82. Rangga’s Greatest Weakness
The journey home went without a hitch. Not long afterward, Rangga’s ship docked at his simple wooden pier. As soon as the ship came to a complete stop, he immediately unloaded all the spoils from that day’s exploration into the warehouse.
Bio Filtration Membranes, Enzyme Gel, Bio Catalyst, Blood Moss, Cinchona Bark, swamp rice, as well as various Simosuchus and Baryonyx loot quickly filled the storage shelves, which were already nearly full.
“Not bad...”
Rangga looked over the contents of his warehouse with satisfaction before heading toward the crafting area.
He still remembered his promise to Rian and Siska. Without wasting any time, he took out the materials they had given him through their previous barter.
“Rian... long spear and throwing spears.”
He began working on the first order. The metal was heated and shaped, then attached to a composite shaft to form a long spear. After that, he made several throwing spears with lighter, well-balanced designs for long-range use.
Once Rian’s entire order was finished, Rangga moved on to the next.
“For Siska... a bow.”
He selected the best materials available, then gradually shaped the bow into its curved form. Once the frame was complete, he attached the bowstring and tested its strength several times before finally declaring it ready for use.
Rangga nodded in satisfaction.
“There... All done.”
He stored all the equipment in his inventory, making sure nothing was left behind. After that, he headed back toward his ship.
The ship’s engine slowly roared back to life.
Rangga opened the Nautical Scanner, selected Fajar’s island coordinates, which they had previously exchanged with each other, and confirmed the destination.
The compass on the Nautical Scanner spun for a moment before indicating the direction he needed to take.
“Let’s go...”
The ship slowly left the dock and once again cut through the ocean, this time heading toward Fajar’s private island to deliver Rian and Siska’s equipment.
It didn’t take long before Rangga’s ship reached Fajar’s island. Night had fully fallen. The glow of a campfire in the middle of the island was the only source of illumination, while the gentle sound of the waves accompanied the peaceful atmosphere.
Near the campfire, Fajar, Rian, and Siska were sitting in a circle, enjoying dinner. They had absolutely no idea Rangga had already arrived.
Rangga casually walked toward them before saying,
“You guys are eating all by yourselves.”
“COUGH!”
“COUGH!”
Rian and Siska immediately choked at the same time. Both instinctively turned around.
The first thing they saw was a tall figure clad in dark Simosuchus armor standing just outside the campfire’s reach. His face was hidden behind a helmet, while the firelight reflecting off his armor made him look even more intimidating.
“HOLY SHIT!”
“Oh my God, bro!”
Seeing their reactions, Fajar immediately burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
“HAHAHAHA! I told you! Rangga loves scaring people.”
Rangga clicked his tongue.
“What the hell... You guys are just cowards.”
He walked closer and placed the equipment he had brought near the fire.
“I think Major Deri was the only one who wasn’t scared when he first met me.”
Fajar laughed even harder.
“Yeah... yeah...”
“Major’s just really good at keeping a straight face.”
Rian was still rubbing his chest.
“Bro... Next time, say something from a distance or something... My heart almost jumped out.”
Siska nodded as well.
“Seriously.”
“Someone suddenly standing behind you at night...”
Rangga simply shrugged.
“Not my fault... I was just walking normally.”
Back on Earth, millions of people were also watching the live broadcast.
The moment they heard Rangga say that Major Deri had been the only person who wasn’t afraid when they first met, the comment section immediately filled with laughter.
“HAHAHAHAHA Rangga has no idea.”
“Major was scared too.”
“He just hid it behind that deadpan expression.”
The broadcast then replayed footage of Major Deri’s first encounter with Rangga while Rangga was wearing his Simosuchus armor.
In the footage, Major Deri indeed did not step back. He didn’t scream either. However, the camera captured one small detail that almost no one had noticed before.
When Major Deri saw Rangga standing before him, the hand holding his axe instinctively tightened around the handle.
A military analyst serving as a guest commentator smiled as he watched the clip.
“Major Deri was surprised too.”
He pointed toward Deri’s hand on the screen.
“Look at his grip on the axe. He immediately tightened his grip... That’s a soldier’s reflex.”
