Beneath the Earth

"I am Kang De. The swarm has calmed down, and I will prepare to enter the city to search for survivors."

Himo's Eagle was sent back to the White Mist World. Kang De landed on a nearby beach and watched as the swarm of insects went from rioting to silence, reattaching to buildings, vehicles, and the ground. The roar of their wings was gone, leaving only the rustling gnawing sound, which was chilling. Humans are, after all, creatures with imagination.

Looking at these appetizing insects that even gnaw on stones.

It's hard not to imagine what it would be like if they ate people.

The liaison officer's voice came through the phone. "Please be careful. What do you need us to do?"

Kang De said, "Give me a spacesuit."

"... Huh? Extravehicular activity (EVA) suits are limited, expensive, and rare, requiring a legitimate reason and application. Intravehicular activity (IVA) suits are much more plentiful. Which type do you want?"

The cost of an extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuit is around 200 million, while an intravehicular activity (IVA) suit is much cheaper, costing only a few hundred thousand.

"Just kidding... Once you put that on, you can forget about walking normally."

Primarily for protection.

He had already changed into the Shadow Lone Walker Set given to him by the Brotherhood, pulled up the hood, tightened the collar, put on the mask, and activated the mask's key defensive shield, filling his body with Magic Power and making him completely airtight.

After all, there are mountains and seas of insects.

Ahead lay a city overrun by countless tiny, densely packed insects, each the size of a middle finger. Anyone with trypophobia would likely die instantly upon seeing swarms of locusts buzzing around them.

Although Kang De's condition wasn't quite that severe, the sight still gave him goosebumps, and he was also quite afraid of insects... so he needed even more stringent protection.

In fact, before the cockroaches in his house were wiped out, he was wearing his insect exterminator suit when he threw out the two-dimensional foil: a thick down jacket, a full-coverage motorcycle helmet, and heavy gloves. After completing the dimensional reduction attack, he even took a shower... and that was just for the cockroaches in his house.

These locusts can not only fly like cockroaches, but they also seem to like jumping on your face...

If I go in and am suddenly discovered and surrounded, and before I can use my abilities to escape, what if someone crawls into my collar or something... Ugh, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps again.

On the other hand, when he first transmigrated to the Holy Seal Archipelago, what he feared most was the insects from another world, especially since they were on an island with jungles. You can imagine how many evil and unknown insects there were.

During those days, he stayed in the mountaintop shelter and didn't go out at all. He sprayed insecticides and hung five layers of mosquito nets inside every day, along with all sorts of random things like floral water and medicated oil. He burned mosquito coils and mugwort as firewood, fearing that some strange creatures might crawl in.

After meeting the A Xing, things got much better. He even lived with the magical creatures and there were no bugs around him anymore. Not to mention bugs, he rarely saw any ordinary animals.

At first, I found it strange, but then I realized how extraordinary the magical creatures were, and that's when I understood.

These mysterious and astonishing animals possess a bloodline aura powerful enough to terrify all insects, fish, birds, and beasts, causing creatures that act on instinct to retreat in fear. Kang De lived and ate with them, spending his days and nights with them, and absorbed the aura of countless magical animals. In other words, to ordinary animals, Kang De was now practically an ultimate hybrid beast, enough to terrify anything.

This ability is very useful; it's basically like a mobile insect repellent, keeping both the cunning Germany cockroach and the wicked North America cockroach at bay.

The only slightly troublesome thing is that you have to be careful to keep your distance, otherwise you might easily scare the dog or cat so much that they poop or pee... Yes, it works on Earth too.

So...

Kang De squinted as he adjusted his wristband.

When he was being chased by the swarm of locusts earlier, he tried to approach them, but these menacing insects were not intimidated by the magical creatures' aura. What does this mean?

He felt a chill run down his spine and said to the phone hanging on his shoulder, "Miss Qin."

"You said."

"Regarding the origin and species of these locusts... do experts have any opinions now?"

The other party replied, "No, what we know for now is that this is a completely new species that has never been discovered by the biological community before. It is not recorded in any archives, and its habits, origins, natural enemies, and weaknesses are all unknown. All current inferences about it are based on the general characteristics of orthoptera and locusts... However, among the more than 10,000 locust species worldwide, there is no subspecies that feeds on metal and cement."

Kang De set off towards Zhuerban City.

"They feed on metal and cement..." Kang De said, "Is that really true?"

"What do you mean?"

"My major isn't biology, and I'm not an expert in it, but I think that all living things need energy to function. If these locusts feed on metal and cement, how do they extract energy from these cold, inorganic substances? Do they all have miniature heavy nuclear fusion engines inside their bodies?"

