"Yes, it's over," Bill said flatly, rising to his feet. "My priority now is getting you out of this mess alive. But if you want that flower so bad—go ahead. We're leaving."
Jack clenched his fists, visibly holding back a retort. His eyes flared with frustration, but he stayed quiet. Still, I could feel it from here—anger, cold and festering behind those eyes. The kind of rage that would bubble over later when the cost became personal.
"Right now," Bill continued, "we need to keep moving before it gets dark."
The group stirred reluctantly. Gail wiped her face with a shaky breath and got up, helping Sam pack what little gear they had left. Mitchell stood in silence, his expression unreadable, and Cole was still visibly shaken but obediently fell in line.
Jack bent down beside Tran, and together they hoisted the unconscious Ben up, slinging his arms over their shoulders like dead weight. His blood had started to dry, but I could tell—he wouldn't last long without proper care.
I watched it all from the cover of the reeds, my armored form still glistening from the river water.
'Man, swallowing with fused jaws is hard,' I thought, trying to stretch my mouth as I slinked backward into deeper waters. 'Especially when you're eating another snake. And that thing was nasty. Ugh... I can still taste it.'
I gave a low snort of disgust through my nostrils.
The mutation I had just absorbed was already doing its work—my muscles were denser, stronger. My movements through the water were smoother than ever. I could feel every ripple, every shift in current like vibrations in my bones. That +30% growth speed was no joke—I'd gain size fast now. But I couldn't let that make me complacent. This place was still a deathtrap, and I wasn't invincible. Not yet.
As I slithered away, one thought kept replaying in my mind:
Livingston.
I had to make sure he didn't die like in the movie. If they lost the boat, we were all screwed. I couldn't swim out of this place blindly—it was suicide. This jungle might be isolated, but the territories out there? Full of giants. Monsters. Things that made anacondas look like worms.
I needed them to lead me out, even if they didn't know it.
As I glided along the muddy riverbank, something else Jack said echoed in my memory.
> "Is this some failed inGens experiment they dumped here?"
InGens.
InGen.
I froze for a moment.
Wait. InGen?!
That name. That damned name. The company behind Jurassic Park. Jurassic World. Genetic tampering, hybrids, dinosaurs—they were the architects of chaos.
This world... isn't just Anacondas, is it?
How many universes are crossed here?!
My pupils narrowed into slits as a chill ran down my spine. If Ingen was involved—dinosaurs were in play. Maybe not yet, but soon. And with dinosaurs came opportunities. Even if their DNA was a mess of frog genes, gaps, and lab glue—it was still dinosaur DNA. Useful.
Indominus rex...
The name sent a shiver of excitement through my scales. That beast was born to kill. Smarter than a raptor. Stronger than a T-rex. Cloaking ability. Thermal resistance. If I could even get a fraction of those traits...
Yeah, I hissed with a dark grin, eyes glinting.
"You're mine."
And just like that, I dipped underwater again—silent, swift, and on the hunt.
First stop: Livingston's boat.
I had a timeline now. And the world just got a whole lot bigger.
--------
As I slithered through the flooded undergrowth, the air thick with humidity and rotting vegetation, I didn't expect to encounter another crocodile.
It lunged out from the water with the usual cold-blooded fury—but I was faster.
I coiled and snapped, my weight slamming it down, and before it could thrash or twist, I crushed its skull under my jaw with a sickening crack. No struggle. No sound. Just a twitch. Then stillness.
Another kill.
But I didn't have time to savor it.
Livingston's boat. That was the objective. I needed to reach him before the next scripted disaster occurred. Before another anaconda got to him first.
Then it happened.
> Ding!
Detected crocodile genetics.
Options: Jaw structure and teeth – Intergratable.
Limbs – Intergratable.
Would you like to integrate?
My eyes flicked to the screen in my mind.
Normally, I would've jumped at the chance for limbs. Having them would open up all kinds of options—speed on land, grabbing prey, better terrain traversal. But…
That was before I learned Ingen exists in this world.
Now, things had changed.
I don't want to blend in anymore. I want to be noticed. Studied. Tracked. Captured.
Let them see me. Let them fear me. Let them bring their best so I can take it.
So I chose.
> Integrate jaw structure and teeth.
The moment I made the selection, pain bloomed through my skull like someone was chiseling new bone into place from the inside out.
My jaw stretched—elongated, reshaping into something sleeker, more tapered, but denser. My gums ached as rows of razor-sharp teeth pushed their way through, serrated and needle-pointed, like a crocodile's—but optimized for penetration and grip.
