The Author's POV

"...Where is it?"

Fifteen minutes had passed since I had entered the dome, and I was now alone.

Right after entering the dome, we all split up. Kevin, Jin, and I all went our separate ways.

Nothing needed to be said about Kevin and I since we had something to do, but Jin just naturally left. In all fairness, as an assassin, Jin thrived in this kind of environment so being with a team was useless to him. It would only give away his location.

"...We probably look like fools to the audience."

Moving forwards, a bitter smile appeared on my face.

This was a given though.

In a team game, the first thing we did was split up. This became especially worrisome to the spectators supporting the Lock as everyone knew that the lower-end academies tended to team-up together.

In short, we looked like the third years.

Their result? A humiliating loss. To the audience, we probably looked like arrogant pricks overconfident in our strength.

...but I honestly couldn't care less.

I had different priorities. What did the tournament matter if everyone died?

'”Vrrrrrr! '”Vrrrrrr!

'”Ren, how far are you from the location?

My watch suddenly rang. It was Kevin.

Raising my wrist towards my mouth, I softly whispered.

"I'm almost there."

Following the map that everyone was given at the beginning of the game, I was able to navigate my way towards the location Kevin told me to go to a couple of hours ago.

According to him, that was the place where the portal devices were going to be installed.

'”That's good, I'm almost there too. All that's left is finding the portal itself.

"...easier said than done."

Even though we knew the approximate location of the portals, unlike Kevin, I didn't have a system that would help me detect the exact location of the portal.

Kevin had it, so as long as he knew the general location it was in, he'd be able to find it. Fortunately, I wasn't completely helpless.

After all, there was bound to be a couple of individuals setting it up. All I had to do was find them.

'”Ren, I'm hanging up. I think I've got something.

"Sure."

Disconnecting my call with Kevin, I increased my pace.

Navigating through the dense vegetation, my pace slowed down significantly.

"...Let's not be too obvious."

Realistically speaking, the portal should be protected by at least four individuals.

If I was too brazen about my appearance, I'd lose the element of surprise and be at a disadvantage. Even though I was confident in my strength, four individuals were a lot.

Couldn't just brazenly show up without any preparations. It may end up costly.

***

"What are these idiots doing!"

Inside of the Lock private waiting room. A high-pitched voice sounded across the space.

"Why are they separating from the very beginning? Don't they have a brain?"

Like a machine gun, Emma venomously spat at the TV screen in front of her.

Besides her was Amanda. Though she said nothing, Amanda agreed with everything she was saying.

"Damn it, what are they doing? Did everything that I told them before the match go to deaf ear?"

On the other hand, not far from them, Melissa similarly cursed.

Prior to when the match started, she briefed Ren, Jin, and Kevin, on the strategy that they should've followed in the battle royale to secure first place.

but...

They had completely ignored whatever she had said to them. As though her words went from one ear to the other, the trio separated and did the exact same thing she told them not to do.

This irritated her to no end.

I get my

she clenched on

currently being displayed on

technical advisor, her face and name was plastered on the same screen as theirs. If they ended up losing, part of the

about it, the greater her

"Just you fucking wait..."

***

as I could, I stood on

and three

the undulations of magic emanating from the bodies of the students

is going

wasn't one hundred percent sure, there was a high chance that these people before me were

were in the area that Kevin had told me to observe and that they were behaving suspiciously; Staying within the same perimeter for an extended period longer than five minutes, and having one of the

definitely something

a little

said, I still wasn't one hundred sure about their involvement. Before they made I proper move, I would

was already starting to

'”Vrrrrrr! '”Vrrrrrr!

a little bit, my watch vibrated. Twisting my wrist lightly, I answered the

"...yes."

the watch

"Are you ready?"

portal and

situation to mine, as

them.

was the same, then the portal should also be in a similar position as

individuals. They seem to be roaming randomly but, they don't seem to be straying far from a certain location and I've also found that that they are around rank to

briefly paused

academy to have such

my

Guess I've got the short end of the

got four whilst I got five.

'”Hee...sucks for you.

my reply, Kevin's voice became slightly sarcastic. My brows

"You taunting me?"

'”...no.

a short pause before he

in the middle of a

such serious situations? Wasn't he supposed to

rotten bastard was definitely

Anyways, the portal should be hidden beneath the ground. Right in the middle of all of the five individuals. At least that's from what I'm seeing

apologized before explaining

"You sure?"

your situation the

"Yeah..you making a move?"

are four people, so I can't afford to be sloppy. I'm

"...Clever."

stupid. Taking the initiative and doing a surprise attack was the

to start. You

"Yeah."

my wrist, I quickly took out a few

I should get started as

'”Di! '”Di!

red notification clogged the

may now engage with the other

edges of

"...talk about perfect timing"

'”Thud!

the tree, I stealthily moved forward. Moving behind one of the individuals, my feet abruptly stopped. At this point, I stopped breathing and fully focused on the

start with one of

'”Click!

the all too

'”Thud.

the individual I targeted fell face-first on the ground. Right at the moment my sword was about to hit his head, a small protective shield formed around him, saving his life. The impact still caused him to pass out.

"What!"

"Who's there?"

expecting this, dashing forward, I

three other people wouldn't just let me attack their most important member. Taking out their weapons,

at them, my eyes slowly turned gray

"Stay."

Instantly everyone stopped.

"Ghhh...what!"

"Khhh..."

"S-stop him!"

listen to them, they all took a step back

"Gyek!"

he was doing, the individual that was setting up the portal took out his weapon and dashed in my

him come at me, my feet abruptly stopped. Though confused, the individual before me slashed in

'”Shaa!

incoming blade, I raised my

'”Snap!