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.

to Kevin was trying to put on a brave front, Kevin knew that deep down he was

cigarette was the only way

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

also don't

Flicking his fingers, the

Puff.

slowly rose in the

a

"Hm?...what the"

floating in the air, Kevin's brows suddenly

shut

building to him was

some of the students

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

"I'm also not su—"

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

cutting off the instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor a bit, but Kevin did not seem

at the scene displayed on the screen in the distance, Kevin all of

comprehend the situation, his body

"W-what."

up and

here? Didn't he already arrive? This must be

ran through his mind. It was only

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as

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

if someone

tightly. So

***

inside of

doing over

suddenly cried out

the screen opposite to her was Ren's figure staring into the camera. Falling on his knees, he mumbled something to the

the room could see his

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

from the dome, the aftershockes of the explosion were so strong that the windows trembled unctrontrollably. It was as

because their eyes were glued on

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

"...kh"

second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned her head to

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

'Did Ren just die?'

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

"...just w-hat?"

Turning her head sideways, she also stopped herself from watching the TV

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

"..."

of the three, she

fixed on the television screen.

grasp, what was happening. What had

be

for Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started falling by the side of her

an almost

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

a relatively large apartment, a high-pitched scream

"Ren!"

of her, like a crazed person, Samantha Dover, Ren's

son! Anyone but my son! Give me my son back!

already started falling

"Mama?"

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

she too started to

"Maama...whaaa!"

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

No.

reason he was still working at a run-down guild that was filled with debt was because