That night, the moonlight was almost entirely obscured by towering pine trees. A cold wind swept past my back, carrying the scent of snow and the lingering tang of Spino's blood.
My legs moved swiftly over the thick snow blanketing the forest, each step producing soft crunching sounds. My breath came in rapid bursts, racing against the danger chasing me.
"Graaaah!"
The roar of the T-Rexes spurred me to run faster. The tremors in the ground grew stronger, a clear sign that the distance between us was shrinking.
I glanced back. Two T-Rexes with massive jaws were closing in, their bloodthirsty gazes locked on me. Their mouths hung open, revealing sharp teeth ready to tear me apart if I got caught.
"Wait, there's only two? Where's the third one?"
My eyes darted around, scanning for the missing T-Rex, but I couldn't spot it anywhere. "Where is it?"
Suddenly, as I turned my gaze forward, the third T-Rex was right there, standing squarely in my path. I stopped in my tracks and cursed under my breath. "Damn it!"
The monster stood tall, blocking my way like an enormous wall. Its breath fogged in the cold air, its eyes gleaming with a predatory glare. Drool dripped from between its sharp teeth.
There was no escape. On either side, the terrain rose steeply, overgrown with thorny bushes. The ground trembled more violently, proof that the other two T-Rexes were nearly upon me. I had to act fast or end up as their meal.
Before my brain could formulate a plan, the T-Rex in front of me charged, its gaping mouth lunging toward me. I had no choice. I relied on instinct and sheer willpower.
I darted forward and, just as the T-Rex's jaws were about to snap shut, I slid beneath it, executing a knee slide through the narrow space between its massive legs and sharp teeth.
"I did it." A wide grin spread across my face as I realized my reckless move had actually worked.
Crack.
Just as relief began to settle in, I heard a sickening crack behind me. Turning around, I was met with a horrifying sight.
One of the large eggs I had been carrying had fallen and shattered on the ground. Golden-yellow and pinkish fluid pooled on the white snow, the shell fragments glinting faintly under the moonlight.
"Tch." I clicked my tongue in frustration. There was nothing I could do for the broken egg. "Sorry, I couldn't save you," I muttered, before turning back and running again, a pang of regret weighing on me.
This was life. Fragility was an intrinsic part of survival in the wild. But that's just how the wilderness worked.
There was no saving the dead, no time for regret. All I could do was keep moving forward and focus on the future.
Three eggs still remained strapped to my back. I forced my legs to keep running, faster and faster, occasionally leaping over obstacles and dodging branches in my path. I hoped the broken egg might serve as a distraction, at least temporarily.
I scanned my surroundings, searching for the cave that served as my hiding spot. "Where is it? It should be around here."
Soon enough, I spotted it. Not far ahead, the entrance to the cave came into view. "There!" I shouted with relief.
A surge of hope coursed through me. But just as I was about to reach it, something felt wrong. My instincts screamed, warning me of an unseen danger closing in.
My body reacted on its own, leaping to the left and carefully landing in the snow to protect the eggs on my back.
Boom!
A shockwave tore through the space where I had been standing, blasting straight into the cave and reducing it to rubble. Rocks and snow flew into the air, crashing down with a heavy thud.
I stared at the now-destroyed cave, then shifted my gaze back to the T-Rexes. One of them had its jaws wide open. That's when it hit me. I had overlooked something critical about them.
"That shockwave…"
Before I could fully process the thought, the ground beneath my feet trembled violently. A jagged rock erupted from the snow, nearly skewering me. Thankfully, I noticed it just in time.
Hup!
I dodged, flipping backward several times to put some distance between myself and any more unexpected attacks.
"Damn. I completely forgot something important."
It finally dawned on me. These weren't just dinosaurs. They weren't like the dinosaurs I knew. They were monsters—beasts of this world. Monsters absent from any Norse mythology I had ever studied.
"Right," I murmured bitterly. "I completely forgot they're monsters of this world, not the dinosaurs I once knew."
Cold sweat trickled down my temple. It wasn't just their size or speed; now I realized these creatures could use magic.
To make things worse, they seemed smart enough to employ basic coordinated attacks and sophisticated hunting tactics.
With the eggs on my back and my breath coming in ragged gasps, I had to find a way out of this hell. A wry grin crept onto my face. "This is going to be a pain."
I exhaled sharply, hissing under my breath. "No other choice, huh…"
One of the T-Rexes with grayish skin opened its mouth wide, releasing a surge of blue magic that formed a massive whirlpool spiraling toward me.
