Chapter 05
The moment our eyes met, I reflexively squeezed my eyes shut again. My heart pounded wildly.
‘It’s real. That’s really Calix.’
He was the man I had seen in prison before my regression.
While I stood there frozen after finally seeing him in person, Calix cupped my face and shouted urgently.
“Stay with me. Damn it—Damon! Call Marcus! Hurry! Tell him there’s a critically injured person!”
‘Ah… did I fall right at the destination? Lucky. But… something about this situation feels strange?’
A strong feeling told me I shouldn’t stay in his arms any longer. I snapped my eyes open, borrowing the power of my refreshing healing ability to make them as clear and alert as possible.
Calix, who had been shouting and then looking down at me again, froze when our eyes met.
I greeted him politely, using the calmest voice I could manage.
“H-Hello… Thank you. But I’m really fine! Haha.”
“……”
Calix stared at me blankly. Taking advantage of his hesitation, I quickly got up and stood in front of him.
“I slipped a bit, that’s all. Look—see? I’m totally fine. Really?”
I flapped my arms like wings and twisted my body around to show that I was unharmed.
“You clearly fell from above—”
Calix trailed off, staring at me in disbelief. When I even showed him alternating kicks with both legs, he finally fell silent.
“Fell? Oh my, fell? If I really fell, would I look this fine? Of course not.”
If my insane healing ability were discovered here, things would get complicated. So I decided to shamelessly bluff my way through.
“Then how did you get down here so fast? And what was that huge noise we heard earlier?”
Calix asked, his eyes full of suspicion. Well… about that…
“Ah, um… There was a really good wooden plank. I rode it and slid down quickly! The rocks were slippery too.”
“You risked falling to do that…?”
“Ah… yes, well. I mean! I had complete confidence that I’d land safely at the end! Haha. Um… considering the moisture on the rock wall and the type of wood, you see?”
Honestly, I didn’t even know what I was saying anymore, but I just kept talking. If Calix called it nonsense, I’d totally deserve it.
Still, I’d reached the destination faster than anyone else—and I was alive. That should count for something, right?
“I see… That makes sense.”
‘Huh?’
It worked? Really?
Calix nodded as if convinced and stood up. Just then, the vice-captain rushed over, scanning me from head to toe with a horrified expression.
“Y-you… You’re alive? How? Is this some last spasm before death? Or are you already a dead soul?”
“Watch your words. Applicant Riana is completely fine. I’ve confirmed it myself.”
“What? How does that make any sense? I saw her roll down at insane speed from up there—both you and I saw it!”
“She says it was intentional movement.”
“What kind of insane nonsense is that—”
Calix quietly stared at the vice-captain. Crushed by the pressure, the man fell silent.
“I’ll restrain myself.”
At that moment, heavy breathing came from behind us.
“Huff… huff… finally made it d—wait, what?!”
The muscular man approached me, staring in disbelief. The quiet man who followed him down also looked shocked when he saw me.
“You… didn’t you clearly fall?”
“No?”
Well… living a life of lies wouldn’t be a problem, right? I wasn’t officially a saint anymore, after all.
And everything I was doing was to save the world, so please forgive me, God.
“No, I clearly saw—”
I decided to borrow Calix’s words.
“It was intentional movement.”
“…That’s ridiculous.”
“It may have looked like I fell, but it was actually a special technique of mine to slide down most efficiently. Look at me—do I look like someone who fell?”
The two applicants tried to argue further, but after watching my flashy kicks, they fell silent. Their expressions changed strangely—shock, maybe even awe.
“…I see. If it were really a fall, you wouldn’t be this fine.”
“Wow, you really don’t have a single injury! That’s amazing!”
Calix, who had been quietly watching, stepped forward.
“All applicants arrived earlier than the standard time, so all of you pass. And as for the highest score—there’s no need to say who it is.”
At that, the vice-captain—who had been staring at me suspiciously—stepped forward.
“Captain. Even so, is it really right to pass someone who slid down?”
Calix turned to him with a cold expression.
“The test was to descend the cliff quickly. Whether she slid down or climbed carefully is irrelevant. In fact, breaking through by not hesitating to risk the body and using unexpected abilities is not something just anyone can do.”
