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Chapter 68 Thunder Crocodile

The segment about crocodiles in "Animal World" played like a clip in Hua Zhen's mind.

Crocodile.

This is an ancient and powerful reptile.

The once terrifying dinosaur grandpa is now "diligently munching" at KFC, making one sigh that things have changed. But look at your Uncle Crocodile, he's still living a carefree life in the wild, taking baths every day, and when he's hungry, he catches a deer and drags it into the water to play happily. He lives a lazy and comfortable life, and after eating and drinking his fill, he lies on the beach sunbathing, exuding a cynical air.

Crocodile uncles are very specific in their choice of habitat, mainly distributed in freshwater or saltwater environments in tropical and subtropical regions.

However, we will not consider this for the time being.

Hua Zhen wants a more specific type.

Upon careful reflection, Hua Zhen discovered that there are three main factors in the selection of crocodile habitats.

First, the water area.

Slow-moving rivers, swamps, and lakes are the most common habitats for crocodiles, making it easy for them to ambush and hunt.

Second, water temperature.

Crocodiles rely on external heat sources to maintain their body temperature, so the water temperature cannot be too low.

Third, there is ample sunshine.

Crocodiles, being cold-blooded animals, need places like beaches and riverbanks to bask in the sun in order to regulate their body temperature.

And coincidentally, in the underground sewers of Farlands, none of these three conditions seemed to be met at all—

Similarly, although there is no sun in the underground waterways, it doesn't mean that the phantom crocodiles won't actively seek out sunlight.

Thinking of this, Hua Zhen didn't even have time to pull up her pants before quickly rummaging through her bag for a diagram of the drainage system.

This is a design drawing of a drainage hub that was attached to the contract by the drainage engineering department.

Although drawings of this level may look complicated, they are not a problem for Huazhen, who is familiar with CAD.

Hua Zhen intently observed the drainage system in this area.

Drainage design is a crucial aspect of urban planning, building construction, and environmental engineering, with the primary objectives of safety, efficiency, and environmental protection.

Sustainable collection, transportation, and treatment of rainwater and domestic and industrial wastewater to prevent flooding and pollution.

Farlands is a large city, and there have been no reports of flooding, which shows that the drainage design is quite good.

Hua Zhen carefully examined the pipeline routes in this area.

The upstream and steep sections of the underground drainage channel are unlikely to be the habitat of this mutated phantom crocodile.

What about the section where the pipe diameter contracts?

That's unlikely. The smaller the pipe diameter, the faster the water flow. Besides, the mutated crocodile shouldn't be that small. With a pipe that small, my master Hua could clog the entire city's water with a single shove.

The area near the pump station outlet was also excluded, as the water pressure pushed by the pump would not become a habitat for the phantom crocodiles.

As for the drop-off area—Hua Zhen thought about it and decided to exclude it for the time being.

The giant pipe in front of you is the waterfall area, a vertical or steep section designed to cope with sudden drops in terrain, where the cascading water resembles a waterfall.

This is also the only drop-off area in this region.

Although the water flow is rapid, it also accumulates a lot of garbage and debris, making it a decent hunting spot.

If a phantom crocodile were to hunt, it would probably choose this spot, right?

After reviewing the design drawings, Hua Zhen had a better grasp of the habitat of the mutated phantom crocodile.

"Okay, let's go back and find Tia and the others right away."

Hua Zhen put away the map and turned around to face the wide waterway outside the railing.

He was about to release some water first.

Since we're already here, let's take a shower first.

Besides him, the other four members of the team were all female, which was very inconvenient.

Leaving aside those two old women, Tia and Valentina, the main goal was to leave a good impression on the mature and sophisticated Karula.

In addition, Hua Zhen has always felt that pants are not very friendly to men.

Not only is the heat dissipation poor, but it's also very inconvenient.

Mao is fine, anyway, I don't have any.

But if the zipper gets caught in your leather, it hurts terribly!

To put it bluntly, we men should be the ones wearing pretty dresses or going out in style to cool down!

This way, the resulting little girls will be healthier.

If you ask me, open-crotch pants are the right thing to do, guys.

Refuse to expose your dio's shame!

Although the smell here is a bit slovenly, the cool air provides effective heat dissipation for the magazines.

