A shadow moved swiftly across the ground, wrapping around a training golem over a hundred meters away in an instant.
The shadow coiled tightly around the golem's neck, squeezing until it crushed the golem into a pile of scrap metal!
Seeing this, Owen nodded in satisfaction.
"Impressive power, though it could be a bit more stealthy. But no worries, there's plenty of time to improve."
Owen walked over to Elaine and recorded her performance.
It had to be said, Elaine had made remarkable progress in the past month.
With the help of Owen's dual cultivation technique and Elaine's succubus constitution, she had advanced rapidly.
She was now a diamond-tier level 8 mage, becoming one of the top students in the academy.
Her progress was so fast that even Catalina had considered making her the top student.
However, that idea was eventually set aside. After all, being the top student wasn't just a title—it came with responsibilities.
Owen didn't want Elaine to be burdened with such duties, which could hinder her training progress.
Since Owen was the dean of the 5th School and Elaine was his student and partner, Catalina didn't push the matter.
Moreover, this year's Starlight Duel Tournament had been canceled, so leaving the top student position vacant for now wouldn't have any impact.
In addition to Elaine, under Owen's guidance, others had also made significant progress.
Fiona, who had a dual-attribute ice and lightning mana core with an S grade, had always had great potential.
But she had been so focused on Owen that she somewhat neglected her training.
With her renewed focus, she had now reached diamond-tier level 5, second only to Elaine.
As for the students Owen had carefully selected...
Most of them had just awakened their mana cores recently and had little foundation. Owen didn't expect them to make meteoric progress.
But even so, in just a month, fourteen of the sixteen had broken through to bronze-tier level 7, and three had reached silver-tier.
Beyond the advantages Owen provided, their talents were undeniable.
Under normal circumstances, such achievements would have made Owen proud. But right now, it didn't seem like enough.
After all, today was the day when the deans of all the other schools would come to inspect the 5th School.
Vice Headmaster Duncan would be bringing all the school deans to the 5th School, ostensibly for an inspection, but in reality, they were just looking for faults.
Only a few people supported Catalina's efforts, and the only one who genuinely wanted the 5th School to succeed was Fire School Dean Felix.
Felix had a good relationship with Catalina and sincerely hoped Crossbridge Academy could continue its legacy.
As for the others, they cared more about themselves than Crossbridge Academy.
Once the 5th School was officially established, Owen would inevitably receive a portion of the annual budget and student allocations, which would affect everyone else.
Taking someone's money is like killing them.
So, Owen had to show some results.
However, since these people came with the intent to find faults, their standards would naturally be vague and flexible.
Owen could only deal with whatever came his way, adapting to the situation as needed.
If things didn't go well, there was nothing he could do—it would just mean disappointing his mentor's expectations.
Before long, Duncan and the other deans arrived together.
Catalina, to avoid any trouble, only sent a representative to observe, primarily to record the development of the 5th School and get a basic understanding of the situation.
Due to the academy's lack of manpower, Owen had to take on multiple roles himself, and he even entrusted Fiona with the important task of welcoming the deans and introducing them to the 5th School's educational philosophy and facilities.
When Duncan noticed that it wasn't Owen who came to greet them but an unknown subordinate instead, his expression darkened.
On such an important day for the school inspection, Owen didn't even come to greet them personally and only sent someone else—it was clear he didn't take them seriously!
"Who are you, and where's Owen? Why isn't he here?"
Coming from a noble family, Fiona had seen her fair share of significant events, so she handled this situation with ease.
"I apologize, Lord Duncan. Master Owen is tied up with important matters and couldn't get away, so he sent me to guide you all. Rest assured, Lord Duncan, I'm well acquainted with the school and will give you a thorough introduction to its structure."
"Hmph... let's get started then."
Though displeased, Duncan couldn't find fault with Fiona's impeccable attitude and could only follow her, with a scowl, into the school building.
The moment they stepped through the door, Duncan's eyes widened in shock, and he froze in place.
Unlike the first-floor lobbies of other school buildings, which usually featured a full-body statue of the respective dean to showcase their authority, the central hall of the 5th School's first floor housed a massive spherical device constructed from numerous intricate instruments and mechanisms.
