I Am The Swarm

After intense deliberation by the coalition’s think tank, it was decided to prioritize attacks on the Swarm’s Primordial-class units. Even if the Swarm closed in, these larger Primordial-class units posed a greater destructive threat. As for the smaller Space Octopuses, the coalition temporarily deployed drone squadrons to hold them off.

However, due to the post-war mobilization, most of the newly constructed space factories were dedicated to warship production lines, and metal smelting was prioritized for building warships. The production of drones had not seen a significant increase, and the shortage of materials further exacerbated the issue. As a result, the coalition fleet’s drone numbers were far from full capacity, with some warships carrying only a dozen or so drones.

Nevertheless, due to the sheer size of the fleet, the sight of dense drone formations advancing in orderly ranks remained impressive. However, their total numbers still paled in comparison to the Swarm’s mature and larval bodies by several orders of magnitude.

In the timeless void of space, after several days of fierce combat, the Swarm leveraged its numerical advantage to divide the battlefield and eventually breached the coalition’s defensive lines, pushing into the orbit of the life planet they were protecting.

Some mature bodies opened their storage sacs and released a large number of spore pods from the planet’s near orbit. These spore pods were encased in multiple layers of carapace, which helped shield them from external harsh conditions such as extreme heat.

The layers of carapace were supported by cartilage, providing excellent cushioning during high-impact collisions.

Beneath the carapace was a sac-like tissue modeled after the Fungal Carpet’s genes. This tissue was reinforced with fibrous structures to enhance the pods’ resilience and filled with small air sacs to further mitigate damage from impacts.

Inside the pods was a space of about 3-5 square meters, capable of carrying Fungal Carpet seeds, Brood Queen larvae, and various land-based combat units. These were the latest generation of airdrop pods, refined through multiple iterations, and it was these that the mature bodies were now deploying.

Countless pods descended through the atmosphere in free fall, their friction with the air creating a fiery glow. From the ground, the sheer number of them made it look like a spectacular meteor shower. Some unsuspecting Moto civilians even closed their eyes and made wishes.

The Moto defenders on the life planet, though unsure what these objects were, knew that a massive battle was raging above. They had communicated with the coalition and learned that these “meteors” were not from their allies. If they weren’t from the coalition, it was obvious who their origin was. Even using their toes to think, the Moto defenders could guess that these beautiful “meteors” were nothing good.

The Moto defenders opened fire. A variety of anti-aircraft weapons began pouring fire into the sky, including even old-fashioned kinetic anti-aircraft guns powered by gunpowder.

But these “meteors” were not lifeless objects. They could use the air sacs within their bodies to adjust their descent trajectory and even slightly alter their speed. Their small size and high velocity made them difficult targets for the Moto defenders. Except for weapons with advanced targeting systems, most of the other anti-aircraft weapons proved ineffective.

The “meteors” continued to fall. Around the cities on the life planet, where anti-aircraft defenses were strong, most of the pods heading their way were destroyed. However, the Moto couldn’t deploy defenses uniformly across the entire planet. In suburban and wilderness areas, anti-aircraft defenses were sparse and less effective.

The Swarm quickly noticed this and began directing more pods toward these regions.

Finally…

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

The sound of impacts echoed continuously. The pods, traveling at immense speeds, slammed into the ground. However, their multi-layered, impact-resistant structures absorbed much of the shock. Some pods even bounced back up, tumbling a few times before coming to a stop.

Dry forests and hillsides ignited from the intense heat of impact. Amidst the flames, the pods split open.

Some released a few land-based combat units, while others had Worker Drones carrying Fungal Carpet seeds and Brood Queen larvae crawling out. Some disgorged insectoid units with large digging appendages, clearly adept at burrowing, while others simply released Burrowing Worm larvae.

After a quick assessment of the surroundings, the various digging units began excavating the ground. Worker Drones, carrying the Brood Queens, burrowed underground and planted the Fungal Carpet. The spore pods themselves were broken down and used as the initial source of nutrients.

Meanwhile, the other land-based combat units scattered, conducting reconnaissance missions to eliminate potential threats and gather intelligence.

Although the anti-aircraft defenses around the Moto cities were fierce, a few lucky pods managed to breach the firestorm and land near the urban areas. ṛ𝐚ƝỗBΕŞ

These pods not only endured a harrowing descent but also faced a far more hostile environment upon landing compared to their counterparts in the forests and suburbs. Concealment was critical, and burrowing became the best option. This was why more than half of the ground units deployed in this airdrop were equipped for digging.

Those units incapable of digging instead charged into the Moto population, creating chaos to cover their comrades’ activities.

Within less than half a minute, aside from the combat units still causing havoc, the rest of the Swarm forces had disappeared underground. Even when Moto soldiers arrived at the scene, all they could do was curse at the digging traces left behind.

The coalition forces in space, though aware of the Swarm’s actions, were powerless to stop them. By the time they desperately managed to seal the breach, the Swarm had already completed multiple rounds of airdrops.

“Commander, we’ve received a message from the ground forces.”

“What’s the situation? Did they figure out what the Swarm dropped?”

“Commander, the ground forces report that, based on optical observations, the Swarm likely deployed some kind of airdrop landing apparatus. When they inspected the sites, they found a few Swarm units, but the numbers were small.”

After speaking, the communications officer opened several images and videos transmitted in real-time. In the footage, Moto soldiers were seen engaging spider-like creatures and small, ferocious beasts. Although these Swarm units were fierce, their limited numbers meant they were eventually eliminated by the soldiers’ advanced weaponry.

“Has the research report on these creatures been completed?”

“No, although they’re not particularly strong, the Swarm has still placed genetic locks on them…”

“Damn it. Tell the ground forces to stay vigilant. The Swarm wouldn’t go through so much trouble just to drop something meaningless.”

The coalition commander in LKDW262, though this was his first encounter with the Swarm, understood that they were far from foolish. This situation was riddled with oddities, and caution was essential.

The fierce battle in space continued unabated, unaffected by the events on the ground. Both sides fought relentlessly, with entire squadrons of warships or Primordial-class units periodically withdrawing from the frontlines for repairs and resupply.

As the commander had anticipated, the Swarm’s actions were far from aimless. Within 10 days, a large number of Swarm units emerged from nowhere on the planet, launching attacks against the coalition’s ground forces.