LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 291: Second Round

As the soldiers dropped to the cavern floor, their bodies trembling from exhaustion and adrenaline, Lyerin stood before them, his eyes cold and unforgiving.

The phosphorescent glow of the cavern walls cast deep shadows across his face, giving him an almost spectral presence.

He folded his arms, his gaze sweeping over the battered and bloodied group.

The silence stretched out, oppressive and heavy, until Lyerin finally spoke.

"You think you fought well, do you?" he began, his tone devoid of warmth. "You think you survived by some great feat of strength or skill?" He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"You survived by the barest margin. And only because I allowed it."

The soldiers shifted uncomfortably.

Some avoided his gaze, staring down at their bloodied hands.

Others clenched their jaws, their pride stinging.

Lyerin took a slow step forward, and the sound of his boot against the stone echoed through the cavern.

"You moved like children playing at war," he said, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade.

"No coordination. No strategy. Every movement you made was predictable. Every strike you took was hesitant. You relied on instinct, on fear. That is why so many of you fell."

A soldier, his face pale and streaked with sweat, raised his head. "We... we tried our best."

"Your best?" Lyerin's eyes narrowed, and his voice dripped with disdain.

"Your best is not good enough. Your 'best' got you killed over and over again. Do you think your enemies care if you tried your best? Do you think the families you turned your backs on will pause out of pity? No. They will tear you apart without hesitation."

He turned his back on them, pacing slowly. "You left your flanks open, time and again. You allowed yourselves to be separated. You panicked the moment the enemy showed strength." He spun to face them, his voice rising. "You are warriors! Act like it!"

The cavern echoed with his words, the harshness of his tone reverberating in their chests. Lyerin's eyes were like steel. "You," he said, pointing at a soldier whose arm was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage. "You broke formation to save a comrade. Do you know what that accomplished?"

The soldier opened his mouth to speak but faltered. He glanced at the ground, his face pale. "I... I thought—"

"Thinking is good," Lyerin interrupted, his voice a low growl. "But acting without thought is death. When you broke formation, you left your line exposed. You endangered everyone. Your comrade survived, but two others died in his place. Do you understand that?"

The soldier nodded, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.

Lyerin's gaze shifted to another. "And you," he said, his tone colder still. "You hesitated. You saw the opening, and you froze. Why?"

The soldier, a young man barely out of his teens, stared at the ground. "I... I was afraid."

"Afraid." Lyerin's lips curled into a sneer. "Fear is a luxury you cannot afford. Fear kills. It paralyzes. The moment you let it control you, you are already dead." He paused, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "If you cannot overcome your fear, you will die. And you will drag your comrades down with you."

He began to pace again, his movements sharp and deliberate. "Every one of you made mistakes. Every one of you cost lives. You clung to old habits, old fears. That hesitation, that weakness, it has no place here. You fought the Trilobites as if they were mere beasts, but they are not. They are relentless. They are stronger, faster, and more disciplined than you. And they are only the beginning."

The soldiers listened, their faces pale and drawn. Sweat dripped from their brows. Some clenched their fists, their knuckles white. Others stared at the cavern floor, their eyes haunted.

"I saw some of you try to fight alone," Lyerin continued, his voice harsh. "You thought you could take them on by yourselves. That arrogance nearly killed you. This is not a game. This is not a test. You either fight together, as one, or you die alone."

He stopped, turning to face them fully. "When I gave you commands, you hesitated. When I told you to move, you questioned. Why? Do you think you know better than me? Do you think you can outfight the monsters that stalk this cavern?"

Silence. No one dared to speak.

Lyerin's gaze swept over them, cold and unyielding. "You have forgotten what you are fighting for. You have forgotten the stakes. These Trilobites, as monstrous as they are, are nothing compared to the families that rule humanity. The Borgias, the ones you turned against—they will not show you mercy. They will not give you second chances. If you falter, if you hesitate, they will crush you."

A soldier, his face gaunt and hollow-eyed, raised his head. "But... how can we fight them? How can we hope to win?"

Lyerin stepped closer, his voice low but intense. "By becoming stronger. By shedding every weakness you cling to. By fighting together, as one. You must be relentless. You must be ruthless. There is no room for doubt. No room for fear."

He paused, his gaze softening, just for a moment. "I did not bring you here to die. I brought you here to teach you what true strength means. To show you that survival is earned, not given."

The soldiers listened, their breaths shallow, their eyes wide. Lyerin took a deep breath, his expression hardening once more. "Rest now," he said. "Take what time you need. Reflect on every mistake, every failure. Because when you rise, we go again. And this time, there will be no hesitation."

The soldiers nodded, too exhausted to speak. They slumped to the ground, their bodies trembling, their minds racing with everything Lyerin had said. Some closed their eyes, their breaths slowing. Others stared into the darkness, their expressions grim.

Lyerin watched them for a moment before stepping back. He let the silence stretch, let it settle over them like a weight. Then, his voice cut through the quiet once more, sharp and commanding.

"Go for the second round."

The oppressive silence of the cavern shattered as another wave of humanoid Trilobites emerged from the shadows.

This time, their forms were even more imposing.

Their carapaces gleamed with an eerie light, each plate shifting and rippling like liquid steel.

Their eyes glowed a deep, malevolent crimson, and their limbs, bristling with jagged claws, flexed in unison.

A chilling, clicking noise reverberated through the air as their mandibles ground together, filling the cavern with a dreadful, bone-deep sound.

