The Author's POV

Coming out from beneath, the black threads gently wrapped around the white orb.

Opening his eyes, Kevin felt his mouth open.

"How should I start?"

Ren's voice echoed throughout the dark void.

After looking at the orb and seeing the reflection, Kevin felt his brow furrow as Ren fell into contemplation. He seemed to be thinking about the current circumstances.

"...Let's see if it's possible for me to completely replace my memories with his."

After uttering those words, Kevin watched as the black threads flung around like wild snakes and attempted to wrap around the orb as quickly as possible.

"Khh..."

Kevin let out a short groan as his hand pulled away from the orb.

Tsss.

What followed after was a sizzling sound. Lowering his head, Kevin caught sight of Ren staring at his hand which had become transparent.

Taking a moment to raise his head again, he gazed at the orb's reflection.

"Looks like I can't do that. Whatever Kevin put on me sealed some of my powers..."

Silence ensued after he uttered those words. After which, Kevin watched as Ren kept his gaze on the orb, and the same scenario from before replayed.

Time seemed to have passed by in the blink of an eye as the memories shifted, and it was now the fourth time that Kevin was staring at the same image of Ren standing up from his bed, in what seemed to be the Lock's dormitory.

"Hm?"

This time, a change to the scenario happened.

Ding Dong.

The door suddenly rang.

'What? Why did the bell suddenly ring?'

Taking aback by the sudden events, Kevin was unsure of how to react. Having watched the scenario well over four times, he had never seen this happen in teh past.

Kevin's attention was soon taken away by a subtle pull of his lips.

Opening his mouth, Kevin spoke through Ren's mouth.

"...As expected, you can't let this happen, can you? Without me, all hopes of defeating the demon king are null."

What followed after his words was the sudden appearance of a man in a blue jacket. He was holding onto a small box which Ren took and brought with him inside of the room.

After which, he looked through the contents and eventually pulled out an unfamiliar red book.

'That...'

Kevin instantly recognized the book in Ren's hands.

How could he not? It was the same book he had used back when Ren was in danger in the past.

"Oh? What an interesting book."

Focusing his attention back on the reflection, Kevin was able to see what was written in the book. It was his life.

'As expected, it's the same.'

...and it was from there that Kevin was able to confirm his suspicions.

Time moved forward, and now, with the aid of the book, Ren no longer died during the Hollberg incident as he did in the past. He managed to survive.

Kevin felt interest arise from within his body.

"Can this be enough to stop the loop?"

Kevin mumbled out loud through Ren's body.

But...

"Doesn't look like it."

Time passed, and Ren once again died. This time, he died during the inter-academy tournament. He made it a bit further, but he still died.

"...This won't do."

The same scene repeated itself once again. This time, the red book appeared in each scene.

Clank. Clank.

Reaching out for the orb once more, Kevin felt his mouth open as he muttered.

"I think I've got an idea of what I should do..."

Black threads once again started to form around the white orb upon reaching out for it.

This time, they were a lot less than before. Nevertheless, they were still many.

"A red book, huh? Is this the only thing, or have you left more?"

Kevin mumbled through Ren's mouth.

Locking his eyes onto the red book, the black threads gently wrapped around the white orb.

"...This might work."

Thinking of something, Kevin felt Ren's brows relax. After that, he stared at the reflection on the orb.

"Since you've received a book that outlines exactly what Kevin is doing, it stands to reason that his altered memories have to do with a book. How about an author entering his own book? This would reduce the possibility of you discovering that your memories have been tampered with, and I won't have trouble giving him the power of foresight..."

Trying to wrap around the orb, more black threads emerged from beneath it with each passing second. Soon, a black cacoon formed in front of Kevin's vision.

"Since I have only a limited amount of power, I can't add too many details to his memory. Nevertheless, it shouldn't be a problem. Right now, my priority is making sure that he does what I want, and that is...have Kevin kill the Demon King."

Removing his hand from the orb, Kevin felt his body take several steps back.

Carefully observing the orb, Kevin once again felt his mouth open.

"Trial one. Begin."

