Moving across the jungle, I passed beyond the outer perimeter I had carefully set over the past week.
The environment changed almost immediately.
The air felt lighter. Strange winds carried pollen-like dust, and enormous butterflies—three times the size of anything I remembered from Earth—floated lazily between trees, their wings glowing with unreal colors.
"Focus," I muttered. "Don't get distracted."
So far, I identified several more consumable plants and vegetables, mentally marking their locations as I moved deeper.
Then—
A shadow.
Dark. Heavy. Crawling unnaturally along the ground.
My body reacted before my mind caught up.
I dropped into a defensive stance, muscles tightening, senses sharpening.
Evasion first.
A roar exploded from the trees.
Something burst out of the undergrowth, charging straight at me.
"What the—"
The creature was massive. Humanoid in shape, but wrong. A bull-like head sat atop a thick, corded body of muscle. Horns curved forward, hooves tearing up the earth as it moved.
"…That looks like a freaking minotaur."
No—now wasn't the time.
It roared again and attacked.
I dodged.
Too close.
Wind pressure tore past my face as its horns missed my skull by inches.
I can't dodge forever, I realized. It's faster.
My eyes flicked sideways.
A tree.
One chance.
I charged.
At the last second, I leapt, twisting midair, flipping cleanly over the beast's back. My spear drove downward instinctively, striking from behind.
The creature screamed.
Acrobatics – Lv 3 (Ordinary Class)
I landed hard, rolled, and slid between its legs as it staggered.
My body moved without hesitation.
A sharp uppercut to the chin.
A knee strike.
A desperate bicycle kick.
THUMP.
The beast collapsed.
I snatched my spear—its stone tip now dark with blood—and lunged as the creature opened its mouth to roar again.
"Die!"
The strike went straight through.
Silence.
The massive body fell heavily to the ground.
I stood there, chest heaving, hands shaking.
"…What the fuck."
This wasn't a dinosaur.
This wasn't just prehistoric wildlife.
I dragged the corpse back with immense effort, every muscle screaming, refusing to leave evidence where it fell.
Back at the cave, I worked carefully.
Using a crude stone knife, I cut through thick hide and muscle, exposing layers beneath. I studied organs, bone structure, muscle placement—trying to recall whatever basic anatomy I could.
A sudden clarity washed over me.
Hand-to-Hand Combat – Lv 3
Anatomy – Lv 1 (Ordinary Class)
Information flooded my mind—names, structures, vulnerabilities.
"…So it's not just coordination," I whispered. "The system gives knowledge too."
That realization unsettled me.
If creatures like this existed… then this world wasn't limited to dinosaurs.
Something else was mixed into reality.
Something abnormal.
I erased tracks as best I could, covered bloodstains, and reinforced the cave entrance.
"I need to be more careful," I muttered.
Tomorrow, I would continue.
But from now on, I would assume one thing.
This world hid far more than teeth and claws.