Having acquired the Order of Fire Usage Skill and the Order of Thunder Usage Skill, Owen felt as if he had transformed into these two great [Orders].
Following their continuous evolution, his understanding of the [Orders] deepened even further.
The swiftness and ferocity of thunder!
The fury and destruction of fire!
These concepts emerged vividly in his mind.
As these two [Orders] returned to their purest forms, many derivative skills of the two [Orders] appeared in Owen's mind.
Each derivative skill was extremely powerful.
If he had understood these derivative skills earlier, even the gold-tier level 3 Bada would not have withstood the thunder strike from the sky.
Owen smiled, very satisfied.
The Order of Thunder and the Order of Fire, each appearing alone, would undoubtedly cause a stir in the capital.
Even mages from outside the Azure Kingdom would be attracted.
And now, he possessed both [Orders]!
Owen took a deep breath, feeling the surging [Order] power within him.
If his previous combat power had already exceeded his tier significantly, enough to contend with gold-tier bosses, now with the blessing of the two [Orders], he felt confident he could fight, and even kill, platinum-tier mages!
Reaching this point, he finally felt a slight sense of security.
Not just among his peers, but even older prodigies could no longer pose a threat to him.
He gradually calmed his excited emotions, buried Lyra's body in the desert, and then left the place with the snake egg, reuniting with Benedict and the others.
...
Not long after Owen left, a young man with a deep and resolute expression, his eyes filled with determination, continued to head towards Pharaoh's Tower amidst the increasing sandstorm.
As he continued forward, the ornate necklace on his chest began to glow faintly, gradually transforming into a breathtakingly beautiful woman with crimson lips and pearly white teeth.
The woman was mature and dignified, her figure gracefully curved, yet there was an inexplicable majesty about her that dispelled any thoughts of impropriety.
As her phantom appeared, a soft voice flowed from her red lips, "John, though your tier and combat experience have significantly improved over the past three years of hard training, you still lack something truly formidable. The Order of Thunder—acquire it, and you will secure your place among the top prodigies!"
Hearing this, John tightened his slightly tattered robe and gazed at Pharaoh's Tower with growing desire.
"The Order of Thunder, that's truly something remarkable. Thank you, Mentor Ymir!"
John responded gratefully, quickening his pace towards Pharaoh's Tower.
Under Ymir's guidance over the years, his tier had skyrocketed, and he had gained a profound understanding of various continental legends.
Naturally, he knew about the rarity and power of the Order of Thunder. If he could obtain it, his strength would soar tremendously.
Winning against the imperial princess Marry in their three-year bet would be much easier, and he would make a name for himself in a single battle!
As John eagerly and fervently approached Pharaoh's Tower, his expression gradually turned perplexed.
The place was too desolate!
Not only was there no sign of any mage, but even the mummies Ymir mentioned were nowhere to be seen.
Ymir's almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly; the unusual situation made her sense something amiss.
She immediately urged John to increase his speed.
John quickly rushed into the first floor of Pharaoh's Tower, only to find it empty, like an abandoned pyramid.
He looked around and suddenly noticed a wall covered in scorch marks from lightning, burning the original mural to a crisp black. John's heart sank at the sight.
According to Mentor Ymir, the Order of Thunder was hidden beneath Pharaoh's Tower.
To access it, one not only needed to defeat the gold-tier level 5 boss on the second floor but also find a specific mural to open the portal leading to it.
Furthermore, the Order of Thunder was extremely volatile; if one's body wasn't strong enough or their mind not firm enough, they would be destroyed by the Order of Thunder!
Otherwise, upon learning of the Order of Thunder's location, he wouldn't have waited so long to come.
But now, it seemed the Order of Thunder had already been taken!
"Damn it, who did this?!"
"Who?!"
John's initial excitement had now turned into a towering rage. The mana around him surged violently, causing the floor of Pharaoh's Tower to crack and break apart, with chaotic energy waves spreading in all directions!
"The person who obtained the Order of Thunder is already far away. Head to the capital first; the three-year bet is soon approaching. We can deal with this later," Ymir said, sighing as she looked at the scorched mural.
John, hearing this, could only force himself to calm down. There was no point in getting angry now.
With his current strength, he could still contend with Marry, though it would require more effort.
Suppressing his fury, he quickly set off for the capital.
"The Order of Thunder... whoever dared to take my [Order], you'd better pray I don't find you, or else..."
A flash of murderous intent appeared in John's eyes.
...
Meanwhile, in the capital...
A series of explosive news stories, like giant stones dropping into a calm lake, have stirred up most of the mages into a frenzy.
"Confirmed news! Confirmed news! Owen is not only ranked first on the Genius Leaderboard, but the staff he holds has been confirmed as the Godslayer Staff!"
"The Godslayer Staff, the legendary artifact, no wonder Owen's talent is ranked first. With such an artifact, even a dog could sweep through countless opponents!"
"Indeed, Owen is not to be trifled with now. I heard that Emily from the Moonspring Kingdom challenged Owen and was miserably defeated!"
"The Godslayer Staff is of great significance. It's not just the prodigies who covet it; many forces have their eyes on it as well!"
"Yes, the Bounty Guild seems to be eyeing the Godslayer Staff too and is preparing to hunt Owen!"
"I think the Bounty Guild's involvement might not be so simple. It seems they've received funding from Miss Madelyn."
"…"
The mages were all talking, each with their own theories.
Inside the Duke's mansion.
As rumors increasingly pointed towards Madelyn, Duke Charles frowned, feeling somewhat helpless.
After all, Owen is Leslie's fiancé, and there's no need to hire the Bounty Guild to attack Owen.
There might be someone behind the scenes stirring up conflict between Owen and the major mages.
Sensing something amiss, Duke Charles convened a family meeting to figure out how to resolve this crisis.
As various reliable and unreliable news spread like wildfire in the capital, the vice leader of the Bounty Guild, Tony, publicly challenged Owen to a duel, pushing the atmosphere to a climax!
Countless mages flocked to the Bounty Guild, awaiting Owen's response.
...
In the imperial palace of the capital.
King Aldric sat upon his throne, listening to the recent news delivered by his guards.
Upon hearing that Tony, the vice leader of the Bounty Guild, had initiated a duel with Owen, a faintly amused expression appeared on his face.
He had already received some information about the Bounty Guild's plan to assassinate Owen.
Now that it had turned into a duel, it seemed that too many eyes were on the Godslayer Staff.
If Owen were to be killed secretly, the Bounty Guild would likely be targeted by various powerful forces, unable to find peace.
The Bounty Guild, being only after money, could not get entangled in such endless conflicts.
"But this is also good. Using this opportunity, the Duke's mansion will be drawn into the turmoil..." King Aldric's fingers lightly tapped the armrest of his throne.
Not far in front of him was a map of the Azure Kingdom's territories.
At the borders of the map, many armies were marked in red ink—that represented the forces loyal to House Ravenwood, occupying a large portion of the border armies.
In the Azure Kingdom, the royal family needed to rely on several major forces to maintain national security.
Duke Charles commanded a large number of elite troops, guarding the empire's borders, making his family the strongest, mainly responsible for external defense.
This was also why King Aldric was wary of House Ravenwood.
If he could draw the Duke's mansion into the conflict and continually weaken House Ravenwood's strength, he would be more than pleased.
"Send the order: this duel will be personally hosted by the royal family. Let Owen and Tony have a fair and square fight!"
Soon, he gave the command. Regardless of whether Owen or Tony won in the end, with this incident stirring things up, the Duke's mansion would not be able to stay out of it.