Chapter 55: A Harmful Bird
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 55: A Harmful Bird
The Terror Bird.
It was a pretty famous creature.
In popular media, it often appears as prey for the Smilodon.
If you were to ask if that was true in reality, well, I’m not so sure.
Look at that size and that beak.
If a Smilodon messed with it, it’d get a hole punched in its skull.
I haven't seen any Smilodons here, but in my opinion, it's a 50-50 match at best.
The Terror Bird is a 5, and the Smilodon is a 5.
Anyway, it's huge.
If Tang Soyeong were here, she'd be making a fuss.
‘Th-that’s… the legendary spirit beast, the Vermilion Bird!’
Since this one's called a Terror Bird, would she have just called it a Terror Bird?
I'm a little curious about that.
“Keeeeek!”
The Terror Bird is a strong creature.
I have to consider it an enemy with excellent attack power and great speed.
The attack using its downward-curved beak is especially dangerous.
If I were hit by that strike, which pecks down vertically, it would be more than enough to punch a hole right through my bones.
But that attack isn't perfect.
For its attack to be effective, I'd have to be smaller than it.
Because it's literally a technique that strikes almost vertically downward.
Standing on two feet, my body wasn't smaller than it.
That doesn't mean I can't be hit. The point is that I can avoid its most dangerous attack.
“Grrrrr…”
It threatened me again with a low cry.
The Terror Bird seemed a bit flustered by my size.
From a distance, it must have thought I was just a big lizard.
Maybe one that stood up for a moment because it had an itch.
What lizard in the world would it think fights on two legs?
Their confusion was understandable.
“Keeeeek!”
Still, I couldn't let my guard down.
It was momentarily flustered, but it hadn't given up on the idea of hunting me.
These Terror Birds had probably hunted enemies with a similar body shape to mine many times before.
Even if there are no bipedal lizards, bipedal dinosaurs were likely common in this place.
“Keeeeek!”
The one on the left is a bit smaller.
It probably follows the orders of the one on the right.
Do I face the leader first, or the weaker one?
There was no time to think.
Fwoosh!
Because the larger Terror Bird charged at me.
A Terror Bird's charge, which can momentarily reach 50 km/h, was impossible for a lizard's short legs to dodge.
A normal lizard, that is.
Activating Sprint, I simultaneously used the Little Dragon's Sky-Ascending Steps to evade its charge.
“Keeeeek!”
The flustered-looking Terror Bird.
I immediately slammed my Dragon's Claws into it.
Whooosh!
It was an attack meant to rip off its wing, but it only ended up pulling out some feathers.
But the initiative was still mine. I could immediately follow up with an attack using my other hand.
Despite that, I immediately threw myself backward.
Because it was a two-on-one situation.
A Terror Bird could definitely reach me while I landed a second blow.
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Just as I moved away, the other one's beak attack flew in.
If I hadn't thrown myself back, I would have been hit.
I leaped back one more time.
Fwip!
Even for me, dodging a coordinated attack at that speed from close range would be difficult.
I created some distance, and at a glance, it looked like we were back to the starting situation.
“Keeeeek!”
They were communicating with strange cries.
That giant lizard in front of them. Since my speed was on par with theirs, they were probably discussing how to deal with me.
The one infuriating thing was that they weren't thinking of retreating.
“Grrr…”
They made a series of mistakes.
Not immediately chasing after me when I created distance was their mistake.
They should have done one of two things: run, or close the distance immediately.
[Using 「Poison Generation LV4」.]
Sshhhhaaa!
A large amount of poison was suddenly generated.
The Terror Birds seemed a little surprised by the sudden appearance of the poison, but they soon glared at me again and took a guarded stance.
Against the Anodonto, I used the strategy of making the ground slippery to throw it off balance.
But here, with the ground covered in grass, I couldn't use that same strategy.
But that's fine.
This has a different purpose.
I ran toward them at high speed.
They seemed to question my movement of creating distance only to approach again, but then they charged at me simultaneously.
[Using 「Poison Collection LV2」.]
The place to gather the poison was my right hand. To be precise, the Terror Bird feather I'd ripped out with my Dragon's Claws.
The feather I was holding became saturated with poison.
In an instant, I threw the feather into the air.
It was a technique that mimicked the Sky-Filling Flower Rain.
If I used Reverse Scale, I could use a more complete version of Sky-Filling Flower Rain.
But I didn't.
Using Reverse Scale was the same as using my full power.
I am a lizard. I must avoid battles where I go all out from the start, like a lion.
There are many variables in a fight.
Using all your strength before grasping your opponent's power is a shortcut to defeat.
A fighting style where you probe them out first, then gradually raise the level and use power appropriate for the enemy. This is the way to fight to survive in the wild.
Of course, the story would be different if I was certain I could level up.
Sshhhhaaa!
Throwing the poison-soaked feather wasn't to take its life.
Obscuring its vision was the primary goal.
Fwip!
Most of the feathers were blocked by its thick plumage.
But a few of them lodged in its skin, and it was enough to slow down one of the Terror Birds.
Its companion suddenly slowed down.
