"In one moment, the battle was over. Jin is now 14 years old, others in his age had reached level six or seven of "world of development", Jin's chance of defeating Dou Bai in direct combat certainly doesn't exist, but in a competition subjected to rules, all he had to do was to get him to the edge of the platform before knocking him out.
Jin left his opponent trying to understand what had happened and jumped off the platform to leave, but the girl who was supposed to be Dou Bai's opponent asked him, "Where are you going? You won your first battle."
"The first one?!, who said I wanted a second fight? I came to defeat him and I did. My work here is done."
"Wait a moment, the nobles want to talk to you," this time the village chief stopped him, so he turned around.
The young noble looked at Jin with half an eye and asked, "They told us you found Mr. Monroe dead, so what were you doing with him?"
The village chief answered him, " He is one of those who borrowed money from Mr. Monroe's. He was there to pay what he owed."
"In that case, you can pay me. How much was it?"
"Oh... Mr. Monroe, it's you, and I thought you were dead. You look good and younger. You even have hair now?"
Jin's sarcastic reply embarrassed the young noble, and the veins began to show on his forehead from anger, so the elder tried to calm him down.
"There is no point in mentioning Monroe. His servant is our target, but tell me, young man, From where did you learn the Autumn Leaf Defense skill, and why do you refuse to participate in the competition?"
Jin shook his head and replied, "I am not obliged to tell you where I learned that, and I have no intention of joining a second-rate institute."
This time the noble youth exploded in Jin's face and raised his fist threatening Jin,
"How dare you, you don't know your place and dare to answer impudently in our faces?"
"Impudence? Everyone knows that second-rate institute students will be nothing more than servants with some combat skills, and you held a competition for them and now you talk to me about impudence."
The village chief, who was sweating profusely, jumped between the two of them hoping that his age would make the young noble back down from attacking Jin, and then shouted at Jin,
"Little kid, have the days of your capture forgotten you how to address those who are higher than you? Come on, apologize and ask for forgiveness."
Although everyone could hear the village chief's shout, Jin could clearly see his trembling, fearful eyes.
'It seems that young Monroe's is made of the same shit as old Monroe, if I were still at my full strength...'
Jin turned to the elderly noble, trying to avoid the young man who was even fighting with his shadow, and calm the situation a little. He was too lazy to get involved in a fight that would not benefit him in any way.
"Why are you all angry with me? All I wanted to say was that I won't waste my time on the servant competition and that I prefer to try my luck in the Starry Sky Institute student test a month from now."
"Ha ha ha ha" the young noble burst out laughing, "this boy thinks he can enter a first-rate institute. That's really funny."
"If you find it funny, would you like to bet on it?"
"Why not? But what could a beggar like you possibly offer me?"
"What do you think about Autumn leaf Skill in exchange for the red cube on your belt?"
The red cube, which was slanted towards black, was not an ordinary spatial cube. It was an infinite-sized cube that required its owner to be at least a primary mage to use it. Although the young man had no talent in magic, he had no intention of giving up his precious cube for a skill made for girls, but his confidence in winning changed his mind.
'I can charm some beauties with Autumn leaf Skill'
"I am Mr. Shin Liou, and I bet on my cube against this boy's womanly technique. We will meet in a month at the institute."
The old man sighed and did not like the idea of the bet. Although Autumn leaf Skill was originally a skill made for females, it remained a high-ranking skill due to its difficulty in training. Staying calm in the face of your opponent's attack, who is capable of killing you with a single blow, requires courage and bravery. He saw in Jin the courage to be a good follower for him.
"Mr. Liou, you do not need a girls' skill, and you, young man, despite your impudence, have some good qualities. Stop dreaming and I will take you under my wing as a follower. With a single look, I can tell that you have never tasted "growth elixirs" . You must understand that people are not born with the same status or luck"
Being a follower of a noble person was undoubtedly better than joining a second-rate institute, especially since the success rate at the Dragon Earth Institute did not exceed twenty percent. Among the wealthy young men who had enhanced their bodies with expensive elixirs and strengthened their skills with rare abilities, the chances of success for the common people were almost nonexistent.
Jin raised his head as he contemplated the offer of the nobleman. "It's true that people are not born with the same status. If you mean that I should give up the bet and abandon my dreams like the young men of this village, and be content with wearing your golden collar to become your slave, then you are mistaken."
Jin spoke with firm determination, his voice echoing all around. "I will climb to the top of this world or die trying. That is my answer."
With that, Jin left with his sister. The crowd began to whisper behind his back, some describing him as mad, others saying he did not know the height of the heavens or the depths of the earth, and other words that weakened determination. But all voices fell silent when the blonde young man raised his hand and said, "I will no longer wear any collar. I withdraw."
........................................................
At dinner, Jin continued to stare at the unexpected guest, who was completely at ease and spoke freely.
"Mrs. Ereen's cooking is more than wonderful, in addition to her beauty. No wonder my uncle wants to marry her" he said with a chuckle, while Jin coughed heavily, choking with his food.
Dou Bai continued talking. "I have been influenced by what you said today, and I have decided to become your companion, of course, if your mother agrees to marry my uncle, then we will become relatives."
"Stop talking about marriage"
"What marriage are you talking about?" At that moment, Ereen entered to ask if they needed anything, but she heard their conversation and was surprised.
"Your marriage. Dou Bai wants to marry you to his uncle, but I have already chosen a suitable husband for you."
Do Bay smiled, feeling embarrassed. Although his uncle's story was true, he mentioned it as a joke.
'He took it seriously. Who expects children to accept their mothers' marriage?'
"Hey, what are you? Are you really going to let your mother get married?"
"Have you both gone crazy? How can two children discuss adult matters, and who said that I want to marry after your father?"
"Mother, does that man deserve this sacrifice?"
His question implied that he knew things he wasn't supposed to know, which confused her.
"Listen, you're still young and have your whole life ahead of you. I have chosen the right man for you who will take care of you and your daughter."
"But..."
"There are no buts. I have already given him my blessing. Don't forget that I will leave soon, so I hope you won't be stubborn."
Throughout this conversation, Dou Bai did not stop looking back and forth between the mother and her son. An ordinary person would feel embarrassed and leave the place, or at least remain silent, but Dou Bai's reaction was the opposite as he began to shout loudly.
"What madness is this? Have the roles been reversed? You are the son and she is the mother, not the other way around. And what do you mean by giving me your blessing and ensuring her safety before you leave? Anyone listening to you would think you were an old man marrying off his daughter before he dies."
"Hey, you! These are family matters, why are you getting involved?"
Dou Bai's shouting made the mother snap out of her shock.
"What he says is true. I am the mother and the adult here. How can you treat me this way and plan something like this behind my back?"
"And what does being an adult mean? Don't adults make mistakes? Meet the groom first and we'll continue our conversation later. And you, you still haven't told me exactly what you want from me?"
Seeing her son change the subject, the mother muttered, "Mad. The years of capture have affected his mind. No child in the world would like that his mother gets married ...mad. I'll consult a doctor about him. He must have a delusion in his head."