Chapter 60: Such Monstrous Talent

After driving away the golden leopard, Lu Chen did not rush out to hunt. Instead, he wandered leisurely through the valley. Birds chirped incessantly in the surrounding forest. The valley’s climate was warm, with lush growths of various subtropical plants. For many birds, this place was a natural foraging ground. Previously, due to the presence of snake swarms, they dared not settle here. Even the bold ones were mostly devoured by the snakes.

Now, as the snakes in the valley dwindled, more and more birds built nests and settled in the nearby woods. Sparrows, blackbirds, ring-necked pearl pheasants, white wagtails, brown-backed shrikes, magpies… Lu Chen easily recognized more than a dozen common species. He paid little attention to these creatures, mainly because they offered too few energy points. Many small birds weighed only a few ounces, providing at most a fraction of an energy point—not even enough to fill the gap between his teeth. If he relied on them to fill his stomach, with his current size, he’d need to consume nearly a hundred in one meal.

He had neither the patience nor inclination. Rather than wasting time here, it was better to roam outside the valley for a while and hunt a wild boar. In fact, it wasn’t just the birds; Lu Chen rarely caught fish from the little lake anymore, leaving them all for Old Croc and the others as winter reserves.

Soon, Lu Chen spotted the figures of three little companions. They were hiding in the grass, dozens of meters apart, blending almost perfectly into their surroundings. If not for his sense of smell, they would be nearly impossible to detect. Scattered on the open ground ahead were several small fish.

They were… setting traps to hunt birds.

In truth, the little ones paid close attention to many of Lu Chen’s usual actions, even deliberately imitating him. The most obvious example was trap setting—they had mastered its essence. The three saltwater crocodiles now not only built stone piles in shallow water to catch fish, but had also learned to put their catch—small fish and shrimp—on open ground, then hide in the grass nearby, patiently waiting for birds to approach for a meal.

These days, many foolish birds fell into these traps and provided a steady supply of food. Sometimes Lu Chen wondered if, after spending so much time by his side, the little ones’ brains had undergone some kind of mutation, making them smarter. Their capacity for learning and imitation was almost absurdly strong, even Lu Chen found it surprising.

In his understanding, ordinary crocodiles were muscular beasts with simple minds—their brain was no bigger than a walnut, certainly not capable of such intelligence. What he didn’t know was that crocodiles, though small-brained, had evolved complex cerebral cortices. Among reptiles, their brains were both the largest and most sophisticated, structurally very similar to birds, with considerable information processing ability.

Some scientists even believed that crocodilian intelligence rivaled that of domestic mice—a fully grown rat can understand human words, with intelligence comparable to an eight-year-old child. Thus, crocodiles excel not only in memory, but also in cleverness, adept at imitation and learning. In his previous life, scientists discovered that multiple crocodile species exhibited tool-use behaviors acquired through learning. For example, they would use sticks or branches to lure nesting birds for hunting, or bait fish with leftover meat scraps.

So the little ones’ extraordinary behavior was not solely due to Lu Chen’s teaching, but also owed much to the saltwater crocodile’s exceptional genetics. There were other reasons as well, though he did not yet understand them.

Lu Chen did not disturb the three crocodiles hunting, but continued searching for a suitable spot. Eventually, he stopped before a rock wall. This wall, more than three meters high, was made of pale brown sandstone. At the top, a bowl-thick wall pine grew in a crevice, its twisted trunk slanting sharply, forming a canopy much like a parasol. The gnarled pine branches and leaves gave the impression of a dragon soaring skyward.

After careful inspection, Lu Chen collected several hard, angular stones. Supporting his body on three legs, he raised one foreleg, its broad, sturdy claws gripping a stone and slowly scraping it against the sandstone.

Lu Chen’s claws now had a strength exceeding 150 kilograms, triple the arm strength of an average adult human. Under such force, the sandstone’s surface yielded easily, leaving a clear mark.

Sand trickled down as the sandstone powder fell, soon forming a crooked groove. Noticing Old Croc’s new activity, the three young crocodiles abandoned their hunt and came closer to observe, their beastly eyes full of confusion, unable to understand what he was doing.

After watching for a while, their interest faded and they went their separate ways. Lu Chen remained alone before the rock wall, continuing to carve with the stones. When tired, he switched to another forelimb. If any human had witnessed this scene, they would have shouted in disbelief.

After half an hour, the rough outline of a saltwater crocodile began to take shape.

Lu Chen was attempting to create a rock painting.

This was the result of last night’s long deliberation.

His life should not be filled solely with killing and training; he needed something to divert his attention. Ultimately, Lu Chen thought of painting—a rare hobby from his previous life.

Painting could pass the time; once immersed, one hardly noticed the hours slip by, and it helped calm his restless spirit. Especially watching the blank surface gradually fill up brought a strong sense of accomplishment.

However, lacking other tools, Lu Chen could only improvise by carving on the stone. The subject, naturally, was drawn from his surroundings.

Lu Chen planned to carve a vast mural on the rock wall, recording himself, Old Croc and the others, a troop of macaques, and even the animals he had hunted. This act, though somewhat frivolous, was his best way to while away idle hours.

He only stopped when hunger gnawed at him, following the mountain stream out of the valley.

This time he was lucky; he quickly found an adult spotted water deer drinking by the riverbank, accompanied by several fawns. With barely an effort, Lu Chen devoured them all.

After filling his belly, he returned again, only to find Little Sister Croc waiting before him.

“Chirp, chirp…”

She opened her mouth and dropped a wet little bird at his feet, leaving Lu Chen momentarily baffled.

The tiny creature on the ground had only just hatched, barely the size of a child’s fist. Its wet down was flecked with speckles.

Despite countless childhood experiences raiding bird nests, Lu Chen could not tell what species it was.

Little Sister Croc had caught a chick using a trap? Impossible. It must have come from somewhere else. She could climb trees, but not nimble enough to reach slender branches and raid nests. The chick had probably fallen accidentally from a nest, and Little Sister Croc had found it.

But what was her intention in dropping it at his feet? A gift, perhaps?

The chick was smaller than a human fist. Still, it was a token of goodwill from the little one, so Lu Chen did not refuse—he opened his mouth, preparing to swallow it whole.