"What??"
Looking at the task given by the system, Owen was full of questions.
Leslie, Madelyn's sister, was currently known as the infamous delinquent of House Ravenwood.
To escape an arranged marriage, she once set fire to the Third Prince's palace.
To avoid going to the academy, she spiked her magic tutor's tea with a potent aphrodisiac.
She raised numerous beasts with hellhound bloodlines, parading them around the streets and injuring countless civilians.
She even kidnapped the daughter of Earl March, a fellow student, and played a ransom prank that shocked the capital.
Leslie had committed various outrageous acts, becoming a notorious scourge of the capital. Just hearing her name gave people headaches.
However, to Owen, these delinquent actions alone did not qualify Leslie as a demon queen.
Knowing the original anime well, he understood that these exaggerated deeds were merely a facade to cover her true intentions.
In the future, Leslie, who had evaded all discipline, would, after years of dormancy, decapitate the king of the Nether Kingdom with a single sword strike and massacre a million people from the opposing Duskara to set up a formation and advance her tier.
She would become the Hell Queen, a figure so terrifying that even the Dark Emperor would shudder at her name.
Marrying such a deeply scheming and ruthless villainess?
That's like courting death!
However, if he didn't complete this task, the system would deduct 100% of his HP, and his death would undoubtedly be gruesome.
Owen rubbed his aching temples and quickly made a decision.
He had to find a way to marry Leslie!
After all, in the early and mid-stages, Leslie was still lying low, and her power wasn't yet overwhelming.
If he could win her over during this period, he might have a chance to survive!
But to marry her, he first needed Madelyn to let go. Otherwise, he wouldn't have any chance with Leslie at all.
After quickly thinking it over, Owen looked at the resolute Madelyn, shrugged, and said:
"If you don't want to marry me, that's fine. I was just looking to make a name for myself through you. I've been training long enough, and it's time the world knew who I am. Defeating you is all I need."
Madelyn was stunned.
She had been considering negotiating with Owen, offering some compensation to gradually dissuade him.
She never expected that Owen had used the martial competition as a stepping stone to fame!
For a moment, anger surged in Madelyn's heart again.
She felt played by Owen. Despite not wanting to marry, she was well aware of her allure; suitors would line up from the city gates to the royal palace.
Owen's decisive rejection felt like a slight to her charms.
Instantly enraged, Madelyn prepared to rush at Owen to give him a good lesson and vent her anger.
However, just as she began to summon elemental forces, a commanding voice echoed through the air.
"Madelyn, stand down. A momentary defeat means nothing, and your performance today was excellent. The Azure Kingdom needs talents like you!"
King Aldric's figure seemed to appear out of thin air on the stage.
He was tall, draped in a cloak inlaid with sapphires, and wore a crown.
Standing there, he was as unshakable as a mountain.
The mana in the air seemed to be suppressed by some order, becoming orderly.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Madelyn and the others were taken aback by the sudden appearance of King Aldric.
They hadn't expected the busy king to be watching this martial competition.
They quickly recovered, placing their right hands over their hearts and bowing respectfully.
The collective sound of their salutes echoed to the sky.
King Aldric smiled and gestured for everyone to relax. Then he turned his gaze to Owen, who was standing nearby.
Owen was slightly surprised, not expecting to attract King Aldric's attention so early.
He had a good impression of the emperor, considering him a benevolent and wise ruler.
So, after a brief moment of shock, he regained his composure, standing gracefully and calmly without a trace of panic.
King Aldric nodded slightly, becoming increasingly pleased with Owen.
Owen's extraordinary appearance and his victory over the seemingly invincible Madelyn with a bronze-tier level 9 tier were impressive.
Now, his composed and unflustered demeanor further set him apart, giving an impression of steadiness and propriety.
Such talent was not something the Azure Kingdom could afford to overlook.
