*(mood song: "Saint Mesa - Lion")

Just as Erik was worrying about the two dead critters though...

*BOOOOM!!!* the entire tunnels trembled, as an explosion rocketed the walls from the other side of the door behind their backs.

Erik quickly looked at Rose for confirmation.

Rose nodded: "Indeed, with that explosion, the toxins will now spread through the tunnels behind us, no crab man should have survived that" she inspected the door "it's rusted and damaged so we can't be sure it will hold the chemicals back... we should probably advance..."

They all nodded and advanced through the sticky dark tunnels, those with power armors walking in the front while the mutants swam just behind, ready to be used as meat shields if needed.

The mutant kids were also hanging from Erik's back.

The minutes passed and webbing started to slowly stick all over the power armors.

Erik: "don't you all find it strange?"

Timberly: "what is? It's been quite dull so far..."

Erik: "...that..., that is what I meant... this tunnel is way too quiet..."

Inky shrugged: "well, maybe there's no more critters around?"

Rose: "highly unlikely"

Amanda: "could be due to ecological factors like something more urgent than us"

Erik: "hmmm... maybe..., let's just continue for now"

They kept walking and the webs got denser and thicker, soon reaching a literal wall of webbing, with only small holes at the bottom.

Erik: "was this tunnel a nursery then or what? why that small?"

Rose shrugged: "don't know, but I can feel thousands of frantically moving life forces at the other side"

Erik stopped: "hmm that's strange... maybe we just aren't the bigger threat? do you detect different life forms?"

Rose shrugged: "they are different but should be the same species though"

Erik looked at the small hole near his feet "well, we certainly can't fit through that..." and then turned to Amelia: "...call a scout to take a peek, the smaller the better"

Amelia: "yes Fifth Elder"

Erik: "just call me Erik"

Amelia: "no, I need to set the example for the rest of the soldiers, elders are our superiors, any insubordination would be a serious problem"

Erik: "...fine then"

Amelia then bowed and turned to the troops.

A couple of minutes later she came back with a small scout that carried a rifle bigger than herself, barely one and a half meters in height.

Amelia: "this is scout 16 from the sniper squad"

Scout 16 bowed to Erik: "what are your orders Fifth Elder?"

Erik nodded and pointed at the hole: "something simple soldier, just take a look"

The scout nodded and laid down, looking through the hole for a minute, but then retreated instantly as a sharp leg stabbed where she just had been.

Erik: "so they do know we are here..." he looked at the now scared scout "everything is fine, did you see anything?"

The scout composed herself as she related her findings: "there seems to be a nest with... glowing larvae inside, the creatures that attacked us in the city seemed to be carrying them away from the room, but then one stopped and attacked me"

Erik: "that... sounds like they are moving their brood... could it be because of us?"

Rose: "they seem to be going in two different ways..."

Erik tapped his helmet in thought and then looked at the scout: "in what direction were they taking the brood?"

Scout 16: "to the right Fifth Elder"

Erik: "hmm so the threat must be to the left... and seeing where we came from... I guess those mushrooms and slave crabs are the cause"

Rose: "well, knowing that... what do we do? if we open this up we will need to fight against thousands of critters, and if we do defeat them... then we will have to fight against those crabs..."

Erik: "indeed... guess there's only one solution then..."

Rose lifted an eyebrow: "and that is... oh..."

Erik: "Yeah, we cover ourselves in grub juice and see if that makes them think we are the same"

Rose: "how will we make them stop though?"

Shana: "if it's paralyzing, then I know what we could do" she pointed back "if all of us spew our poison inside it should saturate the tunnels"

Erik: "hmmm... that could actually work actually..., go ahead"

The elders nodded, and after covering the hole with more webbing, they put a pipe in the remaining hole, with every octopeople in the group putting it on their lips, and spewing their poison inside.

Timberly spewing the most, her poison a dense purple color, but Megan's was the densest, her poison a dark black.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

It took a couple of hours for everyone to finish, but after they were done, even the dense webbing wall seemed to be changing colors like a dirty piece of cotton.

