Chapter 29: Discovered
The solutions to the current problem were either to find new Black Ant nests to share the burden or, once the number of insects in the Brood Nest reached a sufficient size, to completely annihilate the ant nest, turning its inhabitants into food and claiming the territory.
The two approaches were not mutually exclusive. Luo Wen could search for new Black Ant nests while simultaneously infiltrating and eroding the neighbor’s nest. However, this would mean Luo Wen would become busy again.
Deploying a few Camouflage Bugs to infiltrate the ant nest and feast without drawing suspicion was feasible. But expecting them to handle Luo Wen’s tasks—stealing food while cleaning up traces—was unlikely given their limited intelligence.
If any mistakes exposed their actions and led the Black Ants to track them back to the Brood Nest, it would spell disaster. The Brood Nest’s current combat capabilities were far from sufficient to withstand an assault. Thus, Luo Wen had no choice but to personally handle the undercover work and food transport operations in the ant nest.
As for exploration, Luo Wen had already scouted the area within a few dozen meters around the Brood Nest. To find another Black Ant nest, he would need to venture farther.
Currently, most of the insects in the Brood Nest were modeled after Black Ants. Lacking vision, they relied on close-range contact with their antennae to gather information. This method posed numerous dangers, and the farther they traveled, the higher the risk of encountering threats.
Given the current population in the Brood Nest, it would be difficult to sustain such heavy losses.
Luo Wen needed new types of insects with functional eyesight, capable of detecting potential dangers from a distance and reporting back the gathered intelligence. But once again, he faced the same fundamental problem: while Luo Wen could likely configure the required physical traits, he couldn’t enhance the insects’ intelligence.
The insects in the Brood Nest were competent in repetitive, mechanical tasks but struggled with anything more complex. They couldn’t fully comprehend Luo Wen’s instructions, meaning he had to personally oversee all critical missions.