Upon consuming his prey, Matias began to change as his head took on a new and imposing form—bone shifting, reshaping, and pushing outward beneath his scaled hide.
From the crown of his skull, two thick, forward-curving horns emerged, their surfaces rough like weathered stone but tipped in razor-sharp ivory. The horns caught the light, gleaming with a predator's menace and a herbivore's durability.
A massive Ceratopsian crest unfurled from the back of his skull, each plate of bone locking together like armor forged for war. The ridged edges framed his head in a fearsome silhouette, giving him both the regal bearing of a king and the brutal presence of a battlefield juggernaut.
His neck thickened to support the new weight, muscles roping beneath his skin in powerful cords. The scars from past hunts now traced along the base of the crest, lending him the look of a seasoned warrior.
When he raised his head, the new horns angled forward in perfect alignment with his line of sight—ideal for goring, ramming, or shattering bone.
Combined with his predatory build, the addition made him look like a nightmare born from two worlds: the stealth and lethality of a carnivore fused with the raw, tank-like resilience of a Triceratops.
Each slow breath misted in the air, curling around his horns like a warning to anything that dared to cross his path.
'I started to look like Godzilla and more like my own monster uhmmm…Kaiju. I kinda look like an Ultimasaurus without the Ankylosaurus armor plate.'
He used the points he had earned to refine his abilities, sharpening his strongest skills and pushing his height up by a few extra centimeters—a subtle change, but enough to add more presence to his already intimidating frame.
With his crest and horns freshly grown, Matias decided his next target would be an Ankylosaurus, a creature whose armored body would complete his evolving arsenal. But for now, he pressed deeper into the island's dense interior.
The air grew heavy with the scent of brackish water, and the rustle of foliage ahead signaled movement. From the shadows of the riverbank, a Baryonyx emerged—its long, crocodilian snout lined with serrated teeth, water dripping from its scales. Its muscular frame stood nearly as tall as Matias's shoulders, its claws curved like hooks and its yellow eyes sharp with predatory intent. The creature's hide was a mottled mix of deep green and mud-brown, blending perfectly with the marshy terrain.
Without hesitation, the Baryonyx charged, snapping its jaws in a sweeping arc aimed at Matias's throat. Matias sidestepped, claws slicing through the air in a counterattack, but the semi-aquatic predator twisted away, its tail lashing at his legs like a whip. The impact made him stumble, and the Baryonyx lunged again, jaws clamping onto his forearm.
A guttural snarl tore from Matias's throat as he drove his horns downward, smashing them into the side of the Baryonyx's skull. The force sent the creature reeling, but it still slashed upward with a clawed forelimb, grazing his chest with a deep scratch.
Matias retaliated with brutal precision—his sickle-like claws raked across the Baryonyx's abdomen, tearing through scale and muscle. Blood frothed from the wound, and before the predator could recover, Matias lunged, his jaws locking around its neck. One violent shake snapped bone, and the Baryonyx collapsed in the shallows.
He stood over the body for a moment, breath steady, before beginning his feast. From the kill, he absorbed new power, his body subtly shifting as more genetic traits embedded themselves into his form.
As Matias tore into the fresh kill, savoring each mouthful, a sudden jolt of instinct flared in his mind—his danger sense screaming like a siren. Without thinking, he twisted away just as a massive shadow lunged from the treeline, jaws snapping shut where his neck had been a heartbeat ago.
Matias's head snapped toward the attacker, his roar splitting the air in pure, unrestrained fury at having his meal interrupted.
Emerging fully from the foliage came a Tyrannosaurus Rex, towering over even the Giganotosaurus he had slain before. Its colossal frame stood nearly 6 meters tall at the hips, its length stretching close to 12 meters from snout to tail.
Muscles bulged under dark, pebbled skin streaked with scars, its eyes burning with the focused rage of an apex predator. Its skull was massive, every tooth the size of a dagger, each one dripping with saliva as its nostrils flared at Matias's scent.
The two predators locked eyes—two kings of the hunt, neither willing to yield. They roared in unison, the sound shaking the earth, before charging.
The Rex struck first, its jaws crashing toward Matias's shoulder like a guillotine. Matias spun aside, his sickle claws lashing out, carving deep furrows along the Rex's flank. The giant hardly flinched, whipping its tail in a massive sweep that smashed into Matias's ribs, sending him skidding across the dirt.
Snarling, Matias surged forward again, this time lowering his horned crest and slamming it into the Rex's chest with bone-jarring force. The impact staggered the tyrant, but it countered with a bite to Matias's leg, teeth sinking deep. Pain flared white-hot, but Matias roared back, clamping his own jaws onto the Rex's neck while his claws ripped at its side.
