I Am The Swarm

Luo Wen’s suspicions were correct. The Troi fleet halted its advance between the White Grub System and the Golden Horn System. The fleet set up camp, and a formation of a hundred warships emerged from the main force, heading toward the Genesis System.

As these warships accelerated, the surrounding starlight seemed to distort, giving the entire formation an ethereal and fleeting appearance.

To those unaware, it might appear as some sort of advanced cloaking technology, but the Swarm understood the truth. This was a result of the special engines on the Troi warships, capable of pushing their speeds beyond the speed of light, creating this unique phenomenon.

Although the Troi civilization was an ancient power among the Outer-ring civilizations, their use of Warp Drives was relatively recent—within the past ten thousand years. Only the newer warships were equipped with this advanced technology, while the older models still relied on sub-light propulsion systems.

In this expeditionary fleet of 200,000 ships, less than 20% were equipped with Warp Drives. This was why their cruising speed remained below the speed of light, allowing them to be monitored by the Observer Bugs’ conventional optical surveillance.

“What are they trying to do?”

“Isn’t it obvious? A lone detachment—this is a negotiation tactic.”

“Exactly. By showcasing their Warp Drives, they aim to intimidate us and gain the upper hand in negotiations.”

The Blades buzzed with discussion. Following several successful battles and the conversion of numerous prisoners from the Riken and Daqi civilizations, the ranks of the Blades had grown significantly.

Unlike the relatively inexperienced Rat Folk, the Intelligent Entities of these two civilizations were battle-hardened. The Daqi, in particular, boasted several warship captains with extensive real-world experience, greatly enhancing the Blades’ strategic capabilities.

Listening to their analysis, Luo Wen nodded in agreement. The Troi likely believed the Swarm had never encountered Warp Drives before. By showcasing this technology, they intended to deliver a veiled threat, subtly implying a technological gap and raising their negotiating leverage.

—

“General Viller, do we really need to be so cautious? With our combat capabilities, wiping out a low-level civilization should be a walk in the park.”

“Indeed. Mobilizing such a massive force for mere negotiations won’t even cover the expedition’s expenses.”

“Rubbish! That Rat Folk civilization might be negligible, but the Swarm is an entirely different story. You’ve all seen their data. If we recklessly charge in and suffer heavy losses, who will bear the responsibility?!”

In stark contrast to the molten-faced, tri-eyed Daqi, the Troi civilization’s appearance was somewhat easier to accept. Their skin had a dark bronze hue with a distinctive metallic sheen. Both men and women were exceptionally robust, towering over two meters tall with sharply defined, massive muscles. Their imposing physique exuded an overwhelming aura.

At the center of the Troi fleet, a disc-shaped warship with a diameter exceeding 5,000 meters was surrounded by numerous cylindrical warships, each around 3,000 meters long.

This flagship, protected by the formation, served as the command center for the expeditionary fleet. With the fleet temporarily stationed, the flagship hosted a gathering of Troi officers engaged in a heated debate.

Unlike the Riken civilization, which had struggled to fully develop even one star system and was fractured into countless factions, the Troi civilization governed nearly twenty star systems and boasted a population of nearly 200 billion. Their vast territories and immense population were several times that of the Riken.

However, this massive mobilization had drawn warships from across multiple systems, exacerbating the already intricate web of factions within the Troi civilization. Relations were complex—friends of friends, enemies of friends, friends of enemies, and enemies of enemies, all interconnected in ways that defied comprehension.

As the highest-ranking commander of this expeditionary fleet, General Viller found himself with a throbbing headache as he observed the chaotic scene in the meeting room. Attempting to mediate their disputes or untangle their relationships would only invite trouble.

Although General Viller held immense authority, inserting himself as a peacemaker among these fractious groups would likely make him the target of endless grievances. Thus, he maintained an aloof stance, letting them argue freely. After all, there was little else to do at the moment—he might as well enjoy the spectacle.

Listening to the discussions, Viller couldn’t help but inwardly ridicule the situation. ‘If this fleet of 200,000 warships could operate as a single cohesive unit, I might even consider engaging the Swarm head-on to gain better leverage. But given the current state of things, we’d just be walking into a slaughter.’

Of course, for the sake of maintaining camaraderie among his subordinates, Viller kept his true thoughts to himself. Instead, he shot a subtle glance at one of his aides. Picking up on the cue, the aide immediately countered the argument, redirecting the room’s attention and sparing Viller from having to intervene directly.

Viller nodded in satisfaction, silently noting a merit for the subordinate who had spoken. However, he hadn’t expected the others to refuse to back down.

“So what if they’re peculiar? No matter how strange they are, they’re still mere flesh and blood. How could they possibly contend with our steel warships?”

“Exactly. Biotech is inherently flawed. Its structural integrity cannot compare to mechanical technology.”

“But their numbers, fault tolerance, and repair capabilities far exceed those of our path, making them a formidable force.” This response came from one of Viller’s direct subordinates, who, judging by his uniform, held the rank of major general.

It wasn’t surprising, though, as the meeting was of the highest level, and only those with at least brigadier general rank were permitted entry.

“Hmph, trash in great numbers is still trash!” the Troi officer sneered dismissively. He was a lieutenant general with strong backing from a faction, showing no hesitation in challenging the subordinate of the expedition’s supreme commander.

“The Daqi thought the same, and yet they still slinked away in disgrace.” The incident with the Daqi Third Prince, despite many precautionary measures to conceal it, had leaked out.

After the Ji Race expressed interest in the Swarm, intelligence organizations from countless factions had been monitoring the situation. Although they couldn’t observe the battlefield firsthand, they had pieced together a rough account of the events through various channels. Among older civilizations, the details were practically common knowledge.

“Two thousand warships, despite flawed intelligence and leadership errors, managed to hold out for so long and only lost half their fleet. Was that some kind of game to you?”

“And you conveniently ignore that the Swarm had no intelligence either and lost more than half their forces at the start. We don’t have a ‘Crimson Kiss’ to use as an invitation tool this time, you know.” This rebuttal didn’t come from one of Viller’s subordinates but from another lieutenant general, who actively joined the escalating argument.

“So what? If even garbage like the Daqi could go toe-to-toe with the Swarm using the forces of a single star system, then with our strength, we wouldn’t need the Crimson Kiss to crush them—we could do it with sheer force alone!” The opposing lieutenant general’s aggression was on full display.

“Are you truly that dense, or are you pretending to be? The Riken System was barely touched by the Swarm’s influence at the time, and now we’re heading straight for their main base. The forces we’ll face there, in both quantity and quality, are on an entirely different level.”

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