Even Duncan, who prided himself on his broad knowledge, had never seen anything like it and couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"
Following Duncan's gaze, Fiona explained, "This is a device Master Owen created by improving existing alchemy techniques. He named it the Core of Everything. As the name suggests, it can be used to create all sorts of magical devices. However, it's still in the testing phase and requires a large amount of mana. Currently, only Master Owen can use it."
"Core of Everything? Hmph, it's a grand name, but I bet it's just for show."
Duncan sneered.
As a former dean of the Alchemy School, Duncan was confident in his alchemy skills and didn't believe that such a device could perform any sophisticated alchemy.
"Earlier today, Master Owen showed me how to activate the Core of Everything. Let me demonstrate it for you."
With that, Fiona approached the Core of Everything and channeled her mana into it.
The intricate sphere began to operate, and countless mechanical arms emerged from the device.
Starting with a tiny component, the arms worked together to quickly assemble a training golem.
The entire process took less than a minute!
Seeing this, Duncan's face turned pale, looking rather unsettled.
He had assumed that this was just one of Owen's exaggerations, but he didn't expect the device to actually work, and with speed and precision surpassing even that of a diamond-tier alchemist.
Although a training golem was one of the most basic magical constructs, its creation required practicality and precision, making it far from simple.
The golem created before him was undoubtedly among the finest, and even Duncan couldn't find any flaws.
And this was only the testing phase. How impressive would it be once it was fully operational?
Not to mention, Fiona had no understanding of alchemy. The fact that even she could use it meant the device had lowered the threshold for alchemy to its absolute minimum!
"As you can see, this is the utility of the Core of Everything. Of course, I can only create simple things. If it were Master Owen, the results would be even more impressive. Let's move on."
Fiona clapped her hands, and a circular platform descended before the group—a new device that piqued Duncan's curiosity once again.
This time, before Duncan could ask, Fiona explained directly, "This is called an elevator. Master Owen created it using gravity magic combined with alchemy. By pressing a button inside, the array automatically adjusts gravity to transport us to different floors.
The elevator has a dual-layer structure, with the outer layer made of durable metal and the inner layer made of mana void stone, so there's no need to worry about gravity magic affecting the passengers inside. Let's take this elevator to the second floor, where I'll continue to introduce the 5th School."
Following Fiona into the elevator, Duncan tentatively pressed the button for the second floor.
The next moment, he could clearly feel the elevator steadily rising until it smoothly stopped at the second floor, and the doors opened.
Such ingenuity was nothing short of genius.
What they saw next fully showcased Owen's extraordinary creativity!
"The second floor primarily displays some of Master Owen's innovative ideas that combine magic and machinery. Some are still in the testing phase, while others are ready for production and can be quite useful. Please take a look over here."
Following Fiona's direction, the group's eyes fell on a strangely shaped device.
The main body was made of an unknown material, with a hollow iron tube in the center connecting two metal wheels, angled upward at about fifty degrees, standing quietly in place.
Although none of them knew what this device was called or what it was used for, they couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
Fiona explained, "Master Owen calls this a Cannon. It can draw mana from mana stones, compress it further through an inscribed array, and fuse it with wind, lightning, and fire magic to produce a blast comparable to a full-powered attack from a diamond-tier mage. I'll demonstrate it for you, so please step back a little."
Fiona calmly approached the Cannon, loaded a mana stone, and activated the array.
The cannon's muzzle immediately emitted a blinding light.
After a few seconds of charging, a ball of energy shot out at high speed, striking the defensive array Owen had set up with a resounding impact!
In an instant, a deafening explosion echoed through the room, and powerful shockwaves rippled out, causing everyone to gasp in astonishment.
The power was indeed comparable to a diamond-tier mage's full-force attack!
While diamond-tier mages weren't something to be overly surprised about, it was important to remember that this was just a magical device.
If Owen wanted, he could mass-produce these Cannons.
Imagine the sight of hundreds of Cannons firing simultaneously—what a spectacular scene that would be!
