I Am The Swarm

The Black Beetle, still lying in a pool of viscous fluid, struggled to its feet.

It was slightly larger than Luo Wen, modeled after the “War God” beetle. With a pair of massive mandibles, extended antennae for better signal reception, and an additional pair of digging limbs, it now boasted four pairs of legs instead of three.

Looking at the creature before him, Luo Wen couldn’t help but marvel at the wonder of evolution. His frustration began to ease.

In his previous life, even with humanity’s advanced technology, creating a living creature like this—combining various insect organs seamlessly—would have been impossible. Unless, of course, you glued together pieces of dead insects.

But this one was alive. And judging by its movements, all its newly added organs worked flawlessly without any signs of incompatibility.

However, as Luo Wen observed the beetle, he realized something awkward: he couldn’t communicate with it.

This revelation was both shocking and frustrating.

Who would have thought that after all the effort, after nearly wrecking the Brood Nest, he’d end up with a creature that couldn’t even understand him?

Luo Wen wondered if insect communication was required, but he had never learned any “insect language.” Luckily, while the beetle couldn’t communicate, it also didn’t attack him. Perhaps this was because its original form, the “War God,” was herbivorous.

Then again, it seemed unlikely. Even as a herbivore, the “War God” was known for its violent temperament. Luo Wen hadn’t given it the nickname lightly; it had earned it in countless direct confrontations, proving itself the strongest combatant he had encountered among insects.

If the beetle was hostile, Luo Wen would already be in trouble. Instead, the situation suggested the Brood Nest had programmed the beetle with a built-in friend-or-foe recognition system. But why was the communication system malfunctioning?

Luo Wen thought carefully. The Brood Nest had evolved from fragments of Queen Ant genes. This was no longer just speculation; he had confirmed it by examining the Brood Nest’s genetic library. Some of these gene fragments had likely come from Black Ants, though Luo Wen couldn’t be sure.

Ant colonies operated with impeccable coordination, implying they had some form of communication. If Luo Wen’s Queen Ant genes originated from Black Ants, perhaps he also inherited the genes responsible for their communication system.

With this in mind, Luo Wen quickly examined the Brood Nest. Thanks to its indirect access to his genetic library, he could investigate this issue more thoroughly.

Fortunately, there weren’t many gene fragments in his library—a bittersweet fact. While it highlighted how limited his genetic resources were, it also saved Luo Wen a lot of time.

Among the Black Ant gene fragments, there were three notable ones:

Queen Ant genes, which influenced the development of the Brood Nest. A gene related to the secretion of formic acid, linked to his recently acquired “sticky saliva” ability. A gene that allowed the secretion of pheromones, though its function was still unclear.

Luo Wen hypothesized that formic acid, while useful for construction, was unlikely to have communication capabilities. Still, he decided to test it just in case.

He spat a few globs of saliva at the Black Beetle. It showed no reaction.

As expected, formic acid wasn’t the solution. Or perhaps his saliva wasn’t “pure” formic acid. It seemed to contain additional genetic traits from Camouflage Bugs, whose secretions were used to glue leaves onto their bodies.

This left the pheromone-secreting gene as the most likely candidate for communication. Unfortunately, Luo Wen had overlooked this gene when designing the Black Beetle and hadn’t included it in its blueprint.

Meanwhile, the Black Beetle had recovered from its initial post-birth weakness and was now aimlessly wandering around the Brood Nest’s chamber. It almost looked like it was patrolling.

Could it be instinctively protecting the Brood Nest? If so, at least it had some utility.

The Black Beetle’s massive mandibles, now adorned with spikes, made it a formidable fighter despite its lack of intelligence. In direct combat, it was probably even stronger than Luo Wen. With the beetle guarding the Brood Nest, Luo Wen felt more comfortable venturing further afield to explore.

Wasting no time, Luo Wen replenished his energy and brought back two tree roots. He fed one to the Brood Nest, but the Black Beetle unapologetically snatched the other, as if expecting Luo Wen to provide for its needs.

Luo Wen cursed under his breath but let it slide. After all, there was no point in arguing with a bug that couldn’t understand him. He decided to treat it like a guard dog.

After carefully sealing the Brood Nest’s chamber, Luo Wen glanced at the Black Beetle, which was busy gnawing on its root and oblivious to his actions. Without further delay, he headed for the surface.

It had been a while since he’d roamed above ground, thanks to the Brood Nest weighing him down. The fresh air felt invigorating after so long underground.

The surface was far more dangerous than the subterranean world, but Luo Wen had his advantages in both environments.

Underground, his rapid digging speed made him nearly impossible to catch. However, his detection range was limited, relying on fine hairs to sense vibrations. This left him vulnerable to stationary threats. Additionally, his speed underground came at the cost of maneuverability, and prolonged digging could damage his compound eyes.

Above ground, Luo Wen’s sharp vision gave him a significant edge. While most insects were practically blind, he could see clearly over long distances. Stealthy predators like ambush worms (stink bugs) and camouflaged bugs posed less of a threat, as Luo Wen had learned to anticipate their tactics. His highly responsive compound eyes made it nearly impossible for them to catch him off guard.

Despite the risks, Luo Wen enjoyed surface exploration. If danger arose, he could always retreat underground, where he excelled.

He began circling the Brood Nest’s location in a clockwise pattern, gradually expanding his patrol radius. He was on the lookout for any potential threats—small ones he could eliminate and larger ones he could prepare to escape from.

His antennae picked up faint insect noises, and two sources stood out within his observational range. Both were Black Beetles clinging to a tree trunk, their cries sounding almost hysterical.

Luo Wen had no intention of provoking them. These creatures were a force he couldn’t handle right now. Fortunately, they were herbivores and posed no immediate threat as long as he left them alone.

On his third patrol circuit, Luo Wen spotted an ideal target—a perfect subject for experimentation.

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