《E.L.E Online: A Dinosaur Evolution LitRPG》 Day 0: Part 1 - Greetings Contenders! Erik¡¯s body hummed with tension as he slid into the VR capsule, one of six laid out in a circle in the center of a massive space. He guessed it had been a warehouse at one point, but now it looked more like the world''s biggest studio apartment. Birch wood floors shined brightly under the long fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling. Shelves lined the walls, filled with gaming paraphernalia from posters of past tournaments to collectible action figures. A large 3-D hologram displayed real-time game stats, adding to the ambiance. Erik¡¯s legs dangled over the edge of his pod as he coughed gently into one hand, trying to ease the persistent itch in his throat. ¡°See you on the inside,¡± Marcus called from his right as he lay down in his own capsule. Erik glanced to his left, where Sarah was tying up her hair and situating herself in her pod. He brought his legs up before laying back, sinking slowly into the gel padding as it conformed to the shape of his body. ¡°Your team really went all out on these,¡± Erik called to Sarah from where he lay. Dyson Pods were already expensive, and these ones were definitely high-end models. ¡°It was my sponsors. I don¡¯t know if they ever expected we¡¯d win the whole international tournament. Since then, it¡¯s like they¡¯ll write a check for anything,¡± Sarah replied as he glanced around the room, the lavish setup a testament to her sponsors'' deep pockets. There was even a wall of old gaming PCs, shining with the RGB lights that had once been so popular, as if they were some kind of vintage cars restored to working order and left to gather dust on a showroom floor. ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad they¡¯re letting us use them,¡± Erik said, and from his other side, Marcus snorted derisively. Sarah ignored him, and Erik couldn¡¯t chide Marcus for being rude while he fought to suppress a cough. The cover of the capsules came down before the familiar blue lights began to glow dimly from within the gel so that he wasn¡¯t shut in total darkness. He closed his eyes, feeling a mild hum run up his back until it reached his brain, which felt as if it were vibrating gently. Slowly, the dim lights faded away into darkness, but Erik knew what had actually happened. The capsule was hijacking his senses, establishing the link and making sure it was stable. He tried to close his eyes but found they didn''t exist; he didn¡¯t exist. Just a mind without connection to a body, floating in darkness. This part of the process was known to give people anxiety, and Erik could see why, but not him. The itch in his throat, the bone-deep aches, and the weakness of his muscles all faded away as the capsule took over. Then the world returned; not the real world, the VR world, his world. A hexagonal grid expanded in every direction, taking shape and filling with color. In moments, he was standing in a room with a reflective floor of darkened glass, neon lights in a riot of colors trimming the edges. The ceiling was made of the same material, glittering like a pool of ink high above him. He inhaled deeply, holding his hands up and curling his fingers tightly, both things he couldn¡¯t do anymore in the real world since he¡¯d gotten sick. Marcus caught his attention with a wave as he made his way over from the right. His old familiar avatar was just as tall as he was in the real world but bulkier. His comically oversized cowboy hat, along with a muscle shirt sporting the Texas flag, complemented the thick cigar he always had dangling from his lip. ¡°Little Rik,¡± the big man said, thumping Erik on the back as he moved to stand next to him. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously still be using that Texas muscle man skin,¡± Sarah said as she joined them. She was wearing her Battle Arena avatar, the same avatar she¡¯d been using since she¡¯d gone pro at the game a few years ago, a game the three of them had at one time played together. She was an anthropomorphized rabbit woman with white fur. Her ears dangled down the back of her head the same way her ponytail did in real life. ¡°I figured you¡¯d grow up eventually,¡± she told Marcus as she approached, her eyes moving up and down his tall avatar, her expression critical. ¡°I¡¯m not the one running around looking like an oversized stuffed animal,¡± he fired back with a grin, shifting the cigar in his mouth to the other side. Sarah grimaced, which was a peculiar expression for a rabbit''s face, and she shrugged. ¡°Not my call. The sponsors ¡®insist¡¯ we wear the game avatars, that and contractual obligation.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t matter here soon,¡± Erik said, looking himself over. His avatar wasn¡¯t much different from his real self: short, with blond hair and brown eyes. He hadn¡¯t cared to embellish his looks like most people did. It was the style of clothing that made him stand out from the crowd. Erik had always possessed an enduring love of all things steampunk, and his avatar reflected that. Goggles had replaced his glasses, he wore 1920s-style pants with buttons, suspenders with a button-up shirt, and his hair was cut short on the sides and somewhat longer on top. From his avatar¡¯s inventory, he pulled out one of his favorite hats: a short top hat made from faded leather and covered with brass buttons of different sizes. He placed it atop his head, adjusted it so it sat at an angle, and then tucked his thumbs under his suspenders, leaning back on his heels. ¡°Right, right,¡± Marcus grumbled. ¡°Dinosaurs. Do you think they¡¯ll let me put my flag on a T-rex?¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± Erik said, looking around as the large square room quickly began to fill with people who had signed up and been chosen to compete in the beta tournament. The premiere of E.L.E., The Dinosaur Evolution Battle Royale, running on the most advanced virtual reality tech ever created. Erik looked at his wrist, and his HUD displayed the time. 15 minutes till noon, when the tournament was scheduled to start. He let his arm fall back to his side, and the time vanished off his HUD, only to realize a small circle had formed around them. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out why. A mish-mash of players'' avatars were pointing at Sarah, talking with their hands over their mouths. More than a matter of directing sound, the gesture actually muted the speaker for anyone but the person to whom they were whispering. So despite the dense crowd of people staring at them and talking with their friends, it was eerily silent. ¡°I see gaming with Sarah is going to be even more obnoxious than before,¡± Marcus said, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re one to talk,¡± she shot back, which was not an unmerited criticism, Erik thought silently. Marcus could not be called subtle and had no business accusing anyone else of being obnoxious. ¡°Well, yeah, but I¡¯m from Texas,¡± he said, thickening his accent and grinning lazily. The tip of his cigar glowed brightly as he took a deep pull, a cloud of smoke billowing out of his mouth. Erik shook his head and jumped in before they could get to bickering properly. ¡°Thankfully, we¡¯re going to be anonymous within the game itself,¡± he said. ¡°Sarah would be public enemy number one.¡± ¡°She does have that effect on people,¡± Marcus said with a snicker. Sarah didn¡¯t answer, instead crossing her arms and adopting a bored expression. Good-natured ribbing had always been their way, but Marcus¡¯ remarks had an edge to them now that hadn¡¯t been there before. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Maybe this wasn¡¯t a good idea. Erik thought, trying to crush down the anxiety, not just at his best friends'' inability to get along, but at the prospect of the tournament itself. At first, he¡¯d been confident that they had a real shot; after all, it wasn¡¯t so long ago that they had all been contenders for the Battle Arena pro scene. Now, he was afraid that their disharmony could spoil their teamwork. If that happened, and they were eliminated from this tournament, that would be it. He¡¯d never get his friends back. He knew the odds were long to begin with. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact he was dying, Sarah and Marcus never would have agreed to play together again. They were both here for him, but because they pitied him. Because they would¡¯ve felt guilty otherwise. Calm down and focus. Erik took a slow, virtual breath. He looked at his wrist again. 5 minutes until the event started. He rubbed at his chest, a nervous gesture, when suddenly a notice popped up on his HUD, and judging by the way everyone stopped at the same time, eyes unfocused, he wasn¡¯t the only one.
Welcome Player to the Premier of E.L.E Online. The tournament is about to start, and we at Sauropod Studios want to take a moment before we begin to thank you for your participation. We look forward to seeing you all in prehistoric action! -The Dev Team
¡°Well, that¡¯s nice,¡± Marcus said as his hand made a dismissive gesture before he cleared the message off his HUD. ¡°Those are the sort of manners you like to see.¡± Erik waved his own notification away and glanced over at Sarah, who was tapping through her display, fingers flying over an interface only she could see. Then at the center of the lobby, a man appeared, taller than any human had ever been. By at least 3 meters, he towered over everyone, his iridescent blue skin visually at odds with his khaki shorts, shirt, and hat. ¡°Greetings, contenders!¡± he said, holding his hands wide as he pivoted, taking in the entire lobby, which had become quite crowded. ¡°Welcome to the first ever E.L.E. Online Battle Royale tournament. We at Sauropod Studios are proud to be part of this historic moment. E.L.E. is the first game to take full advantage of the Dyson Pod¡¯s landmark time dilation technology.¡± His hands fell to his sides, but the larger-than-life avatar continued to grin brightly at them. ¡°You will experience 30 in-game days. That¡¯s 30 twenty-four-hour days of gameplay, while for everyone outside, the tournament will be over in approximately 32 minutes.¡± ¡°They¡¯re really pushing the tech,¡± Sarah whispered from Erik¡¯s right, her rabbit face turned down in concern. ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby,¡± Marcus said from Erik¡¯s other side, and Erik saw her eyebrows drop into a V as her temper flared. ¡°It¡¯ll be okay,¡± he said soothingly before she had a chance to fire back at Marcus. He really didn¡¯t need his teammates dissolving into a squabbling mess before the tournament even started. He knew if they went into this doubting each other, it would undermine their chances, but in the moment, he didn¡¯t know what to say to help mend the rift between his friends. So instead, he tried to assuage Sarah¡¯s fears. ¡°It¡¯s been safety tested extensively,¡± he assured her. ¡°I¡¯ve been following the trials for years.¡± ¡°Now, everyone who signed up to participate was sent an info packet on how this works, but just to make sure we¡¯re all up to speed, I¡¯ll be reiterating some of the more relevant sections,¡± the alien safari guide continued, his voice rising above the chatter that had broken out throughout the lobby. He paced slowly across the center of the room, making eye contact with various contestants, his iridescent skin catching the light as he moved. ¡°First, each game day will have two parts. The first part is what we¡¯re calling Days, though don¡¯t be confused. Days represent 16 hours of your 24: 6 hours of daylight, 2 hours of twilight, and 6 hours of nighttime.¡± He paused for a moment, a holographic display materializing beside him to illustrate his point. It displayed a sun and moon circling a virtual planet, clearly demarcating the game''s day and night cycles. The guide gestured towards the display, then continued speaking. ¡°At the end of your 16 hours, you¡¯ll enter the Night phase of the game, where you will be removed from your Dinosaur avatars and placed in a virtual location we call The Hub. You¡¯ll learn more about The Hub after you finish your first day or after you¡¯re eliminated, whichever comes first.¡± The guide took a few steps forward, his hands clasped behind his back, and looked around the room with a friendly gaze, ensuring he had the attention of all the players. ¡°Which brings me to my second point. Because of the way syncing works in time dilation, all participants must remain linked to E.L.E. online for the full tournament duration. So when you¡¯re eliminated, you¡¯ll be placed in The Hub for the remainder of the tournament. Is everyone following along so far?¡± Erik knew all this already, having read the info packet that was sent to him as part of qualifying for the beta tournament, but it seemed he was in the minority. Many of the players around them were having whispered conversations with their teammates, and some of them seemed unhappy, judging from their expressions. Most were using the hand-over-mouth whisper feature. The guide seemed oblivious to all of this, pressing on, and what he had to say next very thoroughly silenced anyone who might¡¯ve been upset to learn they¡¯d be stuck in the game for a month, win or lose. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about prizes. We know you all received a prize list as part of the info packet. What we didn¡¯t tell you was that those totals were only an estimate. Thanks to some significant donations and a few very successful auctions, we have secured a much larger prize pool than we initially anticipated.¡± ¡°Auctions?¡± Marcus whispered to Erik, confused. ¡°They auctioned off some beta spots,¡± he told Marcus, nodding at the people around them. ¡°3 teams¡¯ worth, so 9 people.¡± ¡°How much did they get?¡± Sarah asked, her voice quiet. ¡°No idea,¡± Erik said with a shrug. ¡°The auctions were closed. No figures were released as far as I know.¡± Everyone fell silent as giant red text appeared on a giant four-paneled screen that looked like a slowly rotating cube, with their alien safari guide standing inside it.
1st Place: $5,000,000 2nd Place: $1,500,000 3rd Place: $500,000 4th to 10th Place: $100,000
Total silence followed as the screen made one rotation and then a long voice somewhere in the crowd of players spoke. ¡°No way.¡± The spell was broken, and everyone began talking. So many people spoke so quickly, with such intensity that it sounded to Erik like the buzzing of a thousand angry bees. ¡°They can¡¯t be serious,¡± Sarah said, her eyes still on the board. ¡°That¡¯s insane. I¡¯ve never seen those kinds of tournament winnings before.¡± Erik had to agree. According to the info packet, the 4th through 10th place prize of $100,000 had been the grand prize originally. The auctions for spots must have been something truly extraordinary for them to change this much. He was having a hard time organizing his thoughts. The competition had already promised to be intense, but now? This tournament was going to be pure insanity. ¡°Battle Arena is gonna be so dead after these numbers get out,¡± Marcus said with a chuckle. ¡°E.L.E. is the future of e-sports. Maybe you¡¯ll have to retire, eh, Sarah?¡± There was no mistaking this for good-natured banter either, the bitterness in Marcus¡¯s tone too evident. Luckily, before Sarah could retort, the large rotating screen faded away, and the guide began to speak once more. ¡°Truly astonishing, and I can see you¡¯re all excited to begin,¡± the guide said, clapping his hands. ¡°There are 3,333 teams composed of 9,999 players, so you have your work cut out to be one of the last 10 teams standing. That wraps up the official announcement, and just in time.¡± He pointed to a timer counting down from 15 seconds. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re ready to begin. You¡¯ll be placed in selection, and your team will spawn together on the game map''s perimeter. Locations will be random. Good luck and have fun!¡± With that, the guide vanished. The timer swelled to fill the center of the room as the last seconds ticked down. 5 4 3 2 1 Day 0: Part 2 - What the hell!? Im a- The large room made of dark glass panels and bright neon lights vanished with a pop to be replaced by fog. Thick, gray mist swirled so close around him that he could see nothing else, at least at first. A handful of seconds passed before Marcus stumbled out of the fog, a blur that resolved into his friend as he approached. ¡°What in the hell?¡± Marcus asked, stopping just short of bumping into him, his arms held up as if he could ward away the dense mist. ¡°Character creation.¡± Erik said as another shape emerged, the familiar rabbit silhouette of Sarah¡¯s Battle Arena avatar. ¡°Is that the time dilation?¡± She asked, looking at her own arms, turning her hands this way and that. ¡°I feel¡­ like myself. A lot like myself¡± Erik didn¡¯t find it surprising that they were surprised. They¡¯d all known the immersion quality would be better in the Dyson Pod, but knowing it and feeling it were very different things. Erik had grown up playing with the 2nd Generation of VR. A big step up in immersion quality from the 1st generation. Battle Arena, the game they had all played together, boasted 50% realism, which in VR terms meant the authenticity and complexity of your senses. One of the highest realism scores for any game ever released, until today. ¡°It¡¯s the Dyson Pod,¡± he told them, ¡°and E.L.E''a 90% realism.¡± The three of them spent a minute or so acclimating to the new depth of sensation, and only after he felt himself becoming settled did Erik notice the fog was changing. No longer hanging thickly around them, it had begun to retreat. The area shone more brightly by the moment, like a rain cloud passing from in front of the sun. They stood on a white marble floor, with a white sky stretching infinitely into the horizon where it could be glimpsed through the thinning fog, though not all of it retreated. Around them, it had begun to form into three large statues. Initially gray and indistinct, they rapidly grew more detailed. In moments, three iconic dinosaurs rendered in shades of gray towered over them, one on each side facing inward. ¡°Damn.¡± Marcus said, tipping his head back and back to look up at what was clearly a Triceratops. ¡°Are they really that big? Holy hell.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know dinosaurs were big?¡± Sarah scoffed, as her rabbit avatar meandered around the toes of the even larger Tyrannosaurus Rex. ¡°I was thinking cow big, maybe even rhino big, but this.¡± He gestured wordlessly at the dinosaur, whose gargantuan bulk did indeed make his point effectively. ¡°Yeah,¡± Sarah agreed as she came back around the T-Rex''s feet to rejoin them in the middle. ¡°Almost too big to be real.¡± She agreed, ¡°except that one.¡± She said point at the third dinosaur. A raptor. Appearing just as lifelike as the other two, except for being totally gray, like an unfinished game model. ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself.¡± Erik said, looking up at it. ¡°That¡¯s the Utah Raptor. 2 meters at the hip, 7 meters nose to tail and she could weigh up to 1,000 kilograms.¡± Sarah whistled appreciatively, but Marcus sighed. ¡°Damn I wish they taught metric in Texas,¡± Marcus said, his head shaking side to side, while Sarah laughed. ¡°It¡¯s big,¡± Erik said, ¡°Twice as heavy as the biggest Siberian Tiger.¡± ¡°Seems like a small fry compared to these though.¡± Marcus said, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb to indicate the Triceratops and the T-Rex. ¡°It¡¯s faster than them too. Agile and sneaky.¡± Erik told him, and he saw Sarah giving the animal a considering look. ¡°Welcome players.¡± Said a voice from the sky, booming and cheerful. ¡°Welcome to the Beta Tournament of E.L.E Online, and the world premier of the Dyson Pod technology. I¡¯m sure by now, you¡¯ve all noticed the dinosaurs. These three cretaceous era giants will once again battle for supremacy of a doomed world, except this time they¡¯ll be doing it in teams. Before you are the Mighty Tyrannosaur, the Stalwart Triceratops and the Cunning Utah Raptor. Each team must assign 1 member to each role. You have 10 minutes to discuss it amongst yourselves and make your decisions. Any teams who haven¡¯t made a choice before time runs out will have their dinosaurs assigned randomly. Good luck!¡± Then the voice was gone, leaving behind a timer that filled up the sky above our heads, counting down from 10 minutes. ¡°I want the T-rex¡± Marcus said, predictably. He gave Sarah a look, as if he were daring her to argue for it. Erik shook his head, not in denial but exasperation. Marcus played up being a country bumpkin, pretending he was some knuckleheaded cowboy. It wasn¡¯t all an act of course, he really was a big guy from Texas, who loved BBQ and football. HIs pride was genuine, but Marcus was sharper than he pretended to be, a lot sharper, and Sarah, like Erik, knew that. Marcus knew she knew that. Just like Marcus knew that Sarah was going to pick the raptor, which meant his attitude just now was meant to stir the pot. To irritate Sarah. Get under her skin and get a reaction. Thankfully, Sarah didn¡¯t react. She just turned her back on Marcus to inspect the raptor more closely. ¡°Don¡¯t these things have feathers? Why does it look like a lizard.¡± ¡°Developers are taking some artistic license.¡± Erik told her, walking to stand next to her. ¡°This is how popular media depicted dinosaurs towards the end of the 20th century. Everyone knows they got it wrong, but the look has been pretty enduring.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°They look like monsters.¡± Marcus said from where he stood, staring up at the massive T-rex head, his head tilted so far that his cowboy hat was in danger of falling off. ¡°I think that¡¯s the idea.¡± Erik said, turning to walk towards the Triceratops that would be his game avatar. ¡°The movie that popularized this look was more interested in screams than accuracy. Though my understanding was they are pretty close to what paleontologists believed at the time.¡± Erik shrugged. He personally didn¡¯t care one way or the other. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be this big boy.¡± He gave the Triceratops leg a pat. The skin felt rough and warm under his touch, and he was surprised. He had been expecting it to be smooth, and cold. The animal resembled nothing so much as a pale gray statue, but under his hand it seemed warm, and alive. It felt real, real in a way no other game had ever felt. Tingles ran up his spine as goosebumps prickled his skin. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll be the raptor then.¡± Sarah said, clapping her hands together with a sharp smack sound and drawing him out of his reverie. Erik turned to see her grinning, rabbit eyes twinkling with excitement as she touched the tall animal''s powerful leg. ¡°Alright,¡± Erik said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen once we¡¯re in-game so let''s make a plan now.¡± Sarah and Marcus both turned to look at him, Marcus leaning casually against the leg of the T-rex as he did so. ¡°You¡¯re the boss Little Rik.¡± He said, touching two fingers to his forehead and giving a salute. Sarah crossed her arms, head tilted ever so slightly with her large rabbit eyes fixed on Erik. ¡°Sarah, you¡¯re the fastest. As soon as we¡¯re on the ground I need you running the perimeter, expanding it and warning us of any trouble. We know it¡¯s an evolution game, but we don¡¯t know exactly what that means yet.¡± ¡°We gonna get a tutorial at some point?¡± Marcus asked, and Erik shrugged. ¡°I imagine it¡¯ll make more sense once we¡¯ve seen the interface. A lack of handholding on the part of the game was one of the selling points for E.L.E.¡± Sarah grimaced at this, shaking her head. ¡°You know I like a tough game, but that suddenly seems a lot less fun when there¡¯s 5 million on the line. We¡¯re gonna have to figure this stuff out fast.¡± ¡°Which is what I¡¯ll be doing while you run that perimeter.¡± Erik said, pivoting the conversation back towards his plan. ¡°I¡¯m going to dig into the UI once it becomes available, figure out what I can. Marcus, you¡¯ll back Sarah up if she runs into any trouble. Hopefully by then I¡¯ll have a handle on everything and we can make a better plan for progressing.¡± It wasn¡¯t the most comprehensive strategy he¡¯d ever come up with, but there had been hardly any leaks about the game, and Erik knew next to nothing about the systems involved. They were just going to have to learn while they played. ¡°On your toes.¡± Sarah said, looking up. Erik followed her gaze and his stomach dropped a bit. Their 10 minutes were up. Only a handful of seconds remained. ¡°Stick to the plan.¡± Erik said, watching the countdown. ¡°Yeehaw!¡± Marcus called out before once again, the world vanished with a pop. The next thing he knew, he was trapped. It was dark, but not totally black. There was light coming from somewhere, though not much. It felt like he had been sucked into a rubber tube, and left there. He wriggled, trying to get a sense of how much space his tight little prison had. The answer was not very much. He wriggled again, more forcefully this time and he felt something give. Just a little. He tried to push forward with his arms, but they felt funny, and it was only then he became aware of the fact he didn¡¯t have fingers. I¡¯m a dinosaur. I¡¯m a triceratops. The thoughts were distant, as a sense of panic clouded his mind. The kind of panic only being trapped in a tight, dark space could create. He wriggled again with all his might and his prison split down the side, blinding bright light pouring in. Unable to move his limbs very far, he did the only thing that remained and pushed with his face at the crack. This turned out to be the right decision as the gap widened. He pushed against it again, and again until the whole of his little prison broke apart and he tumbled free. The scent of grass, dirt and undergrowth slammed into him like a freight train while his eyes, dazzled by the light, took a bit longer to be useful. He managed eventually to set himself to rights, which in his case meant scrambling up onto his four legs. At first, he thought there must be some kind of bug with the game. He knew that the world dinosaurs had lived in was practically a different planet, but this was something else. The tree¡¯s were giants beyond anything, seeming to stretch miles into the sky and were impossibly thick around the base. Still unsteady on his dinosaur legs he stumbled forward looking down into a nearby puddle. He was greeted by the face of a dinosaur, with wide, flat facial features framed by a crest that bore some resemblance to a shield and two small rounded nubs above his eyes, and a third rough spot on his nose that were supposed to be horns. Panic and confusion surged through him as he made a horrifying realization. What the hell!? I¡¯m a baby dinosaur?! Day 1: Part 1 - Damn Skippy He was a goddamn baby dinosaur. He couldn¡¯t believe it. There had been no mention of this in the promotion materials. Not the slightest hint in anything he¡¯d read online. He turned around to find his prison was in fact, a large pale egg, half of it shattered into pieces and scattered across the ground. He had no way to judge his relative size to a human, but if he had to guess his back was barely at knee height, and the jungle in which he found himself was clearly a place for giants. Then the game reasserted itself, in the form of a UI notification. [Chat Request From: whiteRabbit] Before he could answer it, another request came in. [Chat Request From: TheBig_t] Without hands to gesture, initially he wasn¡¯t sure how to actually use the interface, but a small flick of his nose turned out to have the same effect as swiping with his hands. With a few gestures he merged the chat requests together. ¡°Hello?¡± Marcus¡¯s voice came through, clearly agitated. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± ¡°We¡¯re baby dinosaurs.¡± Erik said, ¡°I just crawled out of an egg.¡± He was surprised to hear a noise come from his own mouth as he spoke. It wasn¡¯t words. That part of the chat function was internal. Many games had a sort of telepathy-like chat function. VR rig was plugged directly into the brain after all. He was forced to set the curiosity aside as his friends continued. ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Egg?¡± Sarah¡¯s voice joined in, a tense quality that Erik recognized. She was stressed, but trying to sound calm. ¡°That explains a few things I think. I¡¯m stuck.¡± ¡°Just break out.¡± Marcus said. ¡°That¡¯s what I did.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡± Erik could hear her calm starting to fracture. ¡°The damn thing won¡¯t-¡± she cut off, presumably trying once again to struggle her way free, and as she did Erik thought he heard the faintest sounds of something shuffling and scraping. Then it stopped. ¡°Damn it.¡± She complained over the connection. ¡°Try again Sarah, I think I heard you.¡± The scraping sound came again, and Erik forced his small body forward through some undergrowth, low hanging branches, thistle covered weeds scraping uncomfortably at his face and sides, though there was no true pain. VR systems likely would¡¯ve turned pain off entirely if it wasn¡¯t necessary for context. He managed to work his way into a small clearing, adjacent to the one he¡¯d hatched in, at nearly the same time a tiny two-legged lizard arrived from the opposite side, stumbling free of the undergrowth and trying to shake off a vine that had entangled itself around his leg. ¡°Marcus, is that you?¡± ¡°Damn skippy.¡± he said, by way of acknowledgement. ¡°Get me out of here.¡± Sarah said, on the verge of panic. The large egg wobbled back and forth with energy, but showed no signs of breaking. ¡°I got you.¡± Erik said, rushing forward on four legs he stopped, and delicately tapped the horn bud on the end of his nose against the egg''s surface. When that didn¡¯t do it, he tapped again a bit more forcefully. The egg fractured and then quickly began to split. A small clawed hand poked out of the gap in the shell, scrabbling wildly at edge, breaking pieces away until Sarah managed to push her raptor head out through the gap. One large, yellow slit pupiled eye fixed on him. ¡°That was unpleasant¡± Her voice came across the connection, at the same time her little raptor avatar made a chirping sound. ¡°Yeah,¡± Erik agreed, and his own avatar grunted. ¡°Are you guys making those noises on purpose?¡± Marcus asked as he approached, and his baby t-rex gurgled low in its throat. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°Looks like the chat function is tied to the in-game audio. When we communicate, our avatars make noise.¡± Erik said, accompanied by a series of snorts. Sarah wriggled the rest of the way free of her egg and stumbled a bit as she stretched her legs, trying to acclimate to her new body. ¡°What reason could there possibly be to include a feature like that?¡± She asked, letting off several high pitched chirps, and before Erik could begin to speculate the answer became self-evident. From the far side of the clearing another sound came, deeper and resonant than any of their own. A curious chuff-chuff-chuff that Erik guessed was a deep inhalation. The three of them turned as one to look, as a long thin snout parted the vegetation, and two amber eyes stared at the the three of them, flicking from one to the other. As Erik looked back at the creature, an info box popped up his screen
Identify Species: Kaprosuchus Disposition: Hostile/Predator Age: Sub-Adult Species Information: ?
