【At this very moment, a brand-new unit has been born into the colony】
Lin Miao looked at the new ant species emerging from its cocoon and couldn't help but let out an exclamation of awe. “It's huge!”
This was a brand-new soldier ant produced by the Queen Ant after devouring the tiger-head hornet.
True to Lin Miao's original desire for wings, soldier ants with massive wings had appeared in the colony for the very first time in history.
Furthermore, its advantages went far beyond merely possessing wings.
It had a black exoskeleton that looked incredibly hard at a glance, a sharp stinger at the tip of its abdomen, and legs covered in spikes.
These monsters, seemingly a perfect fusion of a tiger-head hornet and an ant, tore through their cocoons and crawled out. They stretched and dried their wings while receiving the service of the worker ants.
Having consumed a massive amount of resources to produce, this brand-new unit naturally held an extremely high status.
Watching the worker ants feed them and clean their bodies, Lin Miao deduced that their rank was even higher than that of the mutated soldier ants.
【The colony intends to be as sparing as possible in utilizing these individuals, whose production limit is extremely low】
Their numbers were also few. It could be said that these were the most expensive and top-tier mutated variants the colony could currently produce.
As for the flying scouts Lin Miao had wanted, they were also produced separately.
These ants, only a quarter of the size of the mutated hornet ants, had all grown thin, light wings and flew into the sky in swarms.
Even at only a quarter of the size, they were still roughly the size of an eagle compared to their surroundings.
Thanks to this, as they soared into the high altitude, they instantly elevated the colony's field of vision to an entirely different dimension.
Lin Miao, who shared their field of vision, felt exactly the same way.
“It's so vast.”
Able to see everything the scouts saw and even more, Lin Miao stared at the open landscape that filled the entire screen and couldn't help but sigh softly.
This world was completely different from the reality he lived in. The boundless green plains nurtured countless lives.
He doubted even the most exceptional nature documentary could ever deliver the sheer awe of the sight before his eyes.
He also came to realize more than ever that having a broader field of vision had an immeasurable impact on the efficiency of intelligence gathering.
【The Queen Ant, and indeed the entire colony, have become highly excited】
However, the colony, looking at the exact same screen as Lin Miao, interpreted the scene in a completely different way.
【To think there are still so many prey to devour】
This was food that would allow the colony to expand and evolve continuously.
What they wanted had never changed from beginning to end.
With their intelligence steadily rising, Lin Miao himself couldn't guarantee whether this instinct, deeply rooted in their very purpose of existence, could ever be corrected.
“There's no other way. If they die, I won't survive either.”
As the deity aiding their evolution, bound to the colony as a community of shared destiny, and yet still an ordinary human at heart, Lin Miao could only steel his resolve.
He knew very well that now was not the time to slack off.
【Your servants have reacted to the newly introduced prey】
On his way home from work, Lin Miao had procured another new insect and immediately tossed it into the terrarium.
It was a bombardier beetle. Though small in size, it possessed highly potent characteristics.
According to Lin Miao's expectations, after devouring this insect, the venomous ants in the colony should be able to undergo further evolution.
【The Queen Ant is extremely satisfied with predating on a new type of prey】
Although the bombardier beetle, which frantically sprayed high-temperature chemicals, resisted fiercely, it was ultimately slaughtered alive by the colony just like every other creature that fell into the terrarium.
Afterward, it was devoured by the Queen Ant, and its abilities and genes were completely stripped by the colony.
【The Queen Ant firmly believes that the colony's venomous ants will become even stronger】
Perhaps because the bombardier beetle had killed quite a few worker ants during its struggle, its formidable combat prowess left a deep impression on the Queen Ant. She immediately set about preparing to create a new mutated variant.
【The colony protests. With the resources currently at hand, it is impossible to produce additional new classes of soldier ants】
【Ultimately, the Queen Ant chose to back down】
The Queen Ant, who was bent on making the colony stronger, had her expanding ambitions halted.
The colony's productivity and sustainability had reached their limits.
Watching the screen as the Queen Ant slowly lowered her antennae and turned away in a huff under the intense protests of a crowd of seemingly ordinary worker ants, Lin Miao couldn't help but chuckle. “Is she actually throwing a tantrum?”
