Evolution Island: Kill to Survive

The Pterosaurs

Before Aaron had any chance to check out the detailed information regarding his new power, a low throaty noise in the distance caught their attention.

“The Pterosaur is close!”

“That was the only weather scroll I had. We can’t go through the forest now,” Zach cried out in alarm.

Aaron, however, wasn’t ready to make a change of plans. He picked up the Lasso of Hestia from the ground and stored it away inside his inventory and then proceeded to open the mini-map. Zooming in on the forest, he showed it to Zach. “Look at this quest marker. The Dark Orcs have a settlement right inside this forest and Gilbert told us they have formed an alliance with the Hobgoblins. Also, there are captive humans in their camp.”

“What are you trying to get at?”

“I’m trying to say that if Dark Orcs, humans and Hobgoblins can survive inside this forest without getting attacked by the wildlife, it means that the Dark Orc camp is a safe zone. And if that’s the case, the Pterosaurs can’t venture inside the confines of the camp.”

“So, we should be safe from the Pterosaurs if we manage to reach their camp.”

“Exactly! We only need to find a way to cause a diversion and make our way to the Dark Orc camp.” Having explained the basic plan, Aaron turned to the tracker on their team. “Kawasha, you gotta show me where the secret path to the Dark Orc camp is located.”

“There is a stone totem in the eastern part of the forest. I know an incantation which reveals a hidden underground path under it.”

“Show it on the map.”

“It should be right over here,” Kawasha said, pointing inside the fog-covered region of the forest. “We just have to get past the Crying Oak and make our way past the dead chestnut trees.”

“That’s a lot of ground to cover in the open. There’s no way we can keep the Pterosaur distracted long enough to make the journey,” Zach joined in.

Aaron had been planning on using Zach’s illusion ability to send in two clones which would act as decoys and distract the Pterosaur, but this plan had two major flaws: the first was the fact that the illusions only lasted 30 seconds and the second was that they had no way to tell if there was just one Pterosaur out there. If the Pterosaurs were hunting as a pair, it would be suicide to try and cross the forest.

After killing the Cockatrice, the thought of actually fighting the Pterosaur had crossed Aaron’s mind more than once, but he had very little idea about the Pterosaur’s base stats and even less about its skills. If they engaged this great pre-historic hunter, there would be no way for them to flee. It would just play out like any other boss battle, only ending when the boss was killed or the entire player party was wiped out. Aaron would have taken the risk if he had been playing this game from the comfort of his chair, but since the stakes were a lot higher this time, he had to play it safe. He still knew frighteningly little about the save feature and that made him treat this situation with far more seriousness.

Time was of the essence here. Once it was noon, they would be confronted with an even more dangerous problem—the Deity living inside the Crying Oak. Aaron knew he had to make a call fast, and find some way to either avoid or deceive the great predator of the sky.

So far, the Cayuga had given him very little information to work with. None of them had ever tried to fight a Pterosaur, which is why they didn’t know what the creature was capable of. Aaron could ask Kawasha to use his skill and find a weak spot in the Pterosaur’s enormous frame, but he would not be able to reveal the creature’s base stats and vulnerabilities with his low level skill. Attacking the Pterosaur didn’t seem like the best idea.

Aaron went back in his mind, to his first encounter with the Pterosaur. He remembered that the Fire Hornets had caused enough trouble for the Pterosaur to cause it to flee, which meant that the creature was probably not fire resistant like the Cockatrice. He could use the same strategy as last time to get the Pterosaur away from them, but for that they would need to lure the Pterosaur to the ground.

Waiting outside the forest would solve nothing, so Aaron finally gave his team the green signal. This time he took point and led from the front. As they entered the forest, the screams of the Pterosaur grew louder. It didn’t take them long to catch a glimpse of the enormous flying monstrosity.

“There are two of them!” Zach cried in a hushed tone.

Aaron put his finger to his lips and motioned them to stay quiet. The Pterosaurs hadn’t spotted them yet, but one wrong move would change that in an instant.

“What’s your plan bro?” Zach asked, his throat beginning to dry up from within.

Aaron kept his eyes on the Pterosaurs flying in the distance and asked back, “How realistic do you think they made these creatures?”

“What?”

“I mean, the Pterosaurs were real pre-historic creatures which existed in the Mesozoic era. They aren’t mythical monsters, that much is clear.”

“What are you trying to get at?”

“I’m trying to say if these Pterosaurs are built like the real ones, then they should have the same anatomy and bodily functions.”

“Still don’t see how that’s helpful.”

“The Pterosaurs which lived in the Mesozoic era all had thin membranous wings, which made them great gliders. They also had hollow bones, similar to modern-day birds. However, these adaptations presented them with quite a few problems.”

“Like what?”

Aaron looked at Zach and replied confidently, “The Pterosaurs weren’t built to deal with strong winds. And their sheer size made it very difficult for them to make quick turns midair or fly through tight spaces. Their wings were very susceptible to damage, which is why they avoided flying in inclement weather.”

“Well, this is an open forest. The trees are well spaced out,” Zach responded, taking a good look all around. “It doesn’t seem like the Pterosaurs will have any problem flying through this.”

“But you forgot the weather part, bro.”

“I didn’t forget it. But you don’t remember that I don’t have any more weather scrolls on me.”

“But you do have a skill!” Aaron pulled at Zach’s Z-band and opened the skills tab. He pointed to the second-last skill in the Exploration section. “That is the skill you need to unlock. You have just obtained one skill point, so you better use it right now.”

“I can’t use that skill here!” Zach pulled his arm away.

“Why the hell not?”

“Cos, it’s gonna kill you!” Zach clicked on the skill description and explained hurriedly, “This is the Pelting Rain skill. If I use this skill, it will conjure a thunderstorm and drench this whole forest in rain. You are a Pyromancer, which makes you vulnerable to water. Using this skill here, while you’re out in the open, will deal tremendous damage to you and end up killing you in mere minutes!”

It wasn’t like Aaron wasn’t aware of his vulnerability. He knew quite well that if he used the Pelting Rain skill, it would be fatal to him, but right now that seemed like the only way to deal with the Pterosaurs. After re-thinking his decision once again, he finally replied, “I’m gonna need you to trust me on this, bro. Unlock the skill and use it right now.”

“Are you crazy?”

“There is no other way to get past the Pterosaurs and we’re running out of time.”

“Well then, f**k the side quest!”

“You know we have no choice. If we refuse to do the side quest, Gilbert will just find another way to kill us. Our options are pretty limited here.”

“I’m not doing it!”

“I’m gonna be fine. I promise!” Aaron shook Zach by his shoulders and looked him right in the eye. “You have to trust me, bro! Just do as I say and we will both get out of here alive.”

Zach knew how obstinate Aaron could be. Once his mind had been made up, it was impossible to convince him to change his decision. In the end, Zach was forced to relent. Tapping the screen on his Z-band, he confirmed his selection.

“Unlock new skill: Pelting Rain.”