Chapter 38: The Crocodile of the Stygian River! A Massive Dinosaur Stampede!

Soon, the swarming herds of herbivorous dinosaurs invaded the oasis, greedily feasting on the abundant vegetation and water.

Viewed from high above, they resembled a plague of locusts sweeping across the landscape, devouring the greenery with visible speed. A group of Thescelosaurus surged into a marshy area, driven by hunger to claim the food there without a second thought. However, after only a few steps, they found themselves unable to move. Looking down, they realized their feet were deeply mired in the boggy mud, trapped beyond escape.

"Squeal! Squeal!"

The Thescelosaurus let out frantic, panicked cries, struggling violently in the mire. The more they fought, the deeper they sank. Soon, their hind legs were completely submerged, and with their strength exhausted, they could only emit raspy, mournful wails. These cries did not bring rescue; instead, they attracted the masters of the marsh: a massive gathering of terrifying crocodiles.

Like dinosaurs, crocodiles are ancient reptiles with a history dating back to the end of the Triassic period, emerging only slightly later than the earliest dinosaurs. Yet, while dinosaurs faced their zenith and subsequent extinction, crocodiles successfully navigated those ages to survive into the future, becoming one of the most enduring remnants of the ancient reptilian world.

Several *Brachychampsa* glided swiftly toward them. These were ancient alligators with broad, rounded snouts, measuring about three meters in length and weighing three to four hundred pounds, possessing an incredibly ferocious temperament. To them, the mired Thescelosaurus were like fish on a cutting board. The seemingly cumbersome Brachychampsa suddenly erupted with astonishing speed, their tooth-filled maws snapping onto flesh like lightning before launching into the crocodile’s signature move—the death roll.

"Rip!"

As the swamp surface churned, clouds of blood rose into the water. The Thescelosaurus felt their limbs torn away, bone and flesh alike, in a surge of agonizing, heart-rending pain. The crocodiles were in no hurry to kill their prey; instead, they continued to tear at them, each bite removing a massive chunk of flesh, exposing white, jagged bone and internal organs, slowly torturing the victims to death. The swamp turned blood-red, a truly harrowing sight.

Similar scenes played out across other parts of the marshland. These areas were deceptive, with thin layers of surface water hiding thick, viscous sediment beneath. While smaller, lighter dinosaurs might escape, medium-to-large herbivores like Triceratops, Edmontosaurus, and Thescelosaurus found that their heavy weight immediately sank their feet into the mire, making it impossible to pull free.

The harder they struggled, the deeper they sank—a hellish Styx that consumed without leaving even a bone behind. The crocodiles emerging from the muck were like grim reapers from the underworld, their faces hideous and fanged. Beyond the *Brachychampsa*, the marsh was home to other medium and small crocodilians, such as *Bottosaurus* and *Borealosuchus*, ranging from two to four meters in length. They cooperated to attack the trapped, immobile herbivores, indulging in a rare and savage feast.

"There are so many crocodiles here!"

When Chu Xu and his family followed the main migratory herd into the oasis, they were greeted by the spectacle of numerous crocodile swarms attacking the herbivores. As the undisputed kings of freshwater, these crocodiles fully utilized their home-field advantage, leaving the terrestrial overlords—the dinosaurs—with almost no way to fight back, forcing them into a panicked, chaotic retreat.

"Moo!" "Roar!"

Across the oasis, the cries of the herbivores rose and fell in waves. Panic spread like a plague; dinosaurs of all sizes fled in terror, pushing and shoving until the scene descended into absolute chaos. Some dinosaurs stumbled and fell, only to be trampled ruthlessly by the countless feet of those behind them. While herding provided a sense of safety for these timid herbivores, once startled and terrified, the herd became a force far more destructive than any enemy.

"This is bad!"

Seeing the situation spiral completely out of control, Chu Xu’s expression shifted. Everything happened too suddenly; before he could react, he realized his family had been swept into the surging tide of dinosaurs. They were surrounded by panicked herbivores charging blindly, having lost all sense of reason. A group of *Stygimoloch* had not yet realized the gravity of the situation, attempting to navigate the chaos, only for several charging Triceratops to trample them into pulp. The remaining *Stygimoloch* tried to flee in a panic, but they soon found that the surging herbivores had formed a wall of flesh in every direction. With countless hooves kicking up clouds of dust that obscured their vision, there was nowhere to run.

"Roar!"

For the first time, the mother dinosaur faced such a situation. She hurriedly shielded her three young Tyrannosaurus cubs with her massive frame. However, one panicked herbivore after another kept rushing toward them, unable to slow down in time, crashing into her due to sheer momentum.

"Bang!"

A sprinting Struthiomimus, unable to brake, slammed into the mother’s leg. The force of the impact sent the smaller dinosaur tumbling to the ground, where it was immediately crushed by the companions behind it who were also unable to stop, triggering a chain reaction of collisions.

"Roar!"

At this moment, Chu Xu roared at his mother, signaling her to take Longyue and Liuxing and turn away. In his past life, he had experienced dense, panicked crowds; he knew that in such situations, one must never panic or move against the flow. One had to move in the direction of the crowd, or risk being knocked down and trampled. This was why he urged his mother to turn and retreat along with the flow of the herbivores. Continuing to move against the tide was a death sentence; if the large herbivores crashed into them, even his mother could not withstand the force.

The mother obeyed, opening her jaws to scoop up the small Longyue and Liuxing, then turned to retreat. Chu Xu followed closely behind, remaining vigilant for any sudden threats. Fortunately, they escaped without harm, watching from a distance as the tragic scenes continued to unfold.

It was unclear how much time had passed before the commotion finally subsided. The ground was littered with the bodies of dozens, perhaps forty or fifty, dinosaurs. Some had been trampled to death, reduced to unrecognizable heaps of gore; others still clung to life, but with shattered bones piercing vital organs and blood gushing uncontrollably, they were not expected to last long.

The surviving herbivores regained their composure and reformed into a migratory mass, deliberately skirting this death zone filled with countless bones. In truth, only a handful of dinosaurs had been caught by the crocodiles; the vast majority of casualties were the result of the vicious cycle of the stampede.