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.

had a different way to deal with anxieties. Although the instructor next to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin

the only way

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

you also don't want some...sucks for

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette

Puff.

rose in

beats a

"Hm?...what the"

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

they shut down

to him

the images of some of the students desperately

students in their arms, Kevin could also

"I'm also not su—"

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

anger the

screen in the distance, Kevin all of a sudden noticed

a couple of times to comprehend the situation, his body

"W-what."

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

he doing there? Wasn't 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 that

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

Taking his hand off

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

someone looked

see his fists clenched tightly. So

***

time, inside of the Lock private waiting

doing over

cried

the screen opposite to her was Ren's figure staring into the

his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

the 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

was because their eyes were glued on

watched as Ren's body was enveloped by the thick

"...kh"

second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head

watch the scene any longer. Though her head was usually always clear, at this moment her mind was

'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?"

sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the

with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then, as if her throat was dry, no

"..."

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

statue, her eyes remained fixed on the television screen.

was happening. What had she just

be dead

more laborious for Amanda, and before she knew

an almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream rang

"Ren!"

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

not my son! Anyone but my son! Give me my son back! Give

already started falling

"Mama?"

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

too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

bearing a striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father.

No.

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