It¡¯s jaw opened and it made an awful, low hissing sound, like a demon house cat the size of a car, but it didn¡¯t move, and neither did they. The predator stood, looking in on them, and they stared back. Erik wasn¡¯t sure how long that went on. His mind kept returning to the unnatural stillness of the creature as it considered them. Like it had become a statue, content to merely observe. Eventually, it seemed to grow bored as its head pulled back, vanishing once more into the foliage. Seconds turned to a minute, and then to two before anyone moved or spoke. Erik was just about to start signaling the other two to follow him, when Marcus broke the silence. ¡°What the hell was-¡± Marcuse started, his little Rex avatar again made that strange gurgling sound and the Kaprosuchus exploded from the foliage, barreling straight toward him, and Erik called out. ¡°Run!¡± The three of them turned and plunged straight into the undergrowth on their side of the clearing, struggling their way through, and underneath his feet Erik could feel the ground tremble as the crocodile from hell gave chase. He had no doubts it would¡¯ve caught them quickly if they were out in the open, but their small size and the dense vegetation was buying them time. Not a lot of time, as the monster crock had already overtaken them, its long snout sweeping aside plants and vines with each swing of its head, trying to root them out. As Erik struggled, trying to stay ahead of those deadly jaws, the ground vanished from under his front feet, and before he had a chance to backpedal, he tumbled forward, sliding down a dirt slope, tumbling end over end until he managed to get his small flat feet under him. Once steadied, he saw streaks of dust as Marcus and Sarah also fell. Marcus tumbled uncontrollably, rolling on his side, his tiny arms scrabbling ineffectually at the air with each turn. Sarah on the other hand had managed to turn her fall into a controlled slide, her raptor balancing easily on it¡¯s small legs. Erik moved over to Marcus, to intercept him before he could fall straight onto a pile of rocks, and Sarah joined them a moment later. The baby T-rex finally got his feet under him, started to shake off the dirt that was clinging to his dull red skin, like a dog might shake off water. ¡°What the hell was.-¡± He started to say again. Sarah and Erik both cut him with a sharp. ¡°No!¡± and all three of the baby dinosaurs made a collective mash of noises. Chuff-chuff-chuff filled their ears and they all looked up to see the Kaprosuchus looming over the sloped bank, looking down at us. The dull green scales of his armored body standing out sharply against the sun-baked dirt of the hill. The Kapro, tired of the stare down quickly this time, and with legs far too long to belong to a crocodile, began to charge down the hill, galloping like a horse made of nightmares, and again they ran. Day 1: Part 2 - Thats one hell of an alligator For all the animals speed and power, it was not a graceful creature. As the three baby dinosaur scrambled away, the predator tripped over a big rock, and tumbled, using its long face as a speed break. It didn¡¯t take long for the giant reptile to right itself and resume the pursuit, but it was long enough for the three of them to get out of the open and into their current predicament. Three baby dinosaurs jammed together into a hollow stump, hiding from the Kaprosuchus. The sounds of it digging through the undergrowth carried on for a while, the occasionally chuff sound of it inhaling, trying to scent them was audible. The noises drifted further and further off, until eventually it faded away entirely, to be replaced by the buzz and chirp of insects. Marcus whispered, ¡°What was that thing?¡±and his little rex made a barely audible rumble. ¡°Kaprosuchus apparently,¡± Erik whispered back. ¡°That¡¯s one hell of an alligator.¡± Marcus grumbled, and Erik nodded, the crest around his head rubbing against the inside of the stump. Then, tired of being squashed in with them Marcus took his leave, pushing his way back out into the jungle with Erik and Sarah behind him. ¡°So that had to be the biggest alligator ever right?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°No,-¡± Erik started to answer before Sarah hissed at them. Her chat and raptor both made hissing noises, lending her a harmonized sort of quality. ¡°Stop. Talking. So. Loud.¡± She whispered, biting off every word, while her raptor made small chirping noises. Erik, abashed, nodded to her. The jaws of Marcus¡¯s rex opened as if he were going to tell Sarah off, but in the far distance something roared. He paused, and then continued in a whisper. ¡°This game is crap. We can¡¯t fight, we can¡¯t talk. What are we supposed to do?¡± ¡°Survive.¡± Erik replied, looking around. ¡°It¡¯s a survival game, give me a second.¡± With a flip of his head, he opened the games menus.
Player: Little_Rik Species: Triceratops Gender: Male Growth: Hatchling: 1% Weight: Small Attributes: Speed: 2 Determines how fast your dinosaur can move, affecting travel speed as well as attack speed and reaction time. Strength: 3 Measures the physical power of your dinosaur, influencing the damage dealt with physical attacks and the ability to move objects. Agility: 2 Reflects your dinosaur''s ability to maneuver and perform precise movements, impacting dodge chances and attack accuracy. Endurance: 3 Indicates stamina and overall durability, affecting health points, stamina recovery rate, and resistance to exhaustion. Defense: 4 Represents your dinosaur''s resilience to attacks, reducing damage taken and enhancing resistance to physical and environmental threats. Abilities: Hatchling Charge: A weak but instinctive charge attack. A basic charge attack that deals minimal damage but can disrupt smaller enemies. Basic Bite: A simple bite attack. A basic bite attack that deals consistent, moderate damage to close-range targets. Basic Headbutt: A simple head attack. A straightforward headbutt that deals moderate damage and can stagger small opponents. Ability Points: 0 Points earned through gameplay that are used to upgrade abilities or learn new ones. Evolution: Next Stage: Juvenile (10% growth) Reach 10% growth to evolve into the Juvenile stage, unlocking new abilities and upgrades. Mutations: None Special genetic variations that can enhance your dinosaur''s attributes or abilities. Biopoints: 0 Points earned through gameplay that can be spent on mutations or other genetic enhancements.
Erik took it in at a glance. He was familiar with character sheets, and nothing about this threw him off. The bigger problem was the lack of tutorials. The character sheet held two main points of interest for him. Ability Points and Biopoints. It was clear these were resources for improvement, but it didn¡¯t say how to get them. Not for the first time, he lamented the lack of information on E.L.E. It was nearly unprecedented, a game''s development being so secretive. It might as well have been a military special project. ¡°Points earned through gameplay.¡± was sufficiently vague enough it could mean anything, or possibly everything. Was actually playing the game enough, or were there specific objectives? They had escaped a large predator, which seemed like survival to him, but it had not netted them any kind of points as far as he could tell, both values showing a definite zero. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. At the top of the display was a 2D outline of a baby Triceratops as seen from the side, it''s body broken into segments and each segment showing green. This also seemed self-evident. The game had opted to pass over health point values in exchange for a locational damage system, and he was at present, totally healthy. Towards the bottom he saw the screen names of his party. [whiteRabbit: Utah Raptor] [TheBIG_t: Tyrannosaurus Rex] He flicked his nose and opened Sarah''s profile.
Player: WhiteRabbit Species: Utahraptor Gender: Female Growth: Hatchling: 1% Weight: Tiny Attributes: Speed: 3 Strength: 2 Agility: 4 Endurance: 2 Defense: 1 Abilities: Quick Pounce: A rapid leap towards an enemy, aiming to knock them off balance. A basic pounce attack that deals light damage and can temporarily disable smaller foes. Sharp Claws: A swift slash with razor-sharp claws. A quick claw attack that deals consistent, moderate damage and has a chance to cause bleeding. Keen Senses: Heightened awareness of the surroundings. Increases detection of nearby enemies and hidden objects. Enhances evasion capabilities and reduces the chance of being ambushed. Ability Points: 0 Evolution: Next Stage: Juvenile (10% growth) Mutations: None Biopoints: 0
It was as he¡¯d expected, and with another motion he proceeded to Marcus¡¯s sheet.
Player: theBIG_t Species: Tyrannosaurus rex Gender: Male Growth: Hatchling: 1% Weight: Small Attributes: Speed: 2 Strength: 4 Agility: 2 Endurance: 3 Defense: 3 Abilities: Basic Bite: A simple bite attack. A basic bite attack that deals consistent, moderate damage to close-range targets. Tail Swipe: A sweeping tail attack. A wide attack that deals moderate damage and can knock back foes. Heir to the Throne (passive): As a hatchling those animals smart enough to recognize your species will avoid you, for fear of your parents being nearby. Ability Points: 0 Evolution: Next Stage: Juvenile (10% growth) Mutations: None Biopoints: 0
Heir to the Throne? That doesn¡¯t say much for the intelligence of the Kaprosuchus. Erik thought, even his mental voice was bitter. The long limbed crocodile cousin had not seemed to give a damn about any Heir to Throne ability, though now that Erik was considering it. It had seemed that the Kaprosuchus may have had trouble seeing them properly. Its initial ambush had come after a tense standoff, and a fake withdrawal. Only launching its attack when Marcus had made a noise. ¡°Alright.¡± Erik whispered, and Marucs snickered, a sound that translated to a growly huff noise from his T-rex. ¡°I love it when Erik says ¡®alright¡¯ like that.¡± He said, not as quietly as Erik would¡¯ve liked. ¡°Yeah,¡± Sarah agreed, to Erik¡¯s surprise. Her agreeing with Marcus had been rare enough, even before she¡¯d signed on with a pro Battle Arena team. Since the falling out, Erik wasn¡¯t sure if it would ever happen again. Gladdened by the moment of camaraderie, he set aside his annoyance with the tangent, and played along. ¡°What?¡± He asked, and they both snorted. ¡°Keep it down,¡± He reprimanded. Glad they¡¯d chosen to get along, if even for a moment. He had no desire to try and outrun another predator on his stubby little hatchling triceratops legs. ¡°It¡¯s just that whenever you say ¡®alright¡¯ like that, it means we¡¯re about to do something really stupid.¡± Sarah said, and if a raptor could smile, hers was certainly attempting it. ¡°Something stupid that¡¯ll probably turn out okay for us, but stupid nonetheless.¡± ¡°What she said.¡± Marcus said, though this time he made an effort to whisper. Erik would¡¯ve liked to revel in the moment. It had been so long since his friends had been friends with one another that he¡¯d forgotten what it could be like. Marcus and Sarah were recalled to their circumstances, As they turned slit pupiled glares on one another, and the humor melted away to be replaced with tension that hung perpetually between them. ¡°Thanks for that glowing review of my plans.¡± Erik said, trying to seem annoyed as he did so. That would¡¯ve been his part to play, back before everything had gone wrong. ¡°And while I wish I could say I was going to disappoint you, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m more likely to meet your expectations than not.¡± ¡°Why, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Marcus asked, and Erik tipped his head back to look up at the taller theropod hatchling. ¡°Well, we¡¯re gonna have to kill somebody.¡± Day 1: Part 3 - Ima whoop yer ass! ¡°When you said we were going to kill somebody, I didn¡¯t think you meant baby dinosaurs¡± Sarah whispered from where she crouched next to him, peering out through a row of bushes. On the far side, was another team of three they had managed to locate. Mostly it had come down to dumb luck. After being certain they had evaded the Kaprosuchus, they had made their way downhill until they found some water. Thirst and hunger were tracked in the user interface, and though none of their thirst indicators had dropped very far, they all elected to keep it topped off as much as they could. After a quick drink, Erik had them retreat back from the waters edge, wary of meeting any of the Karpo¡¯s relatives. From there, locating another team to test his theory on had been more blind luck than anything. He had no sense of where people might spawn. He knew that anyone reasonably familiar with survival games would focus on securing resources, but water was too abundant to rely on finding people near it. As it turned out, no fancy motivation guessing strategy was required. While the three of them were traveling in a single file line with him at the front, they stumbled across a trio of players having a loud discussion in a small clearing. At least, Erik assumed that¡¯s what was happening. He was not privy to their game chat, and so from his perspective, it was three baby dinosaurs, chirping, growling and grunting at one another, and if he had to guess, they had been at it for some time. With no Kaprosuchus or anything else to come along and harass them. ¡°It¡¯s a Battle Royale.¡± Erik whispered back to her, ¡°Of course we¡¯re going to kill baby dinosaurs. We are baby dinosaurs.¡± Somewhere to his left, Marcus was slipping through the undergrowth, wrapping his way around to the other side of the clearing, and while they waited Erik took in their prey. The Triceratops hatchling, like him, looked like a potato with legs. Though this one was a pale yellow, the same shade as sand, with a collection of light brown tiger stripes running down their sides. He had looked himself over as well as his crested head would allow, and while they were the same shape, he was happy to see he was a mix of black with dark green on his back, belly and legs. Much more camouflaged in the jungle they¡¯d been dropped into. T-rexs seemed to have as much variation in them as did triceratops. The one in the clearing, currently barking something in an irritated tone at whoever was controlling the raptor, was a deep blue, with pale blue striping down its back, as opposed to the dusky brick red that was Marcus¡¯s pelt. Sarah was the most like her raptor counterpart, a calico-like mix of browns and greens splotched all across their bodies, though the one in the clearing had blue and yellow markings around its head where Sarah had none. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Marcus whispered into the voice chat, and Erik¡¯s stomach dropped, which in a trike body felt more like flowing backwards rather than down, and he figured if he could¡¯ve broken out in a cold sweat he would have. Luckily it seemed as if his Triceratops body didn¡¯t have sweat glands. ¡°Sarah?¡± He whispered. Her only reply was to crouch lower, like an athletic sprinter settling into the starting blocks, her small, but powerful legs shaking with tension. ¡°Alright Marcus, spook them. Sarah, as soon as they turn away you go. Just like we planned.¡± Her raptors head dipped down, her only acknowledgement as she committed her full focus to the task ahead. From the jungle clearings far side, came the throaty gurgle of a hatchling T-rex, doing its best to sound menacing. It was not, but that didn¡¯t stop it from serving its purpose. The three players in the clearing turned away from where he and Sarah hid, trying to search out the source of the noise, and Sarah bolted forward, moving low and fast, front claws stretched out ahead of her as her tiny feet took rapid, delicate steps. When she was still two meters away she did something Erik hadn¡¯t expected. She jumped, leaping into the air in a high arc, her small clawed hands and thick tail orienting her as she began to fall toward her target, the other raptor. Her legs raised, with two wicked sickle claws ready. It was the perfect ambush. Focused on the noises Marcus was making, they never saw her coming. Sarah crashed down on the raptor, positioned to the right and slightly away from the other two. Erik thought perhaps she had erred in using both her claws to attack. She hadn¡¯t saved herself a leg to land on, but it turned out not to matter. The other raptor cried out in pain and surprise as she shredded its side as they both tumbled across the ground. It would¡¯ve been the perfect position for Sarah to savagely maul her unsuspecting victim, but that was not the plan. His friend was back on her feet in a flash, her speed stat on full display as she looped around the fallen raptor and cut around the edge of the clearing, headed back toward where Erik hid. The other two players, Rex and Trike, were just as stunned as their now wounded friend, but quick enough to recover. They reacted like Erik hoped they would, both of them charging after Sarah, enraged that she had dared to attack their teammate. Sarah fled, as if routed. She sped past his hiding spot, moving further down the clearing, and from its other side, unnoticed came Marcus at a speedy trot, bearing down on the wounded Raptor, a miniature imitation of the terror he would one day be if he reached his full growth. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. What surprised Erik was that the raptor was not the first to notice Marcus. As the other Rex and Trike pursued Sarah, the injured raptor lay on the ground, watching the pursuit. It was the other team''s Rex who figured out first that something was wrong. Erik watched his steps slow, his head cocked. He could almost see the gears turning as the player inside the little Rex''s body started putting things together. He whipped around, spotting Marcus, who was less than a meter from his injured teammate. He roared, or tried to. The noises Rexs made in the game were peculiar. Nothing like that rusted gate swinging shut over a bullhorn sound people expected, though perhaps that would come with growth. The hatchling Rex gurgled a warning. Far too late, as the raptors head swung around Marcus attacked, grabbing the small injured dinosaur in his jaws, lifting it off the ground and shaking it like a rat. More sounds of outrage, as the Rex rushed toward Marcus, fully willing to avenge his fallen comrade. The Trike, who had run further along in pursuit of Sarah was already following, coming around to head back up the clearing, having already forgotten about the raptor he¡¯d been chasing. A mistake, as it turned out. Before he¡¯d even come even with Erik¡¯s line of sight Sarah had pounced on him from behind, latching on to his back. Erik threw a glance towards Marcus, who was rushing to meet the oncoming Rex, ready for a 1v1. ¡°Ima whoop yer ass!¡± Erik heard him yell into the party chat, his accent thick in his excitement, his avatar giving out a war gurgle as they clashed, snapping at each other. Erik put Marcus out of his mind, more than confident that he could hold his own for a while. He turned his attention back to Sarah and the Trike, who had quickly rolled onto his back to dislodge her and was now feinting charges toward her, his head lowered. The horn nubs were basically useless until they grew in a bit more, but Erik knew if he managed to knock Sarah down he could crush her. Sarah for her part had been sure to keep his back to Erik¡¯s hiding spot, and so when Erik made his charge, he too was nearly upon the enemy before they realized was coming. He used his charge ability once he was close enough for it to activate, and slammed into the trike''s flank, sending him stumbling to the side. Erik didn¡¯t let up, galloping his small potato body forward to headbutt him again. This time he stumbled, rolling sideways. Sarah didn¡¯t miss her chance, a flash of green and brown she lunged forward, ripping at the trike''s exposed belly with her sickle claws. It was all kind of gruesome Erik thought. The nature of the game was that all wounds looked shallow to the point of being superficial. Certainly there was no gore, for which he was grateful. Still, there was something about bashing and scratching the little trike that felt not quite right. When he¡¯d taken enough damage to ¡®die¡¯ the trike avatar froze for a moment, and then became a ragdoll. Laying limp on the ground, as if boneless. Erik and Sarah didn¡¯t hesitate, turning to charge toward the fight between Marcus and last remaining member of the enemy team. Erik could tell it wasn¡¯t going well for the blue rex, as Marcus had proven to be the more skilled fighter. Together, they finished off the rex in short order and then it was over. Three baby dinosaur corpses turned almost comically floppy. As Erik inspected the raptor more closely, he saw that it had lost its more realistic quality. It looked more like a rubber toy. ¡°Did either of you get any points?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Marcus said, shaking his Rex¡¯s head. ¡°No,¡± Sarah said, as she moved to stand over the Rex¡¯s body. ¡°It¡¯s giving me an eating prompt. Should I?¡± ¡°Might as well.¡± Erik said. No such prompt had appeared for him, but he was an herbivore. Though that did raise the question about what he was supposed to eat. Many different varieties of vegetation had passed under his nose since they¡¯d started, and he hadn¡¯t received a prompt. Sarah¡¯s raptor took automated bites from its rubbery doppelganger, and when questioned about the taste she said. ¡°Tastes like steak I guess. Really rare steak. It¡¯s kind of weird.¡± Better sensory quality for taste was one the Dyson Pod''s new features, excelling where a previous generation of VR had fallen short. Erik was intrigued to find out how much the sense had improved, unfortunately, before he could interrogate her further a familiar and awful noise came washed over them from the nearby jungle. Chuff-chuff-chuff The rhythmic inhalations of the Kaprosuchus announced its approach. ¡°Oh hell.¡± Erik muttered under his breath. Without a word exchanged between them, they turned and fled to the far side of the clearing, vanishing from sight just as the tree¡¯s began to rustle, heralding the Karpo¡¯s arrival. NIght 1: Part 1 - We Have Fun and Games There were a lot of things to be frustrated about, Erik acknowledged from where he lay in the dirt, pressed under a wide log that had fallen against a rock. The fact that this was the best they could manage for shelter was one such thing. The fact he hadn¡¯t been able to find an edible plant was another. That the Kaprosuchus had hounded them so far as to steal their kills? Yep, that was frustrating. The fact that the first day was pretty much over, and they had nothing to show for it? No ability points, no biopoints, and yet Erik found he wasn¡¯t that upset about it. In his mind, he went over their fight, again and again. For a brief time, they had been a team again. He and his friends had fallen into sync with one another like nothing had ever happened. Like they hadn¡¯t spent the last few years pretending they¡¯d never been close. Erik had tried to bridge the gap between Marcus and Sarah, after she¡¯d signed on with her team and in a way he felt like that had made it worse. Like by trying to hang on to both of them, he¡¯d ended up with neither. At least until today. It felt like they had barely snuck away from the Kaprosuchus, slinking off between the trees when the sky had shaded to orange and pink. The sun was setting for the first time. Erik knew that the game didn¡¯t end when the sun went down, but whatever came next they weren¡¯t ready for it. His strategy for the dark was simple. Hide as well as they could. So here they were crouched under a log, largely silent, listening to the jungle''s nightlife. The chirp of crickets, and the soft hoot-hoot of something that sounded like owls, though Erik suspected they weren¡¯t. They had lain side by side like that for hours, Marcus on his left and Sarah on his right. Silently staring out into the darkness. They¡¯d heard large animals moving through the trees, and once there had been a bassy thrumming sound that Erik hadn¡¯t immediately recognized for what it was. A growl at such a low register, and with enough power that they felt it move through their bodies, and the log above their heads, and the loose dry soil underneath them. It hadn¡¯t carried on long before fading away, and whatever animal had made the noise moved on, heavy footsteps fading into the distance. At some point all sound stopped. Something Erik hadn¡¯t noticed right away. The silenced slowly wormed its way into the edges of his awareness before rushing to the forefront all at once. He listened intently for a minute, and heard nothing.
Congratulations Player on surviving the first day of E.L.E Online! You will now be removed to The Hub for the next 8 hours, before being replaced in this location at sunrise. The game world has been paused for the duration of the break.
So intense had his focus been that the window blooming to life, and filling his vision had made him jump. Judging from the jerks he felt to his right and left, Marcus and Sarah had been similarly surprised. His sense of touch faded, followed by all the others, and for a moment he was just a brain with no body. Thoughts in darkness. Then he was standing once more in his human avatar. Essentially his real life self, though not quite so sickly or pale as he was in real life, and with a heavy steampunk aesthetic. Sarah and Marcus were at his sides in their own avatars. They were standing in an open field with the night sky shining blue and purple above them. A tapestry of stars beyond anything you could¡¯ve found on Earth twinkling above their heads. Before Erik had a chance to do more than glance around, a new window popped up.
¡°Welcome to The Hub Little_Rik, congratulations on surviving your first day!¡± ¡°You can call me Primarch. I am an administrative AI for E.L.E Online. I have many roles within the game-world, including one that I think will be of interest to you. At the end of each game day, when players return to The Hub, I assign them rewards based on their game-play. The categories for consideration are as follows.¡± Survival Combat Team Work Objectives ¡°Each category is scored out of 10, with 40 being the highest possible baseline score. Let us begin. ¡±
The first window vanished, to be replaced by another.
Survival: Successfully evaded Kaprosuchus on multiple occasions Successfully located water Utilized log for shelter Failed to find any food; you did not eat for 16 hours. Score: 6 Combat Successfully ambushed a team of enemy players. Eliminated an entire team of enemy players. Score: 8 Team Work Assisted your raptor teammate out of their shell None of your teammates died None off your teammates were severely injured Score: 8 Objectives You did not complete any game world objectives on Day 1 Score: 0 Final Score: 22 You now have 22 biopoints to allocate. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. You now have 11 ability points to allocate. New Achievement!: We Have Fun and Games Eliminate an entire team from the Battle Royale on the same day before returning to the Hub. Reward: Title: Contender Contender: You have proven you belong in the game. At the end of each day, your final score will receive a 0.5x multiplier. New Achievement!: Dawn of Dominance Eliminate an entire enemy team before returning to The Hub on Day 1 of the tournament. Reward: Title: First-Blood First-Blood: You hit the ground running. At the end of each day, your final score will receive a 1.5x multiplier. ¡°Please note: Title bonuses don¡¯t go into effect until the 1st day after they¡¯re earned. Upon being returned to the game world at the start of Day 2, all future evaluations will add your bonuses to the final score.¡± Day 1 Ending Growth Stage: Hatchling Growth Multiplier: 0x ¡°Your team is off to an excellent start! You will find the control station in your team''s headquarters, feel free to spend your points there. I will be on hand to assist should you have any questions.¡±
Erik read the message over twice, making sure he took it all in before dismissing it, and minimizing his HUD. Around him the field had filled up with the chaos that was the eclectic mix of peoples avatars. A 7 foot tall man made of rocks, bending down to talk to a girl who looked like one her parents had been a sheep, but in a good way. ¡°I thought it was only Sarah who liked the animal girls.¡± Marcus said with a snort. He¡¯d dismissed his own message, and followed Erik¡¯s line of sight. Sarah waved away her own HUD as Marcus spoke, but didn¡¯t deign to respond. Instead letting her attention be drawn to the sheep girl, whom she eye¡¯d critically. ¡°If you¡¯re gonna do that whole song and dance,¡± Sarah said. ¡°I find putting a carnivore with an herbivore sets the right tone. If you have two herbivores together it¡¯s just¡­¡± She trailed off, raising one of her furred hands, palm downward and wobbling from side to side in the universal gesture of ¡®eh¡¯. Marcus shook his head. ¡°Damn, I was kidding. I don¡¯t need to know what you get up to.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking that anyway.¡± Erik said, before Sarah could endeavor to make Marcus feel even more uncomfortable, not that he hadn¡¯t asked for it. ¡°It¡¯s the avatars. It¡¯s always so¡­ messy.¡± ¡°This again?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°You gotta let it go man. People are gonna dress stupid if they¡¯re allowed to make their own outfits.¡± Sarah turned to stare pointedly at the bulky, muscle shirt clad stereotype that was Marcus¡¯s avatar, and he shrugged. ¡°Just sayin¡¯.¡± He said, putting his hands up. ¡°If he¡¯s gonna go off about the avatars not being color coordinated again, I¡¯d rather talk about the sheep girl.¡± ¡°Lets not.¡± Erik said. ¡°What did you guys score?¡± He asked, changing the topic to something more relevant. ¡°20,¡± Marcus said, pulling the cigar from his mouth to dangle between his fingers. ¡°25¡± Sarah said, the hint of a smirk around her lips. ¡°Oh like hell.¡± Marcus snapped, glaring at her. ¡°So 25 biopoints, and¡­ 12 ability points?¡± He guessed, and she nodded. ¡°So it rounds down the odd numbers.¡± ¡°How the hell did you get 25?¡± ¡°I got a 10 in combat.¡± ¡°A 10!? The hell did you get a 10!?¡± He demanded, but it was Erik who answered. ¡°Context, Marcus. She¡¯s a baby raptor. Even though we¡¯re all Hatchlings, she¡¯s a 3rd our size and she jumped right into the middle of that fight. Got away without a scratch.¡± He pulled his bronze button festooned cap off his head and ran a hand through his hair. ¡°It scored her on the risk. On the margin for error and how well she handled it.¡± Marcus crossed his thick arms under his chest and grumbled for a minute before Sarah said. ¡°Headquarters is there on the map.¡± She pointed with one hand, while with the other she made a slow flexing motion with her fingers. Erik¡¯s HUD pinged a notification, and he opened it to see that there was indeed a marker on a small map. The field in which they stood was surrounded on all sides by a single story structure, made from pale adobe. It wrapped all the way around, and all along the walls of the building were doors. This part of the space had clearly been dedicated to player housing. He could see more paths that lead out of the enclosed space, winding their way towards a larger expanse, but for the moment he wasn¡¯t interested. ¡°Yeah, let''s go see what¡­¡± he trailed off, his eyes focusing on a pair of people that were bickering as they walked by. ¡°Is that¡­ Rick Astley?¡± he asked, horrified. ¡°Oh hell.¡± Marcus and Sarah said at the same time. Night 1: Part 2 - Need More Data ¡°It¡¯s just a joke.¡± Marcus said, after he¡¯d prevented Erik from approaching the man to discuss his choice of avatar. ¡°Jokes are funny,¡± Erik grumbled, but he let it go. The three of them made their way towards the edge of the field and the door marked on their map. It was plain, with a bronze doorknob and made of dark, heavy wood. Erik opened it and pushed his way inside. Their headquarters was a largely empty space with smooth, polished wood floors and walls made of pale adobe stone. There was no furniture to speak of except the hammocks in the corners and the table at the center. The table looked like a flat, steel disk resting atop a wide stone base, except steel didn''t move like water. As Erik approached, he saw tiny waves rolling across the table''s surface, like a miniature ocean made of liquid metal. Welcome, Little_Rik The prompt appeared as he¡¯d reached out to touch the table. The ocean began to bubble and froth, asif it had suddenly been brought to a boil. Small beads in tear drop shape began to rise, quickly collecting into a ball that floated unsupported above the table''s surface. The sphere twisted and rippled, changing shape until he was staring at the perfect model of his baby triceratops. As he looked it over, his HUD reconfigured.
