Welcome back, Little_Rik!
Congratulations on surviving Day 3 in E.L.E: Extinction Level Event Online. The challenges are growing steeper, and your performance reflects the importance of strategy and teamwork. Let’s review your scores for the day.
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LITTLE_RIK'S SCORES
SURVIVAL: 6
* Successfully led the team away from the game barrier.
* Secured food and water despite reduced mobility and injuries.
* Avoided further confrontation, prioritizing recovery.
* Missed Opportunities: Injuries made it impossible to make significant progress, leaving the team vulnerable.
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COMBAT: 4
* Defeated the Ceratosaurus, a mid-tier predator, against the odds.
* Showed persistence and adaptability during a poorly executed encounter.
* Missed Opportunities: Reckless engagement caused unnecessary injuries and resource strain, reducing long-term combat readiness.
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TEAMWORK: 5
* Held the group together during a difficult recovery period.
* Attempted to address Marcus’s impulsive behavior constructively, avoiding a morale collapse.
* Missed Opportunities: Lack of coordination in the fight undermined effectiveness and created vulnerabilities.
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OBJECTIVES: 0
* No objectives completed.
* Injuries and time spent recovering eliminated opportunities for progress.
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TOTAL SCORE: 15
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SCORE MULTIPLIERS
* Title: First-Blood 1.5x
* Title: Contender 0.5x
* Juvenile Growth 0.5x
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FINAL SCORE: 45
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Commentary:
“Day 3 demonstrated the consequences of reckless decision-making. While survival was achieved, the lack of objectives completed and avoidable injuries reflect poor planning and execution. The growth to the Juvenile stage is a significant milestone, but it comes with heightened responsibilities. Use Day 4 as an opportunity to rebuild, focus your strategy, and adapt to your evolving strengths and vulnerabilities.”
Erik had been expecting a heavy hit, but it was still unpleasant to see. Especially when he considered the total waste of their first day of the juvenile growth bonus as a team.
“45” Erik reported with a grimace. His human avatar felt a little odd, as his brain tried to make the mental switch from spending 16 hours as a quadruped built like a cask of rum.
“45 also.” Sarah announced, which Erik had kind of expected. Though he thought she might incur a penalty for the severity of her injuries.
“30,” Marcus said quickly, with the tone of someone who really didn't want to talk about. Erik saw Sarah’s rabbit ears twitch, but she said nothing and he decided to follow her lead. Instead, he inspected his updated character sheet.
Player: Little_Rik
Species: Triceratops
Gender: Male
Growth: Juvenile: 13%
Weight: Small
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Attributes:
Speed: 3
Strength: 4
Agility: 3
Endurance: 4
Defense: 4
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Abilities:
Juvenile Charge:
Basic charge attack, minimal damage but disrupts smaller enemies.
Weak Bite:
Consistent moderate damage to close-range targets.
Weak Headbutt:
Moderate damage vs smaller enemies; can stagger small opponents.
Bioresonant Tissue:
Stores a small amount kinetic energy for a short period of time that can be released upon an active attack.
Ability Points: 53
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Evolution:
Evolution Energy: 10
Next Growth Stage: Adolescent (20%)
Reach 20% growth to evolve at the Adolescent stage, unlocking new upgrades and abilities.
Mutations: 106 Available Mutations
Horn (Natural) (F):
The juvenile triceratops boasts a singular, partially developed horn on its snout that can be used for penetrating attackings.
Beak (Natural) (Non-mutable):
A sharp beak-like mouth evolved for shearing through vegetation.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Note: This body part requires an evolution to become mutable.
Crest (Natural) (F):
A bony crest that extends around the perimeter of the skull, functioning as an effective shield against predators.
Bioresonant Tissue (Evolved) (F)
Your tissue is capable of storing and directing energy from impacts for a short period of time.
Biopoints: 22
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Team Currency:
Meteorite Fragments: 13
*Note: Team Currencies cannot be spent until teams have assigned themselves a name, and designated a leader.
Erik closed the screen and looked around. There was almost the atmosphere of a carnival, or a festival in the field where they all appeared. Quite a development from a few days prior.
“Hey,” Rokell waved at them. Excited, she came up to them smiling and full of a restless energy. “Had some close calls today but no one died thankfully. We found a big meteor.” She spread her arms to their full width to indicate it was truly a massive specimen of space rock. Marcus was the first to greet her back, giving her a wave and a smile and a sufficiently impressed attitude at her description of the meteor.
Her teammates followed shortly after, they didn’t seem as enthused as Rokell was. Butter gave a wave of his big, stony hand and SilverWolf hung back, arms crossed over his chest. Erik imagined he was going for a serious, broody look but really he just looked surly and unpleasant.
“I’ll see you guys back in the room.” He told Sarah and Marcus, who seemed more than happy to stand there and socialize. Erik gave the other team a polite wave, excused himself and headed home, or at least the closest thing they had here.
As he called the 3D representation of his triceratops out of the table, he turned the day over in his mind. Marcus had certainly been reckless, but Erik couldn’t help but feel the first mistake had been his. Sending Sarah out by herself.
