Chapter 113: Next stage

Several enormous silhouettes were moving steadily among the trees on the far side of the river vault. Their bodies stayed partially swallowed by the dense vegetation, though their sheer scale alone was more than enough to set them apart from anything they’d faced so far.

Mark’s eyes narrowed sharply.

The silhouettes drew closer, revealing long snouts, powerfully muscled bodies, and towering, ridged backs. As they finally stepped into clearer light, the full scale of their size became unmistakably, terrifyingly obvious.

Each creature stood roughly fifteen feet tall. Their bodies were covered in striped green scales, hard, jagged, and intimidating, massive fan shaped crests rising proudly along their spines. Powerful limbs supported their considerable weight, enormous claws digging deep into the damp earth with every advancing step.

There were ten of them.

Their yellow eyes carried narrow, vertical pupils, each creature moving with the unmistakable, unshakable confidence of a predator that had rarely, if ever, encountered anything genuinely capable of standing against it. Their massive heads swept slowly across the area as they surveyed the scene, nostrils flaring wide as they tasted the unfamiliar scent carried on the damp air.

These were Spinosauruses, legendary prehistoric predators whose powerful builds and distinctive dorsal sails made them instantly, unmistakably recognizable.

Their appearance alone dragged this encounter to an entirely new level of danger.

Though their general silhouette might remind someone of other large theropods at a glance, their elongated snouts and powerful, sweeping tails gave them a genuinely distinct profile all their own. A single forceful swing of that tail carried more than enough raw momentum to snap a tree trunk clean in half, and their sheer size meant even a basic, casual movement could threaten anyone foolish enough to stand too close.

Mark and Derek froze in place, watching the pack carefully.

The Spinosauruses noticed them almost immediately.

Their yellow eyes locked onto the two humans, attention sharpening instantly with visible interest. Several jaws cracked open wide, exposing rows of jagged teeth as low, rumbling calls rolled out across the clearing. Their bodies shifted forward, powerful tails dragging through the surrounding vegetation, tearing it apart with every twitch.

To these predators, the two humans represented nothing more than potential prey.

Still, the sheer number of Spinosauruses working against them raised a separate concern entirely. If the pack started competing openly over the same prey, their collective movements might grow even more volatile and unpredictable. Mark and Derek couldn’t safely assume all ten would attack in some coordinated fashion, but they also couldn’t count on the creatures suddenly turning on one another either.

Derek studied the approaching group carefully.

"I’ll take the left side," he said. "You keep their attention split and stop them from fully boxing us in. We need real openings here, not all ten charging us at once."

Mark nodded.

"Sounds good. Just don’t get bitten in half."

Derek glanced sideways at him.

"Was about to say the exact same thing to you."

Mark turned toward the advancing Spinosauruses, already shifting his stance to peel off in a different direction.

"Hermione would probably already have given me three or four facts about these things by now," he muttered. "Girl practically memorizes everything she reads at the library."

Derek shot him a quick glance.

"You’re thinking about Hermione right now, seriously?"

"I’m thinking she’d genuinely know more about these dinosaurs than either of us combined."

"Right. Of course you are."

"Don’t start."

Derek chuckled, though the sound faded fast as the first wave of Spinosauruses finally broke into a charge.

Mark darted sideways, successfully pulling several creatures’ attention away from Derek entirely. Their massive heads swung to track him, heavy strides sending ripples cutting across the shallow water near the riverbank.

Derek moved in the opposite direction, bracing to meet the creatures bearing down on his own side.

The first Spinosauruses hit full speed.

Claws tore violently through the damp earth, long tails whipping behind them as they accelerated hard. The surrounding vegetation shook violently under their passing weight, the ground itself seeming to tremble with every heavy footfall echoing through the river vaults.

Mark dodged the first attack cleanly, slipping between two rocky formations and forcing the nearest predators to adjust their approach awkwardly. Derek raised his crystal armored arms, bracing hard against the creatures already closing fast on his position.

For several tense moments, their plan actually seemed to be holding together.

They’d successfully split portions of the pack, keeping all ten Spinosauruses from reaching them at the exact same time. Unfortunately, the escalating noise drew fresh attention from additional creatures still concealed deeper within the surrounding groves.

More massive silhouettes began emerging from between the trees.

Mark spotted them almost instantly.

