Chapter 116: Hole Ambush
The mercenaries curiosity got the better of them as they all gathered round the new opening in the hole. "Out of the way!" Caleb yelled to his people, which caused them to part.
Caleb got to the edge of the hole. "Bertram!" He yelled and the man in question walked over. They must have done it before as Bertram grabbed Caleb by the legs and dangled him into the openings.
Caleb turned on a flash light and looked around the room below. The decorum was ancient. Back to the founding ancient. The structures of the building were made of marble and other materials that were sturdier than they appeared.
Despite possibly finding the reason for being here, Caleb thought this may still be the wrong location. "Ok Bert, pull me up." Out of the whole, the first presence Caleb spotted was Kathrine. Her whole body was questioning him for answers.
"Ancient Spartari structures. As old as the empire itself. That being said, this does not look like the buildings we are looking for." Kathrine tapped her lips while thinking. "We have 5 different coordinates to dig at, It would be incredibly lucky if we got where we are on the first one. Still we must explore this location until we are certain."
The mercenaries that were heading into the subterranean structure below was being helmed by Paul, Bertram's husband. "Apollo." He Said as he made his way over. "I hear you are joining us below? That is great news. We may have to find a different way for you to get down though, I do not think our rope ladders will handle your weight."
I was glad that in the short time I have known the mercs, I have been seen as reliable since Paul had no qualms letting a stranger join them below.
Taking a few steps back as I talked I commented. "Oh don't worry about that Paul, I'll just-" I fell though the hole in the ground feet first and landed after falling for 17 meters. I made very little sound as I did thanks to my Gyrokinesis, but I did disturb somethings quite close by.
Looking upwards, Pauls head was visible as it peered over the edge of the hole. His face of relief at me being fine turned into worry as he shouted. "Behind you!" I trusted the mans tone and used my powerful leg muscles to propel me sideways while unsheathing Zircon in a blur and slashing out defensively as I did.
Zircon seemed to have found mark as I heard a animalistic shriek behind me as I adjusted myself. Now facing the creatures that attacked me, I grew confused for a moment. "Dinosaurs?"
Before me stood a pack of 5 creatures. They were 5ft tall and 3 meters long with reptilian skin and large maws with sharp bone grinding teeth. They had two back legs on what they stand on and two stumpy forelimbs.
'They remind me of a... Its been too long I don't remember the name. They definitely aren't avian descendants though.' I thought to myself due to the lack of feathers.
The deinonychus look a likes began to circle my form being careful as I managed to injure one of their own, even if it was only a superficial cut. The mercenaries up above began to circle the opening but did not begin firing. They could accidentally hit me or a combustible gas could be down there at the moment. They would only use their firearms as a last resort on Caleb's orders.
I did not know this and was currently fixated on the fight to come. I could feel my senses heightening and my breathing steady as the large beasts circled me. I could kill them all now with my minigun, but that would not be sporting. A good challenge is what I needed.
The Dino behind me thought I was exposed and attempted to bite towards me. I met its bite head on and while it tried to feint to let another attack while I over exerted myself, I did not use Zircon and instead shoulder charged into its body while slashing backwards at the over confident secondary attacker, slicing off its lower jaw in the process.
The one I shoulder charged went quite some distance thanks to Adding extra weight to myself and lowering its own. The remaining Dino's scurried to the side of its knocked over kin and took defensive stances as It got up. In the meantime, I walked to the side of the spasming Dino while keeping an eye on the others and planted Zircon straight into its brain.
I was too preoccupied with the other 4 creatures that I did not have time to realise that Zircons fuller changed colour as drops of red invaded her usual Psionic blue. It was only for a moment however as I removed her from the brain sheath and took another stance, defensive once more.
Now there was some ground between us and I could concentrate instead of being ambushed, I activated my Gyrokinesis aura to weigh on the Dino's and exhaust them. I am a lot stronger now compared to when I used the same strategy with Sapphires template body and could keep the aura up longer even if there was four of them.
These Dino's were more baser than the jungle predator was as well and would not realise why they were getting exhausted.
The Dino that was on the ground was now up again and the pack began to circle again, even more cautious than before. To keep them continuously tiring themselves without noticing, I would faint attack then feint attacks on the ones that tried to capitalise on my mistakes over and over.
I began to grow over confident at their attack patterns and went to feint an attack once more. However this time, The Dino did not care and proceeded forward with malice. In the last moment I put more power into my thrust as it went deep into the creatures shoulder. It however, also took a chunk out of my shoulder armour as well.
"Shit." I muttered as I kicked away the beast with all the force my legs could muster In my rage and I unintentionally ruptured its heart as I did so. Thinking I was injured, alongside them becoming increasingly tired, The rest of the Dino's began to close in rapidly. Their flurry of bites had me dodging all over.
One of them became unbalanced in a bite attempt and I dodged under their body, having Zircon rip them open in the process.
The last two now realising the could not kill this prey, and utterly exhausted, began to retreat from the location. I would not let that happen. They try to gank me and then run... No that is not happening.
Putting all my power in my legs once more, I zoom to the closest one and decapitate in on a drive by. The other is too far away now and my legs have begun to hurt so I raise my minigun and blue plasma rained down upon the retreating figure.
After only two seconds, The Dino was more hole than Dino as it plopped down dead. Ignoring the cheers from the mercenaries above, I walked over to the Dino who I kicked and Planted Zircon in its head making sure it was dead.
I then proceeded to rip off its leg and feed it to the purple orbs on my chest to repair the stupid mistake I made. "No more getting cocky you dumb shit. A fight should always be taken seriously even if they are weaker." I said, scolding myself.
Ten minutes later and The joint mercenary exploration group began to make it down to hole. The first to come down was a woman with dirty blonde hair. She wore a uniform with twin snakes with swords at the end of their tails pointing at each other badged onto her arm indicating she was from the serpent swords.
As she took point, a burly man made it down next. He was wearing a tactical vest with nothing underneath and on his arm was tattooed a brass bulls head. A member from the Tuarox. More and more began making it down allowing the first lot of people to spread out. The woman from the serpent swords walked over to My impromptu Dino throne.
"Hey, I saw you fight all these creatures on your own. That takes some balls." She said with genuine praise. "Thanks I guess." I replied "No problem. Are you hurt by the way I saw one take a big chunk out of your huh?" She was going to mention my shoulder armour, but had now realised it was all still there.
"Honestly I am fine thank you I felt the beasts teeth against my skin, but the bite was too shallow to affect me. I am Apollo by the way." I said as I extended my gauntleted hand.
"Oh where are my manners, I am Mindy, Co captain of the Serpent swords alongside my partner who decided he was too chicken shit to explore some scary ruins." Mindy said shaking my hand.
"A pleasure to meet you. Lets go regroup before all those eyes over there bore holes into my armour." Mindy grew confused and turned around as all her subordinates were eying me with open hostility at talking to her alone, making her laugh at the situation.
"Sure thing killer, lets go."