LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 266: One Down

The cavern erupted into chaos as the monstrous crab creature lunged forward, its massive, twisted limbs crashing into the ground with thunderous booms that sent shards of coral and rock flying.

The soldiers scrambled to avoid the debris, some stumbling over their own feet as they desperately tried to take aim at the eldritch horror before them.

Its many eyes glistened with an unnatural intelligence, and a dark hunger radiated from its gaze.

They were caught between wonder and terror, staring at the grotesque creature that looked like it had crawled out of the deepest nightmare.

"Steady, men!" Lucas shouted, his voice shaking but resolute. He quickly raised his rifle and aimed at the creature's nearest eye. "We'll bring it down! Aim for the head, that's the weak spot!"

The soldiers rallied at his command, firing their guns in unison.

The sharp cracks of gunfire filled the air, bullets ripping through the water and finding their mark.

However, as the bullets struck the creature's hardened shell, they barely made a dent, bouncing off its twisted armor with dull, futile sounds.

The creature let out a gurgling roar, a hideous sound that echoed through the cavern like the groan of metal under strain.

A soldier near the back yelled in frustration, "It's not going down! It's like shooting at a rock!"

Another shouted back, desperation in his voice, "We need heavier firepower! Where's the anti-tank team?!"

The soldiers shifted, trying to regroup as the creature raised one massive pincer and slammed it down toward them.

The earth quaked as it struck, a shockwave rippling through the ground and sending several soldiers sprawling.

Coral fragments rained down on them, slicing through the water and leaving thin trails of blood as they grazed exposed skin.

"Fall back! Fall back to the rocks!" one of the officers ordered, his voice barely audible over the sound of gunfire and the creature's monstrous growls.

The soldiers scrambled, retreating behind clusters of jagged coral and rocks, using them as cover.

The creature followed, advancing with terrifying speed, its many legs skittering across the cavern floor with a sickening, rhythmic clatter.

"We're out of options!" someone shouted, their voice cracking with panic. "Bullets aren't working!"

Lucas gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he watched the creature stalk closer, its pincers snapping ominously.

He quickly scanned the group, looking for any remaining explosives or heavy weapons.

"You—Harris, get that grenade launcher over here! Now!"

Lucas's shout was barely audible over the chaos, but Harris heard him and sprinted forward, ducking behind cover as he loaded a grenade into the launcher.

"Hold… hold…" Lucas urged, watching the creature draw closer, each step sending another tremor through the ground. He waited until it was within range, then roared, "Fire!"

Harris launched the grenade, and it streaked through the water, arcing toward the creature's head.

There was a moment of silence, a brief, tense pause, and then—

BOOM!

The grenade exploded against the creature's shell, a fiery burst of light and heat that sent fragments of shell scattering.

The beast staggered, its massive frame reeling back as dark, viscous fluid began to leak from a crack in its armor. For a brief moment, hope flickered in the soldiers' eyes.

"We've got it!" one of them shouted triumphantly. "It's wounded!"

But the celebration was short-lived.

The creature let out another deafening roar, louder and more enraged than before.

Its multifaceted eyes glowed with a deep, menacing light as it charged forward, thrashing its pincers and tendrils with renewed fury.

The soldiers were thrown back, barely able to hold their ground against its ferocious assault.

"Stay sharp, everyone!" Lucas yelled, his voice strained as he tried to keep the troops organized. "We can take it down—keep aiming for the cracks!"

One by one, the soldiers fired at the creature, their bullets focused on the exposed wounds, hoping to widen the cracks in its shell.

The cavern echoed with the relentless barrage of gunfire, but the creature was relentless, advancing on them with chilling, methodical movements.

Its massive pincer swung down, smashing into a group of soldiers, who dove out of the way just in time, their faces pale with terror.

"Out of ammo!" a voice called from the back.

