I Am The Swarm

Time passed, and Luo Wen’s seed experiments began to yield promising results. Among them, one creation stood out as his favorite.

This was a hybrid organism composed of genetic material from various spore plants.

Spore plants include algae, lichens, fungi, mosses, and ferns. Luo Wen’s new seed combined the genes of all these spore plants into a single entity.

The resulting organism was highly adaptable, requiring minimal environmental conditions to thrive. It was resistant to cold, heat, and drought, and it could efficiently extract nutrients from the surrounding soil. Remarkably, it could even secrete a specialized acidic substance to corrode and decompose rocks and minerals.

This made its yield per unit area significantly higher. Most importantly, almost all parts of the plant were edible. It tasted good too—rich in protein and sweet to the Swarm’s palate.

This new crop had replaced the previous white mycelium plants, greatly enhancing the yield of the underground farms.

However, it still fell short of Luo Wen’s original goals, necessitating further refinement.

With the Swarm’s triumph over the giant pythons, they had firmly established themselves as top predators. Their territory was recognized by the surrounding powerful creatures, and no more apex-level creatures came to challenge them at their base.

Most of these apex predators were solitary beings that staked out their territories. Their daily routines involved filling their bellies, occasionally picking fights with their neighbors for exercise, and then waiting for old age to replace them with a new generation of apex predators.

Unbeknownst to them, the Swarm was different—a force with an intense drive for expansion. Securing a piece of forest territory for amusement was never their end goal.

The Swarm expanded rapidly, often attacking before apex predators could mount a defense.

The first target was the nests of the flying bugs, which had once relentlessly pursued Luo Wen. Strictly speaking, these creatures weren’t true apex predators.

However, their large numbers, flying capability, and venom made them a force most creatures dared not provoke. The few that could challenge them were either flightless or unable to navigate the dense forest terrain. Smaller airborne creatures were outmatched, while larger ones couldn’t maneuver through the forest.

These factors had allowed the flying bugs to dominate the forest. But now, they faced a formidable adversary.

The Swarm’s air force, based on a similar template, matched the flying bugs in speed. But unlike the wild bugs, the Swarm’s air force had a ranged combat variant.

In a confrontation between melee and ranged units, both with equal speed, the ranged units had a significant advantage. The Swarm’s air force would launch an initial salvo and retreat, maintaining a strategic distance.

As the flying bugs descended in pursuit, swarms of modified spider combat bugs awaited on the ground. Any flying bugs daring to approach were met with the spider bugs’ devastating sticky claws.

It’s worth noting that these spider bugs were based on a predatory archetype adapted to ambush small insects from cliff faces. Hunting flying bugs was second nature to them.

After several skirmishes, the flying bug nests suffered heavy losses, and the Swarm’s air force breached their lairs.

Only the first nest posed a significant challenge. By the time the Swarm encountered the second nest, their combat forces had undergone several rounds of expansion, bolstered by new specialized units.

Beneath the second flying bug nest:

Several large black beetles crawled out from the Swarm’s ranks. These beetles were over a meter long, their robust black bodies sporting a cannon barrel extending thirty centimeters forward from the center of their shoulder carapace.

Their design resembled living tanks—sleek and imposing.

These beetles were Luo Wen’s latest creation: large artillery bugs, engineered by integrating genes from various projectile-specialized creatures. Initially, they were intended as anti-pterosaur units.

However, lofty ambitions often clash with harsh realities. Using “tanks” to counter “aircraft” proved impractical. Even with enhancements in size, barrel length, and internal reaction chambers, their effective range barely reached one hundred meters. Beyond that, accuracy relied on sheer luck.

Moreover, their maximum firing angle while stationary was just thirty degrees. Luo Wen had reinforced their front two pairs of legs to act as supports, allowing them to elevate their bodies and achieve a maximum angle of seventy degrees. Despite this, the artillery bugs retained significant blind spots and limited range, hampering their utility.

Compounding these issues, their production costs were exorbitant. Each artillery bug spent over sixty days in its larval stage before reaching maturity. If not for the expanded underground farms, the Swarm couldn’t have afforded to maintain such units.

Thankfully, these artillery bugs were engineered with genes enabling them to consume soil and enter dormant states. They remained on standby in the underground base, emerging only when needed.

Like other specialized units developed for apex predators, their numbers were limited. Their niche functionality rendered them unsuitable for mass deployment.

While Luo Wen considered the artillery bugs one of his least successful creations—virtually useless—the right circumstances allowed them to shine.

For example, when tasked with stationary targets, they performed adequately.

The artillery bugs assumed their firing positions, extending their legs to raise their bodies and elevate their cannons.

Observing remotely through the Swarm Network, Luo Wen sighed. “At this pace, they’d miss even ground targets, let alone anything airborne. Maybe they could take out snails.”

Their ammunition consisted of high-temperature, corrosive gelatinous projectiles. Upon impact, the projectiles adhered to targets, continuously releasing toxins.

The flying bug nest was suspended twenty meters up a tree trunk, constructed from bug secretions and plant fibers. Once dried, the materials oxidized and hardened.

Several muffled shots rang out, and dark yellow projectiles streaked through the air. All but one hit their mark, puncturing the nest and leaving holes. Curious flying bugs emerged to investigate, only to be instantly killed by the waiting Swarm air force.

Another volley followed, this time striking the middle of the nest. The structure split in two, with the lower half crashing to the ground. Dazed flying bugs attempting to crawl out were promptly speared by spider combat bugs.

The upper half of the nest fared no better. Swarms of flying bugs poured out of cracks and openings, only to be met with a hail of concentrated fire from the Swarm’s air force. Few managed to take flight.

The battle ended swiftly. Aside from some minor skirmishes near the spider bugs, most areas saw no close combat.

After the fight, the artillery bugs returned to the base for storage. While their performance was decent, their practical applications remained limited.

Should resources grow scarce, Luo Wen considered recycling them.

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