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.

was a high chance that a rift could form between us, creating

"I see."

This was an obvious

on

Don't drag it out, tell

having visions

off. But I wasn't the least bit mad as

"Visions?"

ever having visions in the novel. Another

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

of visions were

but I've written them down. Take a look for yourself and tell

small book from his dimensional

the book.

'Let's see.'

Kevin one more time, I lowered my head and directed

Kevin is this serious, it must be

"...What the?"

book. Why would I? I didn't think there

records? Black-clothed guy?

know any of the things that were written

be considered gods. It was a

supposed to find out about the Akashic records till later in the

only that but the visions that he was currently experiencing were also not

My head throbbed.

the world

should've been. Sucked, but it was nothing new. Happened many times in

Flip—!

page. Reading through the passage, my eyes opened wide in

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

matter how important of a piece you are, a piece should act as a

hope this will finally clear

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

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

head and once again reading the book, my hands

"It can't be..."

as I

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

felt it

gazing in my direction throughout the whole

his hand and pointing at the

the vision was you, wasn't

"This..."

all my might...but I couldn't. The man described in the book reminded me an awful lot of me...or rather,

"No, it can't be."

out loud as horrifying thoughts flashed across my

you figure something

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

'...Monarch's indifference.'

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

indifference, I had always had my reservation about using it. Not only did it feel as though I would lose

did not stem from meeting

from the moment I

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

ran down my

"Huuu..."

deep breath, I tried to look back at any of the incidents

was one incident that particularly

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

Monarch's indifference since my goal was saving Kevin...but was it really a fluke? It had to be, didn't

nagging feeling inside of my

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

my head, trying to

sense, but something about that incident

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