The little dog’s skin was tightly wrinkled, dotted here and there with patches of black scales. Looking at it superficially, it indeed resembled a small dog, perhaps just a scaly one, but the pair of small wings constantly fluttering on its back made the creature distinctly odd. On closer inspection, apart from its somewhat ugly appearance, it bore a clear resemblance to that massive black dragon.

This little dragon had initially burrowed into the leaves upon hearing the noise, but its nose poked out, sniffing the air. It then immediately burst from the foliage, yelping, and rushed toward Zheng Zha, acting entirely unafraid and demonstrating great affection for him.

Zheng Zha maintained a slight guard as the small dragon bounded toward him. Only when he saw the creature wagging its tail incessantly and licking at his trouser cuffs did he finally crouch down and embrace it. The little dragon hadn't even opened its eyes yet; it was about the size of half his forearm—clearly a newborn wyrmling, though it seemed to have gone without food for days, as it began gnawing persistently and whimpering softly at his cuff.

Zheng Zha thought for a moment, quickly retrieving a compressed ration bar from his storage ring. As soon as he brought the fragrant bar near the wyrmling's snout, the creature’s tongue flicked out, instantly snatching the ration and swallowing it whole. Seconds later...

The little dragon let out a surprisingly loud, satisfied burp.

Zheng Zha immediately laughed.

He then took out a piece of solidified fresh water and presented it to the creature’s nose. After the wyrmling swiftly consumed that as well, Zheng Zha lifted it into his arms. The little dragon seemed to relish the embrace, licking Zheng Zha’s face before drifting off to sleep moments later, looking exactly like a newly born puppy.

It is a young dragon, Zheng Zha affirmed in his mind.

This might be what Chu Xuan had considered: the eggs of the giant dragon might still be in its lair. Though it was only a hypothesis, finding the dragon’s eggs could potentially mean adding a Dragon Rider to the Central Team in the future. Many obstacles remained, such as how to bring the young dragon back to the "Main God" space, and how to ensure it could be taken out when fully grown without being annihilated due to the small light pillar.

How to maintain its loyalty once it matured? And how to accelerate its growth from hatchling to maturity? These were undeniable problems. Solving them one by one meant that acquiring a giant dragon as a team asset would not happen quickly. Still, waiting was worthwhile; if they possessed the fighting power of a giant dragon in future battles against the Demon Reincarnation Squad, their chances of victory would significantly increase.

Holding the young dragon, Zheng Zha sped toward the Tyrannosaurus Rex lair, utilizing his "Explosion" skill for about ten seconds, which consumed only a little over a third of his inner strength and vampire energy.

His physical tissues remained largely undamaged, suggesting this state could indeed be employed as a tactical skill rather than a desperate last resort.

About ten minutes later, Zheng Zha finally reached the area reported by the American soldiers. He hadn't arrived yet, but he could already hear the fierce gunfire emanating from that direction, mixed with the roars of Tyrannosaurus Rexes and the sounds of explosions. When he finally arrived, he saw dozens of soldiers madly spraying automatic fire at a towering T-Rex, while another lay dead on the ground. These creatures were truly massive, and their close-combat destructive power was considerable, but they were no longer the overlords of this world. Humans equipped with firearms and modern weaponry, executing organized military actions, found dealing with these dinosaurs almost effortless.

Once the second Tyrannosaurus was also slain, Zheng Zha finally saw the creatures' nest. Inside, five T-Rex eggs were placed side-by-side. The snow-white eggs were about the height of a grown man, shaped like vastly enlarged, oval ostrich eggs.

Zheng Zha didn't need to concern himself with the rest. The American soldiers systematically placed the five T-Rex eggs into large crates filled with fine plastic pellets, sealed them securely, and several groups of men carried the eggs away swiftly. It was clear they had done this before. When Zheng Zha inquired, he learned these men had previously been directed by the scientists to hunt dinosaurs or steal their eggs from the island numerous times. These specialized crates were the best tools for carrying the eggs; they wouldn't even crack if dropped.

When they returned to the beach, the military officer’s team had already unearthed the heavy-duty gravity mine. Several researchers were excitedly discussing their findings with instruments, while the officer watched their discussion with clear satisfaction, meticulously examining the mine himself.

