《I Am The Swarm》


 Chapter 1: The Summoning

    ¡°Haha, I did it! I finally seeded! Who would¡¯ve thought that a randomly summoned soul from another world could perfectly fuse with the egg of an Iphieash?¡±


    In a small, sealed room, the floor and walls were covered with mysterious symbols. Thin streams of light flickered and flowed across them, emanating an aura of mystery and eeriness.


    At the center of the room, a tiny white egg, norger than a fingernail, floated midair. It swayed gently up and down, as if suspended by an invisible force.


    Standing nearby was a humanoid creature, no taller than 1.5 meters, dressed in a peculiar long robe. It iled its arms and danced excitedly.


    Dole was ecstatic. The Iphieash, known as the ¡°Infinite Evolution Insect,¡± was a legendary creature capable of endless adaptation and transformation. As it matured, its appearance could change drastically, with almost no two individuals resembling one another. The ancient book he had found detailed only the characteristics of the egg¡ªillustrations of the adult forms were marked as ¡°hypothetical.¡±


    It was said that even the Iphieash themselves might not recognize members of their own species. This unique trait severely hindered their reproduction. Rumor had it that they could only produce an egg under extremely rare circumstances, often at the end of their lifespan.


    Their harsh reproductive conditions led to their extinction long ago, but this w couldn¡¯t overshadow their once-mighty power. When fully grown and in energy-rich environments, they could rapidly evolve to survive even the harshest conditions. With careful nurturing, a mature Iphieash could rival the power of a Tier-5 Grand Sorcerer.


    In the current era, where the strongest sorcerers on the continent were only at Tier-3 High Rank, such a being would be akin to a god, capable of unifying the entire continent.


    Dole, a Tier-2 High Rank sorcerer, had reached this level three centuries ago. Back then, he was a rising star among his people, hailed as the genius most likely to achieve Tier-3 status before turning 100. During his youthful days of fame and fortune, he stumbled upon the Iphieash egg during a seemingly routine exploration of ancient ruins.Among hispanions, only he recognized the egg¡¯s extraordinary origins, thanks to a stroke of luck and some obscure knowledge. Thus, he acquired it at a meager cost.


    From that moment on, Dole became obsessed, devoting himself entirely to hatching the egg. He dreamed of one day unleashing a Tier-5 pet beast to sweep aside all obstacles and dominate the continent.@@novelbin@@


    Unfortunately, fate seemed to mock him. After countless experiments, he furiously discovered that although the egg¡¯srva remained intact, its consciousness had long since dissipated over the endless passage of time.


    Driven by desperation, Dole scoured ancient texts and conducted endless experiments. At first, his efforts were within reasonable bounds, but as years turned into decades, his mind grew more unhinged. His methods became increasingly extreme and cruel.


    A once-brilliant sorcerer, whose cultivation had stagnated for decades, inevitably attracted attention. Investigations soon uncovered horrifying revtions.


    Over the span of several decades, more than a hundred of Dole¡¯s apprentices and servants had mysteriously disappeared. Moreover, he was implicated in numerous cases of illegal human trafficking.


    Left with no choice, Dole fled with the egg, continuing his experiments while living on the run. He hoped to one day reactivate the egg and reim his dreams of glory.


    Two hundred years passed. The once-arrogant and high-spirited youth had be a stooped old figure. His once-thick green hair had thinned to a stubborn tuft clinging to the sides of his ears.


    But persistence paid off. A few years ago, during another exploration, Dole obtained a blueprint for a summoning array. After some modifications, he used the egg as the array¡¯s core. Several trialster, today marked his first sessful summoning of a soul from another dimension capable of perfectly merging with the egg.


    With the soul¡¯s infusion, therva within the egg could finally be revived. His two centuries of effort had not been in vain. Soon, those who had driven him from his home would pay the price.


    Meanwhile, outside the rocky mountain where Dole had hidden, dozens of ck-robed figures stood facing each other.


    ¡°Captain, we¡¯ve detected traces of a concealed magic array here. Upon investigation, it appears to be Dole¡¯s handiwork. However, to avoid alerting him, we didn¡¯t act rashly, so we can¡¯t confirm whether he¡¯s still inside,¡± one of them reported.


    The captain nodded and directed his team to set up a containment array to surround the mountain. Once all preparations wereplete, he raised his hand. A wand slid out from his wide sleeve, which he then gripped tightly.


    Chanting an incantation under his breath, the energy around him began to boil. A beam of green light shot out from the wand¡¯s tip, striking the mountainside.


    The scenery twisted and distorted, revealing its true form¡ªa deep, dark cave appeared where the mountain had once stood.


    Inside, Dole, who had been reveling in his sess, felt the sudden surge of foreign energy from outside. Just as he turned to investigate, he realized his concealment array had been breached. Years of evading pursuit had made him highly experienced in such situations. Though thisb was only a temporary setup, he had prepared multiple escape routes. As long as even one remained unblocked, he could still escape.


    Quickly stowing the egg, Dole dashed into a tunnel.


    Minutester, his expression turned ashen as he returned to theb. The surrounding space had been sealed by an unknown magic array, forming an invisible cage that trapped him. Even though a path seemed open ahead, an invisible barrier blocked the way.


    From outside, the captain¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Dole, did you really think we¡¯d let you escape again without preparation? Surrender now and hand over the Iphieash. Lord Leon may still spare your life.¡±


    Leon¡ªonce Dole¡¯s defeated rival¡ªhad been the first to uncover his human experimentation. Now, after two centuries, their roles had reversedpletely.


    While Leon¡¯s initial motivation may have been simple vengeance against the man who had overshadowed him, he had long since uncovered the truth. His purpose had shifted entirely. Justice for the victims was now little more than a hollow excuse. The Iphieash was worth any cost.


    Dole scoffed at Leon¡¯s offer of mercy. Surrendering the egg would only guarantee his silence through death.


    With no way out, Dole came to a desperate decision: to overload the elemental furnace powering the summoning array. The resulting energy surge would reverse the array¡¯s operation, teleporting him out instead.


    Since the array could summon souls from another dimension, surely a mere containment array couldn¡¯t stop it.


    As for where he would end up, that was in the hands of fate. Survival was better than certain death.


    Resolute, Dole began casting protective spells on himself. Multicolored lights red around his body. As for the egg, its unhatched Iphieashrva was protected by its seemingly ordinary but imprable shell.


    Outside, the captain remained patient. His master had assured him that Dolecked the means to destroy the Iphieash egg. Thus, he chose a cautious strategy of containment over confrontation. After all, even a cornered old sorcerer might prove dangerous.


    But the captain¡¯s caution proved futile.


    A blinding white light erupted. The captain, his team of ck-robed sorcerers, and the surrounding area were instantly obliterated, leaving behind a hemispherical crater over ten kilometers in diameter.


    As for Dole, he had overestimated himself. A mere Tier-2 sorcerer stood no chance against the explosion of an overloaded elemental furnace. He was vaporized in the first instant.


    Only the Iphieash egg remained, vanishing in a flicker of light as the summoning array disintegrated.


    When Luo Wen regained consciousness, his mind was in turmoil.


    He had just been taking a quick break at work, closing his eyes for a moment to rest. Hours of staring at aputer screen had left his eyes dry and sore. But the next thing he knew, he had fallen asleep¡ªand inexplicably woken up in this bizarre situation.


    He found himself trapped in a dark, slimy prison, surrounded by sticky, disgusting liquid.


    What kind of prank was this? Sleeping on the job didn¡¯t warrant something this extreme!


    Luo Wen tried to shout, but no sound came out. He attempted to move, but realized with horror that his arms and legs seemed to have multiplied.


    Frozen in shock, it took him several seconds before he began thrashing wildly.


    Finally, the prison couldn¡¯t withstand his struggles and cracked open. Luo Wen scrambled out through the opening.


    All around him were enormous rocks, but now that he was free, he felt an inexplicable surge of strength¡ªfar beyond what he should have. With ease, he pushed the surrounding stones aside, creating a small space for himself.


    What kind of reality show was this? Had they locked him up and buried him alive?


    Still groggy from whatever had happened to him, Luo Wen¡¯s thoughts remained scattered.


    But it didn¡¯t take long for the horrifying truth to dawn on him.


    Staring at his hands¡ªif they could still be called that¡ªLuo Wen froze.


    They were smooth, pitch ck, and gleamed with an almost metallic sheen. Instead of fingers, strange jointed appendages protruded from them.


    Looking down at his body, he saw the same ck surface. His abdomen had sprouted two pairs of segmented limbs, and his torso extended into a segmented tail.


    He was no longer human.

 Chapter 2: Newborn

    Luo Wen curled up into a ball, unsure of how long he stayed in that position. Suddenly, he felt something atop his head moving instinctively. A sweet aroma wafted toward him, and an unbearable hunger wed at his stomach.


    ¡°Great, just let me starve to death already,¡± he muttered, forcing himself to resist the tempting scent. Luo Wen tried to calm his mind, nning to die by starvation.


    However, the objects on his head moved more frequently and forcefully, grating on his already frayed nerves. ncing upward, he was startled to find two stick-like appendages swaying wildly in front of his eyes.


    ¡°What the hell?! I actually grew a pair of antennae?!¡±


    His despair deepened¡­


    Ten minutester, a small ck insect was seen crouched beside a massive white egg, devouring it with gusto. The tiny bug was only half the size of the egg, but its tiny mandibles worked furiously. As its saliva coated the shell, the once-hard surface rapidly softened. Between bites, the insect also slurped up the egg¡¯s viscous interior, alternating between solid and liquid. A perfectbination of ¡°hard entr¨¦e and soup.¡±


    ¡°Damn, this tastes amazing!¡± Luo Wen eximed.


    It wasn¡¯t that Luo Wen had caved to hunger; no, he told himself it was all to silence the distraction. The gleaming white egg stood out starkly against the pitch-ck surroundings, drawing his attention incessantly. Combined with his new vision, which seemed fundamentally different from his past human eyes, the whole thing was making him dizzy.


    Now that he¡¯d decided to eat this culprit, he could concentrate better, and a full belly might even give him more energy to starve himself properlyter.@@novelbin@@By this point, Luo Wen had pieced together some semnce of understanding about his current situation. In his previous life, he had been a well-informed young man exposed to an onught of online media¡ªscience fiction dramas, web novels, you name it.


    What he hadn¡¯t expected, however, was that his previous life would end so abruptly and that this new life would begin just as unceremoniously. Worse still, he had transmigrated¡­ into a bug.


    Yes, he now understood what he had be.


    But bugs usually hatch in clusters, don¡¯t they? So why was he alone, without anypanions? Thisck of a reference made it impossible for him to gauge what he looked like. Was he intimidating and awe-inspiring? Or just a in old creepy crawly?


    Luo Wen suspected that whatever that green-haired old man had done, or perhaps some innate instinct of the insect body itself, was responsible for his current state. In just one meal¡¯s time, Luo Wen had already begun to ept his reality as an insect. He even found himself worrying about his image.


    After devouring more than half of the eggshell, Luo Wen was full, content, and even feeling a faint sense of happiness. For the moment, he gave up on his thoughts of suicide. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, he mused. If there was a second life, then maybe there could even be a third. At the very least, this was a unique experience.


    However, just as he was starting tofort himself, adopting a more optimistic mindset and embracing the idea of living boldly, reality once again delivered a crushing blow.


    Perhaps his shift in attitude bridged the final gap between his human soul and his insect body. As the two harmonizedpletely, fragments of information stored within his new body suddenly surged into his mind.


    ¡°The Infinite Evolution Insect? Iphieash? So that¡¯s what I am in this life? That¡­ actually sounds pretty badass.¡±


    ¡°Wait a second! That green-haired, decrepit old bastard did this to me? Damn it! This wasn¡¯t an ident¡ªit was a premeditated attack!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, my n to die dramatically and start fresh in another life ispletely out the window!¡±


    Unfortunately, the insect body only retained a small amount of recent information. There were no miraculous bloodline memories or inherited skills, as seen in novels. Luo Wen absorbed what little there was, quickly piecing it together amidst his exasperation. Although thenguage spoken by that green-haired old man wasn¡¯t one Luo Wen had ever encountered, he somehow understood its meaning perfectly.


    ¡°Ugh, just let me die already!¡± Luo Wen¡¯s budding optimism quickly evaporated as he curled into a ball once more.


    Half an hourter, Luo Wen found himself chewing on more eggshells while pondering his newfound insect life.


    Based on the final images stored in the body¡¯s memory, it seemed that he had been teleported away by that summoning array. This left him with three possible scenarios for his current location:


    He had been sent back to his home.


    He was still on that sorcerer-filled continent.


    He hadnded in an entirely unknown ce.


    Determining which of these was the case would require further observation. But for now, that wasn¡¯t his top priority. The surrounding environment¡ªfilled with massive rocks¡ªhinted at extreme danger.


    Judging from the pitch-ck surroundings, Luo Wen guessed he was underground. How deep? That, he couldn¡¯t say. Now that the white egg had been mostly consumed, the area was even darker. Yet his eyes could still pick up faint traces of a unique type of light.


    While this light wasn¡¯t enough to discern his surroundings in detail, his antennae and even the tiny hairs on his legs provided a strange kind of feedback, guiding him toward the surface.


    It was an indescribable sensation, one that Luo Wen could only understand through firsthand experience.


    Following this sense, Luo Wen began using his front legs to w at the rocks ahead, pulling them toward his abdomen. His middle and hind legs then worked together to push the rocks behind him.


    Yes, he now had six legs. But as a bug, wasn¡¯t that perfectly normal?


    At first, his movements were clumsy, but he quickly got the hang of it. Perhaps he had a natural talent for being a bug.


    As he dug his way upward, the surrounding rocks gradually grew warmer, until the heat began to make him ufortable.


    The light ahead brightened until, finally, Luo Wen broke through to the surface. And with it, his worst fears were confirmed.


    A vast expanse of yellow stone reflected the blinding sunlight. The scorching ground burned his abdomen and soft tail, making him feel like he was about to be roasted alive.


    As he had feared, he was in a desert. The ¡°rocks¡± around him were nothing more than coarse sandstones. If he hadn¡¯t somehow arrived in and of giants, it meant his body was extraordinarily tiny.


    Sure, being small was normal for a bug. But for a former human with zero experience as an insect, this was a living nightmare.


    Braving the searing heat, Luo Wen surveyed his surroundings. Not a single trace of vegetation was in sight.


    His field of vision, however, was bizarre. It reminded him of those massive advertisement screens in shopping malls¡ªassembled from dozens of smaller screens that worked in sync to create a seamless image. In his case, it wasn¡¯t dozens of ¡°screens¡± but thousands, maybe even tens of thousands, densely packed together to form his view of the world. Based on his limited knowledge of entomology, he guessed that he now possessed a pair ofpound eyes.


    Again, normal for a bug.


    But nobody had told him thatpound eyes came with extreme nearsightedness! Up close, everything was crystal clear. But anything farther away was a blurry mess. He couldn¡¯t even make out the sun to determine whether it was the same one he had known from his previous life.


    Still, using some mysterious, insect-specific sense he couldn¡¯t describe, he determined that there was only one light source in the sky.


    The novelty of these abilities was something no human could imagine.


    Not that Luo Wen was grateful for the experience. He would¡¯ve dly passed on it.


    Given the limited information he¡¯d gathered, the scorching surface temperatures, and the potential dangers of the unknown, Luo Wen¡¯s paltry three- to four-meter visual range left him feeling deeply insecure.


    If there was no next life to look forward to, he decided he might as well make the most of this one. His ns for a dramatic death could wait¡ªsurvival came first.


    With his rear end raised, Luo Wen began burrowing back underground.


    The act of digging felt almost instinctual. In no time at all, he had mastered various excavation techniques¡ªdigging up, down, left, and right with ease.


    Once he reached a sufficient depth, the temperature cooled considerably. Exhausted from the physical exertion of digging and the emotional toll of his situation, Luo Wen finally allowed himself to rest.


    Curled up in the darkness, one final thought echoed in his mind as he drifted off to sleep:


    ¡°I refuse to live with nearsighted eyes!¡±

 Chapter 3: Searching for Food

    When Luo Wen woke up again, he noticed that the temperature around him had dropped slightly. His stomach growled with hunger, but the eggshell was long gone. It baffled him that an eggshell twice his size had only been enough for two meals¡ªhe had no idea where all that food had gone.


    From this, however, he could deduce one thing: his appetite was massive. And while the saying goes, ¡°a good appetite is a blessing,¡± it was anything but for Luo Wen in his current situation.


    The surface was a barren desert, and there was no sign of food anywhere. If this went on, he might starve to death in just a few days.


    The thought lit a fire under him. He had to find food¡ªhe refused to die a starving insect.@@novelbin@@


    Relying on his antennae and sensory leg hairs to orient himself, Luo Wen began wing his way toward the surface.


    The further he climbed, the colder it became. He began to wonder if he was heading in the wrong direction, but his antennae and leg hairs insisted otherwise. With no other options, he gritted his metaphorical teeth and pressed on. Well, technically, his head was already hard¡ªand ck, too.


    When he finally emerged from the sand, he froze in shock. The golden desert was gone, reced by a silveryyer of frost covering the ground. For a moment, Luo Wen wondered if he had somehow teleported again.


    ¡°What is this ce? The temperature difference between day and night is insane!¡±


    It was night now, and the dim light barely illuminated his surroundings. Strangely, Luo Wen found he could now see up to five or six meters¡ªmuch farther than before. Was he a nocturnal bug? He wasn¡¯t sure.Even with his improved vision, the cool light source in the sky was still too blurry to discern. However, he could sense something else.


    There were two of them! Two distinct light sources hung in the sky.


    During the day, there had only been one light source, giving Luo Wen hope that he might have been sent back to his home. But now, that hope waspletely shattered.


    Based on his limited knowledge of astronomy, Luo Wen could reasonably conclude that at least two moons were orbiting this.


    Still, he epted this reality rather quickly. After all, he had already been turned into a bug¡ªwhat was one extra moon in the skypared to that? Thest few days had thrown so many shocks his way that he was starting to be numb to it all.


    His original three possibilities had been reduced to two: he was either in the sorcerer¡¯s world or some other unknown realm. He just hoped it wasn¡¯t the sorcerer¡¯s world¡ªthat ce seemed far too dangerous for a little bug like him.


    For now, though, survival took precedence. If he didn¡¯t find food soon, he wouldn¡¯t live long enough to figure out where he was.


    While no food was in sight, the frost-covered ground offered a potential source of water. Luo Wen decided to fill his belly with frost for now and worry about foodter.


    His mouthparts extended¡ªa little longer than he expected, with a mushroom-like cap at the tip. The cap spread t and adhered to the frosty surface, while tiny hidden teeth scraped rapidly against the ice, grinding off small shavings. Aided by his tongue (yes, bugs apparently had tongues, much to his horror), he sucked the ice particles into his body.


    Luo Wen had no idea what he looked like while eating, and he didn¡¯t want to know. He simply followed his instincts and let his body do the work.


    After a long while, all he¡¯d managed was a shallow depression in the frost. His eating efficiency was dismal, but with no other options, he kept going.


    The cold liquid trickled into his stomach, and Luo Wen began to feel his entire body stiffen. His thoughts turned sluggish, and his fading consciousness brought back an old human memory: wintertime, when mosquitoes and flies mysteriously vanished.


    That¡¯s when it hit him¡ªhe was a bug now. Bugs don¡¯t survive well in the cold. And here he was, out in freezing weather, drinking ice-cold water. Was he trying to kill himself?


    Panicked, Luo Wen snapped out of his stupor and scrambled back underground along the path he hade.


    ¡°This ce is insane! Too hot during the day, too cold at night. When am I supposed to go out looking for food?¡± He had nned to scout the area a bit more after drinking his fill, hoping to find something edible, but now that was out of the question.


    Once he was safely back underground, Luo Wen didn¡¯t feel like resting anymore¡ªnor could he afford to. He needed to find a reliable food source as soon as possible.


    If the surface was too dangerous, then he¡¯d look underground. He had an incredible talent for digging, after all. It would be a waste not to use it.


    Determined, Luo Wen picked a random direction and began tunneling.


    His antennae twitched constantly as he worked, sending him both new sensory experiences and useful information. They seemed to function as both a nose and ears, allowing him to detect smells and hear sounds.


    Midway through his digging, his antennae picked up a strange scent from the lower left. The unfamiliar smell stirred hope in Luo Wen¡ªit could mean food. Excited, he quickened his pace, tunneling toward the source of the scent.


    But as the smell grew stronger, Luo Wen¡¯s caution returned.


    He was here to find food, not to be someone else¡¯s meal.


    At the moment, his body was still tiny¡ªsmaller than a typical housefly¡ªand he had only just been ¡°born.¡± He hadn¡¯t had any time to learn bug-stylebat skills. If he encountered a living creature capable of fighting back, there was a good chance he¡¯d lose. Better to be careful and think things through.


    Focusing on his insect instincts, Luo Wen¡¯s body became hyper-alert. The fine hairs on his legs, and even those covering his entire body, stood on end.


    The vibrationsing from the front left filtered through his senses and coalesced into information in his mind. After analyzing it, he came to a conclusion:


    There were living creatures ahead, likely three or four of them. They were moving slowly and seemed smaller than him. It should be safe to check them out¡ªbut if anything went wrong, he¡¯d run. There was no shame in retreating; he didn¡¯t know anyone here, so who cared if he lost face?


    Carefully, Luo Wen wed at the sandy soil in front of him. His digging techniques proved less effective here¡ªthe loose sand he had been working with earlier was easier to handle. The firmer, morepact soil presented a challenge.


    Thankfully, this area wasn¡¯t fully solid; it was a mix of sand and soil. While it slowed him down slightly, he could still make progress.


    The soil¡¯s better structural integrity also worked in his favor. It allowed him to create stable tunnels, which he reinforced as he went. He carefully moved the disced sand and soil to the looseryers above, ensuring a clear escape route if things went south.


    After some effort, Luo Wen had dug a tunnel justrge enough for his body to pass through. This way, he could retreat quickly if needed.


    As he drew closer to his target, his movements became more deliberate and his body tensed further. Finally, after scraping away anotheryer of dirt, a round, plump, white translucent bug rolled into view.


    The creature¡¯s body was segmented into over ten sections, though only the first few bore three pairs of stubby limbs. Its yellowish head looked rather harmless, but Luo Wen was horrified to see it had a pair of huge mandibles.


    The bug was about the same size as Luo Wen, perhaps slightly smaller. Suddenly unearthed from the soil, it squirmed helplessly, curling and stretching its body while emitting faint hissing noises in an attempt to scare Luo Wen off.


    Watching the little white bug struggle to flip itself upright, Luo Wen¡¯s fear melted away, reced by growing confidence. He sneered inwardly.


    ¡°Oh, you think I¡¯m scared of you just because you¡¯ve got a pair of big teeth? Think again, little guy!¡±

 Chapter 4: White Grubs

    Reality proved that even though Luo Wen wasn¡¯t afraid of the white grubs, his current weaponry and equipment were utterly useless against them.


    The white grubs¡¯ skin appeared delicate and transparent, as if it could break with a single poke. However, it was incredibly tough¡ªat least from Luo Wen¡¯s perspective at the moment. His striding limbs, small ws, and proboscis-like mouthparts were powerless against the white grubs.


    At this moment, he couldn¡¯t help but envy their massive fangs.


    Watching the fat white grub roll around incessantly as if mocking him¡ª¡±Come on, do your worst!¡±¡ªLuo Wen felt his frustration rise. If he were still human, he could have crushed the white grub into a burst of pulp with just two fingers. But thinking about it, the notion felt revolting, so he quickly dismissed the thought from his mind.


    Suddenly, a realization struck him. The presence of this white grub here meant there had to be food nearby; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be so lively and energetic.


    ¡°Just you wait! I¡¯ll eat up all your food and starve you to death. Let¡¯s see how cocky you¡¯ll be then!¡± Luo Wen red menacingly at the white grub.


    Without paying it any further attention, he resumed digging.


    Before long, he unearthed a few more siblings of the white grub. This discovery irritated Luo Wen even more. Why did other insects live in colonies, yet he was all alone?


    After brushing these annoying worms aside, the soil crumbled to reveal the food they had been guarding.A section of an unknown nt¡¯s root emerged from the dirt. Its grayish-brown surface bore several fresh bite marks. Judging from the shape, Luo Wen guessed they had been left by the white grubs.


    He pressed his proboscis against one of the wounds on the root and began licking. A trickle of liquid slid down his tongue into his esophagus, eventually reaching his abdomen.


    After only a few licks, the wound stopped oozing. Luo Wen switched to another wound, but each dried up after only a few tries. By the time he had licked his way around the root, he was only about a third full. Attempting to erge the wounds with his mouthparts proved futile.


    After some thought, he shoved one of the rolling white grubs next to the root. As expected, the mindless creature immediately sank its fangs into the food, creating a fresh wound from which tantalizing sap flowed. Luo Wen promptly kicked the worm away and took over the spot for himself.


    Thanks to the assistance of his ¡°tool bug,¡± Luo Wen finally managed to satiate his hunger and quench his thirst.


    Feeling full and satisfied, he nudged the ¡°tool bug¡± back toward the root and kicked the other white grubs even further away.


    Returning along the tunnel to the sandyyer above, Luo Wen decided to rest. The digging earlier had drained a significant amount of his energy, and the discovery of food had eased his anxiety, allowing him to rx.@@novelbin@@


    As for why he chose to travel all the way back to the sandyyer instead of resting near the root?


    Luo Wen feared that, despite the white grubs¡¯ herbivorous appearance, they might still bite him on a whim. With his small limbs, those massive fangs could easily sever them. Even if they didn¡¯t attack him, waking up to find those fangs dangling in front of his face would be unsettling. After weighing the options, he decided it was safer to rest further away.


    When Luo Wen awoke again, he had no idea how much time had passed. His once-full belly was now empty and growling with hunger.


    Trying to scratch his abdomen with his forelimbs, Luo Wen suddenly noticed something strange. A new pair of limbs had grown in front of his original forelimbs. These new appendages looked incredibly strong. Their ends resembled rake-like ws, with four stubby, robust prongs slightly curved inward.


    ¡°Iphieash: Infinite Evolution Insect,¡± Luo Wen thought of the term inexplicably, and its meaning became clear to him. Before sleeping, he had grumbled about how ineffective his small ws were for digging through dirt. Upon waking, he had grown a pair of limbs that were perfect for the job.


    For a moment, his thoughts wandered to a game he¡¯d yed in his previous life, where there was a type of self-destructing insect¡­


    Luo Wen wanted to p himself. What was he thinking? If he grew something bizarre while sleeping¡ªsomething that exploded as soon as he woke up¡ªwhere would he even go toin?


    Still, what determined these evolutionary changes? Next time he rested, he would need to give it serious thought. But for now, filling his stomach was the priority.


    The new rake-like limbs proved to be exceptionally efficient. The prongs easily prated the soil, dislodgingrge chunks with each motion.


    Strangely, Luo Wen noticed his sense of direction had improved dramatically since bing an insect. In his human life, he was notoriously bad at navigation, relying on GPS even for short trips. Now, in this pitch-dark underground maze where every direction looked the same, he instinctively knew where to go. He quickly found his way back to the previous tunnel without taking a single wrong turn.


    Some parts of the tunnel had copsed, but what had taken great effort to dig through with his small ws before was now a breeze with his new limbs.


    He now had eight appendages, though he had never paid much attention to insect anatomy in his previous life. While he had killed his fair share of flies and mosquitoes, he¡¯d never bothered counting their legs. Insects came in so many varieties, and having more legs seemed normal. Take centipedes, for example¡ªhe remembered a childhood story about a centipede putting on shoes, which his kindergarten teacher used to tell before naptime. He had never stayed awake long enough to hear the centipede finish.


    Of course, those legs were natural. His, on the other hand, seemed to grow based on need. Luo Wen worried about what he might turn into if this continued, but then heughed at himself. He was already an insect; why worry about appearances?


    It wasn¡¯t as though insects had dating standards, he thought. Then again, who knew? He hadn¡¯t met any others of his kind yet, so he had no idea what insect aesthetics were like. Suddenly, another thought struck him¡ªwas he male or female? Did insects even have¡­ that? He tried feeling for something but found nothing. Could he be a female?


    If he were still human, his face would undoubtedly have gone pale at this realization.


    Distraught, Luo Wen reached the nt root again, only to find the white grubs feasting gleefully. Fury surged within him.


    He rushed forward and kicked them away one by one.


    Licking the delicious sap while watching the white grubs squirm and roll in frustration, Luo Wen felt much better.


    As expected, happiness is built on the misery of other insects.

 Chapter 7: Enhancements

    When Luo Wen regained consciousness, he had no idea how much time had passed.


    Though he remained motionless, the bristles on his body informed him that the white grub beside him was still tirelessly gnawing at the tree root.


    ¡°Still an insect, huh? How am I even alive after all this?¡±


    He had harbored a sliver of hope, wishing that death might grant him a third life or return him to his previous one.


    Unexpectedly, this seemingly impressive insect species turned out to have an astonishing vitality. Despite being gutted, with food passing straight through his body without nourishment, he had somehow survived.


    It was truly unbelievable.


    But there was no time for amazement. A quick inspection of his body revealed that the three abdominal segments dangling from his abdomen had shriveled and detached, lying discarded nearby.


    The wound had healed, but no new body segments had grown to rece them, leaving his body visibly shorter.


    He couldn¡¯t see the injuries on his back, but they didn¡¯t seem to be serious. The wound on his broken hind leg had also healed, although it hadn¡¯t regrown.His hunger was now extreme. Since his rear had healed, this meant that the food he ate would now stay inside.


    Dragging his weakened body, Luo Wen forced himself back to the tree root. The white grub was still contentedly sipping sap. Without hesitation, he kicked it aside and moved in to feed.


    After licking his fill, he grabbed the white grub and opened another sap wound. Repeating this cycle several times, Luo Wen finally felt full.


    Having eaten his fill, fatigue overtook him once again. Ignoring everything else, Luo Wen dragged himself back to his hiding spot and passed out.


    Thus began a routine of waking, kicking the white grub, feeding, and copsing back into unconsciousness. After countless repetitions, Luo Wen¡¯s spirit finally recovered. Around himy scattered molts from his shedding.


    By now, his appearance had drastically changed.


    First, his eyes had grown significantlyrger, taking up nearly half of his head. His field of vision had expanded dramatically, resembling a 360-degree wide-angle camera that allowed him to see even his own back.


    For the first time, Luo Wen could observe his back. Although he didn¡¯t know what it had looked like before, he noticed a small patch of hard armor there, while the rest of his long abdomen had been exposed. This vulnerability exined why the ants had been able to target his abdomen so easily.


    Now, his neck area sported an expanded shoulder te that stretched to cover his sides, greatly increasing histeral defense.


    That wasn¡¯t all. Behind this shoulder te, a semi-circr back te had grown, shielding his shortened abdomen. His entire back now resembled a seven-spotteddybug, except his back armor was solid ck and covered with bristles.


    His previously maimed hind leg had fallen off entirely, only to regrow, thicker and more robust than before, bristling with sharp spines.


    In addition, he discovered two new hind legs capable of bending in reverse. If he were to flip onto his back, his now-rounder body might make flipping over even harder.


    But on the contrary, these new hind legs could press against the ground and push him upright.


    Lastly, his mouthparts had undergone a transformation. His previouspping-sucking mouthparts had shrunk significantly, and now, as if driven by a subconscious desire to avoid relying on the white grub, he had grown therge mandibles he had longed for. He could finally drink sap independently.


    The myriad problems he had encountered in his prior struggles had all been addressed during this evolution. Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but exim internally: <i>Iphieash, you¡¯re incredible!</i>


    Even with hisprehensive enhancements, Luo Wen had no intention of immediately seeking revenge on the ants. Two fists couldn¡¯t fend off four hands, let alone the many hands the ants had.@@novelbin@@


    Through this intensive, multi-faceted evolution, Luo Wen had gained a better understanding of his body.


    Firstly, evolution adhered to the principle of energy conservation, which exined his repeated need to eat throughout the process.


    Secondly, when faced with certain challenges, his body would instinctively activate the most suitable genes from its internal gene pool. Sufficient energy expedited this activation. For example, when he had trouble digging earlier, his recently replenished energy stores had quickly enabled him to grow digging limbs.


    Luo Wen sensed that as he continued to grow and mature, he might eventually be able to actively choose which genes to activate.


    The diversity of the gene pool, however, depended on the insect¡¯s mother. If the egg had beenid under ideal conditions, it would be stocked with abundant resources. The opposite was also true.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen belonged to thetter group. Like most Iphieash offspring, he had been hastilyid as ast resort, leaving him with barely any gic ¡°inventory.¡± His pool only contained basic genes for digging, feeding, and minor resistances like fire and frost, just enough to survive therval stage.


    But even this was sufficient. After surviving the vulnerable early stage,rvae would inevitably encounter a vast array of organisms, witnessing their unique strengths and abilities, and then selecting the most suitable ones to arm themselves.


    This realization led Luo Wen to reconsider. Perhaps his initial understanding had been wrong. Theck of advanced gic material might not have been due to oversight but rather a deliberate, calcted decision.


    Every Iphieash¡¯s environment was unique, exposing them to wildly different organisms. Without firsthand experience, activating random gic sequences would waste energy at best. At worst, it could result in mdaptive traits.


    Perhaps long ago, some Iphieash had recklessly activated untested gene sequences in response to difficulties, only to exacerbate their problems or even lose their lives.


    It was possible that leaving only basic gic fragments was itself an evolutionary adaptation.


    Reflecting on this, Luo Wen felt the decision made perfect sense.


    It was as if someone had left a gene for self-destruction in the pool. If one day he desperately sought a quick way to boost power with minimal side effects, the gene pool,cking wisdom, might instinctively suggest this extreme solution. Unaware of its function, he might activate it and wake up as a living bomb.


    Luo Wen maliciously spected that some predecessors might have encountered such a fate.


    For now, Luo Wen could finally rest easy, no longer fearing that impulsive thoughts might lead to his doom.

 Chapter 6: Under Attack

    As it turned out, Luo Wen¡¯s earlier suspicion about the small hole near his rear end was correct.@@novelbin@@


    The ant-like creatures were exceptionally aggressive. One of the closest ants swayed its antennae, its six jointed limbs slightly bending before springing forward all at once,unching itself right at Luo Wen. Its hooked mandibles lifted slightly before mping down in a swift motion, aiming to lock onto him.


    Of course, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t about to roll over and take it. While hispound eyes were terribly nearsighted, their thousands of lenses forming individual images gave him excellent dynamic vision.


    To put it into perspective, if a human eye found watching a screen with a 60Hz refresh rate smooth andg-free, Luo Wen¡¯s dynamic vision was ten times better. For him, that 60Hz screen would seem like a slideshow, stuttering between frames for what felt like an eternity.


    Yet, the ant¡¯sunch speed was so fast that it exceeded the reaction threshold of human vision. Even for Luo Wen, while he could track its movements, there was no ¡°bullet time¡± advantage.


    He quickly used three of his elongated striding limbs on one side to kick against the ground, propelling himself into a roll and narrowly avoiding the attacking mandibles. The close call left Luo Wen drenched in cold sweat.


    His current insect bodycked the flexibility of a human¡¯s. Movements humans could execute with ease, such as rolling, were tremendously taxing for him.


    This time, he was lucky. After rolling twice, he ended up belly down, still sprawled on the ground.


    If his push-off had been weaker, or if any other mishap had urred leaving him flipped belly-up, it would have spelled disaster. In his current form, flipping over was a monumental task, leaving him entirely at the mercy of the ants.One-on-one, Luo Wen felt he could handle these ants, which were slightly smaller than him. But clearly, they had no intention of fighting fair, showing every sign of ganging up on him.


    Discretion being the better part of valor, Luo Wen raised his rear and prepared to flee.


    On the ground, he couldn¡¯t match the ants¡¯ speed, but he had his own advantage. Despite his short tenure as an insect, he had already observed that while their forelimbs were adequate for wing at sand and gravel, they were woefully unsuited for digging through soil.


    The ground here wasyered with loose sand and gravel, but beneath ity soil. If he could burrow into the soilyer, he¡¯d be safe.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen underestimated the ants¡¯unch speed and range. Several ants leaped simultaneously, their mandibles mping onto him just as half his body disappeared into the dirt. Two even pierced his abdomen, collectively pulling to drag him back out.


    If they seeded, it would be game over for Luo Wen. Determined to survive, he desperately wed at the ground with his digging limbs, braced his midlimbs against nearby gravel, and kicked frantically with his hind legs.


    One of the ants gripping Luo Wen¡¯s abdomen surged forward. In addition to its conspicuous hooked mandibles, it had a pair of smaller, pincer-like ck-brown jaws near its mouth.


    Luo Wen¡¯s iling hind leg happened to strike directly in front of its jaws. The ant reacted quickly, snapping down on the leg.


    Whether other insects felt pain, Luo Wen didn¡¯t know, but he was sure of one thing¡ªhe currently had no pain sensation. Otherwise, with his injuries, a human body would¡¯ve passed out long ago from the agony.


    As if this weren¡¯t enough, some of the ants stabilized themselves with their six legs, raised their thoraxes vertically, and stretched their abdomens forward until they were even with their heads, resembling scorpions about to sting.


    Their swollen abdomens pulsed, and from the nozzle at the tip, a turbid liquid spurted forth. Upon contact with air, the liquid emitted a wisp of white smoke.


    The liquid arced through the air,nding precisely around Luo Wen, sttering parts of his posterior abdomen. The contact caused small, pitted wounds as his body was corroded.


    <i>Crap!</i> Luo Wen thought bitterly. <i>These shameless creatures are using fecal spray attacks! And it¡¯s toxic! I¡¯ve never seen a species so devoid of honor.</i>


    Faced with a life-or-death situation, Luo Wen seemed to muster strength from every fiber of his being, even his bristles standing on end. After a desperate struggle, he finally broke free, burrowingpletely into the gravelyer and disappearing from view.


    Once underground, Luo Wen left the ants far behind. They couldn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of his rear hole.


    Now temporarily safe, Luo Wen stopped. Exhausted, he found himself in a pitiful state. Both his hind legs bore bite marks of varying severity, one of them broken in the middle and missing arge segment.


    Fortunately, with so many legs, losing two wasn¡¯t a significant hindrance to his mobility.


    His posterior half, while affected by the corrosive spray, didn¡¯t sustain as much damage as he¡¯d feared. Likely, the brief exposure and limited dosage caused only superficial injuries, sparing his internal structure.


    Unable to see his own back, Luo Wen could only sense that the damage wasn¡¯t too severe.


    However, the wound on his abdomen was another story.


    The soft abdomen had been torn open at the third segment from the rear, leaving it barely attached to his body by a thin strip of skin. Internal organs¡ªor whatever constituted them in his current form¡ªhad trailed out along the way, leaving nothing left to spill.


    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m an insect now. If I were human and this gutted, I¡¯d definitely be dead.¡±


    Even though he wasn¡¯t dead yet, Luo Wen had no idea how much longer he could hold on with such severe injuries. But there was little he could do. No bandages or gauze were avable, and even if they were, his current limbs couldn¡¯t manage the dexterity for such tasks.


    What he wouldn¡¯t give for ess to the inte right now, to post his predicament and tack on a desperate plea: <i>Urgent, need help!</i>


    But that was wishful thinking. Luo Wen suspected these idle thoughts were a sign he was nearing death, his mind starting to wander.


    Vibrations sensed by his bristles snapped him back to reality¡ªthe ants were tracking him by the trail of fluid his wounds left behind. This ce was no longer safe.


    Raising his rear again, Luo Wen resumed digging. Earlier, he¡¯d noticed that the ants and their tunnels didn¡¯t extend to the deeper undergroundyers. It seemed they preferred not to live there, and their forelimbs were ill-suited for excavating soil.


    If he continued downward, he could lose them for good.


    Luo Wen had no idea how long he had been digging. His consciousness began to blur. Though he felt no pain, his grievous injuries left him physically and mentally drained.


    Through the haze, he sensed familiar vibrations ahead¡ªwhite bugs gnawing at tree roots!


    Using thest of his strength, Luo Wen crawled forward. Sure enough, a fat, white grub was using itsrge mandibles to strip bark and feast on the sulent sap.


    Without hesitation, Luo Wen kicked the grub aside andtched onto the wound in the tree root, furiously licking at the sap.


    The cool, slightly sweet liquid flowed down his throat into his body, reaching his abdomen, only to leak out through his wound¡­


    Luo Wen felt a wave of despair.


    Weakly, he burrowed a short distance to the side before his vision went ck, and he lost consciousness.

 Chapter 9: Severely Injured

    Luo Wen felt he had been too reckless. After realizing there was a storm outside, he should have retreated immediately instead of staying to daydream. Didn¡¯t he know that being a spectator came with risks? Now, not only had he been forced into a front-row seat, but he¡¯d also been dragged into the performance.


    If given another chance, he would stay in his burrow no matter what happened outside. He¡¯d stake his pride on not moving a muscle!


    The sky was pitch-ck, with the ferocious storm howling like a ghost. It whipped up a barrage of sand and stones, which, under the storm¡¯s force, shot forward like bullets.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen was directly in the path of the onught.


    Though his small body made for a minor target, the density of the sandstorm ensured countless particles still struck him.


    Luo Wen curled all his limbs toward his head, shielding hispound eyes with his digging limbs. The rest of his legs surrounded his head as best they could. He twisted his body to present his back to the storm¡¯s direction.


    His newly grown shoulder tes and dorsal armor offered considerable protection. Though he felt no pain, the fine hairs on his exoskeleton told him the sand and stones had not yet breached his defenses.


    Despite this, the relentless impacts sent his body tumbling through the air, making it nearly impossible to maintain bnce.


    Amid the disorienting spins, his unprotected abdomen bore the brunt of the damage. The dorsal armor covered much of it, but the sandstorm¡¯s 360-degree assault spared no part of his body. His already shortened abdomen took another round of severe hits.Luo Wen didn¡¯t have the luxury of addressing his abdominal injuries. Nor did he bother keeping his back to the storm, as constant tumbling and the storm¡¯s unpredictable gusts rendered his efforts futile.


    Finally, he resorted to curling his neck, shielding his head with his limbs, and leaving his fate to luck.


    He¡¯d survived an abdominal injury before, but a crushed head would mean certain death. He still had so much time to live; he didn¡¯t want his journey to end prematurely.


    The world around him was shrouded in darkness. The howling winds and flying debris disoriented himpletely. Not that it mattered¡ªhe was quickly swept farther away by the storm.


    After an indeterminate time, during which even his tough dorsal armor began to sustain damage, Luo Wen noticed the wind¡¯s intensity lessening.


    It seemed he had endured the worst. But now, a new problem emerged.


    He couldn¡¯t fly. He¡¯d only ¡°hatched¡± a few days ago and hadn¡¯t had time to develop such capabilities.


    Even if he could fly, his tiny body would be powerless against the might of nature.


    At this moment, Luo Wen had no idea how high he¡¯d been swept. His poor vision was useless in the dim, low-visibility environment. Even with his former human eyes, he doubted he could have seen much in these conditions.


    Eventually, Luo Wen felt himself descending. Thankfully, while the wind had weakened, it still asionally lifted his lightweight body, cushioning his fall somewhat.


    His hollow internal structure made him lighter, and the semicircr shape of his dorsal armor acted like a parachute.


    By some miracle, hended from an unknown height without sustaining significant impact damage.


    No wonder he¡¯d never heard of insects dying from falls in his previous life. It turned out that even wingless insects possessed innate adaptations to survive such situations.


    After being blown around a couple more times uponnding, Luo Wen finally settled safely on the ground.


    Without pausing to assess his injuries, he immediately began digging into the earth.


    Thanks to years of watching disaster movies, Luo Wen knew tornadoes had calm ¡°eyes.¡± But he couldn¡¯t tell if he was in the storm¡¯s eye¡ªor even if this was a tornado at all. Not that he wanted to find out. He was just an insect now, focused solely on survival.


    Staying on the surface was a death wish. Only by burrowing deep underground could he find any sense of security.


    Luo Wen dug deeper than ever before, descending well past his previous home¡¯s depth. When he hit ayer of soil, he kept going, ensuring he was far below any potential surface threats.


    As he worked, he felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. Just when his life had started to stabilize¡ªwhen he¡¯d barely had time to enjoy his new home and the seemingly endless supply of white grubs¡ªit was all taken away because he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to check out somemotion. Now, all he could do wasment his terrible luck.


    His injuries, however, were an even greater source of despair.@@novelbin@@


    One of his digging limbs was broken. Several of his mid and hind legs were eitherpletely snapped or heavily damaged. The few intact ones had suffered varying degrees of wear and tear.


    His head and eyes, while protected, hadn¡¯t escaped unscathed. He noticed several ck spots in his vision, likely caused by damage to some of hispound eyes¡¯ lenses. He had no idea if they would heal.


    His antennae, left unprotected, had also suffered¡ªhalf of one was missing.


    The damage to his shoulder and dorsal tes was severe, with arge chunk of the dorsal armorpletely gone.


    The worst injury was to his recently healed abdomen. Last time, he¡¯d lost three segments of tissue, shrinking his overall size. While this time he didn¡¯t lose entire segments, many areas were severely damaged, exposing his internal structures.


    Yet amidst the despair, Luo Wen noticed something interesting: within the hollow cavities of his abdomen were fibrous tissues that quickly patched the wounds, preventing fluid loss.


    It seemed this was a result of his previous evolution. The changes were internal and had gone unnoticed until now.


    Still, Luo Wen had no desire to discover these adaptations.


    Nevertheless, the fibrous tissues yed a crucial role. While his abdominal injuries looked more severe thanst time, the self-repair mechanism had stabilized the damage, preventing further deterioration. At least now, he wouldn¡¯t experience the grotesque phenomenon of food leaking out as he ate.


    With his remaining antenna and fine hairs raised, Luo Wen detected no unusual scents or vibrations. Sensing safety, he slowly closed his eyes.


    He needed rest¡ªa chance to use his stored energy to begin healing.


    This time, his injuries were far worse than before. Almost every part of his body was damaged. Even his rtively protected head and eyes bore significant scratches and abrasions.


    The environment, too, was far more hostile than before. Last time, he¡¯d had ess to nearby food, allowing him to replenish energy during recovery. This time, though he¡¯d recently eaten a white grub, the storm had drained much of his reserves.


    Moreover, his abdomen¡¯s ruptures, despite the fibrous patches, had still cost him some stored nutrients.


    At best, his current energy reserves were only half of their full capacity.


    Faced with these challenges, Luo Wen¡¯s body had no choice but to alter its recovery strategy.

 Chapter 11: Black Moss

    The results were not promising.


    But with Luo Wen¡¯s limited knowledge of entomology, he couldn¡¯t be certain if insects even possessed such things.


    And even if they did, what would be the point? Setting aside whether there were others of his kind, what could he possibly do¡ªengage in some dubious reproductive activities with another insect? Moreover, in his memory, male insects usually met tragic ends. A children¡¯s film he watched growing up, one featuring a cat as the protagonist, contained certain scenes that remained a haunting shadow of his childhood.


    Shuddering, he forcibly interrupted the trajectory of his thoughts.


    Previously, he had assumed that the tiny opening at the tip of his rear end was an excretory outlet. That opening had been lost along with the three tail segments he had shed. Unexpectedly, a new one had secretly grown back, though it had remained unused and unnoticed.


    But even this time, it wasn¡¯t utilized. Instead, a small opening appeared in the middle of his lower abdomen for excretion, leaving the purpose of the rear-end opening still a mystery.


    Drinking water to fill his stomach was barely effective, so Luo Wen turned his attention to the ck moss-like nts around him.


    Were they poisonous? And how resistant was his insect body to toxins?


    Considering the grandiose name and reputation of his species, his reckless curiosity began to stir.A small taste shouldn¡¯t be an issue, right?


    He cautiously moved closer, using his burrowing legs to scratch at the ck moss a couple of times. Nothing unusual happened¡ªno mysterious gas released, no unknown liquid sprayed out, and the hairs on his limbs showed no signs of corrosion.


    He extended his mouthparts and lightly touched the ck moss. No reaction. Then he used his small tongue to lick it. After waiting for a while, there was no numbness at the tip of his tongue.


    Finally, he carefully took a tiny bite, lying still afterward as a precaution. He experienced no ill effects.


    After gradually increasing the amount he consumed and lengthening the waiting period between tests, Luo Wen concluded that the ck moss were edible and non-toxic¡ªor toxic, but harmless to him.


    While the energy provided by nts couldn¡¯tpare to that from meat, it was certainly better than merely drinking water.


    After eating his fill, Luo Wen climbed up out of the crevice to rest. The walls of the fissure became smoother the deeper he went. His wed limbs weren¡¯t well-suited for traversing or resting on such smooth surfaces.


    Going deeper posed significant risks. If he lost his grip and fell,nding on rock might be manageable. But if he plunged into the underground river, who knew if he could swim? If not, that would be disastrous.


    Most insects have specialized tracheal systems and unique operational mechanisms, making it difficult to suffocate them but rtively easy to drown them.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen¡¯s current body used such a conventional system. If he fell into the water, would Ifiaesh¡¯s adaptability allow him to evolve a new system in time to survive?


    Luo Wen decided that anyone else was wee to try such challenges¡ªhe certainly wouldn¡¯t.@@novelbin@@


    The first rule etched into his code of conduct was: ¡°Don¡¯t court death.¡±


    Although Luo Wen aspired to grow powerful in istion before venturing out, this clearly wasn¡¯t realistic. While the area provided food, the efficiency of sustenance was low. As his size increased, he¡¯d likely spend most of each day just eating.


    Additionally, the ck moss couldn¡¯t add new gic elements to his abilities. Staying here would merely erge his current form proportionally, without gaining any new functions.


    Furthermore, he needed to learn more about this world. He couldn¡¯t just assume invincibility and recklessly roam, only to be met with a missile or disintegration spell right away. It was essential to observe while he was still inconspicuous.


    After much deliberation, Luo Wen devised apromise. He would follow the underground river¡¯s flow to wherever it led.


    Water is the source of life, and he believed that following it would eventually lead him to other forms of life.


    However, leaving this ce meant he might never avenge the ants¡¯ attack.


    Not that Luo Wen was particrly vengeful, of course. He reassured himself it was merely a casual reflection.


    And so, he embarked on a long journey along the underground river.


    His days became a routine of eating, drinking, traveling, and resting in cycles. asionally, he would climb upward to search for any rtives of the white insect, but s, he found none.


    He avoided returning to the surface for now. His brief experiences there had been exceedingly unpleasant. The first time, he had only suffered minor burns, but the next two times nearly cost him his life.


    As he continued along the underground river, its elevation gradually rose. The riverbed, once 50 to 60 meters below the surface, was now only about 20 meters deep.


    Luo Wen¡¯s body had also regrown to the size of a fingernail.


    Honestly, his growth was slower than he had anticipated.


    Besides the low energy conversion efficiency of his diet, most of his energy was expended on the heavybor of digging.


    He also suspected that his oxygen supply system was a significant limiting factor in his growth. He desperately needed a new, more robust oxygen delivery mechanism to rece the current one.


    Time passed in unknown measure. The riverbed continued to rise, drawing nearer to the surface, while the rockyyer he traversed came to within a few meters of the ground.


    Soil began to mix with the rock, and theyer of sand and gravel thinned to almost nothing. asionally, nt roots appeared, weaving through the soil. Luo Wen sensed that he might soon leave the desert.


    When the rockyer was only a meter below the surface, the sand and gravel vanished entirely, leaving just soil. nt roots grew thicker and more numerous here, indicating an abundance of vegetation above. Yet, he found no sign of white insects.


    Unable to resist, Luo Wen finally tunneled out of the soil to the surface for a look.


    Hisrge, bulbous eyes finally proved useful, capturing the surroundingndscape with startling rity. His field of vision extended to nearly 20 meters, seemingly having strengthened unnoticed.


    Clusters of unknown shrubs dotted thend, interspersed with windblown sand, now reduced to a minorponent.


    Despite the vegetation, the area still felt barren. He saw no trace of insects or animals.


    It was daytime. The scorching sun beat down on Luo Wen, but instead of the searing pain he¡¯d felt before, he found the warmth rather pleasant. His fire resistance had clearly improved.


    Cautiously, he crept to the nearest shrub. Its thick yellow-white trunk twisted upward, sprouting numerous slender branches adorned with countless tiny green leaves.


    It looked delicious.


    The ck moss from underground had long disappeared, likely needing the deep subterranean environment to grow.


    Luo Wen had spent two days surviving on water alone beforeing across scattered tree roots. The juice extracted from these roots barely sustained him, with just enough surplus to scrape by.


    Sticking to his n, Luo Wen continued following the underground river. After all, seeking alternatives in such an environment carried significant risks.


    Gradually, the roots became more abundant, until they were omnipresent. Luo Wen no longer had to worry about food, but a new problem arose.

 Chapter 9: Severely Injured

    Luo Wen felt he had been too reckless. After realizing there was a storm outside, he should have retreated immediately instead of staying to daydream. Didn¡¯t he know that being a spectator came with risks? Now, not only had he been forced into a front-row seat, but he¡¯d also been dragged into the performance.


    If given another chance, he would stay in his burrow no matter what happened outside. He¡¯d stake his pride on not moving a muscle!


    The sky was pitch-ck, with the ferocious storm howling like a ghost. It whipped up a barrage of sand and stones, which, under the storm¡¯s force, shot forward like bullets.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen was directly in the path of the onught.


    Though his small body made for a minor target, the density of the sandstorm ensured countless particles still struck him.


    Luo Wen curled all his limbs toward his head, shielding hispound eyes with his digging limbs. The rest of his legs surrounded his head as best they could. He twisted his body to present his back to the storm¡¯s direction.


    His newly grown shoulder tes and dorsal armor offered considerable protection. Though he felt no pain, the fine hairs on his exoskeleton told him the sand and stones had not yet breached his defenses.


    Despite this, the relentless impacts sent his body tumbling through the air, making it nearly impossible to maintain bnce.


    Amid the disorienting spins, his unprotected abdomen bore the brunt of the damage. The dorsal armor covered much of it, but the sandstorm¡¯s 360-degree assault spared no part of his body. His already shortened abdomen took another round of severe hits.Luo Wen didn¡¯t have the luxury of addressing his abdominal injuries. Nor did he bother keeping his back to the storm, as constant tumbling and the storm¡¯s unpredictable gusts rendered his efforts futile.


    Finally, he resorted to curling his neck, shielding his head with his limbs, and leaving his fate to luck.


    He¡¯d survived an abdominal injury before, but a crushed head would mean certain death. He still had so much time to live; he didn¡¯t want his journey to end prematurely.


    The world around him was shrouded in darkness. The howling winds and flying debris disoriented himpletely. Not that it mattered¡ªhe was quickly swept farther away by the storm.


    After an indeterminate time, during which even his tough dorsal armor began to sustain damage, Luo Wen noticed the wind¡¯s intensity lessening.


    It seemed he had endured the worst. But now, a new problem emerged.


    He couldn¡¯t fly. He¡¯d only ¡°hatched¡± a few days ago and hadn¡¯t had time to develop such capabilities.


    Even if he could fly, his tiny body would be powerless against the might of nature.


    At this moment, Luo Wen had no idea how high he¡¯d been swept. His poor vision was useless in the dim, low-visibility environment. Even with his former human eyes, he doubted he could have seen much in these conditions.


    Eventually, Luo Wen felt himself descending. Thankfully, while the wind had weakened, it still asionally lifted his lightweight body, cushioning his fall somewhat.


    His hollow internal structure made him lighter, and the semicircr shape of his dorsal armor acted like a parachute.


    By some miracle, hended from an unknown height without sustaining significant impact damage.


    No wonder he¡¯d never heard of insects dying from falls in his previous life. It turned out that even wingless insects possessed innate adaptations to survive such situations.


    After being blown around a couple more times uponnding, Luo Wen finally settled safely on the ground.


    Without pausing to assess his injuries, he immediately began digging into the earth.


    Thanks to years of watching disaster movies, Luo Wen knew tornadoes had calm ¡°eyes.¡± But he couldn¡¯t tell if he was in the storm¡¯s eye¡ªor even if this was a tornado at all. Not that he wanted to find out. He was just an insect now, focused solely on survival.


    Staying on the surface was a death wish. Only by burrowing deep underground could he find any sense of security.


    Luo Wen dug deeper than ever before, descending well past his previous home¡¯s depth. When he hit ayer of soil, he kept going, ensuring he was far below any potential surface threats.


    As he worked, he felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. Just when his life had started to stabilize¡ªwhen he¡¯d barely had time to enjoy his new home and the seemingly endless supply of white grubs¡ªit was all taken away because he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to check out somemotion. Now, all he could do wasment his terrible luck.


    His injuries, however, were an even greater source of despair.


    One of his digging limbs was broken. Several of his mid and hind legs were eitherpletely snapped or heavily damaged. The few intact ones had suffered varying degrees of wear and tear.


    His head and eyes, while protected, hadn¡¯t escaped unscathed. He noticed several ck spots in his vision, likely caused by damage to some of hispound eyes¡¯ lenses. He had no idea if they would heal.


    His antennae, left unprotected, had also suffered¡ªhalf of one was missing.


    The damage to his shoulder and dorsal tes was severe, with arge chunk of the dorsal armorpletely gone.@@novelbin@@


    The worst injury was to his recently healed abdomen. Last time, he¡¯d lost three segments of tissue, shrinking his overall size. While this time he didn¡¯t lose entire segments, many areas were severely damaged, exposing his internal structures.


    Yet amidst the despair, Luo Wen noticed something interesting: within the hollow cavities of his abdomen were fibrous tissues that quickly patched the wounds, preventing fluid loss.


    It seemed this was a result of his previous evolution. The changes were internal and had gone unnoticed until now.


    Still, Luo Wen had no desire to discover these adaptations.


    Nevertheless, the fibrous tissues yed a crucial role. While his abdominal injuries looked more severe thanst time, the self-repair mechanism had stabilized the damage, preventing further deterioration. At least now, he wouldn¡¯t experience the grotesque phenomenon of food leaking out as he ate.


    With his remaining antenna and fine hairs raised, Luo Wen detected no unusual scents or vibrations. Sensing safety, he slowly closed his eyes.


    He needed rest¡ªa chance to use his stored energy to begin healing.


    This time, his injuries were far worse than before. Almost every part of his body was damaged. Even his rtively protected head and eyes bore significant scratches and abrasions.


    The environment, too, was far more hostile than before. Last time, he¡¯d had ess to nearby food, allowing him to replenish energy during recovery. This time, though he¡¯d recently eaten a white grub, the storm had drained much of his reserves.


    Moreover, his abdomen¡¯s ruptures, despite the fibrous patches, had still cost him some stored nutrients.


    At best, his current energy reserves were only half of their full capacity.


    Faced with these challenges, Luo Wen¡¯s body had no choice but to alter its recovery strategy.

 Chapter 10: Recovery

    Deep underground, a ck insecty motionless, its body severely damaged and over half of it crippled, appearing lifeless.


    Suddenly, viscous liquid began seeping out of its body¡ªthrough its eyes, mouthparts, and the base of the hairs covering its body.


    Under the influence of these liquids, the insect¡¯s ck head, fragile eyes, delicate mouthparts, rotting abdomen, and even its sturdy shoulder tes and back armor underwent a miraculous chemical reaction, as if they were melting.


    White foam appeared, expanded, and then slowly hardened, eventually forming a cocoon-like structure resembling the ck insect, but significantlyrger. The cocoonpletely encased the insect.


    Luo Wen¡¯s consciousness floated in the darkness, fluctuating as if he were drowning, his body being churned into pulp. The difort was suffocating, and he struggled desperately to escape his plight.


    Outside, the cocoon, shaped like a ck insect, began to tremble as if something trapped inside was attempting to break free. The trembling intensified, growing faster and more vigorous until a crack appeared along the top of the cocoon.


    From the crack emerged a head¡ªsmooth, tender, and translucent yellowish-white. It looked fragile, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch, with its internal organs faintly visible. The creature, through sheer effort, gradually forced its burrowing legs out.


    With these legs anchoring it externally, the tender insect soon managed to pull its entire body free from the cocoon.


    Exhausted from the struggle, the insect rested briefly on the cocoon.At this moment, its once yellowish-white, tender body rapidly turned ck and hardened. Its outermost skin transformed into an exoskeleton, encasing its entire body.


    In the blink of an eye, it reverted to its ck insect form.


    Luo Wen examined his body and found that he had shrunk significantly. The size he had nearly reached¡ªa fingernail¡ªhad reverted to his original size at ¡°birth.¡±


    Though no new organs or limbs had appeared, the damage to his body had been fully repaired. Even the ck spots that had marred his vision were gone, and his sight was clear once more.


    His antennae waved, and the two identical-length appendages swayed in front of his eyes, soothing hispulsive tendencies.


    This recovery wasrgely thanks to the white insect he had devoured. The newly activated cocooning ability drew much of its gic material from it. Combined with some of Luo Wen¡¯s inherent gic fragments, the fusion and refinement triggered by a life-and-death crisis had led to his current state.


    Simply patching together parts and organs from other insects would create an unsightly chimera. Only through fusion, refinement, and evolution could the abilities of Iphieash truly shine.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen was still arva and could not actively select which gic fragments to activate, let alone integrate and refine them. This time¡¯s sess was merely a lucky ident triggered by the instinct to survive as his life ebbed away.@@novelbin@@


    Regardless of the benefits, Luo Wen did not wish to attempt such a process again. He had no pressing goals to achieve, and surviving to reach maturity naturally seemed the proper course. Risking his life recklessly in pursuit of power was not a choice he would make.


    Though his body was fully healed, his energy reserves were critically low. The repairs had consumed not just his energy but even some of his bodily tissues, leaving him smaller overall.


    Luo Wen now needed to find food urgently. Without replenishment, his survival strategy of cautious endurance would be nothing but empty talk.


    He set his burrowing legs to work and chose a random direction to dig, as all paths seemed equally unfamiliar in this strange environment.


    Luo Wen¡¯s digging speed was impressive, though he felt he could go even faster.


    However, his newly evolved 360-degree panoramic vision¡ªprovided by hisrge bulbous eyes¡ªwas more of a hindrance than a help underground. It allowed him to see farther, but being surrounded by earth, it was nearly useless. Moreover, he had to divert attention to protect his fragile eyes while digging, significantly slowing him down.


    Upon reflection, he decided that slowing down wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. This wasn¡¯t his familiar territory. He had no idea where he was or what dangers might lurk underground. Better to proceed cautiously.


    He reduced his speed further, employing his antennae and body hairs at full capacity to scan for potential threats.


    In the desert, resources were scarce. Luo Wen had been lucky to find suitable food near his ¡°birthce.¡± But that luck seemed to have run out. After burrowing for an indeterminate amount of time, his already dwindling energy reserves were nearing depletion, yet he had found no sign of food.


    Desperate, he decided to dig straight downward. Gradually,rge rocks appeared around him. Following the crevices between the stones, he continued digging until the scattered rocks fused into a solidyer of bedrock.


    Suddenly, strong vibrations reverberated through the rock. His antennae detected dense moisture in the air, and the faint sound of running water reached his ears.


    Luo Wen deduced that there might be an underground river beneath the rocks.


    Guided by the moisture, he crawled toward the source. Before long, he found a small crack in the previously imprable rockyer, through which the sound of flowing water became clearer.


    Taking advantage of his small size, Luo Wen wriggled through the crack. As he progressed, the surrounding rock walls darkened and became slick with moisture¡ªcondensed from the dense humidity in the air.


    ck spots began to appear on the walls, resembling some kind of nt, perhaps moss. However, this wasn¡¯t his old territory, and their unusual color left him uncertain about their identity.


    In this environment, his burrowing legs were almost useless. Luo Wen used the hooked ws on his other six limbs to anchor himself to pits and grooves on the rock¡¯s surface.


    He extended his mouthparts, which formed a dish-like structure at the mushroom-shaped tip, and pressed them against the rock. Hidden fine hairs and a small tongue quickly scraped up the moisture.


    The cold underground water flowed into his esophagus and then his body, its minerals and microorganisms rapidly digested to replenish his depleted energy reserves slightly.


    Luo Wen drank until he could no longer stomach another drop, then rested nearby. Once he digested the water, he would resume drinking.


    However, relying solely on water to replenish energy was excruciatingly slow. Luo Wen drank until he nearly vomited and, for the first time since his ¡°birth,¡± urinated.


    He had never urinated, even when he drank root fluids daily.


    This first experience was novel, though it wasn¡¯t his focus.


    Drawing from his past human experiences¡ªspecifically as a man¡ªhe knew that urination required certain organs.


    Naturally, as a newly insectile being, Luo Wen needed to examine his body after this unprecedented act.

 Chapter 16: New Changes

    The environment here wasplex and riddled with danger, leaving Luo Wen no time to adjust his mindset leisurely.


    He stopped hesitating, convincing himself that it was just like drinking bubble tea.@@novelbin@@


    With his eyes closed, he used his twin mandibles to bite a small opening into the Camouge Bug¡¯s swollen belly. Thick liquid began to ooze from the wound.


    His newly adapted chewing mouthparts sealed over the opening, and his mandibr lobes opened and closed, sucking up every drop of the liquid.


    Once past the psychological barrier, Luo Wen found that, to a bug¡¯s pte, the taste was actually quite pleasant. After all, it was essentially a distition of the ck Beetle¡¯s muscles, concentrated into a rich broth. It was akin to a chicken soup that had simmered for three days, packed with all the essence.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen had recently reced his siphoning mouthparts, which would have been ideal as a straw. Now, it felt more like drinking from a packet of juice¡ªbiting a small hole in the corner and slowly draining the contents. asionally, small chunks¡ªlike pearls, grass jelly, or fruit bits in bubble tea¡ªwould slip through, providing a chewy delight. (He hoped this analogy would help readers enjoy their bubble tea more effectively.)


    As the Camouge Bug¡¯s swollen belly deted, Luo Wen¡¯s digestive system went into overdrive, elerating the processing of the liquid.


    Although this consumed additional energy, the rtive sizes of Luo Wen and the Camouge Bug made it more efficient to digest the food immediately than risk wasting it.


    Even with the elerated digestion, Luo Wen felt overstuffed. This feast contained the essence of both the ck Beetle and the Camouge Bug. While the Camouge Bug didn¡¯t have much meat, the ck Beetle¡¯s muscle mass¡ªeven without its shell¡ªwas several times greater than Luo Wen¡¯s body.By the time he finished, Luo Wen could barely walk straight. His bloated abdomen dragged on the ground, forcing him to prop himself up with his legs to move, making his gait extremely awkward.


    This state left him vulnerable; his already limited speed on the surface was now even worse. Luo Wen couldn¡¯t risk bing another bug¡¯s easy prey, so he quickly raised his rear and started digging.


    Only deep underground could he feel secure.


    This time, he dug a tunnelrger than usual to avoidpressing his swollen abdomen. His head-down, legs-up digging posture caused his mouthparts to mp shut, giving him an appearance akin to wearing a facete. Strangely, it made him look a bit more distinguished.


    Reaching a safe depth, Luo Wen hastily dug out a small chamber. Without bothering to carve escape routes, he fell into a deep sleep.


    In his dreams, Luo Wen alternated between two identities. In one, he was a towering ck ¡°War God,¡± invincible against swarms of ants. In the other, he was a sly assassin, cloaked in tools and trickery, dispatching formidable bugs with lethal precision.


    Deep underground, where few insects could reach, a tiny ck bug rested in its hollowed-out chamber. Its body was undergoing a transformation.


    Time passed¡ªhow long, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t tell. When he finally woke, he was momentarily dazed.


    It took only a moment to regain his bearings, and he immediately began examining his body.


    His oversized digging limbs were ill-suited for delicate work, so his second pair of thoracic limbs acted as hands. Their bristled surfaces carefully explored every inch of his body.


    From top to bottom, he started with hispound eyes¡ªno changes.


    His chewing mouthparts remained intact, and his digging limbs showed no abnormalities.


    The number of legs was correct, neither more nor less.


    A 360-degree scan with hispound eyes revealed no changes to his shoulder tes or back armor. Even his size remained the same¡ªstill about the size of a fingernail.


    Then he felt something odd around his abdomen. Twisting his body, he managed to catch sight of it.


    ¡°Huh? Did I just take a short nap?¡±


    His abdomen was still swollen and round. Luo Wen, momentarily perplexed, thought the food might not have fully digested.


    But soon, he noticed something unusual. His abdomen hadn¡¯t shrunk¡ªin fact, it had grownrger and longer.


    ¡°F***, what the hell is this thing growing out of me?¡±


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but curse.


    He had hoped that absorbing the ck Beetle¡¯s essence, even second-hand, might enhance his size or strengthen his exoskeleton. If not, he would¡¯ve settled for the Camouge Bug¡¯s bark-adhering ability. At the very least, gaining its needle-like mouthpart would¡¯ve been eptable.


    But now his abdomen had grown wider and longer? Was he so overstuffed that he¡¯d ruined his stomach?


    For a while, Luo Wen was utterly baffled.


    Trying to walk around, he found the new appendage severely hindered his speed and agility. It gave him an awkward, off-bnce feeling.


    Not wanting to take any chances, he flipped onto his back and arched his upper body like doing a sit-up to inspect the situation.


    When he saw it, Luo Wen swore under his breath. It wasn¡¯t his abdomen that had erged¡ªit was a new growth attached to his rear.


    Previously, Luo Wen¡¯s body followed the standard insect structure: head, thorax, and abdomen. Now, there was a fourth section.


    His original abdomen had nine segments, though three had been lost in a fight with the Yellow Earth Ants. While the wound had healed, the segments had never regenerated.


    Now, the remaining six segments seemedpressed, as if a spring had beenpacted, leaving a smaller abdomen. The newly grown section resembled a swollen version of the original abdomen,plete with segmented rings, which had fooled Luo Wen into thinking it was part of his stomach.


    This appendage dragged behind him like a trailer, severely limiting his maneuverability. Only upon closer inspection did Luo Wen realize it wasn¡¯t his abdomen¡¯s fault¡ªit was this new addition causing the problem.


    ¡°What now?¡± Luo Wen muttered. He was already at the lower end of the insect food chain, and now he had an unwieldy burden. Unless he could secure a steady food source like the White Grubs, the risk of foraging would skyrocket.


    After the initial panic, Luo Wen gradually calmed down. Reflecting on his prior evolutions, he realized that every new organ or ability had a purpose. If he could uncover some clues, he might understand this transformation.


    He recalled how hispound eyes had improved to eliminate near-sightedness, granting him a wider field of view. Later, he had grown digging limbs to enhance his burrowing speed. His mandibles had developed to chew through roots and prey, and his back armor had thickened after losing a fight with the Yellow Earth Ants. Eating the White Grub had triggered cocooning for recovery.


    His most recent change had reced his siphoning mouthparts with chewing ones.


    Logically, absorbing the ck Beetle and Camouge Bug¡¯s genes should have granted him some of their traits. Even if he didn¡¯t inherit the beetle¡¯s size or armor, he should have gained something from the Camouge Bug.


    Yet now, after digesting the food and expending so much energy, he had grown an unrted appendage. Why?

 Chapter 18: The Birth of the Brood Nest, the Beginning of the Swarm

    Luo Wen finally understood the purpose of the small aperture at the rear of his body after a new addition¡ªa massive organ¡ªhad connected to it.


    Through this aperture, Luo Wen could transfer food to the newly formed organ. His abdomen, nowpressed like a dense biscuit, could store significantly less food. Most of what he consumed was now transported directly to the new organ, where it was converted into energy. As for what the organ would do with this energy, Luo Wen dared not experiment to find out.


    He feared the worst¡ªwhat if it produced an egg? That would be catastrophic.


    For now, he decided to feign ignorance, leaving room to reverse the situationter. But should his curiosity lead him to confirm his suspicions, the consequences would be uneptable.


    Lost in these chaotic thoughts, time passed quickly, and Luo Wen drifted off to sleep.


    In his dreams, he saw the massive organ behind him open at the end, spewing out tiny insects with a ¡°poof, poof¡± sound. Luo Wen, oddly enough, watched them with a benevolent smile.


    The nightmare was so chilling that it jolted him awake as if drenched in ice water. His whole body froze in terror. If such a thing ever urred, he¡¯d rather die than live with the shame.


    It took a long while for him to recover, but his body still felt incredibly drained¡ªa sign of energy depletion.


    Rather than panic, Luo Wen was overjoyed. This exhaustion meant his body was undergoing another transformation!He checked his head, thorax, and back¡ªno changes. His body size also remained the same.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, he noted that none of the energy had been wasted on any unwanted mutations. He then turned his attention to his abdomen, where he noticed it had returned to its normal state, no longerpressed. However, to his frustration and anger, the massive organ was still attached to his rear.


    His mind filled with confusion. Was this some kind of joke? All it had done was restore his abdomen while leaving his body even longer and more cumbersome. What purpose did this serve other than making him an easier target?


    But then he noticed something peculiar.


    With a thought, the new organ detached from his body and became a separate entity on the ground. He then repositioned himself, aligning the aperture on his rear with the opening on the organ. With a soft ¡°click,¡± the organ reconnected to his body.


    Luo Wen was dumbfounded, marveling at the ingenuity of evolution. To prevent him from harboring self-destructive thoughts, his body had developed apromise: turning this organ into a detachable device.


    All Luo Wen could do was exim, ¡°Amazing!¡±


    From then on, the organ could function like a machine. In emergencies, he could even drag it behind him like a cart. This ingenious design saved his dignity.


    No matter what others might think, Luo Wen convinced himself of this exnation and repeatedly hypnotized himself to believe it without question.


    With the critical issue of dignity resolved, his curiosity about the organ¡¯s functions surged.


    He eagerly began examining it. After some exploration, Luo Wen discovered the following:


    It was still a living entity and required constant energy to survive. It had its own digestive and energy conversion systems. It could be fed by either connecting it to his aperture or cing food directly into a funnel-shaped opening on its side.


    Luo Wen decided to forget about the first feeding method. From now on, there was only one way to provide it with food.


    The organ had no independent consciousness. It was entirely under Luo Wen¡¯s control, and his will dictated its actions. This was logical, considering it originated from his body. Luo Wen vowed to keep this fact a strict secret.


    No matter which part of his body¡ªhis head, limbs, or even his rear¡ªtouched the organ, he could activate its functions.


    As Luo Wen had guessed, its primary function was to produce small insects. The organ shared all of Luo Wen¡¯s gic material except his evolutionary abilities. It could mix and match his gic fragments to produce various types of insects.


    This feature offered an unexpected benefit: Luo Wen now had an indirect way to view the gic material within his body. For example, he discovered that he had indeed acquired gic fragments from the ck Beetle¡ªa pleasant surprise.


    However, the organcked the ability to hunt for its own food. Luo Wen would have to provide all its energy.


    Even so, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Incredible!¡±


    Before long, Luo Wen would no longer be alone. He would have his own ¡°little brothers.¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t keep calling it ¡°the organ.¡± That would reveal too much. It needed a proper name.


    After some thought, Luo Wen decided to call it Brood Nest¡ªa fitting name.


    With the name settled, the next step was to test its capabilities.


    Luo Wen was eager to begin, but his empty stomach forced him to gather food first. Leaving the Brood Nest alone in the cave made him uneasy¡ªit had no offensive or defensive capabilities. If something wandered in and took a bite out of it, he wouldn¡¯t even know where to cry.


    Reluctantly, Luo Wen reconnected the Brood Nest to his body and dragged it along as he ventured out.


    He followed the previous path he had excavated. Although the tunnel had partially copsed, it was still more convenient than digging a new one.


    Reaching the roots of an unknown nt, Luo Wen began replenishing his own energy.


    Once sated, he turned his attention to feeding the Brood Nest. There was an efficient, straightforward way to do so, but Luo Wen refused to entertain it.


    Instead, he bit into the nt roots, sucked out some juice, and spat it into the Brood Nest¡¯s funnel. The process was awkward, to say the least.


    This method was painfully inefficient. After a long time, the Brood Nest had barely gathered any energy, while Luo Wen was utterly exhausted.


    Throughout the process, Luo Wen repeatedly checked the Brood Nest to see if enough material had been stored to produce an insect.


    His initial design was a small insect based on himself, augmented with the ck Beetle¡¯s powerful genes.


    The ck Beetle¡¯s oxygen supply system was only slightly more advanced than Luo Wen¡¯s, but its muscr system was much more robust, allowing it to distribute oxygen across its massive body.


    After some thought, Luo Wen decided to create an enhanced version of the ck Beetle instead. Unfortunately, the energy required to produce such a creature was astronomical.


    Moreover, the juice from the nt roots was highly inefficient for energy conversion. At Luo Wen¡¯s current pace, it would take an eternity to gather enough energy.@@novelbin@@


    This was far from the ideal scenario Luo Wen had envisioned. If this continued, the Brood Nest would be more of a burden than an asset to his growth.

 Chapter 13: Watching the Show

    When Luo Wen crawled back to the surface, it was already nighttime. The cool moonlight bathed thend, with a thinyer of frost on the ground reflecting a crystalline glow.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t feel much of a chill. After all, he had no idea how far he¡¯d traveled from his original location. It was possible that the nighttime temperatures here weren¡¯t as low.


    Or maybe his cold resistance had increased. Either way, the constant change of scenery made it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions.


    Two light sources still hung high in the sky. Although Luo Wen couldn¡¯t see them clearly, he could faintly discern their positions and colors. One was white with a slight yellowish hue, while the other was tinged with red. The yellow-white one appeared several timesrger than the red one.


    The cold wind blew through the silence of the night. No insect chirps or other sounds could be heard, creating an eerie and somewhat terrifying atmosphere.


    With his six striding limbs crunching lightly on the frost, Luo Wen advanced cautiously, producing faint sounds and vibrations as he explored.


    The surrounding shrubs had folded their green leaves tightly against their branches, making the originally yellowish-white branches look like they were wearing green coats. Luo Wen guessed that this might be a unique adaptation for retaining warmth.


    Since he encountered no trouble¡ªno giant earthworm rtives or friends¡ªhe managed to make significant progress despite his slow pace.


    Previously, he had stayed directly above the underground river to quickly gather food and water.But as the riverbed rose, Luo Wen shifted slightly away to maintain a sufficient strategic depth underground. Now, he was several hundred meters from the riverbed, running parallel to it. This way, he remained close enough to water while having enough soil above him for safety.


    On this alien, Luo Wen still couldn¡¯t figure out the rotational and orbital systems. The timekeeping methods from his previous world no longer applied here. He had been crawling for a long time, yet the sky remained unchanged¡ªthe sun showed no signs of starting its shift.


    Feeling his energy reserves drop to nearly half, Luo Wen stopped moving forward.


    In this unfamiliar and dangerous environment, he didn¡¯t dare exhaust his strengthpletely. He always stopped with about half his energy left, reserving it for potential emergencies.


    After munching on some food from the shrub roots, he burrowed deep underground to rest.


    After several days of slow advancement, the number of surface nts increased, and their variety became richer.


    Thest time Luo Wen crawled to the surface, it was broad daylight. Not long after he started moving, he stumbled upon a dramatic scene.


    A massive ck insect, easily over ten times his size and roughly the size of a human palm, was surrounded by dozens of ant-like ck insects.


