RHWHEG – Chapter 53 Crocodile

Bones shattered, flesh tore open, and blood gushed out—all in an instant.

060 bit off one of Zhao Qing’s arms, tearing half of his shoulder open along with it. She now stood five meters tall, her body double the size of an adult’s. Her bite force was terrifying—doing something like this was as easy as breathing.

Zhao Qing howled in agony, snot and tears streaming down his face. His scream was so shrill it didn’t even sound human.

The other two companions were terrified and started screaming as well, scrambling away in panic. Gone was their earlier arrogance. In a blink, the roles of hunter and prey reversed completely.

060 had no intention of letting those two escape. Tossing aside Zhao Qing, she activated both her tails and rushed after them. At the same time, she used her ability—“Malevolent Totem”—to amplify their inner fears, forcing them to taste the helplessness she once felt.

For the first time, she felt the thrill of holding power in her hands. The sensation made her whole body relax, as refreshing as drinking a night’s worth of ice-cold water in the summer.

Behind cover, Yu Qunqing slowly stepped out, having witnessed the entire slaughter.

060’s appearance had almost completely overlapped with the version of her from his past life. Right now she was only taking revenge on those who had wronged her, but once she savored the taste of power, she would certainly begin preying upon weaker, ordinary humans. And 060’s ability was particularly troublesome—Yu Qunqing would never allow such a threat to grow unchecked.

He raised his bow, drew an arrow, charged it with quiet lightning, and aimed at the rampaging two-tailed mermaid.

060 grabbed another person. Having lost all reason, she opened her mouth toward their stomach, about to bite down like a feral beast.

Yu Qunqing frowned slightly. He had seen many deaths, yet the act of cannibalism still disgusted him. So he shifted his aim slightly. In the next second, the arrow pierced 060’s hand, grazing the person she was holding.

060 cried out in pain and threw the person aside. The three companions who once abandoned her were now gravely wounded, crawling desperately away, leaving long trails of blood behind. Dazed, fragmented memories resurfaced—they had once surrounded the crawling infant 060, laughing and saying:

“If you don’t crawl faster, you won’t get dinner tonight.”

Crawl! Escape!

But the more they bled, the heavier their bodies felt, and their minds began to fade.

Waves of regret crashed over their souls—they desperately wanted to keep living…

On the other side, 060 warily turned back and locked eyes with Yu Qunqing. Her rationality finally returned. She couldn’t believe she had just done something so out of control. In this apocalypse, she truly was no longer human.

“Yu Qunqing!” 060 had learned a little about fighting—momentum mattered most. She shouted, “This has nothing to do with you! Or are you planning to save them?”

“I’m not letting this version of you return to my district.” Yu Qunqing said flatly.

“Yours? Heh…” 060’s bronze-colored face darkened, her pure-black pupils narrowing, “I should’ve known—‘Crocodile Immortal’ must be related to you. There are all kinds of abilities in this world. Some can even alter the mind, and domain-type abilities are also possible. You must have something to do with the creation of that safe zone.”

By accident, she had actually guessed a piece of the truth.

Seeing she could still think rationally, Yu Qunqing decided to probe further. “The Psychic Library contacted you? When did they reach you?”

060 froze, then bared her teeth. “They contacted me ten days ago. They’re stronger than I am. If you’re scared, take those people from your district and run. And there’s also Frostfall, the Eight-Legged… This city isn’t suitable for humans anymore. The only ones who can survive here are… animals like me.”

Yu Qunqing stopped talking. Setting down the cat carrier and his backpack, he cleanly initiated combat. He had already given her a chance. Now he would snuff out any unpredictable threat before it could grow. The safety of his district and his teammates came first.

060 dodged the first arrow. She suddenly figured out how to control her two tails more flexibly. With them, she swept up scattered steel pipes and hurled them at him.

She dodged the second arrow, though the electric light scorched her skin. Her mind sharpened under the pressure of life and death. She began maneuvering toward a gap in the ruins—looking for a chance to escape.

The third arrow was coming!

Yu Qunqing moved with mechanical precision—as if pre-programmed. His hand was steady, his mind calmer still, without a hint of moral hesitation.

060 used a tail to flip open a steel plate, preparing to escape into the rubble.

But once the plate lifted, she froze, pupils dilating.

Inside… was a crocodile.

A small crocodile wearing a child’s baseball cap, walking down an endless tunnel.

Its evolutionary path was different. It was a burrowing animal—a master builder among crocodiles. Using its natural advantages, it had avoided numerous dangerous disasters on its journey, steadily making its way here.

“What?”

Yu Qunqing released the arrow into empty space, finally seeing the unexpected guest.

At the same time, the system chimed:

“Ding! ‘Mediterranean Butler Match-3’—New-Server Construction Assistant: Little Crocodile has arrived at your side! Please protect the assistant and complete the pre-construction tasks to successfully activate the new server!”

“Current servers:
Server 1 – City Center District. Player friends: 1225. Active.
Server 2 – Shajia Ancient Town (Locked). Pre-task progress: 0/100.”

“New Season—‘The Lost Hound’s Dam’ will launch when Server 2 opens. Keep up the good work! Good luck on becoming a server-opening champion!”

Tired of the old server? A shiny new one to pioneer? The game developers really knew how to tempt players…

Yu Qunqing zoned out briefly, utterly speechless at the system.

