Requiem Of A Failed Hero

‘It’s been a while since Kortopi has left, do I have to–

Raith’s speech paused as he suddenly felt a familiar yet surging energy.

It was the same darkness he was familiar with but for some reason, running amok in Kortopi who walked towards him with the ant’s head in his hands. He was battered with all sorts of clawed marks but that slowly healed as he approached Raith.

Reaching Raith’s front, he knelt on one leg and placed the head at his feet with a proud appearance.

Raith looked down at the message that appeared before him.

[Death soldier ‘Kortopi’ has reached rank level limit]

[Death soldier ‘Kortopi’ is due for upgrade]

‘Just how much did you die for you to level up so much?’ Raith looked at the humanoid golem with slant and sleek eyes gazing at him with pride and expectation. Like he wanted Raith to do the thing.

[Will you allow an upgrade?]

He had no reason to refuse, Kortopi was one of his favorite soldiers so he loved the idea that this guy was getting stronger.

“Sure” he muttered.

[Upgrading death soldier rank Lieutenant > Captain]

A vortex of black smoke thicker than any black smoke that Raith had seen before now– enveloped Kortopi, swirling around him and forming a ball with Kortopi encapsulated within it.

Raith, surprised at this new development slowly touched the ball.

‘Wow…’ .

He couldn’t put his surprise into words. He could feel the energy frequency, he could feel the surge, as it permeated his body– it was as if the death soldier was being reborn in and out.

In a few minutes, the black ball began to melt away, and black fog filled it as, slowly Kortopi stepped out and bowed before Raith again.

[Soldier status]

Name: Kortopi

Level: 01/15

Rank: Captain

There was not much change to his status except the change of rank and his level reset. But Raith could tell that he had gotten stronger. His glare alone was with a reformed resolve.

“Now…” Raith said turning to the corpse of the ant king. He stepped closer to it and stopped as he sneered down at the corpse of the monstrosity that seemed like it once gave him a tough time.

“He will undoubtedly be a strong soldier, maybe the strongest.” Raith wondered beneath his lips still staring down at the monster.

He sighed and rubbed his face with his palm taking a second of recess before facing the next ordeal before him.

“Bal”

“Yes,” the sword’s arrogant voice resounded in his head.

“I did defeat this thing without dying but for some reason, I feel this urge to die once at least before summoning it”

“You are just a yandere whose love interest is death. You have become infested and obsessed with the love of dying.”

“So you are saying it is me? Because I’m used to dying?”

“Tch, you have come this far. Certainly, you are stronger and that is why you could defeat that monster without dying once. Although you also have me to thank for a large portion of that feat, if you were never strong, you never would have been able to slice off its head or hinder its defenses.

When you summon souls through the darkness, they respond to you because they respect you and you overwhelmingly power them. I can’t tell you what to do. But do what you must.”

“Such wise words from a scrap of metal?”

“You are mad”

Raith smiled as Bal returned to being a ring, sitting next to the ring of the helmet of the shadow god.

Bal shook his head at the timid ego seeing that he wasn’t even used for long.

Raith removed the golden sword from his inventory.

“Here I come… into your embrace,” He said as he plunged the sword into his belly, pushing it till it came out of his back.

Bloof drooled from his mouth and–

[You have died]

[You have willingly fallen into the deep embrace of darkness]

[Title ‘I am suicidal’ has been upgraded to ‘Death Yandere’]

[Title effect, you will gain random stats points anytime you die without regrets]

[You have gained a level]

[You have gained a level]

[You have gained 3 stats points]

[Unique Passive skill DEVOURER has gained a new level]

[You have devoured the head of the poison ant]

[Poison resistance has been upgraded to Poison Nullification]

“Hey pal”

[WE SUSPECTED YOU]

“Well, you did promise me that you will speak to me more honestly from now on.”

Raith sat crossed-legged in the thick darkness as the white tab floated before his eyes.

[CONSIDERING THAT YOU HAVE SHOWN ME.YOUR GROWTH. WE SHALL GRANT YOU THREE ANSWERS. ASK WHATEVER YOU WANT]

“Why me?”

[IT WAS A COINCIDENCE, WE NEVER CHOSE YOU]

“What do you mean you never chose me? How was I chosen then?”

[WHAT WE MEAN BY IT WAS A COINCIDENCE IS IT WAS SIMPLY AND PURELY A COINCIDENCE]

[AFTER FEL BETRAYED US, AND CREATED A FAKE WORLD WITH OTHER ARCHONS. HE THOUGHT HE HAD FINALLY BROKEN FREE FROM US AND SO WE TAUGHT HIM A LESSON BY KILLING HIM, BUT WE LEFT A POTION OF OURSELVES TO FIND A NEW VESSEL]

[THE ARCHONS DON’T CHOOSE WHO TO DWELL, IT IS THE PONTIFICES THAT DESIGNATE THEM AS THEY DEEM FIT]

“Wait! So you are saying, someone deliberately designated me to the death archon?!! Not that you chose me?!”

[YOUR THREE QUESTIONS ARE UP]

[YOU NEED NOT BE ANXIOUS ABOUT WHETHER A DESD.SOUL WILL ANSWER YOUR CALL. YOU ARE THE MASTER OF DARKNESS AND DEATH AFTER ALL]

“Tsk…” Raith clicked his tongue as he dissipated into the darkness and opened his eyes to reality.

“Master, welcome back!”

Crimson uttered, with the three of them on their knees.

“Hmm… you guys are here too.”

“Yes master, we have finished the war on the surface and have annihilated the ants, their carcasses have been gathered for you to make your soldiers.”

“Thank you but I think I will focus on this one first,” Raith said, turning his head to the ant king.

“Rejoice, brethren, we are about to receive a new comrade,” Crimson said, tapping the shoulder of Jarvis who was kneeling beside him.

Raith stepped closer to the monster.

He closed his eyes as he did when he was about to call Noir.

“With my authority as an apostle of darkness and the ruler of greed, I call you. Rise”

WHOOM!!