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.

react. There was a high chance that a rift could form between us, creating some unnecessary drama that

"I see."

became more prominent. This was an obvious indication to

going on with

drag it out, tell me exactly

been having visions

I wasn't the least bit mad

"Visions?"

visions

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

type of

written them down. Take a look for yourself and tell me

book from

I took the book. Although I

'Let's see.'

head

this serious, it

"...What the?"

didn't 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 as

remnant? Akashic records? Black-clothed guy?

the confusion on my face became. That was because I didn't know any of the things that were written in the book

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

out about the Akashic records till

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

My head throbbed.

the world is

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

Flip—!

I flipped to the next page. Reading through the passage, my eyes

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

are, a piece should act as a

this will

my head, I looked at Kevin who was looking

know what to say. It felt as though a lump

head and once again reading the book, my

"It can't be..."

as I

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

it

throughout the whole time,

his hand and pointing at the book,

vision was you, wasn't

"This..."

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

"No, it can't be."

muttered out loud as horrifying thoughts

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.

it. Not only did it feel as though I would lose all control of my body, but it also felt as though my actions

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

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..."

look back at any

one incident that particularly stood out

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

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

feeling inside of my head that

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

my head, trying to dispel

to make sense, but something about that incident

though someone was trying to