My eyes narrowed involuntarily, the pupils snapping into vertical slits, enhancing contrast, edge detection—predator's eyes, honed for low light and water murk.
But the most jarring change?
My glottis vanished, replaced by a palatal flap—a fleshy divider that let me open my mouth underwater without swallowing it. I could now bite, breathe, and crush beneath the surface.
I gave a slow, deliberate hiss as I tested the new additions.
Perfect.
I didn't need limbs. Not if they'd make me look like some bioengineered lab escapee—which, ironically, was exactly what I wanted the humans to think.
That's why I saved Ben—in front of the others.
It was never about heroism.
It was bait.
I wanted them talking. Telling stories. Spreading panic. Recording footage.
I wanted them to report a creature they couldn't explain.
Let Ingen and whoever else is watching come looking for me.
And when they do?
I'll be ready.
Now, as I left the crocodile's twitching corpse behind and slipped deeper into the water, the foliage gave way to open river.
I could see it in the distance.
Livingston's boat.
And from the sounds echoing up ahead?
Another snake was already there.
Showtime.
---
I arrived just in time.
The boat rocked gently against the current, bobbing near the edge of the dense riverbank. Livingston was inside—headphones on, eyes half-lidded, completely unaware.
And slithering up the side of the hull, drawn by the vibrations and human scent… was another anaconda. Easily as large as the one I killed before. Maybe larger. Probably a female. Her coils glistened, draped over the side like wet rope, eyes locked on her prey.
But she never made it aboard.
I came from below, unseen, unheard, water splitting silently around me as I surged upward.
My new jaw snapped shut on her midsection—ribs and organs crunching like dry twigs in a fire. My weight slammed into her side, yanking her off the boat and into the water with a splash that sent Livingston stumbling upright, headphones flying.
He looked around, confused, swearing at the sudden jolt—but he saw nothing.
Underwater, it was over in seconds.
I tore into her again—this time, clamping down on her throat. My razor teeth shredded through flesh like paper. With a violent twist and a pulse of pressure, I tore out her windpipe, then crushed her skull with my coils.
> Ding!
You have hunted mutated anaconda (Alpha Female) +1400 EVs.
Intergratable traits: enhanced olfactory nerves, rapid digestion efficiency, infrared sensitivity boost.
+45% growth rate bonus.
Do you wish to integrate?
Later.
I wasn't done yet.
I slunk back beneath the boat's shadow, letting the river carry away the blood. I watched Livingston stumble back inside, still muttering, none the wiser.
Good.
Now was not the time to reveal myself. Not yet.
I opened my system interface, my mind automatically dragging up the familiar screen as I floated in the current like a ghost.
---
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name: Alex
Species: Green Anaconda (Mutated)
Lifeform Tier: Exotic
Level: 9
Age: 14 months
Length: 17.6 meters
Weight: 1,050 kg
Integrated Genes:
Blood Orchid Mutation: Enhanced regeneration, slowed aging, +3 passive EV gain per day
Warthog: Muscle density + minor stamina boost
Juvenile Tiger: Bone density + Jaw Strength Unlocked
Crocodile (Partial): Jaw Structure & Razor Teeth
Mutated Anaconda (Male): +30% growth speed
Mutated Anaconda (Female): Pending
Unlocked Attributes:
Jaw Strength (Level 3) – 600 psi → Upgrade Available (EV Cost: 3000)
Camouflage (Passive) – Blends with environment, effective in water and jungle foliage
Armor Scales (Gar-like, Overlapping) – Bullet-resistant, but reduces flexibility
Enhanced Senses: Night vision, motion tracking, partial infrared (boost pending)
EV Balance: 4,200
Available Evolution Points: 2
Next Evolution: Level 10 – Predatory Apex Evolution Tier
---
I stared at the numbers.
Almost there.
Just one more level and I'd evolve again—entering the Predatory Apex Tier. Whatever that meant… I was sure it would be game-changing.
But before that, there was one last loose end to tie up.
Jack.
The arrogant manipulator. The one who put the others in danger. The one whose obsession had already killed Mitchell in the original timeline.
He needed to go.
And not just to keep things from spiraling out of control—but to make an impression.
I needed them to fear me. Remember me. I wanted stories told about the armored serpent that snatched a man clean off the deck of a boat without warning.
That would guarantee Ingen and whoever else was watching took notice.
They would chase me. Study me. Track me.
And I would grow stronger with every encounter.
I narrowed my eyes, drifting silently back toward the expedition group's last known location.
---