These entities that looked like ordinary worker ants were, in essence, the collective will of the entire colony.
Even the Queen Ant, who possessed the most developed brain and the most prominent sense of self, had not yet managed to fully control the entire colony.
Lin Miao felt that this structure was for the best, and hoped the colony could always maintain this system of checks and balances in the future.
If the Queen Ant's self-awareness expanded excessively and she sought to turn the entire colony into a tool for her own whims, it would undoubtedly become a runaway train of dictatorship.
However, the colony, though simple-minded, acted entirely on instinct and could perfectly keep the Queen Ant in check, which seemed to prevent such a scenario.
【Your servants have decided to march out in order to acquire more food】
Yet, this did not mean the Queen Ant's wishes were entirely ignored.
After all, whether it was the Queen Ant or the colony as a whole, their strongest instinct—the desire for evolution and growth—remained completely aligned.
Having completed their preparations, the colony surged out of the nest in unison, dividing into multiple hunting squads to take action in different directions.
Their movements showed not a shred of confusion or hesitation, precise as machinery.
In the vision of the flying scouts, the distant walls of the human southern forces and the countless people living there were as minuscule as sesame seeds.
Seeing the massive army of ants surging toward them, the human forces in the south fell into a panic over this recurring crisis and hurriedly began preparing for battle.
Lin Miao saw this scene very clearly as well.
Though it was a pity, they would have to keep fighting from now on.
After all, the colony would absolutely not spare a single human.
...
Through communication magic, the observations from the frontline fortress were instantly transmitted to the lord's castle.
“How long has it been since the last battle, and those monsters are already rushing out of the unexplored forest again!”
Hearing this news, Count Roland, whose complexion had been growing increasingly haggard lately, darkened instantly.
Looking at the messenger, Count Roland asked in a deep voice, “I was clearly told that we killed quite a few of those monsters last time?”
The subordinate immediately bowed and replied, his tone filled with helplessness, “Their rate of multiplication is completely beyond our imagination.”
The colony gave the humans absolutely no breathing room.
The moment they restored their combat strength, they rushed toward the battlefield without a shred of hesitation.
In fact, ever since her initial contact with the colony and personally experiencing that fear and power, Celia had begun to conduct in-depth research on them. Her research findings were unrivaled in this region.
Looking at Count Roland with a cold gaze, Celia spoke in a solemn voice, “We have no other choice, Lord Count. We must join forces with the beastkin. We cannot make the same mistake twice.”
She was referring to the time when the goblin faction in the unexplored territory had proposed a joint effort to eliminate the ants, only to be rejected by the lords.
Back then, everyone had hesitated, refusing to trust monsters like goblins. The ultimate result was their failure to stop the colony's expansion and growth.
To repeat the same mistake for the same reason would be peak foolishness.
Count Roland grit his teeth and cursed, “...Damn it, what on earth is this world turning into?”
Ultimately, Count Roland could only make this decision, which he was far from pleased with.
As the leader of the northern lords, Count Roland had never gotten along with the Church of the Goddess of Light, and his decision at this moment set the entire north into motion.
They finally announced that they would join forces with the beastkin to wage an all-out war against the colony.
Just then, acting as the negotiating representative, Count Merlin—a priest and magician belonging to the Church of the Goddess of Light—found Celia.
Looking at Celia, he spoke gently, “Celia, I heard you understand those monsters very well and have conducted extensive research on them. Why don't we go meet the beastkin together and share the information on those monsters with them?”
He had noticed long ago that Celia had gathered quite a few research results while studying the ants and personally participating in the war during this period.
The colony's reproductive capacity, their trait of continuously growing stronger through evolution, and many other points she had discovered and urged the lords to heed had already been validated by battle after battle.
Count Merlin continued, “Too many people have forgotten the importance of research. Even ordinary adventurers will study a magical beast's habits before hunting it. To charge into battle without even knowing what kind of existence the enemy is... isn't that utterly ridiculous?”
Celia immediately bowed in response. “You are absolutely correct.”
In fact, Count Merlin, who had come as Daniel's successor, was a person similar to Daniel, yet entirely different.
If Daniel had focused on the political aspect, Count Merlin's attention was entirely fixed on the colony itself, which had become his mortal enemy.
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