Triceratops Growth: Hatchling 3% (Juvenile at 10%) Biopoints: 22 Ability Points: 11 Mutations: None Mutable Traits: Growth. Spend Bipoints to accelerate your growth. Cost determined by growth stage. Hatchling: 1% per 5 Biopoints. Horns: (Locked) This trait will unlock at Juvenile. Hide: One open slot Spend Biopoints to enhance your hide. Crest: One open slot Spend Biopoints to enhance your crest. - Abilities: Hatchling Charge: A weak but instinctive charge attack. A basic charge attack that deals minimal damage but can disrupt smaller enemies. Basic Bite: A simple bite attack. A basic bite attack that deals consistent, moderate damage to close-range targets. Basic Headbutt: A simple head attack. A straightforward headbutt that deals moderate damage and can stagger small opponents.
Erik read it over twice, absorbed everything and tapped on Hide, which expanded into a new window.
Hide Mutations: Default: Thick Hide: F Thicken the outer layer of your skin a small amount to reduce bludgeoning damage by a small amount. Cost: 10 Biopoints Bone Plates: F Grow thin plates of bone armor across your body to reduce piercing damage by a small amount. Cost: 10 Biopoints Scaled Hide: F Develop a layer of toughened scales across your body to reduce slashing damage by a small amount. Cost: 10 Biopoints Camouflaged Hide: F Your skin pigmentation slowly changes to blend better with your surroundings, enhancing stealth by a small amount. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Cost: 10 Biopoints Heat-Resistant Hide: F Adapt your hide to better withstand high temperatures, reducing fire damage by a small amount. Cost: 12 Biopoints Cold-Resistant Hide: F Adapt your hide to better withstand low temperature, reducing cold damage by a small amount. Cost: 12 Biopoints Unlocked: Dawn of Dominance Achievement Unlocks: Spiked Hide: E Grow small, sharp spikes on your hide to deter close-range attackers. Cost: 20 Biopoints Toxic Hide: E Secrete a mild toxin through your skin, causing minor poisoning to attackers who make direct contact. Cost: 20 Biopoints Regenerative Hide: F Enhance your hide''s ability to heal minor wounds faster over time, slightly increasing your regeneration rate. Cost: 15 Biopoints We Have Fun and Games Achievement Unlocks: Spiked HIde: F Grow tiny, sharp spikes on your hide to deter close range attackers. Cost: 12 Biopoints Patterned Hide: F Develop distinctive patterns on your hide that can intimidate certain predators, slightly reducing their aggressiveness. Cost: 12 Biopoints Insulating Hide: F Thicken the subcutaneous layer of your hide to provide a small amount of insulation against both heat and cold, reducing environmental damage. Cost: 8 Biopoints
Some things were starting to make sense to him, but now he had many more questions. ¡°Primarch.¡± He said aloud, and suddenly, standing on the far side of the table was an old man, who was also a dinosaur. Erik guessed he was close to 2.5 meters tall, he had long limbs. His snout elongated into a raptor shape. His hide was a pale yellow, overlaid with brilliant golden feathers that faded to gray at the tips, giving the impression of great age. He wore brilliantly embroidered robes, in patterns of gold, crimson and emerald. In one massive hand, an incongruously plain against the splendor of his appearance, he gripped a staff. A simple length of wood, taller than he was. ¡°You summoned me?¡± He said, his voice reverberating heavily as it came from somewhere deep in his chest. Gone was the presentation of friendliness Erik had gotten from the messages in his HUD. The AI in person was committed to it¡¯s character, in all their glory. Marcus made an impressed whistle from behind him, and Erik couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°I have questions.¡± He said. ¡°Where does F stand in relation to the rest of the ranking system being displayed on the mutations.¡± Primarch tilted his head, and shifted his staff to the other hand to lean on it before answering. ¡°F is the lowest grade of mutation.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the highest?¡± Erik asked. ¡°The highest a mutation can reach at present is S Grade.¡± This, along with the fact already had confirmation that E was being used, told him a lot. 7 grades of mutation in total. ¡°Are mutations given discounted costs when unlocked via achievements?¡± ¡°That information is not available to players.¡± The Primarch said. Erik had expected this. The AI that oversaw E.L.E wouldn¡¯t want players using it to game out mutation costs ahead of the curve. Despite Primarchs evasion, Erik did suspect that mutations unlocked by achievements were cheaper than they would be otherwise. He also figured the costs for upgrades would go up very quickly and it was just as likely that they¡¯d be further gated by growth stages. It would slow down players snowballing off an early advantage, but it wouldn¡¯t cancel out getting a head start entirely, not when growth could be accelerated. ¡°Why are the horn mutations locked?¡± He asked, pivoting his focus. He thought he knew the reason, but he wanted to be certain. ¡°Hatchling triceratops horns are too underdeveloped to mutate.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± He said, leaning forward, his hands on the edge of the table. So the question was how to turn 3 baby dinosaurs into a force capable of winning the tournament. The answer? He needed more data. ¡°Alright.¡± He said aloud, turning to find Marcus with a big grin, and Sarah looking away, trying to hide a smirk. ¡°Alright.¡± His big friend agreed. ¡°Let''s do something stupid.¡± Night 1: Part 3 - Growing Pains It was stupid, Erik had to admit. Not because he made stupid plans. How could a plan be stupid if it worked? The reason his strategy was stupid was because he didn¡¯t know enough about the game. He knew that. He knew that failing to predict correctly what was going to be important was practically inevitable. It was possible every choice they made now would come back to haunt them. If they had begun the game with adult dinos, it would¡¯ve made his life so much simpler. ¡°Anyone ever tell you that you think too much?¡± Marcus said with a laugh, from where he stood on the table''s far side. His baby tyrannosaurus model occupying one third of the space above it as three of them worked their way through their mutations. ¡°I¡¯m trying to guess what it¡¯s going to take for us to win 5 million dollars.¡± Erik said, scrolling slowly through the mutation menu. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s worth growing before we get back in there?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°I¡¯m at 5% growth already. At 1% per 5 I could hit juvenile with what I¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°5%?¡± Erik asked, and she nodded. ¡°I¡¯m only at 3%.¡± ¡°I¡¯m also at 3%¡± Marcus said, ¡°What¡¯s that about? Is it because she¡¯s smaller than us to start off?¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Erik said slowly, reviewing the events of the day in his memory. ¡°Marcus, did you eat anything?¡± ¡°No, that damn alligator ran us off before we could get to it with that team we killed. Why?¡± ¡°Because I did.¡± Sarah said, understanding what Erik was getting at. ¡°I took a few bites off the raptor before we had to get out of there.¡± Erik nodded. So eating wasn¡¯t just for the food meter. He wasn¡¯t sure if finding food would count towards their survival score on the end of day scoring, but he did know that not eating counted against them. He imagined that if they hadn¡¯t evaded a large predator twice in the same day, that score would¡¯ve been abysmal, and he did not want to make a habit of running from large, dangerous predators in order to boost his score. Plus, he doubted he could go a second day without food. ¡°So we need to kill some more stuff.¡± Marucs said with a shrug. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that hard.¡± ¡°I need plants, or a particular kind of plant. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Wait, you can¡¯t eat meat?¡± Marcus asked, grinning as he shook his head. ¡°Are you telling me you¡¯re a damn Vegan?¡± ¡°Oh will you give it a rest.¡± Sarah said, exasperated she planned forward ontot he table staring intently at her raptor. Marcus took it better than Erik expected. Glancing sideways at her, before shrugging and saying nothing. ¡°So what¡¯s the play? She asked, turning her attention back to Erik. Her revelation that she was 5% in, and the fact she had 25 points in total meant she could indeed hit the 10% required to achieve juvenile starting their second day. ¡°If you grow, you won¡¯t have enough left over to mutate anything.¡± He said, feeling compelled to point it out, even though he knew she could count just fine. ¡°I¡¯ll roll what I have left over into tomorrow. There¡¯s a bonus to your points for growing, remember? Whatever my score is tomorrow, if I¡¯m a juvenile then I¡¯ll get more, especially since those titles we all got will be in effect by then.¡± That was true, and he wasn¡¯t sure what the bonus was for Juvenile, but no matter what, Sarah¡¯s points were going to be considerably higher than they had been at the end of day 2. In fact now that he was considering it, it started to seem like buying growth was the best option for all of them. Eriks 22 points wouldn¡¯t get him to Juvie before the day started, but it could get him to 7%, and assuming he found food and earned the same amount of growth as Sarah had, that would put him over. Marcus too, and the earlier they got their bonuses for growth, the more value they would get out of them. ¡°We should all spend our biopoints on growing.¡± He said, and Marcus pulled his cowboy hat off, running a hand through his hair before replacing it. ¡°I have a mutation that makes my bite stronger, and it¡¯s E grade, and I have just enough to get it, and you¡¯re telling me I should spend my points on growing to 7%? That won¡¯t even get me to the next stage.¡± ¡°It will if we can find food. Sarah grew 4% from where we started. We¡¯ll both be Juvenile by the next time we get back to the HUB.¡± Marcus grimaced, his head shaking back and forth slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know Rik, you¡¯re basically saying we should go back out there with nothing gained?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m saying we should survive another day early, and get ahead of the curve for the rest of the game.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t get ahead if we die.¡± Marcus grumbled, but then he waved a dismissive hand. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll do it your way.¡± The three of them turned back to their displays and allocated their biopints to growth. ¡°What about ability points?¡± Marcus asked, still tapping through is display, then his face fell. ¡°Oh.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Yeah,¡± Erik agreed, before switching to the ability points display himself.
Abilities: Hatchling Charge: A weak but instinctive charge attack. A basic charge attack that deals minimal damage but can disrupt smaller enemies. Basic Bite: A simple bite attack. A basic bite attack that deals consistent, moderate damage to close-range targets. Basic Headbutt: A simple head attack. A straightforward headbutt that deals moderate damage and can stagger small opponents. Ability Points: 11 Upgrades: Hatchling Charge -> Juvenile Charge (Locked:Requires Juvenile Stage) Juvenile Charge: A more powerful and controlled charge attack. Description: This charge attack deals increased damage and has a higher chance of knocking down or stunning enemies, especially smaller or similarly-sized opponents. Ability Points: 10 Basic Bite -> Strong Bite (Locked:Requires Juvenile Stage) Strong Bite: A forceful bite attack. Description: This bite deals higher damage than the basic bite and has a slight chance to cause minor bleeding, making it more effective against tougher opponents. Ability Points: 5 Basic Headbutt -> Forceful Headbutt (Locked:Requires Juvenile Stage) Forceful Headbutt: An enhanced headbutt attack with greater impact. Description: This headbutt deals more damage than the basic headbutt and has a moderate chance of staggering or dazing enemies, making them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. Ability Points: 5
¡°I can¡¯t buy any of this.¡± Marcus complained. ¡°It¡¯s all locked until I grow." Erik nodded, it seemed they had seriously erred by not placing a greater emphasis on finding food. ¡°It doesn¡¯t say anything about how to get more abilities.¡± Sarah added. ¡°I think that part is pretty straightforward.¡± Erik said. ¡°I think abilities are linked to mutations. If you purchase a mutation, it comes with a related ability, and then you can purchase upgrades for it depending on your growth.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Marcus said, with a shake of his head. ¡°So we¡¯re not getting anything and we gotta go back out there as babies with no upgrades?¡± ¡°Actually,¡± Sarah said, ¡°thanks to the growth I purchased, my abilities are unlocked.¡± ¡°Keen senses.¡± Erik said, and Sarah nodded. ¡°It¡¯s Heightened Senses now, and I upgraded Quick Pounce to Agile Pounce.¡± ¡°Well at least we got something.¡± Marcus said, but he sounded dissatisfied. Erik couldn¡¯t blame him. They had barely survived their first day. He didn¡¯t relish the idea of going up against the large predators of E.L.E as baby dinosaurs for a second day. The Hammocks were purely decorative, as they had no need to sleep. Why would they? It had only been about 50 seconds since they¡¯d started in real world time. So they stood together around the table and they discussed what their next steps should be. They talked about ways to mesh their abilities, and Erik began constructing their playbook. Pre-determined plans of action that anyone could call out. Though there wasn¡¯t much to it yet. Erik called Primarch out several more times to pick the AI¡¯s brain for information, and found it frustrating how often he would learn something useful, only to have further questions meet dead end. The golden feathered humanoid dinosaur was a maze when it came to questions, and Erik found the 8 hours allotted to them in the HUB passed quickly.
General Announcement: All players, please stand by. You will be returned to the game world in 10 seconds.
¡°It¡¯s about time.¡± Marcus said, shaking his head. ¡°I was starting to get bored.¡± 5 4 3 2 1 Day 2: Part 1 - Hardcore Vegan Pop They were back. The jungle around them humming with life as the first rays of sunlight began to glitter in the tree tops far above their heads. Down on the jungle floor it was still dark, but much improved over the unbroken blackness the had been hiding in before being pulled away to the Hub. As promised they had been returned to exactly where they had left from, three baby dinosaurs still pressed under a log, except¡­ ¡°I think I¡¯m stuck.¡± Sarah said, her raptor chirping. Erik turned his crested head to look at her. She had been hunched down, to his right side, where the gap between the log and the ground had been the narrowest because when they¡¯d hidden here, she had been the smallest. He was shocked to see her now, more than twice the size she¡¯d been originally. She was probably longer than Marcus from nose to tail. It was hard to judge relative size in this jungle, he had no frame of reference for anything here. How big was a person next to one of these trees? A cold breeze wafted through the tree¡¯s and Erik paused, his trike body shivering involuntarily. So far the jungle had been a consistent, muggy hotness that their dinosaur bodies seemed perfectly acclimated to. He hadn¡¯t even really thought about the temperature until just then, when it felt like a winter breeze had slithered seemingly from nowhere to crawl across his skin. He saw Marcus pause, turning to look in the direction of the wind, his head titling, small rex hands flexing uneasily, while Sarah paused in her struggles to escape, going still like she¡¯d scented a predator. The chill air moved along, blowing off as quickly as it had come, but the sensation still left Erik unsettled, and he shivered again, before turning his focus back to Sarah. ¡°Marcus, help me try and wedge this log up a bit higher so she can slide loose.¡± Maruc complied, moving around the back of the log to stand opposite Erik,and together they used their heads to leverage the log up. It was only a few inches difference at most, but it was enough. With a scrabbling effort of her feet and paws, Sarah managed to wiggle her way forward, slipping free of her prison. ¡°That¡¯s the second time I''ve started a day trapped.¡± She grumbled, sounding uncharacteristically angry. ¡°We¡¯ll have to be more careful.¡± He said stepping back to look at her properly now that she was loose. ¡°Okay,¡± Marcus said as he approached, looking her over. ¡°Maybe spending those points on growth was the right idea.¡± He admitted, and it was easy to see what had brought him around. Sarah was nearly on a level with him now, only slightly shorter at the hip, but it wasn¡¯t simply a matter of size. She¡¯d gone from feeling like a small, borderline helpless baby to an animal that felt much more lethal. Despite the closer size between her and Marcus¡¯s Rex hatchling, she was more heavily muscled, her claws glittered like obsidian and her teeth shining yellow-white where they where visible when she chirped or hooted. ¡° ¡°Not gonna lie.¡± Marcus continued. ¡°You¡¯re definitely not that little ankle biting shit you were yesterday, but you sound like an overgrown pigeon.¡± Sarah snorted in laughter, and Erik chuckled as well. At that moment another chill wind rolled over them, even colder this time, setting them all to shivering. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Marcus growled, and as Erik looked he felt like he was starting to see something through the trees. The cold wind gusted over them in rolling waves before dying down to be replaced by the jungles muggy heat once more. ¡°We need to find a vantage point, Sarah, I want you to move towards higher ground. We¡¯ll follow after you.¡± The raptors head snapped down in a sharp nod before she bolted away, a brown-green blur vanishing into the undergrowth. Among the many useful tidbits Erik had gleaned from Primarch, the existence of the map in his HUD was perhaps the most immediately useful. He had scolded himself thoroughly for overlooking it initially, but if he were being fair to himself, he¡¯d had exactly enough time to regroup with his friends before nearly being eaten, and from there it had been a mad scramble to get his bearings. He called the map up, and watched Sarah¡¯s dot moved move directly away from then, following the incline of the ground and looking for a place where they might get a clear view of the horizon. It was in the process of following her that Erik had a bit of good luck, or at least he called it lucky. When the seemingly inert vines Erik had been trying to thread his way through came to life, snapping into place around him like dark green tentacles. It certainly didn¡¯t look like anything lucky was about to happen. Erik struggled against the vines, twisting this way and that as he forced one foot down in front of the other, grunting with each step as the vines strained to hold him back. ¡°Guys, what¡¯s going on¡± Sarah¡¯s voice came across the line, and Erik could see her dot slowing as she If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Some creepy plant thing is trying to eat Rik.¡± Marcus said. Erik had begun chomping into the thing anywhere he could reach. Twisting this way and that, and unleashing his basic bite ability over and over. ¡°Do I need to come back?¡± She asked, her dot on the map had paused. ¡°Nope.¡± Erik replied,his voice strained. ¡°We¡¯ve got it under control.¡± Erik¡¯s small, flat feet slid through the loose soil as he tried to power his small body into motion. Curiously he wasn¡¯t worried. Of all the things he¡¯d feared running into, some sort of tentacle plant monster was pretty low on the list in terms of the terror it could inspire. His sharp, beak-like mouth sheared through one grasping limb, and then another while Marcus worked alongside him, using his young rex¡¯s needle-like teeth to chomp into the plant, but all the while making coughing, gagging sound as he did so. ¡°This thing tastes awful,¡± Marcus complained. Erik didn¡¯t answer, his mouth slicing through another length of vine. With that he was able to shake himself loose and rush forward, following he flailing vines to their source, and finding a short distance away a strange green and purple bulb about the size of the egg he¡¯d hatched from, with vines snaking away from its base to be lost in the undergrowth.
Identify: Species: Virdraga Minor Type: Plant Monster Disposition: Aggressive/Predator Information: ?
Erik had the presence of mind to call up the identify window as he rushed the plant. The vines proved to be much less effective at defending then they were at ambushing, and when he triggered his charge ability, and several headbutts thereafter, it accomplished nothing more than flailing it¡¯s extra long limbs ineffectually, incapable of retracting the long green lengths of plant matter. A few more headbutt and he managed to half-uproot the thing, and whatever health screen it had must¡¯ve zeroed out because the bud seemed to deflate, taking on that same ragdoll quality that dinosaurs did when they died. Going from a crisply detailed plant monster that looked as real as anything he¡¯d seen in his life, to a rubbery prop. While he looked at it, his small sides heaving for breath, two things happened. First, the identify screen updated.
Species: Virdraga Minor Type: Plant Monster Disposition: Aggressive/Predator Killed: 1 Description: The Virdraga Minor is a smaller, less mature variant of the predatory plant found in dense jungle environments. It consists of a central bulbous body, with multiple long, vine-like appendages extending from its base. These vines are capable of rapid movement and are used to ensnare and constrict prey. The plant exhibits a green and purple coloration, which helps it blend into the jungle undergrowth. Abilities:
  • Constriction: Virdraga Minor''s vines can wrap around and constrict prey, making it difficult for them to escape.
  • Camouflage: The plant''s coloration allows it to remain hidden until it strikes, making it an effective ambush predator.
  • Regeneration: Severed vines can regrow over time, allowing the Virdraga Minor to recover from partial damage.
And the second was a rectangular prompt at the center of his vision that simply said, Eat? With more thought than gesture, he triggered the prompt and he found himself bending down, scrapping a chunk from the planet with his curved beak-like mouth, like some sort of extra sharp ice cream scoop. Then his large flat back molars went to work, grinding up the plant matter to be swallowed. He found he had to disagree with Marcus, who had followed him to the plants main body, but hadn¡¯t had a chance to do much before Erik uprooted it. The Virdraga plant didn¡¯t taste bad at all, it tasted like a banana, though perhaps a little sweeter. He guessed the game was calibrating the flavor for him as an herbivore. ¡°Okay,¡± Marcus said, panting softly as he recovered from the short but violent struggle. ¡°If those are the kinda plants you gotta eat then vegans here are pretty hardcore.¡± Day 2: Part 2 - Impacts and Fallout Erik ate until the food meter on his HUD was full, at which point the prompt vanished, and he could no longer consume the dead plant. Already, the vines stretching into the jungle were beginning to shrivel. ¡°Now if I guessed correctly, I should reach the next growth stage by the end of the day,¡± he said to Marcus, ¡°which just means we need to find you something to eat.¡± This was imperative. Keeping their team on par with each other as much as possible would be essential to their success. While their achievement of getting an early team kill could help put them ahead in the long term, it was likely that other players had made more successful progress toward the next growth stage the day before and were now roaming the world as larger, more dangerous dinosaurs. ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m looking forward to chowing down on some raw hamburger,¡± Marcus said, his Rex¡¯s lips curling up on one side in a snarl as he contemplated it. ¡°I¡¯m more of a cooked steak guy, you know. Steak with some really good grill marks.¡± ¡°The game handles the flavor. You should be fine,¡± Erik reassured him. Now that the murderous plant was dealt with and he¡¯d gotten some food out of it, he checked Sarah¡¯s dot on his map. As if she knew he was looking, her voice came over the party line, though she sounded far away, as if she were speaking to them through a tube. ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked. ¡°You¡¯re not moving.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re good here, Sarah. Heading to you,¡± Erik said as he turned in the direction of her dot on the map and began to trot on his small triceratops feet, Marcus falling in alongside him. ¡°Good, because you need to see this.¡± Marcus groaned, shaking his boxy Rex head from side to side in dissatisfaction. ¡°Are we really doing the ¡®you need to come and look at this¡¯ clich¨¦? Why not just tell us what it is?¡± There was a brief pause before Sarah answered, and Erik suspected she was trying to decide what kind of answer to give. ¡°It¡¯s a big black and gray wall of cloud, and I think it¡¯s moving toward us,¡± she told them, opting for a serious answer rather than taking Marcus''s bait. ¡°Who gives a shit about a cloud?¡± Marcus scoffed, his Rex giving a decisive snort, but Erik¡¯s stomach sank. Battle Royales had gone through something of a renaissance pre-VR. It had been a very popular genre, and Erik had seen some of the footage from those old games. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry,¡± he said, turning his short-legged trot into an awkward gallop. Marcus only needed to trot a little faster to keep up. Erik switched to a private channel with Marcus as they ran between the trees, dried vegetation crunching under their feet. ¡°You need to stop picking at Sarah,¡± Erik told him. ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡± ¡°You are. I get that you two have problems.¡± ¡°She¡¯s the problem,¡± Marcus snapped. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who betrayed my friends so I could be a big-time gamer.¡± Erik said nothing for a moment as they continued on. He didn¡¯t agree with Marcus, at least not anymore. He had been hurt by her leaving their team at the time. Now he felt that it was the best choice she could¡¯ve made. He knew there was no point debating it with Marcus, but he had to say something. ¡°You need to put those feelings aside,¡± Erik said. ¡°There¡¯s a bigger picture here. We can win this if we can all get on the same page. If you undercut her every time she says something, then this will be over fast. For all of us.¡± It wasn¡¯t the point he would¡¯ve liked to make. He would¡¯ve preferred to make the case that they were better off as friends. That Sarah had done the right thing for her own future. He knew that Marcus¡¯s resentment was rooted at least a little in his wounded pride. Mad that between himself and Sarah, she had been deemed the only one worthy of achieving their shared dream. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Marcus said nothing, and then the jungle trees stopped, opening up into a large clearing shaped like a half-circle. The other half of the circle didn¡¯t exist because the clearing ended in a sheer cliff. Past the edge was nothing but a hundred-foot drop to the jungle canopy below, but that wasn¡¯t what grabbed his attention. It was the cloud, except it wasn¡¯t really a cloud at all. It was a massive, swirling wall of gray and black. So vast it could¡¯ve swallowed mountains. ¡°Okay, I take it back,¡± Marcus said, his Rex eyes wide. ¡°That totally merits ¡®you need to come look at this.¡¯¡± It was truly something to behold, and from this vantage, Erik could see it stretching off into the distance, bending gradually to enclose them in what had to be a massive circle, though they could only see part of it before the trees blocked their view. ¡°What the hell is it?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°It¡¯s a mechanic,¡± Erik said grimly. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I forgot about it.¡± ¡°A mechanic?¡± Sarah asked, trotting over to join them. ¡°A mechanic for what?¡± ¡°For pushing the players together as the game progresses. It will advance slowly, shrinking the available space until there¡¯s none left, and any player who gets caught in it will die,¡± Erik said. ¡°How exactly varied depending on the setting of the game, but they were usually thematic. In our case, I¡¯d guess we¡¯re looking at an impact winter.¡± ¡°Like from an asteroid impact?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°The game is called E.L.E,¡± Sarah said. ¡°So I guess that¡¯s appropriate.¡± While they stood for a moment, intimidated by the sheer size of the death wall, a flash of bright yellow light came from within the cloud, and then, punching out from its face, a small meteorite blazed a path above the canopy down below before slamming into the ground. The resultant shock-wave knocked over the nearby trees, rolling outward blindingly fast, passing over the three baby dinosaurs up on the cliff with enough force to send them stumbling back. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Marcus yelled as the shock wave passed. In the distance, they could see other streaks of small meteorites crashing down onto the game world. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Sarah said as the sounds of impact rolled over them from the far distance, one after the other. As if in answer to her question, a notification window popped up.
Objective Update: Meteorites with unusual properties have fallen all across the world. Secure meteorite zones and fragments to earn rewards. - Primarch
