Bai Ye spoke with Dr. Hurd as they walked to the lake, hiding behind the Apatosaurus.
Bai Ye took out a can of food and water and handed them to Dr. Hurd. "Although your method is good, how did you know which direction the Apatosaurus were heading?"
Dr. Hurd replied, "When Jurassic Park was being built, the northern area was dense with jungle. So, heading in this direction means there's no more jungle. Apatosaurus rarely inhabit forests."
Bai Ye realized, "As long as we don't go towards the forest, no matter which route the Apatosaurus take, we'll be closer to the outer perimeter?"
Dr. Hurd confirmed, "Precisely."
Bai Ye nodded. This was good news; his mission difficulty had decreased, especially since, as Dr. Hurd mentioned, they had acquired a group of bodyguards.
Dr. Hurd added, "Now, we just need to hope these giants don't decide to make their habitat by the lake."
Bai Ye desperately wanted to cover Dr. Hurd's mouth, thinking he was tempting fate.
However, Dr. Hurd's ill-fated prophecy did not materialize. About fifteen minutes later, the Apatosaurus rose and prepared to leave the lake, moving forward.
Bai Ye opened the park map and checked it. "Good luck."
The group of Apatosaurus slowly moved forward. Judging by their direction, they were heading in a straight line towards the outer perimeter, which was naturally very advantageous for Bai Ye and Dr. Hurd.
Following the Apatosaurus, the surrounding dinosaurs indeed became more numerous. 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 groups was too pronounced, so the Velociraptors appeared to have some sense.
However, some lacked brains.
An Allosaurus appeared before the Apatosaurus herd and charged at them without hesitation, and then...
...and then there was no "then"!
The Allosaurus was a well-known carnivorous dinosaur, its ferocity legendary, even earning the nickname "little Dilophosaurus." However, the "little" indicated its characteristic. Compared to a Spinosaurus, it was like comparing a father to a son. Thus, after being shoved aside by a few of the lead Apatosaurus, it sheepishly retreated from the herd.
Occasionally, Bai Ye could hear the sounds of dinosaurs from above.
Looking up, he saw several Pterodactyls flying overhead, circling above the Apatosaurus herd.
"Don't worry, they won't attack us," Dr. Hurd explained. "Pterodactyls have habits similar to eagles. They like to drag their prey into the sky and eat them after they die. Therefore, large dinosaurs are not their targets."
Bai Ye asked, "What if the target is us?"
Dr. Hurd replied, "We would certainly be targets, but aren't the Apatosaurus blocking them? Those Pterodactyls dare not dive due to the presence of the Apatosaurus. And for the Apatosaurus, if a Pterodactyl were to dive, they would surely assume it was targeting them."
"It seems we are indeed very lucky," Bai Ye said. "At this pace, we should reach the park's perimeter before nightfall."
Dr. Hurd nodded, his eyes even welling up with tears. "Eleven years. I can finally leave this place."
Dr. Hurd's emotions were complex: excitement mixed with melancholy, and even a clear trace of reluctance.
This Jurassic Park was his lifelong dream. He had once succeeded. He had spent his life researching dinosaurs, bringing him unimaginable wealth. Yet, this Jurassic Park had also brought him unimaginable suffering – eleven years of near darkness.
However, Bai Ye was indifferent to Dr. Hurd's emotional fluctuations. For Bai Ye, the most important thing was to complete the mission, and completing it so easily was naturally the best outcome.
Yet, Bai Ye soon understood the meaning of the old saying about fortune and misfortune being intertwined.
In the evening, as dusk began to settle and the sky was dyed a hazy red by the setting sun, the Apatosaurus herd stopped moving, seemingly preparing for a short rest. Dr. Hurd was still looking forward to a pleasant life after leaving Jurassic Park when, suddenly, huge footprints appeared in his sight.
Dr. Hurd's expression changed drastically. He moved away from the Apatosaurus and ran towards the direction of the footprints.
"Hey, wait up!"
Bai Ye quickly called out and followed closely behind Dr. Hurd, arriving beside the footprints.
It was a massive, maple leaf-shaped footprint, about half a meter deep, and it looked incredibly ferocious.
"That's right, that's right..." Dr. Hurd looked at the footprint, suddenly agitated, and pulled Bai Ye along. "We need to run quickly. We can't stay with the Apatosaurus. This place is extremely dangerous."
Bai Ye questioned, "Just because of these footprints?"
"These are Tyrannosaurus Rex footprints!" Dr. Hurd said urgently. "Look at the edges of the footprints; they are not 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.
At that moment, 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 ringing.
Bai Ye turned his head and then saw an Apatosaurus with its neck bitten. Its massive body toppled down, collapsing like a small mountain.
Tyrannosaurus Rex!
This was the apex predator of the ancient world, the overlord known as the "cruel lizard king," a terrifying existence with a bite force of up to two hundred thousand Newtons.
While the Apatosaurus was actually larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, it appeared fragile before it. When the Tyrannosaurus Rex lunged, the even larger Apatosaurus had little room to resist before being pinned down.
The next second, a tragedy unfolded.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex tore into it relentlessly. Soon, the Apatosaurus's neck was a mess of gouges and bloody flesh.
The other Apatosaurus 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 an Apatosaurus to the ground.
So brutal!
Especially considering that, purely by size, the Apatosaurus was clearly larger than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, making the visual impact even more intense.
"Let's go!" At this moment, Dr. Hurd grabbed Bai Ye and urged, "While that Tyrannosaurus Rex is hunting the Apatosaurus, let's run!"
The sky was already nearing dusk. They had been traveling for an entire day.
Considering the distance, the outer perimeter of Jurassic Park was already within reach. Dr. Hurd had no desire to fail at the final hurdle.
...