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.

wait till I get my hands on

spat as she clenched on

currently being displayed on national television. Everyone was

was plastered on the same screen as theirs. If

she thought about it, the greater her anger

"Just you fucking wait..."

***

presence as much as I could, I stood on top of a tree and observed five individuals ahead

ranks and three

emanating from the bodies of the students before me suggested that they

going

was a high chance that these people before me were the ones

they 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 five individuals sitting on

definitely something going

observe a

I still wasn't one hundred sure about their involvement. Before they made I proper move, I would stay here and keep a good watch over

already starting

'”Vrrrrrr! '”Vrrrrrr!

bit, my watch vibrated. Twisting

"...yes."

brought the

"Are you ready?"

found the portal

seemed to be in a similar situation to mine,

them. Tell me

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

seem to be straying far from a certain location and I've also found that that they are

briefly paused

strangest thing is their rank. It shouldn't be possible for such a low-end academy to have such

my head, my

though. Guess I've got the short end of

got four whilst I got five. What

'”Hee...sucks for you.

voice became slightly sarcastic. My brows

"You taunting me?"

'”...no.

a short pause before he replied. My mouth twitched as

the middle of a

situations? Wasn't he supposed to be the

rotten bastard was definitely

I'm sorry. Anyways, the portal should be hidden beneath the ground. Right in the middle of all of

before explaining to me

"You sure?"

Is your situation

"Yeah..you making a move?"

can't afford to be sloppy.

"...Clever."

and doing a surprise attack was the most efficient way to

to start. You should

"Yeah."

soon ended the call. Lowering my wrist, I quickly took out a few things from

guess I should get started

'”Di! '”Di!

my watch vibrated. A glaring red notification clogged the screen

now engage with

the edges of my lips

"...talk about perfect timing"

'”Thud!

feet abruptly stopped. At this point, I stopped breathing and fully focused on the individual

one of

'”Click!

my hand on the sheath of the sword, the

'”Thud.

thud accompanied the clicking sound as 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

"What!"

"Who's there?"

everyone turned their heads in my direction. Already expecting this, dashing forward, I headed towards the

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

at them, my eyes slowly turned

"Stay."

Instantly everyone stopped.

"Ghhh...what!"

"Khhh..."

"S-stop him!"

listen to them, they all took a step back terrified. They could only helplessly watch as I neared my

"Gyek!"

he was doing, the individual that was setting up the portal took out his

feet abruptly stopped. Though

'”Shaa!

raised my right hand

'”Snap!