The Author's POV

Gazing in Kevin's direction, I lowered my head and stared at the floor next to me.

Following my hints, Kevin who had calmed down slowly walked over and sat down. He didn't say a single word throughout the whole time.

I didn't blame him for his reaction.

Resting my arms over my knees, I opened my mouth.

"Where should I start? There's much I have to say…"

There truly were a lot of things that I wanted to say.

So many that I had difficulty trying to sort my thoughts out.

But in the end, after realizing just how important it was for me to disclose everything, I calmed myself down.

Eyeing Kevin from the side of my eyes, I muttered.

"Just so you know, you're the only one that I've ever told my secret. I hope you don't tell anyone else about my secret."

This was a secret that I originally meant to take with me to the grave, but circumstances forced me to do otherwise. If I didn't disclose everything, the rift that the other Ren was trying to create between me, Kevin, and the others would simply widen.

But, if possible, I wanted only Kevin to know. It wasn't that I didn't trust the others, but I didn't want the others to have a false idea about who I was.

"Can you do that for me?"

"…okay."

After a long silence, Kevin eventually nodded his head. I smiled in response.

"Thanks."

Then, letting out a deep sigh, I began recounting to him everything.

"…well, it all started a week prior to the beginning of the Lock. That was the day I awoke...or should I say, those were the days where my memories began."

***

"The moment I woke up, I had faint recollections of a previous world where mana did not exist and I was a novel writer. A failed one at that."

"Luminescent swordman. That was the name of the last novel I created, and the name of the protagonist was...Kevin Voss."

Listening to Ren's words, Kevin's anger slowly started to disappear and what replaced it was pure shock.

The shock was so strong that Kevin found himself unable to speak nor think as his mind was entranced by every word that Ren said.

Many times he wanted to outright stop Ren from speaking.

He just couldn't come to terms with what he was saying. This world was a novel that he created, and he was the main character of that world? How could he believe that? But the more Ren talked, the more things started to align with his weird behavior, his deep knowledge regarding a few things, and his way of words.

Kevin's heart started to sink.

Doubt started to creep deep into his body as his face paled.

'Could his words be true?'

"It was only after the events after Immorra that I stopped being passive with my knowledge regarding the wo—"

"...Bullshit."

Kevin finally mouthed out loud, cutting Ren off. He just couldn't listen to Ren's words anymore.

He couldn't accept the idea that everything that had happened to him was merely part of some writing that Ren wrote.

Weren't Ren's words essentially saying that all the disasters that were currently happening to the world were a fabrication of his imagination? Were everything he felt in the past and his memories also fake?

Kevin couldn't accept it!

"You can't be real. It's impossible."

smile on his face,

was lying, but, I'm not. What I told you was nothing but the

mid-speech, Ren's face

what I originally believed to be the

upon hearing those words. A trace of hope rekindled

"What do you mean?"

and relaxed during that time before finally, looking straight at Kevin straight in the eyes, he

to believe in those memories. I think that world was a fake world designed by someone to make me act the way that they wanted

"...What?"

Kevin intensified. Leaning his

implanted those memories into you, and is trying to manipulate

difficult face, Ren

"Right..."

lifting his

that I'm lying, but whatever is happening to me, their target

"Me?"

raised his brows in surprise. However, the surprise did not last for long as flashbacks of the

the vision was real?...and the one responsible for killing Emma

was slowly starting

of the future. Apprehension instantly

what Kevin was thinking,

the entity responsible for all of this

slightly before

incident regarding Emma, you were right. I was somehow responsible for

words thunderously clapped inside of Kevin's ears as his eyes

did not last for long as Kevin was

linked everything to the previous flashback, he already understood that whatever happened to Emma was

told you that the entity

Ren suddenly asked.

Kevin

"Continue."

Ren pursed his lips.

try to harm

words, Kevin showed no

"Harm those around me?"

"Yes."

nodded his head and

what I've gathered, the entity is trying to make you less soft. Or rather, trying to change you

he tried to process all of the

to change me into someone deemed fit to fight the demon king? Why does he think I can't defeat the demon king...and

able to read

chose, and yet he

was what

head, Kevin suddenly

'Akashic records.'

once

piece everything together. 'The one that the Akashic records chose.'

mystery revolving around the world started to fade.

a step ahead of him. Before he could voice out his

someone to prevent the demon king from ever getting to it, and that person is none other than you, Kevin. This probably

no other choice but to agree. He also believed that

only question he had was,

people in the world, why him? He really

"Huuuu..."

of the training ground, Kevin tried to digest all of the information inside of his

however, Kevin knew that he had only barely scraped the

He had a thoughtful look on

looked at him, the previous anger that Kevin felt for him slowly started to dispel as

figure

looking at him,

have a nagging feeling that whoever the entity trying

placing it below his chin, Ren carefully

about the 'time remnant' targeting you? What if the entity inside of me