Erik turned to Shana: "what now?"

Shana: "now we shall wait, it shouldn't take too long"

Erik nodded, and sat down to the side: "Everyone, let's rest for some time, we will all need to be at our best once we tear that wall, try to eat something too"

They all nodded and imitated him, and those that weren't wearing power armor ripped the webbing and sat on the cave floor.

---

Meanwhile, back at the crab caves, queen Erika(Rose) had led the winners from the three tests to the outside cliff, along with their families and friends.

Waiting for them outside was a balloon elevator stringed to a line along the cliff, a single battle bot in the middle of it.

Erika(Rose): "now say goodbye to those not coming, the rest get on the platform, I won't be coming along so be respectful and follow orders once you reach the surface, it will cost you your life otherwise"

They all heavily nodded hearing that as they then proceeded to say their goodbyes.

Thanya turned to her father Trebetuk and her mother Alhona: "are you sure you ain't coming?"

Trebetuk hugged her briefly and said: "we will go at another time, we still have lots of responsibilities after all"

Thanya frowned: "what about the upgrades? you might be busy, but what is mom even doing?"

Alhona: "...for starters talking to the queen about your upgrades, you will get ALL OF THEM"

Thanya: "WHAT?! but mom! just one or two is fine, I don't need to be some crazy killing machine!"

Trebetuk: "the queen said you will be given lots of possible paths to take once on the surface don't worry" he then turned to Alkban and put a hand on his right shoulder "...be strong son in law... be strong... one never knows what will happen in life, but having a strong foundation and connections is essential, we will be counting on you"

Thanya: "hey! what about me?!"

Alhona ignored her as she put a hand on his left shoulder: "Don't be afraid, I'm sure you will adapt fast-"

Thanya: "What about me?"

Alhona looked at Thanya's excited face, and turned back to Alkban: "Please take care of our daughter, don't let her get executed, you know she's incapable of holding her tongue... please... we count on you"

Thanya: "What?! I can take care of myself you old-"

Alkban closed her mouth with his right hand though: "Yes, I will make sure she doesn't do anything stupid, you can count on me"

Trebetuk hugged him: "You have a good heart boy, take care"

Alhona also hugged him: "We will miss you-"

Thanya: "What about me~?"

Alhona: "...your absence will be noted"

Thanya: "Aww, don't worry, I'm sure I can live there just fine"

They all boarded the elevator, and the balloons filled with hydrogen, quickly filling up as the elevator ascended at high speeds.

Bot(Rose): *hold to the rails and don't exit the elevator during the way up!*

After a few minutes, the elevator stopped, in front of them on the cliff, they were received by the entire remaining octopeople army along with Rose controlling the super power armor.

The power armor then spoke with a thunderous voice: "welcome all of you to this base, today you will be guided to your future homes, and tomorrow each will select their available upgrades"

They all nodded and follow solemnly after the power armor.

Thanya observed the octopeople and whispered to Alkban: "a-aren't those the demons our ancestors fought?!"

Alkban: "...remain calm and do as you are told, don't cause any trouble okay?"

Thanya: "...fine!"

The group moved and soon arrived at the crabman city entrance, a big stone house.

Thanya frowned: "we ain't gonna fit all inside just that...we need a-"

But Alkban quickly closed her mouth: "we will be honored to live where you tell us, sir"

Rose: "hah! funny... follow me inside"

Alkban: "remain calm and follow orders"

Thanya: "but!-"

Alkban: "you are no one here, remember that, you are just a normal crab folk as any other in their eyes"

Thanya frowned angrily and refused to talk to Alkban anymore.

Alkban just shrugged with a sigh as they followed inside.

They passed by two imposing crab man guards at the entrance and through a tunnel inside, and a pair of armoured doors, soon entering the subterranean crab city full of air, a new sensation to them.

The crabman stopped at the sight in front of them, also amazed at the structure of the cylindrical city, with its shops, restaurants, and commerce, hundreds of crab women, and a few sparse crab men wandering around in their daily lives.

