Chapter 67: The Attack Concludes
The enemy troops within the hive were gradually lured out in waves, eventually numbering tens of thousands.
Two hours later, while the occasional ant still emerged from the tunnels, Luo Wen decided it was no longer worth his time. With a single command, Giant Fang Soldier Ants led the charge, supported by Small Soldier Ants, with Worker Ants providing ranged firepower. The massive army split into several units and surged into the hive’s tunnels.
After enduring several rounds of assaults, the hive’s remaining defenders were few. Disoriented by the Spy Bugs’ misinformation, they offered feeble resistance.
In contrast, Luo Wen’s forces advanced like a knife through butter. With well-coordinated troop formations, the swarm crushed all opposition, even in the tight, winding tunnels.
Two hours later, the hive was conquered. It would now be repurposed into a swarm base, with one of the accompanying Queen Ants stationed to oversee and develop it.
By the end of this campaign, over 700,000 enemy ants had been eradicated, at the cost of just over 10,000 of the swarm’s troops. Most of these casualties occurred during the final tunnel battles.
The small-bodied Red Ants excelled at using their stingers in the confined spaces, often achieving a one-to-one kill ratio. This resulted in notable losses for the swarm. However, for Luo Wen, who commanded 1,500 Queen Ants, such losses were negligible.
After the battlefield was cleared, relatively intact ant corpses were collected and buried to prevent decomposition. The remains were processed into protein to sustain the swarm’s troops.
After a day of rest, the army split into several groups. Two moved in different directions to hunt down the remaining enemy forces in the region, while a third stayed behind to deal with any foraging teams that evaded the sweeps.