The Author's POV

"haha, been a while"

With an awkward smile on my face, I headed towards where Jin, Amanda, and the rest were. Glancing at my group, I pretty much knew everyone apart from a certain individual.

...his name was Zack I believe.

Leisurely chatting with Donald, whom I was in a group with back in Hollberg, Zack was a rather skinny individual with black hair and black eyes. He was around my height and apart from his long nose, he didn't particularly stand out.

As I observed him from the distance, apart from the fact that he was in my class, I really knew nothing about him. He wasn't even in the tournament arc therefore it was safe to say that he had failed the tryouts in my novel.

Arriving before the group, I nodded my head towards Jin and Amanda who nodded back. Thereafter, as I nodded towards Arnold, I saw him snorting and looking away from me.

...looks like he still hated me.

Well, not that I cared. In my eyes, he was merely putting on a show in front of Jin.

Turning my attention back towards Donald who was talking to Zack, I casually smiled as I greeted him.

"Hey Donald, been a while since I've seen you"

Turning around and glancing at me, Donald's casual smile faded from his face as he nodded his head.

"Hm? Oh it's you"

Noticing Donald's attitude, which was a stark contrast to what it was back in Hollberg I couldn't help but tease him

"mmhmm, I see...Now that I'm ranked higher than you, you're starting to be more polite huh?"

Hearing my remark, glaring at me, Donald raised his voice

"Do you want to fight you bastard"

Raising my brow I couldn't help but shake my head as I said.

"You still won't stop calling me bastard? Hey, how many times did I tell you? My name is Ren. Do you want me to spell it for you? R-E-N"

"You think I care about your damn nam-"

"Please stop"

Not so far from where Donald and I were, noticing that things were about to get out of control, Amanda sighed and spoke up. Her tone was neither overbearing nor cold.

She was really speechless at the moment.

In a couple of minutes they would be participating in the tryouts for the academy tournament and yet two of their members were already fighting.

Were they not nervous at all?

Brushing her hair to the side, Amanda curtly said.

"Please, calm down, and let's start discussing our strategy"

Thereafter, as she finished speaking, Amanda expectantly looked at me. Shortly after, as if mimicking Amanda, everyone else looked in my direction.

"huh?"

Noticing everyone staring in my direction, my brow couldn't help but twitch.

What's going on?

"Hold up, why is everyone looking at me?"

Unbothered by my expression, Jin looked at me and said.

"Do you not have a plan?"

Glancing at Jin, after a short pause I nodded my head.

"...I do"

in fact have a

predicted for Jin to boss everyone

he really did mature a lot since the last time I saw

different from what he was a few months back. What in the world happened since the

response, Jin coldly

is the

*Sigh*

"...no problem, no problem"

escaped from my mouth, lowering my voice,

simple. Give the code to me and you

at me

out their confusion was Donald as he

is

raised my brow

"Isn't it obvious why?"

"Why?"

I answered back with another

code who would

question, everyone started pondering. The first one to speak up was

"The strongest person?"

towards Amanda,

option, yes, but not the ideal

his hand on his lips, Jin frowned

is the ideal

and the others, a faint smile appeared on my lips as

candidate would obviously be someone who

terrain, someone who can outrun the opponent so

if the map wasn't plain but let's say filled with obstacles someone that could hide from the enemy's prying eyes would be the

at everyone

guys are following what I'm

everyone, and seeing them nod in understanding, my

think of a certain individual in our group who best

soon everyone's attention turned towards Jin. With his arms crossed, a slight

you want me to be

the eyes,

will

he caught

were that the other team would mainly focus their attention on him. Therefore, if everyone was focused on him, with me

into my eyes for what felt like an eternity, Jin eventually looked

"...fine"

I secretly nodded my

was saying, the chances of

as originally Jin, Arnold, and Amanda made

plot could happen, with the plot armour they had, chances were that they

attitude, Donald, who was quietly pondering for a while, suddenly

if they don't

He

also thought

when I was coming up with the plan, I had already thought of

Jin being the obvious target, the other team could also think that it was a trap and decide to focus on

had thought of this problem beforehand. Staring at

where you guys come

gently fell to her shoulders, Amanda's brows lightly frowned as she looked at Arnold and Donald. With a hint of doubt in

"us?"

as I looked at both Amanda

within a

meters away from him, and whenever he gets into

but knit in a deeper frown as

"...why is that?"

for a brief

it looks like Arnold is the person that

It was simple really.

one that carried the code, naturally it would be either one of