Chapter 277: A Season of Migratory Birds

Crouched in a freshly dug pit more than two meters deep, Xia Qing finally spotted the Evolved Stinging Moth pupa wedged in the rocks, just as Li Si had described last night.

No wonder burning the mountain last year to clear out the Evolved Forest didn’t wipe out the pupae—they’d hidden themselves this deep underground.

Stingers never evolved iron-hard teeth or claws. They simply burrowed down, following the gaps between grass roots and soil.

Seriously, is Blue Star going to keep getting crazier after its evolution?!

Luckily, the researchers in Zhang San’s territory developed a special soil pesticide tailor-made for this land. Even if these Evolved Stinging Moth pupae turn into moths and try to crawl up, the pesticide in the soil will wipe them out.

Relieved, Xia Qing clambered out of the pit. Just then she overheard Hu Zifeng making an announcement on the Lord Channel. “Fellow Lords, from today, bird hunting season begins on Hill Forty-Nine. If you hear gunfire from the mountain, don’t be alarmed. Territory One promises the hunt won’t spill over into any territories.”

After Blue Star’s evolution, over ninety percent of the population vanished, but wild animals multiplied dozens, even hundreds of times. Migratory birds became an unstoppable force.

Masses of migratory birds flock over these territories, creating risks for humans and opportunities alike.

Ferocious beasts and raptors hunt the migratory birds to build fat for winter. Humans join the yearly feast, hunting birds and predators to stock up their stores.

That’s why, each season, the military and squads send most of their forces into the Evolved Forest’s marshes and lakes for days-long hunting sprees.

There’s a vast marsh to the north of Hill Forty-Nine, giving the Azure Dragon Squad prime hunting ground without having to fight over it. Naturally, they’re going to make the most of it.

Even Tang Huai, usually at odds with Territory One, politely asked, “Captain Hu, can people from our territory take part in your training? I’ll bring my own gear and pay a participation fee.”

“No,” Hu Zifeng replied flatly. “The bird season hunt is extremely dangerous. Only members of Azure Dragon Squad are allowed.”

Tang Huai’s attitude flipped in an instant. He snarled, “If you lot make so much noise that I can’t sleep, I’m definitely filing a complaint!”

But migratory birds usually travel at night and rest during the day, so all of Azure Dragon Squad’s hunts happened in daylight. There was no way they’d disturb Tang Huai’s sleep.

Hu Zifeng couldn’t be bothered with Tang’s tantrum. The Lords got back to discussing strategies for surviving the two-week migratory bird season.

Kuang Qingwei spoke up. “How do you all plan on keeping the birds away?”

Before the disaster, Blue Star’s birds were divided by diet—carnivores, herbivores, omnivores. Among the carnivores, there were further types: insect-eating, fish-eating, carrion, and predator birds.

After the disaster and mass evolution, those categories no longer fit. Birds evolved too.

Now, other than a few top raptors perched at the food chain’s peak, almost all evolved birds were omnivorous. In simple terms: if they had plenty, they’d pick what they liked; if hungry or desperate, they’d eat anything.

Corn, mung beans, vegetables, even humans—if migratory birds landing in your territory got hungry, everything was fair game. And once these birds settled down to rest, it wouldn’t be long before hungry raptors swooped in for the kill.

Greenhouses were built mostly from bamboo. They couldn’t stand up to iron beaks and razor talons. That meant the Lords’ top priority during bird season wasn’t hunting, but making sure the birds didn’t land, especially near the fields.

“Birds probably hate noise. If we see them trying to land, we’ll bang on iron pots to scare them off,” Qi Fu suggested.

“Great idea. I’ll do that too,” Zhao Ze scribbled the tip down. Azure Dragon Squad would be busy hunting, so hiring them to guard his territory wasn’t an option. He needed every trick in the book just in case.

“Not sure evolved birds are scared of banging pots. I was thinking of recording eagle, cat, or wolf calls and blasting them when the birds fly over, scare them off that way.” Xia Qing joined in. Of course, her version wasn’t going to be a recording—she had the real deal.

After all, her territory had two wolves. No point in letting that go to waste.

“I’m doing the same,” Kuang Qingwei chimed in, eager. “I’ve already set up speakers. Each one can broadcast up to six or seven hundred meters. Just two of them, and you’ll protect all your fields and houses. Want to buy or rent one? Buy for sixty points, rent for ten a day.”

He followed up with a demo—blasting recordings of evolved hawk and cat calls. The sounds were sharp and menacing, definitely not to be trifled with.

“I’ll take one,” Shizhong replied right away.

“Me too,” Qi Fu added. Zhao Ze and Xia Qing both ordered one as well. Since the season lasted fifteen days, renting would cost one hundred fifty points—a waste compared to just buying two, so everyone bought theirs outright.

Then Shizhong started selling his own bird-deterrents. “I made a batch of evolved raptor kites, each with a mini speaker attached. They can fly over three hundred meters high. Interested? Twenty-three points each.”

“Hey, Shizhong, still selling those kites in the Safe Zone?” Kuang Qingwei asked.

“Sure am,” Shizhong laughed. “We made a living trading those for compressed rations back in the Safe Zone. Made a good batch this year too—had Captain Zhong take them back to sell for us.”

Evolved raptor kites were the go-to for low-cost, effective bird defense in the Base. Everyone scrambled to buy some—three for one lord, five for another.

Xia Qing hadn’t known Shizhong made them. She’d had Zhong Tao bring her ten from the Safe Zone the other day, paying twenty-five points for each.

Fair enough—Zhong Tao never mentioned that Territory Ten made them too. Under the rules, patrol teams couldn’t reveal lords’ trading deals without direct permission.

Kites, speakers, wolves, Xia Qing’s guns, and a grenade launcher stashed away, not to mention Hu Zifeng’s crack security team. Even with a reservoir on her land, she felt more than ready to keep the birds at bay.

On September 25, Tan Junjie made an announcement—the migratory bird season had officially begun.

“All Lords, attention! The first wave of migratory birds will pass overhead in thirty minutes. Raptors in the Evolved Forest north of the territory are already taking flight. Get ready.”

Tan Junjie didn’t mention what kind of birds, probably didn’t have the info. Xia Qing checked with Hu Zifeng. “Captain Hu, what species is the first wave, and how many birds?”

Hu Zifeng reached out to the observation post atop Hill Forty-Nine, then answered via earpiece. “About a thousand evolved Sanderlings, flying five hundred meters up.”

A thousand was overwhelming. Xia Qing immediately ordered her two speed-evolved subordinates to launch their Evolved Sea Eagle kites—natural enemies of the Sanderlings.