Insect Tamer's Ascension Chapter 483. A hunt he never expected

Theo observed the Ant Queen as it meticulously tested out a variety of strategies.

One approach involved workers luring a slime towards the colony. While successful, it came at a steep price, with several worker ants falling victim. Their demise was due to a significant loss of strength once they emerged above ground, leading to their eventual deaths.

Theo watched as the slime began to dissolve the ants within its mass, only to discover something quite unexpected: the ants' carapaces proved remarkably resilient, resisting complete disintegration.

This realization sent a ripple of unease through Theo. If the slime perceived the ants as a valuable food source, it might very well begin actively hunting them. This was Theo's immediate suspicion.

The subsequent tactic employed by the Ant Queen was one that blindsided Theo completely, something he hadn't even considered a possibility.

The ants precisely identified the location where the slime was expected to surface and, with astonishing speed, dug directly towards that spot. Hundreds of ants worked in unison, driven by a singular objective: to intercept the slime before it could possibly react.

Their initial attempt, however, fell short. At the last possible second, the slime shifted its form sideways, causing the ants to bite into empty earth instead of their intended target.

Despite the failure, Theo was undeniably impressed. Witnessing the ants devise hunting strategies for a creature of such vastly different proportions was remarkable.

It was akin to observing ordinary humans, armed with nothing but spears, attempting to hunt and subdue a woolly mammoth.

Yet, the final strategy presented by the Ant Queen truly solidified Theo's belief in its profound intelligence.

Based on their coordinated actions, Theo recognized that the Ant Queen was employing a tactic remarkably similar to the one they had utilized when the slime initially attacked the colony.

To execute this, another large ant was deliberately offered as bait, drawing the slime closer to the colony's entrance.

And just as before, the ruse proved effective.

The slime, enticed by the prospect of easy prey, thrust its body deep into the colony's opening.

This time, however, the ants withheld their assault. They patiently allowed the slime to advance further, all the way into the initial chamber.

Then, in a sudden, explosive moment, Theo saw hundreds of ants simultaneously attack the slime's body. Their synchronized bites compelled the creature to retreat in disarray.

At that critical juncture, the slime ceased its extension and retracted into a densely compacted sphere at the chamber's heart.

This resulting sphere was considerably larger than the first, marking the hunt as a definitive success.

This successful maneuver was repeated numerous times.

After a while, Theo began to question if it was, in fact, the same slime being captured repeatedly. If it was, its persistent lack of awareness seemed almost unbelievable.

But after a significant number of successful hunts, the Ant Queen unveiled its ultimate strategy.

High above the deepest chambers of the colony, the ants excavated a colossal vertical pit, situated far from any of the main nesting areas.

Theo immediately understood the shift in approach; this was no mere adaptation, but a profound leap in strategic intelligence.

Subsequently, the ants lured another slime towards them.

This time, remarkably, there were no casualties among the ant defenders.

Theo watched as the slime, seemingly sensing an easy opportunity, willingly entered the hole the ants had ingeniously prepared.

It moved completely into the excavation, its body extending fluidly to match the narrow confines of the descent.

The slime continued its downward journey, following the ants that had strategically retreated deeper into the tunnels.

It was at this precise moment that thousands of ants swarmed the opening above and began shoving soil into the pit.

The earth cascaded down onto the slime's body, but instead of being buried, it was readily absorbed by the creature.

While the slime's attention was entirely focused on the ants descending the tunnel, a spider emerged from the ground above and proceeded to push more soil into the opening.

The rate at which soil entered the pit increased dramatically. Before the slime could fully comprehend its predicament, a continuous torrent of earth was being funneled down the hole.

Theo observed the ants working with flawless coordination, pushing soil inward, and could not suppress a surge of pride in their remarkable efficiency. The recent increase in their numbers had undoubtedly contributed to this enhanced productivity.

However, he remained unaware that the ants' actions extended far beyond simply displacing soil.

He witnessed large clods of earth plummeting onto the slime, each mass being assimilated by the creature.

Then, a multitude of ants arrived, diligently loosening massive sections of soil and causing them to break off and fall into the pit below.

It was at this point that the Ant Queen elucidated their method: they were employing their 'tunnel sense' ability. By identifying pockets of aerated soil and expanding them, they ensured the earth lacked sufficient anchor points, causing it to collapse inwards.

Before long, the slime found itself trapped at a dead end, its body already saturated with an overwhelming amount of soil.

The sheer volume of earth exceeded its capacity to consume, and by instinct, it attempted to ascend.

Alas, the ease with which it had descended was a stark contrast to its arduous upward struggle. The movement was agonizingly slow. With the relentless deluge of soil engulfing it, and a perilous quantity entering its body, the slime was compelled to adopt a hardened defensive posture.

It desperately required time to digest the influx of soil before it could accommodate any more within its form.

Above, the ants toiled ceaselessly, relentlessly depositing soil until a significant portion of the pit was already concealed.

’So, they entombed it alive…'

The ants exhibited sheer brutality, and their assault did not cease there.

Down below, where the slime was trapped, swarms of other ants lay in wait for a command.

The instant the signal was given, the ants swarmed, emerging from concealed tunnels, severing small portions of the slime’s flesh with their powerful mandibles, then swiftly retreating back into their hidden passages.

The situation escalated to a point where, for every ant the slime attempted to pursue after it had been bitten, another would emerge from a different tunnel, attacking from an unforeseen direction.

This occurred in waves, hundreds at a time, then another hundred.

The most agonizing aspect for the slime was its inability to revert its form to normal.

The instant it did, the soil pressing down would inundate its body, an amount far exceeding its capacity to digest.

Even its hardened gaze offered minimal defense, as the constant gnawing of mandibles, with their formidable crushing power, relentlessly chipped away at it.

Ultimately, the Ant Queen unveiled a chamber brimming with such cores, revealing to Theo that this grim fate had befallen others in the forest before.

Yet, such were the immutable laws of this domain, at least for its inhabitants.

It was the stark reality of the survival of the fittest.

Following this, the Ant Queen guided him to another chamber. Within, spheres of slime were meticulously maintained and preserved, suspended by thick, intricate spider webs.

Theo gazed in utter amazement, his astonishment mounting with each passing moment.