Requiem Of A Failed Hero

"Hyung!! Hyung!!!" Tae Joon-Ho kept calling as he staggered out of the gate. The agents all around came to his aid, helping him and the other recruits who were all pale from exhaustion and horror.

For the first few minutes, they all couldn't say anything and were despaired, stricken with different sorrowful countenances, and couldn't even dare to look at the agents or even at themselves.

After five minutes, Tae Joon-Ho stood up and requested to call.

Mok Jae-Hwa who was in his office, with his sleeves rolled and his tie tucked somewhere in his shirt to prevent them from dangling received his call.

"Are you done with the raid?"

"Hyungnim! Hyungnim!!" Tae Joon-Ho's voice on the phone began to shake suddenly.

Mok Jae-Hwa's expression suddenly stiffened.

"What happened Joon-Ho."

"H-H-Hunter R-Raith..." He said, sobbing.

"I'll be there now." Mok Jae-Hwa replied and hung up.

***

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***

On the outlook, everything that needed to be taken care of in the dungeon had been taken care of. But Raith still could not come to terms with the fact that this was the strength of a rank A dungeon. The golem was far stronger than this.

'Is their ranking measurement broken.' Raith questioned himself.

He looked at Chunho, "Are you sure this is an A-rank gate?" He asked again.

"According to the association..."

"Then perhaps the association ranking system is broken."

Chunho kept quiet, '...it was quite strong to me though. I mean, we would have all died... if not for him. Maybe he is an S rank? Or perhaps one of the special ranks?'

Chunho suddenly gasped, 'Special rank...' His eyes widened.

"What the hell are you doing?" Raith irritatedly inquired looking at Chunho's display.

"Nothing sir!" Hunter Chunho replied and hurriedly joined the dark soldiers that were busy looking around the dungeon.

Raith walked around, while his soldiers also looked around.

Thirty minutes later, Chunho was already very tired and at this point, he just wanted to get out of the dungeon. But Raith was still being persistent. Seeing Chunho's expression and silent protest, he finally decided to leave.

He turned and was about to take the next step when...

[Another Trial Has Been Created]

A smile curved out his lips, "Tsk tsk... I knew it. Something was fishy about this place." He mumbled and looked at the rest of the information.

[Trial Of Disaster]

> A being has taken refuge in the ice plains of the yetis and is currently hiding to avoid being discovered. Challenge this being.

> Reward: unknown.

> Failure: unknown.

'...right. So someone who should not be here is here and he's hiding. A being huh' Aiden scoffed as he could smell some holding back in information there.

He has been with the abyss and was getting to know its games. But whatever the case may be. This might be the challenge he is waiting for.

'So the gate got ranked as A because of this being...'

He looked around and suddenly as if it just opened him was a small cave opening towards his left.

Raith paused and glared down in that direction.

"I can swear that wasn't there before," Chunho spoke, looking very confused because he was damn sure that thing wasn't there before.

The entrance was hidden by layers of ice and snow, it was small and cramped, barely large enough to get anyone to squeeze through.

It made sense while it had gone unnoticed or perhaps, Raith was only able to discover it because the abyss confirmed the fact that someone is hiding here.

"Chunho." As Raith called his name the rest of his dark soldiers were withdrawing back into the smoke that surrounded his leg.

"Hunter Raven?" Chunho replied, his eyes respectfully fixated on Raith, waiting on his next statement.

"Find your way home," Raith commanded him and walked forward, not waiting for a response.

Chunho, speechless, stood there and watched Raith melt the ice that covered the entrance into lava. His mouth fell and he felt so agitated to follow him.

"Damn, I want to see what more he can do..." But the words of Raith came back to him– find your way home.

He sighed and sluggishly turned back, looking one last time at Raith whose back had faded into the small dark cave.

As Raith made his way deeper into the cave, he begin to notice a faint glow emanating from the darkness ahead. As he step closer, the glow grew brighter and finally, he walked through a large open door into a large, dark, metallic palace hidden deep within the ice of the yetis dungeon.

The palace was an awe-inspiring sight to behold, with towering spires and intricate architecture etched into its metallic walls. The palace is built from a strange, otherworldly metal, which gleams with an ethereal blue light. The metal was smooth to the touch and seems to be impervious to the biting cold and freezing winds of the icy terrain.

Raith scrunched up his eyes as he looked to the center of the chamber he was now in.

Ahead of him was an imposing structure. A towering, metallic seat adorned with carvings and runes with steps leading to the seat itself.

The seat was incredible but it was another thing that sent shivers down Raith's spine. It's been a long time since he had been rushed with such an overwhelming and clear difference in power.

Seated upon the throne seat was a giant knight, slim and incredibly tall, with a commanding presence that filled the chamber. The knight was cladded in a blue tunic, with silver chainmail on the front and plate on its arms, legs, and back.

Its armor was gleaming in the dim light of the chamber and adorned with intricate patterns, etched into the metal with expert precision. On the knight's helmet is a black fabric that flowed ceaselessly. Its face was completely dark and nothing could be seen except a soft white glow on one side of its supposed eyes.

That was not all, its hands were resting on a long greatsword, shimmering with blue light.

Raith paused for a moment and gazed at the imposing figure from head to toe. No, this was unlike anything he had ever seen.