"Great. This one's smarter."

  Watching the man's expression, one that looked ready for a heroic sacrifice, Carlo found it hard to keep a straight face.

  You're trying to test a high-ranking official with just that? Finding the situation rather dull, he turned and walked away. If this were his old territory, he wouldn't have minded playing with them a bit longer, but he had already caught several unfamiliar scents in the air. The unknown musks made him feel a twinge of unease.

  The four "statues" behind him exhaled in unison as Carlo retreated.

  "Phew…"

  Then, they collectively sucked the air back in.

  Carlo had a sudden thought: the human had just tossed a glowing "cigarette butt" into the brush. What if it started a fire? It was better to go back and stomp it out.

  Humans really have no manners, he grumbled inwardly.

  With that thought, Carlo turned back and passed by them a second time.

  Ian Malcolm, however, did not share Carlo's civic-mindedness. As the dinosaur brushed past him again, he was already deciding what animal he wanted to be reincarnated as in his next life.

  Only when Carlo’s massive silhouette vanished into the treeline did Malcolm dare to steal a glance back. Seeing no sign of the predator returning, he finally went limp.

  "In moments like these, I start to think some extinct things were better off staying extinct."

  The voice of a survivor. Malcolm’s words snapped the other three out of their trance.

  "You're right about that," Grant admitted, despite his deep love for the species.

  He looked at the two young technicians. They didn't say a word; they simply bolted the tire onto the Jeep with record-breaking speed and prepared to floor it.

  One act of kindness had resulted in a lifetime of introversion.

  Helping others is a virtue, but nearly losing your life in the process is far from "wonderful." No one truly enjoys dancing on the edge of a blade.

  …

  Sizzle, sizzle…

  A small cloud of gray smoke rose from beneath Carlo's foot. He had successfully extinguished the litter left by the rude humans. Now, it was time to leave.

  "Aunnng—!"

  A distant, alien bellow echoed through the trees. Carlo jumped, instinctively diving into the nearest thicket and activating his [Clumsy Stealth].

  No way. Did the humans put us in here with other dinosaurs? What is this? Dino-War? That’s psychopathic!

  He could already catch their scent. It was far off, coming from multiple individuals, and it smelled... delicious?

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  Wait... delicious? The thought sprang directly from Carlo’s genetic code. Even he didn't know why he felt that way.

  Stepping out of the brush and seeing the rude, dazed humans were long gone, he decided to head back to Debby and Caroline.

  They were apex predators! They could win a fight against a T. rex (assuming a three-on-one gang-up). He was always safest by their side.

  …

  The morning sun filtered through the canopy, dappling Carlo’s snout with light.

  Feeling the sting of the brightness, Carlo let out a low groan in his light sleep, turning his head slightly before opening his eyes. He realized his parents were already gone.

  He wasn't panicked, though. The entire sector was already saturated with their scent—the unmistakable marking of their new sovereignty.

  The two adults had adapted to the new home faster than Carlo expected. They had clearly already claimed a prime nesting site, or the air wouldn't be so thick with their musk.

  "Roar—"

  Carlo tilted his head back and let out a soft call.

  On the other side of the woods, Debby and Caroline stopped in their tracks. They raised their heads and let out a resonant bellow in response.

  On a nearby tree, a surveillance camera lens whirred, focusing on the two giants as they called out.

  "Why did they stop?" a technician asked, squinting at the monitor.

  "The juvenile is awake," Grant replied, also staring at the screen. "They’re responding to his call. It’s the most common form of communication among social animals."

  The scene reminded Grant of the Raptor packs he’d encountered on Isla Sorna.

  As for Carlo’s "premature" awakening the night before, the lab had officially chalked it up to an individual sedative resistance. They noted that future doses for the asset would need to be increased.

  The Giganotosaurus are adapting remarkably fast. Is it because the sub-adult performed a scouting patrol last night? Grant wondered.

  If that was the case, how were they confirming the perimeter? Smell. It had to be. Unlike Raptors, these dinosaurs could relay a wealth of information through scent markings without ever making physical contact.

  "Dr. Grant! Something's wrong over here!" a staff member at another station shouted.

  Grant hurried over. The technician pointed at his screen and explained, "The two Carnotaurus are acting up. They’ve become aggressive the moment they sighted each other."

  Grant leaned in, his eyes narrowing as he watched the two theropods.

  "They're asserting dominance," Grant concluded quickly.

  "What? But they're of opposite sexes. Shouldn't they be... well..." the technician trailed off, confused.

  "Carnotaurus aren't naturally pack hunters. They aren't like Ceratosaurus, who are willing to share territory to a degree." Grant paused. "They’re drawing lines. It's a simple skirmish for space. Once mating season hits, they'll make up."

  The technician grinned but didn't reply, looking somewhat amused by the thought.

  "If my theory holds, we’ll see one or two more confrontations between these carnivores in the hunting grounds over the next few days. They need to establish the pecking order for the ecosystem," Grant predicted.

  The technician’s face paled slightly. "There won't be any... major casualties, will there?"

  "No, I don't believe so," Grant said confidently. "The territory is vast enough. They’ll likely stick to displays of strength and skill to settle the score."

  …

  Step, step, step.

  A rhythmic, light-footed pace. Even for a dinosaur, the walk radiated pure joy.

  "Roar…"

  Carlo gave a soft huff as he reached his parents, trotting up to them.

  The two adults each nuzzled Carlo’s cheeks twice before Caroline turned and let out a low rumble, signaling for him to follow.

  Carlo chirped in response, trailing behind them.

  They pushed through a dense thicket to reveal a small lake. It was clearly man-made; the edges were shallow, and even at its center, it was only about three meters deep. Carlo could stand in it without getting his back wet.

  Reaching the water’s edge, Carlo lowered his head at a 45-degree angle, dipping his lower jaw into the cool liquid. Once the water filled his mouth, he leveled his head with his body and tilted back to swallow.

  He repeated the motion five or six times before stopping.

  He had been on patrol since the previous night and hadn't rested until dawn. He was parched.

  Seeing his parents settling down onto the grass to recover their strength, Carlo followed suit, curling up nearby. There was still plenty of time before their usual feeding, and for now, the family of three wasn't hungry.

  [Official Jurassic World Social Media: The Giganotosaurus family from Sector 5 has officially moved to their new home! Let's wish them a warm welcome! Bye-bye, Paddock 5~ (Sob)]