Lan Jin gave a slightly apologetic smile. When the ants were small, they had seemed harmless, but the enlarged ones were… terrifying. She really did not dare to eat them.
"Not eat, not eat," she repeated.
Since they didn't need to save them for food, they could handle them as they wished.
The soldiers had already started fighting the ants with wooden clubs. Lan Jin moved forward as well. Using her lightning ability, a whole line of ants convulsed and fell to the ground. The lightning was powerful, but its range was limited. She still hadn't fully mastered how to use the ring properly.
Brother Zhang said, "You can control lightning, but the larger the range, the more energy it costs. Xiao Huang is water-based, right? You two together increase effectiveness and save energy, letting you fight longer."
That was true. Lan Jin and Huang Jinghe had cooperated before. Huang Jinghe had used water ability on the ice surface. Before it froze, Lan Jin struck with lightning, and the ants fell twitching across the ground.
Remembering that the ring could form a whip, Lan Jin released it and lashed a group of active ants. Swinging it left and right, the surrounding ants fell to the ground, convulsing from the electricity.
Using the skill for the first time was unstable, though, and she almost hit Lao Gao by accident.
Lao Gao said helplessly, "Sister Lan, friend or foe still needs to be separated."
"Sorry, sorry. Next time I will be careful," Lan Jin apologized.
Still, on ice, the strongest fighter was Ling Jiang. Unlike Lao Gao's fire, Ling Jiang froze each ant in place with her ice ability. This didn't harm the ants but stopped them from attacking.
Did Ling Jiang have such a kind heart? Of course not.
After freezing the ants, she immediately told Lao Gao, "Gao, roast them. Burn their heads off."
Lao Gao used his fire ability. The ants' heads were charred, the whole swarm roasted with the scent of pepper and smoke. Surprisingly, the faint burnt smell was oddly refreshing.
The mass of ants fell to the ground, and the remaining ones, sensing danger, immediately turned and fled.
Brother Zhang still did not look relieved.
Lan Jin asked, "Brother Zhang, the ants left. Why the face?"
"The ants have a queen. If these escapees regroup with reinforcements, what then?" Brother Zhang looked at their five vehicles, four of which already needed tire replacement.
Lao Gao asked, "Not enough tires?"
Brother Zhang twitched. Was it just the tires? Sure, tires were tight, but with a few adjustments and leaving damaged cars behind, they could still move. The abandoned vehicles could be recovered later, so no resources wasted.
But with so many tires, replacements wouldn't be done quickly. If the ants really went for reinforcements, it would be trouble.
Brother Zhang ordered, "Those badly injured get the medics. Minor injuries first replace tires, then bandages. We need to leave quickly."
At his command, nearly all soldiers began working in order, except for those unable to move.
Even so, the ants were fast. Tires were not fully replaced when the swarm, reinforced with more ants, charged back. Among them, one ant towered above the rest, and Lan Jin's eyes ached just to see it.
Lan Jin, terrified of insects, shivered at the sight of the rushing swarm, goosebumps crawling across her skin.
"Xiao Huang, Ling Jiang, build an ice fortress around us," Lan Jin urged. "I can't stand seeing them, itchy everywhere."
An ice fortress was a good idea, but with five vehicles, the range needed enormous energy. Even abandoning cars to protect people would require tremendous power. It was nearly impossible.
Lan Jin suggested, "Too much energy for a fortress. A single ice wall works. You two build the wall, and we attack from behind it."
Within seconds, the ice wall rose. Everyone not changing tires gathered behind it to confront the ants.
Lao Gao was the exception.
He had bought the Ashen Blaze gun but had never used it. Now was the perfect moment. He slipped into a gap in the ice wall line, aimed, and fired a single fire bolt at the ants.
The Ashen Blaze was almost silent, with surprisingly good handling and no need to reload after each shot. One use and Lao Gao loved it, firing bolt after bolt.
Ants fell in countless numbers. The queen, enraged, charged toward them with increased speed.
As the ants closed in, Lao Gao realized something, "Wait, the wall is for the cars and you two, not me. Why hide here?"
He left the ice wall and charged toward the ants, firing with the crossbow as he ran.
The largest ant…
Up close, Lao Gao saw it reached a grown adult's calf height. A true giant among ants.
While fighting, Lao Gao asked Brother Zhang, "Why are all these mutated animals so big?"
"No, the snakes didn't grow, right? Maybe it's survival adaptation."
Brother Zhang added, "Large creatures are harder to deal with, but easier than small ones. Big target, more meat if edible. Small ones are harder to handle and almost no food value."