The next morning hit different.
The sun barely cracked through the trees when the whole base went still—like someone hit mute on the whole jungle.
Kiki was the first to react.
He growled real low, then stood up slow like a shadow was crawlin' up his spine. Arka felt it too. That cold-under-your-shirt type feeling.
Then—
CRASH.
BOOM.
THUD-THUD-THUD.
Trees toppled like toys. A screech split the air—deep, sharp, hungry.
"Yo! That ain't a raptor!" Yen shouted, diving for cover.
Out of the smoke and vines stomped a Spinosaurus—but like, not the fossil-fair kind. This one looked upgraded. Plates glowing faint red. Scarred up. Mean as daylight after a bad dream.
And it was hungry.
Arka grabbed a spear, heart thumpin' like a drum solo. "Kiki, keep left! Everyone else, scatter!"
Kiki darted, claws slicing mud, his little raptor body movin' like a streak of lightning with legs.
The Spino roared and charged.
🌀 SURVIVAL EVENT TRIGGEREDBoss Encounter: Red-Plated SpinoDanger Level: 💀💀💀💀Objective: Survive, Defend the Base, Don't Get Chomped
Tam ran straight at it with a giant vine net. Yen started throwin' sonic shrooms like homemade grenades. Mira? Already flanked around back, settin' traps like she was born for it.
But the Spino didn't care. It was angry. Maybe starving. Maybe somethin' worse.
Echo, the floaty AI orb, zoomed over and flickered. "Engaging defense assist mode."
The vines around the base lit up—pulsin' green—and started wrapping around the creature's legs like they had a mind of their own.
"Base is alive?! That's wild!" Lina shouted, slamming open a panel and triggering a wave of heat spores.
Boom—like firecrackers.
The Spino shrieked, flailed, then backed off—stompin' through the edge of the jungle, leavin' cracked earth and scared trees in its wake.
It didn't die.
But it knew now: this place bites back.
🌀 ARKA'S SURVIVAL LOG
New Threat: Red-Plated Spino (Wounded, Roaming)Defense System: "Living Walls" activated.Morale: +10 (we ain't dead!)Damage: 32% structural—fixable.
Arka dropped to a knee, breath catchin'. Kiki padded up beside him, side singed but alive.
"Good job, little dude," he said, rufflin' the dino's feathers.
🌀 KIKI LEVEL UP!Level: 7New Trait: "Burn Swipe" – Fast claw attack now deals light fire damage after heatvine exposure.
"You spicy now, huh?" Arka grinned. "Lil firecracker dino."
Lina joined him, ash on her cheeks, wild smile on her face. "We need better defense. I mean—did you see what it just did to the gardens?"
"I saw," Arka said, standing. "Time to level up the whole base."
🧰 New Upgrade Plan Unlocked:
Spore Mines – Triggered by motion, made from sonic fungus.
Sky Vines – Wrap targets mid-air. Works best on flyers.
Echo Gate – Energy shield triggered by AI signals. Only opens for tribe members.
Night came soft and humid. Fireflies drifted between the glowbeds. The squad sat in a circle, passing around fruit jam and roasted root chips.
Tam was fixing his broken radio again, whisperin' to static. Yen doodled plans for a booby-trapped welcome mat. Mira slept curled up in moss. Kiki? Snorin', twitchin', probably dreamin' about roast meat or spicy bugs.
Arka leaned back, eyes on the stars pokin' through the leaves.
"This place," he said, "is startin' to feel like home."
Lina nodded. "Yeah. If home came with boss monsters and jungle AI."
Echo hovered above them, blinkin' like a lazy firefly. "Home is... relative. But statistically... this is a strong beginning."
Arka laughed. "I'll take it."