LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 281: Not yet

Out of the darkness, something emerged—a massive, hulking form.

At first, it was impossible to make out its features.

It moved with an eerie fluidity, each step sending ripples through the living stone floor.

As it stepped into the pulsing light, they saw it clearly—a humanoid Trilobite-like creature.

Its segmented exoskeleton glistened with an oily sheen, and its body was covered in overlapping chitinous plates.

Spiny ridges lined its limbs, and its eyeless face was dominated by a gaping maw filled with needle-like teeth.

Its limbs ended in razor-sharp claws that clicked together menacingly, producing a bone-chilling rhythm.

The soldiers stared in stunned silence, their fear palpable.

One of them took a hesitant step back, bumping into another.

The creature's head snapped in their direction, its maw opening and emitting a low, guttural growl that seemed to shake the very air around them.

"Be careful," Lyerin's voice cut through the noise, calm but firm. "Especially those who have already died once today." His eyes flickered to the soldier who had been revived earlier. "You. Fall back."

The revived soldier hesitated, his face pale. "But I can help—"

"No," Lyerin said, his tone brooking no argument. "Get back."

The creature moved then, faster than anything its size had any right to.

It lunged, its claws slicing through the air with a high-pitched whine.

The soldiers scattered, shouting warnings and curses as they scrambled to avoid its reach.

"Fire!" Lyerin commanded, his voice a whip crack that cut through the chaos.

The cavern erupted in a storm of gunfire. Bullets ricocheted off the creature's armor-like shell, sparks flying in every direction.

Some found their mark in the joints and softer sections, but the creature barely flinched.

It reared back, emitting a deafening screech that reverberated through the cavern, causing several soldiers to clutch their ears.

It struck out with one massive claw, cleaving through stone and sending shards flying.

One soldier was thrown back, his weapon clattering uselessly to the ground.

"Keep shooting!" Lucas shouted, desperation creeping into his voice. "Aim for the joints!"

The soldiers adjusted their aim, concentrating their fire on the creature's vulnerable spots.

It roared in defiance, charging forward with terrifying speed.

Another swipe of its claws sent two soldiers sprawling, blood seeping through their torn armor.

One soldier managed to roll aside just in time, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

The creature's movements were relentless, each strike calculated to maximize destruction.

It swung its arm again, carving deep furrows into the ground.

Dust and debris filled the air, making it hard to see.

The soldiers fired blindly, coughing and choking as they tried to maintain their positions.

"Move! Don't let it corner you!" Lucas ordered, his voice hoarse.

The creature twisted, using its tail to sweep several soldiers off their feet.

It loomed over one fallen man, its maw opening wide.

Saliva dripped onto the soldier's face as he stared, paralyzed with fear.

Before it could strike, another soldier unleashed a hail of bullets, drawing its attention away.

The creature roared, spinning around and slamming its claws into the ground. Cracks spiderwebbed outward, causing the floor to quake.

"Grenades!" a soldier yelled, pulling the pin on his own.

Several others followed suit, lobbing explosives at the beast.

The blasts rocked the chamber, momentarily shrouding the creature in smoke and flame.

The soldiers held their breath, waiting to see if it had been enough.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then, the creature emerged from the smoke, its exoskeleton cracked and bleeding a viscous black ichor.

But it was not defeated—it was enraged. It charged with renewed fury, its movements more erratic, more dangerous.

It swiped and lashed out, forcing the soldiers to retreat.

A stray claw caught one man, flinging him into the air. He crashed against the cavern wall, his body limp.

Lyerin watched the chaos unfold, his expression unreadable. "Focus," he called out, his voice cutting through the din. "Don't lose yourselves."

The soldiers rallied, pouring everything they had into the fight.

The air was filled with the deafening roar of gunfire, the clang of metal against chitin, and the screams of men.

The creature's movements grew slower, each step labored.

Its armor was cracked in multiple places, and its roars were tinged with pain.

One final volley struck true, piercing deep into its chest.

The creature stumbled, its limbs shaking. It let out one last defiant roar before collapsing, its body crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

The cavern fell silent, save for the ragged breathing of the survivors.

They stared at the fallen beast, weapons still raised, unwilling to believe it was truly over. Lyerin stepped forward, his eyes never leaving the creature. "It is done," he said quietly.

The soldiers lowered their weapons, exhaustion and relief washing over them.

But the victory was bitter, their ranks diminished, and their spirits battered.

For a moment, all they could do was breathe—and remember the taste of fear.

Lyerin's voice, low and ominous, pierced the uneasy silence. "Or it's not done."

The words hung heavily in the air.

A collective shiver ran down the soldiers' spines.

They barely had a chance to comprehend what he meant before it began again—a noise so familiar it instantly rekindled every ounce of their terror.

The scraping sound, like metal claws on stone, returned.

It was no longer a solitary noise.

It was a chorus, a symphony of dread.

It echoed and multiplied, bouncing off the cavern walls, coming from all directions.

The floor seemed to vibrate with its rhythm, and the soldiers' grips on their weapons tightened, sweat pouring down their faces.

The sound grew stronger, louder, more oppressive.

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Each scrape was joined by a new layer—a harsh chittering, like a thousand insectoid voices whispering in malevolent unison.

Shadows rippled across the chamber walls, twisting and writhing as if alive.

It was suffocating. Panic clawed at the edges of their minds.

"Eyes up!" Lucas barked, his voice cracking slightly. "They're coming!"

The soldiers formed a tight circle, weapons aimed outward.

Their eyes darted from one darkened corridor to the next, searching for the source of the sound.

It wasn't long before they saw it—emerging from the darkness with a terrifying grace.

First one, then two, then dozens. Humanoid trilobites stepped forward, their segmented exoskeletons gleaming with an oily sheen.

They moved with an unsettling synchronicity, each step clicking and echoing in perfect time with the others.

Their eyeless faces were just as monstrous as the first creature's, and their razor-sharp claws glimmered in the dim light.

"Oh, no," one soldier whispered, his voice trembling. "There's too many."

The creatures paused for a heartbeat, as if savoring the fear in the air. Then, with a deafening screech, they charged.

"Hold your ground!" Lucas shouted, his rifle blazing to life.

Bullets flew, sparking against the creatures' shells.

The other soldiers followed suit, unleashing a storm of gunfire.

The chamber was instantly filled with the deafening roar of weapons fire, the acrid smell of gunpowder mixing with the dank air.

Shell casings clattered to the stone floor, a frantic metallic rain. But for every shot that found its mark, another creature surged forward.

One soldier screamed as a trilobite's claw sliced through his defenses, barely missing his throat.

He fell back, firing wildly.

The creature hissed, pressing the attack.

Another soldier lunged with a bayonet, driving the blade into the joint of the creature's arm.

It shrieked, but instead of retreating, it lashed out, its claw catching him across the chest.

Blood sprayed across the cavern floor.