LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 296: Mushroom island

The beast beneath them shifted, the colossal expanse of its feathered back undulating with a sudden, deliberate motion. It was as if the very world beneath their feet had come alive.

The soldiers clung tightly to the creature's feathers, their fingers white-knuckled, their breaths shallow.

The sound of the water rushing around them intensified, a low, thunderous roar that reverberated through their bones.

"What's happening?" one soldier whispered hoarsely, his voice trembling as though he feared the answer.

The massive winged creature tilted slightly, its body angling upward.

The water seemed to part around it, creating currents that swirled chaotically.

The sucker fishes scattered in all directions, their glowing bodies retreating into the depths like vanishing specters.

"Hold tight!" Lyerin's voice cut through the growing panic, sharp and commanding. He stood upright on the creature's back, his balance unnaturally perfect despite the shifting surface beneath him. "It's preparing to take off!"

"Take off?" another soldier gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief. "We're underwater!"

Lyerin turned to face them, his expression calm but intense.

"Exactly. And that's why you need to listen to me right now. This isn't like anything you've experienced before."

The soldiers exchanged terrified glances, their fear mounting.

The massive creature beneath them flexed its wings slightly, and the sheer scale of the motion sent ripples through the water, creating a current so strong that it nearly pulled one soldier off balance.

"What do we do?" Lucas shouted, his voice strained as he fought to keep his grip.

Lyerin pointed to the base of the feathers. "Dig your hands and feet in there! The feathers are strong enough to hold you. No matter what happens, don't let go!"

The soldiers scrambled to comply, their movements frantic but determined.

They pressed themselves flat against the creature's back, their faces inches from the damp, textured surface.

The beast's body began to vibrate, a deep, resonant hum that seemed to pulse in time with the water around it.

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"Is it safe?" one soldier asked, his voice barely audible over the growing roar of the water.

Lyerin chuckled softly, his tone oddly reassuring. "Safe? Probably not. But it's incredible, isn't it?"

The soldiers didn't look reassured, but they nodded hesitantly, their expressions a mix of awe and terror.

The creature tilted further, its massive wings angling upward. The water pressure increased, and the soldiers felt the force pressing against their bodies like an invisible hand trying to push them away.

Lyerin crouched down, gripping one of the feathers himself. "Here we go!" he shouted, his voice full of anticipation.

The creature's wings began to move, the motion slow and deliberate at first.

The water around them swirled violently, forming whirlpools that spiral outward.

The soldiers felt their ears pop from the changing pressure as the beast pumped its wings harder and harder.

The sound was deafening, a thunderous roar that seemed to come from all directions.

"We're going to die!" one soldier screamed, his voice cracking with panic.

"No, you're not!" Lyerin shot back, his tone firm. "You're going to hold on and experience something incredible. Trust me!"

The massive beast suddenly surged upward, breaking free from the water's grip.

A colossal wave erupted behind them as the creature breached the surface, its wings slicing through the air with a sound like a hurricane.

Water sprayed in all directions, drenching the soldiers, who clung desperately to the feathers, their eyes squeezed shut against the onslaught.

The beast climbed higher, the water falling away beneath them.

The soldiers risked opening their eyes, only to gasp in awe and terror.

The vast ocean stretched out below them, a shimmering expanse of blue and green.

The floating islands they had seen earlier were now far above, their jagged edges silhouetted against the sky.

"It's… flying!" one soldier stammered, his voice trembling with disbelief.

"No kidding," Lyerin replied with a smirk, his hair plastered to his face from the spray. "And you're riding it. Remember this moment, because it doesn't get much better than this."

The beast flapped its wings powerfully, each stroke creating a gust of wind that threatened to unseat them.

The soldiers screamed, their voices a chaotic chorus of fear and exhilaration.

The creature soared higher, its shadow casting a vast silhouette over the ocean below.

"Keep your heads down!" Lyerin shouted, his voice barely audible over the wind. "The air up here is thin. You'll need to stay close to the feathers to breathe properly."

The soldiers obeyed, pressing themselves even closer to the creature's back.

The wind whipped around them, pulling at their clothes and hair.

Despite their fear, they couldn't help but marvel at the sheer majesty of the beast. Its massive wings spanned what seemed like miles, each feather shimmering in the sunlight.

"What is this thing?" Lucas shouted, his voice barely carrying over the wind.

"No idea," Lyerin replied simply, his tone reverent.

The soldiers were silent, their awe momentarily overriding their fear.

The creature began to level out, its massive body gliding effortlessly through the air.

The wind died down slightly, and the soldiers dared to lift their heads.

Ahead of them, a new sight emerged—a massive floating island with a sparkling river that cascaded down its edges like a waterfall, disappearing into the clouds below.

The island was connected to others by narrow, arched bridges, their surfaces glowing faintly with an ethereal light.

