Into The Mine

Rama slung the backpack over his shoulders. He, who had previously felt the constant weight of his backpack, now felt a reduced burden. There was still a weight on his shoulders, but it was not as heavy as before.

His 'Strength' stat had increased, and Rama could feel his body slowly but surely growing stronger. With every level increase, his stats went up by one point, making it easier for Rama to monitor his physical development.

He and the five Hunters were on a mission to clear an iron mine of a Ghost infestation. It wasn't a particularly challenging mission since there were five of them. However, unexpected things could always happen during a mission.

The five Hunters were chatting and joking among themselves. Rama, who had previously not known their names, had now learned them.

Shad, Jeff, Chase, Sammy, and Hugh. They were all D-Rank Hunters, and all of them wielded swords. Rama had been observing them since they met, thinking that they were likely long-time friends.

"So, their cooperation should be good," he thought.

If that was indeed the case, Rama should avoid engaging them all at once, lest he be outnumbered and find himself in an unfavorable situation. After all, they would be conducting the mission within a mine with many tunnels, which Rama could potentially use to his advantage.

Rama looked at the five of them from behind. They didn't remember him at all and regarded him as inconsequential. This allowed them to speak freely.

"Damn it! I'm running low on money after losing yesterday," Hugh complained, his tone filled with frustration.

Jeff snorted and grinned mockingly. "Foolish people like you never learn. You lost millions last month, emptied your girlfriend's savings, and now you're gambling again?!"

Hugh clicked his tongue irritably. "Shut your mouth and mind your own business."

Jeff shook his head in disbelief. "What about the money we earned from that mission with Donovan?"

"Yeah, that's the money I'm talking about!" Hugh replied.

Sammy, Chase, Shad, and Jeff all turned to him simultaneously, their expressions mirroring their disbelief. What Hugh had just said was so absurd that they couldn't believe their ears.

"What?!" Sammy exclaimed.

Hugh nodded helplessly, his hand moving to his face as if to express his frustration.

"Ugh, I can't with this bastard," Chase said, walking away.

Sammy, Jeff, and Shad followed Chase, leaving Hugh behind. "Hey! It's my money, why are you guys making a big deal out of it?!" Hugh protested.

"You also stole your girlfriend's savings. I wonder why I'm still friends with you," Jeff remarked.

Hugh finally didn't respond, as he didn't know what else to say. He turned to Rama, who was behind him.

"Do you also think I'm stupid?" he asked.

Rama looked at him. "Yes."

*THUD!*

Hugh landed a kick in Rama's gut, sending him stumbling back a few steps until he lost his balance and fell due to the backpack on his back.

Hugh then walked to Rama's side and kicked him several more times.

"So! You! Think that way, huh!" Hugh said in between kicks. He continued to vent his rage, knowing that he couldn't take it out on his friends, so he took it out on someone weaker nearby.

After a few more kicks, Hugh felt his anger subsiding.

"Get up! You're not dead, are you?" Hugh asked.

Rama didn't immediately respond. He wiped the blood from his lip. 'It's still quite painful.'

Rama now realized that his stats were not yet strong enough. The pain he felt had indeed greatly diminished, but it was still quite bothersome.

Seeing Rama, who didn't seem to be in critical condition, Hugh grinned. "Good. Now, get up and follow us."

Hugh walked ahead of Rama while he slung the backpack back onto his shoulders and continued walking. He spat out blood from his mouth while looking at Hugh's back.

The mine was now visible up ahead. It wouldn't be long before Rama could take action.

They entered the mine, each of them drawing their swords.

"Well, we're here now. Let's start killing those Ghosts," Sammy said.

As they ventured deeper, the air around them grew colder. The mist began to rise, indicating the impending appearance of the Ghosts.

Rama had known since earlier that there were Ghosts around them, thanks to his Supernatural Perception. Now, he only paid attention as the five D-Rank Hunters began to fight the Ghosts.

"Hey, porter! Stay back if you don't want to die!" Hugh warned.

Rama placed his sword at his waist, ready to draw it whenever he needed. He had also applied a divine mantra to his sword.

The Hunters only saw his sword as a weapon Rama used to make himself feel safe, not realizing that he could actually wield it.

Another advantage for Rama.

He stood calmly, watching the Hunters. The Ghosts continuously emerged from all directions, trapping them and preventing them from retreating to a better position.

As time passed, the number of Ghosts grew. They emerged from underfoot, making it very difficult to avoid them. Eventually, the Ghosts succeeded in splitting up the group and separating them.

Rama grinned. It was time for him to act. He walked over and dropped his backpack on the ground before unsheathing his sword.

Several Ghosts darted towards him upon seeing him. Rama killed them easily, even though there were dozens of Ghosts attacking him.

< Soul of Ghost has been absorbed! >

< Soul Fusion Level 1 (63/100) >

< You gain 5 XP! >

...

Notifications like these appeared several times in his field of vision every time Rama killed a Ghost. He didn't clear away all the messages right away with his mind because they were quite distracting when he was facing so many Ghosts.

After about a minute, Rama had managed to kill all the Ghosts around him. He didn't know how much XP he had gained, but it was still not enough to level up.

However, he had gained a significant amount of XP for his [Soul Fusion].

[ Soul Fusion Level 1 (85/100) ]

Just a few more Ghosts to kill, and he would finally level up his strongest power.

'I'm curious,' Rama thought as he looked in the direction where the scattered Hunters were. 'Will I gain XP too if I kill a human?'

~~~