    The ck insect had a t head with an exaggerated pair of giant mandibles. Its segmented body, viewed from the back, was armored with thick exoskeleton tes. Its six short limbs made it appear very low to the ground, and a pair of slender antennae extended from either side of its mandibles.


    The ck ants surrounding it seemed unremarkable in appearance. Theycked the exaggerated hooks and massive mandibles of the yellow earth ants Luo Wen had previously encountered and didn¡¯t resort to fecal attacks. Their abilities, if any, were yet to be revealed.


    At that moment, both sides were locked in a tense standoff, with the battle on the brink of erupting.


    The massive ck beetle strolled leisurely, seemingly indifferent to the tiny ants encircling it.


    The ck ants, on the other hand, held their positions, as if waiting for reinforcements. It made sense; these ck ants were smaller than Luo Wen, so why would they think challenging such a behemoth was a good idea?


    Luo Wen¡¯s advantage became evident in this situation. Although hispound eyes would have been considered nearsighted by human standards, they were essentially eagle-eyedpared to other insects.


    From a safe distance, he observed the confrontation without alerting either side. As long as he avoided making too much noise, they wouldn¡¯t notice him.


    Among insects, poor eyesight often meant that other sensory systems were highly developed.


    Neither side of this confrontation was something Luo Wen could afford to provoke. He had learned a painful lessonst time he tried to spectate a conflict¡ªlosing his self-made nest and being forced into exile for so long.


    Despite swearing back then that he would never watch another fight, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help himself when presented with the opportunity. Fine, so he¡¯d be a ¡°dog¡± for watching¡ªdogs were far stronger than this fingernail-sized bug he¡¯d be.


    Still, he had learned one thing: don¡¯t get too close while spectating. Watch from a safe distance to avoid getting dragged into the fray.


    The ants gradually tightened their encirclement, agitating the ck beetle. It lost its calm demeanor, brandishing its massive mandibles in preparation for an attack.


    The tension reached a breaking point. Unable to endure any longer, the ck beetle charged forward, snapping its mandibles around one of the ck ants. In an instant, the ant was decapitated.


    Its body fell to the ground in two pieces. Even after its head and torso separated, its antennae and limb segments twitched reflexively.


    The opening move was swift and deadly, clean and decisive. Luo Wen felt his blood pumping and couldn¡¯t help but cheer internally.


    The death of one of their kind enraged the ck ants, prompting them tounch a full-scale assault.


    The battle quickly turned fierce.


    Although the ck ants had overwhelming numbers, their slender limbs and small bodies gave them few advantages. Only their sharp mandibles were noteworthy, but these were of little use against the heavily armored beetle.


    The ck beetle, on the other hand, resembled an unstoppable war machine. Its massive mandibles were unstoppable; anything caught in their grip had no chance of survival. Leaving behind an intact corpse was a rarity.


    However, its mandibles had a design w. Like two interlocking sevens, they could only deliver their devastating bite at the tips.


    The ants¡¯ small size and agile movements made it difficult for the beetle tond precise attacks.


    As a result, while its attacks were lethal, the fight remained evenly matched.


    Still, the asional unlucky ant would fall victim, leaving scattered body parts around the battlefield.


    Despite their numerical advantage, the ants were slowly losing ground. Without reinforcements, theirplete defeat was only a matter of time.


    Realizing this, the ants changed their tactics.


    Instead of gnawing futilely on the beetle¡¯s thick carapace, the ants climbed its back to target its eyes and antennae¡ªkey vulnerabilities that could render it blind and deaf.@@novelbin@@


    Meanwhile, the ants on the ground focused their attacks on the beetle¡¯s wed limbs.


    Though its heavy armor protected most of its joints, the exposed w tips became the primary targets.


    The tactical shift was immediately effective. The beetle¡¯s once-dominant assault became restrained and defensive. It now devoted most of its energy to shaking off ants from its back and dodging attacks at its feet.


    Watching from a distance, Luo Wen cursed the ants for their dishonorable, underhanded tactics.

 Chapter 21: The Neighbor

    A ck ant appeared¡ªa scout from their ranks. It wandered aimlessly, asionally probing objects with its antennae. Luo Wen crept closer, inspecting the surroundings. The closer to the direction the ant hade from, the more ants there were, seven or eight within Luo Wen¡¯s view.


    However, this lone scout was isted, with the nearestpanion a full two meters away¡ªa vast distance for ants, making timelymunication between them nearly impossible.


    Luo Wen focused on the scout and quickly closed the distance. Even as he advanced swiftly, Luo Wen remained vignt, evading a trapid by a foul-smelling worm along the way. Unlike his first encounter, where he¡¯d been caught off guard, Luo Wen was now prepared. The traps were easy to spot¡ªsubtle swirls in the dirt betrayed their presence.


    This ck ant was much smaller than Luo Wen¡ªa perfect target for him. Sensing Luo Wen¡¯s approach, the ant frantically waved its antennae, but it was toote. Luo Wen was already within reach, his sturdy burrowing limb swinging toward the ant¡¯s head.


    The ck ants¡¯ poor eyesight was almost a weakness; they relied primarily on the olfactory sensors on their antennae for navigation and food detection. Caught off guard, the ant could only take the hit. Luo Wen¡¯s strike left the ck ant dazed, and before it could recover, Luo Wen bit off one of its hind legs.@@novelbin@@


    The ant¡¯s remaining legs scraped the ground, producing faint sounds that seemed to be a cry for help. However, with no nearby allies able to receive the signal, the ck ant¡¯s call went unanswered. Alone, it attempted to fight back but was no match for Luo Wen. Its weaker build and smaller jaws couldn¡¯t prate Luo Wen¡¯s protective exoskeleton.


    Although ants are known for their tremendous strength¡ªsupposedly capable of feats far beyond humans if scaled to human size¡ªin this miniature battleground, exoskeletal armor gave everyone an edge. After a short struggle, Luo Wen disabled two more of the ant¡¯s limbs. It attempted to flee butcked bnce with only three legs remaining.


    As the ck ant turned to escape, exposing its back to Luo Wen, it sealed its fate. Luo Wen quickly pinned the ant¡¯s slender waist with his burrowing limb. The ant twisted and snapped its jaws in vain, unable to breach his armor. Luo Wen silenced its resistance by using saliva and mud to fashion a makeshift gag, sealing its jaws. Dragging the subdued ant, Luo Wen retreated from the scene.


    Back in one of his pre-dug tunnels, Luo Wen moved quickly toward his underground chamber. Despite the ant¡¯s continuous struggles, its sealed mandibles rendered it harmless. Nearing the chamber, Luo Wen paused, released the ant onto the tunnel floor, and blocked the route behind him, forcing the ant toward the chamber.Terrified, the ant hobbled on its three legs, obediently heading toward the room. Upon emerging from the tunnel, the ant lost its footing and tumbled into the vast cavern. The ck beetle, roaming the room, stopped in its tracks, antennae extending toward the sound of the fallen ant.


    In the cavern¡¯s darkness, sight was almost useless. For creatures without Luo Wen¡¯s enhancedpound eyes, the space was a void. Sound perception, however, became critical. The beetle¡¯s massive body made the ground tremble, alerting the ck ant to its presence. Its antennae reached out, colliding midair with the beetle¡¯s.


    After a brief entanglement, both insects determined the other wasn¡¯t an ally. Before the ant could react, the beetle¡¯s spiked mandibles closed around its body, severing it cleanly. Even bisected, the ant¡¯s resilience kept it alive, its antennae iling wildly. The beetle finished the job, repeatedly mping down until the remains were unrecognizable.


    Observing from the shadows, Luo Wen nodded in satisfaction. The test was sessful¡ªthe ck beetle, though umunicative, proved a reliable guardian. He could now entrust it with the room¡¯s defense.


    Satisfied, Luo Wen entered the chamber. The mangled remains of the ck ant didn¡¯t appeal to his appetite, and the beetle, a herbivore, wouldn¡¯t touch them either. Fortunately, the brood nest wasn¡¯t as picky. Luo Wen gathered the intact parts to feed it and then dragged back a tree root as a reward for the beetle.


    The beetle epted the offering indifferently, as if Luo Wen¡¯s provisions were only natural. Every time Luo Wen saw this dumb creature, it irked him. While he wasn¡¯t a vengeful person, he vowed to recycle the beetle once resources were less scarce.


    With the beetle guarding the chamber, Luo Wen rested briefly before setting off again. The scout¡¯s direction suggested a nearby ant nest¡ªhis new neighbors. He needed to investigate and assess this potential threat.


    Dayster, Luo Wen reflected in his chamber. Absorbing the ck beetle¡¯s genes had caused a growth spurt; he had grown from the size of a fingernail to that of a coin. Consequently, his tunnels now felt cramped, and he had spent the day widening them.


    This chamber, likely to serve as his base for some time, now felt like home. Over the past days, Luo Wen had mapped the surrounding 100 meters. Wandering insects came and went, posing no real threat.


    The most significant danger was the ck ant colony, a permanent neighbor just 50 meters from his nest. The colony was massive but not an immediate concern. Their scouts rarely ventured within 10 meters of Luo Wen¡¯sir, and those who did mysteriously disappeared. Their losses had prompted the ants to reduce scouting in his direction, temporarily easing his worries.

 Chapter 15: Take the Risk

    Under Luo Wen¡¯s ultra-high-resolutionpound eyes, the Camouge Bug had already revealed its true form.


    Somehow, it had strapped a piece of bark to its back that didn¡¯t fall off. Its actual body was a slender, wingless insect resembling a mosquito magnified dozens of times.


    What was this weakling, with barely any exoskeletal armor, trying to do? Was it nning to challenge the ¡°War God¡± one-on-one? That was pure suicide!


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but ridicule, forgetting that he had once been an equally defenseless creature with an unprotected abdomen.


    Suddenly, the Camouge Bug, now behind the ck Beetle, extended its coiled mouthpart. The organ straightened to a length nearly equal to its entire body, resembling a steel needle.


    The steel-like needle slipped slowly into the crevice between the ck Beetle¡¯s shoulder te and back armor. Yet the beetle remainedpletely unresponsive.


    Momentster, the Camouge Bug¡¯s thin, shriveled abdomen began to swell. The ck Beetle, though outwardly unchanged, gradually stopped chewing on leaves.


    ¡°F***! This world is insanely dangerous!¡± Luo Wen cursed internally.@@novelbin@@


    The ck Beetle had been the most imposing and majestic bug Luo Wen had encountered so far. Just yesterday, it had shown off its prowess by taking on multiple opponents single-handedly. Yet today, it was effortlessly taken out by a sneaky assassin.This shattered Luo Wen¡¯s perception of strength. He had quietly set the ck Beetle as his next evolution goal. Its sheer size, dozens of timesrger than his own, was intimidating enough.


    But now, this imposing beetle was in by a sneaky Camouge Bug. If anything, this suggested that strength was rtive. Luo Wen figured that had the ck Beetle spotted its assant earlier, it would have crushed the Camouge Bug easily. The oue of their encounter had depended entirely on the element of surprise.


    So, what did it mean to be strong?


    Luo Wen pondered this question. Even if he could someday kill a ck Beetle, what would stop another bug from emerging to counter him?


    He thought of a movie from his human days about a superhero with an indestructible body,ser vision, freezing breath, supersonic speed, telescopic sight, and super hearing. Even that being had a weapon capable of neutralizing it.


    Honestly, Luo Wen felt a bit lost.


    Would the evolution of an individual ever have an endpoint? And even if there were one, could an individual¡¯s strength alone reach it?


    After some thought, Luo Wen dismissed the idea. He was just a bug the size of a fingernail. Worrying about such things was ridiculous. Survival came first.


    The Camouge Bug, its needle-like mouthpart now soft and coiled, perched motionlessly on the bark again, its massively swollen belly rendering its camouge ineffective.


    After careful observation and calctions, Luo Wen decided to take a gamble.


    The Camouge Bug¡¯s only real threat was its mouthpart. While its size was muchrger, Luo Wen believed he had an 80% chance of victory with caution. If things went south, its bloated body would likely hinder it enough for him to escape.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t ount for every possible variable, nor could he n a wless strategy. But 80% was good enough for him to make his move.


    Time was life. Having made up his mind, he didn¡¯t hesitate.


    He darted toward the Camouge Bug, which, overly confident in its disguise, remained still as Luo Wen approached.


    Taking advantage of itscency, Luo Wen scurried under the bark it used as a shield. Bracing himself with his middle and rear legs, he lunged forward, sinking his jaws into the bug¡¯s neck.


    Luo Wen had no weapons besides his two mandibles. Against the muchrger Camouge Bug, his bite wouldn¡¯t threaten most parts of its body. But the thin neck was an exception.


    Catching the Camouge Bug off guard, Luo Wen seized the opportunity. His attacknded on the most critical spot.


    Panicked, the Camouge Bug iled its long, spindly limbs wildly, sending both of them tumbling off the tree trunk.


    They wrestled on the rotting, foul-smelling ground. The Camouge Bug repeatedly extended and retracted its mouthpart, aiming to pierce Luo Wen.


    Luo Wen wasn¡¯t about to make things easy. Every w on his body clung tightly to the bug, keeping him locked onto its neck. No matter how the bug twisted and turned, Luo Wen held firm, immovable.


    Due to Luo Wen¡¯s small size and his position, the Camouge Bug¡¯s attacks missed their mark repeatedly.


    Gradually, the connection between its head and body grew weaker. Its head drooped, and its struggles ceased, though its body twitched reflexively.


    Luo Wen held his position for a while longer, only releasing when he was sure the Camouge Bug was dead.


    A gamble well taken. Now, it was time to reap the rewards.


    Before feasting, Luo Wen climbed back up the tree to check on the ck Beetle. As he suspected, while its ws still clung to the branch, its insides were hollow¡ªits muscles and organs liquefied and drained by the Camouge Bug.


    Satisfied that the beetle was truly dead, Luo Wen returned to the Camouge Bug¡¯s corpse.


    Despite itsrge size, most of its body consisted of its elongated, shriveled frame. Without its swollen abdomen, it probably had less meat than a White Grub.


    The bark on its back ounted for much of its apparent size. It had adhered so tightly that even their violent battle hadn¡¯t dislodged it. Clearly, the Camouge Bug was a seasoned ambusher.


    Initially, Luo Wen had thought it might possess a chameleon-like camouge ability. Instead, it relied entirely on external tools.


    ¡°Poor bugs evolve; rich bugs use gear,¡± Luo Wen joked to himself. Could this bug be an aristocrat among insects?


    While amusing, the thought reminded Luo Wen that some bugs were highly intelligent. Humanity had risen to dominance on Earth through tool use. He couldn¡¯t afford to underestimate other species just because of encounters with dim-witted creatures like the Stink Bug.


    After devouring the Camouge Bug¡¯s flesh, it was time for the main course.


    As a former human, Luo Wen found the thought of eating the bug¡¯s swollen abdomen revolting. But pickiness wasn¡¯t an option. What was normal food for insects had to be normal for him.


    Though he understood this logically, actually doing it was another matter. His jaws opened and closed hesitantly, unable tomit.

 Chapter 24: New Discoveries

    The newly hatched antrvae looked like little handles growing out of the eggs. ced side by side with the eggs, it was difficult to tell them apart at first nce.


    The hatching of the eggs signaled an imminent poption explosion in Luo Wen¡¯s brood. But before that, his workload increased yet again. Thervae required mature ck ants to partially digest food and regurgitate it into a form they could consume¡ªa task as revolting as it was necessary.


    And Luo Wen was still the sole provider of meat for the entire hive.


    To make matters worse, the ck ant colony, noticing the dwindling number of scouts returning, had significantly reduced the number sent toward Luo Wen¡¯s territory. Other than a few lost stragglers, Luo Wen hadn¡¯t seen a direct scout approach in days. His hunting range now extended dangerously close to the enemy nest.


    From higher ground, his keen vision could spot the busy entrance of the ck ant colony. Although Luo Wen didn¡¯t dare provoke them directly at their doorstep, he observed from a safe distance, hoping to learn about their habits. He aimed to improve his understanding of colony management by studying them.


    During hunts, Luo Wen now brought along six or seven of his own ck ants. Whenever he killed a ck ant from the neighboring nest, his ants would swarm over the carcass, feasting on it and carrying the leftovers back to the brood. The journey back to the nest was made easier with Luo Wen having already cleared out most hazards, and the ants¡¯ pheromone trails ensured they wouldn¡¯t get lost.


    Hunting grounds were now only a dozen meters away from the enemy nest, while hisir was over 50 meters away. The long travel time gave Luo Wen opportunities to observe and strategize while his ants handled transportation. This new approach significantly reduced his workload, as he no longer had to spend most of his day hauling food back and forth.


    Though the ants were slower than him, they were tireless and never cked off. Luo Wen, by contrast, often needed to rest and reflect on his bug life after each trip. As a result, their efficiency was nearlyparable.


    One day, while waiting for his transport team to return, Luo Wen witnessed something strange near the enemy nest. A new species of insect, with a yellow-brown body, nonchntly entered the ck ant colony. Strangely, the ants didn¡¯t attack it¡ªinstead, they stepped aside to let it pass.This baffled Luo Wen. The nest was sacred territory for the ck ants, and his growing entomological knowledge confirmed this new insect wasn¡¯t rted to them. The intruder had a ttened, elongated abdomen covered in a hard shell, which immediately marked it as a different species.


    How had it gained free ess to the ck ant colony? Luo Wen couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    Days passed, and Luo Wen, freed from transport duties and asionally indulging in extra meals, grew noticeablyrger. Despite absorbing ck beetle genes, his head hadn¡¯t developed the iconic mandibles. Luo Wen spected it was due to ack of space¡ªhis massivepound eyes dominated his head, leaving no room forrge mandibles.


    Moreover, the ck beetle¡¯s t head allowed for leverage when using its mandibles, whereas Luo Wen¡¯s narrow, seed-shaped head would render such appendages ineffective. The likely reason, though, was that mandibles would hinder his digging¡ªa key survival skill. It seemed his body had evolved to optimize digging efficiency by discarding traits that could obstruct it. Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this stemmed from his cautious, survivalist nature.


    One day, Luo Wen spotted a massive ant near the enemy nest¡¯s entrance. It was several timesrger than the regr ck ants, with sturdier legs and powerful, sharp mandibles. Its formidable appearance made it clear that itsbat abilities far surpassed those of ordinary ants.


    Luo Wen had a realization. Drawing from knowledge learned long ago in kindergarten, he concluded the regr ck ants must be worker ants, while this giant was likely a soldier ant. Though he had been calling them ck ants, Luo Wen knew they weren¡¯t Earth insects. On this alien, they merely resembled ants he was familiar with. Without any naming skills, he had simply borrowed Earth terms.


    Until now, Luo Wen had only encountered worker ants and assumed the colonycked soldier ants. Seeing one now confirmed that their colony had hidden military strength. Luo Wen wondered if this world¡¯s environment mirrored Earth¡¯s to the point that its insects were so simr. However, he had yet to encounter any flying creatures¡ªa stark contrast to Earth, where such insects were abundant.


    Theck of aerial species puzzled him, but Luo Wen reasoned it might be due to his limited exploration. Perhaps his current habitat simply didn¡¯t support flying creatures, or maybe his perspective as a ground-dwelling bug skewed his observations.


    Thanks to the transport ants, Luo Wen now had time to reflect. He ruled out the possibility of this being the ¡°wizard¡±¡ªa scenario where his species, the Iphieash, was purportedly unrivaled. After all this time, Luo Wen still couldn¡¯t overwhelm an ant colony. Something was clearly wrong¡ªeither with his own development, the environment, or both.


    Adding to his doubts, Luo Wen had yet to see reptiles, mammals, or humanoid creatures¡ªnone of the lifeformsmon to Earth. Everything pointed to him being in apletely alien world. Though his conclusions had gaps, believing this gave him psychologicalfort.


    Seeing the soldier ant reminded Luo Wen of his own limitations. Recently emboldened by his growth, he had thought himself close to conquering the ck ant colony. Now, this formidable soldier ant had poured cold water on his ambitions. Although he wasrger than regr ants, the soldier ant¡¯s length was twice his, and its mandibles were far deadlier than his simple armor.


    Luo Wen knew he couldn¡¯t face it alone. Soldier ants were built forbat, while he was a part-time fighter and full-time digger.


    As he mulled over these thoughts, a sh of yellow-brown passed to his right, catching his attention.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 25: Yellow Bug

    Luo Wen¡¯s eyes were exceptionally sharp when it came to moving objects. As soon as the yellow-brown creature entered his clear line of sight, he immediately noticed it.


    A closer look confirmed it was the same type of bug he¡¯d seen swaggering into the ant nest earlier.


    Was it the exact same one he¡¯d seen that day? Luo Wen wasn¡¯t sure.


    He suffered from bug-face blindness; he couldn¡¯t even tell the difference between ck Two and ck Three, who were constantly buzzing around him, let alone a bug he¡¯d only seen once.


    Seeing this guy sparked a thought in Luo Wen¡¯s mind. If he couldn¡¯t beat the soldier ants, surely he could take on a yellow bug about the same size as himself?


    What¡¯s more, he was always eager to have a cordial and friendly ¡°interaction¡± with any new species he encountered¡ªpreferably by tasting them. Who knew? He might just acquire some unique gene fragments.


    Calcting that the transport team would take a little while to return, Luo Wen wasted no time. He identified a safe route and quickly scuttled toward the yellow bug.


    The yellow bug was lounging leisurely,pletely unaware of Luo Wen¡¯s approach. This was precisely why he still had hisrgepound eyes¡ªdespite their hindrance during digging, they offered an unparalleled visual advantage.


    It was like ying a game where everyone else¡¯s map was shrouded in fog, while his was fully revealed.Luo Wen opened with his signature move: the face-smashing hammer strike, which had be the opening act of the Luo-style insectbat technique. Regardless of who his opponent was, the meeting always began with a heavy blow from his burrowing limbs.


    This unique greeting left the yellow bugpletely dazed. Before it could react, the second move of the Luo-stylebat technique, ¡°Peach Blossoms in Full Bloom,¡± smashed into its face, knocking it off bnce. This move was very simr to the first¡ªboth involved a heavy m with his burrowing limbs.


    Then came the third move, ¡°Vicious Dog Pounce.¡± Luo Wen¡¯srge mandibles mped down on the yellow bug¡¯s forelimb with a loud crack, snapping it off cleanly.


    He then alternated between the first and second moves repeatedly. Luo Wen¡¯sbat experience had grown significantly recently; very few ck ant scouts could withstand even ten moves against him.


    The yellow bug, clearly inexperienced with such a scientific and advanced fighting style, was utterly helpless. Its body parts were rapidly being reduced to a scattered mess.


    Throughout the fight, Luo Wen noticed that the yellow bug continuously released pheromones. The scent felt somewhat simr to that of ck Two and ck Three. Luo Wen began to understand how this yellow bug could swagger into a neighbor¡¯s home unchallenged. Unfortunately for it, Luo Wen didn¡¯t rely on pheromones to identify enemies¡ªhe relied on his eyes and brain.


    The yellow bug¡¯s unique ability had no effect. Having lost the initiative and being outmatched in intelligence, it could barely mount a defense before meeting its end.


    Luo Wen felt the battle was a bit underwhelming. Despite the yellow bug appearingrger than a ck worker ant, it was all show and no substance. Luo Wen hadn¡¯t even exerted his full strength before it fell. At this moment, he felt like pping his burrowing limbs together and dering, ¡°Mission aplished,¡± but s, there was no one to appreciate his wit. The loneliness of being a master was palpable.


    Dragging the yellow bug back to his earlier spot, Luo Wen waited a short while before the transport team appeared within his line of sight.


    When they arrived, he had most of them stay put while he took two ck ants back to the battlefield. There, the remnants of the yellow bug¡¯s body were still scattered around, mostly severed limbs¡ªmuchrger than fly legs, and far too valuable to waste.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, Luo Wen returned to the main group. With an unexpected bonus harvest for the day, he decided not to linger at the spot any longer. He set off with the transport team to return.


    On the way, they encountered an unlucky ck ant scout who had lost its way. Luo Wen demonstrated the Luo-stylebat technique on it and then enthusiastically invited its remains back to the nest as a guest.


    Luo Wen personally dragged the yellow bug¡¯s body because he intended to enjoy this first specimen alone. Meanwhile, the transport team divided the scout¡¯s body and some parts of the yellow bug to carry back to the brood nest.


    He instructed the transport team to feed part of the haul to the brood nest, while the rest was left as rations for the ck ants andrvae. These ck ants were exceptionally skilled at feeding; Luo Wen had only needed to exin it once for them to grasp the concept immediately.


    As for the ck beetle, it now had a new name: Big ck.


    The ck ants, who only sucked sap from tree roots, couldn¡¯t fathom the concept of chewing through roots. Thus, Luo Wen had to take personal responsibility for Big ck¡¯s food supply. But Luo Wen was too busy to dig up roots for it today, so Big ck would just have to go hungry for now¡ªit wouldn¡¯t die from missing one or two meals.


    Returning with the yellow bug to a small chamber he had recently excavated, Luo Wen entered his private space¡ªa bedroom strictly off-limits to the ck ants.


    Though small, the room had two escape tunnels and one connecting passage to the brood nest. All were sealed with mud mixed with saliva and camouged for safety.


    Finally alone with the yellow bug, Luo Wen cracked open its exoskeleton and skillfully devoured the muscle within.


    After finishing his sumptuous meal, Luo Wen had nned to rest but felt a twinge of guilt about Big ck. He summoned a ck ant to clean up the food scraps and feed them to the brood nest. Meanwhile, he went to the tree roots to drink some sap and dig up a root for Big ck.


    No, that wasn¡¯t right. He specifically dug up a root for Big ck and drank some sap along the way.@@novelbin@@


    Returning, he stopped by the brood nest to check on it and reviewed the gene pool. Sure enough, a new gene fragment for pheromone mimicry had been added.


    This gene fragment was intriguing. Luo Wen wanted to test it out. Before sleeping, he kept hypnotizing himself into believing he desperately needed this ability, hoping his body¡¯s instincts would rise to the asion.


    Upon waking, Luo Wen hurriedly checked his body and tested the new ability. It seemed he could now alter his own pheromones. He hadn¡¯t expected his instincts to be so effective¡ªhe¡¯d truly gained the power of pheromone mimicry.


    To test it, he summoned a ck ant and changed his pheromones. For ants, pheromones were like ID cards¡ªa single sniff determined if someone was an ally.


    The ck ant seemed puzzled and showed signs of agitation but didn¡¯t attack Luo Wen. Testing several more ck ants, he found their reactions were simr. The behavior felt familiar, though he couldn¡¯t immediately recall why.


    ¡°Is it ineffective, or am I using it wrong?¡± Luo Wen was puzzled, unsure of the issue.


    It wasn¡¯t until he saw Big ck wandering around that he realized. Big ck,cking a pheromonemunication system, still identified friend from foe¡ªlikely thanks to a recognition system built into the brood nest itself.


    The ck ants¡¯ reaction had been familiar because they exhibited the same behavior toward Big ck.


    Relieved by this result, Luo Wen felt a sense of joy.


    Though the bugs¡¯ intelligence wasn¡¯t high, their cunning moves often exceeded Luo Wen¡¯s expectations. He had genuinely feared that one day a yellow bug might sneak into his nest and cause trouble in his absence. That would have been a real headache.


    Now, he had nothing to worry about. In fact, he even looked forward to yellow bugs wandering in¡ªthey¡¯d be delivering takeout, providing the brood nest with extra meals.


    Since his own ants weren¡¯t suitable for further testing, Luo Wen dug up another tree root to feed Big ck, then summoned the transport team and headed out.


    Even while experimenting, he couldn¡¯t neglect the hive¡¯s food supply. Luo Wen felt he was truly wearing himself out for the hive¡¯s development.


    He invited another lucky scout back to the hive and let the transport team carry it home. Luo Wen used this time to continue his experiments.

 Chapter 18: The Birth of the Brood Nest, the Beginning of the Swarm

    Luo Wen finally understood the purpose of the small aperture at the rear of his body after a new addition¡ªa massive organ¡ªhad connected to it.


    Through this aperture, Luo Wen could transfer food to the newly formed organ. His abdomen, nowpressed like a dense biscuit, could store significantly less food. Most of what he consumed was now transported directly to the new organ, where it was converted into energy. As for what the organ would do with this energy, Luo Wen dared not experiment to find out.


    He feared the worst¡ªwhat if it produced an egg? That would be catastrophic.


    For now, he decided to feign ignorance, leaving room to reverse the situationter. But should his curiosity lead him to confirm his suspicions, the consequences would be uneptable.


    Lost in these chaotic thoughts, time passed quickly, and Luo Wen drifted off to sleep.


    In his dreams, he saw the massive organ behind him open at the end, spewing out tiny insects with a ¡°poof, poof¡± sound. Luo Wen, oddly enough, watched them with a benevolent smile.


    The nightmare was so chilling that it jolted him awake as if drenched in ice water. His whole body froze in terror. If such a thing ever urred, he¡¯d rather die than live with the shame.


    It took a long while for him to recover, but his body still felt incredibly drained¡ªa sign of energy depletion.


    Rather than panic, Luo Wen was overjoyed. This exhaustion meant his body was undergoing another transformation!He checked his head, thorax, and back¡ªno changes. His body size also remained the same.


    Breathing a sigh of relief, he noted that none of the energy had been wasted on any unwanted mutations. He then turned his attention to his abdomen, where he noticed it had returned to its normal state, no longerpressed. However, to his frustration and anger, the massive organ was still attached to his rear.


    His mind filled with confusion. Was this some kind of joke? All it had done was restore his abdomen while leaving his body even longer and more cumbersome. What purpose did this serve other than making him an easier target?


    But then he noticed something peculiar.


    With a thought, the new organ detached from his body and became a separate entity on the ground. He then repositioned himself, aligning the aperture on his rear with the opening on the organ. With a soft ¡°click,¡± the organ reconnected to his body.


    Luo Wen was dumbfounded, marveling at the ingenuity of evolution. To prevent him from harboring self-destructive thoughts, his body had developed apromise: turning this organ into a detachable device.


    All Luo Wen could do was exim, ¡°Amazing!¡±


    From then on, the organ could function like a machine. In emergencies, he could even drag it behind him like a cart. This ingenious design saved his dignity.


    No matter what others might think, Luo Wen convinced himself of this exnation and repeatedly hypnotized himself to believe it without question.


    With the critical issue of dignity resolved, his curiosity about the organ¡¯s functions surged.


    He eagerly began examining it. After some exploration, Luo Wen discovered the following:


    It was still a living entity and required constant energy to survive. It had its own digestive and energy conversion systems. It could be fed by either connecting it to his aperture or cing food directly into a funnel-shaped opening on its side.


    Luo Wen decided to forget about the first feeding method. From now on, there was only one way to provide it with food.


    The organ had no independent consciousness. It was entirely under Luo Wen¡¯s control, and his will dictated its actions. This was logical, considering it originated from his body. Luo Wen vowed to keep this fact a strict secret.


    No matter which part of his body¡ªhis head, limbs, or even his rear¡ªtouched the organ, he could activate its functions.


    As Luo Wen had guessed, its primary function was to produce small insects. The organ shared all of Luo Wen¡¯s gic material except his evolutionary abilities. It could mix and match his gic fragments to produce various types of insects.


    This feature offered an unexpected benefit: Luo Wen now had an indirect way to view the gic material within his body. For example, he discovered that he had indeed acquired gic fragments from the ck Beetle¡ªa pleasant surprise.


    However, the organcked the ability to hunt for its own food. Luo Wen would have to provide all its energy.


    Even so, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Incredible!¡±


    Before long, Luo Wen would no longer be alone. He would have his own ¡°little brothers.¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t keep calling it ¡°the organ.¡± That would reveal too much. It needed a proper name.


    After some thought, Luo Wen decided to call it Brood Nest¡ªa fitting name.


    With the name settled, the next step was to test its capabilities.


    Luo Wen was eager to begin, but his empty stomach forced him to gather food first. Leaving the Brood Nest alone in the cave made him uneasy¡ªit had no offensive or defensive capabilities. If something wandered in and took a bite out of it, he wouldn¡¯t even know where to cry.


    Reluctantly, Luo Wen reconnected the Brood Nest to his body and dragged it along as he ventured out.


    He followed the previous path he had excavated. Although the tunnel had partially copsed, it was still more convenient than digging a new one.


    Reaching the roots of an unknown nt, Luo Wen began replenishing his own energy.


    Once sated, he turned his attention to feeding the Brood Nest. There was an efficient, straightforward way to do so, but Luo Wen refused to entertain it.


    Instead, he bit into the nt roots, sucked out some juice, and spat it into the Brood Nest¡¯s funnel. The process was awkward, to say the least.


    This method was painfully inefficient. After a long time, the Brood Nest had barely gathered any energy, while Luo Wen was utterly exhausted.


    Throughout the process, Luo Wen repeatedly checked the Brood Nest to see if enough material had been stored to produce an insect.


    His initial design was a small insect based on himself, augmented with the ck Beetle¡¯s powerful genes.@@novelbin@@


    The ck Beetle¡¯s oxygen supply system was only slightly more advanced than Luo Wen¡¯s, but its muscr system was much more robust, allowing it to distribute oxygen across its massive body.


    After some thought, Luo Wen decided to create an enhanced version of the ck Beetle instead. Unfortunately, the energy required to produce such a creature was astronomical.


    Moreover, the juice from the nt roots was highly inefficient for energy conversion. At Luo Wen¡¯s current pace, it would take an eternity to gather enough energy.


    This was far from the ideal scenario Luo Wen had envisioned. If this continued, the Brood Nest would be more of a burden than an asset to his growth.

 Chapter 28: Hidden Concerns

    Luo Wen deftly navigated to the hatchery deep within the ant nest. After a hearty meal, he selected a corner rarely traversed by ants and began digging.


    Once he had created a small hole, he turned back to seal the opening connecting it to the hatchery. Then he continued digging outward.


    Pheromones were truly a miraculous tool. After mastering their basic uses, Luo Wen had developed several extended applications.


    For instance, using marking pheromones as coordinates was not a novel idea¡ªck Ants had long employed such a method. However, while they could only detect these markers by physically touching them with their antennae, Luo Wen could sense his pheromone coordinates from a distance.


    At this moment, he was digging toward one of his marked coordinate points. This was thebor of the past two days with the transport team: the underground passage.


    As the passage had initially been very close to the ant nest, Luo Wen quickly connected his newly dug tunnel to it.


    Crawling into the underground passage, he summoned the waiting transport team. Together, they cleared the soil from the new tunnel. Luo Wen used his saliva to reinforce the fresh tunnel and carved out a temporary storage chamber near where the passage approached the nest. He ordered the transport team to stand by in the passage and sealed off the storage chamber¡¯s entrance to the passage, carefully erasing the pheromones left by the transport team.


    With everything in ce, Luo Wen returned to the hatchery and began transporting food to the temporary storage chamber.


    Although a few Worker Ants passed by during this time, Luo Wen¡¯s legitimate identity prevented them from showing any concern.Once he had stored enough food, Luo Wen sealed the connection between the tunnel and the hatchery, releasing pheromones that conveyed a warning to stay away. Then, he reopened the link between the storage chamber and the underground passage, summoned the transport team, and ordered them to carry the stored food back to the Brood Nest.


    The n proceeded smoothly. Like parasites on the ant nest, the Brood Nest began a life of indulgence.


    Luo Wen was temporarily freed from the strenuous tasks of hunting, no longer needing to find isted Worker Ants or demonstrate his Luo-style insectbat technique. All he needed to do was transport food to the storage chamber at intervals.


    Unfortunately, such idyllic days could notst.


    The ant nest supported a poption of over a thousand ants, and their daily food consumption was staggering. Despite this, their stockpile of food was limited. This was evident from the number of Giant Mandible Soldier Ants¡ªa specializedbat unit. Even with the vast poption of ck Ants, they could only sustain around ten of these non-productive soldier types.


    As the days passed and the Brood Nest¡¯s poption grew, the food reserves in the neighboring hatchery visibly dwindled. The ck Ants became agitated, confused by the mysterious decline in food.


    Luo Wen was equally worried. The past days offort had been utterly enjoyable, but the number of ants in the Brood Nest continued to climb. He had already stopped having the Brood Nest directly hatch two adult ants daily, instead allocating resources for its growth and limiting daily output to ten eggs.


    Even so, within a few days, when the pupatingrvae emerged as adults, the Brood Nest would add roughly ten ants daily. Combined with the continuous hatching of another ten eggs, the rapidly increasing mouths to feed would soon overwhelm the ant nest¡¯s resources. Luo Wen needed a solution.


    Before he could devise one, his attention was caught by the Yellow Bugs in the hatchery. Luo Wen had alreadye to regard the ant nest as his food production base, so the sight of these parasites was particrly vexing.


    With a thought, an idea formed in his mind. Unsure if it would work, he decided to test it.


    Luo Wen slowly approached a Yellow Bug, which was feasting voraciously and paid no attention to his presence. Quietly, Luo Wen spat a glob of saliva onto the bug before swiftly retreating. The saliva contained a concoction of pheromones, essentially mimicking an alien identity¡ªone unrecognized by the ant nest.


    The hatchery was a vital facility, endlessly supplying freshbor for the nest. Its importance was self-evident. When an unfamiliar scent of identity suddenly appeared in such a crucial location, the nearby Worker Ants, who were feeding thervae, immediately noticed. They began to surround the Yellow Bug, while a few quickly scurried off to alert the patrolling Giant Mandible Soldier Ants.


    Oblivious to the impending danger, the feasting Yellow Bug remainedpletely unguarded. Its prolonged safety had dulled its instincts, and it could not fathom that someone as cunning as Luo Wen would be plotting against it.


    From a distance, Luo Wen watched as the Giant Mandible Soldier Ants approached. It was his first time witnessing thebat prowess of these fearsome warriors.


    The ants mped their powerful jaws onto the unsuspecting parasite. With a sharp twist of their heads, the Yellow Bug was torn in two. Despite its resilience, the Yellow Bug¡¯s upper half was still moving, but it had no chance to escape. In an instant, the Worker Ants swarmed over it.


    Luo Wen watched with a mix of awe and dread. Relying solely on pheromone-based identification to distinguish friend from foe was a ring vulnerability. Fortunately, his Brood Nest employed two identification systems. Otherwise, any intelligent insect capable of altering pheromones could easily infiltrate and sabotage an ant nest from within.@@novelbin@@


    Thankfully, he was the only such insect for now. However, given the vastness of the world, who could guarantee that other simrly evolved creatures wouldn¡¯t exist?


    Reflecting on this, Luo Wen decided that two identification systems might not suffice. Once his abilities improved, he would develop additional systems to ensure security.


    Just like the old human television shows he remembered: in the past, when human technology was underdeveloped, they relied on sight to distinguish friend from foe. This allowed masterful disguise experts to infiltrate enemy ranks easily. It wasn¡¯t until technological advancements brought fingerprint, retinal, facial, and DNA recognition that such vulnerabilities were mitigated.


    These lessons from the past were worth remembering.


    For now, this was a lower priority. His current dual-system approach was sufficient for the time being. His immediate task was to deal with the remaining Yellow Bugs to prevent further food wastage.


    The other Yellow Bugs showed no reaction to theirpanion¡¯s death, continuing to eat and drink as if nothing had happened.


    One by one, Luo Wen spat the fake pheromoneden saliva onto them and watched as the Worker and Soldier Ants eliminated them.


    With the Yellow Bugs cleared, not only was a significant food burden removed, but their bodies themselves contributed to the nest¡¯s food reserves.


    Even so, it was only a drop in the ocean. With the Brood Nest on the brink of a poption explosion, Luo Wen feared the ant nest would soon reach its breaking point.

 Chapter 29: Discovered

    The solutions to the current problem were either to find new ck Ant nests to share the burden or, once the number of insects in the Brood Nest reached a sufficient size, topletely annihte the ant nest, turning its inhabitants into food and iming the territory.


    The two approaches were not mutually exclusive. Luo Wen could search for new ck Ant nests while simultaneously infiltrating and eroding the neighbor¡¯s nest. However, this would mean Luo Wen would be busy again.


    Deploying a few Camouge Bugs to infiltrate the ant nest and feast without drawing suspicion was feasible. But expecting them to handle Luo Wen¡¯s tasks¡ªstealing food while cleaning up traces¡ªwas unlikely given their limited intelligence.@@novelbin@@


    If any mistakes exposed their actions and led the ck Ants to track them back to the Brood Nest, it would spell disaster. The Brood Nest¡¯s currentbat capabilities were far from sufficient to withstand an assault. Thus, Luo Wen had no choice but to personally handle the undercover work and food transport operations in the ant nest.


    As for exploration, Luo Wen had already scouted the area within a few dozen meters around the Brood Nest. To find another ck Ant nest, he would need to venture farther.


    Currently, most of the insects in the Brood Nest were modeled after ck Ants. Lacking vision, they relied on close-range contact with their antennae to gather information. This method posed numerous dangers, and the farther they traveled, the higher the risk of encountering threats.


    Given the current poption in the Brood Nest, it would be difficult to sustain such heavy losses.


    Luo Wen needed new types of insects with functional eyesight, capable of detecting potential dangers from a distance and reporting back the gathered intelligence. But once again, he faced the same fundamental problem: while Luo Wen could likely configure the required physical traits, he couldn¡¯t enhance the insects¡¯ intelligence.


    The insects in the Brood Nest werepetent in repetitive, mechanical tasks but struggled with anything moreplex. They couldn¡¯t fullyprehend Luo Wen¡¯s instructions, meaning he had to personally oversee all critical missions.In the future, when he had more time and resources, Luo Wen resolved to create intelligent insects. He didn¡¯t need many¡ªjust one or two capable of leading others would suffice.


    Grumbling aside, Luo Wen diligently attended to his responsibilities. Each day, he transported enough materials to the temporary storage chamber to keep the transport teams upied for a day, sealing the passage to the hatchery tightly and surrounding the area with pheromones signaling danger and warning others to stay away.


    Afterpleting this task, Luo Wen would crawl out of the ant nest to scout farther afield.


    The Brood Nest was also developing steadily. The first batch of pupatingrvae had emerged, forming a new generation of adult ants. As they matured, they would gradually take on various tasks within the colony.


    The Brood Nest itself had grownrger. Although Luo Wen¡¯s size had also increased recently, it seemed unlikely he could still carry the massive structure.


    Applying his principle of preparing for danger during times of peace, Luo Wen used Big ck as a temte, removing the gene for Burrower Legs after observing that the oversized Giant Mandibles conflicted with burrowing efficiency. These mandibles, wider than the body itself, made underground movement cumbersome.


    Additionally, Luo Wen incorporated pheromone genes formunication and identity recognition. Using this temte, the Brood Nest produced a dozen eggs. If they sessfully hatched, these insects would be specialized fighters tasked with defending the Brood Nest.


    This was Luo Wen¡¯s first time using a self-designed temte to produce insects from eggs. It was an entirely new experiment. He didn¡¯t know if such artificial gic configurations could support aplete developmental process from egg to maturity.


    If these insects, with their entirely novel gic sequences, could grow into fully developed, mature adults, it would signify a breakthrough. When resources were abundant, the Brood Nest could produce a series of insects with unnatural but highly advantageous traits.


    By then, the Brood Nest¡¯s influence would expand exponentially, like a snowball gaining momentum. It would no longer need to parasitize the ant nest to grow.


    Energized by these promising thoughts, Luo Wen threw himself into his work with renewed enthusiasm. Events also seemed to be unfolding in a favorable direction.


    A few dayster, Luo Wen¡¯s efforts bore fruit. He discovered another ck Ant nest in the opposite direction of the Brood Nest.


    This new nest was muchrger. Luo Wen counted over fifty Soldier Ants within it, suggesting a total poption of three to four thousand.


    The ant nest not only boasted a muchrger hatchery but also had two of them. Additionally, there were several food storage chambers. Worker Ants ground food into powder with their mandibles, secreting a protective substance to prevent spoge.


    Naturally, the hatchery was filled with even more Yellow Bugs, parasitic creatures brazenly stealing Luo Wen¡¯s resources. Infuriated, he spat on each one, dooming them to annihtion.


    This new ant nest was over a hundred meters from the Brood Nest. Its vast poption and extensive patrol coverage meant there were no blind spots. Luo Wen would need to dig at least fifty meters of underground tunnel to transport food. It was a monumental task.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen now had many underlings. He assigned over twenty ants to the transport teams to handle food transport, left another twenty newly emerged ants to tend to thervae, and led the remaining dozens in a massive excavation project.


    Luo Wen¡¯s daily schedule became packed. At dawn, he would transport food from the first ant nest to the storage chamber, seal the tunnel, and leave the transport teams to work independently. Then, he would hurry back home, gather his excavation team, and head to the second ant nest to dig a new tunnel. Along the way, he¡¯d practice his Luo-style Insect Combat Technique with a few of the new neighbors, ensuring his skills remained sharp.


    The ck Ants who watched the performance often couldn¡¯t afford his appearance fee and were forced to ¡°pay¡± with their lives, bing food for the excavation team.


    Time flew by, and as the massive smuggling tunnel nearedpletion, trouble arose with the transport teams.


    The first nest¡¯s smuggling tunnel had been dug close to the patrol¡¯s blind spot, just over ten meters from the ant nest. However, as Luo Wen shifted focus to the second nest and stopped performing hisbat demonstrations, the number of Scout Worker Ants in the area gradually increased.


    Today, by sheer bad luck, a transport team carrying food emerged from the tunnel and came face-to-face with a Scout Worker Ant.


    The Scout Worker Ant noticed arge group of ants resembling itself butcking proper identification. It immediately moved forward to challenge them.


    The transport teams, not known for their patience, responded aggressively. After a heated antenna duel, a fight broke out.


    Although the Scout Worker Ant was outnumbered, this was the transport teams¡¯ first battle. Despite their superior numbers, they allowed the Worker Ant to escape.


    The transport teams didn¡¯t think much of it. However, when they returned to the tunnel with more food, the Worker Ant had brought reinforcements, lying in wait to ambush them.

 Chapter 21: The Neighbor

    A ck ant appeared¡ªa scout from their ranks. It wandered aimlessly, asionally probing objects with its antennae. Luo Wen crept closer, inspecting the surroundings. The closer to the direction the ant hade from, the more ants there were, seven or eight within Luo Wen¡¯s view.


    However, this lone scout was isted, with the nearestpanion a full two meters away¡ªa vast distance for ants, making timelymunication between them nearly impossible.


    Luo Wen focused on the scout and quickly closed the distance. Even as he advanced swiftly, Luo Wen remained vignt, evading a trapid by a foul-smelling worm along the way. Unlike his first encounter, where he¡¯d been caught off guard, Luo Wen was now prepared. The traps were easy to spot¡ªsubtle swirls in the dirt betrayed their presence.


    This ck ant was much smaller than Luo Wen¡ªa perfect target for him. Sensing Luo Wen¡¯s approach, the ant frantically waved its antennae, but it was toote. Luo Wen was already within reach, his sturdy burrowing limb swinging toward the ant¡¯s head.


    The ck ants¡¯ poor eyesight was almost a weakness; they relied primarily on the olfactory sensors on their antennae for navigation and food detection. Caught off guard, the ant could only take the hit. Luo Wen¡¯s strike left the ck ant dazed, and before it could recover, Luo Wen bit off one of its hind legs.


    The ant¡¯s remaining legs scraped the ground, producing faint sounds that seemed to be a cry for help. However, with no nearby allies able to receive the signal, the ck ant¡¯s call went unanswered. Alone, it attempted to fight back but was no match for Luo Wen. Its weaker build and smaller jaws couldn¡¯t prate Luo Wen¡¯s protective exoskeleton.@@novelbin@@


    Although ants are known for their tremendous strength¡ªsupposedly capable of feats far beyond humans if scaled to human size¡ªin this miniature battleground, exoskeletal armor gave everyone an edge. After a short struggle, Luo Wen disabled two more of the ant¡¯s limbs. It attempted to flee butcked bnce with only three legs remaining.


    As the ck ant turned to escape, exposing its back to Luo Wen, it sealed its fate. Luo Wen quickly pinned the ant¡¯s slender waist with his burrowing limb. The ant twisted and snapped its jaws in vain, unable to breach his armor. Luo Wen silenced its resistance by using saliva and mud to fashion a makeshift gag, sealing its jaws. Dragging the subdued ant, Luo Wen retreated from the scene.


    Back in one of his pre-dug tunnels, Luo Wen moved quickly toward his underground chamber. Despite the ant¡¯s continuous struggles, its sealed mandibles rendered it harmless. Nearing the chamber, Luo Wen paused, released the ant onto the tunnel floor, and blocked the route behind him, forcing the ant toward the chamber.Terrified, the ant hobbled on its three legs, obediently heading toward the room. Upon emerging from the tunnel, the ant lost its footing and tumbled into the vast cavern. The ck beetle, roaming the room, stopped in its tracks, antennae extending toward the sound of the fallen ant.


    In the cavern¡¯s darkness, sight was almost useless. For creatures without Luo Wen¡¯s enhancedpound eyes, the space was a void. Sound perception, however, became critical. The beetle¡¯s massive body made the ground tremble, alerting the ck ant to its presence. Its antennae reached out, colliding midair with the beetle¡¯s.


    After a brief entanglement, both insects determined the other wasn¡¯t an ally. Before the ant could react, the beetle¡¯s spiked mandibles closed around its body, severing it cleanly. Even bisected, the ant¡¯s resilience kept it alive, its antennae iling wildly. The beetle finished the job, repeatedly mping down until the remains were unrecognizable.


    Observing from the shadows, Luo Wen nodded in satisfaction. The test was sessful¡ªthe ck beetle, though umunicative, proved a reliable guardian. He could now entrust it with the room¡¯s defense.


    Satisfied, Luo Wen entered the chamber. The mangled remains of the ck ant didn¡¯t appeal to his appetite, and the beetle, a herbivore, wouldn¡¯t touch them either. Fortunately, the brood nest wasn¡¯t as picky. Luo Wen gathered the intact parts to feed it and then dragged back a tree root as a reward for the beetle.


    The beetle epted the offering indifferently, as if Luo Wen¡¯s provisions were only natural. Every time Luo Wen saw this dumb creature, it irked him. While he wasn¡¯t a vengeful person, he vowed to recycle the beetle once resources were less scarce.


    With the beetle guarding the chamber, Luo Wen rested briefly before setting off again. The scout¡¯s direction suggested a nearby ant nest¡ªhis new neighbors. He needed to investigate and assess this potential threat.


    Dayster, Luo Wen reflected in his chamber. Absorbing the ck beetle¡¯s genes had caused a growth spurt; he had grown from the size of a fingernail to that of a coin. Consequently, his tunnels now felt cramped, and he had spent the day widening them.


    This chamber, likely to serve as his base for some time, now felt like home. Over the past days, Luo Wen had mapped the surrounding 100 meters. Wandering insects came and went, posing no real threat.


    The most significant danger was the ck ant colony, a permanent neighbor just 50 meters from his nest. The colony was massive but not an immediate concern. Their scouts rarely ventured within 10 meters of Luo Wen¡¯sir, and those who did mysteriously disappeared. Their losses had prompted the ants to reduce scouting in his direction, temporarily easing his worries.

 Chapter 22: Experiments

    Luo Wen mutteredints as he found himself traveling farther to hunt lone ck ants, dragging them back to the nest. The extra effort annoyed him, but it was worth it. Days of feeding the brood nest with meat had finally restored its vitality, enabling it to begin another wave of spawning.


    As he worked, Luo Wen reflected on his previous approach. Last time, he directly hatched a fully grown insect¡ªa ck beetle. While it only took two days to mature from egg torva and then to adult, Luo Wen suspected it might have skipped a pupal stage, condensing four growth stages into one. Though this yielded abat-ready ally, the process consumed an enormous amount of the brood nest¡¯s flesh to sustain the beetle¡¯s massive body.


    This led Luo Wen to a hypothesis: would allowing the brood nest toy eggs and letting them develop naturally be far less resource-intensive?


    His observations supported the idea. Over the past few days, constant feeding of tree roots had caused the ck beetle to grow slightly. Initially, its undersized form was due to the brood nest¡¯s limited size at the time of its creation. Luo Wen had thought the beetle was akin to a factory-made product, fixed at ¡°manufacture.¡± But this new organic biotechnology was unlike the mechanical systems he once knew¡ªit held endless possibilities.


    Seeing the ck beetle continue to develop, Luo Wen realized he¡¯d underestimated the brood nest¡¯s potential. It was time to try producing an egg and letting it hatch naturally. This time, he chose to create an ant egg using unaltered ck ant gic material, aiming to test whether it carried amunication system.


    The brood nest produced a small, pale-yellow egg without any noticeable strain. Luo Wen was thrilled¡ªhis hypothesis seemed correct. Producing eggs for natural development was indeed the optimal approach.


    However, his excitement was short-lived. As he stared at the fragile egg, he realized he had no experience in egg care. Before he could devise a solution, tragedy struck: the ck beetle, wandering nearby, stepped on the egg. Its sharp ws pierced the delicate shell, spilling its contents onto the ground.


    Luo Wen froze, dumbfounded. The beetle, oblivious to its actions, continued patrolling. The egg¡¯s stillness,bined with its tiny size rtive to the beetle, had made it an unnoticeable casualty. ming himself for hispse in focus, Luo Wen epted that the egg was beyond saving.


    Though frustrating, the incident sparked new thoughts. While the brood nest evolved from Luo Wen and was technically part of him, its creations were not true Iphieash. Both the ck beetle and the egg were proof. If Iphieash could be bred this way, they wouldn¡¯t be so rare.Instead, the brood nest¡¯s products were like living machines, designed for specific tasks. While there might be other traits Luo Wen had yet to observe, these creatures were undeniably fragile and required care.


    The ck beetle, clearly unsuited for such duties,cked intelligence and merely patrolled around the nest. Luo Wen needed a better solution.


    After some thought, Luo Wen issued amand to the brood nest. Half a dayter, it produced two miniature ck ants. Unlike the ck beetle¡¯s birth, the brood nest only appeared slightly weakened, not critically drained.


    Learning from past mistakes, Luo Wen shielded the newborn ants with his body while they were still weak, ensuring the patrolling beetle would avoid them. Compared to the fragile egg, these ants were muchrger. After a short adjustment period, they shakily got to their feet.


    The ants began interacting, touching antennae as if exchanging information. Luo Wen watched in confusion, wondering what was happening. Did they have amunication system that hecked?


    Suddenly, he felt a jolt¡ªan ability within him awakened. Thistent skill seemed to have evolved alongside the brood nest. Luo Wen realized it allowed him to release pheromones, a form ofmunication he hadn¡¯t needed before.


    Upon awakening this ability, Luo Wen immediately understood the ants¡¯ exchange. They were expressing confusion and waiting for instructions. The pheromones were spread across their bodies and antennae, allowing others to interpret them through contact. Luo Wen, however, could directly ¡°see¡± or ¡°sense¡± the pheromones, bypassing the need for physical touch.


    Fascinated by this newmunication method, Luo Wen quickly mastered it. He emitted a pheromone signal conveying, ¡°Follow me,¡± and the ants obediently moved to his side, touching him briefly before standing behind him.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Luo Wen thought.


    He led the ants into a tunnel, issuing anothermand: ¡°Dig together.¡± The three insects began burrowing in unison.


    Luo Wen tried a moreplexmand: ¡°Dig over there.¡± The ants responded with confusion, emitting pheromones that expressed theirck of understanding.


    ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s too much for them?¡± Luo Wen muttered. Their intelligence seemed disappointingly low.


    Testing further, Luo Wen left one ant stationary while guiding the other to a nearby location. He then issued amand: ¡°Bring the other one here.¡± This time, the ant understood. It scurried back to itspanion,municated briefly via antennae, and returned with the other ant in tow.


    Through these tests, Luo Wen identified the limits of their understanding. Commands needed clear, specific targets. For instance, ¡°Go there¡± was too vague, but ¡°Return to the nest¡± was easily understood and wlessly executed.


    With this knowledge, Luo Wen prepared for more experiments to further explore his new abilities and the capabilities of the brood nest¡¯s creations.

 Chapter 32: Collecting Some Interest

    Luo Wen harbored a vivid impression of the desert ants. Their hook-shaped mandibles, spring-like leaps, and their feces-spraying attacks had left a mark on his memory. Even now, he asionally recalled those encounters, each time grinding his teeth in frustration, bitter over the storm that had swept him away, leaving him stranded in an unknown ce. Would he ever return to exact vengeance for the gut-wrenching ordeal?


    Fate, however, worked in strange ways. To his surprise, he encountered the kin of those ants here in this foreignnd, presenting him with a chance to collect some interest in advance.


    Luo Wen was no longer the weak creature of the past. His body had grown significantlyrger, and his armor was much tougher. He decided to use these culprits¡¯ kin as practice dummies for the Luo-style insectbat technique, giving them a firsthand lesson.


    These Yellow Earth Ants were about the same size as he had been back when he was just the size of a fingernail. Now, however, his body had grown to resemble a small egg.@@novelbin@@


    He quickly charged at the nearest Yellow Earth Ant. On the way, he counted their numbers¡ªseven in total¡ªcurrently arranged in a tight formation as they cautiously advanced toward him.


    Without hesitation, heunched into the opening move of the Luo-style insectbat technique.


    As his massive burrowing limb smashed down on the lead ant, itsically small, round eyes, perched on its equallyughable head, froze in shock. Combined with its long, eyebrow-like antennae, the sight was absurdly amusing.


    But Luo Wen showed no mercy for its dazed expression. His burrowing limb struck true, and he immediately followed up with a second move. His mandibles, though rtively smallpared to his body, were colossal when measured against the Yellow Earth Ants. They resembled two enormous guillotine des.


    Against an opponent of simr size, the second move aimed to sever their legs, crippling their mobility before slowly wearing them down. But against these much smaller foes, such borate techniques were unnecessary. Luo Wen¡¯s mandibles mped down directly on the first ant¡¯s thorax, and with a slight exertion of force, the stunned Yellow Earth Ant was torn into two.Before itspanions could react, Luo Wen repeated the process, dispatching three more ants in quick session. Finally, the remaining three Yellow Earth Ants came to their senses. They arched their thoraxes and thrust their abdomens forward, preparing their signature move: the feces-spraying attack.


    Luo Wen was unperturbed by this familiar move. He merely used his massive burrowing limbs to shield his eyes, allowing the ants¡¯ acidced secretion to hit his armor. Wisps of white smoke rose where the fluidnded.


    Since thest time he had encountered such an attack, Luo Wen¡¯s acid resistance had significantly improved. The secretion that once posed a lethal threat now merely fizzled harmlessly on his armor.


    As the smoke cleared, his smooth, polished armor gleamed brightly, unscathed and even shinier than before.


    In a blur of motion, another Yellow Earth Ant was bitten in two. The final two ants, realizing their ranged attack was ineffective, leapt forward in a desperate bid to use their hook-shaped mandibles totch onto him.


    To be fair, these hook-like mandibles were highly effective against foes of a simr size, preventing their prey from escaping. Back then, these mandibles had caused Luo Wen no end of trouble, forcing him to abandon three segments of his abdomen to barely escape with his life.


    But now, facing a foe several times their size¡ªespecially one like Luo Wen, with his smooth, chitinous armor¡ªthey couldn¡¯t find any purchase, let alone immobilize him.


    With a mighty swing, Luo Wen¡¯s burrowing limb smashed down, crushing theically round head of one ant. Fluids sttered everywhere.


    He wiped the disgusting mess off his burrowing limb on the ground. Then, with a sharp twist of his head, he mped down on thest Yellow Earth Ant, finishing it off with a crunch.


    Luo Wen reflected with a sense of aplishment. Despite spending much of his time digging, he was now far stronger than when he was newly hatched. Back then, he had fled on sight from Yellow Earth Ants, barely escaping death. Now, seven of them couldn¡¯tst two moves against him.


    He tidied up the battlefield, devouring all seven Yellow Earth Ants. Their gic material had long been on his wish list. However, his current interesty solely in their spring-like leaping ability.


    As his body grewrger, his agility had inevitably suffered. The spring-like leap could make him more nimble in closebat.


    As for their hook-like mandibles and feces-spraying attack, the former was too limiting. If he had rejected the Giant Mandible Soldier Ant¡¯s formidable jaws, these hooks were even less appealing. Thetter, though technically an acid mixture, was also of little use. After shedding most of his ant genes with the Brood Nest, he barely had any residual acid left, which was now mixed into his saliva. He couldn¡¯t spare any to spray, making the ability redundant.


    However, these Yellow Earth Ants could be valuable for breeding. Theirbat strength far surpassed that of ck Ants. Even without incorporating other gic materials, simply hatchingrvae based on the Yellow Earth Ant temte could boost the hive¡¯sbat strength significantly.


    But where had these creaturese from? This ce was quite far from the desert, and for ants, even two or three hundred meters was a vast distance.


    Could there be a Yellow Earth Ant colony nearby?


    ncing at the sky, Luo Wen decided to investigate the direction the ants hade from starting tomorrow.


    These aggressive ants posed no threat to him, but if they continued to encroach, they could endanger the hive and the three ant nests.


    Feeling content with his current life and hopeful for the future, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t about to let these intruders ruin it.


    He grabbed a tender branch, sipped some sap, and brought a piece back for Big ck. Although the hive¡¯s current defenses rendered Big ckrgely redundant, it had been aborious task for the Brood Nest to hatch it back then. Luo Wen thought of it as keeping a pet dog.


    Back at the hive, Luo Wen checked on the transport and digging teams, ensuring they had all returned. After an earlier incident when a transport team went missing and wasn¡¯t discovered until the next day, Luo Wen had developed a habit of taking stock of the hive¡¯s poption each night.


    Of course, the count was only approximate, as the bugs didn¡¯t line up for inspection but rather scurried about chaotically. Luo Wen was also somewhat face-blind when it came to insects, making an exact count impossible.


    Still, he could easily spot the loss of dozens. A few missing, however, would likely go unnoticed.


    Finding nothing amiss, Luo Wen settled into sleep.


    He was soon jolted awake by a cacophony of vibrations from the surface, triggering a deep sense of danger. This scenario felt eerily familiar. Thest time he had been awakened by such vibrations, a sandstorm had swept through, apanied by an ominous sense of peril.


    But now, far from the desert, a sandstorm seemed unlikely. Yet the vibrations this time carried an even graver threat.

 Chapter 33: The Legion

    Luo Wen resolved to suppress his curiosity this time, no matter what, and firmly resisted the urge to investigate. Last time, his curiosity had alreadynded him in a situation of ¡°off you go, a thousand miles away.¡± This time, with the sense of danger so intense, who knew what kind of trouble might arise if he went out again?


    Five minutester, Luo Wen cautiously began crawling toward the surface.


    He had no intention of exining his actions. He could only attribute them to an overpowering curiosity that he had failed to ovee.


    However, just as he reached the transit station near the upper levels, he discovered it had been invaded. Dense, unknown creatures crawling through the passageway were detected by the sensory hairs on his body.


    Could it be an ant nest invasion? He considered the possibility but dismissed it. He infiltrated the ck ants¡¯ nest daily to transport food, and if there had been any major mobilization, he wouldn¡¯t have missed it. Furthermore, given the intelligence of the ck ants, it seemed unlikely they could pull off an act so borate as to deceive and lull him intocency.


    This pointed to an external species. Luo Wen was suddenly reminded of the yellow earth ants he had encountered earlier this evening, and his heart tightened.


    He had to take a peek. Otherwise, remaining ignorant of the enemy would leave him at too great a disadvantage.


    Carefully, Luo Wen made a small opening in the passage leading to the transit station and looked inside. Sure enough, the area was teeming with yellow earth ants. Could they be here for revenge?


    That seemed unlikely. Eliminating seven scout worker ants shouldn¡¯t have warranted a full-scale invasion, unless one of those scouts had been someone significant¡ªa prince or princess of a grand ant empire. If that were the case, it would be absurdly melodramatic. Luo Wen still thought it more likely to be a coincidence.Regardless, the enemy was overwhelmingly powerful and not something he could provoke at the moment. The transit station alone held hundreds of yellow earth ants, butpared to the vibrationsing from further above, this was just a small fraction of their numbers.


    Luo Wen estimated that at least tens of thousands of yellow earth ants were on the surface to create such strong vibrations. A mere few hundred would not have been enough for him to sense from deep underground.


    Without attracting the yellow earth ants¡¯ attention, Luo Wen cautiously retracted his head.


    Fortunately, the transit station had always been designed as a decoy¡ªa fake nest.


    Directly connecting to the brood nest was inherently risky. If the nest were discovered and pursued through the passageway, a direct connection would ce them in constant danger. As such, the transit station above the brood nest served as a decoy and a midpoint for food storage, with the added benefit of being misleading.


    Each evening, after the transport teams and excavation crews returned, all traces of the connecting passage between the brood nest and the transit station would be destroyed and buried.@@novelbin@@


    If any ant nest attempted tounch a surprise attack by following the passage, they would never find the brood nest¡¯s location. In fact, they might even end up attacking another ant nest instead.


    This strategy was known as ¡°diverting disaster eastward.¡± While the roles of potential disaster-bearers had now shifted, the diversion tactic remained effective. Luo Wen could only hope the ck ants would withstand the yellow earth ants¡¯ invasion; otherwise, he would have to find a new food supply.


    Returning to the brood nest, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t bring himself to sleep. He focused all his senses on the activity above. Fortunately, the vibrations remained far away. The yellow earth ants had not discovered the brood nest hidden below.


    The vibrations from above persisted for a long time, to the point where Luo Wen began to grow numb.


    If the yellow earth ants were not feigning activity¡ªmerely rubbing back and forth above the brood nest¡ªthen it meant their numbers were immense, in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.


    Luo Wen doubted they were feigning anything. Firstly, it was unnecessary. Secondly, he could sense that the vibrations moved continuously from one end to the other, indicating the yellow earth ants were progressing in a single direction without doubling back.


    He realized he had underestimated them. Even though he could effortlessly dispatch seven yellow earth ants at once, if he appeared on the surface now, he would be instantly overwhelmed by the army, unable to stir up even a ripple.


    Thus, Luo Wen pragmatically instructed all the insects in the brood nest to halt work and rest in ce, forbidding any noise.


    In the dark tunnels, the insects became as silent as powered-down machines. The absence of sound made the vibrations and friction from above all the more distinct.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t fathom the scale of the colony or the abundance of resources required to sustain such a massive ant legion. He was somewhat relieved that the insects in the brood nestcked fear. Otherwise, their minds might have already copsed.


    Time passed, and the vibrations above gradually ceased. The ant army had finally moved on. But Luo Wen maintained his silence, waiting for them to get even farther away.


    A long timeter, Luo Wen finally stirred. The yellow earth ant legion seemed to have truly moved on. His tiny brood nest wasn¡¯t worth the effort of a counterattack.


    Although he had his suspicions, Luo Wen cautiously moved upward. He first reached the area near the transit station, where some faint movement remained¡ªlikely yellow earth ants that had fallen behind the main army.


    Instead of investigating the transit station, Luo Wen bypassed it and continued upward, quietly emerging onto the surface.


    The temperature in this region did not fluctuate as drastically as in the desert. There was no frost at night, but the temperature was still quite low. Two pale light sources in the sky bathed the earth in a hazy glow.


    Thend before him seemed as though it had been plowed. The yellow earth ant legion had perfectly illustrated the meaning of ¡°an army marches through, leaving no de of grass behind.¡± The vegetation that had once thrived here, apart from a few sturdy trees, had vanished.


    At a nce, it felt as though the sky had risen by three feet.


    The destion almost made Luo Wen feel like he had returned to the desert.


    A few yellow earth ants lingered in the distance, seemingly searching for something. Their poor vision prevented them from noticing Luo Wen. Even if they did, their numbers posed no threat to him now.


    After a quick survey of the surroundings, Luo Wen didn¡¯t linger on the surface. He turned back to the transit station and eliminated the yellow earth ants trapped there before heading toward Brood Nest One.


    The scattered yellow earth ants along the way posed no trouble, not even slowing him down.


    Although their individual strength was insignificant to Luo Wen at this point, their sheer numbers, if exceeding a certain threshold, left him with no choice but to flee.


    This experience made Luo Wen truly understand the power of a swarm, though he regarded it with disdain. Such reliance on sheer numberscked any tactical sophistication.


    From a technical standpoint, it was far inferior to his Luo-style insectbat technique.


    As he thought this, his mouth inexplicably began to secrete more ant acid. Could it be because he had eaten too many ants recently?

 Chapter 36: Ambush

    The native creature closely matched the color of the cliff rock, camouging itself within a crevice. It had remained utterly motionless, blending seamlessly with the surroundings, and Luo Wen, focused on the greenery below, failed to notice the seemingly lifeless form was, in fact, alive.


    Luckily, Luo Wen¡¯s evolving eyes, with their now thirty-meter range and heightened refresh rate, caught the creature¡¯s movement the instant it struck.


    The figure leaping toward him became vividly clear¡ªa spider-like creature, gargantuan in size, several timesrger than Luo Wen himself.


    Its body resembled a fortress, divided into two segments: the cephalothorax and a rounded, hair-covered abdomen. Its head bore eight ck, spherical eyes arranged in three rows¡ªfour small ones in front, tworger ones in the middle, and two more small ones at the back.@@novelbin@@


    At its mouth, a pair of chelicerae arched forward, exposing sharp, venomous fangs.


    It had eight sturdy striding limbs, each jointed for exceptional mobility. Covered in hair and tipped with small ws and barbs, the legs spread wide, forming a deadly as it leaped to envelop Luo Wen with its massive frame.


    Luo Wen had thought his own size made him a giant among insects, dominating worker ants in the desert. But this new environment wasted no time humbling him; the first creature he encountered dwarfed himpletely.


    He had no interest in discovering what would happen if he was caught under the massive web-like trap. Nor was he keen on testing his carapace against those venomous fangs. To make matters worse, his current position on the cliff left him no room for agile maneuvers.


    Realizing the ground was close, Luo Wen decided to release his hooks and drop, hoping to both evade the attack and reach safety below.But the spider was faster. As Luo Wen detached from the cliff, one of its hairy limbsshed out like lightning, snagging him mid-fall.


    Luo Wen reacted instantly, raising a sturdy burrower limb to shield himself.


    The spider¡¯s barbed limb bristled with backward-facing hooks, clinging tightly to Luo Wen¡¯s digging limb the moment they made contact. The spider, clearly experienced in handling prey attempting to escape via freefall, began reeling him back in.


    With horrifying efficiency, its venomous fangs advanced.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Luo Wen cursed, fear mingling with fury. He had underestimated the creature, whose unique adaptations made it a master predator. His attempted escape had yed right into its strengths.


    The hooked hairs, though seemingly delicate, were incredibly strong. Despite his frantic struggles, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t break free from their grip.


    The spider¡¯s fangs mped down on his burrower limb. Though his carapace held for a brief moment, cracks soon formed under the pressure. Finally, the fangs punctured through to the soft muscle beneath, and a numbing sensation spread through Luo Wen¡¯s body.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Luo Wen cursed again, furious and rmed. The creature¡¯s venom was potent, and the situation was quickly deteriorating. If this stalemate continued, his life would be forfeit.


    Desperation ignited his survival instincts. Luo Wen brought his powerful jaws to bear, biting through the joint of his trapped limb with all his strength.


    The moment he severed his digging limb, the spider reared back, and Luo Wen seized the chance to break free. With a coordinated push from his six remaining legs, heunched himself away using his newly evolved burst speed.


    In an instant, he was a blur of motion, a dark shadow leaping from the cliff crevice and tumbling to the ground below.


    The spider extended itself in pursuit, but despite its eight eyes, it was clearly near-sighted. Luo Wen, now on the forest floor, was beyond its visual range. Frustrated, the spider retreated, retreating back into its crevice with the severed limb still clutched in its fangs. Momentster, the crevice was as silent and still as before.


    Luo Wennded in a patch of undergrowth, hastily shoving aside grass to dig into the soil. With one limb missing, his digging speed had slowed, but he pressed on, seeking the safety of the earth.


    His wound continued to throb and numb, the venom melting away his muscle tissue. The severity of the toxin left Luo Wen both horrified and enraged.


    ¡°Damn it! That thing ys dirty¡ªvenomous and extremely venomous at that!¡±


    Gritting his mandibles, he bit off the base of his severed limb to prevent the venom from spreading further. Scraping his jaws clean on the dirt, he muttered to himself. If the venom reached his mouth, he couldn¡¯t very well bite off his own head.


    After digging for what felt like hours, Luo Wen detected no other life nearby. Exhausted, he resorted to eating soil¡ªa necessity he had never expected to face so soon. Although the taste was dreadful, it sustained him. He ate his fill before sumbing to sleep, his body beginning the long process of self-repair.


    Time passed. When Luo Wen finally awoke, he examined his body. He hadn¡¯t cocooned this time, but a new digging limb had grown in ce of the old one.


    The new limb was significantly smaller than its counterpart, making Luo Wen look oddly mismatched with his uneven appendages.


    ¡°This is going to drive my OCD insane,¡± he muttered, feeling a pang of frustration.


    Still, he was confident his genes would correct the disparity as long as his nutrition intake was sufficient.


    His stomach growled, spurring Luo Wen to crawl upward. He resolved to minimize his dirt consumption¡ªits energy conversion rate was dismal. It had also given him his first experience with insect digestion issues, a situation he hoped to avoid in the future.


    Near the surface, Luo Wen encountered a tangle of roots. Biting through a few, he drank the sap to replenish his fluids.


    As he carefully poked his head out of the ground, a nearby grasshopper-like insect leapt away with astonishing speed. Despite its quickness, Luo Wen clearly captured its appearance.


    ¡°That looks like a grasshopper,¡± he observed. The insect was an oily green, resembling a locust. Its powerful hind legs marked it as a champion jumper, though itcked wings. Its back was covered in a hard shell that split open during jumps, helping it maintain bnce mid-air.

 Chapter 26: Infiltration

    Luo Wen first targeted a lucky test subject¡ªlucky because it didn¡¯t get to witness the opening move of Luo-style insectbat techniques.


    After observing the test subject, Luo Wen instinctively used his newly acquired ability. The pheromones emanating from his body began to subtly adjust.


    Pheromones arepounds that facilitate chemicalmunication between organisms. They are further categorized into various types, and almost all flora and fauna produce them.


    Examples include altruistic pheromones, selfish pheromones, synergistic pheromones, aggregation pheromones, trail pheromones, rm pheromones, evacuation pheromones, and sex pheromones.


    Ant pheromones, for instance, are a mixture of variouspounds, including the unique scent that identifies their colony. This functions like an ID card, allowing them tomunicate with their kin.


    Luo Wen was now tweaking this specific pheromone. His new ability enabled him to hack into a neighboring colony¡¯s ¡°household registry¡± and fabricate an identity. Afterpleting the forgery, he disyed this information.


    As the distance to the scout ant shrank, it finally sensed an unfamiliar vibration approaching. Its antennae reached out inquisitively.


    The scout¡¯s antennae made contact with Luo Wen, sweeping back and forth across his body. Luo Wen waited tensely for the verdict. It was his first time using this ability, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it might fail. He remained prepared to strike at any moment.


    Fortunately, the scout¡¯s inspection yielded no abnormalities. Since Luo Wen only presented the bare minimum¡ªan ID card¡ªthe scout lost interest in him. It bypassed him and continued its search ahead.After some thought, Luo Wen repositioned himself to block the scout¡¯s path again.


    This time, he didn¡¯t just carry an ID card but also disyed the message, ¡°There¡¯s food over there; follow me.¡±


    The scout¡¯s antennae twitched for a moment before it actually decided to follow him.


    Leading it a short distance away from the nest, Luo Wen then showcased a move from his Luo-style insectbat technique. The scout, confused as to why one of its own was attacking, failed to counter before being swiftly killed.


    Luo Wen¡¯s eyes lit up, as he seemed to have discovered a new hunting method.


    Dragging the scout¡¯s corpse to the transport team¡¯s rendezvous point, Luo Wen left behind a pheromone signal indicating, ¡°Take this back.¡± Of course, the signal was crafted with the forged identity from the brood nest.


    This was a contingency n in case he ventured too far and couldn¡¯t return in time. If the transport team returned without clear instructions and wandered aimlessly, it could end in disaster since the nest was less than twenty meters away. A wrong turn could be fatal.


    While Luo Wen¡¯s followers had grown in number, resources remained tight. Every effort to save or prepare for potential problems mattered.


    By sending the transport team on this extra trip, Luo Wen bought himself more time to explore his first infiltration mission.


    Brandishing his forged ID card, Luo Wen boldly approached the neighbor¡¯s front gate.


    ck ants swarmed the path, but they either ignored him outright or briefly touched him with their antennae before losing interest.


    Thus, Luo Wen breezed past multiple defensiveyers, eventually arriving at the entrance of the ant nest.


    Peering into the pitch-ck tunnel, he refrained from rushing inside. The ant nest previously harbored giant mandible soldier antsbat units. Who knew what other strange warriors might be lurking within?


    Although Yellow Bugs had nonchntly entered this ce before, their lives weren¡¯t as valuable as Luo Wen¡¯s. So, he opted for caution¡ªno, prudence.


    He first burrowed to the area beneath the nest, his bristles sensing the densework of hollow tunnels crisscrossing the underground.


    Around the ant nest, Luo Wen dug several escape routes. These tunnels were narrow, just wide enough for him to traverse. Should danger arise, he could retreat to the closest passage. While small worker ants posed little threat to him now,rger soldier ants would struggle to navigate these narrow routes.


    After preparing his escape routes, Luo Wen returned to the surface, heading back to the nest entrance.


    Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, he ventured inside.


    The entrance was cluttered with chaotic pheromone signals. Arge number of ck ants moved in and out, making the seemingly spacious passage feel cramped.@@novelbin@@


    Despite Luo Wen¡¯s appearance¡ªhis coloration aside, there were no other simrities between him and the ck ants¡ªthis colony only recognized IDs, not species or morphology.


    As long as you carried their ID, you were kin. Simple and crude.


    A massive soldier ant emerged from deeper within the tunnel, its bulky frame blocking most of the passageway. Its sheer size exerted an oppressive presence, reminding Luo Wen that fighting here would be less than ideal. Being discovered as an undocumented outsider would not end well.


    Fortunately, the soldier ant showed no unusual behavior. Mimicking the other ck ants, Luo Wen stepped over its head and body, continuing deeper into the nest.


    The tunnels gradually branched into numerous paths, some wide, others narrow. Luo Wen¡¯s current size made the narrower paths impassable. As it was his first visit, Luo Wen hesitated to widen the passages without permission¡ªit might seem impolite. Thus, he stuck to the broader routes.


    The internal structure of the nest was exceedinglyplex. With no specific objective in mind¡ªthis was just a reconnaissance trip¡ªLuo Wen meandered through thebyrinth.


    The essible paths were all main thoroughfares. After wandering for some time, he eventually entered a massive hollow cavity.


    This was the neighbor¡¯s hatchery. The ground was carpeted with eggs and pupae, interspersed with wrigglingrvae.


    Patrolling soldier ants moved about, surrounded by a swarm of worker ants. These workers busily transported food into the chamber, while others diligently processed the food, swallowing it before regurgitating it to feed thervae.


