The smell of smoke from the burning torches hit my face as I darted forward, leading the charge. Maggie kept up with me, though there weren’t many creatures in our way. The yelling of orders came from far away, along with the sounds of fighting. Thankfully, I knew exactly where we needed to go, and it wasn’t too far.

One miner dragged the cart via the handle while two others pushed from behind. The rest stayed on the shuttle, though the ramp didn’t lift back up. The crystals on the wings pulsed a bright white, making the area around the shuttle glow.

We headed away from it toward the valley entrance. The moon glowed overhead, providing ample light in conjunction with all the torches. Nothing stopped us on the pathway leading out of the valley, though the trees on one side almost made me hesitate. My prey sense whispered creatures hid inside, but not near the edge. It was enough for me to keep moving.

The miners with the cart kept pace behind us.

Then we were there.

Bright torches lined the edges of the rock walls, highlighting the gap. The towering metal pole in the center was bent. Wooden poles were strapped to it to make the opening smaller but something had clearly smashed through them. A flock of creatures pushed through the wooden poles. Arrows flew from people hidden up on the rocks. Hunters I recognized, like Mary and Jas, fought on the ground up close with the large dinosaurs. Tall spikes grew out of their backs and I knew they weren’t predators.

My eyes landed on one, and I triggered Insight.

[Stegosaurus, Level 19, Prey.]

As soon as the name popped up, I recognized the creatures. It made little sense, yet the group of three of them pushed in this direction.

“Alex?”

My head turned to spot my father, a sword strapped to his back and a gun in his hands. I blinked twice before charging toward the Stegosaurus that kept trying to push past Mary and Jas. My spear flashed in its face, causing it to flinch as I aimed for one of its eyes. The armor on the thing made it hard to hurt it, but even a carnitor reacted if you stabbed it in the eye.

My spear sunk in, and it moaned before collapsing on the ground with several arrows sticking out of it. Blood loss from several cuts from Jas’s spear helped, too. I yanked my spear back with a grin.

[You have gained experience from combat with a Stegosaurus.]

“Really, you show up and steal our kill?” asked Mary with a big grin.

Movement around the gap stopped as the two other creatures outside the fence fled toward the east. I assumed the smell of blood spooked them.

“I was lucky,” I replied as I pointed Matt toward the opening.

Yet, my father was already there leading the miners with the cart forward. If the crystal started to ground once in place, it would make this area much safer.

“You can place it right here,” instructed my father, on this side of the fence. The miners moved the cart into place before unstrapping it.

I turned toward the break in the fence, as something kept nagging at me.

“You’re level 20?” asked Jas, slapping me on the back.

It almost staggered me, but I forced myself to stay upright. Both were at level 19, as I quickly checked. “It’s been a long few days.”

“I can’t wait to hear about it,” interrupted my father. His dark eyes traveled over me, pausing at the armor on my chest and arm. He frowned, but turned back toward the break. “You guys should move farther in. Mary, can you escort them to the safe zone?”

It took a moment to realize he was talking about the miners. Mary headed off with them in tow, along with the cart. The crystal started glowing softly, but it would take some time for a crystal of that size to properly ground.

“Jas, we need to remove this body before something catches wind of it,” said my father.

“Yes, Sir.” He whistled and someone jumped off from the rocks and moved toward the carcass. As the light hit them, I gave Jenny a nod. Her level had increased from 15 to 20 as well.

My mouth watered slightly at the idea of cutting it up and eating it. “I can help butcher it; I have a skill for Field Dressing.”

“Jenny has that skill.”

I stood there awkwardly, not sure what to say to him. Instead, I turned back toward the opening. “At least this will fix the fence.”

“What would cause a prey animal to act like this?” I asked him in a lower whisper. Hellion stepped around the carcass as Jenny and Jas cut into it. The scent of blood filled the air.

The hair on the back of my neck raised as I studied the darkness beyond what the torches showed. “Something chasing them…” I mumbled to myself.

“Exactly…” Hellion raised his gun. “Everyone, expect incoming…” His voice trailed off as a roar shattered the night.

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Something moved in the far distance, and I took a step back. Standing out in the open wasn’t the best place for me; I wasn’t a tank, I needed surprise and freedom of movement. I crept off to one side, but then that left Jas and Jenny out in the open with the dead Stegosaurus. As I looked, I saw that both of them had moved as well, toward the edges.

“Maybe it will go for the dead dino,” said Jas as he moved next to my father. Jenny scrambled up the rocks to where the other archers were hiding.

“It’s a thought, but we don’t want it near the crystal.”

Both men glanced at the glowing crystal. The dim light coming from it was barely increasing in strength. They moved away from the open toward the other side of the fence from me. I kept moving backward toward the ferns and shadows. The torches kept drawing my attention, and I wished they weren’t lit. Too much light would draw attention.

A tall shadow moved in the torchlight, yet it was hard to make out the creature beyond the shadows it cast. I triggered Insight.

[Great Allosaurus, Level 24, Predator.]

My mouth went dry as I moved deeper into the shadows of the trees, drawing my cloak around me. From my memory, I aimed to climb a tree on this side. I kept my attention on the enormous nose that poked between the wooden poles. A plan came to mind, and I smiled, yanking a large rock from the base of the tree into my inventory. I moved around the trunk before climbing up into its branches as quietly as I could. It took no time at all before I was higher than the giant predator’s head with leaves between it and me, not to mention some distance.

