I Am The Swarm

According to incomplete statistics, inventors among the Tail Lard Rats suddenly multiplied. Publicly or secretly, they employed various methods in an attempt to fly.

Although they vocally denied believing in the existence of a “god,” their actions betrayed their curiosity.

Unfortunately, the Tail Lard Rats’ tools were still primitive. Those who built large slingshots to launch themselves into the air were considered advanced thinkers. Most rats simply climbed the tallest trees in their vicinity and leapt off in acts of “faith.”

This led to a significant number of casualties.

Luo Wen, who was always observing, couldn’t help but laugh and cry at their antics. Fortunately, with the Tail Lard Rats’ large population, these losses were manageable.

Surprisingly, this wave of experimental failures ignited a certain passion among the rats. A flurry of inventions and creations emerged, reminiscent of bamboo shoots sprouting after rain. While most ideas were laughable, a few proved practical.

One such breakthrough was the wheel. Its invention quickly gave rise to carts, significantly improving transportation efficiency among the Tail Lard Rats.

Besides the Tail Lard Rats, other animals had also survived the catastrophe. Among them was a creature that resembled a cross between a dinosaur and a bird. Its forelimbs had evolved into small, plump wings, rendering it flightless, while its strong hind legs made it an excellent runner.

Some Tail Lard Rats discovered and domesticated these creatures to pull carts. Inspired by this, many other animals suffered similar fates. After much trial and error, the rats identified species suitable for domestication and breeding, using them as food sources or labor.

With their productivity greatly enhanced, the Tail Lard Rats experienced another population explosion. However, as per-capita resources dwindled, wars erupted once again.

It is often said that war is a catalyst for technological progress. This might be nonsense when both sides possess city-destroying nuclear weapons, but in primitive societies, there is some truth to it.

During wartime, rulers invested heavily in manpower and resources to develop weapons. Numerous military inventions emerged, including war chariots and crossbows.

In the later stages of war, even metal tools made their debut.

At this stage of civilization, Luo Wen found himself out of depth. He had been an ordinary person in his previous life, and most of the knowledge he had learned over the years had long been forgotten. Furthermore, as an alien world, it was uncertain how applicable Earth’s knowledge would be here.

Although he could no longer assist the Tail Lard Rats in advancing scientific knowledge, he could still guide them in other areas.

As a result, the rulers of the Tail Lard Rats gradually learned about concepts such as “family planning” and “eugenics,” and came to understand their significance.

Over the next decade, the Tail Lard Rats fought several more wars. Afterward, the thousands of tribes were consolidated into five major powers.

By this time, Luo Wen had reached the seabed at a depth of 8,000 meters. The atmospheric pressure here was astonishing, with nearly a ton of weight pressing down on an area the size of a fingernail. Luo Wen had drawn inspiration from various sea creatures to reach this point.

First, after several molts, he replaced his exoskeleton with a soft cartilage structure. This spongier material was more resistant to pressure than hard bone, though its defense capabilities were poor. Luo Wen was experimenting with combining the strengths of both to create a new type of armor.

Furthermore, the immense pressure here could collapse even the protein structures at the cellular level. To combat this, his body produced a high concentration of oxidized compounds that stabilized his physical structure.

In addition to these adaptations, Luo Wen acquired many other fascinating skills. For example, in the lightless deep sea, many organisms produced their own light. Their unique understanding of bioelectricity proved invaluable.

Luo Wen quietly absorbed these discoveries. Deep-sea resources were scarce, so he prioritized modifying the Fungal Carpet. Its inherent adaptability made it ideal for integration with deep-sea genes, allowing it to take root and provide Luo Wen with a steady energy supply.

Meanwhile, the Tail Lard Rats’ civilization evolved rapidly. Some rulers recognized the power of technology and, guided from the shadows, began to promote education and nurture talent.

However, due to their short lifespans, Tail Lard Rats leaders changed frequently. Some resisted progress, but they invariably met with strange “accidents.”

The same lifespan issue plagued the rats’ intellectuals. Advanced scientific knowledge required time to learn and accumulate, and the Tail Lard Rats’ mere decade-long lives made such accumulation impossible.

Consequently, their technological progress stagnated after reaching a certain level.

Luo Wen, observing this issue, quickly deployed a batch of swarm-modified Tail Lard Rats carrying longevity genes.

Thanks to their incredible reproductive efficiency, the gene spread rapidly. The rats’ maximum lifespan increased steadily, enabling technological progress to resume.

However, the longer-lived rats faced severe population pressure, and soon resource conflicts led to war once more.

The five major powers were eventually reduced to two: the Kingdom of Kerrigan and the Kingdom of Merrican.

The Kerrigan royal family consisted of a mutant strain of white-furred Tail Lard Rats. Their pure white fur made them rare and striking, granting them a natural charisma among the predominantly mottled rats.

Luo Wen had discovered their ancestors long ago and given them the surname Kerrigan as a tribute. The white-furred rats, believing themselves to be divinely chosen, eagerly established their power base.

Their rise to prominence was not without Luo Wen’s covert assistance.

In contrast, the Kingdom of Merrican reached its current status entirely through its own efforts. Its royal family, with solid gray fur, produced several visionary and capable leaders, building their strength over time and achieving their present-day stability.

The two kingdoms, one in the north and the other in the south, divided the continent between them. Equally matched, they eventually chose to cease hostilities.

With five powers reduced to two, resources were consolidated, spurring another wave of technological advancement.

Yet, the population problem persisted. Shortly after the war, both kingdoms experienced another population surge, leading to resource scarcity once again.

Luo Wen, observing from the shadows, tirelessly managed the situation. Another batch of genetically modified Tail Lard Rats was discreetly introduced. These rats were engineered with limited fertility—producing a maximum of 1-3 offspring annually—and extended lifespans, raising the maximum age to 60 years, four to five times the original.

Thirty years passed quickly. The two kingdoms fought two more wars due to various disputes. Most of the old population without the new genes had died off, and those remaining were too old to reproduce.

The birth rate gradually declined, and after years of adjustment, the population finally stabilized at an optimal level.

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