Through the study of some fossils, paleontologists discovered that a large crocodile called Deinosuchus lived in South America and Central Africa during the Late Cretaceous period.
According to these paleontologists, Deinosuchus was probably one of the largest crocodiles in history. This giant crocodile, which lived in the same era as dinosaurs, most likely fed on dinosaurs.
All of this was deduced by paleontologists from the fossil of the Deinosuchus, because in the real world, this giant crocodile has long been extinct. Zhuang Rui never expected that he would see a Cretaceous creature deep in this forest.
If this news were to spread, explorers, adventurers, and paleontologists from all over the world would probably flock to this place. These living fossils would be far more attractive than creatures like the Loch Ness Monster that have already been discovered.
"What...what if this guy breaks into the castle?"
As Peng Fei watched the prehistoric giant crocodile slowly crawling towards the castle, his calves trembled slightly. He had been incredibly bold in the past, but that was when he was facing humans, and Peng Fei knew their weaknesses.
The two creatures we encountered today, whether they are giant pythons or giant crocodiles, are definitely not human beings. It is no exaggeration to say that they should exist in legends and not be visible in the world.
"I don't know, keep your voice down, this guy has very sharp hearing..."
Zhuang Rui took a slight step back. He knew that if the giant crocodile insisted on breaking in, the castle with its blue stone exterior inlaid with gold would be absolutely impossible to stop it.
Putting everything else aside, that giant crocodile could easily tear this golden city apart with just its sharp claws, making it far more efficient than any demolition crew in China.
Moreover, this giant crocodile is absolutely unreasonable. In its eyes, all creatures can become its food. In order not to attract the attention of this giant crocodile, Zhuang Rui did not even dare to use his spiritual energy to test it.
"You brat, if it weren't for finding you a wife, would I be in such a miserable state?"
Zhuang Rui glanced at Jin Gang beside him and couldn't help but smile bitterly. He really felt like he had just escaped one tiger's den only to fall into another.
King Kong, who dared to confront even a giant python, was completely defeated when he saw this giant crocodile.
Regardless, while the python is terrifying, it is not without its weaknesses. At the very least, it is not strong enough to swallow King Kong whole. King Kong, with its immense strength, can fight it, but when faced with a prehistoric crocodile whose skin is probably impenetrable even by bullets, King Kong wisely keeps its mouth tightly shut.
As the prehistoric crocodile crawled to the front of the castle, Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei both shrank behind the vines. This seemingly sturdy castle was no match for the crocodile.
"Click...click..."
A sudden noise came from below the castle. Peng Fei's expression changed abruptly, and he whispered, "Damn it, Brother Zhuang, I have two grenades hanging on the backpack where I keep my food..."
"What?"
Zhuang Rui was startled by Peng Fei's words. He gently parted the vines and looked down, just in time to see the giant crocodile swallow the rice ball on the ground and the backpack that was about half a meter tall.
"Damn, if this... if it explodes, will it drive this crocodile berserk?"
It's worth noting that this giant crocodile is nearly two meters tall even when it's lying on the ground, and when it raises its head slightly, it's almost level with the castle. When it moves, it's like an extended luxury bus.
Two small grenades could at most cause minor injuries to the crocodile, but wounded animals are the most terrifying; they will destroy any creature they perceive as a threat.
Seeing Zhuang Rui's panicked state, Peng Fei calmed down and said, "Brother Zhuang, no way. That grenade only explodes when the trigger mechanism is detonated. If the crocodile swallows it, it might not be able to digest it and just pass through its stool..."
"What if the stomach acid from this thing can digest steel?"
After Zhuang Rui finished speaking, he shook his head. Even if the giant crocodile could digest it, it wouldn't be that fast. By then, they would have already left this place, and Zhuang Rui wouldn't care whether it lived or died.
As he spoke, Zhuang Rui reached out and pushed aside the vines blocking his view, preparing to see if the giant crocodile had left. But as soon as he peeked out, he found a pair of eyes filled with violent killing intent right in front of him.
"Oh my god!"
Zhuang Rui let out a scream, his foot slipped, and he fell straight down from the castle. Although there were many vines on the ground, the five or six-meter drop still made Zhuang Rui dizzy and disoriented, and he couldn't get up for a while.
Just when Zhuang Rui thought the giant crocodile would climb into the castle, a cold breath suddenly brushed past him. Zhuang Rui looked closely and realized that it was the giant python that had climbed up the city wall right next to his body.
"Gah... Gah gah!"
A sound similar to a human baby's cry came from above Zhuang Rui's head. If he hadn't heard it with his own ears, Zhuang Rui really wouldn't have believed that snakes could make such a sound.
Gently getting up, Zhuang Rui moved four or five meters to the right, grabbed the vines with both hands, and climbed up with a little effort. Using a recessed spot under a battlement, he peeked out.
