Requiem Of A Failed Hero

[Due to the peculiarity of the attribute 'darker than black' and the continuous effect of death and resurrection on your soul]

[Your soul has received an uncommon tenacity and a materialization has taken place in its desperate attempt to carve out something like 'darker than black' after your ties were cut away from the abyss]

[But this was not possible]

[Hence it settled for less. Although I call it less, it is quite an amazing thing]

[Your soul materialized a zone to resemble your attributes and reflect your personality, that is how the dark sea came to live. Although this materialization is utterly subjective to your will and manifestation]

[This zone has certain attributes]

[Apart from it being the area that holds the essence of your soul. It also can store physical items, it can accumulate a physical presence, and it can become anything you desire it to]

[Much importantly, the more you absorb the soul of people the more your seed of greed grows stronger. And as your seed grows stronger, it gives more power to your soul. Hence, making your dark sea grow bigger and susceptible to more peculiarity]

"Okay, quite interesting. So have I absorbed any soul?"

[You just absorbed a soul]

Raith's eyes turned to the dead assassin on the ground.

'Now, what should I do about this?'

[You can dump the body out through the window or you can...]

"That's fine, I think I'll do just fine."

[Hmph]

"Did you scoff at me?"

[...]

Raith shook his head and returned to the worry of what to do about the mess these guys had created.

He picked up the hotel line and dialed the management. A few seconds, a respondent sounded:

"Hello, how may we help you?"

The voice sounded extra careful, there was no way they wouldn't know that the call was coming from the room of South Korea's catastrophe-ranked hunter.

"I was attacked by assassins. Although I have dealt with them myself. I need things to be cleaned up from here as soon as possible"

"Ah! Yes sir!!"

The feminine voice sounded shocked but responded affirmatively to Raith's intimidating tone.

Raith got off the phone and looked at the other guy who was still alive. He was sleeping... and had quite the gut to snow.

Raith walked closer to him and observed his face pulling down his nose mask. Dark-skinned and quite the fine man.

"Hey Omnisavant, is it possible for me to use Omnisavant and not kill the person? Can the skill be targeted into stealing his possessions alone?"

[Then we can use sub-skill Lacerous Touch]

[While Greed Grasp, aims at sucking away the vitality and materials of the target by a touch, Lacerous Touch aims to steal the target's valuables by a touch. The more valuable an item is to the target, the more easier it will be stolen]

'Very convenient'

Raith said and placed his hand on the snoring young man.

"Use Lacerous Touch"

[Activating Skill: Lacerous Touch]

[Transferring valuables to the dark see]

[1...2...4...4 ...100]

[Transfer complete]

As Raith removed his hand, the security and workers of the hotel got the his room, first shocked to find the strong door out of place.

They came in bowing and began to inspect around. Raith could vividly see the horror on their faces as they laid their eyes on the decaying man. It was as if he had lived two hundred years, and his body couldn't take it anymore. The young man tried to groan but no sound escaped his mouth.

With enough carefulness, they were able to carry his body out of the room, along with the other one.

'He is probably not going to last until tomorrow'

Raith sank into his seat and stared at the ceiling till he fell asleep.

The next morning, he was woken up by Ruan Zhaohui's soft footsteps. As she took her first step into the parlor, his eyes slowly came open.

With elegance, she sat on the single chair adjacent to the three-seat sofa he had slept on...in a sitting position.

"You seem comfortable for someone that got attacked by assassins"

Beside Ruan Zhaohui was a young lady in a black suit, she wore a deep frown and an unapproachable aura. She continuously scowled at Raith.

Not that he cared.

He leaned forward and stood up, stretched his muscles a bit.

"What could I have done? Although I do find it insulting that America sent an ability blocker to me and thought it would be enough to deal with me. They seem to have been thoroughly prepared for this..."

"What did you say now?"

Ruan Zhaohui asked with a slight frown swimming out of her brows.

"An ability blocker. The guy could block my skills. I'm pretty sure it would have worked on other than me"

Her frown got intense as she lowered her head, she seemed to be lost in thought so much that it made the atmosphere silent and awkward.

"Is something wrong?"

Raith's question brought her head back up.

"The existence of an ability blocker as you mentioned has never happened. And if there was such a hunter, I should have known about it"

"Does that mean they were hiding it from you?"

Raith asked, not particularly concerned about further these implications that seem to worry Ruan Zhaohui.

"It means they were hiding it from Li Mingwu."

"Oh,"

He nodded his head slightly. He had a very short understanding of who Li Mingwu was and what she was saying wasn't adding up in his head. But further curiosity into the matter was going to rope him in somehow.

'I have not only taken one's asset and vitality, I also stole the most valuable thing to one. The least I want is to get caught up in this matter. Let it just rest there. I should go check what it is I stole from that ability blocker later'

Ruan Zhaohui's inquisitive gaze stayed on him for a few more seconds. It was obvious what she expected was from the way she looked at him, and Raith was never going to give it to her.

"You do not know the reason why they are hiding it from Li Mingwu."

"And I don't want to know"

Raith added with a big smile.

"How dare you speak like that to mother!"

Gilly leaned forward, her hand towards the right side of her waist as if she was about to draw out a sword any moment from now. The odd thing was... there was no sword there.

Of course, her action was stopped before she could pull the hand forward.

"Stop it, Gilly"

"Mother but he is–

Seeing Ruan Zhaohui's gentle smile, she shrank and bowed her head to Raith.

"I apologize."

Raith dismissed her apology with indifference and turned to Ruan Zhaohui who spoke.

"I see you are trying very hard not to be caught up in matters of this world. But the moment you became a target in this land, I think you have been caught up in it."

Raith frowned and asked:

"What are you talking about?"

Ruan Zhaohui let out a soft sigh before speaking.

"I think Li Mingwu's death was staged."

"Okay, I think I will need to stop you right there. I don't want to know anything about Li Min Min or whoever that is. I don't want to know anything."

"I heard you owe him."

Raith raised a brow.

"Owe who? Min min?"

"Li Mingwu... he saved you in a showdown with Turner."

Raith's eyes rolled out of focus as he tried to recall his fight with Turner. Fortunately, it was one of the few memorable things in his life. He also could remember being attacked by Absalom before that time and he set the stage for Absalom and Kortopi to fight.

His face became sunken for a second as he remembered Absalom but that second was all it took for the expression to fade into nothingness.

Raith's usual gaze, which exuded a gloomy confidence restructured its lines on his face, altogether surrounding him with a dark pressure that the heart could insitntictvely feel.

"I think I remember now. An old man with an eye on his forehead."

"Yes, that eye on his forehead is the eye of clairvoyance. Although I'm not sure of all its abilities... it makes Li Mingwu capable of seeing everything."

"Spare me the details, please. I don't need to know anything."

"If you are headstrong about it then I will say no more. But I don't think you can be excluded from this. You are in it already."

"Sure thank you."

'I have more shitbags to deal with than you all can ever know'

"Then... are you in a good condition to raid a gate or would you like to rest one more day. Considering that you were attacked, I can spare you one more day to rest."

"No. I'm fine but instead, we could do it like this."

Raith paused to see her reaction, seeing that she was following him and didn't have any kind of repulsive look on her face, he continued:

"I will raid the gate, and you will increase my money."