The jungle always got weird around sunrise. Fog curling like lazy smoke, leaves dripping from the night's breath, and somewhere out there, something always growling.
Arka woke up to a sound he didn't like.
THUMP.
Then again.
THUMP.
He sat up on his moss-bed, Kiki already alert beside him, pupils wide. "That's… not morning birds," Arka muttered, grabbing his gear. Kiki chirped low—a warning.
Outside, the sky was streaked with pale gold, and the air felt heavy. Too still.
Then the trees exploded.
A massive figure crashed through like a living tank—taller than the house, jaws long and lined with teeth like blades.
"SPINO!!" Arka shouted, stumbling back as the monster roared, water spraying from its ridged back. Its eyes locked on them, wild with hunger.
Kiki vanished in a flicker—cloak mode. Arka barely rolled aside before claws slammed down where he'd just been.
"That thing's not just hunting," Arka gasped. "It's starving."
The Spinosaurus lunged, teeth snapping shut inches from his leg. Arka drew his sparkblade—more for show than use. But before he could even swing—
🌀 INTERFACE FLASH
BASE DEFENSE TRIGGEREDKIKI: INITIATING AUTO-BUFFNEW TRAIT ACTIVATED: "Fight or Flight"TEMP BOOST: +25% Speed, +15% Reflex
"Okay! Okay!" Arka dashed sideways, speed kicking in like lightning. "We're in it now!"
From the trees, a pulse—heatvine turrets flared, launching flashes of energy. The Spino snarled, swatting at them like flies.
Kiki reappeared behind its leg, clawing at tendons before blinking away again.
"Keep it up, little dude!" Arka called.
He darted for the Skyforge, grabbing a barely-cooled spear-tip.
"This better work..."
He sprinted back, climbed the edge of the stone platform, took a breath—then leaped.
Kiki launched too.
Together, they struck—the spear to the neck, Kiki's bite to the eye.
The Spino let out a soul-tearing screech and stumbled. It crashed sideways into the clearing, snapping vines and crushing a supply hut.
But it didn't get up.
Arka lay on the ground, panting like a marathon sprinter post-stampede.
Kiki limped over, tail flicking.
"Remind me to never do that again," Arka muttered.
🌀 LEVEL-UP PING!
ARKA GAINED: +220 XPKIKI GAINED: +180 XPKIKI LEVEL: 6 → 7NEW TRAIT: "Battleborn" – Gains extra power during fights with larger enemies.ARKA: TRAIT POINTS +2TRAIT UNLOCKED: "Tactician" – Improvised weapons deal 1.5x damage.
Arka blinked up at the sky. "We leveled up from that?"
Kiki chirped proudly, still licking his claw.
"Alright," Arka groaned as he sat up. "Let's pretend that was all part of the plan."
From across the clearing, Lina came running, Tam and Yen behind her, weapons drawn too late.
"DID YOU JUST KILL A SPINO?!" Lina shouted.
"…Technically?" Arka replied. "Kiki did most of the work."
Mira walked up quietly, touched the creature's still-warm scales, and simply said, "It came from the river. They're running."
Arka stood, frowning. "Running from what?"
Nobody answered.
But the jungle did.
A distant boom. Not thunder. Something deeper.
Something moving.
🌀 ARKA'S SURVIVAL LOG
Event Logged: [River Exodus]Creatures fleeing upstream. Cause: UNKNOWN.Recommendation: Scout source within 3 days or risk encounter.Risk Level: HIGHTeam Status: +Fear, +Bond
Arka sighed. "Well… guess we've got a quest."
Kiki bumped his side with his snout.
"Yeah," Arka said. "We'll bring snacks this time."