Dungeon Raider System-Chapter 943: Where is my heart

After setting foot across the threshold Uriel was transported back into the void place, though now he could sense the door that led inside the dungeon as though he could see it. He waited a couple seconds until Nika and the jaguar showed up and opened the door to the dungeon of Xibalbá without second guessing Nika’s amazed expression.

It was her first time seeing the void after all and although he didn’t remember his own reaction, Nika’s reaction felt underwhelming considering how the very concept of existence was threatened in that place.

Then came the familiar passage of the inside of the dungeon with the same marked stones Uriel now recognized to be traps and the glyphs carved in the wall that he now knew held the knowledge to create a thriving civilization to any sentient being that stumbled upon a the dungeon.

All dungeons were the same in this regard, as they were meant as repositories of culture. The further a person ventured, the more advanced technology they would be able to unlock. From the basics of agriculture, to medicine up to the secrets of the universe contained in stones Uriel now knew Jon Hunter had been destroying all over the worlds.

Why did Jon did it was not even a mystery anymore as that technology was too powerful for a violent race such as mankind. The same technology that could heal people would be used to kill, as proven by the Celes’ ultimate weapon which was a device capable of manipulating the sacred element. Said technology was used to create a shield that surrounded the megacity of New Texas to keep even the gods away, but there was not even a hint of doubt within Uriel’s mind that Tina was already working to turn it into a weapon. In Medusa’s words, projecting a barrier in a focused point would be exactly the same as Sam’s smite skill.

"Do you know the way?" Asked Nika trying to make conversation, only she already knew the answer as it was all over the place.

To Uriel, the arrowheads and scattered pottery told the story of past heroes who ventured inside the dungeon ill prepared and stumbled upon the consequences. Some, maybe even succeeded in getting back alive bringing gifts of knowledge they would share with their people to be passed on to further generations.

But Nika saw a different scene. She pictured Uriel, the young and naive archaeologist wannabe tripping over himself to study each stone, each artifact no matter how menial. She could even picture his face of excitement and wonder which made her grimace as she wasn’t there to see it when it happened. Not just that, she also saw how Uriel made his way across the halls blatantly ignoring the same things that would have lit up his fiery passion for archaeology in the past.

That was sad, but as they progressed their exploration it became worse when she saw signs of a firearm being shot and some scattered flux orbs and strange stains on the ground that although old, they were obviously caused by blood.

Nika was already regretful to have abandoned Uriel when he needed her the most, but since he returned without bearing a single wound she assumed it couldn’t have been that bad. But now thanks to her experience as a veteran hunter she could tell exactly how things developed to the point where she could accurately pinpoint the exact location Uriel was standing at whenever he got injured the first time.

"Watch your steps, some of the traps are difficult to spot." Uriel warned her before entering the last room where he encountered the bugs that almost killed him.

"Traps should be the the least of our worries right now, look at that!" Nika pointed at the corner where a small hole opened wide enough to let a huge insect through. It had an iridescent shell that showed all the colors of the rainbow, though Uriel didn’t seem bothered by it and casually opened fire causing the creature to burst into a purple goo that emitted a sizzling sound the moment it fell on the ground.

"That thing was pretty bothersome the first time, regular ammo didn’t cause much damage to it and I ended up pretty hurt." He said with a wry smile of embarrassment thinking on just how badly it hurt. The same creature that almost killed him now fell with but a single well placed magnum round which meant it wasn’t that bad to begin with, or so he thought.

Nika had a different perspective as she clearly remembered Uriel was only an evolved during the Mapple corp. expedition and she couldn’t fathom how an evolved could have possibly fought against such an abnormal monster.

"This is it, the emergency exit," Uriel declared in front of what looked to be an ancient gate. "but we’re not taking it for the time being."

"Why not? We could use some fresh air." Nika proposed in a blatant attempt to stall the exploration.

"Because they will be waiting right outside."

"Right, the nameless horrors..." Despite being a heavenly rank hunter, Nika still had nightmares about those creatures and was particularly affected by the one that had eyes all over its body. She had always kept an easygoing attitude, even when facing terrible monsters because deep down she knew she had seen worse.

Her heavy drinking and her habit of trying to sneak up on Uriel’s bed were the only tells of her deep trauma, though no one but her knew. She would usually say out loud how Chichén Itzá was the last place on earth she wanted to return to and would nonchalantly speak of the horror level cryptids she saw there, which was precisely why nobody notice how much it affected her.

"From here on it’s all uncharted territory, keep your eyes peeled," Uriel said to Nika, then turned to his jaguar. "and if you happen to see a heart do not eat it, understood?"

"Wait, we’re looking for an actual heart? I thought it was more of an abstract concept, maybe an artifact that held your emotions."

"I’m not sure myself, but this asshole cat will eat anything he finds before even asking for permission." Uriel said as the narrow passage opened, twisted and forked into several directions. He didn’t know which way was the correct one to reach the next level of the dungeon, but since he was able to read the carvings in the walls it somewhat gave him an idea.

The glyphs at the beggining of major dungeons usually began with discoveries such as making fire or the wheel, which were among the first technologies humans ever developed. Then it progressed into different directions, for instance the dungeon of Easter island did not possess much in regards to farming, but it had plenty of information on boat making and masonry.

The moment Uriel read something about a machine, he knew he was on the right path and it led him to a vast open hall with torches and decorations that could only be described as magnificent. His first instinct was to rush in and grab whatever he could find, but thought against it after he realized how odd it was that the items remained there. After all, although the first chamber possessed only pottery and arrow heads, those heroes of the past who had previously raided the dungeon had ransacked most of it.

"The second chamber was completely empty too, but this one still has the artifacts..." He pondered out loud while Nika took a dive in the treasures she found which was fine at first. It was mostly jewelry and coins, but there were also pointy things that caused her some discomfort.

"Definitely not orichalcum, but getting poked in the ass is no fun." She said after grabbing a bent knife from beneath her.

"That’s what you get for being reckless," Uriel chuckled, then looked sternly at the jaguar who had also ventured deeper into the hall only instead of showing any interest in the treasures, he took a fighting stance... against Uriel. "come on, boy. Don’t do this to me."

"It’s your fault for calling him an idiot." Nika laughed as she fell backwards into the pile of gold.

Uriel would have agreed with her theory, if not for his bond with the jaguar which let him know the jaguar was actually going to fight him.

"After all we’ve been through together...," Uriel fumbled to himself, then realized that in the walls behind the jaguar spirit, several depictions of the noble jaguar were sculpted in the stone. "no way... you’re the boss of this chamber!"

The jaguar bobbed his head up and down, before dropping on the ground and rubbing himself on the ground. It may have seemed like he was being cute, but the jaguar used so much force its fur started coming off and a cloud of dust was lifted.

When the dust finally settled, an ominous voice pierced through the silence of the chamber of the forest as the Jaguar spoke, now in human form, though it looked just like Amy in her hybrid form.

"I am the jaguar spirit, a shaman whose life has been devoted to protecting the secrets of this, the chamber of the forest, from before humanity was born. And even though I recognize you as my master, you must fight me if you want to pass."

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