After more than half a year of development, the number of Specialized Soldier Ants in the Ant Nest had reached 280, Specialized Worker Ants numbered 200, and Specialized Blue Ants 130. There were also 20 of the less useful Specialized Blue Soldiers. Such a massive swarm of specialized ants required the coordination of corresponding large, medium, small, and tiny Soldier Ants, Worker Ants, and Blue Ants, their numbers considerable. To accommodate such a large colony, the Ant Nest also needed expansion.
The plan proposed by Round Cypress and Spiked Cypress—to dig a tunnel south to north through the mountain range, connecting Dragon Cypress's domain with Molan Territory—was already underway, with almost 300 meters excavated. Along the tunnel, new ant nests were established at every hundred-meter interval, with a few Worker Ants assigned to reside in each and two Soldier Ants dispatched for defense.
