Dungeon Raider System
Chapter 681 - 681: Extra 4

Most kids would run and play as soon as they were brought to the playground then complain or even cry when it was time to go home. That, however wasn't Raphael's case who would just stand awkwardly still in the middle sticking out like a sore thumb, yet other kids would not approach him or invite him to tag along.

There was something in the way he looked at people that unsettled even the adults to the point where not once in his life had anyone called him Raffy or any other nickname for that matter. When meeting him for the first time people didn't know what to say about him as the only things that came to mind were not positive, but as the firstborn of a wealthy family no one dared insult him either.

His father would always chuckle and explain Raphael was just too mature for his age, yet the actual reason why Raphael acted that way was because from the moment he opened his eyes for the first time he was able to see things other people couldn't.

Being a child, Raphael didn't know he experienced the world in a different way than other people and neither did his father who sought help from many psychiatrists, psychologists and all sorts of physicians to no avail.

But on the fateful day Raphael's mother passed away he spoke the words that would forever change his fate.

"What do you mean mom is not coming back? She's standing right behind you."

As strange as it may sound, that short statement actually made things better for him. Especially after his father took him to a renowned psychic who confirmed Raphael's ability to see the souls of the deceased which far surpassed that of the psychic himself.

Although he couldn't interact with the deceased, Raphael's ability brought comfort to his father. Instead of growing up as a troubled teen like people expected, Raphael became more open and cheerful revealing his good natured true self.

But the case was different for his two little brothers who barely knew their mom. Instead of finding solace in Raphael's ability, they became bitter thinking he was treated like the golden child who would one day inherit the family business.

Years later, Raphael would find himself walking in on the Hollywood's branch of the Cryptid hunting agency.

"Thank you for showing up in our time of need. Miss Alioth is already waiting for you." The receptionist said to the handsome man who replied with a silent yet kind smile.

"What's the situation?" Raphael Jacobs also known as Soulfire asked first thing after entering the office where Alioth greeted him with tea and pastries, just like she did for Luna.

"I was hoping you could answer that question. The only thing we know is we're experiencing earthquakes, but they don't seem to carry any flux energy signature meaning they're either a natural occurrence or the effect of a physical movement in the ground," Alioth explained with a frightened expression.

"the latter is the more likely option, but that would mean there could be a titan rank cryptid on its way here."

Soulfire's expression seemed unfazed as he chewed on a muffin and took a sip of tea which reassured Alioth, though it only lasted until sweat began forming on Soulfire's forehead and his expression shifted into panic.

"That's bad news! We need to evacuate!" Soulfire rushed in to the door, then thought against it and quickly opened a window as it was the fastest way to exit the building. He already had one foot outside when Alioth grabbed his cape.

"Please, you have to do something! I know you can get intel from a distance!"

"My trait doesn't work like that! I can communicate with people who died, if no one has died yet then I can't do anything." Soulfire explained prompting Alioth to release him causing him to fall of the window of a fourth floor and land face first on the concrete.

Being a heavenly rank hunter he suffered little to no damage after his unceremonious fall and was able to quickly compose himself, dusting his clothes like nothing happened. Passerby watched the odd man puzzled by his the contrast between his handsome appearance and clumsy behavior, though Soulfire paid no heed to the murmurs and rushed back home.

His house in Hollywood was just as small as the one he had back on the megacity of Texas and it was just as cozy on the inside. He walked past the front door, went straight to the kitchen where his pink mittens hung to the side of his cutesy apron by the stove and moved the fridge to open a well concealed trapdoor that led to the basement.

Contrary to the cozy house upstairs, the basement was dark and grim. The concrete staircase leading to an open chamber where Soulfire took off his cape and shirt revealing his chiseled muscles and perfectly shaped body.

He then wore a necklace realized with large wooden beads and a couple of bracelets seemingly made of bone. He also painted his cheekbones with a black substance and started waving his arms around while singing a song without lyrics or rythm and his eyes became white.

Several candles lit the chamber, some were together in chandeliers while others were grouped in different tables and although there were no labels on any of the candles, Soulfire knew exactly which belonged to what person.

Where people saw a brightly lit candle or a dimming one, Soulfire saw the faint appearance of the person which became more defined as the person was closer to their death. Whenever someone whose soul had been linked to a candle died, Soulfire had a brief moment where he could interact with the person in question.

Soulfire's chant resonated in the ominous chamber and instead of fading into nothingness, the unintelligible words added up and overlapped creating an effect similar to the one produced in the chamber of echoes.

"There you are!" Soulfire made a ninety degree turn and pointed directly at a particular candle that seemed brighter than the rest. It meant that the person linked to the candle was in good health and had suffered no damage, but Soulfire somehow knew that person was about to meet their end.

As time passed, the candle went from a shapeless luminescence to a well defined person.

"Neve!" Soulfire gasped as his chant kept on going in the background. He couldn't see her surroundings, but judging by the position of her flame-like body Soulfire guessed she was curled up in a corner.

Some of the candles Soulfire had grouped with Neve's went off suddenly and that was all he needed to understand the situation. They were the candles of people who were originally from the city of Texas, particularly those who belonged to the society that attempted to recruit him.

The candles going out one after the other reassured Soulfire that he made the right decision when he turned them down, but a grimace formed on his face when he made contact with one of them and learned it was Uriel who killed most of them.

The more cultists from the society died, the more Soulfire grasped the situation until it was finally Neve's turn.

"Go on, you can rest now." Soulfire said to the once head of the Cryptid hunting society, though the woman shook her head with a grim expression before being pulled by something.

Upon noticing this, Soulfire focused on his trait even more as burst of flames appeared from his shoulder bones to use Soultracking skill.

His body did not move, but his ethereal presence followed Neve across the infinite void that was death, propelled by the ethereal bursts of flames coming off from his back until he found himself trapped in a strange room along with countless cursed souls tainted by the evil book of the dead among which a familiar voice greeted him.

"Long time no see, brother." Former colonel of the army Ethan Jacobs said to his brother with a bittersweet smile. His figure a pale imitation of what he looked in life as he was missing chunks of flesh showing some of his bare bones in the most gruesome sight, especially for his brother Raphael.

"Ethan!" Soulfire said, his tears evanescent flames that crawled down his cheeks.

"You need to help him." Ethan replied, looking at the sealed exit of the secret chamber inside Uriel's museum.

After helping Uriel achieve his victory over the nameless, Soulfire found himself back again on his basement, sprawled and crying like a child. The fact that Lost city of San Antonio had been wiped out was of little comfort, despite it making travel from Hollywood to Texas much safer hence speeding up the rebuilding process of the latter.

Due to its low population, the megacity of New Texas had more goods to trade and even supplies as they repurposed some of the abandoned buildings into aeroponic farms. Needless to say, acquiring the seeds was difficult but the production was expected to increase after the first harvest.

What the city of New Texas had in goods it lacked in manpower, but painful memories of those they lost accompanied with the fear of the ungodly creatures that besieged the city in the past made people think twice before agreeing to move back in.

That, however, wasn't the case for Soulfire who after witnessing the state of his brother's soul had found a new purpose in life. To release the souls under Uriel's command and set them free of their torment.