    Amidst them were several Yellow Bugs. Their yellowish-brown bodies,rger than the worker ants, stood out starkly against the sea of ck.


    But the ants didn¡¯t consider them out of ce. The Yellow Bugs acted just like worker ants, consuming the scattered food. However, they skipped the step of regurgitating it to feed thervae.


    Watching this, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but silently apud. ¡°Impressive moves! These Yellow Bugs really have no shame! Infiltrating someone else¡¯s nest and freeloading food and board? No wonder I¡¯ve only ever seen them enter ant nests but never leave. I was worried this nest might have some secret weapon hidden inside.¡±


    As it turned out, these freeloaders never intended to leave.


    Picking up a piece of food from the ground, Luo Wen examined it¡ªit appeared to be a chunk of insect flesh. After finishing it, he grabbed another piece, unfamiliar in appearance, possibly a secretion from some insect or nt. It tasted sweet.


    Piece after piece, food was scattered everywhere¡ªthis was the umtion of an ant nest with over a thousand members.


    Luo Wen began to think he didn¡¯t want to leave either.

 Chapter 40: Development and Conflict

    Two leisurely months passed, and the insect hive underwent a dramatic transformation.


    Above the hive, a decoy transit station had been established. Four spacious tunnels now connected it to the surrounding four ant nests. Worker Ants scurried back and forth through these tunnels, transporting food from the ant nests to the transit station.


    Each evening, the tunnels between the transit station and the hive were reopened, allowing the food to be transferred into the hive.


    Above the transit station, the soil excavated during the digging of the hive and tunnels had been piled into a tall mound. This mound not only prevented rainwater from flooding the tunnels but also concealedrge, unprocessed food stores, including the corpses of numerous sentry Worker Ants.


    Thanks to the steady influx of resources from the four ant nests, the hive thrived. The number of adult insects exceeded a thousand, and there were over two thousand eggs, pupae, andrvae.


    These newly bred insects were not ordinary ants. Their genes had undergone significant upgrades, transforming them into hybrids that retained the appearance and behavior of ants but wereposed of traits from multiple insect species.


    When the temporary hive was first established, Luo Wen had instructed the Brood Nest to produce over 200 Burrower Ant eggs, incorporating soil-eating genes to ensure their survival in the harsh early conditions.


    Burrower Ants were not only capable of performing all the functions of regr Worker Ants but also excelled at excavation. The four connecting tunnels, spanning over a thousand meters in total, were a testament to the capabilities of these new ants.


    With the tunnelspleted and a stable food supply secured, Luo Wen shifted focus to breeding Worker Ants equipped with formic acid spraying abilities. These ants had poor closebat skills but excelled in food transport and long-rangebat support.The next step involved developing new Soldier Ants. Using the standard Soldier Ant temte, Luo Wen integrated various gene fragments. These upgrades resulted in visible differences in their weaponry: some bore the hook-shaped mandibles of Yellow Earth Ants, others had erged mandibles resembling those of ck Ants, and a few were equipped with massive jaws akin to those of ck Beetles.


    In addition to enhanced weaponry, the new Soldier Ants inherited the robustness of ck Beetles,bined with their original Soldier Ant traits. As a result, their mature forms were significantlyrger and more powerful than standard Soldier Ants.


    There were also a few specialized breeds. Among them were Scout Bugs, equipped with exceptional vision capable of seeing over twenty meters. However, their limited intelligence hindered their ability to report findings effectively, necessitating further upgrades.


    Another innovation was the Spy Bug. With the four ant nests spread out, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t personally infiltrate them and transport food daily. Thus, he developed this species, capable of altering their pheromones to blend in.


    Unfortunately, their limited intelligence initially resulted in poor performance. However, after a month of meticulous training under Luo Wen¡¯s guidance, the Spy Bugs eventually learned toplete their tasks independently. Despite asional shorings, they became responsible for stealing food from the ant nests¡ªa decision Luo Wen made with careful consideration.


    The Spy Bugs had decent safety measures. ck Ants couldn¡¯t detect their disguises and, at most, noticed the traces they left behind in the stolen tunnels.


    Even if the theft was discovered, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t worried. The hive had grown considerably in strength. Although the ant nests outnumbered the hive several times over, Luo Wen was confident in his ability to defeat them if necessary.


    If not for the efficiency of the Worker Ants, some of the nearby ant nests might have already been eliminated.


    Just a few days ago, the southeastern ant nest discovered one of the stolen tunnels. Several scout Worker Ants infiltrated it, followed by a significant military force.


    The hive responded immediately. The transport team Worker Ants, doubling as scouts, marked the retreat path with pheromones as they slowly withdrew from the tunnel.


    Soon, the hive¡¯s Soldier Ant Corps entered the tunnel, and the transport Worker Ants stopped retreating, falling in behind the soldiers as they advanced toward the battlefield.


    When the two forces met, there was no preamble¡ªthey shed instantly.


    The Soldier Ants blocked the tunnel while Worker Antsunched surprise attacks, biting antennae and pulling at limbs. However, the hive¡¯s side had a trump card: a ranged attack formation. Several rounds of formic acid sprays devastated the enemy Worker Ants, inflicting heavy casualties. Even the more durable Soldier Ants suffered burns to their eyes and antennae.


    The hive¡¯s insects, having been modified with acid-resistant genes, were unaffected by the sprays. Aside from gaining a glossy sheen on their carapaces, they sustained no damage.


    Without the support of their Worker Ants, the ant nest¡¯s soldiers couldn¡¯t withstand the hive¡¯s fully intact army. The hive¡¯s Worker Ants swarmed them, immobilizing their limbs and leaving them vulnerable to the Giant Mandible Soldier Ants, who swiftly decapitated them.


    Led by the Soldier Ants, the hive forces broke through the enemy ranks. Some Worker Ants followed closely, while othersgged behind to finish off injured foes.


    The assault reached the enemy¡¯s incubation chamber. Only Luo Wen¡¯s intervention prevented the hive frompletely annihting the nest. As the losing side, the ant nest had no choice but to ept defeat quietly.


    Post-battle reports revealed that the hive had lost nine Soldier Ants and several dozen Worker Ants, while the enemy nest suffered devastating losses: 71 Soldier Ants and nearly a thousand Worker Ants, leaving it crippled.


    The hive, despite its losses, gained a substantial haul of ant corpses¡ªa valuable protein-rich resource. Most of these war spoils were stored in the mound above the transit station.


    However, food supplies from the defeated nest sharply declined afterward. This prompted Luo Wen to reflect deeply. Why resort to such hostility? Couldn¡¯t disputes be resolved peacefully? Even if conflict was unavoidable, couldn¡¯t it have been less severe? Though leading the swarm¡¯s charge had been exhrating, crippling the ant nest ultimately hindered the hive¡¯s growth.


    In a gesture of goodwill, Luo Wen temporarily closed the stolen tunnel to allow the nest time to recover. Fortunately, its eggs remained unharmed. Luo Wen hoped that with this ¡°recovery policy,¡± the nest would soon resume its role as a resource provider and perform even better.@@novelbin@@


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t participate directly in the battle, as his significantlyrger size rendered him unsuitable for the tunnels. His involvement would have blocked pathways and hindered the effectiveness of the swarm.


    Reflecting on the war, Luo Wen noticed a marked increase in the intelligence of this new generation of insects. Previously, they behaved like simple machines, requiring constant instructions. Now, they disyed traits akin to rudimentary AI, capable of performingplex tasks and even learning.


    What caused this change? Luo Wen spected it might be the hive¡¯s continuous growth or the interaction of diverse gene fragments. This was merely a hypothesis, requiring further observation and experimentation.


    Regardless of the cause, Luo Wen regarded this development as a promising sign.

 Chapter 28: Hidden Concerns

    Luo Wen deftly navigated to the hatchery deep within the ant nest. After a hearty meal, he selected a corner rarely traversed by ants and began digging.


    Once he had created a small hole, he turned back to seal the opening connecting it to the hatchery. Then he continued digging outward.


    Pheromones were truly a miraculous tool. After mastering their basic uses, Luo Wen had developed several extended applications.


    For instance, using marking pheromones as coordinates was not a novel idea¡ªck Ants had long employed such a method. However, while they could only detect these markers by physically touching them with their antennae, Luo Wen could sense his pheromone coordinates from a distance.


    At this moment, he was digging toward one of his marked coordinate points. This was thebor of the past two days with the transport team: the underground passage.


    As the passage had initially been very close to the ant nest, Luo Wen quickly connected his newly dug tunnel to it.


    Crawling into the underground passage, he summoned the waiting transport team. Together, they cleared the soil from the new tunnel. Luo Wen used his saliva to reinforce the fresh tunnel and carved out a temporary storage chamber near where the passage approached the nest. He ordered the transport team to stand by in the passage and sealed off the storage chamber¡¯s entrance to the passage, carefully erasing the pheromones left by the transport team.


    With everything in ce, Luo Wen returned to the hatchery and began transporting food to the temporary storage chamber.


    Although a few Worker Ants passed by during this time, Luo Wen¡¯s legitimate identity prevented them from showing any concern.Once he had stored enough food, Luo Wen sealed the connection between the tunnel and the hatchery, releasing pheromones that conveyed a warning to stay away. Then, he reopened the link between the storage chamber and the underground passage, summoned the transport team, and ordered them to carry the stored food back to the Brood Nest.


    The n proceeded smoothly. Like parasites on the ant nest, the Brood Nest began a life of indulgence.


    Luo Wen was temporarily freed from the strenuous tasks of hunting, no longer needing to find isted Worker Ants or demonstrate his Luo-style insectbat technique. All he needed to do was transport food to the storage chamber at intervals.


    Unfortunately, such idyllic days could notst.


    The ant nest supported a poption of over a thousand ants, and their daily food consumption was staggering. Despite this, their stockpile of food was limited. This was evident from the number of Giant Mandible Soldier Ants¡ªa specializedbat unit. Even with the vast poption of ck Ants, they could only sustain around ten of these non-productive soldier types.


    As the days passed and the Brood Nest¡¯s poption grew, the food reserves in the neighboring hatchery visibly dwindled. The ck Ants became agitated, confused by the mysterious decline in food.


    Luo Wen was equally worried. The past days offort had been utterly enjoyable, but the number of ants in the Brood Nest continued to climb. He had already stopped having the Brood Nest directly hatch two adult ants daily, instead allocating resources for its growth and limiting daily output to ten eggs.


    Even so, within a few days, when the pupatingrvae emerged as adults, the Brood Nest would add roughly ten ants daily. Combined with the continuous hatching of another ten eggs, the rapidly increasing mouths to feed would soon overwhelm the ant nest¡¯s resources. Luo Wen needed a solution.


    Before he could devise one, his attention was caught by the Yellow Bugs in the hatchery. Luo Wen had alreadye to regard the ant nest as his food production base, so the sight of these parasites was particrly vexing.


    With a thought, an idea formed in his mind. Unsure if it would work, he decided to test it.


    Luo Wen slowly approached a Yellow Bug, which was feasting voraciously and paid no attention to his presence. Quietly, Luo Wen spat a glob of saliva onto the bug before swiftly retreating. The saliva contained a concoction of pheromones, essentially mimicking an alien identity¡ªone unrecognized by the ant nest.


    The hatchery was a vital facility, endlessly supplying freshbor for the nest. Its importance was self-evident. When an unfamiliar scent of identity suddenly appeared in such a crucial location, the nearby Worker Ants, who were feeding thervae, immediately noticed. They began to surround the Yellow Bug, while a few quickly scurried off to alert the patrolling Giant Mandible Soldier Ants.@@novelbin@@


    Oblivious to the impending danger, the feasting Yellow Bug remainedpletely unguarded. Its prolonged safety had dulled its instincts, and it could not fathom that someone as cunning as Luo Wen would be plotting against it.


    From a distance, Luo Wen watched as the Giant Mandible Soldier Ants approached. It was his first time witnessing thebat prowess of these fearsome warriors.


    The ants mped their powerful jaws onto the unsuspecting parasite. With a sharp twist of their heads, the Yellow Bug was torn in two. Despite its resilience, the Yellow Bug¡¯s upper half was still moving, but it had no chance to escape. In an instant, the Worker Ants swarmed over it.


    Luo Wen watched with a mix of awe and dread. Relying solely on pheromone-based identification to distinguish friend from foe was a ring vulnerability. Fortunately, his Brood Nest employed two identification systems. Otherwise, any intelligent insect capable of altering pheromones could easily infiltrate and sabotage an ant nest from within.


    Thankfully, he was the only such insect for now. However, given the vastness of the world, who could guarantee that other simrly evolved creatures wouldn¡¯t exist?


    Reflecting on this, Luo Wen decided that two identification systems might not suffice. Once his abilities improved, he would develop additional systems to ensure security.


    Just like the old human television shows he remembered: in the past, when human technology was underdeveloped, they relied on sight to distinguish friend from foe. This allowed masterful disguise experts to infiltrate enemy ranks easily. It wasn¡¯t until technological advancements brought fingerprint, retinal, facial, and DNA recognition that such vulnerabilities were mitigated.


    These lessons from the past were worth remembering.


    For now, this was a lower priority. His current dual-system approach was sufficient for the time being. His immediate task was to deal with the remaining Yellow Bugs to prevent further food wastage.


    The other Yellow Bugs showed no reaction to theirpanion¡¯s death, continuing to eat and drink as if nothing had happened.


    One by one, Luo Wen spat the fake pheromoneden saliva onto them and watched as the Worker and Soldier Ants eliminated them.


    With the Yellow Bugs cleared, not only was a significant food burden removed, but their bodies themselves contributed to the nest¡¯s food reserves.


    Even so, it was only a drop in the ocean. With the Brood Nest on the brink of a poption explosion, Luo Wen feared the ant nest would soon reach its breaking point.

 Chapter 43: Plans

    Beyond the physical changes he observed, Luo Wen felt that his internal structure had also undergone significant transformations, though he wasn¡¯t sure of the specifics.


    If Luo Wen had more entomological knowledge, he might have deduced, based on the spider¡¯s physiology, that his oxygen delivery system had been overhauled. However, he would soon be able to confirm these gic modifications through the Brood Nest.


    The new oxygen system was capable of supporting growth to muchrger sizes.


    Despite these upgrades, Luo Wen hadn¡¯t gained the ability to produce silk. This wasn¡¯t entirely surprising. The creature resembled a spider in appearance, but Luo Wen had named it based on his own understanding. Who knew what it actually was?


    Moreover, its hunting method involved using rocks for ambushes, rather than showcasing any web-weaving abilities.


    Lacking the ability to spin silk didn¡¯t bother Luo Wen.


    The enhancements to his six striding limbs and the addition of venomous fangs alone were a major boon. Everything else would have been icing on the cake, desirable but not necessary.


    With his revengeplete, Luo Wen temporarily abandoned his thirst for action, allowing the region to experience a period of peaceful development.


    With the support of four nearby ant colonies, the number of insects under his control grew daily. Over time, the supplies from these colonies could no longer keep up with the demands of the Brood Nest.Recently, scout bugs withpound eyes had discovered three new ant colonies. ns were underway to dig new transport routes. Oncepleted, thebined supply from all seven colonies would sustain the Brood Nest¡¯s development for a while longer.


    Hundreds of days and nights passed. Luo Wen had no idea how long a year was on this. The climate in his region showed little variation; every day seemed the same. nts didn¡¯t follow any seasonal patterns of sprouting or shedding leaves, and there was no clear distinction between spring, summer, autumn, or winter.


    After all this time, the Brood Nest now connected to thirty-five ant colonies, supporting a vast swarm of over 10,000 worker ants and several hundred soldier ants.


    This number was deliberately capped by Luo Wen. Without such control, the poption could have easily doubled.


    The primary constraint was the length of the transport routes.


    The farthest colony was nearly a kilometer from the Brood Nest. By the time the transport workers reached the storage chambers to steal food, they were often too exhausted to carry much back. After consuming a portion of the food on-site, they transported the remainder back, consuming even more along the way. By the time they returned to the Brood Nest, little food was left.


    To quantify this.


    Every morning, a transport worker ant consumed one unit of food before setting out. Upon reaching Colony 35¡¯s storage chamber, it ate another unit and carried back two units of food.


    After returning, it consumed half a unit of food before resting for the night. The next morning, it consumed another unit and repeated the cycle.


    From this, it became clear that transporting two units of food cost the worker ant 2.5 units¡ªa loss.


    Moreover, each colony had a daily limit on how much food could be stolen without disrupting its operations. Exceeding this limit would gradually reduce the colony¡¯s food output. Sustainable development required restraint, avoiding the ¡°kill the goose thatys the golden eggs¡± scenario.


    As a result, the Brood Nest had halted its expansion several weeks ago. Even the colonies numbered thirty and above were rarely visited by transport teams anymore, with only a few spy bugs loitering there for sustenance.


    Luo Wen had considered a diet of pure dirt for all but found it impractical. Tests revealed that the energy gained from eating dirt was too minimal to support daily activities. It was only viable for emergencies, where the swarm needed to remain inactive, minimizing survival costs.


    In simpler terms, eating dirt allowed them to survive while idle but couldn¡¯t sustain normal operations.


    Now, the Brood Nest¡¯s development had reached a bottleneck. To break through, Luo Wen devised three potential solutions.


    n One: Improve Transport Efficiency. While ants were strong, capable of carrying food several times their weight, theycked suitable transport tools to maximize their potential.


    Currently, they relied on their mandibles for transport. If the food remained intact, they could carryrger pieces. Unfortunately, the stolen food was often already ground into smaller fragments.


    It was akin to a one-ton truck with only the cab and no cargo bed¡ªcapable of carrying only a fraction of its capacity.


    If Luo Wen could find a way to enhance their carrying capabilities, the Brood Nest¡¯s influence could expand severalfold.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen didn¡¯t know how to build ¡°cargo beds.¡± He could only hope to encounter a bug species equipped with such a feature, allowing him to extract its gic material. When or if that would happen was anyone¡¯s guess.


    n Two: Relocate the Brood Nest. The current Brood Nest was nestled against a cliff. In its early days, this location was advantageous, as it minimized the need to defend against enemies from all sides.


    Now that the Brood Nest had grown strong, relocating it to a more central area surrounded by numerous ant colonies could significantly increase its reach.


    Connecting to more colonies meant more stolen food, solving the current supply problem.@@novelbin@@


    However, this was merely a stopgap measure that didn¡¯t address the root issue. Furthermore, relocating such arge Brood Nest was no simple task.


    Even if they moved, it would take time to establish transport routes to the new colonies. During this transitional period, there was no clear way to sustain the swarm.


    n Three: im Territory. The third n involved clearing out nearby ant colonies and establishing a surface territory to produce food autonomously.


    Four colonies were located close to the Brood Nest. To avoid conflict, Luo Wen¡¯s swarm rarely ventured above ground.


    Currently, all the food came from the colonies. This had created a warped ecosystem where the entire swarm¡ªexcept the soldier ants¡ªwas essentially a massive transport team. Such dependence was unsustainable.


    By securing a patch of surface territory, they could produce their own food. For instance, they could raise the small green aphids found on tree leaves, expanding their scale using Luo Wen¡¯s intelligence. While this method of food production might seem unsavory, it would at least provide sustenance for his underlings.


    Compared to the first two options, the third n seemed the most feasible.


    However, the worker ants from the nearby colonies were diligent and hardworking, making Luo Wen hesitant to disrupt their operations. His ownziness andck of ambition caused him to put this n on hold.


    Until a few days ago, when something unexpected happened.

 Chapter 30: Completion

    After a deeply unfriendly exchange, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle. Initially, the fight was evenly matched, but since this was the enemy¡¯s home turf, reinforcements kept arriving in droves.


    The arrival of a Giant Mandible Soldier Ant quickly turned the tide. This specializedbat unit charging into a battlefield full of Worker Ants was like a strongman rampaging through a kindergarten¡ªutterly unstoppable.


    The Soldier Ant rampaged through the transport team, meeting no resistance and quickly leaving them in shambles.


    Although the bugs produced by the Brood Nest used ck Ants as their temte and looked identical to them, there was a critical difference. Unlike the scouting Worker Ants from the original ant colony, which would retreat when outnumbered, the bugs from the Brood Nest fought to the death.


    As a result, the entire transport team was annihted.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t notice anything amiss until the second day after the incident.


    The night of the brawl, Luo Wen returned to the Brood Nest with the excavation team after dark. The ck Ants in the Brood Nest were numerous enough to be noticeable but not overwhelming, numbering around a few dozen. Since they were all busily working, Luo Wen didn¡¯t immediately notice the absence of a dozen or so ants. He simply enjoyed some nectar, checked on Big ck, and retired to his small chamber for rest.


    It wasn¡¯t until the next day, after waking up and preparing to take a headcount, that Luo Wen realized the transport team had not returned the previous night. His heart sank¡ªsomething had gone wrong.


    Reacting quickly, Luo Wen thought things through and pinpointed the oversight that led to this disaster. He deduced the situation with about ny percent uracy.He left the Brood Nest alone to investigate. Not far from the entrance, he encountered scouting Worker Ants, likely tracking the transport team¡¯s trail.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t rm them. Instead, he erased any traces they could follow andid down new pheromones, redirecting their search toward the direction of Ant Nest No. 2. Whether the scouts from both sides shed wasn¡¯t his concern; he had sessfully distanced the Brood Nest from the incident.


    He continued to the exit of the smuggling tunnel. Along the way, Luo Wen spotted many scouting Worker Ants, but by then, he had swapped his identification pheromones, so even if they encountered him, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    The battle marks at the tunnel entrance confirmed Luo Wen¡¯s suspicions¡ªarge-scale skirmish had urred. Although the battlefield had been cleaned up, the lingering pheromones bearing messages like ¡°Enemy,¡± ¡°Alert,¡± and ¡°Combat¡± revealed much about what had happened.


    Instead of entering the tunnel, Luo Wen climbed to the surface and casually strolled into the ant nest. Inside the brood chamber, he found the transport team¡ªor rather, their dismembered remains scattered as variousponents.


    Luo Wen sighed, unsure if ck Two or ck Three were among the casualties. All ck Ants looked the same to him, and with their numbers steadily increasing in the Brood Nest, he had long lost track of who was who.


    However, he felt no sorrow. Maybe in the distant future, as his memories as an insect umted, they might suppress his human memories. But for now, Luo Wen, newly transformed into a bug, retained his human soul and perspective. It was difficult for him to feel emotional about a few ants.


    He never considered these ants his kin; they were tools. He hatched and fed them purely to make his life morefortable. His sigh was more about self-reflection and frustration over the loss of so many tools due to hisck of foresight.


    After having a meal in the brood chamber, Luo Wen didn¡¯t linger. He left the nest and returned home.


    Ant Nest No. 1 was too dangerous for now, so he decided not to send anyone there for the time being. This would allow the ants there to rest and stockpile supplies.


    His focus shifted to Ant Nest No. 2. The smuggling tunnel there, built in a patrol blind spot, was much safer. With a little overtime work, it could bepleted in a day or two. The Brood Nest¡¯s food reserves were still sufficient tost for that duration without issue.


    Back at the Brood Nest, Luo Wen adjusted the configuration of the eggs at the Brood Nest. This time, the eggs were based on the ck Ant temte but enhanced with Burrower Ant traits, adding a pair of digging limbs.


    Transporting supplies on the surface was far too dangerous. Luo Wen needed a specialized digging team. He nned to excavate an underground tunnel linking Ant Nest No. 1, Ant Nest No. 2, and his Brood Nest. This would mitigate the risks of surface transportation.


    In the future, he envisioned connecting Ant Nest No. 3, No. 4, and even more nests into an expansive undergroundwork. Digging alone wasn¡¯t feasible, as it contradicted his core goal: eat, sleep, and evolve while lounging. He wasn¡¯t about to work himself to death for his tools.


    Although Luo Wen had this idea earlier, he hadn¡¯t been in a hurry to act on it. He wanted to wait until his prior experiments proved sessful before reallocating resources.


    The recent setback forced him to elerate his ns. Fortunately, the previously configured eggs, while not yet hatched, remained vibrant and full of life. It seemed only a matter of time before they hatched intorvae.


    This gave Luo Wen the confidence to move forward with his ns¡ªthe viability of the eggs confirmed the feasibility of the modifications.


    With a team assembled, Luo Wen led the untrained excavation crew to work. For now, he did most of the digging, while the ants were responsible for transporting excavated soil out of the pit and reinforcing the tunnels.


    Two dayster, the smuggling tunnel at Ant Nest No. 2 wasplete. With his forged identification pheromones, Luo Wen infiltrated the brood chamber, dug a temporary path to connect with the tunnel, and began transporting food.


    The Brood Nest¡¯s food reserves steadily increased. Luo Wen dug two additional storage chambers, confident they would eventuallye into use.


    Time passed smoothly, and the newly hatchedrvae from Big ck¡¯s modified eggs emerged. Theservae resembled the White Grubs Luo Wen had first encountered upon arriving in this world.


    Seeing them triggered a wave of nostalgia. Those White Grubs had been immensely helpful to him, tirelessly assisting with tasks and enduring his treatment withoutint. When his teeth weren¡¯t fully developed, they would even gnaw through tree roots for him. They were truly good bugs.


    Not long after, thervae from the second batch of modified eggs, which incorporated Burrower Ant traits, also hatched. Theservae looked simr to ordinary antrvae, with only subtle differences.


    During this time, the Brood Nest¡¯s poption steadily increased. The losses to the transport team were not only replenished but surpassed.


    With arger workforce, Luo Wen and his ants re-excavated the smuggling tunnel for Ant Nest No. 1. This time, the tunnel directly connected to the Brood Nest from underground.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 31: The Enemy Reappears

    The Brood Nesty deep underground, a depth difficult for ordinary ants to reach without specialized digging limbs. To address this, Luo Wen constructed a temporary nest above the Brood Nest. This structure served not only as a logistics hub but also as a decoy¡ªthe first line of defense for the true nest.


    The distance between Ant Nest No. 1 and the Brood Nest was about fifty meters, roughly the same length as the smuggling tunnel leading to Ant Nest No. 2. With his prior experience, this project posed no challenge for Luo Wen.


    After spending some timepleting the tunnel, the Brood Nest resumed siphoning food from Ant Nest No. 1. With two nests supplying resources, the Brood Nest¡¯s food reserves began increasing visibly. The hatchery became fully stocked, and even the storage chambers Luo Wen had excavated earlier started filling with food.


    From then on, Luo Wen¡¯s daily routine consisted of hauling enough food from both nests to meet the transport team¡¯s capacity for the day. After that, he expanded his scouting range.


    Time passed, and Luo Wen¡¯s body grew significantlyrger, nowparable in size to the ¡°War God¡± ck Beetle he encountered before. Although hecked the massive mandibles, hisbat strength was enough to handle a Soldier Ant in one-on-onebat.


    His bulk now exceeded that of Soldier Ants, and his rounded physique made their slender frames appear feeble inparison. Apart from their sharper mandibles, Soldier Ants resembled oversized Worker Ants. Without the advantage of size, they were no match for Luo-style insectbat techniques.


    Near Ant Nest No. 1, Luo Wen set a trap and, with arge team of minions, ambushed a Soldier Ant. After some effort, he sessfully killed it, acquiring its gic fragments.


    At this point, the Brood Nest housed over 200 adult ck Ants, with more than a thousand eggs,rvae, and pupaebined. Notably, the second batch of modified ck Ants with Burrower limbs had all pupated, while the first batch of ck Beetlervae remained in therval stage. However, theservae had grown muchrger than most adult ck Ants.


    Considering the source of their gic temte and their eventual adult size, this was understandable.Although Luo Wen obtained the Soldier Ant temte, he decided against hatching any. Their role ovepped with that of the ck Beetles, yet theirbat effectiveness was significantly lower. Furthermore, Soldier Ants neither worked nor reproduced and consumed vast amounts of food. Hatching a few would be pointless.


    When the ck Beetles matured, the Brood Nest would be ready to expand to the surface and im territory.


    Before that, Luo Wen needed to locate new ant nests. As the poption in the Brood Nest grew rapidly, the resources from two nests were bing insufficient.


    A few dayster, Luo Wen discovered a new ant nest 200 meters north of the Brood Nest. He immediately forged identification pheromones and infiltrated it.


    The previously spacious main tunnels now seemed cramped due to Luo Wen¡¯s erged frame. If he continued growing, his espionage missions would likely be impossible unless he widened the passages as he went. Whether his forged identity would remain effective by then was another matter.


    During his earlier visit to Ant Nest No. 2¡¯s hatchery, Luo Wen had witnessed a Soldier Ant kill a Worker Ant. That Worker Ant wasn¡¯t a spy like Luo Wen but a legitimate native of the nest. Luo Wen still didn¡¯t understand why the attack urred.


    This incident taught him that even ants from the same nest could attack each other. Over-reliance on forged identity pheromones could lead tocency and grave mistakes.


    Since then, Luo Wen had been more cautious during his infiltrations. However, as his size increased, the rtive threat posed by the nest¡¯s inhabitants decreased, and his confidence began to swell once more.


    The newly discovered Ant Nest No. 3 was also a ck Ant nest, simr in scale to Ant Nest No. 2, and showed no signs of unusual ant types. Luo Wen indulged in some nectar inside the nest and fed a few mouthfuls to some Yellow Bugs freeloading there before returning home to rally his forces.


    Leading his excavation team, he began digging a tunnel toward the new nest.


    The route to Ant Nest No. 3 passed between Ant Nests No. 1 and No. 2. Using the surface posed risks of encountering scouts from either nest,plicating transportation.


    Thus, Luo Wen decided to dig from the transfer hub above the Brood Nest and excavate an underground tunnel over 200 meters long to connect directly to Ant Nest No. 3.


    Given Luo Wen¡¯s size, digging a tunnel to his dimensions created a spacious andfortable passage for the ants. While he excavated at the front, hundreds of ants transported the disced soil behind him.


    Although this 200-meter tunnel was Luo Wen¡¯srgest project to date, itspletion might surpass the fifty-meter tunnel to Ant Nest No. 2 in speed.


    A few days into the project, the newly hatched Burrower Ants joined the team. Their specialized digging limbs vastly outperformed ordinary appendages, akin to the difference between sweeping beans with a broom and picking them up by hand. The increase in efficiency was obvious.


    Everything progressed smoothly, and the new tunnel was on track for earlypletion. Then, something unexpected happened.


    After a day¡¯s work, Luo Wen returned ahead of the excavation team, leaving them to clean up the tunnel and continue their tasks. The soil removed from the tunnel had formed a mound over half a meter high above the Brood Nest, a testament to their efforts.


    Climbing to the surface, Luo Wen nned to drink some tree sap and bring some back for Big ck. Recently, the ck Beetlervae modeled after Big ck had begun to pupate. Luo Wen wasn¡¯t sure if they¡¯d remain herbivorous upon emerging, but he had started preserving the vegetation around the Brood Nest, consciously avoiding damage to the surrounding nt roots.


    While climbing a nt to find a tender branch to nibble, Luo Wen caught a glimpse of several moving patches of yellowish-brown in his peripheral vision.


    His senses immediately went on high alert. With the Brood Nest¡¯s growth, the surrounding area had be devoid of other life forms, let alone rare yellowish-brown ones.


    Luo Wen moved toward the figures, cautiously closing the distance until they came into clear view.


    To his surprise, they were the same Desert Ants that had nearly ended his life before. Indeed, it seemed enemies often crossed paths again.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 46: The Assault Continues

    After several back-and-forth skirmishes, the hive¡¯s forces began to show signs of exhaustion. At the same time, the Worker Bugs of the Brood Nest had depleted their reserves of acid solution.


    Having observed from the sidelines for quite a while, Luo Wen finally moved to the frontlines. His massive frame, several timesrger than a Soldier Ant, became an unstoppable force. With the insects coordinating around him, he resembled a bulldozer, charging through the battlefield with ease.


    It wasn¡¯t that he was cowardly. Well, at the beginning, he might have been a little hesitant.


    Given his size, Luo Wen was an obvious target on the battlefield.


    While his growing body granted him immense strength and resilience, his structure also left him vulnerable to smaller foes. His back, in particr, was a blind spot that was hard to defend.


    If too many Worker Ants surrounded him, he couldn¡¯t fend them all off. Should they manage to climb onto his back, there wasn¡¯t much he could do to stop them.


    Although his entire body was encased in tough chitinous armor that the smallerbatants couldn¡¯t prate, his bulbous, unprotectedpound eyes were a ring weakness. It wouldn¡¯t take much for a Worker Ant¡¯s bite to cause irreparable damage.


    When the Brood Nest¡¯s task force had besieged the cliff spider earlier, these very Worker Ants had crawled through its wounds and burrowed into its body. Since hive Worker Ants shared the same basic temte as their Brood Nest counterparts, they likely possessed the same tactics.


    Luo Wen had no intention of experiencing the fate of that spider.Moreover, his side held the upper hand, so there was no need for him, asmander, to charge recklessly into battle.


    Thus, during the intense early skirmishes, Luo Wen watched from a distance, asionally intercepting a stray Scout Ant returning to the hive.


    Now that the battle had calmed somewhat, Luo Wen, his blood boiling with excitement, finally had his chance to join in.


    Several Worker Bugs climbed onto his dorsal armor to guard his back, ensuring no Worker Ants could ambush him. At his feet, dozens of Worker Bugs followed closely, protecting his striding limbs and intercepting enemies from the nks.


    Behind him trailed a few Soldier Bugs guarding his rear.


    This setup allowed Luo Wen to focus solely on the enemies ahead.


    Though hisrgepound eyes were a defensive weak spot, their incredible refresh rate made it nearly impossible for the Worker Ants and Soldier Ants to evade his gaze.


    He snapped his mandibles around a Worker Ant¡¯s thorax and abdomen, applying just enough pressure to sever it cleanly in two, the lifeless halves dropping to either side of his jaws.


    Luo Wen extended a striding limb, its wed tipshing out like lightning to hook another Worker Ant. Tiny adhesive hairs on the w¡¯s pads clung to its prey as he pulled it back. His mandibles opened and shut, decapitating the ant in an instant. With a flick of his striding limb, he discarded the remains.


    Against opponents so far below his level, each one was dispatched effortlessly.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his unique Luo-style insectbat techniques might be rusty fromck of proper use.


    Fortunately, a Soldier Ant from the hive soon appeared, charging directly toward him. Its size made it a passable opponent to test his skills.


    Grinning internally, Luo Wen assumed the opening stance of hisbat style and advanced to meet the enemy.


    As the battle wore on, reinforcements from the hive ceased emerging from the tunnel. The remaining hive forces on the surface, now without fresh troops, were quickly isted and eliminated.


    Luo Wen swung his antennae side to side, releasing new pheromone instructions. The Worker Bugs guarding his striding limbs dispersed.


    Momentster, a strike team of over a dozen Soldier Bugs charged into the hive¡¯s tunnel, followed by a hundred Worker Bugs providing support.


    Simultaneously, several reserve units underground received Luo Wen¡¯s updated orders via messenger bugs.


    Inside the hive, numerous tunnels were breached by Burrower Ants, their figures quickly widening the openings. Following them,rge groups of Worker Bugs surged in, led by Soldier Bugs.


    Within moments, Brood Nest units attacked the hive from multiple directions.


    The hive¡¯s fighting forces had long been exhausted. The few stragglers left offered no meaningful resistance. Without their Queen Ant, there was no centralizedmand, leaving them to fight as individuals.


    Before long, multiple Brood Nest squads converged in the hive¡¯s Hatchery. Under Luo Wen¡¯smand, some Soldier Bugs and their Worker Bug escorts fanned out to search the tunnels for any survivors.


    Meanwhile, the majority of Worker Bugs swarmed into the Hatchery to im the spoils. The finely ground food scraps were highly nutritious and easy to consume¡ªtop-tier provisions.


    Additionally, the hive¡¯s eggs, pupae, andrvae were excellent sources of protein, perfect for harvesting and repurposing.


    By midnight, the Worker Bugs¡¯ transport teams were still shuttling back and forth through the underground passages. Their two-way lines stretched into orderly formations, operating with impressive efficiency.@@novelbin@@


    Luo Wen, as the suprememander of this operation, considered his work done and retired to his quarters for the night.


    Post-battle statistics showed that over 5,000 members of the hive had been virtually annihted. A few Scout Ants scattered far afield had avoided capture, but their numbers were negligible.


    Thanks to excellent tactical execution, the Brood Nest lost only a few hundred Worker Bugs and just over twenty Soldier Bugs. Luo Wen couldn¡¯t be bothered with exact figures. First, in this vast Brood Nest, he was the only one who could count. As its highest-ranking officer, he needed only an approximate idea. Second, the corpses of their fallen, be they enemy or ally, were piled together in a jumble of severed limbs, making it nearly impossible to determine precise numbers.


    The next morning, Luo Wen observed the still-bustling Brood Nest and made adjustments to his original ns.


    The goal of taking down one hive per day was temporarily postponed. Luo Wen had underestimated the logistical challenges of post-battle operations. For one, the Worker Bugs¡¯ acid solution reserves would require several days to replenish.


    Acid solution, with its ability to blind and burn enemies, was a critical auxiliary weapon in war. However, once depleted, it took considerable time to regenerate.


    The massive gains from annihting this hive would also require the Brood Nest to process its spoils over time. Being near akeside meant high humidity, which made food difficult to preserve. If four hives were conquered in rapid session, the resulting surplus would likely spoil before it could be consumed.


    The insects of the Brood Nest were creations of the Brood Nest Mother, who shared an intimate, undisclosed rtionship with Luo Wen. Given how the insects treated Luo Wen¡¯s pheromonemands as divine orders, their bond was clearly profound.


    Thus, no insect dared oppose Luo Wen¡¯s decisions.


    For now, the Brood Nest Troops halted their assaults on the remaining hives, shifting into a brief period of recovery and reorganization.

 Chapter 33: The Legion

    Luo Wen resolved to suppress his curiosity this time, no matter what, and firmly resisted the urge to investigate. Last time, his curiosity had alreadynded him in a situation of ¡°off you go, a thousand miles away.¡± This time, with the sense of danger so intense, who knew what kind of trouble might arise if he went out again?


    Five minutester, Luo Wen cautiously began crawling toward the surface.


    He had no intention of exining his actions. He could only attribute them to an overpowering curiosity that he had failed to ovee.


    However, just as he reached the transit station near the upper levels, he discovered it had been invaded. Dense, unknown creatures crawling through the passageway were detected by the sensory hairs on his body.


    Could it be an ant nest invasion? He considered the possibility but dismissed it. He infiltrated the ck ants¡¯ nest daily to transport food, and if there had been any major mobilization, he wouldn¡¯t have missed it. Furthermore, given the intelligence of the ck ants, it seemed unlikely they could pull off an act so borate as to deceive and lull him intocency.


    This pointed to an external species. Luo Wen was suddenly reminded of the yellow earth ants he had encountered earlier this evening, and his heart tightened.


    He had to take a peek. Otherwise, remaining ignorant of the enemy would leave him at too great a disadvantage.


    Carefully, Luo Wen made a small opening in the passage leading to the transit station and looked inside. Sure enough, the area was teeming with yellow earth ants. Could they be here for revenge?


    That seemed unlikely. Eliminating seven scout worker ants shouldn¡¯t have warranted a full-scale invasion, unless one of those scouts had been someone significant¡ªa prince or princess of a grand ant empire. If that were the case, it would be absurdly melodramatic. Luo Wen still thought it more likely to be a coincidence.Regardless, the enemy was overwhelmingly powerful and not something he could provoke at the moment. The transit station alone held hundreds of yellow earth ants, butpared to the vibrationsing from further above, this was just a small fraction of their numbers.


    Luo Wen estimated that at least tens of thousands of yellow earth ants were on the surface to create such strong vibrations. A mere few hundred would not have been enough for him to sense from deep underground.


    Without attracting the yellow earth ants¡¯ attention, Luo Wen cautiously retracted his head.


    Fortunately, the transit station had always been designed as a decoy¡ªa fake nest.


    Directly connecting to the brood nest was inherently risky. If the nest were discovered and pursued through the passageway, a direct connection would ce them in constant danger. As such, the transit station above the brood nest served as a decoy and a midpoint for food storage, with the added benefit of being misleading.


    Each evening, after the transport teams and excavation crews returned, all traces of the connecting passage between the brood nest and the transit station would be destroyed and buried.


    If any ant nest attempted tounch a surprise attack by following the passage, they would never find the brood nest¡¯s location. In fact, they might even end up attacking another ant nest instead.


    This strategy was known as ¡°diverting disaster eastward.¡± While the roles of potential disaster-bearers had now shifted, the diversion tactic remained effective. Luo Wen could only hope the ck ants would withstand the yellow earth ants¡¯ invasion; otherwise, he would have to find a new food supply.


    Returning to the brood nest, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t bring himself to sleep. He focused all his senses on the activity above. Fortunately, the vibrations remained far away. The yellow earth ants had not discovered the brood nest hidden below.


    The vibrations from above persisted for a long time, to the point where Luo Wen began to grow numb.


    If the yellow earth ants were not feigning activity¡ªmerely rubbing back and forth above the brood nest¡ªthen it meant their numbers were immense, in the tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.


    Luo Wen doubted they were feigning anything. Firstly, it was unnecessary. Secondly, he could sense that the vibrations moved continuously from one end to the other, indicating the yellow earth ants were progressing in a single direction without doubling back.


    He realized he had underestimated them. Even though he could effortlessly dispatch seven yellow earth ants at once, if he appeared on the surface now, he would be instantly overwhelmed by the army, unable to stir up even a ripple.


    Thus, Luo Wen pragmatically instructed all the insects in the brood nest to halt work and rest in ce, forbidding any noise.@@novelbin@@


    In the dark tunnels, the insects became as silent as powered-down machines. The absence of sound made the vibrations and friction from above all the more distinct.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t fathom the scale of the colony or the abundance of resources required to sustain such a massive ant legion. He was somewhat relieved that the insects in the brood nestcked fear. Otherwise, their minds might have already copsed.


    Time passed, and the vibrations above gradually ceased. The ant army had finally moved on. But Luo Wen maintained his silence, waiting for them to get even farther away.


    A long timeter, Luo Wen finally stirred. The yellow earth ant legion seemed to have truly moved on. His tiny brood nest wasn¡¯t worth the effort of a counterattack.


    Although he had his suspicions, Luo Wen cautiously moved upward. He first reached the area near the transit station, where some faint movement remained¡ªlikely yellow earth ants that had fallen behind the main army.


    Instead of investigating the transit station, Luo Wen bypassed it and continued upward, quietly emerging onto the surface.


    The temperature in this region did not fluctuate as drastically as in the desert. There was no frost at night, but the temperature was still quite low. Two pale light sources in the sky bathed the earth in a hazy glow.


    Thend before him seemed as though it had been plowed. The yellow earth ant legion had perfectly illustrated the meaning of ¡°an army marches through, leaving no de of grass behind.¡± The vegetation that had once thrived here, apart from a few sturdy trees, had vanished.


    At a nce, it felt as though the sky had risen by three feet.


    The destion almost made Luo Wen feel like he had returned to the desert.


    A few yellow earth ants lingered in the distance, seemingly searching for something. Their poor vision prevented them from noticing Luo Wen. Even if they did, their numbers posed no threat to him now.


    After a quick survey of the surroundings, Luo Wen didn¡¯t linger on the surface. He turned back to the transit station and eliminated the yellow earth ants trapped there before heading toward Brood Nest One.


    The scattered yellow earth ants along the way posed no trouble, not even slowing him down.


    Although their individual strength was insignificant to Luo Wen at this point, their sheer numbers, if exceeding a certain threshold, left him with no choice but to flee.


    This experience made Luo Wen truly understand the power of a swarm, though he regarded it with disdain. Such reliance on sheer numberscked any tactical sophistication.


    From a technical standpoint, it was far inferior to his Luo-style insectbat technique.


    As he thought this, his mouth inexplicably began to secrete more ant acid. Could it be because he had eaten too many ants recently?

 Chapter 50: The White Dots

    In addition to those insects that died identally, many new ones were born every day.


    With the hive¡¯s territory now vast, the insects were busier than ever, working tirelessly day and night. Gone were the days when only a few hundred insects would huddle together at night. Back then, Luo Wen could easily count their numbers in a matter of moments when he had nothing else to do.


    He sighed nostalgically at the simplicity of those earlier days, now long past. Today, he could only make rough estimates¡ªthe insect poption had grown to at least fifty thousand.


    As time passed, Luo Wen began experiencing some headaches in recent days, as many insects had fallen ill.


    It was unclear when it started, but small white dots had appeared on the once shiny exoskeletal armor of the insects.


    At first, these white spots were few and scattered, appearing on the carapaces of just a handful of insects. But in a very short time, the dots spread rapidly, covering the insects¡¯ entire bodies. Before long, those afflicted with the white dots inexplicably perished.


    The worker ants followed protocol, recycling the dead into protein, but in doing so, they inadvertently spread the white dots to others.


    The white dots behaved like a gue, rapidly infecting more insects.


    By the time Luo Wen noticed and focused on the issue, hundreds of insects had already died from the affliction.Luo Wen felt a pang of guilt¡ªit was a clearpse in his management.


    Recently, he had been preupied with perching on tree trunks and enjoying the scenery. Furthermore, as his size increased, he had stopped living among the other insects.


    To amodate his growing size, creating a tunnelrge enough for him to ess the underground would require substantial excavation, introducing potential risks to the hive, such as flooding during rain.


    The hive entrance was built atop a raised mound, which the worker ants had modified over time to resemble a miniature volcanic crater. This design allowed them to seal the entrance quickly during rainfall, preventing water from entering the nest or pooling around the entrance.


    If arger tunnel were constructed for Luo Wen, sealing it during heavy rain would be nearly impossible for the worker ants, potentially endangering the entire hive.


    With his limited insectile experience, Luo Wen hadn¡¯t considered such issues in advance.


    Several weeks ago, a torrential downpour had drenched the area. At that time, his size was still manageable, and the tunnel wasn¡¯t excessivelyrge.


    Even so, rainwater still flooded the hive, drowning a significant number of worker ants.@@novelbin@@


    Since then, Luo Wen had dug out a separate chamber near the hive for his own use, choosing to live alone.


    This istion was the primary reason he failed to notice the white dot outbreak sooner.


    After identifying the problem, Luo Wen carefully observed an infected worker ant. To his surprise, the white dots weren¡¯t a disease but rather tiny insects.


    These minuscule parasites clung tightly to their hosts, using their mouthparts to pierce the exoskeleton and feed on bodily fluids. They reproduced rapidly, and once their numbers reached a critical mass, they could kill the host.


    Though Luo Wen identified the cause of the outbreak, he had no effective solution.


    The insects¡¯bat abilities were designed forrger-scale threats, rendering them useless against the microscopic white parasites. While the adhesive hairs on Luo Wen¡¯s legs could pick off these pests, treating thousands of infected insects by himself was an insurmountable task.


    Hatching new insects equipped with adhesive hairs? The time required for eggs to develop into mature insects was far too long. By then, the infected poption would likely be wiped out. Directly producing adult insects from the Brood Nest? The process was inefficient, yielding too few to make a significant impact.


    Luo Wen had no choice but to iste the infected insects and think of a n.


    Just as he was about to hit a mental wall, a breakthrough urred.


    He recalled the worker ants¡¯ formic acid, which was highly effective against enemiescking acid-resistant genes. He decided to test it.


    The results were astonishing. The white parasites had no resistance to formic acid and were easily exterminated.


    A single ¡°acid rain¡± sessionter, the hive was free of infections, and the insects returned to health.


    However, the root of the issue remained unresolved¡ªwhere had the parasitese from?


    Luo Wen, living in a monotonous world, found himself ruminating on the problem. Eventually, he formed a hypothesis.


    He had already dismantled over twenty ant nests but had never seen these parasites on ants. Likewise, the hive had been free of them until recently.


    This suggested that a recent change in the hive¡¯s environment triggered the outbreak.


    Luo Wen recalled the wood chips used by ants to keep their nests dry. These chips were made by gnawing on nt roots to create dried wood, which the ants extracted.


    Previously, the hive had simr wood chips. But since Luo Wen moved out, moisture control in the hive had been neglected. This was the only notable change in recent times.


    Whether this was the true cause required further observation.


    Luo Wen quickly issued new orders.


    The worker ants thoroughly cleansed the hive with formic acid and collected fresh, dry wood chips from nearby dried wood sources. Once arranged, the hive returned to its former dry andfortable state.


    Over the next several days, no new white dots appeared, confirming that moisture was indeed the culprit.


    With the issue resolved, life returned to its usual rhythm.


    Monthster, the hive¡¯s influence expanded outward by another hundred meters.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen faced a familiar problem.


    When Luo Wen first decided to emerge from the underground and eliminate the surrounding ant nests, it was because the transport routes had be too long. Worker ants spent more energy traveling than they could harvest.


    This problem hadn¡¯t been fundamentally resolved, and now it had resurfaced.


    With the expanded territory, the hive¡¯s outermost boundaries were nearly 500 meters away from its core.


    Round trips were time-consuming and energy-intensive for the worker ants.


    This distance was already their operational limit. If the hive were to expand further, the issue would need to be addressed.


    Thus, the old n to relocate the hive was revisited.


    This time, however, circumstances were different. The hive was now the dominant force in the area, able to migrate across the surface without risk.


    After careful consideration, Luo Wen selected a new hive location 50 meters from the current boundary.


    This site offered a safe buffer and room for future expansions.


    Even so, the relocation only provided a temporary fix. Once the hive expanded another 400¨C500 meters, the same problem would arise again.


    By then, relocating the hive alone wouldn¡¯t suffice.


    Luo Wen needed to devise asting solution during this period to resolve the issue once and for all.

 Chapter 52: Branch Bases

    This was an oversight Luo Wen hadn¡¯t anticipated, a blind spot in his thinking.


    Beyond hisck of familiarity with male ants, there was another factor: the Brood Nest had always produced eggs without needing external involvement.


    Perhaps the Brood Nest instinctively knew that if it required such a process, Luo Wen might have eliminated it long before it reached its current size.


    With the issue identified, Luo Wen extracted gic fragments from the male ants. The Brood Nest soon began producing eggs for a few male ants.


    In time, the Queens sessfullyid eggs.


    However, the hatchlings were ordinary, unmodified ants¡ªfree of any advanced biological features.


    Fortunately, these creatures still obeyed Luo Wen¡¯smands.


    Apart from their pheromone-based identification system, they also inherited the dual friend-or-foe recognition system characteristic of Brood Nest creations.


    Yet, this oue fell far short of Luo Wen¡¯s expectations.He wasn¡¯t here to raise ordinary ants. If the swarm couldn¡¯t grow stronger alongside him, what would be the point of the Collective¡¯s energy?


    Determined to achieve better results, Luo Wen conducted further experiments.


    Although the Brood Nest¡¯s originsy in the genes of ck Ant Queens, its mutations had transformed it beyond recognition.


    Luo Wen experimented with variousbinations of his own genes and those of the Brood Nest. After countless trials, he finally devised a passable solution.


    The Queens hatched using this new form operated more like miniature versions of the Brood Nest. They couldy eggs without the need for male ants and even utilize optimized gicbinations to produce specialized insects, such as Burrower Ants and Spy Bugs.


    However, they had their limitations.


    Firstly, their gene libraries were fixed the moment they detached from the Brood Nest. Unlike the Brood Nest, they couldn¡¯t synchronize with Luo Wen to continuously update their gic repertoire.


    Secondly, theycked the Brood Nest¡¯s capacity for relentless energy conversion. Bound by their smaller appetites and limited time, their growth was slower, and their egg production couldn¡¯tpare to that of the Brood Nest.


    These ws, though inconvenient, could be mitigated.


    For example, the first issue could be resolved by periodically producing new Queens to refresh the gene library. As for the second issue, while individual output was limited, there was no restriction on the number of Queens that could exist.


    If one wasn¡¯t enough, produce two. If two weren¡¯t sufficient, try ten¡ªor a hundred.


    The swarm¡¯s expansion elerated dramatically. Simultaneously, the first batch of ten experimental Queen eggs was produced.


    While these Queens matured, the swarmunched a frenzied offensive, wiping out dozens of ant nests in a short time.


    None of the thirty-plus ant nests that once provided food for the hive were spared. All were annihted, and their territories absorbed into the swarm.


    However, due to the distance, the new territories couldn¡¯t yet be developed or guarded.


    This was only a temporary issue. As the ten Queens matured, it was time for them to y their roles.


    Luo Wen equipped each Queen with 300 Burrower Ants, 700 Worker Ants, and 50 Soldier Ants as their personal guard units.


    After assembly, the ten teams set off in different directions toward the frontlines.


    Their mission was to establish branch bases in the new territories, create additional aphid pastures, and utilize local resources to increase their numbers. They were also tasked with safeguarding their territories and the Brood Nest itself.


    Luo Wen was thrilled. If these experimental seeds proved sessful, the swarm¡¯s growth would reach unprecedented levels.


    Finally, the prospect of defeating the Yellow Earth Ant Legion and avenging past grievances was within reach.


    Despite the emergence of branch Queens, the Brood Nest¡¯s production continued unabated.


    After replenishing the forces assigned to the ten Queens, all new mature individuals were sent to support the frontlines and branch bases.


    The Queens, still limited in production capacity, focused on nurturing themselves while the branches grew steadily under the Brood Nest¡¯s support.


    As the branch bases expanded and the number of insects increased, new aphid pastures began to appear around them.


    The experiment proceeded smoothly. In the following weeks, the swarm resumed its relentless march of expansion.


    One by one, over twenty additional Queens were dispatched with their personal guards to establish new branch bases in fresh territories.


    As the branch bases proliferated across the region, the swarm¡¯s activity radius grew significantly.


    Unlike independent ck Ant colonies, which formed separate systems with unique identification protocols, the Brood Nest¡¯s Queens functioned as extensions of the hive.


    All branches shared the same identification system and pheromone-basedwork as the central hive.


    Insects from any branch could freely ess the Brood Nest and other bases for rest and resupply.


    Luo Wen remained their suprememander.@@novelbin@@


    Time flew by, with a new Queen team departing every few days to secure new territories.


    Backed against the cliff, the swarm¡¯s influence now extended along the easternke¡¯s shoreline, rapidly expanding northward.


    Upon reaching theke¡¯s northern end, the swarm split into two forces: one continued north, while the other followed theke¡¯s edge eastward.


    Eventually, the eastern force encountered a river flowing from theke. Turning north along the river, they rejoined the northern force.


    Meanwhile, a western force of 30,000 insects advanced westward.


    When the hive was weaker, Luo Wen had avoided theke, staying as far away as possible. As a human, he had harbored an unexinable fear of deep water.


    After bing an insect, even small puddles seemed bottomless to him.


    Fear of the unknown only deepened his caution¡ªhe couldn¡¯t be sure what terrifying creatures might lurk underwater.


    As the swarm grew stronger, Luo Wen dispatched scouts to patrol the area. Nothing unusual urred, though he climbed tall nts near the shore to observe theke from a distance.


    Despite the calm surface, he couldn¡¯t see beneath the water.


    Over time, Luo Wen¡¯s wariness subsided. Though the swarm patrolled the area, he never expanded their territory to theke.


    Now, however, the hive epassed half thekeshore.


    Ironically, Luo Wen found himself hoping something would emerge from theke¡ªperhaps it could offer new gic fragments for his collection.


    It had been far too long since his gene library had been updated.


    s, theke¡¯s creatures adhered to a ¡°live and let live¡± philosophy, showing no inclination toe ashore.

 Chapter 36: Ambush

    The native creature closely matched the color of the cliff rock, camouging itself within a crevice. It had remained utterly motionless, blending seamlessly with the surroundings, and Luo Wen, focused on the greenery below, failed to notice the seemingly lifeless form was, in fact, alive.


    Luckily, Luo Wen¡¯s evolving eyes, with their now thirty-meter range and heightened refresh rate, caught the creature¡¯s movement the instant it struck.


    The figure leaping toward him became vividly clear¡ªa spider-like creature, gargantuan in size, several timesrger than Luo Wen himself.


    Its body resembled a fortress, divided into two segments: the cephalothorax and a rounded, hair-covered abdomen. Its head bore eight ck, spherical eyes arranged in three rows¡ªfour small ones in front, tworger ones in the middle, and two more small ones at the back.


    At its mouth, a pair of chelicerae arched forward, exposing sharp, venomous fangs.


    It had eight sturdy striding limbs, each jointed for exceptional mobility. Covered in hair and tipped with small ws and barbs, the legs spread wide, forming a deadly as it leaped to envelop Luo Wen with its massive frame.


    Luo Wen had thought his own size made him a giant among insects, dominating worker ants in the desert. But this new environment wasted no time humbling him; the first creature he encountered dwarfed himpletely.


    He had no interest in discovering what would happen if he was caught under the massive web-like trap. Nor was he keen on testing his carapace against those venomous fangs. To make matters worse, his current position on the cliff left him no room for agile maneuvers.


    Realizing the ground was close, Luo Wen decided to release his hooks and drop, hoping to both evade the attack and reach safety below.But the spider was faster. As Luo Wen detached from the cliff, one of its hairy limbsshed out like lightning, snagging him mid-fall.


    Luo Wen reacted instantly, raising a sturdy burrower limb to shield himself.


    The spider¡¯s barbed limb bristled with backward-facing hooks, clinging tightly to Luo Wen¡¯s digging limb the moment they made contact. The spider, clearly experienced in handling prey attempting to escape via freefall, began reeling him back in.


    With horrifying efficiency, its venomous fangs advanced.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Luo Wen cursed, fear mingling with fury. He had underestimated the creature, whose unique adaptations made it a master predator. His attempted escape had yed right into its strengths.


    The hooked hairs, though seemingly delicate, were incredibly strong. Despite his frantic struggles, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t break free from their grip.


    The spider¡¯s fangs mped down on his burrower limb. Though his carapace held for a brief moment, cracks soon formed under the pressure. Finally, the fangs punctured through to the soft muscle beneath, and a numbing sensation spread through Luo Wen¡¯s body.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Luo Wen cursed again, furious and rmed. The creature¡¯s venom was potent, and the situation was quickly deteriorating. If this stalemate continued, his life would be forfeit.


    Desperation ignited his survival instincts. Luo Wen brought his powerful jaws to bear, biting through the joint of his trapped limb with all his strength.


    The moment he severed his digging limb, the spider reared back, and Luo Wen seized the chance to break free. With a coordinated push from his six remaining legs, heunched himself away using his newly evolved burst speed.


    In an instant, he was a blur of motion, a dark shadow leaping from the cliff crevice and tumbling to the ground below.


    The spider extended itself in pursuit, but despite its eight eyes, it was clearly near-sighted. Luo Wen, now on the forest floor, was beyond its visual range. Frustrated, the spider retreated, retreating back into its crevice with the severed limb still clutched in its fangs. Momentster, the crevice was as silent and still as before.


    Luo Wennded in a patch of undergrowth, hastily shoving aside grass to dig into the soil. With one limb missing, his digging speed had slowed, but he pressed on, seeking the safety of the earth.


    His wound continued to throb and numb, the venom melting away his muscle tissue. The severity of the toxin left Luo Wen both horrified and enraged.


    ¡°Damn it! That thing ys dirty¡ªvenomous and extremely venomous at that!¡±


    Gritting his mandibles, he bit off the base of his severed limb to prevent the venom from spreading further. Scraping his jaws clean on the dirt, he muttered to himself. If the venom reached his mouth, he couldn¡¯t very well bite off his own head.


    After digging for what felt like hours, Luo Wen detected no other life nearby. Exhausted, he resorted to eating soil¡ªa necessity he had never expected to face so soon. Although the taste was dreadful, it sustained him. He ate his fill before sumbing to sleep, his body beginning the long process of self-repair.


    Time passed. When Luo Wen finally awoke, he examined his body. He hadn¡¯t cocooned this time, but a new digging limb had grown in ce of the old one.


    The new limb was significantly smaller than its counterpart, making Luo Wen look oddly mismatched with his uneven appendages.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°This is going to drive my OCD insane,¡± he muttered, feeling a pang of frustration.


    Still, he was confident his genes would correct the disparity as long as his nutrition intake was sufficient.


    His stomach growled, spurring Luo Wen to crawl upward. He resolved to minimize his dirt consumption¡ªits energy conversion rate was dismal. It had also given him his first experience with insect digestion issues, a situation he hoped to avoid in the future.


    Near the surface, Luo Wen encountered a tangle of roots. Biting through a few, he drank the sap to replenish his fluids.


    As he carefully poked his head out of the ground, a nearby grasshopper-like insect leapt away with astonishing speed. Despite its quickness, Luo Wen clearly captured its appearance.


    ¡°That looks like a grasshopper,¡± he observed. The insect was an oily green, resembling a locust. Its powerful hind legs marked it as a champion jumper, though itcked wings. Its back was covered in a hard shell that split open during jumps, helping it maintain bnce mid-air.

 Chapter 55: Preparing for Battle (1)

    When Luo Wen returned to the branch base, he saw ck Ants emerging from the tunnels.


    They were carrying not only food but also eggs,rvae, and pupae, and surprisingly, they didn¡¯t seem to be killing them.


    ¡°Are they nning to adopt theservae?¡± Luo Wen wondered, puzzled.


    At the same time, he noticed another strange phenomenon.


    The ones working were exclusively ck Ants, while the Red Ants stood idly by, showing no intention of helping. They appeared to be loafing about.


    An uncontroble thought sprang to Luo Wen¡¯s mind. Could the theory he had jokingly entertained earlier actually be the truth?


    He adjusted his pheromones to disguise his identity and cautiously approached while observing their reactions, ready to flee at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Fortunately, the pheromone disguise still worked on the Red Ants, who didn¡¯t react to his approach.


    However, some Red Ants, for reasons unknown, suddenly began fighting each other.More than a dozen Red Ants locked jaws and wrestled fiercely, forming a chaotic melee surrounded by arge circle of spectators.


    ¡°Is this their idea of entertainment?¡± Luo Wen mused.


    The erratic behavior of these tiny creatures baffled him, and he couldn¡¯t discern their behavioral patterns.


    Erring on the side of caution, Luo Wen refrained from venturing deeper into enemy territory. If one of these dim-witted ants decided to challenge him to a test of strength due to his size, it might blow his cover.


    Circling the enemy, he observed a critical detail: both the Red Ants and the ck Ants shared the same pheromone markers.


    This meant they were on the same side. The Red Ants weren¡¯t hired reinforcements but part of the same group.@@novelbin@@


    This discovery reinforced Luo Wen¡¯s earlier suspicion.


    After a while, the ck Ants finished clearing out the branch base, and the army,den with spoils, began their march. Luo Wen immediately followed at a safe distance.


    Thebined force of thousands of Red and ck Ants soon merged with another detachment, forming an army of over 10,000 ants.


    They left Luo Wen¡¯s hive territory and veered off to destroy another ck Ant nest, looting its resources andrvae.


    By now, nearly every ck Ant carried some cargo.


    The united army resumed their march, this time heading straight back to their home base without diversion.


    Their destinationy more than 500 meters from Luo Wen¡¯s territory. As it came into view, Luo Wen saw a towering mound with a massive entrance resembling a volcanic crater.


    Countless Red and ck Ants swarmed across the mound¡¯s surface.


    The recently returned army filed into the entrance with their spoils, but Luo Wen halted his advance.


    Without knowing what might trigger the Red Ants to start fighting opponents, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t about to charge recklessly into theirir. The interior was an unknown danger zone. If his cover was blown and hundreds or even thousands of venomous Red Ants surrounded him, he might not make it out alive.


    Luo Wen burrowed underground to scout the area. The nest¡¯s subterranean structure was vast, far exceeding any ck Ant nest he had ever encountered.


    Given the Red Ants¡¯ size,bined with the addition of numerous ck Ants, their numbers were staggering¡ªeasily exceeding tens of thousands.


    This was an rming figure. Even though Luo Wen¡¯s hive boasted over 200,000 insects, most were dispersed across various bases to maintain operations. He could muster only tens of thousands forbat.


    That didn¡¯t ount for the resources needed for transportation and supply lines. In a prolonged conflict, at least half his forces would need to focus on logistics.


    This war wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Yet given the habits of both sides, one of them was bound to be eliminated.


    Emerging from the ground, Luo Wen continued to shadow the Red Ant army, asionallyunching ambushes to capture a few Red Ants for food.


    Over several days of observation, Luo Wen learned more about the Red Ants. Their behavior resembled bandits. They didn¡¯t produce anything themselves but survived by looting. Their numbers far exceeded those in theirir.


    Numerous Red Ant detachments operated far from the nest, targeting primarily ck Ant colonies. They stormed the nests, killing the Queen Ants.


    For some reason, after the Queens were killed, most surviving ck Ants submitted to the Red Ants. Those who refused were swiftly executed, while the rest were tasked with transporting resources andrvae.


    Red Ant squads, typically numbering 2,000 to 3,000, returned with several times their number in ck Ants. Once brought back, the ck Ants tended to thervae and searched the surrounding areas for aphids to farm. They also served as the Red Ants¡¯ reserve food supply.


    The Red Ants that attacked Luo Wen¡¯s branch base had likely returned early because they failed to subjugate additional ck Ants and were short on manpower.


    Thinking of thervae taken from his branch base, Luo Wen¡¯s heart grew heavy. Though they resembled ck Ants, they were entirely different. They wouldn¡¯t submit to the Red Ants, and their fate was grim.


    The information Luo Wen had gathered troubled him. Based on his estimates, the Red Ant poption alone exceeded 100,000. And that didn¡¯t include those operating too far afield to observe.


    On top of that, the ck Ants, numbering several times more than the Red Ants, were now loyal to them.


    These ck Ants didn¡¯t just refrain from resisting¡ªthey actively assisted the Red Ants, even joining their attacks.


    And in the Red Ant stronghold, where most Red Ants were out raiding, the sheer number of ck Ants far exceeded the remaining Red Ants. Yet there was no sign of rebellion, proving their unwavering loyalty.


    Perhaps the situation still held some variables. Luo Wen resolved to examine the gic fragments he¡¯d collected from the Red Ants upon returning to the Brood Nest. Perhaps they held hidden secrets that could exin their dominance over the ck Ants.


    With his reconnaissanceplete, Luo Wen hurried back. The situation was dire. He was no longer nning to attack the Red Ants.


    Given their scale, Luo Wencked the means to eradicate them for now.


    If handled poorly, he might even face their counterattack.


    Traveling quickly, Luo Wen avoided several Red Ant patrols and entered his own territory.


    On his way, he stopped by a branch base to dispatch dozens of messenger teams, ordering all bases to bolster defenses. If they encountered the enemy, they were to immediately request reinforcements from nearby bases. After repelling the attackers, pursuit was strictly forbidden.


    Thanks to the Brood Nest¡¯s growth and the mixing of multiple gic traits, the intelligence of Luo Wen¡¯s insects had improved significantly.


    The Queen Ants, in particr, seemed to have an innate intelligence boost. They could now understand moreplexmands and had high priority in directing Worker and Soldier Ants.


    Finally, Luo Wen felt like he had some semnce of military strategy. If he had to rely on the likes of ck Two and ck Three¡¯s early intelligence, they¡¯d never grasp the concept of mutual aid among bases.

 Chapter 38: The Migration (1)

    Luo Wen deeply regretted his sharp eyesight and cursed himself for watching the entire process.


    A rare delicacy¡ªwhy did he have to witness how it was made? How could he bring himself to eat it now? It was a devastating blow to a foodie like him.


    He turned away, determined not to look again, and focused on scouting the area.


    With his view obstructed, Luo Wen managed to search only a few hundred meters around him before nightfall. He discovered four ant nests, all belonging to ck Ants. These nests were rtivelyrge, likely due to their ability to rear other insects. A more diverse food supply allowed them to sustain arger poption.


    As for a new location to establish his own nest, Luo Wen had made his choice. He selected the intersection at the center of the four ck Ant nests. While it was somewhat risky, Luo Wen had be quite adept at concealing hisir.


    These ck Ants could only dig so deep underground. Luo Wen nned to build his nest in the deeperyers, as he had done before. Above this, he would construct a transit stationpletely disconnected from the main nest below.


    The subterranean brood nest would be like an isted ind, only linked to the upper transit station during food transportation.


    With his mission aplished, it was time to return. It was alreadyte, so Luo Wen decided to rest for the night and head back at dawn.


    The next morning, Luo Wen emerged from the ground, stopped by a nearby ant nest to snag a meal, and began crawling towards the cliff.Recalling his harrowing experience on the cliffst time, Luo Wen decided to scale a different section. His hooked ws gripped the rocky surface tightly as he hoisted his body upward.


    Climbing was a physically demanding task, especially for someone of Luo Wen¡¯s rounded physique. His size required extra effort, but it also came with advantages: his sturdy, powerful limbs allowed him to better withstand strong winds. It was a double-edged sword.


    Carefully, he examined the cracks in the cliff, staying vignt for any sudden ambushes. If attacked, Luo Wen was prepared tounch himself away instantly, even if it meant starting the climb over.


    This time, however, he encountered no attacks. It seemed the cliff-dwelling spiders were few and far between, and he had simply been unlucky thest time.


    It took him the entire day to climb the cliff. By evening, he finally reached the top, exhausted from the effort. The extended time was due to the grueling nature of the climb and a period of strong winds during which he had to take shelter in a rock crevice. Only when the winds subsided did he resume his ascent.


    The desert above the cliff presented minimal danger, so Luo Wen decided to travel through the night.


    By the following evening, with only a few brief rests, Luo Wen hadpleted the journey in one day and one night. A trip that had previously taken him over two days was now halved.


    Calcting the time spent, Luo Wen estimated that the entire round trip, including time for recuperative rest, had taken about a week. Back at the brood nest, everything was mostly intact, except for the depleted food stores. There were no other losses.


    Most of the insects were conserving energy by lying motionless on the ground. Only a few smaller Worker Ants were feeding thervae. Luo Wen also spotted over a dozen tiny ck Beetles nearby; it seemed the first batch of cultivated eggs had finally matured into adults.


    Unsealing the chamber housing the Brood Nest, Luo Wen provided it with some food before linking with it and uploading the newly acquired gene fragments.


    As for the migration of the nest, Luo Wen had devised a n during his journey back.


    The current nest poption, including adults,rvae, pupae, and unhatched eggs, exceeded one thousand individuals. Adultsprised the majority, followed by pupae andrvae. Since the Brood Nest had long ceasedying eggs under Luo Wen¡¯s orders, there were only a few unhatched eggs left.


    Luo Wen instructed the insects to consume all remaining food. Each adult was to carry arva, pupa, or egg. Luo Wen himself would connect to the Brood Nest, while the ck Beetles formed a phnx beneath it, linking their armored backs together to create a makeshift tform to support and transport the Brood Nest.


    With everything prepared, the migration began in earnest.


    Burrower Ants took the lead, digging a tunnel to the surface.


    Althoughmunication with Big ck was impossible, Luo Wen had initially intended to leave it behind. However, when Luo Wen and the ck Beetles began dragging the Brood Nest out, Big ck trailed closely behind.


    On the destendscape, a giant beetle pulled a fleshy lump, which was visibly supported by numerous smaller beetles below. Behind them followed hundreds of ants, each clutchingrvae or pupae in their mandibles.


    This motley crew of disparate insects marched in harmony, united in their slow but purposeful advance.


    The procession¡¯s speed was inevitably slower than Luo Wen¡¯s solo pace. At their current rate, it would take about a week to reach the cliff.


    The ck Beetles fared rtively well, asionally finding tender tree branches to sustain themselves. The ants, however, could only lick tree sap for hydration. Luo Wen wasn¡¯t sure how long they could survive on just water.


    Determined to ensure future resilience, Luo Wen resolved to incorporate soil-eating genes into the next batch ofrvae. At least then, hunger wouldn¡¯t be as dire an issue.


    Each evening, Luo Wen led the insects in excavating a temporary burrow. The nights were chilly, and while the adults could manage, thervae suffered. On the first night, Luo Wen overlooked this issue, resulting in the loss of all remaining eggs and severalrvae. Pupae were unaffected, but two newly emerged adults also sumbed to the cold.


    Insects, being protein-based, didn¡¯t go to waste. Luo Wen ordered the others to consume the dead to replenish their energy.


    As they journeyed onward, even the sparse Yellow Earth Ants seemed to vanish. Days passed without encountering a single one.


    A weekter, the migration army finally reached the cliff. Their numbers had dwindled from over a thousand to just over nine hundred.


    Losses urred daily due to various reasons. Most fatalities werervae that failed to survive the inadequate nutrition, followed by weak newly emerged adults or individuals lost along the way.@@novelbin@@


    Whatever the cause, those were now in the past. They had achieved their initial goal.


    But ahead of themy an even greater challenge.

 Chapter 58: The Home Raid Ends

    The water flowed continuously into the breach in the ant nest for a full two minutes. The surging current carried with it soil and a torrent of Red and ck Ants, sweeping them out of the tunnels.


    At the entrance, the turbulent waters shed back and forth before eventually stabilizing. The water level inside the nest equalized with the outside, and the surface of the water gradually calmed.


    Near the entrance, the water was littered with countless Red and ck Ants. Most of them had not drowned immediately and were still desperately struggling on the surface.


    Some of the luckier ones managed to climb onto the bodies of theirpanions and painstakingly make their way to the riverbank, where they struggled to crawl ashore.


    However, what awaited them onnd were the Burrower Ants, standing ready to strike.


    The terrain inside the nest wasplex, and only a small fraction of the ants had been swept out by the water; the majority had perished below. This raid on the enemy¡¯s Brood Nest exterminated tens of thousands of Red and ck Ants, at the very least. Most importantly, their stockpiled food reserves in the nest werepletely destroyed.


    This blow exacerbated their already strained front-line supply situation.


    After eliminating the lucky survivors who made it ashore, the ants in the water stopped struggling one by one and began to float silently on the surface.@@novelbin@@


    Luo Wen ordered the Burrower Ants to turn back and support the Small Soldier Ants, using up thest of their acidic reserves.While thebat strength of the Burrower Ants couldn¡¯tpare to the Small Soldier Ants, their sheer numbers overwhelmed the battlefield in an instant.


    After clearing the battlefield, all corpses¡ªfriend and foe alike¡ªwere collected and processed into protein reserves. The army then boarded the Transport Bugs and quickly retreated toward the riverbank.


    Having just destroyed the enemy¡¯s nest, it was wise to leave the area quickly to avoid a frenzied counterattack from their front-line forces.


    Upon reaching the riverbank, the group regrouped with the Burrower Ants stationed there.


    A count revealed that of the 10,000 Burrower Ants who had breached the final barrier, only about 6,000 remained. Nearly 4,000 had been swept away by the rushing water in an instant.


    Adding to this were the losses from the final stretch of digging and the subsequent battle¡ªover 3,000 Burrower Ants were lost.


    The 5,000-strong Small Soldier Ant force was reduced to fewer than 3,000, with nearly half falling in battle.


    Even among the robust Transport Bugs, two units had been lost.


    This battle cost over 10,000 troops from various sses, but the victory was spectacr. After a brief recovery, Luo Wen ordered the entire force to retreat.


    They traveled along the riverbank, carefully avoiding enemy patrols. The exhausted army couldn¡¯t endure any more disruptions.


    Fortunately, the journey back was uneventful. The army returned safely to the front-linemand center¡ªa location Luo Wen had ceremoniously named but was, in reality, just the nearest forward base.


    Currently, this base had be a major gathering point for the Swarm. Excluding the returning Burrower Ants, there were still around 150,000 Worker Ants stationed here.


    The Small Soldier Ants, due to theirte production schedule, were still rtively few in number. Even with the addition of the 2,000 that just returned, their total barely reached 30,000.


    However, there were still over 10,000 Original Soldier Ants from earlier generations.


    Including the Transport Bugs, the total number ofbat-ready troops was just over 200,000. Even with the addition of the Burrower Ants, the number barely reached 250,000. Furthermore, the Burrower Ants had expended all their acidic reserves, reducing theirbat effectiveness by at least half for the next few days.


    The enemy still had at least 500,000 troops¡ªmore than double the Swarm¡¯s forces. Fortunately, about 70% of the enemy troops were ck Ants, and with Luo Wen¡¯smand, there was still a chance of victory.


    Moreover, the destruction of the enemy¡¯s Brood Nest created severe supply issues for their forces. While the Swarm¡¯s rear lines were stretched thin due to the allocation of troops to the front, they could still barely maintain normal operations. Over time, Luo Wen¡¯s chances of winning would only increase.


    Thus, the Swarm¡¯s current strategy was to hold their position, dy the conflict, and adapt to the situation.


    However, the Red and ck Ant coalition had no intention of giving Luo Wen the luxury of time. Early the next morning, just as dawn broke, their densely packed forces crossed the border, advancing on the Swarm¡¯s base.


    Despite the abrupt timing, Luo Wen remained unfazed. He had long prepared for this decisive battle. The only difference was that the longer the dy, the fewer casualties his Swarm would suffer.


    Having absorbed countless pieces of intelligence, Luo Wen¡¯s unparalleled intellect allowed him to craft an borate trap.


    The enemy¡¯s rapid discovery of the Swarm¡¯s base was no coincidence¡ªit was all part of Luo Wen¡¯s n.


    Rather than fight on an uncontroble battlefield, Luo Wen had deliberately prepared a stage for the enemy, ensuring the confrontation would y out on his terms.


    With the Scout Bugs¡¯ superior vision, every movement of the enemy army was under Luo Wen¡¯s watchful eye. As the enemy forces advanced, small Swarm detachments continuously appeared in their path, strategically retreating to lure them closer to the base.


    The stage was already set; now, the actors just needed to enter.


    The bait squads gradually returned, retreating into the base¡¯s tunnels.


    The Red and ck Ant coalition arrived shortly after, their sheer numbers staining the ground in a tapestry of red and ck.


    When they reached the Swarm¡¯s base, they found the surface eerily clean. There were no signs of life, only a dark, funnel-shaped hole gaping like an ominous eye in the earth.


    Faced with this abyss-like entrance, the coalition hesitated not a moment. The nimble and aggressive Red Ants led the charge, diving headfirst into the tunnel.


    Once inside, they encountered a long passageway. Crawling through it, they entered a massive chamber.


    Here, they were met with a brutal ambush.


    Dozens of Giant Mandible Soldier Ants were stationed around the tunnel entrance. The moment a Red Ant poked its head out, it was grabbed and flung back into the chamber, where swarms of Small Soldier Ants swarmed over it to finish the kill.


    While this bottleneck tactic was insufficient to eliminate an army of 500,000, it effectively stalled them.


    The Giant Mandible Soldier Ants rotated in shifts; once a group exhausted their strength, they withdrew, reced by fresh reinforcements.


    The Red Ants at the front were picked off one by one, while those at the rear, unaware of the situation, continued to surge forward.


    asionally, a group would burst through the defenses or be pushed forward by the press of theirrades, only to face overwhelming numbers in the chamber beyond, where they were swiftly overwhelmed.


    Though the passage was rtively wide, it was still too narrow for the sheer size of the enemy army. Only a small fraction could enter at a time. After losing over 10,000 troops in half a day, the rear forces began to grow restless.


    Smaller groups broke away from the main force to forage in the surrounding area.