Meteorites continued to fall in the background as Erik read, and he couldn¡¯t help but laugh. It was so incongruous, so strange for him to be here, in this body, watching a stunning recreation of the events that may very well have led to the end of the age of dinosaurs. 165 million years of dominance brought to a close by rocks from the sky, and a wall of ash and snow. ¡°One fell down there,¡± Sarah said, breaking into his thoughts as she stepped forward, using her raptor''s snout to point down at the bottom of the cliff. They could see the crater from their vantage point, with the trees knocked away, and small fires burning in the surrounding area. ¡°Maybe if we follow the cliff we can find a way down.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Erik agreed. ¡°Hey, what about finding me something to eat?¡± Marcus complained. ¡°My hunger meter is getting pretty low.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be the only group headed for a meteor,¡± Erik assured him. ¡°I expect we can find you someone to eat, and do the objective at the same time.¡± ¡°Man, please don¡¯t say it like that,¡± Marcus said, his head tipped to the side. Sarah chuckled, and her raptor made a strange throaty hssk-hssk-hssk sound in parallel. Erik saw Marcus bristle at her laughter, his hackles rising as his lips peeled upward to show his teeth, as if he were about to snarl. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re losing daylight,¡± Erik said, heading off the reply. Marcus tilted his head to look at Erik with one of his eyes, and then relaxed. Erik, for his part, wondered if the others had noticed how easily their body language was being adapted into these animal forms. How naturally they all seemed to fit into their bodies. Was that an aspect of the game''s programming, or was it the nature of the human mind to adapt? He decided he¡¯d have to look into it after they were done playing, or maybe he could compose a study himself. He was in the right environment for it. Together, the three of them set off along the cliff, staying just within the treeline to make sure they were less visible. They had been fortunate not to encounter anything except one aggressive plant, but Erik had no doubt that would change as they approached the meteorite. As they walked, he could feel it in the back of his mind; he could feel that big wall of death creeping ever closer. Day 2: Part 3 - Objective: Meteorite The raptor snarled and screeched, snapping its narrow jaw inches from Erik''s eyes. It weaved left and right, trying to get around him to attack from the side. The long scratch running from his shoulder to halfway down his tail was proof that it had managed it once already. Its hide was the color of mud, with violently green feathers cresting its head. It backed off a step as it watched him with slit-pupil eyes, chirping like a bird. Erik couldn¡¯t be sure, but he was fairly certain there was a mocking quality to that chitter. He wasn''t agile enough to hold the raptor off forever, and he did not yet have those natural advantages that would have made him a hard target. No massive bulk, no terrifying sharp horns. If it wasn¡¯t for the bony crest and his sharp, parrot-like beak, he would have been dead already. He snapped his lower jaw at the raptor and reared up on his hind legs, lunging forward into a mock charge. It squawked in alarm at his display and backed off. ¡°What the hell are these things?¡± Marcus demanded, his rex rumbling its displeasure at a pitch too high to be intimidating. Erik and Marcus were holding them off, standing back to back. It took two of the raptors to keep Marcus busy, which was lucky because if they had been able to gang up on Erik, he would have had a lot more problems than just a scratch on his side. ¡°Velociraptors,¡± Erik said as he took a step back, the feathered raptor keeping its distance. ¡°I think.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t really look like Sarah,¡± Marcus said doubtfully, as he snapped his jaws at one raptor, driving it back. At the same time, the second one rushed at him from the side, taking advantage of the distraction. It probably would have worked against an actual rex fresh out of the shell, but Marcus committed to his lunging movement and pivoted fast, catching the encroaching raptor across the side of the head with his heavy tail and sending it tumbling away. ¡°Sarah¡¯s a Utah raptor,¡± Erik said. ¡°You know, Rik, I always knew you were a nerd, but I never knew you were a dinosaur nerd.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t catch them,¡± Sarah reported. ¡°They¡¯re too quick.¡± When they encountered the raptor pack, there had been seven. In the initial clash, Marcus had killed one, and now they were trying to finish or chase off the remaining six. Sarah was as long as Marcus¡¯s rex now, but considerably faster and more dangerous as a juvenile. She was more than a match for any of these raptors in a straight fight. Add in the fact that she was one of the best players in the world in VR PvP, and you would have thought she could wrap this up in a minute. Yet several minutes later, she was getting juked and turned around. Not that Erik was complaining. She was keeping a full half of the pack off them by herself. Each of the Velociraptors was barely two-thirds her size, and Erik figured if she had been full grown, or even just one growth stage further along, they wouldn¡¯t have come within a mile of her. ¡°Ah!¡± Marcus called out in pain and surprise; mostly surprise. He had lunged forward to finish off the raptor he had stunned with his tail, and the other raptor seized its moment, sprinting forward as a mud-colored streak and latching its long narrow jaws around one of his stubby little arms. It dangled, toes dragging along the ground as Marcus thrashed back and forth. It let go just in time to dodge his bite, but it had accomplished its goal. The other raptor was back on its feet, retreating away from an angry Marcus. ¡°Sarah,¡± Erik said as the raptor facing him got brave again and began approaching, moving at an angle to him in an attempt to circle around. ¡°I need you to cut this way.¡± ¡°Little busy,¡± she said. Erik could see her, trailing after one of the smaller Velociraptors, its little legs a blur as it sprinted away from her. ¡°I know, but we need to change things up or they¡¯re going to tire us out.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Sarah spun on the spot and accelerated toward him. The raptor that was trying to get at Erik¡¯s side was focused and didn¡¯t notice her approach immediately. The three raptors Sarah had been occupying dashed after her, forming a staggered line behind her. ¡°Marcus, move to guard Sarah¡¯s flank when I call it out,¡± Erik said, still turning, keeping his crest tipped forward in a defensive posture. The light, rapid thud-thud-thud of Sarah¡¯s footsteps was too loud to be missed now, and the raptor screeched in alarm and tried to dodge away. Too late. She crashed into the smaller predator, clawing and biting. ¡°Now!¡± Erik yelled, and Marcus whipped around and dashed right into the middle of the group that had been on Sarah¡¯s heels, scattering them like bowling pins. He raised his head with a raptor dangling by the neck from his jaws. He shook it like a dog and it died instantly. At the same time, Sarah finished off the raptor she had surprised. Without hesitation, she dashed in a straight line for another. One of the ones focused on Marcus. It never made a sound before she pounced on it, tearing at it. Another dead. Four down, three to go. A fact that was not lost on the raptor pack. As Sarah came up, searching for another target, they were already retreating, vanishing between the trees and into the undergrowth. ¡°Annoying little shits,¡± Marcus grumbled as he moved to stand over the raptor he had killed. ¡°Alright, here goes nothing,¡± he said with the tone of someone pinching their nose right before they swallow some foul medicine. The rex bent down and tore a chunk off the rubbery raptor ragdoll, then came up, tipped his head back, and swallowed the chunk whole. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not bad. Tastes kinda like a hamburger from a fast food place.¡± He and Sarah topped off their food meters long before they ran out of raptors, but there was no way for them to keep the rest or preserve it. They couldn¡¯t even bury it like a wild animal might have. The canopy above them was growing steadily darker as the dark wall of snow and ash encroached, growing closer minute by minute. ¡°We need to go, it¡¯s not far from here,¡± Erik said, and the three of them made their way toward the crater. On his HUD, Erik¡¯s health display. The baby triceratops broken into body segments was mostly a light, lime green, except for on the side, where it had turned to a darker hunter green, with shades of orange creeping in around the edges. He found himself wondering how long healing took. It couldn¡¯t be too slow, right? The question was quickly answered. As he watched, the orange was receding, the dark green growing lighter by shades. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. *You have entered the area of an active meteorite. Evolution Energy will be absorbed until the meteorite is depleted.
Objective: Small Meteorite Energy: 300/300 Fragments: 30/30 Contested: No
The objective window popped up into the top left corner of Erik¡¯s vision, as text scrolled across the bottom. You have gained +1 Evolution Energy And the window updated.
Objective: Small Meteorite Energy: 297/300 Fragments: 30/30 Contested: No
¡°So I know I should¡¯ve read the info packet they emailed me and all, but what the hell is Evolution Energy?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Don¡¯t know yet,¡± Erik said, tipping his crested head to the side. The best he could do for a triceratops equivalent of a shrug. You have gained +1 Evolution Energy ¡°Look,¡± Sarah said, pointing with her nose. They followed her line of sight and on the ground nestled in amongst fallen leaves and dry soil was a glimmer. As they approached Erik saw that it was a metallic shard, as he focused on it, a window popped up.
Identify: Item: Meteorite Fragment Type: Currency Information: A fragment of meteorite that crashed into the planet. This can be exchanged with vendors in the HUB for goods and services.
¡°I didn¡¯t see any vendors in the Hub,¡± Sarah pointed out, apparently reading the same prompt. Erik leaned forward and touched it with his nose, trying to tip it over so he could get a better look at it. Instead, as he made contact the shard of metal twinkled blue, like an electric current had passed through it. Then it faded away, breaking down into dust. Your team has gained: +1 Meteorite Fragment. You have gained +1 Evolution Energy.
Objective: Small Meteorite Energy: 290/300 Fragments: 29/30 Contested: No
¡°We didn¡¯t leave the area with the headquarters,¡± Erik said, in answer to Sarah. ¡°There were paths that lead out of that area though. There¡¯s probably a lot more to see.¡± ¡°So should we scrounge around looking for those shiny rocks?¡± ¡°I guess,¡± Erik said hesitantly. He had no idea what kind of things they could buy in the Hub and how that might affect the game. Between mutations, abilities and the yet to be witnessed evolution system, E.L.E felt like it had enough dimensions. They split up to look around, but stayed within line of sight of each other as best they could. Erik was guessing that no players would come here now. The big cloud wall of death had turned this part of the Jungle to a murky dusk, and was perfectly visible even through the canopy. He estimated they had an hour, maybe two, before it would arrive here. They only found 6 more fragments in the area before they got the notification. You have gained +1 Evolution Energy
Objective: Small Meteorite (Completed) Energy: 0/300 Fragments: 23/30 Contested: No
Evolution Energy in this area has been depleted. Objective Complete. And the window vanished off their hud. ¡°Is that it,¡± Marcus asked. Erik, who had been just about to poke another fragment saw it pop out of existence as the objective was marked finished. ¡°Guess so,¡± He said. ¡°The one I just found was gone before I could touch it.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too,¡± Sarah said, sounding disgruntled. ¡°Well then I hope those aren¡¯t important,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter right now.¡± Erik said, turning to tip his head up toward the sky. ¡°We need to get going. Straight away from the wall.¡± They set off once more, passing the actual site of the meteor impact, where all the tree¡¯s had been toppled over. There was nothing sitting in it, presumably because it had vanished when the objective had been finished. Under other circumstances he might¡¯ve been interested, but he was beginning to suspect the wall was closer than it ought to be. A few minutes of sprinting later, as he galloped on his 4 stubby legs, with Sarah and Marcus on either side of him, he was certain of it. He saw Marcus glance back over his shoulder, his rex head tilted to the side so he could look upward. ¡°I don¡¯t want to alarm anyone, but I think that the death wall is chasing us.¡± Day 2: Part 4 - Must Go Faster Cold wind rushed over their backs as they ran, like icy claws reaching out for them. They were at least partially within the wall now, as flakes of snow and ash rolled alongside them. ¡°You guys need to go,¡± Erik told them. He knew he was limiting their speed. Marcus could¡¯ve doubled his pace easily, and as for Sarah, she could¡¯ve left them both behind with no trouble. Reaching Juvenile was no joke. ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid,¡± Sarah told him, her raptor head tilting to the side, one yellow eye angled downward to stare at him. ¡°We win or lose together.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Marcus said, snapping his jaws indignantly. ¡°Where was that attitude before?¡± ¡°What, you mean turning down my dream?¡± she said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. ¡°We would¡¯ve gone pro together if you¡¯d stuck it out,¡± Marcus shot back. ¡°Instead of running out the door at the first offer.¡± Their pace began to slow as each turned a fierce dinosaurian glare on the other. ¡°Guys¡ª¡± Erik tried to interject, but Sarah overrode him. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you? How come you never signed with a team?¡± ¡°Because¡ª¡± Marcus said, but he stopped, hesitating. ¡°Guys,¡± Erik said again, seizing his chance. ¡°If you two really need to do this, then we can do it, but let¡¯s do it any other time than now.¡± Punctuating his sentence, an especially cold tongue of wind rolled over them, swirling white-gray flakes around where they¡¯d come to a standstill. He began to move and hoped against hope they would follow. Sarah quickly trotted up to his side, her raptor head held high, almost haughty. A few seconds later, Marcus arrived on his other side. They ran on in tense silence for a while, barely keeping the sky ahead from being swallowed by the death wall looming high over their heads. Though panic was a living thing in his triceratops breast by the time the blue sky began to shade towards night, turning a gentle orange as the sun set. ¡°So, I don¡¯t want to be a negative nancy or anything here, but if this wall thing is faster than us, then I don¡¯t see what we¡¯re gonna do. Hell, even if it¡¯s only a little slower, we¡¯re not gonna gain much ground at this pace. Are we going to spend the rest of the game running ten steps ahead of it?¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is,¡± Erik said, pausing to gasp for air as he began to tire, ¡°we must go faster?¡± he finished with a laugh that was more of a wheeze. ¡°Why is that funny?¡± Marcus asked, the small bone crests above his Rex''s eyes a perfect accent to the irritation in his tone. As Erik thought about it, he realized the Rex face always looked irritated. He wheeze-laughed again. ¡°Still not getting the joke,¡± Marcus said, sounding even more irritated. ¡°We should be fine in a minute. I hope. Maybe,¡± Erik said. He was falling off the pace now. His leg muscles were burning with the exertion. He could actually see them starting to change color on his health readout. It seemed there was only so far the game would let him push his body before it began to inflict injuries. ¡°What makes you say so?¡± Sarah asked, more curious. ¡°Well,¡± Erik said, ¡°tell you what. If I¡¯m right, I¡¯ll explain it when we don¡¯t die.¡± He really did need to conserve his breath for running. He felt like if he tried to talk while keeping up the trotting speed he was at, he would quite literally pass out, fall down, and then die. He ignored the aching, burning sensation of his lungs and his body and committed his entire will to the next trotting step. One foot after the other, he carried on. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The sun had vanished from sight entirely by the time Erik was sure he was correct. The ash-laden gusts receded away behind them until only the occasional out-of-place breeze served to remind them of the death wall. It had stopped, Erik guessed, right as night fell. Right when the sun had dipped out of sight, it had stopped. He¡¯d have to ask Primarch to be sure, assuming the AI would even tell him. Halfway through the thought, he collapsed. Not on purpose; he had actually started to forget how tired he was. Compared to how he felt out in the real world, a little bit of muscle pain and some shortness of breath was nothing. That being said, there was an absolute limit, and he¡¯d reached it. Bell down and legs splayed out, he lay on the ground, his snout pressed into the dirt. ¡°So how¡¯d you know it was going to stop?¡± Sarah asked, and Erik couldn¡¯t help but note how unfair it was that she didn¡¯t even sound winded. Marcus at least had the decency to act like running several miles through the jungle wasn¡¯t easy, even if he hadn¡¯t collapsed himself. ¡°Didn¡¯t,¡± Erik said laconically when he regained a measure of his breath. ¡°Guessed.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Sarah said in a tone that promised she was rolling her eyes even though he couldn¡¯t see it with his own firmly shut. ¡°But why did you guess that?¡± ¡°Made sense,¡± he told her. Luckily the speech was internal or else it would¡¯ve been muffled by the ground. He chuckled at the thought, his triceratops mouth huffing, blowing up a small cloud of dust with its own version of tired amusement. ¡°Couldn¡¯t go forever, or the game would be over very quickly.¡± ¡°It nearly was over for us,¡± Marcus said. Erik tipped his head up, eyes opening as he looked around, taking in their surroundings. They¡¯d come to a stop in an open patch of dirt, too small and sheltered to be called a clearing. ¡°Should we keep going?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°I feel like we need as much distance as possible.¡± ¡°No,¡± Erik said, shaking his head, his crest moving with the motion. He could feel it shifting the air around him, catching it like a fan would. ¡°We need to stay put. We don¡¯t know what hunts at night or how good those senses might be. We go stumbling through the jungle at night, and we might as well ring a dinner bell. We¡¯d be a baby dino buffet.¡± He was starting to catch his breath, but curiously he still felt tired. He knew the fatigue was simulated. His Trike body needed to sleep, to rest. It was a survival game, and tending to your character¡¯s needs was a staple of the genre. Usually, that meant food and water. It meant those things as well for them, but apparently, it also meant laying around doing nothing. He stood up long enough to find a spot to curl up that wasn¡¯t so close to the middle of the open space. He didn¡¯t think he could sleep. The VR¡¯s time dilation should make that impossible, but he knew he needed to rest. Unlike the previous night, the moon was out in all her glory, casting a silver sheen across the jungle, and Erik was surprised to find his night vision was actually better than it was for people. After some questions and some testing, he determined that his was nothing compared to Sarah¡¯s and Marcus¡¯s, both of whom seemed to be able to see quite far with the moonlight. ¡°This game just gets more interesting all the time,¡± Erik said. ¡°We should probably be quiet, don¡¯t ya¡¯ think?¡± Marcus whispered, crouching down. His small claws moved nervously. ¡°So much for the Tyrant Lizard King,¡± Erik teased him. ¡°Hey,¡± Marcus said, ¡°I¡¯m a grower, not a shower.¡± Sarah and Erik both laughed, and despite having made the joke, Marcus admonished them once again to be quiet. ¡°When did you get so responsible?¡± ¡°Since one-third of five million dollars is a damn lot of money,¡± he shot back. Erik dragged himself to his feet and together they set about finding somewhere to hunker down for the night. They eventually settled on a stand of brush with a gap in the middle. Unlike the first night, this one was much quieter, with hardly any animal or insect noises. It had a bone-deep unsettling quality, as if there were a massive predator lying in wait in the dark, patiently waiting for some small, hapless animal to make a sound. Erik knew it was the death wall and that the animals in the area had reacted to its approach and moved further away from it, or at least he hoped that was the reason for that eerie stillness. Night 2: Part 1 - Evoution Pending The return to the Hub happened much the same as before. The night beyond their patch of underbrush became entirely, utterly silent. More so than it had been for the hours they¡¯d spent huddled side-by-side in the dark. Then the notification came.
Well done on surviving the second day of E.L.E Online! You will now be removed to The Hub for 8 hours, before being replaced in this location at sunrise. The game world has been paused during the break.
One by one his senses faded, until he was back in that field. The sky that twilight purple-blue and painted with stars. As he became fully himself, once again in his human avatar Primarch sent him his scores.
Welcome back, Little_Rik! Congratulations on surviving Day 2 in E.L.E: Extinction Level Event Online. The challenges are getting tougher, and now that objectives have become active, your performance in each category will be scored more critically. Let¡¯s review your scores for the day. Little_Rik''s Scores: Survival: 7
  • Successfully managed to find food and water.
  • Successfully thwarted predators like the predatory plant and raptors.
  • Managed the team''s safety effectively in dangerous situations.
Combat: 7
  • Effectively fought off raptors and a predatory plant.
Team Work: 8
  • Assisted WhiteRabbit when she was trapped.
  • Coordinated effectively with TheBIG_t and WhiteRabbit during combat and survival tasks.
  • Kept the team focused and working together towards their goals.
Objectives: 6
  • Successfully completed the meteorite objective and gained Evolution Energy.
Total Score: 28 Score Multipliers: Title: First-Blood 1.5x Title: Contender 0.5x Final Score: 84 You have collected: 100 Evolution Energy Your team has collected: 7 Meteorite Fragments
Erik had forgotten about the achievements and their multipliers. He knew he¡¯d been considered them the previous night they¡¯d spent at the Hub, but during their time in the game world he had forgotten. He¡¯d even forgotten they were being scored on their performance. 84 points? Before he had too much time to consider it however, another notification popped up.
Congratulations on reaching the Growth Stage: Juvenile! Player: Little_Rik Species: Triceratops Gender: Male Growth: Juvenile: 10% Weight: Small Attributes: Speed: 3 Strength: 4 Agility: 3 Endurance: 4 Defense: 4 Abilities: Hatchling Charge: Basic charge attack, minimal damage but disrupts smaller enemies. Basic Bite: Consistent moderate damage to close-range targets. Basic Headbutt: Moderate damage, can stagger small opponents. Ability Points: 53 Evolution: Juvenile Evolution Pending Evolution Energy: 100 This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Next Growth Stage: Adolescent (20%) Reach 20% growth to evolve at the Adolescent stage, unlocking new upgrades and abilities. Mutations: 107 Available Mutations Biopoints: 86 Team Currency: Meteorite Fragments: 7 *Note: Team Currencies cannot be spent until teams have assigned themselves a name, and designated a leader.
Erik read it twice, his heart rate speeding up as he absorbed all the information. They had made massive improvements over their first day in terms of available points, not to mention the growth. Sarah¡¯s ascent to a Juvenile raptor had been a considerable upgrade over her Hatchling phase, and Erik hoped that he and Marcus would see as much of an improvement in themselves. His stats were high. All of them had increased by one, except for defense, which had been his highest. Weight was still small, and if he recalled, Sarah¡¯s weight had gone from Tiny to Small when she¡¯d hit Juvenile, but perhaps small was a broader category than tiny. Regardless, he wouldn¡¯t figure anything out standing in the field. ¡°Hey look, sheep girl,¡± Sarah pointed out, drawing Erik¡¯s attention away from his interface. The large field had been populated all around them as he¡¯d stood there buried in his character sheet. She looked upset, woolly eyebrows angled into a V, and the rest of her face scrunched up like she was on the verge of tears. ¡°Wonder what¡¯s got her goat,¡± Marcus said, before elbowing Erik in the side. Sarah rolled her eyes, but Erik was making connections as he looked around. ¡°Are these the same people as yesterday?¡± he asked. ¡°Probably,¡± Marcus answered with a shrug. ¡°What other people would there be? It¡¯s not like new people are joining the game.¡± ¡°No, but there¡¯s 9,999 of us in here and there¡¯s no way this field is holding that many.¡± While it was certainly a prodigious-sized space, Erik doubted there were more than a few hundred people occupying the clearing. Sheep girl wasn¡¯t the only one looking unhappy. All around them were grumbling and the beginnings of arguments. ¡°Wonder what¡¯s got them all worked up?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°I¡¯ll go ask sheep girl,¡± Sarah said, giving Erik and Marcus a wink as she wandered off to approach the other group. ¡°Told you Sarah was into that,¡± Marcus said, elbowing Erik in the side again. Erik ignored him, instead opening his map and zooming out. It was a large space, mostly blank, with only the field in which they stood filled in. Perhaps it would be worth taking a look around at some point. Not right now, of course. He needed to get to the table and start going over things. He had a pending evolution, a mountain of biopoints, and since he was now a juvenile, he would hopefully be able to spend his ability points. ¡°I¡¯m headed to the headquarters, you coming?¡± Erik asked, and Marcus nodded, following along. They entered the plain, open space, and Erik made straight for the liquid metal table. ¡°We could really use some furniture or something,¡± Marcus complained, falling into a hammock in one corner of the room. ¡°Somewhere to sit, ya know.¡± ¡°Might be what the fragments are for,¡± Erik said, only half paying attention. His Triceratops was bubbling up out of the metal, taking shape, floating in the air. It was notably different. Definitely larger, and it had lost its potato body shape. The sides were still rounded, but the shoulders had widened, and the bony crest had also grown, with small spikes of bone trimming its edges. Above his eyes, the horns had become more pronounced, though still too short to be really useful. The horn-nub on his nose was no longer a rounded knob, but was now a short, sturdy horn with a visible point, clearly capable of inflicting damage. From behind him, Marcus made an impressed whistle. ¡°Lookin¡¯ dangerous there, haus,¡± he said, moving up to stand on his right, arms folded across his chest as he leaned in to peer more closely at the triceratops. ¡°Hell yeah. You¡¯ll be doing some real damage now. Bet you those raptor things won¡¯t be messing with us again.¡± ¡°Probably not, but they¡¯re not the only things out there,¡± Erik said, as he sorted through his menus. First, he selected the evolution option and there was a list. A long list. A really long list, and at the top was ¡°Aerial.¡± Erik raised an eyebrow and opened it. Gliding Membranes: 3000 Evolution Energy Description: Develop skin flaps that extend between your limbs, allowing limited gliding from high places. Unlocks related mutations. *Note from Primarch: Energy costs reflect how well suited a form is to a certain adaptation, and how much energy must be expended to make an adaptation functional. ¡°Right, Triceratops wouldn¡¯t be much of a glider.¡± There were many, many other options in Aerial, but they were all similarly expensive. As far as Erik could tell, it was a retroactive cost. The game had to reach back through the Triceratops¡¯ millions of years of evolution and alter the course of it until they were brought in line with the current version, which could glide. Above the table was a display of a very strange-looking creature. It certainly bore a resemblance to the triceratops, but it was skinnier, smaller. The crest was flatter, more aerodynamic. It still had three horns, but they had changed, angling outward more than upward, and between the front legs, back legs, and to the tip of the tail was a loose membrane of skin that could be extended into a flight suit; it was truly bizarre. It was possible to backtrack through all of the adaptations required to make it work, reducing the cost as you went, but it was such a major shift in the way the Triceratops had evolved, that by the time he reached an adaptation in that tree he could actually afford, all it offered was a weaker, less dense bone structure. He skipped down to the next option, which was ¡°Aquatics,¡± and found another round of similarly expensive choices, following the same logic as before. The Triceratops had few or no existing aquatic adaptations for the new ones to build on. Erik wasn¡¯t sure if he appreciated the game for offering variety, or was annoyed that it had filled up the menus with things that were impractical, if not impossible, to achieve. ¡°Primarch.¡± The golden raptor-humanoid in his immaculate robe appeared at Erik¡¯s left as if by teleportation. ¡°Yes, little Rik?¡± it asked, its tone sonorous and dignified. ¡°Any chance you could trim this menu down to just the stuff I can afford?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he moved the long staff he held to his right hand, and Erik saw his menu undergo a change, with many categories vanishing outright. There were still many options left, and he spent several minutes scrolling at random, just getting a feel for how the system worked and what the possibilities were before he came across an option that made his heart flutter and his eyes widen. Oh yes, he thought, this could work. This could definitely work. Night 2: Part 2 - When youre big. ¡°She died. Sheep Girl,¡± Sarah told them as she came through the front door of their headquarters. The crowd of people milling in the field was visible briefly over her shoulder before the door swung shut. ¡°Got caught by a ¡®crocodile from hell,¡¯ were her words. That''s why she looked so upset,¡± Sarah said as she came to stand beside Erik, crossing her arms. ¡°Her screen name is Rokell.¡± ¡°So she¡¯s out?¡± Marcus asked, frowning as he leaned against the wall, one hand resting on his hip. ¡°Apparently not. Her teammates got away, which means she can be revived. I guess it costs biopoints, though.¡± Sarah glanced at Erik, her brow furrowed in thought. ¡°That¡¯s not so bad,¡± Marcus said, shrugging, but Erik shook his head, rubbing the back of his neck as he considered the implications. ¡°No, that¡¯s terrible. Think about it. Even if it¡¯s just a small amount, we can only earn so many biopoints per day, and they¡¯re essential to improving our survivability. Not to mention, we only have a limited number of days to progress. Any points not spent on progress mean falling behind the curve.¡± ¡°So they shouldn¡¯t revive her?¡± Marcus asked, pushing off the wall to stand up straight, his expression serious now. Erik shook his head again. ¡°No, they should. In fact, it¡¯s essential they do. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever see a mutation benefit that outweighs an entire missing teammate. Maybe in the very late game, but even then.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with this game and crocodiles?¡± Marcus muttered, but Erik set the gossip aside. As much as it sucked for Rokell and her team, it was to the benefit of their own. If they were going to win this, they would have to grasp every advantage given to them. ¡°What is that?¡± Sarah asked, leaning forward to study the 3-D representation of Erik''s Juvenile Triceratops, floating above the table¡¯s liquid metal surface. Her brow creased in concentration. The shiny metal skin was rippling in slow motion, like pebbles tossed into a still pond. ¡°My new mutation. Bio-resonant tissue.¡± ¡°Bio-what?¡± Marcus asked, and Erik grinned, straightening up from where he¡¯d been leaning over the table. ¡°Bio-resonant tissue. Basically, it¡¯s a mutation that lets my body absorb and store energy from impacts. Think of it like a spring getting compressed¡ªonly instead of just storing it, my muscles and bones sort of resonate with the energy. When I hit something or get hit, I can release that stored energy back into my attacks, making them hit way harder than they should.¡± He paused, letting the idea sink in. ¡°It¡¯s like turning my entire body into a living battery that charges up every time I take a hit or make one.¡± ¡°Stores for how long?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Not long. I think it¡¯s some sort of elastic potential energy storage, but the game is messing with the laws of physics. In any case, you get a few seconds at most to spend your stored energy before it bleeds off.¡± ¡°Bleeds off into what?¡± Sarah asked. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.¡°I suppose it would be thermal normally?¡± Erik asked, uncertain. ¡°The mutation doesn¡¯t mention a thermal component, so my guess is that it just becomes inert. Can¡¯t have players using it as a workaround in cold weather, I guess.¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, it¡¯ll let you headbutt things harder?¡± Marcus asked, bringing them all back to the key point of the ability. ¡°Yes,¡± Erik agreed. ¡°Not a lot, not right away at least, but it has potential.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t you just give yourself bigger muscles?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°That was my plan.