Chapter 32: A Living Prehistoric Monster!

Jiang Chen's expression remained calm as he considered Debi's question.

"The differences are obvious," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean they're not connected."

Debi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jiang Chen took a step back, making sure to keep his voice low so the massive creature wouldn't be disturbed.

"Evolution," he said simply. "What we're looking at could be a species related to the giant salamander—one that has adapted to extreme underground conditions over millions of years."

Debi's eyes widened slightly. "You're saying this thing evolved separately from the surface species?"

"Exactly," Jiang Chen confirmed. "Think about it. Normal giant salamanders live in rivers and underground streams, right? What if some of them were trapped in caves millions of years ago? Over time, they adapted to the harsh environment—growing larger, developing more efficient predatory instincts, and becoming even more fearsome than their surface relatives."

Debi crossed her arms, considering his theory. "But six meters long? That's insane. How could it grow so big?"

Jiang Chen smirked. "Simple. The deeper underground we go, the fewer natural predators there are. With no threats, creatures can evolve larger sizes over time. We've seen this happen in deep-sea environments—why not here?"

At that moment, the live chat exploded.

[So you're telling me this thing is a prehistoric apex predator?]

[Nature really just said, 'Let's make it bigger and scarier.']

[This is literally a real-life dungeon boss.]

[I am never going into a cave again.]

Debi let out a slow breath, glancing toward the massive beast inside the cave. "If what you're saying is true… then we just found a new apex predator. And nobody else in human history has ever seen it before."

Jiang Chen nodded. "That's right."

Silence settled between them as they stared into the dark cave, where the beast remained motionless.

Then, Debi took a step back. "So… what do we do now?"

Jiang Chen's expression was unreadable.

"We observe," he said. "And we don't make any sudden moves."

Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes, carefully studying the massive creature before him.

"There's only one explanation that makes sense," he said finally. "This thing… might be the ancestor of modern salamanders."

Debi froze.

The live chat erupted.

[Wait, WHAT?!]

[Did he just say this thing is a prehistoric ancestor?]

[Jiang's theory is getting wild, but somehow… it makes sense?]

Jiang Chen continued, his voice steady. "The giant salamander—also known as the 'living fossil'—can trace its lineage back 350 million years."

Debi's eyes widened. "That far back?"

Jiang Chen nodded. "That's why they're called living fossils. As early as the Devonian period, before the continents fully drifted apart, giant salamanders coexisted with early dinosaurs. At that time, they were among the dominant predators."

Debi swallowed. "But… they're so small now."

"Not always," Jiang Chen said. "The earliest ancestors of giant salamanders were massive. They could grow anywhere from three to six meters in length. They were amphibious, highly aggressive, and at the top of their food chain. Even early dinosaurs avoided them."

He glanced back at the monstrous creature in the cave. "But then, everything changed."

"In the Late Triassic, as the Earth entered a long drought, dinosaurs began evolving rapidly. Their numbers exploded, and they took over as the dominant species of the Mesozoic era. The ancestors of giant salamanders—once fearsome predators—were forced into retreat."

Jiang Chen's voice dropped lower. "By the time the Late Cretaceous extinction event wiped out the dinosaurs, only the most adaptable species survived. And because these early salamanders were amphibians, they endured… but they changed. Over millions of years, they shrank, their numbers dwindled, and they became the modern salamanders we know today."

Debi let out a slow breath, glancing back at the beast inside the cave. "But you're saying… this one never changed?"

Jiang Chen nodded. "That's my theory. What if a group of these prehistoric salamanders found refuge underground—hidden away from predators, isolated from surface evolution? As the Earth's crust shifted, they were sealed beneath the surface, avoiding extinction time and time again."

He gestured toward the enormous creature. "If that's the case… what we're looking at isn't just a giant salamander.

It's a living relic. A species that never degenerated. A survivor of mass extinctions, unchanged for millions of years."

Silence.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then—

Debi exhaled sharply. "Jiang… do you realize what this means?"

The live chat had gone completely insane.

[Bro, this is straight-up Jurassic Park but underground.]

[If this thing is real… it's one of the biggest discoveries in modern science.]

[Biologists, paleontologists, evolution experts—y'all better get in here NOW.]

And they had.

By now, experts from all over the world were tuned in, watching in stunned silence.

Finally, a verified user spoke up.

[I'm a biologist specializing in evolutionary history. And I have to say—Jiang Chen's hypothesis is entirely possible.]

[As a herpetologist, I'm SHOCKED. The size, the environment, the behavior—it all matches up with a prehistoric amphibian.]

[Whether it's the direct ancestor of the salamander or not, this creature is undeniably prehistoric. This is a breakthrough in science.]

Debi turned back to Jiang Chen. "So… what do we do now?"

Jiang Chen's grip tightened slightly on his gear.

"We go deeper," he said. "There's still more to uncover."

Because if something like this had survived underground—

What else was waiting in the depths?