Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start? - Chapter 168

Chapter 168: Chapter168-Shaking Middle Earth with One Man’s Strength
Rachel, dressed in her mage’s robe, gazed at Owen with soft, tender eyes.

Her fair cheeks were tinged with a faint blush, and her eyes, once cold, now shimmered with a look of adoration and submission, as if she were looking at her master, awaiting his commands and comfort.

Seeing Rachel’s reaction, Owen couldn’t help but show a trace of surprise on his face. He hadn’t expected the Slave Chain to be so powerful.

It had only been on Rachel’s neck for a short time, yet it seemed her spirit had already been influenced, as if she would do anything at his slightest command.

This reaction from Rachel, who had always been an untouchable figure, left the already shocked prodigies from Middle Earth and Henry’s group even more astounded.

In their eyes, Rachel was the untouchable first chair of Melodic Academy, the goddess they revered, cold and indifferent to everyone.

Now, she had become like a lovesick woman in front of Owen, a mere native.

They could only think that Owen had used some strange and sinister method!

“My goddess!”

Some of the prodigies felt a surge of anger, wishing they could tear Owen to pieces on the spot.

But the aura emanating from Owen was too terrifying, like a fierce beast, making them too fearful to act.

They could only fume inwardly.

After all, Rachel had been defeated, and two master-tier Protectors had been killed.

Such a remarkable and brutal record was something they could never have imagined.

The last bit of pride in Henry and the others’ hearts vanished the moment Rachel, like a besotted fool, reached out and wrapped her arms around Owen’s neck.

Previously, they had looked down on Owen due to his humble origins, even after he had slain Kaldan and many powerful Protectors.

In their minds, the top prodigies of Middle Earth were still stronger than Owen.

But now, seeing Rachel, the first chair of one of the three major academies, being easily subdued by Owen, they finally realized that one day, Owen’s name might truly shake Middle Earth.

In fact, it could be said that he had already started to shake the entire Middle Earth.

As countless eyes watched, and Rachel’s soft, delicate hands caressed him, Owen couldn’t help but feel a ripple of emotion.

If Leslie was a woman who was cold both inside and out, then Rachel felt like fire encased in ice—a blazing passion hidden beneath a cold exterior.

Others might not be able to melt the ice on her surface, but with the help of the Slave Chain, Owen had indirectly melted that icy facade.

All that fiery passion was now directed at him.

But just as Rachel’s hand touched Owen’s cheek, a look of struggle suddenly appeared on her face.

“What… what have you done to me?”

The next moment, a flash of clarity passed through Rachel’s eyes. The fiery gaze was once again covered by a cold frost as she glared at Owen.

She had tried to attack Owen just now, but to her shock, she found that after the thought arose, her body refused to obey her commands. She could only stare angrily at Owen.

Seeing Rachel regain a sliver of her consciousness, Owen wasn’t surprised.

Rachel was, after all, the first chair of Melodic Academy.

She had many treasures and secrets.

Although the Slave Chain was powerful, it couldn’t easily subjugate someone like her.

“To be honest, I have no ill will toward you personally, but circumstances have forced me to kidnap you.”

Owen looked at the now-cold Rachel, and after a moment of silence, spoke slowly.

“Why? Because I’m the first chair of Melodic Academy?” Rachel asked, her anger growing.

Owen nodded, “That’s right.”

Rachel narrowed her eyes and said coldly, “Circumstances forced you? It seems that the forces of Middle Earth have made you feel greatly threatened, so you want to use me to threaten Middle Earth?”

Seeing how Rachel had guessed his intentions from a few words, Owen remained silent.

Owen’s silence was enough for Rachel to take it as confirmation of her suspicion. She snorted coldly.

“Don’t you think your plan is too far-fetched? Do you really believe you can use me to threaten the people of Middle Earth?”

“Dream on! Neither the people of Middle Earth nor those from Melodic Academy would take such a threat seriously!”

“Melodic Academy has stood for thousands of years, never lacking in genius-level students. Even though I’m the first chair now, in the history of Melodic Academy, I’m just one among many—a mere drop in the ocean!”

“For someone like me, do you think Melodic Academy or Middle Earth would make any concessions? Stop dreaming!”

Even though she was currently subdued by Owen, Rachel’s attitude remained proud and cold.

Owen, seeing her demeanor, shook his head slightly. “Is that so? Don’t you think that sometimes, you lack self-confidence?”

“Overestimating oneself can be a tragedy, but so can underestimating oneself.”

As Owen spoke, he looked at Rachel with a hint of pity.

Hearing this, Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. She stared hard at Owen.

“What do you mean?”

“You think your status in Middle Earth and Melodic Academy is insignificant, but that’s just your perception.”

“When you first joined Melodic Academy, and none of the mentors took you in, it wasn’t because they ignored you. It was because your talent, your future, was shrouded in mystery. They couldn’t see through you and didn’t know how to teach or cultivate you.”

“But you thought the academy had abandoned you, so you planned to become a backup student. But later, the reclusive headmaster decided to guide you at crucial moments, taking you under his wing and occasionally offering guidance.”

“This wasn’t because they didn’t value you, but because they valued you so much that they didn’t want to interfere with your path. They wanted you to find your own way.”

“And clearly, you didn’t disappoint those old figures at the academy, steadily growing to where you are now.”

As Owen spoke, Rachel felt a slight shock in her heart.

The events of her joining the academy had happened a long time ago, and even most of the current students at the academy were unaware of them.

Yet Owen, someone neither from Middle Earth nor the academy, knew so much.

More importantly, Owen claimed that the academy’s apparent disregard for her was actually a sign of their high regard!

This was something she had never considered!

Reflecting on it now with this perspective, aside from the fact that no mentors wanted her and the headmaster rarely taught her, she did indeed have unrestricted access to resources, the library, and various training grounds within the academy—more so than even the core students…

“Even if what you say is true, that the academy values me and lets me grow on my own, you must not understand the weight of Melodic Academy. For such a colossal institution, no one is indispensable, least of all me!”

Although she found some truth in Owen’s words, Rachel didn’t believe she could influence Melodic Academy, let alone Middle Earth.

“If you knew the sacrifices the academy made for you in secret, you wouldn’t say such things.”

Owen shook his head slightly, a look of reminiscence crossing his face.

“You should remember that every time you were about to break through to a higher tier, you would be challenged by senior students or even mentors, causing your tier to become unstable and eventually making you fall back, right?”

“Didn’t you ever find it strange? Why would some students and elders at the academy go out of their way to make things difficult for you, even to the point of damaging your tier and harming your foundation?”

Hearing Owen mention this, a wave of anger surged within Rachel.

Since she had joined the academy, every time she had broken through to a higher tier on her own, there was always a student who would challenge her.

It was as if she was born to attract hatred.

And whether she accepted the challenge or not, they would strike, resulting in her being severely injured and her newly acquired tier falling apart due to the impact.

To recover her tier and seek revenge, she had to train day and night, and the bitter experience of this struggle was etched deeply into her bones.

Just thinking about it made her entire body ache.

Seeing Rachel’s reaction, Owen sighed.

“Didn’t you ever find it odd that every time you fell from a higher tier, you were able to recover so quickly, almost as if you had divine assistance?”