The Author's POV

Raising his hand, Kevin knocked on the door of Ren's apparent.

To Tok—

However, upon knocking on the door he was met with no response.

To Tok—

Frowning, Kevin knocked once again. But, yet again, he was met with no response.

'Is he not back yet? Could he perhaps be training?'

Although Ren seemed like a slacker he was in fact someone who worked hard, therefore, Kevin quickly came to the assumption that he was training at the moment. Well, at least to him, that was the most probable location of where he could be.

As his thoughts paused there, he started hesitating.

'Should I? ...or should I not?'

If he was training, then he didn't really want to disturb him. He knew just how annoying it was when someone interrupted him in the middle of his training.

"Screw it."

But after thinking things through, he decided to go anyways.

He desperately needed answers.

The doubts that were rising within him were starting to eat at his sanity.

He had to deal with them right now.

And so, after once again checking to see if Ren was present in the room or not, Kevin decided to head to the training grounds.

***

At the same time.

Opening my eyes, I found myself back in the training room.

Di—! Di—!

[00 : 00]

What followed after was the repetitive sound of the alarm ringing, signaling that the training session was over. What followed after was a subtle clicking sound and the door opened.

"haaa...haaa..."

Leaning my head back, I breathed heavily.

At the moment my mana was completely drained and I had trouble moving my body.

As I had left my bracelet back in my apartment, I did not have anything to refuel my mana with. This was a precaution I took in the chance that the other Ren took over my body.

Fortunately, nothing happened, but I didn't want to take the risk.

Closing my eyes, instead of leaving the room I remained seated and channeled the mana in the surroundings towards myself.

As I was recuperating my mana, I started thinking back on my experience.

'Looks like I was right, Monarch's indifference is not a simple skill.'

For me to suddenly be brought to a weird void the moment I activated the skill, I could tell that there was now more to it than it looked on the surface.

My apprehension towards it grew even more.

Not only that but the fact that I was somehow able to get the skill made me question reality. Did I really get the skill by simple coincidence? ...If so it wouldn't make sense. How could such a skill suddenly fall in my hands like that?

The more I thought about it, the more questions I had.

But if there was one thing I was now certain about, it was the fact that I was being manipulated.

Whoever the other Ren was, he was trying to make me act like he wanted to. Disgust washed over me as my thoughts paused there and my eyes opened.

'Is this how others feel when I manipulate them?'

Disgusting.

Scratching the side of my head till my hair became messy, I coldly muttered.

"...Want to treat me as a pawn?"

my head, I clenched

what happens when a pawn does

him, then all I

wasn't just going to let someone manipulate

the aid of the wall, I stretched

that I was still low in mana, having recuperated some of it in the meantime, it was now

sudden stop. My brows furrowed tightly as my eyes locked onto a

you

other

my eyes lay on him,

something wrong with

way he was looking at me. It didn't feel

his hand, Kevin pointed it at

"You."

Kevin spoke.

sounded quite

his direction, I tried to figure out

what's going on? Are

got from what happened to Emma must still be haunting him. Perhaps he came here to train and get his mind off of

step

"Don't come any closer."

"What's wrong?"

was instantly taken aback by his

me only grew as he

that he suddenly opened

I want to ask

asked, his face

confused, I stopped moving and

"Ask."

put on a

you have anything to ask you can just ask me. I will

"Okay…"

nodded

my eyes, his voice

any part in what happened with

"...eh?"

my face quickly receded. Lowering his

said, did you have any part in what

"W…what?"

he figure

Ba...thump! Ba...thump!

my heart started to speed

him, I forced

makes you

Kevin took out his tablet and turned on the holographic function where a replay of Emma's fight materialized in

the video changed and it soon paused at the time where Aaron stabbed Emma in

look at Aaron's

the footage, Kevin pointed

hope you send Ren

mouthed as his cold voice rang throughout the

sank at

'Shit...'

Kevin put the tablet away. Tilting his head, he

have remembered anything, yet why did

"That…"

meeting his gaze, I really didn't know

me is trying to manipulate me and Kevin to do his bidding?

him what was going on. But

said before, in order to get out of the other Ren's influence, I had to

I would reveal everything to Kevin. Regarding the matter about my reincarnation, and all the

his influence, I had to do something that I would normally

really was

before I could say anything, a powerful

took a step

"Wait, Kevin."

was already too late. With a loud 'bang' Kevin's body suddenly disappeared before reappearing right in front

eyes wide, I saw his fists hurtling in my direction like a cannonball. What followed his fist

'Damn it!'

me to speak, gritting my teeth, I pressed my foot on the ground and sidestepped, narrowly voiding

softly placed my palm on his abdomen. My movement was so fast and fluid that Kevin was unable to

Booom—

slid backward till his back crashed against the side of the wall. From where I was standing