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.

I wasn't too sure how he would react. There was a high chance that a

"I see."

This was an obvious indication to me

on with

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

been having

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

"Visions?"

having visions in the

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

type of visions

down. Take a look for yourself and tell

proceeded to take out a small book from his dimensional space before

my hand, I took the book. Although I

'Let's see.'

Kevin one more time, I lowered my head and directed my focus on the book in my

is this serious, it

"...What the?"

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

Akashic records? Black-clothed guy?

I read, the greater the confusion 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 I already knew

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

supposed to find out about the Akashic records

was

My head throbbed.

in the

plot points several times ahead of where they should've been. Sucked, but it was

Flip—!

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

wouldn't have had to resort to this if you hadn't been so compassionate, I hope her death can finally set your

piece you are, a piece should act as a piece should

will finally clear your

Kevin who was looking back at me with

say. It felt as

again reading the book, my hands

"It can't be..."

disbelief as I shook my

speaking...and

felt it too

gazing in my direction throughout the

pointing at

vision was you,

"This..."

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

"No, it can't be."

as horrifying thoughts flashed across

you figure something

But I didn't respond.

'...Monarch's indifference.'

re-read the passage multiple

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

I look back, my chess ideology did not stem from meeting

the moment I met the previous Ren, but that wasn't

Maybe that was why I never noticed it, and only noticed

down

"Huuu..."

deep breath, I tried to look back at

that particularly stood out to

I activated it to save Kevin. More specifically, the

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

was this nagging feeling inside

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

shook my head, trying to

too far-fetched to make sense, but something

incidents that had occurred to me felt kind of forced...almost as though someone was trying to manipulate the path that I needed to take. I couldn't quite explain