The Author's POV

"Yes, I won't let you die even if you wanted to die. I've already made the proper calculations."

"This..."

Hearing his words, I unconsciously took a step back as my eyes opened wide.

'It can't be...'

He had made the proper calculations? ...Didn't that mean that he already knew that I was going to act the way I was going to act?

How was that even possible?!

Furthermore, from what his words suggested, my life had never been in any danger. The only reason why I had passed out was probably him trying to drag me here.

Confirming my doubts was the other Ren's voice as he coldly said.

"Don't think too much. It's exactly what you think."

"...How!?"

I softly muttered, trying to suppress the shock within my body.

The shock didn't last for long. Clenching my teeth, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Then, lifting my head and meeting the other Ren's gaze, I opened my mouth.

"So it really was you who planned this whole thing..."

I already had a hunch before this when I linked up the scenario with Angelica and Amanda's mother.

The clues were there, from how Everblood had tried to manipulate her to come to me, to how she was able to have pictures of her mother back at the Lock.

Everything was a full circle, and it all led to the man in front of me. Of course, everything was just speculation on my part, but the more I looked at the other Ren, the more I was convinced about my conjecture.

As my thoughts paused there, my brows furrowed.

'If this is indeed planned by him, what would his real motive be?'

Could he be trying to separate me from the others? ...That was a plausible scenario, but I don't think it was the right answer.

From what I knew, his goal was to create a 'perfect' version of Kevin. An unfeeling Kevin that had no burdens and only aimed to kill the demon king.

That was the only goal I knew he had. Without a doubt, there were other goals he had, but I had no idea about what they were.

'...Wait.'

It was then that a thought suddenly struck me.

'Wasn't the reason why I was able to see him in the real world because of the damage that my soul took due to the contract breach? ...What if the real purpose in him trying to set this whole scenario up was to damage my soul...'

A cold chill ran down my spine as my thoughts paused there. Lifting my head, my eyes met with the other Ren's.

"Looks like you've figured things out."

The other Ren said as he calmly stood in the void with the chains rotating around his body, binding him down even more tightly.

With both of his hands locked down, he continued.

"My goal was indeed to damage your soul."

Upon hearing his confirmation, I became even warier of him. Taking a step forward, I coldly asked.

decision

"...You can say so."

head, admitting to every single thing that I

increased my wariness even more as my brows tightened

the other Ren said was true, then didn't that mean that he had manipulated my emotions as well? The reason why I chose to

when did

when you activated

the other Ren answered the question that was inside

you used Monarch's indifference, that was when I implanted the

body froze upon hearing

that he could affect my mind

while back, but who would've thought that during that time I activated

I was

It was frustrating.

how much had

secretly clenched my fists at the

least pretending to not

to grow stronger when undertaking the contract breach. Had you been stronger, the damage that your soul would've taken wouldn't

spoke, the number my

to the will of someone else caused

his words made perfect

four months to reach rank, it would've definitely have increased my chances

said that I needed to make some preparations that

choice from back then

my heart started to

what I was thinking, as he continued to

them inside of your mind was so that

what I did for the sake of not hurting Amanda. But taking a look at it back now, I

the feelings inside of my heart weren't as dominant. If

the other Ren

or not, it's for

the other Ren's eyes once again met

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

remain silent. Tilting his head, the other Ren looked towards

of your life, it's frustrating isn't

"Hm?"

my brows

in a while, I heard emotions coming from the other Ren's voice. It was faint, very faint, but I

changed slightly when

mouth I

me

me that he had been manipulating me to how he revealed that he could influence my thoughts whenever I activated Monarch's indifference, what was his goal in

hidden agenda would never reveal such things, yet, here he was, telling me everything that he

or did he have something else in mind?

knew that he could manipulate me through it, why would he ever think that I would ever

'Unless...'

as my head snapped upwards and

my decision-making

of setup, it

of the Monolith incident replayed back into my mind, or more specifically, the time when I was manipulating the commander into acting the way that I wanted him to act by acting in a way that made it seem as

exactly

other Ren was telling me all of this was so that I would be forced to act in a way that he

I realized this, my