If this were his former self, Rama would undoubtedly have immediately handed over his money to them.
The three of them had always singled him out as a target when they needed extra cash. And the old Rama used to give them the money they wanted because if he didn't, they would beat him up and send him to the hospital. Which would be worse, as he'd have to foot the medical bills. So, it was better to lose the money and still be healthy than to lose the money and be battered.
He could flee this crowded area as there were usually police officers around, and they wouldn't want to cause a scene. However, once he was in his residential area, he had no one to rely on. That's where he would face his beating.
But now, he had a better chance of standing up to them. Although there was doubt in his heart because they were all D Rank Hunters and would likely attack him simultaneously, Rama would seize the opportunity to fight back.
"I need this money, though. My rent is due," Rama replied with a flat tone.
The three men looked surprised. Jet, the man in the middle who appeared to be their leader, turned to his two friends, Ron and Chris. "Did you hear that?"
Ron and Chris let out sneering chuckles, treating Rama's statement as the most absurd thing they had heard all day.
"You can take another mission later to cover your rent, can't you? So, for now, you should hand over the money to us," Jet extended his hand.
Rama lifted his chin. He wouldn't let himself appear weak and underestimated again. "I won't give it to you."
Rama then walked past them. The three Hunters stared at Rama's back in disbelief.
Jet snorted. "What the... He's not backing down even after we almost killed him back then."
"What do you want to do?" Chris asked.
"You know exactly what I'm going to do," Jet replied. An evil grin slowly crept onto his face.
This time, Rama took a detour to reach his residence. He walked through the abandoned housing complex where a massive fire had once occurred, claiming many lives.
It wasn't far from his place, and even during the daytime, the atmosphere here was still quite desolate. Rumors of restless spirits haunting this complex had spread, but Rama knew there was no such thing here. Guilds would have sent Hunters to hunt them down if it were true.
Rama glanced at the houses that still stood, their walls and pillars blackened. Windows without glass facing the street revealed the darkness within. He didn't have enough sympathy to feel sorry for the unfortunate souls who died in that fire. He understood that death was a sad thing, but he only knew it as something definitive, not because he had ever felt the sadness of losing someone himself. Thus, he didn't care much about what had happened here.
As soon as he sensed an arrow flying towards him, he dodged to the side.
*THUMP!*
Turning, Rama saw an arrow vibrating where it had struck a pillar of one of the houses.
"He just dodged my arrow!" Chris exclaimed. Jet and Ron beside him were equally surprised by Rama's reaction.
Rama stood with a neutral expression, though his heart raced. 'I dodged it? How did I become sharp enough to sense the arrow's coming?'
He had never imagined being able to dodge an arrow. It meant his senses had developed far beyond before. He didn't know which of his stats was related to his sense, but whatever it was, he was grateful.
Jet, who witnessed this, grew even more frustrated. The arrow should have lodged into Rama's shoulder, making him wince in pain. Then, Jet could torture him before taking his money.
Annoyed, Jet swiftly approached Rama, drawing his sword. "You might have been lucky enough to dodge that arrow, but your luck ends here."
Sparks of lightning crackled around Jet's feet. He dashed toward Rama with incredible speed, swinging his sword.
*CLANG!*
However, Rama managed to draw his dagger quickly enough to parry Jet's sword. Once again, Jet was taken aback by Rama's reaction.
Rama then aimed a punch at Jet, but he evaded swiftly, leaving a trail of lightning in his wake. Jet jumped backward, reconsidering his decision.
'What's happened to him? How can an E Rank Hunter dodge an arrow and my attack?'
On the other hand, Rama felt his confidence rise after successfully blocking Jet's attack. However, his rational mind quickly took over and prevented him from becoming overconfident.
'Remember, you're facing three D Rank Hunters.'
"Good job, loser. You managed to withstand my attack. But do you really think you can defeat me?" Jet said with a grin that had returned to his face.
"Well," Rama replied, "we don't know that for sure right now, do we?"
Jet snorted disdainfully, now channeling lightning all over his body rather than just his feet.
Rama knew about his ability after witnessing how he and his friends had shown it off while beating him down before, pushing him further into despair. He had also often joined them on missions.
Jet relied on his lightning magic, but his swordsmanship was merely average. Chris was skilled with ranged weapons, now wielding a crossbow. Ron was a melee fighter who used his fists and a bit of body-enhancing magic. He knew all about their abilities. However, they knew nothing about him.
"You should have taken your usual route home. That way, I wouldn't have to cause too much of a scene by using my full power," Jet said. "Now, I'll probably end up killing you."
Rama snorted. "Do you think I did this because I'm stupid? I deliberately took this route because it's secluded. Perfect for testing my strength against you."
Hearing his words, the three of them suddenly felt a chill. He had purposely lured them here.
~~~