His expression tightened as the full weight of their deteriorating situation settled in. The two of them were already struggling against ten enormous predators, and the very real possibility of even more joining the fight threatened to drag this entire encounter into an exhausting, losing battle of attrition.

They couldn’t keep playing pure defense forever.

Derek remained fully occupied with the creatures pressing his side when Mark suddenly stopped moving entirely.

An idea had struck him.

He turned back sharply toward his roommate.

Derek caught the sudden shift and glanced over, visibly confused.

"Mark? What are you doing? Keep moving!"

"Changed my mind," Mark called back. "I don’t think we should keep playing defense here without some real backup."

Derek’s eyebrows shot upward.

"Wait, you’re actually going to summon someone?"

"Exactly. I can hold my end here fine, but there’s genuinely no reason to make this harder on ourselves than it already is."

Before Derek could respond, Mark closed his eyes.

His focus drifted entirely away from the raging battle, pulling instead toward memories of his earlier exploration deep within the Amazon chamber. He recalled the imposing ivory sculpture of a female warrior, its presence radiating an almost overwhelming sense of authority and raw strength.

The sculpture carried a powerful physique, broad shoulders, a formidable frame, thick, muscular thighs reflecting every bit the hard won strength of a seasoned warrior. One arm had been raised high overhead, mouth frozen open in what clearly suggested a silent, eternal battle cry carved permanently into ancient ivory.

Even as nothing more than lifeless stone, it had commanded genuine attention.

Something undeniably ancient lingered within its presence, something that seemed to stretch well beyond its mere physical form. Mark remembered the strange, resonant sensation he’d experienced studying that chamber, the distinct feeling of some immense power connecting directly to him through a bond he was still only beginning to properly understand.

That memory stayed sharp and vivid in his mind.

Now, standing in the middle of the Fossil Reach, enormous predators closing steadily in from every direction, he understood clearly enough that it was time to call on that power properly.

His focus locked entirely onto the Amazon warrior.

A deep current of mana stirred suddenly within his body, spreading rapidly through his veins as though actively responding to the authority he carried. The sensation hit powerful, yet strangely familiar too, like some connection that had quietly existed long before he’d ever learned how to properly recognize it.

Mark’s eyes snapped open.

A bright, golden gleam shone within them as he released a sharp, focused mental command.

Penthia, come forth. It’s your time to shine.

The space beside him began distorting instantly.

A swirling magical whirlpool formed in the open air, currents gathering tightly into a brilliant, concentrated formation of pure energy. The surrounding mana responded immediately to the summoning, the glow intensifying steadily until a tall, humanoid silhouette began emerging directly from its center.

The figure sharpened with every passing second.

Broad shoulders appeared first, followed by a powerful torso and long, striking legs that lent the newcomer an unmistakably imposing stature. Her footsteps struck the ground with a heavy, solid crunch, nothing like the delicate click of heels, but the firm, grounded impact of sturdy, battle ready boots meeting rocky terrain.

An Amazon warrior had arrived.

Penthesilea stepped fully out of the magical formation carrying an unmistakable, commanding presence, her towering figure instantly drawing the full, undivided attention of every surrounding creature. Her powerful build and confident, unwavering posture made it immediately clear she was no ordinary summon by any stretch. She carried herself exactly like a warrior who’d spent an entire lifetime facing down dangerous opponents, with absolutely no intention of backing away from one more fight now.

Mark felt the tension in his body ease noticeably.

He hadn’t summoned her purely to show off her strength. They were facing a genuinely escalating, dangerous situation, and her sudden arrival could hand him and Derek the real advantage they desperately needed right now.

Four of the nearest Spinosauruses slowed their advance the instant they registered her presence.

Penthesilea turned toward them.

For one suspended moment, the entire battlefield seemed to hold its breath collectively.

Then she brought both hands together in one brutal, thunderous clap.

The sound erupted like a crack of thunder tearing across the sky.

A tremendous wave of displaced air burst outward from the point of impact, sweeping violently across the surrounding terrain with overwhelming, devastating force. The pressure wave slammed directly into the nearest Spinosauruses, tearing clean through their formation and sending several of the enormous predators stumbling backward in visible disarray.

The force didn’t stop there either.