Duncan couldn't even begin to imagine it!
"Of course, this is just Master Owen's most basic design. There are other iterations based on the Cannon, including the tank, which uses mana to drive the tracks, giving the tank mobility. Naturally, because some of the mana is used for movement, the power is slightly less than that of the Cannon. There are also portable Cannon variants, which Master Owen has named... Rifles."
As Fiona mentally questioned the strange name, she picked up a device resembling a pistol, loaded a mana stone bullet, and recalled Owen's instructions.
"Align the three points..."
When she pulled the trigger, the mana stone bullet shot out, hitting the light shield and leaving a shallow mark.
Although the pistol couldn't compare to the Cannon in power, it was convenient and quick to use, with an extremely low threshold.
You didn't even need to be proficient in magic—just load the mana stone bullet, aim, and empty the clip.
"The other Rifles vary in size and power, so I won't demonstrate them all here."
"Hold on a moment."
Fiona was about to leave when Duncan called out to her.
"These inventions, I must admit... they're quite ingenious. Owen's creativity and imagination are indeed remarkable. But as far as I know, the 5th School didn't receive much funding in the beginning. All these devices must have been quite expensive, weren't they?"
"There's no need to worry about that, Lord Duncan," Fiona replied with a hint of amusement. "The 5th School's current funding comes from Master Owen, the Raen family, and the Kair family. After all, the academy's provided funds are merely a drop in the ocean and far from sufficient."
Fiona couldn't help but find it funny.
The funds provided by the academy were barely enough to purchase a few devices.
It was only through Owen selling off a few unused treasures, the Raen family's full support, and the large sum of money Elaine brought from her family that they were able to complete the development.
Trying to find fault in the funding? Wishful thinking!
"If there are no further concerns, let's move on to the third floor. Unlike the second floor, which focuses on the integration of magic and machinery, the third floor showcases Master Owen's research into medicinal herb cultivation. His concepts of hybridization and grafting have already achieved significant results."
With more and more unfamiliar terms being thrown at him, Duncan was at a loss for words.
He had initially thought that Owen would turn the 5th School into a mess, but now it seemed like this was exactly the kind of place he had always dreamed of—filled with cutting-edge devices and unique, innovative alchemy.
He couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
What terrified him the most was that Owen's inventions were directly lowering the threshold for alchemy, which was considered the noblest of magical arts.
If these things became widespread, all of his current alchemy research would become worthless!
He had to get control of the 5th School for himself!
With this in mind, Duncan stopped Fiona and said in a deep voice, "That's enough. I believe the other deans, like myself, recognize Owen's capabilities in research. But to establish a successful school, it's not just about these inventions; it's also about the ability to train students. Let's do this—since we've brought along some students, how about we have a friendly match between them and a few of the 5th School's students?"
"This... may not be appropriate, Lord Duncan."
"There's nothing inappropriate about it. Are you saying Owen lacks the confidence?"
"The 5th School has only been established for a month. Isn't this a bit too demanding, Duncan?"
Felix, the Fire School dean, stepped in to speak on Owen's behalf.
In just half an hour, Felix had already seen the limitless potential in Owen.
The truth was clear—the 5th School had to be established, and Owen had to be its dean.
Felix didn't mind offending a few people to make that happen.
"It's just a simple test, nothing more. It won't count as an official evaluation. I'm just curious to see Owen's ability to train students. Let's consider it a friendly match."
With a few words, Duncan had redefined the nature of the duel, leaving Felix with no grounds to object. His face grew increasingly grim.
Sensing the growing tension, Fiona quickly interjected, "Very well then. Let's move to the courtyard. Lord Duncan, you mentioned you brought a few students?"
"Not many, just three. We'll go for a best of three, and of course, it'll be a friendly match."
"Alright, please wait a moment while I inform Master Owen and confirm the participants."
"No problem."
As Fiona walked away, Duncan's face showed a hint of satisfaction.
When it came to training students, Duncan was quite confident. His student, Trisha, was now a diamond-tier mage, and she was present today.
With her around, Duncan had no concerns about losing.
