Rustle...
Leaves shook, accompanied by the sharp snapping of branches.
Currently feeding, Carnotaurus Two paused mid-bite and raised her head, peering straight ahead. She was acutely aware that the newcomer was massive and incredibly powerful, the kind of apex creature that had absolutely no need to conceal its presence.
Heavy footsteps...Shaking foliage...
A massive head emerged from the forest canopy as giant theropod feet stamped into the clearing. Step by step, the colossal body broke through the screen of trees.
It was a Tyrannosaurus rex. However, she didn't carry the raw, razor-sharp edge of Rexy; instead, she possessed a thick-lipped jawline that gave her an air of quiet, hidden restraint, much like Carlo.
As the saying goes, "A true gentleman uses his tongue, not his fists." Their greatest virtue was solving matters with a roar rather than a brawl, and Carnotaurus Two undoubtedly shared that sentiment.
Well... if nothing else, the newcomer had likely been drawn by the heavy scent of Triceratops blood.
"Grrrng…"
Carnotaurus Two let out a menacing growl. She had no intention of actually fighting the behemoth; she merely wanted to buy herself a little time.
Scientificus Tyrannosaurus didn't seem to want to provoke her either. She halted about fifty meters away, her jaws slightly agape. She emitted a low, rumbling growl, exposing just a hint of her needle-sharp teeth.
Rumble...
Huh?
Carnotaurus Two froze. To her utter bewilderment, she detected a trace of goodwill beneath that low rumble. Was it just her imagination?
It had to be said that Scientificus Tyrannosaurus's appearance was far more deceptive from the front. With her teeth hidden, she looked almost dopey. Were it not for her sheer size and apex predator status, it would be hard for any dinosaur to feel threatened upon first impression.
It was genuinely rare for a creature at the absolute top of the food chain to display such benevolence... No, wait, maybe it wasn't that rare after all.
Carnotaurus Two vividly remembered that giant, gentle titan. She had only looked at him from a distance, yet he had willingly shared his food with her.
Even so, Carnotaurus Two wasn't about to gamble her safety on the kindness of a complete stranger. Still, she was willing to risk a very small test.
"Roar—"
Carnotaurus Two issued another cautious roar toward her counterpart, though her posture was visibly less hostile than before.
Flesh tearing...
She leaned down and ripped a massive chunk of meat from the Triceratops's heavily excavated flank. Scientificus Tyrannosaurus remained standing a short distance away, waiting with immense patience.
Squelch...
Blood splattered as Carnotaurus Two secured the fresh meat firmly in her jaws. She cast one final glance at Scientificus Tyrannosaurus, turned on her heel, and retreated into the wild.
Fortunately, she had already eaten her fill before the titan arrived; otherwise, she would have essentially hunted for free.
As the heavy footsteps faded into the distance, Scientificus Tyrannosaurus watched Carnotaurus Two's retreating figure with a touch of melancholy, then decided to fill her own belly.
Truth be told, she had never intended to steal the kill in the first place. Suitable food was simply too hard to come by in this human world. The last time she caught a furry little animal, the taste had made her want to vomit.
Crunch...
Scientificus Tyrannosaurus bent over the carcass and clamped down on the Triceratops's ribcage, unleashing a crisp, echoing snap.
She figured the Carnotaurus wouldn't wander too far and would likely return once she left, so she decided to leave a generous portion behind.
Compared to others of her kind, this Scientificus Tyrannosaurus seemed exceptionally gentle.
However, Carnotaurus Two harbored serious reservations about that.
Once she realized the giant wasn't pursuing her with ill intent, she slowed her pace, carrying the meat in her mouth as she slipped into the distant forest. She certainly had no intention of entirely abandoning her hard-earned prize, especially not a Triceratops she had tracked for two whole days.
Life for a dinosaur in the human world was far from easy. Aside from the scarcity of food, Carnotaurus Two constantly had to endure the deafening roar of vehicles and foul, choking smog. It had severely degraded her sprinting capacity.
Speaking of which... why was it so quiet today?
Carnotaurus Two stopped in her tracks and looked toward the distant roadway. It had always been incredibly noisy over there. Why was there suddenly a dead silence?
Breathing...Heartbeats...
Incredibly attuned to her surroundings, a sudden sense of impending doom washed over the Carnotaurus. Her heart began to hammer violently, pounding harder than it did during a long-distance chase.
Whiz!
The exact moment Carnotaurus Two turned her head to investigate, a slender bolt whistled past, missing her skull by less than five centimeters.
For a fraction of a second, her pupils dilated as they caught the high-speed blur. The metallic arrowhead flashed in the sunlight, momentarily stinging her eyes.
