I Am The Swarm

Some carnivorous plant genes endowed the new organism with the ability to produce digestive fluids, allowing it to rapidly convert prey into nutrients. At the same time, it drew from various leafy plant genes to strengthen its root system. These robust roots could extend hundreds of meters underground.

The most remarkable trait, however, came from the integration of biological genes, which enabled the organism to grow large fungal nodes on its surface. These nodes could illuminate points on the Swarm Network.

This meant that Luo Wen could directly project his consciousness into these fungal nodes and observe their surroundings from their perspective. Additionally, while these fungal nodes lacked intelligence, they could be programmed with reactive options.

As active nodes on the Swarm Network, they came equipped with friend-or-foe recognition capabilities. When unidentified creatures stepped on or passed near them, the nodes would blink on the Swarm Network to send a warning.

The new plant also solved the food storage problem effectively. Thanks to its powerful digestive capabilities, prey placed on the organism’s body would be quickly broken down and converted into nutrients. These nutrients were stored within the plant and could be rapidly transported through its body. Any unit registered on the Swarm Network could tap into this resource by opening a “valve” on any part of the plant’s body and requesting access to the nutrients.

In simple terms, the plant’s body functioned like a “plumbing system,” where authorized users could install “faucets” to draw resources.

Moreover, in critical situations, the plant itself could be consumed directly as food.

The practicality of this innovation far exceeded Luo Wen’s original expectations.

However, it had its downsides—namely, its unattractive appearance. Its visible portions resembled a grayish-purple carpet spread across the ground. The carpet’s network of veins would occasionally writhe as if alive, transporting nutrients.

Although Luo Wen understood this movement was part of the nutrient distribution process, the sight of the “carpet” twitching still made him uneasy.

To honor certain memories from his human past, Luo Wen named this new plant Fungal Carpet.

With the Fungal Carpet, the food storage problem was finally resolved, likely for good. As the Fungal Carpet converted prey into a sap-like substance, spoilage was no longer a concern.

The seeds of the Fungal Carpet could be produced directly by the Brood Queens. Theoretically, a single seed could lead to infinite growth. However, to expedite the coverage of large areas, scattering more seeds was ideal.

The Fungal Carpet consumed any organic matter that lacked a Swarm Network identity, absorbing its nutrients. As a result, areas covered by the Fungal Carpet became barren wastelands.

Additionally, due to its carnivorous plant genes, the Fungal Carpet could autonomously hunt insects and small animals. This disrupted the local ecosystem by eliminating these creatures, which in turn drove away their predators. Thus, its environmental impact was devastating.

Recognizing this, Luo Wen did not allow unchecked growth of the Fungal Carpet. Instead, he regulated its use, mandating that each base plant it only within a specific radius based on actual needs.

Even with these restrictions, the increasing number of swarm bases resulted in a steady expansion of the Fungal Carpet’s coverage.

More coverage meant more fungal nodes, which translated to an increased number of active Swarm Network points. These fungal nodes, unable to distinguish between significant and minor disturbances, would even trigger alarms for passing Tail Lard Rats, causing disruptions to Luo Wen’s daily work.

To address this issue, Luo Wen reconfigured the permissions system. Each Fungal Carpet was assigned a designated area and linked exclusively to its base’s Brood Queen and Blades. Only in cases of genuine emergencies would the information be escalated to Luo Wen.

This adjustment resolved the problem of excessive false alarms from the fungal nodes.

With his enthusiasm for genetic tinkering temporarily waning, Luo Wen found himself with more free time. He returned to his familiar “shut-in” lifestyle, spending his days in the base and observing his domain through the Swarm Network.

Under his watch, the swarm’s expansion accelerated significantly. Thanks to the Fungal Carpet, new bases required only a minimal number of Worker Ants for maintenance tasks like cleaning. Feeding the larvae was no longer necessary.

The bases’ hatcheries were now lined with Fungal Carpet, enabling larvae to tap directly into its resources to supplement their nutrition whenever needed.

This pre-digested food was highly absorbable, shortening the larvae’s growth cycle considerably.

The improved efficiency in troop replenishment further accelerated the swarm’s expansion.

Before long, the entire forest fell under the swarm’s control. This forest spanned over 2,000 kilometers and contained an abundance of mountains, rivers, and resources.

Following this conquest, the swarm entered a period of stability. The number of swarm bases reached 500, forming a tightly interconnected network that secured their grip on the forest.

With a solid logistical base established, Luo Wen turned his attention to the forest outskirts.

Luo Wen had initially crash-landed near the forest’s edge. During the swarm’s infancy, he had scouted the area and encountered both Diplodocus and Triceratops there.

However, as the swarm prioritized the forest’s conquest, little attention had been given to its outskirts despite the central base being only a step away. The main reason was that the outer forest was sparsely wooded, with fewer trees to shield the swarm from aerial threats.

Large pterosaurs in the skies posed no threat to smaller units like the Modified Spider Combat Bugs and Flying Bugs, but most of the swarm’s prey were over a meter in size.

The sparse forest provided little cover, and the region was dominated by large dinosaurs. Occasionally, the swarm caught smaller creatures, but before they could be dragged back to the base, aerial predators would swoop down and snatch the kill.

Pterosaurs, perched hundreds or even thousands of meters above, had keen eyesight. Since Spider Combat Bugs and Flying Bugs lacked the ability to transport prey, they had to wait for the slower Giant Mandible Soldier Ants to retrieve it.

During this interval, pterosaurs often intercepted the swarm’s prey. Even if Spider Combat Bugs latched onto the pterosaurs during their dives, there was no guarantee their venom could kill the massive creatures. Even if successful, the carcasses fell far beyond the swarm’s reach, benefitting scavengers while the swarm suffered losses.

The most intolerable offense was when pterosaurs targeted the Giant Mandible Soldier Ants outside the forest’s cover. These small tanks were slow-moving and defenseless against aerial assaults.

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