Next day? Whole squad was feelin' it. Muscles sore, spirits high. Like after a wild concert where everyone barely made it out with their shoes.
Kiki was limpin' a bit, but still struttin' like he owned the dirt. That fire claw? Already got him actin' like a lil' jungle legend.
Tam sat cross-legged fixin' a busted wire coil. "Radio's cooked," he muttered. "We ain't pingin' no one unless it's Morse code and hope."
Yen was doodling traps again. "I'm thinkin' we lay out like, five sonic spores in a circle. When the Spino comes back? Boom. Dino disco."
Arka stood by the edge of the tree deck, munchin' on some wild banana chips Mira toasted over hot stones. He stared out at the deep jungle where the Spino disappeared. The canopy moved like it was breathin'. Alive. Waitin'.
"We need better eyes," he said. "Early warnings. Something that sees before stuff starts breakin' down our gates."
Mira slid in with that low-key wisdom. "We still got that broken drone Echo found, right?"
"Oh snap, you right!" Tam popped up like a spring. "We slap some jungle camo on it, hook it to the lookout tree. Instant aerial buddy."
🧠 Blueprint Unlocked📄 Sky Scout v1.0
Components: 2 AI cores, 1 broken drone, 5 silkleaf batteries
Function: Hover patrol, thermal scan, snack delivery optional (not recommended)
They got to work. Tools clangin', Kiki chirpin' like a foreman on his fourth coffee. Echo zipped around dropping hints like, "Angle your welds," or "That wire's about to spark," or "Please do not set the banana chips on fire."
By sunset, the drone hummed back to life. Shaky at first, then steadier.
"Yo... it's flyin'!" Yen shouted, arms up like they just won the jungle cup.
The scout zipped through the trees, scan lights blinkin'. It made a wide arc over the forest, then looped back and hovered above the camp like a lazy bee.
They cheered. Even Kiki did a lil' spin.
🌌 That Night…
Campfire crackled, soft glow paintin' their faces gold. Crickets played backup. Everybody was chillin'. Even the jungle, for once, kept it quiet.
Arka sat with a tablet in his lap. The screen glowed with old data from the Builder ruins they'd seen on Day One.
Lina leaned in. "You still diggin' through that old language?"
"Yeah. It's weird," Arka said. "Some of it matches the markings on the altar back at the Skyfall Ridge. I think... these people weren't just surviving. They were upgrading the whole planet."
Tam blinked. "Like, settin' up tech to keep nature in check?"
"Or maybe boostin' it," Arka said. "Fusion roots, sky vines, AI spores... this jungle might be more grown than wild."
Echo floated down slowly. "Your theory aligns with partial data recovered. Project name: 'Verdant Core.' Purpose unknown."
Lina raised an eyebrow. "Yo, sounds deep."
Yen chuckled. "Sounds like we're sittin' on top of some real endgame stuff."
Arka smiled. "Then we better get good."
🌀 TRIBE STATUS: LEVEL UP!
Base Level: 3
Kiki's Claw Sharpness: ✨+1
New Trait: "Jungle Sync" – Slight speed boost when in deep foliage
Trust Between Tribe Members: ↑↑
Enemies Watching? Maybe.
Before they hit sleep mode, Arka stood, lookin' out again over the night-blanket trees.
"Tomorrow," he said, voice low, "we send the scout deeper. There's a valley beyond the ridge... might be where those weird lights came from."
Lina nodded, already half-asleep but vibin' with the plan.
"Sky's callin', huh?"
"Yup. And I'm pickin' up."