Chapter 56 A Harmful Bird
Terror Bird.
It was quite a famous creature.
In popular media, it often played the role of being eaten by Smilodon.
If you ask whether it was the same in reality, well, who knows?
Just look at that size and beak.
If Smilodon messed with it, it would end up with a hole in its head.
I hadn’t seen Smilodon here, but in my opinion, at best, it would be a 50/50 fight.
Terror Bird 5, Smilodon 5.
Anyways, its size was really impressive.
If Tang So-yeong were next to me, she would have made a fuss.
“Th-that… that’s the legendary beast, Zhuque!”
Would she have just called it Terror Bird since that’s its name?
I was a bit curious about that.
“Kkikikikikikik!”
The Terror Bird was a formidable creature.
You had to consider it an enemy with excellent offensive power and high speed.
Especially dangerous was the attack using its downward-curving beak.
If you were hit by that vertical strike, it would leave a hole in your bones.
However, that attack wasn’t perfect.
For its attack to be effective, I had to be smaller than it.
It was a technique that struck almost vertically.
Standing on two feet, I wasn’t smaller than it.
That didn’t mean I wouldn’t get hit. It just meant I could avoid the most dangerous attack.
“Grrrrr….”
I threatened it again with a low growl.
The Terror Bird seemed a bit flustered by my size.
From afar, it probably thought I was just a big lizard.
Maybe I had just stood up because I was itchy somewhere.
Who would think that a lizard would fight on two legs?
Their confusion was understandable.
“Kkikikikikikik!”
But I couldn’t let my guard down.
Although it was momentarily confused, it hadn’t given up the idea of hunting me.
The Terror Birds would have hunted enemies of similar size to me several times.
Even if there weren’t two-legged lizards, two-legged dinosaurs would be common in this place.
“Kkikikikikikik!”
The one on the left was a bit smaller.
It probably followed the orders of the one on the right.
Should I deal with the leader first or the weaker one?
There was no time to hesitate.
Pababababat!
The larger Terror Bird charged at me.
A Terror Bird’s charge, reaching speeds of 50 km/h, was something a lizard with short legs couldn’t possibly evade.
A typical lizard, that is.
I activated Sprint and used Soaring Dragon’s Ascension Step to avoid its charge.
“Kkikikikikik!”
The flustered Terror Bird.
I immediately struck it with Dragon Claws.
Hwooooosh!
I aimed to tear off its wings with my attack, but it only resulted in plucking its feathers.
However, I still had the initiative. I could immediately continue my attack with my other hand.
Nonetheless, I quickly leaped back.
It was a 2-on-1 situation.
The Terror Bird could reach me in the time it took to land my second strike.
Tutututut!
As I dodged, the other one’s beak attack came flying in.
If I hadn’t moved, I would have been hit.
I leaped back once more.
Pabat!
No matter how skilled I was, avoiding that kind of coordinated attack at close range would be difficult.
I created distance, and it seemed like we were back to the initial situation.
“Kkikikikikik!”
They were making strange cries, communicating with each other.
The large lizard in front of them.
Since its speed was on par with theirs, they were probably discussing how to handle me.
One annoying thing was that they weren’t considering retreat.
“Grrr….”
They made continuous mistakes.
Their mistake was not immediately chasing me when I created distance.
They should have either run away or closed the gap.
One of the two.
[“Using Poison Generation lv4.”]
Shwaaack!
Suddenly, a large amount of poison was generated.
The Terror Bird seemed a bit startled by the sudden appearance of the poison, but soon enough, it glared at me and took a defensive stance.
Against the Anodontosaurus, I had used a strategy to make the ground slippery and disrupt its balance.
But in this grassy place, that strategy wouldn’t work.
Still, it didn’t matter.
This had another purpose.
I rushed towards the bird at high speed.
The Terror Birds, seeing me closing the distance again, seemed puzzled, but they charged at me simultaneously.
[“Using Poison Gathering lv2.”]
The poison gathered in my right hand.
More precisely, it gathered on the Terror Bird’s feather I had plucked with Dragon Claws.
The feather I was holding became saturated with poison.
In an instant, I hurled the feather into the air.
It was a technique mimicking Myriad-Year Flower Rain.
If I used Reverse Scale, I could create an even more perfected Myriad-Year Flower Rain.
But I didn’t do that.
Using Reverse Scale meant I was using my full power.
I was a lizard.
Unlike a lion, I should avoid using my full power from the beginning of a battle.
There were many variables in a fight.
Using full power before understanding the opponent’s strength was a shortcut to defeat.
Engaging in exploratory battles, gradually increasing my level, and using strength appropriate for the enemy.
This was the way to survive in the wild.
Of course, the story would be different if I was certain of leveling up.
Shwaaaack!
