Requiem Of A Failed Hero

Min-ho was seated there for about fifteen minutes and didn’t say a word. He felt awkward. He has always been a shy guy, to begin with, it didn’t matter if it was male or female, hell it was even worse with females. But like his timid stature would suggest, he was very naive, but brilliant seeing that he became a neurosurgeon at such young age–He must be a genius.

“So, you saved me?”

Raith spoke after coming out of the turmoil of thoughts. He hadn’t quite figured everything out. But it was beginning to add up if he considered the fact that Therut was created by archons.

He has heard of the celestial realm, human realm, and fiendish realm. And Volmak never knew that Therut existed which meant the human realm that they know is not Therut but rather this earth.

Besides, one cannot fully call Therut a human realm since there are other races; elves, dwarves and beastkins a general term that put all these three races together was ‘demi-human’. While humanity is not the only race in Therut, humanity is the main race.

“Yes, I did. It was a very odd thing. You cleared a rank D gate on your own, the Association was going to take you away so I had to save you”

‘His language is weird but oddly, I have no trouble understanding him and the case seems vice versa too. Is this the doing of the abyss? If it is then why?’

“What is your name?”

“Min-ho”

“Okay, Min-ho… I have something important to tell you. It might sound crazy but believe me, I’m not crazy.”

‘I should mind what I say because of the code…’

Raith began to explain to Min-ho the fact that he came from another world and was hunting in a gate, leaving out a lot of details and only focusing on the part where the gate is supposed to take him back to his world but he came out here–also, he mentioned nothing about Felfhiem.

“Ah, I see…”

Min-ho nodded his head, at first when Raith started his story, it was absurd. The young man was about to consider doing a mental checkup for real but as he listened to Raith and saw the look on his face, he decided to respect him by believing him.

Min-ho stood up after hearing all this.

“I understand, but maybe we should keep this in between us for now. If the association hears of something like this, I’m sure they will take you into custody.”

“Hm…”

Raith nodded.

‘He’s a nice guy, I didn’t expect him to believe me so easily, maybe I should have told him about my power? Nah, let’s leave that.’

“I will monitor you closely while in the hospital and you can stay in my house after you are discharged at least till you find a way to return home.”

Again, his chivalrous nature.

Raith’s eyes squirmed with glittering eyeballs.

“Awww, you are so nice. Thank you.”

“Ah ah ah”

His expression of gratitude made Min-ho so awkward that all he could was release lame laughter.

“Then please take care. I’m a bit busy so I have to go back, also the association would be coming here soon. You can just tell them you are a foreigner who came to see me.”

Min-ho was right on that note. Even though Raith’s hair and skin were looking like theirs, with those beautiful heterochromia eyes, anyone would argue his origin. It only made sense that he tells them he is a foreigner.

Min-ho nodded awkwardly and left the hospital room.

…

A few minutes after he has left, two men in black suits and shades entered.

Raith sat cross-legged with his eyes closed and suddenly opened them– they couldn’t resist that vibe of sagacity that he exuded but he truly was used to sitting like that.

“I am Sun Jong-Su, an agent from the association.”

He introduced himself, his black hair was slicked back and shining like he had used a moisturizer. He was the same agent that was in the abandoned construction site where Raith came out from the gate.

“And this is my colleague. Ok Hyun. We are both from the association–

“Ah…”

He made a pause due to Raith’s odd exclamation which looked like he was recognizing them based on something bad he had heard before now.

“Sir?”

“Nothing.”

‘It seems that Min-mo guy was right.’

“So, what have you come here for?”

Raith asked them.

“Regarding the D rank gate that you cleared, we have come to get some clarity and information.”

“Okay,”

Raith nodded as the agent spoke.

“So, did you go in with other hunters or you went in alone.”

“Other hunters?”

“Yes, other hunters like yourself.”

[Heroes are Hunters in the human realm]

‘ahh…but why the fuck are you helping now, you’ve never done it in times I needed you.]

Raith looked down at the system but that was the end of it–no response.

The agents looked at Raith with anticipative eyes as he took his time to respond to them.

“I went in alone. There was no one with me, and it was a goblin dungeon. The goblins were not that strong but the numbers were enormous if someone had gone with me. I’m not sure they would have made it back alive.”

“Yes, that was why the gate was left for that long. It is ranked as D but all of a sudden the magical power of the gate rose from rank D to C but that was not recorded because we weren’t so sure. We were about to confirm this when you came out of the gate and cleared it.”

“I see, if the magical power rose then it must have been because of the goblin king. Goblin King isn’t something that happens now and then but when it happens the goblins are always stronger than the norms.”

“Ah, I see… you seem knowledgeable.”

‘That is because I took classes before doing the archon’s trial’

“Sir, if you don’t mind. Can we ask what your rank is?”

“My rank?”

“Yes, your hunter rank”

‘Now that I think about it…’

“I’ve never been ranked, I didn’t even register with the association”

The agent leaned forward on his seat.

“That is a punishable offense to enter a gate without a license but I am willing to let it slide if you promise to come to the association for rank evaluation and register with us.”

Raith gasped. The least he wants is to get marked by the law enforcers of this world again–he knew how much trouble it caused the last time.

Raith nodded in agreement.

The association agent gave him a card.

“You can call me here, I will arrange a discreet evaluation any time you are ready. Also, please do not tell anyone about this.” ｎ𝚘𝚟ｌ.ｃｏ𝚖

Raith nodded with a smile and the association agents stood up and walked out.

“Sunbaenim… why did you want to evaluate him. Contrary to how I thought this would go you were extremely nice to him. He cleared a gate belonging to the association without approval, we should be using that against him.”

Agent Ok Hyun asked as they walked into the elevator that took them to the lower floors.

“Let me ask you, Hyun, to singlehandedly clear a rank D… no a rank C dungeon, who do you think can do that?”

“rank S…”

“Exactly, and how many rank S hunters does our country have?”

“Seven.”

“Of all seven, how many works for the association?”

“None.”

“Now, you know why I was being nice.”

He concluded as the walked out of the elevator. Agent Ok Hyun who took some time to reason what he said belatedly ran out of the elevator to catch up to him.

“Sunaenim are you saying that guy might be an S rank?”

“How did a slow-witted guy like you even make it to the association.”

Agen Jong-Su complained as they got out of the hospital and entered a black Mercedes Benz that was waiting for them in front of the towering hospital.

***

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(Felfhiem- Kania, the ninth realm)

Twelve narrow, square towers scattered in a seemingly random pattern, but were built for an ideal defense and were connected by large, massive walls made of black stone.

Refined windows are scattered thinly across the walls in a seemingly random pattern, along with asymmetric crenelations for archers and artillery and a great gate with wide doors.

Above the sky of this black castle was a rumbling Crimson sky that spread a significant red color across the whole realm.

Kania was known to be a realm that wasn’t meant for all because of the properties of its demon lord.

In his throne room, at the end of a red carpet that rolled from the entrance to these three-step stairs and finally to the feet of the golden throne seat was Duke Flauros, so human in all features except for the two horns that protruded from his forehead granting him the signature of the devil himself.

“So, the Fenrir escaped. How’s that my business?”

He said to his retainer who bowed meters away from him.

“I wasn’t the one that put Fenrir there. Those bastards in the upper realm expect me to always clean after their mess.”

He groaned leaning forward.

He paused for a few minutes then his eyes brightened.

“Wait, you mentioned that he was freed by that Volmak.”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Shax’s Volmak!”

“Yes, your highness.”

The Duke suddenly lick his upper lips.

“Looks like I’ve found a way to challenge Shax’s authority.”