Hua Zhen decided to let it air out for a few dozen seconds.

"Splash—"

Suddenly.

A ripple appeared on the waterway beside the railing.

Ok?

Hua Zhen's eyes narrowed as she stared intently at the water's surface.

puff!

Suddenly, something darted out of the water and headed straight for Hua Zhen!

But Hua Zhen's reaction speed was even faster.

He dodged to the side, watching helplessly as the small black shadow slammed against the wall with a thud, then landed on the ground and began to writhe desperately.

"This is... an insect?"

I've seen plenty of insects, but insects this thick are truly rare.

It looks more like a sea urchin, doesn't it?

Hua Zhen frowned and lifted her foot.

However, he quickly withdrew his foot and picked up the small black insect from the ground with a piece of toilet paper.

Hua Zhen furtively looked around, and only after confirming that Tia Ge wasn't coming to urge him did he feel relieved enough to compare the insects.

A moment later, Hua Zhen threw the insect to the ground with satisfaction, stomped on it, and it burst with juice.

"Hmph—you still want to ambush me, Master Hua?" Hua Zhen chuckled softly. "Looks like this underground sewer isn't to be underestimated. You dare to try and take on such a small thing? You should at least have a G18!"

It's nothing serious, let's go back.

Hua Zhen adjusted the spotlight on her head and turned to leave.

As he took a step, he heard a discordant sound.

Behind him, tons of sewage poured down from the three-meter-diameter pipe, the rushing water deafening in the underground sewers.

The discordant sound Hua Zhen heard was also the sound of water, but it was closer to him, like the sound of some enormous creature breaking through the water.

The moment she realized it, Hua Zhen's arm twisted involuntarily, and her hardest fingers turned into soft tentacle tips.

He turned around and raised one tentacle, while another tentacle lashed out forward.

What came into view was an enormous crocodile with its jaws wide open.

With astonishing explosive power, it leaped out of the wide waterway from where it was lurking, twisting its huge tail as it attacked Hua Zhen. Its size was no less than that of the Thunder Crocodile that Uncle Leon encountered in Resident Evil 4.

"Holy crap—ugh!"

With the combined strength of Hua Zhen's tentacles and the Golden Finger, he barely managed to pull the crocodile's gaping maw away from its original angle, blocking the attack.

However, he himself was also thrown away by the enormous impact.

Mutant Phantom Crocodile!

Absolutely right!

So this area really is its hunting grounds?!

Hua Zhen got up, turned around, and ran away.

He's off, bro. He's off first.

Shiva seemed to sense something, and suddenly looked up in the direction where someone had just left.

Karula and Shiva stared at the same time, a hint of vigilance and worry appearing in their normally expressionless crimson eyes.

"Son—son—" she murmured to herself.

"Hey, did you hear anything?"

Tia also heard some strange noise, but since they were not far from the waterfall, the loud sound of the rushing water made it difficult for her to hear clearly.

"There seems to be something over there—" Valentina frowned. "Let's go take a look."

"Really? I hope Hua Zhen didn't fall into the sewer while taking a dump—"

Despite her disdainful words, Tia had already started walking in the direction Hua Zhen had left.

Just then, Shiva suddenly barked, its impatient bark tinged with fear and worry.

Valentina and Tia immediately perked up.

In Tiague and Valentina's view, Shiva's cry, though completely unexpected, probably meant something dangerous!

The two immediately prepared to fight, their eyes fixed on the corner diagonally opposite.

Then—Hua Zhen burst out at an astonishing speed, his body thrashing wildly beneath him, leaving the two beautiful girls stunned.

Why is this guy running around without his underwear on?

Valentina's eyes narrowed.

Is this guy actually the same type as me?

Why is it completely bald?

"Help! Help! Help! Help! -- No, run!"

Hua Zhen shouted and ran towards the two of them. A few seconds later, Tia Go and Valentina felt a slight tremor.

Immediately afterwards, a huge crocodile suddenly rushed out from around the corner, powerfully whipping its tail to balance itself while also smashing the corner wall.

"Holy crap!!" Tia exclaimed instinctively.

This crocodile must be at least seven meters long!

