Chapter 79: Locusts

Karl kept up the low-power attacks as the locust swarm began to dwindle under the combined firepower of the town and the efforts of the Elites. Jodi and Daniel were currently using rifles, as they were close combatants, but they were highly skilled with them, and every shot counted against the pure numbers of locusts. "How long can you keep that up?" The man beside Karl asked as another fence of four rend attacks tore apart the front lines of the swarm. "Long enough. They're going to be here before I'm worn out." Karl replied. "Perhaps not, lad. Just wait. Once they're close enough, we will start with the explosives, and that should thin them out quick, fast, and in a hurry." The man informed him with a smile. The first explosives were a line of landmines that the swarm set off, tearing apart the entire front line of insects, and then the one behind it as they reached the second row of mines. That was over a quarter of the insects in a few seconds, but they were leaping into the air now, flying over the minefield. That made them easier targets for Rend, as now they were right at Karl's eye level, and the attack would tear through multiple ranks of them before dissipating. Then the city's police force began firing grenade launchers into the swarm, hitting some in the air and others on the ground. The rifles were having a harder time against the flying insects, but Karl and the mages were not. The exploding magical fireballs and crimson streaks of energy were stopping everything that the grenades didn't, and the flying portion of the swarm began to descend in order to eat the bodies. That set off more of the landmines, and the number of attackers began to fall to the point that they hardly seemed like a threat anymore. But even a few could run amok through the town, and each of them could kill a human, then use the body as nutrients for more locust eggs. Karl began to sweat with exertion, and Hawk was pushing to come out and assist, even if he was standing beside Karl on the wall. [It's alright, buddy. We're almost done here. One more minute and they'll be all gone, then whatever cleanup the town does can start. Karl replied, placating the bird for a moment as he slowed his attacks to avoid overtaxing his stamina. The locusts made a field of green blood and body bits in the distance when the alarm finally sounded again, marking the official end of the battle and the start of the cleanup effort, which would ensure there were no survivors or viable eggs left behind. "Thank you, Elite. Might I know your name?" The man beside Karl asked politely. "Karl, Awakened Rank Student at the Academy." He replied, and the man chuckled. "I must say I'm a bit jealous. You did an impressive job here today. Your skills are well-suited to town defense against the swarms of weaker monsters. Come back again sometime, and drinks will be on us." Daniel laughed as he came over to the pair. "No getting the students drunk so young." He reprimanded the local. "Bah, you city folk are too uptight. Out here in the sticks, we start drinking beer with breakfast as soon as we can walk." Karl chuckled. That was because the water was no good, so you had to filter it, and beer came ready to drink. His own family had done the same thing, though they thinned the cheap beer with the more expensive drinking water for the kids. "Still, we're headed out into the long grass, so no drinking this morning, even if the beer is free with breakfast." Daniel cautioned Karl with a frown. "Got it, boss. No drinking before we go monster hunting." It took a few minutes before things had calmed down enough that the staff returned to the restaurant next to the motel, but there was hot coffee in the pots, and the four agents were happy with that until the cook returned to take their orders. Alice was the first to address their plans for the day. "As we've all been vividly reminded. The South is not a safe area, and it belongs more to the monsters than the people. So, we will have to watch every move that we make as we travel further from civilization. The first spot that I want to stop at is here, by the river. I don't know if Karl gets some sort of calling to his potential partners or if it will be a conscious decision every time, but there should be a wide variety of options along the riverbank. Most monsters need to drink, so they will have to go there eventually. The optimal targets would seem to be the Stoneskin Rhino, the Golden Dire Bear, the Giant Crocolisk, and the Armored Ape." They were aiming to get Karl a tank for the next pet, but they were right; those would all be great options. The Stoneskin Rhino could spread its armor over nearby targets, the Golden Dire Bear had an extremely impressive strengthening ability, the Armored Ape also had armor magic, and the Crocolisk was a living tank. Karl would put it at the bottom of his list, as it didn't have innate magic that he would be likely to learn, but as far as combat power, it was certainly near the top of the list. "Since I gained Hawk's [Rend] skill, I think that another innate skill would most likely be passed on as well, so it might be just as important to pick a good skill as it is to pick the toughest of monsters," Karl suggested. "We could go a bit further and try to find him a Giant Cerro," Daniel suggested. "You think that a giant armored lizard with Rhino horns is what anyone would want as a pet?" Alice asked. The warrior shrugged. "It's a herbivore, so easy to feed. It's huge and armored, and it has the [Rapid Regeneration] innate skill. When it activates that ability, it will heal from the most egregious wounds in seconds. How would that not be useful?" Jodi smiled. "I just think it will be amusing to see someone try to fight an ancient lizard the size of a small elephant." Karl had never heard of such a creature, but it sounded terrifying.