Evolution Island: Kill to Survive

Bleeding out

As the hungry carnivore prepared to close in, Aaron tried to look around to find something he could wield as a weapon. Except little stones and twigs, there was nothing else. With no other option left, he only had his fists to rely upon. Fighting any animal with bare hands was a risky move and this was not just any small cat, but one of the most powerful pre-historic predators.

“So, this is how we die. Trapped in a damn game and devoured by a damn beast!” Aaron cursed himself, closing his fingers into fists. “Zach, I’m sorry bro. I thought I could kill it. But I’m all out of abilities now.”

“What about your skills?” Zach asked. “You’re a Pyromancer! Your skill damage can take out any low HP target with ease!”

“I...didn’t learn any offensive skills. I put my skill point in the exploration tree,” Aaron replied. Seeing the beast fix its eye on Zach, Aaron stepped forward. “Get behind me. You’re wounded.”

“You don’t expect to fight it unarmed, do you?” Zach squeezed out his words through his tightly clenched teeth, trying to fight back the searing pain. He was bleeding all over the place, but he couldn’t just let his buddy face the beast alone. With a sheer effort of will, he steadied his shaking body and raised his open right palm above his head. “I have one...ability left. Pray to the damn....RNG Gods.” Coughing out a blob of blood he forced open his mouth and shouted, “Activate ability: Trick or Treat!”

Since Zach was playing a wizard, he had access to a special ability called ‘Trick or Treat’, which allowed him to summon a random equipment or weapon once per day. The problem was, there was no way to guess what would appear. It all depended on chance.

Aaron looked up as a glowing orb of white light flashed overhead and something dropped out of the sky. He prayed for it to be some sort of weapon and not any equipment. And then the moment of truth arrived at last. What dropped out of the sky and landed on the ground was a raven black spear oozing with dark energy. The spearhead made out of a single polished black diamond rested atop an iron shaft which had glowing red symbols engraved on it.

“That’s the Spear of Catastrophe!” Aaron gawked in surprise. This was the same weapon which he had heard so much about online. According to the gaming forum, this spear was one of the rarest drops in early game and could easily take down the toughest bosses if used properly. Being a rare weapon, it was already very precious, but on top of that, this particular spear also had a hidden talent which made it such a special weapon. Aaron’s eyes lit up in excitement and he rushed to pick up spear before the beast could make its move.

As the beast sprinted forward, Aaron dashed at full speed and grabbed hold of the weapon. Picking the weapon up, he steadied it with both hands. It was still vibrating with raw chaotic energy. “You’re the prey now!” he declared, thrusting the spear forward. Instantly a burst of dark energy sent the beast flying away. The beast licked the wound on its shoulder and slowly got back on its limbs. It let out an angry roar and pounced forward. Aaron quickly re-adjusted his aim and thrust the spear upward with full strength. A loud growl was followed by a low yelping sound, before everything went silent again. The Smilodon lay lifeless, with the spear jammed straight into its belly. As blood oozed out of the beast’s stomach, the spear glowed even brighter than before. Aaron’s pounding heart finally calmed down when he heard the notification tone on his Z-band again.

[*Smilodon killed!*]

[*Achievement unlocked: Fearless hunter!*]

[+2000 XP

+1500 Sky Gems Earned

Level Up!

Current Level: 4.

All stats increased!

One Skill Point available!]

This level up restored a huge amount of HP for Aaron, filling the bar to the max capacity. Right after the announcement a holographic pop-up appeared before him, asking him for some kind of confirmation.

[Absorb Smilodon DNA?]

[Yes][No]

Aaron chose the ‘yes’ option without hesitation. This was something he was quite familiar with. Absorbing DNA from defeated enemies was the only way to gain new adaptation and grow stronger in Evolution Island. As soon as he confirmed the absorption, the animal’s corpse disappeared, leaving behind a floating DNA sample which the Z-band sucked in.

[*DNA absorption complete*]

[Adaptation learned: 1. Predatory Instinct: Deal triple damage against all herbivores.]

Having absorbed the DNA, Aaron picked up the two large sabre-like fangs dropped by the dead beast. He knew he could find some use for such rare loot and put it inside his pockets. He then quickly turned to Zach, to find him kneeling on the ground, clutching at the wounds in his abdomen.

“Ohh God, you’re in terrible shape. Come on bro, don’t die on me yet,” Aaron said, supporting Zach on his shoulder. The human village was still 8 miles away. He could forage some berries and fruits to help restore his HP, but that would only delay the inevitable. Zach had the bleeding debuff active, which could only be removed by drinking potions or healing magic. Every minute was important now. The continuous bleeding effect had already drained half his HP and it was only a matter of time before his HP dropped to critical levels.

To add to all their troubles, the Z-band suddenly displayed a warning message.

[*Warning! Nightfall approaching*]

[1 hour until nightfall]

Aaron couldn’t understand why the game would warn him about something which seemed so normal. He had played Evolution Island before and he knew that the day and night cycles were a part of the game. Except the lack of visibility and change in lighting, nothing else changed at night. “What the hell happens at night?” he asked, holding his Z-band up to his face.

The robotic voice immediately read out a tip from the ‘help’ section

[Tip: Keep a close eye on the day and night cycles. The most dangerous predators and mutants come out at night. You can rest in a bed to pass the time or seek refuge in a secure area.]

The warning message now made perfect sense to Aaron. If Smilodons and pterosaurs roamed the island during the day, he didn’t even want to think about the creatures which came out at night. The Z-band was very specific about urging players to seek refuge in a safe zone, which meant that even caves and grottos weren’t safe at night. They had to make it to the human settlement before the daylight was spent.