Dungeon Raider System-Chapter 551: Battle for survival in the barrenlands Part 4

"Huh? I don't think she would bother asking you about the thing you just killed when there's so many different hybrids right there." Nika chuckled.

"I... didn't think about that. Anyway, I'd appreciate it if you..." Uriel paled at the thought of Luna asking him a barrage of questions about the cryptids and hybrids with her usual persistence.

"Don't worry boss, my lips are sealed... for a price." Nika said jokingly, but then became serious. "I want beer, lots."

"I'll see what I can do later." Uriel let out a dejected sigh after realizing that being submerged into an endless fight in the shadows and later interacting with a cryptid so powerful it defied logic was a high enough price to pay for a few beers and more.

The night went on with Uriel fighting side by side with Nika, both hunters at their prime. After spending the past weeks trapped in the shadows fighting for survival Nika 'picked up a few tricks' along the way and became accustomed to fighting in her shadow form, but Uriel's case was different.

Of course he gained some combat experience, but what truly made the difference was the strength boost granted to him by the special ability of the Red thread of fate.

For each friend nearby Uriel received a ten percent increase in his strength and, safe for Luna and perhaps a few more, all of his friends were in the vicinity. By constantly checking his museum, Uriel tested the range of this ability, marking it to about a hundred meters though it seemed to vary for reasons he couldn't understand.

He also managed to confirm who exactly did the dagger recognize as 'friends' and was greatly surprised when he realized that Amy did count as one, but oddly enough Emma didn't.

He pondered about this for a few seconds, but soon gave up when a sharp pincer missed his face by a hair's breadth thanks to Nika blocking it in the last second.

"Why aren't they helping?"

"It seems I misjudged them. Because of their looks and using Luna as a reference, I thought they'd be stronger and more suited for combat, but now that I think about it perhaps it's an unfair comparison. Anyway, I'll have a word with that Kalos guy in the morning."

"If we make it to the morning," Nika said with a jagged breath after landing the finishing blow to the crab-like cryptid that just attacked them. "How come you're not tired."

"It's because of this," Uriel showed the 'Red thread of fate' to Nika with a smile. "It steals the life essence of whatever I stab with it. Hey! Perhaps you can ask Medusa to make one for you."

"No way! We almost died when she made it, but that's a story for another day, we got company." Nika pointed at a new wave of incoming cryptids, comprised mostly of monster rank cryptids and some abnormally big beast rank.

"Why don't you rest a little and see what I can do with this beauty, perhaps that will convince you." Uriel said as he stepped forward into the darkness wielding his dagger on one hand and the Magnum revolver on the other.

The hybrids, who by that point were already struggling to keep their jaws from hitting the ground then bore witness to Uriel adopting an even more daring fighting style. Not minding minor injuries and jumping into a battle frenzy, every slash of his dagger leaving a faint shimmer behind along with the severed limbs of different cryptids.

The only enemies able to withstand the sharp dagger were those armored with an exoskeleton which caused it to slide across their caparaces, but targeting the joints was an excellent counter to their hard shells rendering them immobile and allowing Uriel to finish them with a few Magnum shots.

"This can't be real... this isn't a combat style, it's weaponized crazyness!" Elio gasped when he realized Uriel wasn't that much stronger than any single one of his enemies and should have been overwhelmed after a couple minutes, yet he managed to fight beyond the cover of their defensive formation and brought the cryptid assault to a stop entirely by himself.

Before even the first of daylight licked the barrenlands, the Pegasus finally arrived at the location ready to evacuate the survivors and Phlox who was tasked with piloting it let go of the steering wheel for a moment to look below in search for the best landing spot.

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Despite some of the flares till being lit, landing a zeppelin by herself was a challenge made more difficult by the knowledge that if any harm came to it, Medusa would make sure to discount it from her salary.

Still, Phlox was the best suited candidate for fetching the Pegasus. Not just because she was a trained engineer and was capable of piloting it, but also because her trait allowed her to boost the jaguar spirit speed making it easier for her to avoid any dangers on the way.

At first, the few hybrids that set their eyes on the Pegasus thought it was actually a cryptid since of all the spotlights on the ship, only the two on the front were turned on making it seem like a giant creature walked towards them. Their worries, though, were washed away as soon as the ship's landing gear came out illuminating the landing zone.

Hybrids of all shapes and sizes quarreled to be the first ones to board the ship, but the doors remained shut no matter how much they banged on it to open. This was, of course, due to Phlox still being occupied with the landing procedures, but she was also taking her sweet time since she didn't want to be there when Medusa found out people were trying to break in.

Instead of unleashing her trademark choice words for whenever someone put a dent on any of her creations, she limited herself to silently push past the crowd and open the door from the outside carrying her wounded uncle inside to the med bay.

In the meantime, Uriel kept busy picking up the countless flux orbs that will keep the Pegasus engine well fed for a long time.

"So, what do you think now about asking Medusa for a weapon like this?" Uriel asked Nika with a cocky smile as the birthing sunlight contrasted with Nika's troubled expression.

"You see... the thing is... if you have the slightest idea of what I went through because of her..."

"I do... I mean, she wasn't a heavenly rank yet, but her trait is... something else." Uriel gazed at the ship now being surrounded by a mix of uneven creatures and realized they were battering up the door. After agreeing to give Nika some space, Uriel hurried towards the Pegasus and was relieved to find out they weren't cryptids but hybrids.

As soon as he showed up, he didn't even need to utter a single word for the entire crowd to settle and they even allowed him to go first. None of them had any clue who the zeppelin belonged to, but after watching him fight like a madman the entire night and come back alive after a series of would be fatal wounds, they were deadly afraid of him.

Unaware of his new reputation, Uriel simply made his way towards his quarters to take a much needed and well deserved nap.