NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Chapter 7: Velociraptor vs ???
Ethan's heart pounded in his chest as he crouched behind the remnants of a shattered wall inside the dilapidated building. His knuckles were white as he clutched the scavenged handgun from the docks, its weight suddenly feeling too heavy for his trembling hands. Through the broken slats of the door, he could make out shapes moving in the foliage—a pack of velociraptors, their sleek forms weaving through the underbrush with predatory grace.
The first sign of trouble had come moments after he'd barricaded himself in this building. The distant shrieks and growls of velociraptors had grown louder, and the sound of claws scraping against pavement sent chills down his spine.
Peeking through a small crack in the door, Ethan had seen them—a pack of five velociraptors prowling the docks, their sharp eyes scanning the area for prey. He had ducked back into the shadows, clutching his handgun tightly as his heart pounded in his chest.
Now, he was stuck. The velociraptors had camped outside, their guttural growls and clicking calls echoing through the air. Every so often, one would approach the building, sniffing the air, but they hadn't entered yet.
Ethan's nerves were fraying. He wasn't sure how long he could stay hidden.
[Survival Choice Activated]
The glowing system screen appeared before him, its ethereal light casting a faint glow on his pale face. Ethan's stomach churned as three options materialized:
Weapon: Handgun Bullets (10 rounds)
Survival Kit: First Aid, Rope, and Flare
Abilities: Enhanced Reflexes (1 minute)
His breathing hitched. The system's timing felt cruelly ironic, as if it were testing his ability to stay calm under pressure. The raptors outside were sniffing around, their guttural growls and low hisses sending shivers down his spine.
Ethan didn't have time to debate. His decision was driven by sheer practicality. He needed something to defend himself, something immediate.
"I need those bullets," he muttered through gritted teeth, selecting the Weapon option.
A quiet ding signaled the choice, and a small box materialized in front of him, shimmering faintly before solidifying. Ethan grabbed it quickly, prying it open to reveal ten neatly stacked rounds.
"Thank God," he whispered, fumbling to load the gun.
---
The soft clicking of bullets sliding into the chamber was unnervingly loud in the silence. Ethan's hands shook as he worked, adrenaline making his movements jerky and uncoordinated. He cursed under his breath when he dropped one of the bullets, watching helplessly as it rolled across the dusty floor.
"Focus, Ethan," he muttered to himself, swallowing hard.
A shrill screech outside made him freeze. One of the raptors had moved closer to the building, its sharp claws scraping against the wooden planks of the doorframe. Its head poked through the broken doorway, yellow eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
Ethan bit back a curse, crouching lower behind the debris. His mind raced. If he fired the gun, the noise would attract the entire pack. But if he didn't do something, he'd be cornered in seconds.
He tightened his grip on the gun, the cold metal grounding him as he tried to steady his breathing.
---
The raptor at the door hissed, its nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air. Ethan could hear more of them circling the building, their claws clicking against the hard ground like a macabre symphony.
He pressed himself further into the shadows, his camouflage net doing little to mask the pounding of his heart. He wasn't sure how long he could stay hidden.
Suddenly, another growl echoed through the area, deeper and more guttural than the raptors'. Ethan tensed, peeking cautiously through a crack in the wall.
A group of oviraptors emerged from the jungle, their feathered bodies glistening under the faint sunlight. They moved in a tight cluster, their sharp beaks snapping as they communicated with high-pitched chirps.
Ethan's eyes widened. The velociraptors turned their attention toward the newcomers, their postures shifting from predatory to defensive.
Ethan moved cautiously to the crack in the door, peering out into the dim light. What he saw made his stomach churn.
A new group of dinosaurs had entered the docks—oviraptors. Smaller than the velociraptors, these creatures moved with a serpentine grace, their thin, pointed snouts twitching as they searched the area.
Their arrival seemed to agitate the velociraptors, who began growling and snapping at the newcomers. The two packs squared off, their territorial instincts overriding any focus on Ethan.
Ethan's eyes widened as he noticed something strange about the oviraptors. Their throats seemed to swell slightly as they hissed, and when one opened its mouth, a glob of greenish liquid splattered onto the ground.
"Acid spit," Ethan whispered, a chill running down his spine.
