Looking at the newly added features, an idea struck her, and for the first time, she fully and accurately sensed the anthill's communication network.
As she connected to the network, she realized that it wasn't just pheromones, but also contained the influence of a spiritual will.
She even mastered the most basic Mental Shock skills without any formal instruction, a secret technique that could be sold at an 'anti-auction price' in the Integral mall.
The biggest change was that the ants in the anthill, which had been moving about independently and somewhat chaotically, all seemed to sense something and stopped what they were doing.
In their perception, the most powerful queen ant in the nest has already appeared.
As soon as Wen Jing gives the order, the worker ants in the nursery will stop caring about the unborn queen ant and let it fend for itself, just like the previous queen ant.
This tribe, under her wisdom and guidance, can expand its territory to a greater extent, and even conquer the entire giant tree.
I once Wen Jing was an ant general, and I admired the ant colony's unity, cooperation, and fearlessness in battle.
However, now that she has complete control over the ant colony, she has chosen not to do anything more.
She sensed the network quietly for a moment, then logged off, leaving the ants bewildered and confused.
Gears, they're all gears.
Previously, after acquiring this trait, Wen Jing might have evolved it as a key ability like ' Digestion ', but after witnessing what happened today, her thoughts changed.
Wen Jing discovered that even the seemingly most crucial queen ant is just a cog in the machine of the entire hive's thought process.
This is a population model that completely erases individual consciousness and focuses solely on the interests of the group.
She doesn't want that.
She cannot accept being reduced to a cog in the machine, even if it is the most important one.
Those soldiers, who are trained at great expense and seem to be extensions of our limbs, are ultimately 'others'. Once control fails, they become easy prey to be slaughtered.
Wen Jing wouldn't let himself fall into that situation.
She wants to gain an advantage within the group, but only if she has absolute control and absolute self-centeredness!
However, not choosing this direction for focused evolution does not mean that the newly acquired traits are useless.
It's worth noting that Wen Jing wasn't an ant back then; he was also forced to work for half a day when he was close to the queen ant.
It can be said that she now has a natural ability to exert control over insect species, but unlike controlling ants, she doesn't have a maternal instinct connection to control them, allowing her to do so with ease.
After all, even Ancient Wilderness insects only have instincts. There aren't many smart insects like her that can work on their own in the anthill after being controlled.
In addition to ants, bees also exhibit the same type of nest-building mentality.
If we encounter beehives elsewhere in the future, this characteristic might have unexpected benefits...
After capturing the queen ant, the biggest gain, Wen Jing briefly expressed his feelings.
Then, she stormed into the ant's warehouse and devoured all the rare and precious foods inside, such as Emerald Crystal Rice Grain.
Suppressed by the mother-nest mentality, the other ants dared not be angry or speak out—if they could feel surprise, they would probably be amazed by the 'super queen's' appetite.
After wreaking havoc, she ignored the other ants, didn't eat any potential new queen ants, and didn't expect to make the ant colony sustainable.
Having dealt with the last major enemy on the giant tree, Wen Jing's next target was the giant tree itself.
They couldn't wait for the ant colony to be replaced.
Chapter 66
The training ground for the Student Council and the Operations Department.
"Huh, that's unusual. Why are you all training at this time?"
A person walked in from outside and saw the three people training inside.
Hearing the familiar voice, the three of them looked up and greeted her, " Senior Jiang."
The newcomer had a dashing air about him and was one of the third-year students who usually worked in the same group as Ji Shuang.
"We're going on a mission tomorrow," Ji Shuang explained.
"No wonder, it's tomorrow." Senior Jiang suddenly realized something and walked over to pat Ji Shuang on the shoulder. "This is your first time leading a team, right? Good luck, Xiao Shuang!"
Normally, Ji Shuang would explore the Ancient Wilderness with her groupmate Senior Jiang, and others as a fixed team, but that was under normal circumstances.
This exploration was a temporary team formation because the important coordinates were held by students outside the Operations Department. Although the coordinate holders were third-year students, their compatibility was not as good as that of the geniuses in the third-year Operations Department.
To use the Locator Stone, it can only be backward compatible, so the three Operations Department members who were able to participate in this team are all top students in their second year of university.
Ji Shuang, who was present, was one of the third, ninth, and thirteenth students in her second year, respectively.
As for the top two students in their sophomore year, they were naturally both from wealthy families. Both held high positions in the Student Council, but they did not belong to the Operations Department.
Very few students from wealthy families join the Operations Department; most come from ordinary or middle-class backgrounds.
Ji Shuang remained expressionless, and shook her head slightly. "It's not necessarily me leading the team."
Upon hearing her words, the two Operations Department members training nearby and Senior Jiang all showed slight changes in their expressions.
