Chapter 540

Chapter 540: Who Would Have Thought, the Fisherman Was Just One of the Decoys

“Hmm…”

“These fellows should be…”

“Canine thick-root fish.”

“Uh… maybe not…”

Trilobite’s research focused on ancient reptiles and Cambrian life forms, so he knew relatively little about Mesozoic Era fish. Though he could recognize some ancient fish, his accuracy and efficiency were much poorer.

But he didn’t need to feel too ashamed.

Fish bones were often far smaller than those of dinosaurs, making identification challenging even for paleontologists specializing in fish.

Besides, paleontologists usually studied ancient creatures through bones; reconstructions relied mainly on scientific reasoning and analysis.

Such methods could reasonably estimate a creature’s size and general appearance, but the most crucial feature—color—rarely yielded reliable deductions.

Current restorations typically drew from the animal’s habitat, ecological niche, and comparisons with modern counterparts sharing similar lifestyles.

This approach was, of course, highly speculative.

Occasionally, fossils of feathered or scaled creatures preserved "pigment particles" or similar microfossils, allowing for more credible reconstructions.

But clearly, most fish didn’t fall into this category.

So, identifying fish species at a glance…

Was wildly unreliable.

Though Trilobite thought this creature resembled "canine thick-root fish," he noted:

“Too small…”

“Canine thick-root fish measured 1.5 to 3 meters long, while these averaged barely over a meter.”

“The gap isn’t huge—environmental factors sometimes produce dwarf populations.”

“But crucially…”

“Canine thick-root fish inhabited North America’s Western Inland Sea during the Late Cretaceous period, while you dwell in warm, flooded swamps…”

“That seems a bit off.”

Canine thick-root fish…

Despite the "canine" in their name, Trilobite couldn’t grasp any dog-like traits—

They looked nothing alike!

Belonging to the thick-root fish family under Chondrichthyes, they sported symmetrical tails, stout teardrop-shaped bodies, and banner-like dorsal fins, vaguely resembling tuna.

Their size rivaled tuna’s too.

Though their two-to-three-meter frames made them prey for large marine predators like swordfish and Canglong, their symmetrical tails and streamlined builds made them swift hunters.

“Why would swift swimmers end up in seawater-flooded marshes?”

“What a hassle that would be!?”

Shallow coastal wetlands differed utterly from open-ocean currents—here, waters ran mere meters or even tens of centimeters deep.

The watery environment was relatively confined.

The adaptations for swift swimming in the distant sea proved useless here. That Large Head and stubby body design actually became a hindrance in the shallow waters of the mudflat, making it clumsy.

An eel-like or serpentine body was far better suited for the shallow sea and shallows.

The saying "a dragon swims in shallow waters" wasn’t really accurate ecologically.

Even if "dragons" existed, they’d thrive in the shallows; their long, winding bodies and short claws were perfect for maneuvering through the shallow sea and mudflats.

"But… whatever."

"Maybe these ‘Canine thick-root fish’ came to the shallow sea to spawn."

"Flooded swamps are indeed a great place to hide from ocean predators."

"But did you forget…"

"Hehehe…"

Trilobite chuckled silently to himself.

"The shallows have Megapnosaurus!"

He raised his neck high…

His eyes locked onto the sluggish, large fish, its back mostly exposed above the water!

"Hey!"

His head suddenly plunged downward!

“Ah—woo—!”

His slender body shot into the water, his fine teeth clamping onto rows of scales, biting firmly into the “Canine thick-root fish.”

“Splash, splash, splash…”

The “Canine thick-root fish” thrashed its body and tail, trying to break free.

But Trilobite held firm, gripping his prey tightly.

It was then he realized a problem…

"Dang!"

"This fish seems a bit big."

"And the scales are way too thick."

The Megapnosaurus subfamily’s heads had this trait: slender, with a low-slung skull and relatively weak bite force.

They typically grabbed fish like wading birds and swallowed them whole.

