I Am The Swarm

The Riken researchers were utterly baffled. The phenomenon exceeded their knowledge and understanding, leaving them no choice but to attribute it to the peculiarities of biotechnology.

“What now? If this continues, we won’t be able to deliver any results,” one researcher muttered, staring at the purple-gray substance before him, which had once again undergone genetic collapse. His own composure seemed close to breaking as well.

“There’s no other choice but to tell the truth. We lack the relevant theoretical foundation. Their understanding of biotechnology far surpasses ours, and we simply cannot decipher their creations,” an older researcher sighed.

“Let’s hope the incoming research vessels can provide some assistance,” another researcher said with cautious optimism.

These research vessels were equipped with the most advanced scientific instruments available. Constructed in response to feedback from the expeditionary fleet, they were purpose-built to tackle challenges like these. Transporting the precision instruments from the Riken homeworld to these vessels had been a monumental effort.

During earlier battles, the research vessels hadn’t accompanied the fleet, but now that the Riken had gained control of the battlefield, the Fleet Commander had urgently dispatched two vessels to the frontlines.

After several days of travel, they were just a few hours away from arriving.

Compared to the makeshift labs on the warships, the research vessels boasted far superior facilities.

“It’s doubtful they’ll help much. What’s limiting us isn’t the instruments,” the older researcher said, pointing to his own head. “The limitation lies here.”

“That’s not entirely true,” another senior researcher retorted. “There might be instruments capable of bypassing their defenses.”

“You can’t even grasp the underlying theories—how do you plan to break through?”

“Maybe brute force could work!”

“You think this is some cheap door lock? This is the most sophisticated genetic lock imaginable!”

“Hah, unexpected breakthroughs happen all the time!”

“Unexpected? Do you even know what that word means?! And besides, science is methodical—there’s no such thing as ‘unexpected’ in proper science!”

“Nonsense! How many technological advancements were born from accidents?!”

The argument grew increasingly heated. The two older researchers were on the verge of physical confrontation when their juniors hurriedly stepped in to separate them.

“Let’s not go that far! It’s not worth it!” Their assistants managed to diffuse the situation just as it seemed ready to escalate into a brawl.

“You go,” the more composed senior suddenly said after a moment of silence.

“What?” The argumentative researcher looked confused, unsure of the seemingly out-of-context statement.

“Go report to the commander.”

The argumentative researcher froze for a moment before realizing what was being said. He immediately flew into a rage. “Why don’t you go?!”

“You think I’m stupid?” the composed researcher retorted.

“What, so you think I’m the idiot here?!” Hearing this, the argumentative elder’s hair stood on end.

Seeing tempers flare again, the ‘peacemaker’ elder hurriedly interjected. “Alright, alright! Enough arguing! I’ll go. Will that work for you?”

With a sigh, he shook his head and left the lab. Meanwhile, the two quarrelsome elders exchanged a glance, then broke into knowing smiles, their differences momentarily forgotten.

“What?! You’re telling me it’s like there’s a locked door, and after all these days, you haven’t even figured out how to open it?” Alcer roared.

The peacemaker elder, whose name was Pres, shrank back instinctively.

Among the three Fleet Commanders, Hamis of the First Fleet was known for his relatively mild temperament, making him the ideal candidate for receiving the report. However, upon connecting to the comms, Pres found himself unexpectedly added to a small meeting.

Apart from the three Fleet Commanders, the meeting included only a few senior officers, totaling no more than 20 participants. Conveniently—or perhaps intentionally—they had just been discussing the alien organisms.

The alien creations had endured relentless bombardment for days yet remained resilient, refusing to be entirely eradicated. With the war effort temporarily less intense, the commanders, stationed in planetary orbit, had little else to do but hold meetings to pass the time.

Unsurprisingly, most of their discussions revolved around the current situation and the mysterious alien organisms.

When Pres arrived to deliver the research team’s findings, Hamis immediately pulled him into the “group chat.”

After nervously explaining the research progress—or lack thereof—Pres faced Alcer’s angry outburst.

While the laboratory leads were later called to account for the situation, including the two argumentative elders, it quickly became clear that this issue couldn’t be solved by mere scolding.

The real obstacle lay in the Riken’s complete unfamiliarity with and inability to comprehend the alien technology.

Even after the arrival of the research vessels, equipped with cutting-edge instruments and far superior facilities, the problem persisted. Regardless of the methods or tools used, the Riken were unable to bypass the genetic locks of the Swarm’s creations.

If they used tools for purposes other than probing, the alien organisms’ genetic material remained stable. But the moment they attempted any form of analysis—no matter how subtle, even with a needle-thin probe—the alien organisms immediately triggered genetic collapse, dissolving into a foul-smelling fluid.

This paradox perplexed the Riken researchers. If they couldn’t overcome such an “intelligent” defensive mechanism, their efforts would be futile.

What the Riken failed to realize was that what they perceived as a passive defense was actually an active defense system. Within the Swarm Network, Luo Wen had deployed a significant number of Hive Queen consciousnesses to monitor the fungal samples collected by the Riken.

At the first sign of suspicious activity, the queens activated the self-destruction protocols for the fungal strains.

This fundamental misunderstanding rendered all of the Riken’s efforts useless, a source of endless frustration.

While their research efforts stalled, new developments were unfolding on the battlefield of Planet Raze.

Under relentless attacks, many emergency genes within the Fungal Carpet were activated. The continuous cycle of destruction and regeneration led to adaptations, enhancing the fungi’s resistance to the Riken’s assaults.

Though the cost of producing the new defensive structures was higher, the fungal roots had already extended several kilometers underground. This vastly improved energy collection capabilities, enabling them to sustain the increased resource demand.

The new defenses not only resisted the Riken’s energy attacks more effectively but also absorbed the residual energy from explosions at an accelerated rate.

With these enhancements, the purple-gray patches not only survived the intense bombardment but also fully repaired themselves and rapidly expanded their occupied territory.

“They’re growing so fast!” Hamis’s face darkened as he reviewed the data.

In truth, detailed analyses were unnecessary. Simple before-and-after images revealed the stark changes.

“We can’t continue attacking like this. Not only have they become significantly more resistant, but they’re also absorbing the energy from our attacks,” remarked Novaul, the Second Fleet Commander.

While direct data from the Space Octopuses’ interiors was inaccessible, external monitoring tools remained functional.

Instruments deployed on the battlefield detected an abnormal shift in energy flow. When energy beams struck the ground, the explosions no longer dispersed outward randomly. Instead, the energy became directional—concentrated toward the Fungal Carpet.

This anomalous energy flow made it glaringly obvious what was happening.

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