Seeking Revenge

After a few days of post-war recovery, not only had all the lost insects been replenished, but the total population had also increased.

With the growth of the Mother Nest, its daily egg production had improved. Currently, depending on the complexity of the insects being produced, it could lay anywhere from a few to several dozen eggs per day without compromising its own health.

Eggs capable of hatching into Soldier Ants were the rarest. These creatures possessed complex genetics and required massive resources; although their combat prowess was astonishing once matured, even the current Insect Nest could not afford to raise many of them.

Rowan currently possessed fewer than a hundred Soldier Ants, and even that was only possible through the combined support of four Ant Nests. Relying on himself alone, he could never have afforded to raise so many.

Today, however, he needed to lead them on a major mission. This matter had been a thorn in his side, and every time he thought of it, he felt a sense of unease. While he wasn't a vengeful person, the grudge of a severed arm could not go unavenged.

Leading thirty Soldier Ants, one hundred Worker Ants, and all of his Scout Ants, the massive, bustling force set off.

Back then, that creature had been on the rock wall about five or six meters up. The pheromones Rowan had left behind had long since dissipated, but he could still distinguish the general direction. Combined with his high-resolution vision, he compared the terrain to the image burned into his memory.

Soon, after crawling along the base of the rock wall for a while, he saw a landscape that matched the image in his mind: the crevice in the rock where the spider had been hiding.

Having confirmed the location, the team slowly began to climb. As they neared the rock crevice, the team began to spread out, surrounding the area.

Although the location was confirmed, it was uncertain whether the spider was still lurking there. Very few insects climbed cliffs for no reason, and given the spider's size, it would likely have starved to death if it had just stayed there waiting for prey.

Rowan quietly poked his head out. His large eyes, which took up half his head, played a huge role; he only exposed a tiny bit and could clearly see the situation inside the crevice.

There was indeed a spider inside, hiding in the corner and pretending to be a rock. Its body color was very similar to the surrounding environment. If he hadn't known there was something unusual here, it would have been truly difficult to spot.

However, although this spider appeared to be the same species as the one that had attacked him, its appearance was slightly different. Its body was somewhat lean, and there was a large, bulging sac on its back that was still slowly squirming.

Rowan focused his gaze and realized that it was actually covered in tiny spiders. At this moment, they were densely packed all over the mother spider's back; anyone with trypophobia would certainly not be able to handle such a stimulating sight.

Beside this spider lay another one, though now it was nothing more than an empty husk, having been dead for quite some time.

Rowan immediately guessed the truth: the mother spider had actually eaten the male!

Although he had always understood that the fate of male insects in the insect world was generally not very good, seeing such a scene in reality still made him shudder.

Rowan wasn't sure if it was this mother spider or the one on the ground—now just a husk—that had attacked him back then. But did that even matter?

Rowan was not a vengeful person; seeking revenge was merely to have a justifiable reason. His true goal was the genetic fragments within them. The mother spider had just given birth, making this the perfect time to strike.

However, he still had lingering fears regarding the venomous fangs of these spiders. While he was the main force in this battle, he could not blindly rush in to attract the first wave of fire.

He had to come up with a tactic.

He first considered a "throwing stones to ask the way" approach, but while there were stones around, his own physical limitations made it difficult to perform such a high-difficulty maneuver as throwing.

Thus, the Worker Ants he brought along came in handy. He touched his antennae to the few Worker Ants behind him, transmitting the pheromones containing his instructions.

The numerous insects whispered and tapped antennae, and soon, the entire surrounding circle knew Rowan's tactic.

With the message delivered, the Worker Ants did not hesitate; they crawled into the cliff crevice, taking the lead in the charge.

The Soldier Ants followed closely behind, while Rowan hung back at the rear to provide cover.

The spider's reaction was swift; it stood up immediately. It was a veteran at hiding here to launch ambushes. It was just unexpected that so many prey would suddenly appear, and for a moment, it had trouble choosing a target.

The Worker Ants were fast, and the ones brought this time were all equipped with the "catapult start" system. In the moment of the spider's hesitation, they had already reached its side, their mandibles biting into the spider's legs without hesitation.

Unfortunately, the size difference was too great; the spider's legs were too thick for them, and they couldn't get a firm grip.

The spider finally reacted. Being provoked by a group of tiny things made it lose its composure. Its legs flickered like a blur, kicking and snapping several times, and more than half of the Worker Ants surrounding it were sent flying.

Those lucky enough to hit the surrounding walls could continue to fight, but those less fortunate were sent flying out of the crevice, plummeting from the five-to-six-meter height.

While they wouldn't be in mortal danger from such a fall, with their nearsighted vision, it was basically impossible for them to find their way back.

However, Rowan had anticipated this situation. The large-eyed Scout Ants he brought were specifically for dealing with such scenarios.

They didn't climb the cliff with the main force but stayed below, tasked specifically with finding the insects that fell from above and gathering them back up.

Although the Worker Ants hadn't caused effective damage to the spider, they had absorbed the first wave of fire, perfectly completing the task of "throwing stones to ask the way."

The Soldier Ants were all equipped with the catapult start system, and as the Worker Ants were sent flying, they reached the spider's side.

The weapons equipped on these non-productive, combat-specialized creatures were not comparable to those of the mere Worker Ants.

The Giant-Mandible Soldier Ants and Big-Tooth Soldier Ants stepped forward, clamping onto the spider's eight legs. Each leg was held by several Soldier Ants simultaneously, who then pulled backward in unison.

For a moment, the spider was left suspended in the air. Its legs thrashed and kicked, trying to break free from the Soldier Ants' restraint. But these Soldier Ants were not like the Worker Ants; their strength was immense, and their hooks were firmly embedded in the ground. Moreover, they were like bulldogs—once they bit down, they wouldn't let go. The spider struggled for a long time without managing to flick a single one of them off.

At this moment, the Hook-Tooth Soldier Ants arrived. They leaped onto the spider's back, startling the tiny spiders into scattering in all directions. They drove their hook-shaped mandibles into the spider's head, the tips easily piercing the spider's eyes and driving deeper.

The spider let out a shrill, painful screech, struggling to pull back its forelimbs to bite at one of the Giant-Mandible Soldier Ants clamped onto it.

The Soldier Ant felt no fear, ignoring the venomous fangs striking at it, focused only on completing its assigned task.

At this point, the Worker Ants climbed up the bodies of the Soldier Ants onto the spider's legs, then crawled all the way to its back. The Hook-Tooth Soldier Ants withdrew their weapons, and the numerous Worker Ants crowded forward, tearing at the damaged wounds.

Although they couldn't pierce the spider's armor, they had no trouble continuing to damage the existing wounds.

Gradually, the Worker Ants actually began to burrow into the spider's body through the wounds.

During this time, the spider continued to screech shrilly, but although it was massive, it could not shake off the combined restraint of over twenty Soldier Ants with its own strength.

As the wounds on its body multiplied and the Worker Ants on its back tore their way inside, its struggles grew weaker and weaker, until it slowly ceased its screeching altogether.