Chapter 3: The First Taming
The atmosphere was serene, a perfect embodiment of tranquility and comfort. In one direction, you could see the Carbonemys, that colossal turtle moving with majestic slowness, like a wise elder who knew the secrets of time.
Its cracked shell bore the engravings of centuries, each fissure telling a story of a harsh storm it had survived. It stretched out its sturdy head from time to time, its small eyes gazing at the world with dignified curiosity, as if it saw what swift creatures could not.
Under its heavy feet, the grass bowed in reverence, while its short tail flowed like a painter's brush sketching a portrait of silence upon the sandy shore. Its calm breaths blended with the whispers of the waves, creating a harmonious rhythm that reminded one how great forces need no haste—only the eternal patience of a turtle.
On the other side stood the Triceratops, known among players as the "Trike," that mighty beast with a fearsome presence, armored in bone and brandishing two thorny horns that pierced through rock as effortlessly as a knife through butter. The smaller horn at the center of its forehead gleamed like a polished natural dagger under the sunlight, a silent warning to any approaching danger.
Its massive, armored body resembled a moving fortress, trudging along with heavy steps as if drumming the earth's surface with every move. When it walked, the grass beneath its feet bent in homage to the king of herbivores, while smaller creatures retreated into the shadows, awed by its majesty.
This majestic creature grazed peacefully here and there, as if nothing in the world could threaten its peace or disturb its mood.
King saw many other creatures as well: Dodos, Compys, Pteranodons, Moschops, Ankylosaurs, Stegosaurs...
Many social creatures gathered here, but this gathering couldn't conclude without the presence of beings created for a single purpose: hunting. We speak of the Spinosaurus and the hulking giant crocodile.
The two were stationed far apart, as if each had claimed its own territory and forbade the other from approaching. The Spino sat submerged in water, only its head floating above the surface, watching its surroundings with utter relaxation—like a shepherd tending to his flock.
On the other side, the crocodile lay on its back, its belly swollen as if ready to burst. It sprawled along the river's edge, seemingly taking a nap after a literal feast.
These were not the only fearsome dinosaurs; there were also Piranhas and Raptors...
King watched them with sparkling eyes, as if he had stumbled upon an unbelievable treasure. He counted the creatures gathered here and found them plentiful—44 prehistoric beings in total.
Amazed by this magnificent number, he decided to pursue his goal and attend to other matters here later. He glanced at the distance where a group of Dodos grazed peacefully, then looked at the axe in his hand, gripping it tightly with a resolve that reflected his determination.
He watched one of the Dodos straying from its group, venturing beyond the protection of the other creatures. King followed it with his eyes, then began approaching without making a sound. He closed in to a comfortable attacking distance, unseen by anyone.
He waited several moments until the Dodo was within two meters, while King hid inside a dense berry bush. The Dodo glanced suspiciously at the plant ahead, tilting its head in confusion. It had heard movement within but saw nothing. Unconcerned, it approached the giant plant and began feeding on its berries.
Suddenly, a hand holding a stone axe rose high and struck down forcefully upon the Dodo's small head.
Whoosh!
Crunch!
The stone axe crashed into the Dodo's head, crushing it into its body in a horrifying manner. The axe was made of stone, so it was naturally not sharp.
Did the poor Dodo know its last meal would be the cause of its death?
Did it ever imagine it would die in such a terrifying way?
The last thing its eyes saw was a rock tied to a stick descending upon it, and then... endless darkness.
King stared at the scene before him. A hint of deep regret flashed across his face, but that expression changed when he heard:
[Ding! You killed a Dodo, Level 50]
[You gained 100 XP!]
[Level increased!]
[Level increased!]
[Level increased!]
"Awesome!"
"Three levels from one kill!"
[Ding! Multiple utility tools unlocked!]
"Finally!"
He exclaimed loudly, then glanced at his status screen:
[Name]:King
[Level]:4
[Skill Points]:12
[XP]:100/200
---
[Health]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Stamina]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Oxygen]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Food]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Water]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Weight]: 2.5/100.0 (+)
[Melee Damage]: 100.0% (+)
[Movement Speed]: 248.0% (+)
[Crafting Skill]: 100.0% (+)
[Fortitude]: 0.0 (+)
[Torpidity]: 0.0/200.0 (+)
]
"Great! Well, twelve points I can use to feel the taste of increased power."
He looked at his status screen and noticed the plus signs that could enhance his core attributes. Hesitant about what to prioritize, he decided to boost the traits that would help him most at the moment.
"Then let it be Health, Melee Damage, and Movement Speed."
He raised his finger and began allocating points randomly.
[Ting!]
[Ting!]
[Ting!]
[...]
[
[Name]: King
[Level]: 4
[Skill Points]: 0
[XP]: 100/200
---
[Health]: 140.0/140.0
[Stamina]: 100.0/100.0
[Oxygen]: 100.0/100.0
[Food]: 100.0/100.0
[Water]: 100.0/100.0
[Weight]: 2.5/100.0
[Melee Damage]: 150.0%
[Movement Speed]: 284.0%
[Crafting Skill]: 100.0%
[Fortitude]: 0.0
[Torpidity]: 0.0/200.0
]
"Good. Four points in Health, five in Melee Damage, and three in Movement Speed."
