Chapter 24: Chapter24-Who’s Putting on a Show?
In the capital city.
Following King Aldric's order, all the top prodigies and mages hurried toward the Royal Arena.
If Owen could have chosen whether to accept Tony's duel challenge before, now that King Aldric himself was officiating, both Owen and Tony had no choice but to attend.
Everyone knew that Tony, the vice leader, was currently a gold-tier Level 9 mage, nearly reaching platinum-tier.
He had been at this tier for many years, possessing extremely powerful combat abilities.
He had once attempted to assassinate a platinum-tier Level 1 mage.
Although he failed, he managed to wound his target and escape unscathed, gaining significant fame.
Such a powerful mage, skilled in assassination, was a nightmare for many mages and the last opponent they wanted to face.
Owen, on the other hand, was currently only a bronze-tier Level 9 mage, despite having previously defeated Madelyn, a silver-tier Level 10 mage.
However, Madelyn had not yet reached gold-tier, and there was still a gap between her and a true gold-tier mage.
Moreover, even if Owen's combat power was terrifying enough to rival a gold-tier mage, Tony, as a gold-tier Level 9 mage and a nearly platinum-tier assassin, left Owen with virtually no chance of winning.
Despite the unequal nature of the duel, everyone's interest was piqued.
Regardless of Owen's tier, his current reputation surpassed Tony's.
He was the number one genius on the continent!
This was a position that had remained undecided for a long time until it was finally given to him!
Previously, the top three prodigies on the continent were undecided, with only Carlos of the Nether Kingdom, who bore the purest bloodline of the Dark Emperor, ranked fourth!
Carlos seldom made a move and kept a low profile.
However, rumors had it that when he was at silver-tier Level 1, he could already contend with nearly gold-tier mages.
Years had passed since then, and his current tier and combat strength remained a mystery.
Based on previous rumors, his combat strength was extremely terrifying!
Aside from this, there was the Godslayer Staff!
This was the artifact of the ancient dark god king!
Famous throughout the continent, even young children who had just learned to read had heard of it!
Owen had managed to wield it!
This was enough to shock everyone.
As more and more prodigies gathered at the Royal Arena, some renowned prodigies and notable figures from various countries also began arriving.
"Princess Marry! Princess Marry arrived so early; it seems she has a great interest in Owen!"
"I heard that His Majesty previously intended to marry her off to Owen, but Owen chose Leslie, that infamous troublemaker."
"At present, Owen indeed possesses extraordinary talent, but Marry is not only a princess; she is also the top disciple of Luna Academy, one of the eight great academies on the continent."
"Speaking of which, I remember that three years ago, the jilted Prince John William made a three-year pact with her."
"Prince William has been missing for three years; the three-year pact is nothing but a joke now."
"Indeed. I've heard that Owen is already on his way back to the capital."
After Princess Marry appeared in the VIP seats, all eyes turned to her, and discussions ensued.
After all, Princess Marry not only held a high status but also possessed exceptional talent and was one of the most beautiful women on the continent.
She sat there gracefully, with her hands resting on her gown, exuding a noble aura.
She paid no attention to the gazes of the crowd, much like a lofty swan disdainful of the attention of ants.
However, moments later, she seemed to sense something and suddenly looked toward a distant spot.
There, black mana surged, transforming into a cold young man dressed in a black robe.
He stood tall, with an evil smile on his lips, his skin a chilling pale, emanating an aura that kept others at a distance.
"Carlos!"
Upon seeing the newcomer, a flash of uncontrollable anger appeared on Princess Marry's otherwise serene and stunning face.
As the top disciple of Luna Academy, which originated from Moonspring Kingdom, where the saint was a spiritual leader, Marry was close friends with Saint Annie and her sister Emma.
According to the original anime, Carlos practiced an extremely sinister spell during his attempt to break through his tier, and the key to his breakthrough was the blood of a saint, which had to be willingly given.
To obtain the saint's blood, Carlos used his handsome face and deceitful words to quickly win the heart of Emma, the saint of Moonspring Kingdom at the time.
