"Is it... really here...?"
The {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} question came from the mysterious figure, Swift Walker, who was gently touching the red peak.
At his inquiry, I nodded.
"Yes, didn't the previous Swift Walker say that both the eggs and the cocoons were found here?"
"Is that so?"
"From what I gather, I believe the previous Swift Walker might have found the cocoon and eggs together after a collapse of the white ant's nest. The cocoon would have flowed out when the nest collapsed, and the adult insect may have laid eggs near the broken nest," I speculated.
Given that the previous Swift Walker had no knowledge of insects, I assumed this was an accident. If we think about the possible outcomes of finding both eggs and cocoons in a single spot, this scenario seemed the most likely. The cocoon would be deep within the white ant mound, while the eggs would be near the entrance, at the mound's surface.
It seemed like the only explanation. There was a chance that, due to some incident, a part of the ant mound collapsed, and the cocoon spilled out, while the adult insect laid its eggs nearby. The double tail butterfly of my past life laid its eggs at the entrance of the Matsumura ant mound, so this coincidence could explain everything.
After I finished explaining, Swift Walker nodded thoughtfully.
"Hmm... I see," he muttered, pondering.
At that moment, an urgent cry came from behind.
Tsurru! Tsrrut!
It was clearly the sound of the creature I had placed on my shoulder. I quickly turned my head to see it in front of the ant mound, making strange noises.
The creature had rolled itself in the dirt, brushing its head with its feet, and was now squirming around.
"Hyangi, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?"
I had warned it about the dangers, but it was already in the middle of a confrontation with the ants.
If it had ignored me and gotten too close to the ants, it would definitely earn a scolding, but first, I rushed over to check on Hyangi.
I feared it might have been bitten by the soldier ants and seriously hurt.
"Where are you hurt? Hold still, Hyangi."
"Did Hyangi get bitten? So-ryong?"
I tried to calm it down, but Hyangi seemed to be exaggerating its discomfort, claiming something was terribly painful.
Tsrrut. Tsurrut...
But after inspecting it thoroughly, I found no obvious injuries.
"No injuries at all?"
Churu. Churu...
"Are you sure you're not hurt?"
Even though no physical wounds were visible, Hyangi kept whining and complaining.
I decided to check again, unsure if I had missed something.
That’s when I noticed its antennae were stuck together in an unusual shape.
Luckily, they weren’t broken or bent, but Hyangi’s antennae were visibly clumped together, which was strange.
Hyangi, who had always been in constant motion, sniffing the air and tracking scents, had earned its name because of its twitching antennae. But now, for some reason, they had stuck together.
"Why are your antennae like this, Hyangi? Does it hurt here?"
Tsurru.
After calming Hyangi again, I gently touched the antennae, only to feel a sticky liquid.
“Oh, so you got sticky fluid on you, didn’t you?”
Hyangi must have gotten into some trouble, and in its scurrying around, it had been hit by the sticky fluid of a white ant.
Some soldier ants can squirt sticky liquids when they fight enemies or explode their bodies to spray out sticky substances. Worker ants use it to mix dirt and build their nests. Hyangi must have accidentally provoked the white ants and got some of this fluid on itself, causing its antennae to stick together.
I wiped its antennae with my sleeve, and soon its complaining stopped.
"Hyangi, I told you not to go near the ants, didn’t I? Now listen to your dad and stay away from danger, alright?"
Tsrrut...
I scolded Hyangi sternly, and it drooped its antennae like a sad puppy, clearly feeling guilty.
Although it broke my heart to see it like that, I couldn’t let it get hurt again. Swift Walker shook his head, amused, and commented,
"That little one is really all over the place. By the way, how are we going to deal with this?"
Once the commotion caused by Hyangi died down, Swift Walker was back to pondering how to sell the ant mound.
Then Hua-eun and Seol joined in with their concerns.
"But So-ryong, do you think we can sell this? I think we need to bring some masons and break it open."
"That's right. So-ryong. I don’t know how the white ants made this, but it seems as hard as a rock. Can we really sell it?"
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They were right. The mound did look suspiciously tough. I recalled the white ants from my past life, who built hard mounds known for their durability. These ants were even bigger, hundreds of times larger than the ones I knew.
The sticky liquid from the ants wasn’t ordinary either, and if they had used it to mix dirt and build their mound, it must have had some significant strength. If Swift Walker and the others thought it was solid as rock, it wouldn’t be surprising if it was as hard as concrete.
But Swift Walker was a martial artist of the highest level, one of the Five Lords of the Three Sovereigns. I’d heard that the Three Sovereigns were known for their incredible martial arts. Considering Swift Walker’s robust physique, I thought there was a chance he could break it open with his martial skills.
I looked at Swift Walker expectantly and asked,
"We’re likely looking for the center of this pillar. It should be just below the surface, and the inside will be softer. If we break the outer shell, the inside should be easier to get through. Do you think your martial skills could help?"
"It won’t be a problem. Maybe I should give it a try," Swift Walker said with a smile.
"Really!"
"Master’s power! This is my first time seeing it!"
"We’ll get to see Swift Walker’s skill in action?"
I asked as Swift Walker rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward.