In other words, his height alone is more than two stories tall.

"Everyone! Get behind me!" Valentina reacted quickly, immediately summoning a heavy silver shield to hold it in front of her.

Yes, yes!

Hua Zhen and Tia Ge were overjoyed.

Valentina possesses unique abilities and has incredibly strong defense.

In other words, she could definitely withstand the attack of this enormous crocodile, right?

The two men stared at Valentina's retreating figure.

That figure in the protective suit now looks so reliable—

"I'll defend against this guy's first attack; you guys figure out how to take him down!"

"Okay, okay!" Tia responded.

With the time-stop skill at her disposal, and the magical dagger gifted to her by the adventurer's band, she can freely return to the controller's location.

Since it was in her hands, she felt it shouldn't be a big problem—as long as Valentina could hold on.

"bring it on!"

Valentina stood tall, shield raised in defense.

But the mutated crocodile in front of her did not open its blood-red maw to bite her.

A cunning glint flashed in its eyes, then it abruptly stopped its charge. Its massive body, propelled by inertia, continued to glide forward in the wide tube while simultaneously changing direction, and its enormous tail lashed out at Valentina.

"Goo?!"

Valentina was suddenly sent flying, her breathing mask detached, and her entire body flew out like a cannonball.

Just as she was about to fall into the sewage ditch, Hua Zhen reacted quickly and immediately extended her tentacles, wrapping them around her body.

His tentacles can extend to a certain length, about six or seven meters, but that's enough for the current situation.

With a powerful pull, Hua Zhen resisted the inertia and forcefully pulled Valentina back.

"Thank you—" Valentina stood up, leaning against the wall. "Um—actually, you didn't have to risk saving me. I can handle it."

She was telling the truth.

Even if she crashes into a wall, her sturdy body will prevent her from getting hurt; at most, the pain will be several times greater than others.

The reason my legs went weak was simply because of Hua Zhen's tentacles.

The mutated crocodile turned its head and stared coldly at the crowd, its snorts audible like boiling water in a kettle.

"Look after your mother!"

At that moment, Tia activated time stop.

The magical dagger in his hand was thrown out at the same time as several throwing knives, which then stopped in mid-air.

Then, Tia Gore deactivated the time stop, and time began to flow again.

Several throwing knives hurtled rapidly toward the eyes of the mutated, ravenous crocodile.

Since they didn't see Tia's initial actions, the mutated alien crocodile in front of them was completely unable to react.

His eyes suddenly burst with juice!

The mutated crocodile let out a deafening roar and instantly turned to run deeper into the area.

"Don't chase after them," Hua Zhen stopped Tia Ge.

"Why?" Tia's eyes widened. "Isn't this a great opportunity?"

"That guy's hide is very tough, it'll take a lot of effort—" Hua Zhen said, "We don't need to go through all that trouble and risk getting hurt to hunt it, we can just ambush it instead."

Hua Zhen, a loyal fan of "Animal World" for ten years, knows very well.

Even strong animals like lions and tigers will assess the risks before a fight begins.

Unless they are extremely hungry, they will not risk injury to fight to the death with other large animals.

Because the effort and the reward are not proportional.

The client greatly underestimated the difficulty of this mission.

Hua Zhen did a careful calculation.

The reward for this order was only a little over 40,000 Sora.

If it comes to the point where just treating the injury costs tens of thousands, then it's not worth it.

"You know where that guy lives?" Tia was taken aback. She wasn't stupid; she understood what Hua Zhen meant.

“That’s right,” Hua Zhen said, pulling out the underground sewer design plans. “We can ambush it before it runs back.”

It—and there's something strange about this.

"Strange?" Valentina asked.

"Hmm, the alien crocodile is only the size of a palm, right? It's not easy for it to grow to this size," Hua Zhen said. "I'm thinking, if it was just a leak of alchemy potion, then there should be more than just this one mutated. And if alchemy potion and wastewater from the alchemy workshop could achieve this, would Anton and the others have gone to so much trouble to cultivate the tentacle monster?"

"That makes sense—" Valentina nodded. "Then should we go and get some more powerful weapons?"

"No, I have a better weapon now. Let's go, we need to get to its house before it goes back and give this big guy a surprise."