Giant-Toothed Crocodile

The moment the Bone Demon dodged to block the attack, Lu Heng's mental energy exploded.

Just before the Withered Branch " suddenly sprang up, the stagnant, malicious fluctuations that the mental energy had captured abruptly came to life, like a cold stone that had been submerged at the bottom of a river suddenly opening its eyes.

But Lu Heng didn't panic.

The Bone Demon was faster than him.

Withered Branch emerged from the water, its dark body kicking up large splashes of mud and water. Two rows of sharp teeth gleamed coldly in the sunlight from its open mouth, biting straight at Lu Heng's legs.

The Bone Demon's massive body shifted to its position, its hard bony arm meeting the attack head-on.

Bang!

A dull thud rang out, splashing mud and water everywhere.

The giant crocodile's attack was extremely powerful. The momentum of its bite and forward lunge collided with the Bone Demon's bony arm, producing a teeth-grinding grinding sound. But the Bone Demon remained unmoved. Its thick bony fingers spread out and precisely gripped the giant crocodile's forebody. Its five fingers embedded themselves in the gaps between the scales, and the force was so great that it directly crushed the surface keratin.

The giant crocodile's entire body was forcibly pulled to a stop in mid-air, its forward momentum brutally severed. Its massive body hung less than two arm's lengths in front of Lu Heng, its sharp teeth snapping wildly, trying to tear the air apart, but it couldn't bite anything.

Lu Heng took a half step back, his gaze falling on the giant crocodile.

The first thing that catches the eye is that mouth.

Even though it was locked up by the Bone Demon, its jaws were still opening and closing wildly, with two rows of giant, sharp teeth fully exposed outside its lips, interlocking menacingly. The longest tooth was half a palm's length, gleaming with a cold, hard, bone-white luster. Mud and debris remained between the teeth, making a teeth-grinding clanging sound when they bit.

Its mouth took up almost half of its head, and together with its thick snout and deep-set eyes, it looked fierce and monstrous.

Its body was thick and low-lying, dark in color, covered with rough and thick scales, its limbs were short but powerful, its toes were webbed, and its claws were deeply embedded in the Bone Demon's arm, yet not even a white mark was left.

Lu Heng's gaze swept over it, Wristband automatically sensed it, displaying biometric entries.

[Black Iron Tier Giant-Toothed Crocodile]

Description: Named for its enormous, protruding teeth, this creature possesses a bite force far exceeding that of ordinary wild animals, making it extremely lethal in close combat. It inhabits shallow riverbanks and swamps, and excels at camouflage and ambush prey that hunts creatures near water sources.

Black Iron Tier, not high.

However, the Giant-Toothed Crocodile's bite force is among the best in its class; if it bites a limb, even if you don't die, you will break your bones.

The problem is—this thing shouldn't be here.

The riverbank was shallow, with reeds and mudflats; the water was too shallow and the mud too soft, making it unsuitable for a crocodile of this size to lie dormant for long. It was either passing by or attracted there by something.

But now is not the time to think about these things.

The Giant-Toothed Crocodile, which had been bound by the Bone Demon, finally realized what was happening.

It panicked.

The ambush, which had been brimming with murderous intent, was completely suppressed the moment it struck, failing to even land a bite. This absolute crushing power made the ferocious beast feel fear for the first time.

It began to struggle frantically.

Its limbs kicked and its tail thrashed wildly, its entire body twisting and turning like a pinned snake, desperately trying to break free from the Bone Demon's grip. Its jaws clenched and unclenched repeatedly, and a low growl escaped its throat, like the final roar of a trapped beast.

It wanted to escape.

He kicked backward with all his might, his claws digging deep furrows in the mud, his whole body shrinking back inch by inch.

But the Bone Demon remained completely still.

Lu Heng watched the Giant-Toothed Crocodile's body tremble violently, and saw the changes in its eyes from ferocity to fear, and from fear to despair. He felt no pity whatsoever.

"Tear it up."

Two words.

The Bone Demon exerted force with both arms.

