An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world

Chapter 77 How to fight Tyrannosaurus

I delve into the compendium of creatures acquired from the capital, or should I say, the monster compendium.

Oh, how intriguing it is! From venomous snakes and frogs to Tyrannosaurus rex.

Is it really possible that such beings exist? That’s the feeling it gives me.

“DinoDragon” — there’s no mistaking it for anything other than a Tyrannosaurus rex, is there?

In this world, this is the largest and most formidable of monsters. Its arms are quite small. A total length of 15 Naaru, roughly 12 to 13 meters.

The illustration depicts it walking on two legs horizontally, not dragging its tail. This implies that it has been observed walking like this in reality. It’s not a creature imagined from fossils. I believe the theory that Tyrannosaurus rex walked on two hind legs without dragging its tail emerged after the development of computer simulations in modern times.

Here, it’s said to have been slain by a legendary hero.

According to the scriptures, it’s also said that this creature was once a demon king.

That was over five hundred years ago now.

In this world, demon kings vary from era to era. They might be wolves, bears, or other creatures endowed with intellect, wielding human speech and commanding monsters to assail humans.

So, among the diverse demon kings, one of them was a Tyrannosaurus rex, it seems.

“NanoTesu-san, NanoTesu-san, please respond. This is Nakajima.”

“Hellooo, it’s NanoTesu here! Long time no talk, Nakajima-san!”

“It’s been a while. Well, you see, the other day, I had to exterminate a Pteranodon.”

“Heh.”

“…Well, it’s not something to laugh about.”

After a long while, I communicate with the goddess NanoTesu through a digital radio transmitter.

Currently, Saran is at Kano-chan’s house, working together on making fur hats.

“But seriously, if someone from here talks about battling a Pteranodon, they’d just laugh.”

“But you’re a goddess from a different world, right?”

“Haha, my apologies.”

“Why does this world still have such dinosaurs?”

“On Earth, there used to be a supercontinent called Pangaea, and continents have shifted over time to form the current layout, you know?”

“Yes, the Wegener’s continental drift theory and plate tectonics.”

“You’re quite knowledgeable, Nakajima-san. Well, in this world, there were multiple such supercontinents when it was born. One of them remains relatively untouched, and dinosaurs still inhabit that region. They have managed to coexist separately from mammals. So, the massive extinctions that happened to dinosaurs on Earth didn’t occur here.”

“What do you mean by ‘massive extinctions’?”

“Like huge meteor impacts causing ice ages.”

“Is it appropriate to brush that off as a ‘massive extinction event,’ NanoTesu-san?”

Evolution, you see, could have taken so many different paths with just a slight twist.

Mammals, I’m glad you managed to survive and thrive.

“So, there hasn’t been anyone in this world who has circumnavigated the globe like Magellan?”

“That’s correct. The people in this world haven’t yet developed shipbuilding technology for ocean voyages, so circumnavigating the globe is still an unfulfilled feat.”

… So, the level is pre-1500 AD.

There’s quite a range in the progress of culture and civilization. Some aspects have developed faster than our world, while others are lagging behind.

“And there haven’t been any New World discoveries like Columbus either?”

“That’s right. It would be quite surprising if adventurers like that were to appear in the future and discover a new continent. Imagine a land filled with dinosaurs.”

What a dinosaur paradise that would be.

I’d like to visit that place sometime.

“As for the Pteranodons, they migrated here like migratory birds?”

“That’s correct. Pteranodons could fly, so it’s possible that some individuals might have ended up on this continent by accident.”

… About the Tyrannosaurus in this scripture being a demon lord?

“In this world, they are said to have arrived through unstable wormholes.”

“Though it’s mentioned that they possess intelligence, understand language, and control monsters to attack humans?”

“Well, that part is more of a hero’s legendary tale, so there might be some embellishments. Even though they are considered monsters, since they arrived as demon lords through the wormholes, once a demon lord appears, monsters tend to become more aggressive and attack humans in swarms.”

