On the stage, both Owen and Madelyn stood frozen like statues, unmoving.
Below the stage, the crowd was utterly silent, with only the faint rustling of the breeze breaking the stillness.
Madelyn Ravenwood had lost!
At this moment, countless minds were reeling, their hairs standing on end, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
Madelyn was a prodigy of the empire, having reached silver-tier level 10. Before this, she had achieved over a hundred consecutive victories, decisively defeating other imperial geniuses.
From the strength she had displayed earlier, even an ordinary gold-tier mage would have been no match for her.
But now, this legendary figure had been defeated!
Even now, they were still in a daze, unable to comprehend how Owen, an obscure young man, had managed to win.
Everything had turned around too quickly.
It felt like a dream!
In the Crystal Palace, King Aldric and Duke Charles stood in shock, their eyes fixed on the sword tip pointing at Madelyn's throat.
"Godslayer Staff?!" they exclaimed almost simultaneously, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Just moments ago, they had been considering how to recruit the defeated Owen. But in the blink of an eye, not only had Owen not lost, he had positioned his sword at Madelyn's throat, nearly killing her with a single strike!
The key was the dark golden greatsword in Owen's hand, which seemed familiar to them from ancient texts.
The sword bore deep, abyssal patterns, its dark gold material appearing neither fully metallic nor wooden. Occasionally, sword energy flickered across the blade, leaving faint black marks in the air as if slicing through space itself.
Legend had it that the ancient dark god king left behind a shape-shifting artifact known as the Godslayer Staff. This mysterious staff could transform into various weapons and possessed a power that even gods feared.
This legend had persisted throughout the continent for ages. As a result, any staff that could transform into another weapon was often believed to be the Godslayer Staff.
Due to its immense fame, there were always similar staffs circulating in the market, but the real Godslayer Staff had not been seen for many years.
Given that it was the weapon of the ancient dark god king, they couldn't believe that a mere bronze-tier mage like Owen could wield it. However, the powerful aura emanating from the greatsword forced them to confront the reality before their eyes.
The Godslayer Staff had truly reappeared!
"This can't possibly be the Godslayer Staff in Owen's hands..." Their eyes flickered, recalling that sword strike that seemed to tear through space.
The strike was not only lightning-fast but also unleashed an overwhelmingly powerful crescent-shaped sword energy from the blade, momentarily blinding them.
The staff in Madelyn's hand couldn't withstand the strike for even a moment and was sent flying by the sword energy. Had Owen not pulled back in time, they did not doubt that Madelyn's head would have been severed by that single blow.
Gulp...
On the stage, Madelyn carefully swallowed, fearing that even the slightest movement might cause the sword tip to pierce her throat.
I... lost?!
Madelyn's eyes glazed over as scenes of past battles and glories flashed before her like a lantern show.
She had been a prodigy from a young age, receiving the best training from House Ravenwood and living up to their expectations. She became the pride of House Ravenwood and one of the brightest stars in the empire.
In this martial competition for marriage, she had secured over a hundred consecutive victories, treating other prodigies like mere stepping stones to reach the pinnacle of her pride. But now, she had been defeated by a young man of a similar age standing before her.
All her past efforts and pride had dissipated like bubbles in the wind.
Thinking about how Owen had outsmarted her with various cunning methods, especially at the very end when he unexpectedly used his greatsword to knock her staff away and secure his victory, a deep sense of unwillingness and anger surged in her heart.
Her eyes stubbornly fixed on Owen as she spoke:
"I refuse to accept this! Let's fight again!"
"A loss is a loss. Even if we fought again, the one who would ultimately lose would still be you."
Owen smiled confidently at her, slowly sheathing the dark golden greatsword.
As his words fell, the previously silent audience below the stage erupted into a clamorous uproar.
"Oh my god! Owen defeated Madelyn! It's unbelievable; he has created a miracle!"
"Given Owen's current tier, defeating Madelyn in this battle will surely go down in history!"
"Even though Owen won, it seems like Madelyn isn't convinced. He wouldn't back out now, would he?"
"I don't think so. This martial competition for marriage has spread throughout the Azure Kingdom, and even the neighboring Nether Kingdom sent prodigies from Blackwind Academy to participate."
"That's right. Even if Madelyn doesn't care about her pride, House Ravenwood can't afford to lose face!"
