Chapter Ch97.2 - Cretacaeus Period
translator: xiin
editors: apricot & juurensha
Ming Yao was suffering inside as he told Lin Ke horror stories about giant insects in order to prevent him from losing focus and falling asleep. When he was exhausted, it became Wu Jin’s turn to drag Lin Ke to perform radio gymnastics and dance the Crosson Show theme song.
It was then Sora’s turn.
It was near dusk on the gra.s.sland. There were large dinosaurs scattered everywhere, and smaller dinosaurs of various shapes mixed together with life-saving capsules.
Ming Yao sprawled out tiredly and murmured, “So tired, I haven’t slept properly for a few days. I’m still a baby. When the game is over…”
He lifted up his head to look at Wu Jin and was suddenly struck dumb.
Wu Jin had slept even less than he had, but he was actually full of energy as he looked at the Pterosaurs with interest.
––He looked at the big one, the Quetzalcoatlus. The little Pterosaur was being hugged by Wu Jin like a stuffed toy and was currently toying with the zipper of his battle suit.
The clouds were like sparkling water patterns in the light of the setting sun.
Ming Yao talked on intermittently, “Sora said that your captain and my captain were in the brawl just now… Hey, what’s the deal with Caesar? How come he doesn’t even have any equipment… Also, when does the Cretaceous period start…”
Wu Jin froze suddenly and looked up at the fine clouds in the sky in a daze.
“Earthquake clouds…” He suddenly got up from the back of the Diplodocus as many previously neglected details came to mind, “The Jura.s.sic period––from the start of the third evolutionary game, there’s been no clear distinction between the Jura.s.sic period and the Cretaceous period. The Tyrannosaurus Rex, Sarcosuchus, and even the bird-like Harpymimus all appeared at the end of the Cretaceous period, which means that we’re now in a half Jura.s.sic, half Cretaceous, Schrodinger’s Cretaceous period…”
Ming Yao was dizzy, “So?”
Wu Jin, “When the Cretaceous period ends, all dinosaurs and even the Pterosaurs will become extinct.”
Ming Yao was shocked. He leapt up like a carp and looked at the wrist watch on his right hand, “It’s been half an hour. There are 20 players left. If it’s now the Cretaceous period––you mean to say that the final battle is a war of extinction––”
Sora, who was to the side, looked over. The three of them exchanged glances and dragged Lin Ke with them to head to the cave where they’d taken shelter from the last volcano eruption.
Ming Yao summed the facts up on his fingers as they ran, “250 trainees. The first ma.s.s reduction was the Permian period extinction. The second was the Tria.s.sic period colonization war, and the third was the Tria.s.sic period extinction war. The fourth was due to the Jura.s.sic predators like the Allosaurus we encountered. The fifth was the brawl just now. The sixth…”
Ming Yao’s voice seemed to cut off abruptly. “The sixth time. The battle of extinction… is right now.”
The gra.s.sland began to shake, and countless dinosaurs fled in panic. The birds fled into the dense forests and caves, while volcanic ash erupted, and an earthquake hit at the same time. The river seemed to fill with a sour taste, and very soon, life-saving capsules wrapped around the dinosaurs and fell to the ground like dumplings.
The mountain range that was once a safe zone at the end of the Tria.s.sic period now became the only highland amidst chaos.
“Quickly!” Wu Jin shouted.
Almost all the teams that were still hiding in various places rushed out towards the safe zone.
Two small dinosaurs suddenly sprang out of the sloping ridge and nearly bit Ming Yao before he could kick them away.
“Careful!” Wu Jin quickly drew out his gun to protect Ming Yao. “It’s a natural disaster. Dinosaurs wouldn’t go hunting at this time, unless they’re under human control––there are other teams nearby!”
Five minutes later, Wu Jin and Ming Yao finally ran out of the dust. Wu Jin’s kill count had jumped up by one.
There were 15 people left.
The mountains were so dangerous that the drugged Lin Ke finally had to stop.
Wu Jin didn’t hesitate, “I’ll carry youk2013;k2013;”
Lin Ke shook his head, his expression very relaxed “Hey, don’t, Brother Wu! I’m just waiting to open up the capsule and sleep…”
Wu Jin’s eyes narrowed slightly. He stubbornly refused to go on ahead.
Lin Ke waved his hand, “I was just blocking Dolma while Brother Wu dealt with the Tyrannosaurus Rex! 15th place, this elimination match was really worth it. If not for Brother Wu, Brother Ming, and Brother Sora, I probably would’ve been eliminated by the giant dragonflies right at the start––”
He chuckled, “See you later!”
The life-saving capsule capsule opened up on its own.
13 remaining.
The volcanic ash and fog was dense. The three who were left had to change into the emergency oxygen gear due to the smoke. Ming Yao eliminated another person in the chaos, and suddenly called out in surprise, “Cap-captain?!”
