It took us three or four days to complete the move.

The move itself is not complicated, even if there is plenty of food now, we don't have too much food in stock, plus the eggs, larvae and chrysalis that need to be moved, it can be done in one or two trips.

The main work is the construction of a new home.

The natural hole in the jujube tree, and a deep natural crack in the tree hole, is large enough to contain all of our ants.

We were mostly busy using a mixture of dirt, grass stalks, our own saliva and dung, narrowing the entrance to the tree hole and creating a thick outer wall.

Not only does this wall provide additional defense, reducing the area of oversized and wide nest entrances, but it also provides great warmth during the winter.

There is a lot of space in the tree hole, but there is a lack of partitions, and our species is not good at nesting, so we can only simply place the queen and young ants inside, and let the warriors live near the exit.

As for the older male, no one paid attention to him, and he silently found a safe corner to hide.

The tribe opposite, our new neighbor, moved two days before us. Because of the proximity, we were able to clearly observe each other's activities.

There were always a few warriors of the opposing tribe who were not convinced, and from time to time made some provocative movements in our direction by opening their jaws and shaking the needles on their buttocks. The young warriors of our tribe often fight back in the same way.

However, neither side made further statements too fiercely, and everyone knew that there was no need for a big fight now that there was plenty of food.

The other tribe seems to be busy stocking up on winter food these days, and every day the prey is brought back and placed in the sun on the trunks and branches of the trees to dry.

Our tribe is similar, the territory can provide a lot of food every day, the well-fed warriors are more efficient in hunting, and the queen ants are also pot-bellied and spawn to their heart's content.

According to the memories of the oldest queen, the last time the tribe saw such a prosperous scene was several years ago, when outsiders had not yet arrived in large numbers, the fallen rarely appeared, and the hilly areas were more of a clan of internal conflicts, frequent but not violent.

All in all, it's a good day.

The peace was shattered one day. On this day, three young warriors went out hunting in a group, and only one returned, still seriously wounded.

She told the tribe that after they had captured their prey, they had encountered a giant cockroach and had not paid any attention. As a result, the cockroach swooped in front of them, and they discovered that the "cockroach" was carrying a pair of huge scythe forefeet.

The Bark Mantis, the horrific killer that I and the young queen had encountered, reappeared, and not only snatched its prey, but also killed two of our tribe's warriors.

The news was quickly reported to the entire tribe, reminding the ants who went out to take precautions.

When I first encountered the bark mantis with the young queen, we also reported the relevant information. However, at that time, the place where we encountered the bark mantis was not part of the tribal territory, so it was not taken seriously.

Now, the Tribal territory has expanded, and the reappearance of the bark mantis, with its casualties, has shown that our tribe and its territory have overlapped.

It is an inevitable conflict, and there can only be one or a group of the highest hunters in a territory.

After a simple meeting of the tribes, it was agreed that a hunting ceremony would be held in the new territory.

The so-called hunting ritual is that the whole tribe goes out to expel or kill the fierce insects that pose a serious threat in the existing territory to ensure the safety of the entire tribe.

There are not many cases where it is worthwhile for a tribe to send all its forces to sweep up. Generally, only a single powerful insect is worth doing, such as giant scorpions, large centipedes, and praying mantises.

If it is a swarm of wasps, wasps, and termites, we generally don't dare to provoke them easily, and as long as the other party does not specifically target us, we reluctantly agree to temporarily share territory and space with these large and powerful competitors.

No matter how you measure it, this solitary, elusive, and threatening bark mantis is worth giving up two or three days of hunting time and pouring out of the nest.

- I'm the dividing line -

With two young warriors, I searched a bush with a steady but cautious pace, but found no target.

Although the new territory is not large, only half a valley, any warrior can walk from south to north in half a day.

But with the many plants and undulating land in the territory, it's not easy to find a specific target.

Therefore, dozens of warriors in our tribe poured out of the nest, and in groups of three warriors, one or two senior warriors led the young warriors and scattered the search.

Once a target is spotted, a single team does not risk killing them, and with preparation, the bark mantis may not be able to spot the warrior watching it. Even if they found out, as long as they weren't attacked, the three warriors would be able to deal with them until reinforcements arrived.

Once a target is spotted, the warrior will use the sting needle on his buttocks to regularly tap the branch or trunk next to him, and this dull impact sound can transmit a certain distance and arouse the alarm of nearby companions.

Nearby companions will also start tapping, and through different frequencies, the approximate information about the target's location and distance will continue to be transmitted.

Reinforcements will then arrive at the target in a steady stream, and when the warriors gather a certain number, they can start hunting, killing or expelling the target completely.

We don't have a clear division in the group search, everyone just goes in different directions and decides the search area. Sometimes, several teams will encounter each other in the same area, and sometimes they will miss the same vegetation.

But given enough time, sooner or later we'll be turning over the entire territory.

As an apex predator, the bark mantis has a fixed area of activity, and although it does not nest, it also has a customary overnight spot. It's only a matter of time before you find it.

As the "chief warrior" of the tribe, I took two new warriors, young warriors who had just broken the pupa not long ago, and searched repeatedly stone after stone, plant after plant.

Our group is not fast, if not a little slow. Seeing that the later squads kept passing us in other directions, the young warriors in the team were a little impatient.

They communicated with me, and I unceremoniously demanded that they obey. I am older and more combat-ready fighters, and they must obey me and not question my decisions.

And my cautious habits are also good qualities that have survived to the present day and continue to succeed in hunting and dueling, and these young warriors, just like me back then, still need to be honed.

And the veteran warrior who honed me in the first place has died in the battle against the Fallen......