The Author's POV

Minutes before the explosion, outside of the dome.

"Jin, you're here."

Kevin approached Jin.

Looking left and right, he asked.

"Have perhaps you seen Ren anywhere?"

Staring at the large translucent barrier covering the dome, Jin shook his head.

"No."

"Strange..." Kevin murmured. "I thought he'd be here already since he left earlier than me."

Having left before him, Kevin assumed that Ren had already left the dome.

'Perhaps he's already left the area?'

Though Plausible, Kevin shook his head.

Even if he chose to go back, he wouldn't have gotten far. Especially since Ren only left a minute before him.

Most likely, he was still roaming around here somewhere or was with a professor.

"Hey, you two! Help out over here!"

"..uh?"

Snapping Kevin out of his thoughts was a rough voice. Turning his head, Kevin spotted a professor in the distance.

With one hand touching the blue barrier, using his right hand, the professor motioned him and Jin to go to him.

Kevin immediately rushed to the professor. Jin silently followed from behind.

"How may I help you?"

"How is your mana reserve?"

The professor asked.

"Half."

"Good...you?"

The professor turned his attention to Jin.

Squinting his eyes for a second, Jin eventually responded.

"...About the same."

"Hm, that's perfect, I need you both to channel your mana inside of the barrier."

"Channel our mana inside of the barrier?"

"Mhm, we need as many helping hands as possible. This is the only way we can contain the large explosion from affecting the civilians that have come today."

The instructor's voice became serious.

"You understand how serious the situation is, right?"

If the explosion was not contained, many of the people that had come to attend the tournament would die. Especially since the majority couldn't defend themselves. Not everyone was a powerful hero.

"Understood."

Kevin's back straightened.

Convinced by the instructor's words, Kevin immediately placed his hand on the barrier and injected his mana into it. Jin did as well.

By the side, taking out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, the instructor thought for a moment before asking.

"Want some?"

"No, thank you"

Taken aback for a second, Kevin refused.

Even though smoking was not something that would affect his health as it did in the past, Kevin hated the smell.

the instructor next to Kevin was trying to

way he

"You?"

then turned

"..."

don't

the instructor. Flicking his fingers, the

Puff.

rose

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

the air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning

they shut down the

on the opposite building to

the images of some of the students desperately running away for

arms, Kevin could also see some

"I'm also not su—"

"...Hm? Isn't that Ren?"

anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did not

displayed on the screen in the distance,

of times to comprehend the situation, his body suddenly

"W-what."

like a goldfish, Kevin's jaw moved up and down repeatedly. But no sound escaped from

supposed to already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be an illusion. What

mind. It was only after that he realized what was happening that he opened his

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as Ren's figure slowly disappeared within the

was also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his

if someone looked

his fists clenched tightly.

***

same time, inside of the Lock private

doing over

cried out

screen opposite to her was Ren's figure staring into the camera. Falling on his knees, he

in the room could see his face. It was without

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled unctrontrollably.

one cared. That was because their eyes were glued on the

everyone in the room watched as Ren's body was enveloped

"...kh"

for a short second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head to the

couldn't watch the scene any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many thoughts crossed her

'Did Ren just die?'

in the world, for the first time in

"...just w-hat?"

head sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the

Even then, as if her throat was dry, no

"..."

eyes never left the screen. Out of the three,

fixed on the television screen.

process, grasp, what was happening. What had

be dead

to become more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started falling by the side of her

her mouth, in an almost inaudible voice, Amanda hoarsely

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

of her, like a crazed person,

my son! Anyone but my son! Give

had already started falling

"Mama?"

then, seeing the state her mother was

too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

sofa opposite to them, bearing a striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words, but

No.

The only reason he was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was