In the capital city, all the top prodigies and mages rushed to the Royal Arena following King Aldric's order.
If Owen had the option to decline Tony's duel challenge before, now, with King Aldric officiating, both he and Tony had no choice but to participate.
Everyone knew that Tony, the vice leader, was a gold-tier Level 9 mage, nearly reaching platinum-tier. He had been at this level for many years and possessed extremely powerful combat abilities.
He had once attempted to assassinate a platinum-tier Level 1 mage. Although he failed, he managed to injure his target and escape unscathed, gaining significant notoriety.
Such a powerful mage, skilled in assassination, was a nightmare for many mages and the last opponent they wanted to face.
Owen, on the other hand, was currently only a bronze-tier Level 9 mage, despite having previously defeated Madelyn, a silver-tier Level 10 mage. However, Madelyn had not yet reached gold-tier, and there remained a considerable gap between her and a true gold-tier mage.
Even though Owen's combat power could rival that of a gold-tier mage, facing Tony—a gold-tier Level 9 mage and a nearly platinum-tier assassin—left Owen with virtually no chance of victory.
Despite the uneven nature of the duel, everyone was intrigued. Regardless of Owen's tier, his reputation surpassed Tony's. He was recognized as the number one genius on the continent, a title that had been long disputed but was now firmly established in his favor.
Previously, the top three prodigies on the continent had been debatable, with only Carlos of the Nether Kingdom, who possessed the purest bloodline of the Dark Emperor, ranked fourth. Carlos seldom made an appearance and kept a low profile.
However, rumors suggested that even when he was a silver-tier Level 1, he could contend with nearly gold-tier mages.
Years had passed since then, and his current tier and combat strength remained a mystery. Based on earlier rumors, his combat capabilities were extremely daunting.
Alongside this, there was the Godslayer Staff—an artifact of the ancient dark god king, famous throughout the continent. Even young children who had just learned to read had heard of it! Owen had managed to wield it, which was enough to shock everyone.
As more prodigies gathered at the Royal Arena, renowned figures from various countries also began to arrive.
"Princess Marry! Princess Marry has arrived so early; it seems she is particularly interested in Owen!" someone remarked. "I heard that His Majesty intended to marry her off to Owen, but he chose Leslie, that notorious troublemaker."
"Indeed, Owen has extraordinary talent, but Marry is not only a princess; she is also the top disciple of Luna Academy, one of the eight great academies in the continent."
"Speaking of which, I recall that three years ago, the jilted Prince John William made a three-year pact with her."
"But Prince William has been missing for three years; the three-year pact is nothing but a joke now."
"That's true. I've heard Owen is already on his way back to the capital."
Once Princess Marry settled into the VIP seats, all eyes turned toward her, igniting chatter among the crowd. After all, she held a high status, possessed exceptional talent, and was one of the most beautiful women on the continent. She sat gracefully, her hands resting on her gown, exuding an air of nobility.
She paid little attention to the gazes of the crowd, akin to a lofty swan disdaining a gathering of ants.
Moments later, she sensed something and suddenly looked toward a distant spot. There, black mana surged, transforming into a pale young man dressed in a black robe. He stood tall, an evil smile on his lips, emanating an aura that kept others at bay.
"Carlos!" Upon seeing him, a flash of uncontrollable anger crossed Princess Marry's otherwise serene and stunning face.
As the top disciple of Luna Academy, which originated from Moonspring Kingdom, where the saint held sway, Marry was close friends with Saint Annie and her sister Emma.
According to the original tale, Carlos practiced an extremely sinister spell while attempting to break through his tier, a breakthrough dependent on the willingly given blood of a saint.
To obtain this blood, Carlos used his handsome looks and deceitful words to win Emma's heart, the saint of Moonspring Kingdom at the time. During a secret meeting, he feigned an attack by a spellbeast, claiming that only the blood of a saint could heal him. Without hesitation, Emma cut her wrist to save him.
Faced with the saint's blood, Carlos showed no resistance and caused Emma to bleed to death. Not only did Carlos deceive Emma's affections, but he also schemed to kill her.
The truth eventually came to light. This incident led to a great war between Moonspring Kingdom and the Nether Kingdom.
Both sides were equally matched, suffering heavy losses during their conflict. Eventually, realizing that mutual destruction could allow the Azure Kingdom to take advantage of the situation, they were forced to cease hostilities.
This event made Princess Marry wish she could cut the man who killed her best friend into a thousand pieces. Next to her, Annie was also filled with rage, and though she said nothing, her fighting spirit was palpable.
Under Princess Marry's furious gaze, Carlos merely smiled calmly and waved at her.
"Princess Marry, long time no see," he greeted her as though meeting an old friend, his tone warm and friendly.
"You!" Marry exclaimed, her anger intensifying at Carlos's casual demeanor. Abruptly standing up, she charged at him.
Carlos squinted and replied, "Princess Marry, I have traveled from afar. Is this how the Azure Kingdom treats its guests?"
As the eighth prince of the Nether Kingdom, he naturally had some privileges in the Azure Kingdom. The royal guards frowned and intercepted the enraged Princess Marry.
"Princess, this is not the time to settle scores with Carlos. Owen and the Godslayer Staff are the priorities..." one of her personal guards advised, knowing her history with Carlos.
Although Marry understood this, the thought of the innocent Emma—deceived and killed by Carlos—made it hard for her to suppress her fury.
"Emma's spirit will never forgive you!" she shouted.
In the end, Marry forced herself to calm down and fixed her bright, star-like eyes firmly on Carlos.
Carlos shrugged indifferently and sat in the VIP seats with a smile.
Meanwhile, Owen, carrying the serpent egg in a pack on his back, traveled with Benedict and others as they swiftly crossed the desert towards the capital. Along the way, he noticed that few people attempted to intercept him. Those who did followed without challenging him, engaging instead in excited discussions.
Frowning, Owen sensed something unfavorable might be happening in the capital. However, feeling the mana surging within him, he regained confidence. No matter what was transpiring, he had significantly increased his strength and felt no need to be timid.
With renewed determination, Owen led Benedict and the others toward the capital at a faster pace.
Upon reaching the gates, Owen suddenly saw a messenger from the Duke's mansion rushing towards him.
"Master Owen, the vice leader of the Bounty Guild is challenging you to a duel in the capital. His Majesty has even gotten involved. You should leave for now..."
The messenger, panting heavily, hadn't finished speaking when Owen's mind flashed with thoughts about the Bounty Guild's vice leader.
Tony, a nearly platinum-tier strongman, skilled in assassination and highly proficient in both white and dark magic, wanted to challenge Owen? Not assassinate him?
Owen was momentarily stunned but quickly understood. This change likely stemmed from his immense fame. In less than a day, his name had probably spread across many factions on the continent.
If the Bounty Guild acted against him in secret, it would create endless trouble—something they typically avoided. By challenging him openly, they had a chance to eliminate him and rightfully seize the Godslayer Staff he possessed. It was undoubtedly a strategic move.
However, Tony likely didn't realize that Owen was no longer just a bronze-tier Level 9 mage!
"Fine! If you want a fight, then let's fight!" After a brief moment of thought, Owen decisively chose to accept the challenge!
Far too many people were watching him now, and the best way to handle this situation was not to hide from it but to showcase his strength, making them reconsider any presumptuous thoughts.
Tony, who had a decent reputation and strength, was the perfect candidate to set an example. Having just learned about the duel, Owen didn't wait for the messenger to continue and immediately rushed towards the Royal Arena in the capital.
When he had left the capital, he was a bronze-tier Level 9 mage. Now, upon his return, he was already a silver-tier Level 7!