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 us, creating some unnecessary drama that I

"I see."

Kevin's foot became more prominent. This was an obvious indication

going on

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

been having

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

"Visions?"

visions

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

of visions

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

small book from

the book. Although I was

'Let's see.'

Kevin one more time, I lowered my head

serious, it must be

"...What the?"

expectations when opening the book. Why would I? I didn't think there would be anything

records? Black-clothed

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

be considered gods. It was a confusing concept that I decided to add near the

isn't supposed to find out about the Akashic records till later in

that he was currently experiencing

My head throbbed.

the

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

Flip—!

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

hadn't been so compassionate, I hope her death can finally

you are, a piece should

this will finally clear your

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

and closing my mouth repeatedly, I didn't know what to say. It felt as though a

again reading the book, my

"It can't be..."

as

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

it too

my direction throughout the whole

pointing at the book, he

person in the vision

"This..."

in the book reminded me an awful lot of me...or rather, me under the

"No, it can't be."

as horrifying thoughts flashed

figure something

I didn't respond.

'...Monarch's indifference.'

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

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 controlled by

aside...now that I look back, my chess ideology did not

came from the moment I met the previous

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

ran down

"Huuu..."

at any of the incidents revolving around me

one incident that particularly

when I activated it to

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

there was this nagging feeling inside of my

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

my head, trying to

too far-fetched to make sense, but something about that incident really

to me felt kind of forced...almost as though someone was trying to manipulate