blogombal Chapter 553 Natural Enemy
Chapter 553 Natural Enemy
Chapter 553 Natural Enemy
There were thirty-seven men on Leo's ship, but he only assigned seven to guard it.
But less than three hours after setting sail, Leo ordered most of the crew to return to the ship, leaving only eight people to continue exploring the island.
Here's the thing.
Feathered Island is the legendary birthplace of the exotic parrot, and in fact, Leo has already seen many exotic parrots on this island.
Phoenix parrots, black and white parrots, and dragon scale parrots.
Leo had seen the black and white parrot in the Old World before, since the Duchy of the Holy Envoy had found a way to breed this kind of parrot.
However, it is said that the artificial breeding technology was created by several scholars from the Federation.
Leo could not raise any objections to this.
Among his team were two scholars who were well aware of the potential of those who associate with knowledge.
Leo had never seen a pheasant or a dragon scale parrot.
Legend has it that the phoenix-feathered parrot will only stay in one auspicious place and guard that place for generations.
It's called protection, but it's more like a symbol.
As for the dragon-scaled parrot, it is said to be almost extinct, but it seems that there was one in the court of the Kingdom of Judian.
However, there has been no further news about this parrot recently.
Perhaps it is already extinct.
Just like the stone-skinned parrot that knows everything in the world.
But at this moment, Leo saw these three parrots with his own eyes, making him realize that Feather Island might really be the home of exotic parrots.
The feathers of the pheasant are very beautiful; its long plumage resembles the sunset at the end of autumn, with vibrant and rich colors.
As for the dragon scale parrot, it is as large as a hawk, and its feathers are black and shaped like triangular barbs.
It also has a metallic sheen, making the feathers seem as sturdy as armor.
The moment Leo saw this parrot, he couldn't help but wonder if the dragon scale parrot might really be a close relative of dragons.
All the parrots soar over the island, and every now and then, you can see all the birds taking flight together in the blue sky.
Leo immediately exclaimed that this place was truly a paradise for exotic parrots.
But the moment he uttered these words, Shirley behind him poured cold water on his sentiments: "In reality, there is no place that can be a paradise for any creature."
Leo countered, "But look how huge the parrot population is here."
Shirley replied, "That's just the surface. In reality, any living thing needs resources to survive, but the carrying capacity of the environment is limited. How long do you think this island has existed?"
"Islands have existed since ancient times," Leo replied.
"So, when did the parrots start living on this island?"
Leo thought for a moment: "Thousands of years ago?"
Even tens of thousands of years ago.
After all, the legend of Luoyu Island has been widely circulated for thousands of years.
The story of the Scarlet Prince searching for Feathered Island is often even considered historical fact.
But clearly, Shirley didn't require the date to be very accurate.
She continued, "Even if it were only a thousand years, the parrots would have filled the island to the brim by now, following their normal breeding patterns. All the food available to these exotic birds would have been devoured long ago. But look, this isn't a mountain of bird droppings; in fact, the island is teeming with life."
Hearing this, Leo finally understood what Shirley meant: "You mean, the carrying capacity of the environment is limiting the rapid reproduction of these parrot colonies?"
"To be precise," Shirley turned to Leo, "the ecosystem here is in balance. The instinct of any living thing is to survive. No one wants to starve or die of thirst. Therefore, as long as a creature has a shred of strength, it will inevitably disrupt the balance in order to prolong its life for a little longer."
"What are you trying to say?"
"Hunger and lack of resources cannot be the direct factors limiting the development of a community. Nature is far more cruel and realistic than humans imagine. To achieve a balance, we need simpler and more effective methods."
"In what way?"
"Violence!"
Upon hearing this conclusion, Leo paused for a moment, then asked, "Violence?"
"Yes," Shirley nodded, "to put it more bluntly, I bet there are natural enemies of these exotic parrots on this island."
Upon hearing this conclusion, Leo immediately refuted it: "That's impossible. I've never heard of any natural enemies for exotic parrots. Only in this way can we stably limit the rapid reproduction of these birds."
"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," Shirley said. "Just like before you arrived here, you probably didn't believe in the existence of Featherfall Island, right?"
Leo was speechless and could only say, "But look at the Dragonscale Parrot. It's huge and strong; it must be a formidable creature. What kind of creature do you think could harm it?"
"Nobody can say for sure about these things," Shirley glanced at Leo. "There are always things in this world that defy reason. Don't forget, we pulled strange creatures from the bottom of the water. Before you saw them, could you even imagine their existence?"
"This woman is far too eloquent," Leo thought to himself—"Are all scholars like this?"
But Leo was still unwilling to admit defeat: "But humans have no natural enemies. Look, haven't our communities achieved a balance with the environment?"
"How can you assert that humanity and the environment have reached a balance?" Shirley looked at Leo with the pitiful, foolish gaze. "Human footprints are all over the world, our territory is so vast, the human population may be far from reaching the limit of the environment's carrying capacity, and—"
"What sets humans apart from other creatures is their superior ability to kill each other. War has never ceased throughout history, and before we set out, the Federation was already sending troops to Swabawa. Violence, this sharp blade, is being held to the throats of humanity itself."
Leo never expected that Shirley's logic would be so self-consistent.
He suddenly remembered that Shirley was a biologist.
Arguing with her about these things seems a bit presumptuous.
Just then, the ground trembled slightly.
"Here we go again," Ma Han muttered.
He said this because this wasn't the first time the island had shaken.
Each vibration will cause all the parrots to spread their wings and soar into the sky.
Leo felt the vibrations coming from the soles of his feet, then looked up at the sky.
Sure enough, the once empty sky was instantly filled with a dense swarm of parrots.
But Leo couldn't help but wonder why the parrots always seemed to soar with the ground shaking.
Leo soon found out the answer.
"boom!"
A loud bang came from behind Leo.
At the same time, there was also a shockwave.
Leo was knocked to the ground by the blast wave.
He awkwardly turned over and looked back.
Unbeknownst to them, a colossal pillar, over three zhang in diameter, suddenly appeared behind them.
But Leo quickly realized that—
They are both living organisms!
It has skin as rough as a rock wall, and at the top of the giant pillar is the creature's huge mouth.
Its large beak stretched straight up to the sky, swallowing all the parrots that took off a little slower.
After feasting, the demonic creature returned to the soil.
The large hole it left behind was quickly filled by soil that rose up from below.
Leo immediately understood that Shirley was right.
This island has natural predators of exotic birds like parrots.
Unfortunately, this terrifying creature doesn't seem to be picky about food.
Leo's six men were also swallowed by him.
He suddenly understood why the parrot took flight during the earthquake.
It's not to get away from the ground—it's to spread out.
The fact that the creature attacked Leo's team was probably not a coincidence.
It — can pinpoint areas with dense biological populations.
On this island, having a large population may not be an advantage.
Therefore, Leo immediately ordered the crew to return to port, leaving only eight men behind.
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