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.

There was a high chance

"I see."

This was an

going on with

you? Don't drag

having

me off. But I wasn't the least bit

"Visions?"

don't recall Kevin ever having visions in the

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

of visions

not too sure, but I've written them down. Take a look

book from his dimensional space

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

'Let's see.'

one more time, I lowered my head and

is this serious, it

"...What the?"

book. Why would I? I didn't think there would be anything I didn't know, but I was quickly

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 records which

considered gods. It was a confusing concept that

supposed to find out about the Akashic records till later in

the visions that he was currently experiencing were also

My head throbbed.

the world

times ahead of where they should've been. Sucked, but it was nothing new. Happened many times in the past and so I

Flip—!

I flipped to the next page. Reading through the passage, my eyes opened wide in shock,

been so compassionate, I hope her death can finally set your mind

a piece you are, a piece should

this will finally clear your

who was looking back at me with a serious look on his

repeatedly, I didn't know what to say. It felt

again reading the book, my

"It can't be..."

disbelief as I shook

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

it

my direction throughout the

and pointing at the book,

the vision was

"This..."

couldn't. The man described in the book reminded me an awful lot of me...or rather, me under the

"No, it can't be."

horrifying thoughts flashed across

figure

didn't respond. I was too immersed in my

'...Monarch's indifference.'

I re-read

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 my actions were somehow getting

ideology did not stem

ideologies that were being implanted inside of my head came from the moment I met the previous Ren, but that wasn't

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

ran down my

"Huuu..."

breath, I tried to look back at any of the incidents revolving around me using

one incident that particularly

activated it to save Kevin.

since my goal was saving Kevin...but was it really a fluke? It had

nagging feeling inside of my head that never

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

shook my head, trying to

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

incidents that had occurred to me felt kind of forced...almost as though someone