On the forest floor, four ants gathered. Three of them were magic beast trap-jaw ants, and the last was a magic beast red jade worker ant. One of the trap-jaw ants was 2 and a half inches long, while the rest were one inch shorter than it. On the other hand, the red jade ant was 2 inches in length.
KRR!
Roaring toward the trap-jaw major, the red jade worker ant dashed forward, completely ignoring the other two trap-jaw workers.
SHAA!
The trap-jaw major wasn’t shy and met the red jade worker ant’s mandibles with its own—SNAP!!! Feeling as if a truck had hit her, the red jade ant stumbled. She tried to back away but found herself stuck as the trap-jaw major held her in place.
Realizing that her situation was dire, she tried bending her body. She griped the soil hard, tugging the trap-jaw major’s body toward her. The latter resisted, but her body was still stronger despite the trap-jaw major being bigger.
Krrr…
When the trap-jaw major was close enough, she poured her last embers of mana into her venom and stinger. Then, she tried to sting the trap-jaw major—TUK! As expected, the trap-jaw major used mana to block her stinger, but she wasn’t deterred.
Instead, she kept poking around. As she did, her mana was being consumed slowly. But compared to her, the trap-jaw major was using more mana and after the fourth attempt, she was able to sting the trap-jaw major!
SHAA!!
Finally letting go of her, the trap-jaw major roared and scrambled about in pain. While she was being held in place, the two trap-jaw workers weren’t idle and kept gnawing at her body. One tried to cut off her leg, while the other tried to cut her gaster.
The latter failed, but the former succeeded in cutting one leg.
Thankfully, the missing leg was the middle one.
KRRRR!
She screamed in anger, snapping her mandibles threateningly as she found the trap-jaw ant that bit her leg off. Once found, she didn’t hesitate to pounce.
SHAA!
KRR!
She was out of mana, but don’t underestimate the might of her mandibles and stinger!
SNAP! The trap-jaw ant was able to bite her again, leaving a nasty cut on her thorax before she could sting it. Then, she let go and dashed to her right just in time to dodge a bite from another trap-jaw ant.
KRR!
Engaging in combat once again, she held down the trap-jaw ant and tried to sting it, but the latter was stubborn and used mana to strengthen its body. This one seems to be full of mana, unlike the other trap-jaw ants.
KRR!
Shaa…
Nevertheless, it was just delaying its death. She watched as the trap-jaw ant struggled less and less. After another few seconds of biting and stinging, she was able to bite off the trap-jaw ant’s head and paused in time before she stung it. It was redundant to sting a dead ant.
She left the trap-jaw ant for a moment to decapitate the other two trap-jaw ants, who were now paralyzed on the floor, to get rid of the venom.
Krrr…
Waving her antennae, she was relieved to find that no more trap-jaw ants approached her. Though, she knew it wouldn’t last so she quickly buried both trap-jaw worker ants and carried the trap-jaw major back home.
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Seeing an ant entering the nest, Adam was a bit shocked. He first saw something obsidian black entering the nest and thought that another ant was invading. But then he saw his worker ant entering the nest, carrying the other ant in its mouth.
He heaved a sigh of relief until he saw one missing leg on his worker ant’s body.
‘. . .’
What the fuck is this twisted rollercoaster? Get me out!
Adam waved his antennae.
‘What happened? Why are you carrying… wait, is that a goddamned magic beast ant?!’
Adam’s eyes nearly popped.
‘Didn’t I tell you to avoid magic beasts? Look at what happened!’
Adam scolded, but the worker ant seemed to ignore all of it and gently placed the dead ant’s body in front of him before turning to leave.
‘. . .’
Ah? Not giving me any face? I see. Just wait until you return.
When the worker ant returned, she had to stay at the nest for a while before being able to retrieve her loot. This time, every time she returns, she would be "respectful." Otherwise, Adam would scold her enough to make her head bleed.
In truth, Adam was worried about his first worker ant and already knew the about ant's undying loyalty. He just wanted to keep the worker ant from leaving so it would be safe. When he saw it leaving the nest just after it returned, he was irritated and anxious thinking that it would pick another fight. Though, when he realized that it was just retrieving the spoils of war, he was less worried.
