"This is what you get for mocking me!" Roman shouted weakly, almost amused by the scene.
"Damn it, Roman, do something!" Zun yelled, running for his life.
"What the hell can I do? I told you I only have one skill! Plus, my mana is almost depleted!" Roman replied without looking back.
He was the farthest from the monster, both because he noticed the danger first and because his legs were long.
Golia and Tobias were behind him, their gazes full of disbelief. No one would have expected to encounter such a powerful monster—it was too much!
Meanwhile, Zun kept screaming and drawing the monster's attention to himself, the sweat on his forehead a clear sign that the thing was fast.
Very fast…
After a solid minute, the initial fright caused by the monster subsided.
"Water Blast"
Golia's voice cut through the air as a small jet of water shot toward the monster's gaping jaws, which continued to roar relentlessly.
The hit reached the dinosaur's mouth, but it simply swallowed it, shaking its head afterward. They had gained only a moment; the Water Blast had barely tickled it.
Tobias used another skill, channeling more mana.
"Air Blade"
A sharp blade of air struck the monster's powerful legs, but it barely scratched its cobalt skin.
"Damn, it is useless, I am going to die!" Zun could only scream, helpless. He had no way to turn and try to use a skill; the monster was too close.
But the worst was yet to come…
"Uh, guys—" Roman's voice was full of panic as he turned his head, searching for a solution. "We are screwed; this is a dead end!"
Tobias and Golia, who were using other skills to slow the monster, turned sharply.
"Damn, are we really screwed?" Tobias muttered helplessly.
Golia sighed, saying nothing.
Before them was a cliff. The rocky mountain they were on seemed to end.
There was no other place to escape around them.
"Guys, please!" The monster tried to bite Zun, but he dodged by a hair. "Do something, I do not want to be devoured by this thing!"
Roman reached the cliff, stopping at the edge.
He had a slight lead over the others, so he could use those precious seconds to think of a plan.
"I have an idea!" he said finally.
Tobias and Golia slowed to a stop. They had reached the cliff too.
"We have to jump down, cling to the wall, and hope to survive!"
The cliff was not too steep. They could survive.
"…"
"Great plan, but there is a problem…" Tobias said, pointing behind.
The three turned toward Zun.
The monster was inches from devouring him.
"We have to stop Zun at the last moment so he does not fly too far forward and splatter on the ground."
With a nod, the three got into position.
The goal was simple.
Zun would jump off the cliff, and the monster would follow.
But here came their turn.
They would jump at the same moment as Zun, catching him mid-air and slowing his speed to avoid a too-rapid forward fall.
They had to cling to the cliff if they hoped to survive.
"You are all bastards, why do you not just sacrifice yourselves instead of me!!" Zun yelled, reaching the end of the path.
At this point, he could only trust his friends and leap into the void.
At the same moment, Roman, Tobias, and Golia jumped and grabbed Zun by his legs and body, pulling him downward forcefully.
With desperate and terrified screams, far worse than those of kids on a rollercoaster, the four fell off the cliff, their hands and feet clinging to the cliff to slow their speed.
Amid all this…
The monster did not follow their plan at all.
It had not leapt as the four had thought, not at all.
It slowed at the last second, stopping just in time to watch the humans plummet.
It even seemed amused, the corners of its mouth slightly curled upward.
"You damn monster, come to hell with us!" Zun was furious, cursing like a madman.
The only thing he could do was try to make the cliff collapse.
"Earthquake"
He activated his strongest skill, bought just the day before with his parents' Mana Crystals.
A strong tremor shook the cliff, making it quake entirely.
Zun had not spared any mana, using every last drop in hopes of bringing the monster down with him.
But the earthquake that shook the mountain was not nearly enough to collapse it… it was just a desperate, mostly futile attempt.
Yet, by some mysterious and unknown force, the monster, standing at the cliff's edge, slightly lost its balance.
With a loud roar, it fell off the cliff, desperately trying to cling to some rock.
But unlike the humans, its body was much heavier, and its short little arms did not allow it to slow its fall.
"Holy crap, Zun, you did it!" Golia shouted, incredulous, staring at the scene.
Roman and Tobias were speechless.
The monster was plummeting with fury, and seconds later, Roman found it right in front of him.
A furious roar mixed with saliva brushed his face.
"Go to hell!" he yelled, kicking it, which did more to throw it off balance than anything.
The monster barely felt it but could do nothing.
Its massive body soon overtook the four, who, thanks to their arms and legs and being united, managed to slow their fall and stop.
Of course, the cliff helped a lot.
It was not so steep as to lack holds, nor so sheer as to prevent braking.
It was simply perfect.
Many scattered branches protruded here and there, providing support.
Amid all this, the monster kept falling, crashing its body against the mountain, blood spilling everywhere as it roared.
"He who laughs last laughs best, you jerk!" Zun spat downward, trying to hit the monster's falling body.
An awkward silence swallowed his words—
The four looked into each other's eyes.
At first, they chuckled, then burst into roaring laughter.
What had happened would forever be an indelible memory in their hearts.
At that moment, the dull thud of the monster splattering on the ground echoed, raising a cloud of dust and debris.
Immediately after—
[Ding!]
The sound of a notification!
[Congratulations on killing a monster with a level much higher than your average level (8), Bonus Exp reward]
This notification echoed in everyone's minds.
Then, based on contribution, each received a corresponding amount of Exp.
"I went up 5 levels!" Zun shouted, incredulous. He had been the protagonist of the monster's death, after all.
The other two gained 2 levels each.
Roman, however…
[Congratulations on killing a monster with a level much higher than your average level (8), Bonus Exp reward]
[Unable to gain Exp due to your talent!]
[Due to the peculiarity of your talent, a different reward is generated.]
[…]
[You have obtained a Skill Book]