The entire middle section of the advancing pack got swept aside as though the massive predators weighed little more than loose straw caught in a storm. Their enormous bodies crashed hard into the muddy ground, leaves, dust, and torn fragments of vegetation scattering violently through the air around them. The shockwave rolled outward across the riverbank, visibly disturbing the water’s surface and making the surrounding trees shudder from root to crown.

Mark stared, momentarily stunned.

He’d genuinely expected Penthesilea to be powerful, sure, but actually witnessing that strength unleashed in the middle of real combat was something else entirely. That single attack alone had completely shattered the enemy’s formation, carving out an opening neither he nor Derek could ever have created that cleanly on their own.

Derek had stopped moving entirely too.

His eyes went wide as he took in the full aftermath of the attack, momentarily forgetting the Spinosauruses still closing in on his own position.

"Are you being serious right now?" he exclaimed. "She did all of that with one single clap?"

Mark shot him a quick glance.

"Try not to stare too long. We’ve still got dinosaurs actively trying to eat us."

Derek snapped his attention back toward the approaching creatures, then flicked another quick glance back toward Penthesilea.

"I know that! I’m just saying, that was genuinely ridiculous!"

His stunned reaction made plenty of sense.

He’d seen Penthesilea before, back during the tournament at the battle stadium, watching her display her strength safely from the stands alongside the other students. But witnessing that same power from a comfortable distance hadn’t remotely prepared him for the sheer, visceral feeling of standing this close while she unleashed an attack of that genuine magnitude.

There was a massive difference between watching a powerful summon perform inside some organized competition and actually standing beside her while she tore through a pack of enormous predators in a genuinely dangerous dungeon.

This time, the consequences were completely, unmistakably real.

And Penthesilea’s raw strength proved genuinely impossible to ignore.

Mark turned toward his summon.

"Penthia, take the left flank, Derek and I will handle the right!"

Penthesilea acknowledged the order with a firm, decisive nod.

Without a flicker of hesitation, she stomped forward and surged toward the left side of the battlefield. Her powerful legs drove her across the uneven ground with tremendous, vigorous energy, her towering figure bearing down directly on the Spinosauruses still recovering from the shockwave.

The creatures turned to face her, yellow eyes tracking her approach closely.

Penthesilea showed absolutely no hesitation whatsoever.

She advanced with the full, unshaken confidence of a seasoned Amazon warrior, fully prepared to meet the predators head on and keep them thoroughly occupied while Mark and Derek handled the remaining threats on their own side.

Mark watched her for a brief moment longer before turning back toward Derek.

His roommate was still staring at Penthesilea, expression caught somewhere between genuine astonishment and open admiration.

"That’s a really nice name you gave her," Derek remarked. "Suits her pretty naturally, honestly."

Mark shook his head.

"Actually, it’s her real, proper designated name. Didn’t come up with it myself. Just shortened the longer version because it’s considerably easier to say out loud."

Derek raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, really? She already had a name before you even summoned her?"

"That’s my understanding of it, yeah."

Derek’s expression turned even more curious.

"Then I’m guessing her full name’s Penthesilea. That’s honestly the only name I can think of that actually fits Penthia properly."

Mark gave him a brief, confirming nod.

"Exactly right."

Derek glanced back toward the towering Amazon warrior, watching her close in on the Spinosauruses without showing the faintest trace of fear anywhere in her stride.

"That’s genuinely awesome. You’ve got yourself a seriously powerful summon there, Mark."

Mark allowed himself a faint smile.

"Yeah. Let’s just hope she makes the rest of this a whole lot easier on us."

"Honestly, after what she just pulled off, I’d say we’re in pretty good hands."

Mark turned back toward the remaining Spinosauruses, his expression sharpening with renewed focus.

"Don’t get too comfortable yet. We’ve still got our own side to deal with."

Derek flexed his crystal armored arms, stepping forward with renewed determination.

"Right. Let’s wrap this up before even more of them decide to show up."

With Penthesilea fully engaged against the left flank, Mark and Derek braced to confront the remaining predators together. The fight had shifted dramatically, and for the first time since setting foot inside the Fossil Reach, they finally had a genuinely powerful ally capable of matching the dungeon’s steadily escalating threats head on.

Still, the sheer number of enemies remained a real concern, and this unfamiliar environment offered absolutely no guarantee the danger would end cleanly with this particular encounter.

Mark tightened his fists.