Star Hunter.

Chapter 210 The Region Dominated by Food

Chapter 210 The Region Dominated by Food

Chapter 210 The Region Dominated by Food

In places where plants and animals grow together, hallucinogenic gases and other toxic gases are released, which can directly knock out animals that are in the midst of the plants. However, in this forest, there are not many of these dangerous toxic gases released; instead, they are stored within the plant life.

Toxins are stored inside. When hostile species of plants meet, they release the toxins inside their bodies, which then penetrate the other's skin. Some toxins can directly liquefy the hostile species, turning it into fertilizer for their own growth.

Some of the trees here are not completely stationary; many plants can move. Although most of them can't move laterally as fast as a tortoise, they are still quite special compared to plants on other planets.

Many plants contain various precious medicinal substances. Drugs directly isolated from plants have considerable activity and are much more effective than those synthesized by machines. They also avoid some allergic and rejection reactions. Therefore, in the Covenant, natural drugs isolated from plants are generally hundreds of times more expensive than synthetic drugs.

All of this delighted Tiko and Licrab. They easily extracted hallucinogens and other neurotoxins of considerable purity and activity from several plants. Tiko and Licrab had been busy ever since their arrival, generally handling materials themselves without the aid of robots. The collected medicinal materials were indeed worthwhile; these were rare, all-natural raw materials, two of which were extremely rare and highly sought-after, fetching prices in the Covenant comparable to a starship.

There is also a clumping evergreen shrub whose leaves and branches contain a chemical component of a painkiller often used by hunters to treat conditions such as high fever caused by wound infections. However, many synthetic drugs have significant side effects, leaving the patient feeling weak for a period after the pain relief. This naturally derived painkiller, however, has minimal side effects and excellent biological activity, a conclusion reached by Tico and Licklaber based on their own experience.

This place is truly a treasure trove for them. Tico and Licrab have both marked this planet, which will likely become their medicinal garden for the next few years.

The white rabbit was munching on the leaves of some unknown plant with its three-lobed mouth. Many animals have innate intuition; they can tell what they can and cannot eat. Judging from Tico's expression, she clearly trusted the white rabbit's abilities.

The gray cats gathered some nuts that were easy to store for a long time, as well as some plump fruits. They kept in video communication with Sigma the whole time they were gathering, so Sigma could see their every move, comment from time to time, and even hear their "ee-yah" sounds.

Those animals clearly didn't care whether there were any toxic gases or plant secretions here; at least for now, these guys were still full of energy and jumping around.

Chifeng grabbed a fruit, sniffed it, and began to eat it.

  

"Wow, what's that?"

Snowball ran over and plucked a fruit from the tree. It took a bite and found it quite good, but soon its attention was drawn to another tree.

The tree is umbrella-shaped, with its drooping branches resembling a bell jar. What attracts the snowballs isn't the tree's appearance, but rather the numerous oval-shaped balls, each about the size of a watermelon, hanging from its drooping branches.

Snowball sniffed it, then opened its mouth and bit a hole in the top of the oval ball. Some juice immediately flowed out, and Snowball licked it. It was sweet and tasted great, better than fruit. So Snowball put its mouth to it and started sucking, and the plump oval ball slowly deflated.

"Hey, what are you inhaling?" the gray cat asked.

The snowball grunted twice but didn't answer, then switched to an oval-shaped ball and continued sucking.

The gray cat jumped onto a branch and, imitating the snowball, bit a hole in the top and licked the sap that flowed out. Then the dough joined in, as did the red wind.

So, Sigma, on the other end of the video, got frustrated. He paced around the room, protesting loudly, and finally declared, "Bring that tree back!"

"How are we going to take it back?" After licking one of the trees, the gray cat wiped its face with its paw. It completely agreed to move the tree back, but it was too lazy to take care of it at all.

"Bring some back, you must bring some back! I'll grow them in a little garden!" Sigma clapped his hands excitedly.

"Eeya—" Little Lovag bounced on Sigma's arm in agreement.

After a brief discussion, the kids shouted, "Xilin—"

Xilin mourns, this is fate!

Xilin went over to look at this tree. The juice inside the oval fruit was very nutritious, and some of the plant oils were rare nutrients for humans. However, for other plants growing in this area, it was something they would avoid.

These ellipses are like the plant's reservoirs, filled with fragrant plant oils. The smell of these oils is disliked by many plants, which will avoid them at all costs. However, gray cats and humans like them very much.

After the test, Xilin asked Xiying to help deal with the plants. Xilin didn't expect those foodies to be able to do it. Even if they destroyed the whole forest, they might not be able to dig up a single intact plant, not to mention that many plants needed nutrient treatment.

These plants, which have oval-shaped spherical reservoirs, belong to the "viviparous" species of plants.

