The Insane Regressor: Throne of Pride

After the team introduced themselves to Ravian once again, just as they had in the previous loop, it finally came to Lysandra’s turn.

Lysandra stepped forward, her amber eyes settling on Ravian.

”I’m Lysandra—”

”Excuse me, miss, but I’m not feeling well. I was sent here specifically to be treated by a healer named Claria. Is she here?”

Before Lysandra could finish what she was saying, Ravian cut her off, stepped past her, and began glancing around as though he didn’t recognize Claria at all.

Lysandra froze where she stood.

He hadn’t even let her introduce herself.

”Welcome, Ravian. To think Sir Karius would take on a disciple—and that this disciple would land in my squad. Truly a great honor. Ah, forgive the late introduction. I’m Malrik, leader of the Death Squad. A pleasure to meet you.” Malrik came over to greet Ravian and extended his hand for a shake.

”The pleasure’s mine, Captain Malrik. I’ll be in your care,” Ravian said, returning the greeting with a polite smile.

’I only hope what’s running through my head isn’t true, Captain,’ Ravian said inwardly, his gaze lingering on Malrik for a moment before drifting back to the two remaining women, Evelyne and Claria.

”Ah—I’m Claria, the team’s healer. A pleasure to meet you, Ravian. If you’re feeling unwell, let’s get you to the treatment tent. Tom!” Claria introduced herself quickly, then called for her short assistant.

”Yes, my lady!” Tom answered at once, hurrying out from behind the fire.

”Prepare the tent. Ravian here is a new member, and he needs treatment as soon as possible,” Claria said—and her eyes lit with a magical white glow as she ran them over Ravian’s body, making him feel as if he’d suddenly been stripped bare in front of her.

”An inspection technique?” Ravian said, almost without thinking.

”Hmm? You know it? Seems you’re quite well-informed,” Claria said with a smile.

”Come on, follow me and we’ll get you treated.” She turned and headed for the treatment tent she’d asked Tom to ready.

Ravian followed her inside.

Everyone around the fire stayed where they were, watching Ravian until he vanished into the tent.

”Wow—we just landed the Company Commander’s disciple in our squad? And he’s already Awakened, at such a young age. You’re a lucky man, Captain,” Darius said, winking at Malrik.

”Heh. Am I, now?” Malrik replied, watching Lysandra’s expression out of the corner of his eye.

Lysandra was still standing in the same spot, looking somewhat annoyed—though it was nothing compared to last time. And that was exactly what Ravian had counted on.

He’d had two options before him: keep walking the same path, face Lysandra again, and hope to survive it this time—or bow to her words in a bid to escape death. Naturally, Ravian rejected both.

For some reason, he could no longer swallow humiliation as easily as before, so he couldn’t lower his head to Lysandra, even knowing full well she was stronger than him. And he had no desire to risk replaying the same scenario as last time. So he’d simply decided to steer clear of her for now, until he could see how all of this would shape the future.

”Yeah... that boy—no, that young man—has a strange air about him,” Kael said, flipping his dagger into the air and catching it again.

”Hmm? What do you mean, Kael?” Darius asked, plainly confused.

”Killing intent,” Evelyne answered in his place.

”Killing intent?” Darius echoed.

”Yes. I noticed the two of them coming our way early, and the instant they reached this spot, an overwhelming killing intent rolled off that Ravian for a brief moment.”

”It wasn’t the killing intent of someone who’s slain thousands. It felt more like that of a desperate man who wouldn’t hesitate to kill thousands even if it were his first time—and the latter is far more terrifying than the former,” Evelyne said, laying out what she’d sensed.

”...Yes.” This time, the agreement came from someone else entirely.

”I felt it too. And it was as though it had been aimed squarely at me,” Lysandra said, her expression unreadable, her amber eyes fixed on the tent Ravian had entered.

”Do you know him, Lysandra? Doesn’t he remind you of anyone you might have met before?” Malrik asked, his curiosity piqued as well.

”No. This is the first time I’ve met him. I’m certain of it,” Lysandra replied, her frown deepening.

