CHAPTER 257: CHAPTER257-A TEST OF SKILL

"Do you need my help?"

Melita’s grave voice reached Owen’s ears, sensing the strength of the four assailants to be formidable.

"No need."

Owen shook his head, not out of bravado, but with the intention to gauge his current level of combat prowess.

One of the four coldly sneered and thrust his sword at Owen, a terrifying force swirling towards him.

"Thinking you can take on four by yourself? Dream on!"

Owen’s gaze hardened; he did not underestimate his opponents.

He could clearly feel their strength.

A battle fervor ignited within his eyes.

"Boom!"

After an exchange, Owen and his opponent were both sent flying backward.

The onlookers’ eyes widened in shock.

"Owen is indeed powerful!" Melita’s mouth fell open slightly.

Her own combat abilities were not insignificant, yet she immediately recognized Owen’s strength as being even greater than hers!

Owen steadied himself, evading the attacks from the other three.

Inside, he was somewhat astonished; the gap in strength exceeded his expectations.

He had only managed to fight to a draw!

"Die!"

The warrior who had clashed with Owen felt an endless shame and attacked Owen wildly, not holding back any longer.

To be evenly matched with a seemingly frail youth, who appeared as if he could hardly afford a meal, was unacceptable to him!

At that moment, Owen breathed a sigh of relief.

His opponent’s mindset was in disarray, surely leading to a multitude of mistakes in his technique.

This effectively meant one less adversary for Owen.

Owen sidestepped the attacker’s onslaught, opting not to entangle himself in combat.

Given his opponent’s frenzied state, likely exerting full force, there was no need for Owen to resist head-on, especially in a four-against-one scenario.

As for the man in blue, Owen disregarded him entirely; he could end him with a single stroke if he wished, but without knowing the man’s background, such recklessness was unwise, especially in these complex times.

"Stand and fight if you dare!"

The warrior, driven to fury by Owen, vented his power only to strike the air, questioning the purpose of his efforts.

Owen ignored the challenge, aiming to disturb his opponent’s mental state.

As for being hit, with his speed, they were far from catching up to him.

"Raymondo, don’t fall for it; he’s deliberately unsettling you," the three companions halted him, fearing Owen might seize the moment to strike Raymondo down once his energy was drained.

"I know," Raymondo responded to the caution, slightly calming, yet his eyes still blazed with a desire to kill.

Bending to the will of the man in blue, his frustration had been mounting.

Now faced with Owen, whom he couldn’t handle, his rage was immense.

"No wonder you lick your master’s boots like a dog, such a temperament you’ve cultivated," Owen’s calm voice suddenly cut through, shifting the gaze of the three men and the onlookers alike.

"Raymondo!"

The three men immediately moved forward to restrain Raymondo, but they were a step too late.

"You’re seeking death!"

Raymondo articulated each word, his silver teeth nearly shattering, as he charged towards Owen in a frenzy.

He was aware that Owen was deliberately provoking him, yet Owen’s words struck a nerve, overwhelming his reason with a surge of murderous intent.

The only thought in his mind was to kill Owen, to dismember him, and make him regret ever being born into this world.

A triumphant look flashed in Owen’s eyes as he dodged the attack.

He could sense his opponent’s dwindling strength, estimating only two or three more attacks before complete exhaustion.

"Not good, hurry and help Raymondo!" The three men panicked.

Although Owen’s words also infuriated them, turning their faces red, they retained their reason and charged at Owen.

Their aim wasn’t necessarily to kill Owen, but to rescue Raymondo!

Owen’s eyes twinkled mischievously, thinking it audacious of them to attempt a rescue in his presence.

With a swift movement, he appeared behind Raymondo, delivering a karate chop to the back of his neck.

"Ah!"

Raymondo screamed before blacking out.

"If you come any closer, I might truly start killing," Owen warned, holding Raymondo and gazing indifferently at the three men who were rushing towards him.

Although he hesitated to be lethal due to reservations, Owen wasn’t afraid to take action if pushed further.

"Please, have mercy!" The three men immediately halted.

