*( mood songs: "P.O.D. - Boom" & "Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills")

--- cliff wall ---

Dozens of octopeople teams carried and after drilling holes on the cliff wall, installed the charges on the wall, thousands of them separated in groups and in layers at different heights, all to ensure a proper minefield.

Other teams wearing breathing filter helmets and protective suits, applied a sticky gel to the cliff wall, it was a mix of algae sticky gelatine and mushroom spores, the algae paste would keep it stuck to the wall and also work as a food source, Erik had observed that with appropriate nutrients they could grow in just a couple of weeks, it would be too late to be used against the current enemy army, but it would create a living barrier to protect them on the future.

And a third specialized team was installing cameras and turrets lead by the Third Elder, they would control them remotely to get rid of any stragglers.

Erik observed the progress by the side with the elders as they protected the teams working on the cliff wall, with some abyssals already having gotten close but having been shot dead by concentrated fire, and then tied airbags to the corpses and sent up to be further processed and gutted outside the octopeople city.

[It's coming along nicely (≖‿≖)]

Erik: [ yeah, I need to make sure not to kill their general though, and to capture as many alive as I can, one never has enough test subjects, and they might also have useful organs]

[aren't the cells already full?]

Erik: [...well, that's true, I will keep 12 in good condition and rip off the arms and legs of the other captured ones, that way they won't escape]

[what do you need to test? did you make the mind-reading machine in the end?]

Erik: [...that's the problem... I didn't, different brains and brain wavelengths, it's even different from individual to individual... it was too complicated... you were right... so... I will have to interrogate some of them, and also make avatars for the elders and some spares, as for the rest, I need to test the effects of the aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic concentrates on them?]

[why not test them on the ones already captured?]

Erik: [the rock crab tribe are really good specimens... it would be a waste to just use them to test drugs]

[well... you are right, and how do you plan to capture them?]

Erik: [Well, as Sun Tzu said "He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy

unprepared"]

[what does that mean?]

Erik: [to ambush the enemy, they should be arriving here in 1 day or so, and they will also be tired from climbing so... with the chaos created by the explosions we will ambush those remaining]

[even then... that just relies on luck... and how will you even know who the general is? what if he dies in the ambush?]

Erik: [you are right... well, I have a backup plan, don't worry] he then looked at Jennifer as she gave instructions to her team of engineers "Jennifer! have your team install more cameras down below too, I wanna know their numbers and organization beforehand"

Jennifer gave him a nod from afar and talked to her team, as they descended more, escort teams also following them.

--- hundreds of meters down below ---

The army had reorganized after fleeing from the abyssal herd, but only 400 had made it, the other 200 disappeared or reported as dead, Abyssals having eaten them out of the cliff wall.

The general observed his army and he could see the morale was really low, deciding to motivate them before continuing "we have lost many brothers to those cunning hybrids and demons, we all have made sacrifices, but... the end is near! we are almost there! think of the spoils! we will give a woman to each one of you! and as many riches as you can carry! you won't have to work anymore for the rest of your lives!"

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The army cheered believing his lies and continued with renewed vigor without stopping for an entire day when they found a shiny biped obstructing their army.

The general was wary and made the army stop, whispering an order to a nearby guard "keep your eyes open for an ambush" and then came to the front of the army, shouting "WHO ARE YOU, STRANGER, TO STAND IN THE WAY OF THE RIGHTEOUS SHADOW CLAW ARMY?!"

Erik almost broke his serious facade to that 'so slavers are righteous now... yeah right' and with a thundering amplified voice answered "I ASSUME YOU ARE THE LEADER OF THOSE DEMONS? WELL... AT LEAST OF THE ONES THAT REMAIN AT LEAST... HOPE YOU ALL LIKED MY GIFT!"

The entire shadow claw army gritting their jaws to that, even the general was enraged "EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY SOLDIERS DIED FOR THE GLORY OF OUR ETERNAL DYNASTY! AND SO WE SHALL END YOU IN THE END!"

Erik smirked 'I got him, an enraged enemy won't think twice!' he made a pose opening his arms "ETERNAL WAS IT? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! TELL YOU WHAT... YOU... AND ME... A ONE ON ONE DUEL... DO YOU DARE?"

