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.

with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin knew that deep down he

was the only way he could deal with the

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

also don't want some...sucks for

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette

Puff.

slowly rose in the

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

smoke that was floating in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning his attention back to

shut down

to him was a

Kevin could see the images of some of the students desperately

their arms, Kevin could also see some

"I'm also not su—"

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

anger the instructor a bit,

screen in the distance, Kevin all of

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

"W-what."

goldfish, Kevin's jaw moved up and down repeatedly.

he supposed to already be here? Didn't he already arrive?

a short second, millions of thoughts ran through his mind. It was only after that he realized what was happening

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand

him, Jin was also staring at the monitor's in the distance. Because his face never

if someone looked

his fists clenched tightly.

***

same time, inside of the Lock

doing

cried

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

room could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

whole room shook. Because they were quite far from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled unctrontrollably. It was as

That was because their eyes were

was enveloped

"...kh"

at the scene for a short second, Melissa grit

at this moment her mind

'Did Ren just die?'

for the first time in her life,

"...just w-hat?"

too showed a similar reaction. Turning her head sideways,

screams. Even then,

"..."

hand, unlike the other two, Amanda's eyes never left the screen. Out of the three, she was the only one that watched

fixed on the television screen. Amanda's mind was

was happening. What had

be

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

mouth, in an almost inaudible voice,

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

of a relatively large apartment, a

"Ren!"

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

Give me my son back! Give him back

already started falling by the side of her

"Mama?"

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

too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

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