Lizard Lord - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Choosing Time

Previously, Tang Zhao's body length was approximately over one meter, roughly equivalent to the Earth's monitor lizard. 

Now, looking at himself on the surface of the pond, his size had almost doubled, reaching around three meters in length. He was nearly on par with the largest modern-day lizards.

His scales had deepened in color, with many mottled scales, giving him the appearance of wearing a forest camouflage.

At the same time, all his scales had become thicker and larger, as if he were wearing a suit of armor, providing him with an indescribable sense of safety.

His head had become longer and heavier, capable of crushing the sturdy bones of his prey. His limbs were stronger and more powerful, enabling him to sprint and hunt his prey better. His teeth were large and sharp like arrowheads, capable of tearing large chunks of flesh from his prey.

All of this indicated one thing—he was now closer to a true predator rather than a scavenger. He possessed most of the physical attributes of a predator.

His markings indicated that the areas of enhancement were the venom glands and the cardiovascular system, and Tang Zhao paid close attention to these aspects.

Opening his mouth, Tang Zhao carefully examined the two rows of serrated teeth neatly arranged inside.

At the front, there were a pair of teeth that were noticeably longer and sharper than the others, resembling the venomous fangs of a snake.

Upon closer inspection, venom could indeed flow from them, although it lacked obvious corrosiveness. The exact toxicity would require further examination.

【Meat, blood cores, or traits... It feels like one of them is closely related.】

Recently, the scorpion and tortoise beetle Tang Zhao had consumed were both venomous. Now, he had directly evolved with venom glands, which gave him some ideas.

Having a pair of venomous fangs was undoubtedly beneficial. Based on the consistent performance of the green markings, the quality of the venom wouldn't be too low, which would greatly aid in hunting and combat. However, the enhancement of the cardiovascular system excited him even more.

In simpler terms, his endurance would greatly improve, and he would be less prone to fatigue.

He would be able to engage in battle with opponents for a longer period, as well as maintain full-speed escape for longer. It was a more comprehensive improvement.

As a cold-blooded creature, he was not inferior to other animals in terms of explosive power but performed poorly in terms of endurance.

In battles that determined life and death within one or two minutes, it was manageable. However, once it evolved into a chase, Tang Zhao simply couldn't catch up with his prey head-on.

Last night, he suffered a similar setback during the ambush. With a low body temperature, his movements were far from efficient and decisive as they were during the day.

He couldn't comprehend the complexities of biology, but with a powerful cardiovascular system, he could compensate for his weaknesses in endurance. That much was certain.

In conclusion, he was quite satisfied with the results of this evolution. As for the next evolution, he didn't have much hope in the near future.

{Evolution criteria: two tons of low-grade meat, fifteen inferior blood cores.}

For him at this time, it seemed unattainable. His current weight was approximately over 100 kilograms, and he needed to consume prey weighing more than ten times his own weight. Not to mention, he also had to find the blood cores.

【This wouldn't be a viable solution in the long run. Next time, I may have to find hundreds of tons of meat. Relying solely on my hunting skills, it would probably take years or even months to achieve that goal.】

Setting aside the issue of ecological destruction, the forest wasn't a modernized farming facility. Even if he evolved several more times, it was unlikely that he could satisfy his needs without depleting the entire forest.

【If there was an opportunity, I had to find a companion or subordinates. Otherwise, relying solely on my hunting skills, I would never be able to catch enough prey to meet the requirements for future evolutions.】

With his future goals firmly established, Tang Zhao, driven by the belief that even a mosquito is meat, decided to return to the previous battlefield.

He hadn't reached the point where he could eat his own discarded tail, but the turtle corpse he had left behind would have made a suitable lunch.

However, he couldn't find the corpse, but he made more unsettling discoveries.

The density of spiderwebs in the surrounding woods had increased, and he could vaguely see giant spiders moving within them.

Though in a good mood after his recent evolution, Tang Zhao hadn't lost his judgment.

In a battle on flat ground, he believed he could hold his own even against the suspected "Spider Queen". However, if he were to enter her territory, he would be at her mercy.

As he watched the spiderwebs closing in day by day, Tang Zhao was faced with another choice—stay or leave?

Both options had significant advantages and disadvantages. The inner forest was better for hunting, but the danger was growing closer each day.

The outer periphery was relatively stable, but the creatures with blood cores were not easy to kill. Wild boars, deer, and other prey could only be hunted through traps and ambushes, relying on luck.

Each side had its own pros and cons. Tang Zhao found it difficult to make a decision.

After much thought, Tang Zhao decided to stay for now. He believed he was already capable of facing most threats.

Approaching three meters in length, he was quite large for a lizard, and common giant insects were unlikely to pose a significant threat to him.

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