"It seems each point adds to Health, and Melee Damage 10% , and 12% to Movement Speed."
"That's good."
He wanted to test his abilities now, but unfortunately, the place wasn't suitable. So, he decided to leave it for later and proceeded to take the Dodo's corpse, retreating to his starting point at the foot of the slope.
He reached the spot, leaned his back against a rock, sighed, and said:
"Sigh... The first hunt is always the hardest."
He looked at the corpse before him, gripped the axe in his hand, and began striking it forcefully.
The sounds of tearing flesh and cracking bones echoed, and blood splattered around him.
The scene was like a butcher slaughtering and carving his victim with sheer brutality.
After several strikes, the corpse vanished as if it had never existed. Then, a screen appeared before King, displaying:
[Raw Meat: 18, Hide: 3]
"Good. Now I need a campfire to cook the meat and a waterskin to carry water."
He opened the system window, navigated to the Engrams, and selected the campfire and waterskin. But he faced a problem: he lacked many of the required resources.
[Campfire] {Stone: 1, Wood: 1, Thatch: 18}
[Waterskin] {Hide: 7, Thatch: 5, Fiber: 5}
Seeing his pitifully small stash of resources, he decided to return to the river to hunt more Dodos and gather fiber from plants there.
And so, he set off, and time flew with him...
Minutes and hours passed as if they were nothing. The time was incredibly fruitful, he hunted many Dodos and gained enough XP to rise a few more levels.
[
[Name]: King
[Level]: 6
[Skill Points]: 8
[XP]: 357/400
---
[Health]: 140.0/140.0 (+)
[Stamina]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Oxygen]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Food]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Water]: 100.0/100.0 (+)
[Weight]: 30.0/100.0 (+)
[Melee Damage]: 150.0% (+)
[Movement Speed]: 284.0% (+)
[Crafting Skill]: 100.0% (+)
[Fortitude]: 0.0 (+)
[Torpidity]: 0.0/200.0 (+)
]
During his journey, he also crafted a club to test out taming.
He was lucky enough to encounter a Compy that had strayed from its pack. He ambushed it, striking it relentlessly until it fell unconscious.
To his surprise, he didn't need to place meat in its inventory and wait for it to eat and tame itself. Instead, the system handled the process entirely. A screen appeared before him:
[Ding! You have tranquilized a Compsognathus]
[Do you want to tame the Compsognathus?]
Two unique notifications popped up. After reading them, King agreed immediately, and a new screen appeared:
[
[Species]: Compsognathus
[Gender]: Female
[Level]: 35
[Health]: 140.0/140.0
[Stamina]: 210.0/210.0
[Oxygen]: 100.0/100.0
[Food]: 250.0/250.0
[Water]: 105.0/105.0
[Weight]: 30.0/100.0
[Melee Damage]: 150.0%
[Movement Speed]: 130%
[Torpidity]: 99.0/99.0
[Taming Requirements]: {Raw Meat: 0/10} (+)
]
Before him was the status screen of the little Compy, which turned out to be female. Though this small dinosaur's capabilities seemed limited, as his first chosen tame, King was determined to proceed.
He noticed the "Taming Requirements" section at the bottom of the screen with a plus sign, indicating he could contribute resources. He began pressing it repeatedly.
[Ting!]
[Ting!]
[Ting!]
[...]
When the counter reached 10/10, something happened. The Compy, which had been lying on the ground, began to glow intensely like a lamp. It shone as brightly as a flower in a field of cacti. Then—
Fzzzzzt!
The light intensified, flickering between dimness and brilliance until it vanished completely. Afterward, King heard a chewing sound coming from the little Compy's mouth. Then, its consciousness seemed to return as its small eyes gently opened.
It stood on its tiny feet and observed its surroundings. When it spotted King, it dashed toward him like a predator, then... hugged his leg, like a chick recognizing its mother. King patted it gently and said:
"You're my first tame, so your name will be 'One'."
"Is that good?"
The little Compy looked at him with innocent eyes and let out an enthusiastic squeal, "Keeeee!"
"Hahaha, I guess you like it..."
He glanced at Wan's status screen again and noticed some changes:
[
Name: One
Species: Compsognathus
Gender: Female
Level: 35
[Health]: 140.0/140.0
[Stamina]: 210.0/210.0
[Oxygen]: 100.0/100.0
[Food]: 250.0/250.0
[Water]: 105.0/105.0
[Weight]: 30.0/100.0
[Melee Damage]: 150.0%
[Movement Speed]: 130%
[Torpidity]: 99.0/99.0
[Loyalty]: Infinite
]
Her loyalty was infinite. What did that mean? It meant she would carry out any command without hesitation.
He averted his gaze from little One and checked his inventory, counting his current spoils:
[Wood: 50, Fiber: 200, Stone: 30, Raw Meat: 77, Hide: 44, Thatch: 133]
"Sigh, thank goodness this is enough for now." He looked at One, gently patted her head, and said, "How about heading back?"
"Kyeek!" came an excited cry of agreement from the little Compy. King smiled at this heartwarming scene, then bent down, picked her up, held her in his arms, and set off back to his base at the foot of the slope...