I Am The Swarm

The second group to be eradicated was another collective force: the carnivorous fish in the river.

These fish, relying on their sharp teeth and geographical advantage, had long blocked the river and extorted tolls. Many small to medium-sized creatures crossing the river or coming to drink water would inadvertently pay with their flesh. Their crimes were innumerable, and the forest populace had suffered under their tyranny for too long.

Given this, as a top-tier force, the Swarm naturally had an obligation to eradicate them, especially since they were located just south of the Swarm’s base, seriously hindering expansion in that direction.

However, in the water, the carnivorous fish held an absolute advantage. Luo Wen created some crabs and mantis shrimp, but they were no match for the fish. The fish had exceptionally strong bites, capable of crushing the hard exoskeletons as if they were mere snacks. The crabs were devoured before they could escape, and while the mantis shrimp managed to put up a brief resistance, it wasn’t enough.

With no other options, Luo Wen resorted to his usual tactic—poison.

A few small prey were dragged to the riverbank, killed, and filled with neurotoxins before being tossed into the water.

The spreading scent of blood quickly attracted the carnivorous fish. Ripples darted from all directions toward the bait, and the river surface boiled with activity. Fish bodies churned, water splashed noisily, and waves rose high in a chaotic frenzy.

The murky river gradually turned red, drawing even more fish into the frenzy. The scent of blood drove them into a mad feeding frenzy, causing them to collide and even injure one another.

When a fish was injured, it was immediately attacked, torn apart, and devoured by its companions.

However, their revelry came to an abrupt end. Despite their ferocity, they relied heavily on geographical and numerical advantages. Their small bodies and relatively simple nervous systems left them highly vulnerable to neurotoxins.

The neurotoxins from the bait had already entered their systems during the scramble, and even the river water, now mingled with trace amounts of toxins, was taking its toll.

A massive number of fish floated belly-up to the surface. Those who had secured a piece of the bait died on the spot, while others that consumed blood-tainted water struggled in paralysis, on the brink of death.

Several raft bugs slid into the river, carrying spider combat bugs on their backs. These teams fished out the floating bodies of the carnivorous fish and brought them to shore.

With the carnivorous fish having low intelligence, the Swarm’s combat units repeated similar operations at multiple points along the river, harvesting abundantly each time. The campaign continued until the fish density was so reduced that they could no longer form large groups.

By then, the Swarm’s carnivorous fish forces had already matured. Previously, the rivers were entirely under the control of wild carnivorous fish, leaving the Swarm’s aquatic forces unable to descend into the water.

Now, with the acquisition of the carnivorous fish’s genetic material, Luo Wen tasked the idle burrower ants and scorpions to dig a pond by the river to rear the carnivorous fish larvae.

With the wild fish nearly exterminated, it was the perfect time for the Swarm’s carnivorous fish to seize control of the river. Their presence would also allow subsequent aquatic units to hatch directly in the river.

As the Swarm’s territory expanded rapidly, the speed of troop production struggled to keep pace.

To adapt to the changing environment, the Swarm’s combat units had grown larger. The primary combat species, the modified spider combat bugs, averaged around thirty centimeters, while Type I flying bugs were ten centimeters, and Type II flying bugs reached fifteen centimeters. Larger specialized support units were even more significant.

In the past, ultra-giant soldier ants only reached twenty to thirty centimeters. Main combat units like various soldier ants and worker ants were only one to two centimeters. Against small insect adversaries, this was perfectly sufficient.

But now, their opponents often measured seven to eight meters, or even ten to twenty meters. Even their prey typically started at one meter. Consequently, aside from numerous worker ants, burrower ants, and the earlier-produced spy bugs, small and medium-sized soldier ants, once the main combat units, were no longer being produced.

Previously, after several rounds of optimization, the production cycle for these smaller soldier ants had been reduced to just over ten days, and the Queen Ant could lay a substantial number of eggs daily.

However, with the main combat units now thirty centimeters in size, the Queen Ant’s unchanged ten-centimeter body struggled to keep up. The eggs it produced were too small, requiring significant time to grow. Producing a single spider combat bug now took over forty days, even after genetic modification to eliminate the need for molting.

It was clear that the Queen Ants were no longer sufficient for the Swarm’s current needs—they needed an upgrade.

Luo Wen quickly realized this and temporarily set aside his other projects to develop a new Queen Ant.

Previously, the limitations on Queen Ant gigantification were due to their respiratory systems. Now, this was easily solved with the addition of a powerful heart and circulatory system sourced from large creatures, allowing their bodies to grow beyond ten meters.

With a heart installed, they no longer used the ant template. The new Queens were designed with a hybrid template of reptiles and mammals, further enhancing their reproductive organs and boosting fertility.

These new Queens were effectively a new kind of insect-beast. To reflect this, they were no longer designated as versions of the Queen Ant. Instead, they were renamed “Brood Queens,” starting a new lineage.

To accommodate their gigantification, the new Brood Queens abandoned exoskeletal armor for keratin-based plating. Though slightly inferior in thickness and lacking some auxiliary capabilities of exoskeletons, keratin armor grew with the body, eliminating molting issues. As their size increased, the keratin armor would thicken, providing comparable defense.

The Brood Queens, due to their massive size and resemblance to the Queen Ant III type, were essentially immobile. Hidden in the Swarm’s safest locations, they were unlikely to face attacks.

These new Brood Queens could directly produce eggs over thirty centimeters in diameter. Spider combat bugs would emerge from these eggs nearly fully grown. Even one-meter-long heavy-armored soldier ants would see their production times drastically reduced.

This would significantly accelerate the Swarm’s troop generation.

Moreover, with the Queen Ant’s designation dropped, the Type I Queen Ants, specialized in battle command, would no longer bear reproductive duties.

These would be reorganized under a new designation: “Blades,” retaining their role of assisting Luo Wen in directing battles.

Additionally, they were granted higher-level Swarm Network access, allowing them to command all Swarm units, including the Brood Queens.

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