Allosaurus and other carnivores followed closely behind the leading Tyrannosaurus Rexes, and the two dinosaur groups instantly clashed in a vicious slaughter.
Roars, dinosaur cries, and screams intertwined as the entire Peace Camp instantly turned into a chaotic battlefield. The Berserker Alliance's dinosaurs were like a dark tide crushing forward wave after wave, and although the miscellaneous dinosaurs of Peace Camp had the advantage in numbers, they were completely disorganized and lacked coordination.
Some Stegosaurus had just lunged forward when their necks were snapped by the Berserker's max-level Tyrannosaurus Rex with brutal efficiency. Some Berserker Alliance Allosaurus tried to attack the Triceratops formation, only to be pierced through the chest and abdomen by sharp horns in an instant.
In the sky above the carnage, both sides' Argentavis and Pteranodons were also locked in aerial combat. Sharp claws tore through the air, feathers and blood fell like rain, and the roars of thousands of dinosaurs made the earth tremble beneath everyone's feet. Dust and the smell of blood permeated the entire West Coast.
The riders on the dinosaurs' backs were not idle either during the chaos. Some held crossbows, some held firearms, and some even had assault rifles that they'd crafted at great expense.
The two sides engaged in an intense crossfire while their mounts battled below.
However, in the world of ARK, the power of firearms didn't seem sufficient to tear through sturdy metal armor or thick dinosaur hide.
"Hold the line!" Big Shrimp roared while riding his Tyrannosaurus Rex and blocking the path of the retreating players.
Although his Tyrannosaurus Rex was not as powerful as the max-level combat force of the Berserker leader, it was exceptionally fierce. It bit down and flipped a low-level Allosaurus that was charging at the front, sending it tumbling.
But he couldn't withstand the repeated onslaught of the organized dinosaur group pressing forward. The elite dinosaurs around him fell one by one under concentrated attacks, and the temporary line of defense, as fragile as paper, continued to be ripped apart piece by piece. "Leader! We can't hold on! Retreat quickly!" Super Nanny rushed over on a Therizinosaurus with his body covered in wounds.
Big Shrimp looked back over his shoulder. The camp's fences had long been smashed to bits, the wooden houses were burning violently, and more and more players were falling in pools of blood around the settlement.
The remaining people were fleeing in different directions in a state of panic and desperation.
He knew in his heart that the defeat was certain, and further resistance would only increase the casualties unnecessarily.
"Take everyone and retreat toward the Mountain! I'll cover the rear!" Big Shrimp suddenly turned his dinosaur's head with determination in his eyes.
Super Nanny was stunned for a moment by the order.
"No! Leader, you retreat first, and I'll bring people to cover the rear. As long as you're alive, we still have a chance!"
"Stop talking nonsense! If we don't leave now, no one will be able to!" Big Shrimp shouted angrily while urging his Tyrannosaurus Rex to charge toward the densest part of the enemy dinosaur group.
He blew a horn while charging forward, commanding his dinosaur group to follow. In that moment, he resembled a beacon of hope. A lone warrior's last stand. Not because he thought he could win, but because he didn't want the other players to lose their chance at happiness.
He deliberately attracted the attention of a dozen Tyrannosaurus Rexes and Allosauruses through taunts, then relied on his familiarity with the camp's terrain to weave and fight among the burning wooden houses.
Super Nanny looked at Big Shrimp, who was resisting til his last breath just to buy as much time as possible. Super Nanny started to tear up at this incredible display of goodwill and benevolence, but he knew this was not the time for sentiment. He immediately organized the surviving players to prepare for retreat toward safety.
Somewhere on the battlefield, Clara watched the Peace Camp engulfed in the flames of war with horror. At this moment, her eyes were filled with tears as she watched familiar players fall one after another. Although she knew they weren't truly dead in reality, she still couldn't help but cry out in grief at the tragedy.
She only had a Megatherium by her side for protection, and at this moment, she summoned the courage to attack as well. She mounted her dinosaur and charged forward.
Soon, a Tyrannosaurus Rex rider spotted her. He charged toward her with a vicious expression on his face.
It charged forward and ripped Clara's dinosaur into pieces. But before her Megatherium died, he threw her off his back to save her. She fell to the ground and looked up at the now towering beast in front of her. Her eyes started to water as she now faced her death, helplessly, completely powerless, exactly how she felt in real life before she discovered Altoo's games.
Suddenly, a loud eagle cry came from the sky above.
