I Am The Swarm

Although the New Ji inherited everything, they are ultimately not truly native Ji people. Their mentality regarding certain matters has yet to change.

For example, caring for their progenitor race.

Some ancient traditions and systems were broken.

For instance, restricting the development of their progenitor race.

In the past, while alien races relied on the excavation of Ji spaceships during the early stages of their civilization’s development to achieve a technological leap, after being integrated under the Ji, they could exchange contributions to the Ji for technology, achieving another leap forward.

However, their potential was ultimately capped. Their activities were confined to their home star systems, beyond which they could not venture.

To provide hope, this limitation could theoretically be overcome by earning contribution points, but the required number was exorbitantly high.

Once alien races reached their limits, they had several options. They could choose to rebel, though this was tantamount to seeking their own destruction.

Alternatively, they could rely on generations of researchers to strive to earn points. While the goal was nearly unattainable, it at least offered a glimmer of hope. However, records show that no race ever crossed this threshold through point accumulation.

At its peak, the Ji controlled nearly 200 star systems. It wasn’t that they were incapable of further expansion, but as their population declined, the resources they already had were sufficient to meet their needs.

Later, the Ji gradually concentrated more and more around their home star system. However, the planets they had once occupied were not abandoned. Instead, they relied on Lumina to remotely control machinery, continuing maintenance and production tasks.

By contrast, the alien races were scattered and fragmented. Back then, the Ji sent out large exploration teams to search for planets with life, resulting in many alien civilizations being located extremely far from Ji territory.

Conversely, some alien civilizations were very close to Ji territory. Some of the earliest alien races found their homeworlds entirely enveloped by Ji territory.

When the native Ji dominated everything, the gap in technological levels was so vast that even alien races that reached the imposed technological ceiling could be easily controlled by the Ji with a standard fleet of 100 warships. In critical moments, these fleets could destroy them entirely.

As a result, proximity to Ji territory conferred significant advantages at that time. Communication was easier, and researchers from these alien civilizations had better access to Ji territories, allowing them to earn points more effectively.

However, when the native Ji perished, everything changed.

The new Council of Elders passed a resolution abolishing territorial restrictions. Alien races were allowed to leave their home star systems and began to explore outward.

One alien civilization cautiously bypassed the stationed Ji fleet, left its home star system, reached a nearby unclaimed star system, and established a colony.

There was no reaction. The stationed Ji fleet turned a blind eye. The rule had indeed been abolished.

The new Council of Elders was ecstatic. Whether willingly or out of necessity, they now understood that the native Ji had truly perished, and they had genuinely inherited everything.

They also realized the extent of their newfound authority.

The hundreds of alien races were equally ecstatic. The shackles above their heads had been removed. They could finally leave their confined ponds and truly roam the vast expanse of stars and seas.

But what happened next poured cold water on some.

The alien races, following the example of others, began venturing beyond their home star systems. Those located far from Ji territory, surrounded by unclaimed space, faced little obstruction. However, for those near Ji territory—or entirely surrounded by it—disaster struck when they attempted to encroach upon Ji domains.

The previously dormant Ji warships revealed their fangs. The technological gap was so vast that the alien races stood almost no chance of resistance. Moreover, such encroachments were deemed by the Ji as extremely severe offenses.

Caught off guard, three alien civilizations were completely obliterated.

The remaining alien races, while relieved at their slower reactions, were simultaneously enraged and alarmed. Especially the new Council of Elders, who had believed themselves to be the new masters, only to discover there were still forces beyond their control.

However, their cautious nature kept them from acting rashly. They couldn’t pinpoint the source of the issue.

The individuals from the three annihilated civilizations who were living within Ji society were not implicated. Perhaps, according to Lumina, these individuals were already considered new Ji people.

But without the support of their original races, they became the most vulnerable group.

The peripheral details of the events were not recorded, but eventually, these individuals stepped forward. Led by a few elders, they openly questioned Lumina.

Lumina provided the reason for the destruction of the three civilizations: they had threatened the Ji’s legacy.

This prompted the alien races to recall Lumina’s revised core principles.

The Ji’s legacy, to the alien races, was an exceptionally broad concept. However, Lumina outlined three key aspects: faith, territory, and rules.

Of the three, the latter two were straightforward.

Ji territory was sacred and inviolable. Any attempt to encroach upon it would result in being classified as an enemy—and enemies would be annihilated. This was entirely reasonable.

The three civilizations met their end because they allowed their greed to blind them. They failed to thoroughly understand Lumina’s directives before taking action. Lumina had been too low-key, and before it revealed its fangs, no one paid attention to it. No one expected it to enforce its core principles with such brutal decisiveness.

The incident of the three civilizations eventually passed. Alien races farther away gloated, while those closer shook their heads in regret. Early signs of division began to emerge. However, regardless of their perspective, Lumina was now seen as an unpredictable factor that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.

Conspiracies quickly surfaced. The new Council of Elders and the alien races formed an alliance, as the elders themselves did not want a supervisory presence above their heads. Together, they began exploring ways to shut down Lumina.

However, Lumina’s existence exceeded their comprehension. Lumina was connected to all Ji artificial intelligence and all their machinery.

Cutting off its power was laughable. Formatting it was utterly impossible. Even destroying its “physical form” would merely reduce its computational power slightly.

Yet these hostile actions triggered another of Lumina’s core principles.

Although the two core principles were theoretically equal in priority, self-preservation was slightly ranked above the protection of the Ji’s legacy.

Destruction descended once more.

The omnipresent surveillance, Lumina’s countless eyes, always pinpointed the culprits.

Historical records indicate that nearly 30% of alien civilizations were wiped out during this incident. Most of them were those whose home star systems were surrounded by Ji territory, as they were the most desperate.

Fortunately, they would no longer need to hurry ever again.

Lumina was safe.

The new elders and the alien races finally realized that the three tenets of the Ji’s legacy did not include them.

Although the native Ji people were extinct, the new Ji still had to follow the original rules. Some aspects could be modified, but others were utterly inviolable.

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