The Rise of a Master: It Starts With Rejection

Felix muttered, "Let's hope this thing is worth it. Otherwise, all that suffering wasn't worth it."

He sighed and looked around again before chuckling bitterly. "But how the hell do I get out of here?"

Suddenly, a flash of white light illuminated the cave. A new opening appeared in the stone wall ahead, glowing softly.

"It's Lumen!" Felix exclaimed in shock. The light had come from Lumen, confirming its presence.

He stepped through the newly formed entrance without hesitation. The moment he passed through, his vision blurred, and he instinctively shut his eyes.

When he finally adjusted to the brightness and opened them again, he saw something he had not seen in what felt like an eternity-the sun.

"Am I really out?" Felix whispered in disbelief.

Turning around, he saw the entrance to Echo Cavern. As soon as his eyes landed on it, the entrance began to collapse, sealing itself shut within moments.

"It looks like Echo Cavern only existed because of Lumen. Now that Lumen has merged with my soul, the cavern has no reason to remain," he mused.

Time inside the cavern had become meaningless, especially in that endless darkness. If he had not been a Transcendent Realm martial artist with a strong mind, he would have likely gone insane long ago. He had no idea how long he had been trapped until he pulled out his phone and realized it was dead.

After that, Felix began heading toward Westville. On the way, he spotted a lone traveler moving in the same direction.

"Excuse me, sir!" Felix called out as he approached.noveldrama

The man, a middle-aged traveler with a rugged but honest face, froze. Sensing that Felix was far stronger than him, he quickly stopped and bowed respectfully, silently praying that Felix was not a violent man.

"Relax. Do you have a phone?" Felix asked calmly.

The traveler was only at the Pulse Realm. Felix was shocked that someone with such a low level dared to roam outside the city alone.

Meanwhile, the traveler quickly nodded and pulled out his phone. "Yes, of course. Here you go, sir."

Though Felix seemed harmless, the traveler was not about to let his guard down. After all, you could never tell what someone was really thinking with just a few words.

"What's today's date?" Felix asked.

"The fifth of June," the man replied.

Felix frowned and muttered, "Three months?"

He had been trapped in Echo Cavern for three whole months. Deborah, Nerissa,

and everyone else he knew probably thought he was dead by now.

After a moment of contemplation, Felix made a decision. He thought, "If everyone, including the Maximus family and the Grand Elder, thinks I'm dead, I might as well use that to my advantage for now."

He was about to make a call when he remembered that someone like Deborah would not answer a number not saved in her contacts. Instead, he dialed the North City Harmony Clinic.

"North City Harmony Clinic. How can we help you?"

"Hello. I'd like to speak with Nellie Belmont. I'm a friend of Mr. Dickson Marlow," Felix said, knowing he needed a name to get through to Nellie.

"One moment, please."

After a brief pause, Nellie's voice came through the line. "This is Nellie. I have contact info for all of Marlow's friends. So, who exactly are you?"

Hearing her familiar voice, Felix felt a wave of emotion wash over him. He had truly survived one of the most perilous experiences of his life.

He said, "Nellie, please stay calm, and don't tell anyone just yet. I need you to notify Madam Goddard S secretly. You've probably recognized my voice by now. Yes, it's me-Felix Zeller."