I Am The Swarm

Upon seeing the rocket’s design blueprints, Luo Wen inexplicably thought of the “Gatling System.” Both designs involved two chambers working in tandem with a reaction chamber.

However, Luo Wen couldn’t yet find genetic organs capable of producing the necessary fuel and oxidizers, nor could biological structures achieve the strength required for a rocket combustion chamber. Otherwise, Luo Wen might have been able to create a biological rocket based on this theoretical framework and the blueprints.

The rocket’s direction was adjusted not only by movable air rudders on its four tail fins but also by four gas rudders installed within the nozzle, which directed the rocket’s exhaust flames.

After ignition, the rocket flew smoothly and ascended to an altitude of 500,000 meters before running out of fuel and falling back to the ground.

This marked the first time that the rat folk’s flying machine had reached such heights. Previous prototypes had struggled to even cross the 10,000-meter mark.

The sudden leap in altitude represented a significant breakthrough and greatly excited the rat folk. Empress Kerrigan declared a two-day national holiday to celebrate the achievement.

The launch also provided a wealth of data. The rat folk devised multiple improvement plans based on the shortcomings identified during the launch.

The dramatic advancement of the new rocket had a significant impact on the Kerrigan Empire. For the first time, the rat folk saw the possibility of success. Empress Kerrigan capitalized on this momentum by increasing funding to the Imperial Space Research Institute.

The researchers at the institute were the most motivated by this success. With unlimited resources and full departmental cooperation, they managed to create an improved rocket within just one year.

The main navigation and propulsion systems of the new rocket had shown no issues in the previous test. The failure was due to running out of fuel, so the new prototype focused on addressing this problem.

The new rocket retained its streamlined design, narrow at the top and wider at the base, but was significantly larger—34 meters tall with a diameter of 3 meters. Additionally, four booster rockets, each 19 meters long, were strapped to the lower half of the main body, making the new rocket resemble the previous generation encircling a new central core. This unique configuration brought the total weight to an astounding 280 tons.

The fuel was also upgraded, switching from alcohol to kerosene.

The sheer size of the new rocket made it visually imposing even when stationary. However, the larger size and the inclusion of five propulsion systems meant that the fueling and oxidizer-loading processes were time-consuming and complex.

On the launch day of the new rocket, thousands of rat folk gathered outside the three-kilometer exclusion zone to witness the event. Excitement gave way to fatigue and hunger as the lengthy preparations dragged on. Finally, the launch was ready.

Empress Kerrigan personally gave the launch order. Flames erupted from the rocket’s base, accompanied by billowing smoke that quickly obscured the rocket.

In moments, the rocket pierced through the smoke and soared skyward. The rat folk watched as the rocket, trailing a fiery plume, shrank into a distant speck before vanishing entirely.

The crowd stared skyward for a while longer before erupting into deafening cheers.

The four boosters propelled the massive rocket to an altitude of 1,500 kilometers, successfully breaching the atmosphere before detaching. The primary stage’s thruster was remotely ignited, and the rocket’s navigation system recalibrated its trajectory. With renewed propulsion, the rocket continued toward the moon.

Having escaped the atmosphere, the rocket faced significantly less air resistance. With only one engine left, it traveled nearly 100,000 kilometers before losing power. Captured by planetary gravity, it became an orbiting satellite.

The launch plunged the rat folk into a frenzy of celebration. Luo Wen, too, was thrilled. Although the rocket was still far from reaching the moon, breaking through the atmosphere was a critical milestone. The remaining challenges of expanding the fuel capacity and increasing thrust were far easier to tackle than the initial development of a rocket.

Meanwhile, Luo Wen’s experiments had also made progress.

First, his optical stealth system was functional. Its principle relied on nanometer-scale crystalline structures in his skin, forming specialized pigment cells. By controlling the spacing between the crystalline structures, these cells reflected different wavelengths of light. Over the years, Luo Wen had gained full control over this ability.

Since many forms of radiation were transmitted via light, Luo Wen’s eyes—which could perceive a broader spectrum than human eyes—clearly detected wavelengths invisible to others.

Through continuous experimentation and observation, Luo Wen identified several wavelengths harmful to his body and adjusted his crystalline structures to reflect them.

As for the remaining types of radiation, Luo Wen had no immediate solution and could only endure them by thickening the keratin layers on his outer body. Řâ𐌽ՕBЕś

His experiments on cold resistance, however, were at a standstill. While he could survive extreme cold by stalling his biological functions, this method lacked practicality.

Yet, breakthroughs often came unexpectedly.

After the new rocket breached outer space, several more launch tests followed. Though they didn’t achieve further breakthroughs in flight distance, they successfully sent satellites and observation devices into space.

Data from these devices revealed that outer space was cold, oxygen-deprived, and filled with various types of radiation. Without solutions to these challenges, the rat folk couldn’t venture beyond their planet.

Luo Wen realized early on that with relevant theoretical knowledge, he could conduct more effective experiments.

For instance, with the theory behind rocket fuel and oxidizer systems, Luo Wen only needed to address a few key issues to develop a biological rocket. This approach was far more efficient and reliable than blindly relying on innate talent.

In terms of time, evolving abilities for lunar travel through pure imagination would take an unmeasurable amount of time.

But with theoretical knowledge and targeted evolution to address critical issues, Luo Wen estimated it might take only a century.

Had he possessed this knowledge earlier, there would have been no need to cultivate the rat folk civilization. However, a mature rat folk civilization now proved invaluable.

Not only did they continuously convert more members into the Swarm, but they also provided Luo Wen with theoretical insights, serving as highly effective tools.

The discovery of space radiation spurred numerous research efforts, with many experimental results and papers published.

One paper, in particular, inspired Luo Wen greatly.

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