Sleep eluded me, a restless energy driving me to action. I found myself gravitating towards the wall that had borne the brunt of the onslaught, the moon casting long shadows over the damaged sections.

Armed with tools and my magic, I set to work under the silver glow of the moon. My hands glowed with golden light and the earth flowed beneath my will patching up the breaches and reinforcing the weak points. It was exhausting labor, but also a meditation of sorts, a way to process the day’s fear and chaos into something constructive.

Despite my efforts, a nagging thought persisted: ants can climb almost anything. What was to stop them from simply surmounting my repairs and invading again? The solution wasn’t just going to be a wall. It required more creativity, a strategic rethink of the defenses I was erecting.

I considered the nature of ants – their strengths could also be their weakness. Perhaps, instead of trying to create an impenetrable barrier, I needed to think about deterrents or diversions. Could I use some sort of repellent, or maybe even redirect them away from the camp?

As the night wore on, my ideas began to take shape. Maybe I could dig a moat around the wall, fill it with water or another substance that ants would hesitate to cross. Or perhaps I could design traps specifically aimed at catching or kill the ants, something that could be easily cleaned and reset.

I had a sudden thought of all the materials the ants would provide for my dimensional shard. Then I remembered ants use scent trails to mark where they found food. Would there be some way I could disrupt their scent trails?

One straightforward approach is to mask the ant’s scent trails with a stronger scent. Citrus oils, vinegar, peppermint, or even some non-toxic deterrents could mask the pheromones ants leave behind. Spraying or laying down these substances along the wall and the surrounding area could help confuse the ants and make it harder for them to find their way back.

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While ants can climb many surfaces, creating a physical barrier treated with substances they avoid could help me here. A band around the wall coated with a sticky substance, or even a smooth material like glass or metal that’s been treated with a slippery substance could act as a deterrent.

Introducing natural predators of ants into the area could help control their population and disrupt their ability to mount attacks on us. Small birds, certain types of beetles, or even another ant species that preys upon the problem ants could be introduced. I paused in thought. These were giant ants the size of a medium sized dog, what would be a natural predator to these ants? Anything large enough to pose a threat to the ants would pose a threat to us. I put this idea in the maybe column.

Maybe creating multiple false trails with artificial pheromones or strong scents could lead the ants away from the camp. By laying down trails that lead to areas with natural deterrents or traps could significantly reduce the number of ants making their way to the wall.

Regularly washing down areas with soap and water could remove the scent trails. Incorporating this into the maintenance routine for the wall and surrounding areas could help keep the ants at bay. Additionally, disturbing the ground along the wall and changing the landscape could disrupt the trail formation.

Realizing the magnitude of the task at hand, I acknowledged that disrupting the ants’ scent trails and fortifying the camp against future incursions is a project beyond the scope of a single individual, no matter how magically talented they are.

I groaned in disgust. I hated worked with other people. I hated dealing with other people. I sat down to think about how I could make this someone else’s problem.

Scott was a much more suitable candidate, so my strategy shifted from solving the issue to ‘empowering’ the locals to solve the issue themselves. But I didn’t want to be seen appearing to simply ‘dump’ the issue on Scott.

I would need to find a quiet moment to talk to Scott one-on-one. Step one, talk to Scott.

It was still night time. This would have to wait until tomorrow.

In the meantime, the least I could do was finish repairing the wall and clear out a clear field of fire around the walls. Maybe put in a moat with something spiky at the bottom.