He kept letting the game catch him off guard. He kept assuming that, after surviving the last life threatening situation, they would have a handle on the game world and would be able to start making it work for them. So far he’d been wrong every time. 1/10th of their game time had now elapsed, and today might prove to be an unrecoverable disaster. Not tomorrow, and maybe not even on day 15, but what about day 25, when they had to fight a team that hadn’t wasted their time?
He leaned on the table, staring at the small dinosaur body he spent most of his time in now. It was time for him to stop assuming he knew what he was doing. Sarah’s dinosaur was meant to serve as a scout, but that didn’t mean she was invulnerable to danger. What if she came across something she couldn’t outrun? Isolated from her teammates because he’d sent her deep into the jungle with no support, she’d die and then, assuming they didn’t, they’d have to revive her, and that was only the beginning of his strategic failings, but his thoughts were interrupted as the door opened and his teammates came in.
Marcus made for a hammock hanging in the corner and fell into it with a deep sigh.
“I know we don’t need to sleep,” he said, tipping his hat forward to cover his eyes, “but I could really go for a nap right now.” Sarah came to stand by the table, calling up her own raptor and tabbing through the menus. The three of them shared the space in silence for several long minutes before Marcus sat and said.
“So how do you call out this Primarch guy? You just say, hey Primarch?” The tall, golden feathered raptor man appeared next to Marcus in all his regal glory with no warning, and Marcus jumped in surprise, leaping to his feet.
“Damn, you are way too big and flashy to just be turnin up outta nowhere.” Marcus said.
“Did you need me for something, player?” Sarah and Erik had both turned to look at Marcus by now, and Erik had to admit he was also curious to hear why.
“Ah, yeah.” Marcus said, straightening his cowboy hat and squaring his shoulders as he faced the dino-man. “I noticed our team needs a leader, and a name we hadn’t done that yet. Do you know how that works?”
“The options are present within your party interface, however, if you have made a decision I can add it directly.” Primarch’s gold, slit pupiled eyes looked down at Marcus with interest as he shifted his weight from his left clawed foot, to the right, his long tail making a gentle scuff sound as it moved against the tiled floor.
“Oh, yeah. I nominate little Rik to be leader,” he said, with a dismissive wave.
“Seconded.” Sarah said, from where she stood. The Primarch turned his gaze on Erik, expectantly and Erik nodded. He didn’t really consider himself a leader so much as an organizer, but since he was making the plans, it might as well be him.
Though a real leader would have avoided his mistakes. Not just today, and not just in E.L.E, but since the beginning. Since they’d become friends playing Battle Arena. A real leader never would’ve let his team fall apart like it had.
“And your team name?” the AI Avatar asked, still looking at Erik, though it was Marcus who spoke first.
“We have to be the Cowboys.” His big friend said, giving him two thumbs up, and Sarah scoffed.
“I cannot be on a team called the Cowboys,” she informed them, “especially if we win.”
“What about the Longhorns?” he asked, grinning, “you have to admit, it kinda works, eh eh?” he prodded them verbally, giving a significant nod of his head towards Erik and the trike model that was still floating up off the table behind him.
“We’re not calling ourselves after one of your football teams.” Sarah said firmly.
“What about Legacy,” Erik interjected, and both of them turned to look at him.
“You wanna use our old team name?” Marcus asked, uncertain. “We were like 16 when we came up with that.”
“I think it could be fitting,” Erik said, more fitting than ever. He didn’t add out loud.
“Well, you’re the boss.” Marcus said, with a shrug, but Sarah was staring at him intently from where she stood next to him. Her rabbit features unmoving. Erik forced himself to turn to look at her, meeting her eye.
“Legacy, yay or nay?” He asked her. She stared at him for several long seconds before nodding her assent with a quiet “Sure.” before turning back to the table.
“Your choices have been finalized.” the AI said, and in front of them appeared a notification.
Team Name: Legacy
Team Leader: Little_Rik
“Was there anything else you required me for?” Primarch asked.
“No sir, thanks-” Marcus started to say, but Primarch was gone before he even finished the sentence. “Not much for manners.” The Texan said. “Isn’t that odd? All those AI assistant programs are usually polite.”
“I think you just bring that out in people,” Sarah said before turning away to study the table again.
“Sure, but artificial people?” Marcus questioned.
“What can I say? You have talent.” Sarah said, already back in her dinosaur menu. Marcus chuckled and prepared to fall back into the hammock before Erik spoke.
“Alright, since we’re officially a team and I’m officially in charge, let's huddle up.”
The both looked at him, and then Marcus pushed himself to his feet again and came over so that the three of them could stand in a loose circle, and for the next several hours they talked, and planned and Erik more clearly defined their playbook and responsibilities. He tried to make it clear that the more focused approach wasn’t due just to Marcus’s mistakes, but he could tell by his friends dedication to the meeting that he was taking it as a consequence of his mistakes, but Erik knew that was only part of it. He’d been allowing them to meander. To move aimlessly through the game as he scrambled to understand the system. Trying so hard not to make a mistake that he had hardly made any decisions at all.
They talked for so long that when the notification came that they would soon be returned to the game world, they were all taken by surprise, but Erik was pleased. They had ironed out quite a few contingencies, and while he knew he couldn’t account for everything, he was satisfied with the fact that they would be much more focused moving forward.
They stood together as the countdown began, mentally preparing themselves to reenter the game world. Ready to redouble their efforts and make up for time lost.
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