Normally, this operation would have involved four elite second-year students and one coordinate holder, but now, there's a unique first-year student among them...
Everyone present simultaneously thought of that name.
"I'm really curious about your operation this time..." Senior Jiang couldn't help but sigh.
The other three also showed somewhat tense and complicated expressions.
As a top student in my second year, it seems a bit embarrassing to act like I'm facing a formidable enemy when I'm teaming up with a freshman.
But the thought of teaming up with that person made it impossible not to care; otherwise, the three of them wouldn't have all decided to train harder tonight...
*
The next day, Wen Jing arrived at the Student Council at the agreed time.
As soon as they entered, Chairman Song Zhi, who had received the news, came to keep them company in person.
As the two walked through the Student Council headquarters, which resembled a garden with picturesque scenery every ten steps, they attracted a lot of attention from afar.
"Is it really necessary? The president even went to greet him personally?"
"What do you know? This is called attitude... It's about showing the outside world that as long as someone is talented, our Student Council will treat them with respect."
"In that case, should we go and greet them as well?"
"Of course not. If the chairman does it, we can't, otherwise it would be too obsequious, and our organization's standing would be lowered... You still need to work on your social skills."
So these gazes were just silent observations, or people would greet the president when they met him on the street, but no one took the initiative to approach him.
"Come, this is the meeting room for this tactical meeting..."
Before traversing the Ancient Wilderness as a team, the five members of the team will hold a tactical meeting.
After all, exploration that consumes Locator Stone is different from usual; each trip incurs costs in advance.
So for first-time team members, there's a training ground where they can practice and understand their teammates' abilities, plan tactical combinations, and so on; while for second-time explorations by teams that have already formed, the main purpose is to review the experience and communicate intelligence.
If it were a fixed team, the tactical meeting would be much shorter, but Wen Jing's situation is a combination of both. Considering this new foreign player, three hours were reserved in advance for this tactical meeting.
Song Zhi led Wen Jing into a large hall, glanced at the four people inside, and said with a smile, "Everyone's here now."
Upon seeing the chairman, the four people who were sitting and doing various things stood up at the same time.
Song Zhi smiled warmly and introduced the person next to him to everyone, "This one doesn't need a special introduction, right? Wen Jing, our special advisor for the Operations Department."
All four nodded in unison.
"Then each of you introduce yourselves to Wen Jing."
Wen Jing's reputation was so great that there was no need for much introduction. The four of them exchanged glances, and finally, seeing that everyone else's attention was focused on them, Ji Shuang pursed her lips and introduced herself with a somewhat unnatural expression.
" Ji Shuang, second year, her Wilderness Body is that of a bird, her special ability is ice freezing, and she excels at attacking and controlling enemies."
After reciting her self-introduction, which she had mentally rehearsed several times, in one breath, Ji Shuang's brows relaxed slightly, and she let out a discreet sigh.
The three people next to them didn't understand social anxiety; they simply waited for the strongest person to speak, and then each of them imitated and continued the conversation.
" Eve, a second-year student, has the Wilderness Body of a meerkat and the ability to control sand. She can create illusions in sandstorms and excels at reconnaissance and assisting in controlling the battlefield."
" He Pingyun, second year, his Wilderness Body is an armored rat, his special ability is to create rock armor shields, and he excels at defense."
" Brown, third year, his Wilderness Body is a lizard, his special ability is Neurotoxic Sting, and he excels at... well, support and crowd control."
The first three all had the Operations Department's logo on their school uniforms, and they all spoke with confidence and composure. Only Brown at the end seemed a little uneasy, clearly the one who provided the coordinates.
Listening to the introductions of his temporary teammates, Wen Jing nodded politely, but couldn't help but mentally complain.
Good grief, this is my first time teaming up with others, and I'm already on the menu of all four of my teammates...
Of course, the Operations Department was also well-prepared for attacking, controlling the field, and defending. All three members were skilled in different positions, so even without Wen Jing's participation, the team was fully equipped.
Ji Shuang's ability can also be converted into control, probably because Wen Jing's Wind Blade ability was shown in the grade ranking competition. This time, the position reserved for her is more offensive.
As for Brown, he's clearly just a support character in the team; his job is to protect himself, so he's not considered part of their combat strength.
"My Wilderness Body is insectoid, my special ability Wind Blade, and I'm good at... well, not bad." Seeing that everyone had introduced themselves, Wen Jing also introduced himself.
Everyone had their own thoughts upon hearing this, but on the surface they all nodded in agreement, and the scene was very harmonious.
"Then you should explain the situation over there to Wen Jing in detail, and then we can all discuss the tactical deployment together." Song Zhi cautiously used the word 'discuss', without first placing Wen Jing or Ji Shuang, who were present, in the position of team leader.