Chapter 437

Chapter 437: Together Protecting the Best Giegie

Trilobite browsed customer files within the System.

He’d just discovered the "System" retained client archives after all.

This made sense—though Trilobite’s "Evolution Consultation Room" was called a "consulting agency," it actually performed "evolution" procedures on paleo creatures. They even enabled "cross-order development" and potentially "cross-phylum development."

It essentially constituted major surgery.

In a way, this could count as the "cosmetic surgery" industry, right?

Keeping "medical records" was absolutely necessary.

However, the somewhat slow-to-adapt Trilobite only now discovered this feature.

Currently, he examined two client profiles.

One was the former "Mr. Yuan Crocodile," now transformed into the Angular Scaly Crocodile—capable of rivaling large Nile crocodiles and saltwater crocodiles!

The other was the Panuto Crocodile, resembling a "chubby crocodile." Trilobite had reshaped him into…

"Excellent, excellent."

"I’ve honestly anticipated this sight for ages!"

Observing the paleo creature nearly indistinguishable from a crocodile—likely mistaken by laymen as "a crocodile with a weird snout"—Trilobite nodded.

"This is the Nicoraptor from the plant dragon category!"

The name "plant dragon"…

Sounded dinosaur-related?

Or perhaps "some plant-eating reptile"?

Not quite.

Actually, plant dragons shared closer kinship with crocodiles; they represented very basal members of false crocodiles, possibly the earliest diverging lineage.

Many popular science works incorrectly claimed plant dragons and crocodiles were unrelated.

Both being false crocodiles meant they shared significant connections.

Moreover, most were ferocious predators consuming no plants whatsoever.

As for the name "plant dragon"…

It originated from the paleontologist who discovered them misidentifying their diet.

The error was later recognized, but naming conventions prevented revision—hence "plant dragons" stuck.

Most plant dragon category members…

Looked practically identical to crocodiles!

Their resemblance made them nearly indistinguishable at first glance.

"Hmm, what sparks would fly when plant dragon Nicoraptors encountered crocodiles following parallel evolutionary paths?"

"Fight! Fight!"

As both paleontology researcher and enthusiast, Trilobite often declared online: "Don’t pit creatures against each other," "Combat simulations are meaningless," "Mere creature battles disrespect beloved paleo species"…

But in reality, he often imagined, albeit inconsistently, having the Tyrannosaurus Rex battle the Southern Giant Beast Dragon, letting the Dakota Raptor face the Cave Lion, having the Utahraptor encounter the Short-faced Bear, and seeing the Allosaurus fight the Bone-Crushing Monster.

However, unlike other enthusiasts,

Trilobite also fantasized about more obscure prehistoric creature battles.

For instance, he pictured the Primal Triceratops fighting the Colombian Mammoth, the Stegosaurus clashing with a Rhino, or the Plesiosaur taking on an Orca…

Naturally, this included plant dragons wrestling with crocodiles.

"These two are evenly matched and could definitely brawl!"

"The Nicoraptor stood out among plant dragons with its unique look; even in a messy fight, you’d recognize it…"

"Hahaha, am I being too mean?"

Fossil evidence showed the Nicoraptor measured four to five meters long—small for either plant dragons or true crocodiles. But since scarce fossils reached five meters, hitting a maximum of five and a half meters seemed plausible.

At 5.5 meters, it matched the Angular Scaly Crocodile in size.

The Nicoraptor’s distinct appearance started with its head.

Most plant dragons differed from true crocodiles in nostril placement; plant dragons had nostrils atop their heads like whales,

while crocodiles had nostrils at their snouts’ front.

This difference was obvious yet often hard to spot.

But the Nicoraptor was different—a strange bump above its snout made the upper jaw look thick and odd.

Some reconstructions even drew this bump as a "dorsal fin."

"Alright!"

"Fight! Fight!"

"Get on with it!"

"I wanna see a beast brawl!"

"A real creature showdown!"

"System! If the Nicoraptor and Angular Scaly Crocodile clash, notify me!"

"No, warn me at the first sign of trouble."

"If you wait till they’re fighting, it’ll be too late."

Yet Trilobite’s hopes were doomed.

