I Am The Swarm

It’s worth noting that the Space Octopuses are essentially a variant of the Fungal Carpet, with each fungal strain inside them acting as a seed for a new carpet.

While the Mature bodies bombarded the ground-based cannons, many Larval bodies had already landed on the planet’s surface.

With their flexible tentacles, the larvae burrowed into the ground with impressive speed. In a short time, they had vanished beneath the planetary surface.

Over the years, Cross’s family had converted more than a hundred Intelligent Entities, many of whom held prominent and influential public identities.

Among the high-ranking officers in the Riken’s three main fleets, several were secretly Intelligent Entities. These individuals relayed real-time fleet command updates directly to Sarah and her Blades.

When Sarah learned of the Riken’s astonishment, she nearly laughed aloud. This was a prime example of how asymmetric information leads to misconceptions. The Riken assumed their plan was succeeding, yet they remained oblivious to the possibility that the Swarm might have been employing a stratagem. Perhaps their target had always been Planet Raze.

The planetary surface was vast and featureless, with tens of thousands of ground-based cannons concentrated in a dozen or so areas. This arrangement facilitated energy supply and reduced engineering complexity.

The materials used to construct these metallic structures were partially sourced from metal-rich asteroids dragged in from the debris fields and refined in space before being dropped onto the planetary surface.

However, the majority of the materials were mined directly from Planet Raze.

Planet Raze is a planet rich in metallic elements, boasting abundant mineral resources. Many of these deposits are located near the surface, making extraction incredibly easy.

Currently, the Riken have dozens of bases on Planet Raze, supporting nearly 100,000 ground-based cannons. The scale of these defenses is directly tied to the planet’s ease of mining.

Beneath the surface, the planet holds even more abundant resources, including vast deposits of radioactive minerals.

If the Swarm wanted to engage in a war of attrition with the Riken, it wouldn’t be feasible to continually transport forces from the Neighboring Star System. Establishing a local frontline base within the Riken star system was a necessity.

Planet Raze, situated in the outer regions of the star system and rich in resources, was an ideal target. Its vast deposits of metal could sustain the Swarm’s relentless firepower, while its radioactive minerals could accelerate the growth of Larval bodies and Mature bodies, as well as support the creation of additional Atomic Furnaces.

Thus, from the very beginning, the Swarm’s objective was to seize control of Planet Raze.

However, had their strategic intent been exposed early on, they would have faced the combined resistance of the Riken’s three main fleets—over 2,000 warships—and the concentrated firepower of Planet Raze’s ground-based defenses.

Faced with such ferocious artillery fire, the Swarm forces’ losses were bound to double.

For the Swarm, such losses wouldn’t typically matter. However, if they accidentally crippled the Riken’s three main fleets, that could lead to trouble.

The Riken’s current fleet capacity was finite. Should a significant portion of it be lost here, it might provoke a sense of despair and hysteria, leading them to attempt a desperate mutual annihilation.

At this point, the “seeds” had already been planted. To Luo Wen, the Riken had become a high-quality material production base, now considered part of the Swarm’s assets. He couldn’t afford to let them destroy themselves recklessly.

If it weren’t for the need to avoid drawing the attention of potential observers, Luo Wen wouldn’t have even launched an attack on the Riken.

While Sarah and her Blades were mulling over their next move, they learned of the Riken’s tactical plans. Seizing the opportunity, they turned the tables, orchestrating this grand spectacle.

Essentially, the Riken had unwittingly opened the path for the Swarm to occupy Planet Raze.

This occupation wasn’t just superficial. A single Larval body, measuring ten meters in length, contained hundreds of fungal strains. The larger the organism, the more strains it carried, with the number doubling as size increased.

Each fungal strain served as a Fungal Carpet seed, capable of spreading uncontrollably if given enough time—let alone the simultaneous activation of countless seeds.

One Larval body collapsed at the base of a ground-based cannon, allowing its fungal strains to extract nutrients from the Larval body’s tissue, converting them into the first wave of sustenance for growth.

In no time, root-like structures sprouted from the strains, crawling over the metallic base and burrowing into the soil below.

The cannon’s base began to corrode, compromising its structure. Unable to support the weapon’s weight, the thick barrel leaned downward, temporarily maintaining balance by resting against the ground.

However, the purple-gray Fungal Carpet had already spread from the base to the cannon’s body and barrel, covering the entire weapon and surrounding area in a creeping, ominous hue.

This phenomenon unfolded across Planet Raze. A single instance might go unnoticed amid the chaos of battle.

But the simultaneous activation of tens of thousands—if not hundreds of thousands—of Larval bodies triggered a chain reaction so conspicuous it was impossible to ignore.

“Look at screen 63! What is that?” A captain exclaimed, staring at the video feed showing the spreading purple-gray carpet.

“My god, what is that thing?!”

“It looks familiar—like I’ve seen it somewhere before.”

Hearing the commotion, other fleet members switched to the corresponding video feed, discussing the strange phenomenon.

“What? This? Stop them immediately!” A panicked staff officer suddenly shouted.

“Mott! Do you know what this is?” Hamis urgently asked.

“Back when they attacked our expeditionary fleet, T855 ended up like this. It was a normal planet at first, but then it turned purple-gray,” Mott replied.

Mott, once a captain of the Riken’s expeditionary fleet like General Masai, had been demoted after his defeat and now served as a senior staff officer.

The transformation of T855 and its satellites was far more shocking to witness in person than it appeared in video footage.

Many present had likely reviewed the recorded events, finding the scene vaguely familiar. However, for those like Mott who had experienced it firsthand, the terror was unforgettable.

Mott’s comment jogged the memories of the assembled Riken. They recalled how T855’s satellites had been dyed purple-gray in no time, creating an eerie spectacle.

“They’re targeting Planet Raze!” Hamis growled, a mix of anger and dread flashing across his face. It finally dawned on him that the Swarm’s earlier erratic behavior wasn’t indicative of diminished intelligence.

In truth, they—the Riken—had been the real fools all along.

Despite Masai’s prior example, why had they fallen for such a basic error of underestimating their enemy? Hamis fell into deep thought.

Was it because the Swarm’s appearance made associating them with intelligence difficult? Or could it be some strange technology—perhaps a debilitating aura of stupidity?

On reflection, the first explanation seemed more plausible than the second.

The Swarm’s technology, their units—they all subconsciously reminded one of beasts. And beasts, by definition, lacked intelligence.

When sitting in their iron warships and looking upon a race that still relied on physical bodies for combat, an inexplicable sense of superiority inevitably arose.

In such moments, it was easy to overlook the fact that their enemy was, indeed, an intelligent civilization.

“Damn it!” Hamis cursed, his fury unable to mask his frustration.

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