Chapter Thirty-Three: Evolution at Last

This sensation of restless heat was clearly abnormal and quite inexplicable. Either his body was undergoing another strange transformation, or the python meat was far from ordinary. The creature itself was peculiar—able to hunt in temperatures barely above ten degrees, which suggested it had experienced something unusual or possessed some rare trait. After all, this wasn’t the world of his previous life, but a different dimension’s Blue Star, a place where common sense could not always be applied.

Yet what exactly was so uncanny about the python’s flesh and blood, Lu Chen had no way of discerning. Instinctively, he glanced at the system panel; his evolution level still showed as Level 1.

Looking over at Old Croc Four and the others, they seemed unaffected. Since the cause remained a mystery, Lu Chen didn’t trouble himself with further thought. In any case, it was a good thing.

Having eaten his fill, Lu Chen’s attention returned to the rhesus monkey before him. The Burmese python’s teeth slanted inward toward the depths of its maw, densely packed and needle-sharp. Though non-venomous, they were like slender daggers, piercingly keen. Once prey was bitten, the teeth would sink deep into the muscle.

The little creature now bore rows of punctures in its fur—ghastly wounds almost too terrible to witness. Terror was etched across its face, its limbs twitching faintly. Its end was clearly near.

Lu Chen originally intended to use the monkey as food, but with the python’s meat now in his possession, he decided to spare its life for the time being. He looked it over once more, then left it be. His thinking was simple: if it survived, it was fate; if not, it would become a meal.

Old Croc Four, however, seemed fascinated with the monkey. He approached, nudging it repeatedly with his snout.

The little one bared its teeth and screeched, pressing itself fearfully against the cave wall.

Old Croc Four drew closer still, even picking up a piece of python meat and laying it in front of the monkey as an offering.

The typhoon lasted longer than expected. For several days, the rain fell intermittently, and the temperature kept dropping. In such weather, the crocs had no intention of braving the cold rain outside. Yet with the python’s flesh to eat, their days passed contentedly, filled with meals and digging.

The freshly turned earth was pushed by Lu Chen out of the cave, where it was washed down into the river by the rain.

Soon, he began to notice that the benefits of the python’s flesh far exceeded his expectations. Ordinarily, he needed at least five pounds of meat a day to be sated, but just three pounds of python meat sufficed. Each time he ate it, he was overcome by a rush of heat.

To vent this heat, Lu Chen took to ramming his body against the cave walls, which conveniently helped to reinforce and remodel their shelter.

After one such bout, as he was about to rest, he suddenly leapt up again—the text on the system panel had changed, displaying a new prompt.

Host: Lu Chen
Host Species: Mutant Saltwater Crocodile
Weight: 16.9 kg
Length: 1.16 meters
Age: 9 months
Optimal Temperature: 25-35°C
Energy Points: 16.1 (Gained by hunting prey; used for daily consumption and can be spent to modify personal attributes. Total accumulated: 998 points)
Claw Strength: 30.3 kg
Bite Force: 37.2 kg
Speed: 8.1 m/s
Other Attributes: None
Mutations: None
Evolution Level: 1 (When cumulative conditions are met, the next evolution level will be unlocked. Current completion: 99.8%)

“Completion: 99.8%”—seeing the latest notification, Lu Chen was overjoyed. All the waiting and anticipation was about to bear fruit. In other words, he needed just 0.02% more to advance smoothly to Level 2.

As for the evolution requirements, they likely pertained to energy points. The new prompt had only appeared after he’d devoured the python’s flesh repeatedly, and the panel now clearly displayed “Total accumulated: 998 points.”

Though Lu Chen didn’t feel hungry, he resolved to make one last push for the upgrade. He returned to the python’s remains, tore off a large chunk of flesh, and ate.

Soon, another message appeared: “Host has accumulated 1000 energy points. Evolution requirement completion: 100%.”

“Would the host like to initiate evolution?”

“Begin evolution,” Lu Chen replied without hesitation.

He was safely ensconced in a spacious cave, with no natural enemies to disturb him, and his companions stood guard. He had nothing to fear.

The next instant, the vanished heat resurged within him, growing ever more intense until it became a torrent, surging through his limbs and bones, his organs and marrow. In a daze, he could even hear his blood gushing, his bones cracking and popping. Agony wracked him, as though countless steel needles pierced between his scales.

Lu Chen’s bizarre transformation did not escape the notice of the others. The young crocs looked on, their beastly eyes filled with worry and confusion, unable to understand what was happening to their third brother. Instinctively, they surrounded him, standing guard.

He did not know how much time had passed before the surging heat finally abated. Opening his eyes, Lu Chen found a layer of sticky, rancid-smelling grease coating his dark scales, exuding a foul stench.

So these were the impurities expelled from his body.

Lu Chen immediately understood: evolution was tantamount to a thorough tempering, purging his form of all filth and dross. For him, this was a great boon.

“Hiss, hiss!” As Lu Chen opened his eyes, Little Sister Croc rushed over excitedly, nuzzling him with her long snout.

Lu Chen responded in kind, hissing to reassure her that all was well.

Over the past days, he had found that the young saltwater crocs’ intelligence seemed to be increasing—they could even communicate different messages through subtle changes in their hissing.

After comforting his companions, Lu Chen turned his gaze to the system panel to review the latest data.

Host: Lu Chen
Host Species: Mutant Saltwater Crocodile
Weight: 16.9 kg
...
Optimal Temperature: 22-37°C
...
Scale Armor Defense: 10
Other Attributes: None
Mutations: None
Evolution Level: 2 (When cumulative conditions are met, the next evolution level will be unlocked. Current completion: 0.01%)

The optimal temperature range had expanded—proof that Lu Chen could now adapt more readily to the natural environment. As ectothermic animals, saltwater crocs were extremely sensitive to weather changes; once the temperature strayed outside their comfort zone, discomfort soon followed. Juveniles were especially vulnerable, and if the temperature dropped below 10°C, they could easily freeze to death.

This was one of the reasons Lu Chen always chose to dig a burrow upon arriving in a new environment.

The scale armor attribute must have increased with his evolution, boosting his defensive power. An adult crocodile’s scales could reach five centimeters thick—only large cats or hippopotamuses posed any real threat; for most creatures, their defense was nearly impenetrable.

But at just over a meter in length, Lu Chen still faced many predators, making this new attribute particularly valuable. At the very least, it would give him a better chance of surviving an attack from a natural enemy.

After studying the system panel, Lu Chen examined his newly evolved body. His limbs were now as thick as water glasses, perfectly proportioned to his muscular frame, exuding a sense of explosive power. If not for his head and scales, he might have resembled a Komodo dragon.

He moved his body, and a series of cracking sounds like frying beans echoed through the cave. His limbs seemed far more agile than before.

All in all, he was thoroughly satisfied with his current state.

Wait… Had the weather cleared?

Sensing the brightness at the cave entrance, Lu Chen turned to look outside. During his evolution, the rain had long since ceased, and sunlight was once again shining upon the land.