Locusts Crossing (2)

After ten days or so, the grasshopper queen's appearance had not changed at all—her color was still withered yellow, and her antennae were slender.

"Is that… a cricket?"

The grasshopper queen stared at what System was chewing, sending out her unique spirit waves.

After a dozen days, System found that the grasshopper queen's language proficiency had greatly improved.

Though unable to reach his level of proficiency, System heard many changes in tone from her words. It seemed that the grasshopper queen had kept practicing over these few days. Otherwise, she couldn't have made such a big improvement.

"Yes, do you want some?"

System stopped eating and handed the food to the grasshopper queen naturally, as if they were old friends for years.

"No, I don't like to eat… meat."

The grasshopper queen sent a message and rejected System. She bit off a leaf nearby using her mandibles and started chewing.

Polite greetings were not needed when talking to the grasshopper queen, so System asked directly, "These days, that special scent, is that from you?"

"Yes, it was… me." The grasshopper queen shook her antennae and continued to deliver the message to System. "You… did not come."

System stared at the grasshopper queen for a moment and said, "You know that I won't go."

The grasshopper queen touched System's antennae with hers, and said again with her unique and gentle spirit waves, "I knew… you won't come, so I came back… to you."

"I miss you…"

The grasshopper queen's message contained many thoughts, but System had no idea how to respond to that.

System had to use his human intelligence to change the subject. "Are you still going to explore the world? Like those images shown in the bloodline?"

The grasshopper queen looked up at the sky and replied to System, "Yes, I'm going… with them."

"Them? Are there a lot of grasshoppers going with you?"

"Yes…" The grasshopper queen continued to look up at the sky. She stared at a cloud from a gap of the dense forest and asked System, "Do you know… what is that?"

His insect compound eyes could not see faraway things clearly, but looking at the white-colored mass in the sky, System knew what the grasshopper queen was referring to.

System answered, "That's a cloud, a form of water."

The grasshopper queen showed a regretful expression as she stared at the sky. "I can't… fly that high, but I can… fly… far."

The grasshopper queen lowered her head and continued saying to System, "I… have a name, do you know… what is name?"

System showed a puzzled look and said, "Name? Have you given yourself a name? My name is System."

The grasshopper queen replied, "Sys… tem, Quin, my name, given to me by… Shadow."

System pursued, "Shadow? Who is that?"

"A bug."

…

Not long after the conversation with the grasshopper queen, a 5-centimeter-sized green grasshopper landed not far from System and the grasshopper queen with the distinctive sound of flapping wings.

After a short while, another grasshopper flew over, then two, three, a dozen, hundreds of grasshoppers…

More and more grasshoppers gathered around him and the grasshopper queen, and after about ten minutes, thousands of grasshoppers of all kinds had gathered in his vicinity.

And there were more joining.

The calm forest became noisy as the grasshoppers flapped their wings to fly around. Some leaped into the grass nearby to bite on the plants, while some others flew to the treetops to bask in the sun.

Due to the arrival of the grasshoppers, many ants swarmed out of their nest. They attacked at the grasshoppers around, wanting to catch and eat the ones that had disturbed their peace.

However, grasshoppers were not ant food, and this was even truer for adult grasshoppers, which could destroy the ants' efforts with a gentle jump.

…

Countless grasshoppers kept clustering around him and the grasshopper queen. System could not count the exact number of grasshoppers, but there were at least tens of thousands of them.

There was an empty space half a meter around the grasshopper queen, and apart from System, there were no other grasshoppers in this area.

System guessed that this was a manifestation of the grasshoppers' class status, and the grasshopper that had undergone the third molting would naturally become the leader.

While the number of grasshoppers continued to increase, the gathered locusts had even blocked the sun in the sky, making the forest a little gloomy.

Upon looking at this scene, System was reminded of a natural disaster in his previous life—locust plague.

No grass would be left after the locusts crossed!

System had not experienced a locust plague in his previous life, but he had seen it in some documentaries. He could not help but be shocked when he watched the locust plague scene for the first time.

The locusts that blotted out the sun would eat everything green on their way.

Although the number of locusts in front of System was smaller, essentially about the same as a locust plague, they ate the plants in the forest at breakneck speed.

The gathered grasshoppers' sizes were generally small, ranging from 3 to 8 centimeters, and System saw many of his fellow green-tailed grasshoppers among them.

The arrival of these densely packed locusts did not bring discomfort to System, but rather some intimacy.

The grasshoppers gathered together and emitted a special scent, which made System's body very hyper. He even had an urge to fly through the sky together with them.

"Really… not going with us?" The grasshopper queen seemed to sense System's excitement and sent another message as she looked at him.

After a short period of hesitation, System rejected her again, "Yes, I'm not."

A long sigh seemed to escape from the grasshopper queen…

…

The grasshoppers' revelry continued as they jumped and gave off a joyful scent, while many grasshoppers began to find mates and started mating.

Due to his sturdy size among the grasshoppers, System also attracted several female grasshoppers. But as long as he hid near the grasshopper queen, the females would not come and bother him.

The grasshoppers that chose to mate were still the minority. Most of them were just flying in the air haphazardly and seemed to be playing with their kind.

A few birds flew into the locust crowd at the right time to feed on the locusts, but there were too many locusts. The birds also disappeared after they were full.

By noon, there were millions of gathered grasshoppers.

At that moment, as there were no more grasshoppers joining, the grasshopper revelry peaked!

At the center, the grasshopper queen once again exuded a special scent, and System felt as if his blood was boiling.

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

Millions of grasshoppers jumped up and spread out their wings simultaneously. For a moment, the bright midday sun was blocked by the dense crowd of grasshoppers and the forest became dark.

Countless grasshoppers started flying in the same direction.

The grasshopper queen looked at System for a long time, and after touching System's antennae, she spread her wings and flew with the others.

Likewise, System spread his wings and followed behind the queen.

"Are you… coming with me?"

Once again, the grasshopper queen delivered a message which was filled with expectations.

"No, I just want to send you off. We might not have a chance to meet again after this…"