The purpose of throwing the poisoned feather wasn’t to take the bird’s life.
The primary goal was to obstruct its vision.
Pabat!
Most of the feathers were blocked by its thick fur.
But a few feathers pierced its skin, and it was enough to slow down one of the Terror Birds.
The sudden slowdown of its companion.
The Terror Bird’s speed was so fast that it couldn’t turn even if it realized the situation.
Thus, creating a one-on-one scenario.
Zzeooook!
I fiercely struck its wing with Dragon Claws.
“Kkyaaa!”
The Terror Bird screamed in pain.
I didn’t miss the opportunity and continued my attack.
Kwaak!
I bit its neck with my large teeth.
“Kkikikikikik!”
The Terror Bird struggled violently.
As large as it was, it had immense stamina.
It wouldn’t die from just this.
Wooduduk!
[「Poison Fang LV10」 activated.]
I injected a sufficient amount of poison.
I could break its neck using the death roll, but it was time to retreat.
Another terror bird, stumbling, was approaching me.
Tat-tat!
I pulled my body back again.
Thud!
Its beak swooped past me.
Wham!
Its beak struck the ground with such force it seemed it would pierce it.
The terror bird poisoned by my Poison Fang also immediately attacked me.
Thud!
A rapid pincer attack ensued.
If I dodged to the left, its beak flew there; if I tried to retreat, its beak came at me again.
Where its beak didn’t reach, its sharp claws and muscular wings struck continuously.
Whoosh!
But they were poisoned.
As time passed, they would inevitably slow down.
The more they moved, the more the poison spread.
Unless it was the bird hit by the hastily made Myriad-Year Flower Rain, the bird struck by the Poison Fang was likely to lose consciousness within minutes.
If I could just stall, I would win.
“Skreee!”
Their beaks flew towards a single point as if crossing each other.
As I soared into the air to avoid the attack, I saw them turn their bodies.
Finally, they realized.
That killing me in the remaining time was impossible.
That if time passed, they would be hunted instead.
They needed to flee while they still had some stamina left.
Thinking that they had a slight speed advantage, they believed I wouldn’t be able to chase them if they ran.
This was the moment to use my full strength.
When the enemy underestimated my power.
When my moves could have the optimal effect.
[「Reverse Scale LV1」 activated.]
[「Overwhelming Presence」 temporarily acquired.]
Boom!
My overwhelming internal energy crushed their bodies.
Unlike Baek Yeonyeong, when I used it, the effect was only to slow them down.
But that was enough.
Dragon Horn Kick.
I took a step towards them.
Crack!
Now linked with Overwhelming Presence, I vaguely understood the profound meaning of the medium.
Slow but strong.
Slow but unavoidable.
Strong and unavoidable.
This was the essence of the Dragon Horn Kick.
Raging Dragon Tremor.
Boom!
The ground began to twist.
The earth cracked from where my foot stepped, resembling a living dragon swimming, extending up to the terror bird’s feet.
Thud!
The shockwave surged, ready to engulf the enemy.
It hit the fleeing terror bird.
“Skreee!”
It screamed, but it was too late.
I quickly ran and clenched my hands.
Well done.
Two chickens.
With my internal energy-imbued Dragon Claws, I struck their heads simultaneously.
Boom!
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
Three levels for two terror birds.
A bit disappointing, but still satisfactory.
Not a bad harvest.
Securing two large chickens was significant.
Given their size, eating them should raise my level by one more.
At that moment, I started hearing bird calls.
“Caw!”
The crows, attracted by the smell of blood, seemed to be gathering.
I could spare a piece of meat, but could they keep quiet?
Their noise might attract others.
I looked up towards the source of the sound.
It wasn’t crows.
A slightly smaller, brightly colored bird was circling in the air.
Was it a parrot?
“A lizard killed a flightless bird!”
It was a parrot.
It could talk, after all.
…Wait.
Parrots mimic human speech, right?
Can they speak so proactively?
Could this parrot be a highly intelligent mutant?
【Golden Parrot LV3】
Even with my Wild Eyes, it was just an ordinary parrot.
“Caw! The snake queen is laughing!”
Something felt ominous.
What did the snake queen signify?
Whatever it was, it felt foreboding.
I decided to catch the bird first.
If I handled it gently, it might spill something.
I tensed my hind legs to catch it.
“Ooooo….”
Crash.
A massive presence was crashing through the trees towards us.
“Caw! The king is passing!”
Crash….
“Oooo….”
Finally, it revealed itself.
A colossal pure white body appeared.
What should I call this?
No one could call that a bird.
Below its neck, it resembled a giant bird from a fairy tale.
But the problem was above.
Black decorations fluttered.
It looked like it could recite Confucian classics well.
A long neck.
And a human face.
“Ooooo!”
That’s an avian-human hybrid!