“Doesn’t that imply that when a demon lord appears, the monsters might escape to human settlements?”

“Well, it’s a possibility!”

What’s with that? It feels like the legends are becoming more and more clichéd.

“… Well, similar tales exist in the Elf traditions too. Also, there are other creatures mentioned in this bestiary, like the Mid Dragon and the Little Dragon. But these descriptions unmistakably resemble Triceratops and Deinonychus.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“A wormhole, you say… Is that like an underground passage? Or is it a physical phenomenon?”

“It’s a result of spacetime anomalies.”

“What kind of occult thing is that?”

“Well, on Earth, there’s stuff like vanishing without a trace or being reincarnated in another world, right?”

“… I guess I shouldn’t be questioning that, considering I’m here in another world.”

“Exactly.”

“So, dinosaurs come through that to our world, like what we call dragons?”

“Yes, due to the influence of the wormhole, they can sometimes transform into what we would consider more monstrous creatures, often growing larger.”

Hmmm…

“Heroes have defeated them before, right?”

“Yes.”

“Even though it’s not written in the scriptures, how did they manage to defeat them?”

“Powerful magic, like lightning spells and such.”

“I see… This world really does have incredibly potent magic.”

“Yes. Please be cautious, Nakajima-san.”

“… I’ll keep that in mind. So, is there a chance I might have to fight a Tyrannosaurus in the future?”

“I can’t say for sure, but it’s not an impossible scenario. Dinosaurs still occasionally appear in this country even now.”

Come to think of it, I was invited to participate in a joint hunting of a Mid Dragon quite a while ago. I declined back then, but was that creature a Triceratops?

Maybe I should have joined. After all, Triceratops are herbivores, so they shouldn’t be that aggressive.

But then again, if that’s the case, maybe there’s no need to exterminate them and we can just leave them be.

“As someone who can’t use magic, how should I go about defeating a Tyrannosaurus?”

“… Nakajima-san, you’ve become quite the worrier, haven’t you? Well, if it ever comes to that, I’d say just run. But I don’t think you’re the type to take that advice and flee. So, if one shows up in the city, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Huh…”

“That being said, I’ll let you know if a Tyrannosaurus appears. Take care now!”

“Wait a second, hold on! Are you seriously telling me there’s a possibility of fighting a Tyrannosaurus? Don’t just say something and leave without explaining! Nanothesu-saann!!”

…

She’s setting up those ominous flags again!!

Bipedal carnivorous giants like the Tyrannosaurus are a type of theropod. There are various species within this group, and the Tyrannosaurus isn’t necessarily the biggest. There were even larger ones, but the Tyrannosaurus is the most famous, thanks to movies and such.

It’s also known as the T-Rex.

Why did the Tyrannosaurus become famous in movies? Well, because it lived in North America, aka the United States.

USA! USA! Go, Tyranno! Tyranno’s the best! It’s a point of pride for Americans.

But, well, whether the Tyrannosaurus in this world is the same as the one from our Earth where we lived, that’s not really something to worry about. And whether the creature depicted in this guide is truly a Tyrannosaurus or not, that’s not a big concern either.

Its weight is somewhere around 5 to 6 tons, if I recall correctly.

Dinosaurs are just too massive. They say the Tyrannosaurus couldn’t run in reality, but an African elephant can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h when seriously motivated. So, it’s a bit hard to believe that a hunter like the Tyrannosaurus would be slower than humans. Well, I can’t imagine a Triceratops, its potential prey, being much faster either, so perhaps it was a fair match.

Huh?

Wait, wasn’t an African elephant around 4 to 6 tons?

If it weighed as much as an African elephant, couldn’t you take it down with a gun capable of bringing down an elephant? Like a .375 H&H Magnum, perhaps?

40 km/h… That’s about 11 m/s.

Less than 10 seconds before it charges at you if the distance is 100 meters.

Around 18 seconds for 200 meters.

27 seconds for 300 meters.

If I were to hunt it, I would prefer to have a 300-meter distance?

