Thud. Thud.
An oppressive atmosphere instantly smothered the Dreadnoughtus herd. The sounds of males displaying and females lowing in encouragement vanished in a heartbeat.
At eighteen meters tall and weighing forty tons, these titans were practically peerless. Once they outgrew their juvenile stage, they could normally treat large predators as non-entities.
But what happens when the predator in question is over ten meters tall and nearly fifty meters long?
Carlo paced slowly through the Dreadnoughtus herd, his gaze sweeping over every dinosaur present.
The Dreadnoughtus that had been resting near his path scrambled to their feet and backed away. Even though they stood significantly taller than Carlo, and even though they had the advantage of numbers, a deep-seated dread took root in their hearts.
It was a biological instinct, the kind of feeling one gets when looking at a menu only to find their own name listed under the specials.
Carlo, meanwhile, was experiencing a novel sensation: the feeling of facing a creature larger than himself for the first time. Back in the Primeval Ecological Zone, neither the Brachiosaurus nor the Diplodocus had made him feel this way.
Even though they were also behemoths, they lacked one vital quality—stoutness.
If those other long-necks were synonyms for beauty, the Dreadnoughtus was the ambassador for raw, martial majesty.
But Carlo wasn't here to hunt them. He just wanted a "pass" into their territory.
This was the desert. Even if dinosaurs didn't sweat in the traditional sense, they lost moisture far faster than usual. It was only logical to bring Giga Dad and the others here to resupply at the water source before heading to the next oasis.
(Note: While reptiles are traditionally thought to lack sweat glands, some paleontological research suggests that dinosaurs may have possessed thermoregulatory mechanisms similar to sweating.)
"Aunnng—"
The white Dreadnoughtus let out a piercing cry, catching Carlo's attention.
Carlo liked this individual the moment he saw it, simply because they shared white skin. Although Carlo's overall coloration leaned toward black, seeing a dinosaur with the same "shade" made him quite happy.
In that case, I'll call you the White King.
"Roar…"
Carlo huffed a soft response. A predator's roar can cause panic, fear, and trembling, but it can also sound... peaceful?
Well, this was one of Carlo's special skills. As the Lord of the Primeval Zone, he had a way with herbivores, and he was something of a "charmer" in the dinosaur world.
"Aunnng?"
The White King's agitation began to fade. His massive limbs, which had been stomping the ground in a restless cycle, gradually stilled.
As a literal "white elephant" in the desert who had been targeted by predators since he was a hatchling, he knew predator behavior patterns inside and out. Usually, it was either "I'm hungry, I'm eating you" or "I'm slacking off, don't bug me."
Of course, for some predators, there was a third option: "I'm bored, just let me wander."
In his eyes, Carlo was likely the third type.
"Roar…"
Before long, Carlo reached the White King. He tilted his head back, letting out a soft call to the giant.
Compared to those with jagged, exposed fangs, Carlo's recessed, serrated teeth looked almost friendly. The slight flash of ivory during his soft huff wasn't enough to trigger a flight response.
The White Monarch lowered his head, meeting the gaze of the Primeval Lord. When a herbivore and a carnivore lock eyes, it's usually a horror story, but sometimes, it becomes a legend.
"Aunnng…"
Seeing Carlo approach so closely, the White King let out a low warning. His forelimbs were braced, ready to rear up for a stomp at a moment's notice. However, he didn't want to make an enemy of a species that could threaten his entire herd, so he didn't act rashly.
But in the next moment, a tingly, soothing sensation washed over him, making his massive body shiver with comfort.
Carlo had gently rubbed his cheek against the White King's neck. He couldn't reach very high, but the effect was significant.
The neck is the most sensitive spot on a large sauropod; Miss Diplodocus had told him that.
However, a quick nuzzle or two was plenty. One mustn't overstep, or a greeting between males might turn into a "courtship ritual" between opposite sexes. Miss Diplodocus had told him that, too.
As for how Carlo "understood" her words, let's just say it wasn't through spoken language.
Having finished his greeting, Carlo stepped aside and sat down among the herd members behind the White King. His posture clearly said: "Carry on, I'm just watching the show."
He maintained eye contact with the White King with an innocent expression while huffing a greeting to a female Dreadnoughtus lying nearby. She, however, looked a bit dazed, as if her worldview was currently being dismantled.
"Aunnng—"
The White King shifted his gaze from Carlo back to his challenger. Even though the sudden interruption had paused the fight, the battle for the throne had begun, and it could not end until a victor emerged.
…
"Holy..."
The members of the Primeval organization monitoring the Giganotosaurus family fell into a long, stunned silence. The scene was simply too overwhelming.
"This feels like déjà vu. Last time it was the Parasaurolophus, right?"
Is this scientific? No, it is not.
"I'm going to ask Dr. Grant."
The Primeval Official spoke up, recording a short clip on his phone to send to Dr. Grant's social media account. He set the phone on the table and went back to staring intensely at the screen.
Ding!
Almost instantly, the phone chimed with a notification. But at that moment, no one noticed the screen lighting up on the table, nor the frantic flurry of messages following it.
[Grant: When was this filmed? Where?]
[Grant: The Mojave Sanctuary? You moved the Giganotosaurus family there? This is how he's acting upon arrival?]
[Grant: Are you there?]
["Grant" nudged "Primeval Official"]
[Grant: Regarding your previous invitation... I actually have a few suggestions for you.]
…
THUD.
The young challenger toppled onto his side. For a creature this massive, a simple fall could be fatal.
"Aunnng—"
"Roar—!"
The White King successfully defended his throne and let out a victor's cry. Carlo roared in kind, celebrating the win while calling out to Giga Dad and the rest of the family.
The White King took a moment to re-assert his status to the surrounding herd, then lay down on the other side of the female Dreadnoughtus next to Carlo to recover his strength.
The female lowered her neck and head slightly, nuzzling the White King affectionately. Watching the interaction between the two Dreadnoughtus, Carlo suddenly realized something.
Oh, so this is the "Lady of the House."
"Roar—"
Boss.
Katyusha led the other Giganotosauruses over to Carlo's other side. They looked past him at the White King's family; the White King glanced back at Carlo's group, let out a soft low, and then ignored them.
Only then did Carlo turn his head to look at Katyusha, huffing a response:
It's settled. Let's go get some water.
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