Dungeon Raider System

"Before you sign this contract I'll give you a warning. Apparently, there's a god out there that doesn't like people who back out on their word. If you sign using this fountain pen, your flux energy will be imprinted on the contract because it is actually an artifact. In other words, if you breach this contract you'll end up cursed or worse." Uriel explained.

"Curses are no joke... I've tried them a couple times and they're powerful, but they're also impossible to control. That's why I prefer charm instead." Sam nodded.

"How did you even learn how to do those things?" Uriel asked, though it was more curiosity than real interest in the subject. "according to Bella, only families that come from a witch bloodline can curse people."

"That's not true at all. Everything can be cursed and everyone can do it, even animals. Anything with a curse can cast a curse and the only reason you don't see them often is because... actually, you must have encountered them on a daily basis, you just didn't know they're there. If your witch said that, then she must not be a good one." Sam said and Uriel agreed wholeheartedly.

"So, will you sign it or not?" Uriel cut Sam's vain attempt to stall for time until the sheet of paper somehow became less extortionate.

"Ah, what the hell...," Sam said as he signed the paper in a rush. "I can't even move in the wilderness for extended periods of time with all those pesky cryptids following after me. I almost lost my entire company when we crashlanded. Now I don't have a zeppelin, the only way I have to rescue them is to conceal my flux signature."

"It's been a pleasure making business with you, please hurry up and learn so you can bring me the item I requested." Uriel said as he retreated, leaving Sam in utter confusion.

"You're supposed to teach me how to hide my presence..." Sam muttered to himself once Uriel disappeared, fully knowing he couldn't hear him anymore. It was then that he turned to the contract as sweat trickled down his forehead when the idea of a rigged contract or fine print. He activated his trait and skimmed over the document, but everything seemed fine.

It wasn't until he exited the Pegasus that he understood why Uriel left, it was because the contract stated Uriel would make sure he learned the skill he wanted provided Sam had the capacity. But nowhere in the contract said it had to be Uriel who taught him.

"You've really grown more powerful, Lily." Said Uriel as he roughed Lily's hair as though she was a puppy which she really seemed to enjoy.

"She's been wanting to meet you for so long and you can't even give her a proper hug, that's cold." Sharp scoffed.

Sam gaped at the scene in front of him for a few seconds as not only the entirety of the Dungeon Raiders company was present but also the head of the Cryptid hunting agency, Lily, Soulfire and even Charlie.

"Alright, teach us that smite of yours." Uriel said with a grin.

"Hang on, this is way too many people and this skill is supposed to be a secret." Sam stuttered.

"You already signed so..." Uriel had a hard time keeping his laughter under control, especially since Sam's expression had become almost the same as the one he made whenever he saw a cryptid and he was an ascended hunter.

"Yeah, but the deal was with you, maybe even our company, not with those outsiders." Sam pouted.

"With the tournament coming, we can use all the help we can. I need to make sure all the artifacts that may be useful to deal with my curse end up in allied hands. Besides, what you did to this city affected all of us and you should be grateful I don't broadcast your lesson for the entire city."

"Fine," He said disgruntled and shifted into a serious tone. "this is a powerful skill, one that not anyone can master and even if they do, it would be dangerous to use it. I advice anyone who's not a heavenly rank hunter who reached their top shape against using it. I will not take responsibility for what may happen after learning smite."

"Just get on with it." Sharp huffed.

"Yeah, you're wasting nighttime." Charlie added.

"First of all, you need to have a large amount of flux energy stored inside your body and this skill cannot be used if you don't have the majority of it in store. It's difficult to explain, but if your reserve is not full enough, it won't work."

"So, it's an opening move." Mayhem nodded.

"When did you... nevermind," Sam sighed, then continued. "You have to feel the energy coursing through your body, but contrary to what you may think, you must not channel it. In fact, rather than forcing your flux out, it's like letting it out."

"I see," Medusa pondered and she lifted her hand, then said the word that seemingly triggered the skill she saw Sam use against her uncle. "smite."

"We're not quite there, please listen. That word is also not a trigger like in other skills." Sam passed a hand down his face in utter frustration, but then Luna came to the rescue.

"Words are never the trigger. I've found out the reason why hunters say the name of the skills they use out loud is because of conductism. A hunter's brain works similar to a regular human, but we all have a specialized part of our brain that allow us to use our traits. To put it simply, some can see things others can not, others can have sensory experiences that do not relate to any known sense and others can control objects with their mind, but all those feats are the product of their brain learning how to use their 'trait' which is usually an organ that does not usually present in the homo sapiens species."

"If humans are homo sapiens, then what are hunters?" Asked Soulfire.

"Homo venator," Luna said, then continued as though she didn't just redefine the entire concept of humanity in those two words. "what's important here is that hunters instinctively know how to activate their traits, but the same does not apply to skills. Those need to be learned and practiced, but hunters can train themselves to associate how they feel when they use a skill with certain triggers. Most people use words because they come naturally to them, but there are other methods, like associating actual feelings such as love or rage with their skills." She said the last words thinking on Medusa and herself respectively, though it was something only Nika and Uriel caught.

Sam admitted Luna was spot on and continued his explanation, though it was mostly rephrasing what he had already explained. They asked him to perform smite in front of them so they could study it and maybe gain some insight about the skill, but Sam refused claiming that he already gave them more than what used to learn the skill and that at least they knew it was possible contrary to him, who had never seen it before and only followed the instructions.

For over two hours the group waved their hands in the air sometimes shouting smite, though most of the times it was just swear words out of frustration and the more they failed, the more the smile on Sam's face grew wider.

For one, he liked to see others fail where he succeeded, but he also didn't want others to possess such a powerful skill that could and probably would be turned against him. He was content with following through with what was required of him by the contract and nothing more.

Of all those present, Uriel Medusa, Luna and Nika were the only ones who rather than futilely waving their arms in the air preferred to sit and think while also sharing their thoughts and theories with each other.

"If the skill can only be used when you have most of your flux energy reserve intact and doesn't require to channel it, but rather letting it out, then it's probably something similar to opening a dam. Dams work by putting a physical blockage on a course of water..." Medusa muttered the last part as though reminding herself of the basics of physics.

"Following that analogy, we need to find the mystical equivalent to that blockage and remove it." Luna added.

"There's something more to it than just flux energy. You've seen what it did to the titan level cryptid... it didn't kill it, but it's the only thing that's ever affected a titan. What if we consider the sacred aspect..." Uriel muttered thinking back on the many different cultures, religions, civilizations and every bit of archaeological knowledge that may be useful, though his mind soon drifted into interesting topics and questions about archaeology.

"That's bullshit, there's nothing sacred about Sam." Nika scoffed, but that gave Uriel an idea and soon after a word reverberated in the city as a pillar of light appeared on the sky.