Where should I aim if I were to target it?

A headshot is out of the question. The head is just too massive. Besides, dinosaurs had underdeveloped brains, so they should be relatively small.

Furthermore, the Tyrannosaurus skull is mostly surrounded by thick, muscular tissue. The bones and muscles around the head are highly developed for biting, taking up a significant portion of the skull. The likelihood of a bullet piercing through the bone, muscle, and reaching the brain to cause damage is quite low.

And then there’s the fact that I have no idea where the brain is located within that enormous head.

Theoretically, it might be somewhere around the back of the eye, but aiming for the area between the eyes would be nearly impossible.

The angles are just too difficult. It might deflect the shot.

From the side, perhaps? But is there even a chance to directly face it like that?

In that case, the heart or the organs.

The heart would naturally be in the chest area.

There are small hands in front of the chest. That means there are shoulder blades there. It’s a defensive structure.

In both humans and animals, the heart isn’t too deeply embedded within the organs. If it’s too deep, it would require the heart to push against the organs, resulting in added strain on its movement and unnecessary energy consumption. Hence, the heart is not usually positioned too far back.

Perhaps somewhere just below those small hands.

But still, aiming at an opponent when you’re unsure of the exact location of their heart is undoubtedly risky.

There’s even a theory that some dinosaurs had two or three hearts, which has yet to be entirely dismissed.

Moreover, it’s said that Tyrannosaurus had a social structure involving family groups.

This is supported by fossils that have been excavated, showing traces of healed bone fractures. In other words, during periods when they couldn’t move due to broken legs and couldn’t hunt for food, there must have been individuals caring for them. Adult and juvenile Tyrannosaurs have also been found together in the same fossil site.

Finding just a single individual might be considered lucky. There’s a high likelihood that they engaged in group hunting. Hunters in the animal kingdom, like lions, wolves, and hyenas, often engage in group hunting. Humans are no exception.

I’ve also seen movies like Jurassic Park and scenes on TV where they try to shoot dinosaurs, but did they ever really manage it with guns? I don’t remember.

It seemed like whenever it really counted, they either didn’t have guns or couldn’t use them. That’s how it felt, at least.

If Tyrannosaurs were easily taken down by guns in a straightforward manner, it would have killed the excitement of those movies entirely.

…

You know, I can’t really imagine taking down an opponent like that with an H&H Magnum.

You’d need a gun with substantial firepower that’s effective even at longer distances.

I’m reminded of the Barrett that the Church’s summoned hero had.

It fired .50 BMG rounds, right? They even mount them on fighter jets.

In movies, the Barrett is often portrayed as excelling in long-range shooting, but its true power lies in its ability to take down even aircraft (※1) as an “anti-material rifle.”

Yeah, it’s probably that.

Among the firearms I’m familiar with, that one is considered the most powerful.

It’s a military-grade weapon, isn’t it?

Although the hero’s Barrett was a bolt-action single-shot type.

In movies, they often show bolt-action rifles. Since they’re firing blanks in movies, it’s probably easier to work with bolt-action than semi-automatics (※2), which might be why bolt-action Barretts are frequently depicted.

When it comes to rifles for hunting, whether semi-automatic or bolt-action offers better accuracy, the answer is “it doesn’t really matter.”

Both can hit targets with ease at a distance of 300 meters. For hunting purposes, either would suffice. Opting for semi-automatic doesn’t lead to a loss of power either. The piston or bolt starts moving after the bullet has exited due to recoil and gas pressure, and until it’s ejected, the bolt remains fixed. Since gas is reused, there’s no decrease in bullet velocity for semi-automatic rifles.

When facing a Tyrannosaurus, would it be better to go for semi-automatic fire?

Yet the accuracy of a single-shot bolt-action rifle is also hard to dismiss…

From what I’ve seen of the one the summoned hero had, it couldn’t have been any simpler in design, truly minimalistic to the core. It’s no wonder it’s based on military firearms.

There’s an audaciousness to it, where design aesthetics and fine finishing were thrown out of the window.