However, their narrow throat meant they could usually only swallow smaller fish.

A fish like the “Canine thick-root fish” was “both big and tough” for a Megapnosaurus; a standard Megapnosaurus over 7.5 meters in Length might manage such a large fish.

But Trilobite wasn’t that size…

He was currently just a dwarf Megapnosaurus, a little over 6 meters long.

The “Canine thick-root fish” was stuck in his mouth – he couldn’t swallow it, and his teeth couldn’t pierce the thick scales.

This was quite awkward.

—-

“Ah—!”

“There was… an ambush!”

“How did that long, sharp-mouthed monster deity know about us?”

…

In Trilobite’s eyes, the "Canine thick-root fish" crowded together in the narrow "Ether River."

The sudden shadow made them hesitate.

Their companions’ fate scared them even more.

They waved their caudal fins, poking their heads above the water to see their companions and the "Long-Mouthed Colossal Creature" that caught one.

Soon, they noticed a problem—the "Long-Mouthed Colossal Creature" wasn’t as scary as they thought.

They saw the captured companion shake its big tail, splashing water onto the "Long-Mouthed Colossal Creature’s" face and its strange "gem-like eyes."

But no blood spilled.

The Long-Mouthed Colossal Creature seemed to lack magic entirely. Its divine body wasn’t strong enough, and it didn’t have a powerful head to bite through the thick scales of the "Formidable Minor God."

The situation became a stalemate.

The captured Formidable Minor God couldn’t escape, and the Long-Mouthed Colossal Creature couldn’t bite, leading to a standoff where neither could win.

For the other Formidable Minor Gods, this was a chance!

“Charge!”

“While the thin-mouthed fellow was stuck with the unlucky one, swim over!”

“Hahahaha, thanks…”

The friendship among Formidable Minor Gods seemed weak.

But then, the "Long-Mouthed Colossal Creature" made a move that puzzled the Formidable Minor Gods.

It actually gave up!

—-

“Darn!”

Trilobite watched the fish swarm charge, with one still in his mouth. He couldn’t swallow it or let it go, making him furious.

“My brain was messed up.”

“Why was I fighting this fish with my weak thin mouth!?”

“My status as a thin-mouthed Megapnosaurus only lasted an hour.”

“So…”

“Hey—!”

Trilobite stopped dealing with it.

"Bang!"

The Canine thick-root fish slammed hard into the "river channel’s" muddy bank, leaving a deep imprint.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

Its tail thrashed while its body twisted, struggling to crawl back toward water.

Unlike eels, loaches, or snakeheads suited for muddy shallows, its body stood too tall to gain footing. It could only flail helplessly like a carp trapped ashore, unable to escape the muck.

"Haha!"

"Stay put right there!"

"I’ll deal with you soon!"

"Now…"

Trilobite shifted his gaze to the fish darting through the "river channel."

"Your turn!"

"Thump… Thump… Splash…"

Trilobite plunged back into the "water," his slender jaws snapping downward!

"Gulp—!"

One "fish" was seized violently in his jaws.

"Bang—!"

It didn’t linger in Trilobite’s mouth before being hurled onto the mudbank beside the first victim.

"Gulp—!"

"Bang!"

"Gulp—!"

"Bang!"

Trilobite abandoned standing still, wading swiftly through the current as he pursued and snatched fish one after another.

The Canine thick-root fish moved clumsily in this cramped "river channel," utterly helpless against the Megapnosaurus’s snapping jaws.

Though two or three lucky ones slipped away, it hardly mattered.

Soon, the "river channel’s" banks teemed with flopping Canine thick-root fish—trapped and powerless.

"Good!"

"Time’s almost up!"

【Mask of the Shape-Shifter: Time Used 00:10】

……

"Buzz—!"

His head reverted to its true form. The massive jaws and terrifying saber teeth reflected in the eyes of the Canine thick-root fish!

"Heh, didn’t expect this, did you?"

"The fisherman was just one of my disguises!"