Dungeon Raider System
Chapter 746 - 746: Tribute Part 1

Luna asking the defenders to disclose their traits despite it being taboo among hunters showed how desperate the situation was, but just because she asked it didn't mean they would comply. Learning a hunter's trait was akin to knowing their weakness, not just that but it could also give information about their lineage to those in the know.

The defenders readied for a fight as they were willing to die to protect their secrets, but their leader stepped in and looked Luna in the eye before speaking.

"None of us have a trait that can make people fall asleep or anything related to that."

"That's not why I'm asking. I need to know exactly what kind of trait do you all have." Luna insisted.

"And you think we'll do that just because you're cute?" A bald man wearing the trademark gas mask of the defenders asked with hostility.

"Thank you." Luna said, flattered by what she took as a compliment.

"Calm down everyone, we already know most of your traits. We fought against each other, remember? Do you happen to remember who won?" Asked Bella.

"That's only because your boss came and was able to break the tie. Now that he's asleep we could take you on easily." The man with a telekinetic trait replied.

"And you're lucky our boss is asleep or he might have killed you all just for good measure." Bella replied with a smug.

"That's not true, is it?" Alice asked Luna who replied by bobbing her head.

"That's besides the point. Why do you need to learn about our traits? If you tell us, perhaps we can reach a compromise." Marina said, leaving Luna with no choice but to tell the truth.

"I don't think any of you are responsible for what's happening and we are all possible victims. We can't fight inside this ship without the possibility of destroying it, which would leave any of us stranded in the middle of a cryptid infested sea." Luna explained.

"I see. You want to know about our traits to see if any of us can infiltrate in the crew and investigate who's responsible." Hazel nodded.

"That would be dumb. I know my friends aren't capable of causing this, the captain and the first mate are also too busy to be the ones responsible. That leaves only your company or the crew as possible suspects, but your company won't benefit by doing it.

That leaves only the crew and if my suspicions are correct there's two ways to confirm it." Luna said, but then fell silent in the most annoying way possible.

"Which are?" Alice prompted her to speak.

"Our two strongest hunters are asleep and can't be woken up, if the third strongest hunter falls asleep it will confirm this is the works of a sentient being and we would be able to rule out a natural phenomenon. And if the boxes in the cargo hold are empty, that means it must be the crew.

That is why I need someone to go check on the boxes without causing a fuss." Despite Luna explaining everything to the best of her ability, the hunters listening to her remained unable to make any sense of her words.

Both Uriel and Nika were the only ones who knew her well enough to know that second guessing her gut instincts or trying to understand her were only a waste of time and it was best to just do as she said, and they remained asleep.

This resulted in a waste of precious time that only got Luna flustered, even more when after all her effort it turned out that none of the defenders had any trait related to stealth.

"This leaves only one option." Luna said at the same time someone knocked on the door.

"You guys are okay in there?" Asked the first mate with a concerned tone of voice.

"Everything's fine, we're just resting." Hazel explained as she opened the door. Her composed manner of speech and her professional attitude were the perfect cover for her worries, but the same couldn't be said about the other hunters.

"I just came to inform you that your services will be required soon. Our engine keeps losing power and we will be forced to land on any piece of land we find." If the first mate suspected anything no one noticed because he retreated as soon as he spoke those words.

"Come with me." Luna pointed at a masked woman.

"Why me?" Asked the woman after flinching."

"Because of all those present, you're the one I know for the longest time." Luna explained.

"Don't be silly, I've been in this company for a while now." Bella said astonished to which Luna shook her head and then turned to the masked woman.

"You're the woman from that time, in your apartment. Correct?"

"Yes, my name is Kristina." She nodded as a sense of relief took over, then meekly followed the tiny huntress across the claustrophobicly small hall of the Sparrow down to the cargo bay. Not five minutes later, Luna returned carrying dragging Kristina like luggage.

"She's... uhm... asleep and the boxes are empty." Luna informed.

"Why would the boxes be empty? What does that mean?" Hazel inquired.

"It means nothing that's happened to us from the moment we set sail is a coincidence. The fact that the island we visited didn't have any cryptids, that we got attacked all night long and even the engine failure. It means we are the cargo." Luna's grim expression left no place for doubt spreading fear around the hunters as they now knew they've been played and led to a trap.

But as fearsome as that knowledge was, stepping into a trap knowing beforehand was much better than the alternative and at least now they were prepared to fight to take over the ship and they went to confront Captain Roberts as soon as the zeppelin landed.

"This is a trap, isn't it?" Luna accused the moment she took a step into the bridge.