Limitless: New Dawn

Arthur jolted awake, his heart pounding as a thunderous roar shook the forest. It wasn't just loud; it was primal, a sound that reverberated deep in his chest. 

"What was that…!"

He sprang from his makeshift hammock, the urgency of the moment overriding any grogginess. 

Without hesitation, he leapt down from the tree, landing with feline precision. 

He thought if he should check out what was going on, after giving it some thought he decided to go and see it first hand, and broke into a sprint toward the source of the sound.

'Whatever made that noise is huge', he thought, his feet barely touching the ground as he raced through the underbrush. Within moments, he arrived at a clearing. What he saw took his breath away.

Two massive T-Rex-like monsters, each towering over the landscape at nearly 40 feet in length and nearly 12 feet tall, were locked in a ferocious battle, razing the nearby trees into the ground with utmost ferocity and ease.

Their scales glistened like polished stone, one deep emerald and the other a dark crimson. 

They fought over a massive prey, a creature resembling a mammoth with elongated tusks, which was already lying on the ground with nearly half of the top part of its neck missing, clearly dead. The clearing was chaos.

The emerald beast lunged first, its jaws snapping inches from the crimson one's neck. The latter retaliated, slamming its head into its opponent's side with a resounding thud that echoed through the forest. 

The impact sent the emerald T-Rex stumbling back, but it recovered quickly, letting out a deafening roar.

"RRROOOAAARRR!"

The sound made Arthur's ears ring. He crouched behind a boulder, watching intently as the battle unfolded. 

The crimson monster countered with a swipe of its massive tail, striking the emerald beast's hind legs and causing it to stumble. The emerald predator roared in frustration and lunged again, this time clamping its powerful jaws around the crimson one's shoulder. 

Blood sprayed into the air, splattering the ground with dark red pools.

"THUD!"

The crimson T-Rex roared in pain but didn't relent. It twisted its body, tearing itself free from the bite, and retaliated with a devastating headbutt. 

The emerald beast staggered, its grip on victory slipping. The two titans clashed again and again, their roars shaking the very ground Arthur stood on. 

Finally, after a series of brutal blows, the emerald T-Rex managed to clamp its jaws around the crimson one's neck, shaking it violently before releasing it.

The crimson monster let out a weak growl and retreated, limping and bleeding heavily. It vanished into the trees, leaving the victorious emerald T-Rex to roar triumphantly and claim its prize. 

The forest fell silent except for the sounds of the emerald predator feasting on its hard-won meal.

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "That injured one... it might be my best chance."

…

Arthur followed the trail of blood left by the retreating crimson T-Rex. It led him to a cave nestled at the base of a rocky hill. The creature's labored breathing echoed within, and Arthur crouched at the entrance, formulating a plan.

'This thing is massive—at least 40 feet and weighs probably 8 to 10 tons. I can't take it head-on. I need an edge.'

As he crouched there, he became aware of the eerie stillness of the forest. A distant growl reminded him that predators could still be lurking. 

He scanned his surroundings cautiously. The flora seemed to pulse with faint bioluminescent hues in the dim light, adding an unsettling beauty to the environment. Arthur shook his head. 'Focus.'

He retreated silently, gathering materials for a weapon. He found a sturdy branch from a tree he had tested earlier, its wood as tough as steel. Using vines, he lashed together a spear, tipping it with the claws of a monster he had defeated the day before. 

To enhance its lethality, he smeared a potent paralytic poison onto the tip, harvested from a plant he had identified earlier in his explorations. The preparation took nearly an hour, but Arthur worked methodically.

During his search, he encountered a strange, slug-like creature the size of a dog, oozing a luminous blue liquid. Its translucent body shimmered, revealing internal organs. It moved toward him with surprising speed, opening a circular mouth lined with rotating teeth.

"What the…!" Arthur dodged as it lunged. He grabbed a nearby rock and smashed it against the creature's body. The slug let out a high-pitched squeal before collapsing, its internal fluids splattering onto Arthur's arm.

The liquid began to sizzle. "Acid? Great." He quickly rinsed his arm in a nearby pond, gritting his teeth as the burning subsided.

'The acid must be quite powerful to burn my tough skin.' He can already imagine what would have happened if he met the slug-like creature just two days ago, he would have melted into a puddle of goo.

As the sun climbed higher, he returned to the cave. The crimson T-Rex lay curled inside, its breathing shallow. Blood seeped from its wounds, forming dark pools on the rocky floor. Arthur tightened his grip on the spear, his muscles coiling with tension.

'Here goes nothing,' he thought, stepping silently into the cave. 'AI should aim for its eye. It should be its weakest point.'

