Dungeon Raider System
Chapter 730 - 730: Prions Part 1

"Say, Uriel, what would you say it's the most dangerous power in the world?" Luna asked with a somber expression, one that Uriel had never seen before. Not in Luna's face, or anyone's for that matter.

"I'd go with flux energy, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me I'm wrong." He said jokingly trying to disperse the gloomy mood.

"It's the power of evolution. Flux energy can be harnessed by humans, but have you stopped to consider how did it become possible? It's because of evolution, but evolution isn't particular to just humans." Luna explained.

"Are you implying that this deer evolved? Something similar to what happened to the chickens we saw in the 'synthetic' food processing plant." Uriel asked, fearing the answer to be affirmative, unaware that such scenario was the least perilous of the ones crossing Luna's mind.

"I'll need a sample, but a quick examination is sufficient to say they're not cryptids. They're not disappearing and electronics work just fine, but that's where the good news end. For the time being, the best course of action will be to forbid the consumption of wild animals. Also, we shouldn't be handling these samples by hand. Buy a pair of hazmat suits from your trait."

Uriel did as Luna asked, though unfortunately hazmat suits didn't appear in his souvenir shop. In fact, there was nothing even remotely similar to a hazardous materials suit and they had to settle with rubber gloves and plastic bags to cover their hands, accompanied by surgical masks.

They carried the corpses back to town where they were greeted by a huge line being made outside the clinic. Zac, the hunter who led them to their location was the first one in line and despite his trait and hybrid nature he was feeble and could barely stand on his feet.

"It's just as I feared, we're too late." Luna said in a somber expression and made her way past the crowd.

"I don't get why are you so scared. It's only natural that eating these weird evolved deer would cause their stomachs to be upset. It's probably a passing sickness."

"That's precisely the problem. Hunters getting sick is the single most scary thing I can think of." Luna replied, then asked Uriel to buy a microscope and other laboratory material from his souvenir shop.

They were expensive, but not to the point where buying the equipment she needed could put a dent on his finances, though Uriel wasn't happy to spend money on other people without expecting something in return. However, he was indebted to Elara for not only hosting them, but because she also offered to train him without asking for anything in return.

With the equipment Uriel got for her Luna was able to perform an autopsy on the corpses. The fact that she was able to focus while people started moaning outside left Uriel dumbfounded, but until they found out more about the disease there was nothing they could have done for them anyway.

Luna's hands were swift as ever as she nimbly handled the scalpel to take out all the internal organs of the unsettling corpses on the table. Heart, lungs, liver, brain, every single organ that wasn't destroyed by Uriel's magnum was weighted, documented, studied and then put back on a fridge except for the brain which Luna left for last.

Only a couple seconds with the brain under the microscope managed to make Luna fall to an even paler shade of white as her milky skin became ghostly.

"This is bad." Luna stuttered.

"That bad?" Uriel prompted her to continue speaking.

"Just as I suspected, it's not the animals the ones who evolved. It's the disease."

"Is there something we can do?" Uriel asked.

"Are you a doctor?" Luna asked.

"There's no need to be mean." Uriel scoffed.

"I wasn't, I'm asking you if you studied medicine in the time we spent apart." Luna insisted.

"Of course not, you know I'm not overly fond of biology. I just studied human remains in what regards to archaeology."

"Then you can't help." Luna insisted.

"But there must be a way to find a cure, I could probably assist you with..."

"No, there is no cure. This isn't a virus like the flu, it isn't a bacteria or even a parasite. What's affecting the animals and also the townsmen is just a protein."

"Aren't proteins good for you?" Uriel furrowed his brows.

"Not all of them. Proteins are macromolecules that can be assimilated in our bodies, some of them are helpful and can sustain our bodies, like others such as venom from snakes can cause harmful reactions within our body." Luna explained.

"I see, so this is a venom." Uriel nodded.

"No, this is worse... so much worse. It's a prion."

"A what now?" Uriel asked. "I'm starting to feel like Nika here, so you'll have to explain things a bit further."

"Prions are misfolded proteins that affect an organism in a negative way. In this case is the Cronic wasting disease, it's similar to something you might be more familiar with, the mad cow disease."

"I've heard about that. An outbreak in Europe caused a huge problem in the world wide food industry, but is this really able to affect hunters? Even heavenly rank hunters?" Uriel asked with an expression of worry as he remember that some of the animal's blood fell on his face.

"I can't be sure without more testing, but I'm certain that no vaccine can be made, no antibiotic will be of any use and that the only thing that awaits those who were affected is death." Luna said.

After confirming her theory and discussing matters with Uriel, Luna then asked for Elara to come by to inform them of what happened.

She explained the situation in a very factual and professional manner despite her words being basically a death sentence for most of Elara's town, something that their host didn't seem to appreciate much as she almost crumbled under the pressure of her people being sick.

Elara being distraught while Luna told her the bad news painted a colorful picture of their dissimilitude despite them being mother and daughter, though they did agree on the idea that keeping things a secret from the public was the best option.