The soldier's hands shook as he desperately fumbled through his belt for spare rounds. Stay tuned for updates on m-v l|-NovelBin.net

He wasn't alone—several others were running low, their magazines nearly empty as they continued their relentless assault on the creature.

"Here, take my last clip!" another soldier shouted, tossing his spare ammunition to his comrade. "Make it count!"

The soldier caught the clip, his hands trembling as he reloaded his weapon.

He raised it again, aiming at the creature's face, his finger hovering over the trigger. But before he could fire, the creature lunged at him, its massive pincer snapping shut with a sickening CRACK just inches from his head.

He stumbled back, narrowly avoiding the blow, his face pale as he realized just how close he had come to being crushed.

"Flank it!" Lucas ordered, his voice hoarse. "Get around its side—hit it where it's weak!"

A few soldiers managed to maneuver around the creature, moving with desperate speed as they aimed for the cracks in its shell.

They fired in unison, their bullets tearing through the weakened armor and striking the flesh beneath.

The creature let out a pained screech, a horrible, ear-splitting sound that filled the cavern, and thrashed wildly, its legs skittering across the floor as it tried to shake them off.

But the soldiers held their ground, pressing the attack with every ounce of strength they had left.

Another grenade was launched, exploding near the creature's pincer and sending a shockwave rippling through its body.

The massive limb shuddered, cracks spreading through the thick shell, and a dark, foul-smelling ichor began to ooze from the wound.

"We're almost there! Keep hitting that pincer!"

Lucas shouted, a note of grim determination in his voice.

The soldiers rallied, focusing all their fire on the damaged limb, pouring their remaining bullets into the widening cracks.

But the creature fought back with terrifying ferocity, lashing out with its tendrils and snapping its pincers with deadly speed.

One soldier screamed as a tendril wrapped around his leg, pulling him toward the creature's gaping maw.

His comrades grabbed him, pulling him back with all their might, their faces pale with terror as they watched the monstrous beast try to drag him in.

"Hold on! We're not losing anyone!"

Lucas yelled, rallying the soldiers to pull their comrade free.

They heaved together, dragging him out of the creature's grip just in time.

The soldier stumbled back, breathing heavily, his face white as he realized just how close he had come to death.

The creature let out another enraged screech, raising its massive pincer high, ready to smash down on them.

The soldiers scattered, scrambling to avoid the deadly blow, but one young man tripped, falling to the ground as the shadow of the pincer loomed over him.

"No!" he cried, his eyes wide with terror as he stared up at the descending limb. But just as it was about to strike, another soldier threw himself forward, shoving the young man out of the way.

The pincer crashed into the ground, missing them by mere inches, but the shockwave sent them both sprawling.

"We can't keep this up much longer!" someone shouted, his voice filled with desperation as he looked around at his comrades, many of whom were battered, bruised, and running dangerously low on ammo.

Lucas gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he searched for any possible way to turn the tide.

He spotted the weakened pincer, the cracks spreading through it like a spiderweb, and realized that they had only one chance left. "Everyone, focus all fire on that pincer! It's almost down!"

The soldiers gathered their remaining strength, raising their weapons and taking aim at the damaged limb.

They fired in unison, bullets ripping through the weakened armor, widening the cracks with every shot.

The creature screeched, its body shuddering as the pincer began to splinter, chunks of shell falling away as the soldiers poured everything they had into the attack.

With one final, earth-shattering CRACK, the pincer gave way, breaking off from the creature's body in a shower of dark ichor and shattered shell.

The soldiers staggered back, breathless and exhausted, watching in awe as the massive limb fell to the ground with a resounding thud, the creature letting out a shriek of agony that echoed through the cavern.

For a brief moment, the soldiers stood in stunned silence, their bodies shaking, their faces pale with a mixture of horror and triumph.

They had done it—they had wounded the beast, taken down one of its deadly pincers. But as the creature reeled back, its eyes burning with a renewed fury, they knew that the battle was far from over.