"Does this mean Owen is now Duke Charles' son-in-law?"
Countless voices of discussion converged from all directions into Madelyn's ears as she stood on stage. Her expression changed several times as she processed the news.
When she heard that Owen would soon become Duke Charles' son-in-law, a blush involuntarily appeared on her face.
This martial competition for marriage had been her idea. Aside from restricting participants' ages to under twenty, there were no other requirements.
Deep down, she still hoped for a peer of great strength to defeat her. After all, it was better to marry someone stronger than herself rather than being forced into a political marriage with someone she didn't like.
Although she was unwilling to admit it, Owen had indeed defeated her. Was she going to marry him? Madelyn felt turmoil in her heart.
Meanwhile, as Madelyn fell silent, a system prompt suddenly sounded in Owen's ears:
[Congratulations, host, for defeating Madelyn. You have been awarded:
Forbidden body technique [Obsidify] Fate points +200 (current total: 300)]
After seeing the system's rewards, Owen's attention was immediately drawn to the [Obsidify] body technique, and a look of intense delight appeared on his face. This body technique was a form of black magic, ranking among the top three powerful techniques in the anime's original lore.
As the name suggests, it forcibly combines mana with cells, drastically enhancing physical strength and recovery to an incredible degree, making the body as hard as obsidian. In the state of Obsidify, performing magical skills, domains, etc., becomes much easier and more sustained due to strong physical support.
When mastered to a high degree, this technique can even enable limb regeneration!
In the anime's original lore, mages are primarily divided into two factions: white magic and black magic. White magic focuses on the cultivation of the mage's mind power, mainly using mana from the air. Therefore, mages in the white magic faction enhance their strength by improving their mind power and their ability to resonate with environmental elements.
In contrast, black magic focuses on absorbing and storing mana within the body to enhance one's strength, which has given rise to many sinister training methods.
This is why it is called black magic. There is no right or wrong, no stronger or weaker between the two types of magic. However, black magic is generally more dangerous and unpredictable.
With this body technique as a foundation, Owen could practice both black and white magic, dramatically enhancing his power to an extraordinary level. As for the fate points, reaching 1,000 points would unlock the Fate Store for redeeming rewards.
For now, he would have to wait. Although he wasn't sure what could be exchanged in the Fate Store, the fact that fate points were tied to the protagonist indicated that it must contain highly valuable items worth anticipating.
After taking stock of his rewards, Owen noticed that Madelyn, who had previously been hesitant and struggling, suddenly lifted her head and stared intently at him. She took a deep breath and asked, "Do you really want to marry me?"
At only twenty years old, she was not considered old among women and had never seriously considered marriage before. Now, faced with this issue, she felt the need to understand Owen's true intentions.
Following the turmoil caused by her sister's escaping marriage, she knew that marriage wasn't always a sweet affair.
Under Madelyn's piercing gaze and her pressing question, Owen initially wanted to nod. After all, Madelyn was stunningly beautiful, graceful, and far surpassed any celebrities he had seen online.
Moreover, she was Duke Charles' youngest daughter. Her looks, lineage, and talent were impeccable! Which man wouldn't want to marry such a woman?
But before Owen could respond, Madelyn seemed to think of something and shook her head, saying, "Let me share my thoughts first."
"You have good looks and impressive strength, but I have no plans to marry and have children for now. Besides, in a few days, I will be taking up the position of commander of the Azure Kingdom Eagle Guard. I have not yet reached the pinnacle of magic, and I want to see what the peak of magic holds..."
Madelyn's words were firm, and as she spoke, she looked up at the sky. Owen was left dumbfounded. After saying so much, the general meaning was clear—she thought he was great, but they were not suitable for each other. Did he just get friend-zoned?
Owen frowned slightly but was not too disappointed. Madelyn was proud and lofty, hardly considering anyone worthy. Her reluctance to marry him was normal; he didn't want to force anything, especially given Madelyn's terrifying talent.
She was bound to become a legendary figure in the future. Even more daunting was her sister, Leslie; she was a force not to be reckoned with!
At this moment, a system prompt suddenly resounded in Owen's ears:
[Marry Leslie, the eldest daughter of House Ravenwood. Success: Receive a random reward. Failure: Deduction of 100% HP.]