hotmtlnovel Chapter 9
Chapter 9
C9 – Crocodylus Niloticus
The sun crept up the sky, heralding the arrival of a new day.
Zhou Mu arrived at the Animal Whisperer Union in his sleek sports car.
Of the three cars he once had, only this one remained—the other two had been sold.
Did they really think luxury items could fetch over seventy million yuan?
Luxury goods are essentially a tax on the foolish; they cost a fortune to buy and lose half their value the moment they’re resold.
“A world where technology and cultivation coexist is far superior to one that relies on a singular approach to development.”
Zhou Mu surveyed the rows of machines before him and nodded in approval.
To liberate the workforce and save Animal Whisperers’ time, the Union had installed numerous machines in the lobby.
Animal Whisperers could independently search for and accept missions here, and most of the verification work after mission completion could be done on these machines.
The Union’s missions fell into three categories.
The first was the kill mission, issued by the Union and various universities. These had low barriers to entry, modest rewards, but could be undertaken repeatedly.
For instance, if a mission required the elimination of ten second-rank fiend beasts, slaying a thousand would count as completing the mission a hundred times, yielding a hundredfold reward.
The second type was the collection mission, typically posted by alchemists and refiners from various factions.
These were challenging, but the rewards were correspondingly generous.
Multiple people could accept this mission, but only the first to submit it would earn the full reward.
The third type was the special mission, encompassing a diverse array of tasks.
As expected, with the release of the dragon’s aura, the ferocious crocodiles instantly turned docile, their murderous intent completely retracted as they lay submissively on the ground. Gator, seizing the opportunity, opened its jaws wide and gulped down one of the smaller crocodiles.
Having advanced to a first-rank, five-star creature, Gator’s appetite had surged, now able to consume food more than five times its own weight. But even with this increased capacity, there was a limit. After devouring two crocodiles, Gator was sated.
Zhou Mu was at a loss for words, watching Gator sprawl lazily on the ground, motionless. The sight of a snake and a crowd of crocodiles lying together was simply too bizarre.
“Maybe I should have a bite too?” The thought barely crossed Zhou Mu’s mind before he dismissed it. An adult Crocodylus niloticus measured three meters in length and weighed around 600 kilograms. The two that Gator had swallowed, though not fully grown, must have weighed at least 500 kilograms combined.
Zhou Mu, certainly not a snake, didn’t have the capacity for such a feast. It would be remarkable if he could manage three kilograms of meat.
Zhou Mu wasn’t a snake, lacking the stomach to devour three pounds of meat, yet managing that feat was impressive enough. The smallest of the grassland crocodiles weighed in at a hefty hundred kilograms; if Zhou Mu were to eat his way through one, he’d likely be at it until the New Year rolled around.
“Forget it, forget it. As the host, it’s up to me to take action!” Zhou Mu declared, flicking away imaginary bangs from his forehead. Striding forward with a determined step, he indulged in a fantasy of his own grand, world-saving heroism. With a casual backhand, he smacked the nearest crocodile right across the face.
Bang!
The sound was dull and heavy, laced with a crisp undertone, as if something had just split apart.
Rubbing his slightly numb palm, Zhou Mu noticed the crocodile had tears in its eyes. With its mouth agape and body trembling, it shed tears the size of soybeans.
Zhou Mu felt a wave of unspeakable sorrow wash over him, a blend of pain and despair so potent it almost seemed to resonate within him.
This king of the grassland crocodiles, though of ordinary quality, boasted a combat strength that rivaled a second-rank elite fiend beast. But it had the misfortune of encountering Zhou Mu.
With a formidable 80-point physical attribute, Zhou Mu’s slap had cracked its skull. Moreover, an intense burning sensation seeped through its skin, overwhelming its eyes and nostrils almost instantly.
This burning wasn’t just a flavor but a fierce mix of heat and pain, each intensifying the sensation. Overcome by the slap, the crocodile’s tears flowed uncontrollably, making it appear as though it was weeping.
And indeed, it was weeping.
In this wilderness, it had once roamed freely, feared by all. Then, inexplicably, a leader-quality snake had appeared and devoured its two offspring. That alone was a blow, but then this cruel human had to go and shatter its skull.
To whom could this crocodile turn in its hour of need?