Chapter Twelve: Astonishing Transformation

After more than a month of busy work, the luxurious cave designed and overseen by Lu Chen was finally complete.

The main entrance was set beneath a large rock, the opening so narrow that only they could barely squeeze through. Around it grew a thick cluster of lush silvergrass, perfectly concealing the location. Unless someone came right up to it, it would be nearly impossible to notice anything unusual amidst the grass.

Inside, the cave was a world unto itself, with interlacing corridors sprawling in all directions—a grand construction by any measure. By Lu Chen’s own estimation, the total length approached forty meters, with two additional escape routes built in.

The first was beneath the roots of a willow tree; the second burrowed more than two meters underground, stretching all the way toward Willow Lake until it surfaced somewhere on the lakebed. Once completed, both exits were sealed with stones, leaving no trace to the outside world.

Unless danger loomed, these escape routes would not be used lightly.

With the cave finished, Lu Chen’s days remained as full as ever.

Hunting, basking in the sun, strengthening his own body, and training the other young saltwater crocodiles—life was simple, monotonous, and terribly dull.

Still, Lu Chen persisted with unwavering discipline.

Given his current size, few creatures in the neighboring reeds posed any real threat. Even within Willow Lake, aside from the monstrous giant snakehead, there were hardly any fish that could rival him.

Yet a sense of urgency always pressed on his heart.

Time waits for no one; he had to grow larger and stronger as quickly as possible.

Willow Lake’s environment was excellent, teeming with food resources. But he and the other young crocodiles could not remain here forever.

The reason was obvious: as they grew day by day, the likelihood of being discovered by humans increased dramatically. Drawing on examples from his past life, Lu Chen knew that as an invasive species, once discovered, capture would be their fate.

If luck was with them, they might end up exhibited in a zoo for human amusement. In the worst case, they would be killed outright.

It was precisely to avoid such a fate that Lu Chen had engineered two escape routes.

He already had a plan—if they were ever discovered, they would have no choice but to migrate to the truly wild rivers and marshes. The environment there was far more dangerous than Willow Lake, teeming with many large carnivores.

So before that day came, he had to gather enough strength to face every possible threat—for himself, and for the other young crocodiles.

Through daily training, their growth far outpaced that of ordinary hatchlings, though they still could not match Lu Chen’s own rapid development.

Typically, in the wild, a six-month-old saltwater crocodile weighs around one kilogram. This is mainly because adult females largely leave their offspring to fend for themselves, only intervening when predators appear. In the harsh wild, with poor hunting skills and scarce food, most hatchlings live in near-constant hunger, stunting their growth.

But these little ones were different—they had never once worried about food.

The eldest, the Big Brother Croc, had already reached a length of 45 centimeters and a weight of nearly two kilograms. Even the smallest, the Little Sister Croc, was close to one and a half kilograms. Under Lu Chen’s rigorous supervision, their running speed, climbing strength, and hunting tactics all far surpassed those of their wild counterparts.

Under his guidance, they had even learned to dig pits near the shore and use earthworms as bait to fish.

These skills would dramatically improve their chances of survival in the wild.

As for Lu Chen himself, his growth was nothing short of explosive—like a balloon swelling in size.

When he first escaped from the pet shop, he weighed only half a kilogram and was just 36 centimeters long. Now, the figures on his system panel were astonishing:

Host: Lu Chen
Species: Variant Saltwater Crocodile
Weight: 5.6 kilograms
Length: 0.61 meters
Age: 7 months
Preferred Temperature: 25–35°C
Energy Points: 2.7 (acquired by hunting, used for daily consumption and self-modification)
Claw Strength: 4.7 kilograms
Bite Force: 5.2 kilograms
Speed: 6.8 meters per second
Other Attributes: None
Mutations: None
Evolution Level: 1

In less than two months, his weight had surpassed five kilograms, and his body length reached 61 centimeters.

There was also his scaly armor. Juvenile saltwater crocodiles typically have light brown scales with black spots and stripes along their bodies and tails. Only when they reach adulthood does the armor darken, though the belly remains pale yellow or white, and the underside of the tail turns gray.

The scales of his three siblings were perfectly normal.

Lu Chen, however, was different. With the aid of the system’s energy points, his body seemed to be mutating from the inside out. Except for the large patches of yellow-brown markings on his head, the rest of his scales were becoming increasingly black and heavy, resembling weathered steel—distinct and powerful, brimming with potential energy.

In terms of pure weight, Lu Chen now surpassed even one-year-old juveniles.

At this rate, in another month, he would be ready to challenge that giant snakehead at last.

In Lu Chen’s mind, the entire Willow Lake was already his domain.

That overbearing snakehead was simply asking for death! Such a domineering fish had no place in Willow Lake now!

***

It was the hottest season of the year—especially between two and three in the afternoon, when outside temperatures soared to forty degrees Celsius, far beyond what a saltwater crocodile could endure.

As cold-blooded animals, exposure to such heat for even half an hour would be fatal.

Even Lu Chen dared not take risks and stayed obediently in the deepest part of the cave, where they had dug a deep pit.

With groundwater constantly seeping in, the pit had become a broad bathing pool.

The four young crocodiles lounged inside, cooling themselves in comfort.

Only when dusk fell and the outside temperature dropped did Lu Chen leisurely emerge from the cave.

On a tree across the water, several turtledoves were calling to one another, while a flock of reed warblers burst from the reeds to play in the grass—making the lakeside lively in the last light before sunset.

Everything was peaceful and beautiful.

It was nearly time for dinner.

After eating fish for so long, Lu Chen decided to try something different tonight. He would take his siblings out for a fishing trip.

Yes, fishing with a fish as bait!

With his massive bulk entering the water, it took little effort to catch a large crucian carp.

Rather than swallowing it whole, Lu Chen carefully set it on a hook and tossed it into the shallows.

When the preparations were complete, he and the other young crocodiles hid beneath the dense aquatic plants, vanishing from sight.

High above, a great bird wheeled in the sky, wings outstretched, circling over Willow Lake. Its shining feathers glowed in the setting sun.

It was a large waterbird common in the south—a spotted-headed cormorant, also known as the green cormorant or green-backed cormorant.

This creature’s plumage was black-green, with a long neck, pale yellow bill, and tufts of black feathers arching back from its head like flowing braids.

The spotted-headed cormorant’s vision was exceptionally keen, with four types of cone cells in its eyes—one more than humans. This acute eyesight let it pinpoint swimming prey from hundreds of meters above.

Just now, it had already spotted the crucian carp thrashing in the shallows below.