"Alright, you're all set."
"Thank you."
The helicopter sat on a stretch of lawn as medical personnel finished bandaging Dave's wounds.
THWACK!
Not far away, a member of the herding crew threw a punch straight into the face of a gate technician.
"How do you watch a gate?! You almost got us killed!"
"Whoa, whoa! Easy, easy!" Dave rushed forward, wedging himself between the two men, hands pressed against their chests to prevent further violence.
"You're going to forgive this idiot?! Seriously?! You almost died when that Sinoceratops hit the car!"
"Cough... First off, it wasn't that bad. Second, why don't we hear him out?" Dave looked at the gate technician along with the impulsive staffer.
The technician nursed his bruised jaw and spoke up: "Everything happened too fast... We deployed the bio-deterrents like usual, but that monster didn't care at all. He ran right through them. By the time the monitors alerted us, it was too late."
"What kind of garbage are you talking?! Why else would he break out? For these herbivores?" The impulsive worker pointed at the lawn, where herbivores were scattered everywhere, with others fleeing into the woods.
"Heh, don't sweat it. I know someone who knows dinosaurs better than anyone. He'll be able to tell if that's true or not."
…
"Thanks for today, Darius. Letting him go back on his own really was the best call."
Roxie stood with her hands on her hips, sighing as she surveyed the wreckage on the lawn. Her face had been nicked by glass, now sporting a fresh adhesive bandage.
"Cool~ So, can my demerit be canceled?" Darius asked hopefully.
"No." Roxie turned to face him squarely. "You put everyone in danger without permission. I'm only letting this count as an offset for that mistake. You're still shoveling poop tomorrow."
"What?! NOOOO!!!" Darius let out a cry of despair.
Just then, Dave arrived with the two unfamiliar workers and approached Darius. "Hey, Darius. Do you know how far a Giganotosaurus Asset 3 can track a scent?"
Darius's eyes lit up at the technical question, but he scratched his head. "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. At least half the Primeval Ecological Zone, for sure. I've never seen him fail a track."
Dave turned to the other two workers with a "See? Told you so" look.
"Did that help, Dave?"
"Sure did."
"So, can you cancel my poop-shoveling duty, Boss?"
"Well, of course…" Dave suddenly caught Roxie's "you better think carefully" stare. He felt a sudden chill. "…not."
"NOOOO!!!"
…
The Primeval Ecological Zone.
Carlo clamped his jaws onto the Brachiosaurus's neck, dealing a massive amount of damage instantly.
"Aunnnng..."
The Brachiosaurus felt the life drain from its neck, collapsing weakly to the ground before finally drawing its last breath.
Rumble...
Lightning flashed across the sky again.
I wonder if standing Brachiosaurs act like lightning rods? Carlo couldn't help but wonder.
Sensing something, he raised his head and glanced toward a thicket. Although they were well-hidden, they couldn't escape Carlo's biological radar. It was the Ceratosaurus pair.
Why aren't they coming out? Are they waiting for me to finish eating?
Carlo thought for a moment, stepped on the carcass, and gripped one of the front limbs from the side, pulling with all his might. He failed; Carlo wasn't quite strong enough for that yet.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, he let go and moved to the chest cavity, tearing off a massive chunk of meat. He carried the meat to the bushes where the couple was hiding, dropped it, and gave it a nudge toward them before turning away.
He ripped another piece from the carcass, tossed his head back to swallow, and then whipped around. He caught the two Ceratosaurus sneaking toward the snack.
Hehe, caught ya~
He slowly approached them and noticed they seemed much shorter now. In the last two months, he had only seen them from a distance; they seemed to be avoiding him. It had been a long time since they had been this close.
Carlo looked down at his two shivering former friends, feeling a bit helpless.
The Ceratosaurus stood frozen, their faces a mix of joy and desolation; their lips moved, but no sound came out. Their posture finally became one of deep respect, clearly calling out: "Master!"
He turned back, tore off another huge hunk of meat, and placed it before them. They hadn't told him, but he knew. They were parents of two now; they couldn't afford to take risks by hanging out with a giant monster like him.
