Evelyn watched in horror and excitement as the beaten berserker ape stood up. Its ruined body was completely healed and was instead replaced by impressive scars. Unlike the first berserker ape that Evelyn encountered which only had blind rage as its singular expression, this newly evolved berserker ape had an expression of determination.
Unaware of Evelyn’s awe, the berserker ape takes a deep breath and then releases a powerful roar that creates an invisible shockwave that spreads around it.
The shockwave has the same properties as the shockwave that the Draco first released. This invisible shockwave rocks the world around it and all the living creatures that heard it runs away. Despite the Draco’s powerful evolution, it was still affected by the newly evolved ape’s roar.
For a moment, the Draco was distracted. It turns around. It ignores Evelyn in place of the more powerful threat.
Watching the Draco move away, Evelyn saw that it was grinning.
Crazy lizard…
The Draco is a monstrous creature and it doesn’t have any facial features that a normal human would recognize but Evelyn has spent enough time in Teremarae to know that it had an expression of sadistic enjoyment.
Evelyn knew that she was being blown off by the Draco for the evolved berserker ape but she didn’t mind. It would give her more time to prepare.
But…
Looking at the berserker ape, which she suddenly named Ximi, Evelyn still knew that the berserker ape had no chance against the Draco.
It wasn’t part of the plan but Evelyn knew that their chances of killing the Draco improved with the help of Ximi. Looking behind her, towards the direction of the Draco’s home, Evelyn silently prays for Michael’s safety. She returns her attention to Ximi and the Draco.
I’ve got to move. Ximi’s gonna need my help.
Evelyn stows her bow away and moves around the forest line. She planned on getting closer while the two superspecies were busy fighting each other.
While Evelyn traversed the forest, the Draco observed its challenger. Ximi’s body continued to evolve. His frame became more powerful and the muscles that were already large became gargantuan. Its tough fur that would have easily weathered powerful strikes can now stand against stone-pulverizing attacks. Fists that would uproot trees were now able to shatter boulders.
Like a conceited tyrant, the Draco waited for Ximi to finish his evolution. Usually, it would immediately go for the kill but it’s been a while since it was challenged. It watched as Ximi thumps his chest and release another powerful roar.
Once it exhausts its lungs, Ximi slams the ground with his fists, creating small fissures. It then glares at the Draco.
The Draco snorts.
It felt amused. After all, Ximi was finally able to reach the bare minimum for him to have a chance of harming the Draco. Watching Ximi, the Draco’s thoughts wandered to another creature that it was wary of.
The Draco remembered the only other creature it considered to be a true threat to its life, Michael. Comparing Michael to Ximi, the Draco knew that Michael wasn’t as strong, durable, or intimidating as the evolved berserker ape.
It didn’t understand how Michael, a creature so weak and small compared to the Draco, was able to deal so much damage to its territories. Looking at Ximi, the Draco lamented that Michael’s body was small and weak but somehow it knew that Michael was still the more dangerous of the two animals.
Without any warning, Ximi throws forward a punch. The Draco wasn’t able to react in time and it feels the evolved berserker’s fist connect with its jaw. It was momentarily staggered.
The Draco growled and saw Ximi smirk at him.
Anger starts to surge within the reptile’s body as it felt legitimate pain. It knew that taking free attacks from Ximi like earlier is no longer an option.
Ximi raises his arm to smash the Draco but it lunges forward and clamps its jaw on Ximi’s upper arm. Ximi roars in pain and tries to pull away as he feels his muscles being ripped apart. If not for his new evolution, the Draco’s bite would have shattered his bones.
The Draco grinds its teeth on Ximi’s bicep. Invigorated by its new evolution, Ximi ignores the pain and starts to strike the Draco’s chest. The Draco was momentarily startled by the amount of force that Ximi was using and its jaw clamp started to weaken but only for a moment.
Having an actual challenger, the Draco ignored the pain and gripped tighter, tanking Ximi’s constant punches. It had no intention of letting Ximi attack it without any cost. It suddenly backs away with its enormous strength. Ximi was suddenly knocked off-balance as the Draco drags him away with its jaw.
Mid-drag, the Draco quickly turns, building momentum. Just before it could fully make a complete rotation, the Draco lets go, sending Ximi flying to the ground with a powerful throw.
Ximi feels as if his skeleton jumped out of his skin but he immediately stands up. He knew that the Draco wouldn’t give him any moment to rest.
And he was right. Looking up, Ximi sees the Draco charging toward him. It roars in excitement.
Ximi prepares himself. Taking a stance he’s familiar with, Ximi waits for the Draco to enter his range. Time slows down for the super-evolved ape. It raises its fist in preparation and when the moment the Draco’s front claw steps within range, Ximi lunges forward and strikes.
