Chapter 1404
Dinosaur Man: Big Daddy, take me with you!
The dinosaurs were always very clear about their place on Earth.
Although they are stronger than humans in combat, they also become prey for much larger monsters.
Therefore, we should all work together to protect the Earth.
The dinosaur-men didn't think about how they were once the rulers of the Earth.
Because the true rulers of Earth are those ancient monsters.
Dinosaurs were simply food to them.
Adam, one of the dinosaur-men, had a poor sense of the monsters, but there was nothing he could do about it.
That's what happens when people evolve to this extent.
The laboratory lights were a stark white.
Adam stood in front of the incubation chamber, his scaled hands pressed against the glass, his vertical pupils reflecting the sleeping behemoth inside.
Naza Maru.
A bio-weapon modified by the Naga, a twisted descendant of Cretaceous dinosaurs.
Its body was pieced together from metal and biological tissue, with a neutron bomb launch port embedded in its back. With each breath, it caused turbid ripples to appear in the liquid inside the chamber.
Adam's claws tightened unconsciously, scraping against the glass with a faint sound.
"Adam, is Maru-sako still unable to regain consciousness?"
Cui Ming's voice came from the doorway.
Adam did not turn back.
He shook his head, his scale-covered shoulders slumping slightly.
“No.” His voice hissed at the end, like sandpaper rubbing against metal. “The Naga have completely destroyed their minds. Now all that’s left is instinct and the implanted attack commands.”
Cui Ming walked to his side and looked up at the giant beast in the incubation chamber.
Maru Sako's eyelids twitched, revealing his cloudy yellow eyeballs underneath.
Those eyes held no light, like two glass beads soaked in formalin.
"I'll try my best," Cui Ming said calmly. "It would be best if Maru-sako Naiza didn't become a weapon."
"Ah."
Adam nodded and withdrew his claws from the glass.
He turned around and looked at Cui Ming.
“If… it ultimately cannot be restored.” Adam paused, a dark glint flashing in his vertical pupils, “I hope I will end it.”
Cui Ming turned his head to look at him.
“It is my kin.” Adam’s voice lowered, as if squeezed from his chest. “Even if it has been modified, even if it has lost its mind… it is still my kin. We cannot let it continue to live as a weapon, and we cannot let it harm the Earth as it is now.”
Cui Ming remained silent for two seconds.
Then he said, "Okay."
Adam paused for a moment.
“But there’s a condition,” Cui Ming added, his gaze returning to the culture chamber. “Until then, we’ll do our best. I’ll put pressure on the research department to prioritize you with all resources. If in the end there really isn’t enough…”
He stretched out his right hand and placed it on Adam's scaled hand.
"I'll go with you."
Adam's vertical pupils trembled.
He looked down at the human hand, rough and calloused from years of wielding weapons, yet as steady as a rock.
"……Thanks."
Cui Ming withdrew his hand, took out an energy bar from his pocket, tore open the packaging, and took a bite.
"You're welcome. They are victims too; we'll save as many as we can."
He chewed on an energy bar and mumbled, "Those who can't be saved, send them to their doom. That's the rule."
Adam did not speak again.
He turned back to the incubation chamber, his claws pressing against the glass once more.
Inside the cabin, Marubo Naiza seemed to sense something; his cloudy eyes shifted, but his gaze remained unfocused. Adam let out a low gurgling sound, like some ancient lament.
Cui Ming stood beside him and helped him finish the energy bar.
Then he turned and left, his footsteps fading into the distance in the corridor.
Adam remained alone before the glass, his vertical pupils reflecting the sleeping behemoth.
Hey.
This is still too difficult to handle.
From the perspective of humans, since the dinosaurs were allies, they certainly hoped that their allies could become stronger.
And the dinosaur people really had a terrible time.
Even the hawks at TPC felt that having the Dinosaurs as allies was acceptable.
Everyone's not stupid; they can see that.
The dinosaur people were genuine allies, and they were also part of the Earth.
Under Cui Ming's influence, people no longer believe that humans are the masters of the earth.
If Mother Earth were to cause a mass extinction, that would be truly terrifying.
So Sawai spoke up directly, saying that the dinosaur people are one of their own!
The conference room was full of people.
TPC executives, EDF representatives, Victory Team leadership, and Adam, the Dinosaur Man representative.
Sawai stood in front of the main seat, her hands resting on the table, her gaze sweeping across the room.
His gaze lingered on Adam for a moment before shifting to the faces of the hawkish representatives.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Sawai said, her voice low but each word carrying weight. “The dinosaur people aren’t human; they’re aliens, a potential threat. According to our old logic, we should monitor, isolate, or even eliminate them.”
Someone in the conference room stirred, but no one made a sound.
Sawai straightened up, picked up a document from the table, and threw it in front of the hawkish representative.
"This is the combat record of the Dinosaur Men since they joined the support force. Seventeen missions, zero casualties, zero desertions, and zero intelligence leaks. They have saved EDF soldiers, Victory Team members, and civilians."
He paused, then tapped his fingers on the table.
“And what about you?” Sawai looked at the hawks. “Your surveillance plan was leaked to the media three months ago, almost causing panic. Your quarantine plan, after cost accounting, is enough to build three new cities. Your elimination proposal…”
He gave a cold laugh.
"Cui Ming threw the proposer directly into the restraint chamber, saying he would release him after he had thought it through. That guy is still inside eating nutrition bars."
A few low laughs echoed in the conference room.
Adam sat in the corner, his scaled hands folded on his knees, his vertical pupils calmly watching everything.
He didn't speak.
He knew that the dinosaur man didn't need to speak at this time.
Cui Ming sat next to him, twirling a hammer in his hand, his eyes fixed on the ceiling as if studying the direction of the ventilation ducts.
"I have something to say," Cui Ming suddenly said, his voice calm.
Everyone looked at him.
“Last time we fought Gazort, the third squad of dinosaur men was responsible for covering the rear.” Cui Ming slammed the twisted hammer onto the table, the metal making a dull thud as it struck the surface. “When Gazort’s plasma sphere blasted over, the three dinosaur men threw themselves on top of the wounded EDF soldiers, taking the hit with their backs. Their scales were burned through, their flesh was mangled, and their bones were exposed, but not one of them let go.”
He looked at Yoshioka, the representative of the hawks, his gaze as calm as a stone.
"Therefore, I now believe that the dinosaur people, after this period of observation, can be confirmed as allies."
The meeting room was silent for five seconds.
Yoshioka nodded.
Actually, everyone was just acting.
Sawai seized the opportunity to make the decision.
"From today onwards, the Dinosaur Men are officially incorporated into the TPC combat force, enjoying the same resource allocation, medical care, and retirement benefits as humans." He looked at Adam, his tone softening. "They are family. Not allies, not vassals, but family. Anyone with objections, come to me, or go to Cui Ming." (End of Chapter)