In most plants, seeds typically detach from the parent plant after maturing, then undergo a period of dormancy. When suitable temperature and humidity conditions are met, they germinate in the soil and gradually grow into a small plant. However, due to the complexity of the natural environment, plants have developed diverse characteristics, enabling them to better adapt to their surroundings and survive. Therefore, some angiosperms, much like mammalian fetuses developing in the womb, do not immediately detach from the parent plant when their seeds mature. Instead, they germinate within the fruit, growing into seedlings before leaving the parent plant. These plants are therefore called "viviparous plants."

The plant's drooping branches form a canopy, inside which are many "lanterns." These are actually seedlings that have sprouted from seeds. Once the seeds of this plant mature, they have almost no dormancy period; they germinate inside the fruit without leaving the mother plant, with the hypocotyl elongating and protruding beyond the pericarp to form club-shaped seedlings.

Once the outer membrane of the lantern is broken, you can see the young plant inside that has not yet separated from the mother plant. Therefore, when Xiying takes samples, there is no need to prune the mother plant or dig up the whole tree; you only need to collect some "lanterns".

Besides this plant, Sigma asked them to take many other plants back with them, intending to plant them in his botanical garden. Xilin agreed to all of Sigma's requests; after all, the entire base was contributed by Sigma, and these small requests were all for the benefit of everyone, so Xilin naturally wouldn't refuse.

After Xilin helped Xiying process a few plants, he left the work to Xiying. While Xiying was gathering information, he helped dig out the plants that Gray Cat and the others had selected, treated them with nutrient solution, and then sealed them with a special membrane.

Tick ​​and Licklab will also mark the tree species that need to be transplanted, and Xi'an Film Studio will later select the best materials.

Here, Xilin, Tiko, and Likraber were processing some useful plants. Udoze and Kari also came over from the mining area. Seeing that Xilin and the others weren't wearing protective suits, Kari and Udoze also took off their protective suits.

Taking a breath, Kari sighed, "The air here is not bad."

Udo glanced at the detector in his hand and said, "Yeah, the conditions here are definitely much better than over there... Hey, Snowball, eat less, you'll get diarrhea!"

Snowball is now eating more and more like a ball, which makes Udo worry that the guy might become obese.

Hearing Udoze's shout, Sigma on the other end of the video asked in confusion, "What is diarrhea?"

"Well, it's just that I couldn't help having a bowel movement," Udo explained.

Xilin and Kari turned their heads away, pretending not to hear.

Seeing that Gray Cat, Red Wind, and Snowball were all looking at him, Udo was obviously a little embarrassed. He touched his nose and said, "Hey, you little guys, hurry up. We'll be leaving once the energy ore is mined. At this rate, there are still many places we haven't been to, right? It's a rare opportunity to come out, so make the most of it."

These words undoubtedly resonated with the gray cat's group, who stopped worrying about why they couldn't help defecating and went off to find more unusual plants.

Kari had watched Tiko and Licrab handle medicinal plants and learned a little herself. But Udo only watched for a while before stopping; his attention was drawn to a beautiful plant.

This plant isn't tall, less than two meters, with a tuft of colorful, feather-like feathers at the top. When the wind blows, it looks like a peacock spreading its tail feathers—truly beautiful, and it also emits a sweet fragrance. It's so lovely.

Udo couldn't help but take out his camera and film the scene.

Xilin was tending to a plant when he noticed that the vines that had been curled up because of his arrival suddenly became excited. The vines stretched out rapidly in one direction, which was the direction where Wuduo was standing.

At the same time, the vines around Likraber and his group also began to stir, rapidly extending towards Udoze.

"Udoze, watch out!"

Xilin quickly ran over and used his wrist blade to cut the extending vines. When the vines behind him reached forward, he took out a spray bottle and sprayed it on Wuduoze's arm.

Kari and Licklaber rushed over to help, chopping down the vines that were spreading in from all directions. They dared not use flames or cryogenic guns without authorization, as the surrounding environment was unstable and external influences could easily alter the conditions here; chopping with knives was the safest option.

When Xilin put the protective mask on Wudozhe, Wudozhe was still a little confused. Why was this happening? He was preparing to go up and cut the vines too, but now Xilin was treating him like a wounded soldier. He wasn't injured... Huh?!

Udo looked at his arm, which was covered with bloodstains and was still dripping blood. Xilin sprayed a compound spray on him and covered the wound to stop the bleeding. After wiping away the bloodstains, he threw the absorbent paper in his hand far away and pulled Udo away from the spot.

After running fifty meters, Wuduo looked back at the spot where he had been standing. The vines had completely covered it, and the place where the blood-stained absorbent paper had fallen was also where the vines had gathered. Clearly, the vines had been attracted there by Wuduo's blood.