In the military, you wouldn’t find a single-shot rifle, so that one is a commercially available firearm, right?

In other words, even ordinary citizens can buy it.

It’s absurd that something like that is accessible to the general public in the U.S.!

What kind of gun culture is this? It’s overly permissive.

I wonder if I could buy one with my Magic Bag too? But it would probably be expensive… (※3)

“Um, um…”

As I pondered this, Saran returned.

“I’m back. What are you up to?”

“Well, I was just thinking about what to do if I had to fight this guy.”

I point to the illustration of the Dinodragon in the Monster Encyclopedia.

“…Do you want to become a hero, Shin?”

“No, not at all.”

“Hey, Shin.”

“Yes?”

“Never mind about that. I’m perfectly happy as things are. As long as you live a long life and grow old with me, I don’t need anything more than that.”

“I feel the same way.”

“Then don’t concern yourself with such matters. Please.”

“Okay. But I can’t help but think about what if something like this appeared in the village.”

“No, no. Absolutely not. If that happens, let’s run away. I’m happy no matter where we are.”

“Yeah…”

Saran embraces me tightly from behind.

“I know you’re weak, Shin. Even to the point where you might die if attacked by monsters. But I don’t care if you’re weak. Leave things like that to the hero, okay?”

“Yeah, I understand. I won’t push myself too hard. Let’s have dinner. I’m hungry.”

“Sure thing!”

With that, Saran heads to the kitchen.

Here I am, in this otherworld, earnestly pondering how to defeat a Tyrannosaurus.

It’s starting to feel a bit comical.

Now, the weak point of a Tyrannosaurus…

Honestly, if you’re not thinking about taking it down on the spot, just shoot it with a rifle like normal.

Wild animals, well, they don’t have medical care available, nor can they see a doctor. So, if you shoot them in the abdomen, they’re sure to die. Tyrannosaurus is no exception.

Unless it’s a mere surface wound, a gunshot that reaches the organs will invariably lead to death. With wild animals, even if they manage to escape, they often end up dying at their hiding place.

Even with a small-caliber gun, if you keep shooting, you can aim for death by bleeding out.

There’s no animal that can survive massive blood loss.

You don’t necessarily need to take it down in one shot.

With that perspective, I felt a sense of relief.

Well, if I were to do it, I guess that’s where I would aim.

Yes, if by some chance a Tyrannosaurus were actually rampaging right in front of me, I’ve somewhat figured out where I would shoot.

If such a situation were to arise in this village, I might as well give it a try.

――――Author’s Notes――――

※1. Capable of Downing Fighter Jets

The .50 BMG ammunition used in Barrett M82 and M99 rifles is originally designed for the Browning M2 heavy machine gun. This M2 heavy machine gun has been a highly versatile firearm used not only for anti-aircraft purposes but also against vehicles, tanks, and even fighter aircraft. Despite the fact that even the Japanese military had mounted 20mm machine cannons on their Zero fighters, the United States continued to employ the 12.7mm ammunition for fighter aircraft until the end of the war. The power deficiency was compensated by the quantity, as each plane was equipped with six of these machine guns, showcasing their ability to overcome challenges. And this firearm continues to be on the frontlines even today.

This demonstrates the extent of trust the United States places in this ammunition.

※2. Ineffective with Semi-Automatic Function

Similar to the M2 heavy machine gun, the Barrett M82 possesses a short-recoil operated breech locking mechanism that utilizes the recoil for operation. In other words, it won’t function without the recoil generated by a live round. Therefore, in movies featuring the M82, there are occasionally odd scenes where the rifle is depicted as semi-automatic, yet the bolt is manually cycled after each shot.

※3. Costly

The Barrett M82 typically costs around six thousand dollars or 600,000 yen. The M99 is relatively more affordable at approximately four thousand dollars or 400,000 yen. In essence, in the United States, you can protect your home from a Tyrannosaurus rex with a sense of investment comparable to buying a used car for an ordinary household.