22 Deaths

Realizing that he could inflict more damage while in his Ghost form, Rama intensified his attacks. In this form, he moved more fluidly, having grown accustomed to it.

He was now much more proficient in wielding his sword, and his strikes were precise, unlike before when they were somewhat haphazard.

The Specter Behemoth cried out in pain as Rama pierced it. Rama continued to maneuver with his Ghost form. As he moved, he planted his sword into the misty body of the Supernatural, creating a long gash.

Mist oozed from the wound, evaporating into the cave. The Specter Behemoth's wails persisted, but it no longer looked like a terrifying and intimidating monster. Instead, it appeared as a pitiful creature in agony.

Rama didn't let this opportunity go to waste. He kicked off the cave floor, launching himself upwards. The Specter Behemoth widened its round eyes when it saw Rama above, raising his sword.

"NO! WAIT!" The giant Supernatural screamed.

However, Rama paid no heed to his cries. He descended rapidly, propelled by gravity after the leap.

*CRASSSS!*

Rama's sword impaled the Specter Behemoth's neck. His eyes widened in terror as they gazed at Rama.

The sound of gurgling, like that of a human being stabbed in the throat, filled the cave. Rama frowned slightly. Could he have been a human before taking this form?

"Tell me," Rama said. "Were you previously a human?"

The Specter Behemoth stared at Rama, his eyes expressing confusion and fear.

Rama wanted to know if all the Ghosts that were once human still retained consciousness and the ability to speak, just like the little girl he had encountered in the burnt house. If that were the case, what caused the other Ghosts to become mindless monsters that could only attack and kill?

"Y-Yes," the Specter said.

"What made you like this?" Rama asked.

"He... He gave it to me. An essence." The Specter Behemoth seemed to be at the end of his life. Rama intended to finish this as quickly as possible.

"Who is he?!" Rama asked.

However, instead of getting an answer, what Rama received was an intensifying gurgling sound. Then, the mist within the giant Supernatural's body rapidly dissipated, as if blown away by a strong wind.

"Wait! You can't die yet!" Rama shouted as his body fell downward, piercing through the thinning mist. Shortly after, the mist vanished completely, signaling that the Specter Behemoth was dead.

Rama immediately deactivated his Soul Fusion, returning his body to its normal state. His expression appeared dazed, and he stared ahead with vacant eyes.

"I still don't know what that was..." He muttered to himself.

The Specter had mentioned something about some kind of essence... What was that?

< Soul Fusion Level 2 (XP: 25/100)

Rama remained fixated on what he had just heard from the Specter Behemoth to the extent that he didn't feel particularly happy even after receiving notice that his Soul Fusion had leveled up.

Curiosity gnawed at Rama's chest. He didn't feel truly fulfilled even after defeating a B-Rank Supernatural single-handedly.

Rama turned to where the Specter Behemoth had previously been. Now the giant Supernatural had evaporated into nothingness. He was gone, leaving a big question mark in Rama's mind.

"Somebody created it. Most likely, that person won't stop," he sighed. For now, there was no use staying here. When he turned, Rama saw what he had expected to see: the remains of the Hunters who had come here.

It was a shame he couldn't have killed them with his own hands. But in the end, they were all dead in a gruesome manner, and Rama didn't need to ponder the reasons for their deaths.

~~~

"So, did they all killed by a Supernatural that was incredibly powerful?" Rudy, the guild master of the Veil Guards guild, asked Rama in a sharp tone.

Rama, attempting to wear the most fearful expression possible, replied, "Y-Yes, sir! I saw the form of that Supernatural myself. It... It was a Ghost, but... it was so huge! They managed to kill the Supernatural, but... But... they died in the process.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't see the events in detail because I was too frightened."

Some members of the Veil Guards present there looked at him suspiciously. But some of them knew who Rama was; he was just a porter and couldn't possibly be responsible for the deaths of the five Hunters.

However, the appearance of a Supernatural in the form of a giant talking Ghost that was incredibly powerful sounded like nonsense. However, Rudy's next words dispelled their doubts.

"So there's another one of them."

All the Hunters present there looked at him with questioning gazes.

"What do you mean?" one of the Hunters asked.

Rudy gazed at the Hunter who had asked, then glanced at the others alternately. Then he spoke, "I've encountered a Ghost with a similar form."

The Hunters exchanged worried glances and whispered among themselves.

"This porter is telling the truth. We need to be even more cautious in our missions. I will change the rules to prevent any more casualties."

After saying this, Rudy disbanded the group and then went to his room upstairs. Rama went to see the receptionist.

"Uhm, excuse me. I'd like to collect the mission reward," Rama said in a weak voice.

The receptionist looked at Rama with a furrowed brow. "You still care about your reward after your group members died so tragically."

'Definitely.' Rama thought.

"Uhh... I mourn for them, but what else can I do?" Rama put on a helpless expression.

The receptionist sighed. "Very well, then. According to the rules, you will receive the reward meant for them because you're the only one who survived. Moreover, the Supernatural has been successfully eliminated." Then, the receptionist sighed in disappointment. "We've lost other members. It's a shame."

Rama looked at her. 'You wouldn't think like that if it were me who died, would you?'

The receptionist retrieved Rama's reward and handed him the envelope. Afterward, Rama left the Veil Guards headquarters to return to his basement.

'This day would have almost been perfect if the giant Ghost hadn't given that unanswerable question to me.'

~~~