I leaped into the air, twisting my body to evade the attack. With my right hand, I transformed Muramasa into an arrow.
While airborne, I drew my bow, channeling magic into the arrow and firing it directly at the head of one of the T-Rexes.
The arrow shot forward at lightning speed, striking its target. But the impact only produced a small spark, leaving barely a scratch. "Damn it, their skin is as tough as a Spino's."
I landed hard, scattering snow beneath me, then immediately sprinted away while firing a series of magic arrows. Yet, none of them seemed to have any effect against the T-Rexes' thick hide.
The brown-skinned T-Rex stomped its foot into the ground, sending tremors that caused sharp rock formations to erupt from the snow, once again targeting me with the same relentless attack.
I counted in my head. "Ten meters… That's the safe distance from its earth magic."
One of the T-Rexes charged toward me, its massive jaws wide open, ready to tear me apart with its razor-sharp teeth.
Quickly, I activated a basic spell Loki had taught me. Channeling mana into the soles of my feet, I created a floating magic circle in the empty air. My feet pushed off, and with a burst of momentum, I shot away from its attack. I landed smoothly on both feet without issue.
"Sorry, but I'm not repeating the same mistake I made with the Spinosaurus," I muttered, a faint smirk spreading across my face.
Risking a close-range attack on their vital points had been a foolish idea. Just like my fight against the Spino. Opting for a ranged battle this time was the smarter choice.
"Grah." One of them let out a low growl.
The sound seemed like an order, as the other T-Rexes began moving through the sides of the forest.
"Smart," I praised, observing their movements closely. "You must have instructed them to surround me."
Their actions were more coordinated. No, they were incredibly coordinated.
"Tactical and strategic," I added, my smile growing bitter as my jaw tightened. "Looks like I underestimated your intelligence."
I stood my ground, facing them with defiance and confidence.
"No matter. In the end, I'll be the one who survives."
One of the T-Rexes tilted its head, gazing at me with a puzzled expression, as if it couldn't comprehend how I could still smile so confidently in such a dire situation.
Whoosh.
The T-Rex flinched as I suddenly lunged toward it. Reacting swiftly, it swung its massive tail in an attempt to slam me. But again, I evaded, sliding beneath it—right between its legs.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
Three of my arrows soared through the air, striking the soft underbelly of the beast.
"Graaaah!" The creature roared in pain.
It seemed I'd found a spot that was slightly softer than the rest of its thick, scaly hide. I grinned broadly.
"So that's your weakness, you oversized lizard!"
After successfully wounding it, I leaped to the side and resumed running circles around them. My bow fired magic arrows relentlessly.
Boom. Crack. Slash.
Various types of basic magic triggered upon contact, exploding as my arrows struck their targets. Yeah, I'd added a little extra magic this time, like I did against the Spino. It worked well enough to make them furious and disorganized.
"Ah, so that's it. Your strength hierarchy is far below that of the Spino. That's why you rely on living in packs."
The battle raged on. I maintained my distance, leveraging my agility to dodge while continuously firing at them. It was an exchange of attacks, a deadly dance. I jumped, dashed through obstacles, and occasionally used my air-step spell to accelerate unpredictably, making myself harder to catch.
My body was fully recovered now. Moreover, I had a solid grasp of their capabilities. At this point, I had the upper hand, dominating them despite my limited resources.
"Hahaha."
My laughter echoed in the icy air. Arrogance surged within me, the thrill of realizing I could overpower the T-Rexes making me giddy with confidence. But that elation blinded me to something crucial.
Crack.
Unnoticed, one of the eggs in my pouch slipped free and fell, smashing against the snowy ground. Yellow liquid and fragments of its shell scattered everywhere.
Once again, I'd neglected something far more important. I could only stare at the broken egg in regret.
"I'm sorry…" I murmured softly.
But there was no time to mourn. Refocusing, I launched another magic arrow. At full speed, something entirely unexpected disrupted my flow...
"Damn it!"
My foot caught on a tree root hidden beneath the snow. I stumbled forward, and the remaining two eggs nearly tumbled from my pouch. With quick reflexes, I twisted my body, catching the eggs just in time.
As I struggled to rise, a heavy sound of footsteps closing in surrounded me. When I looked up, my breath hitched in my throat. The three T-Rexes had encircled me.
They stepped forward, their movements slow but menacing. Their icy breath misted in the freezing air, amplifying the tension.
Clutching Muramasa tightly, I muttered, "Damn it, this is really bad."
Now, all I could do was pray for a miracle, one that might somehow save me.