The newly hatched antrvae looked like little handles growing out of the eggs. ced side by side with the eggs, it was difficult to tell them apart at first nce.


    The hatching of the eggs signaled an imminent poption explosion in Luo Wen’s brood. But before that, his workload increased yet again. Thervae required mature ck 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 ck 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 ck 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 ck ants. Whenever he killed a ck 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 hisir 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 cked off. Luo Wen, by contrast, often needed to rest and reflect on his bug life after each trip. As a result, their efficiency was nearlyparable.


    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, nonchntly entered the ck ant colony. Strangely, the ants didn’t attack it—instead, they stepped aside to let it pass.This baffled Luo Wen. The nest was sacred territory for the ck ants, and his growing entomological knowledge confirmed this new insect wasn’t rted to them. The intruder had a ttened, elongated abdomen covered in a hard shell, which immediately marked it as a different species.


    How had it gained free ess to the ck ant colony? Luo Wen couldn’t figure it out.


    Days passed, and Luo Wen, freed from transport duties and asionally indulging in extra meals, grew noticeablyrger. Despite absorbing ck beetle genes, his head hadn’t developed the iconic mandibles. Luo Wen spected it was due to ack of space—his massivepound eyes dominated his head, leaving no room forrge mandibles.


    Moreover, the ck beetle’s t 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 timesrger than the regr ck ants, with sturdier legs and powerful, sharp mandibles. Its formidable appearance made it clear that itsbat abilities far surpassed those of ordinary ants.


    Luo Wen had a realization. Drawing from knowledge learned long ago in kindergarten, he concluded the regr ck ants must be worker ants, while this giant was likely a soldier ant. Though he had been calling them ck ants, Luo Wen knew they weren’t Earth insects. On this alien, 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 colonycked 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 simr. However, he had yet to encounter any flying creatures—a stark contrast to Earth, where such insects were abundant.


    Theck 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”—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 lifeformsmon to Earth. Everything pointed to him being in apletely alien world. Though his conclusions had gaps, believing this gave him psychologicalfort.


    Seeing the soldier ant reminded Luo Wen of his own limitations. Recently emboldened by his growth, he had thought himself close to conquering the ck ant colony. Now, this formidable soldier ant had poured cold water on his ambitions. Although he wasrger than regr 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 forbat, while he was a part-time fighter and full-time digger.


    As he mulled over these thoughts, a sh of yellow-brown passed to his right, catching his attention.@@novelbin@@