I Am The Swarm

The long-awaited underwater exploration only lasted a single day, leaving Luo Wen regretting the decision to hatch a 100,000-strong aquatic army.

With no other choice, he left a small contingent to occupy the underwater world, while the rest were sent downstream to explore the rivers. Perhaps they might discover something of interest along the way.

Having made these arrangements, Luo Wen shifted his focus back to the operations of the swarm.

Time flowed on, and hundreds of days and nights passed. Luo Wen had found new joy in watching the swarm’s numbers continuously grow, giving him a peculiar sense of satisfaction.

The swarm’s territory expanded rapidly, with over 10,000 bases now established. Each base housed an average of about 100,000 insects, bringing the swarm’s total population to over a billion.

This figure was limited only by the fact that the Queen Ants’ hatching rates couldn’t keep up with the pace of territorial expansion. In newly occupied regions, the density of branch bases was far lower than in earlier stages of development.

Consequently, the average population per base skyrocketed from 30,000 to 100,000 and continued to rise.

Yet Luo Wen was still unsatisfied.

The swarm now controlled two major technological industries: farming and cultivation. The food shortages that had once constrained the swarm’s growth were no longer an issue.

Ironically, the bottleneck in development was now production capacity. Queen Ants could only be hatched in the Brood Nest, and the Brood Nest itself, due to its structure, had reached its maximum size with a fixed output.

Previously capable of outproducing hundreds of Queen Ants, the Brood Nest was now struggling to keep pace.

As for the Queen Ants themselves, their reproductive capacity was even more limited by their size. Even with constant work, their efficiency remained low.

Improving the Brood Nest was currently impossible, so Luo Wen considered whether the Queen Ants’ bodies could be enlarged to increase their reproductive output.

Unfortunately, the genetic material Luo Wen controlled that could enhance body size primarily strengthened muscle structure or improved the oxygen supply system.

While the latter provided some benefits, the muscle-enhancing genes merely increased muscle density and body size without improving the Queen Ants’ reproductive organs.

With no better solutions, Luo Wen had to rely on slow accumulation over time.

Fortunately, the swarm encountered no significant adversaries during its advances.

Several colonies of Big-headed Ants—once fierce rivals—were discovered recently.

As history repeated itself, these regional overlords attempted to intercept the swarm’s leaf-cutting units. When they responded by assembling armies of millions to retaliate, the tide had turned dramatically.

This time, the swarm didn’t retreat due to a disadvantage in numbers. What had once been a two-million-strong force had grown to twenty million. The massive army encircled and annihilated the Big-headed Ant armies, completely overwhelming them.

While the swarm suffered over a million casualties, such losses were insignificant to a population exceeding a billion.

The swarm had also begun spreading along the eastern shores of lakes and rivers. However, with insufficient resources, they had established only about a hundred bases, serving as forward outposts.

The situation across the river was similar to this side, as the two regions weren’t far apart.

The insects were mostly the same species, nothing noteworthy. In any case, once the swarm encountered them, they were recycled into protein.

Meanwhile, the Submersible Bugs sent downstream had discovered several aquatic insect species. However, their abilities were unremarkable, offering Luo Wen no surprises.

But as one door closes, another opens. Luo Wen received news from the central army: a 500,000-strong detachment had been wiped out by an unknown enemy. The accompanying Queen Ant, wisely refraining from advancing recklessly, had paused operations and dispatched messenger bugs to report to Luo Wen.

Hearing this, Luo Wen wasn’t angry; he was thrilled. Finally, a worthy opponent had surfaced! He wondered if they had any unique skills to showcase, setting the stage for an exciting exchange.

At the same time, he marveled at the improved intelligence of the upgraded Queen Ants. They had learned to cater to his preferences, saving the most interesting challenges for him when they arose.

Due to the central army’s vast operational range and its population now exceeding ten million, their pheromone markers were scattered chaotically along their path.

Frustrated by the slow pace of the messenger bugs, Luo Wen set out alone. It took him until midday the next day to locate the central army’s encampment, and that was only because he had a clear vantage point; otherwise, it might have taken much longer.

The central army had strayed far from the front line, but Luo Wen no longer worried about traps or complete annihilation. The current era was different. No force could silently eliminate an army of millions without leaving any trace.

Furthermore, the destroyed detachment had left enough evidence for the Queen Ant to detect signs of the enemy, indicating that while formidable, they weren’t overwhelmingly powerful.

Now that Luo Wen had arrived, speculation was pointless. He would soon see the situation for himself.

Led by scout bugs, Luo Wen reached the site where the detachment had vanished. The area was saturated with chaotic pheromone signals, and scattered arthropod remains suggested insufficient meat to warrant cleanup.

What puzzled Luo Wen were the numerous blackened, corrosive marks on the ground. They didn’t resemble ant acid burns but instead looked charred, with a lingering, pungent odor.

This was unusual. Since his reincarnation, Luo Wen hadn’t encountered fire. Had it been a local resident, they wouldn’t even recognize these scorch marks.

But for such traces to appear in a primitive environment was absurd. Everyone relied on melee combat, occasionally spraying acid. Who the hell was playing with fire now? That was going too far.

Following these residual traces, Luo Wen soon found the culprit’s lair. It was unmistakable—far more conspicuous than the Big-headed Ant colonies he had encountered before.

It was a towering earthen fortress, about 20 meters high, standing taller than most nearby trees. Its presence was so striking that it couldn’t be overlooked.

Despite its height, the fortress had a small footprint, covering only a few square meters. From a distance, it resembled a rocket ready for launch or a corncob stuck in the ground.

As Luo Wen got closer, he saw that the “corncob” was constructed from porous soil-like adhesive material. It appeared to be the work of a social insect species—possibly a new kind of ant.

And their skills were extraordinary, enough to make Luo Wen’s eyes light up with interest.

However, they didn’t seem too welcoming to a “neighbor” arriving to demand explanations. Luo Wen was already at their doorstep, yet no one came out to greet him.

No matter. Luo Wen had plenty of experience when it came to “knocking” on doors.

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