“It doesn’t indicate panic. Rather, it shows him increasing his level of readiness upon encountering something unfamiliar.”
The comment section once again erupted in laughter.
“HAHAHAHAHA So Major was startled too.”
“The difference is Fajar ran, Andre froze, and Rian and Siska choked on their food.”
“Major just tightened his grip on his axe.”
“Military discipline really is different.”
Meanwhile, on Fajar’s island, Rangga had absolutely no idea that viewers back on Earth were laughing at his conclusion.
Rangga then took all the equipment he had crafted out of his inventory. He placed a long spear and several throwing spears in front of Rian, while giving Siska a bow along with its accompanying equipment.
“Here... Check them first.”
Rian immediately picked up the long spear, his eyes lighting up.
“Whoa... The weight is perfect.”
Siska carefully held the bow as well.
“It’s so nice...”
Rangga held out his hand.
“Your materials.”
“Oh, right.”
Rian and Siska immediately took out the materials they had prepared earlier. Rangga briefly inspected them before nodding in satisfaction.
“Everything’s here... Then we’re even.”
Fajar, who had been watching while eating, chuckled.
“See? I told you he wasn’t going to scam you.”
Rangga pointed toward Fajar’s simple house.
“Go... Try changing inside first... Make sure everything fits.”
Rian immediately nodded.
“I’ll go first.”
He carried his new armor into the house.
A few minutes later, the door opened again. Rian stepped outside wearing the Simosuchus armor that now covered his body. His face immediately lit up with a huge grin.
“Whoa! Damn...”
He looked at both his hands, then grabbed his long spear.
“Hyah!”
Rian spun the spear around several times before grabbing one of the throwing spears.
“Damn... I look awesome.”
Fajar immediately burst out laughing.
“Talk about being confident...”
“Of course I look awesome.”
Rian immediately struck a pose and pointed at himself.
“Take a picture.”
“Do we even have cameras?”
“Oh, right.”
Everyone immediately burst out laughing.
After Rian finished showing off, Siska took her armor inside the house. A few minutes later, she came back out.
The armor fit her much better, changing her appearance considerably compared to the worn-out Pioneer clothes she had previously been wearing.
Siska looked at both her hands, then let out a relieved breath.
“Finally... I’m not scared anymore.”
She smiled brightly while holding her bow.
“I feel way more confident about facing monsters now.”
Rangga casually nodded.
“That’s the whole point.”
Before he could say anything else, Siska suddenly ran toward him.
“Rangga!”
“Huh?”
Thump.
Siska immediately hugged Rangga and Rangga’s eyes widened.
“HEY!”
Almost without thinking, both his hands instinctively pushed Siska back by the shoulders, making her take a step backward.
Rangga himself immediately stepped back, looking flustered despite his face being hidden behind his helmet.
“Uh...”
Siska, who had been startled at first, blinked several times. Then she noticed Rangga’s genuinely panicked reaction. Her smile slowly turned mischievous.
“Ooooh... Rangga... Are you embarrassed?”
“No!”
“Liar.”
“I’m not!”
Siska laughed. Without warning, she stepped forward again.
“Fine, then. Thanks again.”
“HEY!”
Rangga instinctively backed away, and Siska tried to hug him again then Rangga immediately turned around.
“DON’T!”
He ran away around the campfire while Siska laughed and chased after him.
“Rangga! Come here for a second!”
“No way!”
Fajar was clutching his stomach.
“HAHAHAHAHA!”
“Holy shit! So girls are your weakness!”
Rian, who had previously been busy admiring his new armor, now joined in the laughter.
“Bro! Don’t run! It’s just a hug!”
“That’s why!”
Rangga continued running away.
“I’m not used to this, damn it!”
Siska kept chasing him, laughing gleefully.
“Stop for a second!”
“No!”
“Just for a moment!”
“NO!”
The peaceful atmosphere of the island suddenly turned lively with the laughter of the four of them, while Rangga continued desperately avoiding Siska, who had just discovered a major weakness in the man who had always seemed completely unfazed when facing mechanical dinosaurs.