Two months later.
[Name: Carlo]
[Species: Giganotosaurus carolinii]
[Available Points: 136 (Greyed out)]
[Health: 40562.0 / 80960]
[Stamina: 750 / 750]
[Oxygen: 510 / 510]
[Food: 10590 / 10600]
[Weight: 0 / 898]
[Melee Damage: 180%]
[Torpidity: 0 / 143800.5]
Carlo wore a serious expression, staring at the UI panel before him as if weighing a monumental decision. Beside him, several Parasaurolophus hatchlings were tumbling and playing. Although the mother Parasaurolophus had grown accustomed to his presence, she still watched him with a lingering wariness. It was an awkward vibe, much like a mother keeping a sharp eye on an ex-husband who had dropped by to visit the kids.
As for Carlo? He paid no mind to the noisy little duckbills, despite his original plan to leave the moment they hatched. He had assumed he wouldn't like children, but as it turned out, he didn't hate dinosaur youngsters, so he stayed.
He wondered how his own younger siblings were doing...
A month ago, a family notification had popped up on his UI: three more Giganotosaurus had been born. He had snuck back to catch a glimpse of them and found they looked much more like Mom and Dad, and their size was normal, unlike his own one-meter-tall birth height. It had made him doubt himself all over again.
By now, however, those doubts were gone. He was certain: he was a freak of nature. He stood five meters tall now. How many predators ever reached this size, let alone at his age?
But that didn't matter.
"Aunnng…"
The mother Parasaurolophus called out. Her children stopped playing and fell in line behind her. She did a quick head count and led them off. It was feeding time.
Carlo watched the little ones leave and returned to the tree where he had once stashed the human cylinder. His Triceratops skull was still there.
In the past two months, the Primeval Ecological Zone had undergone many changes.
The shores of the Great Lake were now crowded with nomadic dinosaurs that had no herds. A segment of the Parasaurolophus population had split off, forming a symbiotic relationship with other strays. The Ankylosaurus herd had accepted new members. The leader of the Sinoceratops had passed away of old age, and the individual with the scarred crest had risen as the new alpha.
The Ornithomimus flock seemed to be wandering the world aimlessly. The Dilophosaurus pack had grown significantly, even attempting to encroach on Ceratosaurus territory before being violently evicted. The Dryosaurus herd had returned once, not to reclaim land, but simply to deliver a brutal thrashing to the Pachycephalosaurus troop, trampling several nests before departing.
As for the Diplodocus... not much had changed, except that Carlo killed one every so often.
He looked across the Great Lake. The Brachiosaurus family watched him from the opposite bank; they had added two new members of their own. Because Carlo was now a credible threat to them, they were exceptionally vigilant whenever he was near.
Wait, why is it that I used to see stray Trikes by the lake, but they've all vanished lately?
Any ideas, Mr. Stegosaurus?
Carlo looked at a Stegosaurus drinking nearby. The herbivore ignored him completely. Resigned, Carlo went back to gnawing on his Triceratops skull.
[Family: Giganotosaurus carolinii ]
[Generation 2-A: Carlo]
[Generation 2-B: Katyusha (Eldest Sister), Karl (Second Brother), Kafka (Third Sister)]
Carlo had come up with these names himself. He knew he wasn't great at naming things, but seeing the "Name" slots blank on his UI was driving his OCD crazy.
The eldest of the new brood was Katyusha. She was a mischievous thing who had snuck out of the territory once to meet Carlo. He named her Katyusha because of her high aggression. The second was Karl; perhaps because he wasn't as big as his sister, he was incredibly obedient and steady. Carlo named him Karl, meaning "man," hoping he'd toughen up soon.
The third was Kafka. Well... she was a bit of a slacker. She loved lying still for hours, yet ironically, she was the largest of the three. It proved the old adage: Rest well after a meal, and you'll live to a hundred.
"Ao!"
A small head popped out of the bushes. It was Katyusha. Ever since she'd met Carlo, she loved seeking him out. Her vocal cords weren't fully developed yet, making her cries sound endearingly high-pitched. Perhaps because Carlo had once lived in their nest, his scent felt familiar and safe to her.
Carlo noticed her, dropped the skull, and suppressed the urge to accidentally step on her, guiding her toward him instead. He took back what he said about not hating kids; this brat was so troublesome, always trying to run out of the territory.
Honestly! Why can't you be more like... well, like me? Or your siblings? They actually like staying home!
Katyusha crawled into the hollow of the Triceratops skull, her little head poking out through one of the eye sockets.
"Ao!" I beat my stupid siblings again today. Their reactions are so slow!
Carlo crouched down, watching the tiny creature inside the bone, and huffed a reply. "Impressive. Want to see if you can beat me?"
"No."
The corners of Carlo's mouth turned up. In this entire zone, his siblings were the only ones who could truly understand him. Playing with other dinosaurs usually felt like a solo game.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling Carlo's hide. He looked up toward the Brachiosaurus bathing in the distance. Katyusha shifted to the other eye socket and followed his gaze.
"Ao!" Can you beat them?
"Roar…" Yes.
Katyusha's small eyes widened in shock, then clouded with confusion. "Then why don't you go knock them down? This is your territory, isn't it?"
"Because there's no need."
Katyusha tilted her head, still not getting it. "But why would you let other dinosaurs live in your territory?"
"Because... it's your territory?" Carlo countered playfully. "Then should I drive you away, too? This is my territory."
"No!" she chirped. This was the only place she could sneak off to play; everywhere else was either dangerous or boring.
"Why not?"
"Because we're family! And... if you drive me away, I'll have nowhere to go."
"Exactly... and neither would they."
"Huh?" Katyusha was more baffled than ever. Her little brain was turning to mush under the weight of Carlo's human logic.
"If I drive them away, they have nowhere to go. Even though they aren't my family, I'm willing to accept them."
Across the lake, a Brachiosaurus calf sucked up a mouthful of water and sprayed its parents, prompting a chorus of low bellows.
Brat.
Carlo looked away from the distance and back at the dazed Katyusha inside the skull. "So, you need to protect your family, okay? Don't let them become homeless."
Katyusha couldn't track how the topic had shifted so fast. Her instincts, the genetic drive that told her a territory was hers alone and not to be shared, were clashing with the "knowledge" she was receiving. Her genes said "mine," but Carlo said "ours."
She opened her mouth to ask more, but a sudden boom of thunder shook the sky, making her jump. She didn't hide in the skull, though; she looked up at the sky.
"Roar…" I'll take you back.
Carlo stood up, calling to her. His strides were massive, but he moved with deliberate slowness so Katyusha could keep up with her frantic little steps.
"What's that in the sky?"
"A tropical storm."
"What's a tropical storm?"
"Something I hate."
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