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 my fists

show you just what happens when a pawn does

him, then all I had to do was do something completely out of his

just going to let someone manipulate

up with the aid of the wall, I stretched

that I was still low in mana, having recuperated some

to the door and opening it, my feet came to a sudden stop. My brows furrowed tightly as my eyes locked onto a figure in the

are you doing

way towards the other side of

eyes lay on him, I was

something wrong with

he was looking at me. It didn't feel

his hand, Kevin pointed it at

"You."

Kevin spoke.

words sounded quite

in his direction, I tried to figure

on? Are you

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

a step forward,

"Don't come any closer."

"What's wrong?"

was instantly taken

only grew as

then that he suddenly opened his mouth and

I want to ask you

asked, his face

moving

"Ask."

put on a

to ask you can just ask me. I will do my

"Okay…"

nodded his

eyes,

have any part in what

"...eh?"

receded. Lowering his head and staring at me from the top of

said, did you have any part in what

"W…what?"

figure

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

my heart started to

at him,

makes you

holographic function where a replay of Emma's fight materialized

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

look at

Kevin pointed his finger

Ren your greetings

slowly mouthed as his cold voice rang throughout

sank

'Shit...'

stopped playing, Kevin put the tablet away.

anything, yet why did he suddenly say

"That…"

his gaze, I really didn't know

of me is trying to manipulate me and Kevin to do his bidding? Would he

my lips, I struggled to find a way to explain to him what was going

of the other

the things that he couldn't possibly predict that I would reveal everything to Kevin. Regarding

escape his influence, I

really was

anything, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from

I took a

"Wait, Kevin."

too late. With a loud 'bang' Kevin's body suddenly disappeared

his fists hurtling in my direction like a cannonball.

'Damn it!'

late for me to speak, gritting my teeth, I pressed my foot on the ground and sidestepped, narrowly voiding his fist by an

dodging the attack, channeling the small amount of mana I had in my hand, I softly placed my palm on his abdomen.

Booom—

a missile, Kevin's body slid backward till his back crashed against the side of the wall. From where I was standing