Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 451

Chapter 451
A section of the Azure Steel Immortal Ant’s abdomen glowed with a soft, milky radiance from within, indicating the Sky-Cleansing Stone Oil had probably been ingested and was now held within the ants.
This suggested the Azure Steel Immortal Ant was a spirit beast inspired by Myrmecocystus, commonly known as honeypot ants.
Honeypot ants, of all things!?
There was no opportunity to savor this realization.
A wave of disappointment crashed over him immediately.
“Then… does that mean the queen ant isn’t here!?”
If these beings were truly spirit creatures patterned after honeypot ants, then the three ants suspended from above could not be queens—a truly staggering notion.
The designation “honeypot ants” applies to multiple species within the Myrmecocystus genus, found in dry areas of the western United States, Mexico, and Australia.
They feature a specialized group called repletes or rotunds.
Replete translates to “full,” and rotund means “round”—both describing worker ants that hold liquid nourishment within their grossly expanded abdomens.
In Korean, one might term them “storage ants.”
These particular ants gorge their abdomens on liquid food, inflating to many times the size of a normal ant, and spend their lives clinging to the nest ceiling, providing nourishment for their community.
Their name is derived from their perfectly spherical, distended abdomens.
Given this, the fact all three hanging ants matched the description of such storage ants made it obvious—they could not be queens.
Repletes and rotunds are invariably workers.
“My dream of an ant colony…”
The vision of establishing an ant colony—instantly lay in ruins.
As So-ryong gazed vacantly at the three ants…
“So-ryong?”
Hwa-eun tilted her head as she drew near, confused by his abrupt stillness.
When the illumination from her lantern merged with the light of the night pearl from above, a slight variance became apparent—one of the three ants appeared somewhat different from its companions.
“Hm? What’s this? Why does that one…”
All three possessed abdomens of a bluish tint, with a milky luminescence glimmering between the segments.
However, only one of them exhibited a subtly different shine.
Two gleamed with a strong light, while the third’s glow was noticeably dimmer.
Could it be dying?
Sharpening his focus, So-ryong allowed the combined light to reveal more detail within the ant’s semi-transparent blue belly.
“It looks like… bubbles? Wait—!”
It seemed as if bubbles were forming inside its abdomen.
He hurried over and inspected the ant closely.
And then he comprehended.
Initially, he had assumed all three were identical due to their similarly swollen abdomens—but the one in the center was completely distinct.
Its body was considerably larger than the other two, and its fundamental skeletal structure was different.
And the bubbles inside… were undeveloped eggs.
In honeypot ants, the queen is substantially larger.
Multiple times the size of an average worker, as her entire existence is devoted to egg production.
Some repletes or rotunds can grow quite sizable, but this individual was unmistakably unique.
This meant—
This was without a doubt the queen ant.
The shattered dream of an ant kingdom… started to rebuild itself.
“Yes! Exactly! How many times will this make my heart leap? Honestly, Hwamu-jin, this man is truly excessive.”
This cursed tomb—how many times had it sent him soaring to heaven and plunging into hell?
So-ryong let out a breath, thinking once more that the tomb’s architect, Hwamu-jin, was a perilous individual.
First, he had been ecstatic to find the Azure Steel Immortal Ants were preserved.
Then devastated, believing only dead workers were left.
Then reassured to see one was alive.
Then disheartened again, thinking it wasn’t a queen.
And finally, astonished to learn that one was indeed the queen.
Only a person like So-ryong, with a resilient heart, could withstand this. Anyone else might have succumbed to a heart attack.
Not that it was necessarily Hwamu-jin’s design.
But still—was it not always the responsibility of the property owner? Or in this instance, the tomb’s?
“For the crime of playing with this So-ryong’s emotions, I’ll see to it Hwamu-jin is laid to rest in a location blessed with sun.”
As So-ryong vowed to inter Hwamu-jin in a sunny grave for inflicting such emotional turmoil, Hwa-eun’s voice sounded again.
“So-ryong?”
“Ah, yes. Hwa-eun.”
“Are the Azure Steel Immortal Ants alright?”
“Yes, Hwa-eun. They are all alive.”
“Then shouldn’t you offer your respects to the tomb’s occupant?”
“Oh! Right.”
