I Am The Swarm

If the Swarm had a logistics base within the Riken star system, they could have easily remained beyond the range of the Riken’s main cannons, slowly wearing them down over time. Both sides could have ended up in a standoff lasting years, even decades, until the star system’s resources were entirely depleted.

But there were no “ifs.” The Swarm had to capture Planet Raze before the metal elements inside their Primordial bodies were completely depleted.

After launching more than twenty rounds of attacks, the Primordial bodies finally entered the range of the Riken’s main cannons. Having endured constant bombardment for so long, the Riken forces were eagerly awaiting this moment and immediately issued counterattack orders.

The ground-based cannons on Planet Raze opened fire first. However, since their energy systems prioritized the laser defense array, only 80% of the cannons could operate.

Even so, the remaining operational cannons numbered in the tens of thousands. Their rapid rate of fire filled the sky with red beams of light, creating a display far more spectacular than the silent, invisible barrages of electromagnetic projectiles.

Faced with the incoming barrage of red beams, the Primordial swarm adjusted their formation. They reduced energy allocated to their electromagnetic cannons, slowing their firing rate, and diverted most of the power to their engine organs.

Operating at full capacity, the engine organs enveloped the Primordial bodies in flickering blue electric arcs, dramatically enhancing their speed. The sudden acceleration caused the previous barrage of energy beams to miss entirely.

“Hold them back!” Hamis roared.

The Riken fleet, previously concealed behind Planet Raze, and the orbital rail cannons repositioned themselves and joined the fray. The main turrets rotated, adjusted their angles, and began firing immediately.

The previously disadvantaged number of main energy cannons multiplied several times over, creating an overwhelming cascade of red beams that seemed to dye the starry void crimson.

On the other side, the Primordial bodies, encased in crackling blue light, charged forward with unwavering determination, facing even fiercer resistance.

The clash of red and blue light created dazzling explosions against the dark starry backdrop, a grimly beautiful and awe-inspiring sight.

Yet this beauty came at a cost of countless lives.

This wave of attacks, owing to its intensity, incapacitated over twenty Primordial bodies. Though not irreparably damaged, they required time to regenerate while drifting in space.

However, the Mature bodies and Larval bodies they carried suffered collateral damage. The larger Mature bodies, with more fungal strains, sustained only injuries. In contrast, over a dozen of the smaller, 20–30-meter-long Larval bodies were destroyed.

For a swarm numbering in the tens of thousands, such losses were negligible. The blue-lit charge continued relentlessly.

By the third volley, the Riken’s supercomputers had adjusted their targeting parameters, and the closer range allowed the energy beams to strike faster.

About 20% of the Primordial bodies’ evasive paths were now effectively blocked. With no alternative, these units were forced to charge straight through the barrage.

This wave of red and blue collisions left over 300 Primordial bodies incapacitated, with thousands of Mature and Larval bodies obliterated.

The Riken’s energy cannons had a high rate of fire, and the fourth barrage followed swiftly. At the now-reduced range, nearly 500 Primordial bodies were incapacitated, while over 2,000 Mature and Larval bodies were destroyed.

During the Riken’s four salvos, the Primordial bodies managed to squeeze in a single counterattack. Tens of thousands of electromagnetic projectiles were launched, forcing some Riken warships to evade and disrupting their firing rhythm. A few sluggish orbital rail cannons were also destroyed, but there were no significant gains.

The Riken’s fifth barrage arrived, with red and blue beams clashing once again. This wave left nearly 800 Primordial bodies incapacitated, along with the loss of over 3,000 Mature and Larval bodies.

However, before the sixth barrage could land, the Primordial bodies reached the effective combat range of the Mature bodies. The sides of the Space Octopuses split open, releasing one Mature body after another. Ranging from 20 meters to over 100 meters in size, the deployment instantly multiplied the Swarm’s effective forces.

Relieved of their burden, the Primordial bodies accelerated again, surging past the coverage of the sixth barrage. The red and blue beams barely collided this time, with the Riken achieving little beyond destroying a few hundred trailing Mature bodies.

The recalibrated parameters of the seventh barrage, however, achieved more substantial results. Another fierce clash of red and blue light left nearly 1,000 Primordial bodies incapacitated, hundreds of Mature bodies destroyed, and uncounted Larval body losses.

But before the eighth barrage arrived, the Primordial body swarm entered the operational range of the Larval bodies. If the earlier deployment of Mature bodies resembled a snake emerging from its lair, this was akin to a swarm of bees bursting from a hive.

An enormous wave of Larval bodies poured out of the Primordial bodies, darkening the space around them. Despite earlier losses, their numbers still exceeded a million.

Among the Primordial bodies, over 8,000 remained operational after enduring the barrages. Of these, 5,000 halted their advance to stabilize their positions and resumed firing electromagnetic projectiles, the crackling arcs of electricity illuminating the battlefield as countless projectiles streaked toward the Riken orbital cannons.

Unlike their earlier rushed shots during high-speed maneuvers, this round of stable firing achieved significantly higher accuracy. The projectiles targeted the orbital cannons—bulky, slow-moving structures with no laser defense arrays, making them ideal targets.

Meanwhile, the remaining 3,000 Primordial bodies clustered together, forming a layered meat-shield defense. Groups of 100 units created over 30 layers of protection, presenting an imposing barrier at the forefront.

Behind this wall, the Mature and Larval bodies regrouped, safely sheltered from the Riken’s line of fire. With the current trajectory of the Riken’s beams, penetrating all 30 defensive layers was nearly impossible, leaving the smaller combat units unscathed.

Unburdened and fully operational, the Primordial bodies surged forward again, their blue electric arcs flashing intensely as they shielded the advancing Mature and Larval bodies.

“Stop them at all costs!” came the frantic orders.

The Riken defense systems, assisted by supercomputers and artificial intelligence, recalibrated targeting parameters, adjusted turret angles, and completed these adjustments in a matter of moments.

But by this time, the electromagnetic projectiles had already arrived. Predictably, the unprotected orbital rail cannons were devastated, with over 1,000 destroyed in a single volley.

As the combatants drew closer, the flight time advantage of the Riken’s energy beams began to diminish. Over longer distances, the difference between several minutes for projectiles and half an hour for energy beams was significant. But as the gap closed, the difference between three minutes and a few dozen seconds became negligible.

When the Swarm’s Primordial bodies unleashed their second round of long-range support fire, the Riken’s retaliatory energy beams reached the Swarm’s forward units simultaneously.

If earlier collisions of red and blue light resembled scattered beams, now they clashed like spears of condensed energy.

The Swarm’s 30-layer defensive formation lost its first two layers instantly, with dozens of Primordial bodies reduced to fragments, becoming the first casualties of the battle.

The remaining hundred or so Primordial bodies in the first layers were also severely damaged. Yet they had no chance to “play dead” and regenerate. The next defensive layers pushed them forward, forcing them to continue advancing.

These heavily damaged units would serve as the front-line defense for the next wave of red energy beams, sacrificing themselves to provide one final contribution to the Swarm’s assault.

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