The two wrestled like titans, each blow cracking the ground beneath them. Matias used his newfound strength, driving the Rex back step by step, until he finally hooked his claws into its lower jaw and forced its head aside, exposing its throat. With a savage thrust of his horns and a crushing bite, he ended the fight in a spray of blood and dust.
The Rex's massive body hit the ground with a quake, its final breath rattling through the air.
Matias stood over the corpse, chest heaving, victorious once again.
Once again, Matias set upon his fallen foe without hesitation, tearing into the thick flesh and crushing bone between his powerful jaws. Every bite carried with it the raw essence of strength—the Evolution Points and genetic traits of a once-mighty predator now his to claim. Notifications flickered at the edge of his mind, but he dismissed them. This was not the time for numbers or lists.
It was the time to savor victory.
The taste of the Tyrannosaurus was unlike any other prey he had consumed—rich, tender, and bursting with primal flavor. It was the predator's equivalent of the highest-quality meat, seared by battle and marbled with power. Each bite was a feast worthy of kings, and Matias relished every mouthful until his hunger eased and his stomach felt heavy with triumph.
Blood stained his horns and claws, a testament to the day's conquests. With a slow, satisfied exhale, Matias turned from the remains and began the trek back to his nest. The sun was sinking, the air cooling, and the scent of his territory was familiar and safe. Today's hunt had ended in dominance. Tomorrow would bring new prey.
==========
The following morning, Matias roamed deeper into the island, his hunger momentarily sated. For once, he wasn't hunting—merely observing. The great herbivores scattered at the mere sound of his heavy footfalls, some bolting in blind panic while others froze stiff, their eyes wide with primal terror. He didn't roar, didn't chase—he simply let his presence seep into them like a shadow of death, letting instinct do the work.
An armored Ankylosaurus lumbered across his path, its clubbed tail raised in wary defense. Matias stared at it for a long moment, then moved on, granting it a temporary reprieve.
Eventually, the jungle thinned, and he reached a towering wall of thick steel fencing, its posts driven deep into the ground. Beyond it, a weathered building stood, half-swallowed by vines and rust. Matias lingered there, staring at the structure, a flicker of curiosity stirring in his predatory mind. If he were smaller, he might have slipped inside, searched for a working radio, and learned of the world beyond the island. But even if he did, the radio inside sat useless—its battery long dead.
Still, he knew machines well enough. If he could find an abandoned vehicle, there was a good chance its battery still held power. The thought stayed with him as he turned away from the fence and back into the wild.
Matias could have rushed straight through his objectives, speedrunning his way to the long-awaited reward of Psychokinesis. But he knew better—power gained too quickly often came at a cost. Patience was the sharper weapon. He would return for it when his mission was complete, earning it the right way.
Continuing his exploration, a deep, guttural roar split the air nearby. It wasn't just loud—it vibrated through the ground beneath his feet. Curiosity piqued, Matias slipped through the dense foliage toward the source.
Through the tangled vines and swaying palms, he spotted them—two titans locked in a brutal contest.
The first was a Giganotosaurus, its massive 13-meter frame dwarfing the clearing, scales mottled with scars, its sickle-shaped teeth dripping with fresh blood. Facing it was a Carnotaurus, leaner and more compact at around 9 meters long, its skin a dark reddish-brown patterned with jagged black stripes. Its head was crowned with two thick, forward-curving horns above piercing amber eyes, giving it the look of a charging demon.
The Giganotosaurus lunged, its bite snapping shut with bone-crushing force, clamping onto the Carnotaurus's side. The smaller predator roared in pain but retaliated with shocking speed, ramming its horned skull into the Giganotosaurus's chest. The impact made the larger dinosaur stagger, but not for long—its massive tail swept low, slamming into the Carnotaurus's legs and sending it tumbling.
Blood sprayed as the Giganotosaurus tore at its opponent's flank. Still, the Carnotaurus refused to yield, lunging forward with a desperate counter, jaws clamping down on its enemy's neck in a last-ditch attempt to turn the tide.
It wasn't enough. The Giganotosaurus shook violently, ripping free and leaving the Carnotaurus stumbling, its movements slowing under the weight of its wounds.
Only then did Matias notice something else—a small shape huddled behind the undergrowth. A Carnotaurus juvenile, barely up to his chest in height, eyes wide with fear as it watched the life-or-death struggle.
Matias crouched in the shadows, tail flicking slowly. He could intervene, slay both combatants and take the spoils… or choose a different path.
For now, he simply watched, weighing his options.