66. The Desert Giant
The dust slowly settled after the brief fight. Rangga lowered his hand and immediately turned toward Fajar, who was still lying flat on the sand.
“Hey, Jar. You okay?”
Fajar stayed still for a few seconds, completely like a flipped turtle. Then he finally rolled over and got up slowly.
“I’m good… I’m fine,” he said, brushing sand off his clothes.
Rangga put his hands on his hips, shaking his head slightly.
“What was that? You can’t just tank it like that.”
Fajar frowned. “What? That was wrong?”
Rangga stepped closer. “Yesterday I was with Major Deri. When he blocks, he doesn’t do it like that.”
He gestured. “Here, your shield.”
Fajar followed, raising his shield. Rangga positioned himself in front of him.
“This is what Major Deri said,” Rangga explained while adjusting the angle of the shield. “If an attack comes from the front, don’t hold it straight. Tilt it a bit.”
He lightly thrust the tip of his spear at the shield from an angle.
Tang—
The force slid off to the side instead of hitting straight into the body.
“Like this,” Rangga continued. “The attack gets deflected here. You stay standing instead of getting thrown back like before.”
Fajar watched carefully, then nodded.
“Oh… I see. So don’t block it head-on?”
Rangga shrugged. “I don’t know the theory. But yesterday, Major Deri never got knocked over like you did.”
Fajar scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.
“Alright… then let’s practice on the next one.”
Rangga nodded. “Sure.”
He turned and started walking deeper into the desert.
“Come on. But do it properly this time. Don’t fall again.”
Fajar grinned and followed beside him.
“Yeah… I’ll try.”
They continued moving through the desert using the same pattern as before—not straight ahead, but zigzagging from one cactus to another. Every so often, they stopped briefly to drink water, maintaining their stamina under the growing heat.
Not long after they finished drinking, dust appeared again in the distance.
Rangga immediately became alert. “Jar, ready.”
Fajar nodded and took position. His shield rose in front of him, this time slightly angled as instructed. Rangga stood behind, watching the enemy’s movement.
The mechanical Vespersaurus emerged from the dust, sprinting toward them. Within seconds, it closed to five meters.
It leapt, launching a straight kick with a sharp mechanical screech.
Fajar didn’t retreat. He held his ground.
DANG!
The impact came—but this time it was different. Fajar was only pushed back slightly, not thrown. The attack deflected to the side following the shield’s angle.
At that exact moment, Rangga moved.
He read the deflection perfectly and stepped in, striking the Vespersaurus’s leg with the shaft of his javelin.
Krak!
The leg structure bent instantly. The creature lost balance and tumbled onto the sand.
Fajar grinned.
“Yeah… this is way easier.”
Rangga smiled. “Go on, finish it with your hammer. While it can’t move.”
Fajar nodded and stepped forward without hesitation. He raised his hammer high and brought it down onto the Vespersaurus’s head.
Duk!
One strike—and the creature shattered into light. Loot appeared on the sand, and Fajar quickly picked it up.
He turned to Rangga with a satisfied smile.
“Alright, next one I’ll handle on my own.”
Rangga gave a thumbs-up. “Go for it. But deflect it to your right so your hammer swing lines up.”
Fajar nodded firmly, and they continued walking—this time with growing confidence.
Their journey pushed deeper into the desert. Their movements became more coordinated. Fajar led with his shield raised, while Rangga observed from behind at the right distance.
Dust appeared again.
“Here it comes,” Fajar said quietly.
The Vespersaurus emerged and leapt.
DANG!
The impact came—but again, different. Fajar angled his shield. The strike deflected sideways, and his body barely moved.
“Yeah… got it!” he shouted. He pivoted with the deflection and struck with his hammer.
Duk!
The creature staggered, and Rangga immediately finished it from the side.
They didn’t stop for long. Behind a cluster of cacti, Rangga spotted a pale depression in the ground.
“Over here,” he said briefly.
Fajar approached and immediately understood.
“What is this?”
Rangga nodded. “Saltpeter.”
The sound of strikes followed.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
Mineral fragments were collected. Without much talk, they took what they needed and moved on.
The pace quickened. The second Vespersaurus came from an unexpected angle. Fajar was slightly out of position.
“Front!” Rangga shouted.
The attack came.
DANG!
Fajar was pushed—but didn’t fall.
“Close,” he muttered.
The creature tried to attack again, but Rangga had already moved in. A strike to the leg crippled it.
“Now!” Rangga called.
Fajar stepped forward and struck decisively until the creature dissolved into light.
They found their rhythm.
Several times they stopped behind cacti to drink water, then discovered similar deposits and mined saltpeter in silence. The desert heat remained oppressive, but their coordination grew solid.
The third Vespersaurus marked a turning point.
“This one’s mine,” Fajar said.
Rangga stayed back. “Angle it to the right.”
The creature leapt.
DANG!
The deflection came, and Fajar moved quickly with it.
DUK!
The hammer landed perfectly. The creature instantly lost balance.
Rangga only stepped in to secure the finish.
Fajar smiled, satisfied. “This feels better.”
Rangga nodded. “You’re getting used to it.”
Their pace slowed as the landscape ahead began to change. A stretch of green appeared in the middle of the desert.
“Oasis…” Fajar murmured—but both of them stopped almost at the same time.
There, by the water’s edge, stood something far larger.
A mechanical dinosaur with a heavy body and far more complex structure. It wasn’t fast—but its mere presence felt overwhelming.
Fajar lowered his voice. “That thing… is huge.”
Rangga didn’t answer immediately. His gaze sharpened.
“We don’t rush this,” he said quietly.
The desert wind passed between them. They stood still, observing the creature at the oasis—clearly different from anything before.
A golden screen appeared before Rangga.
MECHANICAL SHANTUNGOSAURUS
[TYPE: MECHANICAL HERBIVORE]
Description: A large mechanical herbivore that inhabits open desert regions. Its body is equipped with conductor networks and energy storage modules that harness solar heat to generate electrical charge. When threatened, it releases high-voltage electricity around its body or toward enemies to repel predators.
Weakness: After discharging large amounts of electricity, its energy storage system requires time to recharge. During that period, its defenses weaken, and its energy core becomes more vulnerable to attacks.
Drop:
Heat Regulator
Conductive Coil
Capacitor Module
Rangga read quickly. His expression shifted slightly.
“We’re screwed…” he muttered.
Fajar turned. “You know what that is?”
Rangga paused, still staring at the creature in the distance. Then he looked away and answered casually.
“It’s big… but doesn’t seem aggressive.”
Fajar frowned. “How do you know?”
Rangga pointed at it. “Look. No claws, no fangs.”
He added, “So far, the aggressive ones always have those.”
Fajar observed the massive figure again, then nodded slowly.
“Yeah… makes sense.”
Rangga gave a faint smile.
Meanwhile, his mind was already forming the next plan—and he had just come up with a brilliant idea.