    Unbeknownst to them, their movements were closely monitored by the Scout Bugs. As soon as they strayed from the main force, they were met by the Swarm¡¯s mobile units, who had been sharpening their ws in anticipation.

 Chapter 59: Attrition

    The Swarm deployed its units in small groups of a few hundred, each consisting of Scout Bugs, Soldier Ants, Small Soldier Ants, and Worker Ants. Every squad was apanied by a Transport Bug, tasked with patrolling around the enemy forces to intercept and annihte their foraging teams.


    A foraging team of approximately 500 ants had ventured less than 50 meters from their main force when they were intercepted by two mobile Swarm squads.


    Five hundred versus one thousand, and with the smaller group possessing inferior individualbat power, the oue was a foregone conclusion.


    Each Red Ant had to face at least two Worker Ants. Although the Worker Ants relied on superior numbers and size, their primary tactic was to engage in prolonged skirmishes.


    The Red Ants¡¯ stinger attacks were indeed formidable, capable of defeating targets significantlyrger than themselves.


    However, stinger strikes had a critical weakness: to target an armored opponent, the Red Ants needed to climb onto the enemy, secure themselves, and find vulnerable spots like armor joints to pierce with their stingers.


    The Worker Ants countered this by remaining highly mobile. Every time a Red Ant curled its abdomen in preparation for a stinger attack, the Worker Ants would dodge out of reach. Even if a Red Ant managed to grab hold of one, nearby Worker Ants would promptly intervene, pulling the Red Ant away.


    Despite the effectiveness of these tactics, unexpected events still urred. Some Worker Ants were caught and stung during the battle.


    Nevertheless, the Red Ant coalition fell faster than the Swarm sustained losses. Combining the efforts of the Soldier Ants and Small Soldier Ants, the Swarm prioritized eliminating the weaker ck Ants.The ck Ants, with their inferiorbat abilities andck of the Worker Ants¡¯ agility, were swiftly eradicated under the Soldier Ants¡¯ onught.


    Once the weaker opponents were dealt with, the Soldier Ants surrounded the Red Ants still entangled with the Worker Ants.


    The Red Ants, which had barely held their ground moments ago, began to fall rapidly. Their defeat snowballed, and in the end, only about 50 Red Ants managed to break through and flee back toward their main force in panic.


    The previously idle Transport Bugs now sprang into action, chasing down the fleeing Red Ants. Along the way, they eliminated over a dozen more before turning back, stopping about 20 meters from the enemy¡¯s main force.


    With their long legs and superior speed, the Transport Bugs retreated effortlessly.


    During the skirmish, the Swarm lost two Small Soldier Ants and over a dozen Worker Ants. Their bodies, along with those of the enemy, were quickly loaded onto the backs of the Transport Bugs.


    The squads then retreated to a hidden location, where they uncovered a passage concealed by a leaf. The Worker Ants carried their spoils into the tunnel and delved deeper into the earth.


    This tunnel was one of the concealed entrances to a branch base. Luo Wen, ever cautious, had constructed over a dozen escape routes even when he was operating alone. Now, with a decisive battle underway, there was no way he would rely on just one entrance and exit.


    The tunnel used for the enemy¡¯s invasion was deliberately designed as a trap to lure them in.


    Simrly, the n to flood the coalition¡¯s Brood Nest had been formted after Luo Wen observed that their nest had only one entrance: the so-called ¡°volcano mouth.¡±


    The devastation he witnessed at the nest further reinforced his belief in the importance of having multiple escape routes.


    After a short while, the Worker Ants emerged from the hidden tunnel, climbed onto waiting Transport Bugs, and swiftly departed.


    Once they left, several Spy Bugs crawled out of the tunnel, erasing pheromone traces left behind. They then resealed the entrance.


    In addition to the Spy Bugs, numerous Burrower Ants were stationed inside the tunnel. Their task was to copse the passage and bury it should the enemy discover it, ensuring the safety of their allies within.


    Elsewhere on the battlefield, a mobile Swarm squad was leading a 2,000-strong coalition force on a wild chase.


    Just ahead, ten more mobile squadsy in ambush, waiting for the coalition forces to arrive.


    Two thousand versus 5,500¡ªthe result was inevitable. The only question was how many of the coalition forces would survive to retreat.


    Thanks to their superior mobility and visual range, the Swarm¡¯s mobile squads maintained the advantage of fighting outnumbered enemies, steadily whittling down the coalition¡¯s numbers.


    Faced with constant harassment and the continued loss of their foraging teams, the coalition¡¯s main force finally grew restless. They began regrouping to sweep the surrounding areas.


    Luo Wen quickly detected their movements and issued orders for the Swarm blocking the tunnel entrance to retreat, leaving the passage open. Immediately, the coalition forces trapped in the tunnel surged forward, pouring into the massive underground chamber.


    As their numbers grew, Worker Ants hidden along the chamber walls and ceiling assumed their acid spray formation.


    Acid rained down like a torrential storm, drenching the unprepared coalition forces. The attack was devastating¡ªthose fortunate enough only lost their antennae, while the less lucky had their exoskeletons corroded, dying instantly.


    After the acid downpour, the Giant Mandible Soldier Ants resumed their positions, sealing the passage once again. With much of the coalition force cleared from the tunnel, the Soldier Ants now found themselves with a rare moment of respite.


    The Small Soldier Ants and Worker Ants charged into the chamber, finishing off any survivors and carrying their bodies deeper into the nest.


    Initially intending to eliminate the Swarm¡¯s harassing squads, the coalition hesitated when they found the tunnel unexpectedly cleared. Torn between attacking the nest and continuing their sweep, they eventually chose to press forward into the tunnel.


    Once again, waves of coalition forces flooded into the passage, only to face renewed acid attacks and countermeasures from the Swarm.


    Whenever the coalition forces grew impatient and prepared to withdraw, Luo Wen would order the tunnel to be reopened, allowing more of them inside¡ªjust in time for another acid barrage.@@novelbin@@


    Fortunately for Luo Wen, the Red and ck Antsckedplex strategic thinking. They fell for this simple tactic repeatedly over two full days.


    During this time, the underground nest became a graveyard for over 100,000 enemy soldiers. Meanwhile, the Swarm¡¯s mobile units annihted at least another 50,000 coalition troops. However, the Swarm itself lost more than 10,000 of its own.


    The Swarm converted the fallen into protein reserves, temporarily achieving self-sufficiency through ¡°sustenance viabat¡± at the forward base.


    Instead of transporting food to the forward base, the Transport Bugs now redirected supplies to nearby hive bases, where 50 Queen Ants worked tirelessly to produce Small Soldier Ants.


    Additionally, the 100 other hive bases across the territory were no less busy. While their gic libraries couldn¡¯t be updated, they focused entirely on producing Worker Ants and Giant Mandible Soldier Ants.


    The reinforcements were then transported by Transport Bugs to the vicinity of the front lines.

 Chapter 41: Revenge

    After several days of post-battle recovery, the hive not only replenished its losses but also slightly increased its total poption.@@novelbin@@


    As the Brood Nest grew, its daily eggying capacity also improved. Depending on theplexity of the insects being bred, it could now produce anywhere from a few to dozens of eggs daily without overburdening itself.


    Eggs that hatched into Soldier Ants were the least produced. Theirplex gics demanded significant resources, making them a costly but powerful asset. Even with the support of four ant nests, Luo Wen¡¯s hive could only sustain fewer than a hundred Soldier Ants. On his own, such numbers would be entirely unfeasible.


    Today, Luo Wen had a critical mission in mind. One that had been gnawing at him like a thorn in his side. Although he didn¡¯t consider himself a vengeful insect, the matter of losing an appendage demanded retribution.


    He set out with a formidable force of thirty Soldier Ants, one hundred Worker Ants, and all the Scout Bugs at his disposal. The group advanced in a grand procession.


    The spider¡¯s ambush had urred five or six meters up the cliff. Though Luo Wen¡¯s pheromone markings from that time had long since dissipated, he could still discern the general direction. His sharp, high-resolution visionpared the currentndscape to the mental image he¡¯d retained.


    It didn¡¯t take long for him to identify the area. Crawling along the base of the cliff, he soon found the rocky crevice where the spider had hidden.


    With the location confirmed, the group began their ascent. As they neared the crevice, the formation spread out to encircle it.


    While Luo Wen was sure of the location, he couldn¡¯t guarantee the spider was still there. Cliff-climbing insects were rare, and with a spider of that size, waiting idly in one spot would likely lead to starvation.Carefully, Luo Wen poked his head out. His massivepound eyes, upying nearly half his head, allowed him to observe the crevice with minimal exposure.


    Inside, he spotted a spider crouched in a corner, camouged perfectly against the rocky background. If Luo Wen hadn¡¯t known to look for it, he might not have noticed the creature at all.


    However, this spider differed slightly from the one that had attacked him. It appeared leaner, and its back was swollen with a writhing mass. A closer look revealed the movement came from dozens of tiny spiders crawling over the adult¡¯s back¡ªa harrowing sight for anyone with arachnophobia.


    Beside the living spider was another spider, long dead and reduced to a desated husk.


    Luo Wen quickly deduced the situation: the female spider had devoured the male. While he had always known that male insects often met grim fates, witnessing it firsthand still sent a shiver through him.


    Whether the spider that had attacked him was this female or the deceased male no longer mattered.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t hold grudges¡ªthis was simply a convenient excuse. The real objectivey in the gic fragments the spiders carried. The timing was perfect; the female had just given birth, making her the ideal target.


    Despite his determination, Luo Wen remained wary of the spider¡¯s venomous fangs. While he would be the mainbatant, he couldn¡¯t risk attracting the first wave of attacks. A solid strategy was essential.


    The idea of throwing rocks to test the waters crossed his mind, but given his physical limitations, such actions were impractical.


    Instead, he relied on his Worker Ants. Using his antennae, he ryed pheromonemands to the nearest Worker Ants, which quickly spread the instructions throughout the group.


    The ants chattered through antennae taps, and soon the entire formation was briefed on Luo Wen¡¯s n.


    Without hesitation, the Worker Ants began the assault. They scurried into the crevice, leading the charge.


    The Soldier Ants followed closely behind, while Luo Wen lingered at the rear to oversee the operation.


    The spider reacted swiftly. An experienced ambusher, it immediately rose to face the intruders. However, the sudden influx of prey left it momentarily indecisive.


    The Worker Ants moved quickly. Equipped with their spring-loadedunch systems, they reached the spider¡¯s legs in an instant, biting down with their mandibles. Unfortunately, the spider¡¯s legs were too thick, and their efforts failed to inflict damage.


    Recovering from its hesitation, the spidershed out. Its legs moved with blinding speed, striking down the surrounding Worker Ants. Half were sent flying; the luckier ones hit nearby walls and rejoined the fight, while the rest plummeted from the crevice to the ground five or six meters below.


    The fall wasn¡¯t fatal, but their poor vision made it nearly impossible for them to find their way back.


    Anticipating this, Luo Wen had stationed his Scout Bugs at the cliff¡¯s base. Theserge-eyed insects were tasked with locating and recovering any fallenrades.


    While the Worker Ants failed to harm the spider, they effectively absorbed its initial attacks, sessfully drawing its attention.


    The Soldier Ants, all equipped with spring-loadedunch systems, arrived next. Unlike the Worker Ants, their weaponry was designed forbat.


    Giant Mandible Soldier Ants and Giant Fang Soldier Ants attacked the spider¡¯s legs, each limb gripped by multiple ants pulling in opposite directions. The spider was lifted slightly off the ground, its legs iling in a desperate attempt to break free. However, the Soldier Ants¡¯ immense strength,bined with their unyielding grip, kept the spider immobilized.


    The Hook Soldier Ants joined in, leaping onto the spider¡¯s back and startling the smaller spiders, which scattered in all directions. Using their hook-shaped mandibles, theytched onto the spider¡¯s head, their teeth piercing its eyes and driving deeper.


    The spider let out a sharp screech, retracting its front limbs to bite a Giant Mandible Soldier Ant mped onto its leg. Unfazed by the attack, the Soldier Ant ignored the venomous fangs and continued its mission.


    Meanwhile, Worker Ants climbed onto the spider¡¯s legs, working their way to its back. The Hook Soldier Ants withdrew their weapons, allowing the Worker Ants to gnaw at the exposed wounds.


    Unable to prate the spider¡¯s tough exoskeleton, the Worker Ants exploited the damaged areas, tearing at the vulnerable flesh. Gradually, they burrowed into the spider¡¯s body through its injuries.


    Despite its size and strength, the spider couldn¡¯t ovee thebined might of over twenty Soldier Ants. Its resistance waned as wounds umted and Worker Ants infiltrated its body. Finally, its struggles ceased, and its piercing cries fell silent.

 Chapter 62: After the Battle (2)

    As expected, keeping his expectations low proved wise. The next morning, Luo Wen awoke to find no new gains from the red ant queen. To be sure, he would need to return to the Brood Nest to verify the specifics. But before that, there were still post-battle tasks to handle.


    After a day¡¯s rest, Luo Wen led his 300,000-strong swarm across the border into the red ants¡¯ territory.


    Following the climactic battle, the coalition forces had been annihted, and no remnants had been spotted along the way. Luo Wen had assumed that taking over their territory would be a mere formality.@@novelbin@@


    Unexpectedly, not long after entering enemy territory, his forces encountered two fully assembled units numbering over 30,000 ants in total. These troops had likely been on a distant hunting expedition and had only just returned, intending to reinforce the front lines.


    Unluckily for them, they ran straight into Luo Wen¡¯s swarm as they neared the border.


    There was little to discuss. With Transport Bugs dividing the battlefield and 300,000 troops surrounding the enemy, exterminating the 30,000-strong force was a matter of minutes.


    The red ants may have epted the ck ants as prisoners, but Luo Wen had no interest in doing the same. These basic-modelbat units, equipped with only a rudimentary friend-or-foe recognition system, were riddled with vulnerabilities. Recycling them into protein was their best use.


    That said, the red and ck ants of the coalition were surprisingly steadfast, showing no inclination to surrender.


    Before long, they became part of the swarm¡¯s food reserves, loaded onto the backs of Transport Bugs.Over the next few days, Luo Wen deployed Scout Bugs to survey the area while leading his forces along the border to conduct sweeps and ambushes.


    The coalition had considerable reserves, with units frequently arriving from afar. Their numbers ranged from a few thousand to tens of thousands, though none exceeded 30,000.


    Each time one of these units appeared, either Luo Wen or the Scout Bugs would spot them, and the swarm, with numbers several times greater, would surround and eliminate them.


    After intense skirmishes, these units would obediently be food reserves.


    Within just a few days, Luo Wen¡¯s forces had wiped out over 30 groups, amounting to nearly 500,000 enemies. However, since these units typically appeared individually, with an average size of around 10,000, their collective resistance inflicted fewer than 10,000 casualties on the swarm.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but reflect that if the coalition had better supply chains and the patience to wait a few more days to amass a million-strong army, the situation might have been more challenging.


    Several more days passed, and Luo Wen had not encountered any more coalition reinforcements heading for the front. It seemed their distant hunting parties had all returned, making further waiting unnecessary.


    Thus, the swarm finally advanced deeper into coalition territory.


    Encountering no resistance along the way, it became clear that after their home nest had been flooded, the queens had moved to the front lines. No troops had been left to garrison their territory, as all avable forces had been sent to support the frontline.


    Unfortunately, the ants¡¯ primitivemunication methods meant they remained oblivious to the war¡¯s oue and had continued sending reinforcements to their doom for days.


    At this moment, Luo Wen felt an urgent need for advancedmunication methods. Regrettably, he still had no idea how to obtain such technology.


    The swarm advanced 500 meters northward, arriving at the volcano-shaped nest entrance that had once served as the red-ck ant coalition¡¯s home base. It remained flooded and held no strategic value.


    Luo Wen did not linger, instead sweeping the area to eliminate potential threats. His forces zigzagged another 500 meters north, consuming a significant portion of their food reserves along the way. Finally, Luo Wen confirmed the area within a kilometer radius to be temporarily secure.


    He then divided his army into two groups.


    The first group,prising Soldier Ants, Transport Bugs, and a small number of Worker Ants, totaled about 70,000 to 80,000. They were tasked with carrying the majority of the food reserves and continuing northward along the current route. These units needed to sustain themselves through constant warfare and would be sent to expand the swarm¡¯s territory.


    Luo Wen led the remaining 200,000 Worker Ants back toward the border. Along the way, he split them into 50 groups, leaving one group at intervals to construct new bases.


    By the time he returned to the border, Luo Wen was alone. However, he soon encountered another swarm unit escorting 50 Queen Ants. These queens had been stationed near the front lines, and Luo Wen had sent messengers to summon them once the newly upied territory was deemed secure.


    The 50 bases constructed along the route were meant for these queens, who would oversee and develop the surrounding areas.


    Of course, 50 queens would not suffice to cover a kilometer-wide territory. Luo Wen nned to hatch additional queens upon returning to the Brood Nest. These new queens would fill the gaps in the current bases and could also be dispatched to garrison the northern territories captured by the expeditionary force.


    With these arrangements in ce, the territorial dispute was finally resolved. Luo Wen returned to the Brood Nest to resume his reclusive lifestyle.


    Through the Brood Nest, Luo Wen confirmed that the red ant queen had provided no new gic fragments, a result he had anticipated.


    However, the question of why the ck ants had submitted to the red ants after their queen¡¯s death remained unsolved. It was likely a mystery that would persist indefinitely.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen felt no curiosity or desire to acquire such an ability. Trusting the ck ants was out of the question, so turning them into nutrients to power the queens¡¯ eggying was undoubtedly the better option.


    Life returned to tranquility, and the swarm continued its steady development. During this time, Luo Wen reestablished two expeditionary forces for strategic exploration.


    The first was the reformation of the Western Army, which had been recalled during the initial phase of the war due to severe manpower shortages. With the war over, they resumed their westward exploration.


    The second was a newly formed Northwest Army, tasked with exploring the blind spot between the territories covered by the Western Army and the Northern Army. As the exploration distances of these two forces increased, the gap between them would inevitably grow, necessitating a dedicated force for this region.


    Both expeditionary forces were instructed to send back small teams to report every three days. To address their limited intelligence, Luo Wen assigned each force a Queen Ant to apany them.


    Queens, with theirparatively higher intelligence, could at least ry simple messages. As the territory expanded, Luo Wen could no longer personally survey thend for updates.


    To maintain bnce, Luo Wen also dispatched a Queen Ant via Transport Bug to join the northern army. The ants¡¯ck of selfishness ensured they would readily ept this ¡°parachuted¡±mander with enthusiasm.

 Chapter 43: Plans

    Beyond the physical changes he observed, Luo Wen felt that his internal structure had also undergone significant transformations, though he wasn¡¯t sure of the specifics.


    If Luo Wen had more entomological knowledge, he might have deduced, based on the spider¡¯s physiology, that his oxygen delivery system had been overhauled. However, he would soon be able to confirm these gic modifications through the Brood Nest.


    The new oxygen system was capable of supporting growth to muchrger sizes.


    Despite these upgrades, Luo Wen hadn¡¯t gained the ability to produce silk. This wasn¡¯t entirely surprising. The creature resembled a spider in appearance, but Luo Wen had named it based on his own understanding. Who knew what it actually was?


    Moreover, its hunting method involved using rocks for ambushes, rather than showcasing any web-weaving abilities.


    Lacking the ability to spin silk didn¡¯t bother Luo Wen.


    The enhancements to his six striding limbs and the addition of venomous fangs alone were a major boon. Everything else would have been icing on the cake, desirable but not necessary.


    With his revengeplete, Luo Wen temporarily abandoned his thirst for action, allowing the region to experience a period of peaceful development.


    With the support of four nearby ant colonies, the number of insects under his control grew daily. Over time, the supplies from these colonies could no longer keep up with the demands of the Brood Nest.Recently, scout bugs withpound eyes had discovered three new ant colonies. ns were underway to dig new transport routes. Oncepleted, thebined supply from all seven colonies would sustain the Brood Nest¡¯s development for a while longer.


    Hundreds of days and nights passed. Luo Wen had no idea how long a year was on this. The climate in his region showed little variation; every day seemed the same. nts didn¡¯t follow any seasonal patterns of sprouting or shedding leaves, and there was no clear distinction between spring, summer, autumn, or winter.


    After all this time, the Brood Nest now connected to thirty-five ant colonies, supporting a vast swarm of over 10,000 worker ants and several hundred soldier ants.


    This number was deliberately capped by Luo Wen. Without such control, the poption could have easily doubled.


    The primary constraint was the length of the transport routes.


    The farthest colony was nearly a kilometer from the Brood Nest. By the time the transport workers reached the storage chambers to steal food, they were often too exhausted to carry much back. After consuming a portion of the food on-site, they transported the remainder back, consuming even more along the way. By the time they returned to the Brood Nest, little food was left.


    To quantify this.


    Every morning, a transport worker ant consumed one unit of food before setting out. Upon reaching Colony 35¡¯s storage chamber, it ate another unit and carried back two units of food.


    After returning, it consumed half a unit of food before resting for the night. The next morning, it consumed another unit and repeated the cycle.


    From this, it became clear that transporting two units of food cost the worker ant 2.5 units¡ªa loss.


    Moreover, each colony had a daily limit on how much food could be stolen without disrupting its operations. Exceeding this limit would gradually reduce the colony¡¯s food output. Sustainable development required restraint, avoiding the ¡°kill the goose thatys the golden eggs¡± scenario.


    As a result, the Brood Nest had halted its expansion several weeks ago. Even the colonies numbered thirty and above were rarely visited by transport teams anymore, with only a few spy bugs loitering there for sustenance.


    Luo Wen had considered a diet of pure dirt for all but found it impractical. Tests revealed that the energy gained from eating dirt was too minimal to support daily activities. It was only viable for emergencies, where the swarm needed to remain inactive, minimizing survival costs.


    In simpler terms, eating dirt allowed them to survive while idle but couldn¡¯t sustain normal operations.


    Now, the Brood Nest¡¯s development had reached a bottleneck. To break through, Luo Wen devised three potential solutions.


    n One: Improve Transport Efficiency. While ants were strong, capable of carrying food several times their weight, theycked suitable transport tools to maximize their potential.


    Currently, they relied on their mandibles for transport. If the food remained intact, they could carryrger pieces. Unfortunately, the stolen food was often already ground into smaller fragments.


    It was akin to a one-ton truck with only the cab and no cargo bed¡ªcapable of carrying only a fraction of its capacity.


    If Luo Wen could find a way to enhance their carrying capabilities, the Brood Nest¡¯s influence could expand severalfold.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen didn¡¯t know how to build ¡°cargo beds.¡± He could only hope to encounter a bug species equipped with such a feature, allowing him to extract its gic material. When or if that would happen was anyone¡¯s guess.


    n Two: Relocate the Brood Nest. The current Brood Nest was nestled against a cliff. In its early days, this location was advantageous, as it minimized the need to defend against enemies from all sides.


    Now that the Brood Nest had grown strong, relocating it to a more central area surrounded by numerous ant colonies could significantly increase its reach.


    Connecting to more colonies meant more stolen food, solving the current supply problem.


    However, this was merely a stopgap measure that didn¡¯t address the root issue. Furthermore, relocating such arge Brood Nest was no simple task.


    Even if they moved, it would take time to establish transport routes to the new colonies. During this transitional period, there was no clear way to sustain the swarm.


    n Three: im Territory. The third n involved clearing out nearby ant colonies and establishing a surface territory to produce food autonomously.


    Four colonies were located close to the Brood Nest. To avoid conflict, Luo Wen¡¯s swarm rarely ventured above ground.


    Currently, all the food came from the colonies. This had created a warped ecosystem where the entire swarm¡ªexcept the soldier ants¡ªwas essentially a massive transport team. Such dependence was unsustainable.


    By securing a patch of surface territory, they could produce their own food. For instance, they could raise the small green aphids found on tree leaves, expanding their scale using Luo Wen¡¯s intelligence. While this method of food production might seem unsavory, it would at least provide sustenance for his underlings.


    Compared to the first two options, the third n seemed the most feasible.


    However, the worker ants from the nearby colonies were diligent and hardworking, making Luo Wen hesitant to disrupt their operations. His ownziness andck of ambition caused him to put this n on hold.@@novelbin@@


    Until a few days ago, when something unexpected happened.

 Chapter 44: Assassination

    In recent days, with some free time on his hands, Luo Wen used spider genes as a base and addedpound-eyed scout bug genes to create specialized patrol spiders. These new units were tasked with monitoring the cliff face and scouting the desert atop the cliffs.


    A few days ago, one of these scout spiders reported that the Yellow Earth Ant Legion had reappeared in the desert. However, the scout¡¯s description was vague and unclear, prompting Luo Wen to climb to the top of the cliff himself to observe and gather more urate intelligence.


    Peeking cautiously over the cliff¡¯s edge, Luo Wen activated hispound eyes, which had evolved over hundreds of days and nights, allowing him to clearly see within a 50-meter radius.


    In front of him, just 20 meters away, a dense swarm of Yellow Earth Ants moved like a muddy yellow torrent, trampling and piling on top of one another as they surged past.


    The army shifted direction as it neared the cliff, rolling away like a massive tidal wave.


    Luo Wen watched intently for several hours until the entire horde had passed. The once-green desert, which had briefly flourished after a period of recovery, returned to its barren and deste state. Only a few straggling Yellow Earth Ants wandered aimlessly, left behind by the main force.


    Atst, Luo Wen understood the scenes he had witnessed on his initial journey through the desert. The Yellow Earth Ants treated the entire desert as a hunting ground, sweeping through it periodically.


    No wonder this area, despite being close to an underground river, remained so lifeless.


    The sheer number of Yellow Earth Ants left Luo Wen in awe.Comparing it to his own swarm of over 10,000 insects, which formed only a small heap, he couldn¡¯t fathom how many ants were needed to create such an endless yellow tide that marched for hours.


    Though the exact number was unclear, Luo Wen was certain it was astronomically high.


    Initially, upon witnessing the spectacle, Luo Wen had considered relocating the Brood Nest. Despite the swarm¡¯s recent growth in strength, he believed it would fare no better against the Yellow Earth Ant Legion than it had in the past.


    But upon noticing that the ants never approached the cliff, and recalling that his underlings now possessed the dirt-eating survival skill, Luo Wen decided that, in the worst-case scenario, they could retreat underground for several days until the army passed.


    Coupled with the logistical challenges of relocating the Brood Nest, Luo Wen abandoned the idea. Instead, his ambitions stirred¡ªhe dreamed of one day leading his swarm to confront the Yellow Earth Ant Legion head-on and exact vengeance for the time he had been gutted and forced to flee.


    Of course, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t a vengeful person. No, his motivation was to seek justice for the flora and fauna of the desert.


    To achieve the strength necessary for vengeance¡ªor, ahem, justice¡ªLuo Wen needed to expand his forces. The development of the Brood Nest was imperative, and clearing out nearby ant colonies had be unavoidable.


    Concerns about the diligence and contributions of the surrounding colonies no longer held weight.


    Today marked the start of the campaign, with the first objective being the elimination of the four closest ant colonies. Luo Wen nned to attack one colony per day, ounting for battlefield cleanup and inventorying the spoils, aiming toplete the operation within a week.


    Though the Brood Nest¡¯s swarm could already overwhelm any single colony with sheer numbers, Luo Wen still insisted on devising careful battle ns to minimize unnecessary losses.


    The attack began with a covert operation. A dozen spy bugs altered their pheromones to move through the enemy colony undetected, heading straight for the Queen Ant¡¯s chamber.


    The queen¡¯s chamber was a tunnel-like room where an enormous Queen Anty at the center. It resembled a worker ant magnified several dozen times, with an elongated, swollen abdomen adorned with yellow, ring-shaped patterns.


    Four sturdy soldier ants stood guard around her, while worker ants lined up to feed her mouth-to-mouth. A few others busily transported freshlyid eggs from her abdomen.


    The sudden intrusion of a dozen ants into the chamber caught the soldier ants¡¯ attention. However, after a brief inspection with their antennae, they detected nothing unusual and returned to their posts.


    The spy bugs, based on the worker ant temte, had been modified with genes for pheromone alteration, rapid eleration, and formic acid spray attacks.


    However, these were only the older versions.


    Carrying morsels of food, several spy bugs approached the Queen Ant, feigning an intention to feed her.


    Meanwhile, the others dispersed, moving toward the soldier ants.


    Though the soldier ants appeared uneasy as the spy bugs approached, they did not react aggressively and allowed them to climb onto their bodies.


    In an ant colony, stepping on one another wasmon, particrly for soldier ants ustomed to being climbed on due to theirrger size.


    Once on the soldiers¡¯ backs, the spy bugs extended a retractable needle-like mouthpart, initially coiled like a tape measure. The ¡°tape¡± straightened, bing as sharp as a steel needle, and slipped into the gaps in the soldier ants¡¯ armor.


    The soldiers seemed unaware of what was happening.


    After the battle with the spider, Luo Wen had contemted arming the new spy bug models with venomous weapons. These units were designed for infiltration, intelligence gathering, and the assassination of key targets.


    Luo Wen had sometimes questioned whether suchplexity was necessary for creatures of limited intelligence.


    But memories of the ck beetle ¡°War God¡± being ambushed to death, the venomous spider overwhelmed by coordination, and the vast Yellow Earth Ant army reminded him that these creatures, while not highly intelligent, possessed instincts and evolutionary adaptations honed over millennia. Underestimating them would be unwise.


    Developing multi-unit tactics could serve as both a practical strategy and a form of personal amusement.


    When it came to the venom, Luo Wen realized during development that spider venom required the use of fangs. Since worker antscked the space for an additional set of fangs on their small heads, attempting to add them would result in underdeveloped, ineffective weaponry.


    Moreover, worker ants were primarily suited for ranged support and auxiliary roles, making closebat enhancements unnecessary.


    Considering the high energy costs of producing venom-equipped eggs, Luo Wen deemed it an inefficient investment.


    This led him to recall the camouge bug, a ssic example of defeating the strong with the weak.


    Its needle-like mouthpart, while limited, was ideal for the spy bugs¡¯ assassination role, delivering venom precisely to vulnerable spots.


    Thus, the scene of the spy bugs assassinating the soldier ants unfolded.


    Suddenly, the soldier ants began convulsing, their coordination failing. They stumbled, their bodies trembling in pain, unable to stand.


    The ck beetle had died painlessly, sumbing silently due to the camouge bug being of a simr size. In contrast, the size disparity between the spy bugs and the soldier ants was immense, with the former being several times smaller. The venom stored in the spy bugs wasn¡¯t enough for an instant kill.


    Nevertheless, the venom was sufficient to render the soldier ants¡¯ muscles useless, leaving them incapacitated and writhing in agony.@@novelbin@@


    For these soldiers, death would have been a kinder fate.

 Chapter 67: The Attack Concludes

    The enemy troops within the hive were gradually lured out in waves, eventually numbering tens of thousands.


    Two hourster, while the asional ant still emerged from the tunnels, Luo Wen decided it was no longer worth his time. With a singlemand, Giant Fang Soldier Ants led the charge, supported by Small Soldier Ants, with Worker Ants providing ranged firepower. The massive army split into several units and surged into the hive¡¯s tunnels.


    After enduring several rounds of assaults, the hive¡¯s remaining defenders were few. Disoriented by the Spy Bugs¡¯ misinformation, they offered feeble resistance.


    In contrast, Luo Wen¡¯s forces advanced like a knife through butter. With well-coordinated troop formations, the swarm crushed all opposition, even in the tight, winding tunnels.


    Two hourster, the hive was conquered. It would now be repurposed into a swarm base, with one of the apanying Queen Ants stationed to oversee and develop it.


    By the end of this campaign, over 700,000 enemy ants had been eradicated, at the cost of just over 10,000 of the swarm¡¯s troops. Most of these casualties urred during the final tunnel battles.


    The small-bodied Red Ants excelled at using their stingers in the confined spaces, often achieving a one-to-one kill ratio. This resulted in notable losses for the swarm. However, for Luo Wen, whomanded 1,500 Queen Ants, such losses were negligible.@@novelbin@@


    After the battlefield was cleared, rtively intact ant corpses were collected and buried to prevent dposition. The remains were processed into protein to sustain the swarm¡¯s troops.


    After a day of rest, the army split into several groups. Two moved in different directions to hunt down the remaining enemy forces in the region, while a third stayed behind to deal with any foraging teams that evaded the sweeps.Over the next few days, these groups eliminated over 30 foraging teams, amounting to around 400,000 ants. This secured Luo Wen¡¯s control over the entire area.


    Following this, 300 Queen Ants that had apanied the army¡ªwith 2,000 bodyguards, 3,000 Worker Ants each, and ample provisions¡ªdeparted to establish and develop their own territories. The remaining 900,000 Worker Ants were transported to other regions by Transport Bugs.


    Of the 1,200 Queen Ants previously focused on production, 900 had settled into their designated territories. After a brief rest, they resumed mass-producing soldiers to support the front lines. With the war concluded, it was time to bolster theirbor forces.


    Around 150,000 Soldier Ants were redistributed. Of these, 50,000 were assigned to reinforce the central army (formerly the northwestern forces), as the expanding wedge-shaped area under their control required extensive exploration, leaving them severely understaffed.


    The remaining 100,000 Soldier Ants, along with a small number of Worker Ants, Scout Bugs, and Transport Bugs¡ªamounting to a force of 120,000¡ªwere reorganized into the northern army, which continued advancing along the riverbank.


    As for Luo Wen, he had his own ns. He needed to rendezvous with the western army, which had reported a vaguely described anomaly requiring his personal attention.


    With the battles here concluded, Luo Wen weed the distraction. Staying idle only tempted him to seek unnecessary risks.


    As thergest individual in the swarm, Luo Wen¡¯s size made it impossible to travel leisurely aboard a Transport Bug like the others. Instead, he relied on his long, powerful legs for lotion. Fortunately, his size also granted him exceptional speed¡ªfaster than the Transport Bugs¡ªand his eight strong legs allowed him to leap over obstacles such as small ravines or exposed tree roots with ease.


    Setting out in the morning, Luo Wen maintained such a rapid pace that, despite stopping to inspect the development of several branch bases along the way, he reached the western army by nightfall.


    After resting overnight, Luo Wen set out early the next morning with the western army to investigate the anomaly.


    The anomaly had been encountered during the army¡¯s advance. The Queen Ant overseeing the troops had ordered them to bypass the area and sent a team to notify Luo Wen.


    Thus, Luo Wen¡¯s route led him backtracking slightly.


    Traveling about a kilometer southeast from the army¡¯s position, he reached the marked area. Ity close to a cliff face, where numerousrge boulders had tumbled down from the heights. The rocks were piled together, forming massive gaps between them.


    From the outside, the area appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary pile of rocks. Although it covered a significant area, no obvious abnormalities were visible.


    This was where cannon fodder came into y. Luo Wen flicked his antennae, signaling two Transport Bugs to step forward. They dashed toward the pile of rocks at incredible speed.


    Like Luo Wen, their adhesive w hairs allowed them to traverse the smooth rock surfaces with ease. Their strong leg muscles provided impressive speed and agility, allowing them to leap and twist through the rock gaps effortlessly. It seemed they were enjoying the rare opportunity to sprint unburdened, disying an almost yful excitement.


    But Luo Wen soon noticed something unusual. The frolicking Transport Bugs had disturbed the area¡¯s hidden inhabitants.


    From the shadows of the rock crevices, several creatures began to emerge. Their bodies, though slightly slender, were still powerfully built. Their heads, thoraxes, and abdomens were connected in a segmented but uniform manner,cking the distinct separations characteristic of ants.


    Their heads bore eight eyes: a slightlyrger central pair and three smallerteral eyes on each side. Their faces were t, with no antennae.


    On either side of their heads extended massive pincers, each shaped like a pair of menacing ws. Behind the pincers,rge muscle groups emphasized their formidable strength, making them appear exceptionally dangerous. Four pairs of walking legs extended from their bodies, which were low to the ground. Despite their size, these creatures could easily pass through narrow gaps, unlike the simrly sized Transport Bugs.


    Their bodies were covered in thick, jet-ck chitinous armor, providing exceptional defense. The exoskeleton was densely coated with hairs, particrly on the pincers, which were more rugged and heavily furred than the rest of their bodies.


    Most notably, a long, slender tail extended from the rear of each creature, curling over their bodies. At the tip of the tail gleamed a sharp, barbed hook that glistened ominously.


    Luo Wen stared in shock. If it weren¡¯t still daylight, he might have thought he was back on Blue Star. The creatures bore a striking resemnce to scorpions¡ªso much so that even now, they seemed to confirm that ¡°scorpions¡± existed here as well.

 Chapter 46: The Assault Continues

    After several back-and-forth skirmishes, the hive¡¯s forces began to show signs of exhaustion. At the same time, the Worker Bugs of the Brood Nest had depleted their reserves of acid solution.


    Having observed from the sidelines for quite a while, Luo Wen finally moved to the frontlines. His massive frame, several timesrger than a Soldier Ant, became an unstoppable force. With the insects coordinating around him, he resembled a bulldozer, charging through the battlefield with ease.@@novelbin@@


    It wasn¡¯t that he was cowardly. Well, at the beginning, he might have been a little hesitant.


    Given his size, Luo Wen was an obvious target on the battlefield.


    While his growing body granted him immense strength and resilience, his structure also left him vulnerable to smaller foes. His back, in particr, was a blind spot that was hard to defend.


    If too many Worker Ants surrounded him, he couldn¡¯t fend them all off. Should they manage to climb onto his back, there wasn¡¯t much he could do to stop them.


    Although his entire body was encased in tough chitinous armor that the smallerbatants couldn¡¯t prate, his bulbous, unprotectedpound eyes were a ring weakness. It wouldn¡¯t take much for a Worker Ant¡¯s bite to cause irreparable damage.


    When the Brood Nest¡¯s task force had besieged the cliff spider earlier, these very Worker Ants had crawled through its wounds and burrowed into its body. Since hive Worker Ants shared the same basic temte as their Brood Nest counterparts, they likely possessed the same tactics.


    Luo Wen had no intention of experiencing the fate of that spider.Moreover, his side held the upper hand, so there was no need for him, asmander, to charge recklessly into battle.


    Thus, during the intense early skirmishes, Luo Wen watched from a distance, asionally intercepting a stray Scout Ant returning to the hive.


    Now that the battle had calmed somewhat, Luo Wen, his blood boiling with excitement, finally had his chance to join in.


    Several Worker Bugs climbed onto his dorsal armor to guard his back, ensuring no Worker Ants could ambush him. At his feet, dozens of Worker Bugs followed closely, protecting his striding limbs and intercepting enemies from the nks.


    Behind him trailed a few Soldier Bugs guarding his rear.


    This setup allowed Luo Wen to focus solely on the enemies ahead.


    Though hisrgepound eyes were a defensive weak spot, their incredible refresh rate made it nearly impossible for the Worker Ants and Soldier Ants to evade his gaze.


    He snapped his mandibles around a Worker Ant¡¯s thorax and abdomen, applying just enough pressure to sever it cleanly in two, the lifeless halves dropping to either side of his jaws.


    Luo Wen extended a striding limb, its wed tipshing out like lightning to hook another Worker Ant. Tiny adhesive hairs on the w¡¯s pads clung to its prey as he pulled it back. His mandibles opened and shut, decapitating the ant in an instant. With a flick of his striding limb, he discarded the remains.


    Against opponents so far below his level, each one was dispatched effortlessly.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but wonder if his unique Luo-style insectbat techniques might be rusty fromck of proper use.


    Fortunately, a Soldier Ant from the hive soon appeared, charging directly toward him. Its size made it a passable opponent to test his skills.


    Grinning internally, Luo Wen assumed the opening stance of hisbat style and advanced to meet the enemy.


    As the battle wore on, reinforcements from the hive ceased emerging from the tunnel. The remaining hive forces on the surface, now without fresh troops, were quickly isted and eliminated.


    Luo Wen swung his antennae side to side, releasing new pheromone instructions. The Worker Bugs guarding his striding limbs dispersed.


    Momentster, a strike team of over a dozen Soldier Bugs charged into the hive¡¯s tunnel, followed by a hundred Worker Bugs providing support.


    Simultaneously, several reserve units underground received Luo Wen¡¯s updated orders via messenger bugs.


    Inside the hive, numerous tunnels were breached by Burrower Ants, their figures quickly widening the openings. Following them,rge groups of Worker Bugs surged in, led by Soldier Bugs.


    Within moments, Brood Nest units attacked the hive from multiple directions.


    The hive¡¯s fighting forces had long been exhausted. The few stragglers left offered no meaningful resistance. Without their Queen Ant, there was no centralizedmand, leaving them to fight as individuals.


    Before long, multiple Brood Nest squads converged in the hive¡¯s Hatchery. Under Luo Wen¡¯smand, some Soldier Bugs and their Worker Bug escorts fanned out to search the tunnels for any survivors.


    Meanwhile, the majority of Worker Bugs swarmed into the Hatchery to im the spoils. The finely ground food scraps were highly nutritious and easy to consume¡ªtop-tier provisions.


    Additionally, the hive¡¯s eggs, pupae, andrvae were excellent sources of protein, perfect for harvesting and repurposing.


    By midnight, the Worker Bugs¡¯ transport teams were still shuttling back and forth through the underground passages. Their two-way lines stretched into orderly formations, operating with impressive efficiency.


    Luo Wen, as the suprememander of this operation, considered his work done and retired to his quarters for the night.


    Post-battle statistics showed that over 5,000 members of the hive had been virtually annihted. A few Scout Ants scattered far afield had avoided capture, but their numbers were negligible.


    Thanks to excellent tactical execution, the Brood Nest lost only a few hundred Worker Bugs and just over twenty Soldier Bugs. Luo Wen couldn¡¯t be bothered with exact figures. First, in this vast Brood Nest, he was the only one who could count. As its highest-ranking officer, he needed only an approximate idea. Second, the corpses of their fallen, be they enemy or ally, were piled together in a jumble of severed limbs, making it nearly impossible to determine precise numbers.


    The next morning, Luo Wen observed the still-bustling Brood Nest and made adjustments to his original ns.


    The goal of taking down one hive per day was temporarily postponed. Luo Wen had underestimated the logistical challenges of post-battle operations. For one, the Worker Bugs¡¯ acid solution reserves would require several days to replenish.


    Acid solution, with its ability to blind and burn enemies, was a critical auxiliary weapon in war. However, once depleted, it took considerable time to regenerate.


    The massive gains from annihting this hive would also require the Brood Nest to process its spoils over time. Being near akeside meant high humidity, which made food difficult to preserve. If four hives were conquered in rapid session, the resulting surplus would likely spoil before it could be consumed.


    The insects of the Brood Nest were creations of the Brood Nest Mother, who shared an intimate, undisclosed rtionship with Luo Wen. Given how the insects treated Luo Wen¡¯s pheromonemands as divine orders, their bond was clearly profound.


    Thus, no insect dared oppose Luo Wen¡¯s decisions.


    For now, the Brood Nest Troops halted their assaults on the remaining hives, shifting into a brief period of recovery and reorganization.

 Chapter 70: An Unfamiliar Force

    Slivers of sunlight reflected off theke¡¯s surface, creating a shimmering disy. Along thekeshore, slender stems and leaves of aquatic nts swayed gently in the breeze.


    Luo Wen moved cautiously on his long legs, staying two to three meters from the water¡¯s edge. Hisrgepound eyes were fixed intently on theke, scanning for any signs of suspicious activity.


    The reflected sunlight on theke was ringly bright. With Luo Wen¡¯spound eyes being particrly sensitive to light, the intense re caused a persistent throbbing and stinging sensation.


    For several days, Luo Wen kept watch without any sess. Just as he was beginning to feel both dejected and impatient, an unexpected development urred. The prolonged exposure to the reflective re seemed to have triggered an unexpected adaptation in his eyes.


    His vision began to develop the ability to filter out certain light wavelengths.


    With this newfound ability, his eyes functioned like wearing sunsses. The sunlight reflected off the water¡¯s surface became far less blinding, allowing Luo Wen to observe morefortably.


    Revitalized by his new ability, Luo Wen resumed his slow exploration along thekeshore with renewed enthusiasm.


    As he walked, he transitioned from theke to a river. Though the river was less than ten meters wide, its rapid current and unknown depth made it seem like an insurmountable barrier to Luo Wen.


    If he could figure out a way to cross the river, the vastnds on the opposite shore could be new territory for the swarm.Unfortunately, with his current knowledge, Luo Wen had no immediate solution for crossing the river.


    For now, he could only hope to encounter some aquatic species that would grant him new genes. With such an enhancement, crossing the river¡ªor even exploring the depths of theke and river¡ªwould be possible.


    Days turned into weeks, yet Luo Wen found no evidence of life in the river. Lacking other tasks, he patiently continued his investigations.


    As the saying goes, persistence pays off.


    One evening, just as Luo Wen was preparing to return to eat and rest, he noticed ripples spreading across the river¡¯s surface in the distance. A wave of excitement surged through him. Ripples couldn¡¯t appear without something interacting with the water. This indicated that some entity hade into contact with the surface.


    Though Luo Wen could clearly see the source of the ripples, he was unable to discern whaty beneath the water. The cause of the disturbance remained a mystery.


    He kept watching for a while, but the river¡¯s surface returned to stillness, making him wonder if he had imagined it.


    Could it have been caused by underwater nt roots? The flow of the river brushing against aquatic vegetation could create ripples, but such urrences were typically confined to areas near the banks.


    The location of the ripples, however, was at the center of the river. No aquatic nts could possibly grow there.


    Even as night fully descended, Luo Wen remained vignt. He refused to believe his eyes had yed tricks on him. Though he hadn¡¯t identified the culprit, he had at least confirmed the presence of aquatic life, which was a significant discovery.


    This realization reignited Luo Wen¡¯s determination. The next morning, as he prepared to resume his observation with renewed vigor, a team of messenger bugs arrived with news from the front lines.


    This time, the northern army had encountered an unusual situation.


    Searching for aquatic life could wait. Investigating the swarm¡¯s anomaly took higher priority.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen had been exploring near the riverbank, not far from the northern army¡¯s location. Though he slowed his pace to amodate the messengers, he still reached the army¡¯s position within two hours.


    The morning was still young. Led by a reconnaissance team, Luo Wen caught sight of a familiar ¡°crater¡± in the distance. He assumed it was yet another routine mission to exterminate a Red Ant nest.


    But as he approached, Luo Wen noticed something unusual. Streams of ants were pouring continuously out of the ¡°crater,¡± forming multiple unbroken lines as they marched hurriedly away.


    ¡°Have I been discovered? But the direction doesn¡¯t match¡­¡± Luo Wen initially suspected he¡¯d been spotted. However, despite his imposing size, Luo Wen had honed his stealth skills to perfection. He had altered his pheromones and coloration, rendering himself indistinguishable from arge boulder to the ants.


    As he observed the army¡¯s trajectory heading away from his position, Luo Wen realized he was mistaken. But their urgency intrigued him¡ªwhat could they be rushing toward?


    Curiosity got the better of him. Luo Wen dismissed the reconnaissance team, instructing them to return and order the army to camp in ce and remain still. Meanwhile, he used his superior vision to maintain a safe distance from the marching Red Ants, trailing them discreetly to uncover their destination.


    The Red Ant army marched north for about 300 meters. Soon, Luo Wen spotted arge-scale battle unfolding ahead.


    Tens of thousands ofbatants from both sides were engaged, scattered across more than a dozen skirmish zones.


    On one side were the familiar Red Ants. Their adversaries, however, were an entirely new ant species.


    These ants¡¯ coloration was somewhere between the bright hue of Red Ants and the jet ck of ck Ants. Their bodies were a subdued dark red.


    The worker ants of this species were slender, with their heads, thoraxes, and abdomens of simr size. Their thin, elongated legs gave them a highly agile appearance. Their soldier ants, however, were strikingly unique. Their abdomens remained unchanged, but their heads and jaws were greatly erged.


    The soldiers¡¯ massive rectangr heads featured a wide central groove running from the rear edge to the forehead, giving them theical appearance of a human backside. Their bulbous heads and jawsbined resembled overripe cherries.


    Despite their amusing appearance, these massive jaws radiated power, suggesting formidable offensive capabilities.


    What fascinated Luo Wen most was the significant variation in body size among this species. Unlike the uniform sizes of Red Ants or ck Ants, this new species disyed dramatic differences.


    For example, their workers ranged from a few millimeters to over five centimeters. Among the soldier ants, the smallest were three to four centimeters long¡ªsmaller than thergest workers¡ªwhile thergest soldiers approached 20 centimeters in length, veritable giants of the ant world.


    To put this in perspective, the Transport Bugs of Luo Wen¡¯s swarm, which carried hundreds of ants over long distances, were only about 30 centimeters in size. Even Luo Wen himself, having reached the limits of his respiratory system, was only slightly over 60 centimeters long. These gigantic soldier ants posed a tangible threat to him.


    Feeding such enormous creatures would require staggering amounts of resources. Even Transport Bugs, sustained during wartime by abundant protein, numbered only in the hundreds. After battles, they consumed the bulk of spoils, drastically reducing their numbers during peacetime.@@novelbin@@


    In Luo Wen¡¯s branch bases of 5,000 members, maintaining just five Transport Bugs strained resources to their limits. When idle, these bugs even resorted to eating dirt to ease the burden on the colony.


    Yet here, on thergest battlefield, there were over twenty of these massive soldier ants. Smaller giants numbered in the hundreds, and the ranks ofrge, medium, and small soldiers were uncountable.


    Additionally, other battlefields nearby hosted simrly scaled conflicts, with over a hundred giant soldier ants in total.


    Luo Wen clicked his mandibles in disbelief. Supporting such a vast army of soldier ants was beyond the capability of any ordinary colony. Moreover, the forces on disy likely weren¡¯t even the entirety of this unfamiliar species¡¯ army.


    Maintaining such a formidable force would require an extraordinarily vast territory.

 Chapter 71: Tracking

    The battle between the two sides raged on, and Luo Wen was surprised to see that despite the Red Ants¡¯ mixed forces receiving continuous reinforcements, they were still being pushed back step by step.


    The soldier ants of the new species, distinguished by their oversized heads, were tentatively named Big-headed Ants by Luo Wen.


    Compared to the brute-force tactics of the Red and ck Ant coalition, the Big-headed Ants demonstrated far superior strategy.


    Each type of their soldier ants carried numerous Worker Ants on their backs, forming a defensiveyer. This approach resembled infantry-tank coordination.


    Whenever a Red Ant approached one of the Big-headed Ant soldiers, several Worker Ants would leap off the soldier¡¯s back to entangle the attacker. Meanwhile, the soldier would seize the opportunity to deliver a fatal strike.


    With the Red Ants neutralized, the ck Ants¡¯ basic weapons and equipment alone posed little threat to the Big-headed Ant soldiers. Their massive jaws, which grew proportionally with their size, easily dealt with the ck Ants.


    Although both sides hadmitted simr numbers of troops, the Red and ck coalition¡¯s primarybat units were outssed tactically. Relying on the supporting Worker Ants for victory was nearly impossible.


    As Luo Wen predicted, the Red and ck coalition¡¯s forces were continually whittled down. Their casualty ratio was far higher than that of the Big-headed Ants.


    The Big-headed Ants, however, showed no signs of overconfidence. They maintained a steady, methodical advance without rushing for a swift victory.@@novelbin@@The battlested for two full days, shifting across several locations. Most engagements ended with the Red Ant side retreating, leaving behind tens of thousands of corpses. Only once did the Red Ants manage to ambush a small detachment of Big-headed Ants, leveraging sheer numbers to secure a victory.


    Yet, strangely, when the Red Antster tried to recover the battlefield, many of the soldier ant corpses were inexplicably missing. The remains of two particrly massive soldier ants were nowhere to be found.


    The missing corpses had, of course, been taken by Luo Wen. Disguised as a rock, he had crept close to the battlefield, selectively scavenged what he wanted, and then retreated with his haul on his back. With eight long legs propelling him swiftly away, he came and went like a shadow.


    These gigantic soldier ants were remarkable specimens. Using an ant temte to reach such a size must have involved unique adaptations. Now that he had obtained their genes, Luo Wen nned to study them when he had the time.


    For now, he postponed his return to the Brood Nest. His priority was to uncover the origins of this newly emerged Big-headed Ant species.


    Three dayster, after suffering losses exceeding 100,000 troops, the Red Ants remained unyielding, unwilling to retreat. But the Big-headed Ants, satisfied with their gains, chose to withdraw rather than risk overextending themselves.


    When the Red Ants gathered a massive force for a decisive battle, they found their opponents had vanished without a trace.


    The Red Ants were puzzled, but Luo Wen, who had been monitoring the battlefield closely, didn¡¯t miss a thing. The Big-headed Ant army, numbering in the tens of thousands, had retreated with their spoils. Such arge-scale movement was impossible to hide from Luo Wen¡¯s long-range surveince.


    Their retreat resembled the Swarm¡¯s methods. Various types of soldier ants andrge-to-medium Workers served as transport vehicles, while smaller Worker Ants climbed aboard, both to conserve energy and secure the loot.


    With theirbinedbat coordination and efficient transportation system, the Big-headed Ants were clearly a step ahead of other ant species.


    Their speed also exceeded Luo Wen¡¯s expectations. After traveling less than two kilometers, they had already returned to their nest.


    This left Luo Wen puzzled. The Swarm controlled a territory spanning more than ten kilometers. For a nest capable of deploying such argebat force, their territory should be significantlyrger.


    ¡°Could their territory extend farther in other directions?¡± Luo Wen shook his head. Based on his observations, this species seemed to radiate their territory evenly in all directions.


    If no unusual factors were involved, their nest should logically upy the center of their domain.


    Potential factors included insurmountable barriers like rivers or cliffs, or the persistent disappearance of scouts in a specific area.


    ¡°Could it be because of the Red Ant nests?¡± Luo Wen quickly dismissed this thought. Given the Big-headed Ant army¡¯s demonstrated strength, they could easily overpower the Red Ants if they chose to expand.


    Luo Wen shook his head again, abandoning further spection for now. With so little information avable, drawing conclusions was impossible. Moreover, until the conflict between the Red and Big-headed Ants resolved, the two sides wouldn¡¯t directly confront each other.


    He still had plenty of time. By continuing to observe the Big-headed Ants, Luo Wen hoped to gather more information for analysis.


    The Big-headed Ant nest stood out from other ant colonies, leaving Luo Wen astonished when he first saw it.


    The nest was a small mound spanning 20 to 30 square meters, with a ring of entrances midway up its slope. The ground around each entrance bore heavy tread marks.


    The tens of thousands of Big-headed Ant troops Luo Wen had been following split into several groups, entering the nest through adjacent entrances.


    If that was all, the nest would simply appear to have more exits than usual.


    However, atop the mound were numerous small protrusions densely packed together. Each protrusion had a central opening, resembling tiny chimneys.


    Notably, no tread marks surrounded these ¡°chimneys,¡± indicating they weren¡¯t used as entrances or exits. Ants, being pragmatic creatures, wouldn¡¯t build anything without purpose. These chimneys must have a specific function.


    What that function might be, Luo Wen could only sigh in frustration. If he still had his previous, smaller body, sneaking inside for a closer look would have been easy.


    Still, Luo Wen had no regrets. With his current size, few things could threaten his life. Everything else was secondary to survival.


    Unable to discern the chimneys¡¯ purpose from the outside and unable to infiltrate the nest, Luo Wen decided further observation was a waste of time.


    He cast onest nce at the mysterious chimneys before turning to explore other directions.


    Having recently consumed a high-protein meal, Luo Wen moved quickly. In just one day, he had surveyed most of the area surrounding the Big-headed Ant nest.


    Curiously, the Big-headed Ants¡¯ territory was indeed small.


    In every direction, within roughly two kilometers, Luo Wen found evidence of other ant nests and activity.


    Pheromones made it easy to distinguish. From the Big-headed Ant nest at the center, Luo Wen identified at least eleven different pheromone signatures within a two-kilometer radius.


    This confirmed that the Big-headed Ants, like most ant species, ced their nests at the very center of their territory.


    Yet this raised a puzzling question: how could such a small territory sustain such a massive army?

 Chapter 49: Optical Invisibility

    Seeing the special talent disyed by the Chameleon bug, Luo Wen¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. He quickly jumped down from the tree trunk as well.


    The bug dove into the grass and disappeared. If Luo Wen hadn¡¯t kept his eyes fixed on it without blinking since the start, it might have truly escaped.


    His massive physique was now an advantage. Luo Wen charged after the bug like a tank, ignoring and crushing all obstacles in his path.


    The bug¡¯s body changed color as it scurried rapidly, blending seamlessly with its surroundings and making it nearly impossible to spot.


    Unfortunately for it, unlike grasshoppers, it didn¡¯t have powerful hind legs. Already locked onto its trail, Luo Wen quickly caught up after it wriggled through a few patches of grass.


    A long foreleg shot out like lightning, grabbing the bug by its carapace and dragging it to Luo Wen.


    Two burrower legs descended from above, pinning the bug down. Though it struggled fiercely, the power difference was insurmountable.


    A pair of giant fangs mped onto the bug. With one bite, its struggles gradually ceased.


    Fresh ingredients often needed to be consumed promptly. Luo Wen didn¡¯t bother to move elsewhere and enjoyed a hearty meal on the spot before returning to his chamber to rest.When he woke up, Luo Wen discovered the secret behind the Chameleon bug¡¯s abilities.


    The surface of Luo Wen¡¯s exoskeletal armor was now covered with ayer of extremely fine, densely packed scales.


    These scales contained nano-sized crystalline structures within their epidermal cells, forming a unique type of chromatophore. By controlling the spacing between the crystals, the cells could reflect light of different wavelengths.


    This adaptation allowed the scales to adjust rapidly ording to their surroundings, reflecting the same light as nearby objects to deceive observers and achieve concealment.


    This newfound ability was particrly effective against individuals like Luo Wen with keen vision.


    Eyes are a highlyplex and sensitive optical system, serving as crucial observation tools. They work by detecting light, projecting it onto light-sensitive retinas to form images, which are then converted into signals and transmitted to the brain.


    Light consists of numerous colors. The number of colors a creature can perceive depends on the types of photoreceptors in its eyes. Humans, for instance, have three types of color-sensitive receptors, allowing them to see three primary colors, whereas dogs only have two.


    Luo Wen¡¯s eyes were far more advanced, capable of perceiving a broader spectrum of primary colors. Exactly how many he could see, he wasn¡¯t sure. By mixing primary colors in varying proportions, countless new colors could emerge, but these weren¡¯t primary colors.


    Comparing with his former self, Luo Wen noticed his current vision was far richer. For example, he could see a unique type of light that allowed him to determine the positions of the sun and moon on this, even without directly seeing them, and use it for navigation.


    Since transforming into an insect, this special light had cured his sense of direction. Navigation became second nature.


    Even so, the new camouge ability could counteract this advantage.


    The ability worked by perfectly mimicking the reflective light of the surroundings. No matter how many wavelengths an observer could detect, they would find no differences.


    Previously, Luo Wen could only discern a bug-shaped patch on the bark by observing the spatial depth. Relying on his eyes alone, he couldn¡¯t distinguish it from the bark.


    But through cognitive analysis, he could deduce it was a bug.


    However, all of this depended on knowing beforehand that something was amiss. Without the worker ants alerting him to the anomaly, he could have stared at it all day and discovered nothing.


    Despite its exceptional focus, the ability had an obvious weakness. Creatures like ants, which don¡¯t primarily rely on sight, were unaffected, making it akin to ¡°dancing for the blind.¡±


    The Chameleon bug had been overly confident in its ability, even when surrounded. This led it to unwittingly gift Luo Wen its extraordinary talent.


    Though wed in some respects, the ability was undeniably a remarkable form of biological ck technology. Luo Wen had seen simr inventions online in his past life, such as special armors that used electronic screens to mimic and project the surrounding environment for optical deception.


    Yet, such devices were no match for the innate abilities of this evolved organism.


    Currently, this ability¡¯s greatest use for Luo Wen was making him less conspicuous when clinging to tree trunks, no longer resembling a ring adhesive patch.


    With this little adventure behind him, life returned to normal.


    Days passed steadily, and the hive continued its orderly development. Within the radiation zone, the vegetation began to show subtle differences from the surrounding areas.


    Luo Wen implemented a new aphid management policy: aphids were only permitted to consume older leaves when new ones had sprouted.


    If aphids overbred and consumed unpermitted leaves, worker ants would cull their numbers and recycle them as protein.


    Under this strict control, the vegetation within the territory flourished with the help of biological fertilizer.


    Abundant food led to a surge in the hive¡¯s poption. When the numbers reached a threshold, a new wave of expansion began.


    Under Luo Wen¡¯smand, and while ensuring normal hive operations, all avable bugs surged outward.


    With prior experience in territorial expansion, the bugs efficiently dismantled neighboring ant nests that previously served as food sources.


    This was not a contest between equals. Armed with superior tactical thinking and overwhelming numbers, the ants¡¯ resistance was easily crushed.


    After extending their territory by 100 meters in a fan-shaped arc, the hive army halted and began another period of consolidation.


    With the hive¡¯s growth on track, its development resembled a snowball rolling downhill.


    Experienced worker ants migrated en masse to the newly conquered areas to establish new aphid pastures. Correspondingly, the vegetation in these new territories received biological fertilizer treatment.


    The void left by their departure was quickly filled by newly emerged adults from the pupae.


    The hive¡¯s exact poption had be unquantifiable to Luo Wen, given the daily attrition from various mishaps.


    These included casualties from skirmishes with ck Beetles, losses during exploration, and ambushes by unknown insects.


    For instance, underground, there was a type of creature resembling a foul-smelling earthworm that ambushed from below. It dug funnel-shaped pits on the surface, causing worker ants to slip in.@@novelbin@@


    At the bottom of the pit, the creature waited patiently. When prey fell in, it would spring up, using its massive pincers to capture and drag them underground for consumption.


    Most of these ambushers were concentrated in newly expanded territories.


    Though many were cleared after the hive took over, some managed to escape the sweeps, iming unlucky victims daily.

 Chapter 73: On the March (1)

    Every extra day the army lingered meant more resources consumed. Although a few units had yet to arrive, Luo Wen decided not to wait any longer.


    The weather that day was favorable¡ªpartly cloudy¡ªwith the tree canopy overhead blocking most of the light and heat, creating perfect conditions for a long-distance march.


    At Luo Wen¡¯smand, over 6,000 Transport Bugs loaded with a variety of troops and supplies began advancing on their eight long legs, heading directly for the Red Ant Nest. The scene was nothing short of spectacr.


    Trees flitted past as Luo Wen led the march from the front of the formation. His role was to navigate for the army, as he had the widest field of view among the swarm at present.


    Along the way, the army skirted around two Red Ant hunting parties. With the swarm¡¯s overwhelming superiority in both numbers and quality, there was no need to engage such minor threats. Luo Wen¡¯s strategy was to strike directly at the heart¡ªobliterating the Red Ant Nest first, then dispatching smaller units to clear the territory afterward.


    As for those two hunting parties? The forces following behind would take care of them.


    Two hourster, after several breaks for the Transport Bugs to rest and replenish their energy, the army traversed two kilometers of forest and reached a familiar sight¡ªthe ¡°volcanic crater.¡±


    Having eradicated Red Ant Nests before, there was nothing novel about the scene. The swarm swiftly encircled the ¡°crater.¡±


    Luo Wen circled near the entrance, using the sensory hairs on his legs to detect vibrations from the undergroundwork of tunnels. He identified the location of the subterranean passageways and extended his ws¡ªhis digging limbs, now sharper than ever since their transformation.Piercing through the ground, he punctured several openings into the Red Ant Nest¡¯s tunnels. After baiting a few waves of Red-ck Ants to emerge for inspection, the swarm¡¯s forces surged inside.


    Giant Mandible Soldier Ants took the lead, nked by Small Soldier Ants providing cover. If the enemy numbers were small, the swarm would engage in meleebat. If enemy numbers swelled, they would create a gap for Worker Ants at the rear to provide ranged support.


    The swarm advanced methodically. Losses urred but remained within eptable limits.


    The battle dragged on until nightfall. Narrow tunnels restricted movement, preventing the full deployment of the swarm¡¯s forces. In fact, less than one-fifth of the army had entered the tunnels. The majority of troops remained outside, where they eliminated three returning Red Ant hunting parties.


    A force of 1.8 million versus 20,000 was hardly a contest. The rear troops often found the battle over before they could even charge.


    To be honest, more time was spent cleaning up the battlefield than fighting.


    The swarm collected all spoils. Insect wars were simple: the victor imed everything¡ªenemy and ally carcasses alike were recycled as nutrients for the swarm¡¯s growth.


    Post-battle statistics showed the swarm lost around 20,000 units. Precise enemy losses were hard to calcte due to the tunnel skirmishes, but based on prior experience, the nest likely housed at least 400,000 to 500,000 ants. Even if their numbers had been diminished by the Big-headed Ants a month ago, they should have replenished somewhat during that time.


    Luo Wen estimated at least 400,000 had been present, with an additional 45,000 from the three hunting parties eliminated outside.


    As Luo Wen tallied the results, a squadron approached from the distance.


    This was the swarm¡¯s heavybat units: 200 Ultra-Giant Soldier Ants, 500 Giant Soldier Ants, and two Scorpions. The two ant types were based on the Big-headed Ant soldier temte, with minor modifications. A gene for enhanced leaping was added, increasing their agility, along with slightly erged mandibles for greater attack power.


    The Scorpions were experimental. Enhanced muscle genes made themrger than their prototypes, with body lengths¡ªexcluding tails¡ªof 40 centimeters. Luo Wen had no specific use in mind for them yet and had only created two to test theirbat effectiveness in this war against the Big-headed Ants.


    Apanying these heavy units were around 10,000 smallerbat units mounted on their backs, tasked with guarding them. Despite their apparent strength, these heavy units excelled only in duels or mass battles. If caught alone by a Red Ant hunting party, their venomous stingers could prove fatal. A mishap, such as being surrounded, might even cost them their lives.@@novelbin@@


    Previously, their slower pace had prevented them from keeping up with the Transport Bugs, so Luo Wen had stationed them at the rear for a gradual advance. Clearing out a Red Ant Nest didn¡¯t require their involvement, and the pheromone markers left by the main force ensured they wouldn¡¯t get lost.


    When Luo Wen bypassed the two hunting parties earlier, he had assigned mobile squads to monitor them.


    These squads specialized in reconnaissance, harassment, and trap-setting. Equipped with standard units and enhanced by Scout Bugs, Spy Bugs, and even a Queen Ant, these squads could carry out moreplex missions thanks to the Queen¡¯s higher intelligence.


    After leaving the main force, the squads moved ahead of the hunting parties, setting up decoy pheromone trails. These misdirected the hunting parties into wandering in circles, oblivious to the deception.


    The squads then rendezvoused with the slower-moving heavy units, rying Luo Wen¡¯s orders.


    As Luo Wen surveyed the spoils carried back by the heavy units, he nodded in satisfaction. The execution of his orders had beenmendable. However, a few Giant Soldier Ant corpses caught his eye¡ªclear evidence of losses. Since Red Ants didn¡¯t have such units, their origin was obvious.


    Furthermore, the escorting units had suffered significant losses, tarnishing the operation¡¯s sess slightly. Still, the Ultra-Giants and Scorpions remained unscathed, the battle was won, and even the fallen had been retrieved.


    These heavy units were valuable, walking reservoirs of protein. In times of famine, Worker Ants would cull them to feed the colony. Losing just one would be a considerable blow for an ordinary nest.


    Although Luo Wen wasn¡¯t in such dire straits, his frugality made him protective of his swarm. The smaller units could be overlooked, but every heavy unit cost enormous resources to cultivate. Losing even one, alive or dead, was uneptable.

 Chapter 51: Observation

    At Luo Wen¡¯smand, tens of thousands of Burrower Ants were the first to be mobilized, heading to the construction site of the new Brood Nest.


    They were soon joined by over twenty thousand Worker Ants tasked with logistical support. These ants were responsible for transporting food to meet the daily needs of the Burrower Ants. Additionally, they handled soil relocation and the reinforcement of newly dug tunnels.


    In the past, Luo Wen personally led the excavation of the hive. However, now that hemanded tens of thousands of subordinates, there was no need for the highest-rankingmander to dirty his ws.


    Although there was no longer anything in the vicinity that could threaten the hive, Luo Wen maintained his characteristically cautious style.


    At a depth of three meters underground, the Burrower Ants constructed an impressivebyrinth of tunnels, intended as a decoy and transit hub¡ªa fake Brood Nest.


    The real Brood Nest was located three to four meters below the fake one. This true hive, also awork of tunnels, was connected to the decoy by a single passage. Both ends of the passage were stocked with loose soil, ready to be sealed at a moment¡¯s notice.


    A team of Spy Bugs and Burrower Ants was stationed there permanently. Their mission was to seal the passage and deploy misleading pheromones if intruders breached the decoy, ensuring the true hive remained hidden.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t see this strategy as overly cautious¡ªit was simply prudent.


    He was wary of the Yellow Earth Ant Legion atop the cliff. If one day they lost their footing and charged straight down the slope, Luo Wen¡¯s hive would be their first target.Though the hive had grown much stronger, the gap in power between it and the Yellow Earth Ant Legion was still insurmountable. Direct confrontation remained out of the question; evasion was the safer strategy.


    Luo Wen firmly believed in the adage: ¡°Preserve the green hills, and you¡¯ll never run out of firewood.¡± He swore he would avenge his past grievances¡­ eventually.


    Despite the ambitious scale of the new Brood Nest, it waspleted at an impressive speed thanks to the collective efforts of tens of thousands of ants.


    With the old hive set to be abandoned, Luo Wen no longer needed to hold back. Personally digging his way down, he and the Worker Ants carefully dragged the massive Brood Nest to the surface.


    The Brood Nest, tireless and sleepless, consumed vast amounts of food daily, converting it into energy.


    Most of this energy went toward producing eggs, while the remainder fueled its own growth.


    Its sheer size only became apparent during the move. Nowrger than Luo Wen himself, the Brood Nest¡¯s rotund form dwarfed the surrounding ants. Even with multiple tunnel expansions, its bulk barely fit through the passages.


    To put it into perspective: if Luo Wen was the size of a te, the Brood Nest was like a giant watermelon. Worker Ants, norger than a fingernail, seemed like tiny specks around it.


    Countless Worker Ants swarmed beneath the Brood Nest, forming ayered tform to carry it. After numerous adjustments, the tform began to move.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t participate directly. As the hive¡¯s suprememander and strongestbatant, he focused on overseeing the operation and ensuring its security.


    After several hundred meters of careful ry work, the Worker Ants sessfully transported the Brood Nest to its new location without incident.


    In the following days, the main passage and the Brood Nest¡¯s chamber were further widened.


    Atst, the Brood Nest settled into its new home.


    The main passage was then narrowed once more, restored to its original state.


    The move to the new hive was a sess, though there was no one to share Luo Wen¡¯s joy. By now, he was ustomed to the solitude of a life without social interaction.


    The swarm returned to its steady rhythm of growth: resting, expanding, exterminating ant nests, absorbing territories¡ªa repetitive cycle.


    Hundreds of days and nights passed, and the swarm once again approached the limits of its expansion.


    Luo Wen, however, already had a solution in mind: establishing branch bases.


    This idea had been on his mind for some time, and he had conducted several experiments. Initially, he used the Queen Ant¡¯s genes as a temte, attempting to hatch a few hive-specific Queens.


    These Queens developed normally from eggs to maturity but failed to produce eggs once fully grown.


    Despite multiple rounds of experiments, the results remained unchanged.


    Luo Wen racked his brains but couldn¡¯t pinpoint the issue. Could the problem lie with the Brood Nest¡¯s Queens being defective?@@novelbin@@


    Suspecting otherwise, Luo Wen decided to observe an ant colony for answers.


    He captured a colony of ck Ants, killed their Queen and most of their members, and reduced their size for easier observation.


    This colony was confined indoors, with any ants attempting to leave promptly driven back by Guard Ants stationed outside the nest.


    Worker Ants from the hive delivered food to the colony¡¯s entrance daily.


    Luo Wen dug a passage connecting to the colony and used his body to block the opening.


    His camouge and pheromone abilities allowed him to blend seamlessly into the colony, making him as inconspicuous as a stone. Not a single ck Ant showed curiosity about him.


    To ensure no details were missed, Luo Wen gave up foraging.


    Worker Ants periodically delivered his food through the passage. Luo Wen merely needed to turn slightly to eat before resuming his position.


    Prepared for a prolonged operation, Luo Wen was surprised by how quickly answers emerged.


    After losing their Queen, the Worker Ants somehow managed to hatch several new Queens and some strange ants Luo Wen had never seen before.


    Once the Queens matured, they engaged in unspeakable acts with these peculiar ants.


    Shortly afterward, the strange ants perished without exception.


    Luo Wen discreetly used his adhesive ws to collect the corpses of these peculiar ants.


    Meanwhile, internal conflict erupted within the colony, as the new Queens led their factions in a brutal power struggle.


    The defeated Queens were killed mercilessly, while their followers surrendered to the victor.


    By the end of the war, only one Queen remained,manding the allegiance of all surviving ants.


    The colony resumed its familiar rhythm:ying eggs and raisingrvae.


    Midway through this process, Luo Wen had already figured out the problem.


    But since he was bored, he decided to watch the drama unfold to its conclusion, treating it as entertainment.


    The peculiar ants, likely male ants, appeared only during the colony¡¯s early stages. After mating, they died shortly thereafter.


    When Luo Wen infiltrated ant colonies in the past, they had all beenrge, established nests with thousands of members, so he had never encountered male ants.


    The issue with the Brood Nest¡¯s Queensy in the absence of these males to¡­plete the process.

 Chapter 77: Clash with the Big-headed Ants (3)

    Over the next two days, reinforcements from the rear steadily arrived, bringing the swarm¡¯s numbers back above 2.2 million. Meanwhile, the Worker Ants¡¯ acid reserves and the Soldier Ants¡¯ venom sacs were fully replenished.


    Thus, the swarm once again embarked on their grand march.


    Although only two days had passed, the Big-headed Ants had resumed their orderly foraging activities. To Luo Wen¡¯s surprise, he discovered another ¡°green stream¡± flowing through the forest.


    Marveling at the audacity of the Big-headed Ants, Luo Wen wasted no time intercepting the stream.


    This time, however, the Big-headed Ants were prepared. They immediatelyunched an all-out response, mobilizing an advance force of over a million troops from their nest.


    This advance force was twice the size of their previous vanguard. Luo Wen knew it would be wishful thinking to wipe out such a force in a short time. Engaging them head-on risked entanglement, leaving the swarm vulnerable to encirclement by the Big-headed Ants¡¯ seemingly endless reinforcements.


    Such a scenario would spell doom for the swarm, feeding the Big-headed Ants¡¯ expansion. Luo Wen had no intention of aiding the enemy and had anticipated this situation before arriving.@@novelbin@@


    He ordered thergebat units to retreat first, while the Soldier Ants pursued the leaf-carrying Worker Ants, hunting them down along the trail. Previously, these Worker Ants had been spared as bait to lure reinforcements. Now, with a change in tactics, they were fair game¡ªevery bit of attrition helped.


    With tasks delegated, the respective units departed in an orderly fashion. Left behind were the Transport Bugs and the Worker Ants riding on their backs. Today, they would be the stars of the battlefield, showing the Big-headed Ants what mobile warfare and ¡°cavalry tactics¡± looked like.As the Big-headed Ant forces approached, the Transport Bugs began to move.


    With their long legs and swift pace, they maintained a constant distance of about 20 centimeters from the Big-headed Ant forces¡ªa deceptively short but entirely safe gap.


    As noted before, ants relied heavily on their antennae formunication and perception, being almost blind. Outside their antennae¡¯s range, they could only sense vibrations to detect other creatures. However, with an army of over a million ants moving together, vibrations became indistinguishable, rendering this sense ineffective.


    The Transport Bugs capitalized on this by staying just out of reach.


    At this 20-centimeter range, the Worker Ants riding atop the Transport Bugs began their assault. Elevated by the Transport Bugs, their acid sprays easily covered a distance of one meter.


    In preparation for this operation, Luo Wen had increased the number of Transport Bugs at the front line. Previously, each bug carried about 500 Worker Ants, forcing them to pile up into an ¡°ant hill.¡± The bottomyer bore immense pressure, limiting movement during high-speed maneuvers to avoid copse.


    With more Transport Bugs now avable, each only needed to carry around 200 Worker Ants, significantly reducing pressure. This allowed the topyer to adjust into a firing formation.


    Atop each ¡°ant hill,¡± 20 to 30 Worker Ants assumed the ideal acid-spraying stance, secured in ce by theirpanions below.


    Streams of acid shot into the Big-headed Ant army. Once their acid reserves were depleted, these Worker Ants retreated to the lower levels, making way for fresh recements to take their ce.


    Thus, another volley of acid streams began.


    The disaster for the Big-headed Ants had begun. The synergy between the Transport Bugs and Worker Ants turned them into mobile artillery units. Acid rained down from above, requiring no precision¡ªonly general direction.


    Within ten minutes, the 150,000 Worker Ants had emptied their acid reserves, wreaking devastating havoc. The outer edges of the Big-headed Ant formation were heavily damaged, with countless ants injured.


    In the insect world, there was no such thing as rehabilitation.


    While some ants with corroded exoskeletons might survive, those with damaged antennae or missing limbs were inevitably recycled into protein post-battle.


    Having finished their assault, the Transport Bugs retreated along predetermined routes. Spy Bugs stationed along the way erased all traces of their passage.


    This hit-and-run tactic, while not something Luo Wen could personally partake in, was thrilling to witness as its architect.


    The acid barrage inflicted over 300,000 casualties on the Big-headed Ant advance force. On the swarm¡¯s side, only two unlucky Transport Bugs were lost. These casualties urred when they got too close to Ultra-Giants, were entangled, and subsequently destroyed¡ªtaking their Worker Ant passengers down with them. The incident underscored the importance of skilled drivers during operations.


    ncing at the disarrayed Big-headed Ant formation, Luo Wen decided not to linger. Reuniting with the main force, he ordered the excavation of the Ultra-Giant corpses buried during the previous battle.


    With cooperation between Worker Ants and the swarm¡¯s own Ultra-Giants, the corpses were quickly dismembered, packed, and loaded onto the Transport Bugs. The increased number of Transport Bugs ensured all these spoils were taken back, avoiding the risk of leaving them in enemy territory for too long.


    Meanwhile, the units dispatched to eliminate the leaf-carrying Worker Ants also returned to the temporary base. Not expecting such a swift battle, Luo Wen had sent a messenger squad to call them back during the retreat, sparing them from potential ambushes.


    After a brief rest, the swarm circled back to their territory.


    Two dayster, the swarm, now fully resupplied, set out once again. This time, they traveled light, leaving most of theirrgebat units behind and bringing only a small number of medium and small units aboard the Transport Bugs.


    The events of two days prior repeated themselves. The Big-headed Ant army, recovering from multiple long-range attacks, struggled to regroup, only to find their foes had vanished.


    For the next half-month, harassment became a routine activity for the swarm. Over eight operations, the Big-headed Ants suffered approximately 1 million casualties. Despite adapting somewhat, the damage was done.


