As soon as the beast caught a whiff of his scent, it charged with a high pitched roar. It sounded like a damaged air horn, but Noah had little time to care about the sound it was making as each stomp of its clawed foot left a deep mark within the jungle’s floor.

There was also no time to retreat. The last thing he wanted was to offer his back to a predator.

All that was left was a fight between life and death.

It approached at high speed, but Noah wasn’t willing to battle with the monster head-on. Not in the usual way.

He ordered Krall to duck behind a tree, then he activated [Shrouded Presence]. The shadows swirled in his presence, as if greeting him.

Noah accepted their embrace and [Charged] out from behind the cover of the tree just as the monster reared its head. Noah used [Thrust].

The increased momentum from being on Krall’s back, added with all the other Skill’s bonuses he had, made a Common rarity attack skill–frightening. It was the benefit of his Class. The first move from a cavalry was a savage shock attack that everyone should fear.

And the rexodon met it head on.

The dino swerved its head last minute, as if it had experience dealing with a spear user. But Noah’s attack was simply too fast for it to dodge completely. The spear tip struck across the thick hide on its throat, leaving a deep gash, but it was clearly just a flesh wound. Blood refused to drop.

Noah ducked his head the second his attack landed. The air whistled past his ear as the dino’s jaw struck right where his head was a second ago.

Noticing Noah had dodged, it chomped down onto Krall’s shoulder instead.

It stomped on the ground, then lifted Krall off his feet–Noah along with him–and thrashed its head to the side, flinging them onto the floor in a crashing roll. Noah strained out a sharp breath as the full weight of Krall slammed into him. His rib snapped.

With [Unbreakable Reigns], he remained on Krall’s back despite the harsh fall. Gnashing his teeth together, he ignored the pain radiating from his ribs, and commanded Krall to dodge the incoming chase of a dinosaur.

Krall stomped to the side, barely dodging the incoming charge.

A snap of the rexodon’s jaw sent a shiver down Noah’s spine. He couldn’t win against the beast in a head-on fight, that much was clear. The stat difference was too big.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t kill the monster with other means. He scrambled for the bow on his back and quickly tied the quiver back to his leg for immediate access to arrows, then shoved his mace into Krall’s hands.

Krall ducked behind the trees and headed toward a dense cluster of them. Noah kept his eyes open, making sure they weren’t going to be backed up into a corner, and made sure to make use of his surroundings.

It was another one of Mile’s rules. Rule #12. If one meets an enemy they can’t beat head-on, first weigh the possibilities of victory. Then use the land to one's advantage. Every obstacle becomes a weapon. Every tree becomes a defencive wall–unless attacked by jungle goblins.

Okay, Noah added that last part. But Miles' words resounded within his ears as if he was next to him.

The dino chased after its prey, but Noah wasn’t easy to swallow. He plinked an arrow toward the incoming beast, but it narrowly missed its face.

Shit. Noah spat. He should have taken extra archery lessons.

Krall rushed behind a tree as the monster reached them in only a second.

Digging its feet into the ground, it snapped its jaw forward. Only to meet the hot and humid air.

Noah–or Krall–was at the ready. He used [Kill Command] as Krall’s mighty arm swung the System granted mace overhead. He grit his fanged teeth as his weapon slammed down onto the beast's head.

Crack.

The monster's horn shattered under the impact from the empowered hit and roared in pain. Blood seeped from the bone fragments as the viscous red trickled into its eyes–they glared at him.

Noah felt a scratchy sensation vibrate within his ear from the dino’s roar. It was too close. Not feeling comfortable having the beast danger close, Krall retreated a few steps back, and Noah fired another arrow from behind the cover of a tree.

Thankfully, this one hit. The arrow tip sunk into the monster's flesh, but such an attack had no effect on the beast's thickly scaled flesh. Instead, it only angered it.

Incensed from the dual attack of kobold and human, it shed its horn–or what was left of it, anyway. The bone fragments fell to the floor, and the rest of the horn along with them. Just like that, it wasn’t injured.

With a renewed vigour, and desire for human flesh, it rampaged forward.

Noah felt–and heard–each thudding step from the dino’s mighty legs. Its bloodshot eyes gazed into his soul as it chased after them.

Krall ducked, dodged, and weaved in between the trees as Noah shot arrow-after-arrow at the crazed monster.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

With the [Unbreakable Reins] tied around his waist like a magical vine, he hung to the side, around the tree and fired once more.

The dino wouldn’t stop. It didn’t know the meaning of tactical retreat. Blood dripped from its sharpened maw, but this time, it wasn’t its own.

A stream of viscous red seeped out from Krall’s shoulder. His grip around the mace was weakening. It was clear to Noah that if it was a battle of attrition–they would lose.

Once again, he had to take a risk.

Krall backed up once more, but this time the tree's thickness had lessened. Noah was too busy firing his bow to notice that they had entered a field of smaller trees. They were more like bamboo.

It wasn’t only Noah that noticed. A savage glint gleamed from the rexodon’s eyes, and with another ear splitting roar, it charged straight for them.

