Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start? - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Chapter26-Tony and Carlos
Academy City is a massive neutral organization that not only educates but also records important historical events on the continent.

It was unexpected that they would take this duel so seriously, sending such a scholar to the scene to record the event.

Edward was no unknown figure.

On the contrary, he was quite famous on the continent.

He was responsible for updating the “Daily Continent,” an intelligence journal that many mages purchased to keep up with the major events happening every day.

His presence indicated how important this duel was to Academy City.

Besides Edward, Owen saw many prodigies in the VIP section.

In the central area of the VIP seats sat a young man with fiery red eyes.

His aura was unrestrained, hot and domineering.

A faint, ancient, and majestic fire dragon seemed to coil around him, its pressure like a mountain, causing many prodigies to avoid getting too close to him.

He must be Alfonso from Gowato Sanctuary, a prodigy known for enslaving spellbeasts.

He was also the prodigy that Bada, the leader of the snakefolk hunters in the desert, had mentioned.

As Owen’s gaze fell upon him, Alfonso immediately sensed it.

His battle spirit surged like fire, and the fire dragon coiled around him couldn’t help but roar at Owen.

The next moment, their eyes met and then parted.

“Interesting, to be able to withstand the majesty of the Fire Dragon King head-on. It seems he’s not entirely reliant on the Godslayer Staff. The Genius Leaderboard ranking might have some credibility after all…” Alfonso murmured to himself, his interest in Owen growing.

After crossing gazes with Alfonso, Owen noticed a stunning woman surrounded by a misty aura.

Her bare feet were white as jade, with clear spring water flowing beneath them, exuding a powerful life force.

Moonspring Kingdom’s saint, Annie.

Recognizing her immediately, Owen knew she was another extraordinarily gifted prodigy with close ties to angels.

Her sister, Emily, had recently been defeated by Owen.

Both were proud individuals but kind-hearted, making them worth befriending.

At that moment, Annie was also observing Owen, her soft, watery eyes filled with curiosity and strong battle spirit.

Owen’s sudden appearance had even alarmed the angels, indicating his extraordinary nature.

However, based on his appearance alone, apart from being somewhat handsome, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly remarkable about him.

Recalling that Owen had returned Emily’s Aqua Sword to her after defeating her, Annie felt a slight fondness for Owen.

At least, from what she knew, Owen did not seem to be a despicable person.

From Annie’s gaze, Owen sensed a bit of goodwill, which surprised him, but he quickly understood it was likely due to the incident with Emily.

However, he also knew that this bit of goodwill was insignificant compared to the interests of Moonspring Kingdom.

When the time came, Annie would show no mercy if she had to act against him.

At that moment, Owen suddenly sensed a chilling hostility, as if a hidden viper had its eyes fixed on him.

Following this feeling, Owen saw Carlos, the eighth prince of the Nether Kingdom.

Owen had a deep impression of Carlos. Before Owen was ranked first on the Genius Leaderboard, Carlos was ranked fourth, effectively making him the top prodigy on the continent.

Relying on his pure Dark Emperor bloodline, he later became the second-generation Dark Emperor, known for his cunning and ruthless nature, much like a cautious yet venomous snake.

This guy clearly saw Owen as his prey. Owen disliked this feeling and didn’t like Carlos either. Carlos was too selfish and ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve his goals.

Annie’s sister, Emma, was not only deceived emotionally by Carlos but also tricked into giving her saint bloodline from Moonspring Kingdom.

When Carlos noticed Owen looking at him, he smiled politely, as if he bore no ill will towards Owen.

“Such keen perception, to sense even a hint of my hostility. Devouring a prodigy like this would greatly enhance my Dark Emperor bloodline, much more than Emma from Moonspring Kingdom…” Carlos’s smile grew more sinister, feeling an impatient urge to devour Owen.

Owen’s gaze quickly swept over Andre from Sahano Church and Princess Marry from Azure Kingdom.

These individuals were outstanding figures in their respective kingdoms and factions, destined to shine on the continent in the future.

Now, they had all gathered here!

Then, he saw Duke Charles and Madelyn from House Ravenwood arriving late and taking their seats in the VIP section.

Both frowned slightly at Owen, puzzled as to why he would attend the tournament.

The vice leader of the Bounty Guild, Tony, had strength and combat experience far beyond Owen’s. A duel with him was tantamount to suicide.

However, given the current situation, there was nothing they could do but hope that Owen had some confidence in coming here.

Otherwise, with so many factions gathered, even House Ravenwood would be under immense pressure.

Under the watchful eyes of Duke Charles and Madelyn, Tony, who sat in the front of the VIP section, ran a hand through his crescent-shaped white upright hair.

His aged face gradually revealed a grim smile as he looked at Owen.

“In just one day, you broke through from bronze-tier to silver-tier Level 7. Truly worthy of being the number one genius on the Genius Leaderboard,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I’ve killed many prodigies like you in my lifetime. Dying by my hand is no disgrace.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously noisy crowd quickly fell silent, looking at Owen with expressions of astonishment.

Owen’s aura had been restrained earlier, so they couldn’t discern his exact tier.

They assumed he was still at bronze-tier Level 9, at most having broken through to silver-tier Level 1.

But now, Tony had revealed that Owen had advanced a major tier and six minor levels in just one day!

Such a breakthrough speed was shocking!

Even across the continent, there was no such record of rapid advancement! If Tony hadn’t said it, they wouldn’t have believed it was true.

“No wonder Academy City ranked Owen first on the Genius Leaderboard. Such a breakthrough speed is indeed astonishing. Even if it’s not unprecedented, it’s certainly unparalleled!”

Many mages turned their gaze toward Edward in the corner.

Edward appeared calm and scholarly, writing with his quill as if nothing had happened.

However, inside, he was already experiencing a tempest of emotions.

Although he had anticipated Owen’s extraordinary talent, the fact that Owen had advanced from bronze-tier Level 9 to silver-tier Level 7 in one day was still beyond belief.

This was entirely outside of Academy City’s expectations!

Owen’s talent was far more terrifying than they had imagined!

Today, Edward was not just recording events; he was witnessing and documenting the birth of a miracle!

After all, a mage’s tier breakthrough is not easy. Such a significant improvement in one day is unprecedented in the annals of history.

Carlos, who had already set his sights on Owen, now felt an uncontrollable peak of desire to devour Owen.

His cultivation method was the most domineering form of dark magic, directly seizing others’ talents.

Owen’s remarkable level advancement surely indicated a special talent.

If Carlos could devour Owen, he could gain this talent, rapidly advance his own tier, devour more high-tier individuals, and his growth rate would surpass the imagination of other mages, possibly ushering in a new era of Dark Emperor history!

With this thought, Carlos stood up and said, “Master Owen, before your duel with Chairman Tony, why not have a match with me first for practice?”

Hearing this, Tony squinted.

A duel between Carlos and Owen could deplete Owen’s strength and reveal some of his techniques.

This was beneficial for Tony.

As the vice leader of the Bounty Guild, caution was ingrained in his very being.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have maintained an almost flawless assassination record for so many years.

Owen was different from those he had previously assassinated or fought against. Dealing with such a prodigy required careful planning.

After all, Owen had come here willingly, which meant he was either extremely arrogant or had a method to counter him.

Tony leaned towards the latter.

Though he found it somewhat unbelievable, perhaps Owen truly had a way to counter him?