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

Jin to boss everyone around and tell

he really did mature a lot since

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

my response, Jin

is the

*Sigh*

"...no problem, no problem"

extended sigh escaped from my mouth, lowering my voice, I pondered for a

actually simple. Give the code to me and you guys do the

speaking, everyone looked at me strangely.

the first to voice out their confusion was

of plan is that? and why

I raised my brow as I mockingly

"Isn't it obvious why?"

"Why?"

immediately, I answered back with

if you had the code who would you give it

started pondering. The first one to speak up was

"The strongest person?"

Amanda,

option, yes,

lips,

is

others, a faint smile appeared on my lips as I

someone who could

to be put in a flat terrain, someone who can outrun the opponent so that the other team wouldn't

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

looked at

are following

in understanding, my eyes soon paused on a certain individual as

think of a certain individual in our group who best

his arms crossed, a slight frown appeared

want me to

Jin straight into the eyes, I nodded

you will

glad he

mainly focus their attention on him. Therefore, if everyone was focused on him, with me holding the code, chances were that even if

for what felt like an eternity,

"...fine"

secretly

Jin listening to what I was saying, the chances of us

that I was worried as originally Jin, Arnold, and Amanda made it past

now knew that things outside of the plot could happen, with the plot armour they had, chances were that they were very

newfound attitude, Donald, who was quietly

they don't

secretly nodded my head. He wasn't as

also thought

coming up with the plan, I

other team could also think that it was a trap and decide to focus

beforehand. Staring at Amanda, Donald, and Arnold, I smiled

you guys

her head to the side as he black hair gently fell to her shoulders, Amanda's brows lightly

"us?"

as I looked at

always be within a

what happens. Always be fifty hundred meters away from him, and whenever he gets into trouble,

couldn't help but knit in a deeper frown

"...why is that?"

a brief moment, I

like Arnold is the person that

It was simple really.

Jin was not the one that carried the code, naturally it would be either