I Am The Swarm

Although their encounter was brief and their exchanges limited, Luo Wen found himself quite fond of Morgan, particularly because he considered the Rat Folk elder as one of “his own.”

Perhaps this fondness stemmed from how long it had been since Luo Wen had meaningful interaction with anyone.

Morgan’s earlier remark about leaving such questions for the younger generation gave Luo Wen an idea. Since Morgan had managed to find the “door,” it stood to reason that more Rat Folk could eventually locate it too. If Luo Wen hadn’t mistakenly interpreted those earlier intrusions as hostile, Morgan wouldn’t have been the first to succeed.

This realization addressed the Swarm’s deficiency in intelligent life forms. Moreover, thanks to the Swarm Network, these individuals would remain absolutely loyal to him, allowing him to proceed without concerns of betrayal.

In time, the Swarm’s intelligent members would grow in number. Luo Wen could even establish a dedicated research institute, allowing him to pursue any scientific inquiry without relying on the Rat Folk civilization. Such an arrangement would be far more convenient than covertly guiding their development.

Even so, Luo Wen decided to continue nurturing the Rat Folk civilization. They served as resources, after all—essential for producing the Swarm’s own intelligent life forms. Additionally, they provided a useful cover. Should alien species visit this planet, the Swarm, still confined to its homeworld, was too vulnerable. Having an overt civilization in place would reduce the chances of the Swarm being discovered.

The probability of such an encounter was slim, but Luo Wen prided himself on his expertise in caution.

With these thoughts, Luo Wen lost interest in unifying the Rat Folk under a single empire.

When Luo Wen shared his ideas with Morgan, the elder paused to consider before responding. “If that is your goal, Overlord, then unifying the Rat Folk Empire becomes even more critical.”

“If you wish to establish a Swarm research institute, you’ll require a great many scientific talents.”

“You’re not wrong,” Luo Wen agreed.

“However,” Morgan continued, “I recall that for outsiders to connect to the Swarm Network, they first need to find the ‘door.’ To find the door, they must harbor strong emotional ties—perhaps reverence or attachment—toward you or your alternate identity.”

Luo Wen nodded in agreement, gesturing for Morgan to elaborate.

Drawing on his experiences, Morgan explained, “In my case, it was curiosity about the origins of the Rat Folk, which gradually developed into a mix of emotions: curiosity, awe, aspiration, faith, and so on. These emotions led me to the door and ultimately transformed me.”

Morgan paused, appearing deep in thought, then resumed, “Among researchers, cases like mine are rare. Most who manage to find the door are likely to be those who blindly believe in myths and worship you unconditionally. While their loyalty to the Swarm is guaranteed, their contributions may be limited.”

“Furthermore, while we are absolutely loyal to you and would never harm the Swarm or your interests, we remain independent individuals in terms of consciousness. This means that internal conflicts could arise. Disputes over research topics might be tolerable, but petty rivalries and infighting are not something you’d want, I assume.”

Luo Wen was somewhat irritated by Morgan’s bluntness—why describe faith in him as blind devotion? Even so, he understood the elder’s underlying concerns and acknowledged the realities they reflected.

However, Morgan didn’t know that pure faith alone wouldn’t suffice. Even if someone reached the door, without unique mental talents, they couldn’t complete the journey. At present, individuals with such talents were exceptional in many ways, which meant they wouldn’t be mediocrities. Still, as Morgan suggested, their numbers among researchers might indeed be limited.

Luo Wen shared this aspect of mental aptitude with Morgan, who considered it thoughtfully. “Researchers are generally intelligent; their mental talents might be quite strong. If there’s a way to train these talents, it would be beneficial. Unfortunately, that’s beyond my expertise—it would depend on you, Overlord.”

Luo Wen wanted to explain that this talent of his had developed instinctively during a period of hibernation, and he had no idea how to train it. Nevertheless, since no one else was equipped to take on this task, he resolved to explore potential methods in the future.

Shifting back to the topic of unifying the Rat Folk, Luo Wen realized their discussion had veered off track. He motioned for Morgan to return to the earlier point.

Morgan sighed briefly before continuing from where he left off. “If we collaborate with the Kingdom of Kerrigan to unify the Rat Folk, we could guide their scientific endeavors. Moreover, we could screen capable researchers and teach them how to find the door and knock. This way, they could continue contributing to the Swarm after their deaths.”

“How would we make these researchers believe in me? And how could we ensure that the Kingdom of Kerrigan doesn’t betray us afterward? Are you relying solely on your former student-teacher relationship with the queen?” Luo Wen voiced his doubts.

Morgan smiled faintly. “Overlord, you may not realize this, but my current state is something many would dream of: retaining one’s individuality while gaining a new lease on life after death. If researchers knew that faith in you could grant them more time to pursue their passions, they’d flock to you.”

“As for ensuring the Kingdom of Kerrigan’s loyalty, relying solely on my relationship with the queen would be insufficient. But combining that with material incentives and a demonstration of force should be enough.”

“Practically speaking, we have no conflicting interests with the Rat Folk kingdoms. All we require is increased investment in aerospace research and deceased researchers. Trading these for the support of a powerful ally is a fair deal.”

“Sarah is my brightest student and a highly capable queen. I trust she’ll recognize the advantages of this arrangement. Additionally, at the right moment, we could reveal information about the door and the path to her. Such knowledge would be irresistible to a monarch.”

“Most importantly, we don’t need to expose the Swarm’s existence. Overlord, you’ve always appeared in legends as a god. We can depict the Swarm Network as your divine realm—faith in you would grant access to this realm after death, where one could be reborn.”

“And I would serve as living proof of this promise.”

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