Chapter 10

Ren’s Pov

The reason I was heading toward the center was simple: I needed to attract as many people as possible and take them down one by one. On the surface, it might seem like a reckless plan, but there was another factor in play. They would all underestimate me, approach me with their guard down, thinking I was an easy kill. That sense of superiority would be their downfall.

I was just getting goosebumps thinking about it, the excitement I would get when I kill them all in this simulation and make them regret looking down on me was making the hellish training I’d gone through until now worth it.

‘Oh man… I really am a huge sadist’

Woosh!-Woosh!-Woosh!

Taking three steps, I finally reached the center of the map. How did I know where the center of the map was? Since this was a VR simulation and not reality, at the top right corner of my eye there was a circle and inside it was the map of this terrain, making it easier to navagate it.

After making sure there was nobody near my vicinity, I pout myself on the ground, waiting. Getting quite bored of just sitting around, I decided to screw the plan I made before coming here and hunt them myself.

Roaming around and observing the terrain, I noticed how detailed the landscape was. It was almost like reality but with a few minor flaws, I observed a few times that the surroundings glitch anad turn hazy for a few seconds, which messes with your eyes. The terrain also seems repetitive like, I observed the same tree over and over again, every tree in the forest was like the creator of the simulation copied and pasted the tree over and over again.

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Thud!

A throwing knife was stuck deep into the tree where my head was just a second ago, looking in thr direction the knife came from, I found one person looking straight at me, with a grim expression on their face.

I smirked as I locked eyes with the person who had just thrown the knife. His grim expression betrayed his frustration—he had missed.

"Looks like you’ll need more than that to take me down," I taunted, pulling the knife out of the tree and tossing it aside.

The student narrowed his eyes, clearly irritated by my actions. He drew his sword, a sleek and well-balanced blade that glinted under the simulated sunlight. From the way he carried himself, I could tell he was no amatuer.

He charged at me without a word, his sword slicing through the air with precision. I sidestepped his initial attack, the blade whistling past my ear. His movements were fluid, each strike calculated, but I could see the slight hesitation in his eyes, the doubt creeping in as he realized he wasn’t dealing with an easy target.

We exchanged blows, the clash of our swords echoing through the simulated forest. He was good, no doubt about it—his technique was sharp. But he was too predictable. He stuck to the basics, relying on textbook maneuvers that were easy to read. I waited patiently, blocking and dodging, letting him wear himself down.

Finally, he made a mistake. He overextended on a strike aimed at my ribcage, leaving himself open for just a moment. It was all the opportunity I needed. I twisted my body, dodging his blade by a hair’s breadth, and countered with a quick, decisive strike. My katana sliced through the air, catching him off guard. He tried to parry, but it was too late—I was already inside his guard.

My blade slashed across his chest, a deep, clean cut that ended the fight. He gasped, his eyes wide with shock as he stumbled back, dropping his sword. Blood began to pour from the wound, staining his uniform as he fell to his knees.

"You should’ve known better," I said coldly, watching as the life drained from his eyes. With a final, pitiful grunt, he collapsed to the ground.

A notification popped up in my vision:

[Student Ren has earned 1 point!]

I dismissed it with a swipe, barely acknowledging the achievement. The thrill of the kill sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn’t help but grin. The rush, the adrenaline—it was intoxicating.

But there was no time to linger. I knew the noise of our fight would attract others, and I intended to use that to my advantage. I sheathed my katana, the blade sliding smoothly into the scabbard, and moved swiftly towards the center of the map once more.

I wanted more. More points, more blood, more victories. This was just the beginning. Let them come, let them underestimate me. I would show them all that the "Manaless orphan" was far from helpless. And when this simulation ended, I’d make sure my name was the last one standing at the top of the leaderboard.