When they reached the academy's courtyard, Fiona returned within ten minutes, walking alongside Elaine.
Duncan quickly asked, "Where are your participants?"
"Lord Duncan, we are the participants. Elaine and I are both students of the 5th School and Master Owen's students."
"But there are only two of you."
"That's enough. Isn't it a best of three? Let's get started quickly—I need to get back to feed my baby."
Elaine waved her hand impatiently and stepped onto the platform first, urging, "Come on, who's going to duel with me?"
Duncan frowned, clearly displeased with Elaine's arrogant attitude.
"Trisha, you'll go first."
"Yes."
Trisha nodded slightly, a look of reluctance flashing in her eyes.
Although she was a friend of Owen, she was also Duncan's student.
She didn't want to embarrass Owen, but given the circumstances, she had no other choice.
She stepped onto the platform and took a deep breath, speaking calmly, "Elaine, it's been a while."
"Ah, Trisha! Since it's you, I'll be sure not to go too hard. By the way, are you interested in joining the 5th School?"
"W-What?"
At Felix's signal to start, Elaine instantly turned into a shadow and disappeared into the darkness.
Before Trisha could even react, a dagger gleaming with cold light was already pressed against her throat.
"The match is over! The winner is Elaine—1-0 for the 5th School!"
It was a one-hit victory!
The match ended so quickly that Duncan didn't even have time to react before Trisha was already defeated!
But could anyone say Trisha had gone easy on her?
The aura Elaine had displayed was clearly at diamond-tier level 8, just a step away from master-tier.
With such a gap in tiers, there was nothing Trisha could have done!
"Shall we continue?" Felix asked Duncan, a playful look in her eyes.
Everyone present knew what was really going on.
Duncan's constant targeting was partly because he didn't want the 5th School's establishment to affect the special status of the Alchemy School, which could reduce his power and funding.
On the other hand, Duncan also harbored a greedy desire to take over the 5th School for himself.
But the truth was, Owen had likely anticipated these petty schemes and hadn't even bothered to take them seriously, which is why he had sent Fiona to deal with them.
"Lord Duncan, you can choose your next participant."
Faced with Felix's urging, Duncan's expression turned sour.
Choose another participant?
What would be the point?
Given Elaine's overwhelming power, what difference would it make to have another match?
Even if Fiona was not as strong as Elaine, she was still a solid diamond-tier level 5. And what about the other two students he brought?
Aside from Trisha, the other two were only platinum-tier. Even if they teamed up, they wouldn't be able to beat Fiona. Another match would just be another humiliation.
But giving up like this? Duncan wasn't ready to accept that.
"Where is Owen? I'm asking you, where is Owen!" Duncan suddenly shifted his focus to Fiona, his voice deep and commanding. "Tell Owen to come out and meet me! I'm still the vice headmaster, and I came here for an inspection. How dare he not show up in person?"
"Master Owen said he's still working on a new project and asks for your understanding, Lord Duncan. If you have any concerns about the inspection, I'll make sure to pass them on to Master Owen."
"Now that he's become a school dean, his arrogance knows no bounds! If you ask me, he might as well take over my position as vice headmaster too! Get him out here! We don't need a student duel anymore—I'll challenge him myself!"
With these words, Duncan had practically torn away any pretense, fully revealing his true intentions.
Even Felix and the other deans felt that Duncan was going too far.
After all, Owen had just recently broken through to master-tier, and now a sage-tier mage was loudly demanding a duel.
It was utterly shameless!
As the tension in the air grew thicker, the representative sent by Catalina was already considering reporting the situation to her so that she could intervene.
But Fiona, in contrast, remained completely calm.
"Master Owen anticipated that Lord Duncan might say something like this. However, since Master Owen is fully engaged in his research, he has arranged for someone else to face you."
As Fiona finished speaking, a strong wind swept through the air, and everyone looked up to see a massive white dragon, nearly three meters tall, flying toward them.
The dragon landed heavily behind Fiona, causing the ground to crack beneath its weight.
"Oops... I broke the tiles. Daddy's going to be angry."
