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Chapter 8 - Leading a Sea Urchin Away...Fails Horribly Wrong

 So it took a while to gather up a few of those coconut things and stash them in a specific area, which was about a few yards away from my lair. 

I had to make sure that nothing tries to take a few of them away, as I want to be sure that the Urchin would leave the area and stay there. I know for a fact that there is a chance that it would return, but at least I wouldn't have to deal with it for the time being. 

Quite naïve of me to do so, but I am ready when that thing tries to fight me, even if it was motivated by food. Hungry animals are deadly as they are a hair's breadth away from wanting to kill you, even though you didn't do anything. 

But would that thought be similar to a non-vertebrate animal like this one? It is very uncommon, I think, since they only do it after food and mating, which is a normal thing for animals. The science behind that thing would agree that, in some cases, that would only happen through instincts and such. 

Competition between animals is really deadly since it is a matter of life and death. 

But what if it was between superpowered animals that have the strength to bend steel and easily crush rocks between their teeth...really hope that wouldn't happen...who am I kidding, there is a huge possibility that a fight would happen between me and this cosmic horror of a sea urchin. 

Speaking of sea urchins, the thing was still walking towards the coconut things, and those things were now trashing about as if trying to get away from where they were, which was next to impossible for them. 

How on earth do these things even survive in a place like this? Maybe it was that fast reproduction that they have. Maybe that's why, since they keep on appearing even though I picked off a few. I guess there is a connection underneath the ground, and I didn't notice anything cause I didn't dig close to them. But there are a few nerves at the end where their roots should have been, so maybe it's that. 

Welp, I might as well begin this plan of mine and stop daydreaming/ talking to myself about scientific stuff. I have been doing that a lot since I am so lonely in this world, and I need something to entertain myself...another downside of having a past recollection of what you once were...great powers are a welcome thing though. 

...Here I am repeating the same thing...

I grab one of the dead coconut things in the pile I just gathered up and make sure that it is the longest one, since I will be using it as a literal carrot on a stick. Not only that, but I need it this long since I will have enough range to either flee or fight that urchin if the situation needs it to be. 

I expected the latter to possibly happen. I ain't expecting much thanks to my experience with the Fauna of this place, the Flora as well, given the coconut things...I've got to stop calling them that. But...I am too lazy to try to. 

As such, I am not naming this urchin or that eel as well unless they have their own given name. That, or I killed them so easily, like what I might do to this urchin, as it was now looking at me very funny. 

All I did was just do what I headed out to do as I waved the top end of the coconut thing towards the urchin. It works as it's many eyes looking towards the leafy top of the dead coconut thing. 

It was enticed by it, but when it finally noticed me, its gaze was locked on me. 

Now, I know a fair amount of knowledge about sea urchins, as they do eat meat, but those are the non-vertebrate variety and mainly eat sea plants most of the time. So I should have realized that they wouldn't be mainly herbivores and may be omnivores...which isn't good for me. 

So with that plan failing, I wait for the time when the urchin would try to pounce. Slow crawl towards me. 

Again, I should have expected this, as from the mass of eyes, many more tentacles erupted out of it. But these were filled with spikes and had a circular mouth-like thing filled with rows of sharp teeth. 

So, seeing that I did what any normal being would do. I quickly backed off, and then slowly and quickly tried to run away from the area as far away as I could. 

Much to my dismay, the urchin's tentacles were faster than I was expecting, so I did the next best thing. I threw the coconut thing at it to block those things, which worked as those tentacles struck it instead of me. Some of its tentacles were even stuck to the trunk of it, which was lucky for me if it weren't for the fact that it was able to rip itself free from it. 

It took some force to do it, and there were still bits large and small still clinging to it. 

This exchange taught me a couple of things. One should not try to be passive towards the large animals, as they are more aggressive, it seems. Second, expect something way too different from the norm, or you will be eaten. Lastly, I need to get really used to my new body.

I thought as I did my best to dodge the tentacles to the best of my abilities. This urchin was slow, but its tentacles make up for its slow mobility. 

I tried to keep my distance from it, but it was still able to reach me somehow. These tentacles can stretch to an absurd length, about roughly ten times the urchin's height. 

A couple more dodging by jumping and side-stepping, and I was getting tired. It took me a relatively large amount of energy to do those dodges, plus my scouting earlier took a bit from me. 

I shouldn't have done that. Now I am in a situation where getting close and trying to attack wouldn't work with those spikes, while trying to get away is harder with its tentacles. 

What a specimen, a perfect combination of defense and attack. Yet I might be able to kill it.

I noticed earlier as well, now that it cannot move fast, and the fact that it is standing on sand, which is notoriously loose. That, and it had a hard time getting that coconut thing off of it. 

A plan made its way into my head as I quickly went towards the jungle/forest, where the tentacles followed as well. 

The plan was simple, as I would need to force the tentacles to strike at either the trees or anything to get those parts of it to tangle or get stuck in them. Once that happens, I will pounce and strike it at the top, an obvious opening, as that is where its organs are exposed. 

My eyes turned towards the sound of snapping trees and crunching rock as the first step of my plan succeeded. A couple of its tentacles were stuck, but a few weren't. Yet it was a comfortable number for me to turn and head straight to the urchin, which was struggling to get those tentacles of it free. 

I reel back my right pincher in a familiar fashion. Jumped, and stabbed it right at the top, where its organs burst out in a spew of gore and fluids. 

It still trashed a bit, which I then proceeded to stab the top again and again until it stopped and died.

I then mentally sigh as I just took a little break...I should find a better place to turn into my lair...

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