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.

as attract the least amount of attention. The

another incident like

mysterious book with me. With it, I could more or less tell if something outside of the

happened, it

from the wounds

had healing potions, they couldn't heal all my injuries that quickly. Especially since my whole shoulder had been pierced and my

a full day to

my right hand hurt like hell. Just the slightest movement and I would get an electrifying pain coursing through my body. Though I could tough it out,

I needed to sort out my

right state of mind to be put through another scenario that required me to reap through

...I just couldn't.

the thought of me killing again was causing my hands to tremble uncontrollably. I was not

end, I had already decided that for tomorrow I would

for the first time yesterday did I realize how many flaws I had,

I was too emotional.

had killed someone, the thought of what future lay ahead of me

was doing really okay? Was

brewed inside of my mind as I tried to

still had a long way to go before being able to confidently

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

probably going to be the longest two

...

-Bang! -Bang! -Bang!

"Huff...huff..huff"

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

in sweat, and his eyes

-Gulp!

his stamina, the young individual quickly dashed before one of the training dummies and punched it

"Die! Die! Die!"

-Bang! -Bang! -Bang!

until he ran out of air, small shockwaves spread throughout the room as the sound of the collision between his fists

the dummies, the young individual laid on the floor heavily

ceiling, he clenched his jaw hard and he covered his eyes with

what am

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

wall that he couldn't

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

Kevin that much more talented

he just accept the fact that Kevin was

"Damm it..."

-Bang!

Jin punched the

to the best resources and facilities! This should be enough for me to be able to become better than

to surpass him who was born with a golden

He couldn't accept it.

was no way he

-Gulp!

some of his energy, Jin immediately

you no matter

-Bang!

once again

process repeated continuously until his fists were both bloodied and

out from overworking himself did he

...

a small cozy cafe' decorated with beautiful plants and old wooden tables and boards, two stunningly beautiful young

that had short creamy brown hair looked at the girl in

did you notice something

frowned for a second

"No"

"Really?"

for a bit, Emma's

"Maybe it's just me..."

sense of discomfort. She constantly felt as if someone was

the end, she could only think of