A Griffin descended from the heavens in a graceful dive, the massive airflow from its wings almost blew the Tyrannosaurus Rex rider off his mount. As it dove down, Clara had already closed her eyes; she had succumbed to her helplessness.
But the Griffin hovered for a moment, grabbed Clara with its talons, and soared back into the sky with powerful wingbeats.
Seeing his prey being snatched away, the Tyrannosaurus Rex rider cursed loudly at the sky.
In the air, a large number of Argentavis riders also noticed this uninvited guest and prepared to flank the Griffin from multiple angles. But unfortunately, the Griffin accelerated into a dive and instantly disappeared over the horizon with incredible speed.
Meanwhile, on Lake's side of the battlefield, his small face was already flushed with anger as he stared intently at the invaders destroying everything.
He rode his Spinosaurus and attacked desperately with everything he had. But unfortunately, the enemy's numbers were simply too overwhelming.
His Spinosaurus was restricted in its movements among the dense dinosaur group, and without a water source to replenish the Wet Buff, it was soon covered in wounds under the sustained siege.
Before long, with a mournful wail, even a creature as strong as a Spinosaurus collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Super Nanny found Lake, who was still resisting in the chaos with a sword in hand. He was dressed in metal armor and held a longsword while wanting to fight even more against impossible odds.
Super Nanny rushed forward on an Iguanodon through the carnage.
"Lake, come with me quickly!"
"Sir!" Lake held his longsword tightly and saw Super Nanny rushing over.
"I'm not leaving! I'm going to fight these bastards to the end!"
He had long developed a strong sense of belonging to the Peace Camp during his time there. Watching his new home fall into the flames of war, his heart was filled with nothing but anger.
However, Super Nanny didn't explain himself to him. He grabbed him forcefully and immediately fled into the distance before Lake could protest any further.
Their figures broke through the encirclement all the way to safety.
On the main battlefield, Big Shrimp was still stalling the main dinosaurs of the Berserker Alliance with desperate tactics, but he was long since wounded and battered beyond help
The Berserker Alliance leader, Ash Berserker, caught up on his max-level Tyrannosaurus Rex while looking at the wounded Big Shrimp with a cold sneer on his face.
"That's what happens when you overestimate yourself!"
Big Shrimp didn't reply to the taunt. He looked up, and his eyes started to burn ablaze one last time, as he used his last ounce of strength to make his Tyrannosaurus Rex charge at him one final time.
The two Tyrannosaurus Rexes collided violently with a sickening crunch. Fangs and claws intertwined brutally, flesh and blood splattered across the ground, and finally, Big Shrimp's Tyrannosaurus Rex had its spine snapped by the opponent and crashed to the ground.
Struggling to climb up from the dinosaur's back despite his injuries, Big Shrimp picked up a spear from the ground and charged at the Berserker leader on foot. He was swatted away by the opponent's Tyrannosaurus Rex's massive claw like an insect.
Falling heavily to the ground, Big Shrimp spat out a mouthful of blood, and his vision gradually blurred as his consciousness faded. He looked in the direction where the players were fleeing to their safety. Seeing that, his mouth gently curved upward into a relieved smile. And then, he slowly closed his eyes one final time.
Big Shrimp had fallen.
With the death of Big Shrimp, the last remains of their organized resistance also dissipated into chaos. The Berserker Alliance completely occupied the Peace Camp, and flames soared into the sky within the camp.
The fleeing Peace Camp players, looking at the thick smoke rising behind them in the distance, were filled with sorrow but didn't dare to look back.
In the external livestream room, the chat messages had already flooded the screen with reactions. They were full of regret and respect for Big Shrimp's sacrifice.
[My god! A chaotic battle with thousands of dinosaurs is too shocking! This is the highlight of the survival competition!]
[Peace Camp's dinosaurs simply couldn't hold their own. The level difference was too great; it was a complete one-sided slaughter!]
[Big Shrimp truly is a hero!]
[*Crying*! Big Shrimp could clearly have run, but he chose to cover the weaker ones...]
[The Berserker Alliance won the battle, but lost their honor!]
[From now on, there will be no more Peace Camp, and no more Big Shrimp...]
Inside The Island, tragic slaughter was still ongoing in other regions, and the livestream chat was also a mess of emotional reactions.
Outside the game, in a quiet room somewhere in the empire, a figure slowly took off his gaming helmet.
A look of regret appeared on his face as he processed what had happened.
"Sigh... In the end, it still..." His voice trailed off into silence.