Through valleys, across verdant meadows, and over barren rocky plains…
The Giganotosaurus pack, led by Carlo, wove through the mountain peaks. The deep ravines provided perfect cover, allowing them to successfully enter the Rocky Mountains without being detected by humans.
They followed the river southward. The towering pines along the banks offered excellent concealment for Giga Dad and the others, but because the forest was so dense, it actually made Carlo's massive frame more conspicuous. To mitigate the risk of discovery, the pack slowed their pace, allowing Carlo to take point in a sneaky, creeping manner.
Shhh-woosh…
"Hrrr…"
Katyusha let out a faint, low rumble, masked by the sound of the current. The pack froze instantly.
Karl seemed to understand Katyusha's intent immediately. He lowered his body, shifting into a silent gait as he peeled away from the group.
Carlo tensed up at once, his senses frantically scanning for scents. However, he detected no human presence. Throughout the journey, he had kept his biological radar at maximum power. This flooded his mind with a chaotic mess of data; to process it all, his brain had to run at an exhausting, overclocked capacity, but it was the only way to ensure their safety.
There was indeed a human scent… but it was far off.
Human footprints had reached every corner of the globe, and these mountains were no exception. Earlier, the pack had crossed a narrow asphalt road barely wide enough for two cars to pass. Carlo had recognized the words "Canyon Village" on a roadside sign.
It seemed to be some kind of settlement. Although Carlo couldn't glean much more from the sign, his super-sense of smell confirmed a human habitat in the distance. Fortunately, the population was small and didn't overlap with their route.
So, what had Katyusha found?
Carlo snapped back from his thoughts and looked toward Katyusha, who had already crept fifty meters away. She was in full hunting mode, belly pressed to the earth, inching toward the southeast.
Their current position worked in their favor; the pine forest wasn't overly cluttered with fallen leaves. Katyusha only had to worry about avoiding dry branches and shrubs. Following her line of sight, Carlo finally picked up the target: a lone deer.
Thud thud thud!
Katyusha suddenly lunged! Her massive body darted with surprising agility through the pines, closing the distance to the unsuspecting deer in an instant.
"Eeng!"
The deer, looking minuscule compared to Katyusha, let out a startled cry. It was terrified by this strange, new predator. But a deer that survives in a peril-filled forest is no amateur; she had seen predators before, just never one this large. For a moment, she was paralyzed by sheer awe and terror.
Then: a turn, a leap.
The elegant figure bounded through the air. The deer easily evaded Katyusha's lethal snap and bolted away from the pack. She had only allowed Katyusha to get so close because the dinosaur had the advantage of the wind; being downwind, Katyusha could smell the deer, but the deer couldn't scent her.
A strange predator… I need to catch its scent.
The deer darted through the green shadows, planning to loop back once these giants left to memorize their scent, better to defend against future ambushes. She looked back and saw the behemoth still standing there, watching her, almost as if it were waiting.
It hasn't given up! It's waiting for wha—
Suddenly, the deer caught a new scent. A smell she had never encountered before, coming from upwind.
In the next heartbeat, her vision was plunged into darkness. A dull ache bloomed in her sides as her body grew light, lifted off the ground.
Karl, who had been lying in wait, clamped his jaws around the deer. A few violent shakes of his head ended the creature's fragile life.
With the deer in his mouth, he walked over to Katyusha. They shared a brief look before returning to the main group to present the food to Carlo.
When did these two develop such high-level coordination?
Carlo was surprised. He had initially intended to scold them, as now was not the time for hunting, but the words died in his throat. Looking at the small deer, Carlo realized the biggest difference between here and Isla Nublar was the food supply. It was difficult to find a place to fill their bellies all at once; they had to scavenge and hunt whenever the opportunity arose during their migration.
He lowered his head and used his snout to nudge the carcass toward the others, signaling for them to eat first.
To a Giganotosaurus, a tiny deer was little more than an energy bar or a light snack, it barely registered on their hunger meter. After a quick "discussion" with the family, Katyusha and Karl realized no one else was particularly hungry, so they split the carcass between the two of them.
Afterward, Carlo led the pack further down the river.
The presence of wild deer suggested the local ecosystem wasn't in bad shape, or at least, it was healthy enough to support small animals. Humans hadn't over-encroached here yet. That… was probably a good thing.
The sound of the river gradually calmed as the Giganotosaurus pack cleared the trees. They crossed another asphalt road, descended a small slope, and arrived at the edge of a vast, shimmering lake.
The pack instinctively parted, allowing Carlo to drink first, a necessary precaution when encountering an unknown water source.
"Roar—"
Carlo, who hadn't had a proper drink since they were on the ship, accidentally indulged for a bit too long. He finally stood tall and gave a soft rumble to signal that the water was safe.
The other four dinosaurs relaxed and lined up along the shore, lowering their heads to rehydrate.
Carlo, unsatisfied in stomach but quenched in thirst, lifted his head to survey the environment. An asphalt road circled nearly half the lake, and not far off, a bridge spanned the river channel, marked as "Fishing Bridge."
Lingering here carried the risk of being spotted, but it was an excellent spot for a temporary breather. More importantly, Kafka's stamina was nearly depleted; they had to stop.
Carlo noticed that the side of the lake without the road was densely forested with pines, perfect for a hidden rest. A short while later, the pack relocated to the spot Carlo had chosen.
"Roar…"
At their leader's soft command, the dinosaurs finally collapsed onto the ground with sighs of relief, their stamina beginning to recover. Having traveled for a day and a night without pause, they desperately needed the rest.
"Roar?"
Boss, aren't you going to sleep?
Carlo sat on his haunches in the center of the pack, gazing out at the great lake with a distant look in his eyes. Hearing Katyusha's question, he merely turned his head and replied.
"Roar…"
I'm not tired yet. You all sleep first.
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