Hugh's lifeless body lay not far from Jeff's. Rama applied the same treatment he had given Jeff to Hugh, and now they stared at each other with lifeless eyes and slit throats.
"Weird, why isn't there any text appearing to tell me anything after I killed them?" Rama wondered. He didn't understand what had happened, but he hadn't received any notifications after killing the two hunters. Perhaps the power didn't recognize them as something that could enhance its strength. As far as Rama knew, Soul Fusion only grew stronger by attacking the souls of the supernatural.
Deciding not to dwell on the reason, Rama moved on. After all, he had never truly understood his power from the beginning. At least now he could use it for revenge, and that was enough.
'It's time to look for the others.' he thought. Rama left the cave and ventured into another tunnel. His Hunter's Mark continued to provide guidance, indicating the presence of Ghosts in his proximity, but Rama ignored it and dismissed the text with his will.
He paused for a moment, considering which path to take. However, Rama decided to enter without overthinking it. He would find them eventually.
Rama chose the middle tunnel and ventured deeper into it. However, what awaited him at the end of the tunnel was not the hunters but something completely different.
Pressing his body against the wall, Rama squinted at what lay ahead. 'What is that? It doesn't look like a normal Ghost.'
The supernatural being at the cave's end appeared enormous. Its body towered, with its head nearly reaching the five-meter-high cave ceiling. Yet, the supernatural entity had a misty, transparent appearance, much like the other ghosts.
However, Rama had never seen a Ghost this massive.
"What should I do now? Should I kill it or search for the Hunters first?" he pondered for a moment. After some thought, Rama decided to leave. The supernatural entity looked strong, and he might have trouble defeating it. It was better to locate and deal with the hunters first. If he still had enough strength afterward, he could confront it.
Turning around, Rama suddenly found a Ghost charging at him. He had shut down his Hunter's Mark, so he couldn't detect the Ghost.
The Ghost caught him off guard and hurled him straight into the lair of the giant Ghost. Now, there was no escape for Rama; his only option was to confront the Ghost.
"Ah, shit!" Rama immediately leaped to his feet, clutching his sword.
The Ghost that had thrown him soared above him and merged with the giant Ghost.
"Alright. I didn't know they could do that," Rama thought. His knowledge of Ghosts – or any supernatural entities – was limited because he had never truly studied them. He didn't believe it was necessary. Now, he didn't know what he was truly facing.
The Ghost moved and turned to face him. Rama could see its form becoming more solid. Then, the Ghost locked eyes with him.
Rama widened his eyes. The Ghost had a human face, that of a bald, chubby man with large limbs. Blood dribbled from his mouth.
"Oh, another visitor," the Specter Behemoth said. Its voice was loud and disturbing, causing the cave walls to vibrate when it spoke.
Rama involuntarily took a step back. The appearance of these Ghosts was so abnormal that it sent shivers down his spine.
'What the f*** have I run into?' he wondered. He had never imagined this mission would turn out like this.
But now, everything had led to this point, so Rama knew he had no choice but to fight. Remembering his power, he immediately activated it.
< Supernatural Perception Level 1 (20/100) activated! >
< -2 Mana per second >
After he activated it, the Supernatural's stats appeared in his vision.
< Specter Behemoth >
Rank: B
HP: 120/120
Weakness: Divine magic, Intermediate-level Exorcism.
Gritting his teeth, Rama knew he had a weapon blessed by divine magic. However, looking at the Specter Behemoth's stats and massive form, he wasn't sure if he could defeat it.
"Did you come with them?" the Specter Behemoth asked, then retrieved something from behind his body.
It was Sammy, or what was left of him. Sammy's body had been ripped in half, and his face displayed terror.
"Just you and me then," Rama said.
"Yeah, apparently," the Specter Behemoth replied. Then, it tossed Sammy's remains into the air, opened his mouth, and allowed Sammy to enter.
Rama watched in horror as Sammy's form was visible within the mist for a moment before being consumed by it and absorbed into the Specter Behemoth's body.
The Specter Behemoth moved suddenly, launching a punch at Rama. Fortunately, due to his unwavering focus on the entity, Rama managed to dodge it.
*BOOM!*
The punch struck the ground where Rama had stood, shaking the cave walls and causing rocks and debris to fall.
Rama darted out from behind the rubble and immediately swung his sword at the Specter Behemoth's chubby hand.
*CRASH!*
He managed to sever a portion of the massive hand. However, the wound was too small to make a significant impact.
Another hand came at him. Rama dodged by rolling to the side. The Specter Behemoth had a large body, but it was surprisingly fast, making it challenging for Rama to evade its attacks.
With his current stats, Rama was certain that he would run out of stamina eventually. His strength wasn't sufficient to harm the colossal supernatural being.
So, Rama had to rely on his ace.
< Soul Fusion Level 1 (85/100) activated! >
< -2 Mana per second >
With the mana he had increased, Rama could use his Soul Fusion for a longer duration. However, he wasn't sure if he had enough mana to defeat the Specter Behemoth.
Rama's body transformed into mist, and he lunged straight at the Specter Behemoth, thrusting his sword.
"ARRGHH!!! YOU LITTLE S***!"
As it turned out, in his Ghost form, Rama could inflict better damage. Realizing this, he intensified his attacks.
~~~