Bai Ye and Dr. Harding spoke as they approached the lake, hiding behind the Brontosaurus.
Bai Ye took out a can and water, offering them to Dr. Harding. "Your plan is good, but how did you know which direction the Brontosaurus was heading?"
Dr. Harding replied, "When Jurassic Park was built, the northern area was a jungle. So, if they head in this direction, there's no more jungle. Brontosaurus rarely inhabit forests."
Bai Ye realized, "As long as they don't go towards the forest, no matter which route the Brontosaurus takes, we'll be closer to the outer perimeter?"
Dr. Harding confirmed, "Precisely."
Bai Ye nodded. This was good news; his mission had become less difficult. After all, as Dr. Harding had said, they had a group of bodyguards.
Dr. Harding then added, "Now we can only hope these giants don't decide to make the lake their home."
Bai Ye felt an urge to cover Dr. Harding's mouth, thinking he was tempting fate.
However, Dr. Harding's bad omen didn't come true. About fifteen minutes later, the Brontosaurus got up and prepared to leave the lake, moving forward.
Bai Ye checked the park map and said, "We're quite lucky."
The herd of Brontosaurus moved forward slowly. Judging by their direction, they were heading in a straight line towards the outer perimeter, which was very beneficial for Bai Ye and Dr. Harding.
Following the Brontosaurus, they indeed encountered more dinosaurs. After leaving the lake area, Bai Ye spotted a group of Velociraptors.
Bai Ye was prepared for a fight, but after observing them on the hillside for a while, the Velociraptors eventually chose to leave rather than attack. The immense size difference between the two groups was clearly too much for the raptors to consider.
However, some creatures were less intelligent.
A single Oxalaia appeared before the Brontosaurus herd, charging at them without hesitation, and then...
There was no "then"!
Oxalaia was a well-known carnivorous dinosaur, infamous for its ferocity and even called a "small Spinosaurus." But from the word "small," one could infer its true nature. Compared to a Spinosaurus, it was like a father to a son. Thus, after being knocked over by the leading Brontosaurus, it sheepishly retreated from the herd.
Occasionally, Bai Ye could hear the sounds of dinosaurs from the sky.
Looking up, he saw several Pterosaurs flying overhead, constantly circling above the Brontosaurus herd.
"Don't worry, they won't come down," Dr. Harding explained. "Pterosaurs are similar to eagles in their habits. They like to drag their prey into the sky and eat them after they die. So, large dinosaurs are not their targets."
Bai Ye asked, "What if we were the target?"
Dr. Harding replied, "We would certainly be targets, but aren't the Brontosaurus herd protecting us? Because of the Brontosaurus, those Pterosaurs dare not dive. And for the Brontosaurus, if a Pterosaur were to dive, they would surely think the target was them."
"It seems our luck is indeed holding," Bai Ye said. "At this pace, we should reach the park's outskirts before nightfall."
Dr. Harding nodded, his eyes welling up slightly. "Eleven years. I can finally leave this place."
Dr. Harding's emotions were complex, a mix of excitement and melancholy, even tinged with a hint of reluctance. Jurassic Park had been his lifelong dream. He had succeeded once, and his lifelong study of dinosaurs had brought him unimaginable wealth. Yet, this park had also brought him unimaginable suffering – eleven years of near-darkness.
However, Bai Ye paid no mind to Dr. Harding's emotional shifts. For Bai Ye, the most important thing was to complete his mission, and completing it easily like this was, naturally, the best-case scenario.
Yet, Bai Ye soon understood the meaning of the old saying, "Blessings and misfortunes are intertwined."
As evening approached, the sky was bathed in the dim, reddish glow of the setting sun.
The Brontosaurus herd stopped moving, seemingly preparing for a brief rest. Dr. Harding was still envisioning his wonderful life after leaving Jurassic Park when, at that moment, colossal footprints suddenly appeared in his view.
Dr. Harding's expression changed drastically. He pulled away from the Brontosaurus herd and ran towards the direction of the footprints.
"Hey, wait up!"
Bai Ye quickly called out and followed Dr. Harding to the edge of the footprints.
They were enormous, maple-leaf-shaped prints, about half a meter deep, looking incredibly ferocious.
"That's it, that's it..." Dr. Harding said, looking at the footprints, his excitement growing. He grabbed Bai Ye. "We need to run, now. We can't follow the Brontosaurus herd anymore. This place is extremely dangerous."
Bai Ye asked, "Just because of these footprints?"
"These are Tyrannosaurus Rex footprints!" Dr. Harding urged. "Look at the edges of the prints; they aren't covered with grass and are quite dry. This means the footprints were made not long ago. The Tyrannosaurus Rex must be nearby..."
ROAR!
A dinosaur's roar echoed, feeling deafening.
For a moment, Bai Ye felt the ground tremble. The air behind him seemed to ripple like waves from the sheer force of the roar.
For a split second, Bai Ye experienced tinnitus, his ears ringing.
Bai Ye turned his head and saw a Brontosaurus with its neck in the jaws of another creature, its massive body falling to the ground like a collapsing mountain.
Tyrannosaurus Rex!
This was the apex predator of the ancient world, the overlord known as the "cruel lizard king," a terrifying being with a bite force of up to 200,000 Newtons.
Although the Brontosaurus was physically larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, it was no match. When the Tyrannosaurus Rex attacked, the larger Brontosaurus had little chance to resist before being pinned down.
The next moment was a gruesome spectacle.
With continuous tearing bites from the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Brontosaurus's neck quickly became mangled and bloody.
The other Brontosaurus seemed to want to help, but as soon as they approached the attacking Tyrannosaurus Rex, it suddenly reared up. Its massive tail swept backward, easily knocking one of the approaching Brontosaurus to the ground.
It was too brutal!
Especially considering the size difference, the Brontosaurus was clearly larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, making the visual impact even more intense.
"Let's go!" Dr. Harding urged, pulling Bai Ye. "While that Tyrannosaurus Rex is hunting the Brontosaurus, we should run!"
The sky was nearing dusk, and they had been traveling for an entire day.
Considering the distance, the outer perimeter of Jurassic Park was now within reach. Dr. Harding was unwilling to see their efforts thwarted at the final hurdle.
...