The jungle fell silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Kai tightened his grip on the bone knife — completely useless, but it made him feel less naked.
Beside him, the juvenile Allosaurus stiffened. Its tail went rigid, nostrils flaring.
Something massive was coming.
Leaves shook. A tree trunk snapped.
Then the system spoke:
[Apex Predator Identified: Ceratosaurus Rex — Level 12]
[Nickname: "Tamer-Eater"]
[Behavior Pattern: Hunts humans who form beast bonds]
Kai nearly choked.
"Tamer… eater?! Why is everything here built to kill me!?"
The Allosaurus whimpered, backing up behind Kai.
He put a hand on its snout to calm it, even though his whole arm trembled.
A deep, thundering growl rolled through the clearing.
From the wall of vines stepped a monster.
Dark red scales.
A massive horn on its snout.
Rows of serrated teeth dripping with saliva.
Standing higher than a truck… and glaring directly at him.
[Ceratosaurus Rex — Elite Variant]
[Species Note: Specializes in tracking the scent of newly formed tamer bonds]
Kai whispered, "So it came… because I tamed him."
The Allosaurus nudged him with a shaky chirp, as if apologizing.
Kai grit his teeth. "Don't worry. I'm not letting anything eat you."
The system chimed urgently:
[Emergency Quest: Survive the Tamer-Eater]
Reward: New Skill]
Failure: Death]
"Wow. So inspirational."
The Ceratosaurus stepped forward, each foot slamming into the ground like a falling boulder.
Kai scanned its body desperately.
Thick legs
Heavy torso
Horned skull
Scars from past battles
Fast… too fast to outrun
Powerful… too strong to fight head-on
He looked at his Allosaurus.
It was limping.
Weak.
Young.
A fight would be suicide.
Then the system made a soft ping.
[Hidden Taming Route Detected]
You possess a dinosaur companion. A pack tactic is possible.]
Issue a Prime Command to coordinate movement.]
Kai's eyes widened.
"A combo command…?"
The Ceratosaurus roared and charged — a tsunami of muscle and teeth.
Kai had seconds to act.
He shouted:
"DUCK RIGHT!"
The Prime Command burst outward like a shockwave.
The Allosaurus obeyed instantly, diving right as the Ceratosaurus lunged.
The huge predator's jaws snapped closed where the Allosaurus's head had been.
Kai sprinted to the left, barely avoiding being trampled.
BOOM!
The Ceratosaurus slammed into a boulder, cracking it in half.
Kai gasped. "Holy crap… that worked?"
[Prime Command Exp: +1]
The Ceratosaurus shook off the impact and roared again — angrier than before.
Kai's brain raced.
"I can't kill it… but I can outsmart it."
He looked up.
The trees.
The steep slope.
The exposed roots.
A plan formed.
He pointed to the hillside.
"Allo! Lure it up the slope!"
The Allosaurus barked and bolted.
The Ceratosaurus roared and gave chase, thundering after it, heavier… slower… struggling up the incline—
Now.
Kai sucked in a breath.
"ALLANDOMINATE!"
(The name he yelled wasn't a real command, but the system seemed to understand the intent.)
The Prime Command shot out again — this time, perfectly synced with the Allosaurus.
It leapt aside.
The Ceratosaurus lost its footing.
For a split second, the massive predator froze, weight tipping—
And then it tumbled down the hill.
CRASH! CRACK! THUD!
It smashed into trees, rocks, and roots until the massive body finally crashed lifelessly at the base.
Silence.
Then—
[Apex Predator Defeated]
[Level Up!]
[Host Level: 2]
[Reward: Skill Unlocked — Beast Bond Link (F)]
Allows emotional + sensory sharing with tamed dinosaurs.
Range: 30 meters]
Kai collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard.
The Allosaurus limped up next to him and gently licked his arm.
Kai laughed weakly. "Yeah… we're alive. Somehow."
He stared down at the Ceratosaurus's massive corpse.
"Let's get you healed up. And after that…"
A confident smile formed.
"We're going to tame an entire army."