"Calling my name, are you?"
Gen looked straight at the man approaching and asked calmly.
The one who spoke was none other than a distinguished-looking middle-aged man, likely in his fifties. His silvery beard contrasted sharply with his meticulously combed jet-black hair—so neat it bordered on perfection.
He wore a jet-black robe reminiscent of the proud warriors of the Crusades. Even though the robe was loose and flowing, it did little to hide his broad shoulders and solid build, exuding an air of strength and authority that was difficult to rival.
Aged, powerful, and imposing. Three words were enough to sketch a perfect picture of the man before him.
"Who else would I be calling? You think I'm talking to someone else?" His voice was gravelly and tinged with irritation.
"…Then may I ask who you are?" Gen asked after a brief silence.
"Huh?! You don't know who I am?" The man exclaimed in disbelief, eyes widening. "Ah… right, we've never met before." He muttered under his breath, shaking his head in apparent confusion.
Damn it. Gen clenched his jaw, cursing internally, trying to suppress his growing frustration.
"Then who exactly are you?" he asked again, voice tight. "If we've never met, why do you look so shocked?"
"Hmph. Because everyone in the Imperial Capital knows who I am—especially young soldiers like you, serving the nation…"
"And you are?" Gen cut him off. His eyes flickered briefly. Imperial Capital? So this place was the Capital? He made a mental note.
"Aaron!" the man declared, puffing out his chest proudly. His voice was firm, and his face lit up as if serving the nation were the greatest honor one could bear.
But to Gen, none of that meant anything.
Aaron glanced at Gen—still behind the iron bars, expressionless—and sighed.
He pulled up an old wooden chair and placed it in front of the cell, sitting down. For a while, he silently studied Gen with sharp eyes, as though trying to pierce through his very soul. Then he finally spoke in a stern tone.
"Let's get to the point."
"Do you know why you're being held here?"
"I'd appreciate it if you'd enlighten me," Gen replied flatly. He had no memories, no context—he couldn't afford to say anything careless.
"Alexander Gen," Aaron began. "You are a soldier of the Empire. Three days ago, you and your unit were deployed on a monster suppression mission at Mount Char. But…" He paused, locking eyes with Gen.
"You were the only one who returned. Alone. Unscathed. With no memory."
By this point, Gen had already figured out where this was heading. He didn't need to hear the rest.
"I don't remember anything. When I woke up… my mind was completely blank." Gen feigned a pained expression and shook his head.
Aaron didn't leave right away. He remained seated before the bars, his eyes cold and scrutinizing, like a scientist examining an unknown specimen. The silence grew heavy and oppressive.
"There's still something bothering me…" he said suddenly, interrupting Gen's thoughts.
Gen looked up and met Aaron's gaze.
"If you really did lose your memory…" Aaron stood and stepped closer to the bars. His shadow stretched long across the stone floor.
"…then how did you survive in one of the highest monster-concentration zones like Mount Char? And how would someone with no memories find their way back to the Imperial Capital without a single wrong turn?"
His voice echoed against the stone walls, each word like a hammer striking down on Gen's mind.
"I don't know. Maybe instinct. Or luck."
"Luck?" Aaron repeated, chuckling—though there was no humor in it. "The one thing I never believe in on the battlefield… is luck."
He began to pace slowly outside the bars, never taking his eyes off Gen.
"You reappeared mysteriously after being presumed dead. No papers, no memories, no witnesses. And then... you made your way back to the Capital, perfectly. Not a single wrong turn."
Gen closed his eyes, as if unwilling to continue the conversation. But inside, he knew—he was being watched… hunted.
Aaron stopped walking, crouched near the bars, and lowered his voice.
"Then tell me—who are you, really?"
A long silence followed.
Gen knew… this man's gaze wasn't easy to deceive. Or perhaps he was simply pretending. Even a small misstep—like heading in the 'right direction' by pure chance—was enough to trigger suspicion.
One small crack, and the doubt begins to spread.
"My name is Gen," he replied slowly, pushing his voice to sound like a cornered man. "If you think I'm an impostor… then kill me now."
As the words fell, the dim light of the prison seemed to flicker faintly.