"As you can see, vice headmaster, this is the opponent Master Owen has chosen for you. Master Owen's exact words were: 'That's enough, Duncan. Don't push your luck. Do I really need to get Catalina to come and put you in your place? If you want to fight, I'll find someone for you to fight. If you lose, just get lost and stop whining.'"
These words were brutal.
Owen had dared to say them, and Fiona had no hesitation in delivering them word for word, her tone remaining calm and unruffled.
As Duncan's expression grew darker, Felix stepped in at just the right moment.
"Duncan, Owen has already found you an opponent. If you want to fight, go ahead. If not, it's about time you head back—I have a class to teach."
"Hmph! You think a randomly chosen lizard can defeat me? Owen, your arrogance will be your downfall!"
"Pfft! You're the lizard! Daddy says I'm a dragon!"
"A dragon? How laughable."
Duncan snorted and stepped onto the platform, forming a complex spell formation under his feet.
Despite the imposing presence of the large lizard, Duncan knew that it was just a master-tier creature at best.
Confident in his abilities, he was certain he could win in less than five rounds!
But just as Duncan was about to make his move, he saw Milky produce a black orb from somewhere and swallow it with a gulp.
Immediately, Milky's size grew by about a tenth, and her aura surged, nearly reaching sage-tier levels!
Seeing this, Duncan's eyes widened in shock.
"Hmm... It does taste a little sweet. Daddy wasn't lying! Come on, ugly grandpa! Daddy said if I beat you, I'll get a reward, so don't waste my time!"
Despite the childish tone, the nearly four-meter-tall dragon standing before Duncan radiated an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Milky slightly opened her mouth, releasing a torrent of scorching dragon breath.
Duncan instinctively raised a barrier to block the flames, feeling a momentary sense of disdain—only for it to be shattered in an instant by Milky's powerful claws, as easily as cracking an eggshell!
"Oh! Good job, baby!"
Elaine's eyes lit up as she cheered loudly from the sidelines, urging Milky on.
In stark contrast, the students Duncan had brought remained silent, overwhelmed by the unfolding scene.
Duncan's clownish behavior stood in sharp contrast to Owen's calm and calculated approach. Without even showing his face, Owen had driven Duncan into a corner.
Trisha, one of Duncan's students, couldn't help but feel embarrassed to be associated with the Alchemy School, given such a mentor.
But Duncan was internally anguished.
He had thought that if he could just thick-skinned his way through this, seize Owen's techniques, and later apologize to Catalina, everything would blow over.
But Duncan had never expected Owen to have such a trump card up his sleeve.
The dragon's defense was terrifyingly strong, and Duncan's instant-cast spells couldn't even scratch it.
And if he tried to chant a spell, he'd have to be wary of the dragon's fierce attacks and its roar, which could interrupt his casting.
"Damn beast!"
Duncan gritted his teeth as the ring on his finger glowed, summoning a massive spell formation that enveloped the entire platform.
As the formation activated, silver-white lightning struck Milky's scales, leaving a blackened mark!
Seeing this, Elaine's expression changed instantly.
Others might hesitate to speak against Duncan due to his status, but Elaine didn't care!
No one bullies her baby—not on her watch!
"You shameless old geezer! Do you like bullying those weaker than you? Have all those years turned you into a complete coward? If you can't win, you resort to cheap tricks? You pathetic loser! If you're so eager for the 5th School's techniques, why don't you just get on your knees and beg Owen for them? Maybe then he'll consider giving them to you!"
"Silence! Who do you think you are, to dare insult me!"
Duncan's face flushed red with anger as he glared at Elaine, launching a beam of light directly at her!
As the beam closed in, Felix was the first to react, casting a series of quick spells to shield Elaine behind a barrier of flames, barely fending off the attack.
But instead of backing down, Duncan pressed his advantage. With Milky pinned by the formation, he began chanting another spell, this time targeting Elaine directly!
Seeing this, Felix tried to stop him, shouting, "Duncan, attacking a student is against the rules! Are you really going to make things worse?"
"Shut up! I'm the vice headmaster—my rules are the only rules that matter!"
