"Owen, take Elaine and leave. Mentor is here, and I can handle this problem."
Even though dealing with two sage-tier mages might be challenging, Catalina was confident she could get out of this situation unscathed.
As for the potential retaliation from the two families in the future…
Catalina couldn't worry about that right now.
Owen must not die. Catalina had poured all her efforts into him, nurturing him as her successor from the very beginning. No matter what, she couldn't let Owen die here.
"Owen, why are you just standing there? Hurry up and leave!"
"Mentor, sage-tier mages can travel through the Beyond Dimension with such speed that they can cross the entire Fallen Dimension in a single day. Even if I leave now, it's pointless. If you lose, they'll likely catch up with me anyway."
"But you can't help me by staying here. No matter what, you cannot die here!"
Catalina bit her lip, gripping Owen's shoulders tightly as she said, "You are Crossbridge Academy's hope, do you understand?"
"It's precisely because I am Crossbridge Academy's hope that I cannot leave."
Owen exhaled deeply and stepped forward to face Catalina, speaking calmly.
"Mentor, this is a mess I created, and I can't keep relying on you to clean it up. Gentlemen, how about this: I'll give you a chance, a chance to kill me. For two hours, you can use any means necessary, and during that time, mentor won't interfere. If you manage to kill me within two hours, then so be it—Crossbridge Academy won't seek revenge, and my life will have repaid the deaths of your heirs. But if you fail to kill me within two hours, each of you will hand over two sage-tier treasures. How does that sound?"
As soon as Owen finished speaking, Fal and Charles burst into mocking laughter.
"A mere diamond-tier mage, and you think it'll take us two hours to kill you? Fine, I'll humor you. If you're still alive after two hours, I'll give you two sage-tier treasures—what of it?"
"The so-called greatest genius of the millennium turns out to be a fool."
Fal sneered, then turned to Catalina. "Catalina, this was your student's idea. Surely, you're not going to go back on his word, are you?"
Hearing this, Catalina's face turned grim.
This was far too risky!
The gap between a sage-tier and a diamond-tier mage was like an insurmountable chasm, a vast gulf that could not be crossed. Owen was essentially betting his life on a nearly impossible outcome!
But…
Catalina noticed the expression on Owen's face—there wasn't a hint of panic in his eyes, only an overwhelming confidence, as if he were certain he would survive. But why?
What trump card did Owen have that made him so sure he could survive? No matter how hard she thought, Catalina couldn't imagine how Owen could come out of this alive.
"Owen… you…"
"Mentor, trust me."
Though Catalina didn't believe Owen could survive an onslaught from two sage-tier mages, she had no choice but to trust him at this point.
After calming down, Catalina understood what a battle would mean. As much as she favored Owen, she couldn't justify dragging Crossbridge Academy into a conflict with two powerful families. As headmistress, she couldn't make such an irresponsible decision.
If Crossbridge Academy were to go to war with the Troy and Wayne families, regardless of the outcome, centuries of accumulated strength would be destroyed, and the academy would never recover.
But clearly, the rage of Fal Troy and Charles Wayne couldn't be easily appeased. The heirs of both families had died at Owen's hands, and there was no avoiding a final reckoning today.
Watching Owen's back, Catalina sighed deeply.
As much as she hated to admit it, the trouble Owen had stirred up this time was beyond her ability to resolve.
"Boy, it seems your mentor is ready to abandon you. Why don't we give you the chance to choose how you die? How would you like to go?"
Ignoring Fal's taunts, Owen remained calm and asked, "Do your previous words still stand? If I survive for two hours, will each of you hand over two sage-tier treasures? Does that promise still hold?"
Fal Troy stared at Owen for a moment, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Even now, you cling to such delusional hopes? Fine! If you survive, I'll give them to you—what of it?"
"Enough with the talk. Let's finish him quickly—I need to return to my family and report."
Charles, being a fire mage, was even more hot-tempered than Fal and was eager to reduce the one who killed his heir to ashes.
"Then, mentor, please be our witness to ensure they don't go back on their word. Alright, you can start now."
As soon as Owen finished speaking, everyone—including Elaine and Catalina—was forcibly pulled into a domain. Fal's voice echoed from the sky, booming like thunder.
"Watch closely, and see how your precious student meets his brutal end!"
"A brutal end? Not necessarily."
Owen exhaled slowly as he began to unlock the restrictions on his tier. Under everyone's watchful eyes, his aura grew stronger and stronger. In just a few breaths, he had broken through the master-tier and continued to rise steadily!
Everyone gasped in shock.
"What's wrong? Too stunned to speak? Don't worry, this is just the beginning."
Owen smirked as a pure white light began to spread from under his feet, enveloping the entire domain and eroding Fal's domain bit by bit!
By the time Owen's full aura was revealed, showing him to be at sage-tier level 9, the once sand-covered domain had been completely overtaken by the pure white light!
"S-Sage-tier!" Elaine blinked in disbelief, feeling as if she were in a dream.
"How… how is this possible?"
Catalina stood frozen, her mind blank.
She had suspected Owen might be hiding his true power, but who could have guessed that he was already a sage-tier level 9 mage, just one step away from god-tier!
"I think you both understand now, don't you? You're the challengers here. Welcome to my domain, *The Recess*."
From his throne, Owen gazed down at them with a calm expression, while Fal's face grew darker and darker.
He never could have imagined that this boy, barely in his twenties, had already reached the pinnacle of this world, joining the ranks of the most powerful.
Catalina was already a renowned sage-tier mage, and she was only sage-tier level 6. Her formidable strength placed her among the top in the entire dimension.
But Owen? He was like an enhanced version of Catalina!
With the same attribute-less mana core, Owen's talent was terrifyingly rated as SSS+! His level even surpassed Catalina's, reaching the pinnacle of sage-tier, just a step away from god-tier.
What kind of genius was this?
No, Owen's talent was beyond genius—he was unprecedented, and likely never to be matched again!
A sage-tier level 9 mage under thirty, Owen had undoubtedly made history, and this history would likely remain unbroken until the dimension itself collapsed!
"Why have you both gone so quiet all of a sudden?"
Fal had nothing to say.
Why was he silent? Wasn't it obvious?
If he had known Owen was a sage-tier mage, he would never have provoked him.
It wasn't just Owen's power that intimidated him, but his talent.
But now, it was too late to turn back.
A sandstorm swept across the domain, forming a massive tower that descended upon Owen's throne!
Charles, no longer holding back, chanted an incantation in an obscure tongue. A searing flame gathered into a tornado, melting the stone tower into molten lava that cascaded down!
But seeing this, Owen didn't even bother to dodge.
Frost Moon
A resonant hum echoed through the domain, and the piercing sound caused everyone present to cover their ears in pain.
A pale moon rose behind Owen, its soft glow bathing his shoulders like a shroud of white silk. The moment the lava touched the moonlight, it froze and dissipated!