"Who... who are you?!"
Peter felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, cold sweat instantly soaking his forehead, and his legs trembling uncontrollably.
"Don't you recognize me? Wasn't it you who lured Elaine to Kur'gash under my name? You could even figure out the details of Elaine's bloodline, and yet you still don't know who I am?"
"This... this can't be! You're Owen? But you're supposed to be dead!"
Peter swallowed hard, glancing at his companion Harry for help. But before Harry could act, a shadow gathered at Owen's feet.
"It seems you're not well-informed. I suggest you behave yourself, or face the consequences."
"O... Owen!"
Seeing that familiar face, Elaine's eyes filled with tears, which began to stream down her cheeks.
"How could you fall for such a simple trick?"
Owen sighed with a bitter smile before gripping Peter's shoulder tightly, speaking each word with cold precision, "Tell your men to back off, or you know what will happen."
"Back... back off! Everyone, back off now!"
Peter might not fully grasp how strong Owen was, but he knew this much—Owen was a madman.
Two years ago, the Warner family of the Ferlin Empire had publicly declared their firm opposition to Crossbridge Academy, threatening to kill any of the academy's students who set foot in their territory.
The Warner family was one of the most prestigious in the Ferlin Empire, boasting three sage-tier mages, over a dozen master-tier mages, and more than a hundred diamond-tier mages.
Their influence was well-known across the world, placing them among the elite.
At the time, the Warner family was riding high, brazenly insulting the most powerful academy and gaining numerous supporters.
Many other academies secretly supported the Warner family.
Then, Crossbridge Academy responded.
They sent a small team of six to the Warner family's territory. As soon as they identified themselves, they were slaughtered by the Warner family.
The Warner family glorified this act, even displaying the bodies of the academy's mages on their family banners, which was a great insult to Crossbridge Academy.
It was clear from the beginning that the team sent by Crossbridge Academy was a sacrifice, a bait to draw out the Warner family. But the Warner family took the bait.
Three days later, Crossbridge Academy issued a statement: "This feud will not go unavenged. Crossbridge Academy will dissolve if it does." As everyone wondered how the academy would retaliate, what happened next shocked them all.
Headmistress Catalina, accompanied by all the School Heads, mentors, and nearly 170 students, marched directly to the Warner family's territory, wiping out nearly all of their diamond-tier and above mages.
During that near-insane battle, Owen participated and personally slew 37 diamond-tier mages, single-handedly crippling the Warner family's core strength.
After that battle, the Warner family fell from being a top-tier family to an insignificant one, with no hope of recovery. Even today, the head of the Warner family, who had ordered the attack, still has his skull displayed on a flagpole in their old territory, with no one daring to take it down.
It's clear that the people from Crossbridge Academy are a bunch of lunatics!
Peter might have been able to handle the consequences of harming Elaine, given that her family had fallen from power and posed little threat. But Owen was different.
If this dagger were in anyone else's hands, Peter wouldn't be worried—in fact, he'd find it laughable.
But it was Owen holding the dagger.
This was a man not to be trifled with. If provoked, he really would use that dagger.
Seeing his men retreat, Peter finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If someone had acted rashly at that moment, his life would have been over.
"Owen..."
"Don't worry. I'm here now. You go on ahead and find a busy place to wait for me. I'll come find you soon."
Owen waved with a smile, though his eyes were filled with murderous intent. Seeing this, Elaine bit her lip, hesitated for a moment, and then turned to leave.
Once he sensed Elaine's mana fading into the distance, Owen exhaled and put away his dagger.
"You've set your sights on the succubus bloodline? It seems that old bastard has been spreading rumors. Owen knew that, in the original story, these two were after Elaine precisely because of her succubus bloodline. It's said that the first person to obtain the blood of a succubus virgin would experience a significant power boost."
"Owen, what are you doing! I'm warning you, if you dare harm me, the Troy family won't let you get away with it!"
"Owen! You've already taken Elaine. Let's call it even. Let us go, and you can do whatever you want with the others!"
As Owen stepped closer, Peter and Harry were filled with deep regret.
Had they known Owen would show up in Gambling City at this crucial moment, they wouldn't have dared lay a finger on Elaine, no matter how many lives they had to bet. Provoking this cold-blooded killer brought them nothing but trouble!
But now, it was too late for regrets.
"Shh... quiet. Don't disturb anyone else."
"Owen, please! I can give you whatever you want—mana stones? I have plenty. Take as many as you want! Treasures, beauties—just say the word. Please, just let me go. I swear I'll never go near Elaine again!"
"You're not sorry because you've done wrong. You're only sorry because you know you're about to die, aren't you?"
Facing Owen's eerie red eyes, Peter broke down.
Facing someone who wouldn't listen to reason, who wouldn't accept bribes, he was left with nothing but despair.
...
Elaine gritted her teeth, running with all her might, not daring to stop for a moment, as if something was chasing her from behind.
Finally, the light at the end of the alley came into view, and Elaine burst out of the dark street.
She stopped, nervously clutching her clothes, staring into the darkness, her eyes wide with anxiety.
She thought she heard faint, agonized screams, which only made her more nervous.
She trusted that Owen would be fine, but she couldn't stop worrying about his safety.
Then, hurried footsteps and heavy breathing approached—someone was running desperately.
In the dim moonlight, Elaine could make out Peter sprinting ahead, with a figure calmly walking behind him.
The figure moved leisurely, completely unhurried, as if they didn't worry that Peter would reach the end of the alley and escape into the crowd.
Just as Peter was about to make his escape, a grotesque, monstrous tendril shot out from the figure's staff, effortlessly piercing Peter's shoulder!
The excruciating pain caused Peter to scream, but the tendril seemed to sense his distress, wrapping around his throat and silencing him.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Owen smirked, his expression unreadable as the staff in his hand glowed with a strange light. Upon closer inspection, it was the very eyeball staff that had mysteriously appeared and disappeared before!
At the top of the staff, the eyeball's pupil had been replaced by the tendril—slimy and menacing.
The tendril held Peter tightly, slowly dragging him back into the shadowy alley.
After a few breaths, Owen emerged from the shadows, casually wiping the blood from his fingers with a handkerchief and letting out a long breath.
Seeing that Owen had finally returned safely, Elaine's tense nerves relaxed slightly, and a wave of emotion overcame her as she threw herself into Owen's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
As he felt the girl in his arms weep, the strange light in Owen's eyes gradually faded. He gently stroked Elaine's hair and softly comforted her, "It's okay now. Everything's fine."
"Owen, I thought I'd never see you again!"
When she had been surrounded, and her mana was being drained, Elaine had been ready to drive a dagger into her own heart at the first touch from those beasts.
Even if she had to die, she would never let them take her dignity!