Global Pioener: Earth Second Chance

Rangga and Mayor Deri continued making their way along the rocky path, venturing deeper into the island. Cliffs towered on both sides, making the path feel narrower than the coastal area.

Not long after, the two stopped in front of a grayish rock outcrop stretching along the side of the cliff.

Rangga immediately smiled.

"There... We found an Iron Vein."

Mayor Deri approached and tapped the surface of the rock with the hilt of his sword.

"Then let's mine it first."

Rangga nodded.

"Yeah."

The two immediately took out their pickaxes.

Clang!

Clang!

The sound of metal striking rock echoed loudly between the cliffs and fragments of iron ore fell one after another.

Clang!

Clang!

After only a few swings, Rangga's hand suddenly stopped in midair.

His eyes widened.

"...Shit... I forgot..."

Mayor Deri stopped as well.

"What is it, Mas?"

Rangga immediately looked around.

"Mayor... Stop mining."

Mayor Deri lowered his pickaxe at once.

"What happened?"

Rangga gritted his teeth.

"I just remembered... The first time I came here... I was mining an Iron Vein too."

He pointed toward the rocky walls around them.

"This sound... was what attracted the Kentrosaurus."

As if responding to Rangga's words—

Grrrrrr...

A heavy mechanical sound echoed from behind the rocks, and the ground beneath their feet began to tremble slightly.

Rangga closed his eyes for a moment.

"...There it is. The damn dino..."

Mayor Deri immediately took out his shield and sword.

The two slowly approached a gap between the rocks and peered through it. There, a Mechanical Kentrosaurus was slowly walking toward the source of the sound.

Every step caused small rocks to shift. The rows of metallic spikes on its back gleamed under the sunlight.

Rangga cursed under his breath.

"Dammit..."

Mayor Deri quickly assessed the distance between them before speaking.

"Mas Rangga... Fall back."

Rangga immediately turned toward him.

"Huh?"

"Hide... I'll take the aggro."

Rangga shook his head firmly.

"No, don't. What are you going to do alone? Those spikes are no joke."

Mayor Deri remained calm.

"Precisely because of that... you're not in the best condition right now. Let me go forward."

Rangga shook his head again.

"I can't... There's no way I'm leaving you alone to deal with those missiles."

Mayor Deri looked straight at him.

"If you force yourself to go out there now... the risk will be even greater."

Their brief argument allowed more time to pass. Meanwhile, the Mechanical Kentrosaurus continued drawing closer.

Dum...

Dum...

Dum...

Its footsteps were now much clearer, and Mayor Deri finally spoke in a firmer tone.

"Mas Rangga... Trust me."

Rangga clenched his fists. A few seconds later, he let out a long breath.

"...Ah, damn it..."

Reluctantly, he retreated behind a large boulder beside the path.

Mayor Deri saw that Rangga was now in a reasonably safe position. He nodded slightly before stepping out from behind the rocks.

Tang!

He struck the surface of his shield with his sword, producing a sharp sound that echoed between the cliffs.

Tang!

The Mechanical Kentrosaurus immediately stopped. Its metallic head slowly turned. Its mechanical eyes glowed red, now completely focused on Mayor Deri.

The Mechanical Kentrosaurus raised its body slightly. The rows of metallic spikes along its back opened one by one.

Click... click... click...

Rangga's eyes widened.

"Mayor! Incoming!"

FSSSHHHT!

One of the spikes shot into the sky like a missile.

Several meters above the ground, its trajectory suddenly curved sharply before diving toward Mayor Deri.

Mayor Deri immediately sprinted sideways.

BOOOM!

The spike struck the ground. The explosion shattered the surrounding rocks and left a crater nearly a meter wide. Before the dust had even cleared—

FSSSHHHT!

Another spike was launched, followed by another, then another. The Kentrosaurus continued firing its spikes without stopping.

Mayor Deri kept running, dodging between the rocks.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOOOM!

Explosion after explosion shook the rocky area.

From behind the rock, Rangga could only watch as each spike destroyed anything it touched.

The ground split apart, and large rocks shattered into pieces. Every explosion left behind another crater.

"Shit... That would hurt like hell if it hit you directly..."

Mayor Deri continued moving. Several fragments of rock from the explosions struck his armor and body.

They weren't strong enough to penetrate the Simosuchus armor, but they still interfered with his movements.

Until finally, his foot stepped on a small rock that shifted beneath him.

"Ah!"

He lost his balance, and Mayor Deri slipped and fell to one knee. At the same moment—

FSSSHHHT!

Another spike launched from the Kentrosaurus's back and Mayor Deri immediately rolled away, but he was slightly too late.

BOOOM!

The explosion occurred only a few meters beside him. The shockwave slammed into Mayor Deri, sending him flying and rolling several times across the rocks.

"Mayor!"

Rangga instinctively shouted from behind the rock.

"Mayor! Are you okay?!"

Mayor Deri grimaced as he tried to get back up. His chest felt tight from the impact.

He still forced himself to answer.

"...I'm... still..."

Mayor Deri immediately ducked again.

"Mas Rangga! Don't come out!"

However, the Kentrosaurus had already locked onto its target again. The rows of spikes on its back opened once more, and another metallic missile shot into the air.

This time, its trajectory was aimed directly at Mayor Deri, who was still crouched behind the rock.

Rangga gritted his teeth.

"Damn it..."

Without thinking, he immediately raised his bow. He nocked an explosive arrow and drew the string all the way back.

"Fire!"

Twang!

The arrow shot forward like lightning, and several meters into the air—

BOOOM!

The explosive arrow collided directly with the Kentrosaurus's spike and a massive explosion erupted in midair. Fragments of metal rained down onto the ground.

The Kentrosaurus immediately stopped its attack, slowly turning its head. Its red eyes were now staring directly at Rangga's position.

"...Ah."

Rangga swallowed.

"Looks like it saw me."

The rows of spikes on the Kentrosaurus's back began moving again.

Click... click... click...

"Shit... Damn it..."

FSSSHHHT!

Another missile launched, this time heading straight toward Rangga.

"HEY!"

Rangga immediately sprinted out from behind the rock as fast as he could. A few seconds later—

BOOOOOOM!

A massive explosion destroyed the rock where he had been hiding.

Rock fragments flew in every direction as Rangga continued running, desperately dodging the next barrage of missiles that had begun pursuing him.