The trembling ground made most of the beasts panicked. They stopped their fight.
The huge spire that stood was crumbling. Revealing something within.
A skeletal bipedal creature got up from the crumbling spire. It was huge, it stood with two legs. It had a massive skull, with a long, solid tail as a balancer. Its two forelimbs were armed with four-clawed fingers. Its height was about half of Delmourga’s height, and about 80 feet in length.[https://imgur.com/Qj0VT7p]
“What is that!?” reacted Cain.
“That thing is the boss around here,” said Vigel. “I forgot that thing is still here.” he shrugged.
“That is a Dragon Tyrant Rex. Well, what’s left of it. Must be some kind of magic that keeps it alive, even after all of its flesh is long gone.” said Ziraf.
“A Dragon Tyrant Rex!? The extinct beast!?” Cain was surprised.
Dragon Tyrant Rex was one of many ancient beasts that roamed the Continent from thousands years ago. It came from a subspecies of Dragon familia.
Unlike its main species, Grand Dragon, the Dragon Tyrant Rex were wingless. Even though they weren't as feared as the Grand Dragons, they were still the apex predators among the beasts.
Their population began to decrease 700 years ago when mankind begun to hunt them in the name of sport, not just for survival. 200 years later, they were declared extinct from the Continent.
It shook its bone body to clean itself from the rubble. It had fiery green eyes inside its eye sockets.
[https://imgur.com/Qj0VT7p]https%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2fkAS80YK.jpg [https://i.imgur.com/kAS80YK.jpg]
No beasts were moving. The skeletal Dragon Tyrant Rex took all their attention.
It walked towards the hordes slowly, each steps shook the ground. It stopped in front of the Sunburst Liger and the dying Grizzly Demonic Gorilla. It crouched down to see what’s beneath its skull. Its forelimbs were long enough to make an intimidating four-legged stance.
After the Dragon Tyrant Rex stared at the Alphas, it went back to his two legged posture and looked over the hordes, growling.
The beasts couldn't took their eyes off from the enormous beast in front of them, they were under a heavy pressure just from its aura alone.
With a roar, it stomped the Gorilla with its huge leg. The Gorilla died instantly. Then, the Dragon Tyrant Rex spun and swept the beasts in front of it with its strong and long tail.
The beasts that were caught by the tail sweep were blown away, some of them were fatally wounded, the rest followed the Gorilla’s fate instantly. The Liger escaped the sweep by jumping backward.
Seeing its victory being seized by the Dragon Tyrant Rex, the Liger shot out the yellow beam to the skeleton beast. The beam was much larger than before. But it had no effect to the Dragon Tyrant Rex, it was like it did not feel anything when the beam touched the bones. Then, a Giant Flamerock Armadillo was rolling to the Dragon Tyrant Rex.
With its leg, it stomped the rolling armadillo, the armadillo was stopped with the raw power of its leg. Then it picked up the burning armadillo with its mouth, and effortlessly crushed the armadillo with its jaw. The remains of the armadillos were falling from the jaw.
That scene instantly broke the will of the beasts from both hordes, they started to flee.
But, the Liger did not abandon its ground, it tried to sink its claw to Dragon Tyrant Rex’s bone leg. Its effort was in vain, not even its claws could scratch the bones. When the Liger let its guard down, its body was skewered by Rex’s left forelimb claws. It gripped the Liger with its another forelimb then ripped apart the Liger in half, the Liger’s entrails were scattered around the ground.
Three wounded Mountain Ogres rushed towards the Dragon Tyrant Rex. They wanted to avenge their Alpha. But they were greeted by sharp bones that pierced their bodies from the ground. The piercing bones were magic, employed by the Dragon Tyrant Rex.
The Mountain Ogres were still alive even though they were pierced by many bones. They were wriggling, trying to break free. Then, the bones that pierced them, moved up and down fast, stabbing their bodies repeatedly until they didn't move anymore.
“Damn, what a power! Look at how badass that Alpha is!” said Vigel.
The rest of the beasts were scattered, leaving the battlefield. While the Dragon Tyrant Rex roared, signifying its victory.
Then, the Dragon Tyrant Rex returned to the center of the crumbled spire. It curled its body. The surrounding rocks, small and big, began to float. The rocks gathered around the Dragon Tyrant Rex, burying the beast. In no time, the huge spire went back to the initial state, with buried Dragon Tyrant Rex beneath it.
“What? It just… sealed itself after that?” Cain was puzzled.
“It has been like that since forever. It attacks any beasts that brawling in Kuni Steppe,” Ziraf shrugged. “Trom, bring our cart! Let’s get to work, boys!” he said to the Hunters.
With Ziraf’s instruction, the Hunters started to walk down, to the area where the Horde Brawl had happened. Trom, one of the Hunters, took their cart and followed the group.
“Come on, Cain.” said Ziraf.
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“Where to??”
“To the loot of course. See those dead beasts? Free money.” Ziraf replied.
“Wait, what about the Dragon Tyrant Rex?”
“It doesn't attack humans. Well, unless you poke its spire.” Ziraf laughed.
“It never attacked human?”
“Find hard to believe, eh? But that’s how it is. Let’s go, before more hunters show up.”
“More hunters will come?”
“Yeah, don't worry though, there are plenty materials on the ground to sell for almost all Hunters in Krevias. But, the thing is, quantity isn't always the option. Who comes first will get the best materials, right?”
Not only reducing the beasts population, the Horde Brawl also gave wealth to whoever caught the news of it.
The material from the beasts was another income source for the Hunters.
