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.

out any of those secrets, I wasn't too sure how he would react. There was a high chance that a

"I see."

This was an obvious indication

going on

with you? Don't drag it

having visions

least bit mad as his words instantly

"Visions?"

having visions in the novel.

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

of

Take a look for yourself

out a small book from his dimensional space before handing it

my hand, I took the book. Although I was confused,

'Let's see.'

one more time, I lowered my head and

Kevin is this serious, it

"...What the?"

I didn't think there would be anything I didn't know, but I

remnant? Akashic records?

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

that acted as the gods 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 that wasn't what shocked

the Akashic records till later in

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

My head throbbed.

in the world is

a couple of plot points several times ahead of where they should've been. Sucked, but it was nothing new. Happened

Flip—!

next page. Reading through the

to resort to this if you hadn't been so compassionate, I

are, a piece should act as a piece

hope this will finally clear your

at Kevin who was looking back at me with a serious look

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

once again reading the

"It can't be..."

muttered in disbelief as

way of speaking...and those

felt it too

direction throughout the whole time, Kevin finally

pointing at the book, he

in the vision was

"This..."

The man described in the

"No, it can't be."

out loud as horrifying thoughts flashed

you figure something

from the side. But I didn't respond. I was too immersed

'...Monarch's indifference.'

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

feel as though I would lose all control of

did not stem from meeting the

I thought that the ideologies that were being implanted inside of my head came from the moment I met the previous Ren, but that wasn't true at all...they came the moment I

that was why I

ran down

"Huuu..."

back at any of

was one incident that particularly stood out

when I activated it to save Kevin. More specifically, the time

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 Monarch's

was this nagging feeling inside

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

shook my head, trying to

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

to me felt kind of forced...almost as though someone