Thanya wanted to jump at Alkban in excitement, but she remembered she was now angry and so she just remained silent.

A group of bots then separated from the army and went to each of them, giving them a silver collar.

Rose: "that will allow you to speak to the octopeople and to talk in this new aerial environment, follow a bot each to your rooms"

Thanya and Alkban put on their necklaces like the rest and followed the bot, soon reaching a hole in the wall with a door that the bot opened.

Bot(Rose): *go in, this will be your house from now on while you live here*

Alkban nodded to the bot and dragged the pouting Thanya inside.

The interior was composed of three rooms, a spacious bathroom with a big 6 by 6 meters square jacuzzi, a kitchen, and a big bedroom with a stone carved platform with a dry algae mattress on top.

Thanya: "hmm not bad, my room was bigger though..."

Alkban: "mine wasn't... at all..."

The bot then peaked in and said: "I suggest you try the jacuzzi, the hot water will help you relax, with that I shall take my leave..." and closed the door.

Alkban followed where the bot had pointed, and saw the pool in the bathroom start bubbling: "is this the jacuzzi?" he put a pincer inside and it felt nice, so he soon put his entire body inside "wow... Thanya come see this, you will love it!"

Thanya didn't talk to him but she followed his example, also surprised "nice... but I'm still angry at you"

Alkban: "angry? why?"

Thanya: "you know what you did"

Alkban: "I truly don't"

Thanya: "you said I'm no one!"

Alkban shrugged with his big pincers while his upper body rested on the side of the jacuzzi: "well, wether you like it or not, that's the truth here"

Thanya: "but I'm the daughter of-"

Alkban: "they don't care"

Thanya: "sent by the queen-"

Alkban: "just a normal subordinate to them, go on"

Thanya: "I'm... I'm-"

Alkban: "just Thanya, a new recruit, so don't cause trouble"

Thanya felt defeated slumping next to Alkban: ".. okay... this bath feels nice..."

Alkban: "It sure does, it sure does..."

---

Back to the city tunnels, Erik stood up.

Erik: "I'm sure everyone has rested well enough! let's go!"

Timberly then stabbed the webbing wall and pulled "huhh... rah!" tearing it open with a shout.

The bots came in first and then the rest of the group, the webs of the tunnel were tinged black as the insects were thrown in the ground sleeping.

Erik: "alright people, grab a larva and cover yourselves in its smell!"

Erik then grabbed one larva, the thing had no eyes and a white liquid dripped from its mouth, while its body lightly glowed a pale blue color.

He touched the substance in the mouth and it was dense, leaving a string on his finger: "hoh... so this is where the webs come from... this gives me an idea..." he raised his voice "everyone! use the slime out of the grubs to seal the left tunnel! that should secure it!"

Everyone quickly got to work and they soon sealed the left tunnel with an extremely thick layer of webbing.

Erik: "that should do it... now carry your grubs, we are taking the right tunnel"

They then entered the wide right tunnel, sleeping critters laying on the floors and walls.

Everyone couldn't avoid having a cold tingle on their spines at that sight.

Erik: "try not to touch any of them, and spew more poison just in case..."

Everyone nodded and cautiously advanced through the tunnels, after an hour the critters on the tunnel were already awake, but they seemed to detect the grubs smell they were carrying, and let them pass.

Erik: "it seems to be working..."

They kept going and arrived at a big room covered in silk, under them a golden floor was barely discernible through the webbing, lot's of tunnels lead to that room, as bigger critters seemed to guard each of the tunnels, towering over every entrance, while the smaller workers carried things inside below their legs.

Erik noticed the workers were carrying crab man parts inside.

Rose: [this is probably the royal palace entrance, we will need to cautiously search around]

Erik: [that makes sense] he saw a big bulge in the middle of the room [I bet that's a statue too]

Erik got close to Shana and whispered: "what now? do you remember where to go?"

Shana whispered back: "it seems quite different but... I think I know how to reach the armoury..."