If that's the case, then there's no need to resist; just kneel down and call him "Dad."

Qin Mengjin's tone carried a hint of heaviness. "Then what do you think they eat?"

Kang De replied, "I don't know, I'm just about to go and take a look."

Silence on the phone.

In fact, if Kang De could think of this kind of problem, how could the biology experts on the emergency team not have thought of it?

There's an answer that you can guess without even saying it aloud.

Like other locusts, they may feed on a variety of plants, with a preference for grasses. Wherever they go, they devour everything, leaving only barren land. They compete with humans for food, wreaking havoc everywhere. They can consume twice their own weight in food in a single day, growing and reproducing at an alarming rate, and eventually die from large-scale aerial spraying of pesticides, predation by natural enemies, or even changes in the weather.

However, no living person has been found in Zhuerban City to date.

Despite their enormous numbers, these locusts did not migrate in search of food like their subspecies.

Kang De asked, "Locusts... do the locusts we know eat meat?"

"Eat."

Qin Mengjin's voice trembled slightly. "The green grasshoppers I saw in the fields and countryside when I was a child are the same creature as the locusts that sweep across the land, just in two different forms."

"Biologists have conducted experiments where green grasshoppers placed in a confined space remained unchanged, exhibiting a docile and timid temperament. However, when dozens of other green grasshoppers of the same species were added and confined to a small space, their legs rubbed together, causing them to gradually turn yellow, become restless, violent, and aggressive."

"After a while, they will start to bite and eat each other because of hunger."

"The reason locust swarms migrate in large numbers is not only because of hunger, but more importantly because they are afraid of being eaten by their own kind. If locusts gather in such large numbers, they can easily devour all the edible plants nearby. They fly in swarms in one direction because this prevents them from exposing their vulnerable flanks to their fellow locusts. All locusts do this, so all locusts are safe."

"Until new food is found."

"This is the great migration of the insect swarm."

"Although there are no records of locusts attacking humans or other animals throughout history, it is certain that when they are extremely hungry, they will attack and eat other insects of similar size."

"They actually eat meat too."

That's all Qin Mengjin had to say.

She paused for a moment, then said softly, "No matter what... please try to show us the evidence."

Otherwise, politicians won't remember the meaning of responsibility until they see a coffin or the Yellow River.

"Good."

A gentle breeze stirred, and Kang De tore open the scroll, his figure slowly levitating into the air.

The simple Levitation, favored by explorers and pioneers, is used to traverse dangerous and unique terrain. It flies at a low altitude and slow speed, and going higher is hindered by natural winds. The spell itself cannot provide enough power, so a higher-level flight spell is required.

But for Zhuerban's current situation, this is the most suitable option.

Kang De switched off the phone and flew along the main thoroughfare Zhuerban Avenue, into the coastal capital.

The July 22nd Arch, commemorating a coup more than 20 years ago, is now adorned with silver locusts. This is a landmark of Gambia. The typical yellow sand tones of Africa cities have disappeared; here, there are only silver-gray insects, blue sea and sky, and the sound of waves drifting slowly from afar.

A stillness reigned; human activity had ceased.

He floated slowly, his Phoenix Eyes blazing with Flame, dispelling illusions and pointing directly to the source, watching the movements of the surrounding insect swarm, ready to flee at any moment.

Gambia is one of the least developed regions in the world. Zhuerban City, as the capital, a major seaport, and a tourist city, is in a slightly better position, but buildings taller than six stories are still rare. Almost all the buildings are covered and gnawed by locusts, many of which have had their walls gnawed through, revealing the rooms inside.

The same is true for the cars on the street; some have had their shells eaten away, exposing the seats.

Kang De scanned the scene with his Life Vision and found no trace of humanity.

He looked around. The dense locusts devoured and covered everything, erasing many traces. He couldn't tell what had happened, nor could he find any signs of human struggle, blood, or other small or medium-sized creatures.

I didn't see a single cat or dog, pets that are almost always present in human settlements—neither domestic nor stray. There were no birds, mice, or even flying insects.

Kang De tried to take a picture, but the moment he took out his phone, locusts nearby buzzed in response.

The calm at this moment was because he had sent all of Earth's technological products to the White Mist World.

These little gadgets react to technological products without any delay, suggesting it's either instinct or a programmed feature, rather than being manipulated... But why is that?

Kang De sighed silently as he looked down at Zhuerban City. The emergency team had translated all the important locations in Gambia into Chinese and marked them with exploration suggestions.

