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.

out any of 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 did not

"I see."

This was an obvious indication to

on

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

been having

I wasn't the least bit mad as

"Visions?"

visions in the

"...Yeah."

Kevin nodded.

of visions

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

take out a small book from his dimensional space before handing it

took the book. Although I was confused, I still

'Let's see.'

time, I lowered my head and directed my

serious, it must be something

"...What the?"

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

Akashic records? Black-clothed

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

same time couldn't be considered gods. It was a confusing concept that I decided to add near the end of the novel, but that wasn't what

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

the visions that he was

My head throbbed.

in the

the butterfly effect of my actions had pushed forward a couple of plot points several times ahead of where they should've been. Sucked, but it was nothing new. Happened many

Flip—!

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

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

of a piece you are, a piece should

this will finally clear

looking

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

my head and once again reading the book, my

"It can't be..."

disbelief as

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

felt it too

throughout the whole time, Kevin

his hand and pointing at

vision was you,

"This..."

to deny his words with 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."

as horrifying thoughts flashed across

figure something

side. But I didn't respond.

'...Monarch's indifference.'

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

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

not stem from meeting the previous

inside of my head came from the moment I met the previous Ren, but that wasn't true at all...they came the moment

was why I never noticed it, and only noticed it

down my

"Huuu..."

look back at any of the incidents revolving around

that particularly stood out

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

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

feeling inside of my

'I'm definitely overthinking things'

shook my head,

to make sense, but something

of the big incidents that had occurred to me felt kind of forced...almost as though someone was trying to manipulate the path that