Noah swerved around the bamboo, but the rexodon didn’t share the same level of thought. It relied on its mighty body to slam through the field of green, almost yellow trees.

He reached for his spear that was attached to his bag.

Wood snapped and splintered and In almost a couple seconds, the dinosaur reached Noah with its jaw opened wide. It ignored the bamboo and rammed it with its herculean head.

With one hand on his bow, and the other on his spear, Noah hung on the side of Krall, as if floating, and aimed his spear at its throat.

Wait.

Noah turned focused. He wasn’t a patient man, so having a dinosaur with an opened mouth hurtling straight for him, was tormenting. Yet, he had to wait for a perfect moment to strike.

The rexodon broke past another bundle of bamboo. It was so close that the splinters of wood were thrown at Noah. One piece shot through the air and sliced past his cheek, yet his expression didn’t change.

He didn’t even flinch. He was like a viper that was waiting patiently for his moment to strike. It was close.

Another couple steps from the rampaging beast brought it closer. It snapped down its jaw at Krall’s arm, it missed by a hair's breadth.

Now!

Noah grit his teeth and used [Overpower] and [Thrust] at the same time. A chaotic strength filled every inch of his body. It all transferred into his arms as they bulged. The muscle became like bundled steel wire as he let go of the attack.

It launched forward at high velocity. He could barely control the might of the attack, but grit his teeth and bore the brunt of the impact–forcing it to stay on track.

The spear tip pierced its throat and continued through. Blood seeped–finally–but the excitement lasted only a millisecond before Noah felt his body lurch.

With the rexodon already so close, and the spear lodged through its throat, it snapped its jaw around Krall’s raised foot just as he took another step.

Krall smashed down to the jungle floor–Noah along with him. Thud. Noah’s vision turned blank, then a feeling of hot liquid fell from the side of his head, and dripped down onto the ground. He could hear his own heartbeat, and each individual drop of blood along with it.

The only thing he could hear was muffled grunts, shouts, and screams from Krall. Everything else was a blur.

He had to get up. Noah chanted within his groggy mind. It was the only thing that coursed through his thoughts. Get up. He chanted once more and gripped the jungle soil into his palm. A weak strength transmitted from his hand, to his arm, and it continued through his body. His mind, although hazy, was slowly returning to normal.

Krall kicked the monster’s head out of desperation, but it only made the wound around his ankle worse. The dino’s teeth raked down his flesh. The armour was breaking. The flesh was being torn apart.

Noah fumbled around the floor in an attempt to find a weapon. A spear, mace–anything.

Krall realised the trouble he was in and sat up. He threw back his arm, then snapped it forward at the monster's head. A resounding thud sounded out.

Grownling, the beast twitched its head and in a burst of speed, it smashed its head against Krall's skull.

Krall stopped moving. Noah spotted his bow.

The rexodon opened its mouth over Krall.

Noah bit down on his tongue and scrambled over to the bow, he didn’t even look to see how many arrows he had before he shot without hesitation.

The arrow pierced the already wounded throat which he had created with the first [Thrust] at the beginning of the fight.

“Focus on me!” Noah yelled out.

He was desperate. A strange feeling tugged at his heart strings. The last time he remembered such a feeling was when he was abandoned by his parents. He didn’t want to be left alone again, so he shouted again.

“Oi!” Noah yelled again, but this time it was a piercing scream.

He fired another arrow, piercing the savage wound where the spear was still sticking out of. Finally, the beast wailed in pain and snapped its head at him, it stomped over.

Each footstep from the hulking monster caused the pain from his head to throb.

Noah reached for another arrow, only to realise one was left in the quiver. He glanced to the side and saw that the rest of them were scattered along the floor. They must have jumped out of the quiver during the fall. With no other weapons, he had one arrow left to fell the beast.

Grinning, he took out a Skill Essence from his pocket, and absorbed it into his body.

You have gained the Common Dexterity Skill Essence - Power Shot: Pull back an arrow and charge it for increased power.

Noah nocked an arrow, then activated [Power Shot]. The remnants of his stamina entered his hand, then travelled into the bow, and gathered within the arrow tip.

He wasn’t sure if the monster realised that he had activated a Skill, but it stomped on the ground, leaving an indent, and lunged at him with its mouth open wide.

Noah grunted, then released the powerful arrow.

Although it didn’t have near the strength of his spear, its aim was true. It penetrated through the soft layer of flesh within its mouth–and continued–instantly cutting off the monster's life.

Like a hot knife slicing through its heart strings, the beast fell.

Noah grit his teeth, and with the last remnants of strength within his body, flung himself out of the way of the crashing rexodon.

A twig snapped in the distance.

Taking an urgent breath, he groaned, and lifted himself up. He took a quick glance at Krall, and after realising he wasn’t in any danger from their connection, he languidly pulled the spear out of the beast's throat, then turned to the incoming figures.

Noah wiped the blood away from his eyes. He wasn’t sure what they wanted.

He glared at them, then glanced at the air that was beginning to distort and fragment. A Skill Essence was forming.

Despite their deal, Noah stood in front of the essence.

He was ready for another fight.