Wu Jin interrupted him forcefully, “Nowhere is safe right now. They’re releasing poison everywhere. We only have two options, continue to press upwards, or enter a cave––”
A scuffle broke out again at the narrow entrance, and the number on the wrist watches jumped to 10.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Debut positions.
Wu Jin opened his eyes and looked into the cave. Sora, Ming Yao, Zuo Botang, Wei Yan, Zoe…
Big boss wasn’t there.
There was a shriek from the sky. Wu Jin raised his head.
The Pterosaur circled upward with Wei Shi on its back.
The twelve meter long wingspan cut through the ashes and rushed towards the final sunset.
Heaven and earth changed color as mountains and rivers shook.
The remaining Pterosaur shrieked and let out a shrill cry in the direction of the glow that would soon be covered up, its membranous wings quivering.
Ming Yao asked stupidly, “What’s wrong with it…”
Wu Jin looked straight at the direction of Wei Shi’s departure, then suddenly rolled up his sleeves and waved.
––“It will circle up above. As soon as you wave, it will come down to pick you up.”
The remaining Pterosaur stilled for a moment, then abruptly swooped down.
Ming Yao was really shocked, “Careful––”
Wu Jin quietly clutched at the Pterosaur’s talons, his figure was shaking like he wanted to fight to the death. The little Pterosaur was scared and hurriedly tried to help out by pecking at the larger Pterosaur, but Wu Jin pressed it into his arms and wouldn’t let it pounce over.
Ming Yao: “Holy s.h.i.t, Little Witch was caught and taken away by the Pterosaur, help––”
The rest of his sentence was buried in the ashes.
The Pterosaur brought Wu Jin out of the cave, through the clouds, and into the thin air in the sky 2000 meters above the ground. Wu Jin used a burst of strength to turn around.
Through the reflected glow from the sunset, he could see the figure he was chasing.
The light from the sunset began to converge, and the double moons began to rise up to hang in the sky.
The two Pterosaurs met again in the clouds, twining together affectionately.
Wei Shi raised his eyebrows as he looked at him, and Wu Jin gathered himself up and came close, finally at ease.
The man whistled. The two Pterosaurs immediately fell into formation.
Flying wing to wing.
Below them was a torrent of lava. The hot gas near the crater created a steamy environment, and magma flowed through the ravines from crevices that seemed to have been split open as if by an axe. The golden colored sulfur twined with white smoke, and the river churned out pale yellow foam.
The G.o.ds of wind soared above the lava.
They had proceeded towards enhanced size without looking back. They flew the highest, had seen the most solemn scenery, and had finally come to the end of a road that was different from birds.
The last road of the Cretaceous period was not in the sky that belonged to them.
The skies were more dangerous than the land.
The little Pterosaur in Wu Jin’s arms toyed with his zipper and tugged it down, sticking its head out from his combat suit to look between the big Pterosaur and Wei Shi.
Wu Jin stuffed the little Pterosaur back inside, but its head popped out again, its eyes full of curiosity.
On the wrist watch on their right hands, the survivor count was down to 8.
Spread out beneath them, the crater was boiling again.
The man stretched a hand out to Wu Jin, “It’s about to start.”
Wu Jin looked at the hand, and thought in a trance that the big boss was like an incubus seducing him to his death––
But he held the hand willingly.
6 people remained.
The youth leapt and switched mounts to ride together with Wei Shi, a dense smattering of kisses landing on the soft curls before moving downwards to the youth’s nose and cheeks.
The little Pterosaur poked out its head again and looked curiously left and right from between the two. It seemed to think that Wu Jin was being bullied and pecked angrily at Wei Shi’s hand––
The man held the little Pterosaur down and stuffed it into Wu Jin’s arms, “Hold it.”
“Close your eyes.” The man ordered again.
Wu Jin obediently closed his eyes, his eyes shifting expectantly beneath his eyelids.
He was suddenly held by the shoulders as a heat wave hit.
The volcano erupted again, a mushroom cloud sweeping up. The two Quetzalcoatlus turned into life-saving capsules one after another.
Even G.o.ds would fall.
A dynasty that lasted nearly 200 million years finally came to an end.
Wei Shi blocked the first shockwave for Wu Jin, and their life-saving capsules also popped out one after another––
Contestant Wei Shi was eliminated. 6th place.
Contestant Wu Jin was eliminated. 5th place.
Inside the life-saving capsule, the youth who’d still been waiting for a kiss had fallen asleep.
The little Pterosaur in his arms shifted, wrapping its claws around the boy’s hands before it also fell into a deep sleep.
The youth’s mouth was curved up slightly. They’d come to the same end as a myriad of other living beings at the end of the Cretaceous period––
Time was sealed at the end of this era.
The Crosson Show’s fourth elimination match had finished.
Juurensha: Awwww baby pterosaur is like a plushie. Brother Rabbit will have a friend!
xiin: and… that’s the end of this arc. some real life story/plot coming up next… i thought this arc with the dinosaurs and prehistoric evolution was super cool (tho translating the science was hard). customized dinosaur armies FTW!