But the Draco was prepared. It narrowly avoids Ximi’s fist and opens its jaw. It twists its large head to the side and bites Ximi’s wrist. Ximi roars but there was no time to react. The moment the Draco bit Ximi’s wrist, it uses its powerful hind legs to jump upward. It supports its massive weight with a powerful flap of its wings, raising both the Draco and Ximi off the ground.
For a short moment, the two superspecies were in the air.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Then the Draco plunges downward with Ximi in tow.
The sudden switch of trajectory prevented Ximi from reacting fast enough and the first thing he felt was the hard ground colliding with his skull. The collision was so strong it shattered the ground and almost buries Ximi in the dirt.
Ximi frantically climbs out only to see the Draco ball its claw into a fist. The Draco punches forward but Ximi quickly catches it. He feels an immense pressure push into his bones but he ignores it and counterattacks.
Just as Ximi’s fist was about to strike the Draco’s body, it suddenly covers its flank with its tough wings which easily block Ximi’s attack. The Draco grunts in slight pain but it immediately growls in amusement.
Ximi immediately pulls both of his arms back and quickly jumps out of the small hole he was smashed into.
The Draco charges with its gaping maw ready to tear through flesh again.
Ximi backs away, not even attempting to strike the Draco. It knew that random strikes wouldn’t be capable of dealing any real damage. The Draco continues to close the gap, snapping its jaw each time that it has a chance to bite Ximi. Ximi barely dodges the multiple snaps but he manages to make some distance between himself and the Draco.
Managing to get some space between them, Ximi drags his hand on the floor, throwing dirt and sand toward the Draco’s eyes. But it didn’t do anything to the massive reptile. After all, Ximi couldn’t have possibly known about the Draco’s newly-evolved eye layers.
The Draco lunges forward and swipes its right front claw. Ximi just barely dodges but he feels the sharp tip of the Draco’s claw tear through some of his flesh. And just like that, Ximi was being overwhelmed again by the Draco’s superior body and evolution.
Ximi was panicking but he did his best to be aware of his surroundings. Trying his best to escape the Draco, Ximi eventually hears the sound of the forest. He immediately knew that their fight caused them to move nearer to the forest. Realizing this, Ximi was suddenly invigorated. The forest might just be the advantage he needs.
The Draco was starting to get annoyed. At first, it felt exciting to fight someone that could actively harm it but after roughing it up a bit, its enemy started to run away.
Ximi didn’t care. He just wanted to escape. Once again, he tries to distract the Draco. A small distraction wouldn’t work so instead of weakly scraping dirt off the floor to blind the Draco, Ximi punches the ground and grabs a large clump of dirt. He throws it toward the Draco’s eyes.
The Draco snarls in annoyance when its vision was momentarily blocked. Ximi immediately turns around and jumps toward the nearby forest.
He made a mistake.
The Draco was barely affected by the dirt and flapped its wings and lunges forward. Despite the higher jump performed by Ximi, the Draco was faster. Ximi roars in pain when he feels the Draco’s large claws pierce the skin behind his back. The claws snag on flesh and fur, rending Ximi’s back.
Suddenly, the Draco stops moving, allowing its full weight to be pulled down by gravity. Immediately, Ximi and the Draco fall down. Ximi, who was about to reach the trees, felt the pull of gravity and the two of them crashed to the ground. The small cloud of dirt and dust causes Ximi to cough and choke but he quickly stands up.
Turning around, Ximi looks for the Draco but the small cloud of dirt obscured his view. Then a silhouette moved through the cloud and Ximi sees a claw swipe toward him. Ximi raises his arm to block the Draco’s wrist, swatting it aside.
Ximi grabs a rock and throws it at the large silhouette in the dust cloud. He hears a slightly pained roar from his enemy and he rushes back to the forest.
Just a bit more.
If Ximi manages to reach the forest, he might be able to defeat the Draco, who’s used to fighting in large open areas. Ximi was desperate as he thought of these. Despite his new evolution, Ximi knew that the Draco was still too strong but he still wanted to win. And if he wanted to win, he needed every advantage he can get so it had to be in his territory.
Seeing the edge of the forest, Ximi felt excited.
Then his vision is suddenly flipped over as the Draco swipes Ximi’s legs, causing him to lose balance and get thrown off his feet. But Ximi doesn’t allow himself to fall so easily. He angles himself, using the momentum of gravity and his insanely powerful evolved body. He turns around mid-air and delivers a powerful punch toward the Draco.
Not expecting the attack, the Draco feels the full strength of Ximi’s attack. The blow momentarily staggers the Draco and sends it backward.
Ximi lands on the ground on his back. Looking up, he sees the Draco recover and raises its claw. Ximi rolls away as the Draco slams its massive claw on the area where he just was, shattering stone.
Rolling away, Ximi uses the momentum to stand up. He faces the Draco. It didn’t feel safe with its back to it. Despite focusing on the Draco, Ximi knew that he was only a few meters away from the forest but turning back now would mean certain death. But fighting the Draco meant agonizing and humiliating death.
