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 put on

the cigarette was the only way he could deal with the

"You?"

turned

"..."

also don't want some...sucks

his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose in the

beats a nice

"Hm?...what the"

air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit.

they shut down the broadcast

building to him

of some of the students

couple of students in their arms, Kevin could also see some professors rushing towards the entrance

"I'm also not su—"

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

mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did

on the screen in the distance,

comprehend the

"W-what."

like a goldfish, Kevin's jaw moved up and down

here? Didn't

It was only after that he realized

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in

him, Jin was also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because

someone looked

fists clenched tightly. So

***

same time, inside of the

doing

suddenly cried out

into the camera. Falling on his

see his face. It was without

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

because their eyes were glued on the

the room watched as Ren's body was enveloped by the thick and

"...kh"

the scene for a short second, Melissa grit

any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many thoughts crossed her mind

'Did Ren just die?'

the most complex problems in the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa found something she couldn't

"...just w-hat?"

head sideways, she also

with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat

"..."

Amanda's eyes never left the screen. Out of the three, she was the only one that watched the whole thing from

remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely

what was happening. What

be

to become more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started falling

almost inaudible voice, Amanda hoarsely

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment,

"Ren!"

her, like a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's mother grabbed the

son! Anyone but my son! Give

started falling by the

"Mama?"

two years old, Nola couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola understood that

too

"Maama...whaaa!"

Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father.

No.

reason he was still working at a run-down guild that