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.

he found out any of those secrets, I wasn't too sure how he would react. There was a high chance that a rift could form between us, creating some unnecessary drama that I did

"I see."

of Kevin's foot became more prominent. This was an obvious

on with

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

having

the least bit mad as his

"Visions?"

having visions in the

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

type of visions

them down. Take a look for yourself

out a small book from his dimensional space before handing

the book. Although I was confused,

'Let's see.'

I lowered my head and

is this serious, it must be something

"...What the?"

have many expectations when opening the book. Why would I? I didn't think there would be anything I didn't know, but I was quickly proven wrong

remnant? Akashic records? Black-clothed guy?

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 apart from the Akashic records which

of this world, yet at the same time couldn't be considered gods. It was a confusing concept that I decided to add near the end of the novel, but

out about the Akashic records till later in

but the visions that he was currently experiencing were also not part of

My head throbbed.

the world

forward a couple of plot points several times ahead of where they should've been. Sucked, but it was nothing new. Happened many times in the past and

Flip—!

next page. Reading through the passage, my eyes opened

resort to this if you hadn't been so

a piece you are, a piece should act as a

will

my head, I looked at Kevin who was looking back at me with a

say. It felt as though a lump was stuck in my

again reading the

"It can't be..."

muttered in disbelief as I shook

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

felt it too

gazing in my direction throughout the whole time,

pointing at the book, he

the vision was you, wasn't

"This..."

The man described in the book reminded me

"No, it can't be."

out loud as horrifying thoughts flashed across

you figure

I didn't respond.

'...Monarch's indifference.'

repeatedly rang inside of my mind as I re-read the passage multiple times. I swallowed a mouthful

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

did not stem from meeting the previous Ren but from

came from the moment I met the previous Ren, but that wasn't true at all...they came the moment I used

other Ren. Maybe that was why I never noticed it, and only

down my

"Huuu..."

to look back at any of the incidents revolving around me

was one incident that particularly stood

to save Kevin. More specifically,

goal was saving Kevin...but was it really a fluke? It had to be, didn't it? After all, under Monarch's Indifference, all that mattered was

was this nagging feeling inside of

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

head, trying to dispel such

too far-fetched to make sense, but something about that

me felt kind of forced...almost as though someone was trying to manipulate the path that I needed to take.