Although Zhuang Rui wanted to hide deep inside the castle, if the giant python was defeated, he, Peng Fei, and the gorillas would probably become the prehistoric crocodile's meal.
In that case, it's better to stay here and watch the show. At least once the two start fighting, Zhuang Rui can use his spiritual energy to support the giant python. Snakes are inherently very resilient, and with his own spiritual energy, the giant python might actually win.
The two creatures, neither of which seemed to be from Earth, were probably old rivals. The giant crocodile braced itself on its forelimbs, its jaws almost level with the castle, and its eyes emitted a faint green light as it blinked.
The python, however, was equally defiant, flicking its tongue and making unpleasant noises. It kept its head about six or seven meters away from the crocodile, guarding against the crocodile attacking its head.
If the two were to actually fight, the python might not necessarily lose. You see, small snakes rely on venom to kill their opponents and hunt for food; their fangs are their sharpest weapons.
Once they become pythons, they are basically non-venomous. When hunting, they swallow small birds and mice whole, but for larger animals like muntjacs or wild boars, they will tightly coil around them with their bodies to suffocate them before eating.
Generally speaking, a python weighing around 50 kilograms can constrict and strangle a person within three minutes, and can even break a person's bones. Given the size of this giant python, if it were to use this move, even the giant crocodile outside the castle would probably be in serious trouble.
The confrontation between the two behemoths made Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei extremely nervous. If the two of them really started fighting, the castle would probably be in danger. With Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei's small bodies, even if they were bumped by the two of them, they would be either dead or seriously injured.
The crocodile, a typical silent dog, stared at the python with its dark and savage eyes. The python, however, showed no weakness, constantly flicking its tongue and swaying its head, seemingly unwilling to be locked onto by the crocodile.
It seems the giant crocodile didn't gain any advantage in the previous fight. After five or six minutes, it retreated first. However, it didn't bow down to the python. Instead, it raised its head high, turned around, and crawled towards the lake dozens of meters away.
Although the brief standoff lasted only five or six minutes, it felt like an eternity to Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei.
Only after the prehistoric crocodile splashed water and dived into the lake did the two exhale heavily. Their hands, which had been gripping the vines tightly, suddenly went limp and they fell heavily off the city wall.
Sometime later, the giant python that guarded the castle also disappeared from the city wall. Zhuang Rui knew that it had moved back to the hall in the castle that looked like a temple. It really did have a bit of the feel of a guardian deity.
After lying on the ground for quite a while, Peng Fei's voice rang out faintly: "Brother Zhuang, we can't stay in this damn place anymore. Let's leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Faced with these two prehistoric creatures, let alone Peng Fei carrying only light firepower, even if a whole squad of soldiers came, they would just be delivering food to the two guys.
"Let's go, we'll leave at dawn. I'll tie King Kong up and take him with me..."
Zhuang Rui nodded repeatedly. They had only gone a little over a hundred kilometers into the jungle, and such a terrifying creature had already appeared. Who knew if there were even more terrifying creatures lurking deep in the jungle?
Moreover, when Zhuang Rui saw the giant crocodile's eyes filled with murderous savagery, he completely lost confidence in his spiritual energy trump card.
Chapter 1263 Warning
After sensing that the giant crocodile had returned to the lake, Zhuang Rui said, "Peng Fei, you should get some sleep. I'll wake you up when it's light..."
Zhuang Rui had given up on the idea of finding any treasures in the golden castle. Not to mention the threat of the prehistoric crocodile in the lake, even the giant python that had made this place its lair would probably not allow Zhuang Rui to demolish the castle.
Moreover, Zhuang Rui didn't know the python's habits, so he didn't even dare to enter the python's resting place. What if the python turned its back on him? Wouldn't he be just offering himself up as food?
"Brother Zhuang, let's forget about it. Do you think I can fall asleep?"
Upon hearing Zhuang Rui's words, Peng Fei gave a wry smile. In his previous training, they were required to maintain good physical strength in any harsh environment in order to cope with emergencies.
However, while Peng Fei could sleep peacefully amidst the sewage and mud, he simply couldn't fall asleep under the threat of these two prehistoric creatures; the methods he learned in the army were completely inapplicable here.
"Alright, then let's all stay awake..."
Even with his thick skin, Zhuang Rui wouldn't dare sleep here. On the other hand, the gorillas seemed to have gotten used to the environment, and they all slept sprawled out in the castle. Even King Kong yawned and fell asleep next to Zhuang Rui.
"Huh? This... these guys are really persistent!"
Out of boredom, Zhuang Rui expanded the range of his spiritual energy search, partly to monitor the giant crocodile in the lake, and partly to see if such a terrifying creature existed elsewhere in the forest. Little did he know that this search would lead him to the very team he had encountered before.
Zhuang Rui hadn't spotted the group all day and thought he'd shaken them off, but they were still following him, and their route was almost identical to his.
As Zhuang Rui ran his hand over the gold-inlaid city walls, a realization dawned on him: "It seems they might not be following me; perhaps they've come to find this golden city..."