【Command not accepted.】

"Eh!?"

"Why!?"

"Can’t you track the customer?"

【Conflicts rarely occur between customers bearing your mark who’ve received your service.】

…

"Wait… so you mean…"

"My customers can’t fight!?"

"Why not!?"

"Ah… it actually might be possible."

Within seconds, Trilobite "figured it out."

"So it’s like—if you also watch Rainbow Ponies, Horse Girls, Beast Girl Zoo 1, or Dragon Maid, we become instant buddies?"

"Protecting the best giegie together?"

"Damn!"

"That really might be it!"

Trilobite thought this resembled "fandom culture" nonsense.

But he believed he’d just run his business normally, working hard to improve his skills.

He never messed with those weird fan culture antics.

How did it become "fandom" stuff?

"Customers’ minds are so strange…"

"Forget it, not worth overthinking."

"Having loyal clients as ‘organic promoters,’ constantly spreading the word for free—that’s great for business."

"My odds against the sea just got better, man!"

"Burp—!"

Trilobite belched, idly plucking a short "sapling" and chewing on it.

"Huh?"

"Isn’t this the ‘red tree fern’ I planted over there!?"

"The roots spread this far!? All the way to the back forest?"

"Wait…"

He spotted intact roots on the "sapling," plus a dangling seed husk clinging to them.

"This grew independently from a mature seed!"

"Perfect."

"If seeds drift naturally and survive…"

"Maybe the whole coastline will soon bloom with my seed ferns!"

Trilobite instantly opened his System, pulling up the world map.

True enough—along the coastline, clusters of blue "spawn" dots glittered like stars!

Even deep within the vast swamp, scattered dots appeared.

One dot steadily advanced toward the swamp’s heart at a fixed pace.

"Balance is the key to using tools consciously."

Barbatos stayed in the form of a "middle-aged gentleman."

He watched the tense mood in the core council and nodded, pleased.

About Guxin’s death, Barbatos felt deep regret and some sadness, but that was all.

After all, Guxin gave limited support to Barbatos and fought the Giant God, but mostly for his own gain.

He wasn’t a true friend.

Given the chance, he would have tried to take power.

"Such a core councilor is too unreliable."

"Best to have a core councilor completely loyal to me."

"If not, I can settle for stirring up fights among the other seats, making the core councilors depend on me, the ‘First Demon God,’ to keep things steady."

"That’s the way of balance."

"For example…"

Barbatos smirked as he looked at the new chaos councilor.

After Guxin fell, Magaxia, who got the new power, naturally took his spot.

Though Magaxia wasn’t the strongest among the core councilors, Barbatos still asked him to join as a core councilor of chaos.

Because…

"He’s a ‘lonely servant’ who can only be loyal to me, the First Demon God."

Magaxia was once with Baimeng and close to her; but after Barbatos shamed Baimeng and she lost power, he switched to Guxin.

He was a perfect example of a traitor.

Baimeng and this "traitor" could never get along.

Magaxia’s power was the "Ether Sea power" of the "Chaos Swamp."

This power overlapped with Morax’s, which would surely cause bad blood between them.

In a big place like the "Endless Ether" universe, those with the same power might live in peace, since it’s huge enough for many powers.

But in the cramped Chaos Swamp Realm, overlapping powers would make the two gods clash on instinct.

Magaxia and Morax’s bond would be sour.

They were like sworn enemies.

Morax had Gimmerly and her group backing him, who wouldn’t treat an ally’s enemy—a core councilor called a "traitor"—well.

This came true.

Baimeng stared at Magaxia, teeth clenched.

Fire flashed in Morax’s eyes.

Xidi and Gimmerly showed only coldness and hate.

Everything went just as Barbatos planned.

Magaxia happily took Barbatos’s offer, accepting the Chaos Mark without a fuss.

He seemed "all in!"

"You’re surrounded by foes in the core council!"

"Just stick with me, Barbatos!"

"Hahahaha…"

But the First Demon God didn’t know that while he grinned at the two core councilors "ready to fight," Morax and Magaxia looked confused for a second.

Then, they snapped back to normal.

As if nothing had happened.