LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 295: Cleaners

Lyerin's eyes narrowed as he observed the massive shadowy forms swimming beneath them.

The glimmer of winged fish around them had completely disappeared, leaving only the deep, oppressive silence of the water.

He stood motionless for a moment, scanning the depths, then muttered, almost to himself, "Sucker fishes… just like remoras."

His voice was low, almost too quiet to hear, but it carried a strange weight, drawing the soldiers' attention. Their faces, pale from the sheer overwhelming nature of what they had seen, now filled with confusion and growing fear.

"Sucker fishes?" Lucas finally dared to ask. His grip on the massive feather he clung to was so tight that his knuckles had turned white. "What do you mean, sucker fishes?"

Lyerin didn't answer right away. Instead, he crouched slightly on the winged beast, running a hand along its massive feathers as though trying to sense something in the water. "They must have sensed us," he finally said, his voice calm yet edged with calculation. "This creature we're riding—it's massive, powerful. Beasts like it draw scavengers, parasites, and opportunists. These sucker fishes? They're one of the worst kinds."

The soldiers exchanged nervous glances, murmuring among themselves in hushed, panicked voices.

"Suckers? Like remoras?" one of them asked. "You mean they're… harmless?"

Lyerin turned his head slowly to the soldier, his expression unreadable. For a moment, it seemed as though he might burst into laughter again. Instead, he shook his head with a grim smile. "Harmless? Oh, no. They're far from harmless. These things cling to their hosts and feed off their life force. They don't kill you outright, no. They drain you slowly, painfully, until there's nothing left."

The soldiers visibly stiffened, and several gasped in horror.

"You mean… they feed on us?" another soldier stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Not yet," Lyerin replied, standing again and gazing into the murky depths. "But if we're not careful, they will. They're drawn to movement, sound, and heat. They're opportunists, looking for anything they can latch onto. And when they do… well, let's just say you'll wish you'd died a quicker death."

The soldiers began to panic, their fear bubbling over into chaotic whispers and frantic gestures.

"What do we do?"

"We're sitting ducks out here!"

"Lyerin, we can't fight underwater!"

"We're doomed, aren't we?"

"QUIET!" Lyerin's voice cut through their rising panic like a blade. The sheer force of his command silenced the group instantly. Even Lucas, who had been gripping his feather with trembling hands, froze in place.

Lyerin's eyes swept over them, his gaze sharp and assessing. "You're not doomed. Not yet. But if you don't listen to me, you will be. These creatures? They've already noticed us. The fact they're circling means they're testing. Observing. If you want to survive this, you'll do exactly as I say. Understood?"

The soldiers nodded quickly, their breaths coming in short, shallow bursts. They were clearly terrified, but Lyerin's commanding presence left no room for argument.

"Good," he said, his tone softer but no less intense. "First, you need to stop panicking. Fear makes you reckless, and recklessness makes you a target. Control your breathing. Slow and steady. Keep your body still. The more you flail around like scared little fish, the more you'll attract them."

The soldiers immediately tried to follow his instructions, gripping the feathers tightly and forcing themselves to take deep, measured breaths. It was easier said than done, and the tension in the air was palpable.

"Now," Lyerin continued, crouching low again and gesturing for them to do the same, "we need to blend in. The sucker fishes are looking for movement, heat, and anything that stands out. So, we're going to make ourselves as uninteresting as possible. That means no sudden movements, no loud noises, and definitely no glowing energy fields. Understood?"

"Glowing energy fields?" one soldier asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Don't question me right now," Lyerin snapped, his sharp tone silencing any further interruptions. "Just follow my lead. Hold tight to the feathers, keep your body pressed low, and focus on staying calm."

The soldiers did as they were told, their movements slow and deliberate. Lyerin watched them closely, nodding in approval as they began to follow his instructions.

"Good. Now, here's the hard part," he said, his voice low and steady. "These sucker fishes are persistent. They won't stop circling until they're sure there's nothing here for them. We need to give them a reason to lose interest. That means we're going to have to mimic the environment."

"Mimic the environment?" Lucas asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Exactly," Lyerin replied, his gaze still fixed on the shadows below. "We're going to make ourselves part of the scenery. Keep your movements slow, your breathing steady, and follow my signals. No matter what happens, do not break formation. If one of you panics, you'll draw them to all of us."

The soldiers nodded, though their fear was still evident. They clung to the feathers, their bodies pressed low against the creature's back, and waited for Lyerin's next command.

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"Stay low. Stay silent," Lyerin murmured, his eyes narrowing as the shadows below drew closer. The sucker fishes were massive, their bodies long and eel-like with glowing, sucker-like mouths that pulsed with a sickly green light. They moved with eerie grace, their forms undulating through the water like living shadows.

One of the soldiers let out a small gasp as a particularly large sucker fish swam past them, its glowing eyes fixating on their position. Lyerin shot him a sharp look, and the soldier immediately clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Hold your ground," Lyerin hissed. "Don't move. Don't even breathe too loudly."

