I Am The Swarm

The water flowed continuously into the breach in the ant nest for a full two minutes. The surging current carried with it soil and a torrent of Red and Black Ants, sweeping them out of the tunnels.

At the entrance, the turbulent waters clashed back and forth before eventually stabilizing. The water level inside the nest equalized with the outside, and the surface of the water gradually calmed.

Near the entrance, the water was littered with countless Red and Black Ants. Most of them had not drowned immediately and were still desperately struggling on the surface.

Some of the luckier ones managed to climb onto the bodies of their companions and painstakingly make their way to the riverbank, where they struggled to crawl ashore.

However, what awaited them on land were the Burrower Ants, standing ready to strike.

The terrain inside the nest was complex, and only a small fraction of the ants had been swept out by the water; the majority had perished below. This raid on the enemy’s Brood Nest exterminated tens of thousands of Red and Black Ants, at the very least. Most importantly, their stockpiled food reserves in the nest were completely destroyed.

This blow exacerbated their already strained front-line supply situation.

After eliminating the lucky survivors who made it ashore, the ants in the water stopped struggling one by one and began to float silently on the surface.

Luo Wen ordered the Burrower Ants to turn back and support the Small Soldier Ants, using up the last of their acidic reserves.

While the combat strength of the Burrower Ants couldn’t compare to the Small Soldier Ants, their sheer numbers overwhelmed the battlefield in an instant.

After clearing the battlefield, all corpses—friend and foe alike—were collected and processed into protein reserves. The army then boarded the Transport Bugs and quickly retreated toward the riverbank.

Having just destroyed the enemy’s nest, it was wise to leave the area quickly to avoid a frenzied counterattack from their front-line forces.

Upon reaching the riverbank, the group regrouped with the Burrower Ants stationed there.

A count revealed that of the 10,000 Burrower Ants who had breached the final barrier, only about 6,000 remained. Nearly 4,000 had been swept away by the rushing water in an instant.

Adding to this were the losses from the final stretch of digging and the subsequent battle—over 3,000 Burrower Ants were lost.

The 5,000-strong Small Soldier Ant force was reduced to fewer than 3,000, with nearly half falling in battle.

Even among the robust Transport Bugs, two units had been lost.

This battle cost over 10,000 troops from various classes, but the victory was spectacular. After a brief recovery, Luo Wen ordered the entire force to retreat.

They traveled along the riverbank, carefully avoiding enemy patrols. The exhausted army couldn’t endure any more disruptions.

Fortunately, the journey back was uneventful. The army returned safely to the front-line command center—a location Luo Wen had ceremoniously named but was, in reality, just the nearest forward base.

Currently, this base had become a major gathering point for the Swarm. Excluding the returning Burrower Ants, there were still around 150,000 Worker Ants stationed here.

The Small Soldier Ants, due to their late production schedule, were still relatively few in number. Even with the addition of the 2,000 that just returned, their total barely reached 30,000.

However, there were still over 10,000 Original Soldier Ants from earlier generations.

Including the Transport Bugs, the total number of combat-ready troops was just over 200,000. Even with the addition of the Burrower Ants, the number barely reached 250,000. Furthermore, the Burrower Ants had expended all their acidic reserves, reducing their combat effectiveness by at least half for the next few days.

The enemy still had at least 500,000 troops—more than double the Swarm’s forces. Fortunately, about 70% of the enemy troops were Black Ants, and with Luo Wen’s command, there was still a chance of victory.

Moreover, the destruction of the enemy’s Brood Nest created severe supply issues for their forces. While the Swarm’s rear lines were stretched thin due to the allocation of troops to the front, they could still barely maintain normal operations. Over time, Luo Wen’s chances of winning would only increase.

Thus, the Swarm’s current strategy was to hold their position, delay the conflict, and adapt to the situation.

However, the Red and Black Ant coalition had no intention of giving Luo Wen the luxury of time. Early the next morning, just as dawn broke, their densely packed forces crossed the border, advancing on the Swarm’s base.

Despite the abrupt timing, Luo Wen remained unfazed. He had long prepared for this decisive battle. The only difference was that the longer the delay, the fewer casualties his Swarm would suffer.

Having absorbed countless pieces of intelligence, Luo Wen’s unparalleled intellect allowed him to craft an elaborate trap.

The enemy’s rapid discovery of the Swarm’s base was no coincidence—it was all part of Luo Wen’s plan.

Rather than fight on an uncontrollable battlefield, Luo Wen had deliberately prepared a stage for the enemy, ensuring the confrontation would play out on his terms.

With the Scout Bugs’ superior vision, every movement of the enemy army was under Luo Wen’s watchful eye. As the enemy forces advanced, small Swarm detachments continuously appeared in their path, strategically retreating to lure them closer to the base.

The stage was already set; now, the actors just needed to enter.

The bait squads gradually returned, retreating into the base’s tunnels.

The Red and Black Ant coalition arrived shortly after, their sheer numbers staining the ground in a tapestry of red and black.

When they reached the Swarm’s base, they found the surface eerily clean. There were no signs of life, only a dark, funnel-shaped hole gaping like an ominous eye in the earth.

Faced with this abyss-like entrance, the coalition hesitated not a moment. The nimble and aggressive Red Ants led the charge, diving headfirst into the tunnel.

Once inside, they encountered a long passageway. Crawling through it, they entered a massive chamber.

Here, they were met with a brutal ambush.

Dozens of Giant Mandible Soldier Ants were stationed around the tunnel entrance. The moment a Red Ant poked its head out, it was grabbed and flung back into the chamber, where swarms of Small Soldier Ants swarmed over it to finish the kill.

While this bottleneck tactic was insufficient to eliminate an army of 500,000, it effectively stalled them.

The Giant Mandible Soldier Ants rotated in shifts; once a group exhausted their strength, they withdrew, replaced by fresh reinforcements.

The Red Ants at the front were picked off one by one, while those at the rear, unaware of the situation, continued to surge forward.

Occasionally, a group would burst through the defenses or be pushed forward by the press of their comrades, only to face overwhelming numbers in the chamber beyond, where they were swiftly overwhelmed.

Though the passage was relatively wide, it was still too narrow for the sheer size of the enemy army. Only a small fraction could enter at a time. After losing over 10,000 troops in half a day, the rear forces began to grow restless.

Smaller groups broke away from the main force to forage in the surrounding area.

Unbeknownst to them, their movements were closely monitored by the Scout Bugs. As soon as they strayed from the main force, they were met by the Swarm’s mobile units, who had been sharpening their claws in anticipation.

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