¡± ¡°Yes, and I plan to,¡± Erik answered, trying not to smirk as Sarah rolled her eyes. ¡°But,¡± he continued, ¡°there¡¯s a lot to be said for having some tricks up your sleeve, and being able to store and redirect the energy of my opponents has a lot of potential. Not to mention what other mutations I can get in future evolutions that might also be able to take advantage of that energy.¡± ¡°Yeah, but when you¡¯re big, you don¡¯t need tricks,¡± Marcus said with a big grin, and Erik could practically hear Sarah rolling her eyes this time. ¡°True,¡± he agreed. ¡°I just think I might be able to get some extra efficiency out of solutions that aren¡¯t just packing on size.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s all part of your master plan?¡± Marcus asked, coming to stand near the table. ¡°It¡¯s a bit early for a master plan. The progression is more complex than any other game I¡¯ve played. Give me a few hundred hours to scroll through the menus and a few weeks testing things in the game, and then maybe.¡± ¡°See, this is why I like my approach,¡± Marcus said, tapping on the table to bring up the model of his Juvenile Rex alongside Erik¡¯s Triceratops. ¡°Because that all sounds super boring, except for the in-game part.¡± Erik shook his head and turned to Sarah, leaving Marcus to beef up his Rex as much as he could. ¡°What about you, Sarah?¡± Erik asked as she stepped up and brought her own avatar out of the liquid metal. ¡°I think the intention is pretty clear,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve got a scout¡±¡ªshe pointed to her raptor¡¯s model¡ª¡°a tank, and a brawler.¡± Her finger moved from her raptor to Erik¡¯s Trike and then to Marcus¡¯s Rex in order as she spoke. ¡°And while I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll come up with something clever as we go, I don¡¯t see any reason not to play to the obvious strengths, especially while we¡¯re still working things out.¡± ¡°Sensible,¡± Erik said with a nod. ¡°Boring, you mean,¡± Marcus said with a scoff as he finalized his choices. His Rex dispersed back into the table. ¡°Says the guy who just spent all his points on bigger muscles,¡± Sarah fired back without taking her eyes off her own interface. ¡°Ha! Fair!¡± Marcus guffawed as he headed for the front door. ¡°I''m gonna take a walk while there''s no dinosaurs in the bushes.¡± The door swung shut behind him, and Erik turned back to look at the evolution menu when his vision suddenly blurred. The room seemed to spiral into three separate versions of itself, each translucent, overlaid imperfectly, and moving clockwise. At the same moment, a pain swelled in his chest. Neither were unfamiliar sensations, but he¡¯d never felt them in-game before. He took a white-knuckle grip on the table''s edge to keep from toppling over, and almost as quickly as they¡¯d come, the sensations vanished. His vision of the room coalesced back into a single image, and the pain was gone in less time than it took to inhale. He held perfectly still, waiting for something else to happen. There was only one reason that real-world sensations would be penetrating the game world. Things on the outside must be bad. He knew he didn¡¯t have long left, though he didn¡¯t think he¡¯d been cutting it so close. ¡°Erik,¡± Sarah spoke, still looking at her menus, drawing him from his own thoughts. It was clear she hadn¡¯t noticed his moment of distress. ¡°What do you think of this?¡± she asked, pointing at her screen, turning to look at him, her anthropomorphic human-rabbit features turned down in a frown. A part of him felt he should tell her, but he knew how she¡¯d react. He also knew there was nothing anyone could do. They¡¯d have to end the game for him to get medical attention. De-syncing would end the tournament, and he doubted he¡¯d last the month anyway. I¡¯d lose more time than I gained. ¡°Let me see,¡± he said, making a decision and stepping toward her interface. There was nothing to be gained by worrying his friends. NIght 2: Part 3 - So I can get drunk? The pair of them spent a while going over Sarah¡¯s character sheet and then headed outside at Erik¡¯s suggestion that they track down Marcus. Really, he just wanted a break from the menus and the numbers. The sudden flare of pain had thrown him off, and he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to help Sarah make the best decisions in his current frame of mind. So together, they walked along one of the sidewalks that passed in front of the adobe building, door after door that presumably led to the headquarters of other players. Some doors were open, and talking, yelling, and laughter could be heard¡ªthe sounds of people relaxing and having a good time. As they walked down the winding sidewalk of this virtual space, a million stars twinkling in hundreds of colors above their heads, the edge of the galaxy visible to the naked eye, the sensation of a warm summer night''s air wound its lazy way along the green field on their left. Erik thought he understood why this part of the game was important. Part of him had already become impatient with the 8-hour downtime between the 16 hours of being in-game, but he could feel the events of the previous day becoming more distant as he soaked in the atmosphere, and he knew that was important. ¡°So, what are your plans for your share of the 5 million?¡± Sarah asked him as they walked. Erik tried to ignore people poking their heads out of their HQs, watching them pass. Watching Sarah, specifically. ¡°Assuming we win,¡± she added. ¡°I¡¯ll probably give most of it to my parents,¡± Erik told her. ¡°They deserve it.¡± Sarah glanced at him but didn¡¯t ask why he didn¡¯t plan to use the money. They both knew, and neither wanted to talk about it. ¡°Oh my god,¡± she said, stopping and pointing down the path. Marcus¡¯s avatar, tall and broad-shouldered, was stopped just off the sidewalk where he was speaking with Sheep Girl¡ªRokell. Erik saw the name floating in the air above her head when he focused. ¡°That man has no shame,¡± Sarah said, shaking her head. Erik smiled and shook his head. Marcus turned at the sound of Sarah¡¯s voice and waved them over. He introduced Rokell first, who gave Erik only a cursory wave before fixating on Sarah. ¡°So you¡¯re actually that WhiteRabbit? Battle Arena Champion and all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Sarah said, shaking Rokell¡¯s hand. ¡°You can call me Sarah.¡± From there, Rokell introduced her two teammates. One was a large rock-man avatar, taller even than Marcus¡¯s cowboy persona, named Butter, and the other was a humanoid with deep blue skin and pointy ears who called himself SilverWolf. ¡°This is my little brother,¡± Rokell said, her smile fixed as she made his introduction. ¡°My parents kind of insisted he be on my team.¡± SilverWolf crossed his arms and turned a glare on his sister. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but Butter cut him off. ¡°So, you guys have fought the Kaprosuchus too?¡± he asked them. Erik had expected his voice to be all deep and gravelly. Most people took some effort to filter their voices in a way that suited their avatars, but Butter had not. He sounded just like any human might, with a vague hint of an Australian accent¡ªwhich was only weird because he was a 2-meter rock monster that looked to weigh several hundred kilos. ¡°Is that what Marcus has been saying?¡± Sarah asked, the eyebrows on her rabbit face jumping high on her forehead. ¡°No,¡± Marcus jumped in, defensive. ¡°I just said we ran into it ourselves.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t fight it so much as run from it and almost kill ourselves in the process,¡± Erik said. ¡°Damn thing got me,¡± Rokell said with a grimace, and Erik had the distinct impression she was about to add baahhh to the end of her sentence and was glad when she didn¡¯t.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°We spent half our points just to get you back in the game,¡± SilverWolf mumbled from behind her. When all five people turned their attention to him, he looked as if he would¡¯ve blushed if his dark blue skin would have allowed it. ¡°Anyway,¡± Rokell said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the meeting, ¡°thanks for stopping to chat, but we really need to get going.¡± She smiled at Marcus, gave Erik a polite nod, and shook Sarah¡¯s hand again before grabbing her brother by the upper arm and towing him away. ¡°It was nice meeting you lot. Good luck out there,¡± Butter said, waving his large stony hand at them before turning to join his teammates. Erik noted he moved on his knuckles, not unlike a gorilla, and was impressed by the detail. It was always fun to see people trying interesting things with their avatars. Now if only he¡¯d do something about the voice¡­ ¡°She seems nice,¡± Sarah said, once they were out of earshot, giving Marcus a significant look, which he ignored. ¡°What did you guys figure out?¡± he asked, looking at Erik. ¡°Sarah¡¯s not going to try anything fancy yet. This early in the game, her speed and agility might be our strongest asset,¡± Erik said, as the three of them resumed walking, following the path that curved gently away from the living area and its large field. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m a Juvenile Rex now,¡± Marcus said, emphasizing the word, ¡°when we get back out there, you¡¯ll really be able to see what I can do. Then we¡¯ll see who¡¯s the strongest asset.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll still be me,¡± Sarah said, and Marcus laughed. The three of them walked together, leaving the player housing behind, and around the bend of a hill found themselves approaching some kind of market district. At the center was a large, open square with numerous stalls, like the sales floor of a convention. The square was open on the side from which they were approaching, but the other three were backed by buildings, more shops, and, judging from the mass of players laughing and yelling in the distance, social clubs of some kind. ¡°I hope there¡¯s a bar,¡± Marcus said, standing on his tiptoes, trying to get a better view. ¡°You can¡¯t get drunk in here,¡± Erik informed him as they entered the open part of the market, where various dino-person-themed merchants were hawking their wares. ¡°It was in the packet they sent.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drink beer?¡± Marcus asked, horrified. ¡°For a whole month?¡± ¡°You want beer, my friend?¡± chirped a merchant from nearby, who Erik suspected was based on a Stegosaurus but ended up looking more like a person-sized Godzilla standing upright with large plates emerging from its back. Only the shape of its head and its flat, horse-like teeth disrupted the otherwise Godzilla-esque appearance. ¡°I¡¯ve got the best variety of beers,¡± he gestured a scaly green hand at the table in front of him, which Erik realized were coolers that opened from the top, and inside were stacked six-packs of brown glass bottles. ¡°So I can get drunk?¡± Marcus asked, sounding hopeful.
Note: While alcohol is purchasable by those of legal age within E.L.E Online, and its flavor is simulated authentically, the effects of inebriation are not. Thank you for your understanding. ¡ªPrimarch
While the note had appeared in response to Marcus¡¯s question, it seemed that the system AI recognized the need for them all to have context. Which was fortunate, because without it, Marcus suddenly falling to his knees and proclaiming ¡°Whyyyyyy?¡± dramatically to the starry sky above would¡¯ve been a lot more concerning. Afterward, Marcus still inquired about the price and, only after finding out that a single six-pack cost six meteorite fragments¡ªof which they only had seven¡ªhe gave up on the dream. After visiting a few more stalls that sold other things, including furniture for the HQ, it became apparent that they did not yet have enough currency. ¡°We¡¯ll have to do more objectives,¡± Sarah said as they left the little market behind, heading back to their home base. ¡°Can you believe a couch costs 30?¡± She turned her gaze back over her shoulder to give the market as a whole a glare. ¡°We almost died for the seven we did get.¡± Erik wouldn¡¯t soon forget their desperate struggle to stay ahead of the death wall, and he had to suppress a shudder that threatened to overtake him. Yeah, these little breaks from the game is definitely a good thing. Still, when they arrived back at their temporary home with only twenty minutes left of their rest period, he was excited. His virtual heart thumped in his chest as he paced back and forth in front of the table. Neither Sarah nor Marcus asked him to settle down. They didn¡¯t say anything during the last minutes, all of them focused on getting back into the mental space needed to win this game. When the general announcement finally came, they moved to stand side by side, arranging themselves in relation to each other as they had been before they were pulled into the Hub. When the countdown hit three seconds, Marcus stretched his neck with an audible crack and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get ¡¯er done.¡± This was followed immediately by darkness and the pop sound of the world vanishing around them into the void. Day 3: Part 1 - Tyrannosaurus Idiota We arrived back in the game world directly in the shadow of the Death Wall¡ªa fortress of snow and ash extending into the distance on either side of us, quickly lost to sight through the jungle canopy. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t moving yet, though I could feel the chill wind snaking along the ground past my feet, as if the wall were daring us to remain near it.
Announcement: Sub-Boss and Boss-Level threats have now spawned on the map. These aberrant dinosaurs are exceedingly dangerous, even for the most powerful players. Defeating them will reward every individual participant according to their contribution. Good luck! - Primarch
As soon as the words faded from Erik¡¯s vision, a roar echoed in the distance¡ªa sound like a demon shrieking into a concrete tunnel. The reverberations carried through the air with such force that it was impossible to gauge how far away the source was. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Marcus whispered. His Rex grumbled quietly as he spoke, a low, rumbling sound that only added to the tension. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, waiting in total silence. As one minute stretched into the next, the jungle¡¯s ambient noises gradually returned, and Erik realized for the first time that they had been completely absent. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, his voice low as he tried to keep quiet. His triceratops body turned the words into a chuff, the sound promising to be far more intimidating once he grew larger. Leading the way deeper into the jungle, Erik took stock of the situation. He and Marcus had caught up to Sarah in her juvenile state, and just as her growth had been dramatic, so it had been for them. Marcus was nearly twice as tall at the hip as he had been the day before. Though he was still far short of his eventual size, there were hints now of the terror he would one day become. Marcus¡¯s head had taken on a more rounded shape as his iconic jaw muscles began to develop. Erik could feel the weight of Marcus¡¯s steps reverberating through the ground beside him. His teeth, long and curved, jutted out slightly from his upper jaw, and the claws on his toes had hardened, taking on the glossy black sheen of obsidian. Just yesterday, Sarah might have had a centimeter or two of length on him, but now she wouldn¡¯t have made half his weight soaking wet. Erik¡¯s own changes were no less dramatic. His shoulders and hips were broader, and he could feel the newly enlarged muscles resting on them. His body had shed its previous potato-like roundness, and the nub at the end of his nose had grown into a dangerous-looking horn. While he wasn¡¯t as tall at the back as his T-rex friend, Erik was willing to bet he outweighed both Marcus and Sarah combined¡ªat least for now. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to have much luck with the stealth approach,¡± Erik muttered, his voice low as he tried to move without giving away their position. ¡°Good,¡± Marcus growled in response, his voice translating into an eager, thrumming vibration that Erik felt through his bony crest. ¡°If I see that alligator bastard again, I¡¯m going to take his head off.¡± The growth, along with the additional muscle points Marcus had allocated, had clearly gone straight to his head. Literally and figuratively, Erik thought, casting a side glance at Marcus¡¯s thickened jaw muscles. While they were certainly larger and more powerful than they had been after hatching, Erik doubted any of them could take the Kapro in a fight¡ªnot even together. Erik paused mid-trot, tilting his head back until he could feel the edge of his bony crest resting against his shoulders. He sniffed the air experimentally. ¡°Uh, Rik?¡± Marcus¡¯s Rex tilted its head to the side, one large amber eye fixed on Erik. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°Using the sniff mechanic to locate water,¡± Erik replied. Pulling air deep into his nostrils, he focused on the sensation. Slowly, a droplet icon faded into view on his HUD, marking the direction of water. ¡°Sarah,¡± Erik said, thrusting his nose forward to indicate the direction of the water. ¡°Check ahead. Try to be stealthy, and don¡¯t use the chat unless you have to.¡± Sarah clicked her jaws together sharply in confirmation and vanished into the undergrowth in a blur of movement. Erik watched her go, marveling again at how naturally they all seemed to fit into their new bodies. He and Marcus, too large and cumbersome to follow Sarah¡¯s agile trail directly, opted for a more circuitous route toward the water. Erik kept one eye on her dot as it moved across the unexplored terrain on his map. While he could see her position, her exploration didn¡¯t reveal anything for him. When Sarah¡¯s dot stopped moving, Erik initially thought she had reached the river. Then, to his confusion, her dot bolted in the opposite direction from the water. ¡°Sarah, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Erik asked aloud. There was no response, but his question got Marcus¡¯s attention who stopped to check his map. ¡°Looks like our most valuable asset has gotten herself into trouble,¡± Marcus said with a chortle before taking off at a gallop, angling to intercept her. ¡°Marcus, wait!¡± Erik called after him, huffing as he trotted to catch up. ¡°We don¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing!¡± ¡°She¡¯s running from a predator,¡± Marcus said dismissively, tossing his Rex¡¯s head to the side as if physically flinging away Erik¡¯s concern. Erik had to admit it was a likely explanation, but Marcus¡¯s attitude was troubling. He wasn¡¯t just spoiling for a fight¡ªhe was trying to show Sarah up by ¡°saving¡± her.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Despite his size, Marcus¡¯s Rex was significantly faster than Erik¡¯s juvenile Triceratops body. It wasn¡¯t long before Marcus began to outdistance him. Even from far behind, Erik caught a glimpse of Sarah darting through a clearing ahead. She moved so quickly she was nearly invisible. For a moment, Erik felt a flicker of relief that Marcus hadn¡¯t caught up to her. The relief was short-lived. Heavy, rapid thumping footsteps pounded through the ground, and the animal producing them crashed through the trees moments later. Spotting Marcus barreling toward it, the creature roared. In the dinosaur world, Erik might have considered Ceratosaurs to be on the smaller side of medium-sized carnivores. Dangerous, certainly, but not much of a threat compared to their larger cousins. Yet, as the red-snouted predator opened its jaws wide, roaring a challenge at Marcus, Erik realized just how pointless such relative measurements were. Compared to Marcus, the Ceratosaurus was enormous¡ªeasily a third larger, with rugged, pebbled hide and the powerful musculature of an adult in its prime. In a straight-up fight, Marcus was roadkill. Erik opened his mouth in order to call Marcus back, but nothing came out.
Silenced You have been affected by the Ceratosaurus Adult¡¯s Terrifying Roar. Terrifying Roar: You are unable to use verbal communication for 30 seconds. This effect has diminishing returns when reapplied shortly after the first use. The second application will last 15 seconds, and the third will last 7 seconds. You will be immune to further applications until the encounter ends.
Erik¡¯s HUD displayed a small timer next to a debuff icon, counting down from 23. Well, that explains why Sarah didn¡¯t warn us, he thought grimly as he set off after Marcus, his lumbering body ill-suited to speed. ¡°You goddamn idiot!¡± Sarah yelled, her raptor shrieking like some kind of cyborg dolphin as she reappeared from the forest. Her mute effect had apparently ended, though it did her no good¡ªMarcus ignored her completely. The Cerato, momentarily startled by Marcus¡¯s bold charge, quickly recovered. It was no timid animal and accelerated into a charge of its own. In a small clearing bracketed on two sides by fallen trees, the two predators collided with a meaty thud. Marcus stumbled from the impact, losing the battle of momentum, but managed to stay on his feet. His toes splayed wide, digging into the loose soil as he lunged forward fearlessly, snapping his powerful jaws in an effort to force the taller dinosaur¡¯s head upward and expose its throat. It was a solid strategy, Erik thought as he hurried closer. Probably the best approach Marcus could take in such a disadvantaged position. Still, Erik doubted it would be enough for the brash Texan. The Cerato stepped back, evading Marcus¡¯s lunging bite. Rather than snapping back, it turned its head to the side. Marcus thought he had an opening and pressed forward, his eyes locked on the throat as he went for the kill. The Cerato tilted its head, exposing the flat, bony protrusion on its snout. With a sudden snap of its powerful neck, it slammed the horn into the side of Marcus¡¯s face. Erik watched, horrified, as several teeth flew from Marcus¡¯s jaws. Marcus¡¯s head snapped to the side, and he stumbled, dazed from the blow. If Sarah hadn¡¯t arrived at that exact moment, leaping hard into the Cerato¡¯s side, Marcus would have been finished before he could regain his footing. The reprieve was brief. The Cerato, proving more agile than it looked, pivoted sharply on one ankle, the force of the turn throwing Sarah off. She slammed into a nearby tree with an audible thump. In a reversal, Sarah was saved by Marcus reentering the fray. Blood poured from his injured mouth, but he didn¡¯t hesitate. Lunging forward, he sank his teeth into the Cerato¡¯s flank. The Cerato roared in pain, pivoting again to slam its long, thick tail into Marcus¡¯s side, knocking him down. Finally, Erik arrived at the fight. Now fully committed to this suicidal brawl, he threw his entire weight into the Cerato¡¯s side. Though Erik guessed the Cerato outweighed him, a charging Triceratops was no easy thing to stop. Erik rammed his head upward, his nose horn piercing the Cerato¡¯s side just below the ribs. He felt the predator¡¯s teeth latch onto his crest, puncturing the thin pebbled skin but stopping at solid bone beneath. Out of momentum, Erik came to an abrupt stop. The Ceratosaurus, lifted off the ground by Erik¡¯s horn, slid forward. Its own weight tore a long gash in its side as it flopped to the ground, trying to roll back onto its feet. Marcus, though unsteady, moved in before the Cerato could recover. Lunging forward, he clamped his powerful jaws around its throat and jerked his head back with a sickening tearing sound.
Your team has defeated: Ceratosaurus Adult. You have been awarded 6 meteorite fragments.
When the Cerato died, Erik¡¯s silence debuff still had 10 seconds left. Marcus shook his head, grumbling. ¡°Holy hell, that feels weird,¡± Marcus complained, his Rex giving a piteous moan as blood streamed from his jaws. Erik noticed he was favoring one leg where the Cerato¡¯s tail had struck him. Almost without thinking, Erik inspected Marcus.
Debuff: Fractured Jaw: Bite force reduced by 30% for the rest of the day. Continued use could cause further damage. Fractured Hip: Walking speed reduced by 15% for the rest of the day. Continued use could cause further damage.
¡°You colossal idiot,¡± Sarah growled as she rolled back onto her feet. Erik glanced her way and noticed she had her own debuff.
Debuff: Bruised Spine: Mobility reduced by 50% for the rest of the day. Further spinal injury could be fatal.
¡°Erik,¡± Sarah snarled, her voice sharp with anger, ¡°is there a Latin word for ¡®idiot¡¯? Because this Rex might be a whole new species¡ªan apex moron deserving of its own damn taxonomy!¡± ¡°Idiota,¡± Erik said just as the silence debuff faded. Giving Marcus an unimpressed look, he added, ¡°Tyrannosaurus idiota. Idiot Tyrant Lizard.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Sarah said, hobbling nearer with awkward, halting steps. ¡°Because you¡¯re so big and dumb, it¡¯s tyrannical! It¡¯s goddamn perfect!¡± ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Marcus said, turning his head toward them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, alright? I thought I could take him.¡± Sarah looked ready to tear into him further, but Erik gave a loud snort, drawing their attention. ¡°Settle down. We¡¯re not alone in this jungle. Both of you need to eat this guy, and then we need to get out of here.¡± Sarah gave Erik a raptor version of a grimace¡ªterrifying in its own right¡ªbut said nothing further. Day 3: Part 2 - A bust To say they were in a bad situation was putting it mildly. Sarah, whom Erik had been counting on as a scout, was forced to ride on his back as Erik trundled his way through the underbrush, heading in a straight line away from the Death Wall. Any plans he¡¯d had for actively hunting or completing objectives were out. He didn¡¯t want to complain¡ªhe didn¡¯t think it would really help¡ªbut it stung more than a bit that Marcus¡¯s recklessness had cost them a day of progress. That was assuming they didn¡¯t end up dying because they couldn¡¯t outrun the Wall, though Erik found himself less and less worried about that possibility with every passing hour. It wasn¡¯t until they broke out of the tree line to find themselves on the shores of a swamp that he realized how long they had been walking. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here,¡± he told Marcus. Sarah didn¡¯t move from her perch on the arch of his back, folded up into the raptor version of a cat loaf as her head swiveled around, doing her best to stay on task. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re safe from the Wall yet?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°I keep getting slower the longer we walk.¡± Erik turned his head to check his debuffs again.
Debuffs: Fractured Jaw: Bite force reduced by 30% for the rest of the day. Continued use could cause further damage. Fractured Hip: Walking speed reduced by 28% for the rest of the day. Continued use could cause further damage.
Walking on his injured hip was slowly increasing his speed debuff. Erik was beginning to suspect that the Wall didn¡¯t move every day, which made sense. Everyone spawned on the edge, and if the Wall were constantly closing in, the entire game would be about running from it. ¡°Maybe,¡± Erik said, sitting back inside the line of trees and staring out at the swamp, contemplating its murky waters. ¡°Hey, Marcus,¡± he said, and the T-rex turned to look at him, dry blood crusting his entire jawline. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Marcus asked. The Rex¡¯s rumble, which automatically accompanied his speech, carried a questioning lilt that would¡¯ve made Erik smile if he didn¡¯t have a beak. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you get silenced by the Cerato when it used that roar on us?¡± Marcus looked at him blankly, and not for the first time, Erik noticed how stupid Rexes looked when you stared at them head-on. ¡°His thick skull probably resisted it,¡± Sarah chirped, snapping her teeth together in irritation. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Marcus asked.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°That Ceratosaurus had a silence effect on its roar. That¡¯s why Sarah couldn¡¯t communicate with us when she ran from it.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s why Erik couldn¡¯t tell you not to run in like a¡ª¡± ¡°Sarah,¡± Erik cut her off, and she fell silent, but he could tell she was still simmering on his back. ¡°Now that I think on it, you were unusually non-verbal,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Yes, and due to that silence catching us by surprise, Day 3 is a bust. You¡¯re both hurt too bad to do any more walking, let alone fighting,¡± Erik said, letting the first hint of his frustration slip through. ¡°It¡¯s my job to take the beating, Marcus. My role. I love you, man, but what you did today was crap. You can¡¯t pretend not to know better. You know exactly how tanking works.¡± ¡°I thought I had him,¡± Marcus muttered, looking away. ¡°Well, you didn¡¯t,¡± Erik said, stressing the last word. ¡°If there had been two of them, Marcus, we¡¯d all be dead now. The tournament would be over for us.¡± Erik forced himself to stop speaking and refocused his gaze out on the swamp. It wouldn¡¯t work to sit here and try to lecture Marcus¡ªthat was a surefire way to turn him stubborn. Erik suspected it was that attitude, more than anything, that had kept Marcus from going pro. Even if he was a good player, which he was, no one wanted someone on their team they couldn¡¯t depend on. In a more neutral, less accusatory tone, Erik added, ¡°We don¡¯t know what we¡¯re up against out here. We have to play it safe, always. We have to trust each other.¡± Silence met this statement, but Erik caught the barest hint of a nod from Marcus, and he hoped this incident was enough to rein in his ego, at least a little. ¡°Do you suppose that was one of those bosses the announcement mentioned? The ones that were added to the game today?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°No,¡± Erik said at once. ¡°I think it was just a regular old mob. I think when we meet a sub-boss or a boss, we¡¯ll know it.¡± As if to emphasize his point, somewhere far into the swamp¡¯s interior came a roar. It wasn¡¯t the low growl of a predator but a high-pitched shriek that scraped at the ears, amplified somehow as if the sound were passing through a megaphone with the reverb cranked all the way up. It went on for several long seconds, and when it stopped, all three of them shivered. There was something primordial in that call. Something that made Biopoints, mutations, and cash prizes feel very far away. They stayed there for what was left of the day, out of sight, with Erik making a brief trip back into the jungle to locate another plant to eat. Then the three of them topped off from the nearby swamp water, which was not a comfortable experience psychologically, even if they knew the water wasn¡¯t real and wasn¡¯t likely to make them sick. Even the fact it tasted like perfectly clean water did little to make Erik more comfortable drinking it. When the sun set and darkness fell across the world, they sequestered themselves back in some undergrowth and did their best to remain silent. This was trickier now that both Erik and Marcus were a bit too large to hide easily, and Erik suspected it would become downright impossible after one more growth stage. After darkness settled properly, the swamp came alive with the sound of insects and frogs¡ªbuzzing, hissing, croaking in a cacophony that seemed engineered to drive them crazy. Toward the end of the last hour of game time, those sounds died entirely, replaced by the sloshing of something massive passing through the water nearby. Whatever it was had only just receded, the sound of the frogs starting up again, when the notification came and the countdown began. Erik¡¯s senses began to fade one by one in preparation for removing him to the hub. Day 4 is going to be a big win for us, he thought before the now-familiar pop sound left him briefly in total darkness. Night 3: Legacy
Welcome back, Little_Rik! Congratulations on surviving Day 3 in E.L.E: Extinction Level Event Online. The challenges are growing steeper, and your performance reflects the importance of strategy and teamwork. Let¡¯s review your scores for the day.
Little_Rik''s Scores

