"Power alone isn't enough. To win, you must control the battlefield—both in combat and in the mind."
Tianhai City – The Fallout of a Proposal
The walk back from the Lee Estate was filled with tension.
Sung En was silent, her expression unreadable.
Joshua?
He was smirking the entire time.
"Stop that," Sung En muttered.
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Stop what?"
She shot him a look. "That smug look on your face."
Joshua chuckled. "I just secured you an escape from Zhao Feng. You should be thanking me."
Sung En clicked her tongue. "I didn't ask you to do that."
Joshua shrugged. "Didn't see you objecting either."
Sung En huffed and looked away.
But she didn't deny it.
Joshua saw through her. She might have been annoyed at his methods, but deep down—
She was relieved.
Her future had been decided for her since birth. But today, for the first time, she had a choice.
Joshua had given her that.
And whether she liked it or not—
She owed him one.
The Storm Arrives – Zhao Feng's Rage
Later that evening, back at his hotel suite, Joshua was enjoying a quiet moment when his system suddenly pinged.
[New Objective Detected: Rival Confrontation]
Challenge Incoming…
Joshua looked up—just in time for his door to be kicked open.
BOOM!
The wooden frame splintered, and standing there—a face twisted in rage—was Zhao Feng.
A group of Zhao Family bodyguards stood behind him, but Zhao Feng didn't seem to care about subtlety.
Joshua sighed, setting down his drink.
"Well, if it isn't the sore loser himself."
Zhao Feng's Aura flared, the room trembling under his fire-based energy.
"You… you bastard!" he growled. "You think you can steal my engagement just like that?!"
Joshua smirked, completely unfazed. "Steal? No, no. That would imply she ever wanted to be engaged to you in the first place."
Zhao Feng gritted his teeth. "I swear, I'll—"
Joshua stood up slowly, cutting him off.
"What?" he said, his Aura subtly rising.
The temperature in the room dropped instantly, clashing with Zhao Feng's fiery presence.
Zhao Feng hesitated.
He had expected Joshua to be intimidated, to back down.
Instead, Joshua was amused.
And that pissed him off even more.
The Challenge – The National Hunter School Competition
"Alright," Joshua said, crossing his arms. "You're angry. I get it. You're a spoiled brat who doesn't like losing."
Zhao Feng fumed. "You—"
"But," Joshua continued, cutting him off again. "Let's be real here. You can whine all you want, but none of this matters unless you prove you're better."
Zhao Feng's eyes narrowed.
Joshua smirked.
"So let's settle this the right way."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice sharp.
"The China National Hunter School Competition."
Zhao Feng stilled.
Joshua's smirk widened.
"Whoever ranks higher in the competition," Joshua said, his voice cold and clear, "will be the only one considered worthy of Sung En."
Zhao Feng's Aura flared again.
But this time, it wasn't just anger.
It was determination.
"…Fine," he hissed. "I accept."
Just then, a new voice entered the room.
"That sounds fair."
Zhao Feng and Joshua turned—
And there stood Lee Sung Min, Sung En's father.
Joshua hadn't even noticed him arrive.
But the slight smirk on his face told Joshua that he had been watching everything.
Sung Min's calm gaze landed on Zhao Feng.
"If you're truly the better choice for my daughter," he said smoothly, "then prove it in the competition."
Zhao Feng clenched his fists.
"…I will."
With that, he turned sharply and stormed out.
His bodyguards hesitated before following.
As soon as he left, the system pinged again.
[System Objective Updated!]
The National Hunter School Competition: Victory Condition Added.
Win against Zhao Feng and place higher in the competition.
Bonus Reward: ???
Joshua grinned.
"That just made things a lot more fun."
Aftermath – A Shift in the Game
Once they were alone, Sung Min looked at Joshua carefully.
"You handled that well," he said.
Joshua shrugged. "I like solving problems efficiently."
Sung Min's eyes gleamed with intrigue.
"A 5-star Aura user and a mage hybrid at seventeen…" he mused. "I'm starting to see why my daughter didn't argue against your proposal."
Joshua glanced at Sung En, who had just arrived in the doorway.
She scowled. "I did argue."
Sung Min chuckled. "Not as much as you could have."
Sung En clicked her tongue.
Joshua grinned. "See? Even your father knows I'm growing on you."
Sung En glared. "Don't push it."
Joshua just laughed.
Sung Min, however, took a sip of his tea before speaking again.
"For now, let's consider this engagement… a business arrangement."
Joshua raised an eyebrow. "You're actually going through with it?"
Sung Min nodded.
"Until the competition proves otherwise, the engagement is real," he said smoothly. "Of course, should Zhao Feng outperform you, things may change."
Joshua smirked. "Then I guess he's going to be very disappointed."
Sung Min smiled faintly. "We'll see."
With that, he turned to his daughter. "Sung En, you'll be preparing for the competition as well. Train hard."
Sung En exhaled sharply. "I know."
Joshua grinned.
"Things just got interesting."
System Notification – A New Reward Unlocks
As Joshua walked out of the estate, his system chimed once more.
[Hidden Quest Complete: The Flameborn Legacy]
Sung En's fate has shifted significantly.
Reward Unlocked: ???
Suddenly, his body tensed.
A surge of knowledge flooded his mind—a technique he had never possessed before.
New Ability Acquired: Dual Resonance (Exclusive to Hybrids)
Effect: Allows the user to fuse Aura and Mana in combat, creating unique hybrid techniques.
Bonus: Increases energy efficiency by 30%.
Joshua stopped walking.
His hands clenched, feeling the newfound energy coursing through him.
A technique exclusive to hybrids?
Something that didn't exist in his past life?
Joshua grinned.
"This regression really is full of surprises."
And with the National Competition on the horizon…
He was going to make sure everyone knew exactly what kind of monster he had become.