Duncan snapped, summoning three armored golems that charged at Felix like raging bulls, blocking her path!
"No one interfere! This is between Owen and me!"
At this point, Duncan knew he had crossed the line, but there was no turning back now!
The 5th School had to be his, and anyone associated with Owen had to be eliminated!
So what if Owen was the future of Crossbridge Academy? So what if Catalina was his mentor?
If he killed Owen, Duncan didn't believe that Catalina would dare act against him, knowing that losing a sage-tier mage would significantly weaken Crossbridge Academy!
And even if Catalina did retaliate, the others would never agree to it!
As Duncan's intentions became clear, Felix's face paled in horror.
She was only a master-tier mage—how could she possibly contend with Duncan?
Only Catalina could stop this madman now!
"Quickly, inform Catalina! She needs to handle this!"
Felix's hands flared with fire, creating a barrier to protect herself from the armored golems' relentless assault.
But the difference in tier was impossible to overcome—Duncan's dual-attribute lightning and fire mana core made him one of the strongest mages in Crossbridge Academy!
[Thunderclap · Earthfire!]
Dark clouds rolled in, casting a shadow over the land, as lightning and earthfire combined to shatter Felix's barrier, the attack hurtling toward Elaine and Milky!
But just as the attack was about to strike, a protective barrier descended from the sky, enveloping everyone within it like an impenetrable fortress!
This was none other than one of Owen's most powerful Holy Magic spells, [Divine Veil]!
"Duncan! First, you bully my child, and now you attack my partner. Do you really think the 5th School is defenseless?"
As these words echoed, Owen's figure suddenly appeared, blocking Duncan's path.
"Owen, as the school dean, you've left everything to your subordinates and refused to show yourself. Do you realize that today's events are all the result of your arrogance?"
"Arrogance? Ha! What a convenient excuse. Do you really think I don't know what you're after? Fine. Didn't you say you wanted to challenge me? Go ahead! I was just thinking it's about time I see for myself what this so-called vice headmaster is capable of!"
"Very well, very well," Duncan nodded, his voice rising with anger. "Owen, as the Alchemy School dean, I challenge you to a Blood Duel!"
Blood Duel!
The moment these words left Duncan's mouth, everyone present was visibly shaken.
The Blood Duel was a unique tradition of Crossbridge Academy, where a challenger could directly challenge a dean. If victorious, they could take the dean's place!
"This is bad—things have completely spiraled out of control," the Earth School dean muttered, rubbing his forehead. "A Blood Duel inevitably ends with one side severely injured or dead. A duel between two deans has never happened in the history of Crossbridge Academy. The duel was originally intended to encourage students to challenge deans, but the rules don't limit who can challenge. This is a terrible sign!"
"Fine, then stop wasting time, Duncan." Owen waved his hand, removing his school dean's robe and releasing the suppression on his tier.
In full view of everyone, Owen's aura surged higher and higher until it reached sage-tier level 9, a terrifying presence that made everyone tremble!
"This... this can't be possible!"
Duncan's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Owen.
"I've been patient, but you don't know when to stop. Duncan, do you understand that everyone has their limits? Today, I'll teach you a lesson: the 5th School is not a place where just anyone can come and throw a tantrum."
"O-Owen, what do you mean by this? I'm the vice headmaster! How dare you threaten me!"
Hearing this, Owen suddenly smiled.
"If you manage to leave here alive today, I'll acknowledge you as the vice headmaster. Otherwise, a dead man isn't worth my attention.
You targeted the 5th School, nitpicked every little thing, and I tolerated it.
You bullied my students and, when you couldn't win, you resorted to underhanded tactics, and I tolerated it.
You even challenged me, and I couldn't be bothered with you, so I sent someone else to deal with it.
But Duncan, don't you think you've gone too far?
You created forbidden magic scrolls, dismembered gnomes, and attacked Elaine.
As a vice headmaster, do you have any respect for the rules?"
As Owen finished speaking, a luminous moon suddenly appeared behind him, its radiant glow eclipsing the sun, making Owen appear almost divine.