Survival: 6

  • Successfully led the team away from the game barrier.
  • Secured food and water despite reduced mobility and injuries.
  • Avoided further confrontation, prioritizing recovery.
  • Missed Opportunities: Injuries made it impossible to make significant progress, leaving the team vulnerable.

Combat: 4

  • Defeated the Ceratosaurus, a mid-tier predator, against the odds.
  • Showed persistence and adaptability during a poorly executed encounter.
  • Missed Opportunities: Reckless engagement caused unnecessary injuries and resource strain, reducing long-term combat readiness.

Teamwork: 5

  • Held the group together during a difficult recovery period.
  • Attempted to address Marcus¡¯s impulsive behavior constructively, avoiding a morale collapse.
  • Missed Opportunities: Lack of coordination in the fight undermined effectiveness and created vulnerabilities.

Objectives: 0

  • No objectives completed.
  • Injuries and time spent recovering eliminated opportunities for progress.
Total Score: 15
Score Multipliers
  • Title: First-Blood 1.5x
  • Title: Contender 0.5x
  • Juvenile Growth 0.5x
Final Score: 45
Commentary: ¡°Day 3 demonstrated the consequences of reckless decision-making. While survival was achieved, the lack of objectives completed and avoidable injuries reflect poor planning and execution. The growth to the Juvenile stage is a significant milestone, but it comes with heightened responsibilities. Use Day 4 as an opportunity to rebuild, focus your strategy, and adapt to your evolving strengths and vulnerabilities.¡±
Erik had been expecting a heavy hit, but it was still unpleasant to see. Especially when he considered the total waste of their first day of the juvenile growth bonus as a team. ¡°45¡± Erik reported with a grimace. His human avatar felt a little odd, as his brain tried to make the mental switch from spending 16 hours as a quadruped built like a cask of rum. ¡°45 also.¡± Sarah announced, which Erik had kind of expected. Though he thought she might incur a penalty for the severity of her injuries. ¡°30,¡± Marcus said quickly, with the tone of someone who really didn''t want to talk about. Erik saw Sarah¡¯s rabbit ears twitch, but she said nothing and he decided to follow her lead. Instead, he inspected his updated character sheet.
Player: Little_Rik Species: Triceratops Gender: Male Growth: Juvenile: 13% Weight: Small
Attributes: Speed: 3 Strength: 4 Agility: 3 Endurance: 4 Defense: 4
Abilities: Juvenile Charge: Basic charge attack, minimal damage but disrupts smaller enemies. Weak Bite: Consistent moderate damage to close-range targets. Weak Headbutt: Moderate damage vs smaller enemies; can stagger small opponents. Bioresonant Tissue: Stores a small amount kinetic energy for a short period of time that can be released upon an active attack. Ability Points: 53
Evolution: Evolution Energy: 10 Next Growth Stage: Adolescent (20%) Reach 20% growth to evolve at the Adolescent stage, unlocking new upgrades and abilities. Mutations: 106 Available Mutations Horn (Natural) (F): The juvenile triceratops boasts a singular, partially developed horn on its snout that can be used for penetrating attackings. Beak (Natural) (Non-mutable): A sharp beak-like mouth evolved for shearing through vegetation. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.Note: This body part requires an evolution to become mutable. Crest (Natural) (F): A bony crest that extends around the perimeter of the skull, functioning as an effective shield against predators. Bioresonant Tissue (Evolved) (F) Your tissue is capable of storing and directing energy from impacts for a short period of time. Biopoints: 22
Team Currency: Meteorite Fragments: 13 *Note: Team Currencies cannot be spent until teams have assigned themselves a name, and designated a leader.
Erik closed the screen and looked around. There was almost the atmosphere of a carnival, or a festival in the field where they all appeared. Quite a development from a few days prior. ¡°Hey,¡± Rokell waved at them. Excited, she came up to them smiling and full of a restless energy. ¡°Had some close calls today but no one died thankfully. We found a big meteor.¡± She spread her arms to their full width to indicate it was truly a massive specimen of space rock. Marcus was the first to greet her back, giving her a wave and a smile and a sufficiently impressed attitude at her description of the meteor. Her teammates followed shortly after, they didn¡¯t seem as enthused as Rokell was. Butter gave a wave of his big, stony hand and SilverWolf hung back, arms crossed over his chest. Erik imagined he was going for a serious, broody look but really he just looked surly and unpleasant. ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys back in the room.¡± He told Sarah and Marcus, who seemed more than happy to stand there and socialize. Erik gave the other team a polite wave, excused himself and headed home, or at least the closest thing they had here. As he called the 3D representation of his triceratops out of the table, he turned the day over in his mind. Marcus had certainly been reckless, but Erik couldn¡¯t help but feel the first mistake had been his. Sending Sarah out by herself. He kept letting the game catch him off guard. He kept assuming that, after surviving the last life threatening situation, they would have a handle on the game world and would be able to start making it work for them. So far he¡¯d been wrong every time. 1/10th of their game time had now elapsed, and today might prove to be an unrecoverable disaster. Not tomorrow, and maybe not even on day 15, but what about day 25, when they had to fight a team that hadn¡¯t wasted their time? He leaned on the table, staring at the small dinosaur body he spent most of his time in now. It was time for him to stop assuming he knew what he was doing. Sarah¡¯s dinosaur was meant to serve as a scout, but that didn¡¯t mean she was invulnerable to danger. What if she came across something she couldn¡¯t outrun? Isolated from her teammates because he¡¯d sent her deep into the jungle with no support, she¡¯d die and then, assuming they didn¡¯t, they¡¯d have to revive her, and that was only the beginning of his strategic failings, but his thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and his teammates came in. Marcus made for a hammock hanging in the corner and fell into it with a deep sigh. ¡°I know we don¡¯t need to sleep,¡± he said, tipping his hat forward to cover his eyes, ¡°but I could really go for a nap right now.¡± Sarah came to stand by the table, calling up her own raptor and tabbing through the menus. The three of them shared the space in silence for several long minutes before Marcus sat and said. ¡°So how do you call out this Primarch guy? You just say, hey Primarch?¡± The tall, golden feathered raptor man appeared next to Marcus in all his regal glory with no warning, and Marcus jumped in surprise, leaping to his feet. ¡°Damn, you are way too big and flashy to just be turnin up outta nowhere.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Did you need me for something, player?¡± Sarah and Erik had both turned to look at Marcus by now, and Erik had to admit he was also curious to hear why. ¡°Ah, yeah.¡± Marcus said, straightening his cowboy hat and squaring his shoulders as he faced the dino-man. ¡°I noticed our team needs a leader, and a name we hadn¡¯t done that yet. Do you know how that works?¡± ¡°The options are present within your party interface, however, if you have made a decision I can add it directly.¡± Primarch¡¯s gold, slit pupiled eyes looked down at Marcus with interest as he shifted his weight from his left clawed foot, to the right, his long tail making a gentle scuff sound as it moved against the tiled floor. ¡°Oh, yeah. I nominate little Rik to be leader,¡± he said, with a dismissive wave. ¡°Seconded.¡± Sarah said, from where she stood. The Primarch turned his gaze on Erik, expectantly and Erik nodded. He didn¡¯t really consider himself a leader so much as an organizer, but since he was making the plans, it might as well be him. Though a real leader would have avoided his mistakes. Not just today, and not just in E.L.E, but since the beginning. Since they¡¯d become friends playing Battle Arena. A real leader never would¡¯ve let his team fall apart like it had. ¡°And your team name?¡± the AI Avatar asked, still looking at Erik, though it was Marcus who spoke first. ¡°We have to be the Cowboys.¡± His big friend said, giving him two thumbs up, and Sarah scoffed. ¡°I cannot be on a team called the Cowboys,¡± she informed them, ¡°especially if we win.¡± ¡°What about the Longhorns?¡± he asked, grinning, ¡°you have to admit, it kinda works, eh eh?¡± he prodded them verbally, giving a significant nod of his head towards Erik and the trike model that was still floating up off the table behind him. ¡°We¡¯re not calling ourselves after one of your football teams.¡± Sarah said firmly. ¡°What about Legacy,¡± Erik interjected, and both of them turned to look at him. ¡°You wanna use our old team name?¡± Marcus asked, uncertain. ¡°We were like 16 when we came up with that.¡± ¡°I think it could be fitting,¡± Erik said, more fitting than ever. He didn¡¯t add out loud. ¡°Well, you¡¯re the boss.¡± Marcus said, with a shrug, but Sarah was staring at him intently from where she stood next to him. Her rabbit features unmoving. Erik forced himself to turn to look at her, meeting her eye. ¡°Legacy, yay or nay?¡± He asked her. She stared at him for several long seconds before nodding her assent with a quiet ¡°Sure.¡± before turning back to the table. ¡°Your choices have been finalized.¡± the AI said, and in front of them appeared a notification. Team Name: Legacy Team Leader: Little_Rik ¡°Was there anything else you required me for?¡± Primarch asked. ¡°No sir, thanks-¡± Marcus started to say, but Primarch was gone before he even finished the sentence. ¡°Not much for manners.¡± The Texan said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that odd? All those AI assistant programs are usually polite.¡± ¡°I think you just bring that out in people,¡± Sarah said before turning away to study the table again. ¡°Sure, but artificial people?¡± Marcus questioned. ¡°What can I say? You have talent.¡± Sarah said, already back in her dinosaur menu. Marcus chuckled and prepared to fall back into the hammock before Erik spoke. ¡°Alright, since we¡¯re officially a team and I¡¯m officially in charge, let''s huddle up.¡± The both looked at him, and then Marcus pushed himself to his feet again and came over so that the three of them could stand in a loose circle, and for the next several hours they talked, and planned and Erik more clearly defined their playbook and responsibilities. He tried to make it clear that the more focused approach wasn¡¯t due just to Marcus¡¯s mistakes, but he could tell by his friends dedication to the meeting that he was taking it as a consequence of his mistakes, but Erik knew that was only part of it. He¡¯d been allowing them to meander. To move aimlessly through the game as he scrambled to understand the system. Trying so hard not to make a mistake that he had hardly made any decisions at all. They talked for so long that when the notification came that they would soon be returned to the game world, they were all taken by surprise, but Erik was pleased. They had ironed out quite a few contingencies, and while he knew he couldn¡¯t account for everything, he was satisfied with the fact that they would be much more focused moving forward. They stood together as the countdown began, mentally preparing themselves to reenter the game world. Ready to redouble their efforts and make up for time lost. 5 4 3 2 1 Pop Day 4: Part 1 - Boom When Erik opened his eyes, morning sunlight filtered through the jungle canopy turning the dense treescape into a blend of golden light and heavy shadow. A lazy breeze passed over them, carrying the scent of the swamp and the sounds of the night life were fading. The endless songs of crickets giving way to birds chirping high in the treetops, and the occasional ribbit emanating from what Erik could only conclude were extremely large frog shaped subwoofers. He pushed himself to his feet and realized his body felt stiff, so he stretched before stopping a moment to consider how remarkable that was. Never had he felt so in tune with his avatar in a VR game. There was no doubt that this technology could blur the line between real life and fantasy. He pushed the musing aside and stretched, doing his best to loosen his muscles before shaking them out like a dog flinging off water. Next to him, he was aware of Marcus and Sarah going through similar routines, and he wondered if they¡¯d noticed. If they felt how deep the game seemed to have embedded itself into their mind. His friends began to move around, Sarah taking tentative steps until she was certain her injuries were gone. ¡°That¡¯s much better.¡± She informed them, balancing lightly on the balls of her feet. Erik gave a deep huff of approval and turned to look at Marcus who was walking easily, and a quick look over revealed that their debuffs were indeed gone. ¡°Alright, first thing. We top off on water and we find something to eat.¡± Erik told them, reiterating the plan they¡¯d worked out before entering the game. Again, drinking directly from the swamp proved to be unpleasant, even though the water tasted fresh and clean. The three of them set off along the shoreline, far enough back from the murky water that they couldn¡¯t be snatched by even the large kaprosuchus without warning. Though Erik wasn¡¯t even sure if it ambushed prey out of the water like it¡¯s modern cousins. It didn¡¯t take long before they began to hear chirping and hooting in the distance, and Erik sent Sarah to sneak ahead and check it out. Vanishing into the jungle for only a few minutes before returning to inform them she had found a small pack of adolescent deinonychus. ¡°It¡¯s a feathery looking raptor,¡± she said, ¡°smaller than me, but not by much.¡± ¡°How many?¡± Erik asked. ¡°I saw four.¡± Sarah told him. ¡°We can take four,¡± Marcus said, tilting his head to look down at Erik. Erik considered the situation for only a moment before he decided. Not only did Sarah and Marcus need to eat, but they needed to engage in combat in order to properly earn biopoints. Since the tournament had begun they had mostly been reacting. It was past time they took some initiative. ¡°Alright,¡± Erik agreed, and he saw both of his friends grow tense, their eyes flashing with excitement. ¡°We¡¯re going to set up an ambush. The win condition is killing at least 1 of them and driving off the rest. Killing more than that is a secondary objective. The engagement conditions are 3 versus 4 where we have a size advantage. If that situation changes for any reason, we disengage immediately. Agreed?¡± Marcus nodded, his T-rex head bobbing with an almost exaggerated motion, and Sarah clicked her teeth together in a rapid-fire kind of way that Erik took to mean affirmative. After quickly arranging the order of battle, the trio moved into their positions. Sarah moved to flank the group of feathered dromaeosaurids, while Erik and Marcus made a more direct approach. Marcus fell off to remain concealed in the tree-line as Erik wandered into the open, pretending not to notice the raptors and doing his best to behave like an herbivore might. Sniffing at the ground, as if hunting for food. It didn¡¯t take long for the small pack to notice him, or to launch their attack. The drum of their footsteps on the jungle soil reached his ears as a series of rapid thuds as they crossed the distance between with startling speed. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Erik whipped around, presenting his horn and crest to the predators. He trumped defiance and alarm at them, pivoting to the left and moving back as two of the four tried to encircle him. It was clear what they intended, to keep him circling until he tired out or one of them was able to strike a fatal blow. Sadly for them, they¡¯d never get the chance. With a very uncharacteristic degree of sneakiness Marcus crept from the bushes, his rex body crouched low, but moving quickly. Erik continued to book up and move from one side to the other, trying to keep all the raptors on one side of him and facing away from Marcus. The juvenile T-rex was able to get surprisingly close, and when Marcus finally did spring his ambush, there was no chance. He seized a squalling deinonychus by the neck and gave his head a sharp, powerful twist. With an unpleasant grinding crack, the raptor died in his jaws. Sarah landed on the back of another while it was still wheeling around, trying to figure out what had happened, her greater weight bringing it down while her sickle claws left gouges in its flesh. The game made the attacks seem more shallow then they should have been, but the visuals did not alter the result. As the two raptor cousins tumbled to the ground, the smaller one tried to roll in order to throw Sarah off it, but already it¡¯s struggles were weak and any help it might expected from its pack mates was lost, as Marcus dropped his dead prey, charging forward at the remaining two, and Erik coming at them from the other side. The deinonychus panicked and bolted, sprinting off in totally different directions from one another, but they quickly outdistanced the larger dinosaurs and Erik and Marcus broke off, circling back to the two corpses they had secured, with Sarah¡¯s target having succumbed to her vicious mauling in the few seconds it had taken for it¡¯s siblings to abandon it. Marcus gave a snort, but said nothing as he began to dig into the Deinonychus corpse and Sarah made no noise at all before doing the same. Erik kept watch, wary that their fight, brief though it was, might have drawn in larger predators looking to finish off a possibly tired and wounded victor. Though even the prospect of that couldn¡¯t dampen the ball of warmth in his chest. They had done it. They had proved they could still do it. They could lay out a plan, and then execute it. Erik was certain if they could do that, they could win. They could win this whole damn thing. As his friends finished up their¡­ meals, they approached him. ¡°Smooth little Rik, very smooth.¡± Marcus rumbled, crimson spots of blood dripping from his jaw. ¡°Now we need to find one of those angry plants for you.¡± Sarah said, but before Erik could respond he heard something. No, he felt something. Something he had been fearing since the game began. Like a tickle through his feet, he felt a tremor passing through the ground accompanied by a deep thud somewhere in the distance. Then it came again, and again, increasing in strength as whatever it was approached them. ¡°Hide.¡± Erik whispered, and the three of them rushed into an especially thick patch of undergrowth as the approaching monster came closer. Boom The three of them hunkered down together, staring up through the leaves that covered. Boom Leaves that seemed like pathetically little shelter as they heard branches cracking as the massive monsters approached. BOOM Erik''s heart was thundering his chest, as he saw the creature''s silhouette appear in the treeline, with the sun behind it, he could see every terrifying inch the dinosaur''s proportions and it took everything he had in him not to bolt. To make a run for it. To get as far away from this prehistoric demon as possible. Day 4: Part 2 - Theyll throw anything at us.
Identify Species: Giganotosaurus Disposition: Hostile/Predator Age: Sub-Adult Species Information: ?
The beast¡¯s massive, angular head turned left, then right, inspecting the small clearing where the fight had taken place. Its scaled hide was a deep shade of amber, fading to a dull orange along its belly. A row of short spikes crested its back, giving it a streamlined and savage appearance. It bent low, sniffed the raptor corpses briefly, then rose to its full, monstrous height without even bothering to snap up what remained of their hunt. A deep rumble rolled from its throat, so powerful Erik felt it vibrate through his chest. When its jaws parted, they revealed rows of curved, serrated teeth, nothing like a Tyrannosaurus¡¯s conical railroad spikes. It took a booming step toward the swamp, moving at an angle away from them. Erik barely dared to hope it hadn¡¯t noticed them. His thoughts spun wildly in the silence that followed. Sub-adult? FUCKING SUB-ADULT? He had known dinosaurs were big. Documentaries, museum exhibits¡ªthose had all told him as much. But none of that had prepared him for the sheer presence of this creature. It was a force of nature, defying logic with every movement. Its footfalls shook the earth, each step landing like a boulder dropped from a height. It rumbled again, the sound accompanied by the crack of tree branches foolish enough to get in its way. It entered the swamp with a sloshing splash of footsteps, apparently unconcerned with the depth. Lost to sight through the trees, the three juvenile dinosaurs sat shivering as they listened to the monster depart. Sounded was slow to return to the jungle around them, as if even the smallest animals were scared of catching its attention, and bringing it back to where they all hid. Slowly, and with careful steps Sarah moved from Erik¡¯s side to poke her head out of the bushes. ¡°You know,¡± Marcus whispered, ¡°If we were any bigger that thing would¡¯ve seen us for sure.¡± It was true. If they¡¯d been another growth stage along, hiding wouldn¡¯t have been an option. The only viable strategy would have been to run away. Erik wasn¡¯t sure how fast a Giganotosaurus was, but he expected i twas faster than a triceratops of any age. He was not and would likely never be a paragon of speed. ¡°You know ton for ton,¡± Erik whispered back, ¡°T-rex is heavier than Giga.¡± It was heard to believe, even as he said it. Almost impossible to imagine that Marcus¡¯s diminutive Rex would ever grow to be as big as or bigger than the titan that had just instilled a deep, primal fear in all of them. ¡°That does tell me they don¡¯t care about accuracy though. The Giganotoasaurus had been extinct for 30 million years before the Rex came along.¡± ¡°Why does that matter?¡± Marcus asked, his rex¡¯s grumbling making Erik¡¯s skin prickle uneasily as he reached a more normal volume. Not even particularly loud, but Erik supposed he was on edge. ¡°Because it means they¡¯ll throw anything at us.¡± Erik said. ¡°Coast looks clear.¡± Sarah said, poking her head back into the small clump of undergrowth they¡¯d flattened. ¡°It never is though, is it?¡± Marcus said as he moved forward, pushing himself back into the clearing. ¡°There¡¯s always something out here, waiting to eat us.¡± His Rex rumbled bitterly. ¡°No time to worry about that.¡± Erik said, as he followed his friends out into the open. ¡°We need to find an objective.¡± ¡°What, like more meteors?¡± Sarah asked, turning a large yellow eye on him. ¡°For now, ¡° Erik confirmed, ¡°I¡¯m certain the game world has other objectives but I don¡¯t know what they are, or if they¡¯ve been introduced.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you ask that Primarch guy you¡¯re always chattin¡¯ to?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know.¡± Erik said, glancing around and giving a shrug before trying it out. ¡°Primarch.¡± Erik didn¡¯t expect the AIs dino-persona avatar to pop up there in the jungle, but he was still a little surprised to get the notification on his UI
Primach: How can I be of assistance?
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Are there any active objectives besides meteorite sites?¡± He asked.
Primarch: There are 4 active objectives in the game world at this time: Meteorite Collection Boss Defeats Aberrant Boss Defeats Player Killer Defats.
¡°We killed players on our first day.¡± Erik said, but he already suspected why they hadn¡¯t received evolution energy.
Primarch: No objectives were activated at that time.
The notification window vanished, and Erik relayed what he¡¯d learned to Marcus and Sarah. ¡°I don¡¯t see us defeating any bosses right now, aberrant or otherwise.¡± Erik said, making a sharp click sound with his beak-like mouth. ¡°Even that Giganotosaurus wasn¡¯t classified as any kind of boss.¡± The discussed it back and forth a bit, before agreeing that meteor sites were probably still the best bet, but if they came across another team and assessed they had a decent chance at winning, they would go for it. ¡°I also have some unpleasant news.¡± Erik said, flaring his nostrils in the triceratops version of a grimace. ¡°Is it that we have to go wandering into the swamp?¡± Sarah asked, her lips peeling up to show rows of curved, needle-like teeth. ¡°That is correct, yes. The death wall will be approaching this location sooner rather than later. We need to be traveling away from it, directly toward the center if we can manage it,¡± Erik turned his head to look between the tree¡¯s towards the murky water, visibly through the gap that the Giga had created in the foliage, We also aren¡¯t like to find anything by moving parallel to the wall simply because all the players spawned around the edge and have likely claimed most of, if not all, of the objectives. Our best shot at finding objectives or players is to move toward the middle.¡± ¡°I expect that¡¯s also our best bet at finding boss¡¯s and whatever the hell else this game has laying around waiting to kill us.¡± Marcus said. ¡°So you agree then?¡± Erik asked, unable to grin but his juvenile triceratops gave a throaty sort of chuckle. ¡°Yeah,¡± Marcus said, ¡°time for a walk in the swamp.¡± ¡°I played in a swamp once when I was little, totally ruined my shoes,¡± Sarah said, ¡°My mom was furious.¡± For a moment Erik didn¡¯t say anything. When he first met on Battle Arena Online, she¡¯d mentioned her mom had passed away the year prior and never brought it up again. Erik had no doubt the loss had hurt her deeply, but Sarah was always a vision forward kind of person. So this offhand mention took him off guard, and he wasn¡¯t sure what to say. Marcus however turned his head toward her and glanced down at her feet. ¡°Good thing raptors don¡¯t wear shoes. Can you imagine putting them on with that big ass toenail?¡± Sarah laughed on the mic, and her raptor chittered with amusement. Her head bobbing in time with the sound like she was some sort of giant bird. Tension diffused, Erik prompted them to gather up as he led their way towards the waters edge. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to be careful. I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯d make this swamp impossibly deep when we¡¯re this small. That would be bad game design, but some parts of it are certainly going to be deeper than others. His friends agreed and they formed a line behind him as he took the first steps into the murky water, trying to angle towards a growth of trees he saw in the distance. He realized then, as he trotted through belly deep water, that something had shifted between his teammates. Between all of them perhaps. Maybe it was the shared action of bringing down the deinonychus, or the shared danger of hiding from the giganotasaurus, but things between them seemed¡­ smoother. He wondered if that would hold up, or if their teamwork would require additional shots of both action and danger, like they were a bunch of adrenaline junkies. Then again, he thought, as ripples spread outward from where they walked, sliding smoothly over the surface the greenish-brown water that could¡¯ve hid anything, in a world that contained the most dangerous animals that had ever existed,maybe we are. In the far distance, unknown animals called to one another, howled, roared and occasionally Erik would spot a stretch of disturbed water, as if something had moved beneath the surface. Adrenaline junkies indeed. Day 4: Part 3 - Scuffle in the Swamp As they walked, Erik determined that they were traveling in a south by south-easterly direction, at least according to the orientation of the map in his HUD. Which meant that they had spawned in nearly the most northern point available. It wasn¡¯t immediately useful, but he figured that eventually he¡¯d be able to get a sense of the larger game world. Not for the first time, he regretted that E.L.E¡¯s format wasn¡¯t more collaborative. Not that Battle Royales weren¡¯t fun¡ªthere was a certain intensity to being in such a target-rich environment¡ªbut it didn¡¯t lend itself to a cooperative spirit among the players. There was only so much about a game world this deep that three people could figure out on their own. They sloshed forward, angling from one small patch of growth to the next, stopping to rest whenever they found a bit of solid ground. Like desert travelers leapfrogging from one oasis to the next. Except deserts had sand and heat, and this prehistoric swamp was full of murky water and large, hostile wildlife. The thick swamp air clung to them, damp and heavy, carrying the sour scent of decaying plants. Erik was certain he¡¯d seen something in the distance. Some large animal disturbing the water''s surface as it swam lazily onward, its slow progress creating ripples that caught the sunlight before fading into the shadows. It seemed utterly indifferent to their presence in its swamp. Initially, there had been open stretches of shallow water with occasional islands spread out across it, but the further they traveled, the denser the vegetation became. Tangled roots sprawled outward from trees, dipping into the water like the gnarled hands of some ancient giant. The patches of solid ground were slick with moss and rotting leaves, making every step feel precarious. ¡°Somehow, this is even hotter than the jungle,¡± Marcus complained from where he walked behind Erik¡¯s triceratops. Erik¡¯s snort was his only reply. He could tell it was warm, but the heat didn¡¯t bother his dinosaur body. Erik was almost certain that Marcus only even brought it up because no one had said anything in hours. Sarah, who had gone on ahead, spoke to them suddenly through the game¡¯s telepathy-like whisper system. ¡°I¡¯ve found the tracks of another team,¡± she informed them. ¡°How can you tell?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°Three sets of tracks, three different animals. It¡¯s not rocket science.¡± Erik flicked his horned nose and his HUD popped up, with a few more motions he navigated to the map screen and quickly locked Sarah¡¯s dot. ¡°You¡¯re not too far ahead of us,¡± he said, picking up the pace as he spoke. Trotting through the belly-deep water with a series of sloshes, the noise of his passage momentarily drowned out the sounds of the swamp. ¡°I hear them,¡± Sarah said, her dot showing she had kept moving south, following the curve of a long island that Erik could see from where he was running. ¡°Sounds like there¡¯s a fight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let them see you,¡± Erik said, his flat feet pressing down into the spongy moss and mud of the island¡¯s bank as he left the water. The wet ground squelched loudly with every step, and he followed the treeline with Marcus on his tail. Together, they made their way up to where Sarah had stopped, finding that the team she had tracked was indeed fighting another team.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Well, that¡¯s lucky for us. We can let them wear each other out,¡± Marcus whispered. Sarah¡¯s raptor head nodded, as if this was the most natural suggestion in the world, and Erik couldn¡¯t deny the pragmatism of it. This wasn¡¯t a friendly game, after all. Everyone was here to win, and there could be only one first place. But still, he couldn¡¯t deny that there was something distasteful in the idea of ambushing weakened players. Expedient as it was, it felt too much like admitting they needed underhanded tactics to win. Sarah had found a spot set back into the trees, from which they could easily see the teams struggling against one another on a bare, muddy stretch of shoreline that slanted very gently into the greenish-brown water. The combatants were fierce, Erik had to admit as he watched, but he also couldn¡¯t deny they weren¡¯t very good. They had paired off in their combats, each time fighting three duels, rather than working together. The triceratops were smashing their heads together, trying to shove each other backward¡ªto what end Erik wasn¡¯t really sure, since neither of them had grown to juvenile yet, and they lacked the sharp horn his own dinosaur had. The two Rexes, which likewise brawled with one another, were not yet juveniles, somehow still in the hatchling growth stage. At a glance, Erik would have guessed that Marcus outweighed both of the hatchlings combined. The raptors were the exception, as both of them seemed to have advanced their growth stage. They also seemed to be the least enthused to fight their counterpart, more content to circle each other with occasional feints. All in all, Erik had to admit they made quite the circus. ¡°How are they still babies?¡± Sarah asked in a low whisper, which her raptor translated into a soft owl-like hoot. ¡°Can¡¯t find food, I bet,¡± Marcus said from her other side. ¡°I mean, look at them. They¡¯re hopeless.¡± It was not an unmerited criticism. Even if Erik allowed for the horrible strategy of fighting a series of one-on-one duels, they were individually not great. It was clear that every participant on both sides wasn¡¯t really committed. Some part of them held back from seeking to deliver a death blow, and it was then that Erik understood. They weren¡¯t comfortable attacking other players. ¡°No guts,¡± Marcus said, echoing Erik¡¯s thoughts. They watched the slow melee progress for several moments before Erik noticed the disturbance in the water. The force of something approaching beneath the surface sent small waves off to either side. The raptors below both noticed it at the same time, as did one of the triceratops, who turned his head and took his eyes off his opponent. His opponent seized that opportunity to knock him down with a charge, driving him deeper into the shallows. Before anyone had a chance to call out, water exploded as a long shadow stretched forward. The fallen triceratops vanished in the spray. The water churned violently as the massive predator twisted, dragging the struggling triceratops into the depths. A long tail, ridged with bony plates, thrashed against the surface before vanishing beneath the murky swamp. For a heartbeat, everything was still. Then one of the raptors shrieked, the sound sharp and panicked, breaking the silence. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Marcus hissed, his head swinging toward the disturbance. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Sarah snapped. ¡°They¡¯re screwed.¡± Erik¡¯s heart pounded as he watched the teams below scatter, their half-fought battle forgotten. The remaining triceratops roared, backing into the trees, while the raptors bolted in opposite directions. The two Rexes¡ªtoo slow to flee¡ªlooked around wildly, their hatchling frames trembling. The surface of the water rippled again, and Erik¡¯s stomach dropped. ¡°It¡¯s coming back.¡± Day 4: Part 4 - Sub-Boss The water erupted outward once more as the crocodile-type animal lunged back up onto the shore, though this time there was no easy prey in range, and as it slithered forward, Erik was able to get his first good look at it. He was surprised to note that it was smaller than the kaprosuchus, but with unusually thick back plates that extended all the way down its tail, and a wide, muscular body it looked more than menacing in its own right. The dinosaurs remaining on the shoreline were in disarray. The team of the triceatops who had been pulled into the water unsure if they should retreat. ¡°It¡¯s a sub-boss.¡± Sarah said suddenly, her raptor clicking. Erik focused on the creature, trying to see if he could get identify to work from this distance, and to his surprise the window appeared.
Identify Species: Platycarchus Megadontos Status: Sub-boss Disposition: Hostile Age: Adult Species Information: An amphibious predator with exceptional ambush capabilities, Platycarchus Megadontos is distinguished by its reinforced dorsal plating and oversized dentition, adapted for crushing prey. Its territorial nature and ability to hunt both in water and on land make it a dominant force in swamp ecosystems.
Erik was surprised to see that there was actually information available. Almost everything he¡¯d tried to identify up to this point had nothing beyond the bare minimum of information. Though if he was being honest it was nothing he hadn¡¯t already figured out by observing the animal. The water lapped at the mud-soaked shoreline as Erik dismissed the identify window with a flick of his horns. The Platycarchus Megadontos prowled forward, its thick tail dragging behind it, carving grooves into the muck. Even now, after watching it drag a triceratops to its death, its movements were deliberate, almost lazy, as if it knew it had nothing to fear. "Well, that''s horrifying," Marcus muttered, lowering his T. rex frame slightly. His sharp eyes never left the beast as it approached the teams down below. Eriks brain was moving a thousand miles a minute, and he couldn¡¯t shake the sense that there was an opportunity here, if only he could find a way to grasp it. ¡°What if we all attack it together.¡± He said, each word coming slowly. ¡°I mean¡­ it¡¯s smaller than the Karpo.¡± Marcus said, but Rex''s nose was scrunched up in an expression of doubt. ¡°I don¡¯t know if three of us is going to be enough.¡± ¡°No, no I mean all of us.¡± Erik nodded his nose toward the smattering of terrified dinosaurs on the beach. ¡°I-¡± Marcus started to say, but Sarah cut him off. ¡°We don¡¯t exactly have time for a town meeting.¡± She turned a fierce yellow-eyed glare on Erik. ¡°Make the call.¡± If Erik had lips, he would¡¯ve bitten one. They really had no idea of how tough a sub-boss was going to be and he was risking a lot. If he threw them into this fight, and the other teams didn¡¯t back them up, there was a good chance he and his friends wouldn¡¯t walk away from this encounter. Hell, even if they do help. The cynical part of him interjected, but Erik made his decision. ¡°Go, Sarah, keep it busy.¡± Before he¡¯d even finished speaking she was off like a shot, brown-green skin blurring as she accelerated. Marcus and Erik followed after, running as fast as they could. Naturally, Marcu¡¯s Rex outdistanced him step by step, quickly leaving him behind. The croc-boss was oblivious to Sarah until almost the last moment when, with blinding speed it turned toward her, jaw opening wide as its tail swiped to the opposite side, throwing a wave of water high into the air as it acted as a counter weight. It snapped it¡¯s jaws, but too slow. Sarah leapt high over it¡¯s head, easily clearing it¡¯s reach. She landed on the far side, and pivoted on the spot, rushing it again. It¡¯s tail snapped again, this time throwing water in the other direction as it quickly tried to reposition itself to face her. She feinted from side to side, as if not sure which direction she was going to lunge from and the croc kept moving its head to follow her. Erik realized then that, despite the monster''s explosive and terrifying ambush, it was not well equipped to a duel on land. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Marcus arrived next, surprising everyone present by jumping straight on to the crocodiles back and biting. Mostly this was surprising because Erik probably didn¡¯t weigh even 1/3rd of the crocodile, and wouldn¡¯t be much of an inconvenience, but it was clearly the most armored part of the entire body. To Erik¡¯s surprise however, he heard a loud crack as Marcus clamped down, and as he got closer, he could see cracks splintering there way through the armor. Holy hell he¡¯s got a strong bite. The crocodile hissed, and snapped its tail again this time propelling itself into the turn with its front legs. The force sent Marcus tumbling from his perch to land in the mud. It was clear that the croc was planning to come around on him, but Erik, who was seriously considering evolving something for speed when he reached Adolescent, had finally come close to active his charge ability. With startling swiftness he crossed the gap and slammed into the side of the croc''s body just behind its forelimb with as much force as he could muster. Which turned out not to be very much. Even this thick skull and crest weren¡¯t enough to shield him from the feeling of having slammed into a brick wall. Still, he had aimed below the thick armor plates on its back, and he could feel the horn on the tip of his nose grinding, where it had lodged up against a rib bone. The creature only hissed angrily in response to the attack, and Erik was sure it was about to turn on him when suddenly Marcus was on its back again, biting repeatedly at the plates over it¡¯s neck. Sarah, and to Erik¡¯s relief, both of the other raptors moved to snap at the crocs face, taking it in turns to dart forward, only to split off at the last second and loop back around for another run. Over and over the croc lunged at them, missing again and again. Emboldened by the fact that no one had gotten snapped up, the hatchling Rex¡¯s also began to approach from either side. Though they lacked the agility of the truly get close, the crocs number of potential threats was overwhelming it, allowing the much quicker raptors to get in close enough to apply their razor teeth to crocs sides and neck. Erik could tell the big monster was tiring, as it hissed in frustration. It wasn¡¯t until Marcus turned his head, and flung away the shards of an armor plate that it seemed to remember he was on it¡¯s back, and by then it was too late. Marcus bent down again, latching on with uncanny strength of his jaws and the croc lifted it¡¯s head as if it could bend back far enough to seize Marcus in it¡¯s jaws, or perhaps knock him away. Then, then a shudder travelled down the beast''s body, ending in its tail, and then slowly, slowly it¡¯s upper jaw began to close as its slitted reptilian eyes stared at nothing.
Notification: Platycarchus Megadontos defeated: Team Legacy has defeated it¡¯s first sub-boss, with assistance from Team RizzleBerries and Team [Unamed] Rewards: Unique Sub-Boss Mutation Token awarded to: all participants. 360 Evolution Energy Awarded to: Team Legacy (divided) 25 Meteorite Fragments Awarded to: Team Legacy
Reward: You have gained: 1 Sub-Boss mutation token You have gained: 120 Evolution Energy
Unlike everything else they¡¯d killed in-game. The sub-boss did not turn into a boneless rubber facsimile of its living itself in death. It sat there, blood dripping from dozens of woods as its own weight caused it to sink into the mud, and around it, all 3 teams, minus on triceratops, stared, breathing heavily. Still up on its back, Marcus bent down and ripped a large chunk of flesh clean off, holding it in his jaws as he tipped his head up and roared triumphantly. The roar being more of an screechy, enthusiastic yell, his juvenile body unable to make any truly terrifying sound. Still, Erik was gratified by the sight. ¡°I look so fucking cool right now.¡± Marcus said to them, his rex growling along. Night 4: A Leaderboard of Problems. (Part 1) The aftermath of the boss fight was only somewhat awkward. Erik hadn¡¯t known that enemy teams could make chat requests until one popped up. [Chat request: SurPatrick of Team RizzleBerries] ¡°Uhh,¡± Erik looked at the message, unsure. Part of him wanted to decline¡ªwhat good could come from getting friendly with an enemy team? And with a name like SurPatrick, no less. Still, curiosity won out. He tapped "accept." ¡°Hey, thanks for the save!¡± A hatchling Rex gurgled in time with the message, its green hide glistening with mud and water. Erik assumed this must be SurPatrick. Before he could respond, another notification popped up: [Team Legacy, Team RizzleBerries, Team [Unnamed], have entered a temporary ceasefire. Ceasefire will expire in 20 minutes. During this time, players will be unable to attack each other.] The tension in the air shifted almost immediately. The hatchling raptors from Team RizzleBerries stopped their pacing, sitting back on their haunches, while the remaining Triceratops from the unnamed team lumbered out of the water, looking battered but alive. Marcus¡¯s Rex trotted up beside Erik, shaking mud from his legs. ¡°Ceasefire, huh?¡± Marcus said, his tone skeptical. ¡°Guess that means no one¡¯s stabbing us in the back while we catch our breath.¡± ¡°You think they¡¯d try?¡± Sarah¡¯s raptor clicked softly, her yellow eyes watching the others warily. ¡°All of you should eat and then we need to go our separate ways,¡± Erik said. Normally he would¡¯ve been very much against letting an enemy team take food, but there was nothing they could do to stop them or chase them off, so there wasn¡¯t any reason to be hostile over it. As the carnivores tucked into the crocodile feast, a battered but alive triceratops dragged itself back up the shore, one slow step at a time. Apparently he had survive being dragged in, though he looked more than a little worse for wear. He flopped belly down into the mud, his legs splayed in all directions as he stared at the nothing. Sarah and Marcus finished up quickly, topping themselves up and Erik extracted them with only bare minimum of conversation. Team RizzleBerries seemed like a good sort, chatting away to each other happily as they¡¯d eaten, and in any other kind of game Erik would have been glad to team up, but not in E.L.E. As the sun began to sink below the horizon, they happened upon a large plant that resembled a massive venus fly trap, except the mouth seemed to be full of needles. When it attacked them, Erik assumed he had finally found vegetation violent enough that he could eat it. The three of them made short work of the plant, and Erik was able to top off his own food before they found a place to settle in for the dark hours of the night. It wasn¡¯t that Erik didn¡¯t feel the loss of time. Who knew how much more progress they might make in the game if they were able to travel safely throughout the night, but he just didn¡¯t trust they could handle it. Erik had no doubts about what would happen to them if they went stomping through the swamp in total darkness. So they huddled down one of the small overgrown patches of land, and they waited until the game transferred them back to the Hub.
Welcome back, Little_Rik! Congratulations on completing the latest chapter in E.L.E: Extinction Level Event Online. Your strategic thinking and teamwork continue to serve you well in this challenging environment. Let¡¯s review your scores for this sequence.
Little_Rik''s Scores

Survival: 9

  • Successfully evaded the Giganotosaurus using stealth and strategic awareness.
  • Safely navigated the dangerous swamp, avoiding environmental hazards and ambush predators.
  • Survived a high-risk sub-boss encounter with effective planning and teamwork.
  • Missed Opportunities: The sub-boss battle carried significant risk, and survival relied partly on the assistance of rival teams.

