World Attention
On Earth...
The moment the Mechanical Protoceratops rammed into the boulder and shattered it into countless pieces, millions of viewers watching Rangga's livestream collectively held their breath.
No one was joking anymore.
The creature was far larger than any mechanical dinosaur that had appeared before.
Its charge had been powerful enough to pulverize a massive boulder with a single impact.
The comment section scrolled at an incredible speed.
"Rangga, fall back!"
"Don't force it!"
"Watch out! Don't get hit!"
"One charge and you're done!"
"Come on, Rangga! You can do it!"
Countless viewers from Garuda Nation cheered him on. At the same time, comments from overseas began pouring in.
"There's no way he can win."
"A creature that size isn't meant to be fought."
"Running away would make more sense."
"If he keeps going, he's just waiting to die."
When Rangga rolled away from the first charge, viewers around the world tensed with him.
Then, when his arm was finally scraped against the rocks and began bleeding, the comment section exploded once more.
"He's hurt!"
"He's bleeding!"
"I hope it's not serious!"
"Rangga, fall back!"
Yet only a few minutes later... When Rangga drove his spear into the back of the Protoceratops' neck...
The entire world watched as the gigantic mechanical beast dissolved into particles of light.
For a brief moment... The comment section fell completely silent... Then it erupted more violently than ever before.
---
Elsewhere, Putri still sat alone in her room. Her eyes never left the television screen.
Ever since the Mechanical Protoceratops had begun charging, both of her hands had been clutching the edge of her blanket.
She bit her lip repeatedly as she watched Rangga dive aside again and again.
Her heart pounded faster with every charge. Then she saw blood begin to trickle from her brother's arm.
Her eyes immediately reddened. Tears almost fell, but she forced herself to hold them back.
In a voice so soft that only she could hear it, she whispered,
"Be careful, Big Brother..."
Her gaze never wavered.
Only after the Mechanical Protoceratops finally collapsed and dissolved into light did she slowly release the breath she'd been holding.
Her hands were still tightly clasped together.
"Keep going, Big Brother... Don't lose..."
---
Meanwhile inside the conference room of Garuda Nation's Presidential Palace...
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The atmosphere was even quieter. Not a single person had spoken since the battle began. Every pair of eyes remained fixed on the giant screen.
They had watched a massive boulder shatter from a single charge.
They had watched Rangga repeatedly gamble with his life by attacking from point-blank range.
And they had witnessed him gradually figure out exactly how to defeat the monster.
When the Mechanical Protoceratops finally dissolved into light. The room remained silent. Several officials exchanged glances.
None of them seemed able to believe what they had just witnessed.
President Prabu finally broke the silence.
"General Suryo... If you had been in Rangga's position... Are you confident you could have defeated that creature?"
Everyone in the room turned toward General Suryo. The general remained silent for several moments before slowly shaking his head.
"I don't know, Mr. President."
"We had no information about that creature."
"We didn't know its weak point."
"We didn't know its attack pattern."
His eyes returned to the screen, where Rangga was sitting on a rock inspecting his wound.
"Besides... A battle like that isn't just about courage... It's about being able to analyze the situation and make the right decision within seconds."
Silence filled the room once again. The officials' view of Rangga slowly changed.
Before today, they had only seen him as an ordinary civilian who happened to be progressing faster than the other Pioneers.
But after watching that battle, they began to realize something. Rangga might not be a soldier.
But his ability to adapt and make decisions under extreme pressure was something not even every trained soldier possessed.
---
At the same time, inside the Situation Room of Eagle Nation... The atmosphere was equally tense.
The enormous screen had just replayed the final moments of Rangga's battle against the Mechanical Protoceratops.
The instant the rhinoceros-sized machine dissolved into light... A four-star general slammed his fist onto the conference table.
BANG!
"Impossible."
Everyone immediately turned toward him. The general grabbed the thick dossier lying before him.
Printed across one corner were the words:
Subject: Rangga
Status: Pioneer of Garuda Nation
He flipped through the first several pages.
A photograph of Rangga. Educational history. Employment history. Every piece of intelligence had already been compiled.
The general skimmed through it before raising his head.
"Director of Intelligence."
A middle-aged man wearing glasses immediately answered.
"Yes, General."
The general lifted the file.
"Is this information accurate?"
The Intelligence Director nodded confidently.
"It is... We obtained it through our intelligence network inside Garuda Nation."
"His identity has been fully verified... There are no signs of fabrication."
The general looked back down at the file.
It clearly stated:
Occupation: Cargo laborer.
Military Service: None.
Police Record: None.
Combat Training: None found.
Family: Both parents deceased. Has one younger sister currently under the protection of Garuda Nation's military.
The general slowly closed the folder before pointing toward the screen, which was still replaying Rangga's battle.
"If that's true... Then who exactly is the man fighting on that screen?"
The room instantly fell silent. No one could answer because there was no explanation that made sense.
On paper, Rangga was nothing more than an ordinary laborer. Yet only minutes ago, they had watched him read an enemy's attack pattern...
Exploit its momentum... Identify its weakness... And kill a mechanical beast the size of a rhinoceros using nothing more than primitive equipment.
President Eagle finally broke the silence.
"Has Garuda Nation responded to yesterday's press conference?"
The Secretary of State checked his tablet.
"No official response yet, Mr. President."
"Neither President Prabu nor their Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement."
The President nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving Rangga's face on the screen.
"In that case... We'll request an official explanation."
He paused.
"I want to know how a civilian with no military background... managed to defeat a creature of that size while suffering nothing more than a superficial wound."
Nearby, the Intelligence Director reopened Rangga's file. He stared at Rangga's photograph for several moments before quietly saying,
"Mr. President... If this file is accurate... Then the change occurred only after he entered the Pioneers' world."
Silence returned once more. Everyone considered the possibility. But the silence lasted only a moment.
BANG!
The four-star general slammed the table again.
"Ridiculous!"
He stood and pointed toward another screen positioned on the right side of the room.
Displayed there was the livestream of Eagle Nation's Pioneer.
A well-built man in military gear crouched behind a bush. The name in the corner of the screen was unmistakable.
David — Former Special Forces Operator
David was carefully stalking a lone Mechanical Compsognathus with a stone spear in his hands.
The general pointed furiously at the screen.
"That's David! One of the finest elite soldiers our country has! He has more than ten years of combat experience!"
Then he turned toward Rangga's screen.
"And this man... is nothing more than a cargo laborer! How is it possible for an ordinary civilian to kill a beast that size... while one of our best soldiers is still cautiously approaching a mechanical dinosaur no larger than a dog?"
No one answered. Because none of them had an explanation.
President Eagle continued looking calmly at Rangga's screen. Several moments later, he spoke.
"Whatever the reason may be... We must uncover the truth."
He turned toward the Secretary of State.
"Contact Garuda Nation again."
"I want an official meeting as soon as possible."
"If they truly know something... We must ensure that information doesn't remain in their hands alone."
Silence once again filled the room. Meanwhile on the screen, Rangga simply sat atop the rocks, quietly examining the scrape on his arm.
Completely unaware that his actions had become the focus of world leaders across the globe.