I Am The Swarm

The transport capabilities of rockets were simply too poor. Using them to deploy the swarm into space would be unimaginably inefficient and costly. From the very beginning, Luo Wen’s plan was to use a rocket to send himself to the moon and then redevelop the swarm there.

This plan had been decided even before Luo Wen began cultivating the Ratfolk and small dinosaurs. He had even considered an all-or-nothing gamble: once his main body reached the moon, he would destroy the Brood Nest still on the Genesis Planet. If successful, the starting point of the swarm would leap forward by several levels.

With its low gravity and lack of atmosphere, the moon was an ideal base for launching into the stars, significantly reducing the difficulty of such an endeavor.

Of course, this plan was initially extremely risky. At that time, Luo Wen was not yet a “Networked Being,” had not discovered that the Brood Nest could also hatch his main body, and was unaware of the forced logout function.

It’s easy to imagine how much thought, cautious Luo Wen put into this plan before deciding on it.

Perhaps it was his cautious mindset that influenced his talents, or maybe luck played a role. One by one, new abilities were discovered, gradually reducing the risks associated with this plan.

By the end, even in the event of failure, the loss would be minimal—just some time wasted.

And for the current Luo Wen, time was the cheapest resource. As long as he could endure it, even tens of thousands of years were a trivial matter.

Luo Wen’s main body took some time at the Fungal Carpet to replenish the reserves of his Tail Lard Storage Organ. Then he entered a cocooning state to repair his body.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Moon Brood Nest began producing mature Worker Ants. However, given the brood nest’s size, the initial development of the lunar base would be slow. With little to do for now, Luo Wen returned his consciousness to the Genesis Planet.

“Morgan, the lunar base has been established,” Luo Wen announced.

In the command hall of the rocket launch center, some Ratfolk were still busy. They were researchers who had unfortunately died over the years for various reasons. After undergoing modifications via the Swarm Network, they were given young bodies, followed Morgan’s example, and infiltrated the Imperial Space Research Institute once more.

After the rocket engine and fuel tank explosion, researchers without node identities had been sent by Morgan to write up their experiences elsewhere. Those who remained were all “insiders,” helping Luo Wen calculate data.

Although they couldn’t observe Luo Wen directly, the remnants of the rocket had accompanied him for a long time. The rocket was equipped with various positioning instruments.

Thanks to their data, Luo Wen was able to precisely time his accelerations and turns. While there were slight errors in the data, the overall result was a successful landing, largely due to their efforts.

“Excellent, Lord Overlord. The swarm has finally taken this step and is on the path to becoming a stellar race. As a member of the swarm, I feel deeply honored,” Morgan said.

Morgan, who had once been a teacher to the Empress, was a master of flattery. Though he had grown somewhat rusty with age and authority, a little practice quickly restored his finesse.

“Alright, you’ve all done well this time. However, as insiders, a verbal commendation is enough,” Luo Wen replied.

Actually, even verbal commendations weren’t necessary. Being an insider carried significant weight. Among them, the only one who was still somewhat impure was the current Empress Kerrigan.

But considering the lifespan of Ratfolk, it would only take another twenty to thirty years before she became entirely “pure.”

Morgan showed no objection to verbal praise, as if it was entirely expected.

“What is the next plan, Lord Overlord?” Morgan asked.

Luo Wen considered for a moment. Having established a base on the moon, there was little use in further rocket research. He had painstakingly nurtured the Ratfolk civilization, but not to allow them to advance their own agenda.

“Rocket development can continue, but all personnel involved must either become insiders or backups. Going forward, the Ratfolk’s focus should shift to other disciplines. Their previous technological trajectory has been rather skewed. It’s time to encourage balanced development.”

“Lord Overlord’s insight is unparalleled. As the director of the Imperial Space Research Institute, I’ve realized that devoting excessive resources to aerospace technology has been highly inappropriate. This has squeezed out other disciplines, creating unnecessary conflicts. To promote harmony among the Ratfolk, I’ll propose to Her Majesty that aerospace funding be reduced in favor of other fields.”

“Excellent reasoning—logical and convincing,” Luo Wen replied. If this weren’t a telepathic exchange, he would have applauded Morgan.

Several days later, on the lunar base, the brood nest had produced mature Worker Ants, Worker Drones, and their eggs. It had also created a Queen Ant egg, which Luo Wen relocated before it hatched. ṝÂℕO͍ᛒΕṠ

The egg was moved to a new base on the moon’s far side and had since hatched into a larva. Once it matured, the swarm’s ability to mass-produce forces on the moon would increase significantly.

After all, this was the swarm’s classic opening strategy: produce farmers, then rapidly expand bases.

Future development would focus on the moon’s far side. Since the Yellow Moon had no rotation, it always showed the same face to the Genesis Planet.

If the Ratfolk’s technological trajectory eventually led to widespread telescope use, it was better for their mental well-being that they didn’t see anything “unusual” on the moon.

In the following days, Luo Wen shifted his focus to the lunar base.

Under his leadership, the swarm discovered two mines rich in mineral resources. The extracted metal particles were suitable for manufacturing magnetic field generators. With the help of Worker Drones, the Fungal Carpet quickly spread across the mining areas.

With light, water, and metal resources secured, the swarm’s production needs were met. The population of insects on the moon increased rapidly. Since there were no hostile forces on the moon, no combat units were produced initially. Instead, all resources were devoted to Worker Drones and support units.

Due to the moon’s low gravity, many unit designs could be scaled up without modifying their templates.

For example, Burrower Ants could easily exceed ten centimeters in length under the original template. By slightly strengthening their leg bones and muscles, they could grow to over a meter in size.

However, their external skeletons required them to spend more time in the larval stage to achieve larger sizes.

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