Requiem Of A Failed Hero

[Due to title one who devours death, you will be resurrected]

Beelzebub was still deliberating on what to do when he saw Raith spring back to his feet as if what happened just now was not a big deal. He even said...

"I'm sorry you had to see that."

Beelzebub's eyes were almost bulging out of their socket.

"Wh-wha-what? You died just now"

"I wouldn't like to continue to dwell on that topic but it seemed that I died because I mentioned his name."

'I even gained cosmic reputation...for what?'

"That makes a lot of sense. The name of Gabriel at the mouth of one that has never encountered him or even has a mental presentation of what he looks like is a high-level violation of the celestial code."

"Well, I learned my lessons the hard way."

On Beelzebub's face, the way his compound eyes focused on Raith made it obvious that he was dying to know what just transpired here. In fact, he was already concocting different analogies in his head.

He after all used to be one hell of a scientist, obsessed with insect experiments. One would be surprised at his arsenal of oddities.

"I will ask you for more information about Bal from time to time but if you want to get your material body then prepare the runestones. And be fast, I have to depart in a few days."

"Depart?"

"Yes. To Felfhiem... I suppose you know where that is."

Beelzebub's eyes widened.

"If you are going to Felfhiem, do you perhaps know how to open the gate?"

Raith turned his face away.

"Not really."

Admitting that he did could have given his link to the abyss away, one can never be too careful and must be thorough with the lies.

"Alright...I will get back to you."

He said and sank back into the red-haired man.

Bastien shot his head up with a wild grin.

"The red beast is back!"

He paused for a moment and began to respond like he was on a phone call.

"Uhm..."

"Eh, ehn?"

"Ohh..."

"I see..."

"Wait what?!! Ten?!!! Do you want me to go bankrupt?!!"

"Uh! Ugh!!"

He then went silent after a few seconds. His face contorted into that of defeat, then he threw a glance at Raith.

"You greedy man. I can't believe you are about to get ten high-rank runestones for free. One alone cost three hundred thousand dollars. And you want to get ten. Just know that if I come here to crash because I'm broke you don't have the right to send me away."

Raith stayed silent and watched in irritation as Bastien made a fuss and walked out of his abode.

Then a wide smile spread over his face changing the mood like wildfire.

"I didn't actually think it would work but maaaaaannnn!"

'I will be gaining ten runestones, at most I will use two to create a skill for him. Then I can use the rest to develop my own skills. High-rank skills, this is jackpot!'

Suddenly, Raith could hear a noise. It was a loud noise of the wind heaving and beating against each other which caused an even greater spread of wind around, carrying snow and little things. Clearing the ground, that was to an advantage but it ruined the houses that were yet to be complete.

A large Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter slowly descended on the ground. The people of Therut gathered around it and watched from a distance, those that were currently available were inexperienced hunters, mothers, and children.

While some stared with discontent, some with curiosity, many with unwelcoming glares.

—This was finally beginning to feel like home, what do these people want with us again?

Majority of their gazes vividly said this.

Raith stepped forward, and Mok Jae-Hwa and Balam who were afar joined him as quickly as they could. Even Bastien was in the middle of the cloud, he was about to leave but had not left.

"Yaii yaii, what is this woman doing here so early."

He mumbled.

Raith looked over to him.

"A companion of yours?"

"I don't know if a companion is the right word. But the woman coming now is the fourth unranked hunter in the world. And she is probably coming to dish out your punishment for not attending the World Hunters summit."

Raith cocked his head.

'She's gonna punish me because I refuse to attend a summit?'

He turned his head to Mok Jae-Hwa who shrugged. Raith looked back at the lady who began to descend the helicopter.

She was donned in a black suit-styled shirt with palazzo pants, a thick black coat hung over her shoulders. As she reached Raith's front she removed her shades and sized him up before talking.

"I have heard so many rumors about you. Nice to finally meet you, Hunter Raven Raith."

She said with an outstretched hand waiting to be shaken.

Raith stared into her grey eyes. Even with the wrinkles on her face, she was clear and pristine, beautiful with elegance, and exuding the purest energy Raith had ever come across.

Gently he shook her hand, they were soft and cold. Then she carved out an enchanting smile.

"Nice to meet you too."

Raith responded sheepishly. It was the calmest Mok Jae-Hwa had seen him when approaching someone. He usually didn't always care about manners and ethics.

"We have a lot to discuss. Can I come into your abode?"

She asked, more like a statement than a question and her head slightly tilted, peeking at the new and shabby lodging behind Raith.

"Will you be able to manage, it might be too ugly a place for a person of your caliber."

"Eh?!!"

Mok Jae-Hwa and Balam screamed simultaneously. Raith just spoke politely to this woman.

'Am I imagining things?!'

"attends une minute! Talk? You want to talk to him?!"

"Do you have a problem with that Bastien?"

"non maman"

He responded, looking away, whistling.

She smiled at him with her eyes slightly closing.

"Then..."

Raith turned and walked into his new lodging. Gilly was about to enter too but got stopped by Ruan Zhaohui herself.

"I'd like this meeting to be private."

"Bu–

Wanting to object but she stopped as she saw the genteel smile on Ruan Zhaohui's face. She became collected and stepped back, guarding the entrance.

Bastien winked at her but she returned it with a death glare.

The state of the room was pitiful, the chair at the edge was shattered and the windows were small, the wood was dark brown and made it quite difficult for light to penetrate, making the enclosure quite dark.

She sat down and Raith settled opposite her.

For a few seconds, the two of them stayed in silence, with a soft smile maintaining a level of coolness on Ruan Zhaohui's face. Raith showed a little distress for a few seconds. It was uncomfortable to sit alone with this woman and try to act his best behavior.

"You didn't attend the hunters' summit."

"I had more important things to do."

"Oh oh... it's the hunter's summit you know. It is a conference that is held because of the detrimental effect of gate outbreaks when they cannot be contained by the hunters of each country."

"And yet a massive gate has destroyed cities in India and not one summit has been held. However, the moment a gate claimed the life of one unranked. You all suddenly make a move... that to me is hypocrisy and it's irritating. The best I could be polite is to send Balam to represent me. After me, he is the strongest around here."

Ruan Zhaohui's eyes lowered as if they were almost closing.

"There exists a vast difference between the value of lives. Li Mingwu's life was worth more than that of a billion ordinary people. He had saved billions of lives. A gate capable of killing him should be considered a rank 1 red danger and be treated with utmost urgency. As for the gate in India... they have refused the help of external hunters."

"Because they are offering an astronomically insane account. For a country that is already spending all of its money to minimize damage and take care of its citizens, aren't the hunters being too selfish?"

"You are well informed." She smiled and continued, "I can't control what a special rank does, not even an S rank. The hunters' decisions are dependent on themselves and the associations or guilds. But if you are that concerned, why are you not there yet?"

She asked so gently with a soft smile but her words were like that of a snake, biting at Raith's face.

"I intend to, after now."

"Uh oh? What do we do? You are a major part of our hunt in the gate in America."

"Should I care...?"

Raith frowned.

"Besides, you'll be the only one heading to that kind of gate. Are you sure you will be able to come back alive?"

Raith couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm sorry... it was quite funny."

He apologized and wiped away whatever was left of the laugh off his face.

"I will be more than enough to hunt both the gate in America and that in India."

"Quite the words, you speak there hunter... if you are so sure then I have a proposition for you"

'I have to gauge for myself if you really are an unranked hunter.'