Chapter 556

Chapter 556: Identifying an Obscure, Ugly Ancient Creature

"Uh…"

"This is… the ‘gift’ Gimmerly mentioned!?"

Belial’s muscles trembled and swelled. Together with her constantly stretching bones, they supported her increasingly massive divine body.

Her limbs grew thicker and stood more upright, while her face gradually shortened. This let more muscles connect around her mouth, strengthening her bite force!

In despair, she remembered the "gift" Gimmerly had spoken of.

She recalled that unknown deity.

She prayed silently.

And then—received an answer!?

"Whoosh…"

Energy flooded wildly into her body, reshaping everything within her divine form.

An immense surge of information struck her Soul. That sensation—being filled with endless data while battered by tremendous power—made her Soul quiver with pleasure.

Undoubtedly, she was growing bigger and stronger!

But…

"Uh…"

"This odd feeling…"

The cost was everywhere.

"Ga ga—!"

The "Giant Jaws Mark" implanted by Gimmerly let out a laugh that sounded both mocking and gleeful; it split with a ‘bang’ into two.

One stayed motionless within her Soul.

The other crawled along the magic circuits. That tickling feeling, like caterpillars wriggling down her spine, left Belial deeply unsettled.

Luckily, the sensation vanished as quickly as it came.

Soon…

"Ga ga—!"

The divided "Giant Jaws Mark" roared identically from her stomach.

"Ugh—!"

With the mark’s roar, an utterly new feeling—never experienced before—rose from her Soul’s depths and her "stomach furnace."

Abruptly, a pang surged from the stomach furnace toward her Soul! It resembled pain yet felt milder—and somehow more unbearable.

The "Giant Jaws Mark" was to blame.

But Belial’s will couldn’t suppress it. She could only watch helplessly as this feeling seized her mind, dyeing her Soul a savage crimson.

The world began shifting in her eyes too.

Those "bizarre Giant Spirit Gods" that once knocked her down no longer deserved to be called deities.

They now had a more unified, accurate, and concise name.

"Meat—!"

"Meow roar!"

Belial opened her mouth, and her sharp roar echoed through the void.

All she needed to do now was one thing!

"Hungry—!"

—-

"Um…"

"Let’s identify this strange and ugly paleo creature."

Trilobite had finished upgrading the plan for the "Weaselhead Beast."

He definitely could not become a Cat in one step.

But what he would change into had to wait until he developed further.

Then, he focused on those "ugly fellows" that had just charged in and bullied the Cat, and made a big mess, leaving Trilobite unsure what to do.

"These fellows…"

"Should be… Choerosaurus dejageri."

"Uh, this thing was dug up in South Africa, lived in the late Permian period, and is part of the true tooth class."

"Since it was rare, not many studies existed, so there was no formal Chinese name."

"Thus, Uncle judged beasts by looks and gave them a Chinese name."

"After all, this thing’s features were too clear…"

"I’ll call you all…"

"Forduroid Beast!"

Since Trilobite judged beasts by looks, the name "Forduroid Beast" surely showed their appearance.

In Trilobite’s eyes, though these fellows’ limbs hadn’t fully straightened, they stood half-upright and were quite long.

This made them walk awkwardly on the ground.

Like monkeys.

Their tails, like other early synapsids, were small.

But the "Forduroid Beast" had a very short tail, much like today’s macaques.

Their heads, though, looked nothing like macaques.

With long snouts, they seemed like hairy crocodile heads or flattened hippo heads.

This look…

Was just odd and a bit weird, not truly ugly.

What really made Trilobite think "weird and ugly" was the reason for the name "Forduroid Beast"—they had four huge lumps.

Each lump was basically larger than an eyeball!

They grew exclusively on the face.

One bulge sprouted on each side at the front of the upper jaw, while another pair emerged at the base of the lower jaw!

Paleontologists studied these four pairs of lumps for ages but couldn’t figure out their purpose.

Trilobite was equally clueless.

Seriously, why wander around with four facial lumps every day?

Eventually, they resorted to the classic approach—when stumped by a bizarre organ, just link it to mating!

Thus, these lumps were deemed "redundant" organs akin to antlers or peacock tails.

Typically useless or even survival hindrances, they supposedly mattered only during breeding season.

Paleontologists guessed the Forduroid Beast might swing its head to clash these bony growths like drums during combat—a method for claiming territory.

Similar to Mesozoic pachycephalosaurs or modern bighorn sheep.

Except instead of thick skulls or massive horns, they had peculiar bony lumps near their jaws.

Though some argued these lumps might assist hearing…

"But…"

"Judging by this battle, these lumps seem utterly useless except making them hideous…"

"Yet these creatures fight viciously!"

Despite the Forduroid Beast’s absurd ugliness and scrawny limbs and torso, they scrambled with startling agility.

Long legs sure helped!

Though appearing dumb and grotesque, their charges were brutally fierce.

They upended mighty crocodiles, claws stomping hard on exposed bellies. The crocodilian pioneers released piercing screams.

Giant Funkleef Dragons, though massive with armor-piercing saber teeth and heavy plating, floundered so badly ashore their fangs couldn’t find targets.

Like walruses cornered by polar bears on land!

Trapped away from water, they’d be slowly nibbled to death.

Luckily, Funkleef Dragons vastly outnumbered others.

After initial surprise casualties against Forduroid Beasts, they banded together despite past rivalries.

The Forduroid Beasts weren’t fools—they’d dart in for bites before hopping beyond the clumsy dragons’ reach, circling back to strike again.

Chaos erupted instantly.

Exactly what Trilobite wanted.

His gaze drifted across the river—first to three predator species brawling on the chaotic banks, then to the cocooned Weaselhead Beast behind them, forgotten by gods and poised to emerge.

"Good! Fight!"

"Fight fiercely!"

"My aim is singular!"

Trilobite turned toward his own river channel.

"Raaaaaagh—!"

The Funkleef Dragon leader battled fiercely mid-river, driving mighty crocodiles back relentlessly.

Utterly ignoring his stranded, huddled kin ashore, he charged solo—nearly crossing the entire river toward Trilobite’s bank.

To Trilobite’s eyes, mighty crocodiles glowed light yellow.

Traces of Chaos Energy lingered—edible but barely worth the effort.

The giant Funkleef Dragon leader? Utterly different.

That color…

Blazing red!

Crimson!

Chaos Energy density around him was off the charts!

His subordinates paled in comparison—larger ones showed faint red, smaller ones light yellow, weaker even than the crocodiles’ energy.

"Huh… did the whole colony’s Chaos Energy pool into their leader?"

"Whatever the case…"

*Gulp*

Trilobite swallowed hard.

"That prime cut must be mine!"