I Am The Swarm

As it turned out, Luo Wen had overthought the situation. Just as he became increasingly convinced this was a trap and was about to turn back, he found the northern army!

A whirlwind of emotions swirled within him, though his limited vocabulary left him unable to articulate them properly.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been too idle lately, letting my thoughts run wild and making me overly jumpy.”

Despite scaring himself along the way, it was a relief that the situation had been a false alarm. Finding the northern army was undoubtedly good news.

Rain was still falling from the sky, and the army had taken shelter inside a tree hollow.

Their small size proved advantageous—they could easily crawl into the hollow to avoid the rain. Luo Wen, on the other hand, had to settle for a patch of relatively dry ground beneath the tree canopy.

Even under the cover of leaves, rain still dripped onto his carapace. Watching the snugly sheltered insects only stoked his irritation.

These troops must have made swift progress—how else could their Messenger Ants report back every three days? It seemed even the Queen Ants’ intelligence was not entirely reliable.

Reflecting further, Luo Wen questioned his own laziness. Perhaps he should occasionally catch up with the armies to check on their progress. Given his long legs, covering this distance was no issue.

The swarm’s advance was not a rapid march. They meticulously cleared the areas along their route, eliminating all dangers to pave the way for the Queen Ants arriving later.

This slow pace explained why Luo Wen, after surpassing the last Swarm Base, had become increasingly suspicious of a trap after traveling less than two kilometers and was on the verge of turning back after four kilometers.

In hindsight, he realized the fault lay with him. He had not kept track of the army’s progress and failed to deploy Queen Ants promptly.

It was, yet again, a communication issue. The Messenger Ants sent back by the northern army only ever reported “all clear.” Luo Wen had not anticipated that the follow-up base deployments had fallen significantly behind.

Once more, Luo Wen felt an urgent need for a long-range communication system.

After reuniting with the northern army, he conducted a headcount. Despite starting with 70,000 to 80,000 troops, they still numbered nearly 70,000 after such a long time—a testament to the power of an all-Soldier Ant force.

While the army took refuge from the rain, Luo Wen decided to scout ahead alone.

With his newfound focus on reconnaissance rather than idling on tree trunks, his vision had evolved significantly. He could now see clearly for over 200 meters.

Unlike human sight, he could distinguish individual ants over 100 meters away, although his vision gradually blurred until objects beyond 200 meters became opaque. ṟÀNȫᛒЁᶊ

His long legs, elevating him over a meter high, provided a natural eight-legged tripod, granting him an excellent vantage point. Combined with his agility, Luo Wen realized he was the swarm’s top scout.

Luo Wen advanced cautiously, and after scouting about 300 meters, he spotted the northern army about 200 meters away. True to his orders, they had retreated over 500 meters from the Red Ants’ nest, whose iconic volcanic structure was visible in the distance.

Perhaps due to the rain, no patrols were in sight around the “volcano.” The Red Ants had likely retreated inside their nest to stay dry, lacking Luo Wen’s size advantage.

Suddenly, mischief sparked within Luo Wen. He sprinted to the “volcano,” and before the Red and Black Ants inside could react, he used his Burrower Ant-like legs to collapse part of the structure. Then, he pushed soil into the volcano’s mouth, sealing it shut.

Satisfied, Luo Wen fled the scene, feeling a childlike joy.

This act reminded him of a favorite pastime from his early days: poking ant nests with sticks and blocking their entrances. Though he lacked the “finishing touch” of boyhood antics, his prank brought him some delight.

However, as he reflected, a faint melancholy clouded his mood. The rain’s incessant patter only deepened the bittersweet feeling.

Without tear glands, Luo Wen found himself unable to vent his frustration. Returning to the shelter, he was surrounded by thousands of living beings, yet not one could share in his emotions.

With a sigh, he lay under the tree canopy, his body blending seamlessly with the environment.

The rain persisted through the night but finally ceased by late morning. While occasional drops still fell from the leaves, the conditions were now suitable for movement.

The Red Ants’ nest, based on the size of its “volcano,” housed at least a million ants. The 60,000 troops under Luo Wen’s command would be charging to their deaths if they attacked it.

Though Luo Wen longed for a battle to distract him from his reckless tendencies, he wasn’t suicidal.

Moreover, being so far from his territory posed logistical challenges. Reinforcements and supplies would be delayed, and even if they captured the area, there weren’t enough troops to hold and develop it.

Having caused some trouble for the Red Ants, Luo Wen consoled himself that the trip wasn’t entirely in vain.

With that thought, he led the army back to their territory.

Upon returning, he ordered the 60,000-strong northern army to camp near the border and secure the surrounding region. He then rushed back to the Brood Nest.

Connecting with the Brood Nest, Luo Wen postponed other tasks and dedicated himself to producing 500 Queen Ants.

The region between the swarm’s territory and the Red Ants’ nest spanned about four kilometers, an area even larger than the swarm’s existing territory. A significant number of Queen Ants would be needed to secure and develop it.

Furthermore, both the initial troop surge for attacking the Red Ants’ nest and the subsequent occupation of their territory would require a large number of Queen Ants.

Thus, Luo Wen decided to go all in, ordering 500 Queen Ants—a staggering number considering the swarm currently had only around 300.

After setting things in motion, Luo Wen rested for a night and spent the next few days inspecting the other two armies.

The western and northern armies faced similar challenges, with large blind spots between their positions and the swarm’s territory. The northwestern army was slightly better off due to its fan-shaped exploration zone, which kept its position relatively closer to the territory.

Nonetheless, the blind spot in their area was just as vast as those of the other two armies.

If the other two armies’ blind spots resembled vertical rectangles, the northwestern army’s resembled a horizontal one.

In any case, the 500 Queen Ants would not be enough to cover these gaps.

Realizing this, Luo Wen hurried back to the Brood Nest overnight and ordered an additional 700 Queen Ants. When fully matured, the swarm would boast approximately 1,500 Queen Ants.

The Brood Nest would be occupied with this task for quite some time, leaving no room for other projects.

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