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.

was sacrificing his body to

Just how could anyone put their body under so much torture? Was

Everyone wanted to know.

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

either broken or

...yet.

to care. He remained completely unfazed throughout the whole time. Dodge,

couldn't remove their eyes off of the screen. They watched the fight as though they

'”Beep!

was the sonorous beep coming from the speaker of the arena's marking the end

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

"Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!" "Huaaa'”!"

across the

Dover; Time ➤ 1:

Ren's name was deeply imprinted

***

Dummy Massacre finals ended.

why I don't use this

coughed as I felt my lungs burning.

my best to move forward, I could barely keep my

person, I roamed around the

fine after I finished my game, once I arrived at a secluded space, away from everyone's eyes, I

it, I overdid

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

that I had

overlooked the fact that under Monarch's indifference,

goal, I cared nothing about anything else. Even

stood motionless waiting for them to completely surround me before using the second movement of the

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

it was also what resulted in me sustaining serious

up a system where it would stop a game once the contestant was too severely injured, from how

likely stemmed from the fact that I only sacrificed the areas

body continued to aim

felt immeasurable amounts of pain

my body completely ignored

the fruit of my imagination, my body ignored everything and aimed to

much

the end, after everything was over, my overall

than my

once I got out and felt countless stares coming

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

had gotten from Melissa was

doubt, the difficulty was much higher than it

"Damn you Meliss'”pfffftt..."

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

"Ah, shit..."

at blood-stained hands, I cursed underneath my breath. My

'”Thud!

***

"I'm sorry brother."

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

that

as

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

her score of one minute and forty-eight seconds. It

Yet...

she found out that her

close margin. A

crushed her

okay. I'm

on the head, Nicholas comforted

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

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

"Aerin."

"Yes"

replied as she lifted

this, but your opponent put his

"What do you mean?"

head

screen displaying

avoided

"More reckless approach?"

Aerin's

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

turned her head and directed

defend some of the attacks

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,

for a second before

got for victory explains the huge gap between you two.

"I see..."

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

'Brother's right.'

she was at her loss, Aerin did not have

now, Aerin finally understood why she lost. It was because she put

level of respect for her opponent. If he was willing to go that

Aerin, Nicholas satisfyingly nodded his

injured severely to win. You didn't lose without merit. Let's redeem ourselves

"Understood"

as her

right, nothing's

this game didn't mean that everything was over. There were

definitely redeem myself

herself as her fists

Let's show them what we are really made of when we are working

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

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

No.

was only at her best when she was

no one

***

"Ah..."

left my mouth. My

smell of alcohol invaded my nostril as my eyelids

what the hell