I Am The Swarm

From the moment of their birth, the Rat Folk had a clear purpose—they existed for the Swarm. Since their time as mere beasts, they had been observed and nurtured by the Swarm.

If the intelligent entities among the military, political, and commercial elite of the Riken were only 80% integrated, then for the Rat Folk, it was 100%. Thus, it could be said that the Swarm completely represented the will of the Rat Folk.

Moreover, the Rat Folk were entirely enveloped within the Swarm’s territory. These regions were not open zones, so scenarios like the Riken’s internal and external collusion could not occur.

At this point, however, the opinions of the Rat Folk no longer mattered.

The Koya Alliance exploited the Rat Folk to stir controversy. With prior experience, they skillfully crafted narratives, portraying the Rat Folk as pitiful victims. This civilization, which had initially surpassed the Ji in its development speed, had stagnated for centuries under the Swarm’s exploitation.

The Swarm once again played its old role: a ruthless and cold-hearted invader and oppressor. Thanks to the groundwork laid over twenty years ago, the Swarm’s villainous reputation was already deeply entrenched. As soon as this information was released, it immediately became a target for widespread condemnation.

The “altruists” were the first to act, leveraging massive public opinion to demand that the Ji amend the rules and make an exception to invite the Rat Folk civilization into the Confederation ahead of schedule. They also called for the Swarm to be expelled from the Genesis System and for aid to be provided to the Rat Folk to help them escape the shadow of the Swarm.

The Ji Council of Elders convened once again. Elder Humes, who had been stationed in the Riken Star System, once more sought an audience with Empress Kerrigan. Unlike before, Humes was now “one of us.” The bio-armor gifted to him by the Swarm wasn’t something that came lightly.

The last time he visited, the Swarm had secretly collected samples of his epidermis and completed the transformation during his cryogenic sleep. However, to better conceal his new identity, Humes continued to fulfill his duties as expected while secretly providing intelligence to the Swarm.

Yet, the significance of this intelligence was limited. Despite his esteemed status as a Ji Elder, Humes was essentially a marginal figure. When he had been instigated to approach the Swarm previously, it had aligned with his own desires—he merely sought the Swarm’s genetic technology to advance longevity serum research. As for deeper conspiracies, he remained entirely unaware.

The person who had manipulated Humes was another Ji Elder, the same one who had informed him about the longevity serum. It was impossible that someone as seasoned as Humes had failed to notice anything suspicious. However, his advanced age made the benefits of the longevity serum irresistible. Even if he was being used as a pawn, he relished the role.

In the end, Humes got what he wanted. His mind and memories had been preserved to create an intelligent entity. This entity would take his place, gaining eternal life and never again worrying about mortality. If Humes had known, he might have felt satisfied.

Perhaps.

This time, Humes returned to the Swarm, urged by the same Elder, to see if he could capitalize on the Swarm’s dire situation and acquire some benefits. What that Elder didn’t know was that Humes had already “defected.” However, the Elder was far from the Swarm’s territory, making it difficult for the Swarm to act against him.

Luo Wen planned to have Humes attempt to lure that Elder closer. This Ji Elder undoubtedly possessed more critical information, and gifting him a “small present” could be highly advantageous.

Humes feigned lingering in the Swarm’s territory for a few days before leaving “in a fit of anger.”

As before, when Humes reported his failed negotiations, the Ji Council of Elders wasted no time. They “responded to public sentiment” by amending the rules.

They emphasized the sanctity and inviolability of the home star systems of new civilizations and announced this to the entire Confederation. They demanded that any civilizations within the Confederation found violating this rule rectify their actions within a set timeframe.

Although this directive did not explicitly name the Swarm, the Swarm’s relationship with the Rat Folk within the Interstellar Technological Confederation made it clear that the rule applied. Sure enough, a separate notice was transmitted through the quantum communication system shortly after. It required the Swarm to withdraw from the Genesis System within 20 years, just as before.

As early as when the Riken began showing signs of trouble, Luo Wen had already deduced that their target was the Rat Folk. So when the news reached him, he simply chuckled, neither annoyed nor surprised.

The Ji moved swiftly. Three months after the announcement, a construction team tasked with building a quantum communication system for the Rat Folk arrived at the outer perimeter of the Genesis System.

“What? The Swarm actually dares to refuse us entry?” In the warship, a male Ji crew member found it hard to believe.

It wasn’t unheard of for a civilization to deny the Ji access—they were either arrogant fools or genuinely powerful. But in the Outer-ring, it was almost always the former.

“Captain, what’s going on?” another Ji member, a female, asked. Her golden-yellow face was adorned with violet patterns, which gave her an exotic allure.

“Not sure. Colonel Edres is negotiating with them,” the Captain replied, shaking his head.

“An Outer-ring civilization dares to interfere with the actions of the great Ji? Do they have a death wish?” The sudden blockade by the Swarm infuriated the young male crew member. Born into the Ji race, he had a strong sense of superiority.

In his view, there was no room for negotiation with an Outer-ring minor race that dared to block a Ji warship. They should just crush them outright.

From his perspective, even though their squadron consisted of only a dozen warships, their firepower was more than enough to obliterate an Outer-ring fleet. Even if they couldn’t win outright, they could retreat at high speeds and hold out until reinforcements arrived. After all, a Ji fleet was stationed in the Riken Star System, and it wouldn’t take long to reach their location.

“Shut up, Wright!” The Captain was also frustrated but wasn’t as impulsive as Wright. Their team had a special mission this time, hitching a ride with the construction team. They had no decision-making authority and could only wait patiently for the negotiations to conclude.

Meanwhile, Colonel Edres had just finished negotiating with the Swarm. Though he was equally irritated, the sight of thousands of Swarm space octopuses surrounding their warships quickly cooled his heated brain.

“Elder Humes, they’ve requested we return in 20 years.”

In the transmission, Elder Humes reclined slightly in his chair as he listened to Edres’ report. As the only Ji Elder in the region, he held supreme authority over such matters.

“What is their reasoning?”

“The Swarm claims their integration with the Rat Folk is too deep, and there are many hidden aspects of their species in the star system. They require time to withdraw and wish to avoid external disturbances during this period.”

“Outrageous!” Humes straightened in his chair and shouted. He then closed his eyes in contemplation before finally sighing. “Edres, I will report this to the Council of Elders and let them decide. In the meantime, you are to remain stationed at your current location.”

“Yes, Elder.”

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