I Am The Swarm

Since his emergence from the Iphieash egg, Luo Wen had always felt somewhat confused. He lacked the inheritance of the Iphieash species, and even if he had it, his situation was entirely different from that of his predecessors.

This was a new universe with rules completely distinct from the Wizard Continent. He was a new life form, born through a series of coincidences.

In essence, he and the Iphieash as understood by the Wizard Continent had become two entirely different species.

Initially, Luo Wen operated purely on instinct—collecting genetic fragments, fusing them, and, after a certain sacrificial ritual, gaining the Swarm Network, which elevated his life form to a higher state.

After billions of years of dormancy, Luo Wen awoke as a being that was half-corporeal and half-virtual. His corporeal form served as the foundation of his virtual self, and both were inseparable.

Subsequently, Luo Wen began modifying genetic fragments, cultivating intelligent entities, and leveraging their power and intellect to upgrade the Swarm Network. At one point, he seemed to transcend the limits of physicality entirely, becoming a “being of the network.”

But that was merely his prior understanding.

With the Swarm Network’s upgrades, new dimensions of existence unfolded before him. Or rather, they had always been there—he simply couldn’t perceive them before.

Luo Wen, lacking any inherited knowledge, had to rely on instinct to sense, comprehend, and explore.

When Luo Wen was troubled by how to infiltrate the Confederation’s territories with his network signals, a sudden realization struck him. He came to understand certain truths.

Previously, Luo Wen regarded the Swarm Network as his “ability.” Although deeply interconnected, he thought of it as akin to a relationship between an owner and a possession.

Later, he began to believe that he was the Swarm Network itself. Perhaps, before the sacrificial ritual, his “body” had been that fingernail-sized insect or even the lid-sized giant bug. But after the ritual, he saw the Swarm Network as his true essence.

Now, however, Luo Wen felt even this interpretation was imprecise. The sacrificial ritual had made him into an indescribable existence, and the Swarm Network was merely one of its manifestations—an extension comprehensible within his current framework.

Put another way, the Swarm Network was Luo Wen, but it was not the entirety of him.

Luo Wen himself seemed to have ascended to a higher-dimensional existence. However, in any dimension, there existed the strong and the weak. Having just undergone his transformation and rebirth, Luo Wen was the weakest form of such a being.

Weaker beings instinctively seek ways to grow stronger. The newly “born” and frail Luo Wen had, by instinct, latched onto the nearest thing that could empower him.

At the time, Luo Wen existed as a being separate from this universe, with countless dimensions and chaotic currents between them. For such a weak existence as he was then, finding and re-entering this universe would have been nearly impossible.

Fortunately, there existed in this universe a “shedding” of his former self—an object intrinsically tied to him. This object acted as an “anchor point,” fortifying his connection to this universe.

Moreover, as Luo Wen was effectively a being ascended from this universe, carrying its essence, the universe itself offered no resistance to his “return.”

Thus, by a stroke of fate, Luo Wen regained control over his Swarm body in this universe. However, this process drained his already limited energy, plunging him into a long slumber.

With his newfound understanding—or rather, a deeper comprehension of himself—Luo Wen’s perspective on many past events changed significantly.

For instance, Luo Wen previously believed that the Swarm Network’s formidable capabilities stemmed from his billions of years of dormancy. In truth, while Luo Wen was indeed a fledgling entity in the higher dimension, just as a child can still express themselves through drawings, a being from a higher dimension can exert influence over lower dimensions to a certain extent.

This innate advantage had nothing to do with his dormancy or any other factors—it was a fundamental trait of higher-dimensional existence.

As for why Luo Wen slept for so long, one reason was undoubtedly the substantial energy expenditure he had incurred, necessitating recovery through rest.

However, a more significant reason lay in the different perception and understanding of time for higher-dimensional beings. When Luo Wen’s consciousness fell into slumber, it operated purely on instinct, which attuned him to a higher-dimensional timeline. From that perspective, he might have felt as though only a brief moment had passed.

Thus, he “overslept.” By the time he awoke, his understanding of time in the lower dimensions had realigned. At that point, Luo Wen’s body and essence had already transformed into a higher-dimensional being, but his awareness and cognition remained rooted in the lower dimensions.

Regardless, the priority was to grow stronger. It is important to clarify that this universe was not inherently “lower-dimensional.”

It was, in fact, a complex amalgamation of multi-dimensional systems, even surpassing Luo Wen in certain ways. However, some elements within it belonged to the lower dimensions—such as the pre-ascension Luo Wen, as well as creatures like dinosaurs, pterosaurs, Rat folk, Riken, Daqi, and the worlds they comprehended.

For Luo Wen to grow stronger, he needed to anchor himself within this universe and extract resources beneficial to his development.

This process was akin to “feeding,” but feeding for a higher-dimensional being was far more complex than what lower-dimensional creatures could comprehend. It involved unique, abstract mechanisms.

Before feeding, however, Luo Wen needed to secure his “food.” Relying on a single “anchor point” was inherently risky.

If he lost this anchor, the odds of relocating this universe amidst the chaotic currents of dimensions would be almost nonexistent. Even if he stumbled upon another universe, his then-weak state would render infiltration impossible.

In response to these challenges, the “Swarm Network” was born. Luo Wen had once believed this system was a manifestation of his obsession with real-time interaction technologies. In truth, it was a reflection of his higher-dimensional essence expressed in a form comprehensible within the lower-dimensional world. While his obsession might have influenced its creation, it was far from the sole reason.

The Swarm Network allowed for rapid expansion and the emergence of numerous node units. However, these node units were not true “anchor points.”

Only Luo Wen’s so-called “primary body” and “Brood Nest” served as genuine anchor units. The node units, in turn, acted as guardians for these anchors, enhancing their security.

At the time, Luo Wen didn’t fully understand this. His focus remained on increasing the Swarm’s numbers and territorial expanse—a drive born from his instinct to protect and strengthen himself.

If Luo Wen had fully transitioned into a higher-dimensional being, he might have chosen to continue his slumber. For beings of that level, time was meaningless.

As long as he remained anchored to this universe, he could draw sustenance and grow stronger. Whether it took a billion or ten billion years to achieve his goals would have been irrelevant.

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