Dungeon Raider System

Uriel woke up the next morning feeling as though a train had ran him over and with little flux energy in his reserve. Albeit uncomfortable, it was actually the best case scenario as the pain allowed him to confirm he was not dead which was the expected outcome after spending his last drop of energy during the fight against the Morbach werewolf.

Being able to harness flux was quintessential to hunters as it granted them abilities humanity could only dream about before the arrival, but it could be considered a double edged sword since hunters who used their flux energy too recklessly would face the consequences. This was particularly the case for stronger hunters as the consequences were directly proportional to their power, but luckily for Uriel this didn't apply to him thanks to a phenomenon caused by the system Uriel called the 'power saving mode'. It was some sort of safety measure Uriel could not explain, but whenever he spent too much flux energy his body would become temporarily weaker.

Being the first time Uriel regressed to the evolved rank, Uriel had trouble even taking the few steps it took him to reach the door as he had trouble adjusting his strength to support his own weight. But just because he walked like a newborn deer did not mean he was harmless or even weak.

His body may have temporarily become as weak as he used to be when he started his hunting career, but now he had several powerful artifacts at his disposal and the field experience of a seasoned hunter.

Rather than whining about his current state, Uriel made the most of it by preemptively grabbing his revolver and his dagger ready to strike whatever enemy crossed his path before asking questions. He walked down the stairs silent as a mouse paying close attention to anything he could see, hear or feel.

He looked at the pictures hung in the wall, the wooden handrail and the carpet set on the first floor, things he would have taken a great interest into but now completely ignored because he was not his usual relaxed self. Everything and anything could be a threat to him and the safety of his friends was at risk. Had he stumbled upon a centuries old vase he would have likely ignored it too as he was now more concerned about survival than anything else.

That is why after hearing Medusa's voice and rushing over there, Uriel became so shocked at the scene he witnessed.

"Would you like some waffles?" Said Medusa wearing an apron while Luna, Nika and Thomas sat by the table.

"Someone got up moody, it seems." Nika chuckled.

"Uhm... continue your story." Luna completely disregarded Uriel's presence and spoke to the strange Uriel did not know or trusted.

"He is our host, Thomas, he was just telling us something really interesting. Trust me, you'll want to hear this." Medusa explained and Uriel joined at the table after putting back his weapons inside his trait. Uriel's throat was dry and he felt hungrier than ever in his life, though the actual reason he did not reply was that he had yet to make sense of anything.

"Where was I?" Thomas casually asked.

"In the part where you met the two russians." Luna replied in a rush.

"Right, the two russians. To this day I still don't know their names because back then not everyone spoke the same language and I did not know any russian. We communicated with nothing but gestures and while it was difficult at first, being lost behind enemy lines made sticking together our best shot at making it alive despite our differences." Thomas said.

Uriel listened to the tale with little to no interest whatsoever as it seemed like a generic tale about the times before the arrival and he could not figure what could possibly be so interesting that could have Luna, Nika and Medusa enthralled in the man's story. Nevertheless, despite Uriel being starved he did not get to touch his plate until Thomas finished it as the mention of a single person changed everything.

"After all, even though we came from different countries we all fought under Napoleon's command which brought us together. But although the war was going great in the front, we were not faring that great. In fact, both me and the russians were completely cut from our units due to the winter. Things started to look brighter for us when we found what we thought was an abandoned farm, this very place actually. If you look at this place now it's a palace compared to the shabby cottage we encountered, but we would have settled with even less. Anything that kept us from the snow would have been more than welcome.

"We took refuge in the barn while the storm raged outside and even though we burned wood to keep warm, it was not enough and I would have likely died if not for the russians teaching how to cope with the cold. They grabbed hay from the ground and stuffed it inside their coats. It may not seem like much, even though I was french I lived nowhere near the alps and it was actually may first experience with snow and back then I did not know it could get so bad, but not even the russians suspected it.

"We remained trapped in the barn for weeks that felt like months and ran through the wood faster than we should have. When the wood ran out, we started burning hay, when the hay ran out we started taking boards from the barn itself but that only made our situation worse as the chilly winds breached in and pierced us through the bone. The cold was the worst part, followed closely by the hunger... if I knew back then what was going to happen I would have eaten a bullet... but..." Thomas lingered in silence for a full minute, his eyes lost in the distant memories of the past. When he continued the story, his tone had completely shifted into a regretful sob.

"When the storm finally ceased, a german maiden entered the barn probably looking for wood as she did not know we had sought refuge from the storm in her barn. Things happened so fast I can not tell you who had the idea, but when I wanted to notice we had each had our full of meat. The only kind of meat within our reach.

"We survived, shamefully, we survived. She was our enemy and killing her would have not been past our duty, but what we did that day was the most heinous crime I ever committed and yet, I felt no guilt. I can't describe the feeling I experienced, rather than guilt or any negative emotion, I cried of joy. I was not even thinking about survival, sating my hunger was pure ecstasy.

"It wasn't until we had our bellies filled with the most morbidly delicious meal we ever had that we came to our senses and realized the weight of the sin we committed and we went out of our hiding with a singular purpose. We could not speak a word of each other's language, yet we all shared the same intent. To cover our sin.

"We went to the cottage which was about two stone throws from the barn. There we found the farmer and another daughter. We killed them all, but we did not know the wife was out fetching water. She returned and bore witness to our crimes, yet instead of running away she confronted us and shared the same fate her family did, but not before speaking to us in a language I never heard before, one that somehow I was able to understand like a native."

"What did she say?" Luna impatiently asked in a very uncharacteristic way.

"She said that although we looked like humans, we were actually wolves and from that day onward, whenever the full moon shone above our heads we would show our true appearance to the world," Thomas answered, his face covered in shame and guilt. "yes, I am the Morbach werewolf and I tell you this story with the hope that, although I am undeserving of such kindness, you would fulfill my one wish and find a way to kill me."

Silence ensued as each one of the Dungeon Raiders pondered about different matters, each of them silently guessing what each of them thought without sharing a single word. Luna was completely against killing Thomas since he was living proof that humans could become cryptids and Uriel was also against doing it because he did not want the knowledge of a person who lived in the same time as Napoleon to be wasted.

Medusa, on the other hand, could not contain her tears as she found his tale both horrifying and moving at the same time. She wondered if there was such a thing as an unforgivable crime and if Thomas living in atonement could ever ease his consciousness.

Nika's line of thought was completely different to that of her companions as she slammed her hands on the table and stood up, then walked decisively towards the fridge and grabbed a beer.

"What? Stories like that make me thirsty!" She shrugged.