He yelled "Hold on!" and chased after her. When he reached the alley, it was a dead end, but she was nowhere to be seen.
He'd clearly seen her turn in there! Confused, he looked around. Suddenly, someone grabbed him from behind.
The woman! He fought back for a second, but it was no use.
She was way stronger. In a flash, she had him on the ground, his hands twisted behind his back. He couldn't move.
"Why are you following me?" she asked calmly, but with a hint of suspicion.
"Whoa, hey, it's me! From last night, you saved me and that little girl!" he stammered, trying to twist and see her face.
Her grip tightened for a second, then loosened. "I remember," she said, a little less tense but still cautious looking around trying to find something. "What are you doing here? This is not a safe place."
Ram took a deep breath, trying to slow his racing heart. He wasn't expecting her to be such a tough cookie. "I didn't mean to follow you. I just ran into this bad situation and ended up here," he explained, getting his voice under control.
The woman stared at him for a moment, then let go and stepped back. "You shouldn't be wandering here. Get away soon," she said plainly.
Ram stood up slowly, rubbing his sore wrists. "Thanks again for yesterday," he said, looking at her with gratitude and curiosity. "Who are you? What made you help us?"
She hesitated before answering, her eyes scanning the shadows around them. "My name is Su Mu. I don't know, I just felt like it. But listen, you need to be more car—"
Before Su Mu could finish speaking, a dark blur shot past them. Reacting fast, Su Mu shoved Ram out of the way.
In her hand, a glowing dagger materialized, stopping the sharp claws of a creature lunging at them.
The creature screeched in pain as it touched the dagger and retreated into the shadows nearby. It peeked back, its eyes filled with fright at the glowing blade.
Ram finally got a good look at the attacker. It was a tall, skinny figure, almost see-through. It wore a ragged, black cloak that hid its body completely.
All Ram could see were its gross, grayish hands and face. The creature's eyes were black and empty, staring out with a coldness that sent shivers down Ram's very soul.
Ram stared at the creature, and only one word came to his mind: "Fuck, it's a Wraith."
As if to confirm his dread, a translucent menu popped up in front of him, revealing the details of the monster:
[ Name: Wraith]
[ Race: Ghost/Spectre]
[ Level: Tier 2]
[ Quality: Ordinary]
[ Physique: 0]
[ Spirit: 17]
[ Description: Born from powerful emotions like sadness, regret, and rage. Exists as a formless wisp without any physical body. Immune to physical attacks, with the ability to absorb Life Energy to evolve into stronger Wraiths or Evil Spirits.]
The Wraith's vacant eyes seemed to lock onto Ram, its hunger so intense it almost forgot about the glowing dagger in Su Mu's hand.
With a renewed surge of aggression, it attacked again, this time targeting at Ram, ignoring Su Mu completely.
Ram instinctively reached for his Sword Grass, but Su Mu was faster. She stepped in front of him and blocked the Wraith again with her dagger.
The creature screeched as if in agony, its form flickering and smoking where the dagger touched.
Wounded, it melted back into the shadows.
But its focus remained fixed on Ram. Even though Su Mu was the one who hurt it, the Wraith seemed obsessed with him.
It launched attack after attack from different angles, each time met by Su Mu's swift and precise defense.
It was like she could read the Wraith's mind, anticipating its every move before it even happened.
Ram watched in awe and confusion. Why was this Wraith so determined to kill him? He was even more amazed by Su Mu.
The Wraith's lack of a body made it incredibly fast, a blur that Ram struggled to keep track of.
Without the extra sight granted by his Spiritual Eye, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
Su Mu, however, moved with an almost supernatural grace, her attacks flowing like water, deflecting the Wraith with ease and able to not only contend but also suppress it.
Su Mu's dagger, crackling with pure energy, burned the Wraith every time it touched. The creature shrieked in pain and vanished back into the shadows with each hit.
Ram watched Su Mu fighting the Wraith with more focus. Sure, he could probably outrun the creepy ghost, maybe even fight it off with some scrapes.
But here he was again, saved by this mysterious woman. Who was she? Where did she come from? All he knew was her name - Su Mu.
Su Mu's movements were a blur as she fought the Wraith, each strike of her dagger causing it to recoil in pain.
Her eyes never left the creature, and her body moved with a fluid grace that Ram could only envy.
He felt a pang of guilt for being so helpless, but he knew he couldn't afford to be a liability.
"Stay back," Su Mu commanded, her voice firm. "This thing won't stop until one of us is dead."
Ram nodded, retreating a few steps but keeping his eyes on the fight. The Wraith let out a chilling scream and lunged at him again, but Su Mu intercepted it mid-air, her dagger slashing through its wispy form.
The Wraith shrieked and dissolved into shadows, only to reappear a moment later, circling them like a predator.
"Why is it after me?" Ram wondered aloud, his mind racing for answers. "What did I do?"
Su Mu didn't take her eyes off the Wraith as she answered. "It feeds on life energy, and you must have something it wants. Something powerful."
Ram thought of the Recovery Points and the system that had brought him back to life.
Could that be it? Could the Wraith sense the energy within him? Wait, he suddenly thought of something he heard of when he was a child, whenever someone dies, the dead will attract a Wraith or Spectre from the underworld to collect their souls.
"I was dead before, but System brought me back from death and the Wraith in from me should it really came to collect my soul?"
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