Adrián walked through the inner corridors of the Coliseum, searching for a secondary exit.
A forgotten door.
A maintenance tunnel.
Anything that would keep him away from curious disciples and the sect's record keepers.
He wasn't lucky.
As he turned a dimly lit corner, he froze.
Lin Yue and Su Meilan were standing face to face.
Neither of them shouted.
Neither of them moved.
Yet the air between them was so dense it almost seemed to vibrate, as though two incompatible wills refused to yield even a single inch.
"Saint Lin," Su Meilan said at last, giving a flawless bow that was perfectly courteous... and razor-sharp. "I didn't expect to find you taking such a personal interest in matches from the preliminary rounds."
Lin Yue didn't even blink.
"A Saint must recognize talent before Heaven claims it," she replied coldly. "I'm far more surprised to see you here, Director Su. I was under the impression your devotion was exclusively... financial."
The temperature seemed to drop another degree.
Before Su Meilan could answer, a heavy hand landed on Adrián's shoulder.
"Ha!" a rough voice laughed. "Don't start without me."
Su Meilan's father stepped out of the shadows as though he had been there the entire time. His grip tightened just enough to remind Adrián of old injuries...
...and future ones.
"My daughter and I came here for the same reason," the old man continued with a smile that was impossible to read. "To see how her boyfriend is doing. After all, the kid has improved quite a bit thanks to my careful training."
Silence.
Not awkward.
Funeral.
Lin Yue slowly turned her head toward Adrián.
The calm in her jade-like eyes had vanished.
Now they looked like polished blades.
"Boyfriend?" she repeated.
She didn't raise her voice.
The corridor lanterns flickered anyway.
Su Meilan stiffened...
Then she stepped forward.
She didn't deny it.
She didn't back away.
"Father, you're exaggerating," she said, moving just a little closer to Adrián, her cheeks slightly red. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"
The message couldn't have been clearer.
Cold sweat trickled down Adrián's back.
The old man leaned toward him with the smile of someone negotiating prices...
...or destinies.
"Listen carefully, kid," he whispered, making no effort to lower his voice. "I've placed a big bet on you. If you don't win tomorrow's semifinal convincingly..."
He paused, savoring every second.
"...we're resuming your training."
Another pause.
"Several hours a day."
"No breaks."
"And we'll increase... the intensity."
Adrián swallowed.
Winning meant deviating from the System's script.
Losing meant being dismantled piece by piece.
Then, as though the world itself refused to let him make an imperfect choice—
[DING]
A crimson notification appeared before his eyes.
Rigid.
Emotionless.
[Emergency Mission: Villain Momentum]
Required Action: Exploit the current tension.
Objective: Provoke the Hero using what he desires most.
Assigned Action: Kiss Saint Lin Yue in front of Ye Chen.
Time Limit: 60 seconds.
Failure Penalty: Grade-9 Spiritual Cramp affecting the sciatic nerve for 48 hours.
There was no panic.
Only understanding.
This wasn't a provocation.
It was narrative correction.
If he kissed Lin Yue, he'd be committing blasphemy.
If he didn't...
The System would reduce him to a barely functional body through punishment.
[Countdown: 45 seconds...]
Then he saw him.
Ye Chen.
The sect's hero stood only a few steps away in immaculate white robes, watching everything with eyes burning with jealousy and calculation.
When he noticed how close Su Meilan was standing to Adrián, his lips parted almost unconsciously.
A tiny gesture.
Yet enough to claim territory.
In Ye Chen's world...
She already belonged to him.
But his anger wasn't directed at only one person.
While his eyes lingered on Su Meilan, another part of his attention remained fixed on Lin Yue.
He noticed her watching Adrián.
Studying every flaw.
Every twitch.
Every glance.
The hero wasn't seeing reality anymore.
He was imagining betrayal.
Every breath Adrián took looked like a challenge.
Every blink...
An insult.
Adrián swallowed again.
Winning would destroy the System's plan.
Losing meant functional dismemberment.
And now the hero himself was here, radiating enough jealous tension to fuel an entire romance novel.
"I..." Adrián began, his voice tight with desperate rationality. "I think everyone should just sit down... review the account books... and—"
[Countdown: 10 seconds...]
[Preparing Penalty...]
The corridor suddenly felt narrower.
Not because the world hated him.
Not because the Saint disapproved of him.
Not even because of Su Meilan or her father.
But because Heaven...
Ye Chen...
And a merciless System...
Had already decided his role.
Adrián took one step backward.
Then another.
It wasn't cowardice.
It was instinct.
"No," he said with forced calm.
"This isn't appropriate."
Su Meilan tensed beside him, relieved yet still alert.
Lin Yue frowned ever so slightly.
Not because she'd been rejected...
But because of how naturally he'd done it.
Then the atmosphere shifted again.
Ye Chen stood at the far end of the corridor.
He had followed the tension the way a predator follows the scent of blood.
