NOVEL NEXT Chapter 301 Unusual Locust
She refused to believe ordinary locusts could grow this massive. Something was wrong with these locusts; they might have mutated, which accelerated their growth, and thrown nature off balance.
The evidence in her hands only confirmed what she suspected, and why she had insisted on entering the barrier in the first place.
Looking around at the barren stretch of forest land, she understood. Their massive size came with monstrous appetites. The swarm had consumed the land too quickly, leaving nothing but desolation behind and driving them to starvation far sooner than nature could handle.
"Princess, did these locusts grow this big just from eating all the vegetation in the forest? Did they overeat and… become massive?" Elric asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.
His eyes tracked the few female locusts busily laying eggs in the damp soil mounds scattered around.
He could even see the small holes they left behind, freshly dug and glistening with moisture. A shiver ran down his spine as he surveyed the area; the sheer size of the insects and the unnerving activity made the hairs on his arms stand on end.
Addison shook her head firmly. "I don't think so. No matter how much a locust eats, it shouldn't grow this massive so easily… it has to be some kind of mutation."
Just then, she felt Maxwell's massive wolf nose nudge her back. Turning, she caught him shaking his enormous head.
"What? You're telling me they're not mutated locusts?" she asked, raising a brow.
Maxwell gave a slow, deliberate nod. Addison's eyes narrowed. His reaction said enough that he knew something about this locust swarm. If he had an idea of what these creatures truly were, then he likely also knew where they came from… and why no one had noticed their presence until now.
Deciding not to press him here for answers, Addison gathered a few more samples, carefully storing them away. She'd make sure a trusted mage delivered them to the Royal Alchemist and the kingdom's researchers.
Locust eggs took time to hatch, and she had a long window before then. As long as the samples reached the royal capital before then, the experts could dissect the bodies, study their fluids, and uncover what they needed.
Even if Maxwell didn't know all the specifics, Addison would ensure the researchers and the Royal Alchemist developed countermeasures—a biochemical solution that could target these insects specifically without harming plants or endangering people's health.
"Alright, we can discuss this later. For now, let's stick to the plan," Addison said, quickly moving to climb back onto Maxwell's back. After one last glance at the egg-laying locust, Maxwell crouched low, allowing her to settle in.
As soon as she was securely seated, Maxwell rose and began sprinting toward the center of the barrier. With each passing moment, the swarm grew denser, the buzzing and rustling of thousands of locusts filling the air.
"Princess, getting any closer could be dangerous. We only have a few minutes before the spell wears off," Elric cautioned.
"It's fine," Addison replied confidently. "Just a little further. We need the swarm to stay clustered in the center as long as possible. They're herbivores, and they'll eat the vegetables as soon as we throw them in. We have to take this chance."
Hearing her, Elric fell silent. After all, the two Alphas and Levi were fast on their feet; if they sprinted back as quickly as they could, they could make it before the spell wore off.
They pressed on toward the center of the barrier. The swarm was thick, but it wasn't impassable. Still, the sheer density of the locusts made it almost impossible to see anything ahead. If given more time, the swarm would undoubtedly fill every remaining space inside the barrier, creating a serious problem.
It was clear that they couldn't waste a second. The harvesting and transportation of crops, animals, and people in the area had to be expedited before the swarm overwhelmed the space inside the barrier completely.
It seemed everyone understood the urgency, even Elric, whose face grew grim as he scanned their surroundings. Then Addison's firm voice rang out:
"Alright, this is enough, we can start dumping the rotten vegetables and straw from here!"
Without hesitation, she reached into Maxwell's magic bag and began tossing out the contents while they ran. Elric, meanwhile, kept his focus on maintaining the concealment spell, his eyes darting around to make sure nothing was leaking through.
He wasn't rushing to empty his own magic bag yet; there would be time for that as they pushed further in.
A few hundred kilos of rotten vegetables and straw spilled out behind Addison's path. She glanced back and, just as she expected, the locust swarm immediately pounced. They descended on the discarded scraps in a frenzy, forming a writhing mound of red bodies that looked disturbingly like a pool of blood.
Everywhere the rotten vegetables landed, locusts leapt on them with terrifying hunger, leaving behind a crimson trail that stretched out across the ground in their path.
The sight of the locusts swooping down from the air to devour the discarded vegetables confirmed Addison's earlier speculation and her gamble. These creatures were truly starving; their restlessness and agitation from before is now really making sense.
It explained why they had been battering against the barrier with such desperation.
What startled her more was how quickly the feeding frenzy spread. The locusts gorging themselves seemed to draw in those hammering at the barrier, luring them away in swarms.
From a distance, Addison saw the mass gathering—a thick, blood-red cluster swirling in the air. With their bodies so densely packed and their coloration so vivid, it looked as though a floating pool of blood was drifting closer and closer.
Sensing the danger, Maxwell surged forward at greater speed as they began circling back. Addison wasted no time; she started tossing out the remaining rotten vegetables and straw from her, Zion's, and Levi's magic bags.
Elric followed suit, unloading everything he had stored. In total, over a thousand kilos of scraps rained down in their path, a desperate offering to keep the starving swarm occupied.
To them, the pile of discarded supplies seemed enormous, but Addison knew better. For a swarm this size, it would take only minutes to devour every last scrap of vegetable. Still, that brief window was all they needed: enough time to maneuver, adjust their path outside the barrier, and push the evacuation and harvesting efforts into overdrive.
"Everything's out, let's get out of here!" Addison barked, her silver hair whipping across her face as she glanced back. The sight of the swarm tearing through the thousand of kilos of vegetables they had dumped made her stomach twist.
She could only hope it would keep them docile for a few more days before they turned on the barrier again.
Maxwell, Zion, and Levi sprinted back toward their entry point, their powerful strides carrying them swiftly across the ground. Along the way, smaller clusters of locusts flew past, drawn to the feast at the center, which made their return far less troublesome than expected.
At last, they reached the boulder. Elric wasted no time, weaving the same spell as before to pry open a narrow gap in the barrier. Maxwell, Zion, and Levi stood tense, guarding the entry point against any chance of locust escaping from there. The moment the opening appeared, Elric slipped out and held his position, ready to seal it at once.