"There are fewer and fewer eggs to choose from. It looks as if we won't be able to raise any new locust demons." The meeting in the magma cavern went on.

"Demon Three-Legs, how many eggs did you pick out and bring back just now?" the leader of the locust demons asked.

Demon Three-Legs was the ancient locust Shen Cong had followed in. It flicked the two antennae on its head and chirped, "Two. One fewer than last time. That swarm is having a harder and harder time producing higher-quality eggs. Low-quality eggs don't deserve to live."

"You let the other locusts eat the eggs?"

"They ate them."

A locust demon that had spoken out earlier against staying in the magma cavern chirped, "They shouldn't have. If the eggs were kept, they might produce more locust demons."

The leader rounded on it and hissed, "Demon Blind-Eye, you always have to argue. Locust demons don't need to depend on stupid bugs. We are evolution's chosen, not something that crawled out of a garbage heap on its own... Of course, there's no need to eat every egg. We can give them a chance to join us."

Demon Blind-Eye said sourly, "Demon Bighead, you're too full of yourself. We locust demons aren't invincible. Your choices will be the ruin of us."

Demon Bighead, the leader, sprang off the metal ore at that and landed in front of Demon Blind-Eye. It raised its head high and hissed down at it, "Demon Blind-Eye, do you want your other eye knocked blind too?"

"Threats are all you know!"

"I'm stronger than you, so you listen to me. I'm smarter than you, so you listen to me. I'm Demon Bighead, and my head is the biggest!" Worked up, Demon Bighead pressed in on Demon Blind-Eye step by step. "Demon Blind-Eye, you need to fear me. Back down. Back down. No arguing with me!"

Under the weight of Demon Bighead's menace, Demon Blind-Eye had no choice but to lower its head and back away two steps.

A sign of submission.

Satisfied at last, Demon Bighead lifted its head…