Combat: 8

  • Executed a well-coordinated ambush on a Deinonychus pack, securing two kills and scattering the rest.
  • Effectively engaged the sub-boss using a combination of distraction, direct damage, and attrition tactics.
  • Missed Opportunities: Initial attacks on the sub-boss¡¯s armored back reduced efficiency, and allied teams¡¯ contributions highlighted gaps in team combat autonomy.

Teamwork: 10

  • Demonstrated exceptional coordination during both the Deinonychus ambush and sub-boss battle.
  • Successfully leveraged teamwork to secure objectives, sharing roles effectively.
  • Rallied rival teams to cooperate against the sub-boss, showcasing leadership and strategic diplomacy.

Objectives: 7

  • Successfully defeated the sub-boss Platycarchus Megadontos, earning a unique mutation token and significant evolution energy.
  • Identified viable objectives (meteorite collection, boss defeats) and pursued them efficiently.
  • Missed Opportunities: Objective pursuit was largely opportunistic; proactive exploration could yield additional rewards.
Total Score: 34
Score Multipliers
  • Title: First-Blood 1.5x
  • Title: Contender 0.5x
  • Juvenile Growth 0.5x
Final Score: 102
Commentary ¡°Team Legacy has displayed outstanding adaptability, strategic foresight, and cooperative synergy. You¡¯ve taken critical steps toward long-term success, but refining proactive objective strategies will solidify your competitive edge. Use your rewards wisely, and prepare for even greater challenges ahead.¡±
The score window popped up, follow quickly by his updated character sheet.
Player: Little_Rik Species: Triceratops Gender: Male Growth: Juvenile: 15% Weight: Small
Attributes: Speed: 3 Strength: 4 Agility: 3 Endurance: 4 Defense: 4
Abilities: Juvenile Charge: Basic charge attack, minimal damage but disrupts smaller enemies. Weak Bite: Consistent moderate damage to close-range targets. Weak Headbutt: Moderate damage vs smaller enemies; can stagger small opponents. Bioresonant Tissue: Stores a small amount kinetic energy for a short period of time that can be released upon an active attack. Ability Points: 87
Evolution: Evolution Energy: 140 Next Growth Stage: Adolescent (20%) Reach 20% growth to evolve at the Adolescent stage, unlocking new upgrades and abilities. Mutations: 106 Available Mutations Horn (Natural) (F): The juvenile triceratops boasts a singular, partially developed horn on its snout that can be used for penetrating attacks. Beak (Natural) (Non-mutable): Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.A sharp beak-like mouth evolved for shearing through vegetation. Note: This body part requires an evolution to become mutable. Crest (Natural) (F): A bony crest that extends around the perimeter of the skull, functioning as an effective shield against predators. Bioresonant Tissue (Evolved) (F): Your tissue is capable of storing and directing energy from impacts for a short period of time.
Biopoints: 124 Team Legacy: Team Currency: Meteorite Fragments: 38
The first thing Erik noticed was that, though there were still many people appearing in the field where players transferred after leaving the game world, it didn¡¯t feel nearly as crowded as it had been on the first day. ¡°It¡¯s only day four,¡± he muttered. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Marcus asked, looking down at him as he walked by. Erik fell into step beside him and Sarah followed after as they headed in the direction of their HQ. ¡°There¡¯s a lot less people here,¡± Erik pointed out. ¡°Rokells still here.¡± Sarah pointed at the girl who¡¯s avatar looked like a sheep, who seemed to be in a heated argument with her young brother. ¡°I just can¡¯t imagine this many people have been eliminated already.¡± Erik said, looking around. ¡°Is there any way to check?¡± Marcus asked as they opened the door and headed into their bare, open headquarters with it¡¯s hammocks and the liquid metal table they used for evolution and mutations. ¡°Primarch?¡± Erik asked in response to Marcus¡¯s question, and the towering golden feathered raptor man appeared, standing tall in the middle of the room. ¡°Yes, little Rik?¡± He asked in regal tones. ¡°How many teams have been eliminated from the tournament?¡± ¡°That information is available in the market district of the Hub, as well as Leaderboard information.¡± ¡°Uh, where at? And why can¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°The developers felt it was important for psychological stability that players should interact in a friendly capacity within the Hub.¡± ¡°So they created spaces where everyone would need to go to find important information.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Primarch agreed with a low dip of his head, ¡°and you will find recap footage of the previous game days, the world map, the count down timer to the next game day, and various other informational amenities.¡± Erik moved to stand near the table, with a wave of his hand he pulled the avatar of his triceratops up out of the rolling waves of metal, where it floated at eye level. ¡°Where do we get this information?¡± ¡°There are five Hub cafes, each named after their location within the Hub. Central Cafe, North Cafe, South Cafe, East Cafe and West Cafe.-¡± ¡°West Side Cafe is where I go to crush rounds of Battle Arena,¡± Marcus said, jumping in, ¡°so I vote West Cafe be our hangout.¡± ¡°West Side Cafe is kind of a dive,¡± Sarah said, wrinkling her nose. ¡°Yeah,¡± Marcus agreed without any protest, ¡°That¡¯s where you meet the real players.¡± ¡°Your nearest location is the Central Cafe,¡± Primarch said, and Erik thought he sounded vaguely annoyed at being interrupted, ¡°I have marked the location on your maps.¡± and then he was gone. ¡°It sounds like something we should check out.¡± Erik said, turning away from the table to look at his friends. Marcus had flopped back into a hammock and tipped his hat forward over his eyes, as he intended to take a nap. Sarah however was standing near the center of the room, frowning at the spot where Primarch had vanished. ¡°Did he sound- I don¡¯t know, irritated?¡± She asked. ¡°It¡¯s an AI,¡± Marcus said dismissively. ¡°He did,¡± Erik agreed with Sarah. ¡°So what? He¡¯s probably just programmed to sound irritated.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s programmed to leave in a temper?¡± Sarah asked, and Marcus said nothing. Though it was possibly he really was doing his best to fall asleep. ¡°I think it¡¯s time we look at those mutation tokens.¡± Erik said as he pulled up his character sheet on the table''s interface and scrolled down until he found the token. Clicking on it opened a new popup window.
Mutation Token Type: Platycarchus Megadontos Quality: Sub-Boss Function:
  • Option 1: Apply to an existing mutation to upgrade it with Platycarchus Megadontos-inspired adaptations, such as reinforced dorsal plating or amphibious stamina boosts.
  • Option 2: Apply during evolution to unlock a new Platycarchus Megadontos-inspired mutation at no Evolution Energy cost.
Note:
  • Mutation Tokens can be combined to enhance their quality and effects.
    • Two Sub-Boss Tokens ¡ú One Boss Token
    • Traits from both bosses will combine into a unique hybrid mutation.
    • If both tokens are from the same boss, the resulting traits will be enhanced.
Erik read it over several times, just to be certain he understood. Then he read it again because he couldn¡¯t help but doubt it. ¡°That- that is a game changer.¡± He said, his mind racing as he ran through the implications of the system. Sarah approached the table and called up her own UI, and after a few seconds she whistled appreciatively. ¡°It, yeah. Yeah I can see how that might change things.¡± ¡°Either of you want to fill me in?¡± Marcus asked, still lounged on the hammock, and showing no inclination to move. ¡°It upgrades an existing mutation,¡± Erik said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t say exactly what it will do, but it¡¯s apparently themed after the boss from which the token was acquired.¡± ¡°Or,¡± Sarah added, ¡°It¡¯ll unlock a new mutation when you¡¯re evolving. Which for us would be at 20% growth. Also themed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty neat. So you get some of those armor plates it had or whatever?¡± Marcus asked, reaching up to tip his hat back so he could look over at them. ¡°Yeah.¡± Erik said, his heart racing his chest. ¡°But that¡¯s only part of it. When you use them to get a new mutation during evolution, the mutation is free. No evolution energy and, this is the important part, you can combine tokens from different bosses to upgrade their quality and therefore effects.¡± ¡°So¡­ what does that mean?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°It means we definitely don¡¯t want to spend these right now, and that we¡¯re going to want to take down another boss before we hit our next evolution.¡± ¡°Right. I was kind of planning to spend points to grow faster this time, but I¡¯m guessing we want to take it slow now that we know about these tokens?¡± ¡°Not just that,¡± Erik said, turning back to the table, ¡°We need evolution energy. Going from Hatchling to Juvenile worked because we needed the extra combat ability, but even that¡¯s kind of a setback. Juvenile to Adolescent is going to be the first big power jump for a lot of people and it all depends on how much evolution energy we can bank up. We¡¯re going to need as much as we can get before we hit 20%¡± ¡°Also,¡± Sarah added, ¡°apart from being a bad move strategy wise, it costs a lot more. 35 bipoints per 1% of growth.¡± ¡°So what are we spending biopoints on then?¡± ¡°Upgrading our mutations.¡± Erik said, ¡°but we don¡¯t have to do that right now. I want to take a look at this Central Cafe and see what¡¯s going on. I figure the more we know, the better decisions we can make.¡± ¡°Why do you suppose they didn¡¯t tell us about that?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°It seems kind of important.¡± Marcus scoffed as he turned in the hammock and stood up. ¡°They never tell us anything. If we don¡¯t ask, they keep it to themselves. That¡¯s how this whole game has been since we got here.¡± It was true, and Erik couldn¡¯t deny that the lack of hand holding had been emphasized by the developers as a core part of gameplay, he hadn¡¯t expected it to go so far. "Well lets go for a walk," Erik said, minimizing his UI and letting his dino sink back into the tables surface. "I wanna see this leaderboard." Night 4: A Leaderboard of Problems. (Part 2) The cafe looked more like a medieval tavern with a modern touch, then the gaming cafes Erik frequented. The arcade style business had surged in popularity when VR tech had become common, with most people not having space for the 2nd generation pods, VR Cafes had become common. This was certainly not that kind of cafe. A wooden bar stretched the full length of the far wall, with half a dozen dino-men of various species working behind it, serving drinks and food to dozens of patrons. The place was something straight out of a fantasy novel, except it had TVs, electric lighting and music playing from speakers overhead. Despite the fact there were quite a few people present, the space was so large it actually still felt fairly empty. Clearly it was intended to hold many more people than were present. The three of them walked further in, Marcus leading the way looking totally at ease. Sarah followed after, her avatar drawing the occasional glance, but no one called out to her or stared, which was unusual. ¡°Hey,¡± Marcus said to one of the Dino-men working the bar, catching his attention. ¡°We¡¯re here to see the Leaderboard. Where is it at?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the lounge,¡± the NPC said, his voice gruff and his tone short. He pointed toward an open doorway on the right side of the room. ¡°Thanks.¡± Marcus said, and the NPC turned away to prepare a drink for a man sitting in front of him. The lounge was a spacious, rectangular room with a sunken central floor made of polished wood, evoking the rustic charm of a hunting lodge. Mounted near the ceiling, the preserved heads of predatory dinosaurs added a primal, museum-like grandeur. At the far end, a large fireplace crackled warmly, casting a welcoming glow. Dominating the center of the room was a four-sided holographic display, rotating slowly and commanding attention. Along the edges, sleek touchscreens lined the walls, some already in use by other players, their quiet interaction blending into the lively atmosphere. Erik looked up and saw on the holographic display, a T-rex fighting off two Ceratosaurus. The battle was taking place in some sort of pine forest, with a light dusting of snow on the ground, which was being kicked up by the scuffle. It was clear that the T-rex was probably an adolescent from the size, and it was holding its own against the two carnivores. It drove one of the Ceras back, pivoting quickly to strike the other with its thick tail, then as it came around it opened its mouth wide and Erik saw that the T-rex had curious bone spurs protruding from either side of its jaw. It¡¯s head snapped forward, almost like it had been seized by a powerful sneeze and a field of green goo flashed forward, splattering over both of the Cerato¡¯s. Smoke began to rise from where the goo had landed, and though there was no audio, he could clearly see the dinosaurs screeching with pain as what had to be acid ate away at them. In moments, they were dead and the Adolescent T-rex moved on, leaving the corpses untouched. Along the bottom of the screen scrolled the text ¡°Skylark Team #2: Rex player: Dilondi¡± ¡°Well shit,¡± Erik muttered upon seeing the name. ¡°Hey Rik, over here.¡± Marcus called out, and Erik turned around to find him and Sarah both standing in front of one of the touch screen terminals. He approached to find them looking at the leaderboard. ¡°What¡¯s that about?¡± Marcus asked, pointing at the top 10. It read: #1: [Team Skylark #2] #2: [Team Skylark #1] #3: [Team Skylark #3] #4: [Team Iron Vanguard] #5: [Team Kek or Bust] #6: [Team Britches&Prose] #7: [Team Quantum Flame] #8: [Team Echo Strikers] #9: [Team Error 404: Skill Not Found] #10: [Team Midnight Ascend] ¡°What the hell is with those Skylark teams?¡± ¡°Skylark is a megacorp,¡± Erik said. ¡°They own all kinds of stuff. Movie studios, soft drink brands, video game developers. I guess it was them that bought the auctioned beta spots.¡± ¡°And all three of their teams just so happen to be out front?¡± Marcus asked, one eyebrow raised. Sarah tapped on the #1 spot and it popped out a roster. Triceratops Player: Coal Tyrannosaur Player: Dilondi Raptor Player: Jei Jon ¡°Ah hell,¡± she said, grimacing and Erik couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°Wait, is that the Coal?¡± Marcus asked, leaning closer, but Sarah was already moving to teams 1 and 3, blowing up their rosters as well and revealing more of the same. ¡°So some mega-corp bought all three auctioned team spots and stacked them with A-listers?¡± Marcus asked. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Mhmm,¡± Sarah said, her face looking sour, ¡°you know my team beat a lot of these guys for the World Championship this year.¡± ¡°I saw Dilondi¡¯s Rex on the highlight just now,¡± Erik told them, ¡°He was an adolescent and he spits acid.¡± ¡°He- He spits acid?¡± Marcus asked, looking offended. ¡°What kind of little bitch power is that?¡± ¡°You guys just found the lounge today?¡± A man asked, approaching them. His avatar looked remarkably plain. He was lanky, and he had curly hair. He was wearing a simple yellow T-shirt and some jeans. ¡°Yeah,¡± Erik said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly in the tutorial.¡± The man scoffed, and offered his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Jeff.¡± he said. Erik took his hand and shook it. ¡°Did I hear you guys talking about Skylark?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Marcus said, ¡°Just commenting on the coincidence of them all holding the top three spots.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s no coincidence,¡± Jeff said, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s very much on purpose. They¡¯re all working together.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a battle royale,¡± Erik said, automatically and Jeff shrugged. ¡°Yeah, but still. They met up on the first day and have been 9 vs 3 in every fight since then. I know everyone is here to win, but it¡¯s like they¡¯re on a mission to clear as many teams as quickly as possible.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck, and gave them a nervous smile. ¡°I was actually one of the unlucky ones. They took my whole team out on the first day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s rough,¡± Marcus said, ¡°So what, now y''all just sit around in the Hub?¡± ¡°Yeah, and it¡¯s not so bad. It kind of feels like a vacation. There¡¯s all kinds of stuff to do in the market area. So long as you don¡¯t mind not being able to get drunk.¡± Erik knew teaming up wasn¡¯t against the rules. The game even had ceasefire mechanics and shared loot, but he hadn¡¯t expected to see it abused like this, though perhaps he should have. Gamers were always looking for an edge, though this felt scummier somehow. Buying slots just to load three teams up with the best VR PvPers in the world. ¡°Do you know where you guys are ranked?¡± Jeff asked, pointing back to the terminal. ¡°I know we¡¯re not in the top 10.¡± Marcus said. ¡°May I?¡± Jeff asked, and then when Marcus nodded and stepped away, Jeff stepped forward. ¡°What¡¯s your team name?¡± He asked. ¡°Legacy.¡± Erik supplied, and Jeff opened a search bar on the side and typed it in. ¡°Oh wow, you guys are #15.¡± He said, sounding surprised. ¡°Out of how many teams?¡± Erik asked. ¡°2214 teams returned to The Hub today, with about 300 of them being partial teams. So 1 or more dead teammates who will need to be revived¡± The number was staggering. They had begun the competition with 3333 teams and they weren¡¯t even on day 5. That was nearly 800 teams cut out of the competition in 4 days. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Skylark can only get so many biopoints per day,¡± Jeff said, ¡°Or else they¡¯d be even further along. They actually had some bad luck today. Team #1 almost got taken out during a boss fight. They all ended up having to retreat.¡± ¡°Like a full boss? Not a sub-boss?¡± Sarah asked. ¡°Yeah, no one has killed a boss yet, but Skylarks teams have killed a few subs.¡± Jeff looked back at the monitor again. ¡°And apparently so have you guys, wow. Those things are tough, and you¡¯re not even adolescents yet.¡± ¡°You know we¡¯re going to be on these guys radar, right?¡± Marcus said, and Erik knew exactly what he meant and they both looked at Sarah. ¡°What?¡± Jeff asked, looking between them all. ¡°She¡¯s WhiteRabbit.¡± Erik said, nodding to Sarah and Jeff looking at her, studying her anthropomorphic bunny avatar. ¡°She certainly is,¡± he agreed. ¡°She¡¯s- you don¡¯t know who she is?¡± ¡°Should I?¡± He asked, bemused. ¡°I take it you don¡¯t watch much Battle Arena.¡± Marcus said with a laugh and Jeff shook his head, stepping away from the console. ¡°No, I¡¯m more of a Landscape Architect Simulator kind of guy.¡± ¡°Right, well lets just say that those Skylark teams might have a bone to pick with her.¡± Marcus said, still chuckling. ¡°And by extension, us.¡± Erik added. ¡°Oh good,¡± Marcus said, scratching, shifting his cigar to the right side of his mouth and grinning at all of them. ¡°I was starting to think winning this whole thing was going to be too easy.¡± Day 5: Interlude - Raptor Red ¡°Come on Red. You have more than enough points.¡± He whined at her through the voice chat. He¡¯d been complaining to her for days, and she had no way to make him understand. She didn¡¯t want them back. Didn¡¯t need them. They slowed her down. They were dead weight. Every night, when she was returned to the Hub, she walked, and walked. She ventured to the edge of her map to find there was no edge. She walked through forests bathed in the light of a million stars. ¡°You can¡¯t win this thing by yourself.¡± Win? Surviving was winning. She was winning every day. She walked. Soon the night would be over and she would go back. She would wake up and she would be strong, fast, dangerous. She got the notification, Day 5 was beginning. Had she really been winding her way between these trees for 8 hours? 5 4 3 2 1 Pop She opened her eyes. She was back. She stood, stretching her muscles, loosening them. She clicked her teeth in satisfaction. First, she would hunt. Red set off at a brisk trot, her red hide standing out sharp against the dusky green of the fog covered hills, the occasional patch of deciduous trees giving her some cover. As the sun rose it cast everything in a burning orange, the heavy fog making it seem like the world was on fire. The annoying voices of her teammates, begging to be revived, couldn''t reach her here. They were stuck back in the hub. Watching. Watching as she survived, as she won. She was already bigger than most others. She had spent her points on growing, and mutating. She hadn¡¯t wasted them on dead weight, and today she would win some more. She found their tracks in the damp soil, just as the sun had risen high enough to vanish into the overcast sky, turning the world gray. She recognized the tracks as belong to PCs People, players, weaklings. The words mingled in her mind, and for a moment she hesitated, confused. Caught between two ideas of herself. A person, fragile, soft, and scared and a raptor, fast, strong and hungry. This game is messing with your head. The thought was distant, disconnected. She considered it and she felt on the verge of¡­ something. Some kind of understanding, but the near clarity was lost as she heard them in the distance. The squawk of prey. The grumble of weaklings too stupid to stay quiet. Her lips peeled back to show her teeth and her confusion was washed away as purpose reasserted itself. With rapid steps she dashed through the fog, unseen and unheard. She found them, squabbling amongst themselves. Not grown, not a threat. She killed the raptor first. It never even had a chance. She landed on it from above, crushing it into the ground. A few quick bites had been enough to finish it off. The rex died next, trying to run away. A single bite had done it. The triceratops faced her, but it was weak. Indecisive. Untested. She crushed it¡¯s head in her jaws and it turned into a boneless toy. She ate until she couldn¡¯t, and she set off again. Looking for the next prey. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!She found more. More just like them. Weak, small. She sneered at them. There were others, big. Much bigger than her, but they were not people. She avoided them easily. Get a grip. She stopped again, looking around as if searching. There was nothing, no one. She carried on until she found a giant raptor. Not like her, feathered and tall. It had a beak and powerful talons. They fought. It was the hardest fight of her life. She was faster, but it was stronger. She had ripping claws, and it had a beak that could tear her apart. As she dashed in and out, narrowly escaping being crushed or bitten time and time ago, accumulating small wounds. Inflicting damage that seemed so inconsequential against such a large beast. She had never felt more alive. It went on and on, until the sun was high overhead and the fog was beginning to burn off. It grew slower, it¡¯s feathers coated with blood. She felt herself weakening as the wounds accumulated. Which one of them was going to give first? Which one of them deserved to be alive? She attacked again, this time she gave it her all. She launched herself unto the giant raptors back and planted her teeth in its neck. The feathers felt wrong in her mouth, like she was trying to eat something she shouldn¡¯t, like rocks or dirt. She persisted, despite how they seemed to cushion her teeth. She felt blood ooze into her mouth as the creature screamed and thrashed, trying to throw her off despite its weakened state. She bit harder, her jaw compressing into it came into contact with something solid. The spine She ignored the voice and redoubled her efforts until with a great crack the creature''s struggles ceased and it tumbled to the ground. The dead weight of its fall threw her off in a way the living creatures hadn¡¯t managed. She tumbled, but sprang to her feet.
Notification: Ornithostratos defeated: Team Unbreakable has defeated its third sub-boss. Rewards: Unique Sub-Boss Mutation Token awarded to: Red (only participant) 120 Evolution Energy Awarded to: Red (only participant) 25 Meteorite Fragments Awarded to: Red (only participant)
Notification: Team Unbreakable is now #10 on the Leaderboard. Congratulations!
Red shook her head back and forth, trying to shake the windows out of her vision before she remembered. She gave her head a quick, deliberate shake and both windows closed. None of that mattered. It was all just noise. She looked over at the large corpse. Her once mighty enemy looked sad in death and something like joy surged through her. She had done it. She had fought something so strong, and yet it was her who had won. She would prove that she was worthy. That she deserved to be alive. She tore chunks off the monster, though her stomach was still mostly full. It didn¡¯t matter. She left the prey behind and ran on, following the incline of the hills downward. The fog was mostly gone now and she could see sunlight shining off water in the distance. She was thirsty, and maybe there would be more interesting things to fight in a swamp. Day 5: Part 1 - Much more pointy
Player: Little_Rik Species: Triceratops Gender: Male Growth: Juvenile: 15% Weight: Small
Attributes: Speed: 3 Strength: 4 Agility: 3 Endurance: 4 Defense: 4
Abilities: Juvenile Charge: (E) Basic charge attack, minimal damage but disrupts smaller enemies. Weak Bite: (F) Consistent moderate damage to close-range targets. Weak Headbutt: (F) Moderate damage vs smaller enemies; can stagger small opponents. Bioresonant Tissue: (E) Stores a small amount of kinetic energy for a short period of time that can be released upon an active attack. Ability Points: 12
Evolution: Evolution Energy: 140 Next Growth Stage: Adolescent (20%) Reach 20% growth to evolve at the Adolescent stage, unlocking new upgrades and abilities. Horn (Natural) (E): The juvenile triceratops boasts a singular, partially developed horn on its snout that can be used for penetrating attacks. Beak (Natural) (Non-mutable): A sharp beak-like mouth evolved for shearing through vegetation. Note: This body part requires an evolution to become mutable. Crest (Natural) (F): A bony crest that extends around the perimeter of the skull, functioning as an effective shield against predators. Bioresonant Tissue (Evolved) (E): Your tissue is capable of storing and directing energy from impacts for a short period of time.
Biopoints: 41 Team Legacy: Team Currency: Meteorite Fragments: 38
