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.

those secrets, I wasn't too sure how he would react. There was a high chance that a rift could form between

"I see."

became more prominent. This was an obvious indication to me that he

on

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

having

off. But I wasn't the least bit mad

"Visions?"

Kevin ever having visions

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

type of visions were

not too sure, but I've written them down. Take a look for yourself and tell me

a small book from his dimensional space before handing it

the book. Although I was confused,

'Let's see.'

time, I lowered my head and directed my

serious,

"...What the?"

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

Akashic records?

my face became. That was because I didn't know any of the things that were

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,

find out about the Akashic records till later in the

was currently experiencing

My head throbbed.

the

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

Flip—!

to the next page. Reading through the passage, my eyes opened

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

a piece you are, a piece should

hope this will finally

I looked at Kevin who was looking back at me

to say. It felt as though a lump was stuck

head and once again reading the book,

"It can't be..."

in disbelief as

way of speaking...and those words...that's definitely

felt it

my direction throughout the whole time, Kevin finally

hand and pointing at the book, he

in the vision was you, wasn't

"This..."

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

"No, it can't be."

loud as horrifying thoughts flashed

you figure something

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

'...Monarch's indifference.'

of my mind as I re-read the passage multiple times. I swallowed a

using it. Not only did it feel as

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

head came from the

I met the other Ren. Maybe that was

ran down my

"Huuu..."

at any

one incident that particularly stood out

back in the dome when I activated it to save Kevin. More

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 Monarch's Indifference, all that mattered was the end goal, not the side

nagging feeling inside of my head that

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

my head, trying to dispel such

theory was just too far-fetched to make sense, but

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