"Owen, judging by your attire and demeanor, you should be from the Azure Kingdom, correct?" King Aldric asked, initiating a conversation to learn more about Owen.
Owen nodded and briefly recounted his current situation and past experiences to King Aldric.
Hearing that Owen was a wandering orphan, a glint of admiration flashed in King Aldric's eyes.
"So young, yet you've endured the hardships of wandering. No wonder your temperament is so steady, and your combat style and experience so diverse," he praised Owen.
After a few words of commendation, King Aldric shifted the topic and asked, "You are about the same age as Marry. Would you be willing to marry my daughter, Princess Marry?"
Owen coughed lightly, surprised that King Aldric had brought up Princess Marry.
He had a strong impression of her, not just because she was a princess but also because she was the top student at one of the eight academies.
Her magical talent was exceptional, and she had always been proud and aloof.
Moreover, she had been betrothed to Prince John of the neighboring kingdom since childhood.
This Prince John was no ordinary figure; he was the protagonist of the anime!
Like most OP anime protagonists, John's life did not start smoothly.
Shortly after his engagement to Princess Marry, his kingdom was engulfed in war, and after more than a decade of conflict, it was virtually destroyed.
His once exceptional magical talent mysteriously vanished as well.
A few years ago, Princess Marry deemed John too weak in both talent and strength to be her equal, so she took the initiative to break off the engagement. John was furious and set a three-year challenge with Marry, declaring grandly that the tables would turn in his favor.
He then left to prove himself in three years.
Having just transmigrated not long ago, Owen found himself entangled with a key female character from the anime, who was also the destined woman for the protagonist in the early stages.
Owen's mouth twitched imperceptibly; it seemed he was already courting disaster...
He could not agree to this engagement.
After all, even someone with cheats would fear the protagonist's destined one!
Besides, he had a crucial task at hand.
As Owen was pondering how to tactfully decline, Duke Charles, seeing the king personally recruiting Owen and recognizing his talent, did not want to lose such a genius.
He bowed slightly to King Aldric and said:
"Your Majesty, this martial competition has spread across many nations and concerns the reputation and prestige of House Ravenwood. I must insist on keeping Owen."
King Aldric, seeing this, did not press the matter further but looked curiously at Duke Charles.
He knew Madelyn well; she was a very opinionated and proud person.
Having already refused Owen, she would not agree to marry him.
Even if Duke Charles was her father, he doubted it would make a difference.
Sure enough, Madelyn was glaring intensely at Duke Charles, ready to counter anything he said that didn't satisfy her.
Duke Charles, however, paid her no mind. After a brief contemplation, he smiled slightly at Owen and said:
"You participated in the martial competition for marriage and won. House Ravenwood must give you an answer and provide an explanation to the nations.
Since Madelyn doesn't want to marry you and you don't want to marry her either, let it be.
But I have another precious daughter, Leslie. Although she is a bit mischievous, it is harmless. I hereby betroth her to you. What do you think?"
Owen's heart pounded hard.
He had been at a loss on how to marry Leslie, and now the solution was handed to him on a silver platter.
Duke Charles was truly a great father-in-law.
Owen nodded earnestly and said, "A gift from an elder cannot be declined. I gratefully accept."
Hearing Owen's prompt acceptance, Duke Charles, Madelyn, King Aldric, and others who knew Leslie well were all a bit stunned.
Leslie's notorious reputation for delinquency was well known, even in neighboring countries, where her name alone could make children stop crying.
Owen should be aware of this; could it be that he actually liked this type?
Owen, unaware of their thoughts, only felt their gazes were somewhat odd.
He didn't dwell on it, merely letting out a deep breath. The task had finally begun.
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
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"Very well, since Mr. Owen is willing to marry my daughter Leslie, we will sign the marriage contract on the spot to finalize this matter!" Duke Charles said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Despite trying to suppress his emotions, the smile tugging at his lips betrayed his eagerness.
