Having discovered his new adaptations, Luo Wen trudged through the muddy riverbed, slowly heading toward the river’s mouth.
The increasingly salty seawater posed no issue for Luo Wen, as his newly developed underwater respiratory system perfectly filtered out the salt content.
As he exited the river and ventured into the ocean, the underwater landscape left him somewhat disappointed.
Perhaps due to the cold waters, underwater vegetation was scarce. However, the seabed’s rocky crevices teemed with shrimp and crabs, some of which even attempted to ambush Luo Wen.
Luo Wen’s claws remained formidable weapons even underwater, though the resistance from the water made them cumbersome, leaving him little success against the nimble shrimp. However, the crabs that boldly brandished their claws at him didn’t fare as well; Luo Wen easily dispatched many of them. Unfortunately, he couldn’t eat underwater, nor could he conveniently carry them, leaving him no choice but to abandon this feast of ultra-fresh seafood.
As he advanced along the seabed, the water grew deeper, and the pressure exerted on him increased. However, his exoskeleton appeared to have a natural resistance to pressure, so he experienced no significant discomfort.
By the time Luo Wen descended to a depth of over 300 meters, sunlight from the surface barely reached this level. While his unique compound eyes allowed him to see in low light, they were powerless in absolute darkness.
At around 400 meters deep, the surroundings were utterly black. Fear of the unknown compelled Luo Wen to halt his descent. He inflated the air sacs between his carapace and abdomen, causing his body to ascend slowly toward the surface.
As he rose, his surroundings gradually became visible again.
At just over ten centimeters long, the creature posed no real threat to Luo Wen, though its agility made it challenging for him to deal with.
Although Luo Wen’s movements couldn’t match the mantis shrimp’s swiftness, his excellent dynamic visual system captured its every move. This mantis shrimp differed from the ones he remembered; its two front limbs weren’t sharp “scythes” but rather small hammers.
The mantis shrimp twisted agilely in the water, closing the distance in a few swift movements. Luo Wen clumsily extended a claw to fend it off, hoping the creature might foolishly blunder into his grip.
If the mantis shrimp could speak, it would likely retort, “Keep dreaming!”
The shrimp suddenly collided with one of Luo Wen’s large claws and immediately retaliated. Luo Wen caught a fleeting flash of light in the corner of his eye, followed by a heavy strike against his claw.
Luo Wen realized that the mantis shrimp had attacked him with its hammer-like appendages, but even with his dynamic vision, he couldn’t clearly follow the attack.
After a moment, the mantis shrimp seemed to sense that this massive creature wasn’t worth provoking. It quickly turned and vanished into the dark depths.
Since growing to his current size, Luo Wen had never been so brazenly challenged. However, glancing at the boundless and shadowy ocean, he knew it would be difficult to avenge himself.
Upon surfacing, Luo Wen oriented himself and discovered he was several kilometers from shore. He raised the claw that had been struck and noticed a faint crack. Though the damage was minor, the insult stung deeply, leaving him fuming.
After calming down, Luo Wen marveled at the shrimp’s strength. His claw was one of the most heavily armored parts of his body. Despite the size disparity, the shrimp’s attack had caused visible damage.
This wasn’t some underhanded trick involving poison—the shrimp’s raw power was astonishing. If Luo Wen had been its size, his armor might have been shattered instantly.
Since Luo Wen only had one pair of swimming legs, his movement speed in the water was relatively slow. Fortunately, he wasn’t in a hurry, and the sea around him was dotted with enormous icebergs, seemingly drifting down from even farther north.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on one of the icebergs. Frozen inside was a strange, oval-shaped, flat-bodied insect of an unknown species.
This was a pleasant surprise. Luo Wen had never seen this insect before, and consuming it would likely grant him new genetic fragments.
Though uncertain of its utility, he clambered onto the iceberg and laboriously chipped away at the ice with his claw to extract the insect.
It was unclear whether the insect was alive or dead. Judging by its appearance, it had been frozen for a long time and was probably lifeless. Still, thanks to being kept on ice, it was impressively fresh.
After enjoying a “snack,” Luo Wen spent some time returning to shore.
For now, there wasn’t much left for him to do here. Exploring the ocean alone wasn’t practical, and he didn’t particularly enjoy the cold environment.
Although his cold resistance was decent, the chill still dulled his senses, an unpleasant sensation.
He ordered the detachment to continue their coastal operations and began his journey back to the Brood Nest.
Upon returning, Luo Wen linked with the Brood Nest.
The first task was to update the pending Queen Ant production orders, incorporating the new underwater breathing system.
As for the frozen insect, genetic analysis revealed its secrets. It possessed a unique hibernation ability, allowing it to enter a dormant state. When Luo Wen had unearthed it, it hadn’t been dead, merely in hibernation. No wonder it was so fresh and odor-free.
Luo Wen smacked his lips, reminiscing about the seafood’s flavor. This talent seemed useless for now, so he set it aside.
Several dozen days later, the first batch of upgraded Queen Ants matured, and Luo Wen immediately dispatched them to establish a base at the coast.
Over a hundred days later, a dead mantis shrimp was brought to Luo Wen.
Having endured a journey of several thousand kilometers, the shrimp was now rotten and reeked unbearably. Luo Wen, though less particular than before, still found it inedible.
Determined to savor fresh seafood sashimi, Luo Wen made another arduous trip to the coastal base.
By now, the base had expanded significantly and was overseen by a single Type II Queen Ant. The base welcomed Luo Wen without fanfare, merely preparing his old “heated room” for his use.
After resting for a day, Luo Wen watched as the swarm’s naval units embarked on their mission.
Due to the base’s limited capacity with only one Type II Queen Ant, the number of seaworthy units was modest, comprising just two types of creatures.
One was modeled after crabs, while the other was based on shrimp.
Each had its advantages. The crab-based units boasted powerful claws and robust shells, granting them high offensive and defensive capabilities, though their mobility was poor.
The shrimp-based units, while weaker in attack and defense, utilized a darting swimming method that provided swift movement and erratic trajectories.
As for the mantis shrimp, it excelled in both speed and agility, with formidable defense and unparalleled attack power, making it a true overlord of the sea.
Thus, relying solely on crabs and shrimp to hunt mantis shrimp would require considerable luck.