Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The iron-backed army ants carried them through the insect tunnels.

As they went deeper, the number of ants increased.

On the walls on both sides of the worm tunnel, numerous forks began to appear.

Like countless blood vessels branching out from the main trunk.

At every fork in the road, iron-backed army ants were moving about.

The subtle sounds of whiskers rustling came from all directions, merging into a deep hum.

The ground beneath my feet began to become smooth.

It was polished by countless segments until it was almost as smooth as a stone slab.

The smell of folic acid in the air was so strong that it was almost pungent.

With each breath, you can feel the sour, fermented plant-like aroma.

The insect tunnels are also widening.

The dome overhead grew higher and higher.

Structures made of mud and secretions began to appear on the wall.

It resembles some kind of rough support column, extending from the ground to the top.

After passing a few more forks in the road, the view suddenly opened up.

A huge underground space came into view.

Tens of thousands of iron-backed army ants traversed this space.

It flows like a black ocean.

The nest cells are arranged like a honeycomb on the surrounding walls.

Each floor is connected by countless passageways.

The ground was covered with worker ants and soldier ants, moving methodically in their respective positions.

Some were carrying food scraps, while others were cleaning the edges of the nest cells.

Some remained quietly in the corner, their whiskers swaying slightly.

The nest chambers were densely packed together, and from a distance they looked like countless dark eyes staring down.

Elvia's gaze swept over the densely packed nest cells and the wriggling black ant colony.

A tingling sensation ran down my scalp.

She subconsciously looked away, but no matter where she looked, she saw the same scene.

"this……"

She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

The ironback army ants did not stop.

It carried the three of them through the nursery.

It was filled with white eggs and translucent larvae.

Worker ants busily surrounded the egg, gently licking its shell with their mouthparts.

They bypassed the mountains of food reserves.

It was piled high with dried plant roots, dried demon flesh, and some unidentifiable black crystals.

Finally, Lin Gui patted the ant beneath him, signaling it to stop.

Then he flipped off the shell, took out his oak staff, and straddled it.

Then he reached out and pulled Lillian and Elvia onto the staff, one on each side, and they floated into the air.

He looked down from his vantage point at the dense swarm of ironback army ants below, his gaze sweeping back and forth among them.

The staff carried three people as it slowly flew over the granary.

Beneath my feet was an endless stream of black ants, flowing like a river between the nest chambers.

Occasionally, a few ants would stop, flick their antennae in their direction, and then continue on their way.

Lin Gui manipulated the staff, finally landing it at the entrance to the insect tunnel on the east side of the ant nest.

He jumped off his staff and stood guard at the entrance to the passage.

My gaze fell upon each and every ironback army ant entering and exiting the hole.

One ant after another passed by in front of him.

Some dragged food scraps inside, while others went out empty-handed.

His gaze lingered briefly on each ant before moving away.

Elvia stood behind him for a while, then couldn't help but speak.

"What are you looking at?"

Lillian explained excitedly from the side.

"It's about age, and also the route!"

Her eyes sparkled as she touched the ants' carapaces with her fingertips.

"The wear and luster of an ant's carapace can give a rough idea of ​​its age!"

"The smoother and shinier the shell, the younger it is and the fewer dangers it has experienced!"

"And those with scratches, chips, and whitened edges on their shells are veterans!"

"The more times they traverse the red desert, the more experience they accumulate!"

"It's naturally safer to follow an experienced person than a novice!"

"besides!"

"The varied terrain of the red desert leaves unique marks on their bodies!"

"For example, mineral dust unique to certain forbidden areas, or the sap of certain plants!"

"We can use these tracks to determine where this ant has been!"

"Then choose the route that's closest to the borderlands!"

"Is that right, teacher!"

"Am I right?!"

Lillian turned her head and looked at Lin Gui with expectant eyes.

Lin Gui was slightly taken aback.

He turned his head to look at Lillian, his eyes filled with undisguised surprise.

Even Elvia looked somewhat taken aback.

She never imagined that this little girl, who usually hunched over and stuttered when she spoke, would be like this.

It's astonishing that such keen observation skills could be displayed in a place like this.

Lin Gui was silent for a moment, then smiled.

"Absolutely correct."

"You're almost right."

Lillian's cheeks flushed slightly, but she couldn't help but smile.

Lin Gui turned around, pointed to the ants passing by the passage, and began to introduce them one by one.

"The edges of this carapace are severely worn, but the luster is good, indicating that it hasn't been in a very dangerous area recently."

"This animal is missing a small section of its left forelimb, but the wound has healed. It was injured at least 10 years ago, making it a veteran worth considering."

"This one has gray sand stuck to its shell, so it must have come from the Boiling Sands Sea, which isn't the direction we're going..."

His words suddenly stopped.

An ant emerged from the depths of the tunnel.

It was not much different from the other ants around it.

But it stopped amidst the dense swarm of ants, its tentacles waving in the direction of the forest ghost.

Then, step by step, it made its way through the ant colony and finally stopped in front of the forest ghost.

It raised its head, its two black compound eyes silently watching the forest ghost.

The ants around them continued their busy scurrying about, and no one paid any attention to their companion who had stopped moving.

But Lin Gui noticed its unusual nature.

Lin Gui stared at it.

His eyes widened involuntarily.

His pupils contracted slightly, as if he recognized something.

Lillian's voice came from beside my ear.

"Teacher, I see a really suitable ant over there!"

"Its shell has many scratches, and on its left hind leg..."

Lin Gui smiled, but his gaze never left the ant in front of him.

The ant crawled over and came to Lin Gui's side.

"No."

Lin Gui reached out and gently placed his hand on the ant's head, then chuckled softly.

"This one will do."

Lillian paused for a moment, then followed his gaze.

Her gaze swept back and forth across the ant's carapace several times, her brow furrowing slightly.

This ant didn't have many scratches on its carapace, and its luster wasn't dull either. The wear on the edges was noticeably less than that of the one she had just picked out.

She is also on the smaller side, and doesn't look that old.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but seeing Lin Gui's confident expression, she swallowed her words back.

Elvia, however, did not have that much patience.

She reached out and grabbed Lillian by the back of her collar, lifting her up in one swift motion.

"Alright, stop being picky."

"Let's get going."

She placed the saddle on the ant's back, and then sat down with Lillian.

"If I stay here any longer, I'm going to throw up."

Lin Gui smiled, flipped over, and jumped onto the front of the ant.

He patted it gently.

The ant turned its head and its antennae twitched twice in the air.

Then it spread its six segments and headed east along the insect tunnel.