Chapter 15: Life Is Too Unfair. God Damn It.
(First Person POV – May Blackheart)
I walked back toward the waiting room at an unhurried pace.
My steps carried a faint limp at first. The dull ache in my ribs throbbed with each movement, and my muscles protested from the strain of the fight. But within a minute, the pain began to fade. The tightness loosened. The bruising sensation dissolved into warmth.
Rank 13 self-healing was truly something else.
Whether it accelerated my natural regeneration or simply rewrote the damage entirely, I didn't care. The result was the same. My body repaired itself quickly, efficiently, without complaint.
By the time I reached the door, I was completely fine.
If I were being honest, I had enjoyed that fight. The arrogant idiot had been irritating, yes, but he was strong. Strong enough to justify his confidence. Against anyone else, he probably would have won easily.
But reality did not care about "what if."
There are no ifs.
Only outcomes.
I pushed open the door to the waiting room, and before I could even step fully inside, something collided with me.
Arms wrapped tightly around my waist.
I looked down.
Lily.
Her small hands clutched at my uniform as she leaned back slightly to scan my face, my shoulders, my torso. Her eyes moved frantically, searching for wounds that were no longer there.
"Are you hurt?" she asked in a trembling voice.
Her brows were drawn together in worry. Her lower lip trembled faintly. She looked like she had been holding her breath the entire time.
I clicked my tongue softly.
"I'm fine. See?"
She didn't believe me at first. She checked my arms. My side. Even pressed lightly against my stomach where he had hit me.
Nothing.
It took more effort than expected to convince her I wasn't injured.
Eventually, she relaxed.
I ignored the strange looks some of the other examinees were giving us. A few whispered to each other. Some stared openly.
Lily didn't notice. She was too busy worrying.
And I didn't care enough to correct them.
We sat down together, and I shifted the conversation toward something more useful.
"Let's talk about your combat evaluation," I said.
Lily straightened slightly, though her fingers still fidgeted in her lap.
"You need to minimize risk," I continued. "How about this—create an illusion of yourself. Then generate a layered illusionary field around your real body and stay invisible."
She blinked at me, surprised.
"I… I could try," she said hesitantly. "But I don't think I could pull it off like how you described."
Her gaze dropped to her hands.
Insecurity.
It radiated from her like cold air.
I reached over and gently patted her head.
"Don't feel insecure about yourself," I said. "Even if you fail the combat evaluation, someone would take you through the back door. Only an idiot would reject a C-rank talent."
She leaned into the head pat shyly.
"You're right… only an idiot wouldn't take in a C-rank."
"Correct."
A new voice interrupted us.
Calm. Amused.
"You are right, Miss May. Only an idiot would reject a C-rank."
My body stiffened.
I turned slowly.
It was him.
The man from the talent testing room.
The one no one else seemed to notice when he entered.
He stood a few steps away from us, hands clasped loosely behind his back. His appearance was ordinary—dark hair, plain clothes—but his presence was thin, almost diluted, like he existed half a second out of sync with reality.
I hadn't sensed him approach.
That alone was disturbing.
He looked at Lily first.
"That is precisely why I came here personally," he said smoothly. "To invite Miss Lily to join the Night Watchers and enter directly into the two-month training period."
Lily froze beneath my hand.
Her mind clearly lagged behind the meaning of his words.
So I translated it for her.
"He wants you to skip the first three exams and go straight to the two-month training phase."
Her eyes widened.
Stars practically formed in them.
"So… that means I don't need to fight anyone?" she asked quietly.
The man nodded once.
"Yes. The first three evaluations will be waived."
Her excitement swelled so visibly it was almost tangible.
A free pass.
Safety.
Security.
Recognition.
It was everything someone from the slums would dream of.
"How about it, Miss Lily?" he continued gently. "Are you willing to accept?"
She opened her mouth to agree immediately—
But then she paused.
Her expression shifted.
She glanced at me.
"What about May?" she asked shyly. "Does she get the same offer, or is it just me?"
The man smiled.
A knowing smile.
He turned his attention to me.
"Miss May," he said, "I would also like to extend the same offer to you."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"However, judging by your behavior so far, I suspect you would reject it. A semi-free pass would place you under intense scrutiny. You prefer to operate quietly."
My expression remained neutral.
Inside, though, irritation flared.
So he had been watching me.
For how long?
Long enough to analyze my behavior.
Long enough to understand my preferences.
Annoying.
"You're right," I said simply.
Lily looked between us, confused.
"You're refusing?" she asked softly.
"Yes."
The man's smile deepened.
"As expected."
I exhaled slowly.
"Taking your offer would make me a target," I said. "Suspicion. Jealousy. Political interest. I'd rather earn my place normally."
He studied me in silence for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"A reasonable answer."
Lily's hands clenched slightly in her skirt.
She looked torn.
"You should accept," I told her calmly.
She looked up at me immediately.
"But—"
"You're different from me," I said. "You don't need unnecessary risk."
Her brows furrowed.
"And you do?" she asked.
I smirked faintly.
"Yes."
Because for someone like me, the spotlight wasn't the problem.
It was the expectations that came with it.
The man shifted his weight slightly.
"Miss Lily," he said again, "this opportunity is rare."
She swallowed.
Then she nodded.
"I… I accept."
The man extended his hand. She hesitated briefly before shaking it.
"Excellent," he said.
Then his gaze returned to me one final time.
"Miss May, I look forward to observing your performance."
I met his eyes evenly.
"I'm sure you will."
And with that, he stepped backward.
No dramatic exit.
No sound.
Just a subtle thinning of presence—
And he was gone.
I clicked my tongue under my breath.
Life really was unfair.
Some people were handed safety.
Some people were handed opportunity.
And some people had to claw their way upward while smiling calmly.
Lily grabbed my sleeve gently.
"Are you sure it's okay?" she asked.
"Yes."
She looked guilty.
"You're not upset?"
I placed my hand lightly on her head again.
"Why would I be?"
Because the truth was simple.
She needed that offer.
I didn't.
But that didn't mean it didn't irritate me.
Still—
Watching her smile like that…
It wasn't entirely unpleasant.
Life is unfair.
God damn it.
But sometimes—
It's unfair in interesting ways.