    Combined with previous battles, the Big-headed Ants had now lost close to 2 million troops. Though the swarm also lost over ten Transport Bugs and their Worker Ant passengers, reinforcements from the rear kept arriving.


    By now, the forces gathered at the forward base had swelled to nearly 3 million.

 Chapter 78: Clash with the Big-headed Ants (4)

    Having suffered such heavy losses, the Big-headed Ants had be increasingly defensive, rarely venturing out. Recent harassment tactics yielded diminishing results. Moreover, it had been nearly 20 days since the conflict began¡ªjust enough time for a Soldier Ant to mature from an egg to adulthood.


    This meant that the Big-headed Ants could soon convert the insect carcasses they had harvested into fresh troops. In theing days, their army would likely receive significant reinforcements.


    Additionally, the swarm¡¯s harassment operations had focused solely on killing the enemy, yielding no tangible spoils.


    The Big-headed Ants were sitting onrge stockpiles of resources, requiring only time to convert them into soldiers. And that time wasn¡¯t far off.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for the decisive battle,¡± Luo Wen sighed, twitching his antennae as he issued themand.


    A 3-million-strong army assembled¡ªa sight that would test the nerves of anyone with trypophobia.


    The swarm marched straight toward the Big-headed Ant Nest.


    Thanks to prior harassment, the Big-headed Ants had ceased their foraging activities. Outside their nest, even patrolling units were scarce, as all avable forces were withdrawn and kept inside. The insect carcasses they had umted ensured they could remain in hiding for a long time.


    Thus, the swarm brazenly advanced to within 20 meters of the Big-headed Ant Nest without detection.Under Luo Wen¡¯s instructions, part of the swarm climbed trees to collectrge leaves. The Ultra-Giant Soldier Ants used their powerful jaws to bite off the 20-centimeter-long leaves at the stems, letting them drift to the ground.


    Scout Bugs on the ground marked thending points, guiding Worker Ants to gather the leaves and bring them to the front lines.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen and two Scorpions personally joined the effort, using their powerful ws as digging tools. Their enormous bodies quickly excavated a trench 20 centimeters wide, half a meter deep, and about 10 meters long.


    Though narrow, the trench was sufficient to counter ants, whichcked significant jumping ability.


    The Worker Ants lined the trench with the gathered leaves, then added branches and twigs as makeshift bridges. Mucus Bugs applied a basic sent to the trench walls to slow seepage.


    With everything ready, the army formed ranks. It was time to provoke the enemy.


    The Big-headed Ant Nest had too many scattered exits for a simple blockade to work. The ants needed to be drawn out. Having harassed them relentlessly, the swarm needed to push harder to anger them into action.


    Provocation required skill, and Luo Wen was an expert.


    He didn¡¯t even need to jump. With a casual step, he crossed the 20-centimeter trench and strode straight to the Big-headed Ant Nest. Raising his ws, he began puncturing holes into the nest.


    At first, the Big-headed Ants endured, adhering to their defensive policy. But as Luo Wen¡¯s relentless digging created more and more holes, their patience wore thin.@@novelbin@@


    It wasn¡¯t hard to understand why. No one would remain calm with a dozen gaping holes suddenly appearing in their home.


    Soon, the Big-headed Ants, now fully mobilized, poured out from dozens of exits, a massive army surging forth.


    Seeing his provocation seed, Luo Wen immediately turned tail and ran. He had no fear of a duel but knew the Big-headed Ants wouldn¡¯t fight him one-on-one.


    Exploiting his superior mobility, he stopped and started along the way, leaving pheromone markers to ensure the pursuing ants didn¡¯t lose track of him.


    Luo Wen led the massive enemy force to the trench, where the swarm army stood ready on the other side, one meter away.


    Easily crossing the trench, Luo Wen retreated to the rear of the swarm formation. The Big-headed Ants, however, couldn¡¯t follow so easily. They were forced to climb down into the trench and back up the other side or use the twig bridges to cross.


    These obstacles only slowed them slightly, with negligible impact on their stamina.


    The Ultra-Giant Soldier Ants at the forefront of the Big-headed Ant army charged first, apanied by smaller Soldier Ants.


    On the swarm¡¯s side, their own Ultra-Giants moved to intercept.


    Luo Wen and the two Scorpions roamed the rear lines, seizing opportunities to ambush enemy Ultra-Giants. Whenever an enemy Ultra-Giant became immobilized in a fight, a w would emerge from behind the swarm¡¯s formation, mping down on its narrow waist and snapping it in two.


    This was Luo Wen¡¯s newly developed Luo-style Combat Technique, Form Two: One sh, Two Halves.


    The exact number of giantbat units hidden in the Big-headed Ant Nest remained unknown. Meanwhile, the swarm¡¯s Ultra-Giants, originally numbering 200, had already lost several, with no recements. Luo Wen deemed this unit too resource-intensive and unsuitable for the swarm¡¯s development, leaving no time to produce new ones.


    The Big-headed Ants, apparently eager for a decisive battle, threw themselves at the opportunity. Having been harried by the swarm, they were determined to turn the tables in this engagement.


    More troops poured out of the Big-headed Ant Nest, forming a massive ck wave. Within moments, over 2 million soldiers had surged forth, with more on the way.


    While the swarm still held a numerical advantage, with both sides fielding millions of soldiers, the battlefield descended into chaos.


    The time was right. Luo Wen signaled the Worker Ants¡ª500,000 of them lined up and unleashed a volley of formic acid.


    This wave of long-range attacks directly eliminated nearly 100,000 Big-headed Ants, leaving the rest injured.


    Seizing the opportunity, the swarm advanced, slowly pushing the battle line toward the trench.


    Another 500,000 Worker Ants were deployed, spraying acid into the trench. Any Big-headed Ants attempting to cross were drenched, dissolving into the trench.


    The leaves lining the trench bottom slowed the seepage of acid into the soil, allowing the trench to fill with the corrosive liquid and form a ¡°small moat.¡±


    Though the acid moat gradually drained, it effectively disrupted the Big-headed Ants¡¯ attack rhythm. Unable to cross the moat, they were forced to use the twig bridges, which significantly reduced their crossing efficiency.


    As a result, a bottleneck formed, isting over 500,000 Big-headed Ants already engaged with the swarm from their reinforcements. Weakened by acid, these isted forces were vulnerable.


    This carefully orchestrated moment was Luo Wen¡¯s golden opportunity. The swarm unleashed their full might, aiming to annihte the isted enemy forces as quickly as possible.

 Chapter 54: Tracking

    Faced with the onught of hundreds of Red Ants, Luo Wen swiftly dispatched a few of the vanguard attackers. However, the Red Ants showed no fear; the sight of theirpanions being killed did nothing to deter them. Instead, they seized the openings in Luo Wen¡¯s attacks and quickly closed in on him.


    Luo Wen¡¯s eight legs moved rapidly, stabbing through one Red Ant after another. He flung their lifeless bodies away before thrusting down again.


    But there were simply too many Red Ants. Despite killing a handful, the remainder quickly swarmed up his legs, crawling toward his body.


    While the Red Ants¡¯ small size and limited weaponry posed no real threat to Luo Wen¡¯s armor, his head presented two ring weak points that he couldn¡¯t afford to leave exposed to their chaos.


    Just as Luo Wen was preparing to act, a sharp pain red from one of his leg joints. The sensation shocked him.


    This was the first time Luo Wen had felt pain since transforming into an insect. Even during extreme injuries, like being gutted, he had felt nothing.


    Yet now, he was in agony, and the pain only intensified. It was as if his tissue was melting, forcing a pained cry from him.


    What in the world? When did I develop a nervous system capable of pain? Luo Wen thought angrily. The sharp pain severely hampered hisbat ability. Is this evolution or regression? If it¡¯s evolution, I¡¯d rather do without it.


    Unfortunately, there was no time to dwell on his misfortune. ncing at the source of his pain, he saw a Red Ant clinging to his leg joint. Its stinger had prated the thinner part of his armor, causing the excruciating sensation.A simple sting shouldn¡¯t have caused such intense pain. Luo Wen realized with horror: These little bastards use venom! How underhanded!


    Using another leg, he extended its adhesive tip, grabbed the offending Red Ant, ripped it away, and brought it to his mouth. Luo Wen crushed the ant into pulp with a furious bite.


    But in the brief moment of distraction, more Red Ants had climbed onto his body. They were clearly targeting the weaker joints in his armor and seemed eager to showcase their collective talents.


    Every hair on Luo Wen¡¯s body stood on end in rm. Without hesitation, he began thrashing his legs and rolling wildly on the ground.


    Thankfully, his legs had a total of seven joints, so even if one or two were disabled, he could still function effectively. Additionally, the smooth surface of his armor offered little to grip, and the Red Antscked the fine hair-like structures that spiders use for climbing. Luo Wen¡¯s chaotic rolling dislodged most of the ants clinging to his body.


    When Luo Wen stopped, only three Red Ants remained stubbornly attached to his leg joints. Their end, however, was even grimmer¡ªthey were individually grabbed by his adhesive limbs, ripped away, and crushed to death.


    The searing pain had cleared Luo Wen¡¯s head. This isn¡¯t a game, and I¡¯m no invincible warrior mowing down hordes. A single mistake here could lead to my downfall.


    Resolving not to linger in battle, Luo Wen began retreating, his eight legs moving swiftly as he ran and leaped toward the base entrance.


    Victory in this fight was impossible with the forces at hand. The only sensible choice was to retreat.


    Pheromones dispersed into the air, signaling his insects. Some climbed onto Luo Wen¡¯s back to protect his vulnerable eyes, while others retreated into the tunnels.


    Switching tactics, Luo Wen abandoned the goal of killing as many ants as possible. Instead, his two front legs swung back and forth, knocking away any Red Ants that came close.


    This defensive strategy allowed him to cover most directions on his own, leaving the remaining areas to the surviving Soldier and Worker Ants.


    Before long, the Worker Ants inside the tunnels emerged, carrying the Queen Ant.


    Luo Wen extended a leg, stuck the Queen Ant to its adhesive tip, and ced her on his back. The remaining Soldier and Worker Ants scrambled up after her, forming a small tower on his back.


    As the insect defenders evacuated the perimeter, the Red Ants pushed closer.


    Seeing the remaining dozens of ants struggling to climb aboard, Luo Wen sighed inwardly. He couldn¡¯t save everyone. He issued a final retreat order, wishing them luck, and bolted out of the battlefield at full speed. Along the way, he scattered random pheromones to confuse any pursuers.


    Some Red Ants followed his trail for a while but became disoriented by the mixed signals and eventually turned back.


    Luo Wen wasn¡¯t one to hold grudges, but being forced to flee like a whipped dog wasn¡¯t his style either¡ªunless his enemy was as formidable as the Yellow Earth Ant Legion.


    After finding a safe spot, Luo Wen set down the survivors. They included one Queen Ant, three Soldier Ants, and a group of Worker Ants.


    He assigned three Soldier Ants and ten Workers to escort the Queen Ant back to the rear. The rest were instructed to search for the northern army, ordering them to retreat and halt any advances to avoid shing with the Red Ants without his leadership.


    At this stage, Luo Wen still knew too little about the Red Ants. As the saying goes, ¡°Know your enemy and know yourself.¡± He needed to gather more information about them before nning his next move.


    For now, strategic avoidance was the best course of action.


    The northern army should be nearby, but due to theck ofmunication tools, Luo Wen had to rely on spreading Worker Ants across the area to locate them.@@novelbin@@


    Once the army retreated, they would be redistributed among the branch bases.


    If the army remained stationary instead of advancing, consuming prey and destroying nests to sustain themselves, they would face serious supply issues. The hive currentlycked an effective supply chain, so dispersing them across bases would allow them to be supported locally while also bolstering defenses.


    With everything arranged, Luo Wen examined his injuries. The joint on his poisoned leg had mostly healed thanks to his remarkable regeneration ability.


    The Red Ants¡¯ venom was potent, akin to spider venom, capable of dissolving tissue. However, their small size meant that the quantity of venom they could deliver wasn¡¯t enough to inflict serious damage on Luo Wen.


    Still, he had no desire to experience such pain again. And if their numbers wererge enough, they could indeed threaten his life.


    During the battle, Luo Wen had devoured several Red Ants. If his gic assimtion was sessful, the next batch of eggs might yield insects equipped with stingers.


    Satisfied that his injuries were manageable, Luo Wen returned to the previous base.


    He needed to track the Red Ants to uncover their purpose in attacking his base, their origin, and the mystery behind the involvement of the ck Ants.


    These questions demanded answers.

 Chapter 83: Experimentation (2)

    Luo Wen¡¯s body underwent slight structural changes, with a new air sac forming between his carapace and abdomen.


    When he submerged in water, this air sac functioned like an oxygen tank, connected to a valve on his abdomen. Fine steel hairs grew around the valve, acting like a ¡°filter¡± to allow air to pass through while removing impurities.


    These impurities included water, enabling him to breathe underwater.


    When the air in the ¡°oxygen tank¡± was nearly depleted, Luo Wen could press the air sac out from between his carapace and abdomen.


    Since water contained abundant dissolved oxygen and exerted significant pressure, the oxygen would naturally seep into the air bubble, allowing him to continue breathing.


    If he needed to move underwater, he could retract the air sac, with the oxygen inside sustaining him for a while.


    This was truly a fascinating ability.


    Although it wasn¡¯t the same as true aquatic respiration like fish, requiring periodic stops to replenish oxygen, this capability made underwater exploration feasible for Luo Wen.


    It seemed the swarm¡¯s aquatic forces were gaining a new unit. Previously, the Raft Bugs could only row across the water¡¯s surface without any diving ability.In addition, Luo Wen¡¯s eyes acquired a new function.


    While underwater, his eyes secreted a liquid that formed a thin film covering them, allowing him to see normally beneath the water.


    He climbed out of the pool and stepped into theke, his body gradually sinking beneath the surface.


    Looking at the pitch-ckkebed in the distance, Luo Wen hesitated. In the end, he decided against venturing too far.


    Thekebed was an unknown risk, and diving alone without any support bugs nearby to assist if danger arose was overly reckless¡ªcontrary to his naturally cautious disposition.


    After convincing himself, Luo Wen was satisfied with his decision. He climbed ashore and left without looking back.


    Under Luo Wen¡¯s deliberate nning, the upgraded Queen Ants were prioritized for deployment to build bases along thekeshore after maturing in the main base.


    In truth, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t particrly eager to explore the underwater world. It was simply that recent days had been too monotonous, and he had entered one of those moods where he felt like seeking excitement, even at the risk of danger.


    During this time, the swarm base poption had nearly doubled, reaching close to 50,000 members. However, days earlier, the northern army regrouped an 800,000-strong force to resume its march, first eliminating the nearby Red Ant nests surrounding the Big-headed Ant colony.


    The battles werepletely one-sided, to the extent that Luo Wen didn¡¯t even bother to watch. Although they lost nearly a million troops in direct frontal assaults, the casualties were replenished shortly after.


    The northern army then divided into dozens of smaller units to push forward.


    When encounteringrge ant colonies, they would regroup to annihte the enemy and then disperse again after the battle. This tactic significantly increased the efficiency of their expansion.


    The more than 2,000 Queen Ants originally stationed near the main base were gradually deployed to the front lines to establish and defend new territories. The swarm¡¯s base count had approached 4,000.


    Due to the rapid expansion, the average poption of each base dropped from 50,000 to 40,000, yet the swarm¡¯s total poption exceeded 150 million.


    Recently, Luo Wen had also bolstered the western and central armies, whose troop counts had previously been under 100,000¡ªfar too meagerpared to the northern army.


    Though the swarm was unwaveringly loyal and never questioned Luo Wen¡¯smands, even tolerating tant favoritism, Luo Wen himself felt guilty and decided to treat them more equally.


    With reinforcements gradually in ce, these two armies also adopted the dispersed advance strategy, rapidly elerating their progress.


    While Luo Wen had previously stockpiled a batch of Queen Ants without assigned bases, their numbers were dwindling fast with the current pace of deployment.


    Moreover, in theing days, the newly formed aquatic swarm would ferry the eastern army across rivers andkes to seize and develop new territories on the opposite shores.


    However, for now, the eastern army existed only in name, with no troops in ce. The once-abundant Queen Ant resources were now running low again.


    As a result, the Brood Nest had ceased producing other soldier types and was focusing entirely on hatching Queen Ants.


    Time passed, and thebined strength of the armies and the new advancement methods drastically elerated the pace of expansion. The armies began outpacing the supply lines, creating logistical issues. Reluctantly, Luo Wen ordered them to slow their advance.


    All the Queen Ants originally gathered at the main base had been deployed, each with its own base to manage. With the swarm¡¯s resources stretched thin, even the retired Queen Ants were assigned full production tasks.


    Yet, despite such resource constraints, Luo Wen still hatched a 100,000-strong Submersible Bug unit.


    On a sunny, breezy day, the newly assembled underwater force gathered by theke. At Luo Wen¡¯smand, the Submersible Bugs lined up and plunged into the water, creating a spectacr sight.


    Luo Wen followed them into theke. Thanks to the pleasant weather, theke¡ªunspoiled by the dreaded upright apes¡ªwas crystal clear. The underwater visibility was excellent, easing Luo Wen¡¯s tension.


    Under hismand, the Submersible Bugs surrounded him as they slowly descended to thekebed.


    As they ventured deeper, the diminishing light made their surroundings increasingly dark.


    Soon, the swarm reached the bottom of theke, approximately 20 meters below the surface.


    After roaming for a while without encountering any danger, the Submersible Bugs dispersed to explore in all directions.


    Thekebed was covered in ck silt, with asional smooth, patterned stones peeking through.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t a fan of rare stones, so he paid them no mind.


    Dark green aquatic nts grew within the silt, their leaves covered with algae. Some Submersible Bugs¡¯ prototypes hid among the nts, but their glimmering air bubbles made them conspicuous underwater.


    It turned out these creatures had always been lurking in theke¡¯s depths, which exined why Luo Wen hadn¡¯t discovered them during his earlier investigations by the shore.


    Luo Wen spent an entire day surveying thekebed. The deepest point, directly beneath a waterfall, was only about 30 meters deep.


    There were no hidden beasts, treasures, or even fish.@@novelbin@@


    While this oue might have been the best¡ªa confirmation that theke held no threats¡ªLuo Wen couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed. Perhaps he had hoped to find something to break the monotony of his current life.

 Chapter 85: Fart Bugs (1)

    The ¡°corncob¡± structure was particrly well-suited to Luo Wen¡¯s method of ¡°knocking.¡±


    He raised a pincer and jabbed it forcefully into the structure.


    Unexpectedly, the interior was hollow. Luo Wen¡¯s overzealous strike created a massive hole.


    Dirt crumbled from the walls in a cascade, leaving Luo Wen momentarily stunned.


    To avoid unnecessary conflict with his new ¡°neighbors,¡± he decided to retreat for the time being.


    With his eight long legs moving quickly, Luo Wen dashed fifty meters away in no time. Though one pair of legs had been slightly restructured, making them less effective onnd, his overall speed remained unaffected.


    Whaty hidden within the ¡°corncob¡± was still a mystery, and Luo Wen thought it prudent to exercise caution.


    The dark opening in the mysterious structure loomed like a staring abyss, exuding an enigmatic allure. As time ticked by, a yellow cloud suddenly emerged from the hole.


    Upon closer inspection, the yellow cloud turned out to be a swarm of insects, each about two to three centimeters long. Their heads were amber-colored, while their thoraxes and abdomens faded to a pale yellow.They had mandibles at the front of their heads and resembled ants overall, yet something about them seemed off.


    After a moment of contemtion, Luo Wen realized the peculiarity: these insects¡¯ thoraxes and abdomens were fused into a single unit without visible segmentation.


    Having seen countless ant species with diverse traits and colors, Luo Wen knew that despite their variations, their body structures were typically consistent, with distinct head, thorax, and abdomen sections.


    More and more of the yellow cloud poured out of the hole, evidently enraged by the sudden damage to their home.


    In mere moments, the number of Yellow Bugs climbing out exceeded 200,000.


    Observing their familiar demeanor and reclusive tendencies, Luo Wen spected that these creatures must have been cultivating something underground¡ªeither nurturing organisms or growing crops.


    Otherwise, there was no way such arge number of insects could emerge from a single nest.


    Such scenarios no longer surprised Luo Wen. After all, in this world, upying territory required some unique skills.


    Waving his antennae, Luo Wen signaled to the hundreds of Transport Bugs behind him, which carried over ten thousand Worker Ants. They surged past him, charging toward the ¡°corncob.¡±


    The Worker Ants raised their abdomens high and unleashed a barrage of ant acid as a ¡°wee gift¡± to the ¡°neighbors.¡± Considering they had annihted a 500,000-strong swarm detachment, a little payback seemed entirely justified.


    However, Luo Wen was taken aback by the effect¡ªorck thereof¡ªof the acid attack. It wasn¡¯t that the damage was too severe but rather negligible.


    Noticing the gradient in their yellow shells, from deep to pale hues, Luo Wen mused: Could the coloration indicate acid-resistant armor?


    If these creatures indeed possessed acid-resistant shells, it effectively neutralized the swarm¡¯s primary ranged attack method. In previous battles, the swarm¡¯s ranged acid firepower had significantly reduced casualties.


    It seemed this time, closebat would be unavoidable.


    Luo Wen waved his antennae, signaling a temporary retreat.


    One weekter, due to the need to recalibrate unitposition after the failure of ranged attacks, additional time was spent mobilizing troops.


    Out of respect for the situation, Luo Wen gathered a force of 15 million.


    This was based on the precedent of the Big-headed Ants, who had cultivated 7 to 8 million soldiers underground. Assuming these new Yellow Bugs were also subterranean cultivators, their numbers were estimated to be in the millions. Luo Wen preemptively deployed twice their assumed strength and kept reinforcements on standby.


    Initially, Luo Wen considered employing tactics. However, every Spy Bug sent out was wiped out. He eventually discovered that these Yellow Bugsmunicated not only through pheromones but also through sounds generated by tapping their heads or limbs against the ground.


    This was akin to humans speaking while simultaneously using signnguage. The Spy Bugs understood one mode ofmunication but were clueless about the other, exposing them and leading to their demise.


    Frustrated and embarrassed, Luo Wen abandonedplex strategies in favor of brute force. The extra days spent mobilizing troops werergely due to this realization.


    For this direct confrontation, the swarm¡¯sposition shifted dramatically. Over 80% of the force consisted of Soldier Ants, while only a small number of Worker Ants apanied them for post-battle cleanup.


    The massive army surrounded the ¡°corncob¡± structure.


    Luo Wen stepped forward, raising his double pincers. He jabbed the structure repeatedly, creating seven or eightrge holes from various angles before quickly retreating behind his troops.


    Momentster, a torrent of Yellow Bugs poured from the openings.


    While Luo Wen was ready for a direct confrontation, he wasn¡¯t about to wait for his foes to fully assemble. Waving his antennae, hemanded the army to attack, striking while the Yellow Bugs were still disorganized.


    The enemyckedrgebat units. While their smaller soldiers were ineffective against the swarm¡¯srger ones, thetter excelled in executing swift, decisive strikes when supported by smaller units to distract and pin down enemies.@@novelbin@@


    Moreover, the Yellow Bugs were numerically disadvantaged, and many appeared to be Worker Ants. Facing the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ant-dominated force, they were quickly forced back toward the openings.


    However, bottlenecking the enemy at their entrances was inefficient and negated the swarm¡¯s numerical advantage. Under Luo Wen¡¯smand, the troops pulled back, allowing the Yellow Bugs to pour out in greater numbers.


    After several cycles of advance and retreat, the Yellow Bugs suffered heavy casualties.


    At this moment,rger insects with darker, tougher shells began crawling out of the nest. They resembled beetles more than ants.


    Each one raised its abdomen, assuming a posture Luo Wen found all too familiar.


    Focusing intently, Luo Wen realized the moment of talent demonstration had arrived. He wasn¡¯t about to miss this performance.


    With a chorus of ¡°pop, pop, pop¡± sounds, thick smoke rose as if the creatures were passing gas. Their abdomens acted like ¡°shotguns,¡± spraying an unknown liquid in all directions.


    These liquid ¡°pellets¡± struck the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ants with blistering speed. Where theynded, ckened, corrosive burn marks appeared on the ants¡¯ carapaces, significantly weakening theirbat ability. The unlucky ones died on the spot.


    Luo Wen¡¯s eyes lit up. The charred marks on the earlier battlefield had been caused by these insects. He had assumed their talent involved fire, but it turned out to be chemical weaponry instead.


    Apanying their attacks was an overwhelming stench. If these bugs ever fought dogs, this trait alone would ensure their victory.


    This was utterly unsportsmanlike.


    Despite the drawbacks, Luo Wen was thrilled. The swarm was about to acquire a new ranged attack method. After all, even the Yellow Earth Ants had acid-resistant armor.


    A future confrontation with the Yellow Earth Ant Legion was inevitable, and having more options in the swarm¡¯s arsenal could only be beneficial.

 Chapter 57: The Home Raid Begins

    Luo Wen didn¡¯t want to stir up trouble just yet. The longer he could dy, the more advantageous it was for him. The foundation umted by the Swarm required time to be converted into military strength. However, over the past two days of observation, it was evident that the size of the Red Ant coalition at the front line had exceeded half a million. Their relentless scavenging of areas near the border had left these regions overexploited and severely depleted, making it increasingly difficult to sustain their daily consumption.


    Luo Wen even witnessed several groups of Red Ants turning on ck Ants in their own ranks for food.


    The situation had reached a critical point. The Red Ant coalition now faced a choice: eitherunch an offensive or retreat. The probability of retreat was low, which meant that an all-out war between the two sides was imminent.


    Time was of the essence. Over 50,000 Burrower Ants were prepared, with 500 ants riding on each Transport Bug.


    In addition, more than 5,000 Small Soldier Ants were apanying the convoy to provide protection. Due to their smaller size, each Transport Bug could carry 800 to 900 of them.


    The team also included a small number of Scout Bugs and Spy Bugs.


    Under Luo Wen¡¯smand, over a hundred Transport Bugs marched briskly into enemy-upied territory, carefully avoiding areas under surveince along the way.


    An hourter, the unit arrived at its designated location.


    This spoty along the riverbank, about 600 meters from the Red Ants¡¯ Brood Nest. Without dy, Luo Wen began excavating a channel from a point half a meter from the riverbank. His massive body functioned like a giant excavator, carving out a trench that extended toward the Red Ants¡¯ nest.The Burrower Ants followed behind Luo Wen, removing the disced soil, expanding, smoothing, and refining the trench.


    Meanwhile, the Scout Bugs and Small Soldier Ants spread out around the team to maintain vignce, and the Transport Bugs climbed the surrounding vegetation to fortify their positions.


    The operation proceeded in an orderly manner, and progress was swift. Luo Wen singlehandedly tackled the most challenging tasks, hisrge digging ws tearing through the hardened earth, conserving the stamina of the Burrower Ants behind him.


    The n unfolded smoothly. Although a few enemy scouts crossed their path, they were swiftly eliminated, providing the team with a modest supply of protein reserves.


    However, as the excavation neared the enemy¡¯s nest, they encountered an increasing number of enemy troops, with steadily growing forces.


    Even so, the Small Soldier Ants maintained their numerical superiority. Transport Bugs were also deployed to patrol the periphery, pursuing any fleeing enemies to prevent them from reporting back. Meanwhile, Spy Bugs erased any pheromone trails the enemies left behind.


    When the team was within 20 meters of the enemy¡¯s nest, their presence was finally exposed.


    The prolongedbat had drained the unit¡¯s stamina, and the proximity to the enemy¡¯s Brood Nest meant that patrols were more frequent in this area.


    Although the Swarm still held a numerical advantage overall, they could no longer intercept all the fleeing enemy troops. Eventually, a few managed to slip away and spread the rm.


    Fortunately, the distance to their target was now minimal, and ants were not the most efficientmunicators.


    Luo Wen, deeply familiar with the rhythms of ant colony operations, understood that it would take some time for the Red Ants to react.


    Seizing this window of opportunity, he abandoned any pretense of concealment and pushed forward with full force, digging directly toward the ¡°mini-volcano¡± ahead.


    Simultaneously, 20 Transport Bugs carrying 10,000 Burrower Ants sped back to the riverbank. Their mission was to breach the half-meter barrier separating the river from the trench.


    Although the departure of one-fifth of the workforce slightly slowed the excavation, the overall impact was manageable.


    After about ten minutes, with the Small Soldier Ants fighting valiantly to cover them, Luo Wen breached the ¡°mini-volcano¡¯s¡± wall, creating arge hole that exposed the dark, winding tunnels of the enemy nest.


    This was like striking a ho¡¯s nest. Swarms of Red and ck Ants surged out from the breach.


    Exhausted from digging the 600-meter trench, Luo Wen was barely holding on. The final meters had been sheer willpower alone.


    Now that the task wasplete, the fatigue hit him all at once. Even lifting his digging ws became a struggle.


    Remaining in the area was a death sentence. Summoning thest of his strength, Luo Wen retreated a short distance.


    The Burrower Ants moved ahead to shield him, standing firm as the bicolored flood of ants surged toward them. The Burrower Ants crouched, aiming their rears forward in standard spray formation.


    Acidic Spray!


    Thousands of Burrower Ants unleashed their acidic solutions simultaneously, dousing the advancing vanguard in a wave of corrosive fluid. The enemy troops faltered, overwhelmed by the saturation attack.


    While an individual Burrower Ant didn¡¯t carry much acid, thebined output of thousands formed a river of acid. The liquid pooled on the surface, unable to seep into the soil, flowing directly into the nest¡¯s depths.


    Many enemies didn¡¯t even have time to react before their limbs and antennae dissolved in the acid stream. Struggling in vain, they sumbed to silence.@@novelbin@@


    Having withdrawn to the rear, Luo Wen began issuingmands. He ordered a few Worker Ants to scavenge ant remains from the battlefield so he could replenish his strength.


    Next, he directed 20,000 Burrower Ants to the ¡°volcano¡¯s mouth¡± to block the entrance. Any enemy that emerged was greeted with a fresh spray of acid.


    The remaining Burrower Ants held the newly-dug breach, ready to meet any escaping enemies with the same treatment.


    The Small Soldier Ants and Transport Bugs guarded the nks. Since the main force of the enemy was trapped inside the nest, the scattered patrols outside could still be held at bay.


    Half an hourter, despite several enemy charges, the Swarm held firm, repelling each assault with concentrated acidic sprays.


    Using acid to block the tunnel entrance amplified its lethality exponentially, far surpassing its effectiveness in open-field battles.


    However, the repeated waves of self-sacrificial charges weren¡¯t without effect. The Burrower Ants¡¯ acid reserves were rapidly depleting. One more assault, and they¡¯d likely run out.


    Just then, a distant rumbling reached their ears¡ªthe sound of rushing water. The trench, now filled with water, surged toward them, carrying the corpses of Burrower Ants that had sacrificed themselves toplete the task.


    Luo Wen knew all too well that the respiratory systems of insects like these were highly vulnerable to flooding. The final task of breaking the river¡¯s barrier had been perilous, and many had drowned in the attempt.


    But their sacrifice had not been in vain.

 Chapter 87: The Grand Battle (1)

    The new Queen Ants were divided into three types.


    The first type, the rarest, was designated for military campaigns, serving asmanders of the army. Since they were not required toy eggs, their reproductive capabilities were minimized, and their muscture and body size were enhanced, slightly improving their mobility and self-preservation abilities.


    The second type of Queen Ant was the standard version previously utilized by the swarm. These were bnced in capabilities, capable of bothying eggs and retreating from bases or joining the army when necessary. They also made up the majority of the Queen Ant poption.


    The third type of Queen Ant had been gically modified with newly acquired genes, altering their abdominal eggying organs. By sacrificing mobility, they could produce a significantly greater quantity of eggs at a much faster rate. Consequently, these Queens were stationed deep within the swarm¡¯s territory.


    Luo Wen nned to establish several breeding bases, each housing hundreds of this third type of Queen Ant to centralizerva production. They would mass-produce specific insect species ording to Luo Wen¡¯s orders.


    For example, during peacetime, these Queens primarily focused on breeding various Worker Ants. Once thervae matured, they were transported throughout the territory. During wartime, however, these bases would be major staging points for deploying troops.


    Over the following weeks, the third-type Queen Ants gradually matured, leading to an explosive growth in the swarm¡¯s numbers.


    Additionally, during this period, the swarm mastered the cultivation of ¡°mushrooms.¡± This new crop could effectively clear dead branches and leaves in the territory. It grew easily, produced abundant yields, and had already been widely promoted.


    Meanwhile, instead ofpletely mimicking the architectural style of the Yellow Bugs, the swarm adopted the multi-vent design favored by Big-headed Ants for better heat dissipation.After several base experiments and observing one growth cycle, the mushrooms thrived without any issues and were further propagated.


    Hundreds of days passed, and the swarm¡¯s territory expanded by over a hundred kilometers. The territory now housed more than 30,000 bases. In theter stages, the distances between bases grew significantly, far from the original state where dozens of bases upied a few hundred square meters.


    Eventually, Luo Wen even reorganized the initial few thousand bases, leaving only a few hundred Queen Ants to manage them while reallocating the rest to oversee new territories.


    Although thousands of bases were left without Queen Ants, they weren¡¯t abandoned. The underground cultivation systems had be highly developed, allowing these bases to operate smoothly even without a Queen.


    While the number of bases didn¡¯t increase significantly due to the limits of the Brood Nest¡¯s production capacity, the number of insects per base multiplied several times. On average, each base housed over a million insects of various types.


    Rough estimates indicated the swarm¡¯s total poption exceeded 30 billion.


    With such a massive force, Luo Wen could no longer ignore a powerful enemy that had once severely injured him when he was weaker. It was time to confront them.


    Excited by the thought, Luo Wen was filled with anticipation. Revenge wasn¡¯t his primary motive; more importantly, he finally had something to look forward to.


    Unfortunately, it would take over 200 days for the Yellow Earth Ant Legion to reach the cliff again.


    Long ago, Luo Wen had stationed Scout Bugs permanently on the cliff. Through careful observation, he calcted that it took the Yellow Earth Ant Legion roughly 400 days toplete a hunting cycle.


    A hundred days prior, the Yellow Earth Ant Legion had passed above the cliff. At that time, Luo Wen didn¡¯t entertain any thoughts about confronting them, feeling his strength was insufficient.


    However, he greatly underestimated the swarm¡¯s explosive growth rate. As the number of Queen Ants increased, the swarm¡¯s production capacity grew exponentially.


    In just over a hundred days, Luo Wen¡¯s mindset shifted. At the current pace, by the time the Yellow Earth Ants returned, the swarm¡¯s poption would likely reach a trillion.


    They could definitely take on the Yellow Earth Ant Legion head-on.


    As days dragged on, Luo Wen¡¯s anticipation made time feel unbearably slow, giving him a profound sense of ¡°watching grass grow.¡±


    Finally, the Yellow Earth Ant Legion¡¯s return was only a few dozen days away, and the swarm began preparing for the imminent battle.


    ¡°An army marches on its stomach.¡±


    Around a kilometer from the cliff, Luo Wen established several storage bases. Swarms of Transport Bugs moved back and forth, ferrying supplies from the territory to these locations.


    Nearby were several hatching bases, where millions of Soldier Ant eggs were incubating. By the time the battlemenced, these bases could provide tens of millions of reinforcements daily.


    Ten days before the calcted date, several armies began returning to the front. Bases farthest from the cliff also started deploying troops.


    As time passed, bases closer to the front dispatched their forces in waves. From above, one could see ck columns of ants converging toward the cliff from all directions.


    ording to Luo Wen¡¯s calctions, the swarm¡¯s forces would be fully assembled three days before the anticipated battle.


    After 200 days of development, the swarm¡¯s poption had already surpassed a trillion. For this massive war, Luo Wen mobilized nearly every avable insect.


    While ensuring the normal operation of farms and ntations in the territory, half the swarm¡ªover 500 billion insects¡ªwas dispatched to the front lines.


    Even so, maintaining such a massive force was a heavy burden. Luo Wen nned for them to arrive three days early, as this was the limit of the swarm¡¯s logistical capabilities.


    However, seven days before the anticipated date, Scout Bugs on the cliff detected the Yellow Earth Ant Legion¡¯s vanguard.


    Based on their pattern, the main army would arrive within two days at most. But half of the swarm¡¯s troops were still en route and would only be partially assembled by then.


    Unexpectedly, the Yellow Earth Ant Legion arrived earlier than anticipated. Fortunately, their early arrival wasn¡¯t by much, and Luo Wen had prepared for such contingencies.@@novelbin@@


    At least there was no longer any need to worry about food shortages. Once the battle began, the resulting carnage would provide ample sustenance.


    The pressing question was how to stall the Yellow Earth Ant Legion for two days.


    Before the two days were up, the Legion¡¯s main force had already arrived. Perhaps they sensed something amiss, as their vanguard had failed to report back for some time.


    The swarm¡¯s army, with its back to the cliff, stood ready. This time, the majority of the forces consisted of various Soldier Ants, as Worker Ants were of limited use against the Legion¡¯s acid-resistant armor.


    The Yellow Earth Ant Legion¡¯s predatory lifestyle underscored their aggressive nature.


    Upon spotting the swarm, they didn¡¯t hesitate. Theyunched into their signature leaping assault, charging forward.


    These creatures were the original source of the leaping gene temte, and their mastery of this technique was second nature. Yet, the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ants were unafraid, meeting them with equally powerful leaps.


    The battle had officially begun.

 Chapter 59: Attrition

    The Swarm deployed its units in small groups of a few hundred, each consisting of Scout Bugs, Soldier Ants, Small Soldier Ants, and Worker Ants. Every squad was apanied by a Transport Bug, tasked with patrolling around the enemy forces to intercept and annihte their foraging teams.


    A foraging team of approximately 500 ants had ventured less than 50 meters from their main force when they were intercepted by two mobile Swarm squads.


    Five hundred versus one thousand, and with the smaller group possessing inferior individualbat power, the oue was a foregone conclusion.


    Each Red Ant had to face at least two Worker Ants. Although the Worker Ants relied on superior numbers and size, their primary tactic was to engage in prolonged skirmishes.


    The Red Ants¡¯ stinger attacks were indeed formidable, capable of defeating targets significantlyrger than themselves.


    However, stinger strikes had a critical weakness: to target an armored opponent, the Red Ants needed to climb onto the enemy, secure themselves, and find vulnerable spots like armor joints to pierce with their stingers.


    The Worker Ants countered this by remaining highly mobile. Every time a Red Ant curled its abdomen in preparation for a stinger attack, the Worker Ants would dodge out of reach. Even if a Red Ant managed to grab hold of one, nearby Worker Ants would promptly intervene, pulling the Red Ant away.


    Despite the effectiveness of these tactics, unexpected events still urred. Some Worker Ants were caught and stung during the battle.


    Nevertheless, the Red Ant coalition fell faster than the Swarm sustained losses. Combining the efforts of the Soldier Ants and Small Soldier Ants, the Swarm prioritized eliminating the weaker ck Ants.The ck Ants, with their inferiorbat abilities andck of the Worker Ants¡¯ agility, were swiftly eradicated under the Soldier Ants¡¯ onught.


    Once the weaker opponents were dealt with, the Soldier Ants surrounded the Red Ants still entangled with the Worker Ants.


    The Red Ants, which had barely held their ground moments ago, began to fall rapidly. Their defeat snowballed, and in the end, only about 50 Red Ants managed to break through and flee back toward their main force in panic.


    The previously idle Transport Bugs now sprang into action, chasing down the fleeing Red Ants. Along the way, they eliminated over a dozen more before turning back, stopping about 20 meters from the enemy¡¯s main force.


    With their long legs and superior speed, the Transport Bugs retreated effortlessly.


    During the skirmish, the Swarm lost two Small Soldier Ants and over a dozen Worker Ants. Their bodies, along with those of the enemy, were quickly loaded onto the backs of the Transport Bugs.


    The squads then retreated to a hidden location, where they uncovered a passage concealed by a leaf. The Worker Ants carried their spoils into the tunnel and delved deeper into the earth.


    This tunnel was one of the concealed entrances to a branch base. Luo Wen, ever cautious, had constructed over a dozen escape routes even when he was operating alone. Now, with a decisive battle underway, there was no way he would rely on just one entrance and exit.


    The tunnel used for the enemy¡¯s invasion was deliberately designed as a trap to lure them in.


    Simrly, the n to flood the coalition¡¯s Brood Nest had been formted after Luo Wen observed that their nest had only one entrance: the so-called ¡°volcano mouth.¡±


    The devastation he witnessed at the nest further reinforced his belief in the importance of having multiple escape routes.


    After a short while, the Worker Ants emerged from the hidden tunnel, climbed onto waiting Transport Bugs, and swiftly departed.


    Once they left, several Spy Bugs crawled out of the tunnel, erasing pheromone traces left behind. They then resealed the entrance.


    In addition to the Spy Bugs, numerous Burrower Ants were stationed inside the tunnel. Their task was to copse the passage and bury it should the enemy discover it, ensuring the safety of their allies within.


    Elsewhere on the battlefield, a mobile Swarm squad was leading a 2,000-strong coalition force on a wild chase.


    Just ahead, ten more mobile squadsy in ambush, waiting for the coalition forces to arrive.


    Two thousand versus 5,500¡ªthe result was inevitable. The only question was how many of the coalition forces would survive to retreat.


    Thanks to their superior mobility and visual range, the Swarm¡¯s mobile squads maintained the advantage of fighting outnumbered enemies, steadily whittling down the coalition¡¯s numbers.


    Faced with constant harassment and the continued loss of their foraging teams, the coalition¡¯s main force finally grew restless. They began regrouping to sweep the surrounding areas.


    Luo Wen quickly detected their movements and issued orders for the Swarm blocking the tunnel entrance to retreat, leaving the passage open. Immediately, the coalition forces trapped in the tunnel surged forward, pouring into the massive underground chamber.


    As their numbers grew, Worker Ants hidden along the chamber walls and ceiling assumed their acid spray formation.


    Acid rained down like a torrential storm, drenching the unprepared coalition forces. The attack was devastating¡ªthose fortunate enough only lost their antennae, while the less lucky had their exoskeletons corroded, dying instantly.


    After the acid downpour, the Giant Mandible Soldier Ants resumed their positions, sealing the passage once again. With much of the coalition force cleared from the tunnel, the Soldier Ants now found themselves with a rare moment of respite.


    The Small Soldier Ants and Worker Ants charged into the chamber, finishing off any survivors and carrying their bodies deeper into the nest.


    Initially intending to eliminate the Swarm¡¯s harassing squads, the coalition hesitated when they found the tunnel unexpectedly cleared. Torn between attacking the nest and continuing their sweep, they eventually chose to press forward into the tunnel.


    Once again, waves of coalition forces flooded into the passage, only to face renewed acid attacks and countermeasures from the Swarm.


    Whenever the coalition forces grew impatient and prepared to withdraw, Luo Wen would order the tunnel to be reopened, allowing more of them inside¡ªjust in time for another acid barrage.


    Fortunately for Luo Wen, the Red and ck Antsckedplex strategic thinking. They fell for this simple tactic repeatedly over two full days.


    During this time, the underground nest became a graveyard for over 100,000 enemy soldiers. Meanwhile, the Swarm¡¯s mobile units annihted at least another 50,000 coalition troops. However, the Swarm itself lost more than 10,000 of its own.


    The Swarm converted the fallen into protein reserves, temporarily achieving self-sufficiency through ¡°sustenance viabat¡± at the forward base.


    Instead of transporting food to the forward base, the Transport Bugs now redirected supplies to nearby hive bases, where 50 Queen Ants worked tirelessly to produce Small Soldier Ants.


    Additionally, the 100 other hive bases across the territory were no less busy. While their gic libraries couldn¡¯t be updated, they focused entirely on producing Worker Ants and Giant Mandible Soldier Ants.@@novelbin@@


    The reinforcements were then transported by Transport Bugs to the vicinity of the front lines.

 Chapter 60: Consumption

    Despite losing over 100,000 troops in the past two days, the Red and ck Ant coalition continued to receive reinforcements from their rear territory, keeping their total numbers above 500,000.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen¡¯s Swarm steadily bolstered its ranks with new arrivals from the territory. The total Swarm force had grown to nearly 300,000.


    The gap in troop strength between the two sides was gradually narrowing.


    Finally, the coalition realized they could no longer allow Luo Wen to continue his attritional tactics. Gathering their forces, they ignored the emptied underground tunnels and the persistent harassment by Swarm squads, marching en masse past the underground base and deeper into Swarm territory.


    Perched on the trunk of a nt along their path, Luo Wen estimated the coalition¡¯sposition. The ratio of Red Ants to ck Ants was now about 1:9. Most of the Red Ants, having spearheaded earlier assaults, had been severely depleted during the battles at the underground base.


    Although the coalition still numbered over 500,000, their overallbat effectiveness had significantly diminished.


    In the central ranks of the coalition, Luo Wen spotted several massive Red Ants. These ants were dozens of times the size of ordinary Red Ants, with distinctive, swollen abdomens that marked them as Queen Ants of the Red Ant species.


    These queens had not been present during Luo Wen¡¯s earlier reconnaissance. Clearly, they had arrived with reinforcements from the rear. What surprised Luo Wen even more was that these queens coexisted peacefully, suggesting that Red Ants might be a multi-queen species.


    Their ¡°whole family migration¡± strategy gave Luo Wen an oddly familiar sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu.After a moment of thought, it struck him¡ªthis was the Swarm¡¯s own ssic strategy: the ¡°move-the-entire-hive¡± tactic!


    To think these Red Ants, with their limited intelligence, could conceive such a strategy amused Luo Wen.


    However, their execution was wed. The essence of this tactic was to fortify one¡¯s own base to stall the enemy¡¯s main force, while using the rest of the army to capture the enemy¡¯s headquarters.


    Instead, the coalition was attempting to forcibly migrate while the Swarm army was right beside them. It was suicidal.


    Emerging from their underground base, the concealed Swarm surged out to engage the coalition¡¯s rear guard. The two armies shed like tidal waves. Transport Bugs, carrying Worker Ants, spearheaded the assault, unleashing a round of ranged attacks to incapacitate portions of the enemy force and sow chaos before quickly withdrawing.


    The predominantly ck Ant coalition,cking stingers, had no effective counter to the swift, hit-and-run tactics of the long-legged Transport Bugs.


    Even when a ck Ant managed totch onto a Transport Bug¡¯s limb, nearby Transport Bugs would swiftly kill it.


    The acid spray attacks, though less effective in open environments than in the confined underground tunnels, still served to disorient and scatter the enemy. Many ants with corroded antennae turned into aimless wanderers, creating disorder within the coalition¡¯s rear ranks. In no time, tens of thousands of their troops were thrown into chaos, disconnected from their vanguard.


    Seizing the opportunity, the pursuing Swarm elerated their assault, engaging the disorganized coalition in fierce meleebat on open ground.


    Although individual ck Ants were weak, the sheer scale of a melee involving tens of thousands of troops made differences in individual strength less significant.


    Even Luo Wen, with his superiorbat ability, could be overwhelmed if surrounded by the enemy. He was always reminded of the grim fate of the spider he once encountered.


    In the chaos, a Red Ant managed to grapple a Worker Ant and drive its stinger into the Worker Ant¡¯s abdomen, only to be impaled momentster by a passing Transport Bug. Bothbatants perished in the skirmish, locked together in death.


    Elsewhere, a Giant Mandible Soldier Ant, having advanced too far, was surrounded by dozens of ck Ants. Some tore at its limbs, while others targeted its joints. By the time reinforcements arrived, the Soldier Ant had only two legs remaining. Though rescued, it could no longer move and would be processed for protein recovery.@@novelbin@@


    The battlefield was a scene of relentless carnage, with hundreds or thousands of ants perishing every moment. Words failed to capture the ferocity of thebat.


    Without the advantage of terrain, the Swarm suffered heavier losses in direct engagements, even with their superior strength.


    However, as more Swarm mobile units arrived, the coalition forces, which had initially held their own, began to falter.


    The coalition¡¯s reliance on pheromones formunication proved inefficient. By the time news of their rear guard¡¯s plight reached theirmand and decisions were ryed back, the Swarm had already obliterated the rear forces, looted their remains, and retreated.


    Frustrated, the coalitionunched a full-scale pursuit. Yet the trail left by the Swarm indicated that their forces had split into several retreating groups.


    Lacking strategic knowledge, the coalition impulsively divided their army to chase after the Swarm. Following the pheromone trails led them to further branching paths, where they divided again.


    These misleading pheromones, left by Spy Bugs under Luo Wen¡¯s orders, were intended to slow the coalition¡¯s pursuit. Luo Wen hadn¡¯t expected the coalition to divide so readily, but he wasn¡¯t about to let the opportunity go to waste.


    He ordered Spy Bugs to create more branching trails. Meanwhile, the Swarm regrouped and consumed part of their spoils to replenish their strength.


    After a brief regrouping, Luo Wen mobilized approximately 150,000 troops, though another 100,000 Swarm forces were scattered across the area.


    While Luo Wen had dispatched messengers to locate these mobile units, he hoped they would avoid blundering into the coalition¡¯s main force.


    After repeated splits, the coalition¡¯s forces were fragmented. Aside from the main force guarding the queens, which still numbered over 200,000, the remaining units were reduced to smaller groups of 20,000 to 30,000 each.


    Luo Wen lured one such 20,000-strong detachment away from the main army, ambushing it with a 150,000-strong Swarm contingent riding on Transport Bugs. The smaller force waspletely surrounded, with not a single ant escaping.


    The disparity in numbers and individualbat power rendered the battle one-sided. The smaller coalition force was annihted with minimal Swarm losses.


    Luo Wen then led his forces in a circuit around the coalition, repeatedly baiting and eliminating isted detachments.


    Though the tactics were simple, they proved consistently effective. Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of detachment. As an ordinary human employing military strategy against insects, he felt as if he were bullying them with his superior intellect.

 Chapter 90: The Grand Battle (4)

    The battlefield was now a mountainous heap of insect corpses. Yellow and ck bodies were tangled together in chaotic piles, which had not been cleared for quite some time.


    Amidst this mountain of death, fierce battles raged on. From afar, it was impossible to distinguish the living from the dead in the endless mass of insects.


    This was the eighteenth day of the battle.


    The battlefield was nowrgely devoid of Yellow Earth Ant Soldier Ants, and the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ants had long since been expended. The swarm had been holding the line with millions of newly hatched Soldier Ant reinforcements each day, supplemented byrge numbers of Worker Ants.


    As the enemy¡¯s Soldier Ants dwindled, the swarm¡¯s advantage of producing millions of new Soldier Ants daily became increasingly evident.


    The mainbatants evolved over time:


    At first, it was Soldier Ants vs. Soldier Ants.


    Then, Soldier Ants vs. Soldier Ants + Worker Ants.


    Later, Soldier Ants + Worker Ants vs. Worker Ants + a few Soldier Ants.Finally, Worker Ants vs. Worker Ants + Soldier Ants.


    Yet, as the war continued, the number of the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ants steadily increased.


    The swarm¡¯s robust logistics and endurance shone in this moment.


    Three dayster, the endless tide of Yellow Earth Ants had finally thinned to the point where its edges could be seen. Victory was within sight.


    Luo Wen was thrilled.


    And since his will was the swarm¡¯s will, his motivation served as a rallying cry for the swarm to press onward.


    Invigorated by Luo Wen¡¯s resolve, the swarm intensified its counteroffensive with the help of fully reloaded Fart Bugs.@@novelbin@@


    Simultaneously, all nearby Transport Bugs were conscripted into the battle to join the fight.


    This war had dragged on long enough¡ªit was time to end it.


    Under the swarm¡¯s relentless assault, the battle continued for another two days. Ultimately, the swarm emerged victorious.


    The Yellow Earth Ant Legion, which had ravaged the desert, was utterly eradicated.


    Post-Battle Statistics


    The great battle hadsted 23 days. On this meat-grinder battlefield, the losses ofbat units on both sides were incalcble. Luo Wen knew, however, that the swarm¡¯s initial force of 50 billion had been nearly annihted. Additional Worker Ant reinforcements had also suffered heavy casualties, and the supplementary Soldier Ants sustained significant losses. Altogether, the swarm lost close to 90 billion units.


    This meant the war had wiped out nearly 90% of the swarm¡¯s poption, leaving many bases abandoned due to ack of maintenance.


    However, the swarm¡¯s Queen Ants remainedpletely unharmed.


    Looking at the ten-kilometer-long corpse mountain, with an average height of over ten meters, Luo Wen felt a measure of sce. Once the Queen Ants digested these spoils, the swarm would emerge even stronger.


    Furthermore, the desert atop the cliff would be the swarm¡¯s backyard. The Yellow Earth Ants¡¯ former hunting grounds were now swarm territory.


    This was a massive expanse, requiring over 400 days to traverse in a full hunting cycle. It was at least a hundred timesrger than the swarm¡¯s original domain¡ªa size Luo Wen couldn¡¯t even fathom.


    Reflecting on his journey, Luo Wen recalled how he had first encountered the Yellow Earth Ants shortly after hatching. After being swept away by a sandstorm, he drifted an unknown distance and then traveled along an underground river for what seemed like forever, only to still remain within their hunting grounds. These memories underscored the immense scale of the territory.


    Though thend appeared to be a barren desert, it clearly held hidden resources. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to sustain the massive Yellow Earth Ant Legion, which had likely suffered losses exceeding a trillion in this war.


    Beyond territory and corpses, Luo Wen also gained other rewards.


    Near the core of the Yellow Earth Ant formation, the swarm discovered thousands of Queen Ants. These Queens had apanied the army, hunting and replenishing food supplies. Once enough food was umted, they would remain stationary toyrge batches of eggs. Once the eggs matured, the army would march onward.


    The genes of these Queens would significantly enhance the productivity of the swarm¡¯s own Queen Ants. With the swarm¡¯s vast reserves of food, there was no need to dy in utilizing this advantage.


    Additionally, the Yellow Earth Ants harbored another species of insect¡ªessentially livestock. These creatures, about 20 centimeters long, resembled oversizedrvae without any exoskeleton. Their defining feature was their exceptional efficiency in converting food into body mass, with a 90% conversion rate.


    When the Yellow Earth Ants had surplus food, they would feed it to these creatures. During times of scarcity, they would consume them in turn.


    Though these unfortunate insects had potential, they seemed to have no practical use for the swarm at present. Luo Wen deemed them unnecessary for production.


    With this massive war finally over, Luo Wen felt immense relief. The grudge he had held since his early days was finally settled. However, he was slightly disappointed that no dramatic epiphany or transcendence urred, as it might in a novel.


    After 20 days of war, Luo Wen, though not directly involved inbat, was mentally exhausted.


    After arranging post-war tasks, he chose a random spot beneath the cliff and fell into a deep sleep.


    This area, once the war¡¯s front line, was now deep within swarm territory.


    Luo Wen slept soundly.


    When he awoke, he had no idea how much time had passed.


    In this world, he alone seemed to grasp the concept of time.


    The mountain of corpses atop the cliff had partially disappeared, the remains having been transported to bases for burial near production sites.


    The Queen Ants at these sites had been given new orders before Luo Wen slept: halt Soldier Ant production and prioritize Worker Ants.


    With 200¨C300 million Soldier Ants remaining and no immediate ns for exploration, this was sufficient to defend the current territory. The primary task now was to replenish Worker Ants and restore normal operations across the bases.


    Returning to the Brood Nest, Luo Wen connected to it, uploading new gic fragments and updating the gene bank for the Queen Ants.


    He canceled the old Queen Ant production orders and began hatching the new-generation Queens.


    Luo Wen stumbled upon an unexpected boon. The seemingly useless livestock genes turned out to elerate nutrient absorption, shortening insect maturation times.


    Although the insects still had to go through the eggrva-pupa-adult stages, their growth cycles could now be reduced by one-third. For example, insects that once required 30 days to mature could now do so in just 20 days.


    A weakness exposed during the war had been resolved far sooner than Luo Wen expected. While it still fell short of his ultimate goal, it was a significant step forward.


    Finally, during his connection with the Brood Nest, Luo Wen received vague information about a potential opportunity¡ªa sign of something greater toe.

 Chapter 62: After the Battle (2)

    As expected, keeping his expectations low proved wise. The next morning, Luo Wen awoke to find no new gains from the red ant queen. To be sure, he would need to return to the Brood Nest to verify the specifics. But before that, there were still post-battle tasks to handle.


    After a day¡¯s rest, Luo Wen led his 300,000-strong swarm across the border into the red ants¡¯ territory.


    Following the climactic battle, the coalition forces had been annihted, and no remnants had been spotted along the way. Luo Wen had assumed that taking over their territory would be a mere formality.


    Unexpectedly, not long after entering enemy territory, his forces encountered two fully assembled units numbering over 30,000 ants in total. These troops had likely been on a distant hunting expedition and had only just returned, intending to reinforce the front lines.


    Unluckily for them, they ran straight into Luo Wen¡¯s swarm as they neared the border.


    There was little to discuss. With Transport Bugs dividing the battlefield and 300,000 troops surrounding the enemy, exterminating the 30,000-strong force was a matter of minutes.


    The red ants may have epted the ck ants as prisoners, but Luo Wen had no interest in doing the same. These basic-modelbat units, equipped with only a rudimentary friend-or-foe recognition system, were riddled with vulnerabilities. Recycling them into protein was their best use.


    That said, the red and ck ants of the coalition were surprisingly steadfast, showing no inclination to surrender.


    Before long, they became part of the swarm¡¯s food reserves, loaded onto the backs of Transport Bugs.Over the next few days, Luo Wen deployed Scout Bugs to survey the area while leading his forces along the border to conduct sweeps and ambushes.


    The coalition had considerable reserves, with units frequently arriving from afar. Their numbers ranged from a few thousand to tens of thousands, though none exceeded 30,000.


    Each time one of these units appeared, either Luo Wen or the Scout Bugs would spot them, and the swarm, with numbers several times greater, would surround and eliminate them.


    After intense skirmishes, these units would obediently be food reserves.


    Within just a few days, Luo Wen¡¯s forces had wiped out over 30 groups, amounting to nearly 500,000 enemies. However, since these units typically appeared individually, with an average size of around 10,000, their collective resistance inflicted fewer than 10,000 casualties on the swarm.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but reflect that if the coalition had better supply chains and the patience to wait a few more days to amass a million-strong army, the situation might have been more challenging.


    Several more days passed, and Luo Wen had not encountered any more coalition reinforcements heading for the front. It seemed their distant hunting parties had all returned, making further waiting unnecessary.


    Thus, the swarm finally advanced deeper into coalition territory.


    Encountering no resistance along the way, it became clear that after their home nest had been flooded, the queens had moved to the front lines. No troops had been left to garrison their territory, as all avable forces had been sent to support the frontline.


    Unfortunately, the ants¡¯ primitivemunication methods meant they remained oblivious to the war¡¯s oue and had continued sending reinforcements to their doom for days.


    At this moment, Luo Wen felt an urgent need for advancedmunication methods. Regrettably, he still had no idea how to obtain such technology.


    The swarm advanced 500 meters northward, arriving at the volcano-shaped nest entrance that had once served as the red-ck ant coalition¡¯s home base. It remained flooded and held no strategic value.


    Luo Wen did not linger, instead sweeping the area to eliminate potential threats. His forces zigzagged another 500 meters north, consuming a significant portion of their food reserves along the way. Finally, Luo Wen confirmed the area within a kilometer radius to be temporarily secure.


    He then divided his army into two groups.


    The first group,prising Soldier Ants, Transport Bugs, and a small number of Worker Ants, totaled about 70,000 to 80,000. They were tasked with carrying the majority of the food reserves and continuing northward along the current route. These units needed to sustain themselves through constant warfare and would be sent to expand the swarm¡¯s territory.


    Luo Wen led the remaining 200,000 Worker Ants back toward the border. Along the way, he split them into 50 groups, leaving one group at intervals to construct new bases.


    By the time he returned to the border, Luo Wen was alone. However, he soon encountered another swarm unit escorting 50 Queen Ants. These queens had been stationed near the front lines, and Luo Wen had sent messengers to summon them once the newly upied territory was deemed secure.


    The 50 bases constructed along the route were meant for these queens, who would oversee and develop the surrounding areas.


    Of course, 50 queens would not suffice to cover a kilometer-wide territory. Luo Wen nned to hatch additional queens upon returning to the Brood Nest. These new queens would fill the gaps in the current bases and could also be dispatched to garrison the northern territories captured by the expeditionary force.


    With these arrangements in ce, the territorial dispute was finally resolved. Luo Wen returned to the Brood Nest to resume his reclusive lifestyle.


    Through the Brood Nest, Luo Wen confirmed that the red ant queen had provided no new gic fragments, a result he had anticipated.@@novelbin@@


    However, the question of why the ck ants had submitted to the red ants after their queen¡¯s death remained unsolved. It was likely a mystery that would persist indefinitely.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen felt no curiosity or desire to acquire such an ability. Trusting the ck ants was out of the question, so turning them into nutrients to power the queens¡¯ eggying was undoubtedly the better option.


    Life returned to tranquility, and the swarm continued its steady development. During this time, Luo Wen reestablished two expeditionary forces for strategic exploration.


    The first was the reformation of the Western Army, which had been recalled during the initial phase of the war due to severe manpower shortages. With the war over, they resumed their westward exploration.


    The second was a newly formed Northwest Army, tasked with exploring the blind spot between the territories covered by the Western Army and the Northern Army. As the exploration distances of these two forces increased, the gap between them would inevitably grow, necessitating a dedicated force for this region.


    Both expeditionary forces were instructed to send back small teams to report every three days. To address their limited intelligence, Luo Wen assigned each force a Queen Ant to apany them.


    Queens, with theirparatively higher intelligence, could at least ry simple messages. As the territory expanded, Luo Wen could no longer personally survey thend for updates.


    To maintain bnce, Luo Wen also dispatched a Queen Ant via Transport Bug to join the northern army. The ants¡¯ck of selfishness ensured they would readily ept this ¡°parachuted¡±mander with enthusiasm.

 Chapter 63: The Enemy Reappears (1)

    To the south of the Brood Nesty towering cliffs, whilekes and rivers hemmed in the east. Even so, with the west and north connected in a fan-shaped expanse, the swarm¡¯s territory expanded rapidly as the three armies pushed forward.


    Day by day, Luo Wen continued dispatching hundreds of Queen Ants to oversee and develop the new territories.


    The swarm¡¯s scale was steadily growing, yet it remained far from capable of directly confronting the Yellow Earth Ant Legion head-on.


    The days stretched on in monotony. Without inte, phones, games, or newspapers, and not even a creature to converse with, loneliness loomed over Luo Wen. Gradually, the reports from the three armies, delivered every three days, became the highlight of his otherwise dull existence¡ªthe sole reprieve in his barren life.


    Unfortunately, while the Queen Ants possessed some intelligence, it was only rtive to the simple-minded Worker Ants and Soldier Ants. Their reports were terse, devoid of richness or intrigue, and failed to bring Luo Wen any satisfaction.


    As boredom gnawed at him, Luo Wen began to fear that without some kind of diversion, he might sumb to depression. Sometimes, he found himself staring at the distantke surface from a tree trunk, even contemting trying to swim to see if he could evolve the ability to breathe underwater.


    Luckily, reason still held sway over his impulses, narrowly restraining these self-destructive thoughts. But as his restlessness grew, his rational grip began to erode.


    Just as Luo Wen felt he might sumb to his reckless whims, a message from the northern army brought good news: they had encountered Red Ants once again.


    The ck Ants, though diligent, were disorganized and weak. They posed no threat and served only to replenish the expeditionary forces¡¯ food stores when discovered. For this reason, the destruction of countless ck Ant nests by the three armies was considered trivial and unworthy of reporting.The Red Ants, however, were different. As a nomadic species capable of enving ck Ants in numbers several times their own, they were highly threatening.


    To prevent mishaps, Luo Wen had specifically instructed the Queen Ants to notify him immediately upon spotting Red Ants, retreat 500 meters, and establish camp while awaiting his arrival.


    The Queen Ants faithfully executed his orders. Given how far the northern army had advanced, this newly discovered Red Ant colony was undoubtedly unrted to the remnants of the earlier one. It signified a new Red Ant nest.


    Luo Wen had been yearning for something to shift his focus and pull him back from the brink of despair.


    However, the Red Ants¡¯ lifestyle and poption density meant each nest required a vast area to sustain itself. This exined why it had taken the northern army so long to find another nest.


    Thankfully, though dyed, the opportunity had finallye. Luo Wen wasted no time, setting off immediately.


    On the journey, Luo Wen¡¯s thoughts turned to the Yellow Earth Ants, whose behavior resembled that of the Red Ants. Both were nomadic predators. If a Red Ant colony of merely hundreds of thousands needed such expansive territory, how vast must the Yellow Earth Ants¡¯ domain be to sustain themselves?


    Perhaps they didn¡¯t simply scour the area every few hundred days but instead maintained a constant state of predation, moving along a predetermined route that took hundreds of days to bring them back to the cliffside region.


    Luo Wen shuddered at the thought. If this were true, how many troops would he need to amass to exact revenge?


    Lost in thought, Luo Wen¡¯s eight long legs carried him forward in a sprint. At over 60 centimeters in body length, his raised legs made him more than a meter tall, dwarfing ordinary Worker Ants, which now seemed like mere specks before him.


    Yet this growth came with limitations. His newly evolved oxygen supply system had reached its maximum capacity. Any further growth would render it unable to sustain his body.


    Once again, Luo Wen faced a bottleneck, urgently needing new gic fragments for reference.


    The riverside environment, dominated by ant species, offered little in the way of diversity. He could only pin his hopes on the other two armies deeper ind to uncover something new.


    After traveling approximately three kilometers, Luo Wen passed a Swarm Base, the furthest outpost to date. Beyond this point, he was stepping outside the swarm¡¯s controlled territory.


    Initially, Luo Wen thought the northern army would be just ahead, but even after advancing another two kilometers, he still couldn¡¯t locate them.


    At first, he suspected he might have gone the wrong way. Yet the faint pheromone markers along the route confirmed otherwise. Then, he wondered if the northern army had already been wiped out. But there were no signs of a battlefield or a recent skirmish.


    The forest here was exceptionally lush, and it seemed to have rained recently. Water droplets asionally fell from the leaves above, striking Luo Wen¡¯s carapace with a refreshing chill.


    The ground was muddy, with puddles forming in some areas¡ªimpassable barriers for ordinary Worker Ants, but easily traversable for Luo Wen with his current size.@@novelbin@@


    The pheromone markers along the path had also been diluted by the rain, with somepletely washed away by puddles. Fortunately, Luo Wen¡¯s elongated antennae, enhanced by his growth, allowed him to maintain his bearings despite the challenges.


    Still, he slowed his pace. Venturing so far beyond the swarm¡¯s territory without finding the northern army was troubling, and caution was warranted.


    Although he doubted anyone would set a trap specifically for him, he tensed his muscles, prepared to flee at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Advancing cautiously, Luo Wen covered another two kilometers. Night was falling, and a light drizzle began to descend from the sky.


    While faint pheromone markers still lingered in the air, their identity verification signals appeared genuine.


    However, Luo Wen himself was adept at altering such markers. He had once used this technique to confound the Red-ck Ant Coalition, leading them in endless circles. There was no guarantee someone¡ªor something¡ªwouldn¡¯t attempt the same trick against him now.


    Moreover, he was nearly four kilometers beyond swarm territory. Typically, a Queen Ant would be deployed as soon as the army advanced, to im thend, provide logistical support, and facilitatemunication.


    Would they really send a few Messenger Ants to crawl several kilometers back to swarm territory alone?


    The Messenger Ants, being ordinary Worker Ants,cked his resilience. The dangers along the way were far too numerous for them to survive.


    As Luo Wen pondered these concerns, convinced he had stumbled into a trap, reality delivered a sharp p to his assumptions.

 Chapter 97: Awakening

    Luo Wen was jolted awake by a cacophony of ¡°Gua-Gua¡± sounds. The irritation of being disturbed from his long slumber left him seething with rage.


    The extended period of hibernation had left his mind sluggish and nk, unable to recall anything immediately.


    For now, his overwhelming hunger took precedence as his bodily functions slowly resumed. Instinctively, he tore at the cocoon encasing his body. Having been inactive for so long, his movements were stiff and clumsy, as if his body had rusted over.


    When he finally managed to rip through the cocoon, he found the desated material devoid of any nutritional value.


    To his despair, he discovered another, tougher wall beyond it.


    ¡°Which wretched soul had the nerve to glue this ce shut?¡± Luo Wen cursed groggily.


    The constant ¡°Gua-Gua¡± noises from above only aggravated his mood further.


    Gathering a modicum of strength, his massive ws¡ªguided by his keen, high-refresh-ratepound eyes¡ªbegan to chip away at a specific point on the wall.


    At longst, a small hole was breached. With this initial crack, the task became much easier. Luo Wen used his ws to w, pry, and dig, gradually widening the opening.Chunks of tightly packed dirt began to fall into the enclosed cavern.


    The hole grewrger until loose, unbonded soil started spilling into the chamber.


    This soil offered no resistance to Luo Wen¡¯s massive ws, unlike the solidified chunks. Luo Wen grabbed some of the loose dirt and stuffed it into his mouth, temporarily alleviating his gnawing hunger.


    However, the nutrients he could extract from the dirt were minimal, a stopgap solution that couldn¡¯t truly sate him.


    Time was of the essence. After a brief respite, Luo Wen resumed digging. Fortunately, his ws were as effective at tunneling as any specialized burrower¡¯s legs.


    In a short time, he had carved out an upward path.


    Luckily, the earthquake that had recently shaken the area had caused the earth¡¯s crust to shift, bringing Luo Wen closer to the surface. The once-deep cavern was now only 20 or 30 meters underground.


    Still, this short distance proved to be a grueling challenge. By the time Luo Wen broke through to the surface and inhaled his first breath of fresh air, he was on the verge of total exhaustion.


    There, he finally found the source of the noise that had awakened him.


    The sight of a frog with bulbous eyes greeted him. One nce was enough to confirm its exceptional vision.


    His long-dormant camouge abilities sprang to life. Instinctively, Luo Wen activated them.


    Colors shifted and shimmered across his body, the once-ck surface morphing into a dazzling array of hues. In moments, Luo Wen seemed to vanish, blending seamlessly into his surroundings.


    He crept toward the dark green frog with deliberate care, nervous about his diminished state. This might be his only chance¡ªsess meant meat, failure meant dirt.


    As his ws neared striking range, the frog appeared to sense something amiss but remained still.


    Luo Wen exhaled in relief and activated a weakened version of his dual-curve attack system. Wind roared as his massive w pierced the frog¡¯s body and continued downward, pinning it deep into the soil.


    It had been so long since Luo Wen hunted personally that his strength control was off, ruining a portion of the fresh prey.


    But in his current state, he couldn¡¯t afford to be picky. Even if two pounds of aphid dung were ced before him, he would have devoured it without hesitation.


    After gorging himself, Luo Wen felt a small amount of energy return, and his intellect began to reawaken. Memories from before his hibernation trickled back into his mind.


    Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, a rhythmic vibration emanated from the ground, sending him into a panic.


    ¡°Another earthquake?¡± he wondered, rmed.


    Focusing carefully, he realized that the tremors felt like the movements of a massive creature stomping across thend.


    Fortunately, the source of the disturbance was still some distance away. Luo Wen¡¯s heightened senses¡ªevident in his ability to hear a frog¡¯s croak from deep underground¡ªseemed even sharper than before.


    With the immediate threat averted, Luo Wen took a moment to survey his surroundings.@@novelbin@@


    Tall treesy toppled in all directions, some even uprooted. Cracks riddled the ground, evidence of a seismic event.


    Yet, the types of trees around him were unfamiliar.


    Given that the swarm had once dominated most of the continentalndmass, unfamiliar flora was a rarity.


    Then his gazended on the spot where the frog had vanished, and realization dawned.


    This species was something he had encountered during his human days. Since bing an insect, he hadn¡¯t seen anything like it.


    The realization prompted three soul-piercing questions:


    ¡°How long was I asleep?¡±


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Have I crossed into another world again?¡±


    The scant information avable, coupled with the unknown conditions outside, made exploration too risky.


    For now, Luo Wen prioritized regrowing the Brood Nest. After all, his path was that of the Collective. Without subordinates, he felt an unsettling emptiness.


    The area was once home to a small stream, but the earthquake had altered the terrain. The stream now needed to carve a new path.


    The region was scattered with small pools of water, and thin trickles flowed beneath the fallen trees and weeds.


    asionally, the croaks of frogs echoed from the surroundings.


    Luo Wen¡¯s fine body scales began to work, cloaking him from sight. Avoiding the pools as much as possible, he crept toward the source of the sounds.


    While frogs were natural predators of insects, perfectly equipped to catch them, the massive size difference between these frogs and Luo Wen rendered such predation irrelevant.


    For example, if humans were the size of ants, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance unarmed. But with the size disparity in their favor, a single stomp could decimate an ant colony.


    Here, the frogs were too small, their abilities countered by Luo Wen¡¯s stealth. Their eyes, evolved to track swift-flying insects, were useless against his camouge.


    Robbed of their advantage, the frogs couldn¡¯t even flee in time.


    After skewering and devouring several frogs, Luo Wen¡¯s hunger remained unappeased. His body was severely depleted, and the frogs were quickly metabolized into energy.


    During his hunt, Luo Wen noticed several flying insects flitting about.


    Flight had once been a coveted ability of his. Back when the swarm controlled vast territories, he had never seen a single flying insect. Yet here, they seemed ubiquitous.


    This revtion sparked his three soul-piercing questions once again.


    The small insects, due to their size, proved challenging for Luo Wen¡¯s ws. Even with the weakened dual-curve system, his attacks were straightforward and inflexible, unsuited for such agile targets.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen had more than just ws in his arsenal. Against these nimble, small targets, he had a far more effective weapon.

 Chapter 98: Pterodactyl?

    A long, fur-covered leg darted out from the void like lightning. Guided by Luo Wen¡¯s superior dynamic vision, it struck a flying green beetle with pinpoint uracy.


    The fine, adhesive hairs on the w at the leg¡¯s tip gripped the green beetle tightly, pulling it toward Luo Wen.


    To Luo Wen, this beetle was akin to a miraculous little pill that could sprout wings. Without hesitation, he popped it into his mouth. Crunch.


    After skewering a few more frogs, Luo Wen encountered yet another unfamiliar creature.


    By now, he was growing numb to the bizarre sights and the idea of having traversed to another world filled his mind again.


    This animal stood nearly half a meter tall, resembling a cross between a rat and a dog. Its muzzle wasn¡¯t pronounced, leaning toward a t shape, and a cluster of white whiskers sprouted from its chin, giving it a goofy expression.


    Its smooth, light-yellow fur covered its entire body. This was the first furred creature Luo Wen had seen since bing an insect¡ªan apparent mammal.


    The creature¡¯s stocky, short limbs were folded beneath its body as it squatted on the ground, gnawing on an unknown nt fruit cradled in its forelimbs. Its round, beady eyes scanned its surroundings warily.


    Behind it trailed a thick, unusual tailmon enough in concept, but this specific style was truly unique.Luo Wen decided to invite it for dinner to discuss the mysteries of gic evolution. Fearful it might decline, he activated his optical camouge and cautiously approached.


    His ws gradually entered attack range, but the creature¡¯s keen vignce became evident.


    Though Luo Wen¡¯s optical camouge rendered him invisible, unavoidable sounds betrayed his movements.


    The peculiar animal froze mid-bite, its hidden ears pricking through its fur.


    Although it detected nothing specific, its cautious instincts prompted it to retreat. Grabbing the fruit in its mouth, it lowered itself onto all fours and prepared to leave.


    Suddenly, a massive beetle burst from behind it.


    The speed of the ambush caused a brief disruption in Luo Wen¡¯s optical camouge, rendering him momentarily iridescent.


    One w struck the strange creature¡¯s body first. While its dense fur provided decent defense against piercing attacks, the immense force apanying the strike sent it flying and inflicted significant damage.


    Luo Wen leaped forward in a burst, closing the gap as the creature struggled to rise. Seizing the moment, he lunged, wrapping his entire body around it. His eight legs locked it in ce.


    Although not his primary weapons, Luo Wen¡¯s legs were lined with spines and bristles, adding formidable offensive capability that had seen little use until now.


    He also possessed another underutilized weapon: venom. The spider-derived fangs he had gained from his gic temte had rarely seen action.


    Until now, Luo Wen had faced few opponents of simr size. Most battles were decided by sheer physical dominance, and his growing swarm had all but eliminated the need for personalbat.


    This creature, measuring half a meter long, was smaller and weaker than Luo Wen, but it finally allowed him to put his full arsenal to use.


    His fangs pierced through the creature¡¯s fur and into its body. Venom nds emptied their contents swiftly through the hollow channels in his fangs.


    Inexperienced with venom use, Luo Wen erred on the side of caution and injected the entire dose.


    Sensing the imminent threat to its life, the strange creature struggled violently.


    Unfortunately, its stout, sharp-looking ws couldn¡¯t prate Luo Wen¡¯s armor.


    Realizing its futile struggle, the creatureunched a desperate counterattack. Seizing an opportunity, it bit down on the joint of Luo Wen¡¯s w.


    Although the joint was armored, the inner curve had thinner ting for mobility. The creature¡¯s two sharp incisors punctured the joint membrane with ease.


    The injury was minor, but the incisors became stuck, rendering them immovable.


    For a moment, an awkward silence settled between predator and prey.


    Then, a bizarre cry echoed from above, rapidly growing closer.


    In all his past battles, Luo Wen had never been attacked from the sky. While his nearly 360-degree field of vision covered most threats, he instinctively overlooked aerial dangers.


    Moreover, while hispound eyes excelled in detail and refresh rate, their range was limited¡ªdespite constant improvements, his maximum field of view was only around 300 meters.


    Previously, when his enemies were either blind or near-sighted, 300 meters felt like an expansive range. Now, it fell short.


    The source of the cry finally appeared in Luo Wen¡¯s sight, and what he saw left him dumbstruck.


    It was a pterodactyl.


    ¡°What kind of crazy ce is this?¡± Luo Wen wondered, as his mind reeled with the three soul-piercing questions once again.


    But this wasn¡¯t the time for deep reflection.


    The pterodactyl folded its wings and dove, its massive body elerating rapidly under gravity¡¯s pull. It closed the 300-meter distance in an instant.


    For the first time, Luo Wen faced such a predicament. Entangled with the strange creature, his mobility was severely limited. The venom had subdued his prey, leaving its full weight dangling from its incisors locked into Luo Wen¡¯s w joint.


    If Luo Wen had been alone, he could have easily escaped using his powerful leap or optical camouge.


    But what had been a promising meal just moments ago had now be a deadly burden.


    Despite his frantic attempts to free himself, his wscked the dexterity of fingers, and his panic only caused the incisors to lodge more firmly.


    Left with no choice, Luo Wen activated his optical camouge, hoping against hope that the pterodactyl wouldn¡¯t see him. It was a self-deceptivefort at best.


