Dungeon Raider System

Medusa entered the tower on the left wing along with Mark, and she studied the place. There was a small table with some old documents on top of it but, other than that, there was only trash and a staircase.

She slowly started going up the steps carefully examining everything and Mark followed her meekly.

All that could be heard were the ominous hissing sounds that came from outside which forced Medusa to remain on high alert at all times. All of her senses were sharpened and she focused on the single task at hand, which was to make sure the building was clear of threats.

While the cryptids outside were dangerous, there could be something far worse lurking inside the cathedral and it may be preferable for them to exit the building rather than being locked inside with something that could potentially kill them.

Even if vampires were immortal, they were still mostly weaklings and she was certain she could open her way across the mob thanks to her martial arts. Though she was aware of the fact that, if push came to shove and they were forced to flee, most of them would end up dead.

Since Medusa had been too focused on exploring the place she missed how silent Mark had been the whole time, she wondered about the reason for that but then it became obvious.

"Stop staring at my ass or I'll kick yours."

"You really expect me to believe that, when you've been shaking your hips in front of me like a bi..." Mark couldn't finish the sentence as Medusa turned back and glared at him.

Her crimson eyes glowed eerily in the dim light of her lantern and, although Mark was a heavenly rank he still felt shivers down his spine. Thankfully for him, the staircase was short and he was spared from Medusa's anger when they reached a blocked door at its end.

The door looked old but it was made of quality wood and reinforced with iron, though it was clear someone went through great lengths to seal the place. The door was boarded from the outside and there was a steel bolt jamming it. As if that wasn't enough, the door was also locked and there was even a padlock on top of everything.

"I bet there'll be something valuable inside. Move aside, I'll bash it open." Mark said confidently.

"Are you dumb? it's blocked from the outside, it's obvious there's something locked inside. We should go back and let the others know." Medusa scoffed at Mark.

***

Contrary to Medusa's awful partner, Sam was paired with two beautiful girls that were just right up his alley. One was a short and naive cute girl, while the other was a taller and the cool type. Both had always been considered beauties but ever after they became ascended, their bodies have undergone what could be called a 'second puberty' which enhanced their looks even more.

"So... are you guys single?" Sam asked trying to break the awkward silence.

"No." Sophie replied.

"So you have a boyfriend..."

"No."

"What do you mean no?" Sam was confounded by her answer as she contradicted herself.

"No as in, not interested." Sophie scoffed.

"Sophie, don't be so mean, he seems like a nice guy. Not like that other scumbag." Said Mary who genuinely thought of Sam as a nice guy. He had been helpful towards both groups by using his trait and without him it was unlikely they would have made it so far.

Sam would have loved to defend Uriel, but he was in a predicament. If he defended Uriel he would lose points with both girls and that was against his moral code. Fortunately for Sam, someone else came to his friend's defense.

"I think I'd rather date the other guy. He may be a scumbag, but he put Mark on his place." Sophie answered.

"But he cheated!" Mary rebuked, offended by Sophie's comment. Discover stories at empire

"Cheated? If one of the things outside was to enter this place and kill you, would you say it cheated? If you get hurt during an incursion and you end up getting caught by a beast rank cryptid, would you say it cheated because you were wounded?" Sophie asked.

"Of course!"

"No, you wouldn't because you would be dead."

The tower they were exploring mirrored the one in the left wing where Medusa and Mark, though the door at the end of the staircase wasn't blocked and they were able to go to the upper floor.

The ceiling of the bell tower was high and there were two tall openings that allowed Sam to look outside, though he would have preferred not doing so.

Among the weak cryptids that were rounding the place stood a one that seemed to be entirely different from the rest. It was naked and, despite looking as skinny as the rest of them, it was actually quite bulky. The reason why it looked thin was because of its long limbs and elongated face. Its fangs were pronounced and its eyes seemed to be black voids that sucked all the light on its surroundings.

When Sam came back to his senses he had missed a couple minutes. For him, it was as though he just blinked his eyes, but for the two girls beside him it was a long period where he remained unmoving and silent.

"Hey, anybody in here?" Said Mary playfully poking Sam in the head.

"Uh, oh, yes. I'm here."

"What got into you? you were all chatty before but then kept quiet." Sophie asked. "You were starting to worry us."

"It's nothing, really." Sam decided to keep the presence of the strange creature a secret from the rest until he could inform Uriel. There was little to gain from that information and a lot to lose if the girls fell into panic.

"That's good news." Said Sophie in a relieved sigh.

"This is a bit awkward to ask but, do you mind turning off your lantern? It'll be just a short while, my clothes are ragged and I'd like to change." Mary said regretfully. The cute blouse she was wearing under her armor was among her favorite ones and it was also very expensive.

"No problem." Sam replied with the widest smile on his face and the light went off.