The Draco felt Ximi’s apprehensiveness and grinned. It knew that despite Ximi’s new evolution, it was still the superior creature. It was happy.
After all, its rule was still unchallenged and it had a bit of fun. For it, today was a good day.
Ximi didn’t move. He was close to the forest but so was the Draco. He felt that he was out of options. He could stay and fight but he would die or he could run and still die. Ximi’s back felt wet and warm with his blood but it would eventually feel cold if he doesn’t move.
The two superspecies were in a standoff. They glared at each other. But eventually, one of them moved.
Ximi jumps backward without looking away from the Draco. The giant reptile follows.
The Draco’s movement was fast. It quickly closed the gap between them. Ximi internally cursed himself for moving backward. He was already slower than the Draco and moving backward made him even slower
The Draco enters Ximi’s range and he immediately throws a punch toward the massive reptile. The massive beast couldn’t properly dodge due to its momentum. Ximi’s fist connects, causing it some pain but it didn’t stop its charge. It knocks Ximi down to the ground and then uses both of its claws to pin Ximi’s arms.
Ximi tries to escape and actually manages to budge the Draco but the massive reptile was still stronger. It held tightly and kept Ximi down.
The Draco roars at Ximi with such a powerful force that it started releasing another invisible shockwave around him. Ximi tried to roar back but its power was easily eclipsed by the Draco.
After they release their roars, there was a moment of silence then Ximi felt something wet fall on its face. After such an exhausting effort chasing Ximi, the Draco finally felt hungry. Usually, it wouldn’t eat such hard meat but right now, it felt as if Ximi was the most delicious meal it has ever laid its eyes on.
The Draco was strong, strong enough to stomp out the evolution of most creatures in its domain. It wasn’t aware because of this, it hasn’t been able to taste the flesh of other superspecies yet. There was the Batan titan, a superspecies that Michael encountered from an extremely far away area but the Draco wasn’t aware of it.
Ximi is the Draco’s first superspecies prey.
The Draco was so excited that it could feast on such a powerful enemy. It took a hearty sniff at Ximi’s body. The smell of blood and fear mixed to create an impossibly delicious scent.
Then the Draco wondered, would it get stronger if it ate Ximi?
This massive super reptile has devoured many types of creatures but none of them has made it strong, but a superspecies, one like itself, could be something entirely new.
Then the Draco’s thoughts wandered into another domain.
Michael.
The small creature that has continued to elude it. The Draco knew for a fact that Michael was no simple creature. Would it get stronger if it ate Michael?
The idea so immensely tantalizing that it started to drool again.
Eventually, it stopped daydreaming and turns its attention to Ximi.
Ximi shuddered as he saw primal hunger swirl in the Draco’s eyes.
Terrified of the Draco, Ximi started to thrash around. He didn’t care if he was pinned to the ground. He needed a way out of this.
The Draco growls in hunger as it slowly approaches Ximi’s head.
It contemplated how it would devour Ximi. After all, it wanted to enjoy this moment to the maximum.
First, it would crush one of Ximi’s elbows so it couldn’t deliver a constant barrage of attacks but still have a chance to crawl away or make a desperate attack. Second, it would break Ximi’s knees, so that its only avenue of escape was by crawling. Third and lastly, the Draco would slowly choke the life out of Ximi or just snap his neck if the Draco got bored.
After killing Ximi, the Draco intends to find the human that kept shooting him with sharp sticks. It would make that human suffer just as much as Ximi.
Seeing the Draco open its mouth, Ximi clearly saw his demise in the form of the long rows of sharp teeth.
He was going to die.
Then the two superspecies heard the sound of rustling. They momentarily stopped. The two of them were startled. How could these two superspecies be taken off guard by any random animal?
Ximi looks up from his position and sees the source of the sharp sticks. He didn’t recognize this creature but upon inspection, there were some similarities. For Ximi, the creature had a body frame that was slightly familiar to an ape but without any fur. In this creature’s hands was an object that Ximi could only describe as a flimsy-looking curved stick. Ximi would have dismissed this object as useless if not for the sharp stick that was held in the center of it.
It was the pointy stick that kept distracting the Draco from delivering a final blow to Ximi.
The Draco was focused on Ximi. It didn’t look up to see Evelyn but it still saw her in its peripheral vision. And it saw her aiming at its eyes again.
But just like before, the Draco ignored Evelyn. It knew that its new evolution would protect it.
Evelyn lets loose an arrow that flies through the air and toward the Draco.
The Draco lunges to snap Ximi’s neck but the arrow was faster.
Confidence surges in the Draco as it imagined tearing into Ximi’s neck only to be suddenly overwhelmed with immense pain as the arrow pierces its eyes’ protective layer and plunges itself deep into the Draco’s skull.