Chapter 29: A Dramatic Reversal, Effortlessly Subjugating Thirty Thousand Ant Soldiers

While Su Mu was lost in his own suspicions, the situation below took a dramatic turn.

A new swarm of Dark Fire Ants charged in from the northeast, acting with aggressive intent. Unlike the previous group, this new swarm was crimson-red, with blue flames flickering across their bodies, clearly marking them as a different colony. These two ant armies seemed to be ancient enemies; the moment they met, they began a brutal slaughter without a moment's hesitation. The ground beneath the tree was filled with the unsettling sound of rustling and rhythmic crunching, sending shivers down Su Mu’s spine.

Su Mu once again witnessed the terrifying combat prowess of these creatures. Two ants, locked in battle, inadvertently bumped into a massive piece of obsidian nearby. Obsidian is renowned as the hardest material in the Dark World, bar none. Yet, the crimson ant simply took a light nip, and with a sharp *crack*, a large chunk of the obsidian was sheared clean off.

"Incredible!" Su Mu couldn't help but exclaim internally.

Watching the ants locked in their relentless struggle, a bold idea took root in his mind. These Dark Fire Ants were formidable combatants; if he could bring them under his command, the strength of his territory would skyrocket. He had been fretting over the lack of guards for the iron ore vein he had captured, and if these Fire Ants could stand watch, his problem would be perfectly resolved. To achieve this, he would need to negotiate with the Queen. According to the rules of the Dark World, since these worker ants were mostly Silver-ranked, their Queen had to be at least a Platinum Level 6 powerhouse. At that level, they possessed sentience and could communicate with humans.

"Holographic Eye, locate the nest of the Golden Dark Fire Ants for me immediately." Su Mu activated the system.

[Coordinates: 1635, 6325]
[Distance: 3 miles west of your current location]
[Danger Level: B1]

"Can you query the current troop strength of the nest?" Being cautious, Su Mu asked the system for a breakdown. If millions of them were still guarding the nest, the three of them would be nothing more than a snack.

[System calculating...]
[Guard Ants: 160, Rank: Silver 7]
[Elite Guard Ants: 40, Rank: Gold 6]
[Queen: 1, Rank: Platinum 9]

Su Mu quickly grasped the troop deployment of the Golden Fire Ant nest and couldn't help but shout inwardly, "Heaven is helping me!" It appeared this colony was not large; the Queen had sent almost all of her combatants out to fight, leaving only two hundred guarding the nest. This was a force he could easily handle. If he could control the Queen, the entire colony would surely serve him, for in the world of the Dark Fire Ants, the Queen is their supreme deity, and her subjects would sacrifice their lives for her without hesitation.

Su Mu shared his plan with the Little Divine Dragon and Ba Dao Zhan. The flames in Ba Dao Zhan’s eyes flared, clearly signaling his approval, while the Little Divine Dragon displayed a mischievous, almost human-like, cunning smirk.

"Good. Let's move."

At Su Mu’s command, the Little Divine Dragon spread its wings, lifted Su Mu and Ba Dao Zhan into the air, and soared upward. A branch snapped and fell from the tree, only to be devoured by the ants below in an instant. The warring swarms were far too preoccupied to notice the creature flying overhead.

The three miles passed in the blink of an eye. Soon, they arrived at the nest of the Golden Dark Fire Ants—a dark, damp cave emitting a foul odor, just large enough for a human to enter. Confirming he was at the right place, Su Mu said, "Little Divine Dragon, you stay outside and keep watch. Ba Dao Zhan and I will execute the mission. If we are no match for the Queen, you are to carry us away from here immediately."

The dragon let out a cry and began circling the sky. It knew that with its massive size, it would be ineffective in the cramped confines of the cave.

"Ba Dao Zhan, let's go!"

Su Mu and his skeletal warrior entered the cave. The dark, narrow tunnel forced them to hunch over as they advanced, frequently fending off attacks from the guard ants.

[Successfully killed 10 Silver Dark Fire Ants, EXP +1500!]
[Successfully killed 30 Level 5 Silver Dark Fire Ants, EXP +4500!]
[Successfully killed 20 Silver Dark Fire Ants, EXP +3000!]
...

They fought their way forward for over a thousand meters until the path suddenly opened up into a vast, cavernous space. A squad of Gold-ranked ant warriors was already lined up, waiting for them. These warriors stood about two meters tall, similar to humans, with their golden carapaces serving as natural armor. They gripped flaming spears, looking like a well-trained military unit. Behind them lay a slope with hundreds of stone steps leading to a glittering throne made of sapphires.

The Queen had fully evolved into a human-like form, clad in golden armor and a crown, holding a staff that symbolized her authority. She looked no different from a legendary human queen.

"Human, you dare to intrude into the nest of my Golden Ant clan. What is it you seek?" the Queen asked from her throne, her voice clear in the human tongue.

Su Mu was taken aback, but the fact that she could communicate made things much easier. He stroked his chin with a grin and said, "I have come to persuade your Golden Ant clan to submit to my rule. To be frank, from today on, this eighty-mile radius is my territory. If you refuse to surrender, only death awaits you."

"Heh, heh, heh!" The Queen laughed mockingly. "Poor human. This land has been ruled by the Dark World for over three hundred years. Countless lords have tried to claim it, only to be annihilated by our kind. You, with your pathetic skeleton warrior, think you can make my Golden Ant clan bow to you? How laughable!"

Faced with her ridicule, Su Mu offered only a cold command: "Ba Dao Zhan, slaughter every Golden Ant soldier here."

Simultaneously, the Dark Queen ordered her troops: "Golden Ants, kill these two intruders!"