He propelled himself along the breeze and slowly flew toward the China Embassy in Gambia. The three-story white building had been painted silver by locusts. Kang De flew in through the open front door, and the place was crawling with insects inside and out. There were no traces of humans, nor any signs of struggle, or rather, all traces had been eaten away.

They flew to the kitchen on the first floor, but it was empty. The crackling sound continued as five or six locusts gnawed at the metal lid of the Ma Deuce chili sauce bottle on the cupboard.

As for the bottle and the chili sauce inside, they were all gone.

They even eat glass.

Besides, pots and pans, even seasoning boxes, the empty refrigerator, and the kitchen, which was filled with the smell of life, were all ransacked and left spotless. All the ingredients were gone, and even the grease on the walls and kitchen utensils was not spared. If Big Bob went to work as a cleaner, he would definitely make a fortune.

The omnivorousness exhibited by these locusts is outrageous.

Kang De searched high and low but found nothing. The embassy's computers and fax machines were all gone, and there was no information left behind. He flew outside and went to a nearby supermarket. Sure enough, all the food on the shelves and in the refrigerator was gone.

"Locusts gnaw on cement, cell phones, cars, and technological creations."

"But the humans are gone, the living things are gone, and the food is gone."

"And they've already disappeared, but the locusts are still gnawing on cement, cars, and technological products."

Kang De hovered in mid-air, stroking his chin in deep thought. There was no need to look elsewhere; this was a complete plunder, inside and out. All organic matter, including the city's greenery, had vanished first, leaving only locusts frantically devouring the city's inorganic matter. Were they indiscriminately feeding, or...?

He thought for a moment, then opened the spatial portal. A flash of black light appeared, and a moment later, Kang De returned, carrying a piece of pork that he had found in the underground supermarket next to the residential area.

Take a look.

He used his right hand to forcefully slam the pork slice onto the ground.

With a loud thud, the pork slammed into a swarm of locusts on the ground. Kang De could see the silvery-gray liquid splattering to the side. He watched coldly, preparing to make his escape.

Clearly, the locusts did not perceive the falling pork as Mass Projection attack.

They seemed oblivious to Kang De in the sky, perhaps due to the enchanted equipment and invisibility scrolls from another world, or perhaps their interest in organic matter far outweighed their interest in Kang De.

Let me see if you guys actually eat meat or not.

Kang De floated in the air, observing coldly. On the ground, locusts buzzed up from all around, as if receiving a command, surrounding the pork slice and then attaching themselves to it.

Click, click.

Kang De felt a chill run down his spine.

Unfortunately, he had already killed most of the mercenary war criminals who committed massacres against Moyani.

The country is too far away, otherwise, catching a criminal whose death is not enough to appease public anger would be a way to shine a light on human Civilization, and it would be a way to make use of waste... Now we can only use pork as an example to observe.

They... are eating.

Does this mean that the guess was correct?

Otherwise, where did so many humans, and even living beings, disappear to, as if they'd vanished into thin air? What was the purpose of such a thorough kidnapping?

--etc!

Kang De's gaze sharpened as he saw the pork slice below make a dull sizzling sound, having split in two. Another swarm of locusts flew in, joining the gap with a crackling sound.

Then, the two halves became four portions.

Four portions become eight pieces.

Separate, separate, separate, separate.

The overall volume did not decrease.

Kang De was suddenly inspired—they weren't eating, they were trying to separate the heavy pork!

Why split it?

For easier transportation!

Sure enough, when the pork was cut into small enough portions, the locusts gathered together, separated on their own, and then simultaneously flapped their wings, suspending the pieces of raw pork in the air and flying into the distance.

He hurriedly caught up, only to see locusts swarming together. The locusts transporting pork were covered by a silvery-gray mass, then disappeared into the interior of a building.

He flew inside, his Phoenix Eyes scanning the surroundings. It was just an ordinary house, nothing special inside or out. Judging by its size, it couldn't hide anyone, and he couldn't find where the pork was hidden. He wandered around for a while, but found nothing.

Therefore, there is only one answer.

Kang De lowered his head, gazing at the earth beneath his feet.

The ground was covered with crawling locusts, and a sliver of darkness, not yet closed, shone with a deep light. You could even hear a rustling sound as some holes were being filled.

The solid, thick soil, rocks, and other shelters beneath it block the Phoenix Vision, and perhaps the answers to all the secrets lie buried beneath.

So, how do I get down?

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PS1: Update... Ah, deep-fried pork tenderloin, ah, stir-fried pork belly, ah, Hongqi roast duck...