Jer Patch
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Chapter 29: Temple Time
🕑 Added 2025-02-16 22:17:31 +0000 UTCThe darkness within the archway cleared as soon as I stepped inside. We voted that I’d go first, since the guide said this would lead directly to the fight. Hammy followed on my heels, while Dengu padded inside next. Lenna took the rear, again, her bow being most useful from there.
Inside the temple stood one giant room. Vines trailed from the ceiling, making a shiver go up my spine. Each wall was made of the same stone as the outside, but what drew my attention sat in the very center.
[Bristled Kentrosaurus, Level 30, Prey, Unknown.]
While I knew plenty of dinosaurs from my childhood, I didn’t know much about a Kentrosaurus. I couldn’t recall seeing pictures or reading about anything called that in the books back on Earth. From here, spikes stuck out in random directions and it slept curled up like a cat in a patch of sunlight. Bright green and brown scales covered it between the spikes, along with patches of blue.
Silently, I studied the room giving the others plenty of space to enter behind me. All of us stuck close to the opening when the giant dinosaur didn’t move. My stomach felt uncomfortable with how much I’d consumed before we entered, but I wanted the extra calories to burn.
The dirt floor didn’t have any boulders, just flat dirt extending to each wall, though the far wall sparkled in the light. Water flowed down it before pooling on the ground. There wasn’t anything to hide behind.
Lenna tapped me on the shoulder and pointed at the ceiling. My head snapped in that direction. The vines hung down from giant openings in the stone. The sunlight flowed in the same way.
She headed right towards one of the thick vines and slung her bow over her shoulder before she started climbing. I stared as she rose higher and higher in the air. Thankfully, it’d keep her off the ground, and she should have a great shot from up there.
That left me. Dengu stuck close behind Hammy, keeping his head low enough that the shield covered them both.
I stared at the creature, both excited and not. With my experience banked, I didn’t know what my actual level was, but either way this would add to my total. I pulled my knife into a spear shape and waited until Hammy moved to the left. His goal was to stay out of the direct line of sight of the creature.
I’d tank, Lenna would help keep it distracted, then Hammy and Dengu would strike when an opportunity arose. I used the time to study each of the vines in my way to make sure none of them were those sloth things. Getting yanked up mid-fight wouldn’t be helpful.
Once the rest of my party was in place, I launched myself at the center of the temple using as much force as I could. Again that feeling of flying rushed over me and I hoped I’d get the option to fly for real some day. My charge went unnoticed until I arrived.
My spear slammed into the creature, glowing a bright white.
It screamed in pain.
I screamed in pain as it shook itself, flinging me off the spike I’d hit without even realizing it.
Energy raced through my body as I healed, and I twisted midair to land. The dirt made a softer landing on my feet than stone, but still I let out a gasp as the deep scratch across my thigh jerked. My momentum carried me back as I skidded but kept my footing.
The Kentro faced my direction at the sound of my gasp, bellowing a roar. It echoed in the temple, making my ears ring, before the beast charged in my direction, covering the ground faster than I expected.
A glowing arrow slammed into its head and it veered off the path, slowing down and shaking its head to free the arrow.
I used the time to move. Putting weight on my leg ached, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. The uncomfortable feeling in my stomach vanished. I slowly gathered more speed as I raced by the gigantic creature, grazing it with the tip of my spear, almost dragging it along the Kentro’s side.
It turned in my direction, completely missing Dengu sneaking up from behind.
Another bellow filled the temple, and this time I felt blood drip from my ears. It turned to find the source of pain and I made the tip of my spear glow. Its eyes locked onto me again in the dark spot where I stood.
This time it suddenly twisted sideways, its tail flinging right at me. I dropped to the ground as three spikes soared at my position, passing right over me before embedding themselves in the far wall behind me.
It had three freaking tails!
I scrambled to my feet and started running, not at it but perpendicular to it.
Another flaming arrow hit it, but this time the creature ignored the irritant, turning instead and trying to keep me in view.
“It can’t see very well!” My voice echoed through the temple, causing it to speed up even more. The ground shook as it gained on me. Making a split-second choice, I shortened my knife and put it away. My eyes locked on a vine, and I forced myself to speed up as fast as i could.
