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."

nodded his head, admitting to every single thing that

my wariness even more as my brows tightened

my emotions as well? The reason why I chose to

when did he do

was back when you

other Ren answered the question that was inside

that was when I implanted the ideologies inside of

froze upon hearing his

he could affect my

this when I met him a while back, but who would've thought that during that time I activated it again he

to this version of Ren, the more apprehensive I became. Whenever I thought I was one step ahead of him, I would later find out that he was ten

It was frustrating.

had

clenched my fists at the

of what I was thinking, or at least pretending to not know,

for the purpose of not allowing you to grow stronger when undertaking the contract breach. Had you been stronger, the damage that your soul would've taken wouldn't have been enough for me. Only at your current rank could I guarantee your survival

more he spoke, the number my mind

puppeteered to the will of

words made

it would've taken me nearly four months to reach rank, it would've definitely have

Amanda's mother's situation, I could've easily said that I needed to make some preparations that required me

back then

heart started to

seem to care about what I was thinking,

your mind was so that I could

squeezed when I heard this. Indeed, back then, I remembered doing what I did for the sake of not hurting

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

mouth, the other Ren

or not, it's for you

head, the other Ren's

"Frustrating isn't it?"

"..."

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

the flow of your life,

"Hm?"

words, my brows jumped a

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

face changed slightly when

my mouth

telling me this?

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

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

did he have something else in mind?

why would he ever think that I

'Unless...'

me as my head snapped upwards and I glared at the other

once again trying to influence my decision-making by telling me all

sort of setup, it

I was manipulating the commander into acting the way that I wanted him to act

was exactly

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

I realized this,