I Am The Swarm

Through relentless effort and numerous victories, the Swarm had successfully transformed its image in the eyes of the Interstellar Technological Confederation from that of mindless beasts to cunning hunters.

Therefore, when the Swarm suddenly and inexplicably retreated, both the Yuntu and the Ketuo’s first reaction was to suspect some kind of hidden scheme.

The Swarm’s stealth technology was unparalleled, and it was entirely possible that a massive trap lay in wait somewhere, luring them in. However, what puzzled the Yuntu and the Ketuo was that the Swarm’s actions didn’t seem like a typical lure. Normally, wouldn’t the Swarm first engage in a battle, then appear evenly matched, followed by a staged retreat and a chaotic escape? That would make the bait seem more enticing, tempting the enemy to take the risk.

But what was happening now? Over 300 million Swarm units, fully equipped and in peak condition, had retreated without any preamble. The bait was certainly tempting, but the sheer strength of the Swarm made it less like a delicious sashimi and more like a live shark. Before taking a bite, one had to carefully assess their own strength.

After careful consideration, the risks seemed too high. If this were their own fight, they might have taken the gamble. But since this was purely a favor for others, it was better to play it safe.

The Yuntu emerged as the biggest winners of this encounter. A fleet they had thought was lost, numbering over two million ships, had been saved. The Ketuo also gained something, having completed their assigned mission and earned a favor from the Yuntu, though the actual value of that favor was hard to quantify.

The Swarm, on the other hand, seemed to be the only loser. They had let go of some of their prey, and their bait hadn’t worked as intended, resulting in a loss of potential gains.

However, given how suspicious the situation was, both races remained cautious. In many species’ media, there were often plots involving parasites or similar threats. While such ideas might seem fantastical, they couldn’t be ignored. The Swarm, as a civilization that had fully invested in biotechnology, was entirely capable of creating such bizarre and dangerous things.

Thus, the two million Yuntu who had been rescued were immediately placed into forced hibernation and transported away before they could even savor their narrow escape.

At the same time, all shipboard monitoring systems were meticulously reviewed frame by frame. While records showed that the Swarm wasn’t known for such tactics, there was always the possibility. They had to ensure that none of the monitoring data had been tampered with.

After much effort, they finally confirmed that the Swarm hadn’t pulled any tricks this time. However, this conclusion came much much later.

—

“They won’t have any problems. I believe it.”

“Let’s hope so.”

As they watched the hibernation pods being transported away, Mid and El had mixed feelings. Not only were the rescued Yuntu subjected to intense scrutiny, but even their ships were isolated and scanned by robots to ensure the Swarm hadn’t hidden anything aboard.

The Swarm didn’t act without purpose. There had to be a reason behind their inexplicable actions, and until they figured it out, they couldn’t rest easy.

In truth, the Swarm hadn’t set any traps this time. Their retreat was purely strategic. However, given the Swarm’s past behavior, it was no wonder the Interstellar Technological Confederation was so suspicious.

This outcome was also part of the Swarm’s plan. The purpose of this battle wasn’t to destroy the enemy’s forces but to buy time. Now that the goal had been largely achieved, it was time to minimize losses. As the Ketuo had deduced, continuing the fight would likely result in heavy losses for the Swarm. So, retreating now was the best course of action.

If they could use this retreat, combined with some internal manipulation by their agents within the enemy ranks, to buy even more time, that would be even better.

As it turned out, the Swarm’s strategy was highly successful. The combined forces of the Yuntu and the Ketuo didn’t pursue but instead set up camp. Even three months later, when the third mid-tier civilization arrived, the remnants of the Yuntu fleet began to withdraw to the rear.

This wasn’t surprising. The remaining Yuntu forces were in poor condition, with severe wear and tear, missing parts, and weakened defenses. With these valid reasons, it was only natural for them to withdraw for repairs once the relief forces arrived.

The Ketuo and the newly arrived mid-tier civilization, known as the Tia, had a combined force of over 100 million ships, all in peak condition. Yet, they remained stationary, quietly waiting for additional allied forces.

It seemed they had completely abandoned any sense of overconfidence and were determined to gather all available forces before advancing. While this approach would take more time, it was the safest and most prudent course of action.

But this was also part of the Swarm’s plan. The Swarm’s forces hadn’t retreated without reason. Aside from the high potential losses in a continued fight, another reason was that these units needed to return for upgrades.

The Swarm had been researching dark energy-related technologies for a long time. Over the years, the Swarm’s intelligent entities had made significant progress, aided by scattered data shared by their agents hidden within enemy ranks.

Thanks to the ten Yuntu ships captured at the start of the war, the Swarm’s intelligent entities were able to piece together their research into a complete theoretical framework. With these mechanical prototypes, Luo Wen joined the research effort. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of biological modification, he transformed these mechanical achievements into biological ones.

In a short time, a new generation of dark energy furnaces and dark energy cannons emerged, allowing the Swarm to finally match the Interstellar Technological Confederation’s military hardware.

With new equipment, it was time for a full upgrade. Thanks to the miraculous Swarm network and unified genetic templates, upgrading the Swarm’s forces was a straightforward process.

All they needed was a safe location with ample energy. Luo Wen authorized a remote update of the genetic code, and the older Primordial Bodies could bask in the sun while their atomic furnaces evolved into dark energy furnaces. Other components underwent similar transformations.

The Primordial Bodies were the result of years of development. While the Swarm’s combat units were relatively inexpensive to produce, the larger units required significant time to grow, making them valuable assets.

Thus, the older Primordial Bodies on the front lines were too precious to waste and had to be recalled.