“Still sunbathing?”
Then again, this species hadn't changed its lifestyle much for hundreds of millions of years.
Watching the crocodile lying on the mudflat with its mouth wide open and eyes closed, basking in the sun, Haoyuan's mind began to race with possibilities.
“Out of the water, a crocodile's movements become sluggish, and it can't perform its death roll.”
“I'm sluggish on land too, but I can constrict and crush.”
He checked their relative sizes.
“Eight meters against four meters—the advantage is all mine!”
“Besides, crocodile meat is supposed to taste pretty good. Perfect time to try something new.”
And so, concealed by the lush foliage, Haoyuan quietly slithered forward.
The crocodiles were entirely focused on enjoying their comfortable sunbath, their eyes half-shut, completely oblivious to the approaching danger.
Even when Haoyuan exposed himself on the mudflat, they remained motionless.
Haoyuan was genuinely surprised.
“They seem pretty dumb.”
He continued to draw nearer.
It was only when he closed in to within half a meter that the four-meter-long crocodile finally seemed to sense something, opening its eyes to cast a glance at him.
That single glance made its entire body shudder.
That massive maw, that mouth full of sharp teeth, and that enormous body—this creature was clearly not something to mess with.
But it was already too late.
The moment its eyes opened, Haoyuan pounced.
Opportunity knocked!
Since he was exposed, he had to land a decisive, lethal blow!
Without hesitation, he bit down on the back of the crocodile's neck.
His terrifying explosive speed caught the crocodile completely off guard.
What creature was this? How terrifying!
The crocodile practically wept for its mother!
A terrifying bite force poured into the creature, followed instantly by a fluid, seamless constriction!
With the back of its neck pinned, the four-meter crocodile couldn't retaliate with an effective bite of its own.
The battle was already decided!
Explosive Constriction Strength surged from his serpentine body!
Boom!
The crocodile quickly fell still.
“It struggles even less than a four-meter herbivorous dinosaur!”
It barely took any effort at all!
Haoyuan couldn't help but snort in disdain.
Through his dragon whiskers, he sensed the nearby crocodiles fleeing in sheer panic, scrambling into the water within seconds.
“As expected of cold-blooded animals!”
Haoyuan was in high spirits.
These ancient crocodiles were just like modern crocodiles from his past life—they didn't care whether their companions lived or died, completely lacking any sense of solidarity.
Unlike those giant herbivorous dinosaurs, where if you grabbed one of their hatchlings, they would chase you down as if their very lives depended on it.
“Ah, this place is practically a free all-you-can-eat buffet paradise!”
Gazing at the countless crocodiles still sprawling across the mudflats, Haoyuan's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Crocodiles were great! The fact that they didn't care about their fellow creatures was even better!
He could feast as much as he wanted!
No need to rack his brain setting up ambushes, and zero risk!
He wrapped his body around it, flipped it over to reveal its pale belly, and bit down.
It immediately ripped open its abdomen.
Over the past year, to boost his lethality, Haoyuan had enhanced his bite force.
Now, it was coming in handy.
A crocodile's scaly hide was thick, but its belly plates were relatively weak.
Even so, even if he bit down on its neck or the armor on its back, Haoyuan could still inflict significant damage.
“I should evolve my Claws first.”
Crocodiles were carnivores, so if he could use claws to pin down their massive maws, it would greatly increase his safety.
“Back then, evolving Claws required 250 energy.”
“But now...”
Evolution Path: Claws (550)
“It doubled.”
Because his size had grown and his strength had increased, evolving claws that matched his current frame naturally required more energy.
By the morning of the second day, the four-meter-long crocodile was finally digested.
It yielded a total of 55 energy.
“Digestion takes an entire day, but the energy yield is substantial. Carnivores really do give more energy.”
“At this rate, one a day means ten days will be enough. Factoring in energy spent hunting, it might take twelve or thirteen days.”
“And there are so many crocodiles in this swamp...”
Haoyuan's eyes gleamed with ambition.
“This really is paradise!”
Thirteen days later, Haoyuan had accumulated enough energy. His body felt unnaturally hot.
