Bai Ye spoke with Dr. Harding as they reached the lake and hid behind a Brontosaurus.
Bai Ye took out a can and water and handed them to Dr. Harding. "Although your method is good, how did you know which direction the Brontosaurus would go?"
Dr. Harding replied, "When Jurassic Park was built, the northern area was covered in jungle. So, by heading in this direction, there's no more jungle. Brontosauruses rarely inhabit forests."
Bai Ye suddenly understood. "As long as we don't head towards the forest, no matter which route the Brontosauruses take, we'll be closer to the outer perimeter?"
Dr. Harding confirmed, "Precisely."
Bai Ye nodded. This was good news; his mission difficulty had decreased. After all, as Dr. Harding said, they had acquired a group of bodyguards.
Dr. Harding said, "Now we just need to hope these giants don't decide to make their home by the lake."
Bai Ye desperately wanted to cover Dr. Harding's mouth; wasn't this tempting fate?
However, Dr. Harding's ill omen didn't come true. About fifteen minutes later, the Brontosauruses got up, ready to leave the lake, and headed forward.
Bai Ye checked the park map. "We're lucky."
The herd of Brontosauruses moved forward slowly, heading in a straight line towards the outer perimeter. This was naturally very beneficial for Bai Ye and Dr. Harding.
Following the Brontosauruses, the surrounding dinosaurs did indeed increase. After leaving the lake area, Bai Ye spotted a pack of Velociraptors.
Bai Ye was prepared for a fight, but after observing for a while from the hillside, the Velociraptors ultimately chose to leave rather than attack.
The size difference between the two was too significant, so the Velociraptors seemed to have some sense.
However, not all of them did.
An Allosaurus appeared before the Brontosaurus herd and charged at them without hesitation, then...
And then there was no "then"!
The Allosaurus was a renowned carnivore, infamous for its ferocity, even called a "miniature Spinosaurus." However, the "miniature" prefix spoke volumes about the Allosaurus's true stature. Compared to a Spinosaurus, it was like comparing a father to a son. Thus, after being flipped over by a few of the leading Brontosauruses, it sheepishly retreated from the herd.
Occasionally, Bai Ye could hear dinosaur calls from the sky.
Looking up, he saw several Pterodactyls flying overhead, circling above the Brontosaurus herd.
"Don't worry, they won't dive down," Dr. Harding explained. "Pterodactyls are similar to eagles. They like to drag their prey into the sky and then eat it once it dies. Therefore, large dinosaurs are not their primary targets."
Bai Ye asked, "What if the targets were us?"
Dr. Harding replied, "We would certainly be targets, but aren't the Brontosauruses shielding us? Because of the Brontosauruses, those Pterodactyls wouldn't dare to dive. And to the Brontosauruses, if a Pterodactyl were to dive, they would undoubtedly think the target was them."
"It seems we are indeed very lucky," Bai Ye said. "At this pace, we should reach the park's outskirts before nightfall."
Dr. Harding nodded, his eyes even tearing up slightly. "Eleven years. I can finally leave this place."
Dr. Harding's emotions were complex: excitement, melancholy, and even a distinct hint of reluctance.
This Jurassic Park was his lifelong dream. He had succeeded once. He had spent his life studying dinosaurs, which brought him unimaginable wealth. Yet, this Jurassic Park had also brought him unimaginable suffering – eleven years of nearly dark and hopeless existence.
However, Bai Ye couldn't be bothered by Dr. Harding's emotional fluctuations. For Bai Ye, the most important thing was to complete the mission. And completing it this easily was naturally the best scenario.
Yet, Bai Ye soon understood the meaning of the old saying, "Blessings and misfortunes are intertwined."
In the evening, as dusk had not yet fallen, the sky was dyed a hazy red by the setting sun.
The Brontosaurus herd stopped moving, seemingly preparing for a brief rest. Dr. Harding was still envisioning the wonderful life after leaving Jurassic Park when, at that moment, a colossal footprint suddenly appeared in Dr. Harding's vision.
Dr. Harding's gaze shifted dramatically. He disengaged from the Brontosaurus herd and ran towards the direction of the footprint.
"Hey, wait a minute!"
Bai Ye quickly called out and hurried to catch up with Dr. Harding, reaching the edge of the footprint.
It was a massive, maple-leaf-shaped footprint, about half a meter deep, looking extremely menacing.
"Yes, yes... it is," Dr. Harding said, looking at the footprint and becoming agitated. He grabbed Bai Ye. "We need to run quickly. We can't follow the Brontosaurus herd anymore. This place is extremely dangerous."
Bai Ye asked, "Just because of this footprint?"
"This is a Tyrannosaurus Rex footprint!" Dr. Harding urged. "Look at the edges of the footprint; they aren't covered in grass, and it's very dry. This means the footprint was left not long ago. The Tyrannosaurus Rex must be nearby..."
Roar!
A dinosaur's roar echoed, feeling deafening.
At that instant, Bai Ye felt the ground tremble. The air behind him seemed to ripple like waves from the roar.
For a moment, Bai Ye experienced tinnitus; his ears buzzed.
Bai Ye turned his head and saw a Brontosaurus with its neck being bitten. Its massive body toppled down like a small mountain collapsing to the ground.
Tyrannosaurus Rex!
This was the apex predator of the ancient era, the overlord known as the "cruel lizard king," a terrifying existence with a bite force of up to 200,000 Newtons.
While Brontosauruses were actually larger than Tyrannosaurus Rex, they appeared vulnerable before it. When the Tyrannosaurus Rex pounced, the larger Brontosaurus had little room to resist before being pinned down.
The next second, a tragedy unfolded.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex gnawed relentlessly. Soon, the Brontosaurus's neck was covered in wounds, a scene of bloody flesh.
The other Brontosauruses seemed to want to help, but as soon as they approached the Tyrannosaurus Rex, it suddenly reared up. Its massive tail swept backward, easily knocking a Brontosaurus to the ground.
How brutal!
Especially considering that, purely based on size, the Brontosauruses were clearly larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, which made the visual impact even more intense.
"Let's go!" At this moment, Dr. Harding tugged at Bai Ye. "While that Tyrannosaurus Rex is hunting the Brontosaurus, we should run!"
The sky was already darkening. They had been traveling all day.
Considering the distance, the outer perimeter of Jurassic Park was within reach. Dr. Harding did not want to fail at the last moment.
...