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.

get

on the side of

were currently being displayed on national television. Everyone

on the same screen as theirs. If

more she thought about it, the greater her anger

"Just you fucking wait..."

***

stood on top of a tree and

E ranks and three

faint, the undulations of magic emanating from the bodies of the students before me suggested that they were around

going

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

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 the ground in the middle pretending to fiddle with the

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

I was already

'”Vrrrrrr! '”Vrrrrrr!

my watch vibrated. Twisting my

"...yes."

the watch near

"Are you ready?"

the portal and the

a similar situation to mine, as

also found them. Tell me

scenario was the same, then the portal should also be

are four 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

paused before

from a lower-end academy. The strangest thing is their rank. It shouldn't be possible for such a low-end academy to have such talented individuals. They are individuals that even

my head, my eyes squinted

Guess I've got the short

I got five. What a

'”Hee...sucks for you.

became slightly sarcastic. My brows

"You taunting me?"

'”...no.

a short pause before he replied. My mouth twitched as a

me in the middle of a serious

Kevin joke in such serious situations? Wasn't he supposed to be the serious

was definitely

hidden beneath the ground. Right in the middle of all of the five individuals. At least that's from

explaining

"You sure?"

your situation

"Yeah..you making a move?"

so I can't afford to be sloppy. I'm setting everything up for an

"...Clever."

was stupid. Taking the initiative and doing a surprise attack was the most efficient way to win

to start. You should

"Yeah."

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

guess I should get started as

'”Di! '”Di!

A glaring red notification clogged the screen

may now engage with the

the message, the edges of

"...talk about perfect timing"

'”Thud!

feet abruptly stopped. At this point, I stopped breathing and

start with one of the

'”Click!

sword, the all too familiar clicking

'”Thud.

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. Although the shield saved his

"What!"

"Who's there?"

did not go unnoticed as everyone turned their heads in my direction. Already expecting this, dashing forward, I

me attack their most important member. Taking out their weapons, they

slowly

"Stay."

Instantly everyone stopped.

"Ghhh...what!"

"Khhh..."

"S-stop him!"

all took a step back terrified. They could only helplessly

"Gyek!"

doing, the individual that was setting up the

Though confused, the individual before me slashed in

'”Shaa!

raised

'”Snap!