I Am The Swarm

In addition to technological pursuits, Luo Wen organized a team of Intelligent Entities specializing in language, culture, and psychology to interrogate the captured Riken. Their goal was to extract as much relevant information as possible.

However, the Rikens’ mental resilience proved formidable. Beyond language breakthroughs, little progress was made. Any information they disclosed was either trivial or of no intelligence value.

Fortunately, Luo Wen was in no hurry. The Intelligent Entities were instructed to play the long game, wearing down the prisoners over time. Meanwhile, the Swarm occasionally selected Rikens for experimental purposes. Survivors were returned, while fatalities were deemed acceptable losses.

This practice exerted tremendous psychological pressure on the Riken captives, accelerating the interrogation process significantly.

Over five years, the Swarm consolidated its strength in the neighboring star system. Every planet and its satellites now hosted a stationed Brood Queen.

During this period, a large number of Swarm Meteors were launched toward the M37 Star System. These meteors carried countless surveillance units called Observer Bugs.

The Observer Bugs evolved rapidly, incorporating Riken monitoring technologies absorbed and transformed into biological components. These upgrades enhanced their ability to detect a wide range of energy types and increased their surveillance range.

The Observer Bugs were equipped with advanced observation systems, radiation emission systems, and a layer of lichen coating to disguise them as small meteorites.

As the meteors approached the M37 Star System, the Observer Bugs were scattered throughout the interstellar space between the two systems. They served not only as information-gathering units but also as network nodes for the Swarm.

Meanwhile, Swarm combat units underwent an overhaul, spurred by feedback from the Blades. Previously, bio-ships were divided into warship and transport categories, with multiple subclassifications. This naming convention was deemed cumbersome and impractical for command purposes.

A new hierarchy was introduced:

Units under 20 meters, incapable of mounting electromagnetic cannons, were collectively termed the Larval bodies.

Units between 20 and 500 meters were designated the Mature bodies.

Units exceeding 500 meters were classified as Primordial bodies.

Roles such as Lookouts, Celestial Monitors, Listeners, Knights, and Adjutants retained their specific designations but were collectively referred to as Hive Queens.

Spider Combat Bugs with toxin sacs and stingers kept their original name, while upgraded versions with reinforced limbs and no toxin sacs were renamed Raiders.

On the Great Dawn Planet, Godzilla had remained dormant for years after its initial clash with the Rikens. Following its failed search for kin, it had wandered the nearby seas for months before returning to its lair. It vented its frustrations by obliterating two packs of unlucky Feral Direwolves with nuclear breath before retreating into slumber.

Five years later, it was time for Godzilla to awaken once more.

The Swarm’s expansion had led to the deployment of over 300 Brood Queens on Great Dawn Planet, with more than 100 bases established along the coastline. This bolstered the Swarm’s aquatic forces significantly, far surpassing the meager 3,000 Odd-Headed Fish initially available.

To rouse Godzilla, dozens of fungal carpet seeds were sown near its lair, rapidly sprouting into sprawling growths. The same method had been used years ago to wake Godzilla, whose slumber had been disrupted by the invasive root systems.

The strategy remained unchanged.

The fungal roots, though harmless to agile creatures, were highly effective against the immobile Godzilla. They crept into the armored crevices of its body, causing sharp, familiar pain. Godzilla awoke in a rage, tearing apart the encroaching roots.

However, the pervasive purple-gray fungal carpet surrounding it left Godzilla disheartened. It pondered whether its lair had become cursed. If the plants could not be eradicated, perhaps it was time to move to one of its other known nesting grounds. But wouldn’t that tarnish its reputation as the planet’s invincible overlord?

While Godzilla reminisced about its glory days, tens of thousands of Odd-Headed Fish swarmed toward it. These 30-40 cm-long creatures surrounded the 100-meter behemoth, exploiting their sheer numbers.

Designed as cheap cannon fodder, these fish lacked complexity but featured formidable steel jaws infused with high-bite-force genetic material. They could penetrate Godzilla’s tissues, though their small size limited the damage they could inflict individually. Yet, with enough numbers, even Godzilla could be worn down.

Godzilla’s claws and jaws proved ineffective against the swarming fish. Only its powerful tail served as a reliable weapon, sweeping through the waters at supersonic speeds. Direct hits obliterated the fish, leaving behind only clouds of blood and debris. The shockwaves from these strikes killed or stunned others nearby.

However, the Odd-Headed Fish were too numerous. For every sweep of Godzilla’s tail that decimated hundreds or thousands, tens of thousands more swarmed in to replace them. Many nestled in Godzilla’s blind spots, exacerbating its predicament.

Desperate, Godzilla’s dorsal fins began to glow blue as its abdominal core brightened red. It unleashed a devastating nuclear breath.

The underwater explosion created a blinding flash, followed by a shockwave that pulverized the Odd-Headed Fish, compressing them into a fine mist.

Yet, the close-range detonation inflicted collateral damage on Godzilla. While immune to the radiation, it couldn’t escape the physical shock. Blood seeped from its nostrils and eyes, though the bothersome fish were finally gone.

Godzilla had barely relaxed when, moments later, another wave of tens of thousands of Odd-Headed Fish approached.

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