I Am The Swarm

A black ant appeared—a scout from their ranks. It wandered aimlessly, occasionally probing objects with its antennae. Luo Wen crept closer, inspecting the surroundings. The closer to the direction the ant had come from, the more ants there were, seven or eight within Luo Wen’s view.

However, this lone scout was isolated, with the nearest companion a full two meters away—a vast distance for ants, making timely communication between them nearly impossible.

Luo Wen focused on the scout and quickly closed the distance. Even as he advanced swiftly, Luo Wen remained vigilant, evading a trap laid by a foul-smelling worm along the way. Unlike his first encounter, where he’d been caught off guard, Luo Wen was now prepared. The traps were easy to spot—subtle swirls in the dirt betrayed their presence.

This black ant was much smaller than Luo Wen—a perfect target for him. Sensing Luo Wen’s approach, the ant frantically waved its antennae, but it was too late. Luo Wen was already within reach, his sturdy burrowing limb swinging toward the ant’s head.

The black ants’ poor eyesight was almost a weakness; they relied primarily on the olfactory sensors on their antennae for navigation and food detection. Caught off guard, the ant could only take the hit. Luo Wen’s strike left the black ant dazed, and before it could recover, Luo Wen bit off one of its hind legs.

The ant’s remaining legs scraped the ground, producing faint sounds that seemed to be a cry for help. However, with no nearby allies able to receive the signal, the black ant’s call went unanswered. Alone, it attempted to fight back but was no match for Luo Wen. Its weaker build and smaller jaws couldn’t penetrate Luo Wen’s protective exoskeleton.

Although ants are known for their tremendous strength—supposedly capable of feats far beyond humans if scaled to human size—in this miniature battleground, exoskeletal armor gave everyone an edge. After a short struggle, Luo Wen disabled two more of the ant’s limbs. It attempted to flee but lacked balance with only three legs remaining.

As the black ant turned to escape, exposing its back to Luo Wen, it sealed its fate. Luo Wen quickly pinned the ant’s slender waist with his burrowing limb. The ant twisted and snapped its jaws in vain, unable to breach his armor. Luo Wen silenced its resistance by using saliva and mud to fashion a makeshift gag, sealing its jaws. Dragging the subdued ant, Luo Wen retreated from the scene.@@novelbin@@

Back in one of his pre-dug tunnels, Luo Wen moved quickly toward his underground chamber. Despite the ant’s continuous struggles, its sealed mandibles rendered it harmless. Nearing the chamber, Luo Wen paused, released the ant onto the tunnel floor, and blocked the route behind him, forcing the ant toward the chamber.

In the cavern’s darkness, sight was almost useless. For creatures without Luo Wen’s enhanced compound eyes, the space was a void. Sound perception, however, became critical. The beetle’s massive body made the ground tremble, alerting the black ant to its presence. Its antennae reached out, colliding midair with the beetle’s.

After a brief entanglement, both insects determined the other wasn’t an ally. Before the ant could react, the beetle’s spiked mandibles closed around its body, severing it cleanly. Even bisected, the ant’s resilience kept it alive, its antennae flailing wildly. The beetle finished the job, repeatedly clamping down until the remains were unrecognizable.

Observing from the shadows, Luo Wen nodded in satisfaction. The test was successful—the black beetle, though uncommunicative, proved a reliable guardian. He could now entrust it with the room’s defense.

Satisfied, Luo Wen entered the chamber. The mangled remains of the black ant didn’t appeal to his appetite, and the beetle, a herbivore, wouldn’t touch them either. Fortunately, the brood nest wasn’t as picky. Luo Wen gathered the intact parts to feed it and then dragged back a tree root as a reward for the beetle.

The beetle accepted the offering indifferently, as if Luo Wen’s provisions were only natural. Every time Luo Wen saw this dumb creature, it irked him. While he wasn’t a vengeful person, he vowed to recycle the beetle once resources were less scarce.

With the beetle guarding the chamber, Luo Wen rested briefly before setting off again. The scout’s direction suggested a nearby ant nest—his new neighbors. He needed to investigate and assess this potential threat.

Days later, Luo Wen reflected in his chamber. Absorbing the black beetle’s genes had caused a growth spurt; he had grown from the size of a fingernail to that of a coin. Consequently, his tunnels now felt cramped, and he had spent the day widening them.

This chamber, likely to serve as his base for some time, now felt like home. Over the past days, Luo Wen had mapped the surrounding 100 meters. Wandering insects came and went, posing no real threat.

The most significant danger was the black ant colony, a permanent neighbor just 50 meters from his nest. The colony was massive but not an immediate concern. Their scouts rarely ventured within 10 meters of Luo Wen’s lair, and those who did mysteriously disappeared. Their losses had prompted the ants to reduce scouting in his direction, temporarily easing his worries.