The new Queen Ants were divided into three types.
The first type, the rarest, was designated for military campaigns, serving as commanders of the army. Since they were not required to lay eggs, their reproductive capabilities were minimized, and their musculature and body size were enhanced, slightly improving their mobility and self-preservation abilities.
The second type of Queen Ant was the standard version previously utilized by the swarm. These were balanced in capabilities, capable of both laying eggs and retreating from bases or joining the army when necessary. They also made up the majority of the Queen Ant population.
The third type of Queen Ant had been genetically modified with newly acquired genes, altering their abdominal egg-laying organs. By sacrificing mobility, they could produce a significantly greater quantity of eggs at a much faster rate. Consequently, these Queens were stationed deep within the swarm’s territory.
Luo Wen planned to establish several breeding bases, each housing hundreds of this third type of Queen Ant to centralize larva production. They would mass-produce specific insect species according to Luo Wen’s orders.
For example, during peacetime, these Queens primarily focused on breeding various Worker Ants. Once the larvae matured, they were transported throughout the territory. During wartime, however, these bases would become major staging points for deploying troops.
Over the following weeks, the third-type Queen Ants gradually matured, leading to an explosive growth in the swarm’s numbers.
Additionally, during this period, the swarm mastered the cultivation of “mushrooms.” This new crop could effectively clear dead branches and leaves in the territory. It grew easily, produced abundant yields, and had already been widely promoted.
Meanwhile, instead of completely mimicking the architectural style of the Yellow Bugs, the swarm adopted the multi-vent design favored by Big-headed Ants for better heat dissipation.
Hundreds of days passed, and the swarm’s territory expanded by over a hundred kilometers. The territory now housed more than 30,000 bases. In the later stages, the distances between bases grew significantly, far from the original state where dozens of bases occupied a few hundred square meters.
Eventually, Luo Wen even reorganized the initial few thousand bases, leaving only a few hundred Queen Ants to manage them while reallocating the rest to oversee new territories.
Although thousands of bases were left without Queen Ants, they weren’t abandoned. The underground cultivation systems had become highly developed, allowing these bases to operate smoothly even without a Queen.
While the number of bases didn’t increase significantly due to the limits of the Brood Nest’s production capacity, the number of insects per base multiplied several times. On average, each base housed over a million insects of various types.
Rough estimates indicated the swarm’s total population exceeded 30 billion.
With such a massive force, Luo Wen could no longer ignore a powerful enemy that had once severely injured him when he was weaker. It was time to confront them.
Excited by the thought, Luo Wen was filled with anticipation. Revenge wasn’t his primary motive; more importantly, he finally had something to look forward to.
Unfortunately, it would take over 200 days for the Yellow Earth Ant Legion to reach the cliff again.
Long ago, Luo Wen had stationed Scout Bugs permanently on the cliff. Through careful observation, he calculated that it took the Yellow Earth Ant Legion roughly 400 days to complete a hunting cycle.
A hundred days prior, the Yellow Earth Ant Legion had passed above the cliff. At that time, Luo Wen didn’t entertain any thoughts about confronting them, feeling his strength was insufficient.
However, he greatly underestimated the swarm’s explosive growth rate. As the number of Queen Ants increased, the swarm’s production capacity grew exponentially.
In just over a hundred days, Luo Wen’s mindset shifted. At the current pace, by the time the Yellow Earth Ants returned, the swarm’s population would likely reach a trillion.
They could definitely take on the Yellow Earth Ant Legion head-on.
As days dragged on, Luo Wen’s anticipation made time feel unbearably slow, giving him a profound sense of “watching grass grow.”
Finally, the Yellow Earth Ant Legion’s return was only a few dozen days away, and the swarm began preparing for the imminent battle.
“An army marches on its stomach.”
Around a kilometer from the cliff, Luo Wen established several storage bases. Swarms of Transport Bugs moved back and forth, ferrying supplies from the territory to these locations.
Nearby were several hatching bases, where millions of Soldier Ant eggs were incubating. By the time the battle commenced, these bases could provide tens of millions of reinforcements daily.
Ten days before the calculated date, several armies began returning to the front. Bases farthest from the cliff also started deploying troops.
As time passed, bases closer to the front dispatched their forces in waves. From above, one could see black columns of ants converging toward the cliff from all directions.
According to Luo Wen’s calculations, the swarm’s forces would be fully assembled three days before the anticipated battle.
After 200 days of development, the swarm’s population had already surpassed a trillion. For this massive war, Luo Wen mobilized nearly every available insect.
While ensuring the normal operation of farms and plantations in the territory, half the swarm—over 500 billion insects—was dispatched to the front lines.
Even so, maintaining such a massive force was a heavy burden. Luo Wen planned for them to arrive three days early, as this was the limit of the swarm’s logistical capabilities.
However, seven days before the anticipated date, Scout Bugs on the cliff detected the Yellow Earth Ant Legion’s vanguard.
Based on their pattern, the main army would arrive within two days at most. But half of the swarm’s troops were still en route and would only be partially assembled by then.
Unexpectedly, the Yellow Earth Ant Legion arrived earlier than anticipated. Fortunately, their early arrival wasn’t by much, and Luo Wen had prepared for such contingencies.
At least there was no longer any need to worry about food shortages. Once the battle began, the resulting carnage would provide ample sustenance.
The pressing question was how to stall the Yellow Earth Ant Legion for two days.
Before the two days were up, the Legion’s main force had already arrived. Perhaps they sensed something amiss, as their vanguard had failed to report back for some time.
The swarm’s army, with its back to the cliff, stood ready. This time, the majority of the forces consisted of various Soldier Ants, as Worker Ants were of limited use against the Legion’s acid-resistant armor.
The Yellow Earth Ant Legion’s predatory lifestyle underscored their aggressive nature.
Upon spotting the swarm, they didn’t hesitate. They launched into their signature leaping assault, charging forward.
These creatures were the original source of the leaping gene template, and their mastery of this technique was second nature. Yet, the swarm’s Soldier Ants were unafraid, meeting them with equally powerful leaps.
The battle had officially begun.