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

CH•02 - "Expectations VS Reality"

Hmm... for me to be attracted to such a thing... I guess I really have become a monster. Or, to be more precise, a carnivorous reptilian scaly animal lead by their instincts. And, yes... I have been lead by blood.

I am currently near the base of the waterfall right now, and what a sight. The waterfall is rocky. There are sharp rocks everywhere. But, of course. It's a rocky waterfall. I mean a scene like this was expected, but... other than the fact that I involuntarily pictured something like this in the back of my mind when I first saw this waterfall before, is my wild animal instincts another reason why I'm still sane after seeing an impaled person with the body all twisted and maimed? In fact, I'm craving for that bloodied body to fall right now. The smell of blood is itching throughout my nostrils.

Judging from that body's physique, it's most likely a man. His upper stomach got pierced by a large sharp rock from the waterfall. His arms and legs are getting pushed down by the gushing water. His left leg, on the other hand, also got pierced by another sharp rock. Basically, he's stuck. Blood keeps trickling down the water and whenever I get a whiff at it, I really wish for that body to fall down soon.

He's wearing a straw hat and it's covering his face so I can't really see his face. Better not, otherwise, it'll probably just be a messed up face of a dead man, so I'll pass on that. His straw hat looks like it's really stuck tight on his head. I wonder what made it stick on his head that tight along the way here.

Setting aside my feral desires, it looks like that man was riding a wooden kayak then something happened and here he is now. His boat is a wreck and its remains are currently drifting along the stream right beside me as of this moment. There are a lot of broken stuff drifting along too like a broken recorder, a broken paddle, a ripped off bag, a-... wait... a ripped off bag. Hmmmm...............

No, no. Snooping at someone else's privacy is too unethical, even for me. How could I stoop myself to something as low as this. I am still a human inside this grotesque looking figure. But wait, humanity has nothing to do with this since even humans do it. And, me being an animal is even more so. It's not as if animals are even treated justly in human standards. So, off I snoop.

Well, not what I expected. Or, maybe I did, somehow, in a way, maybe, kind of, expected this, but...... there's nothing inside anymore. There's a large hole ripped open under the bag, and I think everything inside fell off or something. Well, there goes my curiosity.

Hm? I smell blood again. Is that corpse about to fall? Hmm...... his limbs are still being dragged down by the water, but I don't really see anything else different. No wait, he does look thin. Has all his blood been squeezed out of him? Oh, more blood. Hang on, this is from something else different. Don't tell me... is there going to be another carcass that'll fall from the top of that waterfall? I surely hope it won't get stuc-... I-I mean, I pray for its survival. However, with this much blood loss, and the possible rocky terrain up ahead, I doubt anyone's still consciou-...

"Waah! Aah! S-someone! Anyone! Help!!!" *glub glub glub*

............ And, just like that, a screaming male voice rejects my thoughts at the last second.

"Harry! Harryyy!! Hey! Say something! Can you hear me?! Harryyyyy!!!"

Hm, looks like someone's with him. He's grabbing hold of his friend who's just a few more meters away, while clinging on that rather fragile-looking vine with his other arm. Hey hey, that vine looks like it could snap at any moment now.

"Harry! Hey, answer me! Harryyyyy!!!"

............ (*turns away*) N-not like I can do anything to save you in the state I'm in right now. And, even if I do something, you guys will just freak out when you see me. In fact, I'd be more grateful if you all fall to your doom. The smell of your blood is really tempting to my nose. And wait, isn't your friend, like... dead already? His upper left head has been struck by something hard and it looks carved out!

"Someone! Anyone! Help us!!"

Hmmm......... I wonder if there really is going to be someone who will save you. At the very least, it doesn't look like I'm far away from any human settlements. In fact, where are all of you coming from?! Surely that river above doesn't come from a tourist park upstream. I mean, who in their right mind would choose a river path that leads to a rocky waterfall as a park attraction anyway? Seriously, where does the river upstream lead? And, why are lost humans in peril showing up now?!

"N-no! Don't break! Don't break!!"

Ho, looks like the vine is finally about to snap. It would mean a lot to me if you don't end up stuck like that guy before you there-... I mean, I pray for your safety.

(*creaking noises*)

Hm? What's this? Wait a minute... this... this isn't right!

(*breaking sound*)

H-... how could a tree break before the vine?!! Actually, it just uprooted itself. But, still...! Incoming large tree with screaming men! Or, so I thought, but... the tree sure is taking it's time crashing on all those rocks. But, with all that happening, the base of the waterfall has now become a mini blood sea!

My prayers have been answered. Or, rather... my inner animal desires got what they asked for.