    As the pterodactyl neared the ground, its folded wings spread wide, transforming its dive into a glide as it passed just above Luo Wen.


    Relieved, Luo Wen exhaled¡ªuntil the pterodactyl banked sharply, adjusted its posture, and flew straight at him again.


    This time, the pterodactyl extended its massive talons.


    It was enormous, its wings casting a dark shadow over the ground as it passed. Luo Wen estimated its wingspan to be at least seven or eight meters.


    If they couldmunicate, Luo Wen might have tried to reason with it, pointing out the absurdity of attacking two measly creatures barely half a meter long.


    The pterodactyl dove again, its talons grasping the furred creature.


    Unfortunately for Luo Wen, he was tangled with his prey and was swept up along with it into the pterodactyl¡¯s grip.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 66: The Attack Continues

    In truth, waiting for reinforcements to return to the hive would take a significant amount of time. Given the current state of the hive, it simply couldn¡¯t hold out that long.


    As expected, it wasn¡¯t long before activity was seen on the copsed mound of earth. The soil began to bulge and shift as sand was gradually pushed aside. Soon, the cautious head of a Red Ant peeked out.@@novelbin@@


    Unfortunately for it, before it could gather any useful information, a spear-like limb pierced through its body, skewering it as it emerged from the soil. One of the Transport Bugs surrounding the copsed entrance had acted swiftly. The bug flicked its leg, discarding the Red Ant¡¯s lifeless body.


    Beneath the Transport Bug¡¯s feet crawled a swarm of Soldier Ants. The one closest to where the Red Ant had fallen stepped forward and ended its suffering.


    More Red and ck Ants began to emerge from the dirt covering the buried entrance. The surrounding Transport Bugs treated it like a game of Whack-a-Mole, skewering each ant as it appeared.


    However, this method of attack was physically exhausting. Under Luo Wen¡¯s direction, the Transport Bugs adjusted their tactics. Instead of impaling the ants, they began using the sticky hairs on their ws to grab the emerging Red Ants and toss them aside, where Soldier Ants promptly turned them into rations for the swarm.


    This reduced energy expenditure significantly, but the number of Red and ck Ants appearing only increased. Fortunately, there were plenty of Transport Bugs queued up for their turn at ¡°Whack-a-Mole¡± and ¡°w Crane.¡± Exhausted bugs simply relinquished their positions to fresh recements.


    Time slipped by, and after four or five hours, the Red Ants managed to dig another exit not far away. However, this new exit was still within the swarm¡¯s encirclement.


    This time, with plenty of Worker Ants on hand, Luo Wen did not hold back the acid. A torrent of corrosive liquid rained down on the new entrance¡ªa deluge of acid.Arge group of ants attempting to break through the encirclement barely emerged before being doused in acid. The luckier ones, with only their antennae corroded and minor pitting on their armor, barely managed to escape. The less fortunate were immediately incapacitated, left to helplessly dissolve in the acid.


    As time passed, the new entrance became clogged with a strange liquidposed of dissolved ants and other detritus. Severed limbs and fragmented bodies floated on the surface, releasing an acrid stench. No further ants attempted to emerge from the opening. Gradually, the liquid dried into a grotesque tableau, exuding an aura of despair and agony.


    Luo Wen assigned 5,000 Burrower Ants to bury the hole with more soil, then stationed additional Transport Bugs and Soldier Ants to guard it. The horrific sight of the acid-soaked environment seemed to have left an impression on the Red Ants¡ªthey abandoned this exit entirely, and no more emerged.


    Two days passed. During this time, two foraging teams returned to the hive, providing the swarm with a small boost in provisions.


    The ants inside the hive had initially made several breakout attempts, but each was swiftly crushed. They had since been quiet for a considerable period.


    Reflecting on his strategy, Luo Wen realized suffocating the ants in the hive was unrealistic. Even if he filled in their exits quickly, the brief periods of venttion from digging would suffice to sustain them for quite some time.


    In hindsight, he thought, perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have been so heavy-handed in blocking their exits earlier. This had only scared them intoplete inactivity. If they tried digging again, he resolved to let theme out.


    Unfortunately, another day passed without any movement from the hive.


    Growing impatient, Luo Wen focused his sensory hairs, probing for the positions of underground chambers and tunnels. He located a spot close to the surface, then used his massive digging limbs to pierce the ground. Repeating the motion several times, he unearthed arge pit, with round tunnels now visible on either side of the walls.


    Inadvertently, he had dug too far, severing one of the hive¡¯s passageways.


    Ants moving through the tunnel sensed the fresh airflow and rushed over to investigate. Finding an unexpected exit and no long-legged creatures guarding it, a few ck Ants cautiously emerged, scouting the area. Detecting no danger, they quickly turned back. Momentster, swarms of Red and ck Ants began pouring out of the tunnel.


    But their celebration was premature¡ªthe swarm¡¯s encirclement had only moved back slightly.


    Having been confined underground for so long, the ants streamed out in droves. Within moments, nearly 100,000 Red and ck Ants had emerged from the hive. The prey had left its den, and the swarm¡¯s encirclement tightened swiftly.


    Hundreds of Transport Bugs led the charge into battle, apanied by Soldier Ants. They quickly cleared the area around the tunnel entrance, sealing it off once more.


    This unit bore a heavy burden. They had to block ants still emerging from the tunnel while simultaneously fending off enemies attempting to retreat back into the hive, effectively fighting on two fronts.


    Fortunately, they didn¡¯t need to hold the line for long. After a single round of acid spraying, the enemy¡¯sbat effectiveness plummeted, and the swarm¡¯s army swiftly eradicated them.


    It seemed some ants near the entrance reported back, as the tunnel quickly fell silent, and no more ants emerged.


    No matter. After cleaning up the battlefield and replenishing their rations, Luo Wen simply dug another hole nearby.


    The ants weren¡¯t immune to repeating tactics. Each time the swarm surrounded, eradicated the enemy, cleared the battlefield, and dug a new hole.


    After several rounds of this, sixrge pits now marred the ground.


    Though the effectiveness of each sessive attempt diminished, over 300,000 enemy troops had been converted into rations for the swarm.


    Finally, the enemy realized it was a trap. Only a few ants emerged from thest pit.


    But Luo Wen was already prepared with a new n.


    He deployed over a hundred Spy Bugs, dividing them into six groups and sending them into the hive through the six pits.


    Their mission: infiltrate the hive and act as guides.


    Ideally, Luo Wen would handle this task himself, but hisrge size made infiltration impossible. The Spy Bugs¡¯ intellect and adaptability weren¡¯t on par with his, but they would suffice. Besides, infiltration into the Red Ant hive was inherently dangerous¡ªfriendly fire was a real threat¡ªbut with enough Spy Bugs, losses were eptable.


    The Spy Bugs seemed to understand Luo Wen¡¯s intent. Once inside, they crawled deeper into the hive, disseminating new pheromone messages as they went.


    As a result, the tunnels, previously filled with messages like ¡°Danger,¡± ¡°Turn back,¡± and ¡°Path blocked,¡± now also carried contradictory signals such as ¡°Safe route¡± and ¡°Exit here.¡±


    These conflicting messages left the ants confused, unsure of the situation. Some believed the warnings and avoided the entrances, while others trusted the ¡°safe¡± signals and ventured out.


    Soon, Red and ck Ants began cautiously emerging from the pits one by one.

 Chapter 102: Digging a Base

    The unfamiliar environment and strange creatures gradually convinced Luo Wen of the reality that he had traversed worlds once more. This time, however, he had crossed over along with his insectoid body.


    But who could have anticipated that at such a moment, a creature he recognized would appear?


    Beneath the leaves, with heads resembling buttocks, ck exoskeletons, and a coordinated infantry-armor patrol pattern, they were unmistakably the Big-headed Ants he was familiar with.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡±


    For a moment, Luo Wen felt as if his newly upgraded ¡°CPU¡± was overheating.


    If he hadn¡¯t traversed worlds, it meant his hibernation period had been unimaginably long¡ªlong enough for the world outside to undergo seismic changes and for species to evolve.


    But if he had traversed, it would mean the gic blueprint of the Big-headed Ants was so potent that an identical species had evolved elsewhere.


    Luo Wen¡¯s movie-trained mind ventured further, considering the possibility of alien experiments or the presence of unknown human interference.@@novelbin@@


    He also spected, perhaps inspired by lost-world movies, about a hidden continent that harbored these extraordinary species, whichter thrived and expanded to conquer othernds.The hypotheses and conjectures multiplied in his mind, turning his thoughts into a tangled mess.


    Shaking his head vigorously, Luo Wen forced himself to calm down.


    Perhaps this situation was advantageous for him. A diverse array of species implied a rich gene pool. As long as he had a little time to recover, Luo Wen was confident he could uncover the truth.


    He quietly approached the green stream, scouting for targets. The worker ants carrying leaves were not his prey. Only the Ultra Giant Soldier Ants, those wandering at the edges of the group and crawling with Small Soldier Ants, were worthy of bing his feast.


    These creatures were pure protein. Just a few of them could fill Luo Wen¡¯s stomach.


    However, the Small Soldier Ants crawling all over them posed an annoyance. If he couldn¡¯t clear them out quickly and became entangled, he¡¯d be in trouble¡ªespecially now, being alone.


    Previously, Ultra Giant Soldier Ants had some Small Soldier Ants on them for protection, but never as many as now.


    Observing the small birds circling above the ants, Luo Wen made a guess.


    It was now an era of fully integrated, multidimensionalbat. It made sense to bring extra aerial units as protection.


    Luo Wen had a certain area-of-effect skill perfect for this scenario. However, it reminded him of unpleasant memories. Yet, with the pressure and crisis he felt, he could no longer afford hesitation.


    Activating pheromone camouge and optical invisibility simultaneously, Luo Wen stealthily approached.


    A patrolling Ultra Giant Soldier Ant was suddenly engulfed by a cloud of white mist on its nk. Instantly, a barrage of liquid projectiles, infused with high temperatures and strong corrosiveness, sprayed toward it.


    The relentless assault inflicted severe damage immediately. Despite its injuries, the Ultra Giant Soldier Ant¡¯s sheer size kept it from dying on the spot.


    Unfortunately for the Small Soldier Ants riding on its back, they weren¡¯t so lucky. With Luo Wen¡¯s massive form unleashing such a concentrated attack, the high heat and strong acid quickly incapacitated and withered them.


    After one round of attacks, the air reeked of a foul stench. The lingering white mist was abruptly dispersed by a strong gust of wind, revealing a vibrant-colored w-like appendage. The w mped onto the Ultra Giant Soldier Ant¡¯s body and, amid its fierce struggles, dragged it into the underbrush, disappearing from sight.


    The entire operation happened in the blink of an eye. Due to their limited reconnaissance capabilities, the Big-headed Ants¡¯ leaf-harvesting team didn¡¯t even notice the attack.


    Soon after, several other patrolling Ultra Giant Soldier Ants also vanished. Only then did the Big-headed Ants sense something was amiss. Unfortunately for them, by this time, the hunter had already retreated with his spoils.


    Luo Wen hadn¡¯t gone far. For one, there were too many prey to carry. Secondly, for a creature like the Big-headed Ants, with poor vision, cutting off their pheromone signals meant Luo Wen could stay within a meter of them and still avoid detection.


    Back in his days with the reconnaissance squad, they¡¯d exploited this weakness of the Big-headed Ants to great advantage. Luo Wen was particrly skilled at it.


    After feasting, Luo Wen took advantage of the Big-headed Ants¡¯ rxed defenses to hunt a few more Ultra Giant Soldier Ants. Finally, he felt somewhat satiated.


    Following the green ¡°stream¡± for over a hundred meters, he caught sight of the Big-headed Ants¡¯ nest from afar.


    Not far from the nest, at a location withplex terrain, Luo Wen began digging.


    With his stomach full, it was time to construct a base. Building near the Big-headed Ants¡¯ nest was an excellent choice for establishing his territory.


    By deploying misleading pheromones in the area, Luo Wen could ensure the new base¡¯s security during its early stages.


    Though it had been a long time since Luo Wenst dug a burrow himself, his skills were far from rusty. Even though he now used his w-like appendages for digging, his efficiency remained high.


    However, hisrge size made the excavation a considerable undertaking.


    With no other insects to assist him, Luo Wen could only dig a bit and then push the soil out of the burrow. This approach slowed progress significantly.


    As the burrow extended underground, the sky gradually darkened.


    When Luo Wen once again pushed soil out of the burrow, night had fully fallen. Threads of moonlight stubbornly filtered through the canopy, casting a serene, distant glow on the ground.


    Luo Weny at the entrance of the burrow, gazing at the moonlight in a daze. Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, he darted out and climbed a nearby tree at high speed.


    At the treetop, a ck insect was lost in thought.


    ¡°This is still the original,¡± Luo Wen murmured. He suddenly realized how simple it was to verify.


    In the sky, two light sources hung high¡ªone slightly yellowish white and the other faintly red. They were unmistakably familiar.


    ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± Luo Wen fell into contemtion.


    Unexpectedly, his hibernation ability had such hidden risks. Thinking back, he was fortunate the noisy frog had woken him up earlier. Otherwise, who knew how much longer he would have slept?


    Though this hibernation skill was remarkably effective¡ªslowing his body¡¯s state to near stasis¡ªit couldn¡¯t hide its ring w.


    Now that Luo Wen was certain of his location and had dismissed those imusible theories, he felt much more at ease.


    With his sense of crisis significantly reduced, even digging lost its appeal. Thete hour called for rest.


    Camouging the burrow entrance, Luo Wen burrowed into a pile of decaying leaves nearby and fell into a deep sleep.


    As for why he didn¡¯t sleep inside the burrow?


    A single-passaged burrow without escape routes wasn¡¯t secure enough for Luo Wen¡¯s peace of mind.

 Chapter 103: Flight

    The Ultra Giant Soldier Ants were a marvel of biology, managing to achieve such massive sizes despite the severely outdated oxygen supply system typical of ant physiology. They relied entirely on their incredibly dense and powerful muscles to physically pump oxygen throughout their bodies. This impressive muscle density also tranted into a highly efficient energy conversion rate.


    When Luo Wen awoke, not only had he grown wings, but his Brood Nest had also regenerated.


    Previously, Luo Wen had only spected about the possibility of his Brood Nest regenerating. Now, with his hypothesis confirmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.@@novelbin@@


    Perhaps due to insufficient energy supply during growth, the regenerated Brood Nest appeared somewhat underdeveloped. However, this was only in rtion to Luo Wen¡¯srge size. Compared to its initial state when it was first formed, the reborn Brood Nest was already several timesrger.


    Scooping up some rotting branches and leaves from the surroundings, Luo Wen stuffed them into the feeding orifice of the Brood Nest. Though this first meal for the regenerated Brood Nest wasckluster, the circumstances left little room for luxury. Something was better than nothing.


    The Brood Nest wasn¡¯t nearly as picky as Luo Wen. Ever since it acquired earthworm genes, it could even consume soil and pebbles, earning it the title of ¡°everything within sight is edible.¡± Rotting leaves, therefore, were an effortless choice.


    After attending to the Brood Nest, Luo Wen crawled out of his burrow.


    If not for the importance of the Brood Nest, he would have been unable to suppress his excitement.


    Soaring freely through the blue sky was a dream cherished by all living creatures. Luo Wen, whether in his past human life or his current insect form, had always longed for a pair of wings of his own.Now, that dream hade true.


    The sturdy ck carapace on his back split open and lifted upward, revealing a pair of delicate, transparent wings that unfolded. The intricate patterns on the wings were clearly visible, with ck ents along their edges and roots.


    The wings began to vibrate, their speed increasing rapidly. Gradually, Luo Wen¡¯s cumbersome body lifted off the ground.


    Though his first flight was clumsy¡ªrocking left and right with a constant risk of crashing¡ªLuo Wen couldn¡¯t help but emit a hiss of exhration.


    Flying was a highly energy-intensive activity. For Luo Wen, using a pair of thin, translucent wings to lift his tens-of-kilograms-heavy body required an immense amount of energy.


    Still recovering from hibernation and with his energy reserves critically low, Luo Wen was forced tond after less than half a minute of flight, having barely risen 20 centimeters off the ground.


    While Luo Wen felt a twinge of disappointment, he didn¡¯tin. After all, his wings weren¡¯t rented¡ªthere was plenty of time to enjoy them once he¡¯d eaten his fill.


    Meanwhile, the Big-headed Ants¡¯ leaf-cutting convoy, after enjoying two days of rtive peace, suffered another ambush. Several Ultra Giant Soldier Ants were lost to an unknown assant during transportation.


    Infuriated, the Big-headed Ants dispatched arge force to sweep the area of the attack, but all they found were lingering stench and chaotic pheromone trails. The perpetrator had long since vanished.


    Replenished and brimming with energy, Luo Wen even brought two ants back to his Brood Nest to hasten its recovery.


    Once everything was in order, he eagerly began his second flight experiment.


    In the jungle, arge ck beetle hovered half a meter above the ground, flying at a leisurely pace. Its mandibles and limbs dangled naturally as its wings beat so quickly that even their afterimages blurred.


    Despite sessfully flying, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit disheartened. He could fly, sure, but it wasn¡¯t anything like what he¡¯d envisioned.


    In his imagination, flight meant dazzling aerial maneuvers, breakneck speeds, and intense dogfights with opponents, reminiscent of the pterosaurs battling for food in the sky he¡¯d once witnessed.


    But now¡­


    Watching the scenery slowly recede around him, Luo Wen realized his flight speed was slower than his crawling speed on the ground.


    The gap between expectation and reality left him momentarily uninspired.


    At this speed, the only advantage he could think of was avoiding embarrassment during another free-fall situation likest time.


    However, his slow flight wasn¡¯t due to ack of capability in his flying system. On the contrary, his wings incorporated several advanced technologies.


    First, Luo Wen had developed a set of muscles dedicated to wing movement. The protein fibers within these muscles were highly organized, with cross-sections forming a precise hexagonal pattern. This structural regrity allowed for rapid wing vibrations.


    Luo Wen¡¯s wings pped at a standard rate of over a thousand times per minute, with a maximum speed exceeding twenty thousand ps per minute. However, such high-speed pping generated significant noise and consumed a massive amount of energy, though it did considerably increase flight speed.


    The wings themselves were membranous and featured hidden folding patterns. When in use, the elytra (wing covers) opened, and the concealed wings unfurled like umbres.


    Retracting the wings was a bit moreplex. It required leveraging the sticity and flexibility within the wings¡¯ internal structures to fold them back along their creases. In simpler terms, the wings needed to be ¡°folded¡± back into ce.


    Initially, Luo Wen struggled with this operation. After folding his wings and elytra, parts of the wings remained exposed. Assuming this was normal, he paid it little attention.


    Later, after observing green beetles, he realized the wings could be fully retracted. It required the assistance of his hind legs to manually push the wings back under the elytra, where they would automatically fold along their creases.


    Even with these features, the wings alone wouldn¡¯t have been sufficient to lift Luo Wen¡¯s heavy body.


    Here¡¯s where the most advanced feature came into y.


    The elytra housed an enormous amount of ultra-microscopic pyramid structures. When the wings vibrated at high speed, these structures emitted maic particle longitudinal waves. The directional waves created a prized maic particle phenomenon, which in turn generated an anti-gravity field effect.


    Simply put, it was anti-gravity!


    The elytra¡¯s unique structure allowed Luo Wen to partially negate gravity, enabling his lightweight wings to lift his bulky body into the air.


    However, this system wasn¡¯t omnipotent. Otherwise, Luo Wen wouldn¡¯t have been so dissatisfied with his flight speed.


    Improving his speed was straightforward in theory: permanently alter his body structure, shedding parts of his exoskeleton and protectiveyers to reduce weight. Reshaping his rotund body into an aerodynamic form would also enhance his speed.


    Such modifications were entirely possible with his newfound ability to choose gic segments to transform himself, a talent awakened after his prolonged hibernation. With sufficient energy, a single session of cocooned metamorphosis could achieve these changes.


    Yet after careful consideration, Luo Wen decided against it for now.


    The jungle terrain was treacherous, and his delicate membranous wings couldn¡¯t withstand much abuse. Above the treetops, the domain of the pterosaurs, Luo Wen was utterly outssed in both size and numbers.


    All things considered, faster flight offered little advantage in his current situation.


    Thus, when forced to choose between speed and defense, he opted for defense.

 Chapter 69: New Claws

    The specifics of the feeding process need not be described in detail.


    After feasting, Luo Wen found arge crevice in a nearby rock andy down to rest. Meanwhile, he ordered the army to camp around him.


    Since it was still early morning, and the battle had ended too quickly, Luo Wen found it difficult to enter a dormant state. Instead, he began reflecting on the recent skirmish.


    The scorpions, despite their formidable individualbat prowess, seemed capable of standing against tens of thousands. However, in reality, only about a hundred Giant Mandible Soldier Ants had done the heavy lifting. The rest of the swarm was mostly there to spectate, much like Luo Wen, who had merely watched the spectacle.


    This performance underscored the terror of collectivebat once more. Unless an individual reached another level of evolution, it was impossible to negate the advantage of overwhelming numbers.


    This realization further solidified Luo Wen¡¯s resolve to pursue the path of the Swarm.


    In his dreams, Luo Wen felt as if his hands were melting. Startled, he almost awoke, only to remember that he no longer had ¡°hands.¡± A pair of burrowing legs and four pairs of walking legs¡ªlosing one pair wouldn¡¯t matter since he could always regenerate severed limbs.


    Reassured by this thought, he sank back into sleep.


    He had no idea how long he slept, but when he awoke, it was still dark. Two moons hung high in the sky, casting a cold, silvery light.Luo Wen sensed something unusual about his burrowing legs. Looking down, he saw ayer of dead skin peeling off them, as if they were shedding. Upon closer inspection, he realized that thisyer of dead skin was the exoskeleton of his original burrowing legs.


    So, this was molting.


    Previously, whenever his body absorbed certain genes and underwent significant changes, it would cocoon and mutate. However, this was the first time he had experienced localized molting.


    It seemed his earlier anticipation of growing che wasing to fruition. As for a scorpion¡¯s tail, it was likely not happening. If he were to develop a tail, he would most likely need to cocoon.


    He nced back and felt around. His guess was correct¡ªthere was no new tail at his rear.


    Next, it was time to test his newly obtained ws.


    Tearing at the molting skin on his che with bites, Luo Wen exposed the still-soft and sticky inner limbs. Once freed, the che rapidly swelled to double their original size. They then began hardening and darkening.


    Before long, the che were fully armored again, but now the armor was thicker. The internal muscture was also much stronger. With a thought, the two massive pincers opened, revealing a row of sharp serrations that glinted coldly.


    He flexed the che. Despite their appearance being bulkier than his previous burrowing legs, they remained remarkably agile. In particr, the joints seemed to feature a specialized mechanism resembling a spring-loaded trigger, enhancing his striking speed.


    A flicker of ck light shed. The pincers urately mped onto a nearby rock. With a squeeze of his muscles, there was a sharp ¡°crack,¡± and the rock shattered into pieces.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but exim inwardly. This was exactly what he had been hoping for.


    Like a child with a new toy, Luo Wen went on a destructive spree, pulverizing everything around him¡ªrocks, nts, and even scorpion exoskeletons all fell victim to his havoc.


    Luo Wen was ecstatic. Not only had he gained a powerful new weapon, but these che also gave him a sensation akin to having hands again.


    Granted, each ¡°hand¡± only had two ¡°fingers.¡± Still, this newfound familiarity almost brought him to tears.


    After his excitement subsided, Luo Wen calmed himself. There was no use dwelling on the past; he needed to focus on moving forward.


    Overall, while only his che had been enhanced this time, the improvement to Luo Wen¡¯s strength was immense¡ªnot just inbat, but in daily life as well.


    He also discovered that when the pincers were closed, the che could still function as burrowing legs. Moreover, their increased size made digging even more efficient. This left Luo Wen a bit speechless.


    With the matter resolved, the western army continued their journey. Luo Wen returned to hisir and resumed his monotonous daily routine.


    Each day consisted of little more than eating and lounging on tree trunks to enjoy the scenery. Time passed, with the only notable events being the constant departure of Queen Ants and Luo Wen¡¯s steadily improving eyesight.


    However, his immense size limited the number of trees in his territory that could support him, restricting his vantage points. This greatly diminished his scenic enjoyment.


    The tedium of life reignited Luo Wen¡¯s reckless curiosity. Although he had eliminated two Red Ant nests during this period, the growing strength of his swarm had rendered such conquests dull and meaningless. There was no sense of aplishment, and it did nothing to suppress his urge to seek danger.


    With no better options, Luo Wen tried to find tasks to distract himself.


    First, he inspected his territory. With its continued expansion, the swarm had added another thousand Queen Ants, bringing their total to over 2,500.


    Thanks to flourishing agriculture, abundant food, and ack of major conflicts, the colonies experienced explosive poption growth. Each base now housed at least 5,000 members, meaning the swarm¡¯s total numbers had soared to at least 12 million.


    Though most of these were Worker Ants, the swarm¡¯s war potential remained formidable. With their current resources, they could easily raise an army of a million at short notice.


    For instance, during the recent assaults on the two Red Ant nests, Luo Wen had summoned a million troops in no time. He no longer bothered with tactics like attrition or ambushes. These strategies were redundant.


    Instead, he simply ordered his forces to bore holes into the enemy nests and flood them with troops. Although this resulted in higher casualties, it didn¡¯t matter. Once the nests were captured, the fallen insects were recycled into protein.


    Within days, the Queen Ants would transform this protein back into soldiers for the battlefield.


    In the past, Luo Wen had felt a surge of excitementmanding his swarm in their first attack on a ck Ant nest. Eventually, ck Ant nests became mere supply points for the army.


    Now, encountering a ck Ant nest required neither reporting to Luo Wen nor his direct involvement. The swarm simply bulldozed through. As a result, Luo Wen no longer knew how many ck Ant nests had been destroyed.


    It seemed Red Ant nests were destined for a simr fate.


    Could this be the loneliness of the master? Luo Wen found himself tempted to hum a tune about the solitude of invincibility. But then he remembered the looming threat of the Yellow Earth Ant Legion and lost all enthusiasm.


    As an insect, it was best not to grow too arrogant.


    Out of options, Luo Wen turned his attention to thekes and rivers in the east.


    There was little choice. The north and west were being explored by the swarm¡¯s armies. The south consisted of cliffs and deserts patrolled by the Yellow Earth Ant Legion.


    Only the east remained undeveloped.


    Previously, Luo Wen¡¯s smaller size had made even the shallow areas of the riverbanks perilous. Fear of the unknown depths had kept him away.


    His closest encounter with the riverside had been during the first attack on a Red Ant nest. Even then, he stayed half a meter away from the river, avoiding the breach of barriers for water channels.


    Now, with his long legs, Luo Wen felt he was ready to challenge the riverbanks.

 Chapter 70: An Unfamiliar Force

    Slivers of sunlight reflected off theke¡¯s surface, creating a shimmering disy. Along thekeshore, slender stems and leaves of aquatic nts swayed gently in the breeze.


    Luo Wen moved cautiously on his long legs, staying two to three meters from the water¡¯s edge. Hisrgepound eyes were fixed intently on theke, scanning for any signs of suspicious activity.


    The reflected sunlight on theke was ringly bright. With Luo Wen¡¯spound eyes being particrly sensitive to light, the intense re caused a persistent throbbing and stinging sensation.


    For several days, Luo Wen kept watch without any sess. Just as he was beginning to feel both dejected and impatient, an unexpected development urred. The prolonged exposure to the reflective re seemed to have triggered an unexpected adaptation in his eyes.


    His vision began to develop the ability to filter out certain light wavelengths.


    With this newfound ability, his eyes functioned like wearing sunsses. The sunlight reflected off the water¡¯s surface became far less blinding, allowing Luo Wen to observe morefortably.


    Revitalized by his new ability, Luo Wen resumed his slow exploration along thekeshore with renewed enthusiasm.


    As he walked, he transitioned from theke to a river. Though the river was less than ten meters wide, its rapid current and unknown depth made it seem like an insurmountable barrier to Luo Wen.


    If he could figure out a way to cross the river, the vastnds on the opposite shore could be new territory for the swarm.Unfortunately, with his current knowledge, Luo Wen had no immediate solution for crossing the river.


    For now, he could only hope to encounter some aquatic species that would grant him new genes. With such an enhancement, crossing the river¡ªor even exploring the depths of theke and river¡ªwould be possible.


    Days turned into weeks, yet Luo Wen found no evidence of life in the river. Lacking other tasks, he patiently continued his investigations.


    As the saying goes, persistence pays off.


    One evening, just as Luo Wen was preparing to return to eat and rest, he noticed ripples spreading across the river¡¯s surface in the distance. A wave of excitement surged through him. Ripples couldn¡¯t appear without something interacting with the water. This indicated that some entity hade into contact with the surface.


    Though Luo Wen could clearly see the source of the ripples, he was unable to discern whaty beneath the water. The cause of the disturbance remained a mystery.


    He kept watching for a while, but the river¡¯s surface returned to stillness, making him wonder if he had imagined it.


    Could it have been caused by underwater nt roots? The flow of the river brushing against aquatic vegetation could create ripples, but such urrences were typically confined to areas near the banks.


    The location of the ripples, however, was at the center of the river. No aquatic nts could possibly grow there.


    Even as night fully descended, Luo Wen remained vignt. He refused to believe his eyes had yed tricks on him. Though he hadn¡¯t identified the culprit, he had at least confirmed the presence of aquatic life, which was a significant discovery.


    This realization reignited Luo Wen¡¯s determination. The next morning, as he prepared to resume his observation with renewed vigor, a team of messenger bugs arrived with news from the front lines.


    This time, the northern army had encountered an unusual situation.


    Searching for aquatic life could wait. Investigating the swarm¡¯s anomaly took higher priority.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen had been exploring near the riverbank, not far from the northern army¡¯s location. Though he slowed his pace to amodate the messengers, he still reached the army¡¯s position within two hours.


    The morning was still young. Led by a reconnaissance team, Luo Wen caught sight of a familiar ¡°crater¡± in the distance. He assumed it was yet another routine mission to exterminate a Red Ant nest.


    But as he approached, Luo Wen noticed something unusual. Streams of ants were pouring continuously out of the ¡°crater,¡± forming multiple unbroken lines as they marched hurriedly away.


    ¡°Have I been discovered? But the direction doesn¡¯t match¡­¡± Luo Wen initially suspected he¡¯d been spotted. However, despite his imposing size, Luo Wen had honed his stealth skills to perfection. He had altered his pheromones and coloration, rendering himself indistinguishable from arge boulder to the ants.


    As he observed the army¡¯s trajectory heading away from his position, Luo Wen realized he was mistaken. But their urgency intrigued him¡ªwhat could they be rushing toward?


    Curiosity got the better of him. Luo Wen dismissed the reconnaissance team, instructing them to return and order the army to camp in ce and remain still. Meanwhile, he used his superior vision to maintain a safe distance from the marching Red Ants, trailing them discreetly to uncover their destination.


    The Red Ant army marched north for about 300 meters. Soon, Luo Wen spotted arge-scale battle unfolding ahead.


    Tens of thousands ofbatants from both sides were engaged, scattered across more than a dozen skirmish zones.


    On one side were the familiar Red Ants. Their adversaries, however, were an entirely new ant species.


    These ants¡¯ coloration was somewhere between the bright hue of Red Ants and the jet ck of ck Ants. Their bodies were a subdued dark red.@@novelbin@@


    The worker ants of this species were slender, with their heads, thoraxes, and abdomens of simr size. Their thin, elongated legs gave them a highly agile appearance. Their soldier ants, however, were strikingly unique. Their abdomens remained unchanged, but their heads and jaws were greatly erged.


    The soldiers¡¯ massive rectangr heads featured a wide central groove running from the rear edge to the forehead, giving them theical appearance of a human backside. Their bulbous heads and jawsbined resembled overripe cherries.


    Despite their amusing appearance, these massive jaws radiated power, suggesting formidable offensive capabilities.


    What fascinated Luo Wen most was the significant variation in body size among this species. Unlike the uniform sizes of Red Ants or ck Ants, this new species disyed dramatic differences.


    For example, their workers ranged from a few millimeters to over five centimeters. Among the soldier ants, the smallest were three to four centimeters long¡ªsmaller than thergest workers¡ªwhile thergest soldiers approached 20 centimeters in length, veritable giants of the ant world.


    To put this in perspective, the Transport Bugs of Luo Wen¡¯s swarm, which carried hundreds of ants over long distances, were only about 30 centimeters in size. Even Luo Wen himself, having reached the limits of his respiratory system, was only slightly over 60 centimeters long. These gigantic soldier ants posed a tangible threat to him.


    Feeding such enormous creatures would require staggering amounts of resources. Even Transport Bugs, sustained during wartime by abundant protein, numbered only in the hundreds. After battles, they consumed the bulk of spoils, drastically reducing their numbers during peacetime.


    In Luo Wen¡¯s branch bases of 5,000 members, maintaining just five Transport Bugs strained resources to their limits. When idle, these bugs even resorted to eating dirt to ease the burden on the colony.


    Yet here, on thergest battlefield, there were over twenty of these massive soldier ants. Smaller giants numbered in the hundreds, and the ranks ofrge, medium, and small soldiers were uncountable.


    Additionally, other battlefields nearby hosted simrly scaled conflicts, with over a hundred giant soldier ants in total.


    Luo Wen clicked his mandibles in disbelief. Supporting such a vast army of soldier ants was beyond the capability of any ordinary colony. Moreover, the forces on disy likely weren¡¯t even the entirety of this unfamiliar species¡¯ army.


    Maintaining such a formidable force would require an extraordinarily vast territory.

 Chapter 110: Encountering the Flying Bugs Again (2)

    Luo Wen finally understood why the chameleon bug from before had been surrounded and immobilized.


    It was just like his current situation¡ªencircled by flying bugs, debating whether they had noticed him or if he should make a run for it or stay still.


    The deliberation didn¡¯tst long; the flying bugsunched their attack.


    Dozens of flying bugs dived at him. As they closed in, their wings spread wide, and their posture instantly shifted. They switched from head-first dives to rear-first thrusts, exposing the stingers at their tails.


    They were so fast that, despite Luo Wen¡¯s reaction, he couldn¡¯tpletely avoid the attack.


    Fortunately, his exoskeletal armor wasn¡¯t just for show. The tiny stingers couldn¡¯t even leave a scratch on his back tes.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t feel the least bit smug about it. He had seen countless times how the Red Ants dealt with Ultras, and these flying bugs resembled winged ants. Who knew if they might employ simr tactics?


    Propelling himself with his legs, Luo Wen leaped from the tree and dashed off in a random direction. He didn¡¯t choose to fly because his flight speed was far inferior to these bugs designed for aerial maneuvers.


    Moreover, for him to fly, he would have to expose his wing covers¡ªhis back armor¡ªleaving his more vulnerable abdomen exposed. That would be akin to disabling his own defenses.@@novelbin@@His legs, refined through numerous evolutions, weren¡¯t just capable of impressive running but also excellent jumping and clinging abilities. In the obstacle-filled terrain, his movements were like a parkour performance: fluid, efficient, and even visually pleasing.


    However, to the flying bugs with straight-line flight and high-altitude vision advantages, his acrobatics seemed overly shy.


    Oddly enough, Luo Wen had maintained his optical invisibility, yet the flying bugs pursued him with GPS-like precision, always managing to locate and attack him urately.


    Luo Wen raised his pincers above and behind his head, shielding his eyes while ensuring his body didn¡¯t lean too far forward during his sprint, which could affect his speed.


    Unfortunately, the slight speed boost was insignificant to the flying bugs. The attacks remained relentless. While most were deflected by his armor, a few bugs managed totch onto the crevices of his armor and mber onto his body.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t afford to let them linger. Although he was also adept at poisoning, he preferred direct confrontations and despised opponents who used toxins.


    While running, his legs had to reinforce his back¡¯s defense. His reverse-jointed limbs worked to dislodge the flying bugs, significantly impacting his speed. Luo Wen had always thought his ten limbs¡ªtwo pincers, two swimming legs, and six standard legs¡ªwere sufficient to handle most situations.


    Now, facing one of those rare exceptions, he wished he had six more legs to fend off the airborne attacks.


    At this rate, it was a slow death. In a simple marathon, he could exhaust these bugs behind him, thanks to the energy reserves in his tailrd.


    But this was an unpredictable primeval jungle, with who-knew-how-many hidden predators lying in wait. He didn¡¯t dare drag the flying bugs along for a marathon here; he had toe up with a solution.


    First, he needed to figure out how they were tracking him.


    His optical invisibility was useless. He released deceptive pheromones, but they had no effect. He wasn¡¯t surprised, as this tracking method only worked at close range, and he had just been testing it.


    Suddenly, he noticed faint yellow, granr powder on his back armor. The powder seemed toe from the base of the flying bugs¡¯ hind legs and abdomen, which were covered in fine hairs. Was it pollen?


    Could they be tracking him using this pollen? Luo Wen¡¯s eyes darted around, and sure enough, he spotted traces of the powder on the tip of the leg he had used to attack the first flying bug.


    Although he didn¡¯t know exactly how the bugs tracked the pollen¡ªsince there were plenty of flowers and pollen around, yet they hadn¡¯t lost him¡ªit was likely a unique ability.


    After determining the cause, Luo Wen¡¯s first guess was scent. Mid-run, he abruptly opened his wing covers, lifted his abdomen, and fired off a series of ¡°Gatling¡± shots with a ¡°pfft, pfft, pfft¡± sound.


    When the barrage ended, he immediately closed his wing covers.


    In groundbat, his ¡°Gatling¡± method had always worked wonders at close range. But in an aerial-ground battle, its limited range became a ring disadvantage.


    The flying bugs merely heard the sound and saw the spectacle. Luo Wen hadn¡¯t intended to kill them outright; instead, a foul stench apanied by white smoke enveloped the area.


    The flying bugs were visibly affected, disoriented and unable to maintain their course. Yet before Luo Wen could celebrate, they climbed higher and resumed the chase.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± Luo Wen cursed under his breath. The stench only covered a small area, rendering it ineffective while he was on the move. Unless he stayed within the affected zone, it was useless.


    But staying put wouldn¡¯t solve the root problem. If the flying bugs had enough patience, he¡¯d be a sitting duck. The risk was too great, making this strategy untenable.


    Suddenly, he remembered scenes from cartoons where characters escaped simr predicaments by jumping into water.


    Not far ahead, Luo Wen could hear the sound of flowing water.


    Though he wasn¡¯t sure if the cartoon logic would work, he had no time to hesitate.


    The river water was murky and potentially dangerous, butpared to his current known peril, the choice wasn¡¯t difficult.


    Changing course, Luo Wen sprinted toward the river. Every few steps, he fired another volley of ¡°shots.¡± Though it only temporarily slowed the flying bugs, it prevented them fromtching onto him and allowed him to focus on running faster.


    Minutester, just as his ¡°ammunition¡± was running low, Luo Wen reached the riverbank.


    Without hesitation, he leapt and dove into the water. With a loud ssh, ripples spread across the surface before calmness returned.


    Sometimes, cartoon knowledge came in handy. The flying bugs, unable to continue their pursuit, hovered over the water, unwilling to give up.


    But they had underestimated Luo Wen¡¯s versatility as an amphibious soldier.


    With a sly thought to let them keep waiting, Luo Wen¡¯s previously unused swimming legs finally got to shine. Silently, he swam along the riverbank, letting the current carry him.


    Suddenly, fast-moving unidentified objects darted toward him from underwater. Though the murky river limited visibility, his enhanced hearing picked up on the disturbances.


    His echolocation, derived from bats, worked even underwater. The dense hairs within his ear cavities provided some waterproofing, allowing it to function to a degree.


    While he couldn¡¯t emit ultrasonic waves underwater, the feedback from water currents revealed unnatural movements.


    The intense sounds of the rushing water made their approach unmistakable.

 Chapter 72: Big-headed Ants

    After confirming the unexpectedly small size of the Big-headed Ants¡¯ territory, Luo Wen began to investigate the surrounding trees, searching for signs of livestock-like farming practices.


    However, even with agricultural methods that preserved vegetation, it seemed nearly impossible to sustain so manybat units within such limited territory.


    While examining the trees, Luo Wen did find some aphids, but there were no signs ofrge-scale farming. He did, however, stumble upon another curious phenomenon.


    On the yellowish-brown dirt ground, an unusual stream caught Luo Wen¡¯s attention. Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn¡¯t water but a flowing stream of leaves. These leaves were being transported by the Worker Ants of the Big-headed Ant species. Regardless of size, each ant carried leaves several times its own size with its powerful jaws.


    Patrolling alongside the leaf stream wererger soldier ants, ensuring the workers¡¯ safety while clearing small obstacles from the path. These efforts slightly smoothed the otherwise uneven road, althoughrger obstructions were simply bypassed.


    The leaf stream was flowing in the direction of the Big-headed Ants¡¯ nest. Intrigued, Luo Wen decided to trace it upstream.


    Soon, he discovered the source of the leaves.


    It was an impressively tall tree, at least 50 meters high, with the stream of green leaves cascading down from its treetop. The dense branches at the top obscured Luo Wen¡¯s view, making it difficult to discern the specifics.


    But that didn¡¯t matter. His adhesive bristles allowed him to climb smooth surfaces as if they were t ground. Scaling a tree was no challenge for him.Camouging himself by altering his pheromones and mimicking an off-limits rock, Luo Wen avoided detection by the Big-headed Ants and quickly ascended the opposite side of the tree trunk.


    At the treetop, he witnessed an incredible sight.


    Big-headed Ant Worker Ants were using their jaws like scissors, delicately cutting the leaves. They inserted one mandible into the upper part of a leaf and sliced upward with the other. This process was repeated meticulously.


    Each time, a portion of the leaf was neatly severed. The workers then carefully lifted the cut piece to prevent it from falling, adding it to the leaf stream.


    The workers in line behind them would then move forward to continue cutting until the entire leaf was harvested.


    What astonished Luo Wen was their restraint in harvesting. The ants only cut about one-third of the leaves on each branch, leaving the other two-thirds intact to minimize the impact on the vegetation.


    Their conservation-minded approach led Luo Wen to suspect that a sentient intelligence might be guiding their actions.


    However, he noticed that the Big-headed Ants weren¡¯t consuming the leaves. They were merely cutting and transporting them back to the nest in an endless cycle.


    What were they doing with the leaves?


    Luo Wen thought of his own aphid pastures. His Worker Ants would typically feed themselves first before sharing leftovers with their peers. Only after everyone was sated would they transport any surplus back to the nest.


    Yet, despite observing for an extended period, Luo Wen didn¡¯t see a single Big-headed Ant stealing a bite of the leaves¡ªa behavior that struck him as highly abnormal.


    Initially, Luo Wen had assumed that the leaves were part of the Big-headed Ants¡¯ diet. If that were the case, it would exin how they sustained such argebor force and military within such a small territory.


    None of the other ant species Luo Wen had encountered consumed tree leaves.


    But as it turned out, the Big-headed Ants didn¡¯t eat the leaves either. So why were they expending so much effort to harvest and transport them? Luo Wen was perplexed. He suspected this mystery was connected to their formidable ability to rapidly produce troops. The leaf harvesting, along with the chimneys on their nest, were the only anomalies he¡¯d found in their territory.


    The secret clearlyy within the nest. Luo Wen¡¯s curiosity was piqued, but hisrge size had long since ruled out stealth and infiltration.


    That left him with only one option: special measures.


    Though the Big-headed Ants didn¡¯t seem particrly aggressive, their territory blocked the Swarm¡¯s expansion. A conflict between the two forces was inevitable.


    When that day came, the secrets of the Big-headed Ants would be revealed.


    Luo Wen resolved to seize the initiative and prepare for a well-nned war.


    Faced with a stronger new opponent, Luo Wen felt a surge of excitement. Wasting no time, he quickly returned to the central base.


    Upon consulting the Brood Nest, Luo Wen discovered that the super-sized Big-headed Soldier Ants still relied on a standard ant nutritional system. However, their extraordinarily developed and powerful muscles enabled them topress oxygen into distant parts of their bodies, supporting their massive size.


    This muscle-enhancement gene segment was quite useful, but the rest of their gic structure was fairly unremarkable.


    After creating several new bugs, Luo Wen considered imitating the Big-headed Ants by diversifying the sizes of his Worker and Soldier Ants into a dozen categories. Ultimately, he decided it wasn¡¯t necessary. The Swarm had its own development methods and didn¡¯t need to copy everything.


    For example, the Big-headed Ants used their soldiers andrge-to-medium Workers for transport, with smaller Workers securing the cargo. However, the Swarm had more efficient Transport Bugs and adhesive-secreting Mucus Bugs, which streamlined logistics.


    As for production, Luo Wen ordered 500 more Queen Ants, bringing the total to 3,000.


    Before engaging the Big-headed Ants, the Red Ant nest needed to be dealt with, and its territory absorbed.


    The 500 new Queens would produce troops at the frontlines initially, before being dispatched to upy captured territory.


    A single Red Ant nest didn¡¯t require 500 Queens, but whenbined with the Big-headed Ants¡¯ territory, it would be just right.


    This was what Luo Wen called preparation for contingencies.


    The existing 2,500 Queens were all assigned tasks. Over 2,000 of them began producing troops in earnest. The remainder, too far from the northern frontlines, focused on transporting resources to closer bases.


    Time passed, and the newly produced bugs emerged from their cocoons. They, along with a significant quantity of supplies, were steadily transported to the front.


    A monthter, with the northern army already stationed, the Swarm had amassed 500,000 various Soldier Ants and over 1.5 million Worker Ants.@@novelbin@@


    Including auxiliary units, the army¡¯s total strength reached 2.1 million.


    This marked thergest military operation in the Swarm¡¯s history. Luo Wen, fullymitted, had elevated the Big-headed Ants¡¯ strategic threat level to the highest priority.


    As the saying goes, ¡°An army marches on its stomach.¡±


    The 2.1 million-strong force represented the Swarm¡¯s logistical limits. Behind the army were over 2,000 branch bases and 12 million Worker Ants maintaining the supply chain. Additionally, more than 5,000 Transport Bugs moved resources continuously to the frontlines.


    Even with these efforts, there were still some material shortages due to the tight timeframe.


    But that didn¡¯t matter. Ahead of the armyy a granary¡­

 Chapter 113: Developing New Frontline Units

    The fall from such a height wasn¡¯t fatal for the leopard, but Luo Wen¡¯s venom certainly was.


    After hitting the ground, the leopard struggled to get up and flee, but the pain in the back of its neck intensified. Its muscle tissues dissolved, its nervous system broke down, and its body lost control, leaving it to copse helplessly on its side, howling in agony.


    To avoid attracting otherpetitors, Luo Wen didn¡¯t let it suffer long. He dove down from above, pincers outstretched, silencing the leopard forever.


    It took a great deal of effort and time, but Luo Wen finally consumed both the leopard and the bird, bringing their fatal rivalry to an ironic resolution in his stomach.


    Satisfied and full, Luo Wen temporarily lost interest in further excitement. The rest of his journey back to the base was uneventful, and he arrived without issue.


    Back at the base, the number of fully developed insects had surpassed one million. However, there were nearly ten million eggs andrvae still maturing.


    This was because the second batch of 50 Type III Queen Ants had maturedte, and their first batch of offspring wasn¡¯t yet fully developed¡ªit would take a few more days.


    But Luo Wen¡¯s primary purpose in returning wasn¡¯t the offspring but the Queen Ants themselves. Although these weren¡¯t themand-specialized Type I Queens, their intelligence was still slightly higher than that of ordinary bugs. They could help Luo Wen test additional functions of the Swarm Network.


    Since the Swarm Network had been established, Luo Wen noticed a significant rise in the insects¡¯ intelligence, especially among the Queen Ants.This was likely becausemunication within the Swarm Network resembled telepathic exchanges. Things that were previously impossible to exin were now understood with minimal effort.


    Perhaps this was the essence of prehension beyond words.¡±


    Within Luo Wen¡¯s mental space, the number of nodes had increased by hundreds or thousands of timespared to before.


    Suddenly, one of the nodes began to sh brightly. Luo Wen focused his thoughts, linking to the node. His consciousness descended, and a quick nce confirmed it was the perspective of a Queen Ant he had previously tested.


    Several tests followed, switching between different Queen Ants without any errors. The uracy of node connections was 100%.


    The Swarm Network truly lived up to its reputation as an interactive system. Apart from theck of a ringtone, it was almost like a video call.


    Luo Wen also discovered an important piece of information: Queen Ants did not naturally gainmand over other insects.


    Since the Type III Queens were mainly tasked with production and because the insect poption was still rtively small with only one base, Luo Wen himself handled most of themand tasks.


    If this had been a Type I Queen, the issue might have been noticed earlier.


    However, this didn¡¯t mean the Queen Ants couldn¡¯t lead. They simply required Luo Wen¡¯s ¡°authorization.¡±


    Through the Swarm Network, Luo Wen could establish various hierarchical levels, each granting different degrees of authority.


    In a given area, higher-ranking insects couldmand those of lower rank. They could even issue orders directly through the Swarm Network.


    This was far more efficient than the pheromone-basedmand system previously used by the Queens. It also acted as a unique friend-or-foe identification system.


    Luo Wen surmised this was an upgraded version of the Brood Nest¡¯s original identification system. It ensured that no other organisms could infiltrate or exploit the Swarm.


    Still, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t nning to abandon other identification methods. The Swarm Network needed external safeguards as well.


    Perhaps, someday, overconfident infiltrators would think they had bypassed the Swarm¡¯s defenses, oblivious that every insect around them had already identified them. That thought alone was amusing.


    Although it seemed like Luo Wen was overthinking or ¡°outsmarting the air,¡± who could predict the future? With his lifespan no longer limited, there were countless days ahead.


    For now, Luo Wen granted the Type III Queen Ants a basic level of authority, just slightly higher than ordinary bugs. While the Swarm Network¡¯s hierarchical system could support moreplex management structures, this feature was overly advanced for the current state of the Swarm.


    The Queens, mass-produced on an assembly line, were closer to intelligent AIs without subjective consciousness. For now, one level of hierarchy sufficed.


    This restored the familiarmand system of the Swarm but equipped every insect with a ¡°phone.¡±


    Simultaneously, Luo Wen took the opportunity to reevaluate the Swarm¡¯s militaryposition.@@novelbin@@


    In the past, the Swarm consisted of two-dimensional units, with soldiers measuring only 20 to 30 centimeters being considered ultrasized.


    But now, the creatures he encountered often measured over a meter, with some, like the 30-meter-long Diplodocus, being colossal. Slow-moving, outdated Soldier Ants were no longer suitable for the Swarm¡¯s development.


    If the Swarm could return to its pre-hibernation scale, it would dominate easily¡ªunless these terrestrial creatures learned to fly, swim indefinitely, and never return tond. Otherwise, they would all be food.


    Back then, even ¡°strong enemies¡± like the Yellow Earth Ant Legion were exceptional, with millions in number being a big deal.


    But now, Big-headed Ants were at the bottom of the food chain. Birds, Long-Faced Beasts, and Tail Lard Rats, all seemingly weak creatures, included Big-headed Ants in their diets.


    Relying solely on the ant temte to conquer the world was now exponentially more difficult. Moreover, Luo Wen had already ¡°beaten the game¡± using the ant temte once. Repeating the same strategy would be uninteresting.


    Luo Wen¡¯s ambitions weren¡¯t grand. Years of solitude had left him with little beyond survival and the pursuit of distractions to stave off mental copse.


    The conclusion was clear: Luo Wen needed to upgrade the Swarm¡¯s military units to better adapt to the current environment.


    During his unknown duration of hibernation, his abilities had reached an incredibly advanced level. The ability to choose gic evolutions was just the foundation. He could now assimte genes from not only insects but also amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. As long as there were no fundamental conflicts, he couldbine them freely.


    Additionally, Luo Wen could even collect gic material from nts and fungi. While animal and nt genes were difficult to integrate, he had no such issuesbining nt and fungal genes.


    This meant that, with enough time and experimentation, he could enhance the crops within the ant nest to improve their yield and adaptability.


    For instance, he could make them more productive or better suited to various environments.

 Chapter 114: The New Main Combat Species (1)

    The matter of crop improvement wasn¡¯t a high priority and could be left forter when there was more free time to study it leisurely.


    With the swarm steadily expanding in size, it was about to step into the limelight and face various challenges.


    Luo Wen¡¯s urgent task now was to determine the primarybat species for the uing period.


    But the question remained¡ªwhat kind of biological temte should be chosen?


    Continuing to use the ant temte wasn¡¯t impossible. Adding an advanced detection system, equipping it with a powerful heart, overhauling its nutrient supply system, and enhancing its mobility were all feasible modifications. However, there was one critical, unsolvable problem:


    The exoskeleton armor.


    The exoskeleton not only made ants into powerhouses but also improved their defensive capabilities.


    Yet, the exoskeleton was both a blessing and a curse.


    Despite its numerous advantages, the exoskeleton inherently restricted the size of the ants. If they wanted to growrger, they had to go through repeated molting.Take their colossal variant, the Ultra Giant Soldier Ant, for example. To reach its full size, it had to molt twice¡ªthis for a body size of merely twenty to thirty centimeters. Luo Wen himself couldn¡¯t even recall how many pupations and molts he had undergone to grow to a body length of sixty centimeters.


    Molting was an energy-intensive and risky process.


    The solution was straightforward: extend theirrval phase. By directly modifying their genes to allow thervae to grow to the desired size before a single final molding, the need for repeated molting could be eliminated.


    However, growing arva to over half a meter in length would consume an enormous amount of time and resources. Larvae had no productive capabilities, poorbat ability, and even required worker ants to assist in feeding them.


    Maybe the swarm could afford suchrvae in the future, but with its current scale, it couldn¡¯t support even a few.


    And the swarm thrived on numbers. What use were just a handful ofrge soldier ants?


    Other temtes, such as small dinosaur-like creatures, Tail Lard Rats, or Long-Faced Beasts, didn¡¯t face the exoskeleton¡¯s size limitation, but theirbat effectiveness didn¡¯t justify their resource consumption.


    The leopard temte? That was feasible, but the swarm didn¡¯t have the resources to rear more than a few.


    What Luo Wen needed was abat species that was both powerful and cost-effective.


    After much deliberation, he thought of the Transport Bug. These creatures, modeled after cliff spiders, were initially created as auxiliary units due to their speed and impressive load-carrying capabilities.


    However, they also boasted considerablebat power, having earned des in numerous battles. Their piercing attacks were like reapers for smallerbat units.


    Their multi-jointed legs allowed them to traverse obstacles effortlessly, with remarkable gripping ability that enabled them to scale sheer, ss-like rock faces with ease. This made them well-suited to most harsh battlefield environments.


    Although they also had exoskeletons and required one molt during their growth, Luo Wen could gically modify them to remove the exoskeleton on their main body, retaining it only on their legs.


    This wouldn¡¯t leave their bodies defenseless, as Luo Wen nned to incorporate genes for tough skin and steel-like fur to bolster their protection.


    Moreover, they rarely fought alone. During hunts, numerouspanions would provide mutual support, so the slight loss in defense shouldn¡¯t pose a significant issue.


    This modification freed their bodies from the limitations of the exoskeleton. With the weight reduction from the absent main body armor, they would be even more agile.


    As their body size increased, only the leg exoskeletons would need periodic recements, significantly reducing energy consumption and associated risks.


    Luo Wen also nned to add a small venom nd at the tip of each leg, hiding a stinger for enhanced attack power. This upgrade would not diminish theirbat capabilities¡ªinstead, it would greatly improve them.


    Additionally, he would incorporate an echolocation system into them. This would allow these new spiderbat bugs to locate enemies more swiftly and urately in jungle environments, better showcasing their potential.


    He also intended to modify their dietary systems, shifting them from carnivorous to omnivorous. This had been an idea Luo Wen had entertained for a long time, but he hadn¡¯t had the ability to implement it until now.


    Furthermore, they would be equipped with hibernation and Tail Lard genes.


    In Luo Wen¡¯s vision, these new spiderbat bugs would be about thirty centimeters in size. A small portion would remain active, subsisting on an omnivorous diet to meet daily needs and maintain the swarm¡¯s vignce. The majority, however, would either feed on dirt or enter hibernation until war broke out. Only during high-intensity conflicts would they be supplemented with meat for energy consumption.


    The Tail Lard gene would allow them to carry additional supplies under certain circumstances, fulfilling special wartime needs.


    Initially, Luo Wen had considered adding an optical stealth system to them, but upon further investigation, he found the cost to be exorbitantly high. The system essentially added a special nano-structure to the surface of the organism, effectively transforming their entire bodies. The energy consumption was staggering.


    After some thought, Luo Wen decided that since the spiderbat bugs would be the primarybat species for the foreseeable future and would mainly engage in group battles, stealth wasn¡¯t particrly necessary.


    In the end, Luo Wen drafted a temte for Spider Combat Bug (Modified), which included the optical stealth system for limited production as a special operations unit.


    With the primarybat species established, he turned to the auxiliary species. The Ultra Giant Soldier Ants, based on the ant temte, would still need to be produced. Their size could even be increased to a range of half a meter to a full meter.


    Given the Spider Combat Bugs¡¯ defensive limitations, they would need ¡°heavily armored infantry¡± to hold the line in direct confrontations.@@novelbin@@


    With the ground forces mostly sorted, the next focus was the air force.


    This was apletely new venture for the swarm, one with no prior experience. Fortunately, Luo Wen had gained ample insight recently, giving him a rough idea of what to do.


    Currently, there were three candidate temtes for the air force: Flying Insect genes, Flying Beetle genes, and Bird genes.


    First, Flying Beetle genes were eliminated. Their body structure made them extremely inefficient at flying. Luo Wen suspected that their evolution of flight wasn¡¯t forbat but simply a workaround for their clumsy terrestrial movement.


    However, their flight mechanism was highly advanced, and Luo Wen believed they would have their moment to shine¡ªjust not now.


    Next, bird genes were dismissed. It all boiled down to cost-effectiveness. While a single thirty-centimeter bird could easily take down a flying insect of simr size, the resources needed to produce one bird could create ten or even dozens of ten-centimeter flying insects.


    One bird was no match for ten flying insects. It might fight to the death and kill most of them, but if it were ten birds versus a hundred flying insects, the birds likely wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to fight to the death.


    Although birds had superior flight capabilities and endurance, those weren¡¯t currently needed. Besides, Luo Wen had better alternatives in mind for such roles in the future.

 Chapter 75: Clash with the Big-headed Ants (1)

    Luo Wen painstakingly orchestrated this situation of overwhelming numbers, not for a fair fight, but to crush the Big-headed Ants decisively. With the swarm¡¯s 2.2 million-strong army versus the Big-headed Ants¡¯ 500,000-strong force, fairness was never on the table.


    In reality, each Ultra-Giant Soldier Ant on the Big-headed Ants¡¯ side faced at least three opponents of equivalent size and strength. This was only because Luo Wen¡¯s swarm had just 200 Ultra-Giants¡ªnot due to ack of desire but the lengthy growth cycle of these massive units.


    Additionally, both the Ultra-Giants and the Giant Soldier Ants were products of new gic temtes. Before their creation, the more than 2,000 Queen Ants already in service were incapable of producing these specialized units.


    These 200 Ultra-Giants and 500 Giants were only developed after the Brood Nestpleted the production of 500 additional Queen Ants. It worked overtime to produce and nurture these massive units to their current size before deploying them to the front lines.


    Thus, in sheer numbers of ultra-sized units, the swarm might stillg behind the Big-headed Ants. However, such disadvantages could easily be mitigated with tactics, as demonstrated here.


    The massivebat units of both sides locked horns immediately upon engagement. The smaller units perched atop these giants used their bodies as bridges to attack the enemy.


    Unfortunately for the Big-headed Ants, their individual unit strength was already inferior to that of the swarm¡¯s counterparts. Adding to this, they were vastly outnumbered, and to make matters worse, the swarm¡¯s Small Soldier Ants employed venom!


    Perhaps in favoring size and muscle during their evolution, the Big-headed Ants had forsaken venomous variants among theirbat units. While their experience with Red Ants made them less vulnerable to venomous foes, they were unprepared for this scenario. Red Antsckedparable giant units, and these titanic Big-headed Ants were always well-guarded by smaller auxiliaries, preventing venomous foes from getting close.


    Now, however, they finally tasted the terror of venomous stingers.With their auxiliaries too few to intercept the swarm¡¯s venomous Soldier Ants, the Big-headed Ant Ultra-Giants could only watch helplessly as the stingers found their way into the gaps in their armor.


    Ironically, while the stingers prated the cracks in their dorsal tes, their short length prevented them from reaching the internal muscles¡ªa hidden advantage of their massive size.


    However, while their dorsal armor proved imprable, their joints were far more vulnerable. Under cover fire from their allies, several venomous Soldier Ants quickly scaled the Ultra-Giants¡¯ legs. Although the giants kicked violently, sending some attackers flying, it did little to prevent the inevitable.


    Stingers pierced into the joints, injecting venom. Within moments, the unarmored muscles began to liquefy. The Ultra-Giants¡¯ colossal bodies wavered, their legs twitching uncontrobly.


    Already at a disadvantage, these behemoths became easy prey once immobilized. The swarm¡¯s Ultra-Giants seized the opportunity to swiftly subdue, kill, and dismember them.


    With the loss of these frontline titans, the morale of the supporting Big-headed Ants crumbled. Without their anchors, they began retreating in disarray.


    Elsewhere, the swarm¡¯s Scorpions handled the Ultra-Giants with brutal efficiency. Taking advantage of the locked engagements, the Scorpions used their massive pincers to mp down on theparatively narrow waists of their opponents. Ignoring the attacks of the supporting Big-headed Ants, the Scorpions exerted tremendous force, splitting their prey in half with a gruesome spray of fluids. Their efficiency was unmatched.


    However, the Scorpions¡¯ shorings were equally apparent. Theirrge pincers excelled at targeting massive units but proved cumbersome against smaller, more agile foes, rendering them clumsy in such situations.


    Ironically, the Big-headed Ant Ultra-Giants faced simr limitations.


    Through this battle, Luo Wen gained a clearer understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of his forces.


    The Ultra-Giants were specialized for taking downrge prey. Without venom or auxiliary support, their enormous mandibles could effortlessly dispatch and dismember such targets. However, they were practically useless against smaller foes. Their head-mounted weapons were even more unwieldy than the Scorpions¡¯ pincers. Without assistance from smaller units, they struggled to kill smaller targets efficiently.


    In short, the Ultra-Giants had very limited utility.


    Take the current battle, for example: after eliminating the enemy¡¯s Ultra-Giants, the swarm¡¯s Ultra-Giants were far less effective at clearing out smaller units than even the Transport Bugs, anotherrgebat unit.


    The Transport Bugs, with their powerful and lightning-quick legs,bined with exceptional dynamic vision, were deadly urate. A single strike often resulted in a kill, and even when it didn¡¯t, the sticky hairs on their ws would capture and immobilize their prey for a finishing bite. Their efficiency was astounding.


    However, Transport Bugs struggled againstrgerbat units, which were rarer. Overall, their cost-effectiveness far surpassed that of the Ultra-Giants.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Practice makes perfect.¡±@@novelbin@@


    This battle served as a valuable test of the swarm¡¯s current unit roster. Luo Wen now had a clearer idea of which units were suitable for development, which should be phased out, and which could be improved. For instance, while the Ultra-Giants might suit the Big-headed Ants¡¯ mode of survival, they were less fitting for the swarm.


    ¡°Perhaps adding adhesive hairs to their joints might address their weakness against smaller units,¡± Luo Wen mused. Despite their low cost-effectiveness, he admired the Ultra-Giants¡¯ imposing appearance and considered producing a limited number with improvements.


    Even as he pondered, Luo Wen kept a close eye on the battlefield.


    With the Big-headed Ants¡¯ giants nearly wiped out, the swarm¡¯s encirclement tightened. Soldier Ants climbed atop the remaining Ultra-Giants, spraying formic acid at the center of the battlefield.


    ¡°Well, there¡¯s another use for Ultra-Giants¡ªthey make great artillery tforms,¡± Luo Wen quipped sarcastically.


    Meanwhile, the Worker Ants leapt to the ground, consolidating spoils and finishing off any wounded Big-headed Ants left behind.

 Chapter 116: Real Combat Drills (1)

    The remaining creatures were primarily beasts and dinosaurs.


    The situation for beasts was rather awkward, as most of them upied the middle to lower levels of the food chain. Even the stronger ones, such as leopards, primarily hunted small birds and various rodents.@@novelbin@@


    However, one creature deserved special mention¡ªa species resembling wild boars. These creatures were about two meters long, stood approximately ny centimeters tall at the shoulder, and had sturdy limbs,rge ears, and a short tail. Their bodies were covered in ck fur, with their backs adorned by a row of rigid bristles. Below that wereyers of coarse hair, while the fur on their abdomens was rtively soft.


    Particrly noteworthy were their sharp, robust tusks protruding from both sides of their mouths. Combined with their muscr build, these creatures delivered a formidable charge with incredible destructive power.


    In addition, they would often roll in mud, coating themselves to enhance their defenses. They typically moved in groups, ranging from a dozen individuals to over a hundred.


    While their diet was broad and consisted mainly of nt matter, including branches, fruits, and roots, these wild boars were undeniably dominant within the forest, boasting strength far surpassing that of leopards.


    As for the other beasts, most were weaklings not worth mentioning.


    Next were the dinosaurs. Among them were some formidable entities at the top of the forest¡¯s food chain.


    From afar, Luo Wen spotted two dinosaurs, each about fifteen meters long, engaged in a fierce battle for reasons unknown.One of the dinosaurs had a dark greenish-ck body, resembling the Tyrannosaurus rex from movies. It stood about six meters tall, with a massive skull nearly two meters long. Its enormous head and unique jaw structure gave it a terrifying bite force, reaching an astounding ten tons, with up to twenty tons of force at the rear of its mouth.


    Adding to this were its interlocking, razor-sharp teeth¡ªits most formidable weapon. Its body was densely packed with muscles, its hind legs were extraordinarily thick, and its tail was robust and powerful. However, its disproportionately short and weak forelimbs detracted from its overall ferocious appearance.


    Even so, this dinosaur likely weighed over ten tons, possibly even more than a thirty-meter-long Diplodocus.


    Additionally, its body was covered with a thick keratinizedyer, providing excellent defense. Its scars and bite marks indicated extensivebat experience.


    Its opponent was a dinosaur with a crimson body, adorned with ck ring-shaped markings. It was slightlyrger than the Tyrannosaurus rex but appeared leaner. Its head was rtively long and narrow, suggesting that its bite force might be inferior to the rex¡¯s.


    However, this crimson-striped dinosaur was more agile. While it also stood on two legs, its forelimbs were much more developed than the rex¡¯s, ending in sharp ws that provided significant offensive capabilities.


    In summary, the Tyrannosaurus rex was stocky and powerful, relying mainly on its teeth and tail as weapons. In contrast, the crimson-striped dinosaur was agile and flexible, boasting an additional weapon in its ws.


    The two dinosaurs fought back and forth, evenly matched.


    Luo Wen, who had approached stealthily, initially thought he could take advantage of the situation. However, to his dismay, the two behemoths, seemingly fighting fiercely, were merely sparring. After inflicting minor injuries on each other, they amicably parted ways, leaving Luo Wen empty-handed in his attempt to scavenge.


    The roars of these two titans echoed through the forest, demonstrating their immense power. However, despite their loud voices, they attracted few onlookers, a fact that made Luo Wen, an outsider, realize that these two were likely the apex predators of this forest.


    Sharing the same territory, these two would undoubtedly be obstacles to the swarm¡¯s development in the future. Yet Luo Wen wasn¡¯t overly concerned. Judging by their massive size, their food consumption must be astonishing.


    Perhaps, within a hundred kilometers, there were only three or four such creatures. Against such immensely powerful but numerically inferior entities, the swarm had plenty of methods to turn them into nourishment.


    After wandering outside for some time, Luo Wen returned to find that the base had thoroughly taken over the big-headed ants¡¯ nest. However, the fungi produced by the nest weren¡¯t enough to sustain the swarm¡¯s continued growth.


    Fortunately, the first batch of one hundred Modified Spider Combat Bugs had fully matured and reachedbat readiness.


    Two dayster, after Luo Wen returned to the base and rested for a night, the swarmunched its firstrge-scale hunting operation in the forest.


    The expeditionary force consisted of one hundred Modified Spider Combat Bugs, twenty Type I Flying Bugs, and fifty Type II Flying Bugs. The total force of fewer than two hundred made this operation seem rather modest.


    But Luo Wen knew this was a brand-newbat experience. If the new operational system seeded, the swarm¡¯s expansion would face no bottlenecks in the near future, growing exponentially.


    Luo Wen personallymanded this operation, with all the Queen Ants observing and learning through the Swarm Network.


    A buzzing sound rose as seventy flying bugs took off from the airbase, joining the ground-based spiderbat bugs as they advanced into the forest.


    Twenty Type I Flying Bugs split from the main group, scattering forward in a dispersed formation. Using ultrasonic waves generated by their vibrating wings, they formed an invisible sonar, vividly mapping everything within its coverage.


    As the pushed forward, the expeditionary force discovered their prey.


    It was a group of small dinosaur-like creatures, numbering about a dozen. These creatures resembled birds more than traditional dinosaurs. Averaging over a meter in length, they had conspicuous red crests on their heads, long necks, short tails, and bodies covered with fine feathers. Their two forelimbs, sparsely adorned with feathers, appeared more decorative than functional.


    At the moment, they remained oblivious to the impending danger, gathered in small groups as they scratched the soil with their hind ws, searching for insectrvae buried beneath.


    Guided by aerial reconnaissance, the spiderbat bugs swiftly positioned themselves. Within seconds, the small bird-like dinosaurs were simultaneously ambushed.


    The sky was a blind spot for these bird-like dinosaurs. Although they reacted quickly as the thirty-centimeter-long spiders descended upon them, it was already toote.


    The spiderbat bugs used the hooks and adhesive hairs on their legs totch firmly onto the bird-like dinosaurs¡¯ backs.


    The seemingly defenseless creatures disyed unexpected tenacity. They twisted their long necks into impossible angles, using their sharp beaks tounch counterattacks at the spiders clinging to their backs.


    However, the spiderbat bugs were not there to wrestle. Their multi-jointed legs allowed them to maneuver deftly across the dinosaurs¡¯ narrow backs, evading the beaks¡¯ strikes.


    At the same time, they revealed their true weapon.

 Chapter 118: Storage Issues (1)

    The stench of blood had drawn some keen-scented predators toward the swarm¡¯s base. They lurked, observed, and edged closer.


    But as soon as they crossed a certain perimeter, they were detected by the Type I Flying Bugs patrolling the skies. These bugs immediately ryed the situation through the Swarm Network to two Queen Ants stationed in nearby sub-bases.


    The Queen Ants, having received prior authorization to ess the vision of lower-ranking insects, assessed the situation. However, unsure of how to proceed, they promptly escted the matter to Luo Wen.


    The entire process happened swiftly. In fact, from the detection of the intruders to Luo Wen receiving the alert, less than thirty seconds had passed. Some of the cautious predators hadn¡¯t even moved from their positions.


    Switching to the perspective of an airborne Type I Flying Bug, Luo Wen observed the intruders. He quickly realized their caution stemmed from weakness.


    Though the creatures were varied in type, they shared amon trait: small size. Thergest among them measured barely over two meters in length. Most were beasts with sturdy limbs, whether bipedal or quadrupedal, optimized for running.


    Their offensive and defensive capabilities were unimpressive. Based on Luo Wen¡¯s observations of the local ecosystem, most of these creatures were scavengers, feeding on nt and animal remains¡ªnature¡¯s cleanup crew.


    Among them were Tail Lard Rats, whichcked the strength to hunt but eagerly sought leftovers, and smaller dinosaur-like creatures that asionally hunted but didn¡¯t mind scraps.


    After scanning the group, Luo Wen concluded that none of them posed a serious threat. He returned the handling authority to the Queen Ants, instructing them to properly ¡°wee¡± the visitors. Since they hade all this way, they might as well stay for a while.The Queen Ants had proven adept at learning and mimicking. Although Luo Wen¡¯sstmanded battle had ended quickly, dozens of Queen Ants had been observing and exchanging insights. This situation presented a perfect opportunity to hone their skills against weaker opponents. It would also help train future Queen Ants, sparing Luo Wen from having to personally demonstrate every time. It was akin to learning to drive: earlier learners would teach the neers.


    Returning his consciousness to his body, Luo Wen set off toward the base. While the battle itself didn¡¯t require his intervention, the subsequent task of transporting the spoils was his responsibility.


    By the time Luo Wen reached the base, the battle had been over for quite some time. Corpses of various animalsy scattered around the perimeter.


    This was despite the swarm¡¯s limited manpower, which prevented them from attacking all at once, scaring off many of the intruders.


    Even so, the resulting haul weighed over two tons. Luo Wen spent an entire day transporting it back to the base.


    During this period, two more waves of ¡°food delivery¡± arrived.


    One group consisted of dog-like creatures with mottled ck, white, and yellow fur thatcked any aesthetic appeal. Though small in stature, about a dozen of them arrived as a pack. They were muscr, fast, and had impressive stamina. Unfortunately for them, none of these traits mattered against the swarm¡¯s new venom.


    Interestingly, these mottled dogs had a unique jaw structure, boasting the strongest bite force Luo Wen had seen among beasts. Even leopards, slightlyrger in size, paled inparison. The leopards, however, excelled in short bursts of speed butcked the endurance of these canines.


    Moreover, leopards were solitary hunters, though their tree-climbing ability allowed them to catch birds. Without this skill, they might not evenpete with the dogs onnd.


    Both species had gic traits thatplemented each other, offering potential as temtes for creating a newbat organism.


    The base¡¯s surroundings were dotted with mounds of earth. Withoutrge excavation units, construction of underground storage facilities progressed slowly.@@novelbin@@


    At this rate, it would be some time before the storage chambers werepleted. Meanwhile, the umting prey presented a logistical headache. The current wave consisted mostly of small-time scavengers, but who could say when one of the area¡¯s apex predators might show up?


    The amassed food alone was enough to lure those top-tier creatures.


    Should he produce more Burrower Ants to speed up excavation?


    Yet Burrower Ants required a lengthy growth period, taking at least several dozen days to mature. Too many variables could arise in that time. Nheless, Luo Wen reluctantly ced an order for a few Burrower Ants, which would likely bepleted alongside the Heavy-armored Soldier Ants.


    Even so, Luo Wen felt dissatisfied. This approach merely treated the symptoms, not the root cause. The current gic reserves were no longer as scarce as they once were. With so many new gic fragments recently collected and his capabilities enhanced severalfold, surely a better solution existed.


    He calmed himself and began recalling all the creatures he had encountered, analyzing which abilities might prove useful.


    The crux of the issue was the swarm¡¯s small size. Back when the swarm spanned ten kilometers, they had managed to dispose of mountains of insect carcasses in no time.


    Of course, back then, no other creatures dared to covet the swarm¡¯s spoils.


    Reflecting on the past held little value. Luo Wen first considered the saliva preservation method used by Worker Ants, who had once mixed their saliva with formic acid to coat and preserve food.


    Though still effective, this method faced the same limitation: the swarm¡¯s small scale. Millions of Worker Ants were insufficient to process over two tons of food quickly. Moreover, their processing methods inevitably released a lot of scent,promising safety.


    Luo Wen then contemted other animal food storage methods. However, most creatures operated on a ¡°meal-to-meal¡± basis, leaving them free of his current worries.


    Others, like Tail Lard Rats, had evolved specialized organs to store food internally. Yet such strategies held little relevance for this situation.


    Suddenly, Luo Wen thought of web-building spiders.


    Some spiders wrapped their prey in silk for preservation, periodically injecting venom to keep them subdued but alive. Luo Wen nced at the already-dead prey¡ªthis method was clearly impractical. Perhaps it could be tested in the future, but for now, none of the swarm¡¯s insects possessed silk-producing nds.


    Another spider type injected digestive enzymes into prey, turning their bodies into natural containers. Luo Wen had used this approach when processing the Long-Faced Beast, but the dissolved muscle tissue required immediate consumption to prevent rapid decay.

 Chapter)

    [T/N: This isn¡¯t a regr chapter but rather a reflection from the author. You can skip it if you¡¯d like, but I¡¯ve included it to maintain the chapter numbering and because it offers an interesting glimpse into the author¡¯s perspective on the story. Also don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll release another chapter to make up for this one.]


    Unknowingly, this book has reached over 250,000 words. First and foremost, I¡¯d like to thank all the readers for their unwavering support.


    This is the author¡¯s first published book. The idea of writing a novel came to metest year. Initially, I wanted my first book to explore the Zerg (insect swarm) genre. However, when I began drafting, I quickly realized how much knowledge was required. Out ofziness, I temporarily shelved the idea and decided to practice by writing a different story first.


    Thus, my first book was set in an apocalyptic world. I spent a long time crafting a logically consistent setting and began writing in October. After over a month of intense effort, I amassed 200,000 words and started uploading chapters. It was only after publishing that I discovered numerous issues, realizing just how much there is to pay attention to when writing a novel.


    The apocalyptic genre proved difficult, as it involved many sensitive topics that required revisions to avoid issues. Rewriting parts of the story before uploading felt like wasting half the initial effort. As a novice, I struggled to adapt the narrative to meet guidelines effectively. Unsurprisingly, the book¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t great, with the ¡°golden finger¡± (special ability) taking a long time to appear.


    After a few days of uploads, a writing contest was announced on December 1st. Using this as an excuse, I abandoned that book¡ªfortunately, no one was reading it anyway.


    This book was born under such circumstances. Once I started, I realized just how exhausting it is to write, especially in the sci-fi genre. Sometimes, I¡¯d spend hours researching only to produce a few sentences. However, writing this book has significantly expanded my knowledge of biology, which I consider a reward in itself.


    As a neer, tackling this story was a real challenge. In the early chapters, the protagonist had no interaction with any intelligent beings, creating arge, isted environment.


    The protagonist was an ordinary person in their past life, with no special training or survival experience. To urately depict this, I referenced various social experiments, like spending 30 days in a cabin or survival challenges on deserted inds. However, those scenarios weren¡¯t truly hopeless¡ªthe participants knew they were part of an experiment, could quit at any time, and still existed within human society.Even Robinson Crusoe, who survived 28 years on a deserted ind, had apanion in Friday and knew he hadn¡¯t left Earth. Across the ocean, human civilization continued, and there was always the chance of rescue, even if it took years.


    But the protagonist¡¯s situation was truly bleak. Transformed into an insect and stranded on an alien, just surviving was an extraordinary feat. As a novice writer, Icked the skill to fully convey the protagonist¡¯splex emotions¡ªstruggling to survive while battling moments of depression and nihilism whenever they had a moment to rest.


    Theck of dialogue or interaction early in the story was another hurdle. I considered introducing intelligent insects, like Big ck, to interact with the protagonist. This would have added word count and made the story more engaging.


    However, deviating from the original outline would have required rewriting everything, and suddenly granting the insects advanced intelligence would have been jarring and against the book¡¯s core premise.


    Since this book represents the start of my writing journey¡ªa realization of a dream¡ªI chose to prioritize my vision over chasing trends.


