—— Mini Theater ——
Parasaurolophus (laying eggs): "..."
Carlo: "..."
Parasaurolophus Doctor: No family members allowed in here.
Carlo: Huh? I'm not a family member.
Parasaurolophus Doctor: Then what are you doing in here?!
Carlo: I'm just curious.
Parasaurolophus Doctor: Get out!!!
—— End Theater ——
Back in reality, Carlo was currently crouched on the ground, locked in a silent staring contest with a Parasaurolophus that had just finished laying its eggs and was now hunkered down by the nest.
Beside him, a few brave Parasaurolophus were trying to nudge him away with their crests, but it was an exercise in futility.
Carlo slowly lowered his massive head, wanting to get a better look at the eggs. Before he could get close, the mother Parasaurolophus sprawled across the nest, blocking his view.
Oh, come on, don't be like that. Just let me see your eggs, okay? I haven't seen any other dinosaur eggs yet...
With surprising gentleness, Carlo nudged the mother aside. Having just finished the exhausting process of laying, she lacked the strength to resist and was unceremoniously rolled to one side.
"Aunnng—!" she cried out in alarm.
One, two, three, four, five...
Five eggs in total.
Carlo suddenly drifted into a memory. There had been five eggs in his own nest, too, but he was the only one who had survived.
I hope these little guys hatch safely and grow up fast~So I can eat them.Pfft, just kidding~
Carlo was running a frantic internal monologue. In truth, if he actually watched these little Parasaurolophus grow up, he couldn't guarantee he'd have the heart to kill them later. Fortunately, Carlo had enough Diplodocus to keep him satisfied; the odds of him hunting these neighbors were slim.
But then again... why were these Parasaurolophus nesting here?
While this area had the vegetation they liked, it wasn't particularly abundant. Carlo shifted his gaze, looking at the other nests nearby. Most had a mother sitting atop them. If all these children were born safely, the food here certainly wouldn't be enough, and they'd be forced to forage much further away.
Did they choose this place just because the Great Lake is safe?
Though many Parasaurolophus had their eyes glued to Carlo, a few "scouts" stood out. Carlo followed their line of sight and spotted a group of Ornithomimus watching from a distance.
And their gaze was far from friendly.
Looking at the Ornithomimus and then back at the Parasaurolophus, Carlo suddenly understood.
So, you're all homeless, aren't you?
"Homeless" wasn't quite the right word. Whether it was the Parasaurolophus or the Ornithomimus, neither had the power to choose their own habitat. Since other dinosaurs refused to cooperate with them, the Parasaurolophus were forced to the Great Lake. And what about the Parasaurolophus? They had driven out the Ornithomimus, seizing the habitat that originally belonged to them.
Carlo looked back at the nest in front of him. The mother Parasaurolophus hurriedly covered her eggs again, even though she knew it was a useless gesture against a predator his size.
The corners of Carlo's mouth twitched upward. Luckily, he was the one with the power of choice.
Consider it a thank-you for letting me see your eggs, Momma Para. I'll stay here with you guys for a while. At least... until these kids are born.
He wouldn't interfere with the laws of nature or dictate who should live where. He would simply do as he pleased. Staying here would naturally deter the Ornithomimus from launching a sneak attack, but if they truly found the courage to retaliate, Carlo wouldn't lift a finger to stop them either.
That was part of the natural order.
Carlo rested his head on the ground, less than five meters from the nearest nest, squinting his eyes for a nap. Two Parasaurolophus continued to nudge him tirelessly, trying to evict him. But Carlo lay there like a total scoundrel, refusing to budge.
After an unknown amount of time, the Parasaurolophus gave up. They simply lay down nearby, resigned to their fate.
What else are you gonna do? Kill me?
As Carlo's consciousness drifted between sleep and wakefulness, he felt something lightly pecking at his lips, then his nose, and finally, right on top of his head.
What now?
Carlo opened one eye to find a small, unidentified blue bird.
Hello there, little guy. What are you up to?
The blue bird chirped happily upon seeing Carlo wake up, then hopped down to peck at his lips again. Carlo didn't quite catch the hint. Seeing no reaction, the bird seemed to get impatient and started trying to crawl into Carlo's mouth.
Wait?! No admittance!
Carlo pressed his lips tight. The bird seemed to throw a tiny tantrum, persistent in its burrowing. Eventually, Carlo gave in and opened his mouth. The little bird chirped with joy, hopped onto his lip, and began a meticulous inspection of his shark-like teeth.
"Chirp!"
It found a scrap of meat wedged between the serrations and began to clean it out.
Whoa! An oral hygienist! My apologies, Doctor.
Carlo realized what the little creature was doing and kept his mouth open, cooperating with the "dental work."
The mother Parasaurolophus on the other side wasn't nearly as relaxed. Watching Carlo sprawl so close to her made it impossible to rest. When she saw him open his massive maw, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Time ticked by, and the sky began to darken. The little dentist flew away, and Carlo slowly closed his mouth, preparing for sleep. The mother Parasaurolophus was still sitting there, staring at him.
It's almost dark! Why haven't you left yet—!
She was exhausted. Having just laid eggs, she had very little strength left, and her eyes were heavy. Forget it... this is the Great Lake area; he probably won't hurt me...
She slowly rested her head on the ground, shifting her body slightly to look at her eggs. A tiny, visible smile touched her beak. It was a look of pure, unadulterated joy.
…
"No, something is wrong..."
"The Stegosaurus recently added to the Primeval Ecological Zone haven't merged with their kin. They've chosen to settle by the Great Lake instead."
A monitor in a green uniform spoke up, quickly seconded by a colleague.
"Yeah, the new introductions aren't behaving as predicted. One Triceratops tried to join a herd but was driven out."
"The Dryosaurus herd was kicked out of their original habitat by the Pachycephalosaurus. They're currently nomadic."
After listening to the reports, a high-ranking official frowned.
"We have to stop the specialists from dumping dinosaurs into the Primeval Ecological Zone like they're clearing out trash."
He looked up at the surveillance feed, watching Carlo coexisting peacefully with the Parasaurolophus.
"They're going to destroy the ecosystem here sooner or later."
———————
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