Shackles of Humanity

After walking for over an hour, they finally saw a road. Occasionally, steam-powered vehicles would pass by.

Trapped for over a month, they were both thrilled to finally see signs of civilization. Luo Kai flagged down a long passenger bus. It was a steam-powered vehicle, its massive, black-smoke-belching engine pulling a long carriage. The windows of the carriage were all welded shut with steel bars.

After asking the swarthy, fierce-looking driver, they learned that they were already within the bounds of Changyuan County. The bus was traveling from a nearby county seat to Changyuan City.

They were desperate to find a restaurant for a big meal, followed by a good, long bath and a change of clothes. Lu Qing took out a small wallet and paid the fare to get on. Although the two of them were dressed strangely, the man was handsome and the woman was beautiful. The moment they boarded, they attracted everyone’s attention.

Lu Qing was long used to such stares, but Luo Kai felt a bit awkward. He walked to an empty seat in the last row and sat down.

The steam bus roared back to life. Next to them sat a young man and woman who looked like a couple. The woman was crying softly while the man comforted her in a low voice.

Luo Kai noticed their window was shattered, with feathers and bloodstains still on it. A little puzzled, he asked the young man, "What happened?"

The young man glanced at him and explained, "A huge flock of seagulls came just now. For some reason, they suddenly charged the bus and shattered the windows. It’s a good thing the windows are welded with steel bars, otherwise they would have definitely gotten inside."

Changyuan County was located in the southernmost part of the Xingma Kingdom and was also humanity’s southernmost territory on the Eastern Continent. The population was sparse, and both industry and agriculture were underdeveloped. The scenery slowly passed by the window, mostly wilderness with very few villages in sight.

After a bumpy ride of more than two hours, they finally arrived at Changyuan City. Just like Longyang City, the entire city was shrouded in black coal smoke. The ceaseless roar of various steam engines made Luo Kai feel irritable, and he found himself missing the quiet life of the past month even more.

After getting off the bus, they looked around for a place to eat and stay. Lu Qing was particular about cleanliness and had a touch of petit bourgeois taste. She wouldn’t even glance at the street-side eateries, instead dragging a famished Luo Kai toward the more upscale hotels in the city center. In her words, this was a celebration of their new life, and they couldn’t just make do with anything.

They finally entered a six-story building called the Mingtai Hotel. First, they ate and drank to their hearts’ content. Then, they got a room. The moment the door closed, their eyes met...

"Wait, I need to shower first." Lu Qing pushed him away and ran toward the bathroom.

"Let’s shower together," Luo Kai followed her with a cheeky grin.

Much later, the two lay in each other’s arms on the large hotel bed. Lu Qing said softly, "What do you think we should do next?"

Luo Kai understood what she meant and said hesitantly, "There’s still something I have to do. I must make a trip to the Dongyuan Upper Country."

Lu Qing propped herself up excitedly. "I’ll go with you."

But Luo Kai shook his head and sighed. "No, you can’t. People will definitely come after me again, and I don’t think I can beat them right now."

Annoyed, Lu Qing bit his shoulder and said no more.

Early the next morning, the two were woken up by a loud announcement from a speaker on the street outside.

"Attention, all citizens! A large swarm of mutated locusts may infest Changyuan County in the near future. Effective today, Changyuan City will enter a state of lockdown. Joint defense teams will be formed in every neighborhood. All citizens are advised to stock up on supplies, seal their doors and windows, and remain at home. In case of an emergency, you may request assistance from the joint defense teams.

To ensure the people’s livelihood, the City Lord has ordered the granaries to be opened. Each person may purchase a three-day supply of food at their district’s supply point..."

Luo Kai’s expression tightened. He stood up and walked to the window. The streets outside were teeming with people. Large crowds of ordinary citizens swarmed a steam truck full of soldiers, all clamoring for information.

But the soldiers had no time for them, simply repeating the announcement over and over through their bullhorn.

"What are mutated locusts? The city’s going on lockdown? Does that mean we can’t leave today?" Lu Qing asked, her face pale with shock.

Luo Kai had never heard of mutated locusts either. In his previous life, locust plagues were common, but they only affected crop yields, not personal safety. This world, however, was a different story. Adding the word "mutated" before any creature’s name changed everything. While they were far from being as dangerous as Fierce Beasts, they could still threaten human lives.

