Chapter 4: First hunt

Sobek contemplated the System a little longer, then he turned it off. Unfortunately, the [Guide] didn't say many other things: for example, how many experience points were needed for each level advancement. It was unlikely that the 1,000 points that he needed would always have been enough to reach level 2. He turned and walked back to what was presumably his mother, who was still next to the egg he had come out of. Other small spinosaurs were still emerging from other eggs. There were at least twenty of them. His mother was taking care to help them get out. Although he remembered his encounter with God and the knowledge of his previous life, Sobek found that he felt a strong bond with those spinosaurs. It wasn't affection, it was something more... instinctive. A sense of belonging to the pack, let's say. He snorted. Being an animal was really different from being a human: even his thoughts and feelings were different. He was experiencing sensations he had never felt before. When he paused to contemplate his mother, however, a new notification appeared before his eyes. [Prey identified: Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, spinosauridae. Experience: 70,000 points] "What?". The notification was so sudden that Sobek was taken by surprise. After a moment, however, he managed to understand: in web novels and video games, the Systems always warned of the experience that each creature provided! Unfortunately, it also didn't warn about skill points or bonus money. He would probably have discovered those once he ate his preys. Of course, he had no intention to start with his mother. Beyond that strange sense of bond that he felt with her, moving against a 14 meter long spinosaurus meant courting death. Sobek quickly understood one thing as he learned how the System worked: first of all he had to increase his experience to get bigger. Otherwise he could not have hunted any carnivores, which means no skill points. He walked over to his little brothers and sisters and helped them to go out of their eggs just like his mother was doing. Many of them were delighted with the help and started pacing around him enthusiastically. Sobek was beaming: apparently, he had just landed the role of 'big brother', even though they were born in the same brood! When all the eggs had hatched, however, a shadow fell over the puppies and a cascade of mushy things hit them. Sobek grunted, expecting a few leftovers, before realizing that the 'mushy things' were fishes with a strange bony head shaped like a hammer. He looked up. A new spinosaurus had appeared above him, very large and imposing, with a huge red sail. As with the others, Sobek also felt a singular kinship instinct towards this newcomer. "This must be my father... or maybe it's my mother and the one from before was my father? I suppose it is a male, because we have the same sail's color... Well, who cares...". It was very difficult to distinguish genders when there were no external genitalia to identify them. Beside him the other little spinosaurs had begun to feast. Sobek did not miss the opportunity: those fish were prey, so they were equivalent to experience! Unfortunately, however, he was disappointed. None of them gave him any points. "What the... why?" he wondered in his head, when suddenly he noticed something. There was a fish, in the middle of the heap, that wasn't dead yet. It was struggling slightly, a sign that it had little left to live. As soon as Sobek saw it, the System notification appeared before his eyes. [Prey identified: Cephalaspis lyelli, cephalaspidae. Experience: 50 points] Sobek didn't let it escape and jumped on the fish. He understood how it worked: the prey gave him experience only if he was the one who hunted them! Sure, this placed limitations on his level up, but it didn't matter. After all, a game isn't fun unless you play it firsthand! Although he certainly couldn't call himself a predator, he could already count on a fair number of weapons: his claws were formidable and his mouth was suitable for fishing. Plus, even though he was just a small cub, he was already one meter long and almost the same tall. There were numerous prey that he could already capture on his own: insects, lizards, frogs, small fishes and even some smaller dinosaurs like compsognathus. Unfortunately, he found only two other live fishes in the meal his father brought: most of them had already died of asphyxiation. So, although they did not provide any points, he ate the ones already dead: after all he needed food to survive. When they were done, he took a good look at his brothers and sisters. Although they were of considerable size, most of them were no more than half a meter in length and some not even thirty centimeters. As a result, he was by far the biggest of the brood! While this was probably due to the System or some other trick from God, Sobek couldn't help but feel proud. However, he certainly could not lapse into vainglory. He got up on his paws and began to wander around the nest. His parents didn't seem worried, which calmed Sobek: it meant that at least in that area there were no notable dangers. He could explore calmly. As he walked he noticed that almost all of his brothers and sisters were following him. Apparently they really saw him just like an older brother! Sobek calmly explored the surroundings. He discovered that his parents weren't alone: it was full of spinosaurs around him! There were at least eighty of them and many of them guarded some nests. For Sobek it was all clear: he was in front of a herd of spinosaurs that was nesting! Sobek wasn't surprised. From memories of his previous life he knew that even though carnivorous dinosaurs were gigantic and dangerous creatures, many paleontologists believed that they didn't live alone. After all, their prey were also enormous, and facing them alone was a gamble even for giants like the tyrannosaurus. In addition, birds, the modern dinosaurus, often lived in pairs and moved in flocks. As a result, many paleontologists had theorized that carnivorous dinosaurs actually formed herds, although when hunting they generally acted in pairs or groups of four at the most. This had a logic of its own: in a pack, it's easier identify a partner and so carry on the species. Furthermore, for a herd, because it was composed of many individuals, was easier identify another herd and therefore mix the blood, avoiding diseases due to interparental crossing. Finally, a pack had a better chance of defending a brood: the reason his parents weren't worried about letting him roam around freely was probably because the large number of spinosaurs present would have warded off any predators. Contrary, a solitary animal had to struggle to locate a potential mate and track it down, and it had a lot of trouble protecting its young, especially if it lays eggs. The fact that at least spinosaurs lived in packs could only be flattering to Sobek. It meant that at least for some weeks he could use the pack as a cover against larger predators. It was also a guarantee of being able to go to bed with a full stomach: even if he didn't find food, his parents would have taken care of bringing it to him. Although with a little difficulty due to the sails of the other spinosaurs, he studied the surrounding environment well. He discovered that he was on the bank of a river. The stream seemed quite wide and was therefore suitable for large fish-eating dinosaurs. Beyond the bank, on both sides of the river, there was only a forest that seemed infinite. Sobek scanned the sky to make sure there were no flying reptiles: even if the carnivorous dinosaurs wouldn't have gotten close, he certainly didn't want to be preyed upon by some pterosaur. After making sure of their absence, he went hunting. Its first prey was a very fat green frog hidden in the sand. [Prey identified: Pelophylax esculentus, ranidae. Experience: 30 points] Sobek ran against the amphibian, but he found out that catching it was more difficult than what he expected: the frog jumped from side to side with extraordinary speed. However, he received unexpected help. His brothers and sisters started chasing the frog with him. Several cubs from the other nests also joined the game. With so many predators, the frog began to be disoriented. Taking advantage of its confusion, Sobek caught it with his mouth. Another spinosaurus, who was not one of his siblings, stepped forward to claim a piece, but Sobek pushed it away with force. The dinosaur retreated with its tail between its legs. Sobek snorted at him: it was important to make the hierarchy clear immediately. After devouring the frog, he resumed the hunt. The day still seemed to be far from over and Sobek wanted at least two more preys before returning to the nest.