It wasn't just Claire—Lawrence had also received similar orders before entering the Tower: to eliminate Owen at all costs, even if it meant teaming up with others.
There was no other choice.
Over the years, Owen had brought too much humiliation to both Fenrir Academy and Frostbane Academy, two of the top academies.
While Crossbridge Academy had long held the title of the strongest academy, their previous chiefs had never displayed such overwhelming, otherworldly talent. They were stronger than their rivals, but only by a narrow margin.
In the Starlight Duel Tournament, victories and defeats were often shared between the academies. But Owen was an exception.
The monstrous talent he exhibited terrified everyone.
As long as he remained at Crossbridge Academy, Fenrir Academy and Frostbane Academy would forever be condemned to second place, nailed to the pillar of shame.
And that was if they were lucky enough not to be grouped with Owen during the tournament, giving them a chance at second place. As for winning the championship, it wasn't even worth considering.
The enormous gap in talent had made them shift all their feelings of humiliation onto Owen. Instead of focusing on improving their own strength, they plotted to take Owen down together.
"Why haven't we found Claire yet? Didn't we agree before entering the Tower that we'd take the first opportunity to eliminate Owen? Even if we can't kill him, we need to seriously injure him!"
It was easy to make promises before, but now that they had reached the third floor of the Tower, Lawrence hadn't even seen a trace of the Fenrir Academy group. He had every reason to suspect that Claire was deliberately avoiding him because she was too afraid to face Owen!
"The passage to the fourth floor is about to open. We don't have much time left. Damn it, Claire, where are you?"
"I don't know where Claire is, but I've found you, Lawrence."
A familiar voice came from behind, and Lawrence broke into a cold sweat.
"O... Owen!"
"Correct, but there's no reward."
With a casual wave of his hand, [Perlina's Tears of the Water Dragon] appeared in midair and landed in Owen's grasp. The crystalline staff, like a piece of pure crystal, lightly tapped the surface of the river, causing it to surge instantly.
"Owen, what are you going to do?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to kill you."
"You! If you harm me, Frostbane Academy and House Rosewood will never let you off!"
"Did I remember it wrong? Didn't we agree that whatever grudges were formed within the Tower would dissipate once we left? Are you saying that Frostbane Academy plans to break that promise?"
Meeting Owen's gaze, Lawrence felt his heart sink to the depths. His body trembled uncontrollably.
"Don't worry, I'll only kill you. As long as the others from Frostbane Academy stay out of it, they won't be harmed."
The surging waves rose higher, and the surface of the river churned violently. The members of Frostbane Academy were like leaves caught in a storm, tossed up and down with no ability to resist!
"Owen, is there really no way to resolve this between us? I swear, I'll never provoke you again. You can't kill me; you mustn't kill me!"
Faced with the imminent threat of death, Lawrence's previous arrogance vanished, and his voice quivered with fear.
"Frostbane Academy, House Rosewood, I don't care what kind of revenge they try to exact on me. The moment you attacked Elaine, you should have expected this outcome. Besides, even if you die, Frostbane Academy will likely be fine. They've already started grooming that girl, haven't they? The one they call a once-in-a-millennium prodigy. I'm eager to see how formidable she is.
As for you, you can stay here."
As Owen finished speaking, the waves behind him surged to a height of a hundred meters before crashing down with full force.
In an instant, Lawrence was slammed into the water, sinking deeper and deeper. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't float back up. The icy water flooded his lungs, causing him to cough violently.
But opening his mouth only allowed more water to pour in, creating a vicious cycle.
Lawrence finally managed to calm himself, desperately swimming toward the surface, but a hint of frost dashed his hopes entirely.
The extreme cold spread from under Owen's feet, freezing the entire sea surface for a thousand meters around. Lawrence, trapped beneath the ice, was instantly encased in frost, the freezing temperature seeping into his body, solidifying even the blood in his veins.
His body temperature plummeted, and Lawrence's life force faded rapidly.
Frozen within the ice, Lawrence couldn't chant any spells, and the low-level instant-cast magic he knew couldn't break through the thick ice. The fear of death spread through Lawrence's heart.
All he could do was wait for death to claim him.
However, Owen's decision to kill Lawrence wasn't just for Elaine. The more important reason was the prodigious girl from Frostbane Academy. This person was crucial to Owen, a key figure in the story's turning point. Owen needed to meet her as soon as possible.
And the best opportunity would be in the Starlight Duel Tournament a month from now.
With Lawrence dead, the only person qualified to succeed him as chief would be her. This way, Owen could ensure they would face each other in the tournament.
With that settled, Owen exhaled deeply and turned to look at the remaining Frostbane Academy students, who were paralyzed with fear. After some thought, he decided not to kill them and walked away.
With Lawrence dead, his goal was achieved. Whether the others lived or died didn't matter.
Besides, without their chief, Frostbane Academy would lose all advantage when facing other academies. The schools Lawrence had bullied would surely seize the chance for revenge. Whether they could survive the Tower was another matter entirely, and Owen had no reason to waste time on them.
"It's time to reunite with Andrew and the others. As for Elaine... we'll meet again on the fourth floor of the Tower."
...
Meanwhile, outside the Tower!
Catalina arrived with a burst of energy, her ethereal figure solidifying as she hovered above the Tower, her gaze sharp and penetrating. Soon after, two more powerful auras joined her, flanking her from either side.
"Catalina Headmaster, are you so eager to retrieve your students? Do you really lack confidence in Owen?"
"Cart, have you forgotten the disgrace your Frostbane Academy suffered in last year's Starlight Duel Tournament?"
Catalina cast a cold glance at the Frostbane Academy headmaster, her voice icy. "If you provoke me again, I won't hesitate to see Frostbane Academy get a new headmaster."
"Catalina, no need to get so worked up. I was just joking."
Cart Sandra chuckled lightly, but a flash of murderous intent flickered in his eyes.
He would endure for now, only because he couldn't beat Catalina.
"Why do you two start bickering the moment you meet? You're both sage-tier mages, yet you're acting like children."
"Leonard, don't play peacemaker. We know exactly what you're like. Enough with the nonsense. Catalina, shouldn't you explain the strange mana fluctuations above the Tower?"
"Why should I explain anything to you? Who do you think you are?"
"You! Don't push it too far, Catalina. Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"If you weren't afraid, you would have attacked already. If you don't have the guts, then shut up and wait patiently."
As she spoke, Catalina moved closer to the swirling vortex above the Tower, her expression growing increasingly grim.
"How could it happen this quickly?"
She had expected the spatial vortex to fully manifest in about ten days, not within four days of the seal breaking!
This was too sudden.
Now, everyone inside the Tower could be at risk!
Catalina wasn't without her own concerns. She might mourn the loss of other students from Crossbridge Academy, as they were the academy's elite, its pillars of strength.
But if something happened to Owen, all of Catalina's efforts, her hopes, and the feelings she had placed in him would vanish in an instant.
"Owen, you must not die here!"