Damn, I Have to Marry the Strongest Antagonist at the Start?

After the light flared up, strange runes, like sticky black tendrils, crawled out from the throne, inching closer and climbing up Owen's arm, binding him tightly.

Even the strange runes within the black tendrils began to seep into Owen's arm.

His skin quickly turned pitch black!

Owen's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he immediately swung the Flame Sword he was holding towards the tendrils.

The sword strike was incredibly fast, leaving a pale white streak across the black tendrils.

However, the tendrils were not destroyed.

Instead, they seemed to be stimulated in some way, and the strange runes that had infiltrated Owen's arm turned into sharp blades, causing deep gashes on his arm!

It felt like his entire arm was about to burst!

Rachel's heart was filled with fear, and she was about to rush forward to help Owen dispel the tendrils.

But Owen stopped her.

This throne was related to ancient times, highly mysterious, and even he had suffered greatly. If Rachel rushed in carelessly, she might not only fail to resist the backlash but also perish.

"Break it!"

Owen roared, his fingers gripping the Flame Sword tightly. His arm muscles bulged like dragon veins, and the sword blazed with fire, releasing a scorching wave as he slashed forcefully at the black tendrils.

Clang!

The sound of colliding metal echoed relentlessly.

Owen's right hand, which swung the sword, was in excruciating pain, and his bones almost shattered under the recoil, swelling up.

However, the black tendrils also began to crack with dense black fractures under this strike.

Along with that peculiar metallic sound, the black tendrils completely dissipated, as if they had never appeared.

After the black tendrils vanished, Owen, who had just recovered from a serious illness, was drenched in sweat, panting heavily, and feeling weak to the point of almost collapsing.

The strange runes that had penetrated deep into his arm had almost obliterated it, wiping out his vitality, soul, and even his internal [Order]!

The terrifying near-death experience was something Owen had never felt before!

If it weren't for the special nature of the Flame Sword, Owen probably would have already been destroyed by the power leaking from the throne!

"I was a bit too impulsive just now!"

Owen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his heart still racing, and then glanced at the Flame Sword in his hand.

The black sword marks that had previously appeared on the blade had now transformed into the outline of a special eye. If it weren't for the sudden burst of its special energy, he wouldn't have been able to sever the tendrils with that single strike!

Now, as the tendrils shattered, Owen suddenly felt enlightened.

The power contained within those tendrils was connected to fate and causality.

He didn't belong to this ancient history, but the throne was intricately linked to the past. Establishing a connection with the throne affected his future destiny!

However, it was the Flame Sword that disrupted the link, severing his connection to fate!

This was only a preliminary link, and yet it nearly destroyed him. Owen couldn't even imagine how terrifying it would have been if the link deepened.

Fortunately, at the last moment, the special Flame Sword had helped him.

Just as Owen let out a sigh of relief, he suddenly saw that the now calm throne began to shake violently.

Immediately, a special rune detached from the throne and shot towards Owen like a meteor.

Owen's heart trembled as he saw the flying rune. It felt like the destruction of the universe, and his perception of time slowed down in that instant.

Within the collapsing cosmic starry river, he saw many legendary ancient spellbeasts.

These spellbeasts all roared in unison, their sounds shaking the heavens and earth!

Some were colossal chimeras, with lion heads that roared to the sky, spewing terrifying hellish flames that turned mountains and rivers into a sea of red magma!

Some were pitch-black undead birds, welcoming a stronger rebirth after death!

Others were towering serpents with nine heads, rampaging across the world, bringing endless disaster and terror.

Moments later, the special rune that had fallen from the throne fused into Owen's arm, forming an unfathomably complex and indescribable symbol.

Just a glance at it caused Owen's heart to shake, filled with endless distractions!

These distractions made his head feel like it was about to explode, a painful, swollen sensation overwhelming him.

Even his soul was greatly affected, as if being tugged by an invisible hand, on the verge of being torn apart!

The intense pain caused Owen to cry out, nearly suffocating him.

At that moment, the Flame Sword erupted in flames, sending out a strange heat wave that seemed to ignite Owen's body!

Under the light of these flames, the pain in Owen's body gradually subsided. The symbols, which had previously been incomprehensible to him, now turned into blazing flame patterns.

The flame patterns appeared still, but if one looked closely, they seemed to come alive, flickering incessantly.

Owen's eyes flashed with surprise.

At the same time, system notifications sounded in his ears:

"Congratulations, master, you have obtained the Fiery Sky Rune, capable of burning The Celestial Coffin and unlocking special seals."

"Congratulations, master, you have gained the Flame Sword's recognition!"

"Congratulations, master, you have obtained the Blood of the Old, which allows you to simulate the ancient and enter a special state."

As the system's notifications continued, Owen's expression grew serious.

Whether it was the Fiery Sky Rune, the Flame Sword's sudden recognition, or the special Blood of the Old, all of these were unfamiliar to him.

Yet now, unexpectedly, they were all linked to him, and he sensed something was off!

At this moment, both the skull-like heads and the enormous throne suddenly disappeared.

Owen's expression darkened, and he touched the flame pattern on his arm.

It seemed that fate had caught up with him!

But the Flame Sword had severed the link to fate—so why was it still affecting him?

Especially the Blood of the Old, what did the special state mean?

Owen couldn't understand.

Then, he glanced at the system interface.

On the screen, there were scarlet runes:

"Special Combat Mode!"

"Activation method: Activate the Flame Rune!"

"Combat power: Unknown!"

Owen's pupils contracted.

He had always thought the system was omnipotent, but now even the system couldn't explore this special combat mode's true power.

This only made Owen more curious about how terrifying this special combat mode could be.

Just as Owen was about to investigate further, he suddenly sensed three familiar presences.

He immediately looked over.

The three figures also noticed Owen and were equally surprised, asking:

"Owen?! Am I hallucinating?"

"We're hiding here, and we can still see him?"

"It doesn't seem like a hallucination, it's really him! But how did he find us?"

Hearing their voices, Owen was speechless for a moment. After a pause, he finally spoke:

"What are you doing here?"

Rachel walked over, gazing curiously at the three figures.

All three were breathtakingly beautiful women, their every gesture full of charm and allure.

The woman on the left was tall, wearing a pale gold dress that exuded nobility, her expression cold and distant, like a princess born of noble blood.

The woman in the middle wore a solemn, elegant long dress, giving off a mature aura, like a perfectly ripened peach.

The woman on the right was delicate and youthful, similar in appearance to the one in the middle but with a more lively and playful demeanor.

The three women now scrutinized Owen with a complex expression.

Seeing this, Rachel realized these women were likely Owen's beloved companions!

As this thought crossed her mind, the three women couldn't help but speak:

"We've been hiding here, and yet he still found us..."