I Am The Swarm

Mobilizing forces across star systems is never a task that can be completed in a short time. The Koya Alliance, after ten years of effort, had managed to assemble just over ten million warships at the border of the Daqi Empire’s territory.

These ships represented the combined military reserves of several nearby civilizations, while many more fleets were still en route. Given the outer-ring civilizations’ relatively short development time and lagging technological advancement, with average speeds of only two to three times the speed of light, the assembly of such a vast fleet within a decade was already remarkably efficient.

According to the calculations of various think tanks, this war would take over a hundred years just to mobilize and deploy forces. For factions further away, it would require hundreds or even thousands of years to reach the battlefield.

But this posed no issue. Predictions suggested that the war would be drawn out and exhaustive. Even if the Swarm was annihilated early on, the subsequent struggles for territory and resources would make a swift resolution impossible.

Should the conflict enter a prolonged stalemate and spread across the entire Interstellar Technological Confederation, engulfing thousands of star systems and spanning tens of thousands of light-years, the war could potentially last tens of thousands of years—or even longer.

Every faction involved was well aware of these stakes. Yet, while they were still in the process of assembling their forces, the Swarm, long regarded as formidable in defense but weak in offense, launched a sudden and aggressive counterattack.

No one had anticipated this move. To them, the Swarm was undeniably the weaker party. Shouldn’t the Swarm have patiently awaited the completion of their enemies’ fleet assembly, endured their attempts to justify action, and then waited for the inevitable Confederation rules to be used against them, followed by the eventual enforcement of sanctions?

They had even drafted the justification in advance: star systems surrounding newly emerging civilizations should be protected and not preemptively occupied. This was merely a slight amendment to existing Interstellar Technological Confederation regulations.

Take the relationship between the Swarm and the Riken as an example. Any territories seized around the Rat Folk and Riken by the Swarm prior to joining the Confederation would, under these new rules, have to be relinquished. The Swarm would have to yield all nearby star systems to comply with the revised policy.

If the Swarm refrained from responding, that would be fine too—it would still amount to a weakening of their position. Moreover, another set of targeted policies was waiting in the wings. If the Swarm chose not to act, it would be tantamount to a slow death. If they did act, it would hand their enemies a legitimate excuse to strike.

After all, everything had to be recorded in history. It wouldn’t look good for the Confederation to appear as if it were ganging up on a civilization less than a thousand years old. They needed to maintain the moral high ground.

But the Swarm dared! The Swarm dared! While this was the reaction they had hoped to provoke, they hadn’t expected it so soon!

Skipping these procedural steps changed everything. The Swarm was defying them? Did they not fear annihilation at the hands of the New Ji Race and the Interstellar Technological Confederation?

Outrage erupted. Self-righteous indignation and scathing condemnations poured forth from every corner.

But did the Swarm care? Did Luo Wen care? Since they were destined to be enemies and a battle was inevitable, why not disrupt their plans as much as possible? Losing the moral high ground—what of it?

If the Swarm annihilated its enemies, transforming their civilizations into production bases, wouldn’t history simply be written by Luo Wen?

Besides, by then, anyone with access to historical records would already be a loyal member of the Swarm. What difference would it make what those records said?

A hundred million Primordial bodies set off from the Neighboring Star System, heading toward the Riken System at three times the speed of light. The Swarm had once been expelled from this region by the Confederation. Now, it was time to reclaim it.

Simultaneously, the Swarm unveiled its Warp Drive technology to the watching civilizations for the first time. This revelation delivered a resounding slap to those who had long proclaimed the Swarm’s speed disadvantage and inadequate offensive capabilities.

Although traveling at three times the speed of light was unremarkable among established civilizations, it was already considered top-tier in the outer-ring. Besides, who could say for sure that the Swarm didn’t have other hidden capabilities?

The Riken System, roughly five light-years from the Neighboring Star System, had once taken the Swarm or the Riken decades to traverse. Now, at three times the speed of light, the Primordial bodies needed less than two years to reach the outskirts of the Riken System.

With over a hundred million Primordial bodies mobilized, such an operation was impossible to conceal. During the more than a year-long journey, most of the New Ji Race and other factions had already fled the Riken System. Between planets, countless abandoned and unrecovered experimental pods drifted in space.

Of course, there were always exceptions.

“Swarm! How dare you violate Confederation rules and attack an ally! Withdraw immediately while there’s still a chance to salvage the situation, or when the Confederation fleet arrives, you’ll be doomed to eternal destruction!”

“Cowards! Don’t think hiding behind these bio-weapons will stop us from finding you!”

“Don’t think sheer numbers will let you act recklessly! Numbers can never bridge the technological gap!”

“Don’t put yourself in a position of disgrace. You’ll regret it!”

“Do me a favor and just go back!”

Various taunts and admonitions blared through public broadcasts toward the Swarm’s  Primordial Bodies. Who gave these individuals such confidence to address the Swarm this way was anyone’s guess.

Because the Swarm’s assault had come so abruptly, the Interstellar Technological Confederation hadn’t had time to establish a defensive line in the Riken System. At this moment, only fewer than ten thousand Riken warships, alongside a handful of fixed defense facilities, were left to defend the region.

However, the Riken had already been taught a painful lesson by the Swarm once before. With their internal systems infiltrated by the Swarm to the point of collapse, the Riken Council, after weighing their options, decisively announced their surrender to protect their citizens and avoid unnecessary losses.

Thus, the Swarm reclaimed the Riken System without breaking a sweat. Construction resumed at Planet Raze, Planet Izumo, and the Solar Orbital Swarm Bases, restoring their previous structures and operations.

As for the loud voices earlier, the reality was far less courageous. Those individuals had long since fled to unknown locations. The ones left behind in the Riken System were merely a few cannon fodder or remotely controlled robots playing pre-recorded messages.

But Luo Wen, though generally not one to hold grudges, made a note of these provocateurs’ names in his ledger. He ordered the Intelligent Entities lurking in enemy territory to covertly track and mark their locations.

The universe is vast, but no matter where these individuals tried to hide, Luo Wen was determined to one day deliver his message of “reconciliation.”

When that day came, he was certain they would be “pleasantly surprised.”

With the Riken System back under Swarm control, the Swarm temporarily lay low.

The Neighboring Star System, serving as the Swarm’s overt royal stronghold, had drawn plenty of hatred. Now, with the Riken System acting as a buffer zone, the Neighboring Star System was no longer directly exposed to the enemy’s line of sight.

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