Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start? - Chapter 198

Chapter 198: Chapter198-Rachel: Don’t Come Any Closer!
At this moment, the Tree of World stretched its lush green branches freely in the small world, brimming with vitality. Every leaf seemed to be filled with endless life force.

Compared to when it was first planted, it had grown twice as large, now nearly reaching Owen’s height from its original palm-sized sapling.

The mana emanating from the Tree of World had also become thicker, like clouds of mist gathering between the branches, exuding an air of mystery.

As Owen was examining the Tree of World, Rachel, dressed in a long gown, slowly walked over.

Perhaps due to being confined here for some time, she no longer appeared as the despondent, abandoned figure she once was.

She had regained her composure, and a trace of liveliness returned to her bright eyes.

Her gaze toward Owen was somewhat complex as she slowly handed him a finely crafted crystal cup and softly said,

“These are three drops of dew from the Tree of World. I’ve collected them for you.”

“Oh?” Owen was surprised and quickly reached out to take the cup. When he saw the three pearl-like drops inside, a flash of excitement appeared in his eyes.

The dew from the Tree of World was an extremely rare and precious material, possessing miraculous powers capable of healing nearly any severe injury in the world. Its value was immeasurable.

Once the dew formed, it would soon evaporate and return to the environment.

For Rachel to have managed to collect three drops during this time clearly showed that she had been carefully tending to the Tree of World.

More importantly, Rachel could have absorbed the dew herself, but she chose to give it to him instead.

This dew was extremely important to Owen, who frequently found himself in fierce battles.

Filled with gratitude, Owen looked sincerely at Rachel and said,

“Thank you, Rachel.”

Hearing Owen’s thanks, Rachel froze, standing still.

In her mind, Owen had always been a cold, ruthless, and cruel figure.

To hear the word “thank you” filled with warmth from Owen’s mouth was beyond shocking for her.

However, she could tell that Owen’s gratitude was genuine, without any pretense.

Rachel raised her delicate eyebrows and studied Owen’s slightly joyful expression, silently wondering, “This man is indeed handsome, but it’s a pity his heart is so wicked.”

Her mind wandered back to her past encounters with Owen. Although Owen appeared to be quite evil, he had never actually harmed her.

The most crucial thing was that if Owen hadn’t exposed Melodic Academy’s schemes, she would still be serving them, unaware of their betrayal.

Unknowingly, the fear and resistance in her heart began to give way to a subtle ripple of change.

Setting aside her bias against Owen, she realized that his talent, courage, and strategy far surpassed any of the exceptional individuals she had ever known.

It was only now that she fully understood just how remarkable Owen’s abilities were…

Rachel took a deep breath, gathering her courage, and asked,

“Owen, did you know about my special bloodline from the beginning? Is that why you had me tend to the Tree of World?”

Owen paused for a moment, locking eyes with Rachel before nodding slightly and replying bluntly,

“Yes.”

Owen had long coveted Rachel’s special bloodline—after all, it was the kind of bloodline that could even tempt god-tier mages.

However, despite his desires, Owen wasn’t a monster. Rachel had been manipulated her entire life, and he couldn’t bring himself to exploit her further. He figured that using her abilities a little, as repayment for revealing the truth, wasn’t too unfair.

Hearing Owen’s straightforward response, Rachel sighed in resignation and asked,

“Have you gotten what you wanted?”

Owen nodded, “Yes, I have.”

Rachel frowned, still puzzled, and asked,

“Then what are you planning to do next? If you’ve gotten what you came for, why haven’t you left?”

Owen’s expression became deadly serious as he replied,

“I need your body to help me recover.”

After the recent battles and the use of high-level skills, Owen’s body had been severely depleted. He needed to heal properly, and Rachel’s unique constitution was the perfect remedy.

Rachel was stunned, immediately stepping back in shock. Moments ago, she had been thinking about Owen’s greatness, and now, he was lusting after her body!

Her face flushed with anger as she glared at Owen, “You beast!”

Just as she prepared to resist, enduring the pain, Owen sternly commanded,

“Sit still and don’t move!”

Because of the Slave Chain, Rachel couldn’t disobey Owen’s orders. She instinctively sat down in front of him.

Owen then narrowed his eyes, and fine threads of mind power spread out like tendrils, guiding the mana within his body into Rachel’s.

The mana circulated through Rachel’s body for one cycle before returning to Owen’s.

Once the mana passed through Rachel, it became purer, with tiny, sticky white light particles resembling life energy, radiating a powerful vitality.

As this refined mana entered Owen’s body, his injuries rapidly healed. His bones, muscles, tendons, and even marrow began to regenerate and transform.

All the subtle injuries and fatigue across his body quickly vanished.

Owen felt as though he were soaking in a soft, warm spring, like gentle hands massaging his tired body.

Watching Owen with his eyes closed, clearly enjoying the process, Rachel pursed her lips in frustration.

“What does he think I am?”

Though she was irritated, she didn’t dare resist, fearing that Owen might actually start taking advantage of her.

Feeling both angry and helpless, Rachel glared at the recovering Owen, baring her teeth and claws at him in a silent display of dissatisfaction.

“Just because he has such an innocent face…”

After venting her frustration for a while, Rachel’s gaze was once again drawn to Owen’s chiseled and stern features.

Whether it was because she was too close to him or because of the Slave Chain, the more she looked, the more she felt that Owen’s face seemed to possess some kind of magnetic charm, making her inexplicably attracted to him.

While Rachel’s feelings toward Owen wavered, Owen suddenly sensed something unusual during his recovery.

It was the sensation of an impending breakthrough!

Taking a deep breath, Owen decided to use the accumulated Exp to push himself directly to master-tier lv1!

Most of his current enemies were master-tier, and as a diamond-tier lv9 mage, he was still too weak.

The gap between tiers was an insurmountable divide for most mages, especially at the master-tier, where even a small difference in levels could mean a world of difference.

Breaking through to master-tier lv1 would result in a dramatic increase in his power!

With the influx of Exp, the flow of mana within Owen’s body suddenly accelerated, and the mana in the small world around him gathered like dancing sprites.

Even the Tree of World, as if sensing something, began releasing pure clouds of mana, pushing it toward Owen’s body.

As this mana flowed into Owen, it also passed through Rachel’s body, completing a cycle before returning to Owen.

In no time, with the dual nourishment from the Tree of World and Rachel, Owen’s body emitted the glow of a level-up.

Immediately, he felt his meridians and flesh rapidly regenerating and transforming, as if they were merging with the surrounding world.

His affinity with mana soared, and it seemed that with a single thought, he could control all the mana within a radius of dozens of miles.

Master-tier lv1! He had finally broken through!

As Owen marveled at the newfound mastery over his body, a notification from the system rang in his ears.

“Congratulations, host, on acquiring the powerful [Order] that controls the power of healing—Order of Life!”