There are no fancy techniques, no superfluous movements, just pure, overwhelming brute force.

The sound of bones breaking echoed across the riverbank, dull yet clear. The Giant-Toothed Crocodile's body was ripped in two, scales shattered, flesh torn open, and internal organs and blood gushed out, staining large patches of mud.

Its struggles ceased the moment its body was torn apart.

The carcass of the Giant-Toothed Crocodile crashed onto the mudflats, its blood staining the silt, and its struggle came to an abrupt end.

Lu Heng stood still, his gaze darkening.

Giant-Toothed Crocodile was merely an ambush predator, hunting on instinct; there's no right or wrong involved.

The real problem, from beginning to end, is that otter.

They snatched fish, played with him, and lured him into the depths of the riverbank, distracting him from the pursuit and causing him to overlook the underwater danger, nearly killing him in the jaws of a crocodile.

All the blame should be placed on the otters.

Lu Heng sheathed his short blade and turned to continue his investigation along the riverbank.

The otter paw prints were clearly visible—webbed toes, small, fast strides, and dragging its belly along the ground. He followed the tracks upstream, through dense reeds, and found the real den deep in the river bend.

The hideout was half-hidden under the earthen slope of the riverbank, and the entrance was covered by water plants and mud, making it impossible to see from the outside.

Outside the den, a whole clan of giant otters gathered.

There were six adult otters and four cubs. The cubs huddled at the entrance of their den, their fur not yet fully grown, scratching at the mud with their short paws.

The one leading the pack was the giant otter that was playing tricks on him by stealing his fish.

Seeing Lu Heng chasing after it, it didn't panic at all. Instead, it stood up straight. Its two front paws supported its body on both sides, its hind legs were upright, its head was tilted, its bright black eyes were staring at Lu Heng, and the corners of its mouth were slightly grinning.

A blatant and humane form of mockery.

It was as if they had already anticipated his perilous encounter with the crocodile and his humiliating retreat.

Other adult otters also stood upright and made short calls, as if in agreement.

Then, the entire group of otters turned around in unison, leading their cubs deeper into their den. Their movements were unhurried, even somewhat composed.

Lu Heng stood there, watching their swaggering retreat.

He didn't chase after them.

Adult otters are fast and highly alert, and chasing them deep into their dens may not necessarily yield any advantage.

But who says you have to chase after adult otters?

Lu Heng raised his hand and took out a crossbow from his Wristband.

The crossbow arm was extended, the bowstring taut, and the gaze passed over the upright, mocking adult otters, landing on the smallest, slowest cub at the very back of the den entrance.

The little guy was still clumsily trying to crawl into the hole, kicking his short hind legs several times but failing to climb out.

Lu Heng adjusted the angle of the crossbow, slowed his breathing, and locked his mental focus on the target.

String the bow.

The cold arrow breaks through the air.

The arrow pierced through the gaps in the reeds and struck the young otter's hindquarters with pinpoint accuracy.

The little guy let out a sharp scream, his whole body was rolled over by the impact, and he crashed onto the muddy ground.

The riverbank fell silent instantly.

All the otters stopped moving at the same time and turned to look at the cubs struggling on the ground.

The mocking expression on the lead giant otter's face froze, and for the first time, panic appeared in its bright black eyes.

Lu Heng stood still, the crossbow still in his hand, the lingering vibrations of the bowstring still faintly humming.

He looked at the giant otter and slowly revealed a cold smile.

An equal exchange of mockery, an eye for an eye.

You tricked me, I'll kill your son.

You lead me to my death, I'll expose your tribe's secrets.

Fair trade.

The giant otter let out a low growl, its fur bristling, and the four adult otters turned around at the same time, baring their teeth and approaching Lu Heng.

But Lu Heng had already nocked his arrow again.

The stench of blood had not yet dissipated from the riverbank, and the remains of the Giant-Toothed Crocodile lay not far away.

The otter colony was thrown into complete chaos, and the cubs' screams echoed through the river bend.

Between the two parties,

It's a fight to the death.