Leslie's marriage had been a headache for him, and House Ravenwood's reputation had suffered repeatedly because of her. No noble son was willing to marry Leslie.
After all, her past actions had been utterly reckless.
She had even burned down the palace of the Third Prince, to whom she was previously betrothed, without a second thought.
Now, this young man with decent looks and talent was willing to marry Leslie.
Duke Charles feared that once Owen learned of Leslie's past, he might regret it.
Therefore, he was eager to finalize the marriage contract as soon as possible.
As long as the marriage contract was signed in black and white, there would be no worry about Owen backing out.
This way, House Ravenwood could not only resolve Leslie's marriage issue perfectly but also secure a promising mage.
It was a win-win situation!
Hearing that the marriage contract would be signed immediately, Owen's heart pounded.
The reason he had agreed so quickly was because of the system task, which he had no choice but to complete.
Agreeing verbally was no big deal since there was no concrete evidence, and it was merely his acceptance without involving actual marriage.
He had planned to bide his time, develop further, and then figure out how to get closer to Leslie.
However, once the marriage contract was signed, it would be a different story!
From what he knew of Leslie, she was a villain who pursued practical benefits.
She could tolerate empty words because they didn't cause her any real loss.
But truly marrying her, affecting her plans and interests, was something she would not tolerate.
She would definitely target him!
Although it was still early in the anime timeline, Leslie's tier and influence were already considerable.
At least around the capital, there was no place for him to hide.
If Leslie sent an experienced gold-tier mage to assassinate him, what then?
Given Leslie's ruthless nature, she would definitely do it!
Owen, currently only a bronze-tier level 9 mage, was two whole tiers below a gold-tier mage!
And if the assassination were carried out, the danger posed by this gold-tier mage would be nearly on par with a platinum-tier!
His current strength was far from enough to handle such a threat.
As Owen felt anxious, the system seemed to sense his distress and chimed in once again.
[Given the host's current low strength, you can choose one of the following three dungeons for training and improvement. Upon selection, you will receive a corresponding passive skill.]
Hearing the system's voice, Owen's eyes brightened slightly. Not bad. This system was indeed considerate. Although he possessed god-tier talent, domains, and even artifacts, his tier was too low to truly harness their power!
He immediately focused his attention on the virtual screen before him.
Nether Island, located on the Volga River north of the capital. The island is filled with strange creatures, ranging from bronze-tier to platinum-tier, containing dragon blood. Choosing this island will grant the passive skill—[Dragon Scales]: Reduces damage from enemies up to one major tier higher by 20%.
"Not bad. With this passive skill, combined with the domineering body technique Obsidify, I'd become a humanoid monster."
Owen blinked excitedly, convinced that the system's offerings were indeed top-notch.
However, his steady nature made him refrain from immediately choosing Nether Island.
While [Dragon Scales] was powerful, it might not be the best fit for him right now.
He decided to check the other dungeons before making a decision.
So, he scrolled down.
Twisted Jungle, located south of the capital, is a gathering place for various jungle spellbeasts. Many powerful spellbeasts lurk there, and there are numerous opportunities for the fortunate. Choosing this jungle will grant the passive skill—[Spellbeast Affinity]: Reduces hostility from enemy spellbeasts by half, neutral spellbeasts will naturally like you, and friendly spellbeasts will be inclined to befriend you.
"This passive skill..."
After reading through the options, Owen's expression became complicated. At first glance, the passive skill didn't seem particularly useful. However, being familiar with the storyline, he knew that most areas of the magic continent were occupied by spellbeasts. Especially in places where rare treasures were born, these areas were almost exclusively controlled by top-tier spellbeasts.
With this passive skill, venturing into those places would not only be much safer but could also yield numerous benefits. Spellbeasts, unlike humans, might treat you as a friend if they liked you, even offering their precious treasures.
It was an extremely unique and rare passive skill. If it weren't for his current life-threatening situation, Owen would have loved this passive skill. Unfortunately, this skill wouldn't boost his combat power in the short term. Instead, it was more like a beast tamer's divine skill.
