(I Died and got Reincarnated) My New Life as a Saltwater Crocodile Begins

CH•25 - "Crossroad"

A deadend. We're stuck. Or at least, I am. The fliers aside, I can't climb up the falls. And, they can just carry the snake with them which means I'll be left here on my own. But on one hand, there's a possibility that the path continues underwater. If it does, then only me and baby snake can travel there. In any case, at least one of us will be left behind, so either they turn back and leave me here, or I dive underwater and leave them here. Then again, I could go for the latter while they do the former, but will there be another path if they turn back? Hmmm......

I shift my gaze upwards and look at the numerous gushing water from different holes in the upper walls. What if.....

Hey bat, you still there?

"I'm here"

Try to see if you can find another path up those holes where the water is coming out. I'll check for underwater passages too.

Without waiting for him to answer back, I dive down the water. It's easy to find a passage underwater just by following a current. And, there's only one here that's particularly strong. Just by following it, I feel like it's pulling me in. If I continue onwards, I don't know if I'll be able to swim back, and I can't even tell how long the passage is, so there's a chance that I could get stuck underwater for a good while without air. I'll have to prepare for the worse when I take this path, so for now, let's head back.

When I resurfaced, I noticed that I slightly deviated away from where I started. Apparently, I didn't stray too far at all. The falcon immediately perched on my back as soon as he saw me. Baby snake is still coiled around his neck. And as luck would have it, bat is also on his way back here too. Must be easy for him to find us with his echo vision.

"The openings lead to more tunnels. And, each one has too many forks, they're like a maze"

A maze, huh. This place is starting to feel like a labyrinth now. We can only hope that one of those paths lead to the same destination somehow.

"How's your end?"

I found a passage, but... it's a one-way ticket to no turning back. And realistically speaking, it's the only path available for me.

"Meaning...."

That's right. We'll have to split in teams.

"..... Eh?"

You and falcon will have to take the tunnels. Me and snake will dive down the passage.

"W-W-Wait a minute! We're splitting up? And, you're leaving me alone with the bird?! What if we take too long in there and it gets hungry? I don't think we share the same food preference, mine being bugs and all. And, I'm his bug"

Even so, I don't intend to leave him here. If you're still that wary of him, you can keep your distance as you go but try to make it so he can follow you from afar. Now that you're one of us, he's not gonna attack you anymore...... Probably.

"Probably?!"

T-The point is... he needs you. Not as nourishment but as someone to rely on. In the short span of time that I've spent with him, he's clearly shown intelligence in some way or another so he should be smart enough to know how invaluable you are. Give him a chance.

"...... Hnngnh... (*sigh*)... Well, let's just see how long he won't see me as lunch then"

Heh. Long enough till you meet up with us, of course. We'll be waiting at the other side so come soon.

"You bet I will. I don't want to spend too long alone with a predator that tried to eat me once"

Then you better get going. You still have to choose which tunnel to take, and with how many there are, who knows many times you'll have to backtrack just to find the right one.

"Off I go then"

The bat flies back up the cavern ceiling and approaches one of the openings in the wall where water is gushing out. The falcon flies after him without the snake around his neck. I can't see the snake anywhere, but this slithery feeling on my back must be him. I don't know how, but it looks like they know about our plan to split into teams. Were they listening to our conversation? In our heads? Or was it the bat? I wonder if bat can hear what they're thinking. Hmm... I'll ask him when we regroup again. It's about time we head out too.

Looking up, bat and falcon are nowhere to be found. They've already gone ahead, huh. If I had to choose, I wouldn't want to take the one-way route path. I'd rather choose the longer, safer way than the short one filled with risks and perils, but now that I think about it, I keep getting the short end of the stick. After we get out of this cave, I will devote everything to self-indulgence and laziness. I need a break from all these daring adventures we've had.

I secure baby snake in my mouth, making sure to take in as much air as I can before submerging back underwater. I didn't realize until now that my flat, inflexible tongue is thick enough to block water from my throat. This way, I don't need to worry about accidentally swallowing up the snake. And so, I make my way to the underwater passage. Its current is already pulling me towards it. This will be my second time getting washed away in an aqua vortex. Gotta keep the little snake safe the whole way.