Morning rolled in wrapped in mist, the kind that made the world feel like it hadn't woken up yet. Arka stretched out on the glowbed, joints poppin', breath foggin' the cool air. Kiki was already up, perched on a vine beam above, tail twitchin' like he'd sniffed somethin' weird.
"Chill, bud," Arka said, rubbing his face. "Not every weird noise is a problem."
Kiki didn't buy it. His crest flared blue.
Then the jungle shook.
Not wind. Not footsteps.
Thump.Thump.Something huge was movin' through the brush, slow at first—then all at once.
KRAKK—branches snapped like candy sticks, and from the treeline—
A spinosaurus burst into the clearing.
Bigger than anything they'd seen. Meaner too. Its jaw was a nightmare full of razors, dripping mud and leaf-bits, its back lined with a sail that caught the morning light like a war flag.
"OH SNAP—MOVE!" Arka shouted, diving off the platform just as the beast's snout smashed through the vine wall.
Kiki hit the ground runnin', claws scrabblin'. The others screamed in the distance—Tam was already grabbin' his radio, Yen yellin' something about "battle stations," Mira grabbin' glowpowder traps, but this wasn't a team fight yet.
This was Arka vs Beast.
He bolted across the clearing, dodgin' broken trees and scatterin' fireflies. The spino lunged. Its jaws slammed shut just behind him—CRACK!—takin' out part of the Skyforge roof.
"Kiki—flank him!"
Kiki zipped left, distractin' the beast with screeches. Arka ducked into the crafting bay, heart poundin'. He grabbed what he could—flashvine bombs, sparkstones, that one weird spear he never tested.
"Okay," he muttered, breathing deep. "Time to level up or shut up."
🌀 ARKA'S SURVIVAL LOGEmergency Status: Apex EncounterBoss Monster: Spinosaurus the RavagerBattle Music: ActivatedAdrenaline Buff: +30% reflexes
Arka burst back out, spear lit up with sparkstone juice. He aimed for the side, not the head—too armored. The beast roared, turned, and charged again—
BOOM. He threw a flashvine bomb right in its path. Blinding light exploded across the clearing. The spino reeled, stumbled, and—
That's when Kiki struck.
Claws slashing, tail whipping, Kiki moved like liquid lightning. He darted between the beast's legs, makin' it lose balance. Arka followed up, jabbing the spear deep into the side.
The spino shrieked. Staggered. Then—backed off.
Blood steaming, it turned and crashed back into the jungle, tail takin' out half the orchard as it vanished into the mist.
Silence hit like a blanket.
Arka dropped to his knees, breathless, Kiki panting beside him.
"…Did we just—" he wheezed.Kiki let out a proud trill.
🌀 KIKI LEVEL UPLevel: 7New Trait: "Apex Challenger" – Bonus damage against creatures bigger than you.Mood: 10/10, feels like a beast.
🌀 ARKA LEVEL UPLevel: 6New Skill: "Instinct Burst" – Temporary stat boost in life-or-death moments.XP: Gained +500 (Spino Fight Bonus)
Lina and the others ran up, wide-eyed.
"You okay?" she gasped. "That was INSANE."
Arka just nodded, still buzzin'. "Yeah. But that thing's out there now. And it's got a memory."
🛠️ BASE UPDATE
Defense Priority Unlocked
New project: Perimeter Shields (made from Echoroots + Stormstone)New upgrade: Beastwatch Tower – high vantage for early threat detection
Night fell calm, but no one really slept. Arka stood watch with Kiki, eyes on the trees.
They weren't just surviving now.
They were levelin' into legends.