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 a brave front, Kevin knew that

the cigarette was the only way he

"You?"

turned

"..."

also don't want

his fingers,

Puff.

rose in the

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

the air, Kevin's brows suddenly knit. Turning his

they shut down the broadcast

on the opposite building to him was a

see the images of some of the students desperately running away for

their arms, Kevin could also see some professors

"I'm also not su—"

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

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

in the distance, Kevin all of a sudden

couple of times to comprehend the situation, his body

"W-what."

moved up and down repeatedly. But no sound escaped from

there? Wasn't he supposed to already be here? Didn't he already arrive? This

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

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

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

someone

see his fists clenched tightly. So tightly

***

same time, inside of the Lock

doing

suddenly cried out in

staring into the camera. Falling on his knees, he

room could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

That was because their eyes were glued on the

Ren's body was enveloped by

"...kh"

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

clear, at this moment her mind was a mess. Many thoughts

'Did Ren just die?'

world, for the first time in

"...just w-hat?"

Turning her head sideways, she also stopped

her mouth with her hand, she tried to supress her screams. Even then,

"..."

the screen. Out of the three, she was the only one that

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

was happening. What had she just

couldn't be

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

in an almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

in front of her, like a crazed person, Samantha

but my son! Give me my son

falling by the

"Mama?"

then, seeing

she too

"Maama...whaaa!"

a striking resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many of many words, but that didn't mean that he didn't love his

No.

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