Aaron stood still. His eyes weren't sharp anymore—but deep, like an abyss. He exhaled slowly.
"I don't believe in luck. But I also don't believe you're a fool." His tone carried an unspoken warning. "If you're not really Gen… whatever the truth is, I'll find out soon enough."
"Show me your Status Board." Aaron's voice left no room for refusal.
This was the most reliable way to verify the truth. If someone had been possessed or manipulated, it would show up clearly on their status.
Status Board? What the hell is that?
Gen blinked in confusion, uncertainty rising within him.
Aaron smirked slightly. A strange energy began to radiate from his body—something foreign and indescribable.
"This is mana," he said, noticing Gen's surprise. "And manipulating it is quite simple."
He continued in a disinterested tone, then made a peculiar gesture.
> [Notification: You've received an Appraisal Request from Aaron.]
[Accept] / [Decline]
A faint, translucent screen appeared in front of Gen—a mysterious three-dimensional interface.
"Just focus. You'll feel the mana inside you. Think of it as an extension of your own body," Aaron instructed patiently.
"Oh, really..."
Gen muttered, eyes glinting with curiosity. He closed his eyes and took a slow breath. Though this was a body unfamiliar to him, it reacted astonishingly well to the presence of mana. As if… the energy had always been there, simply waiting for him to awaken it.
Within a minute, a faint glow began to emanate from Gen's body—like a delicate mist. Soon, a gentle pulse of mana rippled outward… but it was pitifully weak.
"Good. Now use your mana to respond to my Appraisal skill—that's how you accept the request. It's the only way I can view your information."
Gen said nothing. He simply tapped [Accept].
But strangely, everything unfolded as if he didn't need to do anything Aaron had just explained. It all felt… natural.
Unbeknownst to him, the moment he accepted, a detailed Status Board appeared before Aaron. The man narrowed his eyes as he scanned it.
"How do I view my own Status Board?" Gen suddenly asked, feigning curiosity. He tilted his head and stared at Aaron with innocent fascination.
"Just think about it. Focus your mind—your mana will handle the rest," Aaron replied casually, still examining the board.
Following his instructions, Gen concentrated—and a miracle occurred.
A shimmering display slowly materialized before his eyes. Clear, elegant… almost like a HUD from a video game he once knew.
---
STATUS BOARD
Name: Gen | Age: 23 | Gender: Male
Race: Human
Title: None
Class: Soldier – Intermediate
HP: 90/94 | MP: 52/52
Level: 9
Strength: 131
Physical Resistance: 47
Mana: 52
Magic Resistance: 26
Agility: 122
Unique Skills: None
Basic Skills: [Appraisal] [Swordsmanship Lv.3]
State: Normal (Amnesia)
"So this really is like a game…" Gen murmured, eyes glued to the numbers as if reading an enthralling novel.
"You said… game? What's that supposed to mean?"
Aaron frowned slightly, puzzled by the unfamiliar word.
"Oh, nothing. Just a passing thought. So… what's next?" Gen smiled and waved off the question.
Aaron studied him for a moment, then slowly stepped forward.
"Someone will come to release you shortly. Here…" He pulled out a folded sheet of paper and passed it through the bars. "This contains your personal information from before you joined the Imperial army. Read it. Maybe it'll help trigger some memories."
Without another word, Aaron turned and walked away. His imposing figure gradually disappeared into the corridor.
Gen held the paper in his hands, his expression indifferent as he scanned the contents. It described his life from three years ago—before joining the military. A small family, a poor home in the southern provinces, and a little sister he left behind…
His goal was clear—save enough money to buy a home in the Capital, where his family could start anew. But the harsh life of a soldier with a pitiful wage had turned that dream into a fantasy… and eventually, he fell in battle—on that fateful mountain, Char.
In the dead silence, Gen suddenly clenched the paper tightly. A strange smile curved his lips—and when he spoke, his voice was completely different: cold, hollow, ancient.
"Do not worry… I have heard your wish."
The moment the words left his lips, the paper crumbled to ash in his hands, dissolving into the air.
Had Aaron still been present, he would have shivered in terror at the sound of that voice—one not belonging to any ordinary man, but to a being of ancient power, far beyond human understanding.