I Am The Swarm

Given the current situation, Luo Wen naturally chose not to reveal the Swarm’s ability to detect and capture Ji monitors.

Even the Daqi civilization, which had been part of the Confederation for thousands of years, hadn’t achieved this capability. For the Swarm, which had only appeared on the interstellar stage for a few centuries, to demonstrate such prowess would attract too much attention. The Swarm was already prominent enough; it didn’t need to shine even brighter.

While Bular might have some suspicions, he lacked concrete evidence. Moreover, as he mentioned, the relationships within the Ji themselves, between the Ji and the Interstellar Technological Confederation, and even within the Confederation were an entangled mess. Whether the Troi civilization would spread these speculations was uncertain.

Regardless, after acquiring some intelligence, Luo Wen realized that the Swarm’s situation was far less dire than the previously imagined scenario of being surrounded by enemies with imminent invasions.

Even though Luo Wen intended to conceal the Swarm’s capabilities, locating all the Ji monitors remained a priority. While destroying them wasn’t necessary, knowing their exact locations was essential for the next steps in the plan.

To achieve this, a new type of Recon Bug was deployed. These bugs were incredibly small, smaller by tens to hundreds of times than Luo Wen’s earlier nail-sized miniature bugs. Each individual consisted of only a few dozen cells—Luo Wen’s first experiment with extremely tiny organisms.

Based on the Atmospheric Organism template, these micro bugs required only minimal radiation energy to sustain themselves due to their diminutive size.

With so few cells, their functionality was extremely limited—they could only detect electromagnetic signals within a specific range and frequency band. They had no autonomous mobility and lacked data transmission modules. However, as node units, they could rely on the Swarm Network to relay information.

Their small size also made them inherently stealthy, requiring no additional cloaking modules to evade detection. In space, such minuscule entities were almost impossible to notice. Even if detected, alien civilizations wouldn’t be able to discern their purpose, as these bugs, composed of just a few dozen cells, had no autonomous consciousness or identifiable function.

These bugs were specifically designed to target Ji monitors. While each bug’s detection range was small, their overwhelming numbers compensated for this limitation. A single mature Brood Queen could produce billions of these bugs daily. Once deployed by the Primordial bodies, they spread across multiple star systems within mere months.

Under the dense surveillance network of these bugs, the Ji monitors were left with nowhere to hide, each one being marked and logged.

With the monitors’ positions identified, the next phase of the plan could commence.

Using planetary bodies and groups of Primordial bodies as cover and interference, the Swarm launched Swarm Meteors into the monitors’ blind spots. Unlike previous Swarm Meteors, these new ones disintegrated into nothingness shortly after launch.

A closer look would reveal that they didn’t truly vanish but instead broke apart into countless minuscule entities.

This marked Luo Wen’s second creation of micro-scale organisms following the successful development of the recon bugs.

The outer layer of these micro seeds was covered by a metallic mineral shell, a genetic capability derived from the Metallic Snail. Although the Metallic Snail was a relatively primitive organism, this ability played an unimaginable role in the Swarm’s development. From the early Swarm Meteors to the later electromagnetic projectiles, and even today, it continued to shine.

Beneath the mineral shell was a miniature Fungal Carpet seed, Luo Wen’s crowning achievement to date. It compressed an astonishing amount of functionality into just a few cells, making it nearly invisible to the naked eye. Moreover, in its dormant state, it emitted no discernible signs of life.

This mineral shell made the seeds indistinguishable from ordinary interstellar dust. Even if the outer shell were peeled away, the few remaining non-desiccated cells would be virtually undetectable. Even if discovered, they would likely be mistaken for fossil specimens or similar inert matter.

Due to their small size, these micro seeds were easily captured by gravitational sources, allowing them to attach to meteors and planets. Once they reached a suitable environment and were activated by the Swarm Network, they would absorb the surrounding metallic mineral shell and germinate like real seeds.

Their “roots” would absorb local nutrients while driving the main body deeper underground, accumulating energy and remaining dormant. When commanded by the Swarm, they could mutate into Brood Queens, ready to expand the Swarm’s domain.

Though the production cost of these micro Fungal Carpet seeds was significantly higher than that of the Recon Bugs, due to the metallic outer shell, the Swarm’s current scale made this expense easily manageable.

Some Brood Queens worked at full capacity, producing tens of millions of micro Fungal Carpet seeds daily. These seeds were briefly fused together before being launched via projectors.

The primary launch direction focused on the Inner Circle of the Confederation. Although the Swarm had agreed with the Troi civilization not to expand toward the Inner Circle, this strategy was merely a delaying tactic. Besides, given the technological capabilities of those nascent civilizations, it was highly unlikely they could excavate deep into their planets’ cores. The Swarm’s intervention could even be considered a “helpful” act of loosening the soil for future use.

As long as these civilizations remained friendly toward the Swarm, they would never notice the anomalies deep within their planets. However, if they ever became hostile, any agreements would naturally be nullified, leaving them with a colossal “surprise.”

Meanwhile, in the Outer-ring direction, numerous Primordial-level and above Space Octopuses advanced via electromagnetic Megastructures. In these unclaimed territories, the Swarm didn’t need to operate as covertly.

That said, maintaining a degree of subtlety was still crucial. Given the Swarm’s currently displayed capabilities, completely avoiding Outer-ring development or making it too inconspicuous would appear suspicious—too perfect to be believable. Overreaching would be just as detrimental.

However, if the development pace was too rapid, it might draw unnecessary attention. Luo Wen’s strategy relied on a mix of truth and falsehood. Development was essential, but the scale and speed had to be carefully controlled.

For instance, in certain star systems directed toward the Inner Circle, the Swarm’s surface forces openly stationed themselves as if idling, while the underground forces remained entirely concealed. Even the visible forces on the surface employed technical measures for concealment.

The Space Octopuses, soft-bodied organisms based on the Fungal Carpet template, could connect with the Fungal Carpet for energy replenishment and also link together. By compressing unnecessary gaps within and between their bodies, they could merge in groups of several to even a dozen individuals without noticeably increasing their apparent volume.

Although this lowered their energy absorption efficiency, it effectively concealed their numbers. After all, planets were minuscule compared to the vastness of space. Even if a planet were entirely hollowed out, it couldn’t hold a significant force. Moreover, forces hidden underground lacked the rapid growth potential of units basking in proximity to a star.

Thus, Luo Wen ensured that the Swarm appeared restrained and realistic in its development, while secretly laying the groundwork for future domination.

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