Chapter 68 Crabs

Huff... Huff...

I panted heavily as I sprinted through the underground cavern. Nothing was going according to the fucking plan.

Roar...

Two massive lizards were chasing after me, their razor-sharp teeth glinting in the dim light.

I had no idea of the cavern's layout and stumbled upon their nest by accident, interrupting their mating, and now they were furious.

The lizards' eyes were adapted to the darkness of the cavern, giving them an advantage as they moved swiftly over the terrain. Meanwhile, I stumbled over every rock and uneven surface, my eyes struggling to adjust to the lack of light.

The distance between us was decreasing.

Whoosh...

I dashed around a corner, hoping to lose the lizards, only to find myself faced with a wide ravine. As my eyes adjusted to the eerie glow emanating from below, I realized that there was a strange, azure lake at the bottom of it.

At first glance, the liquid resembled water, but my stomach turned as I saw the scattered skeletons of creatures that looked remarkably similar to the lizards lying on the shore.

Roar...

It was either I try to jump past the massive ravine or get eaten by the monsters.

"Shit!"

I muttered under my breath, taking a dozen steps back without even glancing at the lizards that were about to pounce at me.

I focused my energy, channeling my mana into my legs, and tensed my muscles.

Whoosh...

With a burst of power, I launched myself forward. As I soared through the air, the wind rushed past my face, ruffling my hair.

Whilst in the air, the other side of the ravine seemed so close yet far, for a moment I thought I wouldn't make it, however physics did its work and I crashed on the ledge, reaching the other side safely.

Roar...

One of the lizards attempted to follow me, but its massive body fell far short of making the jump and lost momentum before plummeting into the azure lake below.

Splash...

The surface of the water rippled as the lizard hit the liquid with a loud splash.

To my surprise, the lizard seemed unharmed and swam to the shore with ease.

My eyes followed its every movement, but it showed no signs of pain, indicating that the liquid didn't hurt it.

"..."

I was left speechless, but the scattered skeletons of creatures similar to the lizards served as a stark reminder that all was not as it seemed.

Click... Click...

Suddenly, the sound of clicking echoed from the ravine below. At first, it was just a solitary noise, but soon it multiplied into hundreds, creating a spine-tingling echo that even the massive lizard couldn't ignore.

The reptile thrashed around frantically, trying to find the source of the sound, but it seemed to be coming from everywhere: the ground, the walls, and even the air itself.

Pluck...

Suddenly, a purple crab emerged from the blue sand surrounding the lake. Its eyes glowed with an unearthly intensity, illuminating the area around it. The creature had eight agile yet sturdy legs and was the size of a small dog.

Its body was covered in a thick, jagged layer of chitin that looked as though it could withstand even the sharpest of blades.

Massive claws protruded from its front limbs, with tips that gleamed menacingly in the dim light.

Click... Click...

The purple crab clicked its claws together, studying the lizard as it circled warily around the creature.

Click... Click...

More and more crabs began to emerge from the sand, their glowing eyes fixed on the lizard. Soon, the walls of the ravine came alive with a multitude of crabs, each one more strange and terrifying than the last.

They emerged from hiding, staring down the lizard that had fallen in their lair.

Roar...

Even the other lizard, which hadn't jumped into the ravine, roared in anger at the sight of its partner being surrounded by hundreds of crabs.

The other Lizard that hasn't jumped into the Ravine, roared looking at the hundreds of creatures surrounding its partner, however, it didn't dare to jump to help him.

It hesitated, unsure of what to do. It knew better than to mess with the strange and formidable creatures that lurked in the dark corners of the ravine.

Click... Click...

As the crabs closed in on the lizard, their clicking claws reverberating across the shore, the beast knew it was in for a fight to the death. Its instincts kicked in, and it roared a primal cry that shook the ground beneath it.

Roar...

The lizard's tail swung with deadly force, sending several crabs flying into the air and crashing into the nearby wall. The sound of their shells exploding upon impact echoed through the air, but it was clear that the remaining crabs were undeterred by the display of force.

The monster's scales and tough hide provided some protection, but the crabs seemed to know exactly where to strike. Their razor-sharp claws ripped through the lizard's scales like they were made of paper, tearing off chunks of flesh and leaving deep gashes in their wake.

As the lizard fought for its life, it became painfully clear that these crabs were not to be trifled with. Their claws were like weapons of the best quality. Even the sharpest of blades would bounce off the Lizard's defenses, however, the claws bypassed it easily.

"..."

I felt pearls of sweat gathering on my forehead. Although I wasn't the one fighting or even in danger of getting attacked by the crabs, the sight of them hunting was really... something.

The crabs seemed to be toying with their prey, savoring every moment of the hunt. As they ripped and consumed the flesh of the struggling lizard, their eyes glinted with a sinister hunger that sent shivers down my spine.

Despite the lizard's valiant efforts to fight back, it was clear that the battle was a one-sided affair. The crabs were too powerful, too vast in their numbers, and too relentless in their pursuit of the kill.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and death, and I knew that I was witnessing a brutal execution of a creature that had no chance of survival.

It was a scene that would haunt a normal teenager for months, if not for the entire life to come.

Roar...

The Lizard swung its tail, trying to get rid of the monsters pinching his limb, however, the tail was caught by a few crabs and they used their powerful claws to cut it off.

ROAR...

The sound of the lizard's roar echoed across the shore as it thrashed around in agony, its tail severed and left behind as the crabs feasted upon it. The monster's movements were erratic and uncontrolled, its pain causing it to lose all sense of rationality.

Splash...

With a mighty splash, the lizard dove into the azure lake, hoping to find some reprieve from the relentless assault of the crabs. However, in the water, it was clear that the monster was struggling to stay afloat without the aid of its tail.

Click... Click...

The crabs continued to feast on the severed limb, their clicking claws echoing through the air as they tore into the flesh and consumed it with a voracious hunger.

As the last scraps of flesh and scales were consumed by the crabs, all that remained of the lizard's tail were its bones. The crabs dropped them onto the blue sand and with a cold, calculating precision, their dark eyes fixed upon the struggling monster in the middle of the azure lake.

Click... Click...

Slowly, one by one crabs approached the azure water and for the Lizard's unfortunate, diving into it.

They could swim!

Roar...

The crabs showed no mercy, no pity, and no remorse as they slowly killed the Lizard. It was clear that they were the masters of this beach, the rulers of this ravine, and any who were unfortunate to fall into this death trap would suffer a similar fate.

For me, the sight was both terrifying and mesmerizing. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the crabs, their sharp claws and dark eyes a constant reminder of the danger that lurked in the world around me.

"I was this close to falling..."

Recalling the Lizard's demise, a chill ran down my spine. If I had to choose, I would prefer to meet my end in the jaws of a reptile rather than being pinched by those Crabs.

Suddenly, I remembered where I had seen those crabs before. Although they were typically found in the depths of the ocean and seas, they could also inhabit dungeons.

These creatures, known as 'Cthulhu Claws,' were infamous for their ability to consume flesh as a source of food and their potential to grow as large as a car.

The ones in the Ravine were not massive, but if left unchecked, they could easily take over the dungeon.

The thought of a dungeon ruled by these monstrous creatures sent shivers down my spine.

"I hate this dungeon..."