Chapter 73: On the March (1)
Every extra day the army lingered meant more resources consumed. Although a few units had yet to arrive, Luo Wen decided not to wait any longer.
The weather that day was favorable—partly cloudy—with the tree canopy overhead blocking most of the light and heat, creating perfect conditions for a long-distance march.
At Luo Wen’s command, over 6,000 Transport Bugs loaded with a variety of troops and supplies began advancing on their eight long legs, heading directly for the Red Ant Nest. The scene was nothing short of spectacular.
Trees flitted past as Luo Wen led the march from the front of the formation. His role was to navigate for the army, as he had the widest field of view among the swarm at present.
Along the way, the army skirted around two Red Ant hunting parties. With the swarm’s overwhelming superiority in both numbers and quality, there was no need to engage such minor threats. Luo Wen’s strategy was to strike directly at the heart—obliterating the Red Ant Nest first, then dispatching smaller units to clear the territory afterward.
As for those two hunting parties? The forces following behind would take care of them.
Two hours later, after several breaks for the Transport Bugs to rest and replenish their energy, the army traversed two kilometers of forest and reached a familiar sight—the “volcanic crater.”
Having eradicated Red Ant Nests before, there was nothing novel about the scene. The swarm swiftly encircled the “crater.”
Luo Wen circled near the entrance, using the sensory hairs on his legs to detect vibrations from the underground network of tunnels. He identified the location of the subterranean passageways and extended his claws—his digging limbs, now sharper than ever since their transformation.