Chapter 96
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/
Chapter 96: The Inevitable War!
The "tunnel" Trilobite had finally dug was already damaged, with numerous collapsed sections.
Most damage came from lungfish-like creatures such as the double-finned fish, while natural collapses were rare.
This significantly delayed Trilobite’s journey back to the lake filled with "roots,"
causing him to miss quite a spectacle.
"Wow! What a shame!"
"Must’ve been a great beast fight. Too bad I arrived late and only saw the finale."
"That poor creature lying belly-up in the tunnel, gutted… a Diplopod?"
Diplopods resembled millipedes but grew far larger.
Modern millipedes remain common, sporting long bodies and numerous legs like centipedes.
Yet millipedes and centipedes are merely distant relatives—millipedes belong to Diplopoda while centipedes fall under Chilopoda.
Millipedes mainly eat decaying leaves, rotting wood, and soil humus, thriving in damp, dark leaf litter or roadside ditches.
These detritivores, like earthworms, lack prestige in both appearance and diet.
But in ancient times, especially during the giant-insect era of the Carboniferous period, Diplopoda flourished, producing a prehistoric giant—the Diplopod.
Originally, Diplopods weren’t particularly famous.
The BBC documentary *Walking with Monsters* catapulted them to fame.
There, it appeared as a terrifying three-meter armored behemoth that reared its front segments like a snake, clashed with a large amphibian, got flipped over, had its armor pierced by sharp rocks, and became amphibian food.
Realistically though…
The documentary’s Diplopod reconstruction wasn’t as exaggerated as other portrayals. Though slightly oversized, it wasn’t wildly inaccurate—just about half a meter too long.
Based on fossil scraps, some Diplopods might truly have reached 2.5 meters and weighed over 100 kilograms!
But later documentary content wasn’t quite right.
A Diplopod rearing like a snake to threaten enemies!?
Highly improbable.
How could muscles support lifting such a heavy front half?
Against predators, the logical defense would be pressing firmly to the ground, presenting its hard armor plates to deter attacks!
Besides, a two-meter armored giant could’ve dominated Carboniferous waters—ichthyosaurs would likely avoid such a troublesome foe.
"This one wasn’t even exceptionally large among Diplopods."
"Only slightly longer than me—about 1.8 meters?"
"No wonder predators targeted it… successfully!"
"And the hunter turned out to be…"
"The feathered horseshoe crab!"
"Hah! Both star creatures from that BBC documentary actually appeared!"
The feathered horseshoe crab before Trilobite indeed resembled those from BBC documentaries. It shared similar thorax and abdominal segments with other sea scorpions, its last pair of limbs specialized into fin limbs for swimming. Like its larger relatives, this creature measured over a meter long.
Unlike typical sea scorpions, it lacked pincer-like appendages. Instead, it wielded far more terrifying weapons—sharp spiny arms! Two elongated, limb-like structures covered in menacing spikes extended from its body, presenting a fearsome sight. These very arms had pierced the soft underbelly armor of the Diplopod, causing its demise.
Yet the feathered horseshoe crab’s attention now fixated not on the dead Diplopod, but near its tail section. There, two tiny Diplopod larvae clung together, curled like modern millipedes, attempting to shield themselves with their dorsal shells. Sadly, their newborn armor remained undeveloped compared to adults, offering no real protection. Their inevitable fate was to be crushed by the predator’s feeding limbs and consumed.
"Hmm…"
"Could save them."
Trilobite resolved to rescue the larvae. While pity played a role, it wasn’t his primary motive. The true reason was…
"Hungry!"
"That feathered horseshoe crab—might not have much meat in those spiny arms, but look at its plump abdomen."
"Must be packed with meat!"
"Plus, it glows deep red in my system vision!?"
"It’ll give me loads of Chaos Energy!"
"No time to waste!"
"Just blew a thousand Chaos Energy on that ‘Prodigal Tree’—my reserves are nearly empty. Haven’t evolved in ages!"
"Those two little Diplopods though…"
"So…"
Ever tactical, Trilobite didn’t attack immediately. Instead, he twisted his body downward along the "tunnel," darting swiftly through the mud. Simultaneously…
"Ball Joint Armor Shield!"
Without hesitation, he cast five layers of "Ball Joint Armor Shield" on the unlucky Diplopod larvae.
"You’ll draw its attention first!"
"Then I’ll—"
"Shwoosh—!"
Trilobite twisted vigorously, soon positioning himself directly beneath the feathered horseshoe crab.
The two larvae proved unexpectedly fortunate—they served as perfect bait. Obsessed with its imminent meal, the feathered horseshoe crab completely overlooked Trilobite’s subtle burrowing beneath its feet!
"Alright!"
"Finally…"
Trilobite sensed the direction through the Lorentz Jar and the Olfactory Membranes.
He was completely sure that he was directly beneath the feathered horseshoe crab, separated only by a layer of mud.
"My mouth was right where its abdomen should be!"
"So…"
"Three, two, one…"
"Up!"
"Boom—!"
Trilobite suddenly shot upwards!
At that moment…
"Clang—!"
The Ball Joint Armor shattered!
It was perfect timing; the feathered horseshoe crab was in a state of satisfaction, just about to catch its prey, and was completely relaxed!
Many assassins strike at moments like this!
"Ah—woo—!"
The giant jaws shot up from below like a guillotine, slamming the feathered horseshoe crab against the ceiling of the corridor, and the huge jaws closed with great force!
"Crack—!"
"Pfft!"
Clean and neat.
One slash severed it in two!
—-
"Roar, roar, roar, roar—!"
As the female Star-Eater Plutonium Dragon curled around her two children, angrily roaring at the male’s corpse, the two unfortunate children remained trapped in the shock of earlier events.
They had just come out with their father for a meal when, inexplicably, they were attacked.
The father initially had the upper hand, but then was suddenly killed by the Chaos Demon God.
They still didn’t understand why the Chaos Demon God targeted them…
Undoubtedly, after killing their father, the Chaos Demon God immediately extended his greedy claws toward them.
They thought they were about to die, but then, a mysterious shield protected them.
When the shield broke, they once again thought they were doomed when…
"Boom—!"
The Primal Mud suddenly exploded!
A massive, monstrous head burst forth and bit the powerful and evil demon god in two.
The evil god, who had just been so arrogant a moment ago, became a meal in seconds!
Now, the broken limbs of the Chaos Demon God lay scattered beneath their mother’s hundreds of legs and were trampled repeatedly.
"Strong!"
"Impressive!"
Maybe the experience of being born was too overwhelming. As they crawled out of the corridor and clung to their mother’s abdomen, they continued to think about that "big-headed monster."
They were even unaware that their mother had encountered the Chaos Demon God and launched into a frenzied revenge attack, scaring him away.
The female Star-Eater Plutonium Dragon and her two children did not know that the demon god hadn’t run far; he had descended into the "mud hole" they had just occupied, where he saw the male Plutonium Dragon that had been buried and the remains of the back-row councilor crushed into fragments.
"This…"
"Back-row councilor Simonli was killed by the Star-Eater Plutonium Dragon!?"
Gimmerly gazed at the trampled remnants on the ground and felt a surge of horror in her heart.
No matter what, war had become unavoidable!
