Academy City is a vast, neutral organization that not only educates but also records significant historical events on the continent.
It was unexpected for them to take this duel so seriously, sending a scholar to the scene to document the event.
Edward was not an unknown figure; on the contrary, he was quite famous across the continent. He was responsible for updating the "Daily Continent," an intelligence journal that many mages purchased to stay informed about major daily events. His presence indicated how important this duel was to Academy City.
In addition to Edward, Owen noticed 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, exuding pressure like a mountain, causing many prodigies to avoid getting too close.
This 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 briefly before parting again.
"Interesting—being 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 actually have some credibility," Alfonso murmured to himself, his interest in Owen growing.
After making eye contact with Alfonso, Owen noticed a stunning woman surrounded by a misty aura. Her bare feet were as white as jade, with clear spring water flowing beneath them, exuding a powerful life force. This was Annie, the saint of Moonspring Kingdom.
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 yet kind-hearted individuals, making them worth befriending.
At that moment, Annie was also observing Owen, her soft, watery eyes filled with curiosity and a strong battle spirit. His sudden appearance had even alarmed the angels, indicating his extraordinary nature. However, aside from being somewhat handsome, Owen didn't seem particularly remarkable at first glance.
Recalling that Owen had returned Emily's Aqua Sword to her after their duel, Annie felt a bit of fondness for him. At least from what she knew, Owen did not seem like a despicable person. From Annie's gaze, Owen sensed a hint of goodwill, which surprised him.
He quickly concluded that it was likely due to the incident with Emily. However, he knew that this bit of goodwill paled compared to the interests of the 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 spotted 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 held the fourth rank, making him the top prodigy on the continent at the time. 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.
There was no mistaking it—Carlos saw Owen as his prey, which made Owen uneasy. He disliked Carlos, who was too selfish and ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve his goals. Annie's sister, Emma, had been emotionally deceived by Carlos and tricked into giving away her saint bloodline from Moonspring Kingdom.
When Carlos noticed Owen looking at him, he smiled politely, as if he bore no ill will. "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 as he felt 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 would be tantamount to suicide. However, given the current situation, all they could do was hope that Owen had confidence in attending. Otherwise, with so many factions gathered, even House Ravenwood would be under immense pressure.
Under the watchful eyes of Duke Charles and Madelyn, Tony, seated at the front of the VIP section, ran a hand through his crescent-shaped white hair, which stood upright.
A grim smile gradually appeared on his aged face as he looked at Owen.
"In just one day, you've advanced from bronze-tier to silver-tier Level 7. Truly worthy of being the number one genius on the Genius Leaderboard," he said.
"Unfortunately, I have 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 fell silent, their expressions shifting to astonishment as they turned to Owen.
Earlier, Owen had restrained his aura, leading them to believe he was still at bronze-tier Level 9, or at most, that he had just broken through to silver-tier Level 1.
But now, Tony had revealed that Owen had progressed a major tier and six minor levels in just one day! Such a breakthrough speed was shocking.
Even across the continent, there was no record of such rapid advancement! If Tony hadn't said it, they wouldn't have believed it to be true.
"It's no wonder Academy City ranked Owen first on the Genius Leaderboard. This breakthrough speed is indeed astonishing. Even if it's not unprecedented, it's certainly unparalleled!"
Many mages turned their gaze towards Edward, who sat calmly in the corner, writing with his quill as if nothing was happening.
Inside, however, he was experiencing a tumult 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 just one day was still unbelievable.
This was entirely beyond Academy City's expectations! Owen's talent was far more formidable than they had imagined. It was as though Edward was not merely recording events; he was witnessing and documenting the birth of a miracle.
After all, breaking through a mage's tier is not easy. Such a significant improvement in just one day is unprecedented in the annals of history.
Carlos, who had already fixed his sights on Owen, now felt an uncontrollable desire to overpower him. His cultivation method was the most dominant form of dark magic, enabling him to directly seize others' talents.
Owen's remarkable level of advancement surely indicated a special talent. If Carlos could devour Owen, he would gain this talent, rapidly advance his own tier, and devour more high-tier individuals, potentially surpassing the imagination of other mages and ushering in a new era in Dark Emperor history!
With this thought in mind, 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, which would benefit Tony.
As the vice leader of the Bounty Guild, caution was second nature to him. Otherwise, he wouldn't have maintained an almost flawless record of assassinations 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 possessed a method to counter Tony.
Tony leaned towards the latter, though he found it somewhat unbelievable. Perhaps Owen truly had a way to counter him?