‘Are my worker ants that strong?’
Adam pondered before putting the idea away.
‘That’s a dangerous thought.’
Adam knew that his worker ants were strong… only compared to other magic beast ants. And he guessed that his worker ant might’ve picked its battles wisely. If not, he would’ve likely never seen it again.
‘In total, the worker brought back 10 dead ant bodies… and all of them are trap-jaw ants. One is bigger than the rest, is it a variant? Or is it the queen?’
Adam was unsure. He was unaware as to what magic beast ant colonies should look like, so he didn’t know how wild it could get. He would when his colony gets big enough, but that was for another date.
‘If it’s the queen, then the worker ant would’ve died. It must be a major or something, though it’s my first time hearing about a polymorphic trap-jaw ant species... must’ve been the work of mana.’
Adam shrugged and blamed the mystical mana. Mana was weird, and it made magic beasts… well, magic beasts.
‘For now, I should have my worker avoid getting into any more danger. We are magic beasts anyway, our lifespan is longer than normal ants. I don’t have to worry about wasting the worker ant’s life.’
Though the caveat is that it takes longer for magic beast ant colonies to grow to a sizable colonies.
Shaking his head, Adam waved his antennae as he released pheromone signals.
‘Don’t leave. Wait for other workers to hatch. Eat only one dead ant a day.’
Adam said and repeated his words. He realized that the worker couldn’t understand complex orders, so he simplified himself as much as possible.
‘I wonder if it’s possible to increase their intelligence.’
Adam pondered, even though he was sure it was possible. With mana, everything is possible.
‘I think. I still haven’t regenerated my missing limbs.’
Adam was dismayed. He believed in the power of mana. It was just his skill that is lacking.
‘Practice makes perfect. For now, focus on saving up MP and laying eggs.’
Ten days passed by like a breeze.
Adam was now standing atop two larvae that were about to pupate. In front of him were two worker ants. One had a missing leg, while the other was brand new.
‘The second egg hatched three days ago.’
Though, he still forbade going out to forage. He wanted to consume all their food reserve first before going hunting.
The workers didn’t eat that much. It was mostly Adam who ate. Each day, Adam would eat two-thirds of a trap-jaw worker ant. The worker ants would eat the rest, but they still stored some of it in their social stomach.
Now, both worker ants have a little bit of extra food in their social stomachs for later use.
‘Status window’
[Red Jade Queen Ant | Adam | Mana: 3/5]
‘Just two more mana and I can lay another egg…’
Adam mused and looked at the larvae. The larvae ate too, but they ate even less than the workers. He was befuddled as to how the worker ants and larvae could practice abstinence, but he was a little thankful. Because of their moderate feeding, he could lay two eggs, which were now the current larvae.
‘We have no more food. Go out and forage.’
Adam ordered with a wave of his antennae. Like they had been waiting, the two worker ants left the nest and scouted the area as a duo.
Adam didn’t know it yet, but they headed straight toward the trap-jaw colony’s nest.
‘The larva are low maintenance.’
Adam learned it the first time around. Eggs, larvae, and pupae were all low maintenance. Other than keeping them sanitized and fed, he did nothing else. When the first worker hatched, he literally did nothing more to help with baby keeping.
‘Well, I can laze around thanks to them.’
Adam quickly forgot about the topic and looked at the caterpillar nearby.
‘And you… what the hell am I going to do with you?’
The caterpillar, strangely, was getting smaller and smaller each day. Before, it was around twice if not thrice his size. Now, it was the same size as him. On the other hand, its defense got even stronger.
‘You’re not going to get smaller than this, are you?’
Adam thought and carried the caterpillar in his mandibles. He gently placed it nearer to the back of the nest. It was the place he usually slept at.
‘I hope when you hatch, we don’t become enemies.’
Adam prayed.
Adam, who was trying to find his lucky star and failing: Just one. I just want one wish. Pretty please?