55. Rocky Island ⭐⭐⭐ Resource
Rangga finally reached the top of a rocky outcrop. Standing atop it, he swept his gaze across the entire island.
"Damn... This place is huge."
Rocky hills stretched in every direction. Towering cliffs connected one after another as far as the eye could see. But that wasn't what made him stop.
Roughly five hundred meters ahead, a massive mechanical silhouette was casually walking among the rocks.
Even from that distance, its enormous body was clearly visible.
Rangga immediately focused his vision. A moment later, a golden interface appeared.
MECHANICAL KENTROSAURUS
[TYPE: MECHANICAL HERBIVORE]
Description: A medium-sized mechanical herbivore that inhabits rocky mountain regions. The metallic spikes lining its back and tail function as high-velocity projectiles, allowing it to drive away threats from medium range. Once all of its spikes have been launched, the Kentrosaurus requires time to reload its launcher system and relies on the spikes on its tail for close-range attacks.
Weakness: Vulnerable after all Spine Launchers have been fired. The launcher units along its back become exposed and can be easily damaged.
Drops:
- Tin Ingot
- Hydraulic Actuator
- Spine Launcher
Rangga read the description slowly. The farther down he read, the wider his eyes became.
"Holy shit... What the hell is this?"
He looked back at the creature.
Rows of metallic spikes along the Kentrosaurus' back reflected the sunlight.
"Its spikes are missiles? And it's freaking huge..."
He reread the weakness section. A few seconds later, his expression went completely blank.
"...I'm so screwed."
He read it again, making sure he hadn't misunderstood. Vulnerable after all Spine Launchers have been fired.
Rangga grabbed his own head.
"You've gotta be kidding me... So I have to dodge every single spike first... before I can even kill it?"
He rubbed his face.
"Man... I'm dead."
For a brief moment, he remembered the weapon upgrade choices from a few days ago.
"If I'd known... I would've picked the shield."
But he immediately dismissed the thought and shook his head.
"No... Even with a shield I'd still have to get close. I'd just die from getting shot before I ever reached it."
He looked at the Mechanical Kentrosaurus again as it continued strolling leisurely among the rocks then he let out a long sigh.
"Damn... A three-star island really doesn't mess around."
Back on Earth, the moment the Mechanical Kentrosaurus appeared on the livestream, the atmosphere everywhere changed.
"Damn..."
"That thing's huge!"
"Holy crap..."
"First time I've ever seen a dinosaur that big."
The livestream chat exploded, scrolling so fast it became almost impossible to read.
"Now THIS feels like a dinosaur."
"That's almost three meters tall."
"And that's just a Kentrosaurus."
"What happens when a T-Rex shows up?"
"Think there'll be Brachiosauruses too?"
"Man... That world is way more dangerous than we thought."
Until now, many people had assumed the mechanical creatures encountered by the Pioneers would only be small or medium-sized dinosaurs.
The appearance of the Kentrosaurus completely shattered that assumption.
Inside the Garuda Nation's monitoring room, the analysts also fell silent. One of them stared at the creature's size on the screen.
"Nearly three meters tall... And that's only a herbivore."
General Suryo folded his arms, his eyes never leaving the display.
"If even the herbivores are this large..."
He didn't finish the sentence and he didn't have to. Everyone in the room understood what he meant.
If the herbivores were already this terrifying... What would the apex predators be like?
Silence filled the room once again and one analyst quietly spoke.
"Could that world also have Tyrannosauruses...?"
Another added,
"Or Brachiosauruses..."
"Or Spinosauruses."
No one could answer. Until now, nobody had ever seen the true limits of the Pioneers' world.
They only knew one thing. The higher the island's difficulty... The more terrifying the creatures waiting within it. And now, the people of Earth truly realized something.
The Pioneers' world wasn't merely a place for survival. It was an ancient mechanical world...
One still hiding countless gigantic monsters no one had ever seen before.
Rangga continued watching the Mechanical Kentrosaurus for a while.
The creature kept wandering leisurely among the rocks.
Its tail occasionally swayed back and forth while the rows of metallic spikes along its back glittered beneath the sunlight.
Rangga sighed.
"Nah... Let's not go looking for trouble on day one."
He slowly backed away from the rocky outcrop.
If he really had to fight something that massive eventually... Today wasn't the day.
There was still too much of the island left unexplored. Finding resources came first.
Remaining alert, Rangga headed in another direction, putting more distance between himself and the Kentrosaurus.
A short while later, something unusual caught his eye. An area in the distance was a completely different color.
The ground there appeared much darker. Nearly every rock was pitch black.
Rangga frowned.
"Huh? What's that?"
He looked around carefully. There was no sign of another massive mechanical creature like the Kentrosaurus.
"Hopefully... There aren't any more weird dinosaurs."
He quickened his pace toward the dark area. The closer he got, the clearer it became.
It wasn't dark soil. Instead, thick black mineral deposits protruded from the ground.
The moment he arrived, the golden interface appeared again.
Coal Deposit
[TYPE: MINERAL DEPOSIT]
Description: Ancient coal formed from prehistoric vegetation subjected to immense pressure over thousands of years. Produces significantly more heat than charcoal, making it the primary fuel for metal-smelting industries.
Habitat: Rock Island ⭐⭐⭐
Weakness: Can be mined using a Metal Pickaxe.
Rangga's eyes immediately lit up.
"There we go... A new resource."
A broad grin spread across his face.
"Coal too... If it burns hotter than charcoal, it's definitely gonna be useful."
Without wasting another second, Rangga unslung his metal pickaxe and swung it at the black deposit.
CLANG!
Tiny sparks scattered and he raised the pickaxe again.
"Alright... Mining day it is."
Rangga immediately began swinging.
CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!
Chunks of coal continued breaking loose. The deposit turned out to be far larger than he'd expected.
The more he mined, the more coal appeared.
"Hmm... There's a lot here."
He kept working without stopping and sweat began running down his forehead. Still, he maintained the same steady rhythm.
Minutes passed then dozens of minutes. Until finally—
CRACK!
The next swing felt strange and Rangga stopped. He looked down at the pickaxe in his hands.
The copper pickaxe head had cracked then it slowly detached from the handle.
"Ah, shit... My pickaxe broke."
He held up the broken handle with a grimace.
"My copper pickaxe's done for."
Rangga opened his ship's inventory and his eyes immediately landed on the occupied storage slots.
80 / 200
He nodded.
"Eh... Still got a decent haul."
He actually still had one spare copper pickaxe but he shook his head.
"Better not waste it all in one place... I still need to look for other resources."
He stored the broken handle back into his inventory before dusting the black coal residue from his hands.
"Alright... Time to find something new."
Leaving the coal deposit behind, Rangga noticed another tall rock formation not far away.
He slowly climbed it once more. Upon reaching the top, he swept his gaze across every corner of the island.
Searching for anything unusual.
Anything that might become his next discovery on this mysterious three-star Rock Island.