    As a result, the book began with a very niche concept: a protagonist who is an insect, making it hard for readers to immerse themselves. At around 80,000 words, it had only a few dozen collections. Then, a website rmendation brought over 100 new collections in a week, but that was the end of the momentum. The book¡¯s performance was dismal.


    Early on, I connected with other writers through forums and author tools. When they heard about the book¡¯s struggles, they advised me to drop it, saying continuing would be a waste of time.


    However, having already abandoned one project, I worried that cutting this one would set a precedent, making it harder to everplete a novel.@@novelbin@@


    So, I resolved that even if no one read it¡ªeven if it was purely for my love of writing¡ªI would finish this book my way.


    As the story progressed, more readers gradually discovered it. I deeply admire these readers because, without rmendations, even I would struggle to find this book without directly searching for its title.


    Over time, collections,ments, and even some tips started trickling in. Whenever I received a system notification, it filled me with joy¡ªa sign of support and encouragement.


    Originally, I thought having a few hundred collections byunch would be a sess. But to my surprise, collections have grown significantly in recent weeks, with dozens added daily. Not only did I hit the 1,000-collection milestone, but it¡¯s now surpassed 1,700.


    Though this pales inparison to books with tens or hundreds of thousands of collections, it far exceeds my expectations. Thank you all for your support.

 Chapter 79: Battle Against the Big-headed Ants (5)

    The acidic solution in the trenches gradually drained and dried up. The number of Big-headed Ant troops was also steadily decreasing. Although reinforcements sporadically arrived on the battlefield via the bridge, their numbers were negligible.


    By the time the main forces of the Big-headed Ants crossed the trench to rejoin the battle, the original force of over 500,000 had dwindled to fewer than 100,000.


    As reinforcements arrived, the Swarm troops fought and retreated. Once the number of Big-headed Ant troops crossing the trench reached a critical level, the same tactics were employed again.


    Through two cycles of attrition, the Big-headed Ants lost around one million soldiers. Unfortunately, the Worker Ants of the Swarm had exhausted their reserves of acidic solution and could not repeat the tactic a third time.


    Luckily, no further reinforcements emerged from the Big-headed Ant nest at this point. The forces on the ground appeared to represent their entire remaining reserves. Luo Wen estimated their numbers to be around four million.


    The Swarm, having lost approximately 100,000 troops during the two bouts of attrition, was left with around 2.9 million soldiers.


    2.9 million vs. 4 million.


    Considering the numerous miniaturebat units among the Big-headed Ants, the battle would still be a tough one. The next stage would be a head-on confrontation.


    The fighting was fierce. Luo Wen even joined the fray personally. As a unique colossus on the battlefield, he could kill numerous Big-headed Ants simply by smashing his massive pincers into the ground. However, this move was indiscriminate and risked injuring his own troops.But such concerns were a luxury he could no longer afford. Leveraging the advantage of his long arms, he did his best to avoid friendly fire. Meanwhile, Soldier Ants swarmed over his body, defending his blind spots, like his back.


    Every time Luo Wen¡¯s pincers struck, a few agile enemies would climb up his limbs. At these moments, the Soldier Ants on his body would deal with the intruders.


    The Big-headed Ants, to their credit, refrained from employing underhanded tactics like poisoning, which minimized their threat to Luo Wen. Of course, this was only true for small numbers of them.


    The battlested a full day and night, a sh devoid of strategy, fought purely with brute force.


    In the end, the Swarm barely eked out a victory.


    Luo Wen surveyed the battlefield. Of the Swarm¡¯s giantbat units, only a single Giant Scorpion remained; all others had perished. The Soldier Ants and Worker Ants had also been decimated, leaving few survivors.


    Out of 10,000 Transport Bugs, the more agile and sharp-eyed among the Swarm, over 3,000 had died. Additionally, another 2,000 had suffered irreparable injuries that hindered their mobility. Since the Swarm did not sustain creatures with no value, these would be recycled.


    After ounting for losses, of the original 2.9 million troops, fewer than 100,000 remained. Most of these survivors were nonbatant functional units, such as 5,000 Mucus Bugs.


    The battlefield was strewn with corpses, a small area bearing the remains of nearly seven million insects.


    Although his forces were decimated, Luo Wen felt no regret. Victory was all that mattered; the winner would im everything.


    With the corpses left behind, the Swarm¡¯s 3,000 Queen Ants would need only one growth cycle to replenish the army, perhaps even surpassing its former strength.


    Meanwhile, the Big-headed Ants had lost over seven million troops. How their nest sustained such numbers was a mystery¡ªone that had lost its protectors and awaited Luo Wen to uncover.


    Still, Luo Wen did not immediately excavate the nest. Although the Big-headed Ants had been defeated, no one could predict what might remain within theirir. After such an exhausting battle, his forces were severely depleted.


    Since the nest would not run away, his immediate priority was to process the spoils of war.


    Luo Wen ordered his remaining troops to guard the battlefield while he, despite his exhaustion, returned to the forward base.


    He dispatched multiple Scout Bugs to all nearby bases, ordering each to send half of their forces for reinforcements. Without resting, Luo Wen then rallied the 200 Queen Ants and all other remaining bugs from the outpost¡ªa group of roughly 50,000 to 60,000¡ªand rushed back to the battlefield.


    Fortunately, the battlefield had remained undisturbed during their absence.


    The outpost forces, mainlyposed of Burrower Ants, were put to work immediately. They, along with the surviving Giant Scorpion, excavated a temporary shelter.


    The Queen Ants began processing the corpses scattered across the field,ying eggs directly.


    Over the next two days, as reinforcements streamed in from rear territories, the Swarm¡¯s numbers swelled back to 500,000. Tirelessly, the bugs cleaned the battlefield, transporting most of the spoils back to their territory. A smaller portion was left on-site for the Queen Ants to consume.


    With his forces replenished, Luo Wen regained his confidence.


    At hismand, the Swarm surrounded the Big-headed Ant nest.


    The nest had numerous exits and an abundance of mysterious openings at the top. Unwilling to disperse his troops, Luo Wen simply selected one entrance and ordered his forces to advance while he waited outside.


    The operation progressed smoothly. The Big-headed Ants had indeed depleted their forces. The Swarm encountered minimal resistance inside the nest, as evidenced by their negligible casualties upon emerging.


    In addition to capturing the Queen Ant of the Big-headed Ants, the Swarm also retrieved some peculiar items.


    One of these was a mass resembling chewed leaves mixed with saliva, then dried. In some areas, leaf veins were still faintly visible. The substance was intertwined with a web-likework of white fibers.


    Luo Wen scratched his head, unsure of its purpose. However, the visible leaf veins indicated this was the Big-headed Ants¡¯ hidden secret.


    Unable to discern much from its appearance, Luo Wen summoned Burrower Ants and the Giant Scorpion for assistance and began excavating the nest himself.


    An hourter, he had dug out a cross-section of the nest to better observe its structure, hoping the special materials¡¯ storage locations might reveal some clues.


    The Big-headed Ant nest was unlike anything Luo Wen had seen before. It featured aplex spiral design with winding passages that widened into rooms at intervals. The deeper the spiral, therger it became, resembling a circr pyramid.


    Each chamber along the spiral passage stored the leaf-like substance and white fibers. These were fused into a honeb structure filled with empty holes.


    Deeper underground, within these spiral chambers, Luo Wen discovered the honeb structures also housed eggs,rvae, and pupae.


    ¡°It looks like a ntation,¡± Luo Wen spected. He vaguely recalled that some intelligent ant species cultivated their own food. Perhaps the Big-headed Ants were such a species.@@novelbin@@


    Though theirrge heads seemed to be filled only with muscle.


    Testing his theory was simple.


    The Big-headed Ant Queen was still alive. Luo Wen ced it back inside the nest to observe its behavior.

 Chapter 126: The T-Rex and the Boar Insect Beast (2)

    Luo Wen¡¯s initial design was inspired by the survival mechanisms of animals and insects that shed limbs to escape danger. He nned to make the spiral horn of the Boar Insect Beast detachable.


    However, this approachpromised the structural integrity of the horn. During an impact, if the enemy¡¯s armor was too strong, the spiral horn could break off before prating the defense.


    The solebat purpose of the Boar Insect Beast was to drive its horn deep into the enemy¡¯s body. Such ws would hinder its effectiveness.


    Moreover, even if the detachable design worked, the Boar Insect Beast would lose its horn after one collision. Regrowing the horn would take considerable time, during which the beast could not enter dormancy and would need constant food intake.


    With all this in mind, Luo Wen decided to go with a unified structure. Even if the Boar Insect Beast died, as long as its flesh remained intact, the materials could be recycled to produce another one. Cost analysis revealed this approach was more economical than the detachable model.


    Although the T-Rex managed to crush two Boar Insect Beasts, its fate was sealed the moment its body was pierced by a spiral horn. Lacking any resistance to poison, its powerful, rapid heartbeat only hastened its demise. The toxin quickly mixed with its blood and spread throughout its body at an astonishing rate.


    Paralyzed by the venom disrupting its neural signals, the T-Rex copsed to the ground. It could no longer perceive external stimuli, its consciousness trapped in a dark void as it awaited death.


    Next to the T-Rex¡¯sir, a branch base of the swarm was established. This marked the swarm¡¯s first terrestrial branch base since Luo Wen¡¯s awakening.


    With improved species, both the size and mobility of the swarm units had drastically increased. Their operational range expanded tens or even hundreds of times. The era when multiple swarm bases crowded a few hundred meters of territory was now a thing of the past.Luo Wen remotelymanded this battle via the Swarm Network. Once the fight concluded, he shifted his focus elsewhere. The des had remarkable learning capabilities, and they would handle simr enemies on their own in the future.


    The forest¡¯s unique apex creatures and factions were limited in variety. Before the swarm conquered the entire forest, Luo Wen could work undisturbed on his nt seed experiments.


    Recently, he had found a new approach: using the primitive genes of the Iphieash species to bridge the gap between animal and nt genes.


    The results of this new experimental organism exceeded Luo Wen¡¯s expectations. The experiment was heading into uncharted territory, and he could not predict the oue. However, he had a strong feeling that the results would be positive, and he eagerly anticipated the final product.


    The Brood Nest was now focused on producing Brood Queens. Newly birthed queens were transported to branch bases during their juvenile stage to make relocation manageable.


    As the Brood Queens arrived, swarm bases began multiplying rapidly, and the territory expanded swiftly. Whether giant pythons,rge carnivorous T-Rexes, or other predators, none could evade the swarm¡¯s aerial scouts unless they left the forest entirely.


    The timing of their eradication depended solely on the swarm¡¯s food reserves.


    In truth, the swarm¡¯s daily consumption was rtively low. Only a small portion of the army remained inbat readiness; most of the units consisted of aerial scouts. These small, lightweight fliers required minimal food to sustain themselves.


    The majority ofbat units would enter collective dormancy. Patrol units sustained themselves by consuming soil to maintain minimal energy levels. When facing battle or invasion, the des would use the Swarm Network to awaken select units.


    Thus, the hardest-working members of the swarm were the Worker Drones and Worker Ants. With Luo Wen¡¯s experiments yielding greater spore crop yields, maintaining the swarm¡¯s daily needs became effortless.


    This ushered in a brief period of tranquility in the forest. Although vast tracts ofnd were being incorporated into the swarm¡¯s domain daily, Luo Wen understood the principles of sustainable development and long-term gains. As a result, the forest¡¯s original ecosystem wasrgely preserved, with the exception of the previous apex predators and factions, which had now been reduced to one: the swarm.


    upying the top of the food chain, the swarm fulfilled its role by periodically culling forest creatures to prevent overpoption.


    The forest effectively became a massive breeding ground, supplying the swarm with an endless source of sustenance.


    To Luo Wen¡¯s surprise, a group of Triceratops was discovered deep within the forest. After a carefully nned hunt, he sessfully acquired their gic material. This led to an upgrade for the Anti-T-Rex Impact Injector Beast.@@novelbin@@


    The new swarm beast, modeled after the Triceratops, measured 7¨C9 meters in length, stood 2.5 meters tall, and weighed 8¨C10 tons. Beyond equipping its three iconic horns with injection tubes and venom sacs, little was altered.


    Despite being herbivorous, the Triceratops¡¯ sturdy head shield and sharp horns allowed it to counterattack and even kill a T-Rex inbat. With the addition of venom injection, this new beast required no assistance from other swarm units to defeatrge carnivorous dinosaurs, achieving a high sess rate.


    As a result, the Anti-T-Rex Collision Beast evolved from a disposable unit into a robust main battle tank. Its name was changed to Triceratops Beast.


    With the aid of the Triceratops Beast, the swarm no longer needed to frequently replenish its frontline collision units. In a short time, they had eradicated all carnivorous dinosaur species within a thousand-kilometer radius.


    Numerous Brood Queens were dispatched to establish new bases. The swarm¡¯s rapid territorial expansion and the elimination of apex predators raised concerns about ecological bnce. To address this, the dormantbat units were reactivated and, under the des¡¯mand, conducted sweeps across the region.


    The abundance of prey led to a surplus of food that the swarm couldn¡¯t consume in time. The forest¡¯s oppressive heat exposed storage issues, asrge quantities of food risked spoge. Although the swarm initiated a new round of mass unit production, the hatching process was still underway, leaving vast amounts of food at risk of rotting.


    It was at this time that Luo Wen made an extraordinary discovery in his experiments.


    He found a hybrid organism that defied categorization as either nt or animal.


    This organism,bining nt and animal genes, exhibited remarkable traits. Genes from algae, ferns, and mosses enabled it to grow rapidly and adapt to various environments, including water surfaces and underwater habitats.


    Lichen genes granted it the ability to break down rocks and minerals, absorbing essential nutrients directly from them.


    Shade-tolerant nt genes allowed it to thrive in dim, lightless underground settings without relying on photosynthesis.


    The incorporation of vine genes enabled it to parasitize other nts, extracting nutrients directly from their hosts.

 Chapter 81: Development

    Luo Wen casually tossed a small ck beetle into his mouth, followed by the others, ensuring he fully absorbed their gic traits.


    Having acquired what he needed, Luo Wen wasted no time returning to the Brood Nest.


    Of the 500 new-generation Queen Ants ordered, 200 had already been produced. Luo Wen promptly integrated the newly acquired gic fragments into the remaining Queens¡¯ gic database, securing a foundation for his aquatic unit production base.


    As time passed, the 200 matured Queen Ants were transported to the front lines, where they were needed to manage a massive Big-headed Ant nest.


    The original Big-headed Ant Queen and surviving Worker Ants, after demonstrating their utility, were consumed. The ntation, left untended, desperately needed new caretakers.


    Three hundred older Queen Ants stationed near the area were reassigned throughout the Big-headed Ant territory, as the region was fraught with peril, bordered by over a dozen Red Ant nests.


    Previously, the Swarm¡¯s forces had been dangerously thin, making arge-scale Red Ant invasion difficult to repel. However, the Swarm¡¯s strength across its 3,000 bases ensured that troop replenishment could be aplished swiftly.


    With forces in the region now exceeding 2 million, any Red Ant incursions, unless united on a massive scale, would be suicidal.@@novelbin@@


    With the new Queens in ce, Swarm cultivators were rapidly hatched and gradually assumed control of the ntation. Despite their efforts,bor shortages persisted, given the ntation¡¯s sizerge enough to sustain seven million Big-headed Ants¡ªand the delicate nature of the fungal crops.Fortunately, the older Worker Ants, based on the ck Ant temte, unexpectedly demonstrated an ability to manage the ntation. Whether this was due to their learning capacity or some other factor, they quickly adapted to farming duties.


    This eliminated the need to wait for the new Worker Ants modeled on the Big-headed Ant temte. Large numbers of the older Worker Ants were reassigned to the Big-headed Ant nest, greatly alleviating thebor shortage.


    As the new Queens matured, they were initially intended to support the front lines. However, with the older Worker Ants taking over the ntations, the new Queens were directed elsewhere.


    New bases were established along theke and riverbanks. Swarms of aquatic soldiers began deploying into the water. Resembling inverted boats, these units varied in size.


    Smaller versions matched the original beetles at 2¨C3 centimeters in length, whilerger ones, measuring up to half a meter, dwarfed even the Giant Scorpion, making them thergest Swarm units aside from Luo Wen himself.


    These massive aquatic units were produced in limited quantities and primarily served as transport vessels, ferrying Scout Bugs across the river. Futurerge-scale production would depend on situational needs.


    For the time being, the Swarm ceased territorial expansion. With the integration of agricultural systems, the Swarm¡¯s carrying capacity had significantly increased. Burrower Ants were added back into the production lineup, withrge numbers hatched to assist in reconfiguring existing bases.


    Thanks to their efforts, the original bases were reorganized. Spiral corridors were added, and new ntations were excavated, modeled entirely after the Big-headed Ant nest.


    The Big-headed Ants, with their long history in agriculture, were far more specialized than Luo Wen. For example, he had long wondered about the numerous small holes dotting the top of their nest. After taking over their nest and experimenting, he discovered these were venttion shafts.


    The fungal crops generated significant heat during growth. If this heat wasn¡¯t expelled, it would harm both the crops and the ants. The spiral corridors, chamber designs, and venttion shafts were integral to this heat management system.


    Until the nest¡¯s structure and potential hidden functions were fully understood, Luo Wen decided to replicate it entirely, refining his knowledge through practice.


    In the following days, the Swarm entered a period of steady development. The northern army ceased exploration, and the other two armies slowed their advance.


    The new agricultural system required significant manpower. While it took the Big-headed Ants an unknown amount of time to build up their numbers, the Swarm could capitalize on its innate advantages.


    Luo Wen ordered a new batch of Queen Ants¡ª2,000 in total. These Queens would not have their own territories but would instead act as production tools, replenishing manpower across existing bases.


    This was only a temporary measure. Once the agricultural system was perfected andbor shortages resolved, the Swarm would resume its expansion. At that point, these Queens would receive their own territories.


    By then, there would be not just three armies but a fourth¡ªa new eastern army that would cross the river to im newnds.


    The river, now dominated by the Swarm, would no longer impede their expansion.


    Time passed, and Luo Wen, his energy refocused, settled into a period of calm. Transport Bugs departed the former Big-headed Ant nest, distributing fungal crop seeds to various bases.


    As the ntations at each base were established and began producing, the Swarm¡¯s poption grew rapidly. Previously, each base averaged 5,000 members; now, they housed 30,000 on average¡ªa number far from their limit.


    With over 3,000 bases, the Swarm¡¯s poption approached one hundred million¡ªa staggering figure.


    With such numbers, the Swarm would no longer engage in a grueling battle against a Big-headed Ant nest but would instead crush it outright.


    During this time, five Red Ant nests near the former Big-headed Ant territory invaded Swarmnds. Luo Wen effortlessly mobilized 5 million troops from nearby bases,unching direct assaults on the Red Ant nests, reducing them to protein stores and iming their territories¡ªno subterfuge required.


    The overwhelming defeats made these battles joyless for Luo Wen. As the Swarm grew ever stronger, the known enemies posed little challenge. Perhaps only the Yellow Earth Ant Legion, with its gue-like numbers, could provide a worthy fight.


    Despite his growing confidence, Luo Wen remained pragmatic. While the Swarm had be far stronger, it stillgged several tiers behind the Yellow Earth Ant Legion.


    To contend with them, the Swarm needed more time to develop. But with the Swarm¡¯s potential, Luo Wen was confident that this time would be short.

 Chapter 131: Gazing at the Stars

    The Storm Gods¡ªaerial motherships with unparalleled mobility and transport capabilities¡ªhad enabled the swarm to take bold strides forward. However, the pace of expansion had far exceeded the swarm¡¯s troop reserves, making it impossible to simultaneously establish bases across the continent. Fortunately, the swarm¡¯s agility meant that no base required a standing force of millions as before.


    Each location needed only a juvenile Brood Queen, a fungal carpet seed, and a small contingent of auxiliary units. Given time, a swarm base would gradually take shape.


    Even in the face of insurmountable threats, as long as the base could hold out briefly, the airbases constructed with higher priority could quickly deploy reinforcements to the troubled area.


    At worst, retaliation was always an option.


    Gradually, the bases began to develop and expand, radiating their influence outward.


    One apex predator after another, such as the T-Rex, was located, surrounded, and hunted down. These massive creatures, with their voracious appetites, were no longer needed in the swarm¡¯s territory. Initially, they had been left alone to maintain ecological bnce, but that was no longer necessary.


    As time passed, the swarm, now unrivaled onnd, began to extend its reach into the ocean. Luo Wen already had gic temtes for various marine organisms, such as crabs, prawns, and mantis shrimp.


    During the conquest of thend, he had also acquired numerous aquatic genes, including those of carnivorous fish and crocodiles. Although many were freshwater species, Luo Wen¡¯s mastery of gic modification allowed him to adapt them to survive and thrive in saltwater environments.


    With its exceptional logistics and resource-gathering capabilities,bined with a diverse array of specialized units, the swarm gradually upied the coastal shallows around the continent.Even the sunless deep ocean was not beyond the swarm¡¯s reach. Exploration teams were dispatched to these depths, where vision was less effective but echolocation¡ªadapted from bat abilities¡ªproved invaluable. This unique adaptation shone underwater, enabling the swarm to extend its territory further into the deep sea.


    Although the swarm¡¯s numbers were significantly smaller than before Luo Wen¡¯s long slumber, its upied territory had expanded severalfold. With everything running smoothly, Luo Wen found himself growing increasingly idle and bored.


    In the following days, Luo Wen wandered aimlessly across the swarm¡¯s vast domain. Sometimes, he would climb to the peaks of towering mountains to watch the sunrise. Other times, he would sit on a sandy beach, gazing at the moonlight reflecting on the waves.


    His wanderings, however, were not without purpose. Despite the swarm¡¯s advanced transportation system and the fact that Luo Wen had already collected most of the¡¯s gic material, certain organisms and nts were difficult to preserve. Now that circumstances allowed, Luo Wen preferred to sample them fresh.


    Years passed in the blink of an eye. Luo Wen had experienced nearly everything this had to offer. Apart from the unexplored depths of the ocean, he had traversed most of the¡¯s surface.


    Yet, with time, a growing sense of loneliness gnawed at him. The vastness of the felt like a gilded cage¡ªa cage nheless.


    Lying on a fine, soft beach, the salty sea breeze brushing his face, Luo Wen gazed up at the starlit sky. Above him, two moons glowed amid countless sparkling stars.


    This, untouched by pollution, offered an astonishingly clear view of the night sky. Ever since the first time he had admired the celestial panorama by the sea, stargazing had be one of Luo Wen¡¯s favorite pastimes.


    Looking at the dazzling stars, he often wondered: Where was this ce? Was one of those distant lights Earth? Were there aliens out there? If he could return to Earth, would he now be considered an alien himself?


    Such thoughts often brought a lump to his throat.


    Soon, his thoughts shifted. Now that he had essentially mastered this, with an unknown lifespan ahead, how should he spend the endless years? Could he truly live out his days as the ary lord¡±?


    If so, how would he endure the boundless stretches of time?


    He recalled an old adage from his previous life: ¡°Our journey lies among the stars and the seas.¡± Perhaps he could set his sights beyond this world.


    But was that even possible?


    Luo Wen, thoughcking astronomical knowledge, knew enough to understand how hostile outer space was to life. The vacuum, extreme cold, and relentless radiation were more than enough to obliterate any living being.


    Moreover, even contemting such ambitions was premature¡ªhe had no idea how to reach outer space. The Storm Gods had a maximum flight altitude of less than 20,000 meters. Using them to breach the atmosphere was nothing short of a fantasy.


    As for relying on his evolutionary talent to develop such capabilities, the time required was incalcble. His talent wasn¡¯t omnipotent; it merely elerated evolution.


    The specialized abilities of a species usually required tens of thousands, even millions of years to evolve. Even if Luo Wen shortened this timespan by a thousand or ten thousand times, the effort required would still be daunting.


    This was why Luo Wen often practiced what he called ¡°the doctrine of borrowing.¡± Many biological abilities were the result of eons of refinement¡ªproven and perfected. If ready-made solutions were avable, why reinvent the wheel?


    For example, species with low offensive capabilities often evolved defensive traits. Hardened carapaces were the mostmon, but regenerative abilities and toxins were also defensive adaptations. Predatory species, on the other hand, always had sharp fangs and ws.


    The Iphieash¡¯s strengthy in its ability to absorb such genes,bine them, and enhance both offense and defense¡ªthen improve further from that baseline.


    However, evolving spacefaring capabilities from scratch? Luo Wen had never heard of a creature achieving such a feat. Attempting it himself was not only time-consuming but might even prove impossible.


    Nevertheless, he had noticed during some of his gic experiments that understanding specific theories could make it easier to acquire or derive certain abilities.


    For instance, he had extensively used toxin sacs in the past and was familiar with their mechanics. This familiarity allowed him to refine and miniaturize the sacs, integrating them into the legs of the Spider Combat Bugs with ease.


    Perhaps if he had learned rocket science in his previous life, he might now be able to elerate the gic evolution needed for space exploration.


    In his former life, he had indeed built rockets¡ªand even spacecraft¡ªbut only in video games. Gathering resources, clicking ¡°build,¡± and waiting for a progress bar to fill was his entire process. The finished product would then appear magically before him.


    He knew nothing of the underlying principles.


    Reality wasn¡¯t a game, and such shortcuts were impossible.@@novelbin@@


    Here, there was no Baidu, no libraries, and no books or research materials. Even if Luo Wen wanted to be self-taught, he had no means to do so. And expecting him to independently discover and develop those theoretical frameworks? That wasughably optimistic.


    Those theories represented the collective efforts of entire civilizations, billions of people, and centuries of work.

 Chapter 132: A New Idea Emerges (1)

    Luo Wen fell into deep contemtion.


    On this beach, he remained still for a full three days, neither eating nor drinking. Thanks to the reserves stored in his Tail Lard Organ, not only could he endure three days, but he could go as long as three months without needing sustenance.


    As for the dampness of the seaside or issues like arthritis, Luo Wen could rece his appendages at any time. Would something as trivial as arthritis even matter to him?


    During these three days, he focused on a single question. This, whilecking apples, had simr fruits. His question revolved around what thoughts came to mind when these fruits fell from the tree to the ground.


    In the end, his musings led to a jumble of disorganized thoughts. While he had heard of universal gravitation, he couldn¡¯t form any coherent theories.


    The truth was that developing rockets on his own was less realistic than biding his time, relying on luck, and evolving the necessary traits through his innate abilities.


    Examining his gic library, he found that advancing into outer space presented specific challenges. Wings, effective only within the atmosphere, were practically useless in outer space, where the absence of air reduced their functionality to almost nothing.@@novelbin@@


    Perhaps wings would ultimately be less effective than a high-pressure jet propulsion system.


    Of course, the most promising solution was the anti-gravity system of beetle elytra. However, this system currently served only to reduce weight. Still, further development in this area might yield meaningful progress.But venturing into outer space wasn¡¯t as simple as just flying out.


    How would he harvest energy in outer space? How would he breathe? How would he survive in ultra-low temperatures? How would he navigate the cosmos¡ªwould he truly rely on jet propulsion? He had no desire to be a piece of floating space debris.


    There were too many problems to consider. Even a single unresolved issue could pose a threat to his survival.


    After several more days, Luo Wen had a sudden epiphany: perhaps he could create some helpers.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Three humble tailors can outwit Zhuge Liang.¡±


    If he created more des, perhaps they could pool their ideas.


    Monthster, he realized he had overestimated the potential of the des. While theycked any sense of creativity, his tinkering did enhance their learning and adaptability.


    The des became more akin to intelligent AIs. The more they experienced and learned, the ¡°smarter¡± they became. These traits could also be passed down through the Swarm Network.


    Over time, their intelligence would continue to grow.


    However, intelligence was not the same as wisdom, and theirck of creativity remained their greatest w. They could serve as excellentmanders but were incapable of bing scientists.


    Once again, his train of thought hit a dead end.


    After some time, Luo Wen suddenly realized that if the Swarm was unsuitable, he could develop other species. Other species might not have the same limitations.


    With this new idea in mind, Luo Wen immediately set to work, searching for groups suitable for cultivation.


    He sought species with traits such as adaptability, intelligence, and strong reproductive abilities. After rigorous screening, two species emerged as the top candidates.


    These two species were ones Luo Wen was already very familiar with. They were old acquaintances of the Swarm from the earliest days: Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs.


    The Tail Lard Rats reproduced rapidly, birthing 5¨C10 offspring per litter. The pups could begin foraging for food within just a few days. Being omnivorous, they ate almost anything and upied the very bottom of the food chain. While creatures like ants were weaker, their low meat content made them less appealing prey. In contrast, the Tail Lard Rats, with theirrger size and poorbat ability, were a favorite target for predators.


    However, the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ unique energy-storage organs made them exceptionally resilient. When pursued, they could sometimes hide motionless for over ten days, ousting their predators. They were also rtively intelligentpared to other species.


    The small dinosaurs, despite being predators, were also prey due to their size. They upied a slightly higher position in the food chain than the Tail Lard Rats. These creatures couldy seven or eight eggs at a time. While the incubation period for these eggs was longer, their hatchlings could forage for food shortly after hatching.


    As for their intelligence, their cooperative hunting tactics and basic strategies demonstrated significant cleverness.


    With two experimental species chosen, Luo Wen began cultivation efforts.


    He first extracted their gic temtes, erging their brain capacity. Having watched videos on human evolution, Luo Wen knew that bigger brains were the key to progress.


    He then implemented some unconventional methods.


    Capturing wild Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs, Luo Wen introduced them to the experimental specimens for interbreeding.


    Although Swarm-produced Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurscked intelligence, their offspring with wild counterparts might inherit the enhanced brain capacity.


    This approach aimed to elerate their cognitive evolution and foster the emergence of smarter offspring.


    However, things didn¡¯t progress smoothly. Despite prolonged captivity together, no offspring were produced.


    This left Luo Wen perplexed. As a non-specialist, hecked expertise in these matters. Could it be that Swarm-produced Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs had undergone species changes?


    Aside from brain enhancements, Luo Wen hadn¡¯t altered any other parts of their gic temtes. For other enhanced Swarm creatures, sterility wasmon, but these specimens were not supposed to have that issue.


    Unwilling to give up, Luo Wen persisted. With nothing else pressing, this research became a way to pass the time.


    Time passed, and his experimental field expanded severalfold. It was divided into numerouspartments, each housing differentbinations of specimens.


    The skies above were patrolled by Type I Flying Bugs, while Modified Spider Combat Bugs monitored the perimeter. Even underground, Worker Ants and Fungal Carpets maintained vignce. With half of the experimental specimens being Swarm-produced, theboratory operated with perfect order, with no incidents of escape.


    After rounds of testing, several monthster, a breakthrough finally came. A wild Tail Lard Rat became pregnant.


    A monthter, it gave birth to a litter of five.


    Armed with this newfound knowledge, Luo Wen conducted more experiments based on this set of data. Once again, he achieved sessful reproduction, confirming the problem¡¯s source.


    It turned out Luo Wen had been too hasty, attempting to erge the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ brains too significantly in one step. This had caused reproductive istion from their wild counterparts, preventing offspring.


    By scaling up his experiments, dividing the specimens into multiple groups with varying brain capacity enhancements, Luo Wen finally made progress.


    Using these sessful cases, Luo Wen refined the process, identifying the maximum amount of brain capacity enhancement that would avoid triggering reproductive istion.


    With this insight, the pace of experimentation elerated.

 Chapter 133: A New Idea Emerges (2)

    Not long after, the newly adjusted small dinosaurs sessfully produced offspring as well. The sessive sesses of both experimental species greatly boosted Luo Wen¡¯s confidence.


    With the nutritional support of the Fungal Carpet, the newborns grew rapidly. Their brain capacity, inherited from their modified parents, had slightly expanded. They were then paired with the enhanced experimental specimens for further breeding.


    Generation after generation, through continuous reproduction, the brains of the new Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs grew progressivelyrger and more intelligent. After some training, they could already understand some of Luo Wen¡¯s instructions.


    During this period, Luo Wen discovered an additional feature of the Swarm Network. Its essence seemed to be a form of awakened psychic power that had undergone mutations due to a sacrificial infusion of special energy. However, it still retained some general abilities associated with psychic power.


    For instance, Luo Wen could forcibly link to certain individuals with lower psychic strength than his own, transmitting information directly via telepathy.


    In one of his experimental fields, two Tail Lard Rats crouched in front of Luo Wen. One was bred naturally, while the other was produced by a Brood Queen. Under the demonstration of the Swarm-bred Tail Lard Rat, the naturally bred one quickly learned severalmands, such as sitting, shaking hands, and eating.


    But such aplishments seemed trivial. On Earth, domestic animals like pet dogs could easily learn these tricks with some basic training. Some even exhibited abilities like counting, yet none had ever developed scientific theories.


    Luo Wen began seriously recalling human evolutionary history. After brain expansion, the next milestone was mastering the use of tools, wasn¡¯t it?@@novelbin@@


    Thus, for a time, the experimental fields were filled with the sight of Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs wandering around with small wooden sticks, banging on things.In this regard, the Tail Lard Rats had a natural advantage. Their forelimbs were closer to human hands, with four highly flexible fingers. With minimal training, they quickly learned to use various tools.


    The small dinosaurs, on the other hand, had only three wed fingers with stiff joints. While they could use tools, their precision in delicate operationsgged far behind the Tail Lard Rats.


    Still, Luo Wen adhered to the philosophy that the more options, the better. The thought of cultivating a race of ¡°little dino people¡± was undeniably intriguing.


    While training the experimental subjects, Luo Wen continued the work of incrementally expanding their brain capacities.


    Interestingly, he discovered that because half of the experimental subjects¡¯ direct ancestors were Swarm creations, the offspring retained trace amounts of Swarm traits. Though theycked Swarm Node identities, they harbored a natural affinity toward Luo Wen.


    This made subsequent training significantly easier. Luo Wen even set up a hunting ground where the subjects could wield rudimentary weapons to hunt.


    In these scenarios, the Tail Lard Rats performed better. Perhaps due to their naturally nonbative physiology, they disyed a stronger reliance on tools. The small dinosaurs, however, despite generations of breeding, still retained their predatory instincts. When hunting, especially against weaker prey, they preferred to rely on their sharp teeth and ws.


    However, Luo Wen soon encountered another challenge. He wanted to teach the experimental subjectsnguage and writing. The birth of civilization required continuity, and their experiences and culture needed a means of preservation.


    Luo Wen had no experience teaching such concepts to non-human creatures.


    Writing was less problematic, as it was inherently flexible and could be exined in various ways. Language, however, posed a greater challenge. The anatomical differences between the two species resulted in significant variations in their speech capabilities. Furthermore, Luo Wen had no memory of the human vocal structure and thus couldn¡¯t modify them to have ¡°better voices.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t possibly invent two entirely newnguages tailored to their vocal characteristics, could he?


    Knowing his limitations, Luo Wen dismissed the idea. It simply wasn¡¯t a task he was equipped to handle.


    Feeling mentally drained, Luo Wen decided to take a trip to unwind. Recently, he had devoted all his energy to experiments and hadn¡¯t taken a break in ages. He still had plenty of time, and no one was pressuring him to meet deadlines. There was no need to push himself so hard.


    He returned to the familiar seaside, located in the Northern Hemisphere. The climate was pleasant, the scenery beautiful, and during the day, many seabirds soared nearby.


    Sprawled on the fine, pale-yellow sand, Luo Wen basked in the sunlight. After enjoying a hearty meal at a nearby base, he came here to wait for nightfall and stargazing.


    Watching the brilliant Milky Way had be one of his few remaining pastimes.


    But why were stars appearing in broad daylight? A star grew in his field of vision, bingrger andrger until it turned into a massive fireball.


    ¡°That¡¯s a meteor,¡± Luo Wen jolted as he realized what he was seeing. He recalled a time when he had woken up in the middle of the night to watch a meteor shower, only to wait for hours in vain. Later, he checked the news online and learned that his location had been at the wrong angle to see it.


    Meteors were usually visible at night. Seeing one during the day was rare. But this fireball kept growingrger.


    Instinctively, Luo Wen believed meteors were harmless. He even remembered the superstition that if one made a sincere wish upon seeing a meteor, it mighte true.


    ¡°I wonder if daytime meteors work,¡± Luo Wen muttered as he closed his eyes and made a wish.


    When he opened them again, something seemed off. The fireball continued to grow, its zing tail streaking through the atmosphere. Behind it, countless smaller fireballs began to appear.


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Luo Wen cursed as thergest fireball rapidly filled his field of vision. In mere moments, it seemed to epass everything.


    Only then did Luo Wen realize the problem. This meteor was far toorge. Moreover, its trajectory was heading straight toward him. Even if it missed, it would crash somewhere nearby.


    Even with his limited knowledge, Luo Wen knew being hit by a meteor wouldn¡¯t be a pleasant experience.


    As the meteor drew closer, Luo Wen could feel the surrounding air heating up. With his current speed, whether flying or running, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape far enough.


    Calling for his Storm God mount would take too long.


    With no other options, Luo Wen scrambled a few steps forward and dove headfirst into the ocean.


    At the same time, the Swarm Network searched for nearby nodes. In an instant, waves erupted around him as several Big-headed Monster Fish surged to his side. They mped onto his appendages and dragged him toward the depths.


    The Big-headed Monster Fish moved with incredible speed. Even pulling Luo Wen, they created a visible wake underwater. As the sunlight above dimmed, Luo Wen exhaled in relief.


    At hundreds of meters below the surface, he should be safe now.

 Chapter 85: Fart Bugs (1)

    The ¡°corncob¡± structure was particrly well-suited to Luo Wen¡¯s method of ¡°knocking.¡±


    He raised a pincer and jabbed it forcefully into the structure.


    Unexpectedly, the interior was hollow. Luo Wen¡¯s overzealous strike created a massive hole.


    Dirt crumbled from the walls in a cascade, leaving Luo Wen momentarily stunned.


    To avoid unnecessary conflict with his new ¡°neighbors,¡± he decided to retreat for the time being.


    With his eight long legs moving quickly, Luo Wen dashed fifty meters away in no time. Though one pair of legs had been slightly restructured, making them less effective onnd, his overall speed remained unaffected.


    Whaty hidden within the ¡°corncob¡± was still a mystery, and Luo Wen thought it prudent to exercise caution.


    The dark opening in the mysterious structure loomed like a staring abyss, exuding an enigmatic allure. As time ticked by, a yellow cloud suddenly emerged from the hole.


    Upon closer inspection, the yellow cloud turned out to be a swarm of insects, each about two to three centimeters long. Their heads were amber-colored, while their thoraxes and abdomens faded to a pale yellow.They had mandibles at the front of their heads and resembled ants overall, yet something about them seemed off.


    After a moment of contemtion, Luo Wen realized the peculiarity: these insects¡¯ thoraxes and abdomens were fused into a single unit without visible segmentation.


    Having seen countless ant species with diverse traits and colors, Luo Wen knew that despite their variations, their body structures were typically consistent, with distinct head, thorax, and abdomen sections.


    More and more of the yellow cloud poured out of the hole, evidently enraged by the sudden damage to their home.


    In mere moments, the number of Yellow Bugs climbing out exceeded 200,000.


    Observing their familiar demeanor and reclusive tendencies, Luo Wen spected that these creatures must have been cultivating something underground¡ªeither nurturing organisms or growing crops.


    Otherwise, there was no way such arge number of insects could emerge from a single nest.


    Such scenarios no longer surprised Luo Wen. After all, in this world, upying territory required some unique skills.


    Waving his antennae, Luo Wen signaled to the hundreds of Transport Bugs behind him, which carried over ten thousand Worker Ants. They surged past him, charging toward the ¡°corncob.¡±


    The Worker Ants raised their abdomens high and unleashed a barrage of ant acid as a ¡°wee gift¡± to the ¡°neighbors.¡± Considering they had annihted a 500,000-strong swarm detachment, a little payback seemed entirely justified.


    However, Luo Wen was taken aback by the effect¡ªorck thereof¡ªof the acid attack. It wasn¡¯t that the damage was too severe but rather negligible.


    Noticing the gradient in their yellow shells, from deep to pale hues, Luo Wen mused: Could the coloration indicate acid-resistant armor?


    If these creatures indeed possessed acid-resistant shells, it effectively neutralized the swarm¡¯s primary ranged attack method. In previous battles, the swarm¡¯s ranged acid firepower had significantly reduced casualties.


    It seemed this time, closebat would be unavoidable.


    Luo Wen waved his antennae, signaling a temporary retreat.


    One weekter, due to the need to recalibrate unitposition after the failure of ranged attacks, additional time was spent mobilizing troops.


    Out of respect for the situation, Luo Wen gathered a force of 15 million.


    This was based on the precedent of the Big-headed Ants, who had cultivated 7 to 8 million soldiers underground. Assuming these new Yellow Bugs were also subterranean cultivators, their numbers were estimated to be in the millions. Luo Wen preemptively deployed twice their assumed strength and kept reinforcements on standby.


    Initially, Luo Wen considered employing tactics. However, every Spy Bug sent out was wiped out. He eventually discovered that these Yellow Bugsmunicated not only through pheromones but also through sounds generated by tapping their heads or limbs against the ground.


    This was akin to humans speaking while simultaneously using signnguage. The Spy Bugs understood one mode ofmunication but were clueless about the other, exposing them and leading to their demise.


    Frustrated and embarrassed, Luo Wen abandonedplex strategies in favor of brute force. The extra days spent mobilizing troops werergely due to this realization.


    For this direct confrontation, the swarm¡¯sposition shifted dramatically. Over 80% of the force consisted of Soldier Ants, while only a small number of Worker Ants apanied them for post-battle cleanup.


    The massive army surrounded the ¡°corncob¡± structure.


    Luo Wen stepped forward, raising his double pincers. He jabbed the structure repeatedly, creating seven or eightrge holes from various angles before quickly retreating behind his troops.


    Momentster, a torrent of Yellow Bugs poured from the openings.


    While Luo Wen was ready for a direct confrontation, he wasn¡¯t about to wait for his foes to fully assemble. Waving his antennae, hemanded the army to attack, striking while the Yellow Bugs were still disorganized.


    The enemyckedrgebat units. While their smaller soldiers were ineffective against the swarm¡¯srger ones, thetter excelled in executing swift, decisive strikes when supported by smaller units to distract and pin down enemies.


    Moreover, the Yellow Bugs were numerically disadvantaged, and many appeared to be Worker Ants. Facing the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ant-dominated force, they were quickly forced back toward the openings.


    However, bottlenecking the enemy at their entrances was inefficient and negated the swarm¡¯s numerical advantage. Under Luo Wen¡¯smand, the troops pulled back, allowing the Yellow Bugs to pour out in greater numbers.


    After several cycles of advance and retreat, the Yellow Bugs suffered heavy casualties.


    At this moment,rger insects with darker, tougher shells began crawling out of the nest. They resembled beetles more than ants.@@novelbin@@


    Each one raised its abdomen, assuming a posture Luo Wen found all too familiar.


    Focusing intently, Luo Wen realized the moment of talent demonstration had arrived. He wasn¡¯t about to miss this performance.


    With a chorus of ¡°pop, pop, pop¡± sounds, thick smoke rose as if the creatures were passing gas. Their abdomens acted like ¡°shotguns,¡± spraying an unknown liquid in all directions.


    These liquid ¡°pellets¡± struck the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ants with blistering speed. Where theynded, ckened, corrosive burn marks appeared on the ants¡¯ carapaces, significantly weakening theirbat ability. The unlucky ones died on the spot.


    Luo Wen¡¯s eyes lit up. The charred marks on the earlier battlefield had been caused by these insects. He had assumed their talent involved fire, but it turned out to be chemical weaponry instead.


    Apanying their attacks was an overwhelming stench. If these bugs ever fought dogs, this trait alone would ensure their victory.


    This was utterly unsportsmanlike.


    Despite the drawbacks, Luo Wen was thrilled. The swarm was about to acquire a new ranged attack method. After all, even the Yellow Earth Ants had acid-resistant armor.


    A future confrontation with the Yellow Earth Ant Legion was inevitable, and having more options in the swarm¡¯s arsenal could only be beneficial.

 Chapter 138: The Evolution of Civilization (1)

    The dust from the initial impact and the volcanic ash from subsequent eruptions lingered in the atmosphere for decades before gradually settling back to the ground.


    As the air cleared and the dust thinned, the earth once again basked in sunlight. Temperatures began to rise, and the frost on the ground melted. After a few heavy rains, life started to flourish again, and the airborne particles rapidly diminished.


    Early in the morning, a few juvenile Tail Lard Rats crawled out of their burrows. Although the PM2.5 levels in the air remained high, they were no longer a barrier to outdoor activity.


    [T/N: PM2.5 refers to fine particte matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter. These tiny particles can remain suspended in the air and are harmful to health when inhaled.]


    These younglings were fortunate. The ancestors of their ancestors had only imagined what the sun looked like, and now, they could see it for themselves.


    The Tail Lard Rats reproduced rapidly but lived short lives, rarely surviving beyond a decade. Over these decades, countless rats perished from natural causes, not to mention those lost to wars and idents.@@novelbin@@


    Their greatest enemy at the time had disappeared in the historical tide after battling them for over two decades during the cmity.


    With no predators left, the poption of the Tail Lard Rats exploded. They expanded their underground burrows and farms repeatedly, yet it was never enough to contain their growth.


    Then, internal wars broke out.In just a few decades, over a dozen civil wars erupted among the Tail Lard Rats, each costing countless lives. After every war, resources became abundant again, leading to a period of peace. However, this cycle of poption explosion and civil conflict continued.


    Until they discovered the light.


    The surviving Tail Lard Rats could notprehend the meaning of ¡°light.¡± Just as they couldn¡¯t understand the concept of the sun or the divine beings their ancestors had spoken of.


    These tales, along with theirnguage and script, were passed down from their forebears.


    Legends told of their race and their ancient adversaries being primitive beasts before a ¡°god¡± took pity on them, granting them intelligence and teaching them knowledge.


    However, their ancestors were too foolish, angering this ¡°god,¡± who then punished them.


    A colossal fireball descended from the heavens, obliterating their homnd.


    Much of what happened afterward is unrecorded, as few written ounts survived that time. Many were lost during civil wars. What remains now isrgely oral tradition.


    The legends describe the ¡°god¡± aspassionate and merciful. In hister years, the sage who introduced agriculture revealed the truth: agriculture was not his invention but a gift from the ¡°god,¡± who had not forsaken them.


    Perhaps their infighting had once again angered the ¡°god,¡± leading to his disappearance. Today, the younger generations only hear these tales as stories, dismissing the existence of the ¡°god.¡±


    The Tail Lard Rats emerging from their burrows faced a vast expanse ofnd, unrestrained by poption limits.


    At this time, there were over a hundred thousand Tail Lard Rats underground. After some deliberation, they divided into dozens of groups and set off in different directions.


    The Tail Lard Rats had entered the tribal age.


    Luo Wen carefully nurtured this seed of civilization. He realized that excessive interference might hinder their development. Thus, beyond some necessary guidance and assistance, he refrained from intervening in their affairs, including their civil wars.


    After several generations, the Tail Lard Rats had be more intelligent than their ancestors. They had grown ustomed to using tools and adapted to walking upright.


    In them, Luo Wen saw echoes of Earth¡¯s early hominids.


    The post-catastrophe was in ruins, but with no natural predators, the Tail Lard Rats rapidly spread across the continent. Their expansion was astonishingly swift.


    The previous experimental area was now too small to contain this burgeoning civilization. Luo Wen decided to broaden the scope of his experiment, designating the entire continent as their new field of development.


    To avoid disrupting the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ growth, Luo Wen removed allrge insect beasts and fungal carpets from the continent, leaving only small ants and flying insects to serve as observational aids.


    As for Luo Wen himself, he wasn¡¯t idle. He headed to the ocean to further develop the swarm. At the very least, he aimed to maintain the strength needed to control the situation should the experiment spiral out of control.


    The¡¯s oceans were several timesrger than itsndmass, and despite the cmity, the seas still teemed with gic samples.


    Over the years, Luo Wen had not been idle, aside from observing his experimental subjects. He had gained new insights into his abilities and gicposition.


    However, escaping this remained a distant goal. Luo Wen was not one to pin his hopes on a single method. Within his capabilities, he explored multiple paths: self-evolution, discovering unique genes, and nurturing civilizations were just a few.


    Heading to the sea to collect samples was only part of the n. His second goal was to separate himself from the Brood Nest. Luo Wen had long been uneasy about being near the Brood Nest.


    For the sake of the swarm¡¯s future, he decided to leave the Brood Nest in an underground base that had been excavated to a depth of 2,000 meters over many years.


    This task had not been easy for the swarm. Beyond a certain depth, each additional meter of excavation required extensive reinforcement work, which was exceedingly tedious.


    Luo Wen¡¯s main body, meanwhile, would move toward the ocean depths. He recalled his earlier knowledge that the challenges of developing the deep sea were on par with venturing into space.


    Resisting the intense pressure of the deep sea was no simpler than surviving in space. Since space exploration was temporarily out of reach, he would first conquer the deep sea.


    The immense pressure of the ocean depths, Luo Wen believed, would serve as a catalyst to push his innate abilities to their limits, enhancing his strength.


    The rapid reproduction of the Tail Lard Rats also elerated the progress of their civilization. With no natural predators, their poption surged from a hundred thousand to over a billion.


    This poption boom strained resources and led to the emergence of social sses. Some clever Tail Lard Rats began employing others forbor.


    Subsequently, trade practices emerged, leading to the birth ofmerce.


    At this point, the legendary ¡°god¡± reappeared.


    Several tribal chieftains and wise men imed to have received the ¡°god¡¯s¡± favor, stating that the ¡°god¡± had taught them numbers for calction and trade.


    They also imed the ¡°god¡± resided on the moon, and if they could reach it, they might meet him.


    When asked what the ¡°god¡± looked like, their descriptions varied widely. Some said it was a beautiful bird, others a kind of flying insect, and still others a giant ant.


    The Tail Lard Rats doubted their ims, believing the ¡°god¡± to be a fabrication. Yet the knowledge of numbers spread, facilitating trade. Meanwhile, the desire to reach the moon quietly took root in their hearts.

 Chapter 140: Dialogue

    The two great kingdoms, whose poptions had sharply declined, no longer needed to resort to war to reduce their numbers. However, the conflicts between them, forged over years of relentless warfare, had be irreconcble.


    Although no open battles urred, a cold war emerged as both sides sought to outdo each other in other fields. Influenced by certain unknown factors, both kingdoms began to prioritize education, establish schools, and nurture talent.


    In this environment, the technological advancement of the rat people progressed at a staggering pace. New and innovative theories were proposed almost daily, leading to the invention of the steam engine, trains, and airnes.


    Perhaps the enduring legends of the ¡°Gods¡± continued to influence the rat people in subtle ways, as they maintained an extraordinary fascination with the two moons in their sky.


    One day, a rat person proposed the idea of a ¡°Moon Landing Program,¡± and the situation spiraled out of control. The term seemed to ignite a fire within the popce, unleashing unprecedented enthusiasm.


    Public demand for the ¡°Moon Landing¡± grew louder by the day. The royal families of both kingdoms, especially the Kingdom of Kerrigan, did not go against the tide of public opinion. Legends passed down by the Kerrigan ancestors made them even more determined to unravel the mysteries of the moons.


    Thus, with the rulers going along with the tide, rted research institutions were quickly established, and resources were directed toward these efforts. A vast number of students began studying fields rted to the program.


    The ¡°Moon Landing¡± quietly became the new focal point ofpetition between the two kingdoms.


    In the vast ins, patches of farnd stretched as far as the eye could see. At the center of the in stood a grand city. Its towering walls bore the marks of time, evidence of its ancient history.This city was the royal capital of the Kerrigan family. It had been their stronghold since their tribal era and had undergone continuous expansion by sessive generations to achieve its current grandeur. Named the City of Glory, it spanned 4,500 mu (approximately 750 acres). Including its surrounding satellite towns and viges, the area housed a poption of over a million rat people.


    Within the city stood an ancient fortress. Outside the fortress, elite soldiers d in opulent, well-fitted uniforms stood guard day and night. Armed with a variety of weapons, they patrolled diligently, maintaining a formidable defense.


    This was the Kerrigan Royal Pce. Three years earlier, the previous King of Kerrigan had passed away, and the throne was inherited by the eldest princess of that time.


    The Kerrigan family¡¯s rise to prominence was attributed to their unique white fur, a trait that had earned them a bestowed name from the ¡°Gods.¡± As a result, they ced great importance on their bloodline. The position of power was always passed down to the purest-blooded members of the family, in the hopes of continuing to receive the Gods¡¯ favor.


    Curiously, though the Kerrigans had not encountered these so-called ¡°Gods¡± in generations¡ªand many members of the family even doubted the authenticity of the ancestral stories¡ªtheir method of session persisted. Throughout the years, whenever the family faced cmity, they always inexplicably found a way out, narrowly escaping disaster.


    Thus, whether one believed in the legends or not, the system endured. Over time, intermarriage diluted the Kerrigan bloodline, and pure white-furred family members became increasingly rare. In the current generation, only the eldest princess bore the unblemished white fur.


    As such, there was little need for a struggle for session; the eldest princess received unanimous support and ascended the throne without opposition.


    In arge room of the royal pce, tall, dark wooden bookshelves lined the walls. Twodders leaned against the shelves, which were packed with books of varying materials, many of which appeared to be original manuscripts.


    In one corner of the room, an incense burner emitted a subtle fragrance that calmed the mind. Against another wall stood the skeleton of a colossal creature.


    At the center of the room was an ancient long table, upon whichy a massive stone tablet etched with intricate patterns. An elderly male rat person, wearing a monocle, held a magnifying ss as he carefully examined the tablet.


    Suddenly, the room¡¯srge doors swung open, and a female rat person stepped inside. She was dressed in a luxurious robe of red and gold. Though young, she carried an air of authority. Her pure white fur and striking red eyes gave her an elegant and refined appearance.


    ¡°Teacher Morgan, have you uncovered another treasure?¡± the female rat asked as she nced around the room. Noticing only the old schr was present, her stern demeanor softened. She bounded forward and cheerfully addressed him.


    ¡°Your Majesty, you should mind your decorum,¡± the elder rat said, adjusting his monocle and giving a slight bow.


    ¡°Teacher, haven¡¯t I told you to just call me by my name when Te isn¡¯t around? Ever since I took the throne, you and I have grown distant,¡± the female rat replied. She pulled out a chair and sat down without a care for her image.


    Morgan shook his head helplessly, indulgently replying, ¡°Fine, fine. Sarah, where have you sent Te this time?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°She¡¯s at the door. I told her I needed to discuss some private matters with you and didn¡¯t let her in.¡± The queen¡¯s full name was Sarah Kerrigan, formerly the eldest princess and now the reigning monarch.


    The Kerrigan family¡¯s naming tradition was unique. After their ancestors received their divine name, all descendants took on the name Kerrigan. However, as the rat people¡¯s prolific birthrate quickly led to hundreds of Kerrigans, it became impossible to distinguish between individuals.


    One Kerrigan solved this problem by adopting a personal name, and others soon followed suit. Over time, Kerrigan transitioned from a given name to a surname.


    While many others adopted this practice, most rat people still preferred simpler names.


    Morgan raised an eyebrow in resignation, resuming his study of the stone tablet. Te, the queen¡¯s captain of the guard, was an extremely rigid female rat. Sarah likely had no pressing business here and had simplye to rx. Such visits had urred numerous times before.


    ¡°Teacher, you still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡± Seeing Morgan ignore her, Sarah got up and moved closer to the stone tablet, her curiosity piqued.


    Morgan furrowed his brow in thought before recalling her earlier question. Without looking away from the tablet, he said, ¡°This is a relic from the Great Cataclysm, a stone tablet that survived from that time. Back then, the world was shrouded in darkness, and people consumed whatever they could find. Our ancestors used these tablets to record events, even though writtennguage was not yet fully developed. Very few such relics remain, making this one a treasure.¡±


    ¡°The royal treasury has plenty of these things. Didn¡¯t you examine them all before? I¡¯ve never seen you make any breakthroughs,¡± Sarah teased. The Kingdom of Kerrigan, ruling half the continent, had no shortage of treasures, but such artifacts didn¡¯t interest her.


    Morgan was briefly taken aback but quickly recovered. As a renowned schr, he wasn¡¯t used to being spoken to so bluntly, yet he couldn¡¯t afford to get upset with the white-furred queen. Huffing slightly, he twitched his whiskers and begrudgingly exined, ¡°This one is different. It¡¯s older than any other tablet I¡¯ve studied.¡±

 Chapter 88: The Grand Battle (2)

    The Yellow Earth Ant Legionckedrgebat units, which put them at a disadvantage in closebat. While theirrger ants were ineffective in one-on-one situations, their efficiency in groupbat was astonishingly high.


    Moreover, the Yellow Earth Ants¡¯ hook mandibles were not particrly effective in battle. Hook Soldier Ants, which once held a third of the swarm¡¯s battlefield dominance, had gradually been phased out through continuousbat trials, leaving only a small number in service.


    This underscored that the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ants still had a notable advantage in close-quartersbat.


    At the rear of the Yellow Earth Ants¡¯ formation, many Worker Ants assumed a familiar posture,unching volleys of ¡°ant acid solution.¡±


    This tactic had once caused Luo Wen immense trouble, but heter developed acid-resistant armor and equipped his entire army with it.


    Thus, this round of long-range firepower merely gave both sides a shower and polished their exoskeletons without any real effect.


    From the rear of the swarm¡¯s formation, massive ck Beetles emerged. Measuring 30 to 50 centimeters in length, they also assumed firing stances.


    As thick plumes of smoke rose, theyunched salvos resembling ¡°shotgun sts,¡± spraying the Yellow Earth Ant ranks with liquid. This substance was not only highly corrosive but also extremely hot, inflicting devastating damage.


    Instantly, swathes of Yellow Earth Ants fell. Many more were burned or scalded; though theycked pain receptors, their neural responses caused them to curl up and tremble, rendering them incapable of furtherbat.Luo Wen was extremely satisfied with the results. These specially designed war machines had exceeded his expectations, delivering an impressive performance in their first deployment.


    Initially, Luo Wen had intended to equip Worker Ants with a system simr to the acid-spray mechanism. However, during implementation, he discovered that this new long-range strike system was ipatible with the Worker Ants¡¯ body structure.


    This system relied on two nds that secreted and stored different chemical substances. Beneath the nds was a chemical reaction chamber.


    The two chemicals would mix in this chamber, and the surrounding muscles could precisely control the dosage. Upon reaction, the mixture would be expelled immediately.


    The reaction generated temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius along with intense corrosive properties, inflicting both burns and corrosion on the enemy.


    The only drawback was that the discharge emitted thick white smoke and a noxious odor that lingered for over ten days.


    Don¡¯t ask Luo Wen how he knew this so well¡ªit was a memory he would rather forget.


    Because this system required several new organs, it demanded a spacious cavity for storage, which made it unsuitable for the small-bodied Worker Ants.


    As a result, Luo Wen retained the original temtes but incorporated several gic fragments, scaling up their size proportionally and enhancing their firepower and ammunition capacity.


    To prevent self-inflicted harm from these chemicals, the original temtes also included a protective armor system to resist the high temperatures and corrosive effects. Luo Wen isted and extracted this gic sequence, equipping it on Soldier Ants.


    However, the older generation of Queen Antscked this gic sequence, and many of the swarm¡¯s Soldier Ants were still from previous generations. Thus, only about 70% of the deployed forces were equipped with the new armor.


    This wasn¡¯t a significant issue. Soldier Ants without the new armor were assigned to separate units, and they fought without long-range support.


    Even so, due to the secondary effects of the long-range firepower, even units equipped with protective armor avoided direct exposure to the ck Beetles¡¯ support fire. Otherwise, surviving soldiers would be exiled at least 800 miles away for half a month to recover.


    Despite both sides having hundreds of billions in reserves, the active battlefront spanned only 200 meters, with just tens of millions ofbatants from both armies engaged in direct confrontation.


    The swarm¡¯s upgraded Fart Bugs, nowrger versions, carried significantly more ammunition, capable of firing over 200 shots consecutively. Each salvo functioned like a shotgun st.


    Hundreds of Fart Bugs unleashed their firepower with rapid ¡°pfft, pfft, pfft¡± sounds, mimicking the effect of a Vulcan Gatling Gun¡ªthough not with blue mes.


    The hallmark of a Gatling gun was its rapid-fire rate, and the Fart Bugs didn¡¯t disappoint. Their ammunition reserves were expended in under a minute.


    These creatures were incredibly valuable. Their development cycle was lengthy, requiringplete metamorphosis and a molting process to reach their current size.


    Thus, they avoided meleebat. After exhausting their ammunition, they retreated to the rear for resupply, a process that would take two or three days due to their oversized ammunition chambers.


    Because of their specialized role, Luo Wen had produced only tens of thousands of Fart Bugs. Each one was to be deployed with precision.


    Organized into units of 500, the Fart Bugs were mobilized whenever the Yellow Earth Ant density in a specific area exceeded a threshold, maximizing casualties.


    As the battle progressed, the battlefield expanded, and more insects joined the fray.


    One hundred million¡­ two hundred million¡­ three hundred million¡­ five hundred million¡­ a billion¡­


    After five hours, the war escted to a scale involving two billionbatants.


    With its back to the cliff, the swarm continuously received reinforcements climbing up from below. The battlefront extendedterally, eventually reaching theke to the east under Luo Wen¡¯s deliberate guidance.@@novelbin@@


    At this point, dark yellow, pancake-shaped bugs entered the battlefield.


    These were a new species Luo Wen had discovered recently in certain ant nests. They were fascinating creatures, epitomizing defense to the extreme. Their backs were covered with oval, leather-like shields that resisted cutting, piercing, and other physical attacks effectively. They also boasted impressive resistance to corrosion and acid.


    Underneath the ¡°shield¡± was a recessed cavity where the bug¡¯s body was hidden.


    Due to this recess, these bugs had incredibly low ground clearance. When crawling, there was only a 1-2 millimeter gap between the shield and the ground.


    This height prevented most ants from crawling underneath. Even the tiniest ants, measuring mere millimeters, were no match for these bugs.


    Additionally, their size and weight made it impossible for ants to overturn them.


    Their survival strategy relied on their invincible defense. They would brute-force their way into ant nests, feasting and living freely, while the ants were powerless to stop them.


    These creatures were true brutes, unlike the Spy Bugs of the past, whose methods involved finesse.

 Chapter 147: Secret Meeting

    Floating spore sacs adjusted their direction as they descended slowly. Tiny holes opened around the membrane of the air bag module, venting hydrogen gas from within.


    Finally, a spore capsule containing Morgannded quietly on thewn before one of the pce¡¯s buildings. It swiftly contracted into a small ball and fell to the ground.


    Morgan ignored it, knowing other units of the swarm would handle it shortly.


    This was the entrance to the Queen¡¯s study. Morgan was well-acquainted with this ce, where the Queen reviewed governmental matters each night. In the early days of her reign, she often invited him here for advice.


    For a moment, Morgan was lost in thought.


    It was only a few days ago that the Queen had sought his counsel in this very room. Yet after a brush with death, time felt like it had stretched endlessly for him.


    The surroundings were eerily quiet. As the heart of the pce, the area should have been heavily guarded. Yet Morgan stood boldly for some time without being questioned or triggering an rm.


    Lying haphazardly in the nearby corners, both lit and shadowed, were numerous Ratfolk guards dressed inbat attire. They had not abandoned their posts but had been preemptively neutralized by the swarm.


    All were still alive. This mission was to forge an alliance; demonstrating a show of force was sufficient¡ªthere was no need for unnecessary bloodshed.A small flying insectpleted the neutralization task. Equipped with stingersced with potent hypnotic toxins, they only needed a light jab at the nape of the unsuspecting Ratfolk guards to render them unconscious for about two hours.


    In front of the study door stood a gray-and-white-furred female Ratfolk, fully armed. Even in her unconscious state, she leaned against the wall as though still on duty.


    Seeing her, Morgan sighed in relief. This was Te, the Queen¡¯s chief bodyguard, who rarely left her side. Her presence confirmed that the Queen hadn¡¯t wandered off today.


    The swarm¡¯s scouting units had already confirmed that the Queen was in her study. Yet Morgan, still unustomed to the swarm¡¯s precise and coordinated operational methods, harbored a trace of doubt.


    The swarm, embodying Luo Wen¡¯s will, operated with a level of discipline and unity unimaginable to Morgan, whose experience was limited to the Ratfolk military.


    Even the most elite Ratfolk troops could not achieve such synchronization.


    Inside the study, Queen Sarah Kerrigan sat quietly at her desk, waiting. She had long noticed the anomaly outside. However, she chose not to act rashly. Since the intruders had already dealt with her guards and even disabled the monitoring room without triggering any rms, they clearly had extraordinary methods¡ªor an inside coborator.


    She leaned towards thetter theory, unable to fathom how the guards could be subdued so silently without internal betrayal.


    Given this, any action on her part would likely be anticipated. It was better to stay put and confront the intruders directly, to discover their purpose¡ªand to unmask the traitor. Even in death, a queen must not lose her dignity.


    When Morgan pushed open the door, their eyes met immediately, and the atmosphere seemed to freeze. The two exchanged their first unspoken confrontation.


    ¡°Have youe to kill me?¡± Queen Kerrigan broke the silence after a moment, her voice calm butced withplex emotions. Her gaze was sharp but devoid of killing intent.


    ¡°You¡¯re overthinking, Your Majesty. I mean you no harm.¡± Morgan observed the Queen, whose expression bore a trace of resignation to death, and spoke without theatrics. Removing the hood of his cloak, he revealed his face.


    The face was vaguely familiar, but Queen Kerrigan could not ce him immediately. She hesitated. ¡°You are¡­?¡±


    ¡°Morgan greets Your Majesty,¡± he said, performing an elegant bow in the manner of a nobleman.


    At the mention of his name, her mind drew a connection between the figure before her and a shadow in her memory. Their mannerisms were identical. However, the person she remembered was someone she had personally ordered buried. Could he be a rtive of her deceased mentor? A resemnce would be reasonable, but his purpose ining here was unclear.


    Questions flooded her mind.


    ¡°And you are¡­ what rtion to Master Morgan? What brings you here?¡± she asked. If he wasn¡¯t here to kill her, he clearly had some other objective. The lengths his forces had gone to, with such a calcted show of strength, suggested his intent was significant. She dismissed the thought of her old mentor himself¡ªit was impossible.


    Morgan smiled faintly. ¡°Do you recall, Your Majesty, when you were four years old, hiding under the desk on the right after being punished for the first time? Or when you were five¡­ and just a few days ago, my musings about the gods. Do you remember?¡±


    As Morgan recounted each moment, Queen Kerrigan¡¯s face darkened. Finally, she trembled and asked in disbelief, ¡°Master Morgan? How can this be?¡±


    Morgan remained silent. After a brief pause, Queen Kerrigan absorbed the revtion and steadied herself, her intellect reasserting itself.


    She asked, ¡°Could it be¡­?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Morgan confirmed.


    ¡°But that¡¯s just a legend.¡±


    ¡°Legends often have roots in truth.¡±


    ¡°Then, Teacher, you¡­?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°After death, I was fortunate to meet the gods. I offered my faith, and they resurrected me.¡±


    The brief exchange shook Queen Kerrigan profoundly. Even the silent subdual of her guards hadn¡¯t impacted her as much as this revtion.


    Morgan observed her expression and said softly, ¡°I understand how you feel. Not long ago, I was as shaken as you are now. But this is reality.¡±


    Queen Kerrigan took longer to process this revtion, quickly reviewing every piece of information in her mind.


    Was it possible that an internal traitor had merely found someone resembling Morgan to confuse her? Or was the Morgan before her truly the one from her past?


    The details Morgan revealed were things only she and her mentor had known. If he was indeed telling the truth, then the situation was far moreplex than she imagined.


    If the intruders were merely from the Kingdom of Merrican allied with a traitor, at least the fight would remain on familiar terms. But if the man before her truly had divine backing, this was an entirely different level of conflict.


    She had no experience dealing with gods. Against such inscrutability, she was at an inherent disadvantage.


    For a moment, she felt utterly at a loss.

 Chapter 150: Development

    The Ratfolk¡¯s currency was utterly useless to Luo Wen, and their mineral resources held little value to the Swarm at present. Without the capability to leave this, the minerals were worthless; and once off, minerals were abundant in the universe.


    Thus, Luo Wen decided it was better to exchange these rtively worthless assets for technology or ideas. If even one or two proved useful, it would be worth the effort.


    During this time, Luo Wen had been exploring methods to enhance his mental strength. Relying solely on luck to recruit followers was far from sufficient for his ambition to establish a Swarm Research Institute. At this rate, who knew how long it would take to reach that goal?


    However, his understanding of this ability was limited. It was akin to how humans naturally use their arms but struggle toprehend the underlying mechanics. Luo Wen, being an ordinary individual in this regard, found it challenging to fully grasp the concept. Therefore, he avoided doggedly pursuing this single path without alternatives.


    While researching ways to enhance his mental strength, he also sought other methods. His foundation in gics proved helpful, and it led him to discover a rtively clever workaround.


    He developed a potion whose primary ingredient was the Brood Nest¡¯s blood, diluted countless times. This potion could effectively increase the recipient¡¯spatibility with the Swarm Network. Simply put, it shortened the ¡°distance¡± on the path to connection.


    For example, enhancing mental strength was like improving stamina, enabling one to walk farther along the path to find the ¡°door.¡± Simrly, if someone had poor stamina but the distance to the door was shortened, the result would be the same.


    Due to the significant dilution of Brood Nest blood, the potion was inexpensive to produce but had a notable drawback: it required an extended fermentation period. Simply put, the earlier it was administered, the better.


    Morgan began selecting suitable candidates from the Imperial Space Research Institute. His initial targets were his old acquaintances, though he spoke vaguely about the so-called ¡°cult¡± recruiting members.Unexpectedly, these individuals thought they had caught him in some sort of scheme and secretly reported him to the Empress. To their surprise, not only was Morgan not punished, but those users received a harsh reprimand.


    Morgan hadn¡¯t anticipated this oue, realizing his secrecy had gone too far. He then discreetly revealed more details to these people, identifying himself and using past connections to gain their trust. Though most remained skeptical, he managed to coax or convince them into administering the potion.


    Meanwhile, the Empress also received a vial of the potion. Despite her busy schedule, she had nearly forgotten the matter of offering devotion. Now presented with this next step, she wasted no time injecting the potion in Morgan¡¯s presence.


    She had already taken precautions. Although unmarried and childless, she had designated an heir. Should anything go awry, she was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.


    As fate would have it, two monthster, a scientist who had received the injection suffered a severeb ident, dying instantly in an explosion that left his body shattered.


    This scientist, Kovi, was a renowned authority in engine technology. Being older, he was among those more inclined to trust Morgan and had extensive interactions with him. The allure of a second life was too great¡ªnot because he feared death, but because there was still so much unknown to explore.


    Although the injection had been recent, Kovi¡¯s strong mental attributes and fervent desire for rebirth resulted in his finding the ¡°door,¡± allowing him to be part of the Swarm.


    A few dayster, a rejuvenated Kovi returned to the research institute, sparking fervent discussion within a small circle of colleagues. They began actively inquiring how they could devote their faith to the ¡°god.¡± Morgan instructed them to read legends and imagine the god¡¯s majesty and omnipotence. Sincere faith, he exined, would allow the god to sense their devotion.


    It wasn¡¯t that Morgan didn¡¯t want to exin more¡ªit was because neither he nor Luo Wen fully understood the mechanics of this faith. In truth, faith was merely a fa?ade, one of many emotions that could connect to the Swarm Network. Luo Wen didn¡¯t care about their beliefs as long as they found the ¡°door.¡±


    Reading legends and engaging their imagination to evoke awe, curiosity, hope, and reverence might align them with the Swarm Network. Whether their expectations matched reality didn¡¯t matter¡ªonce connected, Luo Wen controlled their fate entirely.@@novelbin@@


    Within the Swarm Network, Luo Wen could effortlessly dominate their destinies. They couldn¡¯t hide any secrets from him. If he wished, he could obliterate their consciousness, take over their minds and bodies, or sift through their memories. However, such drastic measures were unnecessary. Influenced by the Swarm Network, they were absolutely loyal and incapable of harboring thoughts detrimental to Luo Wen.


    To this day, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t certain whether those assimted into the Swarm Network were true replicas or their original selves fundamentally altered.


    The Ratfolk soon began subtly inquiring whether Morgan could provide more of the potion for their rtives. Morgan reported this to Luo Wen, who, after careful consideration, instructed him to establish a reward system: recruiting skilled researchers or making significant breakthroughs would earn potion rewards.


    Given the potion¡¯s simplicity to produce, this approach motivated the Ratfolk while allowing them to include their families. Luo Wen reasoned that once the Swarm expanded into outer space, he wouldn¡¯t be able to oversee everything himself. Having intelligent individuals to assist in management would be advantageous.


    As for any unsavory individuals that slipped through, they could be given a basic body to fend for themselves. If they caused trouble, they¡¯d be transferred into Worker Ant bodies and assigned to menial tasks.


    Ordinary Ratfolk without value wouldn¡¯t burden the Swarm, but as the foundation of civilization, their descendants might one day reach the standards for Swarm nodes.


    Thus, Luo Wen decided to let them live happily on this for the rest of their lives.


    The reward system quickly transformed the Ratfolk¡¯s work ethic. Within no time, nearly all researchers over forty at the institute had been converted. Under collective pressure, Morgan lowered the age threshold to thirty and emphasized strict confidentiality. He warned that any breach of secrecy would result in the loss of rewards or eligibility altogether.


    Morgan didn¡¯t need to stress this point further; the Ratfolk tightly guarded the secret.

 Chapter 153: Experiments Underway (2)

    In the past, Luo Wen would never have dared to conduct such risky experiments. However, his Brood Nest body had be more like a tool¡ªa uniquely irreceable tool, but one that could serve as an ideal experimental subject.


    Over the years, as a Swarm Network entity, Luo Wen had mostly operated by projecting his consciousness into temporary hosts among thework¡¯s nodes. His original body often remained hidden deep under the ocean, rarely utilized.


    This shift in perspective had profoundly changed Luo Wen¡¯s mindset. He now saw himself as a mecha pilot, with the nodes¡ªincluding his original body¡ªacting as his mechas. Depending on the situation, he could switch between various ¡°mechas¡± such as insects, birds, pterosaurs, dinosaurs, beasts, or even Ratfolk, all tailored from gic temtes.


    If a mecha broke down? He could simply rece it. The Brood Nest, while special, was just another mecha.


    Of course, he still prioritized the protection of his Brood Nest and his original body, as they represented the Swarm¡¯s ultimate potential and could not be destroyed simultaneously. But sacrificing one asionally was eptable.


    As it was now.


    Prolonged exposure to high-intensity radiation provided Luo Wen with valuable data, but it caused irreparable damage to his original body. Under the mournful gazes of the ¡°semi-insiders,¡± the body was incinerated. A monthter, an identical creature was delivered to theb.


    The ¡°semi-insiders¡± were baffled. Wasn¡¯t this specimen supposed to be extremely rare?


    Radiation protection experiments involved a wide variety of radiation sources, making them a lengthy endeavor. Luo Wen understood this and focused on ensuring progress wasn¡¯t hindered by human factors. Beyond that, he could only wait.Meanwhile, the Imperial Space Research Institute saw significant developments.


    With the strong support of the Kerrigan Empress, the institute expanded rapidly, influencing many young schrs¡¯ career choices.


    Within five years, its staff grew to over twenty times its initial size. It had originally been established by integrating experts from the Kingdom of Kerrigan and the Kingdom of Merrican, with nearly 20,000 personnel at its inception.


    The coboration of so many brilliant minds elerated progress on the Lunar Exploration Project.


    The Ratfolk had been developing aerospace technology for years, but concepts alone weren¡¯t enough. Under Luo Wen¡¯s guidance¡ªthough he was no academic¡ªtheir technological priorities were severely misaligned. Lacking a robust industrial foundation and aplete system, building a lunar rocket was a pipe dream.


    In previous years, the Ratfolk hadunched numerous prototype rockets, all of which failed. To Luo Wen, some didn¡¯t even outperform firecrackers.


    Still, failure is the mother of sess. Through repeated setbacks, the Ratfolk gained valuable experience and refined their designs to resemble rockets from Luo Wen¡¯s memories.


    However, they eventually hit a wall. Theoretical blueprints could no longer be realized:


    Supersonic flight demanded strong, pressure-resistant, heat-tolerant, and lightweight materials, which the Ratfolk¡¯s material sciences couldn¡¯t provide.


    Increasingly precise rocket engines exceeded the capabilities of Ratfolk machinery.


    The refinement of rocket fuels, oxidizers, and elerants was beyond their technological reach.


    Many associated technologies faced simr challenges. Without external intervention, the project might have been abandoned due to its immense cost.


    But the Kerrigan Empress, being a ¡°Networked Being,¡± proposed a groundbreaking solution: consolidating all rted fields under the research institute¡¯s jurisdiction.


    This bold move shocked many. The space institute already consumed a significant portion of the empire¡¯s budget with minimal results, mostlyunching overpriced fireworks for public entertainment.


    Jealous of its funding, critics had repeatedly called for its dissolution, only to be overruled by the Empress. As the founding monarch, her authority was unparalleled, leaving dissenters little recourse.@@novelbin@@


    The Empress¡¯stest expansion ns sparked a wave of rumors and nder. Some imed she was infatuated with a handsome researcher; others questioned her sanity. There were even whispers of the Merrican Kingdom¡¯s remnants attempting to exploit the situation to restore their monarchy.


    People quickly forgot how Kerrigan had unified the empire. Or perhaps the enormous stakes encouraged selective amnesia.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen was a ¡°helpful bug.¡±


    Those spreading the wildest rumors¡ªwhether overtly or covertly¡ªbegan dying in their sleep. Luo Wen¡¯s intervention rekindled memories of the fear once instilled by ¡°unfortunate idents.¡± The rumors swiftly disappeared, restoring peace and harmony to the empire. Ordinary citizens, bewildered by the rapid turn of events, could only marvel at how quickly the tide shifted.


    The institute¡¯s expansion proposal passed with unprecedented speed, facing no further resistance. Many of the tens of thousands of personnel now in the institute came from fields merged during this restructuring.


    As supporting systems improved, a prototype rocket based on conceptual blueprints was finally constructed five yearster. Around the same time, Luo Wen resumed adaptation experiments in Starlight Enterprises¡¯ privateb.


    Once assembled and inspected, the new rocket underwent its firstunch test two monthster. Unfortunately, shortly after liftoff, it exploded into a spectacr firework, witnessed by officials and citizens across a 100-kilometer radius.


    While the test failed, it revealed numerous issues. Six monthster, a new rocket was built.


    The new rocket measured 15 meters tall and weighed 13.5 tons.


    Its nosecone housed gyroscopes, an inertial navigationputer, and a radiomand receiver.


    The middle section contained fuel and oxidizer tanks, using abination of alcohol fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer. The tail housed the engine and fins.