He looked up at the somewhat gloomy sky, a sense of crisis rising in his heart. ’This locust swarm must be terrifying.’ "Qing’Er, I’m going downstairs to ask around. You stay in the room and don’t go out."

"I’ll go with you." Lu Qing didn’t want to leave Luo Kai’s side for even a moment and hurriedly got dressed.

The hotel lobby was also in a state of chaos. Most of the guests staying here were not locals but business travelers. Once the city was sealed, it meant they couldn’t leave either.

The hotel’s head of security announced loudly, "Everyone, please do not panic! As long as you are a guest of this hotel, we will guarantee your safety. You all know the situation outside. Since our hotel does not have a large reserve of food, we ask that everyone go purchase a three-day supply."

Luo Kai led Lu Qing outside. The streets were packed with a sea of people, a massive crowd surging toward the market. Squads of heavily armed soldiers were maintaining order.

"Luo Kai, what should we do?" Feeling the tense atmosphere, Lu Qing grew nervous as well.

Noticing that the tall concrete walls surrounding the main city were now completely sealed, Luo Kai frowned. They were stuck here for the time being. ’All we can do is wait and see.’ "Let’s go get some food first."

A row of large trucks was parked at the supply point, and one could see they were filled with piles upon piles of grain. Lines of heavily armed soldiers were shouting for the citizens to form queues.

Each person was limited to purchasing just over three pounds of rice and a jar of pickled vegetables. This wasn’t even enough for one of Luo Kai’s meals, though after eating his fill, he could go ten days to half a month without food.

When they returned to the hotel, the guests in the lobby had already dispersed. It seemed they had all resigned themselves to their fate and gone out to buy food. The head of security was directing people to seal the doors and windows. Seeing Luo Kai enter, he shouted, "You, sir! There are some wooden planks here. Take them back to your room and board up your window."

The head of security was a tall, strong black man. The name tag on his chest read "Sean." Changyuan County was very close to the South Sea Islands, so there were many people with dark skin.

Luo Kai went over, grabbed a few planks and some nails, and returned to the room with Lu Qing. He didn’t seal the window completely, leaving a small peephole for observation.

With his current strength, he believed he could even take on a Fierce Beast, so he naturally wasn’t afraid of these mutated locusts. However, locusts were swarm creatures, and there would undoubtedly be a massive, teeming cloud of them. An individual’s combat power would have a limited effect.

A day passed. The streets outside were completely empty, but there was no sign of any locusts. Lu Qing let out a sigh of relief. "Do you think the information was wrong? I’ve never heard of mutated locusts in the Xingma Kingdom in my entire life."

Luo Kai’s expression, however, grew increasingly grim. He could already feel an invisible pressure. His mysterious Sixth Sense was warning him that something terrifying was about to appear.

As evening approached, a dark cloud drifted across the sky. The thick cloud blotted out the sun, then began to spread, completely covering the city below. The entire city plunged into darkness. An invisible pressure weighed on everyone’s hearts, as if doomsday had arrived.

Starlight flickered in Luo Kai’s eyes. He could see clearly that it wasn’t a dark cloud at all, but countless insects. They no longer resembled locusts in the slightest. Each was the size of a fist, with sharp teeth on their upper and lower mandibles. Their lower limbs were like a pair of serrated blades. As their wings vibrated, an invisible Sound Wave swept down toward the city below.

The people in the city first felt dizzy and nauseous. The weaker ones collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth, their bodies trembling violently and uncontrollably as if they were having an epileptic seizure.

Lu Qing’s face went pale, and she couldn’t help but squat down and dry-heave.

Luo Kai also felt the Sound Wave disrupting his body’s functions. With a dark expression, he returned to Lu Qing’s side. His Spiritual Power emanated from his body, forming an invisible barrier that blocked the Sound Wave. Only then did the color return to Lu Qing’s face. Terrified, she asked, "That was horrible! Are the insects here?"

"They’re here."

Luo Kai walked back to the window and looked at the swarm attacking from the sky like an oppressive, dark cloud. These mutated locusts had evolved a terrifying infrasound Ability. Infrasound is a low-frequency Sound Wave that humans can’t hear but can feel with their bodies, and it can affect them. High-intensity infrasound can even interfere with the functioning of human organs and the nervous system, causing organ rupture or even psychosis!

’No wonder humanity’s military forces are forced to hole up in the coastal areas. If a swarm of mutated creatures is this powerful, then a Fierce Beast Group must be even more terrifying!’