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,

wish. I really wish that I was lying, but, I'm not. What I told you was nothing

mid-speech, Ren's

I originally believed to

A trace

"What do you mean?"

next few seconds. His brows repeatedly furrowed and relaxed during that time before finally, looking straight at Kevin straight in

world was a fake world designed by someone to make me act the way that they

"...What?"

Kevin intensified. Leaning his neck forward, Kevin

implanted those memories into you, and is trying to manipulate

difficult face, Ren eventually

"Right..."

to massage his forehead. Then, lifting his head, he looked straight into

I'm lying, but whatever

"Me?"

in surprise. However, the surprise did not last for long as

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

slowly

saw was truly a flashback of the future. Apprehension

was thinking, Ren, nodded

that the entity responsible for all of this

face twisted slightly before

were right. I was somehow responsible for

clapped inside of

not last for long as Kevin was able to

linked everything to the previous flashback, he already

that the entity was trying

Ren suddenly asked.

his eyes, Kevin

"Continue."

Ren pursed his lips.

of the entity is to try to harm everyone that is around

to Ren's words, Kevin showed no reaction

"Harm those around me?"

"Yes."

nodded his head

soft. Or rather, trying to change you

once again took a deep breath as he tried to process all of the information he was being

the demon king? Why does he think I can't

able to read Kevin's thoughts,

the one that the Akashic records chose, and yet he is the one that is least fit to carry on

was what

head, Kevin suddenly felt

'Akashic records.'

words were once

words, he was able to quickly piece everything together. 'The one that the Akashic records chose.' What else could they

veil and mystery revolving around the world started to fade. Lifting his head, Kevin came up

him. Before he

due to the threat of the demon king, as a way to preserve itself, the Akashic records chose someone to prevent the demon king from ever getting to it, and that person is none other than you,

Ren's words, Kevin had no other choice but to agree. He

question he had was, 'Why

people in the world, why

"Huuuu..."

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

knew that he had only barely scraped

silent. He had a

he looked at him, the previous anger that Kevin felt for

figure

his head and looking at him,

concrete yet, but thinking back at the vision you previously told me about, I have a

hand and placing it

you? What if the entity inside of me is the