Owen smirked slightly, paying no further attention to them.

His goal was merely to deter them from approaching.

He turned to the man in blue, who was not far off, and with a smile, slowly said, "I wonder if you still wish to trouble me?"

The man in blue’s expression darkened.

Seeing Raymondo thrown into disarray, he knew the situation had been decided.

He couldn’t fathom why his opponent was so formidable.

"I was wrong in this matter. I apologize to you and your companions here," the man in blue bowed in a gentlemanly manner.

This time, he had been unlucky, striking against someone far stronger than anticipated.

He would have to wait for another opportunity to reclaim his dignity.

Owen was slightly taken aback, not expecting the arrogantly bold man in blue to concede so easily.

Honestly, he had hoped to provoke him further and then deliver a sound thrashing to avenge Bella.

However, Owen wasn’t ready to let the matter drop just yet.

He pulled Bella forward, addressing the man in blue, "Your apology should be directed at her. If she doesn’t forgive you, then there’s nothing I can do."

Owen was determined to resolve this matter satisfactorily for Bella.

The man in blue, initially seething with barely contained anger, managed to suppress his fury.

Taking a deep breath, he offered another gentlemanly bow to Bella, "Miss, I was wrong. Please forgive my earlier rudeness."

Seeing Owen standing up for her, Bella felt a warm current flow through her heart.

Since being betrayed by the national preceptor Blois, she hadn’t felt this sense of justice and support.

The insults from the man in blue seemed insignificant now, especially since they were aimed at her disguised appearance.

"I forgive you," Bella said with a smile, stealing a glance at Owen.

Owen noticed her look but didn’t react significantly, simply returning the smile with one of his own.

"Since she has also forgiven you, we can leave it at that," Owen’s words offered the man in blue and his companions a momentary relief, but then he added, "However, as compensation, leave your rings behind."

The man in blue’s face fell, his smile forced as he looked at Owen.

"Brother, we won’t be on good terms after this," he warned.

Owen’s gaze turned cold, "Enough talk, hand over the items.

Who wants to see you again?" The three men huddled close to the man in blue, whispering among themselves.

With a heavy heart but without a word, the man in blue took off his valuable belongings and threw them towards Owen, then turned and left with a face ashen with rage.

He swore to repay the humiliation he suffered today a hundredfold.

The remaining three, though inwardly bleeding, hurriedly threw their valuables towards Owen and left with their heads down, following the man in blue.

They understood the significant defeat their leader had suffered today would only fuel his vendetta against Owen.

Watching them retreat, Owen was aware he was essentially letting the tiger return to the mountain, but he dared not kill them.

Their return would merely mean gathering more forces; killing them might provoke military retaliation.

These men were no simple foes.

"Let’s go find the Ice Soul Beast," Owen said, turning away from the onlookers with a light chuckle, making his way towards the glacier.

The number of people who had come to this glacier was astonishingly high.

...

After a thorough search, the group stumbled upon a cave that seemed out of the ordinary.

Owen and his companions quickly made their way towards it.

Suddenly, Owen halted, casting a puzzled look back at the path they had just crossed.

"What’s wrong?" Melita approached to ask.

"Melita, please look after them for a moment," Owen instructed, his power retracting as he dashed back to the spot they had passed.

This time, Owen had not brought Marchello and the others, only the three young women, with Melita being the only one among them capable of fighting.

This decision was made because these three had considerable experience in beast hunting, while the others had been assigned different tasks by Owen.

Melita, with wide eyes, watched as Owen moved away, her gaze eventually returning to the group.

In a matter of breaths, Owen arrived at an ice lake, the source of his uneasy feeling.

He looked out over the lake, attempting to discern what was amiss.

Upon closer inspection, Owen noticed a subtle force circulating in a specific pattern around the area.

Utilizing a fraction of his original power, he sealed off the surface of the lake.

A juvenile, milky voice roared from a large pit, and before Owen could even look, a small cat-like creature pounced towards him.

Owen’s eyes widened in surprise; it was clear the creature knew it was trapped and could not escape, so it decided to fight desperately.