Dungeon Raider System-Chapter 567: A belated meeting Part 2

Judging by her actions and amount of flux energy coursing through her body, everyone thought Nika would become violent, though she only used her trait to move some chairs and nudge each of them to make them take a seat.

"Right now I'm furious with you all and the only way to appease my anger is to be completely sincere with each other. We're all going to sit here and we won't exit this room until we're all caught up with each other."

"So that's why you refurnished the meeting room, you had this all planned." Uriel pointed out. At first, he was reluctant to participate in the conversation Nika wanted to have. Being the only one who already knew what happened on Nika's end, he wasn't interested in hearing her story again. However, in less than an hour the conversation evolved from a 'catching up' into something else entirely.

"I told you witchcraft was real!" Nika crossed herself after hearing about the society. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"I still don't think it's actual witchcraft, they're just a bunch of hunters trying to bite more than they can handle."

"How so?" Medusa asked.

"It seems they're trying to perform some sort of blood ritual, though I think it's closer to using blood to activate an ancient structure than it is to witchery. They just don't understand it."

"What about the hybrids you mentioned? Can you be more specific?" Luna's eyes gleamed with scientific curiosity.

"You're a hybrid yourself, shouldn't you know all there is to know about hybrids?" When Medusa spoke a cold silence filled the room. "Did I say something wrong?"

"It's just that... I think you're a hybrid too, Medusa." Uriel awkwardly pointed out what everybody else was thinking.

"Ha, ha, nice joke." Medusa tried to laugh it out, managing only a strange grimace instead of a smile. "And you all agree?"

"You don't look like a human anymore." Uriel finally said it, though due to his phrasing it sounded like an insult instead of an accurate depiction which caused Medusa to start crying.

"Are you implying I'm a freak?" Medusa blurted out offended by Luna's remark.

"That would be the same as saying I'm a freak." Luna replied, coldly as ever, then turned to Uriel. "You should apologize. My sister always said whenever a friend's feelings were hurt I should apologize."

"Okay, first, I can't picture your sister saying something like that. Second, you never apologize when you hurt our feelings..."

"Uhm, that's because I don't." Luna butted in, but Uriel continued nonetheless.

"And third, you've noticed it too, haven't you?"

"Uhm... yes." Luna nodded without taking her eyes from Medusa. Although Medusa couldn't see them, she could feel the intense stare directed towards her and she suddenly became uneasy.

"You're scaring me... please tell me what's going on." Medusa sniffled.

"I only recently became aware of it, but I think I've known it ever since you acquired your trait and then, when you used it on me..." Uriel didn't have the words to phrase what he needed to say without hurting Medusa. Luckily for him, Luna didn't share his worries.

"Remember what I said to you after I asked you to use your trait on me?" Luna asked.

"The uncanny valley thing?" Medusa teary eyed nodded.

"Yes. Back then I was trying to keep my hybrid nature a secret and I thought you were doing the same. I was too little to remember, but according to Cassie before we left our hometown, our mom told her to mention the uncanny valley effect in front of friendly people that might be hybrids so we could seek for their help, but you didn't react and I simply discarded it.

But after you reached the heavenly rank your body proportions, your height, even your face, there's something, uhm... inhuman in them."

"Don't you guys think that if I was a hybrid, I would be the first to know?"

"I was born as a wolf, not a hybrid, a wolf. Can you imagine how my mother felt? I can't, but I've heard it was a shock for everyone in the family despite them being lycanthropes. For six years they outcasted us, shunned us, threw stones at our home, at me. Believe it or not, those were the happiest days of my life. I wasn't conscious about my hybrid nature.

I was just a wolf, happy to have three meals a day and to pass the time with my sister Cassandra. That happiness ended the day I turned into this monster." Luna pointed at herself.

"My poor Lunita..." Hearing Luna's sad story, Nika too started to cry, but Luna didn't stop.

"I was never fond of my human form and it was only after meeting you that I became somewhat accustomed to it. Yet all the time I spent with you, I always feared the reaction you guys would have when you saw me in my true form and that's why I refused to participate in fights when we first met.

I lived enough time in human society to know that people who are different are also treated different, I knew you wouldn't throw rocks at me, but I thought you might kick me out. I am considered a monster by those of my kin and also by humans, my fangs, my fur...

if being ugly on the outside isn't enough to scare off any potential mating partner, then consider also how difficult it is for me to act like a human even when I look like one."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." Medusa took Luna's pause as a chance to apologize.

"I'm not done yet. Your body is different to that of humans, yes. It's as if every inch of your body was made by design. You're so perfect you look just like the statue of the woman inside the dungeon, yet you feel offended when someone points it out." Luna's eyes widened for a short second, then became sharper than ever when he turned to Uriel as an idea crossed her mind.

"Why are you giving me that look? Men can be scared too, you know?"

"Yes, it's every biological creature's prerogative no matter gender, age, size, though I'd be inclined to say it only applies to those from the chordata phylum."

"There you go, speaking gibberish like always." Nika chuckled as she mindlessly patted Luna on the head.

"Why do you always refuse to help me with my research?" Luna asked.

"I have my own research to do and I've been so busy."

"Do you even know what is my research about?" Luna insisted.

"Sure, you want to prove that cryptids have been around for who knows how long." Uriel shrugged.

"That would be the same as saying that you're trying to prove that all civilizations come from the same origin." Luna rebuked, then added. "You think I don't listen when you talk about archaeology, but I do. Because of that, I also know that your research goes beyond that. I think we have all the data we need to unravel the mystery of the time mirage."

The conversation shifted once more and it turned into a passionate brainstorm of wild theories as they began fitting all the pieces of information each had. It was a dense discussion of topics that didn't pique Nika's interest at all.

Being the one who called for the meeting she felt hurt that her concerns had yet to be addressed, but after Luna's venting she couldn't bring herself to scold them and instead resorted to the beer stash to keep herself awake.

"There's a saying in my hometown: "Para todo mal, mezcal. Para todo bien, tambien."

"What does that mean?" Medusa tilted her head.

"Don't mind her, it's just her alcoholism speaking," Uriel knew just enough Spanish to understand, but that didn't mean he cared and continued jotting down the information they've collected into his journal. "I can feel we're getting really close to something, but something is missing."

"The data we collected should be sufficient." Luna insisted.

"I know, but even if our theories are correct, nothing explains why Medusa was unaffected by the time mirage. If it was because she's a hybrid, then the time mirage wouldn't affect you either."

"Maybe it's like Chichén Itzá." Nika swirled her can of beer.

"How so?" Uriel directed a questioning look towards Nika. Medusa immediately understood what she meant and blushed up intensely, but that didn't stop Luna from saying it out loud.

"It's because she's a virgin too."

"If that was the case, then I should have remained unaffected too. Unless... it's about something different. What have we done that Medusa hasn't?" Uriel asked out loud, not expecting the quick answer that followed.

"Medusa has never killed a human." Luna said casually.

"You... you've killed people? I thought you only killed vampires on campus."

"Uhm..." Luna stuttered, but it was actually Nika who replied.

"Two young runaway girls move from a small town into a megacity, what do you think happened? Something similar happened to me, but I was a killer even before getting my trait." She shrugged.

"That's it, then... I think it's time to make a Vlog." Uriel grinned when the last piece of the puzzle finally fell into piece.