The Author's POV

After Hein's match, there were a couple of more matches, but none interested me, so I just made small talk with the others in order to pass time.

Fortunately, Hein's match was one of the very last ones as the round of 128 finally came to an end after one last big battle.

Though I said big, it was only like that because the two opponents facing each other were of similar strength and so was very entertaining to watch.

"This will be it for today's matches. I hope the contestants will take this time to rest for tomorrow's matches." The elven lady once again said as she showed up on the stage. Following her words, everyone stood up and left the premises.

Similarly standing up, just as I was about to follow the others out, Kevin came up to me. He had a serious look on his face.

Instantly my brows knit.

"...what's wrong?"

"Ren, we need to talk."

There was undeniable solemness in his voice as he spoke to me. Glancing around to make sure that the others had left, I slowly nodded.

Kevin wasn't the type of guy to act like this unless there really was something wrong. As such, I knew that the situation was serious.

"Where should we talk?"

"Your apartment."

"...my apartment?"

"Yeah. It's the place that has the least amount of people nearby."

"Fair."

And so we decided to head to my apartment to talk. The walk wasn't long as within ten minutes we were already there, but it was strangely uncomfortable as I felt this weird tension coming out from Kevin's face.

His face reminded me of someone who was just about to go to war.

Ci Clank—

Opening the door of my apartment and letting Kevin in, I slumped down on one of the chairs of the room.

Kevin shortly followed suit as he sat on the seat opposite of me.

"..."

An uncomfortable silence descended on the room as Kevin leaned forward, with both his arms on his thighs. Interlocking his hands together, Kevin's foot repeatedly tapped onto the ground.

Seeing that Kevin was having difficulty speaking, I decided to break the silence.

"...So? What did you want to talk about?"

Lifting his head, Kevin looked up at me.

"Say..."

His brows furrowed even more tightly.

"...do you perhaps have a secret that you can't tell me?"

"A secret?"

I was taken aback by his abrupt question.

'Did he find something out?...and isn't that rather vague?'

I had plenty of secrets, and so I wasn't really sure about which one he was referring to.

Nodding his head, Kevin's crimson red eyes continue to gaze in my direction.

"Yeah, do you have any secrets that you can't tell me?"

Leaning back, and deeply gazing into Kevin's eyes, I eventually nodded my head.

"...There are."

The fact that this world was a novel, the book, my skills, I had plenty of secrets that I couldn't tell him.

would react. There was a high chance that a rift could form between us, creating some unnecessary drama

"I see."

This was an obvious indication to me that he was

going on

is up with you? Don't drag it out, tell me exactly

having

the least bit

"Visions?"

ever having visions in

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

type of

sure, but I've written them down. Take a look

a small book from his dimensional space before handing

I took the book. Although I

'Let's see.'

lowered my head and directed my focus on

serious, it must be

"...What the?"

there would be anything I didn't know, but I was quickly proven wrong as my

records? Black-clothed

the greater the confusion on my face became. That was because I didn't know any of the things that were written in the book

the same time couldn't be considered gods. It was a confusing concept that I decided to add near

find out about the Akashic records

but the visions that he was currently experiencing were also not

My head throbbed.

the

several times ahead of where they should've been. Sucked, but it was nothing

Flip—!

to the next page. Reading through the passage, my eyes opened wide in shock, and my mind

to resort to this if you hadn't been so compassionate, I hope her death can finally set your mind

a piece you are, a piece should

will finally

who was looking back at

my mouth repeatedly, I didn't know what to say. It felt as though a lump was stuck

once again

"It can't be..."

in disbelief as I shook my

speaking...and those words...that's

it too

throughout the whole time, Kevin finally spoke

pointing at the book,

in the vision was you,

"This..."

all my might...but I couldn't. The man described in the book reminded

"No, it can't be."

horrifying

figure something

But I didn't respond.

'...Monarch's indifference.'

inside of my mind as I re-read the

first time I got Monarch's indifference, I had always had my reservation about using it. Not only did it feel as though I would lose all control of my body, but it also felt as though

that I look back, my chess ideology did not stem from meeting the previous Ren but from

thought that the ideologies that were being implanted inside of my head came from the moment

that was why I never noticed

down

"Huuu..."

back at any of the incidents revolving around me using

was one incident that

to save Kevin. More specifically, the time when I

thought that leaving Aaron alive was merely a side-effect of Monarch's indifference since my goal was saving Kevin...but was it really a fluke? It had to be, didn't it? After all, under

this nagging feeling inside of my

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

quickly shook my head, trying

just too far-fetched to make sense, but something about that incident really bugged me

many of the big incidents that had occurred to me felt kind of forced...almost as though someone was trying to manipulate the path that I needed