This was an oversight Luo Wen hadn’t anticipated, a blind spot in his thinking.
Beyond his lack of familiarity with male ants, there was another factor: the Brood Nest had always produced eggs without needing external involvement.
Perhaps the Brood Nest instinctively knew that if it required such a process, Luo Wen might have eliminated it long before it reached its current size.
With the issue identified, Luo Wen extracted genetic fragments from the male ants. The Brood Nest soon began producing eggs for a few male ants.
In time, the Queens successfully laid eggs.
However, the hatchlings were ordinary, unmodified ants—free of any advanced biological features.
Fortunately, these creatures still obeyed Luo Wen’s commands.
Apart from their pheromone-based identification system, they also inherited the dual friend-or-foe recognition system characteristic of Brood Nest creations.
Yet, this outcome fell far short of Luo Wen’s expectations.
Determined to achieve better results, Luo Wen conducted further experiments.
Although the Brood Nest’s origins lay in the genes of Black Ant Queens, its mutations had transformed it beyond recognition.
Luo Wen experimented with various combinations of his own genes and those of the Brood Nest. After countless trials, he finally devised a passable solution.
The Queens hatched using this new formula operated more like miniature versions of the Brood Nest. They could lay eggs without the need for male ants and even utilize optimized genetic combinations to produce specialized insects, such as Burrower Ants and Spy Bugs.
However, they had their limitations.
Firstly, their gene libraries were fixed the moment they detached from the Brood Nest. Unlike the Brood Nest, they couldn’t synchronize with Luo Wen to continuously update their genetic repertoire.
Secondly, they lacked the Brood Nest’s capacity for relentless energy conversion. Bound by their smaller appetites and limited time, their growth was slower, and their egg production couldn’t compare to that of the Brood Nest.
These flaws, though inconvenient, could be mitigated.
For example, the first issue could be resolved by periodically producing new Queens to refresh the gene library. As for the second issue, while individual output was limited, there was no restriction on the number of Queens that could exist.
If one wasn’t enough, produce two. If two weren’t sufficient, try ten—or a hundred.
The swarm’s expansion accelerated dramatically. Simultaneously, the first batch of ten experimental Queen eggs was produced.
While these Queens matured, the swarm launched a frenzied offensive, wiping out dozens of ant nests in a short time.
None of the thirty-plus ant nests that once provided food for the hive were spared. All were annihilated, and their territories absorbed into the swarm.
However, due to the distance, the new territories couldn’t yet be developed or guarded.
This was only a temporary issue. As the ten Queens matured, it was time for them to play their roles.
Luo Wen equipped each Queen with 300 Burrower Ants, 700 Worker Ants, and 50 Soldier Ants as their personal guard units.
After assembly, the ten teams set off in different directions toward the frontlines.
Their mission was to establish branch bases in the new territories, create additional aphid pastures, and utilize local resources to increase their numbers. They were also tasked with safeguarding their territories and the Brood Nest itself.
Luo Wen was thrilled. If these experimental seeds proved successful, the swarm’s growth would reach unprecedented levels.
Finally, the prospect of defeating the Yellow Earth Ant Legion and avenging past grievances was within reach.
Despite the emergence of branch Queens, the Brood Nest’s production continued unabated.
After replenishing the forces assigned to the ten Queens, all new mature individuals were sent to support the frontlines and branch bases.
The Queens, still limited in production capacity, focused on nurturing themselves while the branches grew steadily under the Brood Nest’s support.
As the branch bases expanded and the number of insects increased, new aphid pastures began to appear around them.
The experiment proceeded smoothly. In the following weeks, the swarm resumed its relentless march of expansion.
One by one, over twenty additional Queens were dispatched with their personal guards to establish new branch bases in fresh territories.
As the branch bases proliferated across the region, the swarm’s activity radius grew significantly.
Unlike independent Black Ant colonies, which formed separate systems with unique identification protocols, the Brood Nest’s Queens functioned as extensions of the hive.
All branches shared the same identification system and pheromone-based network as the central hive.
Insects from any branch could freely access the Brood Nest and other bases for rest and resupply.
Luo Wen remained their supreme commander.
Time flew by, with a new Queen team departing every few days to secure new territories.
Backed against the cliff, the swarm’s influence now extended along the eastern lake’s shoreline, rapidly expanding northward.
Upon reaching the lake’s northern end, the swarm split into two forces: one continued north, while the other followed the lake’s edge eastward.
Eventually, the eastern force encountered a river flowing from the lake. Turning north along the river, they rejoined the northern force.
Meanwhile, a western force of 30,000 insects advanced westward.
When the hive was weaker, Luo Wen had avoided the lake, staying as far away as possible. As a human, he had harbored an unexplainable fear of deep water.
After becoming an insect, even small puddles seemed bottomless to him.
Fear of the unknown only deepened his caution—he couldn’t be sure what terrifying creatures might lurk underwater.
As the swarm grew stronger, Luo Wen dispatched scouts to patrol the area. Nothing unusual occurred, though he climbed tall plants near the shore to observe the lake from a distance.
Despite the calm surface, he couldn’t see beneath the water.
Over time, Luo Wen’s wariness subsided. Though the swarm patrolled the area, he never expanded their territory to the lake.
Now, however, the hive encompassed half the lakeshore.
Ironically, Luo Wen found himself hoping something would emerge from the lake—perhaps it could offer new genetic fragments for his collection.
It had been far too long since his gene library had been updated.
Alas, the lake’s creatures adhered to a “live and let live” philosophy, showing no inclination to come ashore.