NOVEL NEXT Chapter 146 Warm Winter
The Southern Gorgon fruits grow duller in color day by day.
Six days later, the fruits naturally split open and cracks appear, marking full ripeness.
Starship commands the Blue Soldiers to transport Worker Ants into the reservoir for picking.
"Round Cypress, Fragrant Cypress, Spiked Cypress, Cypress, each of you take 10. Spiked Cypress, you bring 10 to the Giant Cypress."
"Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, take 5 each."
"Ink Orchid, let's skip this time. Next year when the Northern Gorgon fruits ripen, we'll eat more."
Starship allocates simply.
"Thank you, Great King."
"Great King is wise."
"Great King is mighty."
The insects all respond in turn.
Total yield of Southern Gorgon is fixed at 465; after distributing 60, the rest are all sold to the caravan.
...
On harvest day, there's a banquet to celebrate.
Ink Orchid heads to the Divine Force Barrier to hunt large animals.
Spiked Cypress and Giant Cypress lead Soldier Ants, the whole nest moving out, to hunt small animals in the forested hills.
Fragrant Cypress and Cypress wash the pots, prepare the soup.
...
Gorgon fruits are large; even working together, Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple can't finish one.
On the Dominating Throne, Starship directs two Large Blue Ants to refine their allotted ten Gorgon Fruit Seeds, blend them with common ant honey for dilution, and fill them into cans.
—— Winter is here!
—— Are the Golden Light Fruits ripe?
—— They should be ripe, right?
—— Ripe already.
—— We can go pick them, then.
—— We sure can.
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple start up their back-and-forth again.
Starship knows—they want to go to Scarletlight Mountain.
"Not ripe yet. We'll go once they are."
"It's winter season; I can't leave Xianglan Mountain just like that."
"Tomorrow I'll have Cypress lead the Blue Soldiers to Black Lotus Lake to fish. Do you two want to go see White Willow?"
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple exchange a look, hesitating.
—— White Willow always loves to show off flying tricks.
—— White Willow isn't that much fun anyway.
—— But we've played all over Xianglan Mountain already.
—— Will White Willow let us fly together?
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, in unison: "We'll help fish!"
Alright then.
Back to the mountain.
Evening banquet celebration.
...
The next day,
Starship uses the Dominating Throne, carrying Ink Orchid, Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, Cypress, 60 Specialized Blue Soldiers, 40 Large Blue Soldiers, 10 Specialized Blue Ants, 10 Large Blue Ants, and 30 medium and large Worker Ants all in a single go.
A little overloaded, they depart in the morning, arriving late the next afternoon.
Cypress rests for a night, ready to start work the next day.
Starship rushes back to Xianglan Mountain overnight, bringing another 20 Specialized Blue Soldiers, 50 Specialized Blue Ants, and 30 Large Blue Ants.
The half-month-long winter fishing operation officially begins.
The goal: fill every Blue Ant's abdomen in the ant nest, storing enough food for the whole Ant Kingdom to survive winter and see out the next spring.
Ink Orchid stays at Black Lotus Lake, with Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple, playing with White Willow and watching Cypress fish.
Starship stands guard on Xianglan Mountain—one, to guard against any Ant Clan or Bee Clan from the Ten Thousand Nations Continent searching or hunting here in winter and discovering Xianglan Mountain;
Second, to keep up the efficient breeding of Blue Ants and Soldier Ants, strengthening the Ant Kingdom continually;
Third, to work with Fragrant Cypress, further specializing in perfecting the flavor of ant honey and experimenting with soup seasonings.
Starship encountered the concept of 'civilization' when just a Primary-Level Ant King—Natural System Insect Clan Civilization, Outworld Human Clan Civilization, Outworld Creator Civilization.
Starship even obtained the Dominating Throne and Deep Blue God-Given Seed from the Creator Civilization.
Sometimes Starship wonders: What is civilization?
Each time, Starship deeply feels a profound lack of knowledge and experience.
But by observing Azure and the Southern Gorgon, and comparing the Ten-thousand Tribes Continent and the Ten Thousand Nations Continent, Starship has gained some insight.
'Civilization' should mean 'survival'. The essential difference between civilizations may lie in how they survive in this world.
Starship then feels that survival can mainly be divided into: Production, Management, Environment.
After understanding this, Starship gets a sudden idea: Could my Ant Kingdom try to change?
Starship feels the Natural God System's production model is already optimal.
Cultivating and selecting premium plants, obtaining Top-Level Life Seed Plants, earning Divine-Given Seeds, acquiring high-quality Origin Force Food, and achieving better growth and evolution.
Starship honestly can't think of a production model superior to that of the Natural God System.
Those strange Outworld Civilization artifacts, they may look refined and clever, but do they mean much for life evolution?
Outworld Civilization artifacts—ranging from starships to the Ice-Fire Water-Making Pot—their actual uses are questionable; all show and no substance. Fun as novelties for amusement, nothing more.
The core of Origin Force Life is endless growth and evolution.
The production model of the Natural God System is already the optimal and strongest.
Starship decides to make a few tweaks in management and environment.
