Rama rushed toward Chris. The bullies now felt regret deep in their hearts as they laid eyes on Rama, who resembled the Grim Reaper ready to reap their souls.
Chris was a Supernatural Hunter, so he was accustomed to facing Supernaturals in the wild. He usually remained calm when dealing with them, especially since he always hid behind Ron and Jet. However, Chris had never encountered a human who could transform into a Supernatural.
"WHAT... WHAT ARE YOU?!" Chris screamed, his voice echoing between the pillars and the charred complex buildings, adding a horror element to the place. As Rama had suspected earlier, no one dared to venture into this place out of fear.
He attempted to reload his crossbow, but all he managed was dropping it along with the arrow, to the ground due to his trembling hands.
"Please, don't kill me," Chris pleaded. He dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks, and his body shook violently.
Rama relished this moment. He had never imagined that he would make one of his tormentors, who had taken his money and beaten him for so long, kneel like this. So, this is what it feels like to have power. It feels really good.
Rama grinned, his smile forming on a fog-covered face. This sight undoubtedly terrified Chris even more, to the point where he wet his pants.
Rama attempted to laugh, but in his Ghost form, it turned out he couldn't produce sound. What came from Rama was only the unsettling motion of laughter.
After Rama ceased his laughter, he turned to Chris and deactivated his Ghost power. His body returned to its normal state.
"I could easily kill your friends. Should I?" Rama asked.
"Please—"
"Stop begging. I'm not a psychopath who kills people just for fun, so I'll give you a chance," Rama said. "Don't talk about what happened to anyone. If you do, I'll really kill you. Do you understand?"
Chris immediately nodded vigorously while crying.
Rama continued to stare at him sharply. "You know what I can do, right? I can easily kill you if I find out you've leaked anything."
"I won't say anything! Please, spare our lives..."
Rama nodded briefly and then walked away from Chris. When he reached Jet's unconscious body, he took his sword and examined it.
'This looks like a good sword. Can I see its stats as well?' Rama thought, and shortly after, more text appeared in his vision.
< Iron Sword: A simple, well-crafted iron sword with a plain hilt and a moderately sharp blade. >
< Type: Melee, one-handed. >
< Rank: D >
< Damage: 25 >
< Durability: 60/65 >
Rama nodded, satisfied. This sword was quite good, and he finally had a better weapon than his old dagger. Rama also took the sword's scabbard from Jet's waist and left the scene, leaving Chris who had finally fainted from shock.
When he arrived at his place, Rama promptly paid his rent to the landlady, who always seemed grumpy and stern. She gave him a little scolding about his habit of paying rent late, and Rama simply pretended to listen until she finished. Once her rant was over, Rama went straight back down to his basement.
The landlady was well aware that Rama was a Supernatural Hunter, and she never seemed to mind. She had often seen Rama return battered and bruised, but she didn't appear to care. No one bothered her as long as Rama paid his rent.
He entered his basement. There were certainly better accommodations than this basement owned by the landlady, but this was all Rama could afford with his money.
Rama placed Jet's sword, which now belonged to him, on the floor and lay down. It was the first time Rama had ever lain down with such a happy smile on his face and a warm feeling in his chest. His body didn't feel tired either.
Rama had received a reward of 1000 dollars after completing the mission. He had handed 500 dollars of it to his landlady for his rent. "I still have 500 dollars. I guess I'll use it for a nice meal tonight."
After he showered and put on his best clothes, Rama headed to a restaurant that was just ten minutes from his place and ordered a steak. It was a steak he had longed for for a very long time, and he had only been able to watch people enjoy it from the restaurant's window. But now, he had fulfilled his dream.
The steak melted in his mouth, and it nearly brought tears of joy to Rama's eyes. He wiped away the tears that flowed without his permission. He finished his meal much faster than he should have. People looked at him strangely, but Rama didn't care. He didn't even mind paying 50 dollars for his dinner.
Rama left the restaurant with a full stomach and a happy feeling. A smile was etched on his pale face. However, that smile suddenly disappeared when he received a notification from his power.
"What?!" Rama immediately became alert. He looked around, scanning his surroundings for the appearance of the Ghost. But all he saw were humans walking naturally.
"What is this power playing at?" Rama began to feel suspicious. However, that was highly unlikely. Why would his power notify him of something false?
So, there must indeed be a Ghost nearby. Besides, the Hunter's Mark did allow him to track Supernaturals after he marked them.
But there was no further explanation about this power, leaving Rama puzzled.
Based on what he knew so far, he would immediately mark the Supernaturals he killed or fought against. And now, those Supernaturals were around here.
"Damnit! I don't know the radius of this skill either." So Rama decided to quickly return to his basement, grab his sword, and then search for the Ghost.
~~~