Orb Piercer

Orb Piercers (タマウガチ) are dangerous creatures inhabiting the 4th Layer of The Abyss.

Description
With their quill-covered bodies, Orb Piercers resemble large porcupines. Their red, round heads feature an array of holes, their Force Field-sensing organ, which they use to navigate The Abyss. They are herbivorous, eating algae that grow in the Flat-creepers. Orb Piercers are well-known for their ferocious temper and are incredibly defensive of their territory.

The Flat-creepers in the 4th Layer are important passage routes for Delvers. Because the Orb Piercer considers the entire 1 km diameter of Flat-creepers to be its territory, Delvers need to be exceedingly cautious and pray for a safe passage when in the area. A single Orb Piercer is thought to have taken the limbs and/or lives of over hundred Black Whistle Delvers, over the years.

If an Orb Piercer's life is threatened, it will shed its needles and use them as a distraction for their escape. Their needles have a slow growth rate, so their scarcity might be due to the fact that not many manage to reach a fully matured state.

As dangerous as they are, Orb Piercers don't appear to have a large population, as Reg and Riko only encountered a single one on the 4th Layer.

They are covered with long, sharpened and venomous spines that can pierce through metal, as if was paper. These spines are capable of piercing through the Scaled Umbrella, a durable Artifact synthesized from Charcoal Sand.

Orb Piercers are able to instantly unleash a fearsome amount of strength at any given moment, even on wet ground.

Their most impressive trait is their ability to sense the Force Field of The Abyss. This grants them the ability to sense the flows of consciousness in the Force Field and results in an instinct that allows them to anticipate the future movements of other living beings. This ability makes a battle against Orb Piercers almost impossible. Because of their ability to deal fatal wounds to any wildlife, it is said that there is no other creature in the 4th Layer that can be called their equal.

Orb Piercers have one major weak point, however. The Force Field-sensing organ on their heads are extremely sensitive. If this organ is hit or touched, an Orb Piercer will be thrown into inconceivable pain and a state of confusion that makes it go berserk. Because of its ability to pre-empt enemy actions, it is unlikely that a Delver could exploit this weakness. White Whistle Delvers are, likely, the only humans capable of defeating them in combat.

Venom Symptoms
While the Orb Piercer's venom is quite slow at killing its victim, it is extremely potent. Orb Piercer venom greatly weakens their victims, causing the body to swell, spreading quickly throughout the body. Because of this, many Delvers resort to amputating their limbs.

The only known treatment, Orb Piercer Antidote, was synthesized by Nanachi, while looking for a method to euthanize Mitty.

Known Victims

 * Mitty (Indirectly)
 * Riko

Trivia

 * The Orb Piercer was originally called the "Tokajishi" (トカジシ), but because of its habit of messing up treasures (, Tama) and lives (, Tama), Delvers started calling it "Tamaugachi" instead.
 * The Orb Piercer’s face was designed with the intention to make it un-relatable as one can’t make out its eyes.
 * Orb Piercer venom is sometimes erroneously referred to as "poison". Venom is typically introduced to a victim via wounds, such as those inflicted by the Orb Piercer's quills.