The Author's POV

Sunlight filtered through the canopy of trees, gently bathing my body and enveloping it with a thin layer of warmth.

The birds chirped, and a gentle breeze lingered in the air.

It felt nice outside, but as I sat down on a wooden bench in a familiar park, everything around me seemed so intrusive.

"I want it, mom!"

"No, that's enough sweets for today."

"Umhhhh!"

My gaze never left the pair of mother and daughter in the distance. They were quite close to me. About a hundred meters.

…Yet, they never felt so distant before.

"Nola, you better behave. I already told you that you can't have any more candy for today."

"Why!?"

"Because I said so."

I couldn't help but crack a smile as I watched the two of them argue from a distance. It was a sight that had been seen plenty of times before. One to which I have been accustomed for a considerable amount of time.

"Is there something that you need, young man?"

Apparently noticing my gaze, the woman turned her head to look at me.

She looked the same, maybe a bit older than in my memories.

I smiled at the two.

"No, don't mind me. You guys just remind me of my family."

"Oh."

The woman flashed me a smile before patting Nola on the head.

"Is your sister as naughty as her?"

Lowering my head to look at Nola, I laughed.

"…You can say so. Perhaps even naughtier."

"You must have it tough then."

The woman spoke with sympathy before taking Nola's hand. She was currently glaring daggers at me, and I couldn't help but laugh once more.

"It's getting late. We have to go. It was nice knowing you."

"It was nice knowing you too."

I murmured while staring at their departing backs.

I didn't have to wait for very long before I lost sight of the two of them, and when that happened, I leaned back against the bench that I was sitting on.

"This is fucked."

The whole situation was fucked.

"Why did you do this, Kevin?"

I had an idea at first, but it only became clear to me after a while.

was not the world

where

this is a world where the

gates and dungeons didn't. The Monolith also didn't

and the

also very different from what I remembered, with Ashton city still existing but the four great cities having disappeared from the world's map and being replaced by many

That wasn't all.

was drastically lower than in the world that I was used to. In this world, the highest power was

none other than Octavius who held such power, but despite my best efforts, I was unable to find any humor in this

This world…

made no sense to

take a

"Huh, yeah, sure."

scooched to the side a little and allowed the

arm,

There must be a reason… and how

no way Kevin did all of this without a reason. There must've been one, but just

perhaps wondering why

pricked my ears, and my body tensed. The voice… It was somewhat familiar. I

slowly lowered my arm and looked toward my right. Immediately, my breath stopped, and my mouth

a face that

my best

"M,matthew?"

***

Angel Wing Guild.

a serious look on his face as he looked at the screen in front of him. Two other men were standing behind him, and both of them were also staring intently at the screen

room was incredibly tense

as everyone gazed in

the past were played over and over again. It showed a young person with short black hair, and deep blue eyes, looking around before

time that Edward watched, and yet, he couldn't understand

some sort of

was

and those that did have

hefty sum to acquire a

must be some

Edward uttered. He

did have a skill, then I'm sure we would've known about it. There's no way our information network

"I agree."

hair that was beginning to thin out toward the back of his head, and wore a

to escape from the detection of the captain. Since he boldly entered the place,

"Yeah."

"Hmm."

when he heard their

impossible for someone that

they would undoubtedly be the first to learn of any newly discovered skills in the world, so how could they have missed

that has been secretly groomed by a

possibility made him frown, and he turned

you guys have anything

"No."

man shook

database, but I got nothing. No family history, no DNA, no date of birth, nothing… It's as if

"Hmm."

deepened further at

starting to seem

absolutely

"Actually, there is something."

man spoke, taking out

base system, we were able to find

"Oh?"