I Am The Swarm

The Yuntu Race’s commander stared silently at the 3D holographic map of the battlefield before him.

“Commander, what should we do now?”

As more and more warships emerged from the breach in the northwest encirclement, the number of Yuntu forces that had escaped the Swarm’s encirclement had reached 15 million, accounting for the majority of the remaining fleet. If things went smoothly, they might even be able to break free on their own before reinforcements arrived.

But reality was cruel. The Swarm’s reinforcements continued to pour into the battlefield, widening the gap in numbers between the two sides. The reduction of forces within the encirclement made it increasingly difficult for the Yuntu to resist the Swarm’s tightening grip.

Just yesterday, the Swarm launched a sudden, fierce assault, breaching the Yuntu formation from multiple directions simultaneously. Caught off guard, the Yuntu formation was split in two. Before they could react, countless Swarm units had erected a bloody barrier, completely trapping the rear section of the Yuntu forces within the encirclement.

The forces that escaped the Swarm’s encirclement are referred to as Group A, while those still trapped are Group B. The Swarm had now split Group B into two parts: B1 and B2, with B2 being completely trapped within the encirclement.

At the same time, the Swarm, with its abundant forces, organized another group to launch a fierce attack on the northwest section of the original encirclement, preventing the Yuntu fleet (Group A) from rescuing their trapped comrades. Additionally, they intercepted the separated forward forces (B1), preventing them from regrouping.

In just two days, B1 was completely scattered, with most of its units surrounded by the Swarm. A few lucky ones managed to slip through gaps in the battlefield and miraculously regrouped with Group A.

“How many have made it out?” the commander asked, knowing what his subordinates were thinking. Even he, who had issued multiple orders for indiscriminate fire, couldn’t bear the bitter consequences of abandoning so many friendly forces.

The commander’s lips tightened as he processed the numbers. Group B originally numbered over 10 million. After being split by the Swarm, B2, with roughly 8 million units, was now completely trapped within the Swarm’s encirclement.

B1 had around 4 million units, but less than a third had managed to escape, and most of those had done so during the Swarm’s initial reorganization. At that time, the Swarm had divided its forces: one part to intercept Group A’s rescue attempts, and the other to cut off and encircle B2, leaving few units to deal with B1. However, as time passed, the Swarm adjusted its formation, filling in the gaps, and the number of B1 units escaping dwindled.

This was indeed the case. In the past two hours, fewer than a hundred ships had managed to break free.

“Can we still contact them?”

The battlefield was already heavily disrupted by various energy fields, making communication difficult, especially across Swarm-controlled territory. Ordinary communication devices wouldn’t work, but fortunately, the Yuntu Race, as one of the top-tier civilizations in the middle ring, had a relatively high adoption rate of quantum communication systems.

“We just made contact with General Jate. Their situation isn’t good. The Swarm has reinforced the encirclement, and they can’t break out on their own,” a subordinate reported. General Jate’s forces were part of B2, now completely surrounded by the Swarm. The good news was that their forces were still relatively intact, and their formation hadn’t been severely disrupted. With 8 million units, they could hold out for a while, but breaking free was impossible.

“Commander! We’ve received a message from General Sario!” another crew member suddenly exclaimed.

General Sario’s forces were part of B1, and it had been assumed they were lost. The sudden message was a surprise.

“How are they doing?”

“Not well. General Sario has gathered over a million ships and is attempting to break through the Swarm’s encirclement. He’s requesting our assistance.”

“Where are they located?”

“At coordinates Z1-T2-9L.”

The commander immediately turned his attention to the holographic map and quickly located General Sario’s position. It wasn’t too far from Group A, but at least 5 million Swarm units stood in the way. Without other complications, Group A, working in tandem with Sario’s forces, could break through the Swarm’s line. But in reality, the Swarm wouldn’t stand idly by.

However, over a million friendly ships weren’t a small number. Even by the original count, they accounted for 2% of the total fleet. They couldn’t be abandoned so easily. Even if the intention was to abandon them, the appearance of an attempt had to be made.

“Tell General Sario that in one hour, we will launch an attack at coordinates Z1-T2-9D. He should seize the opportunity. There will only be one chance.”

“Yes, Commander.”

An hour later, Group A mobilized 3 million ships and launched a sudden attack at Z1-T2-9D. But within just thirty minutes, before the Swarm’s reinforcements could arrive, the Yuntu forces sounded the retreat.

General Sario’s remnants of B1, on the verge of breaking through the encirclement, were left in despair as their allies suddenly withdrew. The Swarm quickly reinforced their defenses, sealing off any hope of escape. The over a million ships, now the focus of the Swarm’s attention, wouldn’t last long.

The commander was well aware of this, but there was little he could do. If possible, he wouldn’t abandon his comrades. But the current situation was too complex. Since the Swarm’s reorganization, they had not only encircled B1 and B2 but also, with their overwhelming numbers, had begun to fan out in three directions, advancing toward Group A.

Group A had already escaped the Swarm’s encirclement and could simply turn and leave. This was what many in the Yuntu Race hoped for. After over seven months of high-intensity warfare, with countless lives lost, the Yuntu, who had long enjoyed peace, were deeply shaken. Many officers and soldiers now wanted nothing more than to leave this place and never return.

But the commander couldn’t do that. While the remnants of B1 were confirmed lost, B2 still had nearly 8 million ships. These couldn’t be abandoned, at least not openly.

However, with Group A’s 15 million ships and B2’s 8 million, breaking through the Swarm’s blockade was impossible. Moreover, to ensure the safety of Group A, the commander had to keep them at a safe distance from the Swarm.

This was also why, during the attempt to rescue the remnants of B1, he had ordered a retreat just as success seemed within reach. Once the Swarm’s reinforcements arrived, the scale of the engagement would escalate, and it wouldn’t be as simple as withdrawing.

At that point, he would have to continuously reinforce the battlefield to save the 3 million ships. Even if they managed to rescue General Sario’s forces, the entire Group A would likely be re-encircled, something he absolutely wanted to avoid.