Following his words, the black threads revolving around the orb started to scatter and Kevin was once again able to see what was reflected inside of the orb.

'It's different.'

from this point that Kevin noticed that compared to the previous

from that of the Ren

'...What is he doing?'

certain events in the past such as the Hollberg incident, the inter academy tournament...Kevin watched as Ren slowly started to get more

name became known by everyone in the world, and he

everything to go dark and the

'What happened?'

as he continued to

suddenly restart? Ren

"Another failure."

top ends

mouth, Ren's voice echoed throughout the dark

greedy, and his meddling resulted in Kevin becoming weak and eventually dying. A

'What?'

hand on the orb

and the others becoming too weak and inevitably leading to his

once again rose from beneath the orb,

change in the subject's personality. If he is too smart or ambitious, he will derail from the plotline I have set up for him like the last trial. For that to happen, I decided to make some adjustments to

where magic does not exist, and is a total loser that is rejected by society. His only ambition will be to live a happy life and in order to do that, he must make sure that he thoroughly follows

felt his mouth speak, the more

Clank. Clank.

coming from the chains

will inevitably lead to a change in the plotline. A pawn is

Clank! Clank!

the chains became more and more powerful with each passing second. It was clear to Kevin that Ren was nearing his

alive. Coming from a world without magic, he will be inexperienced and will have a high

CLANK! CLANK!

the chains that were rattling shook with a wild force

go of the orb, the black threads that were wrapping around it, dissipated

familiar scene began to replay

'It's once again different.'

close attention, Kevin was once again shocked to see the scene change. However, if there

the

way he talked

a lot like the Ren that

came into contact with

Clank. Clank.

Kevin felt

Clank. Clank.

felt

"Red desolation."

but it was enough for

of the ranked dungeons on

Kevin watched as

fought against monsters and trained himself. It was only after a while that he spotted several

to be a

attempt to help them, Kevin watched their bodies

'Mindbreaker curse.'

able to tell with a glance how they died, and it was then that he came to the conclusion that

came to the same conclusion, but before he could do anything about it, a sandstorm engulfed him. The only thing Kevin saw in the orb

entered the eye of the storm. A massive

'What is he doing?'

watched as Ren approached the castle

he enter the

"Good."

felt his mouth open as Ren's voice

'What good?'

to be

an amused look on his face, he began to toy with him. Ren did try to put on a struggle,

'This...make it stop.'

scene, Kevin wanted to take his eyes away, but he

end, Kevin could only watch as the demon toyed with Ren

the loop repeated once more, and Kevin watched the same thing happen again. Training in the dungeon and dying

Fortunately for Kevin, as this was a

you doing

seeing the same scene of Ren getting

'Do something!'

Ren was once again about to die, Kevin finally felt his

order for me to recuperate some of the energy I lost, and memorize all of

orb, more black threads shot into the air and wrapped around

saw something

is to pretend you don't

he uttered those words, Kevin watched as the same scene

to no longer move, and exactly as the demon lost interest, he put up a

exactly as

last for long as he once again felt his hand press against

CLANK. CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.

that moment, Kevin was stunned to see the chains that were binding

more sprang from beneath the ground, and clung onto

his body, Ren was pulled away from

more stunning to Kevin was the fact that

"I've succeeded."

feeling his eyelids close,

"Aaahhhhhh!"

heard a

'What's going on?'

found

he doing

him was

"Ahhhhh!"

as he desperately clung

"Quiet."

rang out, the demon

his eyes

'This demon...he feels familiar.'

demon, Kevin realized that he looked somewhat familiar. He knew that he was the same demon from the orb, but the familiarity

case, he didn't have much time to dwell on this anymore as

"It's you!"

bloodthirsty gaze. Sadly for the demon, his attack went right through Kevin and before he could react, Kevin felt his hand rise and he pressed his finger against his

The demon froze mid-air.

I had trying to get a small fraction of my soul

as a white glow suddenly enveloped

lucky that

"Ahhhhh!"

let out

'What did he do?'

as he watched the demon scream

watch. The memories didn't allow him to understand what Ren was