Old Frank was gone.
No, he hadn’t dropped dead.
The sun had simply set, and he had decided to head home for the night.
Still, Titan made a mental note to find out if there were any deep rivers near Old Frank’s house.
It would be nice to pay the man a visit once he grew up and had some free time.
It definitely had nothing to do with holding a grudge over being mocked.
Admittedly, attempting a death roll and turning into a stuck turtle was incredibly embarrassing.
Titan lay flat on the lawn, his jaws slightly parted.
He experimented with his vocal cords, adjusting his volume until he finally managed to squeeze out a raspy, far less adorable hiss.
Night completely blanketed the sky.
Stars scattered like silver dust across the purplish-black canopy.
The zoo fell utterly silent, leaving only the fading chirps of summer cicadas in the dark.
It seemed Old Larry didn’t live on the zoo grounds either.
The lights outside the glass suddenly flicked off.
Titan was completely alone, save for Boss Croc and Cat Number Two in their respective enclosures.
“Hoot, hoot.”
What was that?
A slightly ethereal cry echoed from the trees.
Titan, who had been resting peacefully on the grass, instantly went on high alert.
“Hoot, hoot.”
The sound echoed a second time.
Titan slid into the water without hesitation, submerging until only his eyes breached the surface.
His golden pupils glowed faintly against the pitch-black backdrop.
Despite his tiny size, his sleek body radiated a subtle, predatory sharpness.
Flap, flap.
An unidentified bird landed directly on the patch of grass where Titan had just been resting.
It fluttered its wings twice before hopping lightly across the dirt.
It seemed to have been attracted by the lingering metallic scent of blood.
Titan tracked the bird’s movements with extreme precision.
The creature was busy scavenging for tiny, leftover scraps from his earlier meal.
A faint ripple disturbed the surface of the lake.
The little bird instantly snapped its head up, staring at the water warily.
Titan sank slightly deeper.
His crocodilian night vision, while somewhat limited, allowed him to pinpoint the avian intruder even in the dead of night.
Maybe I should give hunting a try?
He knew his physical capabilities were currently pathetic.
He was barely a day old.
Yet, the boiling excitement in his blood stubbornly urged him to lunge out of the water.
He silently paddled to the shoreline.
He dug his four tiny claws firmly into the underwater mud, ready to launch himself like a coiled spring.
Unfortunately, the young reptile possessed absolutely zero practical hunting experience.
Even though the bird was already staring directly at the lake, Titan resolutely chose to charge.
Splash!
Water violently cascaded onto the lawn.
The baby crocodile threw his jaws open wide, darting right in front of the bird in the blink of an eye.
Snap!
His jaws clamped shut with a loud, echoing crack.
The force of the bite was so intense it actually rattled his tiny skull.
However, to no one’s surprise, the attack completely missed.
The totally inexperienced Titan had failed miserably due to a sheer lack of patience.
The little bird frantically took flight, narrowly dodging the ambush.
Yet, it still let out a terrified shriek.
Wait, what just happened?
Titan only saw a few tiny feathers drifting through the air before a sudden, heavy gust of wind brushed aggressively against his snout.
He didn’t dare waste a single second.
He scrambled frantically back into the water, peering out from the safety of the dark depths.
That nearly got me killed.
A faint rustling sound echoed in the darkness.
Titan slowly turned his gaze toward the noise.
A massive Eurasian Eagle-Owl was perched silently on the dead log spanning the lake.
While owls were often mistakenly viewed as cute, docile creatures, that was a dangerous misconception.
They were ferocious birds of prey and the absolute undisputed masters of silent flight.
“Hoot, hoot.”
The hollow, low hum sounded entirely like a death knell.
Titan didn’t dare show his face again.
He still didn’t have a clear grasp on his own physical limits.
Considering he had literally been shot in the head just yesterday, it was probably best to lay low.
Crocodilian instinct?
What instinct?
He didn’t have any of that nonsense.
He dove straight to the bottom of the lake.
He left nothing but a faint ripple on the surface, silently isolating himself from the terrifying outside world as he waited for dawn.
Aren’t I in a captive zoo exhibit?
Isn’t this an official, regulated facility?
Sure, it is underfunded and a bit remote, but it is still technically a government-inspected park!
Why does it feel exactly like fighting for my life in the wild?!
“Number Three?
Salty the Third!”
A warm greeting finally rang out from the employee corridor.
For the very first time, Titan felt incredibly happy to see the eccentric old man who had tried to feed him baby formula.
Titan slowly rose to the surface.
He let out a soft, welcoming chirp in response.
The action completely surprised Old Larry, who had just walked through the entrance.
“Well, look at that.
Aren’t you a clever little guy.”
Old Larry had ridden his bicycle to the zoo right before dawn specifically to check on Titan.
After all, the poor creature had taken a bullet to the skull.
If he was still alive this morning, Old Larry could report his stable condition to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Maybe he could even squeeze a modest food stipend out of them.
Old Larry waved enthusiastically, hoping the baby crocodile would swim ashore.
Titan didn’t budge.
He continued to float on the water like a rotting log, warily scanning his surroundings.
It seemed his terrifying owl neighbor had finally departed.
Drip, drop.
Water trailed off his fine, dark green scales.
Titan slowly climbed ashore, deliberately keeping a safe distance as he stared at the old man.
“I could have sworn animals weren’t supposed to actually understand English,” Old Larry muttered, completely stunned.
His waving hand froze awkwardly in mid-air.
Can he really understand me?
He crouched down, not daring to get too close.
He carefully examined the spot on Titan’s head where the bullet had grazed him.
There was no fresh scar, just a faint, lingering mark.
“You really are a tough little guy.” Old Larry flashed a thumbs-up.
He stood back up and headed for the door, muttering to himself.
“When Pete the fishmonger opens his stall this morning, I’ll go buy you some fresh fish to try!”
Clang.
The iron gate swung shut.
Old Larry had come and gone in a flash, clearly just checking to make sure his newest investment hadn’t died overnight.
Titan didn’t know who this ‘Pete’ character was, but it sounded like he was in for a massive feast.
However, Titan didn’t feel particularly excited.
A lingering wave of lethargy washed over his tiny body.
I’m freezing.
Is it because I soaked in the lake all night?
It made perfect sense.
As a cold-blooded reptile, he needed to bask in the sun to regulate his internal temperature.
Staying submerged in the chilly water all night had caused his body heat to plummet.
He decided to stay out of the water for now.
He found a relatively comfortable patch of dry grass and slowly lay down to wait for the morning sun.
Wait, aren’t crocodiles supposed to open their mouths when they bask?
With a focused thought, Titan opened his jaws wide.
He pressed his lower jaw flat against the dirt.
His upper jaw protruded proudly into the air like the open hood of a car.
Surprisingly, the pose was incredibly comfortable.
It required zero physical effort.
He quickly realized the action actually helped dissipate heat, preventing a crocodile’s body from overheating under the blazing sun.
Just as Titan was about to snap his jaws shut, a translucent, dark blue panel materialized out of thin air right in front of his eyes.
He nearly jumped out of his scales in shock.
[ Name: Titan ]
[ Species: Deinosuchus ]
[ Available Stat Points: 10 ] (Grayed out)
[ Health: 1145.14 / 7800 ]
[ Stamina: 1230 / 1230 ]
[ Food: 19834.7 / 23500 ]
[ Weight: 0 / 1204.2 ]
[ Melee Damage: 349.2% ]
Wait.
A Deinosuchus?
Who is a Deinosuchus?
Me?!