"You absolutely mustn't get hurt. Once you bleed, it will trigger a whole series of events." Kari had been through a lot, and seeing this scene, he could roughly deduce the reason for the plants' reaction and the various possible scenarios.

Fortunately, only Wuduoze was injured. If everyone had wounds, each person would have to deal with the vines everywhere, and there would be no time to stop the bleeding and clean the bloodstains from the wounds. Looking at the fine serrations on those vines that were opening up in excitement, the situation might have gotten worse.

Udo, panting, gradually felt the pain in his arm after putting on the protective mask.

"What happened? I didn't even realize my arm was cut." Udo was puzzled. It was just taking a picture, how could he have been cut without even noticing, and with more than one cut? There was so much blood.

Licklab released a floating measuring instrument, which circled around and returned, bringing back some data.

"The plant releases a lot of nitrous oxide, as well as a few other auxiliary gases that affect the nervous system but do not cause fainting or death. Inhaling this mixture of gases will cause loss of pain sensation, but the body will remain conscious. The addition of auxiliary gases keeps the body's movements unaffected, which is why Udo was completely unaware," Likraber explained.

Nitrous oxide inhibits the release of excitatory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and the transmission of nerve impulses, which is why Udo felt no pain when he was cut and bled by the plant.

Udo took a deep breath. He was so bold because he saw that Xilin and the others were not wearing protective suits and nothing had happened. It seems that he still needs to be careful.

As a hunter, Udo still has a lot to learn. Vigilance isn't something you can just talk about; it takes experience to cultivate it.

Despite what happened, Udo was clearly not intimidated; on the contrary, he became quite interested. Wearing a protective mask and carrying a measuring instrument, he searched everywhere for similar plants.

Xilin ignored him; this was also a form of training, and accumulating experience was a good thing.

Continuing onward, there is a lake with some microalgae in its water, but no fish or any aquatic animals, only countless plants of all sizes whose names are unknown.

On the other side of the lake, there is a very tall tree, like a giant looking down proudly at all living things on the ground. Compared to it, the forest on the ground is as small as an ant.

Xilin walked over and examined the area around the giant tree, finally concluding that this giant tree was at the top of the food chain in this region. However, the number of these giant trees was extremely small, practically nonexistent. This was a strategy developed by organisms in response to their environment during the process of evolution, and also a rule of nature.

Xilin found a "giant substance" inside this giant tree, which caused the tree to grow larger and larger. After collecting some of the primordial substance, Xilin looked at the horizon; night was approaching.

In the forest, the night is full of dangers, with all kinds of wild animals roaming around. But here there are no wild animals, so what is the night like here?

Although the light faded and twilight descended.

At night, the most noticeable thing is the row of trees not far away. The branches of those trees stretch outwards, and each branch has a large flower, about 20 centimeters in diameter. During the day, they look quite ordinary.

During the day, amidst this vibrant array of colors, these inconspicuous green flowers don't attract much attention. However, as night falls, they gradually emit a pale glow, which grows brighter as the night deepens.

Plants that are drawn to the light will slowly move over, and vines will also move in this direction. The other branches on the tree will then firmly capture these plants that have been lured into the trap, severing them from the tree and ultimately turning them into fertilizer for the tree's growth.

This is the strategy of plants, their survival skills.

Because the air composition changes at night, Xilin and the others wore protective suits and masks as a precaution.

After consuming their food, the bioluminescent plants will dim their light or turn it off completely to conserve their energy.

The nights here aren't long, but they're enough for some nocturnal plants to have a full meal. Most plants are asleep, their days and nights filled with photosynthesis and respiration, movement and sleep. In the forest, where there are no insect chirps, only the fleeting sounds of plants hunting.

That night, Xilin and his team observed nocturnal plants hunting and witnessed changes in the air composition of the area. It's no wonder there were no animals in the area; many animals couldn't survive in such an atmospheric environment.

This is a world belonging to plants. Before the arrival of outsiders, they were the dominant inhabitants of this area, competing and multiplying in their own way.

At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight shone on this vegetated area, a series of muffled thuds echoed through the air.

It was a tree so thick that it would take five people to hug it. It was very tall, though certainly not comparable to the giant tree. At the top of this tree was a large, bell-shaped flower, and the sound came from that flower.

When touched by the natural light, these bell-shaped flowers began to sway, then emitted a series of melodious chimes, announcing the end of the night and the beginning of the day.

After the bell-shaped flowers sing, some of the flowers that had closed up at night gradually open, and the sleeping plants gradually awaken, perhaps also plotting their next prey.

Xilin and the others glanced at the sunlight streaming in from the horizon and continued with their unfinished business.

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