Shackles of Humanity

The entire city was blanketed by the oppressive force of infrasound. Many people collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony. They had lost the will to fight before the locusts even needed to attack. Then, a piercing air-raid siren blared, followed by the deafening roar of artillery. Countless fireballs soared into the sky, and masses of insect corpses began to rain down.

Luo Kai breathed a sigh of relief. ’Good, the army can still fight.’ He had just been about to force his way out of the city with Lu Qing. Faced with an insect plague of this magnitude, one person’s power could hardly influence the bigger picture; he could only protect those closest to him.

He returned to the bedside and sat down. The infrasound, at this intensity, had no effect on him. He even began to use his Spiritual Power to perceive and study the specific mechanics of the waves. As his potent Spiritual Power permeated the Sound Waves, his throat began to vibrate slightly, mimicking the infrasound’s frequency.

The sounds humans normally hear are fleeting, but infrasound is different. It isn’t blocked by buildings and attenuates very slowly, often diffracting through city blocks and persisting for a long time. It can even resonate with the carbohydrates that form the basis of life. When these fine molecules are agitated into rapid motion, they generate immense heat, causing matter to boil from the inside out—the same principle behind a microwave oven.

’Be it infrasound or ultrasound, they’re both a form of Magnetic Field frequency Resonance.’ It occurred to him that Liu Hou’s trick of controlling heartbeats must be a type of infrasound that interfered with the body’s functions.

A slow understanding dawned on him. The generation of Energy was, in a way, both incredibly complex and remarkably simple. For instance, fire, light, Sound Waves, Magnetic Fields—the creation of all Energy was the result of molecules moving violently and rubbing against one another. Conversely, if molecules were to become completely still, the result would be absolute zero: a state of extreme cold.

Broadly speaking, the motor functions and Explosive Power of any living creature originated from the vigorous movement of its cells on a deep level. When pushed to a certain point, the cells themselves would be consumed and converted into kinetic energy. This was the very principle behind Luo Kai’s ability to accelerate his Qi and Blood Circulation, or even burn it entirely.

...

In the night sky, countless bullets streaked toward the swarm. Amazingly powerful Burning Bullets were also lobbed into the fray. The sky itself seemed to be on fire as charred insect corpses rained down. The intensity of the infrasound issued by the swarm weakened noticeably.

Lu Qing crept to the bedside. Gazing at the brilliant, firework-like display in the sky, she said excitedly, "The bugs are done for!"

But Luo Kai shook his head. "This is only the beginning. There are too many of them."

The words had barely left his mouth when the dense, cloud-like swarm began to disperse and reform, gradually coalescing into an immense human face in the sky—a giant face that seemed to be wailing in agony. As its tormented expression shifted, an even more furious wave of infrasound swept down.

Even Luo Kai shuddered. The invisible Sound Wave shattered his Spiritual Power barrier and struck his very body and Spirit.

He reflexively accelerated his Qi and Blood Circulation to withstand the Sound Wave. If even he was affected, the others stood no chance. The gunfire immediately ceased, and the entire city plunged into a deathly Silence. Lu Qing clutched her head, let out a muffled groan, and collapsed.

Luo Kai rushed forward and caught her, willing his heart to pound. He extended an even more formidable field of Spiritual Power, warding off the Sound Wave.

Large numbers of locusts were already descending into the city. Individually, they weren’t strong, but they were numerous—practically endless. Even a Body Master charging into the swarm would likely not survive. Human strength has its limits, after all, and there was little Luo Kai could do. Moreover, he could see several enormous specimens mixed in with the swarm, each one larger than a grown man.

Insectoid life-forms were fundamentally different from other creatures. Any intelligent being can feel timid and experience Fear, negative emotions that drastically reduce combat effectiveness. Hive-based insects were different. As individuals, they possessed little intelligence and thus weren’t swayed by emotion. They were born with natural armor and sharp claws, every one of them a cold killing machine. If not for the limitations of their size, they would have dominated the world long ago. Now, it seemed that one final weakness was gone.

