I Am The Swarm

A Riken warship, over a kilometer in length, would indeed seem massive within a planetary atmosphere. But in the vastness of space, it was little more than a speck in a sea of stars.

The projectiles hurtling across the 600-million-kilometer expanse had been accurately locked onto the positions of the Riken fleet at launch. However, after traveling for over a day, subjected to various forces and minute deviations, the chances of actually hitting their targets were slim.

Despite their emergency evasive maneuvers, one of the Riken warships sustained damage to its left armor, forcing it to withdraw for emergency repairs. This was the sole casualty among the hundreds of projectiles launched.

While the bombardment yielded little in terms of direct damage, it disrupted the Riken fleet’s defensive formations. In their scramble to evade, several turrets lost their original firing angles, leaving some targets out of reach.

Space combat was inherently a three-dimensional battlefield. It required accounting for enemies from every angle—above, below, to the sides—and factoring in the ship’s orientation and the risk of obstructing allied vessels. The complexity was immense.

After a rapid calculation, the fleet’s AI adjusted the turrets, redistributing targets based on the new formation.

“Fire!”

“Launch!”

As soon as the unidentified objects entered effective range, the Riken fleet unleashed their firepower. Over 300 warships, armed with more than 2,000 high-powered main turrets, unleashed several salvos, filling the void with tens of thousands of energy beams.

The “projectiles” weren’t passive targets. Blue arcs of plasma surged across their surfaces as their plasma-engine organs fired at full capacity, allowing them to execute evasive maneuvers.

The Rikens were dumbfounded.

“What the hell are these things?”

“They’re too far and too nimble—our long-range attacks are ineffective!”

“Then we’ll have to wait until they get closer.”

A few minutes later, the Riken fleet launched a second attack.

With the targets now closer, and having refined their algorithms after the first round, the Rikens managed to hit over a dozen projectiles despite the evasive efforts.

The struck “projectiles” exploded like fireworks, but their destruction only released a greater threat. From their ruptured forms poured countless octopus-like organisms. Some were only a few meters long, while others spanned tens of meters.

These creatures scattered like a burst of fluid, their bodies flickering with blue arcs of plasma. In a flash, they leaped onto nearby “projectiles,” merging into their surfaces and disappearing from sight.

“What the hell are those?!” This question, repeated countless times over the past two days, echoed once more among the Rikens, who were increasingly overwhelmed by bewilderment.

“Could these be their warships?” a strategist tentatively speculated.

“Are you saying they’re launching their warships at us?”

“Then what are those things inside them?”

“Pilots?”

“They look similar, but the size difference is enormous.”

A flurry of questions filled the Riken fleet’s communication channels, but speculation didn’t delay their next orders to attack.

After several more salvos, over 200 of the incoming “projectiles” were destroyed. Yet, more than half broke through the firepower barrier, closing to within 50,000 kilometers of the Riken fleet.

Moreover, the contents of the destroyed “projectiles” had already spilled out, significantly reducing the Swarm’s actual losses.

Now within the range of the Riken fleet’s medium-range weapons, the remaining projectiles faced a new barrage. The fleet’s secondary turrets, numbering over 10,000, unleashed an even denser barrage of energy beams.

While the “projectiles” maneuvered desperately, their 500-meter-plus bodies proved less agile as the distance narrowed. Coupled with the overwhelming intensity of the Riken firepower, they were systematically destroyed.

These Primordial Space Octopuses, stripped of their electromagnetic railgun components to increase their carrying capacity before launch, were purely transport units. Their destruction merely signaled the beginning of the true battle.

The “projectiles” were entirely eliminated before they could close to 30,000 kilometers, but this only paved the way for a much larger wave of attackers.

Following the destruction of the large “projectiles,” countless smaller ones swarmed forward, their numbers several times—if not tens of times—greater. Blue arcs of plasma crackled across their forms as they accelerated toward the Riken fleet with astonishing speed.

At 30,000 kilometers, the space octopuses needed only about ten minutes to cross the distance at maximum velocity. Their energy reserves were sufficient to support low-intensity combat at such a range.

However, the scale of this battle far exceeded low intensity. Energy conservation remained a priority.

At their maximum energy output, the octopuses could no longer maintain their cloaking capabilities, revealing themselves to the Rikens for the first time.

“What are those things?” repeated endlessly.

“Are these some kind of biological civilization’s combat units? They look alive!”

“Stop analyzing—they’re coming in! Prepare the space torpedoes!”

The Riken fleet’s defenses were thorough. Long-range main turrets, medium-range secondary turrets, torpedoes for medium-close combat, and close-range defensive formations created an intricate web of protection.

Although not the most advanced technology in the Riken arsenal, the space torpedoes were effective within a limited range. Equipped with tracking systems, they provided strong offensive and defensive capabilities and were widely deployed across Riken warships.

Hidden launch bays opened across the fleet, and sleek, slender missiles were ejected. As they fired, their propulsion systems ignited, and with the aid of the fleet’s AI, the missiles locked onto their targets.

Trailing long tails of exhaust, they streaked toward the oncoming swarm.

Despite their speed, the torpedoes were still slower than energy beams and barely faster than the space octopuses. This limited their effectiveness.

The octopuses, equipped with extreme dynamic vision, skillfully evaded the torpedoes. Some even lashed out with their tentacles, entwining the missiles.

However, Riken technology ensured that physical impact wasn’t necessary for detonation. Each torpedo carried a proximity fuse.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Brilliant explosions lit up the void, obliterating or wounding some of the more daring octopuses.

Guided by their knights, the space octopuses quickly adapted, keeping their distance from the flaming projectiles.

At their speed, dodging these weapons was hardly a challenge.

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