39. Oasis in the Desert
After being attacked by Mechanical Vespersauruses over and over throughout his journey, Rangga finally began to get used to them.
The moment he spotted a cloud of dust in the distance, he immediately prepared himself. Wait. Dodge. Strike the supporting leg. Then finish the fight with a single thrust to the neck.
Several times he succeeded without a scratch. Occasionally, his arm still received a few minor cuts. But compared to when he had first arrived, his movements were now much calmer.
The long journey also became far less exhausting thanks to the cacti scattered throughout the desert.
Whenever he got thirsty, Rangga simply stopped for a moment, harvested water from a cactus, and continued on his way.
Eventually, the patch of green he had been seeing from the shoreline finally stood right before him.
"Whoa..."
Rangga came to a stop. It wasn't just an ordinary cluster of trees.
In the middle of the vast desert lay a small oasis, its crystal-clear water reflecting the sunlight. Surrounding the oasis stood more than a dozen tall trees.
As Rangga stepped closer, another golden screen appeared.
Date Palm
Description: A desert tree that grows around oases. Produces energy-rich dates and wood that can be used as a basic construction material.
Weakness: Can be chopped down using an axe.
"Dates?" Rangga smiled. "So there's another kind of fruit."
But the date palms weren't the only thing that caught his attention.
Near the edge of the oasis, several mounds of clear crystal glittered under the blazing sun.
Another golden screen appeared.
Quartz Deposit
Description: A natural quartz deposit formed over millions of years in desert regions. Can be processed into glass and various essential components for advanced technological development.
Weakness: Can be mined using a pickaxe.
"Glass?" Rangga nodded. "Then this has to be important too."
However, instead of approaching the Quartz Deposit, his eyes drifted toward the oasis itself.
Several small mechanical creatures were darting between the date palms.
Remembering his unpleasant encounters with the Vespersauruses, Rangga instinctively kept his distance.
"What if... These things attack first too?"
He crouched behind a sand dune and observed them carefully.
Once he got close enough, another golden screen appeared.
Mechanical Shuvuuia
Description: A small mechanical dinosaur native to the desert. Extremely fast and constantly alert to its surroundings. It immediately flees whenever it detects danger.
Weakness: The optical sensor on its head is highly vulnerable to ranged attacks.
Drops:
Alloy Plate
Synthetic Fiber
Composite Alloy Knife Blueprint
Rangga slowly read the description before breaking into a wide grin.
"Now this is more like it... I've been running into nothing but maniacs all day."
He watched the Shuvuuias scurrying around the oasis.
"So they're not aggressive... They run away when they see people."
He nodded with satisfaction.
"And their weakness is ranged attacks."
He immediately slung the Composite Alloy Spear onto his back before slowly taking out his beloved Composite Alloy Bow.
After spending so much time fighting at close range, the bow that had accompanied him since his very first days finally had its chance to shine again.
Rangga didn't aim immediately.
Instead, he carefully studied the movements of the Mechanical Shuvuuias running around the oasis.
"Hmm... They're pretty fast."
The creatures occasionally stopped to peck at the ground before dashing gracefully between the date palms again.
A faint smile appeared on Rangga's face.
"Perfect... Good target practice."
He positioned himself behind a sand dune.
The distance was great enough that the Shuvuuias hadn't noticed him yet.
Rangga took a deep breath and drew the Composite Alloy Bow to its full length.
Whoosh!
The first arrow flew.
Thud!
It struck the optical sensor on the Shuvuuia's head perfectly and the creature instantly dissolved into light.
Rangga didn't move. He simply nocked another arrow.
Whoosh!
The second creature then the third and the fourth. Each time a Shuvuuia fell, the others scattered briefly before calming down again.
Rangga continued taking advantage of the opportunity.
Arrow after arrow flew. His aim became steadier with every shot and he began calculating the targets' movements.
The wind. The distance.
"One... Two... Five... Ten..."
Eventually, Rangga stopped counting altogether. The only sounds echoing through the oasis were the bowstring.
Twang!
Twang!
Twang!
And every so often, a burst of white light as another Shuvuuia disappeared..Before he realized it, the quiver on his back was empty.
Rangga looked inside.
"Out already."
He smiled with satisfaction.
"That was some pretty good shooting."
Only then did he stand up and casually walk into the oasis. One by one, he retrieved the arrows embedded in the ground and lodged in tree trunks.
He didn't waste a single one.
Afterward, he began collecting the scattered loot. Alloy Plates. Synthetic Fiber..Everything went into his boat's inventory.
Occasionally, his hand paused whenever he found a rolled blueprint.
"One..."
He stored it away. Not far ahead, he found the second blueprint.
Rangga's eyes immediately lit up.
"Just one more."
He quickened his pace, collecting the remaining loot beneath the date palms.
Several minutes later, his hand reached the final blueprint. The moment he picked it up, all three blueprints began to glow.
A gentle light enveloped them before they slowly merged into one.
Rangga's grin spread from ear to ear.
"Yes! Complete!"
He clenched his fist triumphantly.
"Target practice, check... Blueprint, check... Now this is what I call good luck."
In a much brighter mood, Rangga stored the Composite Alloy Knife Blueprint inside his inventory before turning his attention back to the oasis.
He slung his bow onto his back again.
After making sure all the loot had been collected, he walked toward one of the towering date palms standing beside the oasis.
He stared hopefully at its trunk.
"Please... Be hardwood."
If it was, he wouldn't have to travel all the way back to Tropical Island just to chop down mahogany trees.
But before swinging his axe, his eyes drifted toward the clusters of ripe dates hanging overhead.
A grin immediately spread across his face.
"Heh... Fruit first."
He climbed the tree, picked several ripe dates, and immediately popped one into his mouth.
"Mmm..."
It was sweet, chewy, and surprisingly filling.
The fatigue from walking beneath the blazing sun seemed to melt away.
"Pretty good."
He ate a few more before climbing back down. Only then did he take out his Copper Axe.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
The Copper Axe was far more comfortable to use than the old Stone Axe. It didn't take long before the date palm finally toppled.
Crash!
Several logs appeared on the ground and Rangga hurried over with an eager smile. But the moment he saw the result, his smile slowly faded.
"Oh, come on... Just regular wood."
He clicked his tongue.
"Tch... So I still have to go back to Tropical Island after all."
His hope of finding a new source of hardwood in the desert was crushed.
Rangga stored the wood and the remaining dates in his inventory before looking toward the crystal deposits sparkling beneath the sunlight.
"Oh well... I'll just gather quartz... I can always get more wood later."
He switched his axe for the Copper Pickaxe. Then he walked toward the nearest Quartz Deposit and began mining.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
Clear crystal fragments broke off one after another, transforming into particles of light before flying into Rangga's boat inventory.