Chapter 70 - Infiltration

When he descended down the walls he noticed crabmen eating and decided to eat too, he had tied the dead worm from yesterday to his waist using the thread, so he quickly gutted it using his sharp claws.

It was a shame he couldn't cook it at least, 'maybe roast it with some butter and lemon juice would have been nice~' he didn't have that luxury now so he just ate it, thinking to himself 'at least it was dead already, no jiggling around...', once done eating he noticed the crabmen gathered in a circle in the middle of the village.

Tappin the shoulder of one he asked "What's going on?"

The stranger crabman looked at him like if he was an idiot saying "you don't know? It's a challenge, a challenge of claws!"

Erik: 'okay... that doesn't tell me anything...' "who are the challengers?"

The stranger seemed a bit annoyed as he answered "can't you smell it on the water by yourself? Someone challenged Trutk for his females, since he got new ones he hasn't used the old ones, he should share them! the greedy bastard..."

Erik got a general idea of what's happening and had a flash of inspiration 'isn't this a perfect time to infiltrate his tent?' making up his mind he retreated from the group and following the wall he slowly made it to one side of the chief's tent, once there he used his right claws chainsaws to cut a bone post, making a hole in.

[Erik, behind you...]

He looked behind him and there were 4 crabmen already there, he was confused as they seemed excited instead of hostile as he expected.

He saw one step forward as they got closer "you are planning to steal that old man's females too right? hehe~ no need to be so wary, we will help you, he can't deal with all of us"

Erik only had one thought 'Jackpot...' an internal conflict would benefit him greatly.

Erik: "alright, follow me" he squeezed his big body through the hole and what he saw surprised him quite a bit, it was a pile of half-eaten corpses, both from monsters and what appeared to be some male members from Crabinas tribe, their faces resembled octopeople and most had their heads missing. They had parasites and small beings crawling over them so it was clear the meat had been there for quite some time, there was even half a crabman in one corner 'greedy bastard indeed... he keeps all meat even if it's rotting I guess'.

When the other 4 came in though they couldn't control themselves and started gorging themselves with meat.

'truly like beasts, they only follow instinct..' Erik forgot about them and went deeper, lifting a fish skin cover and coming inside another room.

Inside there were 3 crabwomen seemingly discussing something, they seemed elated when they saw him though.

crabwoman 1: "you came so fast? did your dick already grow back?"

Erik was confused and remembered she should be the one he met the other day, and looking down it had indeed grown back almost completely "yes... it has, why don't we go out and have a proper TALK?"

crabwoman 2: "hmph, don't think we sisters are that easy! you need to show your worth at least, you smell like a weakling!"

Erik looked at her, she seemed way smaller than the first and third one, also she had spikes on her exoskeleton, something the other 2 didn't have 'hmm a captured slave? a different breed? a mutation? so interesting' "but of course, how could a gentleman come unprepared to meet with a lady right?"

As all 3 were observing him he loudly clacked his claws 'yeah, this should work'

[what are you trying to do?]

Erik:[castañuelas]

*(https://youtu.be/EPlSLg7qqOo )

[what?]

Erik: [sigh, just watch alright?]

He then loudly stepped on the floor with a rhythm, clacking his claws quickly like castanets too, slowly going around them, they seemed to be captivated and hypnotized as they followed him with their eyes 'good, it's working' he then started coming closer.

As they were not alert at all, they never saw it coming as he released a cloud of poison on their faces from his waving left claw.

"w-what..-" they reacted too late and fell to the floor paralyzed.

Erik: "don't take offense but... you are not very attractive..." he could see their eyes contract as they passed out.

[wow, you are truly ruthless!]

Erik: [well, not like I care about them anyway, they are the swore enemy of my new family, I went light on them]

He then heard a voice from behind him.

"Brothers come, the females are here!" one of the crabmen had come in and was looking at the females excitedly.

Erik: 'good, they will be useful when the 4 crabmen had come before him he said "quick, take the females and go! the chief could be coming back, also take some meat with you"

"good idea brother, let's go!" he saw them pick the females and start going out, one of them still asked him seeing he wasn't moving "brother you aren't coming?"

Erik: he complained inside 'when the hell did I become your brother?' but he still calmly responded "no, I will take another escape route and try to lead the chief away if it appears, never stop fighting!"

The running crabmen seemed to be moved as they run away with the females and meat "we owe you one brother!"

[why did you do that?]

Erik:[ why else? live bait, it's easy for a conflict to escalate from small things to bigger things you know, kekeke~ they are too naive, if they survive they will become an opposing force, and if they get killed, it will make others grow resentful on the chief, it's a win-win situation]

[won't he just execute them to show his strength?]

