SEVEN GATES: WAR OF CHAOS
Chapter 2.4: Regret and the Will of Fire

I feel so sorry, I feel so guilty, I am a useless person, because of my selfishness Ariana left me for good…

What's the point of me living?…

It felt so empty, like I wasn't worth living…

I saw Ariana, she smiled at me, her smile was like a powerful light that calmed my heart, she took me on an adventure, I saw her always looking after myself with a strong determination, she said, he held his greatsword in front of me and prepared with his horse that looked very strong, I was always behind him, always relying on his protection…

No. gabe…

I am a coward! a man standing behind a woman?! why would I do that! how stupid of me!

But she herself wanted to take care of me because I was a noble, but I'm not sure she thought of me that way, she had always called me to Raven from the first time she met, he was a reliable person until I subconsciously continued to take advantage of it, continuing to be within his safe protection…

Oh no! Ariana, don't go!

“Shutt! don't cry, wipe your tears, I won't go anywhere, I'm always by your side, but I have to go now” said Ariana touching my mouth with her index finger, there was no sadness in her words or her face, she was always so strong in front of me.

“Then I come with you, I don't want to live without you!” I stopped his steps by holding his left hand

“All will be well, you have to stay alive, just relax I just go for a while” said Ariana while hugging my right hand with both hands, his eyes looked at my eyes with hope that I could let go of his disappearance

“ARIANA!” shouted Raven who woke up from her bed, in her room.

When Raven's father and adoptive mother turned to him and approached, the father immediately hugged Raven “ you finally kiss” said the father with tears that poured, while the mother saw I was relieved.

“I'm sorry dad, mom, I'm tela-” Raven said

“Thank God you're okay, do you feel like someone is sick?” ask Dad to take off my arms

“No, I just feel tired and hungry” reply me, my mother immediately replied “wait a minute, mom will prepare porridge for you”, mom go to the kitchen in a hurry.

“Dad...” I said, my father wiped his tears and then noticed my words, I could clearly see his happy face, his relieved expression was very pronounced, I might disappoint him, I might let him down, I took a deep breath in preparing my heart to speak

“I have killed Ariana..” I said with tears unconsciously streaming from my eyes.

“Kill Ariana? calm down Raven, tell me good” said father surprised, he saw my expression like a dead man, father tried to calm me.

I started talking about Ariana, starting from me taking her on a very dangerous mission and she protecting me and me indirectly killing her, I told her with a blank look with tears rushing down my clothes

After listening to my story, my father and mother were a little surprised, my mother cried by covering her face with both hands, while my father tried to keep a smile then he stroked my head, I saw his same face as Ariana, I saw her, always smiling, but maybe she is not aware that tears come out of her eyes, her smile reminds me of Ariana who always smiles even though she is injured for protecting me.

“Cry, but you must not blame yourself for Ariana's death, you did not kill her. Ariana made her life for you, don't waste her sacrifice” said the father while stroking my head, I'm sure she felt very lost, but she was strong when in front of me just like Ariana.

“Dad and Mom are so grateful that you've been awake, because you've been unconscious for a week, especially when rescuers find you, they say you're very bad, you sit leaning your body on a tree trunk while holding Ariana in front of you, your body is full of blood and your body is full of wounds on the hands, while Ariana's body.” said Father.

“What about Ariana??” just serious

“He smiled, his eyes were closed, his stomach seemed to explode, a very strong poison came out from inside there, because the poison was the rescue team thought you were dead, it makes father and mother very hard hit because of the loss of both our children” said the father with trembling, “but when examined your heart is still beating even though it is very weak, the doctor who examined you said that you were in a coma, he also said that his body was immune to the poison, which is why you are still alive”

Ariana, her stomach is filled with poison? is it because of the poison from the Night Rabbit?! It's possible, if the fire I made wasn't strong enough to make the poison evaporate, but I've been eating the meat for a long time and it's safe

“Oh yes what about the Titan we fought, the demon scientist?, my memory blurred after witnessing the death of Ariana” asked Raven

“Titan you fought felled by the same poison as Ariana's stomach, there's no Devil Scientist in that place, it's just that many monsters like Giant Frog and Flame Wolf died from your fire element attack Raven” retorted Father in confusion

He got away! Goddamnit!

