As anger surged in Madelyn's heart on the stage, the system's voice echoed once more in Owen's mind.
[1. Defeat Madelyn to receive a hidden reward.
2. Be defeated and lose 50% of max HP.]
After reading this, Owen's expression became noticeably serious.
Madelyn, the dazzling pearl of House Ravenwood, was not to be underestimated in strength and was shrouded in many secrets.
While others might be unaware, he knew that Madelyn had reached a Silver-tier level of 10—a hidden level that broke through the limits of Silver-tier level 9, possessing combat strength comparable to Gold-tier!
This was the reason her combat power far surpassed that of her peers.
Moreover, her talents and skills were extremely special, having always been concealed by House Ravenwood, making it nearly impossible for other prodigies to defeat her without knowing the full extent of her abilities.
However, Owen was not in that category.
A multitude of strategies to counter Madelyn surged through his mind in a short period. With newfound confidence, Owen remained calm, giving her a faint smile. He placed his right hand on his chest and offered a slight bow.
"My name is Owen. I have long heard of Madelyn's renowned beauty, peerless talent, and strength. I hope you won't disappoint me later."
Madelyn's pretty face remained cold, an invisible wave of scorching heat emanating from her. "Which family are you from?"
"I have no family, just an ordinary passerby."
"Oh? Very well. I don't know where your confidence comes from, but make sure you don't concede too early!"
"Concede?"
As the heatwave hit him, Owen stood steady as a mountain, smiling calmly. "As you are now, you don't have the power to make me concede."
"That Owen is so arrogant; he has no self-awareness. Madelyn has won over a hundred matches!"
"Even so, Owen looks too confident. Something feels off!"
"Do you think he can defeat Madelyn? He may be somewhat handsome, but looks alone don't win battles."
The crowd shook their heads slightly, believing that Owen was arrogantly ignorant.
In the crystal palace, King Aldric took a sip of his wine and said indifferently, "Charles, do you know this Owen? He looks quite confident."
Charles had noticed Owen early on. Initially, he didn't care, assuming Owen might be just recklessly bold. However, when Owen truly stepped onto the stage, Charles suddenly realized that Owen's aura had changed significantly, making him difficult to read.
After a moment of contemplation, Charles shook his head slightly and replied, "Your Majesty, forgive my ignorance, but I do not know this person. He may have some surprises, but I have absolute confidence in my daughter's strength."
King Aldric nodded slightly, agreeing with Charles's view. Owen might be unusual, but Madelyn's strength was not something that could be easily shaken.
Under their watchful and interested gazes, Madelyn suppressed her anger. With great poise, she gestured for Owen to begin.
"You may strike first; otherwise, you won't have another chance."
As the daughter of a duke, she highly valued noble etiquette.
Hearing this, Owen shook his head slightly, his expression growing serious.
"Madelyn, you shouldn't be so careless. I came to this battle with the determination to defeat you and to marry you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the massive plaza fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, mouths agape, unable to believe their ears. Owen had openly declared his intent to pursue Madelyn in front of everyone!
What confidence—or perhaps arrogance!
After a brief silence, the plaza erupted with noise, discussions soaring high.
"This Owen is audacious! How dare he disrespect the goddess of my heart!"
"Madelyn, teach him a good lesson!"
"I think he's arrogant, but he also displays passion. What young man could resist Madelyn's beauty?"
"It's been a long time since the empire has seen someone like this. I hope Owen can survive Madelyn's wrath."
The crowd around the stage glared at Owen with anger. To them, Madelyn was an untouchable goddess, and Owen, an unknown figure, dared to insult her. It was outrageous.
"Interesting. It's rare to see young people with such courage these days."
In the crystal palace, King Aldric squinted slightly, taking a closer look at Owen.
Though he didn't believe Owen had any chance of winning, he couldn't help but admire his bravery.
"Having courage is good, but blind courage is foolish," Charles said, shaking his head and growing more disdainful of Owen.
"Duke, what if... what if he wins?" someone asked hesitantly.
"That's impossible!" Charles thumped his chest confidently.
Madelyn's tier had already surpassed limits, far exceeding that of other prodigies. Combined with her family's talent, she could even catch high-level Gold-tier warriors off guard.
How could Owen possibly defeat his daughter?!
As they spoke, Madelyn glared at Owen from the stage. Her cheeks flushed slightly—after all, being openly declared to in front of everyone made her feel a bit flustered. But this shyness quickly transformed into burning anger.
The person she was going to marry had to be the most outstanding genius, strong enough to stand at the pinnacle of the world, and at least capable of defeating her. Owen was far from meeting her standards!
"Arrogant boy, shut your mouth!" Madelyn's heart ignited with anger; she wanted to deal with Owen as quickly as possible. She immediately slammed her staff onto the ground, causing the stage to tremble slightly. The fire elements in the air instantly became agitated.
But strangely, no flames gathered in front of her.
"What's happening?" the spectators wondered, bewildered. Judging by the turbulent fire elements around Madelyn, she must have cast a powerful spell. So why was there no effect?
Unlike the others, Owen had already seen through her methods. Mana gathered from all directions, filling his body. Then, he suddenly leaped forward like a leopard, charging at Madelyn.
Almost the instant Owen left his spot, glowing patterns appeared on the obsidian floor, and, like a volcanic eruption, a pillar of boiling magma shot up from below. The magma hissed loudly upon contact with the air, causing the air to ripple and emit thick black smoke.
Even the sturdy obsidian stage was slightly dented and scorched by the erupting magma. Had Owen been a moment slower, he would have been instantly vaporized!
"Interesting, but this is just the beginning!" Watching Owen dodge the lethal attack, Madelyn sensed something was off. However, considering Owen's tier, she shook her head slightly. This move was very subtle; even a Gold-tier mage would have difficulty noticing it. Owen's timely dodge must have been a coincidence.
Next, with successive eruptions of magma pillars, he would have no way to survive!
Under Madelyn's gaze, Owen continued to advance. Boiling magma pillars erupted from the ground one after another, their speed increasing and becoming more frequent, making it impossible for him to avoid them!
Each time a magma pillar was about to hit Owen, he managed to dodge at the last moment, as if he had already seen through this family technique.
Madelyn's brows furrowed, and the sense of unease in her heart grew stronger. At this moment, Owen had maneuvered himself to within three meters of Madelyn. The confident smile on his face was visible.
Madelyn snorted softly, her aura surging and instantly reaching Silver-tier level 10. An astonishing wave of power began to spread, distorting the air around her.
"To fall under my Silver-tier level 10 Transcendent Power, you'll be the first!" Breaking through her limits not only made her mana purer but also enhanced her ability to manipulate and perceive surrounding mana several times over. It also granted her a unique power that no one else had—Transcendent Power!
"Fire Elemental!" she shouted, and the fire elements in the distorted air exploded like fireworks. A massive flame, nearly ten meters tall, emerged around her, with scorching waves of heat ready to incinerate everything nearby.