Erik: [he could do that but it won't affect this many meatheads for long, if even his females bad mouth him that means he doesn't have enough charisma either kekeke~]

[...hmmm..., don't let it get to your head cheating naive primitive meatheads ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°) ]

Erik: [...fine, you never let me enjoy anything]

[that's not true~ (◉ω◉)]

Erik: [...I hate you...]

[you love me~ ლ(´ڡ`ლ)]

He sighed and continued going deeper, getting to the next room, it was full of useless shells and other things transformed into weapons and ornaments, they were better than steel weapons, but still had nothing to do against his plasma spears back at the base, and he wasn't materialistic enough to care for *shiny things* anyway 'nothing here seems of- oh?' as he was moving the waste he found a small green cube.

Erik: [Rose, what is this?]

[...seems to be a small communications device... but it's pretty damaged]

Erik: [comunications device? now this is interesting... how did they get it I wonder...]

[well, they either found it or took it by force, that's what they do]

Erik: [can you repair it back at the base?]

[yes, that's feasible]

"well, that's g-"

*RUMBLE...* "WHO HAD THE GUTS TO STEAL FROM ME!"

He heard a roar from outside, so he pocketed the square --into a small hidden exoskeleton fold he had used to bring the cameras--, and made a hole in the wall, coming out. Once he went out there were crabmen surrounding the tent though.

"IT'S HERE! GET HIM! " He was quickly spotted as one of them gave the alarm, dozens of crabmen rushed from the surroundings after him.

'shit... time to run for it!' he regretted not installing movement upgrades on the crabmans body as he charged forward and holding his breath released all his poison claw deposits in a straight line that turned into a cloud, blocking the view as he came out the other side as he continued running.

"AFTER HIM!"

He heard a loud shout and looked back, seeing a tall crabman pointing in his direction, at least 2 times the size of the surrounding crabmen, body with strong limbs, a face much more humanoid looking than the rest, probably a result of her diet, and spikes over his exoskeleton 'wow... what a monster... that has to be the tribal chief...'

He kept running and soon reached a tunnel, running mindlessly, the tunnels were dark as he chose the ones with fewer crabmen smell at every intersection, finally finding an empty cavern and laying down to rest. He looked back down the tunnels 'i seem to have lost them...'

Erik: [can you detect anything Rose?]

[...no, there's too many obstacles and small animals around, they won't give up that easily though]

Erik: [it's fine if they go after me, unless that chief comes himself I can take any of them!]

[hey don't jinx it!]

"its fine~-"

Just the moment he said that though he heard "it's in this direction!"

[ ... (ಠ_ಠ) ]

Erik: gritted his teeth [i get it, it's not related okay?]

[sure...]

Erik got to one side of the tunnel and stuck to the wall near the entrance he had went in from, readying his right claws and using the algae that hung from the walls to hide his figure a bit, most battles could be decided in a split second after all.

The steps got closer as he waited, a shadow crossed the tunnel entrance and he attacked, his chainsaw claw tearing exoskeleton and flesh in an instant, a plume of blood emerging as a crabman became visible, its corpse soon falling to the floor as its head fell to the side with chunks of flesh floating on the water.

He came out to face the crabmen that had stopped, looking at him warily as he came into view, focussing in his strange chainsaw right claw. "what's tha-"

Erik didn't give them time to think as he came forward, with his claws ready.

The tunnel was narrow and only 1 crabman could face him each time, the crabman was prepared this time though and locked claws with him "hah! not so tough no-"

*ZRRRRRH*

"AAAAHHHGHHH"

Erik's chainsaw claw came to life and cut right through as they were locking claws, creating another plume of blood in the tunnel as he cut the crabmans torso open, keeping it going as he split it into two.

"M-monster!" He saw the other crabmen retreat slowly as he crawled over their dead comrade.

Seeing them about to run Erik smirked and yelled "COWARDS!", the effect was immediate as the crabmen all stopped and went to their deaths enraged, the worst enemy of meatheads, the provocation was highly effective!.

After killing 8 he started to regret it though, his chainsaw claw was getting a bit dull and not so effective anymore, and his breath was lacking.

*SKREEEE!*

A loud sound then sounded through the tunnels, he saw the crabmen stop and panic.

carbman: "ROCK CRACKERS! RUUUNNN!!!"

Erik was left dumbfounded, as he saw the crabmen run away terrified, he had a fleeting thought to stay and see what that sound was, but he quickly discarded it, the sound was coming from his back, and although he didn't mind this body dying, it needed to be for a better reason, he was also carrying the mysterious square and it would be impossible to find it if a mysterious monster ate it, so he decided the best next course of action.

He looked around quickly and grabbed a bunch of crabmen guts in his claws, happily starting to run in the direction of the crabman village 'kekeke~ be ready Trutk~, im bringing friends over~'

[...are you actually the devil?]