Should we tell them what's going on here?
Zhuang Rui rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He knew nothing about this suddenly appearing team, and if he encountered them rashly, he might be attacked.
Moreover, even if he told them there were prehistoric creatures here, they probably wouldn't listen. Zhuang Rui discovered that almost everyone had an automatic weapon, and their firepower was much greater than his and Peng Fei's.
"Forget it, I'll write a notice tomorrow morning and put it on their way, then take King Kong and the others and hide for the time being..."
After much deliberation, Zhuang Rui decided not to meet with these people. As the saying goes, you can't see into someone's heart. They outnumbered him and if they did something detrimental to him, Zhuang Rui would have nowhere to complain.
Out of humanitarian concern, Zhuang Rui still wanted to give them some hints. Whether they believed him or not was beyond his control, but he believed that with the hints, they would be more careful...
The first night in Golden City was spent in suspense by Zhuang Rui and Peng Fei. When the first rays of sunlight rose in the forest, the great forest seemed to come alive, birdsong filled the air, and many animals came to the lake to drink.
When Peng Fei saw Zhuang Rui taking a wooden board from inside the castle early in the morning and writing on it with a carbon pen, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother Zhuang, what are you doing?"
"This place is too dangerous. It would be better to leave a warning sign around here to prevent researchers from recklessly venturing in and getting hurt..."
As Zhuang Rui spoke, he wrote "Beware of ferocious beasts" on the wooden board. After thinking for a moment, he drew a skull with an X next to it.
"Brother Zhuang, could it be that the group following us is also heading this way?"
Peng Fei was quick-witted as well. Seeing Zhuang Rui's action, he immediately guessed his intention and couldn't help but purse his lips, saying, "Those guys are definitely not good people. If you ask me, we should just let them come. Maybe they can even get intimate with the giant python and crocodile..."
Peng Fei had no liking for either foreign mercenaries or anti-government forces; he wished they would fight these two prehistoric monsters to a standstill.
Zhuang Rui glared at Peng Fei, annoyed, and said, "Don't be so gloating, kid. Maybe it's a scientific expedition team from some country..."
"What kind of scientific expedition team is this? They're more like a treasure hunting team. They're all murderers and thieves..."
Peng Fei scoffed at Zhuang Rui's words. He could tell from the scout he had observed that these people were definitely professionally trained and had blood on their hands.
Zhuang Rui waved his hand and said, "Stop talking nonsense. I reckon they're still following us. Let's hang this sign on the way we came, and hide behind the castle. If they leave, great. If not, we'll take a detour..."
Zhuang Rui didn't want to stay in the territory of these two prehistoric creatures for even a moment longer. After circling the city wall, he found that the castle gate was tightly closed. Not wanting to disturb the giant python and the giant crocodile in the lake, he simply grabbed the vines and climbed out.
Looking at the seemingly calm lake, Zhuang Rui couldn't help but feel a chill. He would rather circle around the jungle than pass by the lake. In a conspicuous spot in the jungle where he had come yesterday, Zhuang Rui fixed the sign to a tree.
"I've already done everything I could. If you insist on courting death, then don't blame me..."
Zhuang Rui noticed that the team, which was about ten kilometers away, was already moving in this direction, and at a very fast speed. Zhuang Rui estimated that they would arrive here by noon at the latest.
After doing everything that needed to be done and hanging up the warning signs, Zhuang Rui had King Kong gather all the gorillas in the castle and retreat together to the forest behind the castle.
Fortunately, the gorillas eat during the day, so even if King Kong doesn't organize them, they will leave the castle in small groups.
After being nearly a kilometer away from the castle and lake, Zhuang Rui finally breathed a sigh of relief. Living with a giant python was incredibly stressful.
"Get up, get up! We'll be there by noon today. Then everyone can grab mountains of gold and silver..."
As soon as it was light, Markram kicked his gang of thugs to their feet. According to the coordinates on the map, they would arrive at the marker by noon, at which point they could uncover the map's secrets.
In fact, the map in Markram's hand was indeed a treasure map. The village they had wiped out was one of the tribes that built that castle in the Middle Ages, which is why they had the coordinates of the castle.
However, it is unknown when that place was occupied by two terrifying monsters. Although the tribe has organized several attempts to kill the monsters and reclaim the castle, the results have always been heavy casualties and ended in failure.
However, the tribe did not come away empty-handed in previous operations. The gold and silver ornaments and ivory wine cups used by the tribal chief were all obtained from that castle.
But this indigenous tribe could never have imagined that they, who lived peacefully, would be wiped out. And the gold and silver treasures in the tribe and the treasure map led these bandits to this terrifying place.
“David, Ram, I’ve found something you’ll definitely be interested in…”
Around noon, as they were leaving, David, who was walking behind the scouts, suddenly heard a voice in his earpiece.
"What is that?"
David asked.