The devil locusts not only controlled the entire locust race, but even basic biological locusts fell under its command.
The combined numbers of large and small locusts exceeded a billion.
Wherever they passed, they instantly transformed the land into a desolate wasteland!
Even the soil was devoured, a layer stripped away, followed by the consumption of every root and blade of grass.
They would eat, defecate, and never stop.
Amidst the vast, ocean-like swarm of locusts, a five-meter-tall black locust, covered in spines, gazed into the distance.
"Is that the capital of the Free Empire? Begin! Leave no grain or anything edible behind!"
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
The locust swarm surged forward.
As they swept through the forest, it was as though an eraser had passed over it.
Trees vanished, leaving behind only overturned soil.
Behind the swarm, the world was reduced to two colors, with no other trace of life remaining.
The only colors left were the brown of the earth and the gray of locust dung.
As the swarm approached, Joan's expression grew heavy.
"What's going on? Locusts? Why would the insect race dare to summon such a massive locust army to attack human territory? Could it be… that Gabriel has blown the trumpet of the apocalypse? No, impossible."
According to the prophecies in the Book of Revelation, when the trumpet of the apocalypse sounded, seven disasters would descend, one of which was a plague of locusts controlled by angels to punish humanity.
But this was nonsense.
Joan's dominion did not fall under the jurisdiction of the Edenic gods; she served the twelve Olympian gods.
So she didn't believe it was that.
However, the current situation demanded an immediate solution to stop this locust swarm.
Otherwise, nothing would remain.
The buzzing grew louder and louder!
Countless locusts poured down like a flood, invading the city!
The residents screamed and ran towards their homes, but those who were too slow vanished on the spot!
Joan felt helpless.
Her divine power hadn't fully recovered yet.
Even if it had, how could she kill such tiny creatures?
The sheer number was overwhelming.
She watched in horror as several residents in front of her screamed in agony, their bodies crawling with locusts, being slowly devoured alive.
"Lady Joan, save me!"
"Where did these bugs come from? Stop biting me!"
"It's over, everything's over. Running is pointless; we can't survive this!"
In the midst of despair, the entire city was engulfed by the locusts.
From a distance, it looked like a tornado of insects had swallowed the place whole.
Everything edible was consumed.
The streets were littered with spotless skeletons, as clean as if they had been dead for decades.
Chaos reigned in the city.
It took about an hour for the locust swarm to disperse, moving on to ravage the nearby farmland.
"This is bad!"
Joan's heart sank.
If the crops in the fields were devoured this season, it would spell disaster.
Famine would descend.
Everyone, including herself, would starve to death!
Even if she rushed to the fields now and used all her strength to attack, it would be useless—the locusts were far too many.
Unless a dragon came and unleashed a breath of dragon fire.
But the dragons were aligned with the goblins.
The swarm passed.
Fields of wheat and melons were reduced to nothing but soil and locust dung.
Joan stood on the city walls in despair, suddenly struck by a thought.
"Goblins! It must be him! Why… why can he control locusts too?! What kind of monster am I fighting…"
Her aura deflated as she spoke.
After a long time, everything returned to an eerie calm, but in everyone's hearts, a storm raged.
Every household's food had been devoured.
Some had been cooking meals, only to find even their pots had vanished.
"What are we going to do? There's no food left at home. If this continues, we'll starve!"
"I didn't even get to eat today!"
"Forget eating, look outside!!!"
Bones, countless bones, littered the ground.
It was a horrifying sight!
Many people, too slow to escape, had been eaten alive by the locusts.
Those who were lucky had at least left behind skeletons.
Those targeted by the devil locusts had not even that much—no bones remained.
Joan hurried out to reassure the people.
"Everyone, don't be afraid. This is not divine punishment, but an evil trick of the goblins. I will now go to other empires to buy food for everyone! Wait for me!"
She immediately began preparations.
Joan led a convoy and set off for the Holy Tree Empire.
There was no time to lose.
People needed food like they needed iron in their blood; missing one meal left them hungry.
The round trip would take at least two days.
If it took more than three, people might start dying of starvation.
…
In the Goblin King City, Lin Tian was discussing important matters with Sara.
The guards stationed at the Holy Tree Empire, led by Gobu Kuang, hurried over and knocked on the gates.
"Boss, just like you said, Joan and her people have arrived! They even forced their way in. We couldn't beat them, so we ran away first."