Yeoncheon and Yeonji, resting on Hwa-eun’s shoulder, watched So-ryong with their antenna-like eyes.
He detected a hint of disapproval in their stares.
He had been so absorbed by the Azure Steel Immortal Ants that he’d neglected to perform a respectful bow upon entry.
Rushing forward, So-ryong dropped to his knees and bowed deeply before the tomb.
“I, Wei Su Long, son of the Beast Palace and son-in-law of the Sacheon Tang Clan, offer my respects to Elder Hwamu-jin, close companion of Senior Yeoncheon. I apologize for the tardiness of my greeting.”
Finally, contented voices resonated.
[Indeed, it is only right to attend to the living first.]
[I was initially offended, but you are truly our benefactor. The others merely nodded, yet you performed a full bow. Speaking of which, are those three well?]
A proper ceremony of respect demands a profound bow.
Thus, his deferential action received approving nods from Yeoncheon and Yeonji.
They appeared to appreciate that his first priority had been confirming the ants were alive.
“Yes, it seems they are unharmed.”
Just as the greeting for Elder Hwamu-jin concluded…
Hwa-eun inquired again.
“But So-ryong. Your expression seems brighter now?”
Evidently, she had detected the shift in his demeanor.
The transition from disappointment—believing the ant wasn’t a queen—to elation upon realizing it was.
“Oh, I recognized a mistake I had made.”
“Really? What kind of mistake?”
“N-nothing important. Don’t concern yourself, Hwa-eun.”
Dismissing it, So-ryong attempted to steer the conversation elsewhere.
But Hwa-eun persisted, her curiosity piqued.
“I see. Then who are these three? Did they kill all the Azure Steel Immortal Ants? They appear somewhat similar, but they are so different from the ones in the Secret Compendium of Venomous Creatures and the deceased ones outside.”
Hwa-eun evidently thought the bloated ants were so dissimilar from the external ants and the compendium’s drawings that they must be an entirely separate species.
She had likely never encountered ants like these before—or a queen ant within its nest.
“No, Hwa-eun. These are all Azure Steel Immortal Ants.”
“Truly? But they look so unlike each other.”
As she stared incredulously, So-ryong walked toward the ants and clarified.
“This one here is the queen ant of the Azure Steel Immortal Ants. The other two are worker ants that store fluid in their abdomens. The compendium likely only depicted the ordinary workers, so the discrepancy is to be expected.”
“Oh… now that you mention it, Ranghu did look different from the other worker wasps, didn’t he?”
“Correct.”
“Still, their stomachs are so swollen…”
While Hwa-eun admired the sight, So-ryong started to ponder how he would transport these new companions home.
Then, from behind them, dispirited voices called out.
“Little Hero So. It appears all the tomb’s treasures have been destroyed.”
“So-ryong, the Azure Steel Stone Tablet inscribed with martial techniques has been chewed apart by the ants, and the sword is shattered. The Sky-Cleansing Stone Oil also seems to be gone.”
“What? There isn’t a single artifact left from Elder Hwamu-jin…?”
Turning around, So-ryong saw that even the typically self-assured Dragon Fangs wore despondent expressions.
They seemed utterly crestfallen after examining the tomb.
Truthfully, So-ryong was unconcerned as long as the Azure Steel Immortal Ants were safe.
But observing the broken sword fragment in his brother’s grip—and hearing that the martial arts tablet had been devoured by ants—made it evident everything was devastated.
Even the Sky-Cleansing Stone Oil was missing.
Their faces were not merely sullen—they looked as if their entire world had fallen apart.
This was, after all, the martial heritage of one of the most fabled figures in Murim history—a prize rarer than the Ten Great Venomous Beasts.
And now… nothing was left.
So-ryong decided he should at least uplift their spirits by informing them that some of the oil might still exist within the ants.
“I should tell them the Sky-Cleansing Stone Oil might still be present…”
“You needn’t be so disheartened. In fact—”
–Ttak.
An odd noise cut him off.
It originated from the direction of the Azure Steel Immortal Ants—a faint cracking sound, like a finger being snapped.
Everyone shifted their attention toward the sound.
Perhaps revived by the warmth from the lanterns, the queen ant of the Azure Steel Immortal Ants raised her antennae and looked in their direction, appearing startled.