"...It's real. The instruments are registering deviations around this mine; it genuinely possesses gravity exceeding its own mass. If its full power were unleashed, the claim that it could destroy everything within several hundred meters is likely not an exaggeration."

As Zheng Zha approached them, one researcher was saying this, and the others seemed to be nodding in agreement. The officer saw Zheng Zha and boomed, "Your egg is found, and our mine is found. Now, all that remains is the final part of that document—" The officer couldn't finish his sentence, for he saw the young dragon nestled in Zheng Zha’s arms. Though ugly, resembling a stubborn little dog, anyone who glimpsed those small wings, combined with what they had seen of the giant dragon in the records, would immediately recognize this little pest as a hatchling.

A genuine dragon hatchling.

Zheng Zha understood exactly what the officer was contemplating.

It was the curse of greed. Anyone who had witnessed the giant dragon’s combat prowess and invulnerability would want that secret; if the original dragon was unattainable, acquiring the hatchling was an acceptable consolation prize. The officer’s pause and the rapid darting of his eyes between the surrounding soldiers and Zheng Zha said everything.

"Ahem... I think you had better understand one thing clearly. You are at a disadvantage right now..." Zheng Zha coughed, smiling faintly at the officer.

The officer stared at him in astonishment. Zheng Zha smiled, suddenly unleashing his "Destruction" skill. In that instant, he leaped into the air and kicked powerfully toward the distant woods. The efficacy of "Tempest Kick" had been proven unequivocally in the previous battle with the dragon. After delivering the blow, Zheng Zha gasped a few times, recovering from the "Destruction" state, and the kick’s power finally manifested.

At the edge of the forest, trees began snapping clean through their trunks, and the breakage continued inward for ten meters. The phenomenon finally ceased after dozens of trees had been severed, followed by a chorus of splintering crashes as the fallen timber collapsed.

Zheng Zha turned to the officer, who was staring at the ruined trees with a look of utter horror. He looked back at Zheng Zha, and after a long silence, murmured, "Are you truly human?"

"Of course..." Zheng Zha initially confirmed with certainty.

Then he hesitated slightly, before laughing again. "At least I'm mostly human, so I repeat: you are at a disadvantage compared to me. Don't think superior numbers matter; the key is whether you can hit me, isn't it? So, move the dinosaur eggs onto the transport aircraft now... and head back to the city. I will have my partner deliver the documents to you, but you must become my hostages until I deem it safe to release you."

The officer shot Zheng Zha a look heavy with conflicting emotions, then glanced at the hatchling in Zheng Zha's arms before removing his cap and stepping into the helicopter. Zheng Zha, without reserve, boarded the chopper with the young dragon. He watched as the naval soldiers finished loading the T-Rex eggs. Only when the helicopters lifted off did he cast a final glance at the receding island—Jurassic Park... this lost world.

When Zheng Zha met Chu Xuan and the other two, he could barely recognize them. Except for Wang Xia, who was marginally better, Chu Xuan and Ba Wang were grotesquely swollen, their skin split by numerous small lesions oozing yellow pus. The sight was both terrifying and repulsive. Zheng Zha was speechless, only able to watch as Chu Xuan, Ba Wang, and Wang Xia, lacking the strength to stand, lay on stretchers being carried by soldiers toward the warehouse.

Chu Xuan’s voice remained utterly detached; he seemed untouched by the pain racking his body. He murmured quietly, "We can discuss things when we get back... Don't worry, you returned in time. We still have about three hours left to live. Now we can only pray these are T-Rex eggs; otherwise, we are truly doomed. You don't have time to return to the island for more eggs now, do you?"

Zheng Zha said nothing, focusing intensely on observing his surroundings. In this final stage, he feared the government might attempt some trickery. He positioned himself near the officer, moving forward constantly, while the three newcomers followed closely behind. Only when the warehouse came into view did he secretly exhale in relief.

In fact, he had spotted several snipers aiming from the surrounding high-rises but had consistently used the officer’s body to shield himself from their crosshairs. As he and the other six approached the warehouse door, the naval soldiers had already rolled the dinosaur eggs inside.

"Then... the transaction is complete. Goodbye..." Zheng Zha and the other six stepped one after another into the warehouse, with Zheng Zha being the last to enter. Just as the solemn voice of the "Main God" announced, "Side mission completed," he drifted into a state between waking and sleeping... Jump to