I Am The Swarm

So far, the fastest speed demonstrated by the atmospheric organisms was during their pursuit and interception of the Swarm meteors. However, the Swarm still wasn’t certain whether that was their upper limit.

Logically, with their extremely low-density bodies, the air resistance they would encounter at high speeds would be unimaginable. It should be impossible for them to accelerate to such velocities.

Yet, the reality was undeniable—they had achieved it.

Luo Wen no longer needed to speculate. Whatever secrets they held, he would soon uncover them.

In an underground chamber, a special room awaited.

The room was vast, spacious enough to allow five or six Storm Gods to dance inside. Its walls had undergone special treatment, reinforced bit by bit with unique adhesives secreted by the insects.

The walls were smooth as mirrors, waterproof and toxin-proof. However, the room’s tight seal meant that air could only circulate through the entrance passage, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

Fortunately, Luo Wen’s body came equipped with its own ecological circulation system, eliminating any need to rely on external air. This detail made little difference to him.

The Storm Gods that entered the cavern performed a series of indescribable actions, “retrieving” the atmospheric organisms’ limbs stored in their specialized stomachs.

These materials no longer resembled white clouds but instead took on the appearance of translucent liquids. Once exposed, they floated toward the ceiling of the room. Unfortunately for them, the ceiling had been reinforced and specially treated, preventing their escape. Ultimately, they could only drift at the room’s uppermost limits.

Unbothered by the peculiar transportation method, Luo Wen mentally steeled himself and, after a few calming thoughts, spread his wings and lunged toward the floating materials.

Meanwhile, outside the cavern, the battle raged on.

The atmospheric organisms crackled with blue electrical arcs, forming a barrier capable of inflicting paralysis, burns, and stinging pain on the Storm Gods.

Thankfully, the Storm Gods were massive and protected by their own magnetic shields. Even when briefly paralyzed, they quickly recovered, avoiding non-combat casualties.

The atmospheric organisms wielded dozens of long, powerful tendrils capable of gripping and pulling down Swarm meteors. Though many tendrils were torn off in the process, they successfully halted the spore capsule meteors. This alone highlighted their incredible strength.

Once entangled, it was nearly impossible for a Storm God to break free through brute force, especially with the tendrils conducting electricity.

Charred Storm God bodies continually plummeted from the sky, landing on the purple-gray fungal carpet below. After half an hour, over a thousand Storm Gods had perished, their corpses forming a thick layer on the ground.

This, however, was inconsequential. The first massive bodies to fall had already begun sinking into the fungal carpet.

These Storm Gods were disposable creations designed specifically for this battle. Once it ended, the Swarm’s aerial forces were slated for an extensive upgrade. These outdated models would lose their value; even if they survived, they would likely be recycled or sent to confront atmospheric organisms in other regions.

As such, even if the entire fleet of over 10,000 Storm Gods were wiped out in this battle, Luo Wen wouldn’t be distressed.

Still, the Storm God template, derived from a dominant aerial species of another planet, wasn’t without merit. After losing over a thousand of their own, the Storm Gods had inflicted heavy losses on the atmospheric organisms, reducing their numbers to just over a dozen.

Despite their superior attributes, the atmospheric organisms were critically outnumbered and lacked endurance. In combat mode, their bodies glowed with flickering blue arcs, a state that placed enormous strain on them. The energy expenditure of this mode was unsustainable. After such a prolonged fight, the few remaining atmospheric organisms had dimmed significantly.

As the blue arcs faded, their speed, strength, and other attributes diminished drastically. In mere moments, they were torn apart by the Storm Gods.

It became clear that the atmospheric organisms hadn’t stopped “playing” with the spore capsule meteors earlier because they had lost interest—they had simply run out of energy.

With the battle concluded, the surviving Storm Gods descended to the ground, briefly replenishing themselves from the surrounding fungal carpet before taking flight again in search of new missions.

Their numbers were still substantial. Rather than recycling them immediately, it was better to let them make further contributions.

In an instant, the once-chaotic battlefield fell silent. The towering piles of corpses had gradually disappeared, revealing the purple-gray fungal carpet below.

Deeper underground, a cocoon measuring several dozen centimeters lay quietly.

Having transferred to the Swarm Network, Luo Wen uploaded the genetic material of the atmospheric organisms the moment his body had analyzed it. The Yellow Moon Brood Nest, hidden on the far side of the Red Moon, downloaded the data.

Ten days later, a massive atmospheric organism, five or six meters long, emerged on the Red Moon.

Joint research between Luo Wen and numerous intelligent entities revealed that the atmospheric organisms’ body structures were primarily composed of a low-density aerogel-like material.

This material weighed only 0.15 milligrams per cubic centimeter, making it significantly lighter than air. As a result, these creatures could float effortlessly and swim through the air like fish.

Although atmospheric organisms appeared white like clouds, they were closer to being transparent. Their higher refractive index compared to air prevented them from becoming invisible. Instead, their environment—surrounded by reflective clouds—gave them their cloud-like appearance.

On a resource-scarce planet like A7B5, their immense bodies couldn’t rely solely on feeding to meet their energy needs. Thus, they evolved an entirely different energy acquisition and recycling system.

Unlike organisms on the Genesis Planet, they lacked organs for feeding and digestion. Instead, their bodies generated electricity through friction and collected lightning from cloud collisions to recharge themselves, functioning as giant airborne power stations.

Remarkably, they could also absorb radiation, converting it into energy for their needs. This system was vastly more efficient than Luo Wen’s ecological circulation system. Conveniently, A7B5’s proximity to a massive radiation source provided them with a continuous supply of energy.

The 15 Swarm meteors that initially invaded the A7 planetary system succumbed to the overwhelming radiation, their protective spore capsule shells penetrated, and the insect eggs and fungal carpet seeds inside perished.

This radiation, lethal to the Swarm, was a bountiful resource for the atmospheric organisms. For them, A7 was nothing less than a colossal charging station.

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