***
Ttak. Ttak-ttak.
The sharp, clicking noises persisted.
They emanated from the ant’s antennae.
Everyone stood motionless.
Then, with a gentle thud, the ant dropped from the ceiling, lowered her antennae, and inclined her head.
Simultaneously, a flustered voice echoed from Yeoncheon.
[It appears a misunderstanding has occurred.]
“A misunderstanding?”
[She is requesting that we end her life, Benefactor.]
“W-what!?”
What kind of preposterous request was this?
End her life?
As So-ryong stood bewildered, Yeonji elaborated.
[‘So soon…? Had I known, I would have shared it and waited with them… How can I continue living after they have gone on ahead? Proceed, human, take my life.’ That is what she said.]
“Why…?”
Gazing in disbelief at the queen ant, So-ryong heard Yeoncheon speak again.
[Listen. We have no desire to harm you. This individual here—he is the type who would sooner perish in your stead than cause you injury. He holds great affection for spirit creatures like yourself, so you have no cause for fear.]
Clearly, Yeoncheon had become acquainted with So-ryong’s character during their time together.
As the exchange continued, the clicking resumed.
Ttak-tak?
[Would you explain to us precisely what transpired?]
Ttak. Ttak. Ttak-tak.
[Hmm…]
Ttak-tak. Ttak.
Yeoncheon and the Azure Steel Immortal Ant queen communicated at length—and the story that emerged was a tragic one.
[She says she established herself here decades ago. And…]
The Azure Steel Immortal Ant queen had settled here long in the past.
The ants flourished by absorbing the energy radiating from the Azure Steel stones, which was why they constructed their nest in this location.
It seemed they had entered via an ancient air shaft, remnants of which were found on the surface, and commenced building their colony.
But several months prior, the primary pillar supporting their original nest gave way, placing them in severe peril.
Although they sustained themselves on energy from the Azure Steel stones, the ants also required water to live. Once the pillar accessing the ventilation shaft collapsed, they lost their ability to climb out through the domed ceiling.
Initially, they survived due to the replete ants—those that had stored water inside their abdomens. But as their reserves diminished, the colony confronted a desperate choice.
Ultimately, the worker ants determined to drill an escape passage through the wall.
Yet Azure Steel was exceedingly hard, and even Azure Steel worker ants could scarcely scratch its surface. In the end, their sole achievement was a single tunnel linking this chamber to another.
The ants that had perished with worn-down teeth were those who had just managed to break through before succumbing to thirst.
Ttak. Ttak-tak.
[And after that…]
They had the good luck to find the Sky-Cleansing Stone Oil within this chamber—and discovered that a mere mouthful could sustain them for an extended period.
But then a critical decision arrived.
After excavating that tunnel, their final water supplies were depleted.
And when they found the Sky-Cleansing Stone Oil, the colony was already suffering from extreme thirst.
Should they distribute the oil and attempt to drill further?
Or concentrate the remaining amount inside two ants to sustain the queen—and cling to the hope that one day, humans would return and unseal the tomb?
Whenever that day might arrive.
No one could know when.
“Oh no…”
“How tragic…”
In the end, the ants had chosen the second option.
Recognizing they could no longer tunnel at a viable pace, they opted to save the queen and pin their hopes on the unforeseen.
And now, the reason the queen wept and pleaded for death was her realization: if they had simply shared the oil and waited together, perhaps no one would have died.
The choice for the workers to sacrifice themselves had been made only recently.
Having heard the full account, So-ryong approached the ant whose antennae quivered as though weeping.
He spoke softly, offering solace.
“No parent could find peace after seeing their children precede them into death. But will you truly betray the hope your children placed in you by seeking to follow them now?”
Ttak?
The Azure Steel Immortal Ant queen lifted her head to look at him, surprised.
He offered a warm smile and continued.
“They did not wish only to save their mother. What they sought to protect… were the unborn siblings still within your belly, was it not?”
“They surrendered their lives so those little ones, who have not yet seen the light of day, might live. Therefore, allow me to take you to a secure place—raise their brothers and sisters well in their memory.”
Ttak-tak…
The queen’s form shuddered where she stood.
Ants cannot cry.
And yet…
It seemed as if a single tear had fallen from the queen’s eye.