I have read to the latest chapter and I have two things to say. 1)Fuck Cliffhangers. Fuck em all the way to hell. 2)This is one of the best things I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Story(No Spoilers)- Amazing. The base premise isn't anything orginal. The author openly said that "The Novels Extra" is his inspiration. Of course to see an author being able to interact with the world is always interesting. This one does many things similar to "The Novels Extra". The Mc clearly falls in love with one of his characters, the Author befriends the Mc of his novel, The author uses his knowledge of the plot to become op. There's some drama, lots of action, plenty of wholesome moments, and a fuck ton of funny moments. I can't say much about the story without spoiling so read further down if you want a more comprehensive review. Characters- Holy shit if you compare this to "The Novels Extra" you can say with absolute confidence that this is objectively better in every major way. There is real drama that is the result of Rational Reasonable characters interacting with each other. In the begining Ren's perspective on the world is cold and calculated but that Naturally changes throughout the story. He doesn't spend 100 chapters trying not to get involved with the main cast because they're trouble magnets. When he inevitably becomes more social with them he accepts that there's nothing else he can do and adapts to the situation like a Reasonable adult. Why is it so hard to find a protagonist that isn't a dense moron incapable of changing his thoughts on his own after being presented with some form of change. Kevin, I'm not going to lie is kind of weak as a character. He's more of a generic Mc but that's fine as he has a clearly defined goal, clearly expressed emotions, and an actual personality. His relationship with ren is charming and sweet. Every time their together I always giggle to myself. The reunion was so bittersweet. I can't believe that a mostly generic Mc made me cry. Though it's all thanks to the authors incredible writing. Seriously him and Ren have some of the best chemistry and that alone makes me want to reccomend the novel. Emma is pretty weak. I having nothing much to say about her. She does get some development in the recent chapters. Melissa is one of the most unpleasant bitch I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. The author tries to justify her actions by showing the stress she experiences in her family struggles but the fact that he had her acknowledge her immaturity early on and have nothing done with that has caused me to give up on her. I really hope the author can do something to make her more pleasant but as she is I'm genuinely curious as to how this moody, immature, potion addicted, bipolar, bitch has any friends whatsoever considering how she treats them. Thankfully she doesn't pop up often. World(Non Spoilers)- Kind of boring. Just the usual academy arc. The various organizations are interesting and I'd like to know more about how they interact other than "This guy doesn't like this guy so we fight" There are Elves, Orcs, Dwarves, humans, demons. Demons are bad except the one that the Mc contracted. Though in the recent chapters the Contracted demons past crimes, or a more specific one have played a major role in the story, even if it was short for what we have so far. Story(Spoilers)- Holy shit that twist with the separate Ren controlling the Originals choices and influencing his mind through Monarchs Indifference was amazing! The mystery of Ren's connection to the system and the demon king as well as his relationship to the time codex before Kevin found it are so interesting. The begining starts off dull. Honestly not that different from "The Novels Extra" until Ren uses to red book to save Jin. After that he becomes a mercenary. His attempts to get characters who are talented to join him is kind of boring. Two reject immediately but it doesn't do much since they both join eventually. The other world arc is also kind of meh. The more interesting part is Ren's old cursing is family and learning more about the original Ren. His parents are absolute goldmine and Nola is the cutest cinnamon role ever. This is also where Kevin starts to suspect Ren. The monolith escape arc...holy shit this is clever. It is intense, scary, and the impact that it leave on Ren. I can't believe how well the author is handling the characters! Ren develops PTSD due to his time as a labrat, even after securing his safety and escaping. This stays consistent and has continued to do so even now. I cannot express in words how much of an impact this arc had on my love for the story. It is the best one. Then we have the henlour arc. Kinda meh. Ava gets the flute fixed and Ren gets a new sword. I love that his relationship with Angela was exposed. The authors didn't have the hyper sensitive wizard not notice. Another thing is how consistently the author has showed the strength of other characters. Yes there are others stronger than the mc and that's fine. They are not just stepping stones to his rise to power and they have they're own interests and personalities. The prelude to the tournament arc. I would say meh except for the reunion. Seeing Ren break down while pummeling Aaron hurt. When he snapped and almost killed him hurt. Then Kevin, Amanda, and Jin showed up. They try to calm him but fail. Inevitably they fight. Ren screams. he's angry he's sad. This one of the most heartbreaking moments in the novel. His talk with Kevin. the initial awkwardness. Things are different. Theyve changed and the author makes that clear. Thankfully Keven uses the power of his natural dumbassery to reconnect with Ren. Then his relationship with Amanda gets some devolpment. He discovers that his thoughts might not even be his. I cannot reccomend this enough. The world may be dull but the characters are amazing. They interact and react so naturally(Fuck Melisa) creating some genuinely warm, funny, sad, and bittersweet moments that the author somehow keeps going throughout the entire novel. Please read this amazing story. I cannot reccomend it enough.