The ultimate purpose of management should be to make the Ant Kingdom work more efficiently and endure longer.
As for environment…
This insight came from the Deep Blue God-Given Seed.
Azure inherited some natural instincts from the Creator Civilization—it's creating an environment suited for itself.
Environment should include life species, habits, dietary methods, and more. These should all be interconnected and mutually reinforcing.
Starship decides to experiment from aspects such as dietary patterns and living habits.
Food is the most basic need for life, the very thing that keeps it going.
Starship establishes clear income distribution and reward-punishment systems in the Ant Kingdom—this is a change in management; changing eating methods and studying delicious food is a change in diet and living habits.
Is that enough?
Certainly not.
Starship ponders deeply on their own confused ignorance and feeble weakness.
So, now is only a small attempt.
But why make such an attempt?
Starship secretly wonders, just what kind of being is the Natural God? Is there a chance that…
Could Azure be a chance for a fundamental transformation…
...
Five days later,
Starship carries 20 empty-bellied Specialized Blue Ants to Black Lotus Lake, and brings back 30 full-bellied Blue Ants.
Another five days, carries 10 empty-bellied Specialized Blue Ants, brings back 30 full-bellied ones.
Another five days, Starship goes back and forth twice, and brings all ants back to Xianglan Mountain.
Ink Orchid's Molan Life Seed had already sprouted the Flower Sword.
The time has turned to the Late Winter Season.
Starship is directing accompanying Worker Ants, Soldier Ants, and Blue Ants to walk up into the throne, settling the Stump Ant Nest.
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple also move their belongings up to the throne: each with a metal can holding Origin Force Ant Honey; a petite Spider Silk Bag, bag with bamboo tubes, inside which are their life seeds.
After a simple pack-up, they set out straight for Scarletlight Mountain.
...
After surviving the evolution to High-Level Warrior at age 3, enduring a brush with life and death, Mulberry shakes off its old listlessness and begins managing its territory.
Among the hills: vast swathes of scorched earth from the Flame Ability.
Mulberry is clearing out half-burnt arbor trunks, digging up underground tree roots.
"Mulberry!"
"Mulberry, we came to see you!"
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple affectionately call out, fluttering over on their wings.
Mulberry is their real money-backer, just behind Starship and Ink Orchid in wealth among the bugs.
At Xianglan Mountain, Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple talk about Mulberry all the time, and about its Life Seed Plant.
Ink Orchid: "Mulberry, you've awakened a Fire System Ability?"
Starship: "That's a great ability for opening new farmland!"
Mulberry: "I ate too many Scarletlight Fruits."
Too many Scarletlight Fruits, awakening the Fire System Ability ahead of time, and it's pretty potent too.
The Dominating Throne parks; Starship and Ink Orchid jump down to closely examine the charred remains of plants on the ground.
Claw tip touches; with a gentle press, they easily crumble into charcoal.
Theoretically, these ashes after burning can also serve as nutrients for sowing new plants.
Moreover, flame roasting will kill pest insects and invisible micro-creatures harmful to plant health; newly sown plants can grow better.
With flame ability for land-clearing, even a single Mulberry can do the work of a thousand Worker Ants!
Starship makes a mental note.
Definitely should have Mulberry help out later!
Ink Orchid asks excitedly, "Mulberry, are you planning to plant Golden Light Fruit?"
Mulberry: "...Yes."
Ink Orchid: "Great! Mulberry, we're here to pick Golden Light Fruit, we'll give you the seeds after peeling!"
Mulberry: "...Alright."
Clearly, Mulberry would have liked to plant its beloved mango trees.
But with Ink Orchid saying so…
Starship: "Blue Catalpa, Snakebark Maple, don't run off, help Mulberry with the chores."
"Okay!"
"Alright!"
Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple reply cheerfully, climbing up Mulberry's carapace along its hind leg.
Mulberry is delighted, then suddenly a little worried, asking:
"Ant King Starship, Ink Orchid, have you decided? Where will Blue Catalpa and Snakebark Maple settle down?"
This is indeed something to consider.
Ink Orchid: "Right now, there are three places. First, go to Black Lotus Lake, keep White Willow company, look after each other. It's near Xianglan Mountain, so Starship and I can visit often."
Ink Orchid: "Second, their birthplace, White Lotus Lake. There, Origin Force Concentration is excellent, climate is perfect for insects, water is abundant, plants flourish. It's an ideal place to take root."
Ink Orchid: "Third, the newly found Land of Origin Force…"
Blue Catalpa: "The third place!"
Snakebark Maple: "Kiwifruit Mountain!"
Blue Catalpa: "We found a brand-new, super-resilient kiwifruit variety there."
Snakebark Maple: "We named it after ourselves—'Green-Red Kiwifruit'. Mulberry, isn't that awesome?"
"Awesome—" Mulberry looks at Starship and Ink Orchid, puzzled.
Starship: "That place is really great..."
Ink Orchid: "North of Scarletlight Mountain? It's a bit closer to here..."
Starship and Ink Orchid aren't in a hurry to leave; they stay, chatting with Mulberry for half a day before finally getting to work.