The Author's POV

'My goal is one minute and twenty-eight seconds...'

Setting a goal in his mind, Ren watched as the world around him lost color and his emotions disappeared alongside it.

Fear, nervousness, confidence, any and all emotions just disappeared.

In his mind, there was only one goal.

Reach one minute and twenty-eight seconds.

Regardless of the costs.

'”Beep!

Following the beeping sound, Ren closed his eyes.

Ta.Ta.Ta. Fiddling with a small ring on his finger, Ren calmly stood rooted in his spot. Within seconds the dummies were already upon him.

Lifting his head slightly, Ren opened his eyes and placed his hand on the sheat of his sword.

A second passed and over thirty dummies appeared within inches of his body.

'”Shuaa! '”Shuaa! '”Shuaa!

The sound of the air splitting reverberated across the space as each dummy swung their dulled weapon in Ren's direction.

To those that were spectating, it looked as though Ren had just given up.

Even as all of the dummies were attacking him at the same time, Ren stood still.

Some of the spectators couldn't watch anymore and turned their eyes away.

Although they knew that the contestants were going to be safe, just the visual impact of Ren getting attacked from all sides caused them to turn their heads away.

"Move!"

"What are you doing!"

"Gyaaaa'”!"

Screams echoed across the stands as some spectators stood up and shouted at the large monitor above.

The screams intensified even more once everyone could no longer see Ren's figure displayed on the screen.

All they could see at the moment were a pile of dummies on the same spot he was standing before.

'It's over.'

Everyone thought.

It was then that something shocking happened...

'”Click!

Following a subtle clicking sound, the volume of the arena grounds decreased.

The spectators who were watching Ren's match couldn't find any words to say as their mouth's hung wide open. Some even started stuttering as they pointed at the monitor above

"W-what just happened?"

"How is...this possible?"

"My god..."

Murmurs and discussions echoed across the arena grounds as everyone stared at the large monitor above.

They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

Standing in the middle of the room was Ren's apathetic figure. His calm and indifferent eyes were displayed for the whole world to see.

From his demenour, it looked as though this was nothing to him.

Most shockingly, around him, over half of the dummies present in the room had turned red as they formed a small circle around him.

This scene was deeply etched in the spectator's eyes as they all stood up and cheered.

"Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!"

The spectator's blood was boiling. How could it not?

Watching as Ren singlehandedly dispatched over half of the dummies in a single move caused almost everyone to be shocked.

Furthermore, no one knew how he did it as the cameras were blocked by the dummies.

The battle was still not over though.

Ren had only gotten rid of half of the dummies. Everyone also noticed this as they quickly stopped cheering and kept their eyes glued on the large screen.

They didn't want to miss a single second of what was about to come.

...and they were glad they didn't.

Without even letting Ren take a breather, the remaining dummies attacked him from all sides.

Click. Click. Click. Subtle clicking sound resounded across the arena grounds as more and more dummies fell on the ground.

No one could see Ren's movements, but his cold and indifferent image was deeply imprinted in their minds.

He looked like an awe-inspiring general that reaped through the lives of all of the enemies that got in his path.

Every second a dummy turned red. Such a shocking scene repeated over and over again as the dummies around Ren turned red without him even moving.

It was breathtaking.

Unfortunately, even though Ren had taken down half of the dummies, there were still a lot of dummies left that relentlessly attacked him from all sides.

Most of the time there would be rings around Ren to block their attacks, but sometimes an attack would make it past his defense and hit him directly.

At first, they thought it was because Ren's defense wasn't that great.

But it was then that people began to realize...

Ren was doing it on purpose.

He was purposely using his body to absorb the impact coming from some of the attacks so that he could make a quick counterattack.

his body to reduce

witnessed this couldn't help but feel their hairs stand. Just how could anyone put their body under

Everyone wanted to know.

Ren's physical state was worsening by the second as his left

was either

...yet.

throughout the whole time. Dodge, get hit, kill. He repeated this

remove their eyes off of the screen. They watched the

'”Beep!

coming from the speaker of the arena's marking the end of the

figure who was indifferently looking at the last dummy

"Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!"

cheers resounded across

Ren Dover; Time ➤ 1: 31

was deeply imprinted into every's spectator's

***

finals ended. Inside

why I don't use this skill

side of a wall, I repeatedly coughed as I felt my lungs burning. They felt like

my best to move forward, I could barely keep

I roamed around the corridor of

after I finished my game, once I arrived at a secluded space,

I overdid

whole game, I was

own to achieve the goal that I had set in my mind beforehand. Beating one minute and

I had completely overlooked the fact that under

I cared nothing about anything else. Even

could still vividly remember feeling my body getting battered all over by the dummies as I stood motionless waiting for them

one swift movement, I managed to get rid of about half of the dummies. It was the most appropriate move given

was also what resulted in me

up a system where it would stop a game once the contestant was too severely injured, from how I was still not kicked out, my injuries were not enough to

from the fact that I only sacrificed

my body continued to aim for the goal, my internal injuries

the whole game, I felt immeasurable amounts of pain being transmitted all

my body completely ignored

everything and

much

everything was over, my overall time ended up being one minute and thirty-one

slower than my target

out and felt countless stares coming from the spectators, I

saw Aerin's score, one minute and forty-eight

I had gotten from Melissa

much higher

"Damn you Meliss'”pfffftt..."

sweet going up my throat. Not long after, blood spurted

"Ah, shit..."

blood-stained hands, I cursed underneath my breath. My vision soon darkened and

'”Thud!

***

"I'm sorry brother."

waiting room. Standing before her brother,

thought that

as her

the match, she was confident that she could win

minute and forty-eight

Yet...

hopes were completely crushed once she found out that her opponent's

a close margin. A whopping

crushed

I'm

on the head, Nicholas comforted

opponent was just as skillful as you. You're both the same rank and from the looks of it, his sword art specializes in speed. Furthermore, he also had a mysterious skill that I presume specializes in targeting multiple opponents at once. This

eyes squinted as he turned his head towards a nearby TV. Displayed on it were the highlights of Aerin's and

"Aerin."

"Yes"

she

put his body on the line

"What do you mean?"

tilted her head to the

screen displaying

where you directly avoided and dodged all of the

"More reckless approach?"

of confusion in Aerin's voice as she wondered what

chose to not avoid the dummies attacks and directly used his body as a shield. Take a look at the

Aerin turned her head and directed

Ren recklessly used his body to defend some of the attacks coming from the dummies. By her side, Nicholas continued

he could've been eliminated for getting too injured, if done well, this strategy would've without a doubt have been the most optimal

a second

for victory explains the huge gap between you two. Your

"I see..."

as she looked at

'Brother's right.'

how frustrated she was at her loss, Aerin did not have time to see Ren's

Aerin finally understood why she lost. It was because she put it her all like Ren

a whole new level of respect for her opponent. If he was willing

Aerin, Nicholas satisfyingly nodded his head as

worry. You were up against someone crazy. Someone that would even risk getting injured severely to win. You

"Understood"

as her mood

right, nothing's

everything was over.

definitely redeem

to herself as her fists

them what we are really made of when we are

smiled as he looked at Aerin who seemed to have regained some of her previous

because of Aerin's amazing performances, but Aerin was not at

No.

was only at her best when she was working with her

no one could

***

"Ah..."

left my mouth.

invaded my nostril as my eyelids slowly opened

the