I leaped at the vine, aiming for several feet above the ground and above the Kentro. My hand tightened on the vine as I almost flew by, but I jerked to a halt instead. The beast just barely missed me as it passed by.
It slowed down, its head swinging from side to side, searching for a target.
Hammy and Dengu hid at the other side of the temple from me, closer to where Lenna perched up in the vines. I’d need to get it over in that direction if I was going to have their help.
A flaming arrow shot at the ground. The burst of light drew the attention of the Kentro, making it charge at the source.
I let myself fall from the vine, landing as quietly as possible. The creature charged passed my position and, again, I dragged my spear tip along its side. It twisted in my direction and its tails flung out at me.
I dodged, but one grazed my arm as I rolled across the floor and across a patch of sunlight. It bellowed again, making my head pound, but I pushed through the pain. This time it flung more spikes at me.
I danced back as they flew by.
It charged again.
Back and forth we went, slowly crossing the floor towards my team mates. It’d shoot spikes and charge past, while I dodged and used my spear when it got too close.
All of my focus stayed on the creature, trying to keep it between me and the others it hadn’t noticed. Bit by bit, it moved into position.
My energy started flagging, and my dodging slowed down.
Then it happened.
A glowing arrow slammed into its right front leg, energy rippling up its body. Its eyes went wide.
Dengu attacked just after the arrow hit. His claws dug into the Kentro’s face while Hammy slammed a glowing spike into a back leg.
I resisted the urge to cheer as a tail flew at him in response, but he held up the shield. The impact pushed him back, but the spikes didn’t pierce it. A head slammed into Dengu, but he clawed back, the beast screaming from the hit.
Joining the fray, I stabbed its back left leg with my spear, yanked back, and slammed it in again. The limb was too thick to cut through quickly, but I was doing a lot of damage.
Just then, the front of the creature stumbled to the ground. From there, it was only a matter of time dodging the tails before it went down for good.
[You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against Level 30 Bristled Kentrosaurus above your level.]
A cheer came from Hammy as I slumped to the ground next to the creature to catch my breath. My stomach rumbled, and I yanked out one of the remaining pieces of allosaurus to eat.
“Are you going to butcher it?” asked Lenna, appearing out of nowhere.
“Yeah, just give me a moment.” I let the meat settle in my stomach before turning to study the remains of the boss. “My stores are running low, between Dengu and I. This will fix that.” I got up and walked around it before stopping near its stomach.
“Hopefully, this doesn’t take too long,” I muttered before getting to work. I tossed a hunk to Dengu who tore into it as I worked, and it kept him away from the rest of it. The giant creature took longer than I thought to butcher properly, and eventually I just cut hunks off without a care to put away.
By the time I made it to the heart, Lenna and Hammy had lost interest in watching me. Both rested near the pool of water. Dengu had joined them at some point. Bigger than my hands, I cut the heart in half just to pull it out. The first bite reminded me of ice cream, even warm. I resisted the urge to gobble it down and slowly enjoyed my treat.
[You have devoured Kentrosaurus and gained a stat point in Quickness.]
Disappointment flickered through me at the notification. I’d gotten used to getting some sort of skill, or an upgrade to a skill, from eating hearts. At least the stockpile of meat helped.
I cut several more giant pieces that I tossed into my inventory before I finally decided that was enough. Joining the others near the pool, I approached the water, looking forward to getting clean.
“Does anyone want any more water or anything? Otherwise, I’m gonna wash up and it might be a mess.”
Dengu lapped some water then stepped away.
Then I stripped off my clothes to a strangled sound from Hammy. I glanced over my shoulder to find his back facing me. “Never seen a chick naked?” I asked, knowing better.
“I have, it's just… I wasn’t prepared.”
Throughout training before this mission, we’d had joint showers. Everyone had to be cool with seeing other people naked and not get wigged out. I hadn’t even thought about it before his reaction.
My clothes were a mess, and once I cleaned all the blood and sweat off myself as best I could I pulled out a clean set. The bloody ones I rinsed out and tossed in my inventory. They needed an actual washing.
With my armor back on, I took a deep breath and glanced at the exit. “Ya’ll ready to finish this?”
Lenna bounced to her feet while Hammy, still red-faced, nodded. We all headed to the exit adorned with the symbol for the path. As soon as we approached, it blazed and then went out. A creepy feeling traveled up my spine, and I twisted about to look behind us.
