I could only imagine the gorlen squeaks as I literally bowled her through the hole towards the Dino Cave translating to something like: “This isn’t the last of me! I’m speaking with Dino Resources about you!”

Probably.

There was no chance I was fitting through that hole fast enough to avoid the commander. So I did the only thing I could think to do.

I smashed in the heads of all the stunned beetles, regaining my stomp skill, which leveled a couple of times, and getting a massive dump of experience.

You have received 105 experience for killing [Jungle Tunneler]. You have received 105 experience for killing [Jungle Tunneler].

You have received 105 experience for killing [Jungle Tunneler].

You have received 105 experience for killing [Jungle Tunneler].

You have received 105 experience for killing [Jungle Tunneler].

You have received 105 experience for killing [Jungle Tunneler].

Congratulations! You’ve leveled up! X2. Your [Health] and [Stamina] have been restored. Maybe now you won’t die to the foe commanding your attention.

Okay. Level four. Maybe having greatly increased health and stamina would help me with this mini-boss.

The buzzing grew louder and I spun to face the bug. Where the other beetles had eyes, this one had two hard orbs of white carapace. Great. So that tactic was out of the question. My talons clicked on the stone as I stepped back, and the commander charged me, his horn pointed straight at my heart.

I managed to avoid the strike, and a loud screech echoed out as his horn slid across the stone walls of the cave. The beetle turned in the air, shaking its head, and charged towards me again.

I jumped towards him, but my body was different, and it was a far clumsier action than I’d care to admit.

I barely managed to scrape the underside of the beetle as my failed jump brought me just in front of him. Fortunately, my new and improved talons managed to bite deep into his stomach.

But the commander didn’t react. He simply spun, slicing at me with one of the hooks on his legs. They were longer than the other beetles, but since he’d kept them tucked flat against his stomach, I couldn’t tell.

A talon bit into my shoulder and I roared with pain as tissue and muscle was torn. I grabbed his leg with my left hand, the good one, and with a tight grip, chucked him off the side of the cliff. He hovered over the open air before charging back at me, mandibles biting the air where I’d just been. I sliced at him again, but he seemed to have learned, and he twisted in the air, deflecting the attack with his carapace.

Smart bug… That’s annoying.

I leaped towards him as he twisted through the air to face me again, and this time landed on top of him.

We went down, but slowly. I kicked at his face with my clawed feet, but they just bounced off of the hard shell. Great Gojira it was annoying to have nowhere to hurt him.

I did my best to avoid the steaming goo that dripped from his back, and kicked back off of him, landing near the bridge as he slammed into the wall. The glowing liquid was all over the floor now, but it seemed to cool quickly, the only immediate danger being whatever fell off him most recently.

The commander turned back towards me again, charging me with his deadly horn. As I went to dodge it for the third time, he twisted his head, and his mandibles bit down on my shoulder, chomping down into my skin.

“Gragh!” I shouted, hot pain flashing through my chest. I glanced at my health.

Really!?

Health:

[109/260]

The single bite had done a ton of damage! And as he crunched down on my body, my health dropped again. I crouched, coiling the muscles in my leg, and leaped backward, slamming the beetle onto his back.

A satisfying crunch accompanied my action, but that satisfaction was quickly put out by the burning sensation on my tail.

Not the tail! Not the tail!

The mandibles released as though the beetle were gasping for air, and I quickly stood up, shaking my tail to free it of the boiling liquid. While the beetle was still rocking to stand back up, I swiped down towards it.

Your [Health] is critical! [73/260]

A hooked leg disengaged from the belly of the beetle, and deflected my swipe. I was on the offensive now, slashing and stomping to try to damage the upside-down bug, but he kept smacking away all my attacks, and the ones that did get through didn’t seem to do any damage!

A hooked claw caught me in the thigh, pulling me down to the ground, and sending me rolling, my face hanging off the edge of the cliff.

Your [Health] is critical! [46/260]

He was so strong! And when I looked at the commander, it didn’t seem like he’d taken any damage!

A spray of water hit me in the face, the waterfall rushing next to me.

The waterfall!

An idea struck me like lightning, and I couldn’t tell if it was incredibly genius, or incredibly stupid. But knowing me, probably the former, of course.

I rushed the beetle that had just managed to flip itself onto its legs. It lurched towards me, horn towards my chest, but just before it punctured me, I managed to grab it with my left hand, and hold it away from me.

The beetle shoved, and I stumbled back, but I didn’t loosen my grip for fear I would get speared again.

The mandibles snapped as I backed up, holding the lancing beetle at bay. I danced away from the strong bite, and as the beetle shoved again, I rolled onto my back.

The beetle came up into the air as I pulled it over me, and a strong kick from my legs sent it rocketing over the cliff.

And directly into the rushing water.

Upside-down, I watched as the beetle fell under the torrent, and plummeted under the force of the crashing water.

You have received 1417 experience for killing [Blind Commander]. You’ve developed a new skill: [Environmental Trap Lvl 1]. Your [Environmental Trap] has leveled up. It is now level 2. Your [Environmental Trap] has leveled up. It is now level 3. Congratulations! You’ve leveled up! X3. Your [Health] and [Stamina] have been restored.

Woohoo! Level 7!

Though, it was certainly harder to level up now than it was in the past. A similar amount of experience from when I killed the Deotrexaptor had previously gotten me an entire five levels.

This was going to be a rough grind.

Bowling ball? Are you ready to go again? Just… please don’t get a mini-boss this time...