The blackness of the starlit void gradually draped across the sky, with faint pinpricks of light dotting the dark canvas. Only a sliver of crimson afterglow, mingled with the dying amber of the sun, lingered above the horizon.
"Aunnng—"
Thud.
The silhouette of the titan remained upright. It struggled to heave its two forelimbs upward, slamming them violently against the earth.
For a behemoth like the Dreadnoughtus, a massive frame often meant massive stamina consumption. The battle for leadership had already pushed his strength to its limit; now, he could only rely on bluster and intimidation to ward off predators.
A short distance away, Carlo came to a halt. He watched the Dreadnoughtus, whose shadow was stretched into a long, towering specter by the setting sun, but he did not move in for an immediate kill.
"Roar—"
I'll leave this one to you.
He could, of course, make the creature die without the slightest struggle. But today, this was not his stage.
"Roar!"
Understood!
Katyusha appeared quite exhilarated. Even facing an opponent that literally brushed the clouds, she showed no sign of backing down.
For animals, "adulthood" was an indescribable sensation, a dual transformation of both body and will. It was like how, during a mating season, one wouldn't think about how to escape a non-kin pursuer, but rather...
Katyusha roared, leading the three youngsters as they charged toward the exhausted Dreadnoughtus. Carlo sought out a vantage point on higher ground, the best seat in the house, and sat down. Giga Dad, a step slower, followed suit and sat by his side.
"Roar!"
Katyusha's long howl carried far across the open desert, a perfect instrument for awakening the Primal fear within a prey's heart.
She tilted her head, locking eyes with the two behind her. Without a word of communication, a brief exchange of glances was all it took for them to rapidly shift their formation.
Katyusha advanced alone, her roars drawing the Dreadnoughtus's focus. Kafka and Karl split up, circling the giant in a pincer movement from the left and right.
"Aunnng—"
The Dreadnoughtus could only low to bolster its own courage, even though it faced predators that were several orders of magnitude smaller than itself.
His gaze was fixed on Katyusha at the front. A Dreadnoughtus's best weapon was the stomp, not the tail whip; if he could find the right opening, killing the predator before him wouldn't be difficult.
The sky grew darker by the minute. Kafka and Karl had clearly taken this into account. Kafka, possessing superior night vision, chose the side of the Dreadnoughtus cast in shadow. Karl, utilizing what remained of the daylight, darted through the fading glow, searching for any vulnerability on the giant's frame.
However, Karl had learned his lesson. He didn't try to face the prey head-on like Carlo; instead, he did his best to play the "opportunist," focusing entirely on inflicting Gnashed wounds.
Whistle—
The desert weather was incredibly taxing for dinosaurs, scorching by day and freezing by night. However, for Giganotosauruses, this was an advantage. Their stamina was currently high, and they had more ways to regulate their temperature. The first to crack would be the besieged Dreadnoughtus.
On the hillside, Giga Dad, sitting on the windward slope, couldn't help but shiver under the onslaught of the cold wind. After all, Giganotosauruses are not naturally cold-resistant.
Carlo noticed Giga Dad's movement. He briefly diverted his attention from the hunting grounds of the three youngsters, stood up, and moved to Giga Dad's other side to sit down.
The biting wind was blocked by his massive frame. Carlo was like a geothermal blanket that never ran out of power, providing a deep sense of security.
"Aunnng!"
As the last ray of light vanished from the horizon, the Dreadnoughtus in the distance suddenly erupted into a chorus of agonizing wails.
Karl had seized the moment, using his serrated shark-teeth to leave several bloody gashes on the titan's right hind leg.
The Dreadnoughtus slightly lifted the injured leg, but Karl immediately jerked his head, tearing away a chunk of hide before retreating, narrowly dodging the follow-up kick.
Sand scattered into the air like fine dust, but it wasn't over. The Dreadnoughtus swung its entire neck to track Karl's position, preparing to lash out with its tail.
While the tail wasn't the primary means of attack, it could still serve a significant purpose in a crisis.
Rip...
A sensation of agony far greater than the wound on its leg surged through its chest. Katyusha had stayed at the front precisely to draw attention, operating on a simple principle: "If you don't attack me, I'm going to attack you." She forced the massive sauropod to face her once more.
Biting the chest of a giant titanosaur wasn't usually the best choice, but it was effective.
No wonder the Boss always likes to start here...
Katyusha glanced at the wound, which had begun to spray blood after just one of her bites. She pulled back before the Dreadnoughtus could square its head again. The giant tried to lift its forelimbs for a stomp, but he no longer had the strength; his feet barely left the ground before dropping uncontrollably.
This level of blood loss wasn't enough to incapacitate a Dreadnoughtus, unless...
Squelch... Rip!
Without warning, the sensation of a massive section of skin being shredded came from his belly. Blood instantly stained the sand crimson.
A ghost-like figure circled him. The sandy ground gave no warning, yet the sensation of flesh being torn came from all over his body.
The chest, the abdomen, the right leg...
"Aunnng..."
The Dreadnoughtus's cry became hoarse and low. Crimson blood flowed down its massive body in steady streams.
The dizziness of anemia set in. Knowing there was no hope left, the Dreadnoughtus slowly buckled its limbs and collapsed onto the sand with great effort.
He might have still been breathing, but he was already dead.
"Roar—"
Katyusha noticed the Dreadnoughtus had accepted its death. She roared, intending to call her companions to pull back, only to find they were already waiting behind her.
The three "kids" could have rushed forward to tear the giant into pieces, but the risk was too high. Having learned their lesson from the Pachyrhinosaurus, Katyusha and Karl would never again underestimate a prey on the brink of death. Now, all they had to do was wait.
For a Giganotosaurus, the most important lesson was patience. Fortunately, none of them lacked it.
"Roar—"
The three youngsters climbed up to the high ground where Carlo was waiting. Seeing their arrival, Carlo let out a roar of celebration.
He had observed their entire hunt. He had to admit, their traits, Natural Leader and Night Hunter, could truly play an unexpected role from the shadows, though it was a bit of a shame he hadn't seen Karl's Scholar ability in action.
"Roar—"
Good work. Come and rest.
Carlo curled his body into a semi-circle on the ground. After seeing the three youngsters return, Giga Dad had already leaned against the warmth of Carlo's side and drifted off to sleep.
The three youngsters paused. Katyusha and Karl rushed over almost the moment they realized the invitation, finding a comfortable position pressed against Carlo. Kafka hesitated; after all, the night was her most active time, but...
There would be many more nights, but a chance to snuggle with a giant space heater didn't come around often. Her body acted honestly, and she pressed herself against Carlo.
The five Giganotosauruses huddled together for warmth in the freezing night, waiting for the morning sun to rise.
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