The Author's POV

-Swooosh!

Extending his hand forward and swiping right, the scene before me changed once again. This time, instead of a classroom, it was right outside Ren's house.

Standing outside of Ren's house, Ren and Matthew stood before each other.

Compared to before, Matthew's demenour was completely different. If before he was gloomy and lonely, he now looked like an outstanding and refined young man. His very presence screamed elegance.

His warm eyes and voice would instantly cause everyone who met him to have a good impression of him.

...A stark contrast to before.

Smiling, Matthew took out two transparent potions from his pocket and showed them to Ren.

"Hey Ren, my dad was extremely happy with my results recently and he gave me two advanced potions!"

"What! How did you even get a hold of such expensive potions?"

Opening his eyes wide, Ren couldn't help but look at the two potions with a hint of envy.

It had to be noted that a single advanced potion could go for tens of millions of U. That's how expensive they were. Moreover, compared to intermediate ones, they were much more efficient.

No wonder Ren was surprised...

Scratching the back of his head and chuckling, Matthew said

"Well, I really did please my father this time. After he gave them to me, he said that it was a good investment into my future"

"...damn, I'm getting jealous here. I haven't even tried an intermediate potion, let alone an advanced one"

Nodding his head multiple times, extending his hands, Matthew put both potions in Ren's hand.

"Yup I know, that's why I'm giving them to you...More precisely give them to your parents"

Stupefied, Ren's hands shook as he held onto those potions. With his eyes wide open, Ren's voice couldn't help but tremble

"W-what are you doing?"

"I'm giving them to you"

"D-dude, do you know how expensive these things are? what about you?"

Seeing Ren's state, Matthew couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Hahaha, no worries. I already had one, it's the least I can do to repay your parents for having taken care of me over the years. If I had to be honest, they're like my second parents..."

-Crack!

"...Bullshit!"

Turning my head, I saw Ren beside me clenching his fist hard as his hands cracked. His face became incomparably dark as he stared at Matthew with pure hatred. Biting his lips, he coldly spat

"If you truly cared about them like they were your second parents you wouldn't have...damnit!"

Confused, I wanted to ask what he meant by that, but I decided to just watch the scene before me unfold. I was bound to find the answer sooner or later...

Staring at the two potions in his hands, Ren hesitated before looking back at Matthew and once again asking in a trembling voice.

"A-are you sure?"

"Yeah, just take it"

Staring at Matthew, and noticing his earnest expression. Ren shook his head and sighed.

taking them, refusing you will just be

parents when you give them the potions. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be the man I

his head, Ren

"Sure, I will"

smile on his face,

turned around, the smile on his face

"I'm sorry best friend..."

-Swooosh!

looking at me, swiping right, once again, the scenery around me changed. Glancing at Ren who was beside me, though he returned to his usual indifferent

was trying his best to

"Y-ou ho-w could you!!"

figure appeared kneeling on the ground as he

could I? Kuku, I don't know. I

Matthew tried to hold his laughter back, but he

Ren...I really had no choice, ku,ku

wide, Ren stared at Matthew who was laughing

could you betray

-Bam

"khh...I can't!"

the invisible wall, the memory paused. Clenching

"...This was the day"

tightly as he glared in Matthew's

was the day my life was

-Vuam!

started exuding from Ren's

Ren's current state, I grabbed his shoulder and tried to snap him out of

calm down, explain to

-Shua!

trying to calm himself down,

remember the potions he had

"Yeah"

head, I remembered. How could

try advanced potions once. However, with the price each one went for, I could only admire them

with

help

The mind

of the strongest

a simple flick of their fingers, whoever was under the curse

curse as it was undetectable. You wouldn't realize you were cursed before it was already

...a demon.

"huh?"

opening my eyes widely, I couldn't help but stare

that I understood, glancing back towards

made a contract with a

"what..ah..e"

at Ren for a couple of seconds, I tried to say something, but in the

happened, but...ever since that last memory,

I thought he was trying his

Ren covered

in his

I

Ren struggle to speak,

he had

he regarded as a brother turned into a

"Khhhh...damnit!"

distance Veins pooped

do everything he asked me to do...be it sneak inside of my parent's room to give him secret information regarding the guild operations or any other sensitive information that costed the guild quite dearly...I did his

looking at me in the eyes,

was the reason why my