Chapter 31: The Cunning Monitor Lizard

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Under the dim beam of their headlamps, the foremost crocodile had already crawled to within five meters of them. Xiao Yingyong’s expression shifted constantly as she turned toward Qin Zhong.

“Qin Zhong, aren’t you going to shoot?”

Qin Zhong drew a deep breath and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t rush. Wait a little longer. Let it come closer. We have to make sure we hit it in one shot. Otherwise, if the crocodiles rush up here, we’re both finished.”

Although Xiao Yingyong’s shoulders were trembling with tension, she forcibly restrained her urge to fire and kept her eyes fixed on the steadily approaching crocodile.

At that moment, time seemed to freeze. Qin Zhong held his breath, staring rigidly at the reptile. Only after it had crawled another two meters closer did he suddenly release his fingers.

The instant Qin Zhong let go, a blinding flare erupted before them. He and Xiao Yingyong pulled their crossbow triggers at the same time. Two sharp whistles split the air as a crossbow bolt and a steel ball struck the eyes of two separate crocodiles.

The crocodile struck by the bolt flipped head over heels into the water. The one hit by the steel ball rolled onto its back, its belly exposed.

Seeing that their attack had succeeded, both of them were overjoyed. Without daring to waste a moment, they hurriedly drew their bowstrings again—only to see the three gigantic, crab-like monsters rapidly converge on the dead crocodile.

Qin Zhong suddenly remembered having seen an animal like this on some episode of Animal World. These creatures were probably giant king crabs, also known as giant spider crabs or killer crabs.

He vaguely recalled the program explaining that these giant crabs possessed enormous forelimbs unlike those of any other crab. When spread wide, their claws could span more than four meters. Large and incredibly hard, those pincers were their most powerful weapons for attacking prey. They did not merely attack humans; sharks were even included in their diet.

Qin Zhong had remembered them because of how astonishing the creatures were when he had watched the program. Seeing one in person now, however, he found the sight even more shocking.

At that moment, another splash rose from beneath the artificial mountain. The two of them turned toward it and saw four more crocodiles climbing out of the water.

Xiao Yingyong reached into her quiver and exclaimed, “Oh no! The crossbow bolts fell into the water when we went in!”

“Don’t be afraid. I still have steel balls here—”

Before Qin Zhong could finish, he searched himself and discovered that the bottle containing the steel balls had vanished as well. He hurriedly checked the magazine slot and felt his heart sink. Only two rounds remained.

The four crocodiles climbed ashore, but instead of immediately attacking Qin Zhong and Xiao Yingyong, they all lunged at the dead crocodile, competing with the three giant crabs for its flesh. Their enormous mouths and razor-sharp teeth made them look hideously terrifying.

The surface of the water churned as well, and blood began to surge upward. There were three sharks in the water, fighting over the carcass of the crocodile Xiao Yingyong had shot in the eye earlier.

Watching scene after scene unfold, Qin Zhong and Xiao Yingyong felt a chill run through them. Qin Zhong thought that one dead crocodile could never fill the bellies of seven bloodthirsty monsters. Once the carcass had been devoured, he and Xiao Yingyong would surely be next.

With that thought, Qin Zhong hurriedly looked around. Everywhere he glanced was swallowed by darkness. He could see nothing clearly and had no idea which direction offered a possible escape.

Even if they tried to flee, sharks and crocodiles were waiting in the water. For a moment, Qin Zhong felt ice-cold all over, overwhelmed by the bleak sensation that there was nowhere left to go and that they had reached the end of the road.

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…

“Brother Qin… are we not going to make it?”

Xiao Yingyong watched as the two dead crocodiles were nearly stripped clean. Her teeth chattered uncontrollably as she looked at Qin Zhong, her voice filled with despair.

“It isn’t the final moment yet.”

Although Qin Zhong’s heart was pounding wildly, he still struggled to remain calm. He slung the crossbow over his body, drew the Miao saber hanging diagonally at his waist, took a deep breath, and prepared to fight to the death.

“Look! What’s that?”

Xiao Yingyong suddenly pointed toward a rectangular wooden board floating on the water. Qin Zhong focused his eyes and saw lines crisscrossing its surface like a route map. His heart stirred. Since it was not far away, he quickly jogged over and hauled it out of the water.