060 zoned out even worse. She instinctively wanted to scoop up the little crocodile—but seeing her own bloodstained hands, she hesitated. Strange… she suddenly cared too much about the animal’s opinion.

“Ying ying ying!”

The little crocodile’s voice was soft and squeaky. It crawled forward, nudging 060’s stomach with its long snout, then continued toward the ground, moving past her and facing Yu Qunqing.

“Ying ying ying!”

Yu Qunqing opened the system’s customer service, requesting an animal-language translation service—only to find it cost 1000 diamonds. This game company was outrageous. He obviously wouldn’t pay.

Little Crocodile: “Ying ying ying!”

He grabbed the cat carrier and shook it. “Can you translate what this crocodile is saying?”

“Don’t bother me, meow! I’m a cat!”
Klein Bottle grumbled irritably.

Abandoning that route, Yu Qunqing looked from the tiny crocodile to 060—who was several times its size—before raising his bow again.

060 tried to escape, but the passage she uncovered was too narrow—far too small for her enlarged body to squeeze through. With nowhere left to retreat, she turned around and faced him, steely determination in her eyes.

“Ying ying ying!”

The little crocodile anxiously patted the ground, its tail sweeping about as it intentionally stood between Yu Qunqing’s arrow and 060. As the district’s administrator, its duty was to protect its residents.

“No!” 060 tried to move the crocodile aside with her tail, but its claws clung stubbornly to the ground. Fearfully, she stared at Yu Qunqing—like watching a countdown on a bomb. Gritting her teeth, she lunged forward and scooped up the crocodile. Its round black eyes widened as it struggled in vain. Then 060 tossed it aside. The crocodile landed belly-up, but its thick hide kept it safe.

060 stared sharply at Yu Qunqing. Facing death, she only wanted to leave with dignity.

He had seen that look many times—on the faces of dying creatures.

In his past life, on missions, he had faced countless choices.

They were out of supplies—yet two kilometers away, a dozen people were sending distress signals. Should he save them?

Someone he knew transformed into a disaster creature but still retained their human appearance. Some suggested sending them to a research lab—maybe “reversing the disasterization” was possible. But such reversal was purely theoretical. Should he make the choice?

Mutant-ability users in the shelter were rioting—wanting more privileges, demanding the release of an ability user who had accidentally killed a civilian. Which side should he stand with?

Choice after choice, Yu Qunqing could never say he acted with a clear conscience, nor that his decisions were the best. In this world, the line defining humanity grew blurrier every day. By what standard could he decide who was “human” and who was “not”?

How could he be sure he spared the humans… and destroyed only the monsters?

He tightened his grip on the bow, hesitating.

“Ying…”

The little crocodile tried to crawl back toward them.

060’s shoulders slumped. Her voice softened. “Don’t come…”

But the crocodile couldn’t understand human speech. This cold-blooded creature had witnessed bloodshed countless times. It didn’t feel sorrow or sentimentality—it only understood fear. And right now, 060 was drowning in fear. Fear was instinct. For one moment, it deeply empathized with her, wanting to pull her out of the predator’s jaws.

060’s two tails drooped weakly. Her fighting spirit evaporated. She murmured to Yu Qunqing:

“If there’s a next life… I hope I’m just a crocodile…”

“Ding!”

The system interrupted his thoughts.

“The crocodile family has welcomed a new member! Introducing: The Malevolent Two-Tailed Fish!”

Yu Qunqing: “?”

“You call that a crocodile?”

System: “Hello! In the player’s world, species are defined by genetic distinction. After we arrived on this planet, complex radiation altered all life forms. According to analysis, the Malevolent Two-Tailed Fish shares 99% genetic similarity with crocodiles. Crossing this threshold categorizes them as the same species. Additionally, her psychological identity aligns with that of a crocodile.

Therefore—she is a crocodile.”

——060 wasn’t human. She was a crocodile!!

The amount of information was so overwhelming that Yu Qunqing stood in stunned silence for three full minutes.

If a person killed someone, people said the killer was cruel.
But if a crocodile attacked someone, people felt the victim was at fault.

What exactly made humans… human?

060 didn’t cry either. She cautiously lifted her eyelid, sneaking a glance at him.

Yu Qunqing inhaled deeply and asked calmly, “Can you understand what the crocodile is saying?”

060 nodded.

——She really was a crocodile!!

The world made no sense anymore.

Yu Qunqing lowered his bow—an act of mercy, however small. Hope flashed in 060’s eyes. If one could live, who wouldn’t want to?

“I won’t let you return to the city center,” he said coldly. “Stay here. I’m going to build a new district, and I need you to guard it. That’s why I’m sparing you. Don’t even think about leaking secrets. I’m giving you a second chance only because you’re a crocodile.”

060 wiped her face. She didn’t understand half of what he said, but she nodded hard anyway.

He still didn’t trust her entirely, but once the new server was built, the system restrictions would confine her. Only then could he tolerate her presence.

“And protect… your brother.”

Yu Qunqing grabbed the little crocodile by its tail and handed it to her.

“From here on, do exactly what I say.

First, translate whatever this crocodile says.

Second, use your psychic network to locate Lin Luyi.”

060 nodded even harder.

Her body suddenly felt lighter. As the pain settled in and her nerves caught up, hunger returned as well. These simple sensations made her realize—

She had survived.