Dungeon Raider System

Luna's ominous storytelling added for dramatic effect and her words lingered in their minds, particularly when she went into detail about the theorized interactions between the different castes of faeries. When she mentioned that the labor intensive tasks fell upon the female of the species it didn't cause much effect, but everyone's curiosity was piqued when she spoke about how the male of the species were the ones in charge of defending what she called a hive.

"Just like bees who spray their aggressors with chemicals that call for help, faeries probably leave a mark on those who attack them which might mean they become a target of the male of the species." Luna somberly said, the audience so silent only the sounds of nature could be heard.

"And this... bone fairies, how dangerous are they?" Asked Silvana scratching the back of her neck.

"As I mentioned before, they are scavengers which means they do not actively hunt for prey. That said, we can't rule out that they possess offensive abilities or adaptations since they are also tasked with protecting the most numerous caste." Luna's explanation didn't bode well with those who had previously killed some of the harmless faeries and that showed on their faces.

Thankfully, though, not many hunters killed them as extracting a beast level orb was hardly worth it for such well paid employees and kept themselves from attacking such beautiful creatures. Just by looking at their faces it was easy to tell those who had killed faeries from those who didn't, but Luna was not done yet.

"I wouldn't worry too much about bone faeries, though. The real problem are the leprechauns."

"As in, the small gnomes that hoard gold?" Magellan asked probingly. At first, Luna's words made no sense and he dismissed them as nothing but the magical thinking of a girl who read too many old stories, but she spoke with such confidence and using so many technical words that he now believed it all.

"Precisely," She nodded, her tiny stature and slow manner of speech only adding to the frightful atmosphere. "I can't say for sure, but they are likely fast moving and strong enough to carry heavy objects. They also have magical abilities that lets them blink short distances and might be able to produce clones of themselves that last for a short period of time and they are supposedly as numerous as garden faeries to begin with." If Luna was already a genius, her years of studying and the practical experience she gained along the way turned her into a next level savant when it came to cryptids.

Back when she fierst started her career she had little more than old tales just like Magellan believed, but now she had an understanding on the nature of cryptids that allowed her to cross reference those tales with scientific principles at such level that she was able to accurately predict a vast amount of information with clues others would miss.

Uriel nodded proudly at her, inwardly thankful to have been a part of her growth as a cryptozoologist, but although she took the compliment and nodded back, she knew there was still a long way ahead for her to become a fully fledged cryptozoologist and she inwardly complained how easier Uriel had it since his career of choice, albeit ignored in the past few years, was widely recognized in the scientific community.

To him, going from an archaeology enthusiast to a professional archaeologist was as easy as receiving a diploma from his university and that didn't apply to Luna. Not only her field of study was not taught anywhere in the world, but so far she hadn't met a single person following her career.

Even those who actively researched crytpids only did it from a pragmatic viewpoint and never took into consideration the ancient tales about fantastic or mythological creatures which caused a significant gap between cryptozoology and regular biology.

But although being considered an archaeologist made the world of a difference for Uriel, he already considered Luna a fully fledged professional in her field which was confirmed by the trust he placed in her every word in the same manner as he trusted her as a doctor. Thanks to that, an idea dawned on him.

Taking into consideration the explanation about leprechauns that supposedly hid a pot of gold at 'the end of the rainbow' it became clear to him that they too were feeding something, though he guessed it wasn't as simple as faeries collecting teeth to feed other fairies but rather something far more disturbing.

Faeries feeding on bone explained why would some collect teeth and would use coins to pay for them. There was a certain balance to that and Uriel appreciated it. But leprechauns collecting gold unsettled him far beyond what words could describe because the only creatures Uriel had ever heard that fed on gold were gods, and to make matters worse they also fed on blood.

It was ominous, frightening even and he couldn't believe the words that escaped his mouth without even thinking. "We should find a leprechaun and follow it."

"This isn't the time to be thinking on gold." Medusa chuckled, somewhat reassured by the fact that Uriel remained the same as she knew him.

"I know, but..."

"He's right, leprechauns probably hide their treasure inside the dungeon. If we follow one of them it will take us directly to the entrance." Luna declared and this time Magellan nodded in understanding before commanding his troops to search for the alleged creatures Luna previously described.

They moved with rehearsed efficiency covering the entire flower circle garden in a matter of minutes, some even went further as they entered the forest nearby by using traits that allowed them fast movement or even flight. The mapple corporation employees were made of a wood Uriel had rarely encountered as they showcased an efficiency his own employees could never hope to achieve.

The fact that they didn't pout or whine about the command they received. Instead of a begrudging obedience amidst complaints they were disciplined to a fault, making Uriel inwardly come to terms with the idea of partnering up with Magellan.

On the one hand he would rather work by himself or with a small group. Smaller parties carried less risk and were also more cost efficient, while also allowing the bulk of the staff as possible reinforcements or support. But that also diminished their ability to perform time consuming tasks like scanning the area which thanks to the hundreds of Mapple corporation employees took but a few minutes.

When the first leprechaun was found Luna would have jumped in joy as it fitted their description almost to the letter, they even had a tiny four leaf clover on their hats. Upon closer inspection she revealed that what she thought was a hat was actually just the shape of their head and the four leaf clover was actually an antenna which told her that they were at least in part related to insects.

She, of course, kept this fact a secret from Uriel knowing of his open dislike of insects. This was a calculated move to discourage him from exterminating such 'marvelous' creatures, though even without her input Uriel already felt inclined to do so.

What looked as nothing but wonder from Luna's perspectives were hideous little creatures with deformed faces. Their colors were not bright green as Luna previously suggested, but were actually of a dirty shade of brown that made them look even more disgusting. But if there was one motivation for Uriel to rush in for the kill was the fact that every single leprechaun they found carried at least a gold nugget and at most a gold coin.

"Get a grip of yourself." Medusa joked receiving a well deserved glare along with a brief scolding.

"You're one to speak about impulse control when you abandoned our company on a whim."

The location where the leprechauns found such treasures was a mystery to the joined expedition, but their destination wasn't as they followed the disgusting little gnomes from the field of flowery circles to a scarcely populated forest. The tree trunks were thin and vegetation seemed to be withering which would have been a sign that they were heading into a dangerous place. If that didn't manage to do the trick, what followed was truly concerning.

There were corpses of animals scattered from time to time and in several states of decay. One thing they all had in common was the fact that they all looked strangely flat and did not show any wounds or even sickness. It was as though the carcasses had fallen pray to gravity itself, which came as no wonder to Luna who already expected something like this to happen.

As they venture progressed further into the forest they lost sight of the tall building, not due to the distance but because night had fallen upon them without them noticing. If not for the shadow caused by the trees, the rainy weather didn't help in keeping track of time.

Gas lanterns were lit all around illuminating the forest like fireflies and casting off shadows in the distance. For most of those present, the light was reassuring, but Uriel and some of the heavenly rank hunters experienced all at the same time their respective manifestations of their mystical sense equivalent.

"Ambush!" Shouted Magellan, yet it was too late.