(Note: All dinosaur ecological behaviors in this text originate from the author's imagination.)
[Holy crap, big news!]
Jurassic World's official promotion was hitting all the right marks. The Primeval Ecological Zone project was trending across every major social media platform.
[I was wondering why there were so few dinosaurs lately… turns out they were saving them all for this.]
[Urgent! Is there a T-Rex? I need to see the Rex!]
[Just serve it up already!]
The Jurassic World marketing team knew how to read the room. Taking advantage of the netizens' soaring enthusiasm and their impulsive urge to spend, they opened the official Ecological Zone website portal.
Once inside, you were prompted to link your official Jurassic World account, and then...
Become a VIP to unlock the following features:
1. 24/7 Ecological Live Streams
2. Exclusive Documentary Content
3. Unlock Rated-R Content
4. Ad-free Experience Only $48.00 (USD)
Many users felt like they'd been doused with cold water and left grumbling. However, even more dinosaur enthusiasts, including a fair number of paleontologists, didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Even if any paleontologist worth their salt knew that Jurassic World's "dinosaurs" weren't true prehistoric animals, the Ecological Zone still provided immense reference value.
[Primeval Giganotosaurus Sector: Major Discovery! Giganotosaurus actually has the habit of caching food! Let us praise the wit of the young Giga!]
Newcomers might find the official account's tone a bit "abstract," but the veterans were already sharing a knowing smile.
[This familiar feeling... it's you! The original admin!]
[My god, did they get a promotion?]
[I'm a Giga fan, but even I can't match the admin's energy. Let us praise the God of Fans!]
…
None of this mattered to Carlo. He was just a little dinosaur frolicking in his territory.
Mom had said not to wander out of the "habitat" to play, but surely the territory counted as the habitat?
I'm still a good, obedient boy.
Carlo's "Mental Victory" technique remained as powerful as ever.
However, he was currently preoccupied with the fact that there was a super, super massive lake right in front of him! The kind that would definitely be marked on a map!
He really wanted to check it out. There were plenty of herbivores there, and even two Brachiosaurus that were even larger than Mom and Dad. But that area was outside the territory. Carlo had to find a way to convince himself first.
Alright, Brain, time to do your job! Tell me! How do I go out there?
Hmm? 'Everything the light touches is my kingdom'?
Perfect! Let's go with that!
Carlo trotted over with a clear conscience. He seemed to have forgotten that as a dinosaur, he lacked the complex linguistic system of a human. Explaining this logic to Mom later was going to be... tricky.
Many herbivores were drinking near the Great Lake, but none nested here because there wasn't enough of the vegetation they liked. Only the Brachiosaurus found their favorite high-altitude nuts here. Consequently, the other herbivores would follow the river to find more suitable living grounds.
Still, many chose to drink here due to an unwritten rule in dinosaur ecology:
No fighting at the watering hole.
(Note: This concept is derived from the Jurassic World spin-off "Camp Cretaceous" and does not apply to aquatic or semi-aquatic species.)
For carnivores, hunting by the water could contaminate the source. Since water is the source of life: Hunting at the watering hole = Killing myself.
Rivers, however, had no such protections. Predators often camped there like "campers" in a video game. Thus, herbivores preferred trekking further to the lake to drink in peace.
Carlo didn't know this rule, though his instincts would have stopped him if he tried to hunt. But he wasn't here to hunt. He was here to troll.
He quietly circled to the downwind side and activated his Clumsy Stealth, inching toward a Stegosaurus currently drinking. Once he was close enough, he dropped his stealth and stood just two meters away, simply staring at it.
Sensing movement, the Stegosaurus stopped drinking and looked back. It saw a rather goofy-looking fellow standing right next to it.
Hello there. (Carlo)
The Stegosaurus simply decided the kid was a bit "slow" and went back to drinking.
???
Carlo felt insulted. He expected fear, or perhaps a defensive tail swipe, and he was prepared for either. Instead... he was ignored?!
Agitated, Carlo let out a light roar.
The Stegosaurus didn't even lift its head; it just shifted one position to the side. It thought Carlo wanted its spot to drink.
???
Carlo was even more baffled. This… this isn't right.
He stood there for a moment before finally deciding to drink along. He had to; the other guy had given up the spot. If he didn't drink now, it would feel incredibly embarrassing.
Carlo took two sips and left. He wasn't even thirsty; he was just covering up his social awkwardness. This only confirmed the Stegosaurus's suspicion:
Takes two sips and leaves. Definitely a slow kid.
Ignoring the Stegosaurus, Carlo continued wandering the lakeshore. He realized the herbivores here weren't afraid of him, but he eventually found a new target: an Ornithomimus heading for a drink!
Carlo stepped forward and blocked its path. Confused, the Ornithomimus tried to sidestep him. Carlo blocked it again, staring it down with an aggressive gaze.
The Ornithomimus began to panic and switched directions. Carlo blocked it a third time.
Help! A delinquent is harrassing a lady!
This time, the Ornithomimus truly panicked. It opened its beak wide, let out a squawk, and then…
Flop.
It collapsed to the ground.
???
Carlo was stunned again. Why did the herbivores here have such glass hearts? He nudged the fallen Ornithomimus and realized it was still breathing.
So it hadn't died of fright; it had just fainted.
Like a curious toddler, Carlo wandered around the edge of the lake, peering at this dinosaur, then that one. For those with a strong constitution, he was an annoyance; for those with weak nerves, he was a living nightmare.
Soon, Carlo truly understood the rules of the place when he spotted a Ceratosaurus. It was drinking right next to a Parasaurolophus, looking for all the world like old friends.
Oh, so you really can't fight here.
Having reached this realization, Carlo decided to go check out the Ceratosaurus.
Ceratosaurus One appeared to be drinking, but he was actually scouting. Thanks to the "cleverness" of Number Two, they had learned to pick out prey at the lake and then stealthily track them until they were far from the water before striking.
Thus, Carlo had been under Number One's gaze from the moment he appeared.
The Ceratosaurus thought Carlo was a master. When the newcomer had approached in stealth, there wasn't a sound or a scent, and if it hadn't been for that light roar, Number One wouldn't have noticed him at all.
But seeing the stranger circle other dinosaurs instead of drinking made him uneasy.
Could it be... he's also picking out prey?!
Heavens! This dinosaur has the same brilliant intellect as Number Two! I must deal with him cautiously!
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