Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start? - Chapter 183

Chapter 183: Chapter183-The Confrontation Before the Palace
“What?! Owen has brought people here?!”

The entire hall fell silent as everyone turned their wide-eyed gaze toward the kneeling guard commander, utterly shocked.

It had only been a day or two since the frontline army had suffered a devastating defeat, and Owen had already crossed the border between the two countries?

How could he have moved so quickly?

Even the Kyrik King, who had been sitting steadily on the dragon throne, changed his expression slightly.

He abruptly stood up, his eyes fixed urgently on the guard commander. “Where exactly is Owen now?”

The guard commander hurriedly bowed his head and replied, “In…in the sky!”

The hearts of everyone in the hall skipped a beat, and they quickly looked up toward the sky outside the hall.

At that moment, the setting sun painted the sky red like blood.

A colossal serpent, as vast as a mountain range, stretched across the heavens, its body piercing through the flaming clouds, making it appear even more menacing and gigantic, exuding an aura of terrifying power that sent chills down their spines.

And atop the serpent’s head stood a figure clad in a black robe, standing tall and straight.

Although his figure seemed small, he appeared to be the very center of the world!

The mana in the sky swirled around him as if the stars themselves were encircling him.

Those ministers who saw Owen felt a deep, inexplicable chill in their hearts.

Behind Owen, on the serpent’s back, stood several other powerful figures, all glaring down at the scene below with menacing eyes.

Owen had truly arrived!

At that moment, the Kyrik King and the many high-ranking officials were filled with dread.

Meanwhile, the many mages in Kyrik’s capital had already noticed the massive serpent spiraling through the sky.

The oppressive force radiating from the serpent as it soared through the sky weighed down on every Kyrik mage, making their bodies and minds tremble with a sense of foreboding.

Some mages, in particular, recalled the prophecy of the high priest: Kyrik will fall at the hands of the snakefolk.

Wasn’t that massive serpent in the sky a kind of snakefolk? Although it appeared to be in its juvenile stage, the pressure it emitted left them without the slightest thought of resistance.

As Owen, along with Seraphina and others, arrived at the imperial palace of the capital, all the powerful mages, the Imperial Guard, and other formidable forces in Kyrik mobilized urgently!

In a matter of moments, the skies above the palace were filled with the sound of people breaking through the air. Several terrifying figures shot out from the palace, standing opposite Owen.

Below the palace, countless mages, moving like a swarm of ants, surrounded the palace in dense numbers.

As Kyrik swiftly responded to Owen’s arrival, Owen’s attention gradually shifted to the figures in the sky not far away.

Leading the group were two men and one woman, three master-tier mages, all above level 3.

They were quite old, their faces deeply lined with wrinkles, and they exuded a heavy aura of decay, as if they had just emerged from their coffins.

Though they were clearly at the end of their lives, the oppressive force they radiated tore through the sky like roaring waves, constantly battering Owen, attempting to crush the diamond-tier mage on the spot.

Behind these three aged master-tier mages stood six diamond-tier mages at their peak.

Though their aura wasn’t as overwhelming as that of the master-tier mages, the six of them were linked by a hexagram formation beneath their feet, creating an elusive, unified presence.

As Owen observed these nine mages, they were also scrutinizing him.

Even the three master-tier mages, who had been in seclusion, had heard Owen’s name.

After all, Owen was the most brilliant and dazzling genius on the continent today.

One would be hard-pressed to find anyone like him throughout the annals of history.

Diamond-tier level 8!

When they sensed Owen’s current level, the six diamond-tier mages furrowed their brows.

The speed of his advancement was simply too fast!

They, who had been chosen as Kyrik’s top talents and had been nurtured with countless resources, had barely reached diamond-tier level 9, despite being in their fifties or sixties, already considered elders among ordinary people.

But Owen, only about twenty years old, had traversed the path they had taken half a century to complete.

Moreover, as far as they knew, Owen had mostly relied on himself, unlike them, who had the full support of Kyrik behind them.

It was unimaginable what level Owen would reach by the time he was their age if he continued at this pace!

What was even more astonishing was that, despite Owen’s level being lower than theirs, they felt a sense of oppression from him, as if his level was higher than theirs, not the other way around!

At that moment, the three master-tier mages felt a growing sense of dread as they observed Owen.

Despite their centuries of experience, they couldn’t see through Owen at all, only sensing a mysterious fog surrounding him.

Not only did it block their probing, but their master-tier aura was also repelled by Owen, unable to affect him in the slightest!

It was well known that the gap between diamond-tier and master-tier was vast, an insurmountable chasm.

They had seen many prodigies in their time, but none could bridge this gap between these two levels.

Yet here was Owen, standing before them, completely disregarding the difference between these two levels!

This Owen was even more monstrous than they had imagined!

Now that he had become their enemy, he could not be allowed to live!

“Owen, I haven’t even ordered your capture, and yet you come here on your own. Good, good! Today will be the day you meet your end!”

As Owen and the nine mages confronted each other, the Kyrik King, flanked by the Imperial Guard, rushed out from the great hall, glaring up at Owen.

The Kyrik King had long harbored a desire to kill Owen. After all, Owen’s talent was too monstrous.

Such a person had to be eliminated as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would become a grave threat—if he wasn’t already!

Owen glanced briefly at the Kyrik King before turning his attention to the elderly man with white eyebrows standing beside him.

This man’s aura was so faint it was nearly undetectable, but Owen’s keen eyes discerned his level: master-tier level 9!

Clearly, this man was the White Guardian, one of Kyrik’s most powerful protectors.

Few knew that the White Guardian, who had reached the master-tier centuries ago, had already begun to touch the grandmaster-tier!

Owen’s expression grew slightly more serious as he turned back to the Kyrik King, who was shouting at him.

“You’re not qualified to take my life,” Owen declared. “Hand over the fragments of the Godslayer Staff. I know you have them. If you cooperate, I will spare you and Kyrik today.”

For Owen, the nine mages before him were indeed formidable, especially the White Guardian.

Combined with the protective array left by Kyrik’s founding emperor, even a grandmaster-tier mage would struggle to break through.

However, Owen’s goal was never to capture the Kyrik King’s palace!

He only needed to obtain the Godslayer Staff fragments and unlock its seal.

The Kyrik King sneered coldly at Owen’s demand. “Heh, you must be dreaming!”

“You are already a trapped rat, unable to escape. Instead of spouting nonsense, you’d better prepare your last words and face your death!”

To the Kyrik King, Owen was just a diamond-tier mage.

Despite the strength and numbers of those he had brought with him, they were nothing compared to the mighty forces of Kyrik gathered here.

Owen’s blind confidence had led him into an inescapable abyss!

The Kyrik King waved his hand grandly. “Whoever kills Owen will be granted land and title!”

At these words, the assembled mages became visibly excited.

The people of Kyrik were known for their fierce spirit, and they highly valued noble titles.

Such titles not only brought them personal wealth and status but also provided protection for their descendants.

However, obtaining a title was extremely difficult, usually requiring significant military achievements.

Now, simply by killing Owen, they could be granted a marquisate. The reward made their eyes burn with desire!