On the vast, desolate wasteland, the only cover available for the Dreadnoughtus hatchlings was a patch of artificially transplanted shrubs. Through the gaps between the leaves, they watched as a titan slowly approached.
Although this creature appeared to be the same type as the Afrovenator from before, only larger and far more terrifying, the young Dreadnoughtus felt a strange lack of fear. They caught a familiar scent.
Little White, a Dreadnoughtus hatchling, poked his head out from a crevice between rocks to observe Carlo. The white markings on the upper part of Carlo's body boosted the little one's favor instantly. Combined with that familiar scent, he gradually stepped out, exposing himself in the open clearing.
The migration route of these little ones seems a bit off.
As they scrutinized Carlo, he scrutinized them back. He had been wondering if there was another Dreadnoughtus herd he hadn't discovered, but seeing Little White confirmed it: these were the offspring of the herd he knew.
But why did they wander all the way out here?
By tracking the residual scents, Carlo could discern the direction the hatchlings had come from. If the herd's habitat was a circle, the hatchlings' path wasn't even a tangent to it.
Sigh, whatever. Since I'm such a good soul, I'll give you a lift...
BANG!
A sharp gunshot echoed across the wide wasteland, the sound traveling far and wide. It startled the hatchlings, who had just begun to approach Carlo, sending them scurrying back into hiding.
Huh? Did something just hit me?
Carlo turned his head and saw a frantic man in a tattered, expensive suit. His face was covered in blood as he gripped a handgun with both hands, firing from beside a derelict car.
"Die, you beast! No one has ever made me look this pathetic. No one!"
His tiny figure was a mere speck against the boundless wasteland, making his features indistinguishable. Not that it mattered.
Carlo turned slowly, unhurriedly walking toward the frantic man's position.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several more bullets were fired. The man's marksmanship seemed decent enough; the rounds struck Carlo's head squarely, kicking up a few sparks.
Click, click.
The sound of an empty chamber rang out. The man's expression shifted from ferocity to shock, then to bewilderment, and finally to absolute terror.
His legs gave way, and the handgun slipped from his trembling fingers into the sand. He fell backward, landing hard on his backside.
"This is impossible... This is impossible!"
He scrambled to turn around, attempting to crawl away, but Carlo was already looming behind him. A massive shadow enveloped the man, shielding him from the blistering sun. It should have been comfortable.
As he tried to crawl, the man looked back to see Carlo's foot slowly descending. Finally snapping under the pressure, he let out a scream.
"AAAAGHHH—!!!"
A moment later, the scream was cut short. Only the faint sound of crushing bone emanated from beneath Carlo's massive foot. When he lifted his leg again, the surrounding sand shifted, burying everything. Carlo tapped the sand lightly a few times, packing the earth down, a considerate burial for the man.
He then turned his gaze toward the abandoned car. The two occupants inside noticed his stare and ducked down immediately.
Hmm... Should I deal with them too?
Based on Carlo's rudimentary understanding of human society, eliminating these two capture team members was the logical choice. However, he seemed to sense something. Ignoring them, he turned back toward the hatchlings.
"Aunnng!"
The hatchlings were clever; seeing the threat eliminated, they popped their heads out and cheered for Carlo.
It's strange how these little ones can both squeak and bellow. Fascinating.
Carlo didn't respond to their cheers. A predator's roar would easily terrify infants who had just survived a hunt. He lowered his body slowly, gently nuzzling the nearest few, then turned to lead them toward the Dreadnoughtus habitat.
The hatchlings were more than happy to oblige. With such a massive umbrella of protection, only a fool wouldn't follow. Little White quickened his pace, moving into the vast shadow cast by Carlo in the sunlight as the group marched forward.
"Did you see that?"
"Yeah, yeah, it was a beautiful sight. But I don't give a damn about that! The client is dead, the deal is blown, you think Dudley is going to let us off the hook?"
"You idiot! I'm talking about the gun! The gun! Didn't you see that the firearm had absolutely no effect on that dinosaur?"
As Carlo led the hatchlings further away, the two workers crawled out of the wreckage. The former shooter looked ecstatic.
"Can you imagine the value of a dinosaur that's immune to small arms? It's a perfect weapon of war! If Dudley finds out, he'll definitely give us—"
"Yeah, sure. The comms are fried. You might want to save your breath and think about how we're getting out of this desert."
"What about the dashcam? Is the dashcam broken?"
The shooter was completely lost in fantasies of his future luxury, oblivious to their immediate peril. The driver sighed and climbed back into the car.
Zzzzt...
He tapped the dashcam twice, only for a spark to erupt and give his hand a nasty shock. A numbing sensation shot up his arm. Cursing under his breath, he crawled back out.
"It's busted. Sorry, your dream is about to—"
The driver intended to be sarcastic, but he stopped mid-sentence. His expression slowly shifted to one of sheer horror.
Crunch, crack, crunch...
The sound of breaking bones filled the air. The Afrovenator glanced at the driver, then applied more pressure to the shooter's bones in its jaws before swallowing him whole.
Gulp.
The sound of the swallow seemed to vibrate right next to the driver's ear. Realizing the danger too late, he tried to scramble back into the overturned vehicle.
Hatchlings weren't enough to fill a belly, but a human was just right. The Afrovenator was clearly satisfied for now, but rarely did such a bountiful food source present itself. It was quite pleasant to take a snack home as a reserve for a rainy day.
The driver crawled frantically into the car, ignoring the jagged metal tearing at his clothes and skin. Suddenly, he felt something clamp onto his foot, and his world began to lurch backward.
"NOOO—!!"
…
"Aunnng—"
Big brother! Bad news! The predator is out for a stroll again!
Dread One and Dread Two froze instantly. The entire Dreadnoughtus herd looked up, seemingly displeased by this individual who repeatedly disturbed their rest. But this time, they caught a different scent and rose to their feet.
Sensing their wariness, Carlo didn't get too close. He gave a low huff to the hatchlings, signaling for them to head over.
Seeing the astonished looks on the little ones' faces, Carlo felt quite smug.
Surprised? I'm a predator too, you know.
Watching from a distance as the hatchlings hesitantly, then frantically, ran back to their family, Carlo turned away, satisfied. It was time for him to head home.
"Aunnng—"
From behind him came the high-pitched bellow of a Dreadnoughtus. Perhaps they were celebrating the return of the young, or perhaps they were seeing him off. Who could say?
Since they didn't speak the same language, this was the best possible conclusion.
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