Though his disciple, Yeong-ryeon, seemed a little worried about seeing her first martial technique, Swift Walker didn’t seem concerned. With a nonchalant expression, he gathered his energy in front of the massive red ant mound.
Fwoosh.
The energy around him surged as his clothes fluttered from the force he was generating.
Swift Walker’s hand shot forward at a speed that couldn’t even be tracked with the eye.
Bang!
A loud impact rang out.
The sound was lighter than expected, but Swift Walker’s powerful strike still resonated with a deep force.
I waited in anticipation, hoping to see the ant mound crumble. But despite his strike, the mound didn’t budge.
At first, I wondered if the surface was fine but the inner layers were weakened, like some martial techniques that infiltrate and damage from the inside.
But as time passed, the ant mound remained unshaken.
"What’s going on?"
I, Hua-eun, and Seol exchanged glances, bewildered. Swift Walker cleared his throat and muttered,
"Well, I’m good at lightness skill, mystic methods, and pressure points, but... martial arts like this aren’t my specialty. Hmm... this is pretty solid."
"Why did you try to show off all those moves, then?"
I thought, bewildered by the old man’s antics.
***
"Now that we've found it, I'll figure out how to handle it. We can either ask a skilled martial artist for help or, as you said earlier, bring some masons to break it open," Swift Walker said.
He, along with Hua-eun, Seol, and his disciple Yeong-ryeon, had tried various martial arts strikes against the unyielding ant mound, but it didn't budge. It seemed clear that breaking it open would require a different approach. The mound's solid structure was proving resistant to their attacks.
"It seems we need to find another way," Swift Walker concluded.
The mound was simply too strong for their current methods.
"I could bring in some masons, like Seol said, or perhaps request assistance from a master martial artist," Swift Walker suggested.
Though he briefly considered bringing the Tang Clan warriors, he quickly dismissed the idea, knowing the presence of the Poison Sect and the Blood Sect would make that difficult.
"Understood. Once you're ready, we’ll meet again," I replied.
"Alright, but it looks like we’ll have to camp here tonight," Swift Walker said, glancing toward the ridge. The sun was already setting, casting a red glow over the horizon.
"Seems that way," I replied.
"Do you think the ants will attack us at night?" Swift Walker asked, though I reassured him there was no need to worry.
"White ants rarely leave their nests. And if they do, it’s usually at the edge of their territory," I explained. "They gather food like leaves or wood around the edges of their home, so they won't come this far. You don’t need to worry about them."
"Good, then I’ll go hunting. I could catch a wild boar or something," Swift Walker said with a grin.
"You plan to hunt? But there's plenty of food already," I pointed out. "I’m sure you could grab some branches if you need anything, but..."
"Hm? Food? What do you mean? Did you bring food from the Tang Clan?" Swift Walker asked.
I smiled and answered, "White ants are actually quite tasty."
"What!? You’re eating white ants?" Swift Walker and Yeong-ryeon exclaimed, shocked.
Hua-eun and Seol, however, didn't seem fazed.
"I suppose it's possible to eat them," Hua-eun said casually.
"Back in my hometown, in Yunnan, we eat bamboo worms, locusts, and cicadas. So I guess white ants are nothing new," Seol added with a shrug.
"They must taste good, right?" Seol asked, almost excitedly.
I thought to myself, I’ve never tried them before, but now seems like a good chance.
In Uganda, people fry, roast, or even deep-fry white ants, so this would be an interesting experience. Plus, I figured it might boost my Spicy Fabre experience points.
***
Though reluctant, Swift Walker and Yeong-ryeon eventually gathered some branches, while Hyang and Yo-hwa captured the white ants.
Because of their size, Hyang and Yo-hwa weren’t bothered by soldier ants, and with a single swat of their large paws, they swiftly skewered the ants. They made an impressive ant skewer, though they avoided catching soldier ants since their exoskeletons were too tough to eat.
Crackle.
They roasted the ants over a fire, and the juices dripped from the skewers, releasing a delightful aroma.
"That smells delicious," I commented.
"It really does," Hua-eun agreed.
As the ants roasted on the skewers, their legs and antennae burned away, leaving behind a chewy, skewered treat that smelled absolutely delicious.
"Sir, please have some," I offered, handing Swift Walker the first skewer.
He flinched slightly, then smiled awkwardly.
"Well, you should eat first. You’ve worked the hardest," he said.
"Are you sure? There are martial traditions about this," I insisted.
"Oh, it's fine," he replied dismissively.
I offered the skewer again, but this time, Swift Walker waved his hand, still hesitant. Finally, I took the first bite to show him.
"Then, I'll try it first. Thank you."
Crunch.
I bit into one of the roasted ants and the rich, savory juice exploded in my mouth. It was surprisingly good.
I finished the whole ant, smiling at the others. "This is really tasty. You should all try it..."
Just then, I began to feel lightheaded. The voices of Hua-eun and Seol echoed in my ears.
"So-ryong... So-ryong..."
"Ryong!? What’s happening...?"
Poison...
I had checked the ants for poison before cooking, but it didn’t seem to have any. Why was I feeling this way? It felt strangely familiar, like I had experienced it before.
My vision blurred and everything turned black.