Hoo…
The wild wind howls across this desolate Gobi, kicking up clouds of dust and eroding the jagged boulders scattered about.
Down below, tucked into the desert, a thin Black-Robed Figure lies flat, carefully observing every single grain of sand.
A closer look reveals that this creature’s hands and feet are not human, but jointed limbs covered in jet-black chitin.
This is an Antfolk, the most prosperous race upon this desert, whose numbers are near infinite thanks to the Yihou.
Adventurers once boasted of entering the ant tunnels through the mountain caverns, claiming to have seen a labyrinth of endless passages.
Legend has it that this is the massive Kingdom of Ants built beneath the Gobi.
There are even scholars who are utterly obsessed with the underground culture of these Foreign Races.
However, the Antfolk are fundamentally different from the Ratman who also dwell underground.
They treat any creature that enters their Territory as stored food; in the eyes of most, these are mindless existences.
To the masses, an Antfolk is little more than a beast that uses weapons, or perhaps a standing Wolf Pack.
But that does not seem to be the case…
Rustle, rustle, rustle…
The Antfolk lying on the ground is using its claws to ceaselessly clear away the yellow sand.
Gradually, the skeletal remains of an Antfolk appear beneath.
This discovery does not stop it; it continues to clear the area, finding such remains in several spots.
Only after dozens of skeletons are exposed to the air does the Antfolk pause, staring thoughtfully at the skull of a giant insect that does not belong to its own kind.
Click-clack, click-clack…
As its mandibles emit a series of sharp, rhythmic clicking sounds, the stone holes scattered across the surrounding Gobi instantly erupt with echoes!
Hummm!
Soon, an Antfolk holding a spear with two pairs of oval wings on its back descends from above.
Though they look identical, their status differs, and even within the same race, modes of communication vary.
The ground-dwelling Diyiren use their mandibles to strike against each other to create sound.
The Tianyiren communicate by vibrating the wings on their backs, a sign of their noble status.
Naturally, there is a hierarchy among the Tianyiren, determined by the number of wings.
These Tianyiren with two pairs of wings belong to the “soldier” class within the Kingdom of Ants.
Two wings represent nobility, four wings represent a soldier, and six wings represent the Ant King, who directly serves the [Main Mistress] Yihou.
“Report what you have seen! Soldier!” Milonglong, as the chief soldier of the Antfolk, is the most powerful and favored among the over 200,000 sons of Tuku Wang, the Main Mistress’s favorite.
Though he possesses great Power, it is a pity he is not a six-winged individual and has no qualification to mate with the Yihou he admires most.
But, cases of powerful four-winged soldiers being summoned into the deepest Breeding Chamber have occurred.
While they might not become an Ant King, leaving one’s lineage within the tribe is a tremendous honor no Antfolk soldier can refuse.
Yet, how often does such an opportunity to stand out appear?
Humans and Foreign Races on the Gobi do not want to provoke the Antfolk, and the Main Mistress has no desire to invade human cities, leaving Milonglong with the frustration of a general from a warrior clan living in an era of peace.
But this time is different.
A foraging party of several thousand was lost overnight.
His father, Tuku Wang, suspected that a second Yihou might have emerged to secede from the colony, so he sent him to investigate.
Tracking the scent of pheromones, he finally found this place.
However, things do not seem to be as his father imagined.
The team that never returned was clearly ambushed halfway!
“Great and noble Warrior Chief Milonglong! Our foraging party was likely attacked; judging by the remains, they seem to have been scorched by fire.”
The Antfolk in the black cloak prostrates himself and answers respectfully.
Although he had already considered this result, having it confirmed still feels unbelievable to Milonglong.
After all, on this Gobi, even the humans with their thick walls and fortified cities dare not invade the Antfolk.
Who, then, would dare to attack a foraging party?
å—¡å—¡!
Before Milonglong can speak, another sound of vibrating wings reaches him from afar!
This annoying noise is…
His older brother, Kalonglong, whose egg was stuck to the same stone wall as his own when they were born.
“Oh~ my dear brother,” Kalonglong says while walking forward, his black compound eyes fixed on the charred chitin on the ground…
“It looks like your investigation is going very smoothly?”
“Hmph, of course… We are only one step away from the truth!”
“Hehe… my dear brother, actually… I also have some things to tell you… this will help you better complete the task Father gave you.”
How could Milonglong not share the desire to earn merit?
Kalonglong is also eager to seize this rare opportunity.
Unfortunately, the one appointed by his father to handle this is his younger brother, but that doesn’t mean he can’t insert himself to share the credit.
Compared to his brother’s step-by-step investigation, Kalonglong prefers to take risks, having sent people to look into what happened last night.
And he learned before Milonglong that a great battle took place on the Gobi last night, involving an existence that could summon sky-high flames and even burn through a certain kind of Barrier from the inside…
And that guy is a Human!
Even if Milonglong investigated it himself, he would eventually find out today, but by bringing the news now—and offering assistance—he is now a member of the task force, entitled to his share of the credit.
“So that is how it is, it was those despicable, shameless mammals!!” Upon hearing his brother’s words, Milonglong angrily thumps his spear against the ground!
Though competition exists among the Antfolk, these guys are far simpler than the cunning human Nobles.
He welcomes and feels relieved that this older brother, whom he never particularly liked, would offer information and help at this moment.
After all, the faster he completes this matter, the more he will be valued by his father—and even the [Main Mistress].
“Then… my dear brother, what should we do next?”
What to do?
Cold light flashes within Milonglong’s compound eyes.
“We haven’t taught those foolish humans a lesson for such a long time that they have likely forgotten the magnificent Kingdom of Ants beneath the Gobi!!”
The four oval wings on his back vibrate rapidly, the intent is clear.
“I want to use my sharp limbs to kick these humans’ butts!”
Perhaps this time, they can completely tear the skin with the humans, and then…
They, the warrior Antfolk, will finally have room to flex their strength, and this awkward status quo will be swept away!
As for whether the humans he is about to attack are innocent…
In their eyes, there is no difference among humans; they even look the same.
Without the orders of their so-called Royal Family, they would never dare to attack the great Antfolk.
It is just like how, if a mosquito bites you, you will swat it dead the moment you see it, never caring if that specific mosquito actually bit you.
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