and the one-month deadline was suddenly upon them. Xena would come for Felix tomorrow, making this his last night in town.

There was no grand farewell party since he had already said his goodbyes to everyone. Ronan and Melissa were getting along well, planning to travel the world together after Felix's departure. From the looks of it, they were not far from making their relationship official.

Felix definitely approved of this match, as Ronan was a genuinely good person. The man was honest and reliable, someone worthy of trust. As for Jack and the others, they had called to say they would be laying low for a while, which had become somewhat routine by now.

That night, Felix and Billy were sitting in Floral Wreath Boutique, where a few dishes and bottles of wine were on the table.noveldrama

"Honestly, eating and drinking in a place like this gives me the creeps," Felix said, glancing around. Billy waved him off, unconcerned. "You're overthinking it. Look at me—am I not enjoying myself? And don't even think about trying to squeeze anything out of me tonight. I wouldn't give you a favor even if you begged."

Caught in his attempt, Felix remained unfazed. "Come on, my trip to Martial City will be dangerous. You wouldn't want all these favors to go unpaid if something happened, would you?"

Billy rolled his eyes and shook his head firmly. "Cut the drama. Sure, Martial City is full of powerful people, but you're no slouch yourself."

Felix sighed deeply. "Who knows what'll happen? I'm not so worried about dying, but the thought of leaving debts unpaid really troubles me."

Billy wanted to snap at him but held back, grinding his teeth for a moment before pulling something from his pocket. It was a small paper doll, shrunken down enough to fit in his hand.

"Fine, fine! You're worse than a nagging old man. Here, take this. It's the last one I've got, so don't even think about asking for more."

Felix grinned as he picked up the tiny paper doll. Despite its appearance, it felt firm and sturdy. He asked, "How does it work?"

"Blood activation. Like I've said a million times, anything that works with blood is an artifact-you can absorb it into your body. As for what it does-it's for saving your life, of course."

Felix's smile widened at the mention of life-saving capabilities.

Billy explained, "If your life's in danger, the paper doll will activate on its own. It'll grow to your size and release a soul-disturbing wave, tricking your enemies into thinking it's you."

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"A decoy? That's amazing," Felix mumbled, inspecting the artifact with newfound admiration.

"Remember though, it only lasts five minutes. If you haven't escaped by then, well... you're out of luck," Billy warned.

Felix immediately raised his glass. "Fatso, you're my lucky star! After I leave, are you planning to leave Gray City too?"

After clinking glasses, Billy nodded. "Yeah, but wipe that look off your face. I'm not going to Martial City!"

Felix felt disappointed at failing to

convince Billy to join him. After all having someone as mysterious and capable as Billy in Martial City would have been a huge advantage

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As Felix finished his drink, he froze, his hand still holding the glass. His scalp tingled as he noticed the

paper dolls in the shop starting to sway as if they were alive.

"Fatso, is this place haunted?" Felix asked nervously.

Billy frowned, gestured with his right hand, and then pressed two fingers against Felix's forehead. "It is haunted, alright, but it's not my shop-it's you!"