The soldiers stood at the ready, their weapons gripped tightly. Sweat dripped down their brows and traced lines in the dust on their faces.

They had rested, yes, but not nearly enough to erase the exhaustion from their previous battles.

Still, they raised their weapons.

There was no room for hesitation.

"Positions!" barked Lyerin, his voice like thunder over the growing cacophony.

The soldiers snapped into their stances, forming a tight circle with their backs to one another.

Their eyes darted to every shadow, every shifting stone. "Remember what I taught you. Eyes sharp. Trust each other."

The first Trilobite lunged. It moved with terrifying speed, its bladed arm slicing through the air with a whistling sound.

A soldier stepped forward, his spear raised.

The weapon met chitin with a bone-jarring impact, deflecting the creature's strike just enough for another soldier to drive his sword into the joint of its arm.

Black ichor sprayed across the ground, sizzling where it landed.

"Focus on the joints!" Lyerin called, his voice cutting through the chaos. "They may be strong, but they are not invincible!"

The soldiers nodded, their eyes blazing with determination.

As more Trilobites surged forward, the battle erupted into a maelstrom of steel, claws, and blood.

The sound was deafening—a cacophony of shrieks, grunts, and the clash of metal on chitin.

One soldier parried a swipe aimed at his neck, the force of the blow nearly knocking him off his feet.

Another stepped in, driving his axe into the creature's exposed torso. The Trilobite screamed, a high-pitched wail that echoed off the cavern walls, before collapsing.

But there was no time to celebrate. Another creature was already upon them.

Its claws lashed out, carving furrows into the stone floor as it missed its mark by inches.

A soldier spun around, his blade flashing.

The strike glanced off the creature's armor, but it bought him just enough time to duck beneath another strike.

He rolled to his feet, breathing heavily.

"Stay together!" Lyerin roared. "Do not let them isolate you!"

The Trilobites moved with deadly precision, their movements almost coordinated, as if driven by a singular, malevolent will.

One lunged low, its claws aiming to sweep a soldier's legs out from under him.

Another came from above, its bladed arms ready to cleave through armor and bone. But the soldiers reacted with grim determination.

Spears jabbed, swords sliced, and shields clanged against monstrous limbs.

They were a whirlwind of steel and sweat, moving as one.

"Watch the flanks!" cried a soldier as he blocked a strike with his shield, the impact reverberating through his bones. "They're trying to circle us!"

The warning came just in time.

Two more Trilobites surged forward, their limbs blurring with speed.

A soldier to the left raised his blade, only to find it caught in the creature's grip.

It twisted, nearly wrenching the weapon from his hands, but another soldier intervened, driving his spear into the Trilobite's exposed neck.

The creature screeched and thrashed, its death throes sending shockwaves through the air.

As the battle raged, the soldiers moved with a newfound precision.

Every step was deliberate, every strike calculated.

They fought with an intensity born of desperation but tempered by Lyerin's harsh lessons.

A soldier ducked beneath a claw swipe, his blade flashing upward to sever the limb.

Black ichor sprayed across his face, but he did not falter.

Another soldier leapt onto a Trilobite's back, driving his dagger repeatedly into its joints until it collapsed beneath him.

"Don't overextend!" Lyerin shouted, dodging a Trilobite that lunged in his direction. He moved with a grace that belied the chaos around him, evading strikes with minimal effort. "Strike and retreat! Work together!"

The soldiers responded, their movements becoming more fluid.

One soldier parried a strike aimed at his chest, creating an opening for his comrade to drive a spear into the Trilobite's exposed side.

The creature fell, its limbs twitching.

Suddenly, three Trilobites lunged simultaneously, their movements eerily coordinated.

A soldier barely managed to deflect one, his shield splintering from the force.

Another Trilobite's claw lashed out, catching a soldier's armor and sending him sprawling.

He rolled to his feet, gasping for breath, just in time to block another strike. His comrades closed ranks around him, their blades flashing as they drove the creatures back.

"Do not falter!" Lyerin bellowed. "You are stronger than this!"

The soldiers gritted their teeth, their bodies screaming in protest. But they held their ground. One soldier, his face a mask of determination, stepped forward.

He drove his spear into a Trilobite's chest, the point sinking deep.

The creature screeched, its limbs flailing, but he did not let go. Another soldier joined him, their combined strength forcing the creature to the ground.

The battle raged on, each second stretching into an eternity.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and sweat, and the ground was slick with ichor.

The soldiers fought with everything they had, their movements driven by muscle memory and sheer will.

They dodged, parried, and struck with precision born of necessity.

The Trilobites were relentless, but the soldiers were determined.

"Form up!" Lyerin commanded. "One last push!"

The soldiers obeyed, their formation tightening. Together, they pressed forward, their weapons finding purchase in joints and soft tissue. One Trilobite fell, then another. The creatures' numbers began to thin, their movements slowing.

Finally, with one last, desperate surge, the soldiers drove the remaining Trilobites to the ground. The creatures twitched and shuddered before falling still. Silence descended upon the cavern, broken only by the soldiers' ragged breaths.

No one spoke. They were too exhausted, too drained to form words. They stood in the aftermath of battle, their weapons slick with ichor, their bodies trembling. They had survived, but only barely. They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with exhaustion and something else—something close to hope.

Lyerin stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over them. "You did better," he said, his voice calm but firm. "But it is not over."

The soldiers nodded, their bodies heavy with fatigue. They knew there was more to come. But for now, they had survived. They had fought, and they had won—if only for a moment.