Thus, Owen looked at the last option.
**Pharaoh's Tower**, located west of the capital. It is rumored that an ancient, unknown emperor is buried here. Wraiths, ghosts, and mummies wrapped in cloth wander within, guarding the emperor's eternal rest. Pharaoh's Tower is a place full of danger and secrets. Choosing this dungeon will grant the passive skill—[Starlit]: Increases the speed of ranged magical attacks by three times (ranked from lv1 to lv3, with lv3 allowing casting faster than the speed of light).
"A divine skill for ranged attacks!"
Upon reading about [Starlit], Owen swallowed hard, excitement flickering in his eyes. Generally, ranged magic attacks were powerful but relatively slow.
With Starlit, he could quickly clear monsters from a distance, ensuring safety, and the attack speed boost would make it incredibly swift!
This was perfect for someone looking to rapidly advance their tier!
Given his current low tier, this was crucial.
Most importantly, he suddenly remembered that Pharaoh's Tower held a tremendous opportunity.
Back then, after being rejected by Princess Marry, John, the protagonist, resolved to improve himself and ventured into Pharaoh's Tower, where he obtained the legendary [Order]—Order of Thunder!
With the power of the Order of Thunder, John's cultivation soared, using the countless ghosts as experience fodder.
Three years later, he defeated Princess Marry, gained fame in the Azure Kingdom, and embarked on his legendary journey!
And considering the timeline, John had not yet entered Pharaoh's Tower!
This was a golden opportunity!
After all, encountering an [Order] was incredibly rare. Once mastered, it could dramatically enhance one's abilities!
While others saw him as a prodigy, Owen knew he was heavily reliant on the system.
His inherent talent was quite ordinary.
But if he obtained the Order of Thunder, he would truly become a top-tier prodigy in his own right.
Facing Leslie, the future villain and Hell Queen, he would feel much more confident.
After thorough consideration, Owen chose Pharaoh's Tower!
Upon making his choice, Owen's personal panel changed accordingly.
[Name: Owen
Level: bronze-tier lv9
Talent: Order of Merlin
Experience: 0/10000
Skills: Mana Void; Supreme Sword; Starlit (0/10000)
Weapon: Godslayer Staff (1/7)
Luck: 90 (Max 100)
Fate points: 300 (obtained by seizing the protagonist's opportunities; 1000 points unlocks rewards in the Fate Store)]
While Owen was choosing from the three dungeons provided by the system, Duke Charles noticed that Owen seemed to be deep in thought and hesitating.
Growing increasingly anxious, Duke Charles quickly took out two marriage contracts, already signed by him, and handed them to Owen as soon as he came back to his senses.
"Owen, don't worry. Although Leslie has a bit of a temper, she'll surely change after the marriage. I'll also make sure to teach her during this time," Duke Charles said persuasively.
Owen understood Duke Charles' intentions at a glance, but he didn't say much.
He simply smiled and said, "Alright, since the Duke insists, I'll sign the marriage contract. However, I plan to head to Pharaoh's Tower soon to improve my tier, so I won't be able to visit House Ravenwood."
Given his current low strength, he didn't want to meet Leslie too soon, especially since he didn't feel confident yet.
He would wait until he obtained the Order of Thunder.
Hearing this, Duke Charles frowned slightly, sensing that Owen might be hiding something. "Could he be planning to use the dungeon as an excuse to run away?" he thought.
With this in mind, Duke Charles turned the heirloom jade ring on his thumb and put on a friendly smile.
"Pharaoh's Tower is filled with numerous ghosts and is extremely dangerous. This is Benedict, the commander of House Ravenwood's Wolf Guard. I'll have him accompany you to ensure your safety. If you need anything, you can let him know."
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Like it ? Add to library!
Have some idea about my story? Comment it and let me know.
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