Chapter 15: THE FINAL STRUGLE (II)
He rushed as fast as he could from the volcano region but slowed down in the ash forest region, where animals were present that hadn't been in the volcano area.
Proceeding cautiously into the forest, he recalled seeing a plant that acted as a sleeping gas when burned wet. Though he hadn't collected it earlier due to limited space and the delayed effects of the plant, now seemed like the perfect opportunity to utilize it.
As he ran, he stumbled and fell, feeling the increasing pain in his body. "Now I understand," he thought, "when I move closer to the egg, my body becomes normal and even powerful, but as I move away, it starts to weaken and fatigue." Though not ideal, as the effect of the egg waned, his strength dwindled. Knowing that the power of the egg no longer affected this area, he focused on finding the plant that emitted sleep-inducing smoke when burned.
When Alex went to the areas described in the book, where the probability of finding his target was much higher. As he ran, he also witnessed the sun, guessing it would be setting soon and darkness would slowly descend. With limited time, he rushed the search, and after two hours of searching, he finally found it. It resembled a NEEM tree. He plucked all the leaves he could and put them in his makeshift robe/bag.
Then, with a lighter and the bag, he rushed back to the volcano. This time, he went to the cliff side of the mountain, as it would be impossible for him to cross the region with the dinosaurs. After reaching below the cliff, he looked up, took a deep breath, and slowly started climbing.
Since he wasn't a professional climber in his previous life, it was too difficult, but he managed to climb such a cliff just because of his body; it was quite close to the egg, so he had quite a lot of power. He then made a spot on the small protruding stone, looked up, and saw the time in the sky.
He had planned that when there were only 40 minutes remaining, he would burn the bag and throw it near the egg, letting the smoke spread, as it would help nearby animals to sleep and deter some, as fire might cause them to panic. Then, when 10 minutes would be remaining, he would rush to the egg. With a cloth tied around his nose, he would go there, pick up the egg, come back to the rock, and hold it until the timer ran out. He thought,
But "there were many flaws:
1. I don't know how long the smoke would last, as although it was stated that it would last for a long time, no exact time was given.
2. What if some animals had some kind of resistance to the smoke? It was also not mentioned.
3. Today is a full moon, but still, the nighttime was limited, reducing his sight to very little.
4. How would he dig out the egg? Although I had not seen it up close, it was emitting a glow from underground.
5. ... " As Alex was mumbling and thinking about what could go wrong and making his strategy with this limited time and resources.
The timer was still running. The animals were fighting, and the night winds were blowing past Alex as if excited to watch the show, while Alex was shivering, whether due to fear or excitement.
The time had finally come after waiting for so long, enduring so much suffering. It was time to take action and prove it all. With just 45 minutes left, Alex was almost at the edge of his endurance. He took out the leaf bag, burned it, and as smoke began to rise it, he threw it as close to the egg as he could, watching intently.
As expected, this sudden incident caught the attention of some animals; the smoke produced was too much. Some animals didn't care and continued their fight, while others ran away, seeing it as a sign of a volcano.
Alex now had to wait for the smoke to spread and cover the area like winter fog so he could steal the egg. But just as he was waiting for his moment, when about 20 minutes remained, many animals in the smoke area were put to sleep. Seeing this scene, the majority of animals started to run away, but the smoke was slowing down. If this continued, the smoke would disappear in 10 minutes.
Alex panicked. If this continued, his plan would be ruined, and with no other option coming to mind, he jumped on the edge and quietly approached the faint glowing region, covering his nose.
He sat near it and tried to take out the egg, but he couldn't, as if some stones were blocking the path. Already five minutes wasted, with no other option in mind, he pulled back his punch and with full force started to beat it as if wanting to crack open the earth.
The stone started to crack, and the way was slowly forming, but Alex hands were getting covered in his blood. He tried his full power, thinking, "I can't die yet. My whole life, I gave up thinking what's the point? I am one in billions. What's the purpose of struggling if all we have is to die one day, to be forgotten in 100-500 years, no matter what we did? It was not even a blink in the Earth's perspective, but now I had the chance to change it, to travel and find meaning in life, also for my family".