His head felt slightly dizzy as well.
He quickly spent time searching for an underground karst cave to begin his evolution.
This evolution took quite a long time.
Only after a full week did Haoyuan finally awaken from his deep slumber.
His claws had finished growing, fully articulated and capable of nimble gripping.
The talons glinted with a cold, sharp gleam.
“They seem to have integrated some traits from dromaeosaurs.”
That battle had left a deep impression on him, and Haoyuan clearly remembered what the dromaeosaur claws looked like.
“Could evolution gain traits from swallowed prey?”
Looking down at the sickle-like talons beneath his Kirin Arms, Haoyuan fell into thought.
“If I eat more crocodiles, will my skin become tougher?”
Haoyuan couldn't help but indulge in optimistic fantasies.
Gurgle.
A wave of intense hunger swept over his entire body.
“So hungry... I haven't eaten in a week. Time to go out and find some food.”
“Though, to be fair, the deep slumber of hibernation is quite useful. I should keep this trait so I don't starve myself to death if future evolutions take too long.”
Haoyuan thought as he slithered out of the cave.
“It would be great if I could switch my body temperature regulation according to the environment. Endothermy, mesothermy, and ectothermy each have their own pros and cons.”
“I need a versatile temperature regulation mode where I can adjust it freely, rather than relying solely on one.”
He arrived at the swamp once more.
Having not seen him for a week, these crocodiles had grown complacent again.
When he was hunting daily, he thought they would have learned to stay vigilant.
He hadn't expected them to revert to their old ways.
“Hehehe, you lazy little crocs, I'm back!”
Haoyuan indulged in his dark humor, ignoring the smaller crocodiles and heading straight for a five-meter-long specimen.
Now that he had clawed arms, he could tackle larger crocodiles.
As he slithered forward, his arms were tucked close to his sides, which didn't hinder his swimming at all.
However, when he was still two or three meters away from the five-meter giant, a small three-meter crocodile spotted him and bolted into the water without looking back.
This sudden movement alerted the other crocodiles on the swamp mudflat.
Noticing Haoyuan's massive form, every crocodile except the largest ones panicked like startled birds.
Like dumplings splashing into boiling water, they leaped into the swamp one after another, creating a flurry of splashes.
...
“Alright, I take back what I said. They do have some vigilance.”
Haoyuan grumbled to himself.
The five-meter crocodile finally reacted, paddling backward with its four limbs.
It adjusted its posture and opened its gaping maw wide, locking onto Haoyuan.
It seemed unwilling to retreat into the water, choosing instead to stand its ground against Haoyuan.
“Hmm?”
Haoyuan froze for a moment, then was overjoyed.
“Looks like there are stupid ones after all.”
This massive crocodile likely believed its huge, thick body gave it the upper hand against Haoyuan.
Haoyuan approached unhurriedly.
Under the gaping crocodile's shocked gaze, Haoyuan brought forth two thick, long Kirin Arms from his sides.
Raising his claws, he slammed down on its upper snout, forcing its mouth shut with a snap.
Snap!
The jaws collided with a sharp, crisp sound.
Haoyuan's sickle claws dug deep into the giant crocodile's face.
Blood gushed out.
The terrifying force instantly snapped the five-meter giant baby croc out of its delusion.
Abandoning all thoughts of fight, it squirmed frantically in a desperate bid to escape.
But how could Haoyuan give it the chance?
Leveraging his body weight, he shifted forward and slammed his entire upper body onto the crocodile.
His dragon head bit hard into the back of its neck while his other Kirin Arm wrapped downward around the croc's throat.
Combining his Trunk Strength with his Kirin Arms, he forcefully flipped the massive crocodile onto its back!
His entire serpentine body twisted along with the roll, rapidly coiling around it to complete the fatal lock!
In the blink of an eye, the giant crocodile was bound tightly, squeezed to the point of bursting.
The gaping maw it desperately tried to open was pinned shut by the two Kirin Arms wrapped around it, leaving it completely immobilized.
It could only watch helplessly as asphyxiation claimed its life!
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