”I don’t know what’s going on either.” A new figure spoke up out of nowhere, in a calm, deep voice.

Everyone whipped around toward him.

”Sir Antonius?” Darius said.

”We looked into that boy’s background. He’s the raw definition of someone who has suffered every terrible thing you can imagine—from losing his family, to being betrayed by the people closest to him, more than once.”

”And although I argued against Sir Karius taking him as a disciple, there’s one thing I’m certain of—and Sir Karius said the very same of him...” Antonius said, then paused a moment to gather everyone’s attention.

”Ravian’s danger lies not in his strength, but in his mind. I have an instinct that’s been honed over many long years as an assassin, and that instinct tells me it’s far better to have him as a friend than an enemy. I advise every one of you to do the same.”

Antonius’s eyes drifted for a moment, as if recalling something, then came back and settled pointedly on Lysandra as he reached the end of his words.

”Lady Lysandra, I’m fully aware of your status and your talent, but I ask you as a favor—not an order—not to use your usual methods on Ravian. From the little I know of him, I’ve learned one thing: pride is an inseparable part of who he is. This will only breed problems between the two of you. As the more experienced one here, I trust you’ll act wisely.” Antonius said this to Lysandra, then turned his gaze toward the tent where Ravian was for a few seconds before vanishing once more.

”My methods? Does he think I’m going to bully a new member of the squad, or something?” Lysandra said, confusion written across her face.

”Pfft—” Darius couldn’t hold back his laughter, but he choked it down the instant Lysandra’s gaze landed on him.

”Ahem. Well—why don’t we all rest now? We need it before tomorrow comes. I’d rather not get crushed in the middle of a beast horde because I was busy yawning,” Darius said, coughing quickly to change the subject.

”Agreed,” everyone said almost in unison.

”All right, everyone. Tomorrow we’ll finish the introductions for our new member, but for now, we need rest, as Darius said—so don’t overdo your training before sleep. We’ll pick it up in the morning,” Malrik said, clapping his hands to call an end to the night, then headed for the treatment tent to check on Ravian’s condition.

...

Meanwhile, inside the treatment tent.

”What the hell?! Who did this to you? No—how were you even able to stand in front of us properly with your body in this state?!” Claria, the chestnut-haired healer, said as she passed her magic-lit hand over Ravian’s back, unable to believe he could sit so calmly in such a condition.

”Ah, it’s nothing. My teacher was only roughhousing with me a little,” Ravian said calmly, smiling at Claria as if to put her at ease.

But that only made her worry more.

”By the Creator! Roughhousing? Your spine has shifted out of its natural position, and you’re telling me he was just playing around?! I don’t even understand how you’re not paralyzed with injuries like these!” Claria shouted, casting more healing spells, while Tom, her assistant, wrapped Ravian’s entire torso in a cloth that worked like a compression belt to hold his spine in place.

Ravian’s eyes swept every corner of the tent, then returned to Claria.

”Don’t worry, miss. I’m fine. Could you just finish quickly? I hear there’s a lot to be done tomorrow,” Ravian asked politely.

Claria felt a little stung by his cold response to her concern, but she decided to hold her tongue as he’d asked and finish quickly so he could rest.

Meanwhile, Ravian’s mind was somewhere else entirely.

[Ding!]

[Records meeting the requirements have been detected.]

[Xavier Meyer: Tenth-Rank Awakened. Two extra lives can be obtained by absorbing his Records.]

Someone who met the requirements—named Xavier.

And from how it had registered, he was near enough for the System to detect, while there was no one in here but Claria and Tom. Which meant...

Ravian glanced back and stared into Tom’s black eyes.

”It seems you’ve got a few hidden talents, don’t you, Mister Assistant?” Ravian said mockingly, and Tom answered with a calm smile.

Unfortunately, he didn’t pick up on the hint.

’Does this solve the mystery of my previous death—or is there more to it...’ Ravian thought, but his train of thought was soon cut short as someone entered the tent.

The leader of the Death Squad, an Eighth-Rank Soul Liberator: Malrik.