"Owen! If you dare lay a hand on me, you'll incite widespread anger! You'll be cursed for generations!"
Duncan trembled with fear. The overwhelming aura Owen displayed was even stronger than Catalina's.
Duncan couldn't comprehend how Owen had hidden his true power for so long.
Why had he done it?
Sage-tier level 9—so close to god-tier—there was no reason for Owen to hide such strength!
At this moment, Duncan's life was entirely in Owen's hands. If Owen wanted to kill him, there was no doubt Duncan would die!
Duncan knew this all too well, which is why he tried to slander Owen, hoping to force him not to act!
But Duncan had overestimated himself and underestimated Owen.
"Widespread anger? Isn't this the duel YOU demanded?"
Owen looked around, noting the eerie silence.
Not a single person dared to speak up for Duncan, not even to breathe loudly, fearing Owen's wrath might turn on them next!
"Do you understand now, Duncan? If I want to kill you today, not even my mentor could stop me! As for being cursed for generations—ha! Do you think I care about that? A bunch of cowards who only dare to bark behind my back? Let them bark all they want. If it annoys me, I'll just kill them too."
"Let's see if you truly have the strength to back up that tier!"
Seeing that Owen was resolute, Duncan decided to strike first!
As one of the leading figures in alchemical magic, Duncan's combat abilities were average—nothing remarkable in terms of raw power.
However, he had an array of diverse techniques at his disposal.
Unfortunately for him, today he was up against Owen.
When it came to destructive power, two Stellar Magic spells were enough to give Owen the upper hand in any magical clash!
As for variety of techniques, even Catalina herself would be insignificant compared to Owen!
Frost Moon gleamed, effortlessly shattering Duncan's magic into dust!
Seeing the luminous moon bearing down on him, Duncan's expression shifted dramatically!
"No, you can't kill me! You can't!"
"Shut up. You're annoying."
The moonlight shot forth, obliterating Duncan's body completely, leaving not even a trace behind.
Crossbridge Academy's vice headmaster had just been killed by Owen!
Even as the moonlight gradually faded, everyone remained frozen in shock.
Duncan... was really dead?
Felix looked at Owen, her mind filled with disbelief.
The power and terrifying combat strength Owen had displayed far surpassed the awe she had felt earlier while touring the 5th School.
But wasn't this a bit too reckless?
There were certainly some stubborn elders within the academy who supported Duncan, not to mention that the stigma of killing a superior would follow Owen for the rest of his life if word got out!
But then, Felix quickly came to a realization.
With the terrifying talent and strength Owen had shown, who would dare oppose him?
Catalina had been a sage-tier level 3 when she ascended to the position of dean, and she had cowed those stubborn old men into submission, securing her place.
And now, Owen was ten times stronger than Catalina was at that time!
What was even stranger was that Catalina hadn't appeared at all throughout this entire incident.
There was no way she could be unaware of the commotion within the academy, given her position as dean.
This left only one possibility: Catalina had given her tacit approval to Owen's actions.
With Catalina's endorsement, Owen naturally had nothing to fear.
"From today onward, the Alchemy School is no more. Any Alchemy School students who wish to join the 5th School must pass the entrance exam. If they don't qualify, they can leave—Crossbridge Academy has no room for useless people.
I don't care what status or position you held in the Alchemy School. If you join the 5th School, you'll be just another student! If anyone tries to flaunt their meaningless seniority, they can get out too!
Finally, from this day forward, the 5th School is officially established."
...
With the matter settled, discussions about the incident continued to circulate within the academy.
Some felt that Owen was too overbearing.
Even though the Alchemy School students had expressed their willingness to join, Owen set extremely harsh conditions, rejecting over seventy percent of them and expelling them from Crossbridge Academy altogether.
However, the majority remained optimistic about the situation.
After all, Duncan's reputation at Crossbridge Academy had been utterly rotten for years.
His actions—any one of which would have been enough to warrant his execution—were well-known but never publicly exposed due to his seniority and status.
But Duncan, the fool that he was, had provoked Owen, and the result was his death.
