Dungeon Raider System

Chapter 155 First trial Part 2

"A trial? Death..." Uriel needed a few moments to make sense of the system notice. He still remembered how surprised Water warlock was when he found out Uriel managed to get inside the dungeon of Xibalbá without passing the trials. "But what could this trial be about?"

It wasn't long until Uriel's question was answered by a myriad of voices, all speaking at the same time. It started like a whisper that echoed in the walls becoming stronger until it was like a busy day in the streets and then... loud screams that pierced his eardrums.

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It was as though someone was pointing a microphone to a speaker causing a shrill sound that became unbearable. The sheer pain he felt made Uriel want to run away, but he was trapped inside the black chamber. Uriel walked to the middle of the room and closed his eyes trying to focus and make anything of the dissonant voices bursting all over the place.

At first, nothing changed, but after a while he was able to single out one that stood out among them.

"Why didn't you stop me?" A voice whispered. It was a voice that Uriel could have sworn he heard many times before but, at the same time, couldn't put a name to it. "You were there and did nothing."

"Atomic!?" Uriel gasped. It was a voice he never thought he would hear again.

"That's not my name, I never even liked it." The voice replied angered. "Enough talk, get up and fight." A brimming white light erupted behind Uriel, but when he turned to see where it was coming from, it was already too late. A powerful slap sent him crashing into the wall of the cave, but the pain of the hit was nowhere near the burning sensation left in his cheek.

"What the..." Uriel's words died in his mouth when a powerful kick landed on his chest, followed by another, then another. Uriel spat a mouthful of blood but Atomic kept attacking tirelessly. More than a fight, it was a one sided beating. At some point Uriel had enough of it and attempted to stand up, only to be greeted with a powerful fist that sent him stumbling on the ground.

"How is this possible? You're just an illusion..."

"Would an illusion know about your last trip to the lost city? I saw you pass with your new friends... you didn't even bother to go to my funeral, and yet you found time to make new friends."

"This can't be..." Uriel wiped the blood dripping from his mouth. "You're just a skinwalker pretending to be him, you just accessed his memories and..." He then fell silent. No matter how much he attempted to convince himself that the person in front of him wasn't Atomic, there just wasn't any other possible explanation.

Uriel knew that skinwalkers needed the skin of their victim in order to impersonate them and they could only access its victim's memories. Nothing about the presence in front of him made sense.

Atomic raced towards Uriel who was still in a daze trying to figure out the true nature of his enemy, but this time he was ready. Uriel ran to Atomic's encounter and hit him in the face with all his might with the crucifix concealed inside his fist to confirm whether it was a skinwalker or not.

The silver object crumpled under the immense pressure, but Atomic remained standing as if nothing happened.

"Your girlfriend hit a lot harder." Atomic rubbed his chin.

"Not a skinwalker." Uriel sighed. "If you really are Atomic, tell me your name."

"What good will knowing my name do to you now that you're going to die?" Atomic threw a powerful punch aimed at Uriel's face, but all he achieved was to wave his arm in the air as Uriel seemingly disappeared amidst blue sparks of flux energy. "My name... was Lewis." Atomic said with a crooked smile and a gaping hole in the stomach.

"How did you come back? Why did you attack me?" Uriel's voice was encompassed by the sound of the blood dripping from his hand. After cancelling his Dash skill his many bruises and wounds were already regenerating as threads of steam arose from his body.

"He promised... that if I killed you I would be able to come back." Atomic's voice became softer as he started to vanish just like a cryptid would after being defeated.

Uriel couldn't fathom how was it possible, but now he was convinced that the person vanishing in front of him was the real Atomic. The flares Uriel laid previously in the floor were starting to faint in the chamber and everything was dead silent.

"I will never forget your name, Lewis." Uriel said with a bitter smile.

"Don't let it escape..." Lewis, the Atomic hunter, vanished into nothingness leaving nothing but those last words as a warning.

The sound of stone gears broke the silence and an exit appeared leading to a well lit passage. Even if it looked nothing like it, Uriel couldn't help but remember the cave near the Cenote. It was the feeling of being in a sacred place, a place where he didn't belong. For a second he thought of taking off his shoes, but that wasn't necessary.

The carvings at the entrance weren't as cryptic as the ones he found in Chichén Itzá and they didn't mention anything about removing his footwear.

"The Great spirit has found you worthy, Uriel son of Sage, Bearer of Water warlock's blessing, Stormbringer. Go forth and claim your reward." An otherwordly voice resounded inside Uriel's mind.

"Who are you?" Uriel asked to no avail. Whatever that voice was, it wouldn't answer any questions.

Uriel followed the command given to him by the ominous voice and exited the chamber to claim whatever his reward was. The long hallway was adorned with brimming crystals on the sides, and Uriel walked solemnly in silence, with each step he took an altar bearing a Comanche headdress arose slowly in front of him.

As soon as Uriel touched it he realized he was able to store it inside his trait, but before doing so he wanted to admire it.

It was a Comanche war bonnet crafted with eagle feathers, adorned with red tailed hawk and kestrel feathers on the sides. Although it had to be ancient, it looked brand new and felt soft to the touch. Only after examining it from every side did Uriel placed it in his museum for safekeeping.

[System notice] Relics (1/3)