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.

body to

this couldn't help but feel their hairs stand. Just how could anyone put their body under so much torture? Was

Everyone wanted to know.

seconds passed, it became plain to see for everyone present that Ren's physical state was worsening by the

was either broken or

...yet.

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

off of the

'”Beep!

was the sonorous beep coming from the speaker

figure who was indifferently looking at the last dummy on the floor, the crowd went into

"Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!"

resounded across the

Time ➤ 1: 31

this day, Ren's name was deeply imprinted into every's

***

the Dummy Massacre finals ended.

I don't use

coughed as I

forward, I could barely keep my eyes focused as

I roamed around the

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

I

the whole game, I was unable to properly

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

that under Monarch's

goal, I cared nothing about anything else. Even if

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

to get rid of about half of the dummies. It was the most appropriate move given the time frame I

resulted in me sustaining

where it would stop a game once the contestant was too severely injured, from how I was still not kicked out, my

likely stemmed from the fact that I only sacrificed the areas that were

aim for the goal, my internal

immeasurable amounts of pain being transmitted all over

my body completely

was only the fruit of my imagination, my body ignored everything and aimed to kill the dummies in the

how much damage I was

over, my overall

slower than my

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

I turned around and saw Aerin's score, one minute and forty-eight seconds,

I had gotten from Melissa

a doubt, the difficulty was much higher than it was

"Damn you Meliss'”pfffftt..."

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

"Ah, shit..."

breath. My vision soon darkened and

'”Thud!

***

"I'm sorry brother."

academy's waiting room. Standing before her brother, Aerin's

that

as

to entering the match, she was confident that she could win the match. She really

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

Yet...

once she found out that her opponent's time was even

by a close margin. A

completely crushed

okay. I'm

on the head, Nicholas

it, his sword art specializes in speed. Furthermore, he also had a mysterious skill that I presume specializes in targeting

eyes squinted as he turned his head towards a nearby TV. Displayed on it were

"Aerin."

"Yes"

she

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

"What do you mean?"

her head to

the TV screen displaying

you directly avoided and dodged all of the dummies

"More reckless approach?"

in Aerin's voice as she wondered what her

avoid the dummies attacks and directly used his body as a shield. Take a look at the

instructions, Aerin turned her head

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

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,

paused for a second before

willingness to give it everything he's got for victory explains the huge gap between you two.

"I see..."

appeared on Aerin's face as she looked at the highlights

'Brother's right.'

of how frustrated she was at her loss, Aerin did not have time

she lost. It was because she

level of respect for her opponent. If he was willing

Nicholas satisfyingly nodded his head as

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

"Understood"

as her mood improved a

nothing's

everything was over. There were still

redeem

herself as her fists clenched

Let's show them what we are really made

who seemed to have regained

have forgotten because of Aerin's amazing performances, but Aerin

No.

her best when she was working with her brother.

one could stop

***

"Ah..."

groan left my mouth.

my nostril as my eyelids slowly

the hell