It sniffed at the carcass several feet inside the fenced area. On the far side, I saw my Dad making hand motions up to people on the rocks, and then to him. The number two flashed multiple times and my stomach sank. The Allosaurus stepped inside the fence as another smaller one moved inside behind it.

[Allosaurus, Level 19, Prey.]

I paused, seeing the word Prey after its level. Pride raced through me and I gripped my spear tighter in my hand. All I needed was an opening. Then a thought hit me, and I spit on the spearhead, using my poison. The act felt ridiculous, but anything would help as I focused on the larger of the two beasts.

The smaller creature’s head bit into the carcass as the bigger one kept watch. It was almost cute. The momma was protecting the little one. Or at least, I assumed as much, given that both had the same stripes down their backs and the same ridges above the dark eyes.

A scream shattered the scene, drawing the attention of both dinosaurs.

“Now!” yelled my father as arrows rained down on the two dinosaurs. The sound of bullets came from his direction, which made little sense since none of the guns we’d brought with us still worked.

The smaller dinosaur moved away from the left side and toward mine as the bigger one bit toward my father. Without a thought I launched myself out of the tree and onto the back of the smaller one, using my jumping ability. As I slammed into its neck, I dug deep with my spear, the sound of the tip sizzling.

Both dinos roared in pain as attacks landed. The one under me tried to turn its head enough to reach me, but couldn’t. I used Claw Strike to dig in with my left hand to keep myself in place, as I yanked my spear out and dug in again.

It roared again, this time louder, drawing the attention of Mommy dearest. The level 24 Allosaurus locked her eyes onto me, and it darted forward, mouth open. I yanked my claws back out and jumped, this time using the skill as hard as I could, aiming for the sky. I flew upward faster than before.

The dino tracked me as I prayed no one would hit me with an arrow. Its teeth missed as I flew out of reach. Using my left hand, I pulled out the large rock from earlier as gravity took hold. Dropping the rock before I stopped rising, it fell below me, slamming into the top of the head of the Dinosaur, giving me the opening I needed as I fell onto its back.

The air rushed out of me as I scrambled to grab a place, ignoring the pain from hitting the small ridges along its spine. My left hand wrapped around an arrow buried deep in its back, and I stabbed with my right hand.

“Drop!”

Without hesitation, I let go, falling off the side of the creature to the ground with a roll. A tail graced the side of me, pushing me farther into the bushes and out of sight. The sound of fighting continued, and I scrambled to my feet, as I shoved a piece of meat into my mouth from my inventory. My spear was still lodged in the dino’s back.

[You have gained experience from fighting the level 19 Allosaurus.]

[You have gained a class level.]

The smaller Allosaurus hit the ground, dead.

More and more arrows flew toward the larger dinosaur, and I armed myself with the devourer tooth. A very human scream rippled through the air as the Greater creature’s tail slammed into the rocks and one of the archers.

I flinched at the sound, but kept my eyes peeled for an opening.

The allosaurus caught someone in its mouth and sent them flying before they crashed into the ground with a sickening snap.

A bomb sounded, and it stumbled toward my side. I darted forward, slicing at the closet ankle. Blood sprayed over my hands as I kept moving, not pausing as I headed back into the ferns.

Pain still pulsed on my left side, but I ignored it.

Leaves rustling drew my attention, causing me to dodge the bite from behind. Something darted around behind me in the ferns.

[Dimetrodon, Level 20, Predator.]

It moved faster than I could see, latching into my right arm and yanking me forward. I kept hold of the knife but struck at its eyes with my left hand using Claw Strike. I hit true, and it let go, stumbling backward in pain. Blood dripped from the bite and it stung as I swung out with the tooth. It sliced into the Dimetrodon’s nose as it tried to back peddle.

[You have resisted Poison Bite.]

A large fin rose on its back, but other than that it looked like a giant four-legged lizard as it tried to run away. While the fin made it as tall as me, the body itself had to only be four feet long, though the tail doubled that.

“No, you don’t.” I raced deeper into the bushes and leaped forward, knocking into its side, and pushing it over. It tried to climb back to its feet as I stabbed into its belly with the tooth. My fingers trembled as I stabbed it again and again in its exposed belly.

[You have gained experience from fighting the level 20 Dimetrodon.]

[You have gained a class level.]

My heart pounded as I stared down at the creature, now understanding why my father had the miners escorted back to the main part of the colony. The blood dripping from my arm slowed but didn’t stop as my stomach growled. I shoved bite-sized pieces of meat in my mouth from my inventory to increase my healing. Sounds of fighting came from behind me and I twisted in that direction.

“Freaking sneak attacks!”

The Dimetrodon was smaller than I’d expected, and I tried to yank it into my inventory whole. “Come on…” I focused on my inventory crystal, pushing energy toward it. I didn’t want to leave its heart behind. The crystal flared brightly, almost blinding me before the carcass vanished.

[You have gained a level in crystal singing.]

I wasn’t going to argue as I sprinted back through the ferns toward the sounds of fighting. The rush of the additional stats made me move faster, as I ran to re-enter the fray.