Dungeon Raider System
Chapter 743 - 743: Crossing the pond Part 1

The next stop was made in what used to be Avalon wilderness reserve which was the further east they could go before setting off for Europe.

Most ships would rather take flight from New York megacity since it would allow for a last safe night before a dangerous overseas trip, though that was something Uriel and the rest of the hired hunters ignored, but Captain Roberts didn't even consider it due to the sensitive nature of the cargo they hauled.

This caused most of the crew to be dejected at the missing chance to spend some quality time in proper accommodations, but the mood improved after landing by a lighthouse where they confirmed they weren't any cryptids nearby. The landscape was sharp and rocky, with cliffs over the edge instead of a soft beach, but the landscape was a true sight to behold.

Uriel in particular was taken aback by the vegetation growing all over the place despite the cold, but Luna was focusing on something entirely different.

"Do you think cryptids killed the inhabitants of this place?" She asked.

"Of course they did, what else could have done it?" Bella asked.

"Natural disasters, harsh climate, themselves, looters, they may have moved, though the most likely explanation is that they died precisely because there's no cryptids here." Uriel answered.

"How so? Shouldn't that be a good thing?" Nika butted in shivering in cold. She and Alice were the only ones in the Dungeon Raiders affected by the cold since Luna was actually a werewolf, Bella had a thin layer of air that acted as a thermal insulator and Uriel wasn't much affected by cold.

"Not really. We currently depend way more on flux orbs than you may think. Just because someone isn't using them directly doesn't mean we can just start living wherever without them. But things must have been even worse when the arrival took place. This community was probably not self sufficient enough and without electricity or modern technology, they were doomed."

"I have heard about it. Before the arrival people feared a solar flare because that would have left them without electricity which would have caused the downfall of humanity." Luna explained.

"That's silly, drop me in a place with food and water and I'll live on my own just fine. I don't need electricity" Nika scoffed.

"You do realize this isn't the coldest it gets here and you're shivering already." Uriel asked.

"It's uncomfortable, but it's manageable." Nika replied with a smug.

"Now picture this cold if you weren't a hunter. Remember, no cryptids also means you can't become a hunter." Uriel said.

"I don't appreciate the condescending tone." Nika turned the other way and went back inside the zeppelin, followed closely by both Alice who couldn't stand the cold and Bella who after her last encounter with a cryptid didn't feel safe outside anymore leaving only Uriel and Luna sitting on the edge of the cliff.

The moon shone brightly above their heads and they contemplated its reflection on the sea in complete silence. Enthralled by the breathtaking landscape, they let time pass without uttering a single word but connected in a way that couldn't possibly be put into words.

Sunrise came before they wanted to notice it and they went back inside the ship ready to face the perilous travel ahead of them.

The zeppelin took flight once more and soared the skies to the east until land was no more in sight and only the blue of the ocean and that of the sky lied in front of them.

Due to the Sparrow's compact size the crew alternated visits to the bridge just to get out of the claustrophobic feeling caused by the crowded space, except for Luna who not only wasn't bothered by it but actually felt comfortable in close spaces.

The same now could be said about Bella, who despite being one of the few hunters that were able to fly decided to stay inside the ship unless it was absolutely necessary.

With nothing but the time on his smartphone to tell the passing of time, Uriel found himself regretting not bringing any books with him, though with his reading speed when using it wouldn't have made much of a difference as he would have needed to bring way more books that he could load into the Sparrow.

"We are about to reach the point of no return, all hunters to their posts." informed the first mate when the sun was starting to set.

"Finally something to do." Nika closed her eyes and attempted to merge into the shadows when an ominous feeling of endless dread filled her heart leaving her stunned in place until Uriel grabbed her shoulder.

"It's fine, it won't cause us any trouble." Uriel explained.

"What is that thing!?"

"You don't want to know, trust me." Uriel replied. The presence beneath them lurked in the bottom of the ocean and the only reason they were able to sense it was due to the enormous energy signature it exuded.

Uriel knew it couldn't possibly be the cryptid he encountered in Easter island, but the presence felt just as overbearing.

"How can you tell it's not going to attack us?" Nika asked.

"Would you get out of bed to eat a peanut? Not a handful, just a single peanut." Uriel asked.

"I see, so you're saying we're not worth its time." Nika nodded.

"Kind of."

"I get it now, uhm... the horror level skinwalker told us that Sam was looking for his brother who is a saint and that lives in Europe, but Sam never made it to Europe. It's probably because he was scared of the cryptid that lives in the bottom of this ocean. Uhm... what ocean is this anyway?" Luna asked with curiosity.

"It's the Atlantic ocean, did you not pass geography in primary school?" Nika asked.

"They don't teach geography in school anymore. I could have learned about it, but it's boring and it falls under Uriel's field of study." She replied nonchalantly, then added. "If this is the Atlantic ocean then I think I have an idea of the thing below us."