"Where are we going?" one soldier asked, his voice hushed.

Lyerin turned to face them, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and mystery. "To the next challenge," he said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "This is only the beginning."

The massive beast stirred again, its vast body vibrating with the energy of movement as it prepared for another journey.

The soldiers, still clinging to its colossal feathers, exchanged uneasy glances.

The air was cool and thin, the winds whispering through their hair, carrying the faint, otherworldly scent of ozone and something floral—yet alien.

Lyerin, standing effortlessly on the undulating surface of the creature's back, glanced over his shoulder. His expression was calm, yet his eyes carried a spark of anticipation.

"Hold on," he called, his voice cutting through the steady hum of the beast's wings and the distant roar of cascading rivers from the nearby floating islands. "We're about to move again. You'll want to stay low this time."

"What now?" one soldier muttered nervously, gripping the feather beneath him so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Before Lyerin could respond, the beast began to shift. Its wings spread wider than ever, casting vast shadows over the floating landscape below.

The air pressure changed instantly, forcing the soldiers to press themselves closer to the creature's back.

The beast let out a low, resonant sound—part roar, part hum—that seemed to vibrate through their very bones.

"Here we go!" Lyerin shouted, a grin breaking across his face.

The massive wings beat once—just once—and the entire world seemed to lurch.

The force of the movement was so powerful that the soldiers felt as though they were being pressed into the creature's back by an invisible hand.

The beast surged forward, faster than anything they had experienced before, cutting through the air like an arrow.

The roar of the wind became deafening, drowning out their screams of panic.

"Stay down!" Lyerin barked, his voice commanding and firm.

The soldiers obeyed, flattening themselves against the feathers as the beast climbed higher into the endless expanse of sky.

Below them, the floating islands shrank, becoming mere specks against the backdrop of the endless clouds.

The creature banked sharply to the left, the motion so sudden that several soldiers cried out, their grips faltering.

"I'm slipping!" one soldier yelled, his voice barely audible over the howling wind.

"You're not slipping," Lyerin snapped, his tone sharp but reassuring. "You're panicking. Stop it. Focus. You're safer than you think if you do as I say."

The soldier gritted his teeth and tightened his grip, his breathing shallow and rapid. Around him, the others clung just as desperately, their faces pale and their eyes wide with terror.

The beast dove suddenly, its massive body tilting downward at an angle that made their stomachs lurch.

The sensation of free-falling was overwhelming, the wind whipping past them with relentless force. The soldiers screamed, their voices blending into a chaotic chorus of panic.

"Relax!" Lyerin shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade. "You're still alive, aren't you?"

The beast continued its descent, plunging through layers of thick, misty clouds.

The world around them grew dimmer, the light from the distant sun refracted into a thousand colors by the moisture in the air.

The soldiers could barely see more than a few feet in front of them, their vision obscured by the swirling mist.

"What's happening?" Lucas shouted, his voice shaking.

"We're descending," Lyerin replied, his tone calm.

The mist parted suddenly, revealing a breathtaking sight below.

They were now flying over a massive floating ocean, its surface shimmering like liquid silver.

Strange creatures with translucent wings flitted just above the water, their movements graceful and hypnotic.

The soldiers stared in awe, their fear momentarily forgotten.

"What is this place?" one of them whispered, his voice filled with wonder.

"No idea," Lyerin answered simply.

The beast soared over the shimmering ocean, its wings creating ripples in the water below.

The soldiers could feel the raw power of the creature beneath them, its every movement purposeful and precise.

The air grew warmer as they continued, the faint scent of something earthy and musky wafting toward them.

Suddenly, the beast tilted upward again, climbing rapidly toward another layer of floating islands.

These islands were different—larger, their surfaces covered in strange, glowing vegetation that pulsed faintly with light.

Massive waterfalls cascaded from their edges, their streams vanishing into the endless abyss below.

"Are we going there?" a soldier asked, his voice tinged with both fear and excitement.

"No," Lyerin replied, his gaze fixed ahead. "Not yet. We have farther to go."

The beast continued to ascend, its movements fluid and powerful.

The air grew thinner, making it harder for the soldiers to breathe.

They pressed themselves closer to the feathers, their bodies trembling from the cold wind and the sheer intensity of the experience.

After what felt like an eternity, the beast began to level out, its massive wings beating more slowly. The soldiers risked lifting their heads, their eyes widening as they took in the sight before them.

A new island loomed ahead, unlike any they had seen before. It was covered entirely in massive mushrooms, their caps glowing faintly in shades of blue, purple, and green.

The stalks of the mushrooms were as wide as trees, their surfaces textured with intricate, vein-like patterns. The island was connected to others by narrow bridges made of twisting vines, their surfaces glistening with dew.

"What… is this place?" Lucas asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lyerin smiled, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of pride and anticipation. "This," he said, speechless in fascination.