Chapter 23: Busy Days
Luo Wen decided to lead his ants to search for food. Surprisingly, they showed no interest in tree roots, taking only small sips of water. Luo Wen was both amused and annoyed by their picky nature. “Even I’m gnawing on tree roots, and you two dare to be choosy? That’s embarrassing, you know?” The ants, unable to understand such complex sentiments, ignored him completely.
A sigh escaped Luo Wen. The loneliness of his situation crept in as he realized the communication barrier between him and his creations.
After the meager meal, Luo Wen broke off three tree roots and gave the command: “Bring them back to the nest.” Unfortunately, he overestimated the ants’ intelligence. They neither optimized their angles for dragging the large roots nor handled the task with finesse. Instead, they simply grabbed the roots and pulled recklessly, often getting them stuck in the tunnel.
To accommodate them, Luo Wen halved the size of the roots. Finally, the ants managed to drag them without issue, but the combined amount they carried was still less than a tenth of what Luo Wen could handle alone.
Back at the nest, Luo Wen divided the roots, giving some to the black beetle and the rest to the brood nest. While the brood nest absorbed the nutrients, Luo Wen decided to name the ants: one was Black Two, the other Black Three. However, after testing, he realized his effort was wasted. The ants could only comprehend vague pronouns like “you” or “them,” and names were meaningless to them. Despite this setback, Luo Wen took solace in the simplicity—it saved him the mental strain of naming future followers.
Next, Luo Wen directed the ants to dig a chamber near the nest—a dedicated incubation room to keep eggs safe from the wandering black beetle. Once the brood nest regained some vitality, Luo Wen ordered the production of a new egg. He carefully shielded it from the beetle and instructed the ants to guard it.
The ants understood the command. One picked up the egg, and under Luo Wen’s guidance, placed it in the incubation room. Satisfied, Luo Wen initially considered leaving them to their task but decided to use one ant for an experiment.
He gave Black Two the command: “Search for food.” To his surprise, the ant understood and began moving toward a tunnel. Intrigued, Luo Wen followed, curious about where it would search.
As expected, the ant headed to the tree roots they had visited earlier. It bit into a piece of bark and began feeding. After a moment, two droplets of water formed on its mandibles. Luo Wen was amazed—he couldn’t fathom how the ant extracted water from the root or managed to carry it.