Seeing Lin Yue standing before Adrián...
Seeing Su Meilan so close to him...
Something ignited inside his eyes.
A possessive smile tugged at his lips.
In his mind, the scene had already been written.
The villain corners the maiden.
The maiden resists.
The hero arrives.
Perfect.
Adrián caught the expression from the corner of his eye...
And sighed inwardly.
"This is a mistake," he said as he turned to leave. "I have no interest in—"
[DING]
The notification exploded across his vision.
[Emergency Mission: Villain Momentum]
Narrative Correction in Progress.
The Hero requires immediate emotional stimulation.
Warning: Repeated refusal is weakening the Hero's motivation.
Adrián clenched his teeth and kept walking.
[DING]
Repeated Warning.
The Villain must act.
One more step.
[DING]
Forced Narrative Correction Imminent.
Lin Yue caught up to him.
She didn't run.
She didn't touch him.
She simply appeared beside him.
"Adrián," she said softly.
"Wait."
Behind them, Ye Chen quickened his pace.
In his mind, the climax was approaching.
He was ready to intervene.
To save.
To shine.
[DING]
Countdown: 10 seconds.
Preparing neurological penalty.
Adrián stopped.
He closed his eyes.
"Damn... System," he muttered.
Then he slowly turned.
Not toward Ye Chen.
Not toward Su Meilan.
Toward Lin Yue.
"Saint," he said in a voice so neutral it sounded administrative, "this is complete nonsense."
She looked at him.
Not with anger.
Not with contempt.
With dangerous curiosity.
[DING]
Final Warning.
Immediate Action Required.
Adrián took the final step.
There was nothing arrogant about it.
Nothing theatrical.
If anything...
It was awkward.
A gesture that belonged neither to this world...
Nor to the role he had been forced to play.
When his lips touched Lin Yue's—
Time shattered.
Adrian gritted his teeth and kept walking.
[DING]Repeated Warning.The villain must act.
One more step.
[DING]Forced narrative correction imminent.
Lin Yue caught up to him.
She didn't run.
She didn't touch him.
She simply appeared beside him.
"Adrian," she said quietly. "Wait."
Behind them, Ye Chen quickened his pace. In his mind, the climax was approaching. He was ready to intervene. To save. To shine.
[DING]Countdown: 10 seconds.Preparing neurological penalty.
Adrian stopped.
He closed his eyes.
"...Damn system," he muttered.
He slowly turned around.
Not toward Ye Chen.
Not toward Su Meilan.
Toward Lin Yue.
"Saint," he said in a voice so neutral it sounded almost administrative. "This is absurd."
She looked at him.
Not with anger.
Not with contempt.
With dangerous curiosity.
[DING]Final warning.Immediate action required.
Adrian took the final step.
There was nothing arrogant about it.
Nothing theatrical.
If anything, it was awkward.
A gesture that belonged neither to this world nor to the role he had been forced to play.
The moment his lips touched Lin Yue's—
Time broke.
There was no rejection.
No slap.
No heroic intervention.
Lin Yue...
Accepted it.
It lasted only an instant.
The briefest touch.
But it was enough.
When they pulled apart, the corridor had fallen completely silent.
Su Meilan's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ye Chen froze, his mind unable to process what he had just witnessed.
The onlookers forgot how to breathe.
Lin Yue took half a step back.
For the first time...
Her face was flushed.
Adrian stared at her, equally stunned.
"I..." he began. "This wasn't—"
[DING]
Silence.
The system didn't respond.
For the first time...
It had no prepared correction.
Ye Chen didn't wait for an explanation.
He didn't wait for an apology.
He didn't wait for an elder to intervene.
Qi erupted around his body.
"ADRIAN VALMONT!"
His voice thundered throughout the entire coliseum.
"You bastard!"
"How dare you?!"
"You forced her!"
The crowd fell silent.
Adrian looked up.
For the first time in a long while...
He didn't look bored.
He looked tired.
Not of Ye Chen.
Of the entire world.
Ye Chen vanished.
The first punch came straight for Adrian's face.
Adrian tilted his head ever so slightly.
The fist brushed past his hair.
The second strike came immediately.
Then the third.
The fourth.
The fifth.
Ye Chen wasn't testing him.
He wasn't probing.
He attacked as though every blow had to reclaim something precious he had lost.
"STOP DODGING!"
Adrian took one step back.
The attack sliced through empty air.
Another step.
Another dodge.
The disciples began to whisper.
Because something felt wrong.
This wasn't a contest of strength.
It was like watching someone trying to punch a shadow.
"Why isn't he fighting back?" someone asked.
Su Meilan watched from the stands.
And suddenly, she understood.
Adrian wasn't avoiding the fight.
He was controlling it.
Ye Chen frowned.
His speed increased.
His spiritual sword appeared in his hand.
Technique after technique.
Every movement was flawless.
Beautiful.
Powerful.
