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.

sacrificing his body

couldn't help but feel their hairs stand. Just how could anyone put

Everyone wanted to know.

for everyone present that Ren's physical state was worsening by the

either broken or

...yet.

unfazed throughout the whole time. Dodge, get hit, kill.

their eyes off of the screen. They watched the fight as though they were

'”Beep!

was the sonorous beep coming from

Ren's figure who was indifferently looking at the last dummy on the floor,

"Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!"

across the

Time ➤

this day, Ren's name was

***

after the Dummy Massacre finals ended. Inside of a

I don't use

repeatedly coughed as I felt my

I could barely keep my eyes focused as everything

drunken person, I roamed around the corridor of the arena

my best to look fine after I finished my game, once

it, I

was under the influence of Monarch's indifference throughout the whole game, I was unable to properly control what I was

on its own to achieve the goal that I had set in my mind beforehand.

I had completely overlooked the fact that under Monarch's indifference, I

my goal, I cared nothing about anything else. Even

battered all over by the dummies as I stood motionless waiting for them to completely surround me before using the second movement of the

half of the dummies. It was the most

was also what resulted

the Lock had set up a system where it would stop a game once the contestant was too severely injured, from how I was still not kicked

from the fact that I only sacrificed

continued to aim for the

whole game, I felt immeasurable amounts of pain being transmitted

body

the fruit of my imagination, my body ignored everything and

of how much damage I

the end, after everything was over, my overall time ended up

seconds slower than my target

but once I got out and felt countless stares coming from the spectators, I knew

and saw Aerin's score, one minute and forty-eight seconds, reality finally struck

had gotten from Melissa

doubt, the difficulty was much higher than it

"Damn you Meliss'”pfffftt..."

sweet going up my throat.

"Ah, shit..."

breath. My vision soon

'”Thud!

***

"I'm sorry brother."

the other hand, Aerin returned to her academy's waiting room. Standing before her brother,

really thought that I could

muttered as her

the match, she was confident that she could win the match. She

one minute and forty-eight seconds. It was the best score she could've possibly

Yet...

completely crushed once she found out that her

not even by a close margin. A whopping seventeen seconds

crushed her

okay. I'm not

the head,

in speed. Furthermore, he also had

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

"Aerin."

"Yes"

as she lifted

may not know this, but your opponent put his body on the line

"What do you mean?"

her head to the

screen displaying Ren's highlights

you watch the replay of the match, compared to you where you directly avoided and

"More reckless approach?"

Aerin's voice as she wondered what

used his body as a shield. Take a look

Aerin turned her head

his body to defend some of the

body, he was essentially saving precious seconds that you used on dodging some of the attacks. Though it could've gone wrong as he could've been eliminated for getting too injured, if done well, this strategy would've without a doubt have been the most

paused for a

everything he's got for victory explains the huge gap between you two. Your

"I see..."

appeared on Aerin's face as she looked

'Brother's right.'

was at her loss, Aerin did not have time

was because she put it her all

now, Aerin found a whole new level of respect for her opponent. If he

Nicholas satisfyingly nodded his head

that would even risk getting injured severely to win. You didn't lose without merit. Let's redeem ourselves in the battle royale

"Understood"

replied as her mood improved a

right, nothing's

everything was over. There

definitely redeem

herself as her fists

what we are really made of when we are working

he looked at Aerin who seemed to have

may have forgotten because of Aerin's amazing performances, but Aerin was not

No.

her best when she was working with

no one could

***

"Ah..."

left my mouth. My

alcohol invaded my

what the hell