Deadly Rampage
Rangga remained crouched behind the massive boulder, waiting several seconds.
No footsteps approached. Slowly, he peeked around the edge.
The Mechanical Protoceratops was still circling the Copper Vein.
"Phew... It hasn't left."
Rangga took a deep breath.
"Alright... one more time."
He slowly nocked another arrow and drew his bow.
Creaaak...
The arrowhead settled on the Protoceratops' front leg. But just as Rangga was about to fine-tune his aim, The Protoceratops suddenly stopped.
Its head turned directly toward the boulder where Rangga was hiding. Its mechanical eyes seemed to stare straight at him.
"...Huh?"
Startled, Rangga instinctively flinched. The fingers holding the bowstring slipped.
Fwoosh!
"Eh?!"
The arrow flew out by accident.
CLANG!
Once again, it slammed into the Protoceratops' heavily armored head and ricocheted away.
Rangga's eyes widened.
"...I'm screwed."
The Mechanical Protoceratops let out a deep mechanical snort.
GRRRRHHH!!
Its front legs stomped heavily against the ground, sending dust flying.
The very next second It charged straight at Rangga.
"WOAH WOAH WOAH!"
Rangga instantly threw himself sideways. He rolled across the rocky ground several times. A split second later—
BOOOOM!!
The Protoceratops smashed into the boulder Rangga had been hiding behind.
The massive rock cracked apart before exploding into countless fragments.
Dust filled the air.
Still sitting several meters away, Rangga stared blankly as a boulder the size of his body shattered into tiny pieces.
"..."
He swallowed hard.
"I would've been pancake meat if that hit me..."
Rangga immediately scrambled to his feet.
Without thinking, he grabbed his Composite Alloy Bow and nocked another arrow.
Meanwhile, the Mechanical Protoceratops shook its head repeatedly, knocking away chunks of broken rock that had landed on its body.
"Here's my chance..."
Rangga drew the bowstring.
Creaaak...
He aimed at its front leg again. But just before releasing, The Protoceratops turned toward him once more and lowered its body.
Its enormous head automatically covered both front legs like a shield.
"...Seriously?"
Rangga released the arrow anyway.
Fwoosh!
CLANG!
Once again, the arrow slammed into the creature's armored head. Once again it bounced off.
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"Dammit!"
GRROOOHHH!!
The Mechanical Protoceratops roared. Without giving him a moment to breathe It charged again.
Rangga gritted his teeth.
"Son of a—! Here it comes again!"
He rolled sideways.
The creature's horns swept through the exact spot where he'd been standing only an instant earlier.
This time, it didn't crash into a rock or cliff.
It simply barreled forward for several meters before finally stopping.
Rangga hurried to his feet, chest heaving.
"I'm dead..."
His eyes never left the Mechanical Protoceratops as it slowly turned around to face him again.
Only then did Rangga realize something.
"...Damn."
"It knows."
"It knows how to protect its own weak point."
Every time it sensed danger from the front, the Protoceratops lowered its head.
Its massive cranial shield completely covered the joints in its front legs.
Rangga scratched his head.
"The bow won't work..."
"So what now?"
A few seconds later, his eyes widened.
"Oh."
"The spear."
Without hesitation, he slung the bow onto his back.
His hand reached for the Composite Alloy Spear—a weapon he had never used against a real enemy before.
Gripping it firmly with both hands, he leveled the spear straight ahead.
Rangga took a deep breath before grinning.
"Come on..."
"Charge me."
"Let's see who's the matador here."
The Mechanical Protoceratops growled again.
GRRRR...
Its front feet pounded the ground.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Dust billowed between the rocks. Rangga tightened his grip.
"Come on..."
"Bring it."
The next instant—
GROOOHHH!!
The Mechanical Protoceratops charged at full speed. This time, Rangga didn't dodge immediately. He stood his ground.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
The distance closed rapidly.
"A little closer..."
"...just a little..."
The instant the creature's horns were about to reach him—Rangga threw himself sideways.
THUD!
His body rolled across the rocks.
At the same moment, both hands swung the spear toward the joint of the creature's left front leg.
CRAAACK!!
The Composite Alloy Spear pierced straight through the exposed mechanical joint.
