To Test

Days passed by without much notice from Rama. He didn't pay much attention to the days when he woke up from his bed. He would immediately exit his basement and undertake the Side Quest to strengthen his body.

Just seeing Donovan's face was enough to ignite a burning anger in Rama's chest. He didn't need to witness Donovan committing more evil deeds to stoke that vengeance. Just his face and the way he spoke were sufficient.

One thing Rama remembered when he saw Donovan, apart from his thirst for revenge and rage, was the fact that Donovan was a powerful Hunter. He didn't know Donovan's real Rank, but he was sure it wouldn't be lower than C, he could even a B Rank Hunters.

Rama knew he could defeat D-Rank Hunters. However, the power gap between D-Rank Hunters and those in C Rank and higher was substantial. So, he couldn't be reckless in his actions without adequate preparation.

Moreover, he had Alexa, who wouldn't let things go if the situation wasn't in Donovan's favor. Plus, they both came from respected Hunter families.

But he didn't care. What mattered now was becoming stronger to exact his revenge. His rage was too overwhelming to consider the consequences of his actions.

It had been exactly a week since Rama began his regular physical training. His Strength, Stamina, and Agility stats had increased by 84 points each because he did the exercises three times a day for a full week.

His muscles had developed nicely, and his physique had improved. Furthermore, Rama could feel the extraordinary power within his body, surpassing what his physical appearance showed.

< Strength: 93 >

< Agility: 93 >

< Stamina: 94 >

Rama smiled as he looked at his increased stats, satisfied. However, he still didn't know how to increase his Intelligence stat, which would raise his Mana besides using status points.

Rama wasn't sure how strong he was compared to normal humans and other Hunters with those numbers. That's why he needed to test himself.

Rama went to the Hunter Training Center that day and found Adrien yawning in the lobby. It was already a few minutes past lunchtime, so it was reasonable for Adrien to be sleepy.

"Good afternoon, sir," Rama greeted with a slightly apologetic smile. He hadn't trained with Adrien for quite some time because he had been busy strengthening his physique with the exercises given by the power.

Adrien turned and blinked. "Where have you been, kid?"

"I had some business that couldn't be postponed for a few days, sir. But now I'm free and can train again," Rama replied.

Adrien nodded in understanding. "So? You want to train again now?"

"Yes. But this time, I want to try something new."

"What is it?" Adrien frowned.

"I want us to have a real fight."

~~~

Adrien didn't know what was going through this kid's mind, suddenly requesting - pleading - for them to spar with their true powers.

Of course, Adrien didn't immediately agree to his wish because it didn't make sense. Despite that, Rama had pleaded so hard that Adrien was annoyed. So, he complied with his request.

Adrien was quicker to relent because Rama was his disciple after all these years. Plus, he didn't need to go all out to fight this boy.

They were in a special training room that Hunters used for sparring, a more private space compared to their usual training area where many Hunters practiced.

Rama and Adrien held practice swords in their hands.

"What are you trying to make sure of?" Adrien couldn't help but ask.

"I want to test my strength, sir. Please, if you think you don't need to use your full strength, you might end up hurting yourself," Rama said. He was confident that even though he didn't know how strong he truly was, his power had developed significantly after a full week of training with the assistance of the power of Soul Fusion.

Adrien snorted. But then, he saw the seriousness in Rama's eyes. His instincts told him to take Rama's words seriously.

"Very well," Adrien said. "Come."

Adrien began to form his stance, preparing to receive Rama's attack. Rama nodded and dashed toward Adrien.

His speed exploded to the point where Rama could reach Adrien almost in an eyeblink. Adrien was surprised by this; fortunately, he could raise his sword in time to parry Rama's swing.

However, the retired Hunter didn't anticipate what would happen next. He was thrown backward and fell to the floor. It didn't take Adrien long to regain his footing.

"Wha..."

However, what he saw made his eyes widen. His sword – a solid weapon made of iron – was cut in half. The clinking sound of metal from the side made Adrien turn, and he finally found half of his sword.

"He cut this sword in a single swing. What was that speed earlier?"

Adrien turned towards Rama. The boy looked equally surprised. Adrien immediately stood up and wanted to approach him, but the right hand holding half of the sword trembled because of Rama's force. Nevertheless, he didn't care.

"What the hell was that?" Adrien asked. "Where did that kind of power come from?"

Rama smiled, then looked at Adrien. "Sir, I ask you to keep this a secret."

Adrien frowned. The strength and speed Rama had just shown were on par with a B Rank Hunter. How could he, who had claimed to be just an E Rank Hunter, possess such power?

"What have you done?" Adrien couldn't help but be suspicious. Such significant power gained in such a short time could have been acquired through some horrible means.

"I can't tell you right now, sir. But I ask you not to tell anyone about this. Can you promise me?" Rama said with a pleading look.

Adrien fell silent and stared at him. After considering it for a few moments, Adrien sighed.

"I can't promise that, kid."

~~~