Calix turned his gaze to me and continued.
“If anything, I want to give her a higher score for that.”
With that, Calix finished speaking and walked away.
Watching his back, my heart beat strangely. Maybe because I never expected to meet him like this again after my regression.
Just as I was about to get lost in thought, the vice-captain spoke.
“Alright! The final test will be held at the base. Everyone, get back on that carriage!”
And so, we returned to the Henes Mercenary Corps base, where the final test would take place.
This was truly the last gate.
***
The final test was held in a wooden building on one side of the training ground.
According to Damon, it was usually used as a resting area for members, but it had been cleared out for today’s final selection.
At the front were two chairs for Calix and the vice-captain. At the back were three chairs for the applicants.
“The third test is proving your value. You all know this already, right?”
“Yes!”
“Think of it as a chance to show your special skill. The captain will come out shortly, so come forward one by one and demonstrate.”
‘This is bad.’
Cold sweat formed on my back. My only real specialty was healing—and it only worked on me.
‘I can’t exactly injure myself and heal in front of them… and no one else seems injured. What do I do?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find a good solution.
As panic set in, the front door opened and he walked in.
Calix.
Long arms and legs, glossy black hair, a straight nose, and lips tinged with red.
Earlier, I hadn’t been in my right mind, so I hadn’t looked closely—but he felt different from how he looked before my regression.
‘There’s no scar on the bridge of his nose…’
Calix, uninjured and unbroken, looked dangerous yet dazzling.
Then his gaze slowly turned toward me. Our eyes met.
Thump—thump—
I could hear my heartbeat again. That brief moment felt like it stretched endlessly.
‘Does he remember me?’
The thought flashed through my mind—but it was meaningless. The Calix I’d known existed only before my regression. That memory belonged to me alone.
The night we shared our final breaths in that dark prison never existed for him.
‘So to him, I’m just a complete stranger.’
I smiled faintly. Calix looked at me for a moment, then indifferently turned his gaze away.
At that moment, the quiet man stepped forward.
“I’ll go first.”
“As you wish.”
Calix gave permission and sat down. The vice-captain took a seat beside him. The muscular man and I sat in the back.
After confirming everyone was seated, the man took out the sword he’d prepared. He raised it slowly, steadied his breathing, and swung it toward several pieces of wood.
After a clean, precise arc, the wooden blocks split neatly in half. Even to someone like me who knew nothing about swords, it looked impressive.
After the cut, the man adjusted his breathing, straightened his posture, and bowed with proper knightly etiquette.
“That is all. I believe my sword belongs only with Henes. If you accept me, I will dedicate my life.”
Damn it. His skill and his resolve were perfect.
‘What am I supposed to do…?’
Just as my anxiety grew, the muscular man suddenly stepped forward holding a massive hammer.
“Greetings! Bang! Bang! Bang! I am a young man of the empire who once smashed adamantite ore—harder than steel—with these powerful arms! And now, I’ve come here with the ambition to smash enemies instead! If you accept me, I’ll crack every enemy’s skull!”
“……”
An awkward silence followed that intense introduction. Flustered, the man hurriedly added,
“I—I made this hammer myself! It’s very sturdy! Yes!”
“Alright. Next.”
Calix’s cold voice rang out.
“Huh? Y-yes…”
Wait. Hold on. I still wasn’t ready.
‘What do I do? What kind of skill can I show to avoid failing here? God, please grant me wisdom…’
Cold sweat trickled down my back as the dejected miner sat down next to me, hugging his hammer.
‘I can’t fail here—huh?’
At that moment, something shone before my eyes like divine revelation.
On the inside of the vice-captain’s hair—where he brushed it back—was a coin-sized patch of bare skin.
‘Is that… a bald spot? If it’s that, maybe…’
To hell with it. I had to show something.
I stood up with confidence and walked forward boldly.
“I will demonstrate a miracle of healing here and now.”
“…How?”
Calix asked, sounding oddly tense.
I confidently pointed at the vice-captain.
“I will heal the vice-captain’s pain.”
“!!”
Alright.
Time to show my specialty.
