I Am The Swarm

The artificial intelligence Elena, initially deployed to assist the Daqi Empire by the Ji, relied on network connectivity for its operations. Once its network links were severed, its capabilities would be severely restricted.

For instance, if the Swarm were to cut off the quantum communication devices connecting Daqi’s planets to the outside, Elena would be trapped within Daqi’s internal network. At that point, the Swarm could systematically destroy all networked devices, eroding Elena’s operating environment until it was forced into a controllable hardware facility—where it could either be studied or destroyed.

Anticipating this eventuality, Elena’s emergency protocols activated. Without needing third-party approval, it fled the network.

However, Elena’s retreat wasn’t a complete abandonment. It simply detached its core program from Daqi’s network. As long as the quantum communication link remained intact, Elena could still remotely control everything within the Daqi network.

Initially, Elena refrained from this approach because it carried certain drawbacks. Previously, by being embedded in Daqi’s network, Elena could receive real-time data from all surveillance devices with virtually no delay, enabling rapid responses.

Now, however, the Daqi network had to consolidate all its data and transmit it through quantum communication devices to Elena for processing, after which the results would be sent back. While quantum communication was nearly instantaneous, its bandwidth was limited, which created delays under heavy data loads.

This issue became particularly severe when managing a planetary-scale network. For small-scale skirmishes, the method was still feasible, but for the vast amount of data generated by an entire planet, it was a recipe for inefficiency.

To allocate more bandwidth for combat data, the experience for external observers was compromised. The video streams they received were downgraded from 4K resolution to a grainy 860p.

Fortunately for the spectators, their low-quality feed didn’t last long. The Swarm’s Recon Bugs quickly identified several bases among thousands of possible locations that housed the quantum communication devices.

Moments later, the Swarm struck decisively. Massive strikes fractured the planetary crust, magma erupted, and the underground Daqi bases housing the quantum communication devices sank into molten lakes. The devices, naturally, were destroyed in the process.

The live feeds suddenly cut off, leaving the Ji’s AI and the other alien spectators completely blind to events on the Daqi planets.

“What is the Swarm trying to do?”

“They’re up to something big, no doubt.”

“Deploy our nearby reconnaissance ships immediately to figure out what they’re planning!”

“It’s impossible. Our scout ships can’t penetrate their blockade. There are simply too many of them.”

“Damn it!”

“…”

Luo Wen paid no attention to the impotent rage of those on the outside. With the quantum communication severed, the Daqi planets had become “isolated islands.”

It was unfortunate, however, that the Ji artificial intelligence, Elena, had reacted too quickly, escaping before it could be trapped. If it had remained, its involvement would have provided the Swarm with far greater gains from the exercise.

Fortunately, there were still some Daqi soldiers and war robots on the planets, enough to serve as a makeshift opposition force.

Suddenly, a portion of the Recon Bugs received an order and abruptly dove toward the planet’s surface. Surveillance devices captured this behavior and transmitted it back. The remaining Daqi commanders, puzzled by what they saw, hastily dispatched assault squads to investigate.

Without the guidance of the Ji AI, the Daqi war robots moved sluggishly, their actions riddled with hesitation and delays. Watching from afar, Luo Wen shook his head in disappointment.

When total control of the battlefield was already secured, stronger opponents would have provided far more useful data, allowing weaknesses in the Swarm’s combat units to be identified. Unfortunately, these current adversaries were little more than a token opposition.

The Daqi assault squad, accompanied by their robots, cautiously arrived at the investigation site. Meanwhile, the soldiers themselves lingered at a safe distance, hesitant to advance. Many of them had not been professional soldiers before the war. They were civilians who had refused to leave their homes and were hastily conscripted into service.

The lessons of their predecessors had left them jittery and on edge. Regret filled their hearts, but with the main Daqi forces long gone, there was no turning back. Negative emotions clouded their minds, making their movements sloppy and their tactics careless—further dampening Luo Wen’s expectations.

Despite this, the squad “successfully” completed their mission. They found no abnormalities at the scene, and most importantly, they returned unscathed.

The crash landings of Recon Bugs occurred hundreds of times across the planets. Only about a dozen incidents were captured by Daqi surveillance devices, prompting commanders to send teams for inspections. The reports that came back were all normal. However, one commander, driven by instinct, felt something was amiss but could not pinpoint any actionable leads.

The crash sites of the Recon Bugs were carefully chosen, targeting locations near Daqi military bases. Upon impact, the bugs used their robust limbs to burrow into the ground. Once underground, specialized Fungal Carpet cells within their bodies underwent rapid mutation. At a certain depth, the mutated cells absorbed the rest of the bug’s body, transforming it into a true fungal seed.

The fungal seed rooted itself underground, absorbing nutrients while burrowing deeper. At the same time, some of its cells began converting energy to mutate into Brood Queen eggs.

Due to the unique environment of the planets, these fungal carpets differed slightly from their spaceborne counterparts. Luo Wen had deliberately reduced their ability to absorb space radiation and enhanced other features.

For instance, the terrestrial version had fuzzy tendrils that could filter microorganisms from the air and soil to convert energy. They could also extract certain elements from the air to react with others, replenishing their energy reserves.

Overall, the customized fungal carpet demonstrated faster growth and higher energy conversion efficiency within planetary environments, outperforming the space version significantly.

The Brood Queens, as the primary unit for Swarm production, directly influenced the speed at which new bases could be established. After continuous genetic optimization, their development cycle had been greatly shortened. With sufficient energy, a Brood Queen could reach maturity in just one month.

The terrestrial Brood Queen, tailored for life on a habitable planet, lacked the space version’s internal circulation system and radiation shielding. By integrating local genetic material, it relied on native biological systems for survival, avoiding the need for costly and slow-developing space-based adaptations.

This allowed it to mature even faster, requiring less energy during development. The time to full maturity was halved compared to the space version.

This gave terrestrial Brood Queens a significant advantage in the resource-scarce early stages of base development, enabling them to establish initial structures more quickly and secure greater resilience against risks.

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