There is a faint sour smell floating in the air, which is the smell of fresh fluorescent bacteria liquid that has just been squeezed out.
The protagonist rarely comes to inspect this important industry. Today he simply read it in one go and immediately recognized this fresh taste.
The entire workshop is divided into different workshops, corresponding to different processes.
The workshop with the heaviest sour gas now is the first process. Here, the ants cut the fluorescent strain into sections, then throw them into the stone mortar, use a rope to pull the hammer hanging above, and hammer continuously.
The fluorescent strain was beaten and destroyed, and the blue juice separated from the cells and gradually gathered into a small pool. These juices are obviously corrosive, not only emitting a faint and unique sour gas, but also rust can be clearly seen on the surface of the hammer.
When it is almost done, the ants will add a small amount of water to the juice, then pour it out and send it to the second workshop.
The second workshop is responsible for adding more water to the juice and then letting it sit for a while until the liquid naturally turns light blue. This is also the most dangerous workshop. The components in the fluorescent bacteria extract that inhibit spontaneous combustion volatilize during this period. If not operated properly, it can easily cause a fire or even an explosion.
Later, some magic workers discovered that if a small amount of starch was added to these liquids, the probability of accidents could be greatly reduced, making the production process safer.
In this process, water with added starch can replace the original ingredients to inhibit the spontaneous combustion of the extract.
In the next workshop, the impurities in the extracted liquid are filtered out, and finally the extracted liquid is put into clay pots, sealed, and sent to the ammunition manufacturing workshop.
In ammunition workshops, these extracts are either purified and made into weapons such as fire bombs and slings, or charcoal particles are added to make intentional explosives or propellants.
This is the explosives industry of the Ant Alliance, which not only has the process design of human workshops, but also retains the original, simple and rough texture of ant nests.
The protagonist took a quick look around, encouraged the magical worker ants working inside, and then hurried to a safe place.
Here, "Secretary II" brought several cadres of magical worker ants for scientific research to show off their latest research results.
I saw the worker ants who were responsible for assisting bring a sealed clay pot. After peeling off the plastic film on the mouth, a burst of sour gas immediately hit my face, and the tentacles were filled with a recognizable sour smell.
What's inside is the freshly squeezed extract.
I saw the magic worker ants carefully sprinkle some crushed white crystals into the extraction solution, and then stirred quickly. The sour gas gradually subsided, and soon it could no longer be smelled.
The protagonist has been careful to stay aside. If the extracted liquid is not added with water and starch in time, it will easily ignite spontaneously. He knows this. The current tank of acid has obviously not gone through this process.
There is a large clay pot of water in the laboratory on display. The protagonist is ready to pour water to extinguish the fire immediately in case of an accident. If it explodes, there is nothing you can do, so wish yourself good luck!
But the accident did not happen. The magic worker ants were skilled in the operation. After adding a large amount of white crystals, the extract gradually turned into a transparent viscous liquid. There was no spontaneous combustion or self-explosion. It was very calm.
Then the magic worker ants finished their display. They had produced a brand new substance and asked the God Envoy King to review it.
The protagonist leaned over and took a closer look. It was sticky and white, like paste. If you touch it with your tentacles, there is no irritating feeling, only a slight salty taste.
The protagonist asks them, does this slimy new substance have any use?
"Not found useful!"
"have no idea!"
"I know you won't die if you eat it!"
"It's still a little salty!"
"Not as salty as table salt!"
"My stomach is bloated after drinking too much!"
At this time, the protagonist and the magical worker ants formed a circle with their tentacles to communicate. Faced with the information received, the protagonist was speechless.
Useless? Can it be eaten? A little salty?
What is this? Isn't it useless if you come up with something like this? Then why did you call me to see it? What a cheat!
But the protagonist was relieved in an instant. He expressed joyful emotions, and then greatly praised the magical worker ants - these magical worker ants are genetically his descendants.
Although these substances may seem useless, this is a manifestation of the prodigious worker ants taking the initiative to explore new experimental methods and being able to create brand new substances, which is a remarkable progress.
The scientific research team is no longer just following the lead and does whatever the protagonist says. It now has the ability to develop its own research directions.
The protagonist praised them and then asked them to choose a laboratory away from the core area for future experiments - these magical worker ants are so frightened that they dare to put anything in their mouths.
Fortunately, this experimental product has no toxic or side effects. The protagonist asked. The white crystals they added were trona. The fluorescent bacteria extract was sour, and there was obviously acid in it. The acid-base neutralization produced some kind of salt. This experiment was not very dangerous.
But who knows what trouble the scientific research team will cause next time. Newton and Edison seemed to have had accidents back then, so it would be safer to let them find a remote corner by themselves!
————
Meanwhile, in the far north, beyond.
The siege of the civilized ant coalition has lasted for more than a month, but this isolated city of the red fire ant country, which has not been restored to its own country for a long time, has shown incredible resilience.
To this day, although the coalition forces have repeatedly invaded deep underground, they have never been able to achieve a critical victory. Instead, they have been losing troops and generals.
It is now November, and the weather is getting colder. We can still move around during the day, but only for a few hours around noon.
The coalition's attack power is declining day by day, and most of the time they can only huddle underground in the surrounded camp.
Envoys from the Ant Alliance came every day to warn that winter was coming and it was very dangerous for the Alliance forces to stand alone outside. The last troops of the Angel King's Legion returned resolutely as early as last week, despite the opposition of other ant commanders in the coalition.
Before, the commanders of various ethnic groups were reluctant to listen to the opinions of the Ant United Nations, but as the war became stalemate and the weather worsened, calls for troop withdrawal finally gained the upper hand.
Even those ants who have come from afar and have established a territory nearby have realized that their small territory cannot independently face the attacks of the Pavement Ant Empire and the Red Fire Ant Kingdom in winter and spring.
As a result, the coalition of civilized ant tribes retreated westward along with the main leaf-cutter ant army. The ant colonies in the territories of each tribe also migrated with them, and were allowed to temporarily enter the leaf-cutter ant country to camp.
There has been no bad weather for a whole week, and so many ants have just completed their migration.
This migration and retreat was very timely. Four days after they left, the Flying Knight reported that a new Pavement Ant Imperial Army force had arrived!