"It went in!"
But the momentum of the charge was overwhelming. The spear was ripped from Rangga's hands.
"Eh?!"
It flew several meters away before clattering among the rocks.
Meanwhile The Mechanical Protoceratops lost its balance. Its front legs buckled.
BRAKK!!
Its massive body slammed into the rocky ground, sending dust everywhere. Rangga quickly got back to his feet, breathing heavily.
His eyes immediately searched for his spear.
"There!"
It lay several meters to his right. But before he could retrieve it—
GRRRHHH...
The Mechanical Protoceratops growled again. It struggled to stand. Its front legs pushed against the ground. Halfway up—
THUD!
It collapsed once more.
Seeing that, a slow smile spread across Rangga's face.
"...Got you."
Without wasting the opportunity, he sprinted forward. He snatched up the Composite Alloy Spear. The moment it was back in his hands, he spun around.
The Mechanical Protoceratops had finally managed to stand again.
Although one front leg now limped noticeably, the glow in its mechanical eyes had only become fiercer.
It roared.
GROOOHHH!!
Then charged again.
"Come on!"
Rangga gripped the spear with both hands. He waited.
Closer.
Closer.
Then—
THUD!
Rangga rolled to the left. At the same time, the spear thrust into the exact same front-leg joint.
CRAAACK!!
The second strike fractured the mechanical joint even further.
The Mechanical Protoceratops immediately lost its balance. Its enormous body crashed to the ground.
BOOOOM!!
This time, however, Rangga didn't escape unscathed. As he rolled, his left arm slammed into a jagged rock.
"Ah!"
The leather armor scraped violently against the stone. Near the copper deposit, shards of sharp ore gouged across his arm and side.
A sharp sting shot through his body.
Although the leather armor prevented a deep wound, a thin line of blood still seeped from the scrape on his arm.
Rangga winced.
"Dammit..."
"That actually hurts..."
He immediately jumped back to his feet. He didn't even bother checking the wound.
His hand reached for the Composite Alloy Spear once more.
As soon as he gripped it again, his eyes locked onto the Mechanical Protoceratops.
The beast was still trying to stand. Its front legs trembled violently. It managed to lift itself halfway only to collapse again.
THUD!
Rangga took a deep breath.
"...Running out of strength, huh?"
Even so, he didn't recklessly approach from the front. Instead, he slowly circled around the creature.
One step.
Two.
Until he finally reached its rear. Only from that angle did Rangga notice something.
The enormous cranial shield didn't completely protect the neck.
Behind it—Just beneath the back edge of the shield—A mechanical joint connected the head to the body.
"...There's an opening."
Rangga tightened his grip on the spear. The Mechanical Protoceratops struggled once more.
Its head slowly began to rise. That was the moment Rangga sprinted forward.
"Finish this!"
Putting every ounce of strength into the attack, he drove the Composite Alloy Spear into the exposed neck joint.
CRAAACK!!
The spearhead punched through. Rangga twisted the shaft with all his might.
KRAAAKKK!!
The sound of breaking metal echoed from inside the Mechanical Protoceratops.
The beast froze. Its entire body stopped moving. Several seconds later, white light enveloped its massive frame.
The Mechanical Protoceratops gradually dissolved into countless particles of light.
When the light faded, several items fell onto the rocky ground.
One Stabilizer Module. Several Reinforced Alloy Plates. And a rolled-up blueprint.
Rangga hurried over and unrolled it.
A blue screen appeared.
Composite Alloy Hammer Blueprint 1/3
Collect all blueprint fragments to unlock the crafting recipe.
"A hammer?"
A wide grin spread across Rangga's face.
"So there's another tool."
He quickly stored everything inside the ship's inventory.
Only after everything was safely stored did he finally let out a long breath.
"Haaah..."
He dropped onto a nearby rock.
"Damn..."
Only now did the pain truly register. Rangga looked down at his left arm.
Several sections of his leather armor had been torn open by the sharp rocks.
Beneath the tears, a long scrape stretched across his arm, still slowly bleeding.
Rangga grimaced.
"Dammit..."
"This is the first real injury I've taken."
He slowly shook his head while staring at the blood on his arm.
"From now on..."
"I can't afford to be careless anymore."