LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe - Chapter 374

Chapter 374: Eaten
The following night, the group of soldiers ventured out under the cover of darkness, their steps heavy with determination and their minds filled with Lyerin’s advice. However, when they returned to the tribe just before dawn, their faces were grim, frustration and disappointment etched into every line.

Lyerin, seated near the central fire as usual, lazily glanced up as he heard their boots crunch against the dirt. He set aside the small artifact he had been tinkering with and leaned forward slightly, his expression curious. “Back so soon?” he asked, his voice calm but carrying an undertone of mockery. “I expected a triumphant return or, at the very least, some amusing failure to share. But these faces… they tell a different story. What’s wrong this time?”

The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances, their reluctance palpable. Finally, the younger one stepped forward, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. His words were slow and hesitant. “We found it, Chief. The beast. Just where you said it might be.”

Lyerin arched an eyebrow. “Oh? And yet, judging by your expressions, this doesn’t sound like a tale of victory. What happened?”

Another soldier spoke up, his voice tinged with bitterness. “It was there, all right. We tracked it to a rocky cavern near the cliffs. It was resting, just like you predicted, and we had it cornered. We were ready to strike—this time, we were sure we’d win.”

“But…?” Lyerin prompted, his tone drawing out their explanation with a sharp edge.

“But,” the older soldier continued, clenching his fists in frustration, “just as we were about to move in for the kill, something happened. Something… else showed up.”

Lyerin leaned back, his expression sharpening with interest. “Something else? Care to elaborate?”

The group shifted uncomfortably, their sour expressions deepening. The younger soldier swallowed hard before replying, “It was fast. Too fast. We barely saw it coming. This thing—this creature—burst into the cavern and attacked the beast. It was… brutal. The fight was over before we could even process what was happening. The beast we’ve been chasing—it was torn apart in moments.”

Another soldier added, his voice low, “It wasn’t just that it killed it. It devoured it. Right in front of us. We didn’t stand a chance to intervene. And then, as quickly as it appeared, it vanished into the darkness.”

Lyerin’s golden eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curling into a faint, enigmatic smile. He tapped a finger against his knee thoughtfully before speaking. “Interesting. So, not only did you fail to catch your prey, but something even more dangerous has now taken its place. How very… unfortunate.”

The sarcasm in his tone made a few of the soldiers bristle, but none of them dared to argue. Instead, the younger one asked, his voice trembling slightly, “Chief… what was that thing? Have you ever heard of anything like it?”

Lyerin tilted his head, his gaze distant as if recalling some obscure memory. “Perhaps,” he said cryptically. “But then again, this world is full of surprises, isn’t it? A predator becoming prey, only for another predator to rise in its place. It’s a natural cycle.”

“But what do we do now?” another soldier interjected, his voice desperate. “We can’t hunt that thing. Not after what we saw. It’s… it’s impossible.”

Lyerin shrugged nonchalantly. “Impossible? Or just inconvenient? Perhaps it’s neither. Perhaps it’s simply a matter of perspective. But,” he added, standing and dusting off his robes, “if you’re looking for advice, I suggest you rethink your strategies. Again. After all, this new player in the game might be far more interesting than the one you just lost.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the soldiers to stew in their frustration and confusion. As his figure disappeared into the shadows, the group exchanged uneasy glances. They knew the challenges ahead had only grown more daunting, and the confidence they’d started to build was now thoroughly shaken.

The soldiers huddled around the dim firelight, their expressions twisting in frustration and disbelief. Murmurs of complaint broke the silence, growing louder until the older soldier finally voiced what everyone had been thinking.

“All this time… all this effort… and just as we’re about to claim the beast, it’s killed? Just like that?!” He slammed his fist against his thigh, his voice shaking with anger. “What kind of sick joke is this?”

Another soldier chimed in, his voice dripping with resentment. “Weeks of chasing this thing, fighting for our lives, planning strategies—and for what? To have it taken from us at the last moment? All that work, wasted.”

Lyerin, standing a few paces away with his back to them, suddenly turned around. His golden eyes glimmered with amusement, and his lips curled into a mocking smile.

He crossed his arms leisurely, his voice cutting through their complaints like a blade.

“Of course it was killed,” he said, his tone rich with sarcasm. “Why do you think it was hiding in the night all along? Did you honestly believe you were the only predators out there?”

The soldiers froze, the weight of his words sinking in. They exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to respond. Before any of them could muster a reply, Lyerin stepped closer, his gaze sharp and predatory.

“And now,” he continued, his voice softer but no less commanding, “tell me about this new beast. The one that killed your precious quarry. Can you describe it for me?”

For a moment, the group hesitated, their eyes darting to one another as if silently electing who would speak first.

Finally, the younger soldier cleared his throat and stepped forward, his voice trembling slightly as he began.

“It was… massive. Not just in size, but in presence. Even before we saw it clearly, we could feel it. Like the air itself had changed. It was heavier. Charged, almost. And then, when it appeared—”

He paused, struggling to find the right words, and another soldier took over.

“Its form was… terrifying. Its body was shrouded in this kind of shadow, but not like regular darkness. It was… alive. The shadows moved, shifted, like they were a part of it. And its eyes—Gods, its eyes—”

The older soldier interrupted, his voice rough and low. “Glowing. Piercing. They weren’t just looking at the beast we were hunting—they were looking through us. Like it knew we were there, and it didn’t care. It didn’t see us as a threat. Just… insignificant.”

The younger soldier nodded, his hands trembling as he gestured. “And its movements—they were too fast, Chief. We barely saw it coming. One moment, the beast we were chasing was alive, and the next—it wasn’t.

“The new creature struck with such precision, such… brutality. It didn’t waste a single movement. It was like watching a predator that had perfected the art of the hunt.”

Another soldier added, his voice quieter, almost reverent despite the fear in his tone. “Its claws… they were like blades. Every strike was lethal. And its teeth—they weren’t just for killing. They were for ripping, tearing. It wasn’t just feeding—it was destroying. Consuming.”

The descriptions continued, each soldier contributing their fragmented memories of the encounter.

They spoke of the way the creature’s body seemed to blend into its surroundings, its sheer silence despite its size, and the unsettling aura it exuded—a presence that made even seasoned hunters like them feel like prey.

They described the way it devoured the beast they had hunted, not just out of hunger, but as if it were asserting dominance.

“And its roar,” one of them finally whispered, his voice barely audible. “When it was done, it let out this sound… it wasn’t just a roar. It was like the earth itself was crying out. It made my blood freeze, my knees shake. I’ve never heard anything like it.”

As their explanations spilled forth, Lyerin listened intently, his expression unreadable. He occasionally nodded or tilted his head, his golden eyes glinting with something unreadable—amusement? Curiosity? Or perhaps something far darker. When they had finally finished, the group fell silent, their gazes fixed on him, waiting for his reaction.

Lyerin let the silence linger, his lips curling into a slow, enigmatic smile. “Fascinating,” he finally said, his tone almost teasing. “You’ve painted quite the picture. A predator among predators, hm? And yet, here you all are, alive and breathing. Fortunate… or perhaps, it simply wasn’t hungry enough to bother with you.”

The soldiers shifted uneasily, the weight of his words settling over them like a shadow. Lyerin chuckled softly, his gaze flickering with dark amusement. “Well, it seems your little adventure has just become a lot more interesting. Don’t you agree?”