Chapter 128: Hunting the Pterosaurs
Fortunately, during one of their attacks, the pterosaurs underestimated the weight of a Giant Mandible Soldier Ant, dropping it after ascending only five or six meters.
Luo Wen, monitoring the event remotely, immediately ordered the swarm to abandon the prey and retreat.
In the early stages of the swarm’s development, before the emergence of Brood Queens, every unit was precious—even the Modified Spider Combat Bugs were difficult to replace. Most importantly, any losses were irreversible, as there was no way to recover the corpses.
On one occasion, a Modified Spider Combat Bug climbed onto a pterosaur along with its prey. Although the pterosaur appeared to lack significant defenses, its keratinized skin was remarkably thick. The bug struggled to inject its venom, and by the time it reached the pterosaur’s wings, it managed a single injection after considerable effort.
The pterosaur, noticing the large bug on its body, lowered its altitude and attempted to eat the intruder. In the ensuing struggle, the Spider Combat Bug was dislodged and killed by the pterosaur.
Luo Wen watched the entire battle through a remote viewing perspective. The pterosaur’s neck, two to three meters long, was incredibly agile and struck with remarkable speed. Even with their advanced dynamic vision and echolocation, the Spider Combat Bugs struggled to evade such attacks.
When clinging to the pterosaur, the bugs could engage briefly, but once dislodged, they could not survive more than a few rounds of combat.
Luo Wen could not accept these unrecoverable losses, leading him to avoid the forest outskirts temporarily.
Afterward, the swarm entered a brief period of surplus troops. However, before Luo Wen could devise a battle plan, a new wave of territorial expansion began, leaving the swarm perpetually short on manpower.