The oviraptors weren't just scavengers—they were armed with a natural weapon that made them even more dangerous.
---
The standoff didn't last long. One of the velociraptors lunged at an oviraptor, its powerful jaws snapping shut around its opponent's neck. The other oviraptors responded instantly, spitting streams of acidic liquid at the attacker.
The velociraptor screeched in pain, releasing its grip as the acid burned through its scales. The other raptors joined the fray, and soon, the docks were a battlefield.
Ethan ducked away from the door, pressing himself against the wall as the sounds of the fight grew louder. Snarls, screeches, and the sickening hiss of acid hitting flesh filled the air.
His hands trembled as he clutched his handgun. The temptation to fire was overwhelming, but he knew better. A single shot would draw the attention of both packs, and he'd be torn apart before he could even reload.
Chaos erupted outside.
Ethan watched in stunned silence as the two groups clashed, their snarls and cries filling the air. The velociraptors were faster and stronger, but the oviraptors had numbers on their side.
The distraction was a blessing, but it also made Ethan's situation more precarious. The fight was happening mere feet from the building, and it wouldn't take much for the raptors to crash through the weakened walls.
---
Ethan gritted his teeth, forcing himself to think. He couldn't just sit here and hope the dinosaurs ignored him. He needed to move—now.
Glancing around the room, his eyes landed on a pile of debris near the back wall. If he could slip through the opening without drawing attention, he might be able to escape while the predators were preoccupied.
He took a deep breath, gripping the gun tightly as he moved toward the opening. Each step felt agonizingly slow, his muscles coiled like a spring as he tried to stay silent.
A loud crash behind him made him freeze. One of the velociraptors had slammed into the side of the building, its claws raking against the wood as it tried to gain traction. Ethan's pulse skyrocketed.
"Not good. Not good," he muttered under his breath, quickening his pace.
---
The confined space of the building at the docks wasn't much comfort, but it was better than the open jungle outside. Ethan sat on the cold, cracked floor, his back pressed against the wall as he nervously checked his handgun for the fifth time.
"If I'd known this place was going to turn into a dino fight club, I'd have gone with the survival kit," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
He couldn't get the system's glowing text out of his head. Bullets, Survival Kit, Abilities. And like a fool, he had chosen the bullets. At the time, it seemed like the best option; he needed a fighting chance if he came face-to-face with a pack of raptors.
The chaos outside provided the opportunity Ethan needed. He crept to the back of the building, his movements slow and deliberate.
The fight between the two packs was brutal, but it kept the dinosaurs distracted long enough for Ethan to slip out the back. He moved carefully, keeping low as he navigated the debris-strewn area.
The sound of acid sizzling against metal and the shrieks of dying dinosaurs made his skin crawl, but he forced himself to focus on his escape.
Once he was far enough away, Ethan paused to catch his breath. His body shook with adrenaline, and his mind raced with conflicting thoughts.
"If I'd chosen the survival kit, I wouldn't be in this mess," he muttered, glancing back toward the docks. "I could've had supplies, something to keep me alive longer than a few bullets."
He wiped the sweat from his brow, his heart still pounding. The system's choices had felt like a lifeline at the time, but now, they seemed more like a cruel joke.
"Who even designed this thing?" he grumbled, shaking his head. "Who gives someone a choice between bullets and basic survival tools in a place like this?"
Despite his frustration, he couldn't deny that the bullets had saved him—if indirectly. The fact that he hadn't needed to use them yet didn't change the fact that he might still need them later.
"But next time," he said, clenching his fists, "I'm picking the survival kit. No question."
Ethan forced himself to focus on the path ahead. He was still alive, and as long as he kept moving, he had a chance.
The jungle loomed in the distance, a dark and foreboding maze that promised even greater dangers. But he couldn't stay near the docks—not with the two packs of dinosaurs tearing each other apart behind him.
Taking a deep breath, Ethan tightened his grip on his handgun and started walking.
"One step at a time," he told himself. "I'll survive this. I have to."
The sounds of the fight at the docks faded as he moved farther away, replaced by the eerie silence of the jungle.
Ethan's resolve hardened with each step. He might regret his choices, but he wasn't going to let them define his fate. Survival was all that mattered now.