"Call me Adrien," the instructor said in a curt manner. "What's yours?"
"My name is Rama."
Adrien furrowed his brow. "That doesn't sound like a name I commonly hear. Did your parents give it to you?"
"Perhaps," Rama replied with a flat tone.
"What do you mean?"
"I've been an orphan since birth. I never knew my parents."
"Oh," Adrien said. A hint of guilt suddenly appeared on his face.
"I haven't thought about it in a long time," Rama said.
"Is that so? Alright, let's get back to your sword training." Adrien decided to dismiss the topic as quickly as possible and continued his lesson with Rama.
Adrien instructed Rama to repeat the footwork and movements he had taught earlier.
Surprisingly, Rama remembered everything quite easily, leaving Adrien truly impressed.
Rama had never been a quick learner in school, but the power of Soul Fusion seemed to unlock something in his brain and body. Now his mind absorbed information more efficiently, and his body regenerated and adapted better.
"That's pretty good," Adrien remarked. "I think you're ready for the next lesson."
Rama nodded. He saw another notification briefly appear in his vision.
< Sword mastery, Beginner Level 5 (60/100) >
Rama had just realized that actual sword practice granted him more proficiency than aimlessly swinging his sword. He felt a bit frustrated upon realizing this, as he had spent a lot of time swinging it the night before. But he quickly brushed off the annoyance, as he had gained something much more valuable.
"Why are you smiling?" Adrien asked, his brow furrowed.
"I'm just thinking that this practice is quite enjoyable," Rama replied.
Adrien snorted at Rama's expression. He knew the young man was likely happy to finally have someone willing to teach him. Little did Rama know that Adrien felt the same sense of satisfaction from teaching again, especially to such a talented student.
"Let's continue. We have time until midnight," Adrien said.
They continued training until midnight. Rama enthusiastically embraced the practice, his eyes filled with passionate fervor. Eventually, the training session concluded, and Rama's proficiency had reached < Sword mastery, Beginner Level 7 >
~~~
That night, Rama returned home with a sense of happiness, a rare feeling for him. He lay down on his worn-out mattress, gazing at the ceiling, a smile still on his face. He glanced at the bill from his landlady on the table. Tomorrow was the deadline to pay the rent, or he'd end up on the streets.
However, Rama wasn't worried. With his newfound power, he believed he could take on missions independently and earn all the rewards for himself.
When the next day arrived, Rama headed straight to the Veil Guards guild headquarters.
"I'd like to take this mission," Rama handed over a poster containing the mission he wanted to undertake.
The receptionist looked up, her eyes widening. "Aren't you the one who joined the mission group before?"
"Yes," Rama answered. 'I didn't think he'd remember me.'
"You survived." The woman appeared somewhat impressed.
Rama snorted. "Yeah, somehow. Please process this quickly."
The receptionist took the poster and asked, "Where's your partner?"
"I'll do it alone," Rama said.
"Are you sure?" The receptionist looked at him skeptically. Rama could clearly see she thought his chances of surviving this mission alone were slim.
"Yes. Can you process it soon? I don't want to waste time," Rama said.
The receptionist shrugged her shoulders. "Alright."
Rama knew that the receptionist didn't care much about what happened to him—whether he returned alive, dead, or injured. She was just here to do her job.
"There you go."
"Thanks."
After his mission request was approved, Rama turned and left the guild building. He headed to where the provided motorcycle for his mission was parked. This was the guild's bike, with every guild offering vehicles to Hunters for free, though they would need to pay for any damages.
The mission he was about to embark on involved retrieving a document from a merchant convoy that had been attacked by Supernaturals the day before. Everyone in the convoy had died, and the important documents that were supposed to reach Twilight City were still there.
This was a D Rank mission. Previously, Rama hadn't dared to take it, but now he was confident he could handle it. The sun hadn't risen high when he left Twilight City, but the location was quite far, and he only arrived when the sun was overhead. The journey had been relatively safe, but new challenges were about to begin.
According to what he read on the mission poster, the location of the attacked convoy was near a new Ghoul nest.
The movement of Supernaturals could be unpredictable. Suddenly, a nest of Ghouls could appear in an area where there had been none before. That might have led to the massacre of the convoy. They hadn't hired enough protection, because they thought they wouldn't pass through dangerous territory.
Rama halted the bike when he saw an overturned truck ahead. He didn't want to get too close and risk damaging the bike if Ghouls appeared.
He dismounted and walked toward the truck, his dagger ready on his waist.
The truck had overturned near a forest that Rama believed was a new Ghoul nest. He needed to retrieve documents from a steel suitcase inside one of the trucks.
It would be ideal if the case was in the truck, as he wouldn't need to enter the forest. However, Rama still considered it acceptable if he had to venture into the woods and confront the Ghouls. That way, he could gain XP to level up his Soul Fusion.
~~~