My Observe was going haywire as I sprinted away from the explosion behind me, my body leaning forward in what I imagined to be a very stereotypical dinosaur-running pose. The Instinct started picking up on everything I passed, nearly blinding me as I tried to dismiss the screens as fast as possible.

Hav Tree Tet Tree Skurgis Plant Tet Tree Bush Gnat [Lvl 1]

Bush Ghaka Plant Gnat [Lvl 1]

Bush Your [Observe] instinct has leveled up. It is now level 4. Hav Tree Bush

Well the good news, at least, was that Observe leveled up again. If I could continue spamming it for levels when I didn’t have a bloodthirsty thing on my tail, that’d be great. I rapidly swiped the notifications away while I listened for the sound of my pursuer over my loud breaths.

The slithering sound cut through the bushes and leaves, ripping up the ground, a hard tip smacking against the back of my leg.

Your [Flee] Skill has leveled up. It is now level 3.

Damnit! And I said I wouldn’t be running for long!

At least with that small increase in level, I managed to outpace the thing behind me, moving faster than it could reach for my legs to trip me up.

Blessed Glade

Nope!

I quickly dipped around the side of that glade, now knowing what was contained within. The poor squirrel had simply vanished in the storm of dirt and teeth from the first one.

As soon as I'd felt the ground rumble, I instantly backpedaled through the woods, watching as the maw waiting patiently under the dirt chomped down on the grey, bite-sized meal. Vines whipped around like tentacles reaching to be sure it hadn’t missed anything.

My Observe confused me, because where it once read “Blessed Glade”, it had now changed.

Unhallowed Thragil Plant [Lvl ???]

Everything was fine for a moment, as I watched the mouth of the plant sink back into the pit it created, spewing dirt from the sides of its “body” and rapidly filling the pit back in as the vines retracted. The blue box became hazy, and as the smooth surface of dirt reappeared, it changed again.

Blessed Glade

So these things can fool Observe?

The possibility that the skill I had been so fervent about and was going to rely on to survive could be flawed blew my mind. What now?

I took another step back, away from the Thragil Plant’s glade.

And the ground underneath me began to rumble. I looked down.

Of course, I thought bitterly. I would be the one to walk right into another one of these things.

And that’s how I ended up sprinting through the forest, pursued by the Thragil’ thick vines, and narrowly avoiding more Blessed Glades that crossed my paths.

I was just thankful that this plant was so focused on me, and its vines didn’t slither over other glades, awakening more problems for me to deal with.

Damn squirrel…

This area was definitely getting marked as a no-go for me. With creatures like the Metamorphic Impersonators or even the Night Stalker, I could fight them one day. Hell, with the possibility of evolution on the horizon, who knew what I could end up becoming?

Not even Sailboat will stand a chance against me in the future...

As much as I would have liked to stand there, running my clawed hands over themselves evilly as I planned out the future domination of the jungle I'd been reborn in, my out-of-breath escape from the Thragil was taking priority. I could hear the roots snaking forward across the ground, following me as I sprinted uphill. Apparently they weren’t as bothered by gravity as I was, because my ascent slowed me down quite a bit.

How long are this thing’s roots?!

And it wasn’t helping that Observe was still going haywire, firing off information left and right about the bugs I was accidentally eating, and the moss that covered the slippery slope.

Maybe this skill wasn’t as much of a blessing as I originally thought...

A root slipped forward, catching me by surprise and tripping me. I stumbled, my toe slamming into a rock, sending me careening out and over the crest of the hill, my tiny arms flailing. I struggled to keep my balance at the summit, the roots wrapping around my feet slowly, as though checking to be sure that I was the prey it had been chasing so aggressively.

But my thoughts weren’t occupied by the plant behind me anymore. No, now I was focused on the problem before me. I’d stopped so suddenly and was struggling to regain my balance for one very specific reason.

My frail body, with arms swinging as I fought to stay standing, my legs locked by the vines, tilted forwards, and I looked down the sheer rock face beneath my toes.

I’d stopped because I realized that suddenly, I was standing over the edge of a cliff.

The Thragil yanked, pulling my legs out from underneath me.

And that was all it took for my body to swing forward like an upside-down pendulum, my hands grasping for something to hold onto, as I fell over the edge of the cliff. My feet slipped out of the Thragil’s grasp. Perhaps it was surprised by the sudden force I exerted away from it, though I can’t take any credit for the work done by gravity. Although, I’m not sure plants can be surprised.

Then again, I’ve never seen a plant that can do what the Thragil can.

And with nothing to root me to the ground, I tumbled over the edge, plummeting towards the river far below.

You know, I thought, an unexpected calm washing over me as I fell towards the rushing water. I was just beginning to get a little thirsty. I raised an arm, sniffing myself. And smelly…

The water zoomed towards me, and I idly wondered how much the impact was going to hurt.

Status.

Frail Baby Dino

Level:

3 [5/30]

Health:

28/30

Stamina:

8/20

Skills

[Bite]

[Lvl 1]

[Claw]

[Lvl 1]

[Flee]

[Lvl 3]

[Stomp]

[Lvl 2]

Instincts

[Fight or Flight]

[Lvl 2]

[Freeze]

[Lvl 2]

[Fearful Flight]

[Lvl 2]

[Observe]

[Lvl 4]

On the plus side, there’s only 28 health for me to lose.

I stared at the water, only seconds away from impact.

This… is survivable… I think.

And Observe fired off again.

River

Wow... Thanks... Very helpful, as usual...

And then I slammed into the rushing water at breakneck speed.