Requiem Of A Failed Hero

It was even more torturous because there was no way to calculate the time. There was nothing here to tell how many hours had passed.

Raith had learnt from school a way to tell the time with one's shadow. But strangely his shadow was not cast on this strange ground.

Raith arched a brow as he rewind his mind to that fact. Pushing it to the back of his mind, he tried to remember where he had left off with the squat count.

That one was at least meant to maintain his sanity.

'7,899? Or is it 7,999? Is it even seven or eight or nine. I do know those three numbers are there. Maybe 9,789? Argh darn it all!'

The next stand he refused to go back down.

"How the hell is this supposed to be a training?!! All I'm doing is squating you goddamned asura! If you are punishing me for selling your weapons then just say so!"

Raith shouted, echoes carrying the message of his voice to the horizon.

'Wait… who ended up buying the weapon then. Since it was one of the people in Therut. They should be in Antarctica right? If my memory serves me right, it was a lady that bought the boots.' He scratched his head for a few minutes.

'But I can't remember her face. And that guy that betrayed me. What's his name again Ella? Elli? Tsk…'

He gave up and stared around. There was nothing interesting to look at, nor was he particularly interested in taking a walk. Pfft, that was even if his leg would move from where it was.

Raith looked down. Slowly and awkwardly lowering to a squat.

'Since there is nothing to do. I might as well just do this…'

He clenched his teeth as the pain shot through his legs. Stood again… squat again, biting his teeth again as the pain overwhelmed him.

It was not getting easier by the second but Raith persistently continued. Even a number of times when he thought of giving up not that he couldn't but in the end how would he get out of this expanse? Besides, he was unable to walk anyways so why bother?

The asura would catch up to him and who knows what would happen.

Raith had decided to respect him. There was no big deal in submitting to this training and getting stronger, only that it was incredibly hard.

Incredibly hard was something he had built a high endurance for. Raith was not going to waver because of this. Although the harrowing pain increased, he didn't stop.

Instead Raith continued by pondering on Thard - Harl's question. What was his goal and motivation?

Before he did things blindly and mainly because the abyss asked him to. He didn't have a clear vision of what he wanted for himself, even when his goal was to save Volmak, he lost sight of that and got swept away with the flow of things.

So far so good. A few things he could say about himself was that he lacked focus, he lacked resolution for certain things, he had no principle, no discipline. He had been carried to this point by the tremendous luck of the abyss. And now, that luck has vanished.

What was he to depend on? He had built no discipline, no resolution, the ability to foresee a goal and stick to it - he didn't have that too.

Suddenly, he realized how worst of a person he was all this while. Why couldn't he have done this earlier… this reflecting thing. He had never done it in his whole life.

He is erratic, unstable, stupid and reckless.

"Ohh ooh? You are still keeping at it?"

Thard - Harl intoned as he appeared in front of him.

Raith frowned instantly, but the next second relaxed his brows.

"Yes… I am"

His response sounded tamed. Thard - Harl was not expecting it. Not this quick.

He stared for a couple of seconds. His stare was beginning to get uncomfortable to Raith who was now standing. But before he could voice out in protest, the asura smiled.

"Honestly. I don't believe in you."

Raith couldn't help the slight frown that creased on his face.

"When Fel''s message reached me a few years ago about a man that managed to escape the dark claws of the abyss… I was surprised indeed but I don't think there is any human humble enough to submit themselves to my training."

He inhaled and exhaled then continued:

"I don't think the power to destroy the abyss is in the hands of a mortal. But Fel said there was something special about you. He could feel it. Then… you became a player."

Thard - Harl moved closer to him.

"When I looked into your eyes after you defeated that monster I saw nothing… there was no flames of resolve. You looked like someone that was bound to destroy himself. Reckless and ignorant. But I made a promise to my friend"

Raith's frown deepened.

"What are you getting at? Why don't you just make your point alrea‐."

Before he could end his last word Thard - Harl brought a heavy slap upon his face. His neck twisted and his body collapsed before he knew what was happening.

"Still rude…"

Raith crawled up, barfing thick blood. The side of his eyes was bruised and purple. His ear rang involuntarily. For a few seconds he couldn't hear what the asura was saying.

"Congratulations. You just squatted for five months."

Raith narrowed his eyes. Just as his ear was recovering, the asura's words reached him.

"F-five?"

"Yes… due to some reasons. There are some vast difference between the time flow of this plane and the time flow of other planes. This feature is also how I've been able to stay hidden from the other asuras."

Raith slowly got up.

"Fel chose to use the power of the red crystal to hide himself. I chose to use a dreadful horror. The difference between both of us is that he is smart and cunning, I am fearless and courageous."

Raith did not understand what the asura was saying and for once in his life, he didn't want to ask.

That slap just now had humbled him in all manner. He was stubborn in his gaze but he was very silent.

Thard - Harl looked at him, evident that the young lad seem to not care about his stories.

"I like the look in your eyes. You want to beat the shit out of me, don't you? But before you can do that. You will first defeat the creature that dwells beneath this land."

He pointed down as he uttered.

"...the one responsible for tearing the flow of time from that of other planes."