As vast numbers of insects landed in the city, the power of the invisible infrasound weakened considerably. Sporadic gunfire began to ring out once more.

Piercing screams echoed from outside; the swarm had begun to hunt humans. Luo Kai’s expression shifted, and he started to stand before sinking back down. ’I have the Ability to save a few people,’ he thought, ’but I can’t save the tens of thousands in this city.’ The Severing Blade in front of him seemed to sense its master’s fierce inner turmoil and began to hum. It was thirsty for slaughter...

Lu Qing came forward, took his hand, and gently shook her head.

Luo Kai let out a long sigh, suppressing the Qi and Blood that had begun to boil within him again. He walked to the window. He could see wisps of gray mist rising from every corner of the city—it was the despair, Fear, and resentment carried by the spirits of the dead...

Just then, a stifled, horrified shriek came from the room next door. A swarm of locusts was frantically ramming its door and windows. Soon, they shattered the glass and poured inside. A bloodcurdling scream rang out, attracting even more locusts.

THUMPING sounds came from Luo Kai’s own window. It wouldn’t be long before it shattered.

"Luo Kai, what do we do?" Lu Qing asked, her face pale.

They were in a luxury suite, which had floor-to-ceiling windows. Both the bedroom and living room were vulnerable, making the suite difficult to defend. Luo Kai thought for a moment. "Let’s go," he said. "This place is too exposed. The hotel should have a basement. We’ll head there."

The two of them gathered their food and pushed open the door. The hallway was already filled with roaming insects, which immediately swarmed toward them on sight.

A clear ringing sound came from the Severing Blade, and the pouncing insects were all sliced in two. These creatures didn’t actually have much fighting strength; an ordinary adult with a weapon could handle five or six of them without a problem. The difference was that humans were affected by Fear and pain, while the insects were not.

Luo Kai walked at a steady pace, insect corpses piling up before him. The people in the hotel were gradually recovering from the effects of the invisible infrasound. They realized that staying in their rooms meant eventually being eaten by the insects, but they were too afraid to go out. Hearing the noise in the hall, many rushed to look through their peepholes.

A bald, middle-aged man opened his door and called out to Luo Kai. "Brother, where are you going? Can you take me with you?"

Luo Kai glanced back at him and nodded.

The man was instantly overjoyed, grabbing his bags and hurrying to catch up. Once he broke the ice, it wasn’t long before seven or eight more people were trailing behind Luo Kai.

They had just descended one floor when they saw several head-sized insects dragging a person out through a gaping hole in a doorway. Someone inside was clearly pulling back, and the person being torn between them let out a string of agonizing screams. Growing impatient, the insects extended their pincer-like limbs and dismembered the person on the spot. The scene was incredibly gory.

The people behind him gasped in unison but dared not make another sound.

Luo Kai stomped his foot and vanished. In a flash of blade-light, the insects were all sliced in two. Their severed limbs continued to twitch on the ground.

He was about to move on when a timid voice called out from the room with the ruined door, "Is that you, Brother Luo?"

A face peered out from the hole. It was a familiar-looking young man with glasses. Luo Kai searched his memory. ’Erya’s brother... I think his name is Geng Daqiang.’

"You’re Geng Daqiang?"

The young man answered quickly, "Yes, it’s me, Brother Luo! Can you take us with you?"

This was no time for a reunion. Luo Kai nodded. "Alright. Follow me, and don’t make a sound."

Geng Daqiang called back into the room. "Director, Miss Li, come on! If we stay here, the bugs will get us sooner or later."

The door opened, and out came a pot-bellied middle-aged man and a young woman wearing heavy makeup, with Geng Daqiang trailing behind. They peered timidly outside first. When they saw the corridor carpeted with insect corpses, a look of astonishment crossed their faces, and they quickly shot Luo Kai a fawning smile.