As he went back to his meal, a strange scent hit him. He looked up to see thick black smoke rising above his parents' territory.
Huh, are Mom and Dad grilling something?
He lowered his head to continue eating...
Wait, grill my foot! It's a fire!
…
Mom sprinted through the forest, dodging the encroaching flames to find her children.
CRACK!
A charred pine tree collapsed in front of her, sending sparks flying.
"ROAR!" Mom let out a high-pitched call for her youngest.
"To the!"
The crackling of the flames nearly drowned out the weak cry of the hatchling. Mom circled the burning tree and pushed deeper into the jungle.
…
CRUNCH.
Dad lowered his head to heave a smoldering, wedged log out of the way, then ignored the pain as he trampled the flames in the underbrush.
"ROAR!" He signaled the two little ones behind him to follow.
Katyusha and Karl, feeling the searing heat in the air, did their best to avoid the blackened shrubs. The air seemed to be getting thinner. Suddenly, trees began to collapse one after another. Dad spun around, shielding the two youngsters beneath his body.
Luckily, the burning timber missed them, but it completely blocked their path. Dad gave a low rumble, telling the kids to stay close as he prepared to find a detour.
Katyusha and Karl shook themselves, rattling off wood chips and sparks, chirping back to Dad as loudly as they could.
"ROAAAAAR————!!!"
Suddenly, a thunderous roar split the sky. Was that Mom? No, it came from outside.
The wall of burning timber in front of them burst apart. Shards of flaming wood flew everywhere amidst a cloud of ash.
Carlo tore through the familiar woods. The splinters couldn't pierce his hide, and the fire only left shallow scorch marks. Nothing could stop him from carving a path for his father's group.
…
Mom leapt over a burning bush, crushing the flames. Trees collapsed behind her as she reached an opening, finding Kafka trapped by a ring of fire. She called out, leading her child toward an exit.
Suddenly, the wind shifted. The flames roared with renewed vigor, further squeezing the space around Mom and Kafka. Falling branches from the canopy spread the fire further. Another tree fell, blocking the way once more.
Sparks landed on Mom's hide, causing her to let out a low, pained whimper. Kafka was terrified, staying huddled beneath her mother.
"ROAAAR—!"
A roar echoed from the distance. Recognizing the voice, Mom snapped out of the smoke-induced haze and roared back.
"ROAAR— cough, cough!" Her voice cut off as she began to hack.
The thick smoke choked Carlo's sense of smell, but it didn't slow his pace. Fire tried to climb his legs, leaving only blackened streaks. Tearing through the debris and wading through flames meters high, he found his family.
He gave a low huff for them to follow, only to find Mom coughing too hard to respond. He paused for a split second, then rushed forward to use his jaw to nudge Mom's head low, shielding them both as he led the way out.
Trees fell onto Carlo and rolled off. Low flames licked at him, only to be crushed under his feet. Towering infernos tried to challenge him, but they only ended up as fuel for the forest's grave.
Through the fire, through the trees, through every familiar plant and stone.
Carlo led Mom to the lawn to reunite with Dad.
[Health: 37884.9 / 80960]
He shook his body, shedding the charred residue as it fell to nourish the earth.
Cough, cough. Mom was still coughing. Their home was gone, but fortunately, raindrops were finally beginning to fall.
Rumble...
Thunder echoed across the sky again. Carlo threw his head back, and his roar pierced the clouds, ringing across the entire island, echoing through the mountains with a lingering, sorrowful power.
Under the rain, the fire gradually died. The black smoke of destruction turned into clear mist. The charred trees became charcoal to nourish the soil, and white steam rose, waiting for life to return.
The fire had ravaged the land, but the cycle of life never stops.
…
"ROAAAAAAAAAR————!!"
An angry roar echoed through the mountain forests, causing every living creature to lower its head and tense its body.
A dense screen of green leaves tilted upward as a sharp claw left a deep gouge on a wall.
————————END OF VOLUME 1 [PRIMAL LOVE ARC]——————————