While Alex was mumbling to himself to get over the pain and continue, suddenly his arm bone cracked. He roared, "This is the fucking time to 'PUSH PAST MY LIMIT'!" With this, he threw a full-powered punch, breaking the bone of his hand. But the egg was now visible directly without its glow, and with his other hand, he tried to reach it.
The egg lay exposed without the previous rocks blocking, the luminating rays, and with his remaining hand, he reached out to seize it. Yet, before he could secure his prize, he found himself under attack.
Meanwhile, outside the veil of smoke, a dinosaur caught sight of the egg's intensifying glow. Reacting instinctively, it charged towards the source, drawing the attention of other creatures in the vicinity. As they witnessed the egg's radiant light and the dissipating smoke, excitement spread among them like wildfire.
Alex, in a desperate move, hurled the egg to his other hand and aimed a powerful punch at the creature's eye. The impact made the animal roar and retaliated by biting Alex's arm immediately. Caught off guard, Alex couldn't react in time, and his hand was torn in the struggle. With more animals closing in, he sprinted towards the cliff, aiming to reach the safety of the rock.
The dinosaur, its eye injured, lagged behind as it followed Alex's movements. But just as Alex was about to begin his descent down the cliff, the dinosaur stepped squarely onto his only remaining hand, the one he was using to grip the cliff's edge. Pain shot through Alex as he involuntarily released his hold and began to plummet downwards.
In the midst of his fall, he glimpsed at the timer: 1:40, 1:39... as time continued its relentless march forward.
As he collided with the ground, Alex made a conscious effort to protect his head, absorbing the impact with his legs, causing them to snap with audible cracks. Bones jutted out, and he lay there, limp and slowly being engulfed in his own blood, which flowed from multiple wounds across his body. His hand was crushed, his back broken, and his legs mangled, all oozing blood. He lay there, his vision growing hazy, the excruciating pain overwhelming him. He could feel the extent of his injuries, each broken bone adding to the torment.
With red eyes, he gazed up at the sky, where the timer continued its relentless countdown: 30 ticks, 29 ticks... Time slipped away, and a minute had already passed, since he collided, and struggled to muster the strength to look skyward. In his weakened state, a wolf-like creature approached, drawn by the scent of the egg Alex had placed in his mouth for safekeeping. But instead of taking the precious object form Alex, the creature began tearing into Alex, devouring him alive.
The pain washed over him, blurring his senses and eroding the illusion of invincibility he had clung to. He was no mighty warrior, no hero destined for glory. Instead, he was just a regular person, living in a time of peace and plenty, where the struggles of survival were foreign concepts. He had never learned to fight or defend himself, never faced true adversity until now.
In this moment of agony and realization, he confronted the stark truth of his mortality. Luck had carried him thus far, shielding him from the harsh realities of existence. But now, as his life slipped away in a whirlwind of pain and despair, he understood the fragility of his existence. He was but a speck in the vast expanse of humanity, insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
As Alex lay there, consumed by agony and regret, he wished desperately to rewrite the events that led him to this grim fate. But time, unforgiving, refused to yield, and the jaws of the wolf closed around him, sealing his inevitable end. In those final moments, memories of simpler times flooded his mind, offering a fleeting solace amidst the pain.
Tears streamed down his face as he recalled dinners with his family during his high school years, the warmth of those moments contrasting sharply with the cold reality of his present situation.
As consciousness slipped away and the timer in the sky halted at 5 seconds, signaling his death, Alex's demise was sealed, his mission left unfulfilled. With tear-filled eyes, he was left to the jaws of the wolf, his life slipped away in a final, agonizing moment of resignation and sorrow.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
THUNDERYODH
THUNDERYODH Hey everyone, I know that scene was pretty heavy, but it was crucial for Alex's character development. Hope you all enjoyed it!
Creation is hard, cheer me up!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone