Inside the dense forest, despite the small-toothed spirit cat repeatedly emphasizing the presence of a large snake, Yang Lin paid no mind, becoming even more curious.
Based on the climate and the island's internal ecology, there might be giant creatures, but they couldn't be too outrageous. After all, if a single species became excessively large, it would inevitably cause environmental imbalance and disrupt the island's food chain. In his opinion, the green anaconda he had previously discovered was already somewhat outlandish in size.
With this thought, he immediately shoved the small-toothed spirit cat into his backpack and then placed the backpack in front of him.
"Let's go, we'll meet the big snake you mentioned together."
As he spoke, Yang Lin cautiously followed the stream deeper into the dense forest. As he ventured further, more animals appeared along the way. Most of them, like those seen before, had undergone some degree of mutation. Among these numerous animals, snakes appeared with the highest frequency, almost one every five meters. Occasionally, snakes would fall from trees. Fortunately, Yang Lin possessed the Natural Affinity aura, which protected him from bites, though he still felt a prickling sensation of fear.
Gradually, he noticed something peculiar. "Strange, other animals exhibit mutated traits, but why do these snakes look so similar to the snakes outside?" "Could it be a genetic issue?"
Just as Yang Lin was pondering this, the stream, which had been only a little over a meter wide, suddenly widened. He could faintly hear the sound of flowing water. He immediately realized he was about to find the source of the stream. With a hint of excitement, he quickened his pace.
However, at this moment, the small-toothed spirit cat, which had been poking its head out of the backpack, suddenly retracted it entirely. Yang Lin paid it no mind, assuming it simply wanted to sleep.
After walking another two hundred meters or so, a glimmer of light appeared ahead. The sun, previously hidden by the dense forest, was now directly overhead. Before he could adjust to the bright light, an enormous water pool appeared at the end of the stream. As a gentle breeze blew, unknown small flowers scattered into the pool. Coupled with the silvery-white waterfall cascading like a veil above the water, it created an ineffable beauty. This pristine natural scenery immediately captivated Yang Lin.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I never expected such a beautiful spot on Dolphin Island. This is practically a natural 5A-rated tourist attraction. I really struck gold this time."
As he spoke, Yang Lin couldn't help but cup a handful of stream water. Small petals were still floating in the water, lending it a faint fragrance. At a glance, Yang Lin spotted a vibrant crimson petal.
"What kind of flower is this? Its color is so red, as if stained with blood. Could it be an undiscovered rare species?" His eyes lit up at the thought.
However, just as he was about to thoroughly explore this little piece of paradise, a rustling sound came from the dense forest by the water pool. The next second, to Yang Lin's astonishment, the green anaconda he had encountered before emerged from the trees. The green anaconda, however, seemed to ignore Yang Lin, the intruder, and was rushing towards the water pool at its fastest pace. It was only then that Yang Lin noticed that the more than ten-meter-long green anaconda was covered in countless fine wounds. Blood flowed from these wounds intermittently, leaving Yang Lin stunned.
"What could have injured this behemoth? Does it have natural enemies on the island?"
As this thought crossed his mind, dark shadows emerged from the dense forest. Seeing these shadows, Yang Lin's scalp tingled. These shadows were revealed to be long-haired rats, each the size of a domestic pig. They were identical to the giant-furred rat that had been chased by the green anaconda earlier, only significantly larger. It was easy to deduce that these large rats were the elders of the smaller giant-furred rat. It was a classic case of the older generation coming after the younger.
While Yang Lin was still in shock, the giant rats caught up with the fleeing green anaconda. A complete reversal occurred on the spot. As the giant rats repeatedly attacked, the already heavily wounded green anaconda became a self-serve buffet. At this rate, the tyrannical green anaconda would soon meet its end.
However, at this moment, the giant rats, which had been attacking ferociously, suddenly stopped. Their bodies began to tremble inexplicably. With Yang Lin watching in confusion, their small eyes all turned towards the water pool.
If Yang Lin were to look down from directly above the water pool, he would see an incredibly massive shadow slowly approaching the surface. Unfortunately, he couldn't see it now. He could only faintly sense that the surroundings had suddenly fallen silent. The sounds of birds and insects had completely vanished, as if the entire world had been muted.
"What's going on..."
Before Yang Lin could finish speaking, his pupils widened the next second. To his utter horror, an enormous figure, far beyond his imagination, surged out of the water pool. The water pool erupted as if a bomb had been dropped, sending large amounts of water and spray flying. Yang Lin, who was completely petrified, was drenched head to toe. Yet, he remained frozen in place. Not only him, but the previously ferocious giant rats also wore the same expression. It was only when a dark cloud loomed over them that they remembered to flee. But clearly, it was too late.
*Boom!*
Yang Lin only saw a shadow sweep across, and the giant rats were sent flying in unison, without even a scream. It was only then that he finally snapped back to reality. When he looked towards the center of the water pool, his gaze met two golden vertical pupils, like lanterns. Coldness, disdain, and arrogance—it was hard to imagine these emotions emanating from an animal's eyes. At this moment, Yang Lin finally understood just how "so, so, so big" the small-toothed spirit cat had meant.
With this thought, he quickly cast a ray of insight. The next second, a line of information appeared before him.
[Mutated Anaconda (Radiation Mutation)]
His expression changed drastically at the first glance. But at that very moment, there was further commotion in the water pool before him. With a splash, a giant snake, no less impressive than the previously seen mutated anaconda, appeared in Yang Lin's field of vision.