"Strength isn't just about raw power. It's about control, patience… and knowing when to stop."
Hunter Academy – Midnight Training Grounds
Joshua stood in the academy's private training grounds, bathed in the cold silver light of the moon.
His breaths were slow, controlled, but his body ached from exhaustion.
In his hands, the Twin Daggers of Equinox pulsed with energy, reacting to the conflicting forces within him.
Aura surged from his core. Mana flowed from his circuits. He willed them to fuse.
[Activating Skill: Dual Resonance…]
A crackling energy wrapped around his blades—half infused with Aura, half infused with Mana.
For a brief second, it felt stable.
Then—
BOOM!
The energy backfired violently, sending Joshua skidding across the dirt.
His vision blurred as pain seared through his arms, like his own energy was rejecting him.
[Warning: Dual Resonance is unstable. Further attempts may cause internal damage.]
Joshua let out a sharp breath.
"Damn it."
This was his third failure tonight.
Each time he tried, his body resisted, as if Aura and Mana were never meant to coexist.
"So I can't brute-force it."
He lay on his back, staring at the sky, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
His mind drifted to the past—to his old self, the once mighty 7-star hunter.
Back then, he never had this ability. It was something new, uncharted.
"If I master this, I won't just regain my past strength—I'll surpass it."
But right now, he was nowhere near mastery.
The Next Morning – Hunter Academy's Combat Class
Joshua arrived at class the next day feeling worn out but composed.
He had barely slept, but he hid his exhaustion well.
The classroom was a large, open hall, where students practiced combat techniques under the instructors' watchful eyes.
Instructor Zhao stood at the front, his arms crossed, eyes sharp as ever.
"Alright, listen up," he said. "For the next week, we're focusing on combat fundamentals. That means sparring, technique refinement, and energy control."
Joshua tensed slightly.
"Energy control, huh? Just my luck."
He needed to temporarily stop training Dual Resonance and focus on refining his individual Aura & Mage techniques first.
For now, he needed to lay the groundwork.
The Training Match – Sung En Takes Notice
Pairs were assigned, and Joshua found himself against a third-year student—a strong 4-star Aura user.
The duel began with a blur of movement.
Joshua easily dodged his opponent's first attack, using a low-energy movement technique.
But the moment he went on the offensive, he held back.
His Aura was unstable from last night's training. If he pushed too hard, he might injure himself.
So instead of overwhelming his opponent, he won using strategy and precision, avoiding any reckless energy expenditure.
Sung En & Jiang Yue's Observation
From the sidelines, Sung En stood with her arms crossed, watching the match.
Beside her, Jiang Yue smirked.
"He's holding back," Jiang Yue noted.
Sung En frowned slightly. "What?"
Jiang Yue tilted her head. "Joshua. He's not using his full strength."
Sung En's eyes narrowed.
Now that she thought about it—Joshua's movements were efficient, but lacked his usual overwhelming pressure.
Why?
Was he injured?
No, Joshua never showed weakness.
But then—why did he seem different today?
Jiang Yue glanced at Sung En, watching her subtle concern appear on her face.
She smiled knowingly.
After Training – The Weight of Exhaustion
When class ended, Joshua stepped outside, rolling his shoulders.
His entire body felt heavy.
"Tch. The backlash from last night is worse than I thought."
As he walked toward the dorms, a voice called out.
"Joshua."
He turned to see Sung En approaching.
Her expression was neutral—but her eyes held something unreadable.
"You weren't fighting like yourself today," she said.
Joshua raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
Sung En crossed her arms. "Are you injured?"
Joshua chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm fine, Princess."
Sung En narrowed her eyes.
"Don't call me that," she muttered.
Joshua smirked.
"Not denying the concern, though."
Sung En clicked her tongue, looking away. "It's not concern. It's observation."
Joshua grinned. "Sure, sure."
She turned away quickly, leaving before he could tease her more.
But even as she walked off, her mind was stuck on one thought.
"Why does it bother me when he looks exhausted?"
She shook her head and kept walking.
System Notification – A New Quest Unlocks
That night, as Joshua once again stood in the empty training grounds, the system suddenly chimed.
[New System Quest: The Path to Mastery]
Objective: Find a method to stabilize Dual Resonance without self-destruction.
Warning: Failure to adapt will cause long-term damage to the user's energy flow.
Joshua exhaled.
"So I really can't force it, huh?"
For now, he'd focus on mastering Aura & Mage skills separately.
But Dual Resonance?
He wasn't giving up.
No matter what it took—he would make it his own.