During a secret meeting, he pretended to be attacked by a spellbeast and told Emma that only the blood of a saint could heal him.
Without hesitation, Emma cut her wrist to save him.
Faced with the saint's blood, Carlos had no resistance and directly caused Emma to bleed to death!
Carlos not only deceived Emma's feelings but also schemed to kill her!
The truth soon came to light.
Because of this incident, Moonspring Kingdom and Nether Kingdom once erupted into a great war.
However, both sides were equally matched and suffered heavy losses.
Eventually, realizing that mutual destruction could lead to Azure Kingdom taking advantage of the situation, they were forced to cease hostilities.
It was precisely because of this event that Marry wished she could cut the man who killed her best friend into a thousand pieces!
Annie, standing beside her, was also filled with rage. Though she said nothing, the fighting spirit around her was palpable.
Under Princess Marry's furious gaze, Carlos merely smiled calmly and waved at her.
"Princess Marry, long time no see."
He greeted her as if meeting an old friend he hadn't seen in ages, his tone warm and friendly.
"You!"
Carlos's casual demeanor only fueled Marry's inner killing intent. She abruptly stood up and charged at Carlos.
Carlos squinted his eyes, "Princess Marry, I have traveled from afar. Is this how Azure Kingdom treats its guests?"
As the eighth prince of Nether Kingdom, he naturally had some privileges in Azure Kingdom.
The royal guards frowned and intercepted the enraged Princess Marry.
"Princess, this is not the time to settle scores with Carlos. Owen and the Godslayer Staff are the priorities..."
Marry's personal guards, knowing her history with Carlos, quickly tried to calm her down.
Marry knew this, but thinking of the innocent Emma, deceived and killed by Carlos, made it hard to suppress her fury.
"Emma's spirit will never forgive you!"
In the end, Marry forced herself to calm down, her bright, star-like eyes fixed firmly on Carlos.
Carlos shrugged indifferently and sat in the VIP seats with a smile.
Meanwhile, Owen, carrying the serpent egg in a pack on his back, was traveling with Benedict and others, swiftly crossing the desert and drawing closer to the capital.
Along the way, he noticed that few people attempted to intercept him.
Those who did only followed him without issuing challenges, instead engaging in excited discussions.
Frowning, Owen felt that something unfavorable to him might be happening in the capital.
However, feeling the mana surging within him, he gained confidence.
No matter what was happening, his strength had significantly increased, and there was no need to be timid.
With renewed determination, Owen led Benedict and the others towards the capital at an even faster pace.
Upon reaching the gates of the capital, Owen suddenly saw a messenger from the Duke's mansion rushing towards him.
"Master Owen, the vice leader of the Bounty Guild is challenging you to a duel in the capital. His Majesty has even gotten involved. You should leave for now..."
The messenger, panting heavily, hadn't finished speaking when Owen's mind flashed with the news about the Bounty Guild's vice leader.
Tony, a nearly platinum-tier strongman!
Skilled in assassination, with high proficiency in both white magic and dark magic.
He wanted to challenge Owen? Not assassinate him?
Owen was momentarily stunned, but then quickly understood.
This change was likely due to his immense fame.
In less than a day, his name had probably spread across many factions on the continent.
If the Bounty Guild acted against him in secret, it would cause endless trouble, which wasn't their way of making money.
Challenging him to an open duel offered a chance to eliminate him and, rightfully, seize the Godslayer Staff he possessed.
It was undoubtedly an excellent choice for them.
But Tony likely didn't realize that Owen was no longer just a bronze-tier Level 9 mage!
"Fine! If you want a fight, then let's fight!"
After a brief moment of thought, Owen decisively chose to accept the challenge!
There were far too many people eyeing him now!
The best way to handle this was not to avoid them but to showcase his formidable strength, making them reconsider any presumptuous thoughts.
Tony, who had some notoriety on the continent and decent strength, was the perfect candidate for making an example.
Having just learned about the duel, he didn't wait for the messenger to continue and immediately rushed towards the Royal Arena in the capital.
When he left the capital, he was bronze-tier Level 9.
Now, upon returning, he was already silver-tier Level 7!
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