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.

Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on

cigarette was the only way he could

"You?"

turned to

"..."

also don't

Flicking his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose

a

"Hm?...what the"

the smoke that was floating in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly

they shut down the

on the opposite building to him was a

Kevin could see the images of some

could also see some professors rushing towards

"I'm also not su—"

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

Kevin, cutting off the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a

in the distance, Kevin all of a

a couple of times to comprehend the situation, his body suddenly

"W-what."

Kevin's jaw moved up and down repeatedly.

Didn't he already arrive? This

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin

also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face never changed, no

if someone looked

tightly. So tightly

***

inside of the Lock private

Ren doing over

suddenly cried out

into the camera. Falling on his knees,

room could see his face. It

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so

eyes were glued on the TV screen in front

enveloped by the

"...kh"

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

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

'Did Ren just die?'

ability to comprehend the most complex problems in the world, for the first time in her life, Melissa

"...just w-hat?"

head sideways,

to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry, no words escaped from her

"..."

left the screen. Out of the three, she was

a statue, her eyes remained fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was completely numb at

grasp, what was

be

to become more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew it,

an almost inaudible voice, Amanda

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

TV screen in front of her, like a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's mother grabbed the TV screen and

but my son! Give me my son back! Give him back

falling by the

"Mama?"

two years old, Nola couldn't comprehend a lot. But even then, seeing the

she too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

loved his family tremendously. The only reason he was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was because of