The Author's POV

"Is that him?"

"Did he really get injured over such a simple mission?"

"He really does look weak"

Aimlessly walking around the mansion, I ignored the whispers and stares coming from some of the students that I passed along the way.

Yesterday night, after completing the mission, I returned to the mansion all battered up. My whole arm was bleeding profusely and my clothes were all torn.

Though I didn't pass out, to the people who saw me return, it looked as if I had been through hell.

Because I had some notoriety, news of my battered state spread across all of the students...and soon I became the hot topic of the first years.

Because the missions that we got were not a secret from the other students, after a bit of digging, people immediately found out who my target was and news of me getting beat up by a ranked individual spread across the academy.

...in the end, this resulted in me becoming the butt of the jokes of the first years.

'Weakling'

'Loser'

'Trash'

Walking along the corridor, I was called all sorts of defamatory names by everyone that saw me.

On a normal day, I would've grumbled and cursed at the people talking crap about me, but today...

Staring at my hands, I recalled the moment when my sword reaped through the lives of multiple people at once.

'...I killed'

I didn't sleep throughout the whole night.

Right now to the people around me I probably looked like a lifeless corpse that was aimlessly wandering around the mansion.

My mind kept replaying the moments where I reaped through the lives of the four bodyguards.

...I could vividly recall Karl's pleading face as he begged for me to spare him.

"Fuuuuu..."

Letting out a long breath and staring at the ceiling of the corridor, I tried to calm my mind.

What had happened already happened.

...There was no going back.

I had killed and I needed to move on...

This wasn't going to be the only time, and it sure as heck wasn't going to be the last time.

This was the path that I had chosen for myself and thus had to take responsibility for my decisions.

Moreover, there was something more important I needed to worry about.

'The massacre of Hollberg'

The second big event in the first arc of the novel.

Tomorrow at 9:45 P.M, the last day of the trip, when everyone was sleeping, an organized attack will happen.

Though their primary targets were Kevin and the others, the other weaker students weren't spared from their pursuit.

...Meaning that I was also not safe.

Though I decided not to interfere, I needed to prepare myself for what was to come.

Placing my hand on my chin, I fell into deep thought.

First things first...I needed to memorize the whole building blueprint.

good view of what was happening as well as attract the least amount of attention. The reason why I needed a good view of what was happening was so that I could

another incident like

more or less tell if something outside of the norm was going to

deviated from the plotline happened, it was my job to prevent it at any

recover from the wounds that

quickly. Especially since my whole shoulder

full day to completely heal

hurt like hell. Just the slightest movement and I would get an electrifying pain coursing through my body.

to sort out my

state of mind to be put through

...I just couldn't.

of me killing again was causing my hands to tremble uncontrollably. I was not ready mentally to go through such an experience

tomorrow I would use [Monarch's indifference] throughout the

did I realize how many flaws I had, both combat and

I was too emotional.

get over the fact that I had killed someone, the thought of what future lay ahead of

I right? Was everything that I was doing really

of my mind as I

had a long way to go

ridding of all my distracting thoughts, I quickly headed to my room and started preparing

are probably going to be the longest two days of

...

-Bang! -Bang! -Bang!

"Huff...huff..huff"

empty room filled with training dummies, an extremely handsome individual stood in the

perfectly honed body was drenched in sweat,

-Gulp!

quickly dashed before one of the

"Die! Die! Die!"

-Bang! -Bang! -Bang!

punching the dummy until he ran out of air, small shockwaves spread throughout the room as the sound of the collision

hitting the dummies, the young individual laid on the

clenched his jaw hard and

what am

night the mission was assigned, Jin couldn't help but

a wall that he couldn't climb

put in, he couldn't find any way to bridge the

that much more talented than

fact

"Damm it..."

-Bang!

his fist hard, Jin

access to the best resources and facilities! This should be enough for

managed to surpass him who was

He couldn't accept it.

was no way

-Gulp!

some of his energy, Jin immediately downed another potion

you no

-Bang!

once again started training until he

repeated continuously until his fists were both bloodied

after passing out

...

cozy cafe' decorated with beautiful plants and old wooden tables

hot mocha, one of the two stunning girls that had short creamy brown hair

something strange happening these past

frowned for a

"No"

"Really?"

for a bit, Emma's

"Maybe it's just me..."

of discomfort. She constantly

was sort of unsettling...but in the end, she could only