I was out in the forest, feeling a little too overconfident. After all, I had evolved—and gained some height. What could possibly go wrong?
I sniffed the air, trying to pick up the scent of something worth my while. After a while, I found a small group of baby raptors, barely bigger than me. They were hopping around in the grass, looking all cute and innocent.
[System Update: New Prey Found: Baby Raptors. Caution: High Agility and Group Tactics. Prey Level: Low.]
Baby raptors? Low level?
"Alright, let's see what these little guys are made of," I muttered to myself, stalking through the grass, careful not to make a sound.
I crouched behind a bush, watching them from a distance. Their tiny heads bobbed as they chased after insects and occasionally snapped at each other playfully. Their agility was impressive for such small creatures. It reminded me of, well, my first horrible experience with trying to catch a lizard.
Wait a minute...
This whole situation felt strangely familiar.
[System Update: Status Window Available.]
I paused mid-thought. Status window?
Suddenly, a small screen appeared in my vision, giving me all kinds of details about my new dino body. It was like a character sheet in a video game, but way less glamorous.
---
[Mike, Baby Allosaurus]
Height: 1.5 meters
Strength: 5/10
Endurance: 4/10
Intelligence: 6/10
Agility: 7/10
Evolution Points: 12/700
Skills:
Primitive Bite (Lv.1) – A basic attack that deals moderate damage.
Quick Sprint (Lv.1) – Increased speed for short bursts.
---
I blinked. 12 Evolution Points? That wasn't nearly enough to evolve again, but I wasn't going to complain. The stats were interesting though, especially the Strength and Agility. Apparently, I was stronger than I thought, but definitely not as agile as these raptors. I glanced back at the baby raptors, whose tiny limbs were scurrying everywhere, looking like they were playing an extreme version of tag.
"Alright, Mike, focus."
I took a deep breath and charged forward, feeling my Quick Sprint activating automatically. My little legs carried me faster than before—much faster.
I lunged for the nearest baby raptor, hoping to take it by surprise. But just as I was about to snap my jaws around it, the little guy dodged and darted to the side.
"Hey! No fair!"
I stumbled, almost tripping over my own feet. The baby raptor stopped, turned around, and gave me this smug little head tilt like it knew exactly what I was trying to do.
"Are you seriously mocking me?"
I growled in frustration, but the system chimed again.
[System Update: Evolution Point Gained: +5 for Successful Hunt. Total Evolution Points: 17.]
I blinked, surprised at the notification. I hadn't even touched the raptor yet, but apparently just trying to catch it counted as some sort of victory.
"Alright, let's do this the right way."
The baby raptors, as it turned out, weren't just fast—they were also very coordinated. They stuck together in a group and kept bouncing around, making it nearly impossible to catch just one. But if I could outsmart them...
I spotted a big, thick vine hanging from a tree nearby. Smirking, I grabbed it with my claws and swung it down in front of the raptors. It startled them, causing one to freeze in place. I took advantage of that split second to close the distance.
With a final sprint, I pounced, landing on top of the raptor like a professional wrestler. The others scattered, too scared to get close.
"Gotcha!"
I sank my teeth into the raptor's neck, and the system pinged again.
[You have consumed a baby raptor. +10 Evolution Points.]
As I stood up, catching my breath, I noticed the little raptor's body twitching slightly. I felt a little bad, but hey, I was still alive. This was survival.
---
[Status Window Updated.]
[Mike, Baby Allosaurus]
Height: 1.5 meters
Strength: 6/10
Endurance: 5/10
Intelligence: 6/10
Agility: 8/10
Evolution Points: 27/700
Skills:
Primitive Bite (Lv.2) – Increased damage and speed.
Quick Sprint (Lv.2) – Longer bursts of speed, but more energy-consuming.
---
"Level 2 Bite? That's what I'm talking about!" I said, grinning. The strength of my bite had definitely improved. Maybe now I could catch more raptors... if I didn't trip over my own feet again.
The group of raptors was nowhere to be seen now. They were probably off plotting their revenge. But that was fine. I had my first raptor.
And I was one step closer to 700 Evolution Points.