When Erik purchased the horn mutation upgrade, taking it from F to E, he could actually see the nose horn grow longer and sharper on the little triceratops avatar. The Bioresoneant tissue upgrade was less visible, though he thought maybe his triceratops was a little thicker overall as a result. The skill upgrades had no physical impact, and he hadn¡¯t expected they would. Much like skills and mutations had been locked at F tier at Hatchling, it seemed that E tier was top of the line for Juveniles. So he figured if the next two days went well, he¡¯d be able to upgrade all his skills and mutations to E before advancing to Adolescent. The other thing they needed were more of those boss tokens, but he knew that was a risky proposition. They were not well equipped to kill boss monsters. As far as he knew, all of them had been taken down by teams working together,and not for the first time since they¡¯d returned from the Central Cafe, he found himself wondering if it wasn¡¯t better to make some alliances. It was very counterintuitive for a Battle Royale format, but then those didn¡¯t typically have bosses and hostile NPCs the size of semi-trucks. There was an undeniable advantage to having alliances in the early game. Skylarks teams proved that beyond a doubt. Erik wasn¡¯t even sure if the advantage of essentially having a 9 person team could be overcome at this point. ¡°I can smell your brain burning from over here,¡± Marcus said, from where lounged in the hammock. ¡°It¡¯s the Skylark teams.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re worried about those bozos,¡± the Texan scoffed. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Of course he is,¡± Sarah said, from where she lay in her own hammock in the opposite corner, ¡°They¡¯re some of the best Battle Arena players in the world.¡± ¡°Please, back in the day we could¡¯ve taken them easy.¡± ¡°No,¡± Erik disagreed, ¡°we were never practiced enough to play on that level.¡± If it were anyone else saying it, Erik thought Marcus would¡¯ve disagreed until he was blue in the face, but he seemed disinclined to argue with Erik, so instead he said, ¡°yeah well. This isn¡¯t Battle Arena so it¡¯s not like they¡¯re any more prepared than the rest of us.¡± This much was true, and it was a point Erik had been overlooking. Thousands of hours on Battle Arena did not make one a better dinosaur by default. Erik wasn¡¯t sure if Skylark understood that game knowledge wasn¡¯t universal. They¡¯d scooped up the big names and put them in a game together, but E.L.E was not their game. They had developed a strategy for getting ahead, but it was a simple, brute force method. Get 9 players together and mob down threats that a 3 player team couldn¡¯t typically handle. Capitalize on some early wins and snowball. The notification they¡¯d be returning to the game world in 10 seconds popped up, and Erik dismissed it with a wave. ¡°Times up chumps, let''s do this,¡± Marcus called out as he jumped to his feet. Erik rose to his feet as well, trying to clear his head, but he was finding it hard to shake off the sense of being left behind. If they didn¡¯t find some way to close the gap, and soon then they would in no way be ready to face Skylarks teams if they crossed paths, or anyone else in the top 10. 3 2 1 Pop The smell of the swamp hit Erik like a punch to the face. The sickly-sweet odor of decay, and the cloying, muggy heat. He rose to his feet and plodded forward out of the undergrowth they¡¯d been hiding in. The sun was just starting to crest the horizon, it cast the swamp in shades of orange that moved steadily towards golden as it climbed higher. ¡°Hey, nice horn.¡± Marcus said, as he followed Erik out of their hiding spot. Sarah scoffed as she joined them, but Erik really couldn¡¯t disagree. The day prior, his nose horn horn had been short and kinda blunt, and while it was still nowhere near its eventual adult growth, it was considerably longer than it had been. It also seemed thinner, and the point was much more- pointy. It looked dangerous. They continued to island hop through the swamp, moving roughly in the direction of the map''s center, but Erik was less concerned about the death wall than he had been. While he wasn¡¯t certain, he was guessing that the wall''s inward movement was dynamic rather than fixed. As the number of teams lessened, and the tournament moved towards its conclusion it would likely speed up. Though he wasn¡¯t willing to bet entirely on his guess being right. ¡°So do you think we should find other teams to group with to take down sub-bosses?¡± Sarah asked. He turned his frilled head to look at her. He hadn¡¯t spoken on his concerns the day prior, unable to come to a conclusion himself, but apparently Sarah had guessed the direction his thoughts were moving. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he answered honestly. It certainly seemed like the right way to go. In fact, thanks to the way Skylark was playing the game it was basically necessary, as far as he could tell. ¡°If we want to stay in this thing, I¡¯m not sure we have any other choice.¡± ¡°So long as it isn¡¯t those guys from yesterday.¡± Marcus said from Eriks left, as the three of them sloshed through the water, across a short gap between two islands. ¡°I bet they¡¯re all Juveniles after yesterday.¡± Sarah pointed out. ¡°Yeah,¡± Erik agreed, ¡°and they evolved with sub-boss tokens which means they¡¯ve actually got a leg up progression wise, even if they¡¯re behind growth wise.¡± ¡°So you do want to team up with, what was it? The Rizzleberries?¡± Marcus asked, incredulous. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure if I want to try and team up with anyone.¡± ¡°We could always try asking Rokells team.¡± Marcus offered, and Sarah scoffed, which came out as a chitter. ¡°Got a problem with them?¡± Marcus demanded of her, defensive. ¡°No, I just think-¡± but whatever Sarah thought they didn¡¯t get to find out because just then the foliage above them exploded in a blur of green and brown as a massive snake struck with terrifying speed. Its jaws clamped around Sarah¡¯s back, lifting her off the ground as her claws scrabbled against the air. Day 5: Part 2 - Invoke Murphys Law The snake had bitten off more than it could chew, luckily for Sarah. As it tried to lift her off the ground, it only managed a few inches of clearance before she proved either too heavily or wiggly. Perhaps worse for it, was the fact that it gave Erik and Marcus time to react. Which the T-rex juvenile did by charging forward, jumping up and wrapping its powerful mouth around the snake''s neck. Marcus dangled for a second, like a small dog playing tug of war, and then from within his mouth came a loud crack that made Eriks skin prickle uneasily. The large snake died, and the three of them all fell to the ground, the snake uncoiling from the branches above. It took Marcus and Sarah several seconds to fully disentangle themselves from its body, at which point Sarah hissed, baring her teeth at the snake''s corpse, in an uncharacteristic show of anger. Then she bit into it, ripping chunks off with a vindictive air. ¡°Breakfast is served I guess,¡± Marcus said, giving the T-rex version of a grimace before he too began to dig into the snake. As they ate, Marcus looked up and asked. ¡°Do you think it was poisonous?¡± ¡°Venomous,¡± Erik corrected, ¡°and no. It¡¯s a constrictor.¡± Though the question did bring Erik¡¯s attention to the large bite mark down the center of Sarah¡¯s back. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Sarah said before shearing some more flesh away from the monstrous serpent. ¡°It¡¯s that tingly feeling like when your foot goes to sleep, but that¡¯s fading pretty quick.¡± That was consistent with Erik¡¯s experience of pain in the game as well. It wasn¡¯t that it was absent, because that just didn¡¯t work, but it was more like everything felt like a minor scrape or cut that quickly faded to be replaced by the prickly sensation that Sarah described, and then that too would fade, regardless of if the injury was still present. It was like the brain needed to recognize the injury and then there was an adjustment period before sensation around the injury could be turned off. All attempts at circumventing this reaction had unfavorable results. Erik checked Sarah¡¯s status screen to make sure she didn¡¯t have any debuffs, which she thankfully didn¡¯t. Constrictors weren¡¯t venomous exactly, but it wasn¡¯t unheard of for them to transmit bacteria with their bites. He was fairly certain the game would handle an infection as a debuff, and likely the game would apply it immediately after being bitten, rather than simulate it to the degree of waiting for symptoms to manifest. Unable to partake of their snake breakfast, Erik decided to keep an eye out instead, looking around the immediate area of their little swamp island, and doing his best to check the trees for more lurking predators. Though his efforts were limited by the way his frill bumped against his back when he tried to tip his head up. That and he had to admit triceratops were just not designed for staring up at the sky. The mud squashed beneath his feet as he made a circle around, and he was already tired of everything being constantly wet. Almost as soon as he had the thought, the world began to grow dark as the sun passed behind some thick clouds, plunging the foggy swamp into a state of semi-darkness, and before Erik even had a chance to groan, thunder rumbled in the distance. By the time his friends had finished eating their snake, rain had begun to fall; fat drops hitting his frill and scattering merrily across his head, and the darkness only deepened with the rainfall. By the time they were read to carry on, visibility was pretty much nothing. When they approached the edge of their small island, looking for the next spit of land to wander towards in their southerly course, they couldn¡¯t see anything. Nothing but a sheet of falling water blanketing the horizon. Rain hit the water like tiny meteorites, cratering the surface a million million times, and making a sound like a lake sized piece of bacon, sizzling on the world''s largest flat top grill. ¡°So what¡¯re we gonna do?¡± Marcus asked, and for once Erik wasn¡¯t concerned about him being overheard. Not with the rain pounding at such a volume. ¡°I vote we carry on,¡± Sarah said, ¡°We can¡¯t afford to stop progressing every time the game becomes inconvenient.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Erik turned his head, scanning the battered surface of the water as far as he could see. ¡°Sarah, you take the lead and we¡¯ll follow behind. Perhaps your Keen Senses ability will make it easier.¡± Her raptors head bobbed up and down and she set off into the knee deep water, Erik and Marcus following in a single file line. ¡°So much for killing a sub-boss today.¡± Marcus grumbled, and Erik shook his head, not in denial but in an effort to clear the flow of rainwater that kept getting in his eyes. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. They travelled like that for several minutes, Sarah leading them in a straight line, moving almost straight south and Erik wondered if she really did have some sense of where they were going. A few minutes more answered his question as dark shapes loomed out of the rain, revealed to be another island in the murky swamp. They stomped there way unto the muddy shore, and entered the vegetation, where luckily Erik was able to locate a plant he could eat. It was strange because every plant he¡¯d eaten so far was predatory, and quite hostile. This one however behaved exactly as you¡¯d expect from a plant. It was squat, and it had wide fern-like leaves. Its only significant feature was that it was purple instead of green, and despite the fact he could eat it, his identity ability pulled up nothing. Tentatively at first he bit, and after nothing happened for several seconds he chomped away at the leaves, until his food meter was full. ¡°Uh, guys.¡± Marcus said, hsi voice reaching Erik over the telepathy-whisper system, since he¡¯d wandered towards the small islands centers while Erik ate. ¡°There¡¯s a nest or something over here, but it¡¯s really weird.¡± Erik trotted towards Marcus¡¯s dot on his game map, to find Sarah already arrived and the pair of them looking down at what was clearly a nest. Raised slightly above the swampy ground, it resembled a low, flat hill. Unlike the typical bowl-shaped nests Erik had seen in documentaries, this one was unusual: the center was level with the edges, forming a circular platform. An inner ring, like the rim of an eye, encircled the middle. Within the ring, a shallow depression cradled what must have once been a clutch of eggs. Now, every single one was destroyed. Jagged fragments of shell littered the nest, scattered and smeared with a dark, dried residue. ¡°What is that stuff?¡± Sarah asked, tipping a piece of shell over with her nose to reveal the curve interior, coated in a dark gooey substance. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Erik said, trying to get a better look at it. ¡°You know,¡± Marcus said looking around, his rex hunched as if trying to appear small, ¡°it¡¯s possible this is exactly where we don¡¯t want to be standing when whatever made this nest shows up.¡± Erik and Sarah both stopped their investigation to share a glance before straightening up. ¡°I¡¯d hate to say that Marcus has a point, it sets a bad precedent, but-¡± Sarah¡¯s joke died in the air as a soft trilling reached their ears. It was a calm sound, soothing almost. Like the sound of songbirds as they zipped around outside your bedroom window, singing to the sunrise. The triling came again, louder and more resonant and Erik thought he could hear splashing in the distance, even over the rain. ¡°I think the game just set us up,¡± Sarah said, turning her head in the direction of the sound, ¡°I bet whatever it is was just standing out there waiting for one of us to invoke Murphy¡¯s Law.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we run?¡± Marcus asked, turning his whole body to face the direction fo the sound. ¡°No,¡± Erik said as whatever it was made a hooting sound, with the volume of an owl the size of a car, ¡°If we go running off it''ll hear us, and we¡¯ll just end up fighting it in the water or when we¡¯re split up.¡± The creature''s silhouette loomed large in the gray rain soaked air, and it paused. Even Indistinct as it was, Erik saw it raise its head and heard it take great big sniffs, as if trying to pull all the oxygen from the air. It was taller than any of them, but smaller than the Cerato had been, if he had to guess. That was only a little comforting since they had no idea what it was. The silhouette paused for a long, long moment before suddenly whipping around on the spot and sprinting away, vanishing from sight with an eerie lack of sound. ¡°It didn¡¯t go into the water.¡± Sarah called out, pivoting slowly on the spot, and Erik realized she was correct. Whatever it was doing. The songbird call came again, from further away but this time it was joined by another. The two sounds intermingling in the rain. As they began to sync up, forming a strange sort of harmony, it became impossible to tell which direction they were coming from, the sound seeming to come from all around them. ¡°Well, this is gonna suck.¡± Marcus said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Erik agreed, readying himself for a fight. Day 5: Part 3 - Status: Aberrant Erik¡¯s feet squelched against the mud, his frill vibrating with each fat raindrop that struck its surface. Visibility was terrible¡ªthe heavy downpour cloaked the swamp in a near-constant haze, and the smell of wet decay clung to his nostrils. He tried to focus, scanning the horizon, but the rain made every shadow seem alive. And then one was.
Identify Species: Dilophosaurus Status: Normal Disposition: Hostile Age: Adult Species Information: ?
The identification appeared long enough for Erik to read and process the name before vanishing again. The first Dilophosaurus erupted from the dense undergrowth with a screech that sent a jolt through Erik¡¯s nerves. It was a sleek predator, its twin crests flaring like crimson flags against its mottled green hide. It sprinted toward them, claws digging into the wet ground, zigzagging unpredictably as its partner emerged to flank. They were smaller than Erik anticipated, though not so small as to be harmless. Their bodies were long and agile, covered in dark, mottled green hides that blended seamlessly with the swamp¡¯s murky backdrop. Erik guessed they were heavier than Sarah, but likely still outweighed by Marcus and himself, even as juveniles. The Dilophosaurs circled the three juvenile dinosaurs like sharks in the water, waiting a moment to dash in, though they didn¡¯t seem eager to fight. ¡°I think they just want us away from their nest,¡± Erik said, keeping his gaze fixed on each dilo as they passed before him, angling his horned snout at them as they moved. The Dilophosaurs chittered intermittently; the sounds, resembling a songbird, made them eerie. Marcus growled, a scratchy rumbling sound, and both of the dilos paused in their circling. Their heads rose, then snapped to the side like chickens spotting a predator. Bright, lime-green, slit-pupil eyes fixed on Marcus. Then, together, they turned and bolted away, back into the sheeting rain. The trio stood together, tense and confused, for several long seconds before Marcus said, ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Erik asked, still wary of an ambush. ¡°That ability activated. Heir to the Throne. That¡¯s why they ran away.¡± Marcus huffed, spraying water droplets from his large nostrils. ¡°It¡¯s about time I got some use out of it. I was starting to think I got shafted with that ability.¡±
Heir to the Throne (passive): As a juvenile, those animals smart enough to recognize your species will avoid you, for fear of your parents being nearby.
¡°Do you have to do something to trigger it?¡± Sarah guessed. ¡°It¡¯s a passive,¡± Marcus said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that specifically mean I don¡¯t have to activate it?¡± ¡°It could be dynamic,¡± Erik offered. ¡°Threat displays would make it more effective or give it a better chance of working.¡± They stood together in silence for several minutes. Still, the dilos did not return, apparently too afraid of Marcus¡¯s theoretical parents to defend their nest. Not that Erik saw any need for its defense, or that the eggs were all being smashed. ¡°Sarah, double-check the island and fill out your map. Make sure they¡¯re gone,¡± Erik said, looking around. ¡°Watch your back.¡± She nodded and trotted quickly forward, vanishing into the rain. Erik and Marcus kept their guard up as Erik watched her dot move on the map, trying his best to create a mental image of the island¡¯s border with the swamp water by the way she moved.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It wasn¡¯t long before her voice reached them over the ranged communication. ¡°No one here but us. I¡¯m headed back.¡± From there, her dot made a beeline straight for them. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re not hurrying to run off¡­¡± Marcus turned back to the nest and leaned in close. Erik followed his example. He had momentarily forgotten the mystery of the eggs. Still, with Marcus¡¯s reminder, he found himself eager to work it out. It had the air of a game mechanic trying to draw them in, which meant the potential for rewards¡­ or death. He was willing to roll those dice. The rain had long since soaked the nest through, and the shells were catching water. But where the black, gooey substance was present, it didn¡¯t appear to be washing away. Whatever it was, it adhered very well to the shell¡¯s interior. Erik tried to identify the eggshells but got nothing, which he expected. He was half-tempted to call for Primarch and ask probing questions, but he dismissed the idea as quickly as he had it. The AI would be of no help in this scenario. Sarah emerged into view through the rain and stopped, her head tilting as she observed them nose-to-dirt with the nest. ¡°Did you super-sleuths figure anything out?¡± she asked, an ironic quality to her tone. ¡°Not really,¡± Erik admitted. ¡°But there¡¯s something to this. It feels like we¡¯re standing on top of a game puzzle or a clue to something.¡± Intrigued, Sarah came forward and began sniffing around the nest¡¯s edges. However, she quickly gave this up, muttering about the rain. Rain cascaded from the dense canopy above, weaving through the gaps in the towering, prehistoric trees, pooling on the uneven surface of the muddy island and gathering into tiny rivulets that trickled down the incline of the nest. The swamp seemed alive, the rain merging with the constant buzz of unseen insects and the occasional distant croak of a hidden creature. Waterlogged ferns drooped under the weight of the downpour, their broad leaves sagging like defeated umbrellas. Beyond the immediate circle of the nest, the swamp dissolved into a shifting palette of gray and green. The rain blurred the boundaries between earth, water, and sky. Gnarled tree trunks rose like columns from the murky depths, their bases submerged and their roots tangled in the muck. Fog clung low to the ground, mingling with the steam from the warmer patches of water. ¡°Hey, I found another egg.¡± Sarah called out. ¡°Oh damn, that¡¯s nasty.¡± she added, and Erik looked up to see her pulled back, her lip curved upward in disgust. Interested, Erik plodded his way over to her through the mud, his four, flat feet making squelching sounds as he moved. Together, they peered down at a large egg lying on it¡¯s side and mostly intact, and it was obvious what had disturbed Sarah. There was a large dent in the side, where the egg had clearly struck something, and dripping slowly from the fracture was a dark liquid, as if the yolk within were rotten, but what was more. Erik could smell something wrong with the fluid. A foul odor pressing up into his nostrils despite the ceaseless deluge of water from the sky. ¡°That smells awful.¡± Marcus remarked, his entire nose wrinkling. ¡°Try smelling with the Keen Senses mutation. It¡¯s even upgraded to E.¡± Sarah complained. Erik was readying himself to lean forward again and perhaps try to open the egg up with his horn when it rocked. Once, then twice, and then with considerably more force a third time. All at once a crack split the egg along its length and the halves were thrown aside as if the eggs occupant had suddenly found the shell far too confining, and was having a tantrum. At first Erik thought it was a Dilophosaurus, it certainly seemed proportioned that way, but as it pushed itself up on shaking legs, the goo streaming off it, he saw that it was all wrong. Its arms were long and spindly, and they had too many joints. From its back protruded a row of needle like spines, and as its tail uncoiled, almost three times the length of its body, Erik saw it end a wicked, barbed hook.
Identify Species: Dilophosaurus Umbraespina Status: Aberrant Disposition: Hostile Age: Hatching Species Information: ?
¡°What the fu-¡± Marcus started to say, but the rumble of his rex drew the hatchlings attention and instantly it shrieked at him, its tiny, clawed hands raised. It was an unmusical sound, very unlike its parents, but Erik guessed that whatever was happening here. This animal was no common dinosaur. Right as Erik was forming the notion that they ought to kill the shrieking little monster, it seemed to determine that its threat display was not having the desired effect and turned, dashing into the undergrowth with unnerving speed. They all stood very still, watching where the dark little creature had vanished until Sarah eventually said. "I saw a scene like that in a really old movie once¡ªlittle guy runs off, and, surprise! Everyone really wished they¡¯d killed it before it got bigger." ¡°Yeah.¡± Erik agreed, and then sighed. ¡°Yeah.¡± Day 5: Part 4 - Madhouse ¡°Is anyone else feeling like this game just got a whole lot weirder?¡± Marcus asked. ¡°How many eggs were in that nest?¡± Sarah asked, turning back around, as if she meant to count them but Erik already knew that was hopeless. The shells were scattered everywhere, crushed and fragmented. The ground was soaked and muddy. There was no way they would be able to work it out. The nest site was a chaotic blend of shattered eggshells, blackened mud, and rain-churned debris. Broken fragments glistened faintly under the pale, diffused light filtering through the swamp''s thick canopy, while the surrounding ferns sagged under the weight of the persistent drizzle. Pools of dark water reflected the twisted shapes of nearby trees, their gnarled roots snaking through the muck like veins. The air was thick and heavy, carrying the mingling odors of decay, damp vegetation, and the faint acrid stench of the black goo clinging stubbornly to the remnants of the eggs. ¡°When the game mentioned aberrant boss¡¯s and sub-boss¡¯s I didn¡¯t think this is what they had in mind.¡± Erik said. It only took another few seconds of searching the area over to give it up. ¡°No less than six eggs, but possibly more.¡± Sarah said. ¡°How did they get like that though?¡± Marcus asked, ¡°that¡¯s what I wanna know.¡± Erik would''ve dismissed the question, but the nature of the game made him reconsider. Usually a game mechanic was exactly what it seemed. There were several reasons why E.L.E might have aberrant versions of dinosaurs, but as he considered it, he began to question why the game bothered with the hatching process at all. There was no reason fully formed dinosaurs couldn¡¯t just appear out of the player''s sight so what purpose did adding the extra step with the eggs serve? Games always had shortcuts to spawn enemies, so why go through the trouble of crafting this bizarre scene? It felt deliberate¡ªlike the game wanted them to notice. Well we certainly noticed, Erik thought. So what now? Maybe it was something as simple as building tension, but it was unusual for this kind of game to have any deeper narrative. Battle Royales didn''t extend past the premise, if they even bothered with that much. But maybe E.L.E was looking to redefine the genre. Whatever it was, there was certainly more going on here than just a simple; kill the other team while trying not to die yourself gameplay loop. ¡°I think it''s getting dark.¡± Marcus said, pulling Erik out of his thoughts. ¡°How can you tell?¡± Sarah asked, which was not an unfair question. The rain was coming down so thick and fast the world was already in a permanent state of twilight. Any lessening of the light had to be incremental. ¡°I can tell.¡± Marcus assured them. Erik squinted at the horizon, realizing Marcus was right. The light was fading, though it was hard to tell with the rain already dimming everything. Shadows deepened under the trees, their roots twisting through the muck like skeletal fingers. Pools of water mirrored the darkening canopy, and the swamp¡¯s usual buzz of insects seemed quieter, replaced by the steady drum of rain. The world felt heavier, the air thick, pressing down on him as if the swamp itself was preparing for nightfall. Erik wasn''t willing to call the day off just yet. Not with their next growth stage looming. So they set out again, traversing the swampy waters between islands and Erik found himself wishing for the jungle where they''d first spawned. Anything but the squish of mud under his feet, the brown water that hid any number of dangers, and the sickly sweet aroma of perpetual decay. When they did find themselves a sub-boss, they were lucky. Lucky that they saw it before it saw them.
Identify Species: Stegosaurus Status: Sub-boss Age: Sub-Adult Disposition: Hostile/Territorial Species Information: ?
It was alone, at least as far as Erik could tell. It was also massive, likely weighing more than the three of them combined. It took plodding steps through the water, head down as if to avoid the drops of rain. Its skin was a rough, pebbled texture, awash in pale greens and browns. Erik had a hard time imagining how much bigger the animal could possibly get, despite the game telling this was not a fully grown specimen. It already boasted the full armament for which the species was famous. Thick, diamond shaped plates cresting down its back, all the way to the thick keratinous spikes that curved wickedly out of its tail. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. It was moving at an angle to their own path, and had they all kept going as they were it was very likely they would have walked right into one another. Now, if they didn''t move or make any noise, it would pass them by and they were faced with a choice. Fight, or not. A choice that was made for them when, with a series of rapid, splashing footsteps, a raptor appeared out of the rain, its hide a shiny, crimson. Slick with moisture Erik had the brief impression the raptor was actually covered in blood, an impression that became nearer the truth as the Stego pivoted faster than anyone expected. The raptor¡¯s screech tore through the rain-drenched air as it narrowly avoided the Stegosaurus¡¯s tail. The spikes cleaved through the space where the raptor had been an instant earlier, leaving a violent ripple in the water. The red raptor darted in again, clawing at the Stego¡¯s flank, gouging a line of red before moving away again. Erik didn¡¯t see any reason to pass up the opportunity. He was certain the raptor was a player, though they appeared to have already progressed to the Adolescent growth stage. ¡°Guess we¡¯re doing this,¡± Erik muttered, lowering his frill. ¡°Sarah, go left.¡± Marcus growled deep in his throat, his Rex crouching low as he prepared to charge. The Stego¡¯s bellow drowned out all other sounds as it turned to face its crimson tormentor. Its plates quivered with each thundering step, and its powerful tail swung in a wide arc, forcing the raptor to leap back again. ¡°Move now, while it¡¯s distracted!¡± Erik barked, charging forward. His frill dipped low as he plowed through the muck, aiming to ram the Stego¡¯s side. Marcus roared and followed, his heavier frame thundering toward the massive herbivore. Erik hit first, his horn gouging into the Stego¡¯s side. It wasn¡¯t a deep wound¡ªits hide was thick, tougher than Erik had anticipated¡ªbut the force of the impact staggered the sub-boss. It bellowed in anger, swiveling its head to glare at Erik as its tail lashed out wildly. ¡°Too close! Move!¡± Sarah¡¯s shout cut through the chaos. Erik scrambled back, narrowly avoiding the deadly spikes as they whistled through the air inches from his head. The red raptor darted forward once more, its claws aimed for the Stego¡¯s vulnerable flank. This time, the Stego was ready. With a sudden pivot, the massive herbivore brought its tail around in a brutal arc. The raptor screeched as it tried to dodge, but the slick mud betrayed it. One of the Stego¡¯s spikes caught the raptor¡¯s side, tearing through flesh and sending it flying. The raptor landed with a splash, skidding across the waterlogged ground before coming to a limp stop. It let out a pained hiss, struggling to rise, but its back leg gave out beneath it. Erik caught sight of the bright crimson blood pooling around the injured player as they dragged themselves back toward the safety of the trees. Guess they¡¯re out. Erik thought, and he only hoped that the Stegosaurus had been wounded enough for the three of them to finish it off without any grievous injuries of their own. Sarah, in a daring display, used Marcus as a springboard and used her powerful legs to launch herself high in the air. Limbs splayed she arced up, over the Stego¡¯s line of sight, while it was distracted with the raptor and Erik, and landed square on its narrow head. The beast bellowed in alarm and rage, thrashing wildly from side to side, trying to throw her off. Before it could succeed, Sarah leapt away herself, splashing down in the mud and darting away to a safe distance. The Stego, did not relax despite the fact it no longer had a raptor hugging it¡¯s head. Spinning wildly, it¡¯s tail swiping at everything and nothing, and as it spun back toward him Erik saw it. Sarah, in her moment aboard the Stego, had used her clawed forelimbs to blind it. Blood streaked down its head as the large herbivore tried bitterly to fight enemies it could no longer see. ¡°Move around it, keep it turning.¡± Erik called to his friends, and the three of them spaced out. No longer feinting into range, but only growling and roaring every time the stegosaurus faced away. The blind dinosaur turned, and turned, slowing as blood loss and exhaustion overtook it. The Stegosaurus''s movements grew sluggish, each turn more labored than the last as its strength ebbed away. Mud clung to its legs, and its sides heaved with effort, the bellowing roars that once shook the swamp reduced to shallow, rasping breaths. Water rippled gently around it, stirred only by the faint twitches of its tail and the slow shifts of its massive body. Erik held his position, his muscles taut, watching carefully as the creature faltered. The swamp felt quieter now, the rain¡¯s rhythm softening in his ears as the tension slowly unwound. When it finally collapsed onto its side, dizzy and drained, Marcus didn¡¯t miss his opportunity. With several heavy, splashing steps he rushed the stego. Its tail twitched feebly as it heard his approach, but that was the last of its token resistance before he clamped his jaws around its head and crushed it in a single, powerful flex of his jaw muscles. The dinosaur shivered, and the notification popped up.
Notification: Stegosaurus defeated: Team Legacy has defeated it¡¯s second sub-boss, with assistance from Team Unbreakable Rewards: Unique Sub-Boss Mutation Token awarded to: all participants. 399 Evolution Energy Awarded to: Team Legacy (divided) 30 Meteorite Fragments Awarded to: Team Legacy
Reward: You have gained: 1 Sub-Boss mutation token You have gained: 199 Evolution Energy
Erik exhaled a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he was holding, the tension in his body finally easing. The rain still drummed against his frill, the swamp quiet now save for the steady patter. As the glow of the notification faded, he glanced at Sarah and Marcus, both of whom were no worse for wear, and already digging into the dead stegosaurus. The raptor that had initiated the fight, who was apparently from Team Unbreakable, was nowhere to be seen, and only then did it occur to him that they¡¯d had no teammates, at least none that he¡¯d seen. They had engaged the sub-boss entirely alone. Likely they hadn¡¯t even known Erik and his team were nearby. With a shake of his frilled head and a snort, Erik dismissed it. This game was a madhouse. Announcment Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know the past few weeks have been a lot busier than I originally anticipated, with life throwing more at me than I expected. To make sure I¡¯m in the best mindset for writing, I¡¯m pushing my resumed schedule back by one more week. This will give me a little breathing room to recharge, reset, and come back strong. Thank you all for your understanding, patience, and support¡ªI truly appreciate it more than I can say. Thanks for reading Extinction Level Event Online! Cheers, and I¡¯ll see you soon!This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.