Father also did not mention the blue dragon, I have not seen the dragon for a long time, they are passive monsters that just relax in the nest, it seems like the mountain is the nest.

Long story short, after my father and mother left my room, I thought to myself, I did not go out for a few days, my mother and father always knocked on the door asking me how I was, they were so worried about me.

“My husband how is this, Raven has not been out of the room for a few days, he is very sad for the death of our daughter, Raven said, on the one hand I feel very happy for his empathy for our daughter but if Raven continues like this.” said Mother.

“I don't know when, but I'm sure Raven can get through this, we just need to wait for her and have to support her when she has made her decision later, he said, as an adult man he must choose between continuing to be a Gate Hunter or continuing his duties as an aristocrat”

Mom and Dad talked about me, they chatted in the dining room, I accidentally listened to what they said finally convinced by my determination, I walked slowly towards the room

“Raven” says Mom spontaneously turned to look at me, so did dad

“Dad, Mother I have decided to remain Gate Hunter!” said Raven with determination, it was clear from his very serious eyes and looked at his parents with attention

They both smiled at me then stood up and hugged me, “as your parents we will continue to support whatever decision you choose” said the father

I had made up my mind that I was indeed guilty of having let Ariana continue to protect me, therefore I would be the strongest with my own strength without ever relying on anyone else again!

There is nothing wrong with the monsters attacking us, they are just trying to survive, all creatures are just trying not to die, the wrong thing is that gate! The gate had brought with it countless strange living creatures, monster monsters that survived by taking resources from humans, monsters that came out of the gate were not wrong.

What's wrong is that the gate is the way for the Gate Monsters into this world, I will be the strongest and close the gate, I will atone for my sin with Ariana, I will, it may be a very long journey, but the journey of a thousand steps starts from the first step!

…

He's not old, I know that. I was 50, I was sure he was my age, too, but he looked like a dead 70-year-old grandfather, it might be the effect of the magic used, or a curse? I don't know.

For over 25 years I've served him but he never told me that, but for sure Raven's father cares about his son, only he can't see his son because of his job.

“It's been 11 years yes since you don't have my lord” said father prayed to see the grave of Raven's father

“I have failed to take care of myself, but my son has avenged my sin on you, he has managed to save your son Raven, he said, I am both happy and sad to lose my only daughter but at least we still have our adopted son whom you entrusted me my lord” said the father as he rubbed a tombstone bearing the name Kyale Darkmoon

Whenever there is an important incident going on around Raven, her foster father always comes to Raven's biological father's grave to clean up his grave and tell Raven's story to her, deep within the foster father's small heart, he still could not accept the fact that his master was dead.

…

“Dead you! die you! die you!” raven said as he stabbed his sword into the Flame Wolf's body

I was in the forest of death, precisely in zone 5, this zone has a lot of monsters that have magic abilities, I saw a lot of Flame Wolf nests, he said, but it seems like they are helping each other, this is to my advantage because I can eradicate them one by one from the nest to the nest.

I have been hunting Flame Wolf for a few weeks until the rank of Gate Hunter has become very high even more so I got the nickname Titan Slayer by the Guild Leader, I don't care about it, I don't care about it, I just need to be the strongest, my journey is still long to close that gate.

“40, 41, 42” said Raven while killing Flame Wolf one by one

The Flame Wolf horde set up a defensive formation to deal with Raven, it seemed like they were aware that if it attacked me one by one it would not be able to stop me. This Flame Nest has a little strange from the nest before it, this nest looks neater and bigger, the cave that became its headquarters there seems to be something valuable there, because the Flame Wolf horde was holding out all around there.

“I will attack them with physical strength, where I am not enough for magic area” said Raven prepared with her horse, she held a sharp iron sword with both hands, he held a sharp iron sword, he took a deep breath in preparing to attack.

How surprised Raven was when she saw the Flame Wolf nest closer because she saw the 2 Flame Wolf leader figures, plus between the two there was a white wolf lying like it was hiding itself.

SLASH

Raven's sword slash was avoided by the Flame Wolf, quickly the Flame Wolf returned to its defensive ranks, Raven finally realized that he would not be able to break through the Flame Wolf's defenses if relying on physical strength alone.

