Chapter 131: Return to the family

Finally alone, Sobek was able to devote himself to... well, himself. He would have explain his intentions to the dinosaurs, of course. By using the ability to exchange images and feelings through the [Contract] he was more than certain to make them understand the gravity of the situation. After all, on Internet he could find very suggestive images concerning the problems of pollution and human invasion. If he had used this ability well, the dinosaurs would have fully understood the danger and would have been even more motivated to follow him; after all, their survival was at stake. However, this wasn't the time. Sobek wanted to wait until all of his skills were fully unlocked before giving them the speech. This is because if the dinosaurs had known of the danger posed by humans they would surely have grown impatient, and that would have thwarted his plans. He also wanted to become able to talk to pterosaurs before making any pre-war speeches. Dinosaurs alone couldn't travel very far, but flying reptiles could be excellent propagandists. However, it also didn't make sense to wait until all abilities were maximized before taking action, which is why he ordered the dinosaurs to start recruiting. The region was large: it would take them a long time to convince all the dinosaurs in the area to join them. And meanwhile, Sobek could think about skills. "It wouldn't hurt to even make a few weapons and give them to the dinosaurs to make their job easier... besides, I have to think about what to do with the [Armor system]. By the way, what's next?" Sobek thought, remembering that with each evolution the [Secondary system] became visible and would have been unlocked in the future. The solution surprised him. The still-stuck icon had the words: [Anti-aircraft system]! "What is this? Will I be able to create missiles? And what kind of missiles? Surface-to-air missiles? Intercontinental missiles? Maybe even more?" Sobek thought, excited at the prospect. He knew there would have been no answer, not until the next evolution at least, but it was nice to fantasize a bit. While dreaming Sobek came to the lake. It was time to earn some skill points. With the combo of the 330 km/h speed, the perfect camouflage given to him by [Ambush], and the endless weapons in his possession, there was nothing that could escape him. Furthermore, his senses were now so acute that he could track preys tens of kilometers away. In less than half a day he had already gained 50 skill points, even though the fish gave him no more than 5 and the crocodiles no more than 8. That was the beauty of being an apex superpredator: there was no prey capable of escaping him! Earning such amounts of skill points was unthinkable before, but it was now so easy that it no longer cost him to swat a fly. Of those 50 points, 30 immediately went on to improve [Devastating roar] to level 3/5. At this rate, the skill would be maximized in less than two days. However, it wasn't just to hunt that he had come to the lake: he too had to engage in recruiting. There were many piscivorous dinosaurs along the lake. If Sobek had brought them to his side he would have increased the size of his army and at the same time would have gotten rid of the competitors for the skill points of the lake fish. And he knew exactly who to start with. It was time to go back to his old family. The spinosaurs were still where he had last seen them. They were probably the largest pack in the area. Getting them on his side would have been a big plus. As he swam towards them he felt a little apprehensive. He was about to meet his parents, brothers and sisters after nearly two years; what was he supposed to tell them? And what would they tell him? Getting anxious wasn't a good idea, so he just swam to the pack. Of course, as soon as they spotted him, the spinosaurs started coming out of the water quite frightened: after all, he was now in no uncertain terms a real monster in the eyes of any living thing. Sobek did not know how to act, so he did the most obvious thing: "Stay calm! I am not an enemy! I come in peace!" All the spinosaurs stopped when they heard it. There was suspicion and confusion in their eyes now. Sobek came out of the water and rose to his full height. Compared to the spinosaurs, which were no more than 15 meters long, he was more than twice their size. Not to mention the height: he was at least four and a half meters taller than them. No wonder they were afraid of him. One of the biggest spinosaurs, made up of courage, came forward: "Who are you? What do you want from us?" he asked. Sobek didn't know what to answer. What was he supposed to do? Tell the truth or a lie? In the end he opted for the first hypothesis. "A spinosaurus. I'm a spinosaurus like you. I was born in this pack" "Bullshit!" someone roared. Many spinosaurs gave him support: it was natural that they did not believe him. "No, it's all real. I was born with the brood this summer, from those spinosaurs over there". Through his nose, Sobek could recognize his parents even though it had been a long time. The two directly