The two of them examined the board together. Xiao Yingyong suddenly said, “Brother Qin, this is a map of the aquarium’s tour route. Look—this is the entrance, this is the lobby, this is the crocodile pavilion, this is the piranha pavilion, and this is the giant crab pavilion…”

“Hm?”

After carefully comparing the map with their surroundings, Qin Zhong drew in a sharp breath.

“This is… this is… Oh, I see now! We’re in the giant lizard pavilion!”

At those words, Xiao Yingyong shuddered and instinctively turned to look around.

“Brother Qin, are giant lizards even more frightening than crocodiles?”

Qin Zhong nodded gravely. Giant lizards were notoriously foul scavengers, even more vicious and greedy than crocodiles. They would not hesitate to consume the corpses of their own kind.

Worse still, their saliva contained terrifying viruses. Once bitten by a giant lizard, a person might escape at first, but would eventually die after becoming infected.

Using the tour map as a guide, Qin Zhong and Xiao Yingyong searched their surroundings. Before long, they understood everything: the artificial mountain beneath their feet was the giant lizards’ nest inside the pavilion.

Just as they were looking around, a rock beneath Qin Zhong’s foot suddenly transformed into a blurred shadow and shot toward him. He immediately sensed danger and leaped aside, but he was still a step too slow.

The rock was actually a giant lizard. The terrifying creature had possessed extraordinary patience, remaining concealed until this very moment before launching its attack.

Because the area was so dark and their attention had been drawn toward the crocodiles, neither of them had noticed the giant lizard even though it had been right beside them.

Moreover, the scales covering its body were the same color as the surrounding rocks, blending into them perfectly. Without a careful inspection, it would have been impossible to detect.

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The giant lizard suddenly sprang upward and clamped its jaws onto Qin Zhong’s left leg. With a sharp crack, he felt as though the bone in his lower leg had nearly snapped. Enduring the excruciating pain, he swung his saber down with all his strength.

The blow tore flesh from the giant lizard’s body, spraying blood in every direction. It let out a pained howl and writhed violently before rolling straight down the artificial mountain. Several crocodiles and giant crabs immediately swarmed over it, turning it into their next meal.

Suppressing the pain, Qin Zhong hurriedly lowered his head to inspect the bite on his calf. Fortunately, his stab-resistant clothing had done its job. Although his leg throbbed violently, the skin had not been broken.

Xiao Yingyong was nearly petrified by what she had witnessed. She stared fixedly at Qin Zhong with her mouth hanging open, unable to speak. He could see the immense terror in her eyes.

“Quickly, see if there’s another escape route. We can’t stay here!”

Daring not to delay, Qin Zhong and Xiao Yingyong turned back to the tour map. It indicated that an employee passage lay beside the giant lizard pavilion. The passage turned through two right-angled bends, and at its far end was marked the words “Fire Exit.”

Seeing that escape might be possible, both of them were invigorated. Qin Zhong looked around and soon spotted a distant, murky shadow that seemed to be the entrance to the employee passage, though it was too far away to make out clearly.

Qin Zhong thought, If we stay here, once those creatures finish fighting over the carcasses, they’ll attack us next. Whether that place is truly an escape route or not, we have to try. In a little while, we may not have another chance.

Having made up his mind, Qin Zhong turned toward Xiao Yingyong.

“Xiao Ying, don’t be afraid. That may be our way out. If we take a chance, we might survive!”

Although Xiao Yingyong’s lips trembled with fear, she knew that refusing to fight offered no hope at all. Forcing down her terror, she answered in a shaking voice, “Brother Qin, I—I’m not afraid!”

Qin Zhong flexed his hands and feet and encouraged her.

“There’s no use being afraid now. Come on. Get on my back. I’ll carry you across.”

Xiao Yingyong shook her head.

“Brother Qin, there’s no need. I can swim.”

Qin Zhong nodded and said nothing more. After securing their belongings, the two of them quietly slipped into the water from behind the artificial mountain while the crocodiles and giant crabs were still tearing apart the carcasses.

Although the water was hardly safe either, remaining on the artificial mountain meant certain death. Since death awaited them either way, they could not simply sit there and wait for it. They might as well risk everything for a chance to survive.

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