Chapter Forty-Nine: Evolution and Advancement Are Not Far Away

In just half an hour, the food in his stomach was completely digested.

"Reticulated python, genus Python, family Pythonidae, provides 66.7 energy points."

On the system panel, the newly acquired energy points were displayed clearly.

By calculation, a pound of high-quality flesh could provide roughly five energy points, even surpassing the Burmese python from before.

It had only been a little over a month since Lu Chen evolved into a Tier 2 Crocodile, yet he had already accumulated over 6,000 energy points. That meant he needed fewer than 4,000 more points to evolve smoothly into Tier 3.

For Lu Chen, this was hardly a challenge.

First, the number of prey in the forest far exceeded his expectations...

Most importantly, as his body grew larger, Lu Chen had begun to show the ferocity of a true aquatic overlord. Almost every animal that came to the riverside to drink could be counted as his food.

Even some large beasts—black bears, wolf packs, clouded leopards, wild boars—were excellent sources of high-quality flesh, and he could now attempt to hunt them.

With these thoughts, Lu Chen once again checked the latest data on his system panel.

Host: Lu Chen
Possessed Species: Variant Crocodile
Weight: 31.9 kg
Length: 1.56 meters
Age: 11 months
Optimal Temperature: 22–37°C
Energy Points: 103.6 (obtained by hunting, used for daily consumption and self-attribute modification; total accumulated: 6,213)
Claw Strength: 51.3 kg
Bite Force: 69.2 kg
Speed: 8.6 m/s
Scale Armor Defense: 52
Other Attributes: None
Mutation Abilities: None
Evolution Level: 2 (next level evolution will unlock when requirements are met; current completion: 62.1%)

Aside from "speed," all other attributes had seen significant improvement.

Lu Chen had previously speculated that the increase in attributes like "claw strength," "bite force," and "speed" was not simply additive—there was a limit dictated by the crocodile's physical capacity.

Once approaching this limit, the effect of energy points diminished greatly.

Currently, Lu Chen's running speed was nearing its maximum. Even if he added more energy points, the increase would be negligible—a near waste.

It was much like the human world record for the hundred-meter dash: once the threshold of 9.48 seconds was surpassed, even a 0.01-second improvement became exceedingly difficult.

Of course, after evolving to Tier 3, the upper limits for all attributes would rise further.

Perhaps at that time, his speed could finally break 10 meters per second.

Feeling his strength fully restored, Lu Chen turned his gaze to the little macaque beside him.

Finding the geothermal hot spring and successfully hunting the reticulated python owed much to the gold-spotted monkey's contribution.

He tore off half a pound of flesh with his sharp claws and offered it as a reward.

The little creature excitedly accepted, cradling the food with its paws and eating with relish.

While the monkey ate, Lu Chen pondered his next move.

He certainly couldn't return tonight and would have to find a safe place outside the valley to spend the night.

At dawn, he planned to venture deeper into the valley for further exploration.

As for the remaining python meat, he buried it in the muddy sand at the bottom of the stream.

After securing the food, he worried that other carnivores might steal it once he left. The python meat exuded a strong, bloody scent, which could drift downstream and attract predators from afar.

For some ferocious beasts, it was an irresistible lure.

After some thought, Lu Chen decided to guard the meat in the water.

Though the nighttime stream temperature couldn't compare to the warmth inside the valley, it was still two or three degrees higher than downstream where his den was located—well within his tolerance.

Luckily, the night passed uneventfully.

At dawn, Lu Chen woke to the sound of birdsong echoing through the surrounding forest.

He devoured several kilograms of python meat, stretched his body, and once again swam toward the valley.

Arriving at the spot where he had encountered the python last night, Lu Chen instinctively scanned the surroundings. Satisfied that all was calm, he cautiously ventured deeper into the valley.

He hugged the shallows along the lakeshore, avoiding the deep water; the memory of his encounter with the bull shark in the ocean was still vivid. He had no idea what dangers might lurk in the depths of the lake.

After swimming twenty meters or so, he heard a rustling sound from the bushes along the shore.

Turning his head, he saw a yellow-and-black banded king rat snake climbing onto the topmost branch of the thicket, its head raised high, emerald eyes fixed intently on the water.

This creature was over two meters long, slightly smaller than the one he’d encountered at Willow Lake Park.

Back then, Lu Chen had been forced into a desperate situation, only managing to kill the king rat snake through combined effort with the elder crocodile.

Now, Lu Chen was no longer that young and inexperienced. With a single leap, he could easily tear this snake apart. However, he still had over twenty pounds of python meat outside the valley and was not in urgent need of food, so he decided to let it live a few more days.

Pushing the king rat snake from his mind, Lu Chen moved forward.

But just seconds later, he spotted two more large snakes on a rock by the shore.

Their colors were bright and varied, heads triangular, tongues flicking—they were over a meter long... Poisonous snakes!

Soon after, several banded kraits appeared.

Lu Chen grew increasingly uneasy. There were far too many snakes in this valley. In just fifty meters, he’d encountered more than a dozen, many of them venomous.

Such density was reminiscent of the snake islands from his previous life.

What astonished him even more was the fact that different species of snakes seemed able to coexist within a certain range. Truly incredible.

No wonder the monkeys refused to inhabit the valley, and even other carnivores avoided it.

It wasn’t just them—Lu Chen himself felt a tingling apprehension, instinctively reconsidering his migration plans.

While he was lost in thought, a sharp, clear cry rang out from overhead.

Suddenly, a massive shadow plummeted from the sky.

Like a fighter jet diving—it flashed and vanished into the opposite thicket.

What a colossal golden eagle!

Known also as the golden hawk or the old eagle, this bird belonged to the class of super-large raptors.

Their bodies could reach a meter in length, wingspans nearing three meters.

These creatures were the fiercest and most formidable of all aerial predators, their diet including wild ducks, geese, and other birds, as well as rabbits, foxes, goats—even wolves and wild boars.

When hunting, their dive speed could exceed 200 kilometers per hour, and their powerful talons could pierce a prey’s skull, effortlessly executing a "headshot."

Without exaggeration, once a golden eagle targeted terrestrial prey, escape was virtually impossible.

Records from his previous life told of a golden eagle that hunted fourteen gray wolves.

Even more startling, this golden eagle that had entered the valley seemed clearly larger than any recorded before.

Sounds of a fierce struggle erupted... When the golden eagle rose again, its strong, sharp talons gripped a bloody, enormous snake.

Lu Chen immediately recognized it—it was the king rat snake he’d seen earlier!