Global Pioener: Earth Second Chance

Rangga finally approached the ⭐⭐⭐ desert island. A vast stretch of sand came into view as soon as his ship drew near, the heat already noticeable even from a distance. As he steered toward the shore, his eyes caught sight of another ship docked on the left side.

Rangga smirked. “That’s gotta be Fajar.”

As soon as his ship stopped, he stepped down and casually walked toward the beach. There, Fajar stood facing the desert, focused on the area ahead, completely unaware that someone was approaching from behind.

Rangga took a few steps closer and called out, “Jar.”

Fajar immediately turned around.

And the next second—

“AAARRGGG!”

He screamed and bolted toward the shore without looking back.

Startled, Rangga instinctively chased after him. “Oi! Where are you going?!”

“Go away! Stay away from me!” Fajar shouted in panic as he ran even faster.

He hadn’t gone far before his foot tripped over the sand. His body stumbled forward, and he tumbled several times before stopping in a messy heap.

Rangga caught up and stood beside him, confused.

“What’s wrong with you, Jar?”

Fajar immediately covered his face with both hands, his voice trembling. “Don’t… don’t do anything to me…”

Now getting annoyed, Rangga nudged his leg with his foot.

“Hey, what’s your problem?”

Fajar slowly lowered his hands. His eyes were still wary as he looked at the figure in front of him—dark leather armor with a rather intimidating design, full of sharp edges and rough details that made the silhouette look more like a creature than a human.

For a few seconds, he said nothing.

Then the figure spoke.

“It’s me. Rangga.”

Fajar froze. A few seconds of silence passed before he let out a long breath.

“Damn…”

He sat up, clutching his chest.

“What the hell is wrong with you? You scared the crap out of me!”

Rangga snapped back. “You’re the one who ran the moment you saw me! Why am I the one getting blamed?”

He then grabbed Fajar’s hand and pulled him up.

Fajar kept staring at him from head to toe, his expression a mix of awe and lingering trauma.

“No wonder Major Deri said not to be surprised… you look terrifying in that outfit.”

Rangga glanced down at his armor. “Hey, I didn’t design this…”

He opened his inventory and pulled out another identical set, along with a one-handed hammer and a shield.

“Here. I brought one for you too.”

Fajar’s eyes widened slightly.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. Go change.”

Fajar didn’t argue. He quickly headed back to his ship, climbed aboard, and disappeared inside to change.

Left alone on the beach, Rangga scratched his head while looking out at the vast desert ahead.

“Am I really that scary…” he muttered.

It didn’t take long before Fajar came back out. The moment he appeared, his expression had completely changed—no longer tense, but full of satisfaction. The armor fit him perfectly, its dark scaled layers and the Simosuchus-shaped shoulder piece giving him a fierce presence.

He grinned widely, admiring himself for a moment before turning to Rangga.

“Damn… this looks awesome.”

Rangga gave a thumbs up without hesitation. “Of course. It’s awesome.”

Fajar suddenly looked a bit awkward, scratching the back of his head. “Hehe… thanks, man.”

Rangga immediately replied casually, “Don’t thank me.”

Fajar paused.

“Pay me in materials.”

Fajar grinned again, as if he’d expected that. He opened his inventory and pulled out the agreed materials, handing them over one by one without complaint.

A simple transaction, but clear. Nothing in this world was free.

In an apartment that now felt far more livable than before, a warm atmosphere filled the modest living room. The television was on, broadcasting a live feed from the Pioneer world, showing Fajar standing in his sturdy, imposing dark armor.

A small child ran back and forth in front of the TV, holding a rice spoon in one hand and a pot lid in the other, swinging them excitedly as if fighting.

“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”

His laughter rang freely, full of joy.

“Dad’s so cool, Mom!” he shouted while running around the room.

Nearby, a woman stood frozen a few steps from the television. Her eyes never left the screen. Her hands trembled slightly as she covered her mouth, trying to hold back emotions that still spilled over.

Tears streamed down her face—but they weren’t from fear.

They were relief and pride.

On the screen, her husband no longer looked like someone struggling desperately to survive.

He looked strong. More prepared. Safer.

The woman gently wiped her tears, still staring at the screen as if she didn’t want to miss a single moment.

Behind her, their child continued playing, imitating the man who had now become his hero.

Rangga glanced at Fajar, who was still adjusting his grip on his new hammer and shield. A faint smile appeared on his face.

“So? Ready for our exploration?”

Fajar raised his shield, then struck it with his hammer.

Dang!

The metallic sound rang out across the quiet desert.

“Ready,” he said confidently. “Relax, I’ll take the front.”

Rangga nodded in satisfaction. “Alright. Let’s go.”

The two of them began walking deeper into the desert island. Vast sand dunes, scattered rock formations, and dry vegetation greeted them. The heat grew more intense the farther they moved from the shore.

Not long after, Rangga suddenly stopped and pointed at a cluster of cacti.

“Jar, let’s go there first.”

Fajar turned, confused. “What for?”

Rangga was already walking toward it. “Water. There’s no water source here—this is probably the only option.”

He pulled out a knife and quickly cleared the cactus spines. Then he punctured the stem and leaned in, drinking the water that seeped out.

Fajar approached, watching.

“Ohh… so this is how you’ve been surviving out here?”

Rangga finished drinking and wiped his mouth. “Yeah. How else would I do it?”

Fajar grinned. “I just brought a ton of water with me. Heh… how did you even think of that?”

Rangga paused for a split second before answering casually.

“I just heard somewhere that cacti store water. Thought it was a myth at first.”

Fajar nodded and tried it himself—clearing the spines, puncturing the cactus, and finally drinking from it.

After they’d had enough, they continued walking, heading deeper into the vast desert.

They hadn’t gone far when the desert wind suddenly carried a cloud of dust from the distance. The blurred shape moved quickly, as if something was running behind it.

Rangga immediately stopped and narrowed his eyes.

“Get ready, Jar… we’ve got a kicker coming.”

His hand moved to grab a throwing spear from his back. Beside him, Fajar instinctively raised his shield, positioning himself behind it, hammer ready in his right hand.

The dust cloud drew closer.

“Come at me!” Fajar shouted, half-bracing himself.

From within the dust, a mechanical Vespersaurus emerged with a sharp metallic screech. At about five meters away, it suddenly leapt—its body launching forward with a brutal straight kick aimed at Fajar.

Fajar raised his shield just in time.

DANG!

The impact rang loudly. Fajar was thrown backward, crashing onto the sand. On the other side, the Vespersaurus was also pushed back from the collision.

But before it could even touch the ground—

Rangga had already moved.

His throwing spear shot straight toward its chest.

TRAK!

The spear pierced right through the center of its body. Instantly, the tip began to glow orange.

Cassssss—

From the spearhead, a stream of molten metal burst out under high pressure, piercing through the Vespersaurus and out the other side.

The effect was brutal—not an explosion, but a searing internal destruction.

The creature trembled for a moment, then its body broke apart into light and vanished.

The desert fell silent again, leaving only the traces of a battle that had ended in an instant.