Chapter 37 - The Hunt

-- 1 day later --

Inky and Erik arrived at the village, his suit refined oxygen from the water and his transport could do so too so as long as he didn't take his helmet off, he would be alright.

He was trained by the elders a bit who also showed him the process, first, they took pieces of already bad meat and took them to the edge of the plateau 3 hours swimming away, it was quite far but it was also reassuring, then they set the meat there and waited.

There were around 50 octopeople warriors and a hundred hunters, the hunters equipped with newly printed harpoon guns full of their poison, it took an entire day of printing nonstop, then there were the 4 elders who all had custom made weapons and armor, the Second Elder remained the same, both able to attack mid or close range, then there was the fourth elder who had a silent propulsor, and a long-range harpoon gun, the other 2 elders just had slightly bigger plasma spears for a bit of longer range and lighter armors than the second elder, as for the Leader he had just given her a big harpoon gun and a normal handheld propulsor.

Leaving Erik a camera there, they waited 10 minutes away from the bait, inside fishskin huts, with the elders trying to show their hospitality, but Erik just couldn't take his helmet off so he just ate some jerky he had made back at home, inside the transporter where he could take his helmet off.

the wait was tedious but finally, there seemed to be a reaction as he could see a shadow emerging from the deep in the camera, it was at least the size of 2 football fields, it had a mouth like a crocodile, but it was armoured and had fins, with a body like an eel, it had lots of scars too so it should be an old specimen.

First, they let it eat the poisoned bait, and once it looked weakened, it started, everyone took their positions surrounding the beast, with elders on the 4 corners, cutting off its escape routes.

The Fourth Elder shot a harpoon directly into the left eye of the beast, it opened its spikes inside as the Fourth Elder swam to the right, exposing the right eye of the beast.

The enormous amounts of pain made it recover from the poison and charge forward, but before it could charge much, Erik shot the rail gun with a normal harpoon into the right eye of the beast, it wasn't on the plan, but he saw an opportunity and took it, the shell left a bubbling trail and then went into the eye of the abyssal.

The pain must have been too much as it started thrashing around, eventually hitting a group of warriors who were attempting to shot at it with its tail, they weren't dead, but they would be injured at least.

The Second Elder glared at Erik and charged forward, protecting another group of octopeople as they shot by deviating the tail with her shield, the other elders and leader went into action, peppering the abyssal with poison and charred spots from the plasma shots that could barely go through its scales, until finally it fell and they cut it's gills, bleeding it out until it thoroughly died.

Erik was about to go put the chain into the abyssals mouth to drag it with the transporter when he saw the Second Elder coming quickly and grab him by the chest part of the diving suit and up, she looked angry and saying something, but he didn't understand.

Inky saw her coming too but she was late to step in front.

Second Elder:" we let you come to look, not to put us all in danger alien!, the first rule of hunting abyssals' is tiring then out!, you can limit their senses, but you can't null it!, cause that will make them go all out and that's when deaths happen, thanks to this new equipment we coped with it, but we shouldn't have had to, when you hunt with us you will follow our traditions and orders or I swear I will breed you until you are looser than the First Elder!"

Inky:"...that's enough Second Elder! he doesn't understand our language, did you forget?!"

The Second Elder calmed a bit and frowned, releasing Erik, and Inky then quickly translated, including the last part with a frown, causing Erik to shudder as he read, and then earnestly apologized to the Elders, as he promised to care for the injured himself.