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.'

point that Kevin noticed that compared to the previous versions of the loops, Ren's actions

far too different from that

'...What is he doing?'

around places collecting all sorts of items, and interfering with 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 was hailed

everything to go dark and

'What happened?'

himself as he continued to gaze at

suddenly restart? Ren

"Another failure."

the top ends

he opened his mouth, Ren's voice echoed throughout the

got greedy, and his meddling resulted in Kevin becoming

'What?'

hand on

one, failure. Subject meddled too much resulting in Kevin and the others becoming too weak and

once again rose from beneath the orb,

plotline

will be to live a happy life and in order to do that, he must make sure that he thoroughly follows the plotline. Having

felt his mouth speak, the more the black threads

Clank. Clank.

chains

not enough. His actions for growth will inevitably lead to a change in the plotline. A pawn is necessary. One that would force

Clank! Clank!

with each passing second. It was clear

and will have a high chance of dying. When the time comes, I need something to make him more decisive. The only thing that comes

CLANK! CLANK!

the chains that were rattling shook with a wild force and Kevin felt his

orb, the black threads that were

which, the familiar scene began to replay on the white

'It's once again different.'

change. However, if there was one thing that particularly caught his interest, it was

the Ren that

he talked and

resembled a lot like the Ren that he

After that, he came into contact with what seemed to be a broker. Talking with him for a bit, he proceeded to head to a dungeon

Clank. Clank.

then that Kevin

Clank. Clank.

felt his

"Red desolation."

words, but it was

name of one of the ranked dungeons on the

shockingly, Kevin watched as Ren chose that

land was cracked. Marching through the dungeon, Kevin watched as Ren fought against monsters and trained himself. It was only after a while that he spotted several people lying

be a

attempt to help them, Kevin watched their bodies eventually start to

'Mindbreaker curse.'

the symptoms the mercenary group experienced, Kevin was able to tell with a glance how they died, and it was then

conclusion, but before he could do anything about it, a sandstorm engulfed him. The only thing Kevin saw

the eye of the storm. A massive castle appeared in the distance at that

'What is he doing?'

as Ren

did he

"Good."

his mouth open as Ren's voice

'What good?'

Kevin to

amused look

'This...make it stop.'

stand the scene, Kevin wanted to take his eyes

as the demon toyed with Ren till he died and

more, and Kevin watched the same thing happen again. Training in the dungeon and dying right

Kevin, as this was a memory, he only saw short

you doing

stand seeing the same scene of Ren getting tortured over

'Do something!'

to

loops in order for me to recuperate some of the energy I

threads

saw

likes to play with his subjects. The key is to pretend you don't work anymore and attack his

words, Kevin watched as the same scene unfolded. This

Ren pretended to no longer move, and exactly as the demon lost interest, he put

as he

did not last for long as he once again felt

CLANK. CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.

Kevin was stunned to see the chains that were binding him shake even more fiercely than

right there, more sprang from beneath the ground, and clung onto his leg and

body, Ren was

stunning to Kevin was the

"I've succeeded."

his eyelids close, darkness

"Aaahhhhhh!"

a

'What's going on?'

up again, Kevin found himself inside a dark

he doing

down on the ground before him was the same

"Ahhhhh!"

throughout the room as he desperately

"Quiet."

instant that his words rang out, the demon that was lying down

his eyes

'This demon...he feels familiar.'

Kevin realized that he looked somewhat familiar. He knew that he was the same demon from the

time to dwell on

"It's you!"

him with a bloodthirsty gaze. Sadly for the demon, his attack went right through Kevin and before he could react,

The demon froze mid-air.

had trying to get

watched as a white glow suddenly enveloped the finger that pressed against the

lucky that I

"Ahhhhh!"

his words faded, the demon let out another scream and his

'What did he do?'

watched the demon scream for the next

could do was watch. The memories didn't allow