Cain and Ziraf went down.
“Take whatever you want, Cain, but, you don't mind if we take the Gorilla and the Liger, do you? After all, we are the first one here.”
“Yeah, I don't mind.” Cain shrugged.
“Vigel, Extract everything from the Gorilla! Rollei! You handle the Liger!” The rest, extract anything you find worthy!” Ziraf shouted to his group that already went ahead.
“Well, you better be quick, before Strega Vultures come. Those beasts are awful to deal with.” he continued.
Cain nodded.
Ziraf’s Hunter group extracted the materials from the bodies of the beasts. Bones, fur, meat, even the eyes.
Materials from the beasts varied in price, depending on the usefulness. Like the meat of the Giant Flamerock Armadillo, even though it was known for its delicacy and its effect to increase the mass of human muscle when consumed, it was still sold cheaper than its hide, the hide could be made into an armor that no ordinary arrows could pierce.
They extracted the materials that were sold at high prices, they left the cheap ones.
“You know how to extract the materials from these beasts, right? You know, skin the hide, choose the best part of the meat that kind of thing.” asked Ziraf.
“Yeah, I know how.” said Cain.
They passed hundreds of beast corpses. Beil followed them from behind, curiously poked some of the dead beasts.
Cain cut the head of a Mountain Ogre, he took the eyes that were as big as his fist. He carefully extracted them so his clothes wouldn’t get stained by the blood.
“Ogre’s eyes, huh? Good choice.” said Ziraf.
“Thanks, why are you following me though?” asked Cain. He wrapped the materials and put them in his bag.
Ziraf laughed. “Let’s say I’m impressed at how you analyzed the battle between the Alphas. Now, I’m curious about your knowledge of the materials from the beasts.” he said.
“Ah, that’s why.” said Cain. He only nodded and continued to look for the materials.
Cain cut the tongue of Bell Lizard, collected the livers of Grevel Wild Dogs and took the heart of Whitemold Golem.
“Wow, you took the most expensive parts of them. But, you know, you missed their second most expensive parts.” commented Ziraf.
“Unlike you, I’m not prepared to haul these materials. So I have to be selective about what I will take. That way, I can get the highest value with my capacity,” explained Cain. “You’re welcome to take those second most expensive parts, if you want.” he continued.
“True. And effective. Well, I’ll take ‘em then.” Ziraf nodded. He extracted the materials.
Cain extracted more materials as they got closer to the corpse of Grizzly Demonic Gorilla and Sunburst Liger. Behind those corpse, stood the huge spire where the Dragon Tyrant Rex dwelled.
They could see Rollei and Vigel, they were almost done with the material extraction from those Alphas.
“Let’s go there.” said Ziraf.
Cain replied with a nod.
Then, a sharp pain landed on Cain’s left wrist. The pain came from the Bracelet of Azure Mysticbone.
“Ugh!” Cain suddenly stopped his steps.
“What’s wrong? asked Ziraf. He was next to Cain.
“Meip?” Beil also wondered.
“Nothing.” said Cain.
“Alright.” Ziraf shrugged.
But, after Cain took another step, the pain was increasing.
“(Ugh! What is this!? This never happened before! And the pain! It’s much sharper than when the bracelet transforms!!)” thought Cain.
Cain was enduring the pain as he went on. Each steps increased the pain. He felt like his wrist was being sawed with a dull serrated blade.
After 3 steps, Beil scratched Cain’s pants.
“Meip! Meip!”
Cain stopped and looked at Beil. He could see Beil knew he was enduring the pain.
“Ah, looks like Beil wants to go there.” said Cain, he pointed to a direction on his right.
Ziraf looked at Beil then to Cain. “Ok, I’ll be with my group.” he said.
After Ziraf went, Cain turned right. He ran towards the opposite direction of Ziraf’s group.
The pain was gradually decreasing as he went away from there.
“What was that!?” Cain was panting.
“Meeip?”
“I’m okay, Beil.” Cain wiped his forehead. His wrist was no longer in pain. He was rubbing his left wrist.
Cain looked around. He was still in the middle of dead beasts. Then he took a few steps toward Ziraf’s group direction.
Nothing happened. He took more steps.
“Akh!” Cain took a step backward as he held his left wrist.
“Meip!”
“It’s okay.” said Cain.
“Weird, the pain came when I tried to get close to them. Hmm…” Cain was in deep thought.
“Damn, I’m curious! But that pain was unbearable! It’s frustrating!... The Bracelet of Azure Mysticbone probably tried to tell me something… or warned me.” Cain rubbed his chin as he looked to the bracelet.
“Mysticbone…” Cain frowned. “Damn! Don't tell me it’s because of the Dragon Tyrant Rex!? That thing is just bones after all! But it could be also from something else… this is interesting… though it’s less exciting because it caused me too much pain.” Cain talked to himself.
“Meip?”
“Don’t worry, Beil,” Cain smiled to Beil. “Now, what should we do?”
Cain looked around, he looked to the higher ground where they watched the Horde Brawl.
“Hmm?”
7 groups of people were coming. Some of them were riding horses and carts.
“Must be the Hunters from Havelvaih, they’re fast,” said Cain. Then, he looked up to the sky.
About eleven Strega Vultures were circling in the sky.
“Oh well, I’ll let them handle it.”
Cain went back to the higher grounds and waited for Ziraf. He wanted to make sure if the pain was really coming from the Dragon Tyrant Rex, not from the fallen Alphas.
He also watched how the Hunters worked together to repel the Strega Vultures.