I Am The Swarm

The fall from such a height wasn’t fatal for the leopard, but Luo Wen’s venom certainly was.

After hitting the ground, the leopard struggled to get up and flee, but the pain in the back of its neck intensified. Its muscle tissues dissolved, its nervous system broke down, and its body lost control, leaving it to collapse helplessly on its side, howling in agony.

To avoid attracting other competitors, Luo Wen didn’t let it suffer long. He dove down from above, pincers outstretched, silencing the leopard forever.

It took a great deal of effort and time, but Luo Wen finally consumed both the leopard and the bird, bringing their fatal rivalry to an ironic resolution in his stomach.

Satisfied and full, Luo Wen temporarily lost interest in further excitement. The rest of his journey back to the base was uneventful, and he arrived without issue.

Back at the base, the number of fully developed insects had surpassed one million. However, there were nearly ten million eggs and larvae still maturing.

This was because the second batch of 50 Type III Queen Ants had matured late, and their first batch of offspring wasn’t yet fully developed—it would take a few more days.

But Luo Wen’s primary purpose in returning wasn’t the offspring but the Queen Ants themselves. Although these weren’t the command-specialized Type I Queens, their intelligence was still slightly higher than that of ordinary bugs. They could help Luo Wen test additional functions of the Swarm Network.

Since the Swarm Network had been established, Luo Wen noticed a significant rise in the insects’ intelligence, especially among the Queen Ants.

This was likely because communication within the Swarm Network resembled telepathic exchanges. Things that were previously impossible to explain were now understood with minimal effort.

Perhaps this was the essence of “comprehension beyond words.”

Within Luo Wen’s mental space, the number of nodes had increased by hundreds or thousands of times compared to before.

Suddenly, one of the nodes began to flash brightly. Luo Wen focused his thoughts, linking to the node. His consciousness descended, and a quick glance confirmed it was the perspective of a Queen Ant he had previously tested.

Several tests followed, switching between different Queen Ants without any errors. The accuracy of node connections was 100%.

The Swarm Network truly lived up to its reputation as an interactive system. Apart from the lack of a ringtone, it was almost like a video call.

Luo Wen also discovered an important piece of information: Queen Ants did not naturally gain command over other insects.

Since the Type III Queens were mainly tasked with production and because the insect population was still relatively small with only one base, Luo Wen himself handled most of the command tasks.

If this had been a Type I Queen, the issue might have been noticed earlier.

However, this didn’t mean the Queen Ants couldn’t lead. They simply required Luo Wen’s “authorization.”

Through the Swarm Network, Luo Wen could establish various hierarchical levels, each granting different degrees of authority.

In a given area, higher-ranking insects could command those of lower rank. They could even issue orders directly through the Swarm Network.

This was far more efficient than the pheromone-based command system previously used by the Queens. It also acted as a unique friend-or-foe identification system. ʀＡΝǑʙÈⱾ

Luo Wen surmised this was an upgraded version of the Brood Nest’s original identification system. It ensured that no other organisms could infiltrate or exploit the Swarm.

Still, Luo Wen wasn’t planning to abandon other identification methods. The Swarm Network needed external safeguards as well.

Perhaps, someday, overconfident infiltrators would think they had bypassed the Swarm’s defenses, oblivious that every insect around them had already identified them. That thought alone was amusing.

Although it seemed like Luo Wen was overthinking or “outsmarting the air,” who could predict the future? With his lifespan no longer limited, there were countless days ahead.

For now, Luo Wen granted the Type III Queen Ants a basic level of authority, just slightly higher than ordinary bugs. While the Swarm Network’s hierarchical system could support more complex management structures, this feature was overly advanced for the current state of the Swarm.

The Queens, mass-produced on an assembly line, were closer to intelligent AIs without subjective consciousness. For now, one level of hierarchy sufficed.

This restored the familiar command system of the Swarm but equipped every insect with a “phone.”

Simultaneously, Luo Wen took the opportunity to reevaluate the Swarm’s military composition.

In the past, the Swarm consisted of two-dimensional units, with soldiers measuring only 20 to 30 centimeters being considered ultrasized.

But now, the creatures he encountered often measured over a meter, with some, like the 30-meter-long Diplodocus, being colossal. Slow-moving, outdated Soldier Ants were no longer suitable for the Swarm’s development.

If the Swarm could return to its pre-hibernation scale, it would dominate easily—unless these terrestrial creatures learned to fly, swim indefinitely, and never return to land. Otherwise, they would all become food.

Back then, even “strong enemies” like the Yellow Earth Ant Legion were exceptional, with millions in number being a big deal.

But now, Big-headed Ants were at the bottom of the food chain. Birds, Long-Faced Beasts, and Tail Lard Rats, all seemingly weak creatures, included Big-headed Ants in their diets.

Relying solely on the ant template to conquer the world was now exponentially more difficult. Moreover, Luo Wen had already “beaten the game” using the ant template once. Repeating the same strategy would be uninteresting.

Luo Wen’s ambitions weren’t grand. Years of solitude had left him with little beyond survival and the pursuit of distractions to stave off mental collapse.

The conclusion was clear: Luo Wen needed to upgrade the Swarm’s military units to better adapt to the current environment.

During his unknown duration of hibernation, his abilities had reached an incredibly advanced level. The ability to choose genetic evolutions was just the foundation. He could now assimilate genes from not only insects but also amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. As long as there were no fundamental conflicts, he could combine them freely.

Additionally, Luo Wen could even collect genetic material from plants and fungi. While animal and plant genes were difficult to integrate, he had no such issues combining plant and fungal genes.

This meant that, with enough time and experimentation, he could enhance the crops within the ant nest to improve their yield and adaptability.

For instance, he could make them more productive or better suited to various environments.

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