94. The EMP Advantage
The eight Pioneers began moving deeper into the savannah. A short while later, a group of Mechanical Gallimimus could be seen running through the grass not far from them.
Several Pioneers immediately prepared themselves, but Rangga raised his hand.
“Leave them.”
“We’re not looking for them.”
“Focus on finding vanadium.”
The others lowered their weapons again. The herd of Gallimimus continued running away without bothering them.
They resumed their journey across the savannah. After some time, Mayor Deri, who was at the front, suddenly raised his hand.
“Stop.”
Everyone immediately halted and Deri pointed toward the stretch of grass ahead.
“There.”
A Mechanical Parasaurolophus was slowly walking among the acacia trees. It was much larger than the Gallimimus they had seen earlier.
Mayor Deri watched its movements for a moment before giving his instructions.
“Prepare to attack its head.”
“Archers, focus on that area.”
He then pointed toward several positions around them.
“Spread out.”
“Don’t let us get surrounded if the Gallimimus start coming.”
Fajar immediately nodded.
“Understood.”
Siska and the other Pioneers also began taking their respective positions.
Rangga prepared his bow as well, while watching the Parasaurolophus.
He wanted to see firsthand how the creature he had only heard about in stories actually fought.
Deri raised his sword.
“Ready?”
Fajar tightened his grip on his weapon.
“Ready.”
They began approaching the Parasaurolophus from two directions. As the distance closed, Deri quickened his pace.
Fajar advanced alongside him and the archers spread out into position, while Rangga remained in the center with several other Pioneers.
The Mechanical Parasaurolophus slowly turned its head then Deri immediately raised his sword.
“Attack!”
The Mechanical Parasaurolophus instantly raised its head.
The trumpet-like structure on top of its head began to vibrate, then released a long mechanical sound that echoed across the entire savannah.
WOOOOOONNGGGG...
Not long after, the sound of footsteps could be heard from various directions.
Groups of Mechanical Gallimimus began appearing from behind the grass and trees, running toward them.
“They’re coming!” one of the Pioneers shouted.
Mayor Deri immediately moved to engage the Parasaurolophus.
“Fajar, hold it!”
“Got it!”
Deri raised his shield as the Parasaurolophus’s long snout lunged toward him. Fajar moved in from the other side, swinging his hammer at the creature’s leg.
Meanwhile, the other Pioneers began dealing with the Gallimimus approaching from various directions.
Rangga drew his bow and aimed at the Parasaurolophus’s head.
He waited for an opening.
“Wait…”
The Parasaurolophus moved its head again, and Rangga released the arrow.
Twang!
The arrow flew, but the Parasaurolophus moved its head, causing the arrow to strike only the side of its body.
Rangga drew his bow again.
The next arrow also missed after the creature moved its head once more.
“This is freaking hard…”
The Parasaurolophus continued moving while maintaining its position between Deri and Fajar. Every time Rangga found a shooting angle, the creature’s head moved again.
On the other side, the number of Gallimimus continued to increase.
Several Pioneers began retreating while holding them off.
“Don’t let them surround us!” Siska shouted.
Rangga looked at the situation around him. He then put away his explosive arrows and took out another type of arrow.
EMP Arrow.
“If its head is too hard to hit… I’ll just shoot its body.”
He drew the bowstring and aimed at the Parasaurolophus’s massive body.
Twang!
The EMP arrow flew and struck its body dead-on. A moment later—
ZRRRRTTT!
A wave of energy spread from the point of impact. Bluish electrical flashes raced across the Parasaurolophus’s entire body.
The shockwave made the grass around them tremble.
Deri and Fajar immediately ducked behind their respective shields.
“What the hell is this?!” Fajar shouted.
Rangga himself stepped back several paces, covering part of his face. But the effect was immediately visible.
The Parasaurolophus stopped moving. Its entire mechanical body had gone rigid, and its head no longer moved.
Rangga instantly realized the opportunity.
“There!”
He grabbed another explosive arrow.
“Not moving now, are you?!”
Rangga drew the bowstring all the way back. He aimed directly at the trumpet on the Parasaurolophus’s head.
Twang!
The arrow flew.
BOOM!
The explosion struck the trumpet.
The upper part of the Parasaurolophus’s head was instantly destroyed and blown away, while the mechanical sound that had been calling the Gallimimus was abruptly cut off.
At the same time, Fajar immediately took advantage of the creature’s still-rigid body.
“Take this!”
He ran forward and spun his body to build momentum before smashing his hammer into one of the Parasaurolophus’s legs.
CRASH!
The metal plating on its leg cracked.
Mayor Deri did not waste the opportunity either. He advanced from the other side and slashed his sword across its chest.
CLANG!
The protective plating on the Parasaurolophus’s chest split open.
Fajar struck its leg again, while Deri slashed at the same section of its body. Several more attacks caused the massive creature to lose its balance.
GRAAAANG!
The Parasaurolophus finally collapsed to the ground.
Deri and Fajar immediately finished it off with their final attacks.
The mechanical body then transformed into light and disappeared.
Meanwhile, the Gallimimus that had previously surrounded them suddenly stopped.
They could no longer hear the Parasaurolophus’s call.
One turned around, then another followed. Within seconds, the entire herd of Gallimimus ran away in different directions.
Siska lowered her weapon.
“They’re running.”
Rangga watched the herd disappear into the distance.
“Yeah.”
“So it was true. The trumpet really is what calls them.”
Mayor Deri nodded as he looked at the remains of the Parasaurolophus.
“Then that method was effective.”
Rangga picked up his bow again.
“EMP is pretty damn useful, after all.”
He then looked deeper into the savannah.
“Alright.”
“Don’t stay here too long.”
“We’ve got something more important to deal with.”
Deri nodded.
“Vanadium.”
Rangga smiled.
“Exactly.”
Using the same strategy, their subsequent battles against Mechanical Parasaurolophus became much easier.
Whenever a creature began emitting its call, the Pioneers immediately spread out into formation. Deri and Fajar held its massive body from the front, while the archers searched for angles to hit its body.
Rangga no longer forced himself to aim for its head.
Whenever he got an opening, he immediately used an EMP arrow to stop its movements. Once its body went rigid, explosive arrows were aimed at the trumpet on its head.
As soon as the trumpet was destroyed, the approaching Gallimimus immediately scattered and fled.
After facing the same pattern several times, the Mechanical Parasaurolophus was no longer much of a threat to them.
They could even bring one down quickly without disrupting their formation.
After their final battle, they resumed their journey toward the interior of Savannah Island.
They continued walking through the tall grass and increasingly sparse trees.
Then, suddenly, a loud sound came from ahead.
THUD!
A few seconds later, it was followed by an explosion.
BOOM!
Everyone immediately stopped, and Mayor Deri turned toward the source of the sound.
“What was that?”
Rangga also looked in that direction and another sound rang out in the distance.
BOOM!
Deri immediately raised his hand.
“Don’t split up.”
He pointed toward the source of the sound.
“Let’s take a look.”
Rangga nodded.
“Slowly.”
They then changed direction and moved toward the source of the sounds while maintaining their formation.