Dungeon Raider System-Chapter 372: The lost cat Part 3

The smatphone’s battery was dead and Uriel knew the only possible explanation was the presence of a cryptid on the vicinity because as long as it was stored inside his trait it would passively recharge its battery. Without so much as a second of hesitation, Uriel put it back inside his trait with the intention of using it, but now he wasn’t so sure if he should alert the rangers.

One reason for that was that the rangers weren’t aware of the presence of cryptids inside the city and him being the only hunter nearby would rise a lot of questions he didn’t have time to answer. His other option was to call Nika, which didn’t sound bad considering it was an emergency, but something stopped Uriel’s train of thought.

The window was broken and there were very few glas shards inside, meaning that something exited the room without bothering to open it before. That could have been convenient, considering how unprepared Uriel was to fight a cryptid as he was taken by surprise, but the kid was still outside waiting obediently for him to return.

Uriel activated his Dash skill once more and exited the room the same way the cryptid must have, every bit of rational thought had left his body when the thought of the cryptid attacking the kid crossed his mind. He was responsible for that child’s life, not just because it was his duty as a ranger apprentice, but because he made the mistake of assuming the place was safe when it wasn’t.

Because of his irrational state his brain still thought bringing the cat was important, since that was his mission to begin with and he picked it up before racing towards the entrance.

"Hey kid! Where are you?" Uriel shouted after realizing that the kid wasn’t where he left him. He called for him a couple times, not knowing what to do next. He tried to focus on his mystical sense, but he was so shaken he couldn’t even enter his museum, let alone focus on the faint energy signatures around him.

Just when he was about to lose hope, the door opened and the kid came outside.

"Mister ranger, I’m here."

"Why didn’t you wait outside like I told you to?" Uriel felt relieved to see the kid was fine, but that only lasted until the cat’s hair brisstled and it hissed at the kid and then he knew it. The kid wasn’t the kid, whatever cryptid killed the man on the room was now standing right in front of him. He knew what he had to do, he knew it as he pulled the gun outside his trait, but...

"What are you doing, Mister?" The kid asked with eyes as innocent as those of a lamb, prompting Uriel to take a couple steps backwards. "Is there something behind me!?" The kid looked back trying to see what got the hunter so wary but there was nothing there and he started crying and trying to walk towards Uriel.

"Stay back!" Uriel shouted, but that only made the kid cry harder.

"Please! I want my mommy!" The cried as he walked towards Uriel, but for every step the kid took Uriel took one back.

Uriel was put in a very bad spot given that he didn’t have any means to confirm his identity. He didn’t have anything made of silver and he was so troubled he couldn’t access his museum to buy anything.

Had that been all, Uriel could have maybe thought of a way to get the kid to the electric fence and see if it stopped working once he got close, but that wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the kid being a doppelganger.

Since doppelgangers were hybrids, they didn’t possess a field of disruption which made identifying them a very difficult task and unlike skinwalkers, doppelgangers were able to even mimick the victim’s trait. The only evidence to that kid being a shapeshifter creature was the cat’s reaction, but that was hardly enough to potentially kill an innocent child.

Just when Uriel thought things could not get any worse, a reptilish creature bashed at him and pinned him to the ground.

"You’re under arrest for having a firearm and threatening a citizen!" Goblin said in his ’lizard’ form. Contrary to Dragonfang who was able to shapeshift completely or partially at will, goblin had no control over his transformation, but that wasn’t the reason why he didn’t get a cool name like the former lieutenant.

His lizard form was unsightly, short and it didn’t resemble a dragon but a deformed human being.

"Get off of me!" Uriel gritted his teeth as he tried to shake off the ascended on top of him with no success. Discover hidden tales at novelbuddy

"Goblin, stop, there must be an explanation!" Aster, Truesight’s only female apprentice shouted as she ran to comfort the kid. She embraced him in her arms and softly patted his head until an unseen crooked smile formed on the kid’s face.

"Stop! That’s not a kid! It’s a cryptid!"

"A cryptid? We’re inside the city, that’s impossible." The last of Truesight’s apprentices, a young nearsighted man whose trait was nightvision, calmly said as he adjusted his glasses.

"Just ignore him, he would say anything if that meant getting away with it."

"Just listen to me," Uriel tried to speak in a calm manner. "I came here because a kid called me to find his pet."

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"So, you’re saying that the kid asked you to look for a pet? That doesn’t explain why you were pointing a gun at him." The apprentice with nightvision tried to make sense of the situation, but failed to understand Uriel’s logic.

"It’s because... there’s a body inside the house." As soon as those words escaped from Uriel’s mouth Gobin applied more pressure on him making it difficult for him to breathe.

"Aster, go look inside, if it turns out there’s a body we’ll have to kill this rogue hunter."

"No, wait..." Uriel gasped with whatever air was left in his lungs and the kid’s crooked smile grew bigger.