I Am The Swarm

“Who do you represent?” President Derlin asked.

“Many. Likely most of those you can think of, if not all.”

Derlin nodded in understanding. It seemed this was inevitable, a tide he could not stem.

Seeing that Derlin was beginning to grasp the situation, General Monroe finally revealed his offer: “Mr. President, after your term ends, the military would like to hire you as a political consultant. Our structure greatly lacks someone of your caliber. At that time, you might continue your leadership journey elsewhere.”

The offer was tempting, but Derlin wondered if it was poisoned. Regardless, he had little choice but to accept.

“General Monroe, what did you mean earlier by the right timing?”

“All you need to do is wait. When the time comes, you’ll understand,” General Monroe said cryptically, a faint smile breaking through his stern expression. “You’ll like it. It will even solve a major problem you’re currently facing. Consider it a gift from us.”

Though Monroe’s expression was somewhat unsettling, Derlin didn’t press further. He stood and extended his hand.

“Pleasure working together.”

“Pleasure working together.”

Time flew, and six months passed in a blur. Initially, President Derlin anticipated the promised opportunity daily, eager to uncover the source of General Monroe’s confidence.

However, months of calm followed. Nothing resembling a breakthrough occurred.

If not for subtle hints from his secretary, Ram, confirming Monroe’s visit that day, Derlin might have thought it was all a dream.

As time wore on, his curiosity diminished.

The Riken had a home planet and three major colonies, with a total population exceeding 20 billion. As the nominal supreme leader, Derlin’s workload was immense.

Recently, the Trinbrian District’s escalating provocations had severely disrupted his daily life and work, leaving him perpetually overwhelmed.

Surprises often come unannounced—or in this case, shocks.

A small asteroid, three kilometers in diameter, inexplicably evaded layers of defense and monitoring systems. By the time it was detected, it was already within 300,000 kilometers of the home planet.

At that distance, it could close in almost instantaneously.

Before the Riken leadership could get out of bed and reach the war room, the asteroid entered the atmosphere. The resulting fiery blaze was visible across an entire hemisphere.

The military scrambled to intercept it. However, the suddenness of the incident left only limited forces within range. Streaks of red light shot into the sky as small-caliber anti-aircraft weaponry chipped away at the asteroid’s surface, inflicting minimal damage.

While the home planet had orbital defense systems, these energy-intensive weapons required significant time to charge. The unexpected nature of the event rendered them useless.

Under normal circumstances, with the Riken’s advanced observational technology, an asteroid like this would have been detected billions of kilometers away. Its trajectory would have been calculated, and defenses prepared well in advance.

But this asteroid was detected far too late, leaving most defensive measures unavailable.

As experts sat down to discuss the environmental impact of detonating a nuclear bomb in the atmosphere, the asteroid pierced through and barreled toward the surface with overwhelming momentum.

The military activated emergency protocols, bypassing all approval processes. Several special operations teams were deployed, launching over a dozen man-portable tactical nuclear missiles at the asteroid.

Amid deafening explosions, the sky seemed to sprout additional suns. The remaining two kilometers of the asteroid’s core were successfully shattered.

Most of the asteroid’s structure fragmented into hundreds of pieces, creating a meteor shower. Many fragments were too small to pose any threat.

However, a portion of the asteroid, approximately 500 meters in diameter, comprised a metallic core further tempered by intense heat. This section struck the ground with devastating force.

The impact ripped the earth apart, sending dust soaring skyward. A mushroom cloud rose into the air, and the shockwave ravaged an area over 100 kilometers wide.

“Rest assured, Mr. President. Security levels here have been raised to the maximum. All surveillance devices are offline. Even if you were to run around naked, no information would leak,” General Monroe said calmly, watching President Derlin inspect the office for hidden cameras.

“Are you insane?” Derlin roared, leaning close to Monroe and hissing through clenched teeth.

The incident had multiplied his workload overnight—coordinating relief efforts, investigating the cause, and addressing the media. It was a nightmare.

Yet Monroe had suddenly appeared to ask if he liked their “gift.”

Derlin wanted to shout, “Like hell I do!” but the sheer audacity of these lunatics made him hold his tongue. At the same time, he finally understood what Monroe meant by “opportunity.”

These madmen had obliterated the Trinbrian District—the cesspool of crime and corruption that had been his worst headache—using an asteroid. Half an hour earlier, it had been reduced to history.

Initially, Derlin truly believed it was an accident and secretly felt overjoyed. But Monroe’s words revealed the truth—it was deliberate.

When Derlin first heard this, he thought it was an April Fool’s joke. But Monroe’s deadpan expression made it hard to dismiss as such.

“You weren’t worried about hitting the wrong place?”

“No,” Monroe replied confidently. “The entire operation was meticulously calculated. The asteroid’s selection, modification, flight speed, entry angle, and the detonation sites were all monitored. Even the weather conditions were simulated hundreds of times using supercomputers to ensure success.”

“Mr. President, you should be pleased with this gift. We’ve solved a major problem for you.”

In some ways, Monroe wasn’t wrong. But while one problem had been resolved, it created a far greater one.

This incident had irreversibly tied Derlin to their cause. If he refused to align with them, he might find himself scapegoated for the entire plan by morning.

Evidence, witnesses, and testimony would conveniently surface, leaving him defenseless.

Derlin couldn’t say whether cooperating with these madmen was the right choice, but he no longer had a choice.

“What happens next?” Derlin asked, dejected.

“Just carry on as usual. Everything will fall into place. Remember, we have many allies. Everyone will contribute,” Monroe said, gesturing a wide circle with his hands.

“Let’s hope so.”

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!