I Am The Swarm

The new research team truly lived up to their reputation, achieving significantly faster progress than Balt’s team thanks to access to top-notch equipment.

It wasn’t that Dr. Balt was incapable—it was simply that his expertise lay in biology, and isolating harmful substances within plants was quite beyond his specialty.

In less than a year, the new team overcame numerous challenges and successfully produced a prototype.

This was a genuine Longevity serum, proven effective through animal testing, though it hadn’t yet undergone Riken clinical trials. The serum eliminated all radiation risks and could extend the theoretical lifespan of the Riken by about 60 years.

However, due to material limitations, the original 2 tons of resources had been reduced to less than half a ton. The most potent fruits were down to mere dozens, making the serum incredibly valuable.

While the development of the Longevity serum had not been publicly announced, the return of over two million expeditionary fleet members made the news far from secret. Those who needed to know already knew; those who didn’t remained unaware.

As such, the progress of the serum’s development attracted significant attention, particularly from powerful and affluent elderly Riken, who were exceptionally eager.

But the limited quantity of the serum was far from sufficient to meet everyone’s demand.

“Dr. Simone, Dr. Hartmann, Dr. Natal, you’ve worked hard,” said President Antonio, personally visiting the laboratory upon hearing the news. He extended his gratitude to the three individuals managing the project.

The advent of the Longevity serum gave Antonio more bargaining chips. Many previously insurmountable challenges could potentially be overcome with the allure of extended life.

This could even provide an opportunity to transition the Riken Federation from a parliamentary system to a monarchy, with him ascending as king.

Dreaming of this glorious future, Antonio couldn’t help but smile. At that moment, even the threats from alien forces seemed to fade—or perhaps, he was deliberately ignoring them.

“How many doses of the serum can be produced with the remaining materials?” Antonio interrupted the trio, who had been explaining the scientific principles behind the serum and emphasizing the difficulty of their work.

He cared little for such details—only the quantity of his bargaining chips mattered.

The three scientists exchanged glances before one of them spoke up. “Mr. President, there’s actually some good news.”

“Oh?”

“We’ve discovered that once we replicate the right growth environment for these plants, cultivating them isn’t particularly difficult.”

“What do you mean?” Antonio asked, his interest piqued.

“Yes, by replicating the atmospheric and seawater composition of Planet T853 as recorded by the expedition, we initially failed to regrow the plants. But a closer examination of the special operations team’s combat logs revealed that these plants were located in areas with high radiation levels.”

“So that’s why you requested access to those records?”

“Exactly! We added radioactive materials to the simulated environment, and miraculously, the plants came back to life and began growing again.”

“How difficult is their cultivation?”

“That’s the fascinating part. As we continued our research, we found that as long as there’s a source of radiation, these plants have minimal other environmental requirements.” The researcher paused, providing an analogy: “For example, we don’t even need to simulate T853’s environment anymore. As long as there’s sufficient radiation, the plants adapt on their own.”

“What about production?”

“To be honest, I’ve never seen a plant like this. They require only radiation—any kind of radiation. And once provided, they grow quickly.”

“Radiation? Do you have any recommendations, Doctor?”

“If you’re willing, they could potentially solve our nuclear waste problem.” The Riken, heavily reliant on fusion and fission technologies, generated substantial amounts of nuclear waste annually. Disposing of this waste often meant packaging it and launching it into the sun.

If the longevity plants could absorb it for growth, it would indeed be ideal.

“What about the medicinal effectiveness of plants grown under such conditions?” While solving the nuclear waste issue would be a bonus, the primary use of these plants was producing the serum. If their effectiveness were compromised, it wouldn’t be worth it.

“There’s no significant issue. The latest batches maintain nearly identical efficacy. But to confirm this fully, we need to propagate more and conduct additional tests. Still, I believe there’s no major problem.”

“So, mass production of the serum is within reach?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent, absolutely excellent. Keep this information confidential for now.” This was undoubtedly the best news of the day. However, to maximize its value, this information had to remain secret; after all, rarity enhanced its worth.

President Antonio offered generous praise and promises to the research team before leaving the lab, taking several doses of the serum with him.

The lab executed the President’s orders with utmost discretion and effectiveness, limiting the news of the plants’ cultivability to a small circle.

Two days later, the laboratory was bombed.

Unknown armed forces attacked the lab with gunboats, engaging in a brief but intense firefight with the security forces. Unfortunately, President Antonio had not anticipated such audacity. The guards were equipped with only light conventional weapons.

Under the gunboats’ assault, the battle ended swiftly. The attackers expertly raided the lab, seizing finished serum doses, some longevity plants, and research data before vanishing without a trace.

The entire operation took less than ten minutes. By the time reinforcements arrived, the lab was engulfed in flames.

Thankfully, apart from casualties among the guards, the research team had managed to escape, aided by their compliance. The attackers didn’t seem intent on eliminating them.

President Antonio was furious upon hearing the news and ordered a joint military-police investigation. However, contrary to expectations, no quick resolution emerged. Investigators faced countless obstacles, including issues within their ranks. A week later, the case remained unsolved.

This was practically unheard of among the Riken.

Not only were weapons like gunboats heavily regulated, but even regular firearms weren’t easily accessible. Tracing the source should have been straightforward. Furthermore, with the Riken’s advanced technology and widespread surveillance, such a large armed group attacking a key facility should have left clear traces. Their complete disappearance seemed more like fiction than reality.

But sometimes, reality is stranger than fiction.

A week later, the investigation was called off. Antonio realized this attack was likely retaliation for some of his recent actions.

The raid wasn’t merely about stealing the serum—it was a display of power.

This sobering moment reminded the overly ambitious President, engrossed in his dream of monarchy, that the entrenched old factions still had much hidden strength. His grip on power was not as absolute as he had believed.

Many plans would need to be approached more cautiously.

Unbeknownst to the Riken, during the lab assault, explosions and hasty raids resulted in a few longevity plant samples spilling onto the ground.

Several fungal carpet spores finally found an opportunity to escape, sinking underground and vanishing.

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