The Terror Bird's speed was so fast that even if it noticed the situation, it was impossible to turn.
And just like that, a one-on-one situation was created.
Krrrrack!
I struck its wing hard with my Dragon's Claws.
“Skreeeeee!”
The Terror Bird let out a pained scream.
Not missing the opportunity, I continued my attack.
Crunch!
I bit its neck with my large teeth.
“Keeeeek!”
The Terror Bird thrashed wildly.
For its size, its stamina was also incredible.
It wouldn't die from just this.
Grrrrind!
[Using 「Venomous Fangs LV10」.]
I injected a sufficient amount of poison.
If I used a Death Roll, I might be able to snap its neck, but now was the time to back off.
Because the other Terror Bird, staggering on its legs, was getting closer.
Tat!
I pulled back once again.
Thwack!
Its beak flew in, grazing past me.
KRAAACK!
Its beak slammed down with enough force to pierce the ground.
The Terror Bird hit by the Venomous Fangs also charged at me immediately.
Thwack!
A coordinated attack of incredible speed followed.
If I dodged left, its beak would fly there, and if I tried to pull back, a beak would fly in before I knew it.
In the gaps between the beak attacks, its sharp talons and muscular wings flew in relentlessly.
Pang!
But they were poisoned.
It was a situation where their speed was bound to decrease over time.
Because the more they moved, the more the poison would spread.
The one hit by the improvised Sky-Filling Flower Rain might be one thing, but the one hit by the Venomous Fangs had a high chance of losing consciousness within minutes.
If I just stalled for time, I would win.
“Keeeeek!”
Their beaks flew in, crossing toward a single point.
As soon as I leaped into the air to dodge the attack, I could see them turning around.
They finally realized it.
That it was impossible to kill me in the time they had left.
That if more time passed, they would be the ones getting hunted.
That they had to escape now, while they still had some stamina left.
In terms of speed, they had a slight edge, so they seemed to think I wouldn't be able to chase them if they ran.
This is when you're supposed to use your full power.
When the enemy underestimates your strength.
When the moves you have can display their optimal effect.
[Using 「Reverse Scale LV1」.]
[Temporarily acquiring 「Uprooting Heavens and Overpowering the World」.]
Kwwaaaaang!
Overwhelming internal energy pressed down on their bodies.
Unlike when Baek Yeon-yeong uses it, the effect when I use it is only to slow them down.
But that's enough.
Ancient Dragon Leg Art.
I took a step toward them.
Kwadududuk!
Now, linked with Uprooting Heavens and Overpowering the World, I could faintly grasp the profound principle of 'heaviness'.
Slow, but powerful.
Slow, but unavoidable.
Powerful and unavoidable.
This is the 'heaviness' of the Ancient Dragon Leg Art.
Descending Dragon Tremor.
KWAAAAAAAAANG!
The earth began to twist.
The ground split apart from where I stepped. The fissure, like a living dragon swimming, reached right up to the Terror Birds' feet.
Fwoooosh!
A shockwave erupted with enough force to swallow the enemy.
It struck the fleeing Terror Birds.
“Skreeeeek!”
They screamed, but it was already too late.
I ran forward quickly and put strength into both hands.
Good work.
Two chickens.
I struck their heads simultaneously with my internal energy-infused Dragon's Claws.
KWAAAAAAAAANG!
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
[Level Up.]
Three levels for two Terror Birds.
It's a little disappointing, but I have to be satisfied.
It wasn't a bad harvest.
First of all, getting two huge chickens is a big deal.
At this size, I wonder if I'll gain another level after eating them all.
Just then, the sound of a bird suddenly began to ring out.
“Cawwww!”
It seemed crows had gathered, drawn by the smell of blood.
I can spare a piece of meat, but can you please be quiet?
If you keep that up, others might flock here.
I raised my head and looked at the source of the sound.
It wasn't a crow.
A slightly smaller, brightly colored bird was circling in the air.
So, should I call it a parrot?
“The lizard killed the flightless bird-ahhh!”
It is a parrot. Seeing as it can talk.
…Wait.
When parrots talk, they're just mimicking human speech, right?
Can they speak so proactively like this?
Is that parrot some kind of incredibly smart mutant?
【Macaw LV3】
Even looking at it with Wild Eyes, it was just an ordinary parrot.
“Cawwww! The snake, the Snake Queen is smiling-ahhh!”
Something felt ominous.
What does 'Snake Queen' mean?
I didn't know what it was, but it felt like a bad omen.
Let's try catching that bird first.
If I prod it gently, it'll probably spit something out.
I put strength into my hind legs to catch it.
“Wooooooooh…”
Kugugugung.
Something huge was toppling trees as it rushed this way.
“Cawww! The king is passing by-ahhh!”
Kugugung….
“Woooooh…”
Finally, the creature revealed itself.
A giant, pure white body came into view.
What should I even call that thing?
No being would ever call that a bird.
Below the neck, it was like a giant bird out of a fairy tale.
But the part above it was the problem.
Flowing black headwear.
An appearance that looked like it would be good at reciting the classics.
A long neck.
And a human face.
“Wooooooooh!”
That's a Human-faced Bird