Of course, regardless of the internal rumors circulating within the academy, one thing was almost universally agreed upon: the power dynamics at Crossbridge Academy had changed drastically.
Previously, Catalina, as the dean, held most of the power, but Duncan, with the backing of the academy's old guard, could at least challenge her authority during meetings.
Now, with Duncan's death and Owen's sudden rise, the entire situation had shifted.
From this day forward, Crossbridge Academy would be run solely according to Catalina's word!
Or, to be more radical, the academy had essentially become Owen's domain!
But, upon reflection, this might not be a bad thing.
Rather than allowing Duncan to continue wasting resources, a complete overhaul might be exactly what the academy needed. At least so far, Owen hadn't committed the heinous acts Duncan was guilty of.
As a result, a new trend began to emerge within the academy: if you supported Owen, you were a friend. If not, you were labeled a lackey of Duncan.
It might sound extreme, but sometimes, extremity is what's needed.
As the central figure in this situation, Owen found the whole ordeal rather frustrating.
Initially, he hadn't intended to push things to this point.
After all, Owen was just one day away from receiving his slack-off reward.
The system had accidentally leaked that the reward would be a thousand-year-old herb, a treasure Owen found irresistible.
That was why he initially didn't show up, leaving everything to Fiona to handle.
Besides, according to the rules, anyone in the academy could challenge a dean, and if victorious, they could take the dean's place.
But a dean challenging another dean was unprecedented.
If Owen didn't accept the challenge, it would be seen as a forfeit, and the 5th School would be handed over to Duncan, which was absolutely unacceptable to Owen.
Owen knew his own temperament well—if he had been there from the start, he would have likely clashed with Duncan early on, and once it escalated to violence, the slack-off reward he had been eagerly anticipating would have been lost.
But Duncan pushed too far, leaving Owen no choice. If he didn't kill Duncan, how could he face Milky, Elaine, or even his own conscience?
As for the slack-off reward...
In fact, Owen still received it.
The price, however, was that Owen had to spend a month's worth of accumulated fate points to redeem a slack-off card from the fate store, compensating for the time lost due to his intervention.
To be honest, it was a significant loss.
Those points could have been used to purchase a Hibernation Pod.
Once inside the pod, system time would double, meaning Owen could earn two rewards for spending one day in the pod.
The time spent in the Hibernation Pod would even accumulate.
But now, he had to wait another month.
Despite this, Owen had no regrets.
He knew exactly what kind of person Duncan was.
With the looming threat from the Ascended Dimension, Owen didn't have time to waste bickering with Duncan.
He needed to strengthen Crossbridge Academy as quickly as possible to ensure their survival in the near future.
From the beginning, Duncan had been an obstacle in Owen's path. The only question was when he would be removed.
A few days after Duncan's death, Owen met with Catalina and explained why he had to kill Duncan rather than letting his mentor handle his crimes.
After all, Duncan's actions within the academy were truly despicable, deserving of death by anyone's judgment.
After hearing Owen's explanation and seeing the key evidence he presented, Catalina was much more at ease.
Although she had maintained a decent relationship with Duncan, she had never imagined that as vice headmaster, he would be involved in such unsavory activities behind the scenes.
Owen's decisive action had, in fact, rid Crossbridge Academy of a significant threat.
After that conversation, Catalina even praised Owen—not just for his work in building the 5th School, but also for his keen observation skills.
After all, these were things even she hadn't noticed. It was all thanks to Owen.
But whether she praised him or not didn't really matter to Owen. He just didn't want his relationship with his mentor to be strained because of a scoundrel like Duncan, nothing more.
With that in mind, Owen let out a long breath. Just as he was about to speak with his mentor about the academy's future plans, the system's voice echoed in his ear.
[Because the host has killed someone who was a significant aid to the growth of the Chosen One, you have indirectly weakened the Chosen One's fate point total. The Chosen One, John, currently has 67 fate points remaining. A random reward will now be issued to the host...]
[Congratulations, host! You have received a special reward: Advanced Hibernation Pod x3. The reward has been delivered to your space ring. Please check and confirm.]