"Hahaha! You missed! You blew your shot! ~"
"Tch..."
Engine roaring...
Jeering human voices erupted from the opposite hillside. Two heavily modified vehicles, which had been lying in ambush for God knows how long, breached the crest simultaneously, hurtling down toward Carnotaurus Two's position.
"ROAR—"
Carnotaurus Two roared defiantly, dropping her food to the ground. She instinctively tried to intimidate the intruders, but the vehicles showed absolutely no sign of slowing down.
Realizing the threat, she spun around and bolted deeper into the forest, her skin rapidly cycling through a dozen camouflaging hues in a matter of seconds.
Crack!
A sharp detonation rang out from the bed of one of the pickup trucks. Had someone fired a gun? No, these poachers didn't want their prize dying too quickly or cleanly.
Heavy iron chains were coiled around a winch secured to the truck bed. The other end of the chains connected to two massive, spiked iron spheres, a makeshift bola, which had just been launched from a mounted ballista.
This was one of the black market's most popular tools for capturing dinosaurs.
Clanking chains...
The two massive, spiked spheres whirled through the air like helicopter rotors, hurtling directly toward Carnotaurus Two. Fortunately, her reflexes were superior; with a sharp, desperate pivot, she narrowly evaded the projectile.
Talk about micro-management!
Carnotaurus Two could actually feel the fierce wind pressure brushing against the tip of her tail. This was infinitely more dangerous than hunting a Triceratops.
Rattling chains...
The sound of retracting chains echoed as the missed bola was rapidly reeled back toward the truck, but Carnotaurus Two had no time to look back.
Whoosh—
An air-rending screech, far louder and more violent than a crossbow bolt, tore through the clearing. Having just executed a sharp turn, the Carnotaurus hadn't recovered enough momentum to accelerate. She could only press her body low to the earth, preparing to brace for the impact!
Thud! Turf flying...
A harpoon-like spear erupted from the second vehicle. It missed Carnotaurus Two, embedding itself deeply into the grassy turf right in front of her.
Before she could process what was happening, the harpoon vehicle began to circle her at high speed. The icy, metallic touch of a tightening chain instantly wrapped around her lower leg.
She couldn't outrun them.
Carnotaurus Two's thoughts raced frantically. Unless she reached the thick coverage of the forest, she would never shake these humans. Since running was futile, she chose to stop thinking and surrender entirely to her raw survival instincts.
CRASH!
The thunderous sound of metal crumpling echoed across the field! Before the vehicle could complete its loop, Carnotaurus Two slammed her entire body weight directly into its front bumper. Instantly, the loud hiss of deploying airbags mingled with the screech of burning, skidding tires.
Thud!
Before Carnotaurus Two could even clear her head from the impact, the momentum of the spinning vehicle pulled the chain taut, tripping her over. Fortunately, her legs didn't get ensnared.
"Tch, how do you screw up a layup like that?"
On the ridge, the two remaining poachers stood watching, completely detached from the danger. Their original contract was merely to kill the Carnotaurus for a payout; torturing the beast beforehand was purely for their own twisted amusement.
"Great. Now that we've messed up the Boss's timeline, how the hell are we going to explain this?"
"Who cares? Aren't you supposed to be a marksman? What are you just standing there for?"
The crossbowman, who had initially aimed for a clean kill, grimaced in annoyance. Still, he dropped back down onto his stomach and re-aligned his sights.
Crack!
Down below, the Carnotaurus managed to dodge another launched bola, though her movements stiffened under the sheer exhaustion.
Whiz—
An almost imperceptible whistle cut through the air. A slender, hardened bolt grazed the back of her neck before burying itself deep into the grass.
"ROAR—"
Feeling the burning slice of a laceration on her neck, a cold dread seized Carnotaurus Two. She let out a furious roar, abandoning any thought of fighting back, and desperately renewed her attempt to flee.
"You managed to miss that too?!"
Ignoring his companion's barking insults, the marksman frowned deeply. He lifted his head, breaking his aiming posture.
Why did he miss?
Thump...
A heartbeat? No, that wasn't it.
Thump...
Realizing something was deeply wrong, the marksman cut off his throwing a tantrum teammate. "Do you... do you feel that? The ground is shaking."
The latter froze, his complaints dying in his throat. The distant roars of Carnotaurus Two and the revving car engines suddenly felt muted, drowned out by an ominous shift in the atmosphere.
"Stop making excuses because you can't hit a—"
THUD!
A massive, violent tremor shook the ridge. In an instant, a colossal shadow engulfed both men, permanently silencing the poacher's useless rage.
Even the most powerful predators know exactly when to be silent. Please don't forget this little fun fact! ~
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