Arthur crept closer, each step deliberate. The beast's massive chest rose and fell rhythmically, its eyes closed. He raised the spear, taking a deep breath to steady himself. Then, with all his strength, he drove the weapon into the creature's eye.

"RRRRAAAAUUUUAHHH!"

The T-Rex jolted awake, its roar a mix of pain and fury. The spear pierced its eyelid and embedded itself 15 centimeters deep, but Arthur was shocked, it hadn't gone as far as he'd hoped. 

It should be noted that his strength is already approximately above 2 tons, as he could easily lift a one ton boulder without much stress. But the spear didn't go in much even while using all his strength.

Before he could retrieve the weapon, the monster thrashed, sending him flying across the cave. He hit the wall hard, the impact knocking the wind out of him.

"Damn it!" Arthur muttered, rolling to his feet as the T-Rex rose, shaking the ground with every movement. Its remaining eye locked onto him, blazing with rage. 

Blood poured from its wounded eye, but the beast seemed far from incapacitated. Arthur clenched his fists. 

'The poison... let's just hope it kicks in soon.'

The monster lunged, its jaws snapping inches from Arthur's torso. He dodged to the side, delivering a powerful punch to its snout. The impact barely fazed it. 

The T-Rex roared again, swiping at him with a massive clawed foot. Arthur leapt back, but the claws grazed his side, tearing through his skin and leaving a deep wound.

"GRRRRAAAHHHH!"

Arthur grunted in pain but kept moving, amazed at its power. He dodged another swipe, then countered with a kick to the creature's leg joints. 

The force of his blow caused the beast to stagger, but it quickly recovered, its tail whipping around and striking him like a battering ram. 

Arthur was sent sprawling, he got up and tried to punch at its blinded eye. But his left arm caught in the monster's jaws as it lunged again.

"AAARRGGHH!"

The pain was searing as the T-Rex bit down, severing his arm at the shoulder. Arthur collapsed, blood pouring from the wound. But even as he gasped for breath, he could feel his body working, his regeneration already stitching the wound closed.

'I just need time', he thought, forcing himself to his feet. He felt he was getting stronger as the fight dragged on, but it was still not enough. The T-Rex seemed to be slowing, its movements less coordinated. The poison was taking effect.

Arthur pressed his advantage, weaving between the monster's sluggish attacks. He landed blow after blow, targeting its legs and underbelly. 

Each punch carried more force than the last as his body adapted, growing stronger. The T-Rex roared in frustration, swiping clumsily. Arthur dodged, circling around to its blind side.

With a final burst of speed, he climbed onto its back, grabbing the embedded spear. Summoning every ounce of strength, he drove the weapon deeper, the tip piercing the creature's brain.

"RRRUUUAAAGHHHH..."

The T-Rex let out one last, gurgling roar before collapsing. Its massive body hit the ground with a thunderous crash, the cave trembling from the impact. 

Arthur slid off, panting, his body covered in blood and sweat. His arm, now fully regenerated, flexed as he clenched his fists. He felt stronger, stronger than ever before.

…

Arthur wasted no time. He harvested the T-Rex's claws, marveling at their diamond-like hardness. They would make formidable weapons. Dragging the massive carcass outside, he began cutting the meat into manageable portions. 

The process was laborious, but his enhanced strength made it easier. He carried the remaining parts several hundred meters away, disposing of them to avoid attracting other predators.

With how easily he was able to drag the nearly 10 tons heavy body of the monster for hundred of meters without a sweat, it could be seen his stregth increased exponentially after the fight.

...

Back at the cave, Arthur set to work cleaning the bloodstains. He carved a tree stump using the sharp talons of monsters, in the shape of a bucket and using it to carry water from a nearby pond, he scrubbed the rocky floor, erasing any signs of the earlier battle. 

He laid down the wolf fur he had collected earlier, creating a makeshift bed. Next, he built a wooden rack to dry the T-Rex meat into jerky, ensuring he would have a sustainable food supply.

Finally, he turned his attention to the cave's entrance. He gathered thick branches and vines, his strength allowing him to carry and manipulate materials that would have been impossible before. 

Using monster claws to carve and shape the wood, he constructed a sturdy wooden gate. The vines acted as ropes, binding the structure together. By the time he finished, the gate was secure, capable of keeping most critters at bay.

Arthur stepped back to admire his handiwork. The cave was now a fortress, a safe haven in the dangerous wilderness.

He also carved some woods to make large bowls using the sharp talons of different monsters to hold more water, so that he does not have to go to the pond every time he needs to.

"Well that should do it for now…", he murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips. As the last light of dusk crept over the horizon, Arthur lay down on his makeshift bed, exhaustion finally catching up to him. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but for now, he could rest.

***