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

the only way he

"You?"

then turned to

"..."

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

instructor. Flicking his fingers, the cigarette lit

Puff.

slowly rose

a nice

"Hm?...what the"

brows suddenly knit.

shut

on the opposite building to him was

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

Kevin could also see

"I'm also not su—"

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

instructor mid-sentence. This anger the instructor

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

a couple of times to comprehend the situation, his

"W-what."

Kevin's jaw moved up and down repeatedly. But no sound escaped

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

through his mind. It was only after

"REE——!"

—BOOOOOOOM!

drowned out by the large explosion that erupted within the dome. Taking his hand off the barrier, Kevin watched in despair as

monitor's in the distance.

someone looked

see his fists clenched tightly. So

***

the same time, inside of the Lock private waiting

Ren doing over

cried

Ren's figure staring into the camera. Falling

could see his face.

Then.

—BOOOOOOOM!

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

was because their eyes were glued on the TV screen in front of

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

"...kh"

short second, Melissa grit her teeth and turned

at this moment her mind was a mess.

'Did Ren just die?'

world, for the first time in her life, Melissa found something she couldn't

"...just w-hat?"

her head sideways, she also

to supress her screams. Even then, as if

"..."

eyes never left the screen. Out of the

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

what was happening.

couldn't be

Amanda, and before she knew it, tears had already started falling by the

her mouth, in an almost inaudible

"...Liar. "

***

"Noooooo!"

large apartment, a high-pitched

"Ren!"

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

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

tears had already started falling by the

"Mama?"

even then, seeing the state her mother was in, Nola

too started

"Maama...whaaa!"

resemblance to Ren, was Ronald Dover, his father. He wasn't a many

No.

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