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.

get a 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

incident like

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

from the plotline happened, it

quickly recover from the wounds that I

the fact that I had healing potions, they couldn't heal all my injuries that quickly. Especially since my

full day to completely heal my

like hell. Just the slightest movement and I would get an electrifying pain coursing through my body. Though I could tough it out, I'd still prefer if I was in top

to sort out my

now, I wasn't in the right state of mind to be put through another scenario that required

...I just couldn't.

to tremble uncontrollably. I

end, I had already decided that for tomorrow I would use [Monarch's indifference] throughout

did I realize how many flaws I had, both

I was too emotional.

thought of what

was doing really okay? Was

my mind as I tried

a long way to go before being able to confidently stand

quickly headed to my room and started preparing for

to be the longest

...

-Bang! -Bang! -Bang!

"Huff...huff..huff"

an extremely

perfectly honed body was drenched in sweat, and his eyes were

-Gulp!

potion and recovering some of his stamina, the young individual quickly dashed before one of the

"Die! Die! Die!"

-Bang! -Bang! -Bang!

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

minutes after continuously hitting the dummies, the young individual laid on the floor heavily

ceiling, he clenched his jaw hard and he covered his

am I

was assigned, Jin couldn't help but feel

if a wall that he couldn't climb was standing before

couldn't find any way to bridge

Kevin that much more talented

he just accept the fact that Kevin was better

"Damm it..."

-Bang!

his fist hard, Jin punched

accept this! Even if my talent is not as good as his, I have access to the best resources and facilities! This should be enough for me to be able

who was an orphan and had nothing managed to surpass him who was

He couldn't accept it.

way he

-Gulp!

his energy, Jin immediately

surpass you no matter

-Bang!

he once again started training until he

continuously until his

only after passing out from

...

and old wooden tables and boards, two stunningly beautiful

short creamy brown hair looked at the

something strange happening these past few

frowned for a second before shaking her

"No"

"Really?"

bit,

"Maybe it's just me..."

of discomfort. She

sort of unsettling...but in the end, she could only think of it as