Dungeon Raider System

While Luna's explanation lacked the evidence Uriel needed to accept it, it did make perfect sense safe for one detail.

"But, Atomic didn't experience any pain when he saw the dog. Do you think it's because Atomic was stronger and simply shrugged it off?" Uriel said.

"Uhm, That's unlikely. Even if it was just a small chest pain, Atomic would have let us know at the moment." Luna, who above everything else wanted to proof the importance of lore in understanding cryptids, couldn't explain the different effect the curse had in Atomic and Sam.

"It must be because of Sam's trait, it is related to sight after all!" Medusa exclaimed. Her trait was also related to sight and she understood its workings better than anyone else. "My bet is that the dog's ability works in a way similar to my trait. After acquiring my trait my eyes changed color and they started glowing in the dark, but that's not the only change.

I can't quite explain it but, when I activate my trait I can somehow sense the flux energy coming out of my eyes and reaching my target." She explained.

"Uhm... that's a possibility, good job." Luna praised Medusa which left her confounded. She didn't know whether Luna hated her or liked her, although it could be said they interacted a lot during their last incursion, she always ignored her messages and acted cold towards her.

Medusa really wanted an explanation to her behavior, but seeing the situation they were in she simply bottled up her feelings to keep the peace in the hunting party.

"So It is a curse! Am I seriously going to die?" Sam was terrified again, his voice was shaky and he could barely finish speaking.

The group fell into silence as they couldn't find a way to reassure Sam. They all looked awkwardly at each other, until Luna finally spoke.

"I, uhm, I think there is a way to save you. If the black dog kept its ability to pass on its power after its death, then maybe the effect of its curse could disappear if we kill it."

"I've heard there used to be snakes that bit their victims injecting poison and then retreated until their victim was weakened. Maybe that's why it retreated and it's only waiting for you to become too weak to defend yourself." Medusa added.

"That only makes things more difficult. That thing is faster than us, if it won't come close near us, there's nothing we can do about it." Uriel sighed.

By being the last one standing, the black dog became much stronger and also a lot faster. They remembered how the first time they saw it, it was extremely fast, so much so that even though they were on a vehicle the creature would have caught up to them if it weren't for Phlox's incredible driving skills.

"I have an idea, but first we need to get moving." Uriel said as he walked towards the direction the cryptid had fled. He didn't need to look back as he was certain he was being followed by his friends, and so, they set off on the hunt for 'The black dog' of the legends.

The barren lands opened in front of them as they tracked the black dog to the best of their abilities. If it wasn't for Sam's keen sight and Luna's knowledge about cryptids they wouldn't even know where to begin the search, but all the evidence indicated that the creature was heading towards the lost city.

Luna, who was now carrying all the flux orbs they obtained after killing the cryptids in her backpack, had a gleeful expression as she was excited about the discoveries she had made so far. Sam, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

It wasn't just that he had been cursed by a cryptid that turned out to be a lot stronger than they thought, but also because he didn't want to go anywhere near the lost city.

He inwardly prayed for the beast to take a sudden turn and head elsewhere, but every step they took only drew them closer to the abandoned city.

"Maybe we should go back, I don't feel bad anymore. Maybe it was just a mind attack and not a curse." Sam said forcing a smile when they reached the outskirts of the lost city. It was the afternoon and they had yet to eat or rest, the only stops they made were the ones to check if they were on the right path.

"We're already here, there's no going back. Besides, even if you're not cursed we still need to get the bounty." Said Uriel as he knelt on the floor to grab a spray can. He then proceeded to mark the date and his name on the wall of a nearby building just like Miss Dragonfang had taught him.

Since they entered the lost city from a place they weren't familiar with, they had to keep their eyes open and alert at all times. It was just the same as the first time they entered, the whole city seemed to be abandoned and there was barely any movement. Nevertheless, they knew many cryptids lurked within the buildings, under the sewers and some hid at the most unusual places waiting for prey.

Every cryptid was a hunter and also a prey which meant their survival also depended on how good they were at hiding, and some were absolute masters. But hiding was a luxury the group couldn't afford as they needed to find the black dog they were hunting as soon as possible, hopefully before sunset as they didn't want to spend the night in the city.

Even so, they were aware of the fact that, unless they encountered an eclipse, the lost city shouldn't be as dangerous as it was during their last incursion.

It was the closest POI to the city and it was under permanent monitoring by the Cryptid hunting agency and the constant incursions helped keeping the cryptids mostly under control making it the a great place for beginner hunters to start their careers.

In other words, it was fine to prioritize speed over stealth on this occasion.