The soldiers froze, their bodies tense as the massive creature glided past them. It circled once, then twice, its glowing eyes scanning their position. The tension was unbearable, and the soldiers' hearts pounded in their chests.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the sucker fish moved on, its massive form disappearing into the murky depths.

"See?" Lyerin said, his voice calm but firm. "They're not invincible. They're predators, but they're not mindless. If they don't see an easy target, they'll move on."

The soldiers let out shaky breaths, their fear beginning to subside. But Lyerin's expression remained serious.

"We're not out of danger yet," he warned. "Stay alert. Stay calm."

The soldiers nodded, their determination returning despite the lingering fear in their eyes.

They pressed themselves lower against the creature's back, their movements slow and deliberate, and prepared to follow Lyerin's every command.

The shadows of the sucker fishes continued their haunting, ghostly dance beneath the colossal, submerged winged creature.

The faint luminescence of their glowing mouths and the fluid motion of their eel-like bodies painted an eerie spectacle in the watery gloom.

Each soldier, though instructed to remain still and calm, trembled silently, their breaths shallow, and their fingers clutching the beast's feathers like lifelines.

The atmosphere was oppressive, a silent cacophony of tension.

No one dared speak, and the only sound was the faint hum of water currents shifting around them.

The winged creature beneath them moved with slow, deliberate strokes, its immense form gliding through the depths like a behemoth of legend. But even it seemed wary, as if aware of the predatory menace that surrounded it.

Lyerin crouched low, his sharp eyes scanning the movements of the sucker fishes.

They weren't just meandering; they were converging.

Their circular patterns were closing in tighter and tighter, each pass skimming closer to the surface of the winged creature they were perched upon.

"Steady," Lyerin murmured, his voice barely audible over the water's muffled silence. "They're testing us. They're curious. But they're not sure yet."

The soldiers didn't respond, but their wide-eyed expressions and rigid postures betrayed their inner panic.

One particularly large sucker fish swam closer than the rest, its sickly glowing mouth pulsating rhythmically.

It was as if the creature could sense their fear, drawing nearer with every beat of its shimmering fins.

Suddenly, the massive fish slowed.

Its glowing eyes seemed to narrow as it tilted its head, honing in on a subtle movement—a soldier's trembling hand clutching a feather.

The soldier, young and clearly terrified, froze mid-breath.

His lips quivered as though he was about to scream, but he bit down hard, his teeth clenched so tightly it seemed they might crack.

Lyerin's gaze snapped to the soldier, then to the fish. His mind worked quickly, calculating.

He knew one wrong move could lead to disaster.

The sucker fish had stopped moving, its massive body swaying ominously in the water, its eyes fixed on its prey.

"Don't move," Lyerin hissed sharply, his voice a razor's edge.

But the sucker fish inched closer, its glowing mouth opening and closing like a grotesque flower blooming in the depths. It was no longer just testing—it was about to strike.

With a sudden, precise movement, Lyerin extended his arm and slapped the water just a few meters away from the soldier.

The sharp disturbance rippled through the water, catching the sucker fish's attention. The creature paused, its head snapping toward the source of the disturbance.

"What are you doing?" one of the soldiers mouthed silently, his eyes filled with disbelief and fear.

Lyerin ignored him, his focus unbroken. From his pocket, he pulled a small, dark object—something faintly metallic and shaped like a small sphere.

It shimmered faintly in the dim light of the depths, and as soon as Lyerin exposed it to the water, it began to pulse, emitting a soft, rhythmic glow.

The sucker fish immediately turned toward it, its glowing mouth pulsating in response, almost hypnotized.

The other soldiers watched in stunned silence as Lyerin carefully tossed the object into the water.

The moment it sank, the sucker fish darted forward with terrifying speed, its massive body creating a shockwave that rippled through the water.

The sphere emitted one final, blinding burst of light before the sucker fish consumed it whole.

Its massive mouth closed around the object, and for a moment, everything was still.

Then, the sucker fish swam off, its undulating form disappearing into the murky depths, the faint glow of the sphere fading with it.

The soldiers exhaled collectively, their relief palpable, though their terror was far from gone. "What… what was that?" one of them finally whispered, his voice shaking.

"Something to distract them," Lyerin said casually, as if the near-disaster had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience. "A little trinket from my travels. Let's just say it's better they eat that than you."

The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, their trust in Lyerin mingled with a growing sense of awe and fear.

"Is that thing… dangerous?" Lucas asked cautiously.

"Not to us," Lyerin replied, standing upright and brushing water from his hands. "To the fish? Probably. But that's their problem now."

The soldiers looked at him incredulously, but there was no time to question him further. The other sucker fishes were still circling, their movements slower but no less threatening.

"Back to your positions," Lyerin commanded sharply. "This isn't over yet. That was one fish. There are still plenty more, and they're not stupid. They're watching, waiting for any sign of weakness. So, unless you want to end up as fish food, stay low, stay quiet, and let me handle this."

The soldiers obeyed without hesitation, their fear of the sucker fishes now matched by their growing respect for Lyerin's leadership.

They pressed themselves lower against the feathers, their bodies blending into the contours of the winged creature, and waited for Lyerin's next move.

The tension in the water was suffocating, but they knew better than to panic now.