Chapter 402
by fanqienovelChapter 402: Birgeria Fish Aren’t Fish You Pose "V for Victory" With
"These should be Birgeria fish."
The name Birgeria sounded rather unserious; yet they weren’t fish you could mimic by making a "V for Victory" hand sign. The name derived from the Latin transliteration of "Birgeria," referring to an ancient predatory fish species.
They belonged to the bony fish class, lobe-finned fish subclass, within the cartilaginous-bony superorder.
"Cartilaginous-bony superorder" seemed contradictory—how could something be both bony and cartilaginous?
Which was it truly?
Actually, the name fit well for surviving members of this group, since its most famous modern representatives were sturgeons!
Observing a sturgeon’s body shape revealed the truth: these bony fish stubbornly imitated cartilaginous fish.
They’d reshaped their body structure to resemble sharks.
Today, the cartilaginous-bony superorder had greatly declined, leaving only sturgeons mimicking "swimming" sharks.
But in ancient times, this superorder thrived as a diverse lineage.
Especially the paleoniscoids, which evolved varied forms to occupy numerous ecological niches.
While Birgeria fish’s exact classification remained unclear, their build differed sharply from "shark-like" sturgeons. Instead, they resembled modern fast-swimmers like tuna.
They featured symmetrical tails (homocercal), torpedo-shaped streamlined bodies, and terrifying sharp teeth.
In Triassic oceans, Birgeria fish filled the speed-predator ecological niche.
Still, most Birgeria fish weren’t particularly large—averaging around two meters long.
They qualified as sizable fish but never dominated as apex predators.
Throughout the Triassic, countless marine reptiles could pick on them.
Ichthyosaurs had colonized oceans early on.
While dinosaurs played hide-and-seek on land with Loricatosauria and other false crocodiles, ichthyosaurs already boasted formidable predators.
Himalayan Ichthyosaur’s teeth might’ve been too small for large prey, but at twelve meters minimum length, swallowing two-meter Birgeria fish would’ve been effortless—let alone tackling other ichthyosaurs.
Not to mention the mid-Triassic’s true terror: the marine lizard-emperor ichthyosaur!
At eight to nine meters long and four to five tons, most Birgeria fish were mere seal-like snacks before these orca-equivalent sea monsters.
Yet the creatures before Trilobite weren’t ordinary Birgeria fish.
They were Birgeria kings—the "unnamed Birgeria species."
"This one…"
"If it actually encountered a mighty ichthyosaur across eras…"
"Hmm… probably still easy prey—just tougher to swallow."
These specimens were thick-bodied, powerful-tailed, and reached five astonishing meters long!
At least, that’s how Trilobite pictured them.
"Hmm…"
“Unnamed Species of Birgeria.”
“I went to join the excitement back then.”
The Unnamed Species of Birgeria was unearthed in Pan County, Guizhou Province, China, and lived during the Early Triassic Period. Back then, they likely ruled as regional overlords in Guizhou’s seas. Even globally, few marine predators could match the Birgeria fish in that era—a time when ichthyosaurs hadn’t yet risen to dominance and the mighty Eugeneodonts had vanished entirely.
It was simply a case of no tigers left on the mountain.
“Hmm, against just one or two, the Machimosaurus could’ve easily beaten them down for a meal.”
“But with over a dozen moving together…”
“The Machimosaurus could only defend itself, hardly fighting back at all.”
“Seems my client’s in a bad spot.”
A flicker of worry showed in Trilobite’s eyes.
Still, he wasn’t concerned for the Machimosaurus’s life.
The Machimosaurus wasn’t stupid.
After all, the Birgeria fish merely scraped at its armored scales. If needed, it could just endure their "massage" and haul itself ashore.
No matter how many Birgeria fish swarmed, they damn well couldn’t follow onto land.
What troubled him more was…
“Hey! Where are you swimming!?”
“Swim toward me!”
“Lure them to my stretch of shore so I can catch them!”
Birgeria fish measured around five meters in length and weighed at least seven to eight hundred kilograms. For Trilobite—the saber-toothed Bopolong—hunting one wouldn’t be hard if it reached shallow water.
These lobe-finned fish, built for speed, had zero land capability.
Trilobite only needed to stun one with a swipe, like a polar bear tackling a beluga, then drag it ashore!
But the Machimosaurus wasn’t herding them toward Trilobite. Instead, it was swimming farther out.
Worse yet, something else followed.
“Swoosh—!”
A spine slowly broke the sea’s surface before sinking again.
Through Trilobite’s gaze, an enormous sea monster glided through the turquoise waves.
Though fierce, the Birgeria fish now faced something far deadlier—a brutal hunter charging at them while they were distracted by the Machimosaurus!
—-
“Ah—!”
“Is this the Divine Body gifted by the Giant God!?”
“This feeling of swimming through shallow ether with a Divine Body…!?”
“Incredible—!”
Shavak swam through the Ether Sea, savoring how his sleek, droplet-shaped Divine Body sliced through the ether!
Like Baimeng, He could feel every droplet of etheric liquid in the Ether Sea trembling beneath His shadow, every tiny deity living within bowing in reverence!
“Authority!”
“Yes, this is authority!”
“Hahahaha—!”
He laughed wildly, overjoyed at His survival and newfound opportunity.
Yet…
“Hahahaha… uh… hunger!”
His laughter ceased abruptly as the markings on His forehead and “stomach” glowed.
The giant jaws and sharp teeth-like “mark” growled with low greed, pumping primal hunger deep into Shaks’ soul.
This reminded Shaks—yes, He’d gained authority.
But at what cost?
“Huff…”
Shaks nearly exhausted His will suppressing the hunger rooted in His soul.
“So this is the Giant God’s philosophy?”
“You saw through the Chaos Council’s hypocrisy long ago.”
“You knew demon gods and deities are just powerful beasts wearing divine skins.”
“Is this Your mockery of our ‘elegance’ and ‘hypocrisy’?”
“To buy power from You, we must face our true selves—admit we deities might lack mortals’ grace.”
“What cutting irony!”
“What twisted humor!”
“Hahaha…”
Shaks laughed bitterly.
He recalled how the sanctimonious yet treacherous Demon God Pal framed Him, barring Him from the core council. He remembered Barbatos, the First Demon God who should protect chaos, inviting enemies across borders to preserve His rule.
Deities?
“Perhaps to You, we’re beneath mortals!”
“You mock us to ignite change in the Chaos Swamp Realm, don’t You!?”
“But no matter!”
“Whatever Your aim, whatever Your taunts!”
“I’ve gained authority!”
“Now I can avenge myself against the blind, selfish Barbatos! Against the cruel Abyss!”
“This price means nothing!”
“Roar—!”
Shaks charged forward.
“Giant God, You’re watching, aren’t You!”
“I know You scorn us!”
“But today You’ll learn Chaos Demon Gods aren’t all deceit and selfish traits!”
“We too hold honor!”
He raced toward the battlefield between Baimeng and the Killer Gods!
“Hurt Baimeng, my sister?!”
“Face my authority first!”
“Awooo—!”
Shaks darted past the fray, snatched a dazed Birgeria fish from the rear, and swam into the Ether Sea’s depths!