Arensa Wetlands.
The crocodiles covered the shallows, with about thirty Orbital Ridge Crocodiles huddled between the water and mud, enjoying a sunbath, with only their heads and half of their dark backs showing.
The capybaras also swam in these shallows, seemingly unaware that they were any different from the crocodiles.
The two plump capybaras at the head of the pack submerged their entire bodies in the water, leaving only their heads above the surface. Their round ears were pressed against the top of their heads, and their nostrils faced the sun. Their whiskers trembled as the water flowed by. Several baby capybaras were perched on their backs, and occasionally a playful little one would slide off its parents' backs and curiously step onto the back of the Orbital Ridge Crocodile.
From a distance, a row of heads floated on the shallows.
The only difference between a crocodile's head and a capybara's head is probably that some heads have wide mouths, while others have two shiny black nostrils.
At least that's what Famu saw.
These lazy little creatures were completely unaware of the change in the water flow. An adult Typhon quietly arrived at this body of water and hid in the deep water to observe them.
Capybaras are not easy prey for Orbital Ridge Crocodiles, but that only applies to large adult capybaras. The calves are high-quality tender meat that can be swallowed whole. But now, those capybara calves are climbing between the backs of Orbital Ridge Crocodiles without any restraint, using their long tails and backs as slides, and the crocodiles have no objection to it.
Something suppressed the crocodiles' ferocity, turning them into docile playground equipment.
Famu moved a little closer, wanting to observe more closely.
But this time, the water flow brought by Famu's movement passed over the whiskers of the two fat capybaras, and the whiskers began to tremble violently.
The capybara opened its mouth, revealing its two large front teeth, and then let out a loud squeak.
"Ah--!"
The screams startled both the capybara and crocodile families. Water splashed everywhere, and the Orbital Ridge Crocodiles on the shallows swung their long tails and darted into the water. Adult capybaras also led their young towards the grassy islets or the safer Forest Islands. The capybara leader's alarm signaled that danger came from the water, which is why the capybaras and crocodiles fled in opposite directions: the capybaras ran towards land, while the crocodiles dived into the water, because the Orbital Ridge Crocodiles couldn't understand the capybaras' cries.
The mud and sand at the bottom of the river were stirred up and quickly became turbid. Famu watched as the two fattest capybaras ran onto land, their running speed far surpassing that of their kind. But they didn't just run; they also turned back to take care of the capybaras who had left their young behind, picking up the young and putting them back in their place.
They entered the forest.
Just before disappearing into the woods, the largest capybara turned back and gazed at the water.
The Orbital Ridge Crocodiles entered the water and scattered in all directions, but a large creature was swimming towards the shore from underwater.
Underwater predators are not easily detected, but the screams of capybaras can alert a group of crocodiles.
This is the way capybaras survive. When predators come from outside, they will be surrounded by dozens of Orbital Ridge Crocodiles, or in the chaos, they can only see the capybara family running away and not be able to catch up in time.
The same was true now. With the crocodiles in the background, the capybara leader easily spotted the predator. The creature was so conspicuous, not only swimming against the crocodiles' path but also being enormous. None of the Orbital Ridge Crocodiles dared to approach that area, leaving a blank spot on the water's surface free of crocodiles.
That's the outline of danger!
"My God, how big must that thing be?" Jack, the capybara leader, stared at the empty expanse of water, unable to hide his astonishment.
Night fell.
Inside the caves on Forest Island, the cubs slept, while the adults fed around them. They had expended a lot of energy running around the Forest Island.
Jack was discussing it with his wife.
"This danger is extraordinary! That predator is enormous; I've never seen such a large creature!" he said gravely. "It's still not safe here. We should go further, deeper into Arensa, to find Ysera. She will receive us!"
"I think you're seeing things," Jack's wife, Poppy, replied lazily, sprawled on the floor. She gave her husband a disgruntled look. "Actually, my whiskers didn't sense anything at all. The biggest guys around here are those big-eyed crocodiles... their eyes are bigger than my nostrils."
"Look at them, they're all exhausted, and nothing happened until dark, did it?" Poppy comforted her husband, who still looked anxious.
"I did see it," Jack said, lying down next to Poppy. "But you're right, predators don't stay long. Even those Nightmare Leopards will retreat if they don't succeed in their first attack. They won't waste time here. We'll go back to the water first thing tomorrow morning, but I'd like to find a shallower spot, let's go to that area to the south."
"You can decide that, I'm going to sleep." Poppy agreed, yawned, rolled over, and then all that could be heard was its purring.
Jack looked sadly out of the cave; it was pitch black.
The giant trees on Forest Island cover the sky, and it's the same there, day or night.
A warm, salty breeze blew from the lake, making Jack a little sleepy. Maybe he shouldn't be so tense. Just as Poppy said, the predator wouldn't stay long. The danger was gone now. Jack thought, turned over, and saw two stars hanging in the dark sky.
It's rare to be able to see the stars through the treetops.
Jack stared at the two stars in a daze, then suddenly realized that the stars were moving!
Sparse scraping sounds came from the darkness; it was scales scraping against the tree trunk, while branches and leaves were pushed aside because the thing moving in the dark was unimaginably large!
Jack opened his mouth, about to let out a warning scream, but a deep hum broke out first, and circular ripples appeared in the dust on the ground, quickly spreading outwards.
A corner of the tree canopy was torn open, and moonlight shone down, allowing Jack to see clearly what it was.
A Black Typhon perched among ancient trees, those two stars are his eyes!
Poppy was awakened by the tremor. She saw Black Typhon and let out a shriek. The next moment, the shadow swept past and she was bitten. The immense force slammed Poppy to the ground, so hard that the mud caved in. But Poppy was still struggling. She did not die on the spot; her thick layer of fat cushioned most of the impact.
Poppy looked at Jack and uttered her last words. "I should have believed you."
The tremor erupted once more, crushing the bones and internal organs beneath the fat. Poppy died, and Typhon carried her into the air, raising his head to swallow her whole.
Jack never imagined that the predator that would arrive would be an adult Typhon.
These giant beasts inhabit the main river system, so how did they end up in Arensa, and how were they found?
The ley lines in Arensa dried up decades ago; these are the last remaining Furnace-Core Creatures to emerge from the remaining ley lines.
But the capybara leader no longer had time to ponder the reasons. Jack watched as the two pale stars descended into the darkness, a wave of pungent heat washing over him, and his perspective then turned to darkness.