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Alright, I think now I need to hunt down whoever I reckon are the strongest on this island.
You know, I'm planning to challenge myself by taking them down one by one—from the weakest up to the boss.
I'm treating this place like an RPG dungeon: easy levels at the edges, hardest boss at the core.
Okay, let's get started. From what I've figured out, the closer I get to the center, the tougher the creatures become.
So let's go find my next opponent.
I trekked through the forest, looking at what was usually lush green ground—now a pristine, white expanse. It had its own strange beauty.
Even though I was out hunting a fight, I wasn't in any hurry. I moved slow and steady, soaking it all in.
After a few hours, I found the armored dinosaur.
Funny how this same beast was the reason I was terrified of this island at first—now it's my opening opponent.
I crept closer, and it spotted me. When it turned around and locked eyes with me, I swear I saw a flash of confusion.
If it could talk, it'd probably be asking how the heck I managed to get right in front of it!
Man… since when do I sound like a third-rate villain?
Guess this island's messing with my brain too.
Anyway, joking aside, I sprinted at that huge, scary dino, switching into battle stance.
When I got close, I boosted my legs and leapt—and when I was face-to-face, I powered up my fist and punched it square in the snout.
And… yeah, just like a level-1 boss, it died!
Even I was shocked—but I always thought of it as a "mini-boss," so fair enough.
I wiped the blood off my fist like a samurai sheathing his blade.
Staring at its carcass, I remembered how it used to paralyze me with fear six months ago—now one punch dropped it. I realized I'm stronger than I ever gave myself credit for.
Pumping my fists and buzzing at that first taste of power, I headed deeper toward the island's core.
Some might wonder why I haven't faced any huge dinosaurs or monsters all these past six months.
Simple—I avoided them.
I'm one of those fighters who only steps into the ring when I know I can land a solid punch.
Alright, time to move on.
I looked back at the dino and—just for a moment—felt a bit of respect. After all, it volunteered to fight me.
Wading back into the forest, I realized I'd underestimated these island creatures.
If a dino was hanging around the edge, there must be even stronger beasts deeper in.
I pressed on until I saw huge claw marks gouged into the trees.
You know what that means—a powerful predator has claimed this spot—and I'd just found my next target.
Up ahead was something like a tiger-bear hybrid: a tiger's head on a bear's body, stripes mixed with shaggy brown fur, huge claws. It could stand on two legs or sprint on all fours.
The moment it saw me, it charged. Its speed surprised me for something that big. It leapt to bite me—but I dodged.
It hit again even faster, but this time it reared up and swiped like a bear.
Instead of dodging, I lunged forward and punched its chest, knocking it off balance. But I'd miscalculated—during its fall, one claw raked my right side. Damn, that hurt.
Those claws were sharper than I thought—my snake skin armor didn't stand a chance.
Pulling back, I drew my sword. I refused to stare at my wound any longer.
I was mad—not at the beast, but at myself. Killing the dino had gone to my head.
This tiger-bear hybrid gave me no time to collect myself. When it lunged, I blocked with my blade—and even on all fours, it still tried to slash me.
I saw its claws nick my sword, proof that it was strong and my weapon was up to the task.
After trading blows and dodges, I got into the rhythm. Then, with a massive leg boost, I moved faster than it could react. I ended up beside its neck and sliced down—decapitating it in one swift strike.
When it died, exhaustion hit me, and I collapsed against its body.
"Crap, I need to bandage this wound before I bleed out," I muttered.
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