concerned exchanged a confused look. "Don't you remember? I was that puppy that grew very quickly, and that in a few weeks was already an adult..." His parents opened their mouths wide. "Is it you?" his mother exclaimed. Sobek felt his heart skip a beat. However, he knew it wasn't going to be that easy to convince them. "Prove it" Sobek, however, had prepared himself. "The first time I grew up very quickly you looked at me with suspicion and needed to smell me before you realized it was me. You..." and he pointed to a four-meter spinosaurus he knew was one of his brother, "... loved jumping on my neck when we played together, and you..." and he pointed to one of his sisters, "... always wanted me to swing you with your tail. Am I right?" The spinosaurs were now somewhat confused. Many of them were the puppies of the last litter and they knew Sobek and his brothers: they knew that what he was saying was true. "During our first hunt, you helped me catch some frogs. Then together we killed a large snake. You distracted it, while I attacked it from behind; I pinned the snake's body to the ground with a paw and killed it with my jaws..." Sobek went on for ten minutes, listing all the experiences he remembered from her childhood. By the time he finished the doubt had completely disappeared from the eyes of the spinosaurs, but the same could not be said for the confusion. "But how is that possible?" one of his sisters asked. "How can you be our brother?" Sobek had expected that question. "When I was born I got some strange powers. I don't even know why I own them". An obvious lie: it wasn't important to explain the matter of reincarnation to them. "Through these powers, I was able to become bigger, stronger and smarter, until I reached the stage I am in now. I have improved my body and my skills. If I had stayed with you, you would have seen me do it, but to learn how to use these powers I had to move away from the pack" Now the spinosaurs were a little less doubtful. Sure, they didn't know what 'powers' were, but at least Sobek had given them an explanation. "Can you teach these 'powers' to us too?" someone asked, evidently enticed by the idea of becoming a carnivore at the top of the food chain. Sobek shook his head. "I can't teach you, but I can pass some on to you. I'll do it, but first I have to talk to you about something" he said. "I have created my own pack now, and through my powers I can make sure that no one goes hungry and no one should be in danger. Below me many dinosaurs of various species coexist in peace. I would like you to join it too" The spinosaurs began to fidget. A herd where no one goes hungry and no one is afraid of anything? It felt like a dream. "How do we know that what you say is true?" "If you follow me, I will lead you to the place where my herd now dwells. You will see with your own eyes" Sobek answered. "What if you were luring us into a trap?" someone rightly opined. Sobek didn't answer: he just turned and looked towards the lake. At that point he roared and the waters shook creating strong waves; despite being hidden under water, a four-ton sarcosuchus was thrown away like a twig, landing at least a hundred meters away. It was only then that Sobek spoke. "You can see for yourself how strong I am. If I wanted to kill you, would I need a subterfuge?" From that moment on, no one dared to opine any more. Upon seeing Sobek's power it was clear to all the spinosaurs that it would be enough for him to blow to wipe them out. Although reluctantly they agreed to follow him. By the time they reached the clearing that had become the herd's refuge it was late in the evening; most of the dinosaurs he had sent on a mission had already returned. Very few of them had recruited anyone, but Sobek had expected it: they still had to get to grips with the task. However, there were over a hundred dinosaurs in the clearing. Sobek had deliberately gone to the spinosaurs in the late afternoon, so that they could see that the dinosaurs coexisted smoothly under his wing. The spinosaurs were surprised, but even more so when they saw the feeders. Faced with the endless fish they could taste, they became convinced that everything Sobek had said was true! While the spinosaurs explored the place and asked around Sobek chatted with his family. Dinosaurs did not have a deep family love like that of humans, but the bond that was formed between parents and children and between brothers and sisters was very strong. Sobek told them what he had done after he left and they told him about their adventures. His brothers and sisters even introduced him to their mates, who were members of other broods born that summer. It was a strange sensation for Sobek to talk to his family: his parents were only half his size, and that was already strange; but his brothers and sisters barely reached five meters. Only Sobek's muzzle was bigger than them. Despite this he was still able to appreciate that conversation: he could see that in terms of adventures his family had been no less than him. And so it was that that day the spinosaurs officially became part of Sobek's herd.