Published: March 12, 2025
CHAPTER 137: The Insect Crisis (Part 1)
In fact, this situation was somewhat similar to what Zhao Hai had imagined would happen in the Black Earth Wilderness in the future. However, Zhao Hai would not send people to manage them. If he allowed those slaves to build villages, he would first have to restore their status to that of commoners.
It seemed the Versailles Family understood that to keep horses running, they must allow them to eat grass. They provided these slaves with a better quality of life than other slaves and allowed them to settle down and start families here. Ultimately, this was still for their own benefit. Even a large family like the Versailles could not afford to constantly buy hundreds of thousands of new slaves each year to replenish their ranks. That would be too costly. So, they kept these slaves in a controlled environment, allowing them to marry and have children, and these children would be born as slaves. Such slaves were often more useful than the new ones they purchased.
After Zhao Hai and Galen visited a few small villages, they decided not to continue, as those villages were nearly identical, and it wouldn't make much of a difference whether they looked or not. They needed to get down to serious business.
Zhao Hai chose a location far from inhabited areas to stop. He had not yet used the insect summoning ability and wanted to see how powerful the insects he summoned this time would be.
Galen stood beside Zhao Hai, motionless, watching him intently. He was eager to see just how formidable the insects Zhao Hai spoke of really were; their thoughts were surprisingly aligned.
Zhao Hai gently raised the Evil Spirit Wand and whispered, “Summon insects!”
A projection immediately shot out from the wand, stopping right before Zhao Hai. Then a notification sounded: “Please select the area for the insect summoning: One acre, ten acres, or one hundred acres.” Three options appeared on the projection.
Zhao Hai quickly understood what it meant and selected one hundred acres. However, the projection did not disappear; it simply changed to another screen. The notification sounded again: “Please select the density of the insects: one (per plant), two (per plant), three (per plant), four (per plant), or five (per plant).” There were a total of five options.
After thinking for a moment and glancing at the crops resembling wheat, Zhao Hai gritted his teeth and chose the highest density of five per plant, which was the maximum option.
Zhao Hai thought that this would be the end of it, but unexpectedly, the projection changed again, and the notification came once more: “Please select the lifespan of the insects: one day, seven days, ten days, or one month.”
Zhao Hai immediately selected one month. After making this choice, the notifications ceased, and the projection disappeared, but a faint yellow light shot out from the wand. In a flash, it vanished, and then Zhao Hai and Galen heard a rustling sound from the wheat field in front of them. Both looked down and felt a chill run down their spines.
In front of them, every stalk of wheat was crawling with five fat meat worms, desperately gnawing away, and in just a short time, the leaves of the wheat had been chewed into large holes.
Zhao Hai and Galen both felt their scalps tingle at this sight. They had not expected it to be like this. At this rate, that single stalk of wheat would likely be consumed by those five fat worms in no time.
Zhao Hai straightened up and let out a sigh, while Galen also stood up, his face filled with shock as he asked Zhao Hai, “Young master, is this the insect summoning ability you mentioned?”
Zhao Hai nodded, saying, “Yes, this is the insect summoning ability. In the one hundred acres of wheat in front of us, each stalk has five of these worms.”
Galen glanced at the wheat before them, feeling even more astonished. Just a flash of yellow light, and suddenly, this prime wheat field was overrun with giant meat worms, with five on each stalk. It was terrifying; this was akin to creating life—a god-like ability.