Yet Adrian kept moving.
A turn.
A sidestep.
The slightest lean.
Nothing wasted.
Nothing unnecessary.
Then it happened.
One strike.
Just one.
Adrian stepped inside Ye Chen's range.
Too close for a sword.
His fist struck Ye Chen's ribs.
There was nothing spectacular about it.
No explosion of qi.
No legendary technique.
Only precision.
Ye Chen was sent flying several meters away.
Silence.
Adrian lowered his hand.
"You still attack with your entire body."
Ye Chen slowly got back to his feet.
His expression changed.
It wasn't pain.
It was disbelief.
"...What?"
Adrian breathed calmly.
"Every attack begins with your emotions."
A pause.
"Every movement announces what you're about to do before you do it."
Ye Chen's eyes hardened.
"Are you... teaching me how to fight?"
Adrian shook his head.
"No."
He walked toward him.
"I'm explaining why you're losing."
The crowd held its breath.
Ye Chen roared.
His qi exploded outward.
This time he was faster.
Stronger.
More desperate.
But Adrian had already seen through him.
Training under Su Meilan's father hadn't given him a secret technique.
It had removed his mistakes.
Every punch he had taken was a correction.
Every fall had been information.
Ye Chen was a raging fire.
Adrian was a wall.
A fire could be enormous.
But against a wall...
It could only keep burning itself away.
Ten exchanges.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Ye Chen's breathing began to change.
His shoulders sagged ever so slightly.
His attacks were still powerful.
But they were no longer perfect.
Adrian noticed.
And took advantage.
A strike to the arm.
Another to the abdomen.
A sweeping kick.
Nothing lethal.
Nothing humiliating.
Just efficiency.
Ye Chen staggered backward, breathing heavily.
"No..."
He looked at his own hands.
"This can't be."
The entire audience had fallen silent.
Because they had all reached the same conclusion.
Adrian wasn't stronger than Ye Chen.
He was worse.
He was someone who knew exactly how to use the strength he already possessed.
Ye Chen slowly raised his head.
For the first time, he wasn't looking at an arrogant villain.
He was looking at a problem he couldn't understand.
"You..."
Before Ye Chen could charge at Adrian again—
"Enough!"
A tremendous spiritual pressure descended upon the corridor.
Both of them froze.
Five elders appeared almost simultaneously.
One examined the cracked floor.
Another inspected the walls scarred by qi.
The third swept his gaze across everyone present.
"Who started this fight?"
Silence.
Ye Chen stepped forward.
He was still breathing hard.
"Him!"
He pointed at Adrian.
"That bastard dared to kiss the Saint in front of everyone!"
...
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The elders slowly turned toward Lin Yue.
She remained perfectly still.
Her fingers unconsciously brushed against her own lips.
Her cheeks were still faintly flushed.
One of the elders swallowed.
"...Is that true?"
Ye Chen answered before anyone else could.
"Yes!"
His voice trembled with indignation.
"He caught her off guard! He took advantage of her! I saw everything!"
Everyone turned toward Adrian.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment.
Damn it.
It had been a mission.
How the hell was he supposed to explain that?
"Adrian?" one of the elders asked.
He opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
There was no possible answer.
He couldn't exactly say,
"I'm sorry. The System forced me to do it or it would've destroyed my soul."
That somehow sounded even worse than any other explanation.
One of the elders frowned.
"You're not even going to defend yourself?"
Adrian sighed.
"No."
Because technically...
It had happened.
Then everyone's attention shifted back to Lin Yue.
She remained silent.
Her breathing was slightly uneven.
Why...?
Why hadn't she pushed him away?
She had time.
She had more than enough strength.
She could have sent him crashing into the wall.
But she hadn't.
And that was precisely the part she herself couldn't understand.
Finally, she spoke.
"It was..."
She paused.
Everyone waited.
"...unexpected."
Nothing more.
The elders exchanged glances.
That was not the answer they had expected.
Ye Chen stepped forward.
"Saint!"
He stared at her in disbelief.
"He insulted you!"
Lin Yue slowly lowered her hand from her lips.
"I know."
"Then punish him!"
She didn't answer.
Because part of her was still wondering why she hadn't rejected him immediately.
That single moment of hesitation...
Was far more disturbing than the kiss itself.
On the opposite side of the corridor, Su Meilan remained completely motionless.
Why do I care?
This is between the two of them.
It has nothing to do with me.
Then...
Why do I want to wipe that expression off her face?
Her expression remained flawless.
Calm.
Elegant.
As though she were merely observing another business negotiation.
But her fingers...
Had tightened around her folding fan until her knuckles turned white.
She looked at Lin Yue.
Then at Adrian.
Then back at Lin Yue.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Something was beginning to boil beneath that impeccable composure.
It wasn't anger.
Not yet.
It was a new emotion.
Uncomfortable.
Difficult to accept.
Because, for the very first time...
She wanted to punch the Saint.