The Locust Lord’s Arrival

Under Augu’s urgent command, the psionics quickened their pace, attempting to evade the colossal swarm of insects approaching from their flank.

‘What in the blazes?’

Amidst the crowd, researchers familiar with the Thorin Proto-worms kept their eyes glued to the surging tide of insects in the distance, their faces etched with disbelief and their hearts pounding with inexplicable shock.

‘How could there be so many Thorin Proto-worms?’

‘Did that individual somehow stir up a nest?’

Their psionic visions converged on the silver-white silhouette being pursued by the swarm, and many paused in fresh astonishment.

‘What a beautiful woman.’

Even in the New World, with its advanced medical aesthetics, a woman with such exquisitely refined features was a rare sight indeed. Her beauty was of a caliber that ordinary people wouldn’t even dare to imagine.

Yet, even more astonishing than her fleetingly glimpsed beauty was the silver figure’s agile prowess.

Despite facing such an immense insect swarm, her steps remained light, her form as nimble as a swallow, flitting and dancing like a butterfly, breaking through encirclements time and again.

Her skill was truly exceptional.

Many researchers secretly marveled, utterly oblivious to the true nature of the situation.

It was only when the silver-white silhouette entered their visible range that someone belatedly realized the danger, letting out a cry of alarm.

“Oh no, it seems she’s leading the insect swarm directly towards us!”

“What?!”

“Damn it! Stop her at once!”

“No, no, no, stay away from us!”

…

The localized commotion began to swell, steadily expanding until everyone realized the insect tide was drawing near, their faces uniformly paling with dread.

Everyone, that is, except Little Nightingale.

“Ming Yu, I’ve found you.”

The moment her gaze landed on the silver-white silhouette, her eyes instantly lit up, her blue irises shimmering with intoxicating tenderness.

In truth, she hadn’t been particularly keen on coming out to play; she simply wanted to accompany Ming Yu and forge memories that belonged solely to the two of them.

A world without Ming Yu, even a mere virtual reality, was utterly meaningless to her.

Under the stunned gazes of all the psionics, Little Nightingale darted out of the crowd, becoming a conspicuous figure moving against the flow.

“My heavens, why is there such a small child here?”

Little Nightingale’s presence immediately drew the attention of some.

“That’s the direction of the swarm! She seems to be trying to save that white-haired woman. Stop her, quickly!”

These words stirred up a thousand waves; the psychic network was instantly thrown into an upheaval, with various voices rising and falling.

In their eyes, this young, exceptional psionic, upon witnessing a compatriot in distress, had unhesitatingly stepped forward to confront the insect tide head-on.

Augu’s steps suddenly faltered, his gaze distant and somewhat dazed. In that girl, he seemed to glimpse the shadow of a pioneer.

Yet, he bore the heavy responsibility of advancing psionic theory; a single, minor misstep could jeopardize their future and extinguish the hope for humanity’s revival.

Augu gritted his teeth, employing a deterrent psionic ability that immediately quelled the discussions within the psychic network.

[Abandon your savior complex and respect individual destinies!]

[Those who wish to die may stay, those who wish to live will follow the main group!]

Silence spread throughout the psychic network.

No one wished to die.

Precisely because they had heard of the Thorin Proto-worms’ fearsome reputation, and precisely because they understood their terrifying nature, they chose to protect themselves and keep their distance.

The more they knew, the more intense their fear became.

The efficient telepathic communication allowed the psionics to understand each other perfectly, grasping intentions without a single spoken word.

Without exception, they all quickened their pace.

However, despite Augu’s pronouncement about “respecting individual destinies,” his body proved less compliant; his steps grew progressively slower, threatening to drop him to the very rear of the formation.

“On the path to victory, sacrifices are always inevitable.”

“If someone must be sacrificed, it should be us old fossils who have lived long enough, stepping up first, rather than letting a child take the lead.”

He suddenly chuckled, selecting a few old comrades within the psychic network.

[Ash, you will temporarily take my place and lead the team forward. You must reach the temple.]

[Locke, Davis, Flanna, you three old fogeys, come with me to bring that little child back.]

****

At the edge of the insect tide.

Ming Yu neutralized a praying mantis’s mobility, casually elbowing it aside, then spun and cleaved another mantis lunging from the other flank.

In her mind, Vera was chattering incessantly, her tone laced with anxiety.

“Small fry, just stall for a bit longer. Once I recover some psionic energy, I’ll find an opportunity to deal with that big one chasing us, and then we’ll be safe.”

Upon hearing this, Ming Yu subtly furrowed her brow.

“Then what about these creatures behind us?”

“Simple. Once I devour the soul of that big one, I’ll recover at least a thousandth of my psionic power, which will be more than enough to crush this swarm of ants.”

“Devour… souls? Are you referring to these white mists?”

The shattered mantis gradually disintegrated, transforming into ethereal white mist that drifted directly into Ming Yu’s left hand.

So, it seemed every creature she had dispatched had become Vera’s sustenance.

‘Hunting mantises and devouring souls to grow stronger… this setting is quite exciting.’

‘This virtual reality seems incredibly well-crafted.’

As Ming Yu pondered, her hands deftly dealt with the immediate threats, her footwork remaining light as she effortlessly shattered the insect swarm’s encirclement.

“While these are merely insignificant, lowly terrestrial species, for ant-like humans…”

Vera’s voice took on a peculiar, questioning tone.

“Small fry, to be able to dispatch them so easily, you…”

“I’ve encountered human individuals similar to your level. What did they call themselves? ‘Primarch’s progeny’? I don’t quite understand it, but they tasted rather good…”

“Ah, I wasn’t trying to eat you. My point is…”

Vera paused, then hesitantly uttered a sentence.

“Among humans, your strength is… passable.”

No sooner had she spoken than Vera couldn’t help but bite her lip, her mind instantly falling into a tangle of conflict.

‘Why did I rush to explain myself like that?’

‘It’s just a small fry; what if they misunderstand me?’

‘It’s merely being devoured. It would be an honor for a small fry to be consumed by me…’

‘Yes, that’s right. Small fry should be devoured by me, and only by me.’

Vera thought to herself, her heart immediately finding peace.

Completely unaware of Vera’s internal monologue, Ming Yu continued to fight and retreat, steadily closing the distance between herself and the psionics in the distance.

Just then, a petite figure darted directly into her field of vision, instantly seizing Ming Yu’s attention.

“Little Nightingale?!”

Ming Yu’s surprise quickly gave way to a flash of joy on her face.

‘I’ve finally found her.’

Concurrently, an earth-shattering insect roar enveloped a vast circular area, encompassing Ming Yu, Little Nightingale, and all the psionics within its reach.

The scythe-wielding mantises collectively froze, then prostrated themselves on the ground, each vying to shriek upwards in response to the astonishing roar, seemingly welcoming the arrival of a higher entity.

Among the psionics, several researchers engaged in Thorin Proto-worm studies immediately detected the anomaly, their expressions shifting drastically.

“This is… a locust? No, this isn’t good! It’s the ‘Locust Lord’!”

“What?! We’re in trouble!”

“Elder Augu, the Locust Lord possesses psionic strength comparable to a ninth-tier psionic!”

“In terms of psionic power, even during the United Nations’ peak, humanity never triumphed over such a monster!”

“Run!”