"Are you serious?"

  "What? Is there a problem?"

  "We’re just going to drive in there and put two darts in them? Just like that?"

  "Exactly."

  "God... you have to be kidding me."

  Under the moonlight, two men in park technician uniforms sat in a Jeep at the gate of Giganotosaurus Sector 5, waiting for the massive doors to grind open.

  "Seriously though, how do you think they’re going to transport these multi-ton monsters to the new zone?"

  "I don't know. Maybe some kind of heavy-lift crane?"

  "Wouldn't that just choke the life out of them?"

  "I said I don't know! You're so annoying."

  "Hey, take it easy, I’m just curious..."

  The employee holding the tranquilizer rifle turned away, hugging his weapon and making it clear he was done talking. The driver, left with nothing but silence, started to feel a bit restless. The woods were too quiet; it was beginning to give him the creeps.

  Nighttime at the park wasn't nearly as exciting as the brochures made it out to be. Most of the attractions were closed. Only the shops on Main Street and a few late-night rides remained lit, leaving the rest of the island in an eerie, prehistoric hush.

  "Team 3, come in. Do you copy?"

  "Whoa—!"

  The driver jumped at the sudden burst of static from the radio. The gunman, however, remained calm and pressed the transmit button.

  "Team 3 copies."

  "Understood. The gate will open in one minute. This is the last group of carnivores to be moved."

  The driver hit the ignition, and the Jeep's dashboard and headlights flickered to life.

  "Phew... nothing’s gonna go wrong, right?"

  "Relax. We do this quick. The dosage in these darts is enough to keep them under until tomorrow morning."

  "But I remember those thieves who broke in a few months back..."

  "Shut up."

  The gunman finally snapped, silencing his talkative companion. Ahead of them, the heavy gates began to part. The warning lights pulsed with a silent red glow; the sirens had likely been deactivated to avoid stressing the assets.

  Recalling his partner's questionable intellect, the gunman added cautiously, "Turn off the headlights once we're inside."

  "Oh, right. Good call." The driver immediately switched them off.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  You seriously weren't planning on turning them off?! The gunman’s eyes widened in disbelief. He was starting to get a bad feeling about this too.

  …

  In the darkness, Carlo cracked one eye open.

  There’s no scent... am I overthinking it? Why does it feel like something just entered the enclosure... it shouldn't be. I already mangled two of them; are humans really this slow to learn?

  Suddenly, a tranquilizer dart hissed out of the trees, burying itself deep into Carlo’s neck. His pupils dilated, and then...

  [Torpidity: 500.0 / 143,800.5]

  ...?

  [Torpidity: 0 / 143,800.5]

  In just three seconds, his torpor had completely flushed.

  But immediately following his "hit," two more darts streaked through the air, striking Debby and Caroline. Seeing the [Unconscious] status appear on their panels, Carlo felt a wave of helplessness.

  The darts worked fine. The problem was him. He decided the best course of action was to stay still and see what happened, after all, the humans certainly thought he was out cold.

  About three minutes later, a vehicle pulled up to their nesting site.

  "Team 3 reporting. All assets sedated," the gunman informed the radio.

  "Copy that. Stand by. The transport team is moving to your position."

  Carlo didn't quite understand why these two didn't get out of the car. If they stepped out, he could play some very "interesting" games with them, though he doubted they'd share his sense of humor.

  "My God," the driver marveled. "This little Giga has to be ten meters long by now. Last time I saw him, he was barely a meter tall."

  "Eight meters... no, at least nine," the gunman corrected, eyeing Carlo’s length.

  The driver paused, then looked at Carlo again. "You think the boss just has too much money? Insisting on moving these guys to a whole new sector."

  What?! We're moving?!

  Hearing this, Carlo was suddenly very much awake. Although he didn't "speak" English, the information in his mind seemed to have a built-in "translation" feature that rendered the gist of the conversation for him.

  So you're here to help us move house? You should have said so! Why go through the trouble of drugging us? Honestly.

  Carlo relaxed, his heart swelling with a quiet anticipation.

  Will the new place have butterflies? He hadn't seen a butterfly in months. Even the deer at the feeding station had stopped running from him, making life quite dull.

  Carlo squeezed his eyes shut, exactly like a child pretending to be asleep to avoid detection, while using his sense of smell to map out the arrivals.

  Soon, three transport trucks arrived, followed by a mobile heavy-lift crane. Staff members approached Carlo, bucking two thick, seatbelt-like harnesses around his torso.

  That... that tickles...

  Carlo let out a heavy, huffing breath, which sent the nearby workers scrambling back in terror.

  Vrummm—

  The crane groaned as Carlo was hoisted into the air and lowered into one of the trucks. Taking advantage of the moment no one was looking, he shifted into a more comfortable position and resumed his act.

  Thump-thump.

  Someone knocked on the side of the truck and shouted, "Ready to go!" Carlo felt the slight lurch of motion.

  Heck yeah! Road trip!

  …

  Thirty minutes later, Carlo was hoisted once more and set down on solid ground. He was the last one moved; Debby and Caroline were already sprawled out nearby, albeit in rather unflattering positions.

  Once the lights dimmed and the last of the staff departed, Carlo stood up to survey his surroundings.

  Suddenly, he felt a twinge of nostalgia for his old paddock.

  It wasn't that this place was bad, as it actually felt far more "natural" than the old enclosure. But it was missing the most crucial element:

  There was no scent of them here.

  Though Carlo possessed human knowledge, he had been raised by dinosaurs. His instincts were prehistoric. A place without their scent wasn't a "territory"; it was an unknown void. To make matters worse, he realized his olfactory "radar" could no longer cover the entire area. This place was gargantuan compared to his old home.

  This wasn't necessarily a good thing. His brain told him he was safe, but his subconscious screamed that he needed to patrol. If he didn't secure the perimeter, his parents wouldn't be safe while they slept.

  Carlo began to regret not actually passing out. It was a dark, stormy-looking night, and the jungle felt vast and intimidating. Who knew what dangerous things were lurking in the shadows?

  Erm... arguably, Carlo was the most dangerous thing in those shadows. But he was only a four-month-old baby!

  What kind of four-month-old baby has to patrol a future kingdom alone? Even a little dragon gets scared, okay!