"I can't believe it. I beat them despite knowing my life was at great risk. That was my first time actually fighting but I handle myself well. I was able to calmly battle those termites with minimal effort. During that fight, their attacks seemed a bit slow to me, so they couldn't hit me with that acid, even if I was a foot away from them. Thanks to these mandibles that Anastasia gave me, I also managed to get us out of trouble," said Ari as he gazed at the weapon in awe.
"Are you okay, Isla?" asked Rory.
"Yes, I'm fine," she said as she looked at Ari. "He's even stronger than I anticipated, and he'll only get stronger. Maybe he will one day be able to free us from that monster," Rory thought to himself.
"Good, found it—the flower we need to move on to the next step," said Rory as he rooted it out of the ground.
"Let's head back quickly. We don't know if there are any more termites nearby."
"That's for the best. Rory, let's go quickly," said Ari.
"But what about the others that ran off?" asked Isla, worried.
"For all we know, they're probably dead or lost. We can't risk wandering around aimlessly or we'll be in danger. We may even stumble upon their colony and fall victim to their acid," said Rory.
"We need to quickly inform the commander with this information. If there is a termite colony four days on foot away from ours, then we are in big trouble."
"Hey, Beatrice, have any of the groups cleared the task yet?" asked Anastasia.
"No, Commander, but if they stuck to the right route they were assigned to, they should be arriving soon," said Beatrice.
"Good. The sooner they arrive, the better it is for the colony. We need to prepare them for war because we won't be able to live so peacefully for much longer," said Anastasia.
One after another, the ants who left in groups of thirty came back with their plants, successfully completing the first part of the training. "That seems to be all of them, except..." said Beatrice as she stood up, shocked to see that only Rory, Isla, and Ari remained from their troop.
"Where is the rest of your troop? Did you run ahead of them?" the Corporal asked.
"No. Over half of them were unfortunately killed, and the rest of them scattered out of fear," said Rory in a low tone. "You're looking at all that remains of our troop."
"I see, that's tragic. I'm so sorry you guys went through all that. But the good news is, at least some of you made it back alive," said Beatrice, relieved.
"Don't feel sorry, Beatrice. That's how the world outside the colony is like. Death is always knocking on our door when we go out to defend our home. It's the harsh truth, but it's the reality we live in. It's not that I'm cold towards you all, it's just that loss is always a possibility for us. Most of the time, it's inevitable. So if you're not ready to lay your life on the line, then the military is not for you," said Anastasia.
"Now then, I'd like to have a talk with the three of you. Come with me, and Beatrice, you can go ahead and keep them busy for a bit. Tell me, what exactly attacked and killed them?"
"Well, Commander, I'm not sure, but they shot a toxic substance out of their hands that caused our comrades to deteriorate to the bone," said Rory. "Based on what I've seen of them so far, they were termites. We managed to take out two of them, but one of them fled."
"Termites? Those pests were on the path we scouted out. But a termite never strays far from its colony, so that means..."
"Yes, you're absolutely right. Their colony is nearby, at least a couple of days' travel," said Ari.
"I've dealt with termites before, and they are easy to slay. However, their acid is deadly enough to wipe out almost any insect. The fact that one of them escaped means the colony could be in great danger," said Anastasia.
"I'll dispatch a unit to take out their colony. About four hundred should do. Let me speak with Queen Celeste and the elders on the matter."
"Wait, that wouldn't be a good idea. Sending so many ants to their doom isn't wise. We don't know exactly where the colony is, nor the number of termites in it. Invading them blindly will only result in our demise. We have to think rationally before we make a move," said Ari.
"Does that mean you have an idea in mind?" asked Isla.
"Yes, it's the best way to get rid of them for good. Go ahead, let me hear what you have to say," said Anastasia.
"Knowing termites, their colony should be in a wooden landscape. Going in with a large number will only result in more casualties. So after we locate their colony, we'll surround the area with three hundred military ants, and a hundred of us will work on flushing them out of the colony, effectively leveling the playing field," said Ari.
"And how do you suppose we flush them out?" asked Anastasia.
"Don't worry, Anastasia. That part I'll explain on the way. Listen up, men. With the exception of these three trainees, we make up a total of four hundred. Our task for today is eliminating the termite colony. I give full leadership of this operation to Ari, one of our trainees, who defeated one on his own and has an effective strategy to deal with them. Be sure to follow his lead."
"To be given charge by Anastasia, and he's only just a trainee? Does she really trust this ant? Who exactly is he, and what is he capable of?" thought Beatrice to herself.
"Ari really is something else, that's for sure. It's not just the way he thinks of a plan so effortlessly, but also the fact that he's able to move so fast and has a strong battle sense. Plus, it's not every day a commander puts her trust into a trainee," thought Rory to himself.