The general sensed that something wasn't right and hesitated, his army and honor wouldn't allow him to back down though "OF COURSE I DARE!" and stepped forward at the same time as Erik.

They met on common ground in the middle, as Erik offered him his hand "it's a sign of respect in my village to grab the hand of your opponent before a duel..., but it's fine if you are scared..."

The general was a bit reticent but still acceded, with his knife ready 'perfect, once we grab hands I will use the chance to stab him dead, so naive... just need to grab his hand and then- '

*clang*

His knife didn't even scratch the power armor, and instead, Erik had stabbed a needle full of poison through his abdomen, a mix of hallucinogens and paralysis poison.

Erik bent over to the bloodshot general and whispered to him "we had the same plan... respect to that but... I was better prepared~" he then grabbed the paralyzed general under his arm and bolted away using his propulsors, passing over the minefield.

The shadow claw army soldiers were shocked, and a sub captain readily shouted "CHARGE! SAVE THE GENERAL!!!!"

The army instantly charging as one, advancing with all they had..., sadly... courage alone doesn't win wars.

They rapidly entered the delayed explosion minefield, the first ones managing to cross it, but then...

*BOOM*

Chain after chain of explosions blew the army in 2, the ones below even falling due to the shockwave as they desperately tried to grab back to the cliff wall.

the ones on the front were torn between going after their general or turning back to help their brothers. They weren't given much time to think though, as hundreds of octopeople appeared and sprayed the dozens at the front with poison, leaving them weakened and then easily capturing them tying them up.

Then just opening fire on the hundreds of still alive enemies struggling to climb back up, the sound of hundreds of rifles shooting at once, thundering and reverberating, even making some of the climbing soldiers fall from the scare alone.

The reload was quick, and another salvo followed the first.

*BOOOM!!!!*

Heads were blown off, torsos exploded and arms and legs were lost. Led by desperation, the remaining soldiers alive after 2 salvos quickly drank their potions, climbing faster and without fear.

Sadly, bullets don't care if you fear them or not, the charge was futile as the third salvo decimated them, some stranglers even deciding to surrender, injured and surrounded by the helpless corpses of their brothers in arms.

All this time, Erik kept the paralyzed general looking at the massacre, and its bloodshot eyes open, whispering to his ear "see that? all the pieces left from your soldiers... YOU... FAILED...ITS... YOUR... FAULT..." then Erik tapped in his helmet, emitting to the radios of all the octopeople "I AS THE FIFTH ELDER, I ANNOUNCE THAT WE! WERE! VICTORIOUS!"

All the octopeople around cheered, including the other elders as Erik continued "TODAY WE START OUR REVENGE AGAINST THE DEMONS FROM BELOW, I PROMISE YOU ALL... THAT TODAY WILL BE THE FIRST VICTORY OF MANY! I WILL MAKE SURE TO BRING BACK THE GLORY THAT THE OCTOPEOPLE ONCE ENJOYED!!!!"

* FOR THE FIFTH ELDER! FOR ERIK! FOR THE GLORY OF OUR ANCESTORS!*

The octopeople loudly cheered and then they started the ascension.

[you managed to pull it off... how did you know he would accept the duel]

Erik responded with a cheeky voice [easy, he's a fool, he thinks himself oh so great and I insulted what he believes in, pressured by his soldiers it was impossible for him to step back, that would have also damaged his soldier's morale, he just lost the psychological battle before the fight even started, we will have lots of fun tomorrow though kekeke~]

[can't wait (◉ω◉)]

--- Hybrid Crab Tribe ---

While all of this happened, Anhuka was planning a different kind of ambush 'Ah~ Erik... Erik... I finally know his name... and I finally managed to ask the guards about him using my position as his helper... hehehe~ his helper... HIS! I'M HIS!...' she slapped her cheeks 'Ah, concentrate me! the plan to make Erik love me starts!' she unfolded a piece of leather grabbing a rounded stone and using it to scrape on it her master plan 'I found out from the guard he likes cooking so I... what does cooking even mean though? well, she said eating so... food, yeah, I just need to make something for him... if only I could observe him all the time... I could find out many more things that way... I need a better position... I will do a good job, and if those crabs dare to get in the way of my love... hehe... hehehe~ heheheheheHAHAHAHAHA! I WILL END THEM!'