activa-t Chapter 20: Real Living Pesticides
Chapter 20: Real Living Pesticides
With hundreds of thousands of impoverished people working together, the number captured was still enormous.
According to a preliminary count by Manager Mike, a total of over one million ladybugs were captured this time!
Following Li Ang's orders, more than a million ladybugs were immediately transported to Amber Town!
The wheat fields in Amber Town have been severely damaged by aphids.
Time was of the essence, and the mages who had been conscripted earlier were arrayed in Amber Town.
The leader of the magic guild, Stuart Borre, and the vice-guild leader, Ferdinand, each led their magicians and began chanting spells aloud.
Different types of magical light began to converge and intertwine in front of them.
The first thing to appear was a warm, emerald-green light. The wood-elemental mage's incantation, like a spring breeze, infused pure life energy into the ladybugs, making them stronger!
Immediately afterwards, the Light Mage chanted a solemn prayer, and a holy halo enveloped the swarm of insects like a thin veil. This not only dispelled the strange "corruption" odor that permeated the air, but also coated each ladybug with a barely perceptible layer of pale golden light, giving them protection against decay and erosion.
The water mage's magic transformed into shimmering blue specks of light, falling as lightly as morning dew, nourishing the ladybugs' bodies, regulating their life state, ensuring they could continuously recover during fierce predation, and making their bodies more agile as water.
Finally, the earth-elemental mages made their appearance, especially Vice President Ferdinand, who chanted a deep and powerful incantation. A surge of rich, earthy-yellow magic did not make the ladybugs cumbersome, but rather subtly strengthened the structure of their carapaces, making them denser and more solid, as if they were covered with an invisible, shimmering armor.
The four magical elements are not simply superimposed, but rather complement each other under exquisite control, forming a complex and enhanced magical tide.
As the radiance faded, the buzzing of millions of ladybugs seemed to grow deeper and more powerful. Their carapaces shone brightly, and their eyes gleamed with an extraordinary spirituality and ferocity, like a miniature army blessed with divine divine protection and nature's grace, about to pounce on the swarm of decaying aphids.
Li Ang also arrived in Amber Town at this moment. He knew very well that this batch of ladybugs was crucial to whether or not the wheat fields of Amber Town could be saved!
Of course, there were still some ignorant and short-sighted serfs, freemen, and even some small-town officials who were not optimistic.
They whispered among themselves, "What kind of strange insects are these? Why go to all the trouble of transporting them all the way from Gale Town?"
"Can it really eliminate aphids?"
"And they even mobilized such a massive army of mages! That's quite a fuss! Let's hope it doesn't turn into a laughingstock!"
Even worse, some spread bizarre and insane words: "Ujigura, Chaos above! The aphid crisis is punishment for the king's tyranny! Only by throwing ourselves into the arms of the Chaos God can we find salvation..."
Li Ang had already made arrangements for this situation.
Steward Mike's eyes were like those of a hawk, and his court warriors had long been disguised and mingled among the crowd.
Just now, all those who expressed discontent, complaints, hatred, or madness—whether serfs, free men, or town officials—were quietly apprehended by pairs of court warriors.
The million-plus ladybugs, now imbued with four types of magic, have unleashed tremendous power!
After they swarmed into the wheat field, they spotted a large number of aphids.
Those aphids are clinging to the wheat plants, still feeding on them wantonly.
The ladybug, suddenly overcome with hunger, launched an attack on the aphid.
Ladybugs' powerful mandibles act like tiny, precise instruments of torture, firmly clamping down on aphids' plump, soft bodies.
With an almost inaudible "plop" sound, the aphids' body fluids were quickly sucked away, leaving only shriveled, transparent empty shells stuck to the wheat stalks.
Although some aphids with a strong "corrupt" aura are very resilient!
However, ladybugs that have received magical enhancements from magicians are not just for show!
In particular, the spells cast by Light-type mages, with their pure light power, naturally have a purifying effect on the aura of "corruption"!
As large numbers of aphids were devoured by ladybugs, a fierce resistance erupted within the aphid colony.
The number of aphids in 200,000 mu of wheat fields is in the tens of millions, far exceeding that of ladybugs.
These aphids seem to have developed some intelligence and have begun to use swarm tactics. If one or two aphids can't defeat a ladybug alone, then dozens or even hundreds of them will attack together.
If it were an ordinary ladybug, being attacked like this would also mean certain death and heavy losses.
However, the spell bonuses from the four elemental mages made the ladybugs much stronger!
The earth-based magic shield protected against the deadly bites of many aphid mouthparts.
Wood-based magic granted the ladybug an incredibly vigorous life force!
Water magic has given the ladybugs tremendous vitality!
In this battle between ladybugs and aphids, the ladybugs have a clear advantage!
"Quickly notify the Royal Mage Guild and the Mage Association to summon another batch of wind mages!"
Li Ang kept a close eye on the battle between the two insect species and solemnly gave the order.
Vice President Ferdinand pondered for a moment, then decided to follow Leon's orders: "Yes, Your Majesty! Our association's other vice president—Saxon—happens to be a wind mage! I'll have him come and provide support!"
"That's excellent!"
Li Ang expressed his appreciation.
Archmage Saxon brought a team of over two hundred wind mages from the association, along with a dozen or so wind mages from the court magic corps, to provide timely reinforcements.
A soft, transparent magical aura shone upon the body of each ladybug.
The ladybug, now empowered by magic, has become more agile and nimble, and its speed has increased dramatically!
"Pfft!"
"Pfft!"
Ladybug already had the upper hand, and now with the speed boost from the Wind type, it's even better.
Even if hundreds of aphids swarm together, they are no match for a ladybug.
One aphid after another was devoured by the ladybugs.
The battle between ladybugs and aphids lasted for a whole day and night!
The final result was gratifying. Although the ladybugs had paid a heavy price, with the original number of ladybugs dropping from millions to only forty or fifty thousand, the situation was different.
As for the aphids in the wheat field, they all died!
Baron Miguel excitedly walked into the wheat field and carefully examined each stalk of wheat. After confirming that there were no aphids, he burst into tears.
"The pest infestation is finally over!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Miguel and some of the town's residents wept with joy.
After continuous high-intensity spellcasting, Ferdinand and Saxon were also somewhat exhausted.
Magicians are known for their reverence for knowledge and truth, and Ferdinand, curious about today's scene, inquired, "Your Majesty, may I express my respect and question? How did you know that this so-called 'seven-spotted ladybug' specifically eats aphids? I've read over 90% of the books in the royal library, and I've never even heard of this strange ladybug!"
Li Ang casually replied, "I only heard about it by chance from an old man!"
Now, the aphids in the wheat field have been almost completely eradicated, but Li Ang can still detect the "smell of decay".
To prevent the aphids from "coming back from the ashes," the tens of thousands of remaining ladybugs were released into the wheat field.
According to Li Ang's vision, these ladybugs will continue to act as "living pesticides," becoming the strongest line of defense for wheat fields!