I Am The Swarm

Elder Humes glanced at Sarah’s expression and noticed her complete lack of reaction.

Suppressing a flicker of annoyance, he continued, “I have a suggestion. I don’t know if I should speak it aloud.”

“Please, go ahead,” Sarah responded curtly.

“Well, I have some influence within my race and a decent network of connections. If Your Majesty needs it, I could help mediate and try to secure a favorable outcome for your people.” Humes swayed his long neck slightly as he spoke with apparent conviction.

“And what would you require in return, Elder Humes?” Sarah replied coldly.

After all, there was no such thing as a free lunch. Humes had no familial ties to the Swarm, yet here he was, eager to offer counsel. She was curious to see what this sly old fox had in mind.

“Your Majesty is so forthright; I admire that,” Humes began with flattery. “But truly, I have no personal desires,” he added, attempting to project an image of selflessness.

Sarah thought to herself, If you had no desires, why bother speaking? Of course, she couldn’t voice this aloud, as it would offend both parties. Instead, she silently watched as Humes continued his act.

When Sarah remained silent, Humes silently cursed her low emotional intelligence. Still, he couldn’t afford to walk away now. He pressed on, saying, “Although I personally ask for nothing, there is a minor work-related matter where I hope Your Majesty might assist me.”

“You may not know this, Your Majesty, but my race places a great deal of importance on assessments. Even as an elder, I am subject to evaluation tasks,” Humes explained, no longer beating around the bush.

“While the Confederation includes many foreign races, most of them follow technological paths influenced by my race. As a result, there is little unique technology left to trade or exchange. To be frank, when I first heard that your people had forged an entirely unique path, I was delighted. I staked my reputation and spent no small amount of resources to secure the position of negotiating an agreement with your people.”

Humes glanced at Sarah again but saw no reaction from her. She simply stared at him coldly.

He sighed inwardly, feeling as if his vitality had been drained, and his voice took on a pitiful tone.

“Over a century ago, I was tasked with inviting your people to join the Confederation. But time has flown by, and after a hundred years, your people have shown no interest in our exchange list. My evaluation period is now fast approaching, and because of this situation, my results are abysmal. Losing face would be the least of my worries; I might even lose my position as an elder.”

At this point, Humes seemed on the verge of tears. “I beg you, Your Majesty, to lend me a hand. I swear, in return, I will do everything in my power to assist your people in the future.”

But Sarah remained utterly unmoved by his display. Anyone who had lived as long as Humes wouldn’t be prone to such emotional outbursts, and Sarah saw right through his act.

“Apologies, Elder Humes,” Sarah replied, her tone firm. “The items on the exchange list are critical secrets of our people. They will not be traded unless absolutely necessary.”

Humes touched the corner of his eye where tears might have been and thought bitterly, If this isn’t a moment of absolute necessity, what is? Once the Ji modify their rules, you’ll lose your territory, your reputation, and be ostracized as a bully preying on the weak.

Of course, Humes wouldn’t outright admit his true thoughts—it would ruin any pretense of diplomacy. Adopting an air of concern for the Swarm, he said, “Perhaps Your Majesty hasn’t fully realized just how grave the current crisis facing your people truly is.”

He then launched into an elaborate and dramatic recounting of the dangers looming over the Swarm. His speech was filled with alarming details, painting a dire picture.

“Your Majesty, the reason so many adversaries dare to target your people is because of a perceived lack of strength. By exchanging your unique technology, you would not only assist me in fulfilling my obligations, but also earn points. Despite the differences between your people’s technological path and ours, the underlying theories are connected. By using points to acquire these theories, the Swarm could bolster its own capabilities, deterring potential threats.”

Humes ended with what he considered his ace: “I’ve personally gone to great lengths to update the exchange list on your behalf. You can now trade for technologies that do not involve any sensitive secrets of your civilization.” ℝАΝÔꞖĚꞨ

With that, he handed over the new list to Sarah. Through Sarah’s vision, Luo Wen glanced at the list. He had to admit, it was comprehensive.

The additions were clearly tailored for the Swarm. Most of the entries pertained to foundational knowledge—particularly problems the Ji had encountered while researching Longevity Plants.

Luo Wen knew all about those difficulties; after all, he had been secretly observing the progress of their laboratories and occasionally “helping” by inducing subtle mutations in their experiments, making them believe they were achieving breakthroughs.

The rest of the list contained conjectures related to genetics. Some of these were issues Luo Wen could easily resolve; others were beyond even his current capabilities. However, these hypotheses provided Luo Wen with insights and inspiration, making the list a valuable resource.

Humes’s eagerness reminded Luo Wen of his earlier speculations. Was this an indirect attempt to enhance the Swarm’s capabilities because it hadn’t yet met the manipulator’s expectations?

This arrangement would indeed strengthen the Swarm while also granting them access to some urgently needed technology—a win-win situation.

At this moment, Luo Wen had a flash of clarity about the inconsistencies he’d been sensing. Humes’s actions didn’t align with the objectives Luo Wen had inferred from his earlier analysis of the hidden manipulator’s plans. There were two possible explanations, either Humes was taking advantage of the situation, securing benefits for himself while shirking any real obligations. Or multiple factions could be working behind the scenes, each with its own agenda.

Luo Wen leaned toward the latter. He couldn’t help but sneer inwardly: So, they all see the Swarm as a convenient stepping stone. Aren’t they afraid of breaking their teeth on it?

After careful consideration, Luo Wen decided to decline Humes’s “generous” offer.

First, the Swarm’s foundational technologies, such as primary-color encryption and genetic encryption, were too critical to their survival and identity to be shared under any circumstances.

As for the issues related to Longevity Plant research, Luo Wen was tempted to resolve all of them outright. However, doing so would expose too much about the Swarm’s capabilities and potentially open the floodgates for further unwanted attention.

Moreover, Luo Wen was reluctant to have the Swarm’s name explicitly linked to Longevity Plant technology. If the plants were developed using a significant amount of Swarm-based techniques, the civilizations benefiting from them might hesitate to use the technology, fearing hidden risks.

Paradoxically, what seemed like a shortcut might ultimately backfire, slowing their progress instead of accelerating it.

Luo Wen found it more effective to assist them covertly. Letting them believe their breakthroughs were entirely self-made would ensure smoother adoption and fewer complications.

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