The newly hatched ant larvae looked like little handles growing out of the eggs. Placed side by side with the eggs, it was difficult to tell them apart at first glance.
The hatching of the eggs signaled an imminent population explosion in Luo Wen’s brood. But before that, his workload increased yet again. The larvae required mature black ants to partially digest food and regurgitate it into a form they could consume—a task as revolting as it was necessary.
And Luo Wen was still the sole provider of meat for the entire hive.
To make matters worse, the black ant colony, noticing the dwindling number of scouts returning, had significantly reduced the number sent toward Luo Wen’s territory. Other than a few lost stragglers, Luo Wen hadn’t seen a direct scout approach in days. His hunting range now extended dangerously close to the enemy nest.
From higher ground, his keen vision could spot the busy entrance of the black ant colony. Although Luo Wen didn’t dare provoke them directly at their doorstep, he observed from a safe distance, hoping to learn about their habits. He aimed to improve his understanding of colony management by studying them.
During hunts, Luo Wen now brought along six or seven of his own black ants. Whenever he killed a black ant from the neighboring nest, his ants would swarm over the carcass, feasting on it and carrying the leftovers back to the brood. The journey back to the nest was made easier with Luo Wen having already cleared out most hazards, and the ants’ pheromone trails ensured they wouldn’t get lost.
Hunting grounds were now only a dozen meters away from the enemy nest, while his lair was over 50 meters away. The long travel time gave Luo Wen opportunities to observe and strategize while his ants handled transportation. This new approach significantly reduced his workload, as he no longer had to spend most of his day hauling food back and forth.
Though the ants were slower than him, they were tireless and never slacked off. Luo Wen, by contrast, often needed to rest and reflect on his bug life after each trip. As a result, their efficiency was nearly comparable.
One day, while waiting for his transport team to return, Luo Wen witnessed something strange near the enemy nest. A new species of insect, with a yellow-brown body, nonchalantly entered the black ant colony. Strangely, the ants didn’t attack it—instead, they stepped aside to let it pass.
How had it gained free access to the black ant colony? Luo Wen couldn’t figure it out.
Days passed, and Luo Wen, freed from transport duties and occasionally indulging in extra meals, grew noticeably larger. Despite absorbing black beetle genes, his head hadn’t developed the iconic mandibles. Luo Wen speculated it was due to a lack of space—his massive compound eyes dominated his head, leaving no room for large mandibles.
Moreover, the black beetle’s flat head allowed for leverage when using its mandibles, whereas Luo Wen’s narrow, seed-shaped head would render such appendages ineffective. The likely reason, though, was that mandibles would hinder his digging—a key survival skill. It seemed his body had evolved to optimize digging efficiency by discarding traits that could obstruct it. Luo Wen couldn’t help but wonder if this stemmed from his cautious, survivalist nature.
One day, Luo Wen spotted a massive ant near the enemy nest’s entrance. It was several times larger than the regular black ants, with sturdier legs and powerful, sharp mandibles. Its formidable appearance made it clear that its combat abilities far surpassed those of ordinary ants.
Luo Wen had a realization. Drawing from knowledge learned long ago in kindergarten, he concluded the regular black ants must be worker ants, while this giant was likely a soldier ant. Though he had been calling them black ants, Luo Wen knew they weren’t Earth insects. On this alien planet, they merely resembled ants he was familiar with. Without any naming skills, he had simply borrowed Earth terms.
Until now, Luo Wen had only encountered worker ants and assumed the colony lacked soldier ants. Seeing one now confirmed that their colony had hidden military strength. Luo Wen wondered if this world’s environment mirrored Earth’s to the point that its insects were so similar. However, he had yet to encounter any flying creatures—a stark contrast to Earth, where such insects were abundant.
The lack of aerial species puzzled him, but Luo Wen reasoned it might be due to his limited exploration. Perhaps his current habitat simply didn’t support flying creatures, or maybe his perspective as a ground-dwelling bug skewed his observations.
Thanks to the transport ants, Luo Wen now had time to reflect. He ruled out the possibility of this being the “wizard planet”—a scenario where his species, the Iphieash, was purportedly unrivaled. After all this time, Luo Wen still couldn’t overwhelm an ant colony. Something was clearly wrong—either with his own development, the environment, or both.
Adding to his doubts, Luo Wen had yet to see reptiles, mammals, or humanoid creatures—none of the lifeforms common to Earth. Everything pointed to him being in a completely alien world. Though his conclusions had gaps, believing this gave him psychological comfort.
Seeing the soldier ant reminded Luo Wen of his own limitations. Recently emboldened by his growth, he had thought himself close to conquering the black ant colony. Now, this formidable soldier ant had poured cold water on his ambitions. Although he was larger than regular ants, the soldier ant’s length was twice his, and its mandibles were far deadlier than his simple armor.
Luo Wen knew he couldn’t face it alone. Soldier ants were built for combat, while he was a part-time fighter and full-time digger.
As he mulled over these thoughts, a flash of yellow-brown passed to his right, catching his attention.