Dungeon Raider System
Chapter 731 - 731: Prions Part 2

Uriel wasn't keen on keeping secrets from the general population as he could relate to them in more than one aspect, but just like in other occasions he had to admit it wasn't his call. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't keep almost all of his findings a secret from everyone, some even from his close friends.

The only thing that was left for them was to identify the source of the contamination and eliminate it safely, though Luna and Uriel being the only ones who knew the true extent of the infection also meant they were the only ones able to handle the situation leading to them going out into the woods by themselves.

If prions were frightening enough to affect Luna to the point of her emotions leaking out, then Uriel decided it was best to take matters seriously and he put on his glasses that allowed him to see flux energy.

The forest seemed normal as the vegetation exuded the regular amount of flux he had seen in many other places before, but once they ventured further inside he realized there were a few patches where flux was faint. Coincidentally, it was also the places where they found deer grazing and Uriel decided to break the silence.

"Luna, do you think it's possible there could be a dungeon nearby?" He asked.

"Why does everything have to do with dungeons for you? Why can't we just investigate a wonder of biology together like colleagues?" She said, annoyed but remarkably composed.

"Because we aren't colleagues. I'm an archaeologist."

"The matter at hand doesn't need an archaeologist, but medics." Luna rebuked.

"If there is at least a slight chance that the people from this town could be saved, would you take it?" He probed.

"Of course, I made an oath to save lives." She replied without giving her answer a second thought.

"Then I think it should be irresponsible to just rule out the possibility that there might be a dungeon nearby, even if just for the anomalies in flux energy around these place." Uriel then proceeded to explain his findings to Luna, who didn't seem surprised in the slightest.

"I didn't want to tell you because I knew you would drop everything to go and facecheck the place, but there are strange ruins near the town. My mother said they've always been here and no one knows who build those places or how to get inside." Luna finally caved and revealed the secret she had been keeping from Uriel.

"Why didn't you tell me that from the beginning? We may have saved the people in this place. Remember what happened outside the Alamo dungeon? Exotic plants were growing by the exit and we can only assume the same happened to this animals, or prions, or whatever they are."

"That is a possibility, but I highly doubt the same applies in this case and even if it is, the only thing we would be able to do is to control the dissemination of the disease. You see, it's not the first time something like this happens.

The prions involved in the outbreak aren't any different to those from before the arrival, they're just charged with flux." Luna said, then continued in her annoyingly slow manner of speech. "In Alaska, Russia and other cold places, some rare diseases have been buried under layers of permafrost. Some diseases can withstand hundreds of years frozen inside, but prions are different.

Being molecules, they can be stored for an unlimited period of time..."

"What you're saying is, you already knew this was related to a dungeon."

"Precisely, and that is also the reason why I think we shouldn't go in there. We got lucky this time because the disease that spread out can only infect other people if they eat the meat of an infected animal, but who knows what else could be buried inside those ruins. If you want me to go with you after we deal with the wild animals, I'll go.

But if you're planning on opening the dungeon, it would be my duty to stop you." Luna said, her eyes shimmering as her body outshone the sun for a brief second.

"I get it, I get it... I won't poke the hive nest." Uriel agreed and they spent the rest of the day sacrificing the infected animals. Their appearance was disgustingly horrid and their predatory fangs contrasted heavily with their seemingly harmless snout, though in the end they were nothing but sick animals which made them both feel bad about the task at hand.

Being unable to investigate the ruins annoyed Uriel, especially since he could greatly benefit from raiding a dungeon both academically and as a hunter. But he knew better than to disregard Luna's concerns for no reason.

After finishing their grim task, they returned to the town and Luna gave her mother a handful of Ambrosia seeds.

"If you grow these your food issues will be solved. The entire plant is edible, but only for hunters. It provides an incredible amount of calories, but for regular humans it would be akin to eating charcoal... or maybe uranium." She warned, then explained further when Elara failed to understand the meaning of her words. "It's toxic for humans, bad."

"Is there really nothing you can do for the townsmen?" Elara asked, knowing from the start that her daughter had decided to leave town the minute Uriel asked her to.

"It's one thing to put down wild animals to ensure the town's survival, but doing the same to my kin feels wrong." Luna nodded, implying that it would fall upon Elara's shoulders to address her own problem.

Uriel prepared his gear to leave town and recharged his smartphone with batteries provided by Elara before summoning his jaguar spirit to let Luna ride it.

"Goddbye, my sweet Luna. This will always be your home and you can return whenever you want." Elara kissed her cheek and Luna nodded, then climbed onto the jaguar's loin ready to leave the town, but for some reason they couldn't understand the jaguar refused to move.