“Physical reinforcement stage one, Enchant Strength” Raven said, her body giving off a blood red aura without any physical strengthening magic succeeding

Raven tried to break through the defenses of the Flame Wolf from the left looked as some Flame Wolf helped the defense of the left, some Flame Wolf jumped towards Raven and some more surrounded Raven, some more surrounded Raven, it was fortunate that Raven repelled the attack with her sword.

“What?! why can a monster be this compact?!” raven was surprised

The two Flame Wolf leaders approached Raven they both spouted flames towards me, I now know that those two Flame Wolfs are not ordinary leaders! They are a different species! They are the Burt Flame Wolf!

“This is so strange, Burst Flame Wolf should not be in zone three, what does this mean?!” said Raven while fending off the fire attacks from the two Flame Wolf leaders with his wind magic.

Raven attacked the nearby Flame Wolf but many of his attacks were easily avoided and the Flame Wolf retaliated against Raven's attacks from various angles. Raven did not expect that he would have any trouble fighting the Burst Flame Wolf, either, he who feels that he has developed enough because he has reached zone 5 to know that his strength is still not what even in zone 5.

“I have underestimated you, I admit you are strong because of your solidarity, but.” Raven clenched both her hands and her face became very serious

“I will be the strongest for the peace of this world!” shouted Raven who rose from her defeat, at a glance she remembered Ariana's smile

Long story short Raven managed to defeat all Flame Wolf except the white Flame Wolf, until the remaining two Burst Flame Wolf became the last boss.

“It looks like you two understand the difference in our strength” said Raven, the effect of stage one physical strengthening is still active, I have fought from day to night. Due to the physical training a few weeks ago I was able to survive this situation, but I was already exhausted, for the last attack I would bully them only.

With a chaotic state, Raven's body was covered in wounds, her clothes were full of blood from the Flame Wolf as well as her sword that looked had started to blunt as it continued to withstand the attacks from the Flame Wolf.

SING

Raven threw her sword towards her enemy it made the two Burst Flame Wolf retreat a few steps, Raven prepared to cast her spell

“Feel my strongest magic!” shouted Raven

Hearing this the two Burt Flame Wolf instantly fled in fear, they went even deeper into the third zone.

I was so grateful that they ran away before I finished chanting my fake magic, I could not cast area magic because where my magic had been exhausted for physical strengthening magic, it was fortunate that they could not think. I took the sword and left the Flame Wolf's nest and searched for a bed between the trees, then I made a fire with the rest of my mana, unconsciously my body leaned against the tree trunk and then I fell asleep from exhaustion.

Although I was asleep I could feel the presence of monsters from which streams were moving unnaturally around the air, when I opened my eyes I saw the white wolf along with its son sleeping near me, I was surprised to realize that.

“What?!” I shouted to my feet, The Flame Wolf woke up and looked at me as if they were happy that I was awake, his son even approached me and swiped his body on my feet, he looked like a cat

What happened?, this Flame Wolf is different from his species he is white like snow, I have never seen the Flame Wolf have fur as white as this, it is possible that they are different species yet to be discovered. My instincts tell me they're harmless, the proof is they don't attack me while I sleep.

It turned out that I woke up not because of the flow of this white Flame Wolf but rather the existence of the monster gate that was the Night Blue Goblin that had surrounded me from various directions, they had not yet appeared but they were already preparing in the bush.

Suddenly the white Flame Wolf became so big, he lowered his body looking at me as if telling me to go up to his back, I had no other choice, he said, after I boarded she directly carried her child as well with her mouth, she ran quickly avoiding contact with the Night Blue Goblin.

Some arrows and spears almost hit me because the Blue Goblin was attacking, their presence is very clearly visible when they come out of the bush because of their blue body color with long ears and their bad face.

But it seemed like they did not give up just like that, they continued to chase but after quite a distance they suddenly stopped chasing, after all, but somehow I feel like the trees around me look like they're busier than before and this place is darker than ever, I can't even taste the flow of mana here because the air here is closed, I want to rest for a while on the tree, at least for tonight.

Raven was not aware that she had entered a higher zone than before, but due to the existence of the white Flame Wolf she was safe for tonight.