"Got it. Go back and give her a message. Tell her that if she wants food, she must trade her body for it. If she wants the people in that city to survive, she must trade her life for it."
Lin Tian spoke calmly.
Upon hearing this, Gobu Kuang nodded.
"Understood, boss!"
With renewed courage, they teleported back.
…
In the Holy Tree Empire, Joan stared in disbelief at the devastation and the empty streets.
"How… how could this have happened? When did the goblins take over the Holy Tree Empire?!"
Her gaze lifted to the dead Holy Tree.
A deep sense of dread welled up inside her.
Seeing such a powerful being reduced to death stirred a primal fear in her human heart.
Because it signaled danger.
"Even the Holy Tree…"
Joan's expression grew complex.
She had never imagined a goblin could achieve something like this.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
She rushed to the granary of the Holy Tree Empire.
With a mighty swing, she cleaved open the massive iron doors.
"Load up everything! Let's head back quickly; the goblins might launch an attack any moment now," Joan ordered.
But the next second, she stood frozen.
The granary was completely empty, not even a speck of dust remained!
Joan, like a child who had lost her favorite toy, rushed inside, frantically searching everywhere.
"What the hell is he trying to do?!"
"Your Highness, what should we do now?"
"The goblins are terrifying. Controlling locusts, destroying the Holy Tree Empire, taking everything…"
The soldiers who accompanied her shivered, their faces filled with despair.
Joan looked out at the desolate scene.
"Search the city again. There must be something left!"
They moved quickly, but after hours of searching, they found nothing.
"Damn goblins! Do you intend to starve us to death? I won't let you succeed! I'll defeat you and end your evil life!"
Joan cursed bitterly, but she was powerless for now.
Suddenly, Gobu Kuang and his group appeared on the city walls, looking down at her.
"Your Majesty Joan, we've come with a message from the boss."
Joan turned toward the voice, her anger boiling over, clouding her mind!
She wanted to draw her sword and slaughter Gobu Kuang and his group right then and there.
But these were just messengers.
Killing them would make her no better than the goblins.
"Hmph, I don't want to hear it! If your boss has something to say, let him come in person! I swear, I'll cut off his head!"
Joan spat, her tone filled with hatred and determination.
But Gobu Kuang ignored her anger.
"Suit yourself. We're just here to relay a message. The boss says if you want food, trade your body. If you want the people of the Free Empire to live, trade your life."
"Bullshit! Damn goblin, say one more word and I'll kill you all!"
"We'll never sell out Lady Joan for a bite of food!"
a soldier shouted.
"As long as Lady Joan survives and kills all you goblins, I'm fine with starving to death!"
another soldier angrily added.
Joan, looking at Gobu Kuang, didn't bother to respond.
"Tell your boss, next time I see him, I'll chop off his head! I'll end his evil reign!"
"Is that so? I think next time you see our boss, you'll be stripped naked, hahaha!"
Gobu Kuang mocked.
Gobu Shan chimed in, "Next time we meet, you better be ready to become a mother! Keh keh keh!"
Joan's hands trembled with hatred.
But she suppressed her fury.
"Foolish low-level monsters, do you really think you can defeat us with a swarm of locusts? There are plenty of other places with food!"
Gobu Kuang and his group said no more.
They entered the magic circle and vanished.
"We're leaving. Although the Giant Elephant Empire usually doesn't get along with us, if I ask, they will definitely help," Joan reassured her people.
But one of the soldiers hesitated, his expression complicated.
"Your Highness, if we go to the Giant Elephant Empire, the round trip will take at least seven days…"
Upon hearing this, Joan seethed with rage, her fury and helplessness roiling inside her like a storm.
She wanted nothing more than to fly over and kill Lin Tian, but there was no way to act on her rage.
It was nothing more than a powerless tantrum.
Seven days.
In that time, the people who followed her—some of them would surely starve to death.
"Let's go… Seven days, just seven days…" Joan forced herself to remain calm.
The group could only nod.
But in the next instant, a piercing sound, like the roar of a dragon, echoed through the air as a sword was unsheathed!
"Shing!"
The Sword of Faith, filled with boundless fury, unleashed its power!
In a flash, the buildings within a few kilometers were flattened, and a wild gale tore through the area!
Dust and debris filled the sky, mirroring the restless turmoil inside Joan's heart.
Everyone was too terrified to speak.
It was the first time they had ever seen Joan lose her temper—she was always so composed and serene.
Then, the convoy began its journey to the Giant Elephant Empire.
This was their last hope.