    The system worked by pumping fuel and oxidizer through separate pipelines into the engine¡¯sbustion chamber, where they mixed, ignited, and burned. The high-temperature, high-pressure gases expelled from the bottom generated thrust.


    When Luo Wen examined the system and blueprints, he felt a strange sense of familiarity.

 Chapter 92: Underwater Breathing

    Time passed unnoticed, and Luo Wen had long since stopped bothering to calcte its passage.


    The prolonged peace in the swarm¡¯s territory meant that many Worker Ants had never set foot on a battlefield since hatching. This peaceful existence even allowed them the rare opportunity to die of old age.


    As batches of Worker Ants perished, new ones were seamlessly added, ensuring the swarm¡¯s operations were unaffected.


    The northern army had been advancing along a river, undergoing various course changes but generally maintaining its direction.


    Recently, a message came from the Queen Ant apanying the army: the forces had encountered an exceptionally wide river that blocked their path. While the aquatic units apanying the army explored the river, they suffered heavy losses. Yet, it seemed they hadn¡¯t encountered any enemies. The report was contradictory and unclear, prompting Luo Wen to investigate personally.


    As he traveled farther north, the temperature dropped noticeably.


    However, due to the¡¯s significant day-night temperature differences, even desert cliffs could freeze at night. The local nts and insects had developed strong cold resistance, and the swarm¡¯s gic adaptations made it impervious to such conditions.


    The flora gradually shifted from broad-leafed nts to conifers as the temperature continued to decline.


    Along the way, Luo Wen even experienced a sudden snowstorm. Though itsted only half an hour before clearing, the ground umted nearly 20 centimeters of snow in that short time.For Luo Wen, with his long legs, the snow posed no obstacle. However, for smaller insects, even those with cold resistance, being trapped in snow and ice could be deadly.


    After several days of arduous travel, Luo Wen finally reached the so-called ¡°riverbank.¡±


    This is a riverbank?


    Looking out at the vast expanse of water, with asional drifting ice and a distinctly salty taste, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but scoff. While the Queen Ant¡¯sck of worldly experience was forgivable, Luo Wen¡ªwho had been bombarded with information in his past life and had even seen the real thing¡ªrecognized this as a sea.


    Had the swarm¡¯s forces already reached the seashore?


    This was Luo Wen¡¯s first question. Having spent his days in a cycle of eating and sleeping, he had lost track of how much time had passed.


    Did this also have oceans?@@novelbin@@


    This was Luo Wen¡¯s second question. After all, this was an unfamiliar world to him.


    Excitement soon bubbled up within him. The ocean undoubtedly concealed countless species, and there might be excellent genes waiting to be harvested.


    Not long after, he found the northern army.


    The key to quickly locating them after traveling thousands of kilometersy in Luo Wen following the river originating near the Brood Nest. After winding through various tributaries, it merged with arger river and eventually flowed into the ocean.


    The northern army was stationed near this point, leaving pheromone trails along the riverbank to guide Luo Wen to their camp.


    When Luo Wen arrived at the site, he found a massive underground base had been excavated,plete with mushroom farms. Despite the freezing temperatures, the mushrooms radiated heat, making the interior of the burrow as warm as spring.


    Unfortunately, the ants seemed to have forgotten to construct a passagerge enough for Luo Wen, leaving him to endure the cold outside.


    This base was home to only a small detachment of five or six million ants.


    The main northern army had long since moved on. After all, it took months for messages to travel back and forth. Given the army¡¯s size, it couldn¡¯t stay in one ce for long, as it needed to continuously advance to secure food supplies.


    The detachment remained behind to await Luo Wen and assist with his operations and experiments.


    The moment Luo Wen saw the ocean, he understood why the Queen Ant¡¯s report had been contradictory.


    The Raft Bugs and Submersible Bugs hadn¡¯t encountered any enemies. Instead, they had perished because their physiology was designed for freshwater andckedponents to filter salt. When they entered the seawater, they were likely overwhelmed by the salinity and died.


    With no enemies present, exploration became the next priority.


    During Luo Wen¡¯s journey, the detachment had made some progress. They hunted several crustaceans resembling crabs, hermit crabs, and shrimp along the coast.


    These species were precisely what Luo Wen needed before beginning his oceanic explorations.


    After consuming samples from each, Luo Wen dug himself a burrow. He then had the Burrower Ants dig a heat-dissipating channel from the ntation in the base to his room, providing a ¡°heater.¡±


    Oncefortably settled, he rested.


    When he awoke, Luo Wen noticed the absence of a molted shell in his burrow, which puzzled him.


    Inspecting his body carefully, he found no discernible changes¡ªno crab-like book gills or other peculiar features.


    Scratching his head awkwardly, he muttered, ¡°Strange? Why haven¡¯t I grown new respiratory organs?¡±


    He spected that his existing organs might have mutated, a theory requiring practical testing to confirm.


    Fortunately, the ocean wasn¡¯t far. Luo Wen quickly made his way to the shoreline with his long legs.


    On second thought, he hesitated¡ªit wasn¡¯t entirely safe to use himself as a test subject. What if he couldn¡¯t tolerate the salinity?


    The safest approach would be to return to the Brood Nest to analyze his genes, but the round trip would take too long, and Luo Wen was too impatient to wait.


    Thus, he crawled toward the estuary where the river met the ocean, creating a transitional zone between freshwater and seawater¡ªa safer ce to experiment.


    Starting in the freshwater, Luo Wen slowly entered the water. Thanks to his acquired diving ability, he wasn¡¯t nervous.


    As the river water engulfed him, he immediately noticed a difference.


    This time, breathing felt much easier than before. Evidently, a change had urred.


    He tried sealing the venttion pores linking the air sacs between his carapace and abdomen. In the past, doing so would have caused instant suffocation. Yet this time, he felt no such difort.


    He could now breathe underwater naturally.


    This was true underwater respiration, extracting oxygen directly from the water, unlike his previous pseudo-underwater breathing, which relied on carrying an ¡°oxygen tank.¡±


    Carefully sensing his body, Luo Wen identified the changes.


    There were two.


    First, his carapace could filter water, extracting dissolved oxygen to sustain his body.


    Second, thin membranous structures had grown at the bases of his legs, protruding from the body wall and filled with capiries. These membranes could also filter water and salt while extracting oxygen.


    The membranes¡¯ location was so hidden¡ªand in Luo Wen¡¯s blind spot¡ªthat he hadn¡¯t noticed them before. The carapace changes were even more subtle, with no outward signs.


    These subtle modifications exined why Luo Wen hadn¡¯t initially realized his new abilities.

 Chapter 157: Ignition

    Once everything was ready, Empress Kerrigan issued themand, and the rocketunch countdown began.


    Ten secondster, amidst billowing smoke, the rocket¡ªresembling a cluster grenade¡ªspewed mes as it shot toward the sky.


    The rocket steadily gained altitude. Its bundled secondary boosters, grouped in sets of four, detached from the main body once their fuel was depleted.


    Perhaps due to the rocket¡¯s overly unique design and significant air resistance, Luo Wen experienced violent vibrations while confined in the cargo bay at the rocket¡¯s nose. The ride was exceedingly ufortable. Were it not for his resilient body, he might have been smashed to pulp within the cramped confines.


    Fortunately, the rocket¡¯s speed wasmendable. After twenty minutes, utilizing a total of three sets of twelve secondary boosters, it sessfully exited the atmosphere.


    The rocket then employed another set of boosters to reachary orbit. The boosters shut down as the rocket was captured by the¡¯s gravity.


    This had two moons, both simr in size and mass. The yellow-white moon appearedrger than the red-white one due to its closer proximity. Luo Wen¡¯s target this time was the yellow moon. After several failed attempts, the rat folk had calcted a precise and feasiblending trajectory through meticulousputations.


    The rocket remained in orbit for more than ten hours, circling half the. Then, the boosters reignited, propelling the rocket onto a lunar-bound trajectory.


    The next two days were uneventful. Luo Wen spent this time in idle stasis, sparing himself the misery of enduring the cramped space.¡°Vitals of the test subject are normal, but signs of low activity suggest potential injuries from severe vibrations during atmospheric exit,¡± a uniformed female rat folk reported to Morgan while monitoring the instruments.


    Empress Kerrigan had left shortly after the rocket exited the atmosphere. Now, Morgan, the director of the Imperial Space Research Institute, was overseeing operations.


    Morgan was well aware of the test subject¡¯s nature. It was undoubtedly one of the Swarm Overlord¡¯s specially engineered bodies. Morgan also knew about the Overlord¡¯s experiments in privateboratories, and this body was likely one of the results. This mission served to test its performance in space.


    Two dayster, through Morgan¡¯s perspective, Luo Wen learned that the rocket was approaching the yellow moon¡¯s orbit. In three hours, it would collide with the yellow moon.


    Yes, collide. With no atmosphere on the yellow moon to slow descent, the rocket¡¯s impact would be direct and unmitigated. This meant Luo Wen was in for a hard-corending.


    As the rocket approached, tension mounted in the control center. The rat folk responsible for monitoring data didn¡¯t dare blink.


    The rocket, now with only four secondary boosters left, was running out of fuel. Thirty minutes before impact, thest four boosters exhausted their fuel and began detachment procedures.


    The metal framework securing the boosters to the rocket was remotely unlocked.


    This 1+32 configuration was being used for the first time, and this was also the first time a rat folk spacecraft had traveled this far. Inevitably, a malfunction urred.


    One of the secondary boosters failed to eject properly due to a malfunction in its release mechanism. As a result, it collided with the rocket¡¯s main body during separation, damaging the rocket¡¯s engine base.


    In the ground control center, piercing rms red. Observation devices showed damage to the rocket¡¯s engine on the right side, though the extent was unclear.


    Shortly thereafter, ck smoke began billowing from the rocket¡¯s base. After limping along for several more minutes, the engine exploded, followed by the fuel tank.


    The rocket¡¯s nose, along with the cargo bay, was sted away from the plume of smoke, veering off its nned trajectory.


    Panic erupted among the rat folk as they frantically recalcted the trajectory.


    Luo Wen recalled an old adage from a wise man: ¡°Ugly weapons are usually unreliable.¡± Thinking back to the rocket¡¯s cluster grenade-like design, he realized why he¡¯d doubted its reliability from the beginning.


    Given its catastrophically ugly design, an ident seemed almost inevitable. Luo Wen was speechless. His body was now tumbling and spiraling through deep space, potentially destined to be a mere speck of decoration in the cosmic void.


    However, he could always self-destruct his body and regenerate back on the, so losing one insect form wasn¡¯t a major issue. The real problem was the lengthy dy for another lunar mission, and the bitterness of seeing his long-awaited hopes dashed.


    Time ticked away. After intense calctions, the rat folk gathered new information.


    ¡°Overlord, are you still there?¡± Morgan asked.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Luo Wen¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    ¡°Overlord, the outlook is grim.¡±


    Luo Wen had anticipated this oue. It seemed another dy was inevitable.


    ¡°However, there¡¯s still a chance to salvage the situation,¡± Morgan added after a pause.


    Luo Wen was momentarily irritated, suspecting Morgan was deliberately being cryptic, though he had no proof. Perhaps he could just dig into Morgan¡¯s mind to find out.


    ¡°The rocket¡¯s nose and cargo bay will be captured by the yellow moon¡¯s gravity in ten minutes, entering its orbit,¡± Morgan quickly continued, sensing Luo Wen¡¯s ominous thoughts.


    But before Luo Wen could rx, Morgan added, ¡°However, although the rocket¡¯s propulsion system was destroyed, its initial speed was too high. With minimal resistance in space, it will exceed the escape velocity of the yellow moon after being captured, remaining in orbit for thirty-four minutes before being flung into deep space.¡±


    Luo Wen became serious, understanding the gravity of Morgan¡¯s statement.


    ¡°So, I need to control the insect form to detach from the rocket within this thirty-four-minute window?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Overlord.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°What are your suggestions?¡±


    ¡°There are two options. First, after detaching from the rocket, the insect form¡¯s speed will be 3.5 km/s. You¡¯ll need to decelerate to and maintain a speed of 2 km/s to stay in orbit. Then, at the right moment, elerate to 2.5 km/s to leave orbit and head for the yellow moon.¡±


    ¡°And the second option?¡±

 Chapter 94: Into the Sea (2)

    The shrimp units could match the mantis shrimp in speed, but their attacks were too weak to prate its armor, relegating them to reconnaissance roles.


    Fortunately, mantis shrimp often hid in the sandy seabed, lying in wait to ambush passing prey. Coincidentally, such areas were also the crabs¡¯ domain.


    After several hours of patrolling, hundreds of shrimp scouts finally located a mantis shrimp at a depth of over 200 meters. The crabs soon received the coordinates and moved in.


    To avoid rming the mantis shrimp, only two crabs approached its hiding ce.


    Perhaps because the crabs were simr in size to the mantis shrimp, it chose to attack rather than flee. It lunged at one crab, which hurriedly raised its w in defense. Yet, as the mantis shrimp darted past, one of the crab¡¯s ws was severed, floating away.


    However, the mantis shrimp underestimated the swarm¡¯s collectivebat tactics. The two crabs had deliberately lured it out. When it paused momentarily to prepare for another strike, the second crab seized the opportunity, leaping forward and pinning the mantis shrimp with its ws.


    The mantis shrimp, covered in spikes, struggled fiercely. While the crabs¡¯ carapaces provided excellent defense, their abdominal armor was rtively soft, and the mantis shrimp managed to pierce them in several ces.


    The injured crab, now reduced to a single w, used it to grip the mantis shrimp¡¯s head and carapace seam. In retaliation, the mantis shrimp unleashed a hammer strike, severing the crab¡¯s remaining w.


    Even so, the detached w remained lodged in the mantis shrimp¡¯s carapace seam, severely hindering its movements.At this point, the shrimp scouts, which had been waiting nearby, swarmed in. Though incapable of damaging the mantis shrimp¡¯s armor, they pushed it toward the crab army.


    Once surrounded by dozens of crabs, the mantis shrimp¡¯s fate was sealed.


    After savoring a fresh mantis shrimp sashimi dish, Luo Wen indulged in a feast of wild crabs and shrimp before hurriedly returning to the Brood Nest.


    Uploading the new gic data left him astounded¡ªno wonder the mantis shrimp was a dominant predator of the sea. It boasted a wealth of gic ¡°ck technology.¡±


    After a deep sleep, Luo Wen molted ayer of his w¡¯s armor. While his ws didn¡¯t transform into hammers, they gained new structures, and even the armor itself underwent changes.


    However, an ident urred during testing.


    A monthter, the swarm version of the mantis shrimp wasplete. After various tests, Luo Wen gained a deeper understanding of its capabilities.


    The first notable feature was its eyes. Equipped with six pupils, the eyes could perceive a broader range of colors. While these eyes weren¡¯t entirelypatible with Luo Wen¡¯s biology, partial integration allowed him to experience a richer and more vivid world.@@novelbin@@


    The second and most remarkable trait was its hammer-like forelimbs.


    A 10-centimeter-long mantis shrimp could generate a force exceeding 150 kilograms with its hammer, which exined how it had cracked Luo Wen¡¯s armor.


    Its hammer strikes were blisteringly fast, elerating from 0 to 80 km/h in just 1/300th of a second. This speed created a supercavitation effect, where copsing bubbles produced a small shockwave and briefly heated the surrounding water to extreme temperatures, emitting a sh of light.


    Luo Wen realized the sh he¡¯d seen during the mantis shrimp¡¯s attack came from this phenomenon, visible only with highly sensitive eyes.


    Achieving such speeds required more than just physical strength¡ªit necessitated intricate body mechanics. The mantis shrimp¡¯s forelimbs featured a hyperbolic system, which stored energy through contraction and released it explosively tounch the hammer.


    Moreover, this extraordinary mechanism relied on a specialized material. The mantis shrimp¡¯s hammer was covered in a threeyered nano-structure that absorbed energy, resisted cracking, and provided exceptional impact resistance.


    Despite its impressive resilience, this material had limitations. It could only support the mantis shrimp¡¯s hammer at its current size of roughly one centimeter. Anyrger, and catastrophic failure would ur.


    Don¡¯t ask how Luo Wen discovered this.


    When he first acquired the technology, he was ecstatic. Rushing to test it, he fully activated the hyperbolic ejection system. The result? A loud sonic boom followed by Luo Wen being violently flung through the air.


    Worse yet, his w was forcibly torn from his body and hurled into the distance.


    Subsequent examination revealed that while the w had adopted the new nano-structure, it suffered severe burn damage. Thankfully, being severed from Luo Wen¡¯s body spared him any direct harm.


    However, the pain of losing a w was unbearable, leaving Luo Wen writhing in agony. He began questioning whether retaining a nervous system that could register pain truly counted as an evolutionary advantage.


    After extensive experiments using mantis shrimp gics, Luo Wen determined the limits of the system. The maximum hammer size that could withstand the stresses was roughly two centimeters, and the system only functioned effectively underwater, where the water could rapidly cool the heat generated by the hyperbolic ejection.


    Anythingrger was a death sentence, as Luo Wen had painfully discovered. Fortunately, he could regenerate his limbs, emerging whole after molting in a cocoon.


    Given Luo Wen¡¯s size of over 60 centimeters, with ws whose main structure alone spanned nearly 30 centimeters, it was impossible to wield a two-centimeter hammer.


    The thought of such a setup was simply too humiliating for him to consider.


    Additionally, the system was only lethal against simrly sized targets. When the mantis shrimp ambushed Luo Wen, it had only managed to create a small crack in his w.


    For Luo Wen, the system was akin to a chicken rib: unsatisfying to use but too valuable to discard. Reluctant to waste such a hard-earned technology, he conducted countless tests and adjustments. After losing countless ws and molting multiple times, Luo Wen finally managed to modify the system.


    This ¡°modification¡± was essentially a severe downgrade. Luo Wen sealed off most of the hyperbolic system¡¯s power, weakening it repeatedly until it was manageable.


    Even so, the improved system increased Luo Wen¡¯s w speed severalfold. Combined with his enhanced dynamic visual tracking, he was confident that if he encountered a mantis shrimp again, he could give it a surprise of his own.

 Chapter 162: A Stepping Stone

    The Burrower Ants were tasked with heavybor, so their external skeletons had to be retained. Fortunately, on the moon, the Fungal Carpet was growing even faster than the insects, already covering a vast area.


    The lunar base currently had an abundance of resources. Raising somerger insects wouldn¡¯t be a burden.


    As time passed, various models of Burrower Ants emerged from their cocoons. Once their exoskeletons hardened underground, they quickly began their intensive work.


    Since insect eggs andrvaecked maic field generators, they had to be shielded from radiation deep underground during their early growth stages.


    The initial production of Burrower Ants was aimed at this goal. With their increased size, their work became much more efficient. Over three months, five simple,rge underground bases had been roughly excavated. The subsequent finishing work would wait until more small Burrower Ants and Worker Drones were avable to refine them gradually.


    During this time, the number of Brood Queens increased to ten, with two stationed in each base, working tirelessly to replenish the workforce.


    The lunar base gradually entered a stable development phase. As its supply systems and production units became moreplete, its growth would only elerate.


    Thus, it was time to prepare for the next phase of ns.


    Conquering a small moon was certainly not the swarm¡¯s ultimate goal. If that were the case, Luo Wen might as well remain on the Genesis and be aary lord.@@novelbin@@The moon was merely a stepping stone. With no atmosphere, it was an idealunch site for the swarm.


    However, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t establish a rocketunch base on the moon. Itcked any industrial foundation and was devoid of certain critical raw materials. The Ratfolk¡¯s rocket technology system was not applicable here.


    Currently, the swarm could utilize a jet propulsion system to fly in zero-gravity environments until its energy reserves were exhausted. It could also glide a short distance using inertia.


    But space was vast. A flight range capable of circling the Genesis several times was negligible on a cosmic scale. Even though jet-propelled flight was several times faster than the Storm God¡¯s flight speed on the Genesis, it was stillughably slow when considering the distances between celestial bodies.


    Naturally, Luo Wen would not choose such a mode of transportation. Otherwise, by the time his jet-propelled bugs left the star system, the Ratfolk might already have spacefaring ships.


    Of course, this scenario would never happen. If the Ratfolk ever developed the ability to threaten the swarm, they would face extermination long before that.


    Returning to the main topic, Luo Wen¡¯s current idea revolved around the mantis shrimp dubbed the ¡°Alien Mecha.¡±


    This creature possessed several ck technologies ideal for space travel.


    For instance, the hyperbolic system on its hammer. Studies showed that if this system were magnified dozens of times with sufficiently strong materials to support its operation, it could generate kic energy so immense that it could hurl rocks directly to the moon in the absence of atmospheric resistance.


    Luo Wen¡¯s dual pincers utilized this system in a weakened form. It significantly enhanced their flexibility and, when fully powered, provided formidable attack strength. Although its activation required a substantial energy cost each time, its capabilities were undeniable. Luo Wen had relied on it to survive many life-or-death situations.


    However, due to material limitations, even Luo Wen¡¯s so-called full-power usage only unleashed a fraction of its potential.


    But on the moon, with no air resistance and only minimal gravity, a well-designed version of this system could be the swarm¡¯s most suitable transportation method.


    The structure of the system required no modifications¡ªfor now, Luo Wencked the ability to enhance its capabilities. Instead, he focused on the materials.


    Luo Wen chose to integrate nt cells into the hammer cannon¡¯s material alongside its existingponents.


    nt cells, with their thick, sturdy, and slightly stic cell walls, could maintain their shape, increase mechanical strength, regte osmotic pressure, and provide excellent defense.


    Even so, the new material could only withstand one full-power operation of the hyperbolic system before self-destructing under severe overload.


    Thus, Luo Wen designed theponents as disposable modules attached externally to the Fungal Carpet.


    The initialunch device resembled a massive fleshy lump, ced at strategic locations and connected to the Fungal Carpet. Nourished by the carpet¡¯s nutrients, the device would grow into something akin to a single-armed trebuchet.


    The Fungal Carpet anchoring it ensured stability, while the device¡¯s own extensive root system prated up to a hundred meters underground for additional support.


    When ready tounch, the Fungal Carpet would channel sufficient energy into the device to activate its hyperbolic ejection system, propelling the payload at an astonishing velocity.


    After firing, most of the device¡¯s structure would be destroyed by the extreme overload. Given its high cost, this method ofunching was undeniably extravagant.


    However, with the moon¡¯s resources freely avable to the swarm and no need to produce manybat units, most resources could be allocated to manufacturing theseunch devices.


    Because of its retro design and resemnce to a single-armed trebuchet, Luo Wen named the device the ¡°Orbital Sling.¡±


    The Orbital Sling¡¯s payloads were also specially designed.


    The payload consisted of a Spore Capsule encased in a lichen-like structure made from various rocky materials. This design gave the capsule the appearance of a meteor during its space flight.


    This was a byproduct of Luo Wen¡¯s earlier radiation experiments. While the material provided excellent radiation resistance, its rigidity and poor ductility made it unsuitable for mobility armor. However, it was perfect for camouge.


    Beneath the lichenyer was a heat-resistant nano-structure to protect against atmospheric friction during reentry ons with atmospheres.


    Inside was a highly concentrated nutrientyer encasing Fungal Carpet seeds, several Worker Drone eggs, and one Brood Queen egg.


    Since the Spore Capsulecked a maic field generator, the contents would enter a dormant state to endure extreme external conditions.


    This design allowed the swarm to quickly establish a rudimentary base in new environments.


    The research, manufacturing, and preparation of these devices took Luo Wen over a year.


    Now, on the moon¡¯s far side, three Orbital Slings ¡°grew¡± atop a slightly elevated hill on the purple-hued ground.


    Around one of the Orbital Slings, a dozen Ratfolk busily worked on final adjustments.


    After so much preparation, it was time to test the system in action.

 Chapter 163: Take a Shot

    These rat folk had already been converted into node units, effectively bing ¡°allies.¡± Luo Wen had prepared some space-adapted rat folk bodies on the moon beforehand, then extracted their consciousnesses from their bodies on the Genesis and transferred them into the lunar bodies.


    This instantly achieved the milestone of rat folk¡¯s first, second, third¡­ all the way to the eleventh lunarnding.


    The Orbital Sling had a long-standing issue that had persisted since Luo Wen acquired the Hyperbolic System¡ªits uracy was dreadful.


    It epitomized the saying, ¡°brute force works wonders.¡± Unless used for point-nk shots, its uracy was so poor that hitting a target felt miraculous.


    In space, where distances are measured in light-years, even a one-millimeter deviation at the start could result in unimaginable off-target impacts over a light-year¡¯s span.


    Thus, there was significant room for improvement. The rat folk researchers had been specifically brought here by Luo Wen to address this issue.


    Unfortunately, the rat folk¡¯s technological development was heavily unbnced. Rocket engine technology and rted fields were leaps and bounds ahead, while radar,puting, andmunication technologiesgged significantly.


    Their calctions required a substantial amount of practical data to back them up.


    After a flurry of intense debugging, various initial data points were recorded, and the Orbital Sling entered itsunch countdown.¡°Overlord, do you think this experiment will seed?¡± Through the Swarm Network, Luo Wen had included Morgan, a few rat folk intelligences, and some des into a group chat.


    Everyone shared the visual feed of several Scout Bugs with eagle-like vision, closely monitoring the entireunch process.


    The Eagle-Eye Bug was a new reconnaissance insect developed by Luo Wen, inspired by the principle of telescopes. Shaped like a giant eyeball, itcked limbs, mouth, or nose. It relied on internal hydrogen generation and jet propulsion for mobility and received sustenance through a rear connection to the Fungal Carpet.


    Its eyeball incorporated the genes of multiple organisms, and while it appeared to have just one eye, it hid dozens of pupil structures of varying sizes. This allowed it to auto-focus and switch between modes like thermal imaging and night vision.


    The projectile¡¯s speed uponunch was incredibly high, making it impossible for standard imaging systems to capture its trajectory. However, Luo Wen had added a type of light-bending coating to the Spore Capsule, derived from the Mantis Shrimp¡¯s 20-color imaging system. This allowed the Eagle-Eye Bug to quickly detect the light distortion and lock onto the target.


    The bug¡¯s powerful dynamic vision system then kicked in, presenting a clear image of the projectile¡¯s flight path. Since Luo Wen and his subordinates shared the Eagle-Eye Bug¡¯s vision, they could observe the entire process in real time.


    Moreover, the Eagle-Eye Bugs were numerous, and Luo Wen had temporarily granted his subordinates the ability to switch camera angles freely.


    ¡°Failure is the mother of sess. Failure isn¡¯t scary as long as we can learn from it and make improvements. Sess will eventuallye.¡± Luo Wen watched the observation screen intently, casually replying to Morgan¡¯s question.


    ¡°The Overlord speaks wisely,¡± Morgan responded.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The countdown ended, and the Hyperbolic System activated. The Spore Capsule inside the Orbital Sling instantly vanished. The immense recoil reduced most of the Orbital Sling¡¯s structure to ash and even tore up arge section of the Fungal Carpet anchoring it to the ground.


    A few secondster, the Fungal Carpet mmed back down, sending up clouds of dust through its torn seams. Multiple horrifying gashes appeared across its surface.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t have time to worry about the damage to the Fungal Carpet. Unlike typical living organisms, the Fungal Carpet¡¯s injuries, while appearing severe, were minor as long as its main body wasn¡¯t massively burned or obliterated. These surface tears, though terrifying, were essentially superficial wounds that could heal in minutes.


    The first target for the Orbital Sling wasn¡¯t a distant but the Red Moon, a fellow satellite of the Genesis. After some calctions by the rat folk, today was the day when the Yellow Moon and Red Moon crossed paths, reducing their distance to under 200,000 kilometers.


    In space terms, this was practically point-nk range.


    Two or three seconds after the projectile disappeared, the Eagle-Eye Bug reacquired the target. By then, the ¡°projectile¡± had already covered half the distance. A minuteter, it impacted the Red Moon¡¯s surface. The entire moon seemed to tremble slightly as the impact site formed a deep crater, throwing up massive amounts of dust.


    The impact point was tens of thousands of kilometers off the intended target, but at least it sessfullynded on the Red Moon.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but mutter in astonishment. He wasn¡¯t surprised by the off-target distance or even the fact that it hit. What shocked him was how little time the flight had taken.


    While he already knew the Hyperbolic System was powerful, he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this potent.


    Covering 200,000 kilometers in just over a minute meant the projectile had reached 1% of light speed. Did that mean it could reach a nearby star system in just a few centuries? Well, this made it clear¡ªfurther improvements to the Orbital Sling¡¯s performance were necessary. Although Luo Wen¡¯s perception of time was bing increasingly vague, even he thought centuries were too long.


    These thoughts quickly passed as Luo Wen connected to the Spore Capsule on the Red Moon via the Swarm Network.


    The Spore Capsule¡ªno response.


    Brood Queen eggs¡ªno response.


    Worker Drone eggs¡ªno response.


    Even the Fungal Carpet¡ªno response.


    After repeated attempts, Luo Wen concluded that the excessive speed had caused too strong an impact, destroying the Spore Capsule and all the insect eggs inside.


    Was this experiment a sess?


    There was no time to ponder. With the two moons still close, Luo Wen hurriedly prepared for a secondunch.


    Fortunately, three Orbital Slings had been prepared. One was destroyed, but two remained operational. Although the previous Sling¡¯s destruction had slightly tilted the remaining two, concentrated resources had allowed one of them to be repaired.


    Under the assistance of Burrower Ants and Worker Drones, its base was straightened and repositioned.


    Without wasting time, the second projectile was loaded. With experience from the first attempt, the rat folk researchers adjusted their settings before the countdown for the secondunch began.@@novelbin@@


    This time, Luo Wen learned from the previous mishap and capped the Sling¡¯s performance.


    When the countdown ended, the ¡°projectile¡± vanished. With the reduced performance, the Orbital Sling wasn¡¯t destroyed, nor did it tear uprge portions of the Fungal Carpet.


    It sustained only minor damage. Given its significant nt-cellposition, it could be easily repaired with the Fungal Carpet¡¯s help, making it reusable after simple maintenance.

 Chapter 97: Awakening

    Luo Wen was jolted awake by a cacophony of ¡°Gua-Gua¡± sounds. The irritation of being disturbed from his long slumber left him seething with rage.


    The extended period of hibernation had left his mind sluggish and nk, unable to recall anything immediately.


    For now, his overwhelming hunger took precedence as his bodily functions slowly resumed. Instinctively, he tore at the cocoon encasing his body. Having been inactive for so long, his movements were stiff and clumsy, as if his body had rusted over.


    When he finally managed to rip through the cocoon, he found the desated material devoid of any nutritional value.


    To his despair, he discovered another, tougher wall beyond it.


    ¡°Which wretched soul had the nerve to glue this ce shut?¡± Luo Wen cursed groggily.


    The constant ¡°Gua-Gua¡± noises from above only aggravated his mood further.


    Gathering a modicum of strength, his massive ws¡ªguided by his keen, high-refresh-ratepound eyes¡ªbegan to chip away at a specific point on the wall.


    At longst, a small hole was breached. With this initial crack, the task became much easier. Luo Wen used his ws to w, pry, and dig, gradually widening the opening.Chunks of tightly packed dirt began to fall into the enclosed cavern.


    The hole grewrger until loose, unbonded soil started spilling into the chamber.


    This soil offered no resistance to Luo Wen¡¯s massive ws, unlike the solidified chunks. Luo Wen grabbed some of the loose dirt and stuffed it into his mouth, temporarily alleviating his gnawing hunger.


    However, the nutrients he could extract from the dirt were minimal, a stopgap solution that couldn¡¯t truly sate him.


    Time was of the essence. After a brief respite, Luo Wen resumed digging. Fortunately, his ws were as effective at tunneling as any specialized burrower¡¯s legs.


    In a short time, he had carved out an upward path.


    Luckily, the earthquake that had recently shaken the area had caused the earth¡¯s crust to shift, bringing Luo Wen closer to the surface. The once-deep cavern was now only 20 or 30 meters underground.


    Still, this short distance proved to be a grueling challenge. By the time Luo Wen broke through to the surface and inhaled his first breath of fresh air, he was on the verge of total exhaustion.


    There, he finally found the source of the noise that had awakened him.


    The sight of a frog with bulbous eyes greeted him. One nce was enough to confirm its exceptional vision.


    His long-dormant camouge abilities sprang to life. Instinctively, Luo Wen activated them.


    Colors shifted and shimmered across his body, the once-ck surface morphing into a dazzling array of hues. In moments, Luo Wen seemed to vanish, blending seamlessly into his surroundings.


    He crept toward the dark green frog with deliberate care, nervous about his diminished state. This might be his only chance¡ªsess meant meat, failure meant dirt.


    As his ws neared striking range, the frog appeared to sense something amiss but remained still.


    Luo Wen exhaled in relief and activated a weakened version of his dual-curve attack system. Wind roared as his massive w pierced the frog¡¯s body and continued downward, pinning it deep into the soil.


    It had been so long since Luo Wen hunted personally that his strength control was off, ruining a portion of the fresh prey.


    But in his current state, he couldn¡¯t afford to be picky. Even if two pounds of aphid dung were ced before him, he would have devoured it without hesitation.


    After gorging himself, Luo Wen felt a small amount of energy return, and his intellect began to reawaken. Memories from before his hibernation trickled back into his mind.


    Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, a rhythmic vibration emanated from the ground, sending him into a panic.


    ¡°Another earthquake?¡± he wondered, rmed.


    Focusing carefully, he realized that the tremors felt like the movements of a massive creature stomping across thend.


    Fortunately, the source of the disturbance was still some distance away. Luo Wen¡¯s heightened senses¡ªevident in his ability to hear a frog¡¯s croak from deep underground¡ªseemed even sharper than before.


    With the immediate threat averted, Luo Wen took a moment to survey his surroundings.


    Tall treesy toppled in all directions, some even uprooted. Cracks riddled the ground, evidence of a seismic event.


    Yet, the types of trees around him were unfamiliar.


    Given that the swarm had once dominated most of the continentalndmass, unfamiliar flora was a rarity.


    Then his gazended on the spot where the frog had vanished, and realization dawned.


    This species was something he had encountered during his human days. Since bing an insect, he hadn¡¯t seen anything like it.


    The realization prompted three soul-piercing questions:


    ¡°How long was I asleep?¡±


    ¡°Where am I?¡±


    ¡°Have I crossed into another world again?¡±


    The scant information avable, coupled with the unknown conditions outside, made exploration too risky.@@novelbin@@


    For now, Luo Wen prioritized regrowing the Brood Nest. After all, his path was that of the Collective. Without subordinates, he felt an unsettling emptiness.


    The area was once home to a small stream, but the earthquake had altered the terrain. The stream now needed to carve a new path.


    The region was scattered with small pools of water, and thin trickles flowed beneath the fallen trees and weeds.


    asionally, the croaks of frogs echoed from the surroundings.


    Luo Wen¡¯s fine body scales began to work, cloaking him from sight. Avoiding the pools as much as possible, he crept toward the source of the sounds.


    While frogs were natural predators of insects, perfectly equipped to catch them, the massive size difference between these frogs and Luo Wen rendered such predation irrelevant.


    For example, if humans were the size of ants, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance unarmed. But with the size disparity in their favor, a single stomp could decimate an ant colony.


    Here, the frogs were too small, their abilities countered by Luo Wen¡¯s stealth. Their eyes, evolved to track swift-flying insects, were useless against his camouge.


    Robbed of their advantage, the frogs couldn¡¯t even flee in time.


    After skewering and devouring several frogs, Luo Wen¡¯s hunger remained unappeased. His body was severely depleted, and the frogs were quickly metabolized into energy.


    During his hunt, Luo Wen noticed several flying insects flitting about.


    Flight had once been a coveted ability of his. Back when the swarm controlled vast territories, he had never seen a single flying insect. Yet here, they seemed ubiquitous.


    This revtion sparked his three soul-piercing questions once again.


    The small insects, due to their size, proved challenging for Luo Wen¡¯s ws. Even with the weakened dual-curve system, his attacks were straightforward and inflexible, unsuited for such agile targets.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen had more than just ws in his arsenal. Against these nimble, small targets, he had a far more effective weapon.

 Chapter 167: Sarah (1)

    Over the years, Luo Wen not only delivered gifts to his neighbors within the Genesis sr system but also undertook other endeavors.


    On the far side of the Red Moon stood dozens of massiveunchers. These devices were muchrger than standard models, reaching a staggering height of forty to fifty meters.


    These oversizedunchers possessed significantly enhancedunching capabilities. Once activated, they could elerate ¡°projectiles¡± to speeds of 20,000 to 30,000 kilometers per second, with a maximum speed reaching one-tenth of the speed of light.@@novelbin@@


    Of course, their uracy was correspondingly poor. Even attempting to lob objects between the Yellow Moon and the Red Moon would yield unpredictable results.


    However, Luo Wen dared not attempt using these giantunchers between the two moons. After all, velocity equaled mass, and he had no idea to what extent the spore capsule¡¯s mass might increase at one-tenth the speed of light.


    Luo Wen figured that neither the Yellow Moon nor the Red Moon would appreciate being struck by such a projectile.


    In truth, these giantunchers were not intended for use within the sr system. They had missions befitting their names¡ªthey were true Swarm Meteor Launchers.


    Their ¡°projectiles¡± were also erged versions of spore capsules, approximately ten meters long, three to four meters high, and about five meters wide. The ¡°projectile¡± was encased in a thickyer of meteoric material. Inside, besides containing nutrients, queen ants, worker drones, and burrower ant eggs, the spore capsule itself was tasked with far more.


    Although technically a byproduct of the fungal carpet, this type of spore capsule resembled a living organism. Its body was equipped with multiple eyes¡ªnot quite to the extent of the Giant-Eye Bug, but reaching the level of the Eagle-Eye Bug.These exceptional visual abilities allowed the capsules to observe their surroundings through deliberately left openings in their meteoric exteriors.


    Furthermore, they were equipped with a more advanced propulsion system. Luo Wen didn¡¯t intend to use them merely as ¡°projectiles.¡± At such high eleration speeds, without proper safety mechanisms, the capsules would inevitably crash and be destroyed.


    These Swarm Meteors were entrusted with exploration missions beyond the Genesis sr system. Their uracy was irrelevant¡ªwhat mattered was simplyunching them outward and hoping for the best.


    With good fortune, they might enter other sr systems, getting captured by the gravity of stars ors, and then find a way tond. With average luck, they could encounter aet or the like and hitch a ride. And if unlucky, they would drift through space until their energy was depleted, bing actual meteors.


    Their propulsion systems were primarily used to alter trajectories. During flight, the capsules would periodically make slight course adjustments.


    Luo Wen was uncertain whether advanced civilizations existed in the neighboring sr systems. If a Swarm Meteor happened to crash into an inhabited and damaged flora or property, it could lead to someone tracing the trajectory back to him, which would be quite awkward.


    As a master of strategizing against the unknown, Luo Wen naturally considered such scenarios.


    Over the past decade, the Swarm hadunched over a thousand such Swarm Meteors into the cosmic void.


    Most of the resources extracted from the two moons were dedicated to producing these giantunchers and Swarm Meteors.


    Luo Wen even assigned a special team of des, granting them authority to monitor the trajectories of these meteors in shifts around the clock.


    However, it seemed unlikely that any feedback would be received in the short term. Based on calctions, the nearest sr system to the Genesis sr system was over five light-years away.


    Even if the Swarm Meteors reached their maximum speed, it would still take decades, or even centuries, for them to make the journey.


    Nevertheless, this nearest sr system received special attention from Luo Wen. More than half of theunched Swarm Meteors were directed toward it.


    ¡°Teacher, am I going to die?¡± In the opulent royal pce of the Ratfolk Empire, avishly decorated bedroom housed a massive, dark wooden bed. The bed was crafted from fine materials, intricately carved, and emitted a faint, soothing fragrance.


    The bedroom doors and windows were tightly shut. All servants had been dismissed, leaving only the young Morgan seated by the bedside, gazing at the frail and aged Empress Sarah Kerrigan lying upon it.


    ¡°Judging by your appearance, it seems that¡¯s the case.¡± Over the decades, Morgan had watched the Empress from birth to her final days. Their bond had grown exceptionally close. Now, with no outsiders present, their conversation was not one of sovereign and subject, nor superior and subordinate, but that of teacher and student, allowing for a level of informality and even teasing.


    ¡°Teacher, do you think I will find the Divine Kingdom after I die?¡± she asked.


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem. You have experience managing an empire and are adept at strategy games. Our God would likely need someone like you,¡± Morgan replied.


    ¡°Teacher, there¡¯s no need to emphasize the games.¡±


    ¡°Haha, my mistake,¡± Morgan chuckled. The Empress sighed in exasperation at such a flippant response¡ªbarely convincing for even a child. Knowing Morgan well, she understood he was merely trying to lighten the mood.


    ¡°Teacher, I¡¯m on the verge of death. Can you take this seriously?¡±


    ¡°All right. Honestly, there¡¯s not much to it, Sarah. Just close your eyes, and before you know it, you¡¯ll awaken again. It¡¯ll be quicker than a nap.¡± Perhaps because he understood that entering the Swarm Network posed little actual risk, Morgan didn¡¯t feel much of the sorrow typically associated with parting.


    ¡°Yes, I know. As I¡¯ve aged, seeing you has only deepened my envy. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be young again? In truth, I¡¯ve been looking forward to this day for a long time,¡± Sarah said softly.


    Her eyes, now clouded and lifeless, stared nkly at the ceiling as she murmured to herself, ¡°Ever since you reappeared in my life, Teacher, I¡¯ve been pondering: What kind of being is the god? Did he truly create the Ratfolk? If so, why? Does he seek faith? Has he returned to the moon?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll soon have the answers, Sarah,¡± Morgan reassured.


    But the Empress, now on the brink of death, seemed not to hear him. She continued murmuring, ¡°Over the years, I¡¯ve witnessed the empire¡¯s changes. I¡¯ve seen what you¡¯ve done. To be honest, I have some regrets. Your covert influence has already rendered the royal family powerless. But even if I had disagreed, what could I have done? The Merrican Kingdom¡¯s sudden and mysterious downfall was a stark reminder. Had I refused, would I have inexplicably died in the pce the next day?¡±


    Morgan remained silent.


    ¡°In the end, God is too enigmatic and too powerful. We have no means of resistance. We can only hope he is benevolent and treats the Ratfolk kindly. After all, I am their Empress,¡± Sarah whispered.


    ¡°Rest assured, Sarah. God¡¯s ambitions are not confined to this small. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t even be Ratfolk,¡± Morgan said softly, as if lost in thought.


    Hearing this, the Empress¡¯s wrinkled lips curved into a faint smile, and she fell silent.


    After a long pause, Morgan stood and murmured, ¡°My student, your skill in emotional maniption has surpassed even mine. Just now, I almost shed tears.¡±

 Chapter 171: Sudden Descent onto A7

    A7, a massive gas giant, boasts an unimaginably thick atmosphere. Its rapid rotation causes immense centrifugal forces to fling equatorial material outward, only to be held in ce by the¡¯s tremendous gravity. This results in A7¡¯s unusual ote shape, rarely seen among celestial bodies.


    The emits an extraordinarily strong maic field, with its atmosphere perpetually roiled by enormous superstorms. On the Genesis, such a storm would spell extinction for entire ecosystems, yet on A7, it is merely routine.


    Due to limited understanding of gas giants, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t even sure if A7 had water resources, let alone a rocky core. Thus, he was uncertain about the feasibility ofnding on it.


    The vanguard of the Swarm Meteor cluster, spore capsules, had begun interacting with A7. Originally decelerated to a speed of 1 km/s, they experienced a slight eleration under the¡¯s immense gravitational pull.


    The leading spore capsule, equipped with cutting-edge propulsion, met disaster as soon as it entered A7¡¯s atmosphere.


    The atmosphere turned out to contain abundant hydrogen. Upon contact, the high-temperature energy emitted by the spore capsule ignited the hydrogen.


    Fortunately, for reasons unknown, the explosion was notrge. It left behind a puff of steam and slightly veered the spore capsule off course. However, the resulting st significantly reduced the capsule¡¯s speed, prompting Luo Wen to order its propulsion system to shut down and rely on inertia alone.


    A team of intelligent entities swiftly analyzed the cause of the explosion. The experts gathered for this mission, though limited in data, pooled their insights to propose a usible exnation.


    A7¡¯s atmosphere, while rich in hydrogen, contains no oxygen. However, the energy jets from the spore capsule carried trace amounts of unreacted oxygen from its reaction chamber. Upon release, this residual oxygen reacted with the surrounding hydrogen, causing an explosion.The explosion consumed the avable oxygen instantly, producing steam as the byproduct. This exined why, despite the hydrogen-rich environment, there was norge-scale detonation around the capsule.


    The seemingly endless clouds swallowed the spore capsule, which descended over 200 kilometers within minutes. The environment grew increasingly hostile.


    Despite facing the sun, the thick clouds blocked all light. The temperature plunged below -100¡ãC. Without oxygen, no frost formed on the capsule¡¯s surface.


    Inside the spore capsule, the fungal carpet seeds and queen brood eggs endured the cold through dormancy. However, they were bombarded by unprecedented levels of intense radiation.


    Even the radiation-resistant outer shell of the capsule began to degrade. Without a maic shielding system, the spore capsule¡¯s integrity was rapidly failing. If the shell broke, the seeds and eggs inside would lose viability in no time.


    Immediate action was necessary. The fungal carpet seeds needed to be nted to generate maic shielding, but the infinite cloudyers offered no ce to take root. The fungal carpet couldn¡¯t grow mid-air.


    A7¡¯s rapid rotation also meant extreme winds. Around the spore capsule, wind speeds exceeded 500 km/h, swirling with vortices.


    The high-speed clouds shed, creating awe-inspiring electrical storms. Lightning bolts, tens of meters thick, shed through the atmosphere. Compared to this, the phrase ¡°thin as lightning¡± became an ironic joke.


    These shes illuminated the dense clouds in eerie bursts, projecting a sense of cosmic dread that chilled the group sharing the capsule¡¯s vision.


    The storm drastically slowed the capsule¡¯s descent but simultaneously tore at its outer shell.


    Descending another 100 kilometers, the atmospheric pressure soared. The shell, already strained by the storm, began to crumble.


    Fortunately, the spore capsule¡¯s internal structure excelled at withstanding such pressures. As it continued to fall, the pressure eventually rivaled the depths of Genesis¡¯s deepest oceans.


    Strangely, the temperature rose above freezing. However, this offered littlefort. The storm¡¯s fleeting lightning revealed only more clouds, with nond in sight.


    As time passed, the capsule descended further. Temperatures climbed rapidly, exceeding hundreds of degrees Celsius. The thickened atmosphere became almost viscous, resembling a turbulent liquid.@@novelbin@@


    Under the dual effects of the superstorm and dense air, the spore capsule¡¯s descent halted. The atmospheric pressure far surpassed that of Genesis¡¯s deep-sea depths. The dense air acted like a swamp, preventing further descent.


    Finally, the capsule¡¯s shell shattered and vanished. The spore capsule endured for another ten minutes before sumbing to intense radiation, its signals silenced.


    The group fell into a stunned silence. Subsequently, the remaining fourteen spore capsules, arriving at simr altitudes, also lost contact.


    Though this oue was anticipated, its stark reality still stung.


    The Swarm, as a novice in cosmic exploration, couldn¡¯t expect smooth sailing every time. This failure marked gas giants as temporarily unviable for Swarmndings.


    Luo Wenposed himself. This setback was insignificant in the grand scheme.


    The teams, havingbored tirelessly for days, took a brief respite while brainstorming solutions for conquering A7¡¯s challenges.


    Despite the pause, the group remained intact. Over the next year, dozens more meteors would reach A7¡¯s moons, albeit at a slower pace.


    The n was to establish numerous observation posts on these moons, gatheringprehensive data¡ªessential for knowing one¡¯s enemy to secure victory.


    If no viable solutions emerged, Luo Wen had a bold backup n:unch a Brood Nest into orbit around A7. It would continually regenerate a new body and attempt endless descents onto A7 until the yielded.

 Chapter 100: Landing

    The aerial battle above was beyond Luo Wen¡¯s field of vision, and now, he faced a new problem.


    Thest time he experienced a free fall from such a height, he had been norger than a fingernail, and various forces could easily affect his descent.


    Even a gentle breeze could significantly slow his fall.


    That earlier experience had ingrained a certain mindset in him: high-altitude falls couldn¡¯t harm him.


    However, his current body was over sixty centimeters long, and while his thick exoskeletal armor provided strong protection, it was not light.


    His weight might now exceed fifty kilograms.


    At such a mass, only a strong gale could slow his descent.


    Unfortunately, the weather was sunny and calm, with not even a breeze in the air, let alone a gale.


    In this situation, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t sure if his body could withstand the impact ofnding safely.He couldn¡¯t leave things to fate; he needed to draw on his meager knowledge to improve his chances of survival.


    Stretching out all eight of his legs to increase his body¡¯s surface area, he tried to maximize resistance.


    His rapid descent slowed slightly, providing a momentary buffer, but it was far from enough to stop him from plummeting.


    Luo Wen cursed under his breath. If he could just sleep for a bit, maybe he¡¯d grow a pair of wings and avoid such indignities altogether.


    Thankfully, he had already shed his two heaviest ws earlier; otherwise, those alone¡ªeach weighing seven or eight kilograms¡ªwould have added significantly to his burden.


    Suddenly, an idea struck him.


    The air sacs located between his carapace and abdomen began inting rapidly.


    These sacs, initially designed as underwater oxygen tanks, had be almost redundant after Luo Wen acquired underwater breathing capabilities.


    Unexpectedly, they now proved invaluable. It truly seemed that no skill was ever useless¡ªa fact the ancients were right about.


    The air sacs expanded to their limit, even distorting Luo Wen¡¯s abdomen. But the effect was remarkable, significantly reducing his descent speed.


    However, this created a new issue.


    The sacs were located in the rear half of his body, causing Luo Wen¡¯s position to shift from a horizontal spread to a head-down dive.


    With his ws gone, he had no way to shield his head and would have to rely on his armor to endure the impact.


    This was far from an ideal oue.


    As the ground drew closer, tall treetops began appearing in Luo Wen¡¯s field of vision.


    He struggled to align his fall toward the treetops.


    Despite his efforts, his descent trajectory barely changed.


    Luckily, the forest below was dense, withyer uponyer of interwoven tree canopies that blocked out the sunlight. From above, the ground beneath the foliage waspletely obscured.


    When he was about ten meters above the treetops, Luo Wen strained his body into a pull-up motion. Using his immense core strength, he lifted his head momentarily.


    In that instant, his carapace and abdomenpressed together, forcefully expelling the air from the sacs. The resulting jet of air shifted Luo Wen¡¯s trajectory by a few centimeters.


    He then spread out his legs and fell onto the treetop.


    The canopy couldn¡¯t bear his weight, and Luo Wen crashed through theyers of branches and leaves, continuing his descent toward the ground.


    The branches scratched against his body, but at most, they left faint marks on his exoskeleton armor, far from piercing it.


    These scratches, however, steadily reduced his falling momentum.


    Finally, after multipleyers of cushioning, Luo Wennded on the ground. The impact caused only mild vibrations¡ªhardly enough to qualify as a light injury.


    Uponnding, Luo Wen didn¡¯t dare linger. His fall had made quite amotion.


    Furthermore, the moment he entered the canopy, hispound eyes caught sight of another treetop shaking violently nearby.


    Given the height and thickness of the trees, whatever caused such movement had to be a massive creature.


    Having already encountered pterosaurs, Luo Wen had no desire to satisfy any curiosity.


    He had lost both ws, depleted the venom stored in his nds, and, having not eaten enough, was now severely exhausted¡ªa state of extreme vulnerability.


    His best course of action was to lie low, sleep, and regenerate his ws.


    Maybe he¡¯d even sprout a pair of wings.


    Unfortunately, without ws that could double as digging tools, burrowing into the ground was out of the question. And given his unfamiliar surroundings, finding a suitable tree hollow in the short term seemed equally unlikely.


    Luckily, the dense forest floor was covered with a thickyer of dposing leaves. Though the smell was unpleasant, this was no time to be picky.


    Luo Wen began by biting into an exposed tree root nearby, intending to quench his thirst. This familiar action reminded him of his days of weakness, evoking a sense of nostalgia.


    But he was no longer the size of a fingernail.


    It took him biting into seven or eight spots and nearly half an hour to drink his fill.@@novelbin@@


    In the distance, vibrations reached Luo Wen¡¯s sensitive leg hairs.


    He had learned his lesson, however, keeping his optical camouge active throughout.


    The local creatures seemed to have sharp vision, making his previously underappreciated stealth feature incredibly effective.


    During this time, Luo Wen even managed to ambush a few small, brightly colored birds. Their feathers were stunningly vibrant, but now they were gathering for a meeting in Luo Wen¡¯s stomach.


    The birds were so small and feathery that Luo Wen couldn¡¯t taste much before they were gone, leaving him wanting more.


    What he wouldn¡¯t give for one of those plump, yellow-furred creatures from before¡ªsomething that wasrge and filling.


    As he gnawed on the tree root, Luo Wen¡¯s mouth watered at the thought.


    Finally full, he sought aplex terrain to hide in. He found a spot between three giant trees. The thick trunks formed a natural barrier, making it difficult for creatures to pass through¡ªevident from the undisturbedyer of fallen leaves.


    Unaware of whatrge predators might be roaming, Luo Wen didn¡¯t want to risk falling asleep somewhere only to be crushed underfoot by a passing behemoth.


    Using his legs, he clumsily scraped out a hole in the decaying leaves. Taking a deep breath, he buried his head inside and covered the entrance.


    Surrounded by the damp and sticky decay, Luo Wen let his mind drift to distract himself, eventually falling asleep.


    His exact location remained a mystery, and the duration of his slumber was unclear.


    Since waking, countless unexpected events had urred, leaving him with little time to explore the myriad abilities acquired through the self-sacrifice of trillions of bugs in the past.


    [T/N: The big 100! I¡¯ve really enjoyed tranting this novel so far. It¡¯s got me hooked lol. No spoilers but all I can say that it¡¯s only up from here!]

 Chapter 179: Battle in the Sky

    Through the fungal carpet and various Swarm units, simple reconnaissance and contact in the ocean revealed no signs of life in the waters.


    It seemed that the only lifeforms on this existed in the sky.


    Over the past five years, the Swarm¡¯s repeated probes confirmed that these atmospheric organisms could only survive at high altitudes and were incapable of descending to lower elevations.


    However, in the skies, these atmospheric organisms held several advantages. In terms of size, speed, strength, and attack methods, they surpassed the Swarm¡¯s aerial units in every aspect.


    As a result, over these years, the Swarm and the atmospheric organisms kept to their respective domains: the atmospheric organisms disguised themselves as clouds in the sky, while the Swarm focused on developing on the ground.


    Before Luo Wen arrived, the Swarm had no need to engage in battles on an unfavorable battlefield.


    That said, they weren¡¯t entirely idle. Within the Swarm Network, a specialized de team was tasked with 24/7 surveince using the insects and fungal carpets spread across A7B5.


    Although atmospheric organisms could mimic clouds, remaining motionless for months or even years, the Swarm managed to track some of them through subtle clues.@@novelbin@@


    This time, the spore capsule meteor carrying Luo Wen deliberately chose a route teeming with atmospheric organisms. If the meteor were to be ¡°toyed with¡± again, leaving behind plenty of translucent bodily fluids as before, Luo Wen could simply lick his fill and easilyplete his mission.To attract the attention of the atmospheric organisms, the spore capsule meteor did not reduce its speed to a safe level. Instead, it streaked through the atmosphere at high speed, igniting a trail of fire.


    Unfortunately, things didn¡¯t go as nned. The spore capsule meteor carrying Luo Wen streaked brazenly through the sky, glowing red and passing by white clouds, more than half of which were camouged atmospheric organisms. Yet, even as the meteor hit the ground and Luo Wen climbed out of the capsule looking puzzled, no attack came.


    Had the atmospheric organisms gone dormant?


    Luo Wen and the intelligent entities pondered for a long time but couldn¡¯t figure out a concrete reason due to insufficient information. It didn¡¯t matter, though. If n A failed, there was always n B.


    Over five years, the four Brood Queens, along with the energy umted by the fungal carpet sprawling across the entire continent, had been working on far more than just monitoring and identifying atmospheric organisms.


    Suddenly, the boundless purple-gray fungal carpet split open, revealing hidden underground passages.


    One by one, massive Storm Gods crawled out of the tunnels. Their numbers reached tens of thousands, packed densely together.


    Once they emerged onto the surface, the Storm Gods stretched their long-dormant bodies, stiff from prolonged hibernation. With a powerful push of their forelimbs against the ground, their wings began to p, propelling them toward Luo Wen¡¯s location.


    These tens of thousands of Storm Gods represented only a portion of the results achieved by the four Swarm bases over the past five years. Thanks to the lower gravity of A7B5pared to the Genesis, the same temtes allowed forrger constructs on this.


    Compared to their counterparts on the Genesis, these Storm Gods wererger, with wingspans exceeding 20 meters. To avoid mid-flight conflicts with atmospheric organisms, the Storm Gods flew at extremely low altitudes.


    Like a fleet of fighter jets, the Storm Gods converged from all directions. Their low-altitude flight cast vast shadows over the ground, their wingbeats whipping up fierce winds that stirred dust into massive clouds, creating an awe-inspiring scene.


    Above Luo Wen, 75 atmospheric organisms were confirmed, with a possible total of no more than 80 based on the number of nearby clouds. Though they held a decisive edge in aerialbat capabilities, their numbers were drastically inferior.


    Eighty versus over 10,000. Luo Wen didn¡¯t even need a prolonged battle; he only needed to risk everything to obtain a new body. That alone would signify victory.


    Half an hourter, the entire force was in ce. These colossal creatures, each over ten meters tall when standing on the ground, surrounded a tiny insect just 30 centimeters in size.


    After a brief preparation, Luo Wen gave themand. Thousands of Storm Gods took to the skies, charging toward the camouged atmospheric organisms.


    The atmospheric organisms, possibly in a dormant state, were caughtpletely off guard. Nearly half of them were torn apart by the overwhelming numbers of Storm Gods before they could retaliate.


    From the Swarm meteor¡¯s previous encounters with atmospheric organisms, it was clear that while theposition of their bodies remained unknown, they were still destructible.


    If they could be damaged, they could be injured; if they could be injured, they could be killed. Luo Wen was confident they didn¡¯t possess the same backup ¡°ck tech¡± as he did¡ªthe Swarm Network. Even if his body were destroyed, he could simply switch to a new one.


    Several Storm Gods opened their mouths to devour the shattered remains of the atmospheric organisms. These organisms¡¯ bodies were extremely low in density and weight. If left alone, they would float in the air rather than fall to the ground.


    The Storm Gods tasked with this were equipped with specialized storage stomachs to preserve the atmospheric organisms¡¯ body tissues intact.


    On the ground, the fungal carpet behind Luo Wen split apart, revealing a massive underground passage. Luo Wen entered it first, his mission aplished and no longer interested in the ongoing battle.


    Meanwhile, a group of hundreds of intelligent entities and des within the Swarm Network were observing thebat in detail. Even if Luo Wen didn¡¯t watch, any new discoveries would be meticulously documented.


    Subsequently, the Storm Gods that had consumed atmospheric organisms descended and entered the tunnels.


    The battle in the sky grew increasingly intense. The awakened atmospheric organisms disyed formidablebat prowess. While they might not excel at moving rocks, they were highly effective against the flesh-and-blood Storm Gods.


    Storm Gods relied on wingbeats and air currents for flight and maneuvering, making them significantly more agile than many mechanical constructs.


    However, when facing atmospheric organisms, which operated on electromaic propulsion, they were utterly outssed in agility.


    It was akin to the difference between old-fashioned jet fighters and fifth-generation advancedbat aircraft¡ªa massive disparity inbat effectiveness.


    For instance, the Storm Gods¡¯ gliding speed was barely over 100 kilometers per hour. With sustained eleration over long distances, they could reach 500 kilometers per hour, but not for long.


    In contrast, the atmospheric organisms could easily match the 2,000-kilometer-per-hour diving speed of the spore capsule meteor. The sheer difference in these figures alone highlighted the gap between them.

 Chapter 182: Restructuring (1)

    Atmospheric organisms, with their extremely low density, truly became ¡°clouds¡± upon death, slowly evaporating in the sky. Because they left no remains that would fall to the ground, such as fossils, there was no trace of their existence on others.


    However, with the deployment of the Swarm¡¯s version of atmospheric organisms, the Swarm now had units capable of regr interster navigation. Investigations of A7¡¯s satellite clusters revealed signs of atmospheric organism activity on several satellites with discernible atmospheres.


    Yet, because theses had iplete, extremely thin atmospheres unsuitable for atmospheric organisms, their poptions were very sparse.


    Simultaneously, the Swarm sent arge number of its atmospheric organisms to scout A7 itself, but they found no evidence of atmospheric organisms on the.


    This was because A7¡¯s atmosphere was constantly ravaged by high-energy storms, requiring atmospheric organisms to maintain their electromaic fields at all times to withstand the storms¡¯ destructive forces.


    Although A7¡¯s atmosphere was rich in lightning and intense radiation, allowing for faster energy recharge, the rate of consumption still far exceeded replenishment.


    If atmospheric organisms failed to leave A7 in time, they could survive at most ten days before running out of energy, losing their protective fields, and being torn apart by the storms.


    Decades passed, and the Genesis Star System had be far busier. Between the Red Moon and Yellow Moon, small Swarm ships frequently shuttled back and forth. Larger ships also traveled between the system¡¯ss and satellites.


    Through decades of research and with the assistance of the Intelligent Entities, Luo Wen upgraded the fungal carpet temte. Using nt cells as a foundation and incorporating genes from deep-sea jellyfish, electric eels, and atmospheric organisms, he developed a highly efficient energy storage cell.These cells not only stored energy but also directly absorbed it to sustain themselves. This eliminated the need for a separate energy production and conversion system.


    By recing non-functionalponents of the atmospheric organisms with these energy storage cells, their operational time at maximum output increased from just a few minutes to several hours¡ªan enormous improvement.


    Moreover, the modified atmospheric organisms, now denser, could take off andnd onary surfaces. However, this came at the cost of their ability to float naturally within atmospheres.


    While their performance in space remained unaffected, this limitation impacted theirbat capabilities within atmospheric environments.


    The Storm Gods, once the Swarm¡¯s main force for aerialbat and long-range delivery as airborne motherships, had fallen behind in every performance metric. An upgrade was necessary.


    Despite their modifications, the new atmospheric organisms could still rely on their sma propulsion systems to achieve rapid flight within atmospheres. However, they had to keep moving and couldn¡¯t hover, leading to increased energy consumption¡ªa notable w.


    To address this, Luo Wen revisited an earlier ¡°ck tech¡± that had enabled his first flight: the anti-gravity system of the beetle¡¯s elytra.


    Research revealed that the beetle¡¯s anti-gravity mechanism was, in fact, a specialized application of maic fields. While it only lightened the body by partially countering gravity, it couldn¡¯t achieve true anti-gravity lift.


    Though innovative, it was less practical than simple wings at the time and was ultimately abandoned.


    Now, however, this technology proved perfect for the upgraded atmospheric organisms.


    With an added anti-gravity system, the revised atmospheric organisms could hover and float with minimal energy output, much like their predecessors. They could even charge themselves mid-air by absorbing sr radiation, though at a slower rate.


    The upgraded atmospheric organisms were essentially a variant of the fungal carpet¡ªa massive, flying collection of fungal colonies.


    This redesign made them more versatile andpatible with additional features, such as optical camouge, visual and radar systems, and more. These enhancements greatly expanded their functionality, allowing for modr upgrades to refine their temte.


    However, their nature as a non-autonomous organism limited their intelligence. To counter this, Luo Wen mass-produced des to manage them.


    des had evolved from Type I Queen Ants.


    In earlier Swarm development stages, theck ofmand units posed a significant challenge. Queen Ants, naturally adept at managing and directing various ant species, provided an effective solution. Their intelligence and adaptability made them invaluable.


    Based on these traits, Luo Wen specialized the Queen Ants, enhancing their mobility and reducing their reproductive ability, creating a new breed specialized formand andbat coordination.


    When the Swarm Network emerged, Type I Queen Ants were renamed des, bing a flexible unit type. Whether monitoring, directing, calcting, guarding, or overseeing fungal carpet conditions, des were omnipresent in the Swarm.


    Their AI-like nature¡ªdevoid of emotions¡ªmade them ideal for monotonous tasks. From their inception, des became indispensable to Luo Wen.


    As the Swarm expanded, the demand for des grew. Most now relinquished their physical bodies to join the Swarm Network, bing virtual entities.


    However, the increasing number of des made the term too generic and potentially confusing. Luo Wen introduced subdivisions for rity.


    For example:


    des monitoring the Swarm Network were renamed Lookouts.


    Those observing Ratfolk civilizations, colonies, surface bases, or fungal carpet conditions became Listeners.


    des tracking celestial mechanics, Swarm meteor trajectories, and maintaining observation equipment were called Celestial Monitors.@@novelbin@@


    des responsible for data collection, recording, and logistics in preparation for potential intelligent adversaries were renamed Adjutants.


    des controlling low-intelligence fungal carpet warships and fighters via the Swarm Network were termed Knights.


    The title ¡°de¡± was retained by Swarm Intelligent Entities specializing in interster and legion warfare, led by Sarah Kerrigan.

 Chapter 103: Flight

    The Ultra Giant Soldier Ants were a marvel of biology, managing to achieve such massive sizes despite the severely outdated oxygen supply system typical of ant physiology. They relied entirely on their incredibly dense and powerful muscles to physically pump oxygen throughout their bodies. This impressive muscle density also tranted into a highly efficient energy conversion rate.


    When Luo Wen awoke, not only had he grown wings, but his Brood Nest had also regenerated.


    Previously, Luo Wen had only spected about the possibility of his Brood Nest regenerating. Now, with his hypothesis confirmed, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Perhaps due to insufficient energy supply during growth, the regenerated Brood Nest appeared somewhat underdeveloped. However, this was only in rtion to Luo Wen¡¯srge size. Compared to its initial state when it was first formed, the reborn Brood Nest was already several timesrger.


    Scooping up some rotting branches and leaves from the surroundings, Luo Wen stuffed them into the feeding orifice of the Brood Nest. Though this first meal for the regenerated Brood Nest wasckluster, the circumstances left little room for luxury. Something was better than nothing.


    The Brood Nest wasn¡¯t nearly as picky as Luo Wen. Ever since it acquired earthworm genes, it could even consume soil and pebbles, earning it the title of ¡°everything within sight is edible.¡± Rotting leaves, therefore, were an effortless choice.


    After attending to the Brood Nest, Luo Wen crawled out of his burrow.


    If not for the importance of the Brood Nest, he would have been unable to suppress his excitement.


    Soaring freely through the blue sky was a dream cherished by all living creatures. Luo Wen, whether in his past human life or his current insect form, had always longed for a pair of wings of his own.Now, that dream hade true.


    The sturdy ck carapace on his back split open and lifted upward, revealing a pair of delicate, transparent wings that unfolded. The intricate patterns on the wings were clearly visible, with ck ents along their edges and roots.


    The wings began to vibrate, their speed increasing rapidly. Gradually, Luo Wen¡¯s cumbersome body lifted off the ground.


    Though his first flight was clumsy¡ªrocking left and right with a constant risk of crashing¡ªLuo Wen couldn¡¯t help but emit a hiss of exhration.


    Flying was a highly energy-intensive activity. For Luo Wen, using a pair of thin, translucent wings to lift his tens-of-kilograms-heavy body required an immense amount of energy.


    Still recovering from hibernation and with his energy reserves critically low, Luo Wen was forced tond after less than half a minute of flight, having barely risen 20 centimeters off the ground.


    While Luo Wen felt a twinge of disappointment, he didn¡¯tin. After all, his wings weren¡¯t rented¡ªthere was plenty of time to enjoy them once he¡¯d eaten his fill.


    Meanwhile, the Big-headed Ants¡¯ leaf-cutting convoy, after enjoying two days of rtive peace, suffered another ambush. Several Ultra Giant Soldier Ants were lost to an unknown assant during transportation.


    Infuriated, the Big-headed Ants dispatched arge force to sweep the area of the attack, but all they found were lingering stench and chaotic pheromone trails. The perpetrator had long since vanished.


    Replenished and brimming with energy, Luo Wen even brought two ants back to his Brood Nest to hasten its recovery.


    Once everything was in order, he eagerly began his second flight experiment.


    In the jungle, arge ck beetle hovered half a meter above the ground, flying at a leisurely pace. Its mandibles and limbs dangled naturally as its wings beat so quickly that even their afterimages blurred.


    Despite sessfully flying, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit disheartened. He could fly, sure, but it wasn¡¯t anything like what he¡¯d envisioned.


    In his imagination, flight meant dazzling aerial maneuvers, breakneck speeds, and intense dogfights with opponents, reminiscent of the pterosaurs battling for food in the sky he¡¯d once witnessed.


    But now¡­


    Watching the scenery slowly recede around him, Luo Wen realized his flight speed was slower than his crawling speed on the ground.


    The gap between expectation and reality left him momentarily uninspired.


    At this speed, the only advantage he could think of was avoiding embarrassment during another free-fall situation likest time.


    However, his slow flight wasn¡¯t due to ack of capability in his flying system. On the contrary, his wings incorporated several advanced technologies.


    First, Luo Wen had developed a set of muscles dedicated to wing movement. The protein fibers within these muscles were highly organized, with cross-sections forming a precise hexagonal pattern. This structural regrity allowed for rapid wing vibrations.


    Luo Wen¡¯s wings pped at a standard rate of over a thousand times per minute, with a maximum speed exceeding twenty thousand ps per minute. However, such high-speed pping generated significant noise and consumed a massive amount of energy, though it did considerably increase flight speed.


    The wings themselves were membranous and featured hidden folding patterns. When in use, the elytra (wing covers) opened, and the concealed wings unfurled like umbres.@@novelbin@@


    Retracting the wings was a bit moreplex. It required leveraging the sticity and flexibility within the wings¡¯ internal structures to fold them back along their creases. In simpler terms, the wings needed to be ¡°folded¡± back into ce.


    Initially, Luo Wen struggled with this operation. After folding his wings and elytra, parts of the wings remained exposed. Assuming this was normal, he paid it little attention.


    Later, after observing green beetles, he realized the wings could be fully retracted. It required the assistance of his hind legs to manually push the wings back under the elytra, where they would automatically fold along their creases.


    Even with these features, the wings alone wouldn¡¯t have been sufficient to lift Luo Wen¡¯s heavy body.


    Here¡¯s where the most advanced feature came into y.


    The elytra housed an enormous amount of ultra-microscopic pyramid structures. When the wings vibrated at high speed, these structures emitted maic particle longitudinal waves. The directional waves created a prized maic particle phenomenon, which in turn generated an anti-gravity field effect.


    Simply put, it was anti-gravity!


    The elytra¡¯s unique structure allowed Luo Wen to partially negate gravity, enabling his lightweight wings to lift his bulky body into the air.


    However, this system wasn¡¯t omnipotent. Otherwise, Luo Wen wouldn¡¯t have been so dissatisfied with his flight speed.


    Improving his speed was straightforward in theory: permanently alter his body structure, shedding parts of his exoskeleton and protectiveyers to reduce weight. Reshaping his rotund body into an aerodynamic form would also enhance his speed.


    Such modifications were entirely possible with his newfound ability to choose gic segments to transform himself, a talent awakened after his prolonged hibernation. With sufficient energy, a single session of cocooned metamorphosis could achieve these changes.


    Yet after careful consideration, Luo Wen decided against it for now.


    The jungle terrain was treacherous, and his delicate membranous wings couldn¡¯t withstand much abuse. Above the treetops, the domain of the pterosaurs, Luo Wen was utterly outssed in both size and numbers.


    All things considered, faster flight offered little advantage in his current situation.


    Thus, when forced to choose between speed and defense, he opted for defense.

 Chapter 104: The Long-faced Beast

    The novelty of having wings soon wore off, and Luo Wen¡¯s initial excitement cooled as rationality reimed its position.@@novelbin@@


    His ns for soaring the skies were temporarily shelved. The top priority now was nurturing the Brood Nest and rebuilding the structure of the Swarm.


    Over the next few days, nothing noteworthy urred except for the daily loss of varying numbers of Ultra Giant Soldier Ants from the Big-headed Ants.


    The underground temporary base waspleted yesterday. In addition to personal chambers for Luo Wen and the Brood Nest, it also included facilities like a hatchery and storage rooms, along with as many as five escape tunnels.


    After several days of recovery, the Brood Nest had alsorgely regained its functionality.


    Luo Wen immediately issued a production order for the first batch: fifty fully grown Worker Ants.


    This method of production consumed a tremendous amount of energy. Fortunately, Worker Ants were rtively smallpared to the current size of the Brood Nest, so there was no repeat of the situation from before when the Queen Ant produced Big ck and became debilitated for over a week.


    Within half a day, fifty Worker Ants were ready.


    Next, Luo Wen issued a daily order for ten thousand eggs, which would eventually hatch into Worker Ants, Burrower Ants, and Spy Bugs.There was no need to producebat units at this stage of the Swarm¡¯s development; current resources simply couldn¡¯t support them. For now, the focus was on replenishingbor and steadily growing.


    The base gradually came into operation. Luo Wen personally handled the hunting tasks outside. With the nearby ¡°granary¡± avable, the risks were minimal. The base saw an increase of ten thousand eggs daily, and as they began hatching, the fifty Worker Ants struggled to manage them.


    The Brood Nest paused egg production to prioritize a week of producing adult Worker Ants. The addition of hundreds of Worker Ants, though insufficient to meet the needs of the hatchery, provided some relief for now.


    Thanks to several rounds of gic optimization, the Worker Ants¡¯ growth speed was significantly faster. If this pace could be maintained for a dozen more days, the first batch of insect pupae would hatch, alleviating thebor shortage.


    In the meantime, thervae were fed less frequently, but a little hunger wouldn¡¯t harm them¡ªit was manageable.


    On this day, as Luo Wen emerged from his burrow to hunt, he noticed faint tremors from the ground.


    Unlike the distant earth-shaking vibrations from earlier days, these were lighter, indicating the source was smaller in size and rtively close.


    The dense jungle vegetation obstructed visibility, making it difficult to see far.


    Luo Wen cautiously activated optical camouge and climbed a nearby tree trunk to gain a height advantage for observing the source of the disturbance.


    However, the view from above was also limited.


    Unfurling his membranous wings from beneath the elytra, Luo Wen pushed off the tree trunk with his legs while spreading his wings. By pping lightly, he glided silently to another nearby trunk.


    This wasn¡¯t true flight but a quiet gliding technique Luo Wen had recently discovered. While daydreaming in the treetops, he observed a creature far off in a taller tree. It had wing-like membranes under its arms, and despite its small size, it leapt from a height, spread its limbs, and glided out of sight.


    From a distance, it seemed like some type of frog or lizard. Inspired, Luo Wen practiced this method repeatedly. Though his ¡°equipment¡± was far from specialized, his membranous wings could suffice in a pinch.


    Because of his weight, his gliding range was short, only effective for traveling between nearby trunks with the aid of jumps. While limited, this method provided a safe way to navigate situations like the current one.


    After gliding around 20 meters, Luo Wen was surprised to discover that the unknown creature was heading straight for his position.


    Remaining motionless, he soon got a clear look at the intruder.


    It was a creature resembling a dog, but with an unusually elongated head that gave it a sinister appearance. Standing over a meter tall and nearly three meters long including its tail, it had short, sturdy limbs ending in three-toed, muscr paws. Its body was covered in coarse, grayish-brown bristle-like fur without any exoskeleton armor.


    The long-faced beast approached the tree beneath Luo Wen, sniffing the ground with its elongated snout, seemingly searching for something.


    Carefully tracking it from tree to tree, Luo Wen observed the beast¡¯s behavior. Itsrger size and unknown abilities made it unwise to act recklessly.


    The long-faced beast gradually closed in on the Big-headed Ants¡¯ leaf-cutting convoy. It seemed to identify its target and joyfully bounded toward the ants.


    As it neared, a half-meter-long, agile tongue shot out from its mouth. The tongue struck a Medium Soldier Ant, rolled it up in sticky saliva, and pulled it into the beast¡¯s mouth. After chewing a few times, the ant disappeared into its stomach.


    Luo Wen was taken aback. Who would have thought this dog-like creature had mastered the skills of a frog?


    Then, Luo Wen felt a surge of irritation.


    The Big-headed Ants¡¯ nest near his base was already considered his personal granary. This beast was stealing food right under his nose!


    Clearly an experienced predator of Big-headed Ants, the long-faced beast maintained an optimal distance, using its tongue to snatch one Worker Ant or Soldier Ant after another. Despite their once-dominant position, the Big-headed Ants were oblivious to the attacks.


    Their vulnerabilities were ring and easy to exploit.


    After observing for a while, Luo Wen deduced that the long-faced beast had no other notable skills beyond its tongue. This made sense¡ªif it were more capable, it wouldn¡¯t be stuck preying on ants.


    Moreover, the beast avoided Giant Soldier Ants and Ultra Giant Soldier Ants entirely, keeping a safe distance from them.


    Luo Wen formted his n. A creature with such weakbat capabilities dared to steal his food?


    While the long-faced beast was enjoying its meal, it suddenly felt a heavy weight on its back, nearly forcing it to the ground. As it struggled, a sharp pain shot through the back of its neck, followed by the weight lifting abruptly.


    Luo Wen had made his move.


    The beast¡¯s eyes, located on the sides of its head, left its upper side a blind spot. Using gliding and optical camouge, Luo Wennded silently on its back.


    Before the beast could react, Luo Wen¡¯s venomous fangs pierced its neck. Beneath its bristly fur, its rtively tough skin offered little defensepared to exoskeleton armor, allowing the fangs to prate easily.


    After injecting venom, Luo Wen swiftly retreated to a nearby tree trunk.


    Death was now inevitable for the poisoned beast, and Luo Wen saw no need for further confrontation. He would simply wait and let time do the work.

 Chapter 192: Creatures from the Great Dawn Planet (1)

    There was, however, one species that caused significant trouble for the Swarm.


    This species resembled bats, with sturdy wing membranes spanning 2 to 5 meters. Their bald heads and ferocious, grotesque appearances were reminiscent of the mythical gargoyles.


    Theycked vision and were strictly nocturnal. They detected prey through thermal sensors and used echolocation generated by ultrasonic vibrations in their bones during flight.


    These capabilities effectively countered the Spider Combat Bugs¡¯ optical stealth systems. Coupled with their size advantage, the bats inflicted substantial casualties on the Spider Combat Bugs.


    Sarah Kerrigan ordered the Flying Bugs to locate their roosts, hoping to strike their nests during the day. However, the reconnaissance revealed that the bats sheltered in dark caves during daylight hours, where many remained active and alert.@@novelbin@@


    The caves were so silent that even the faintest sounds made by Spider Combat Bugs walking along the cave walls would alert the bats. Thus, the n for a daytime ambush was abandoned before it even began.


    However, through further observation, the Intelligent Entities discovered a critical weakness in the bats: they struggled to differentiate friend from foe. Lacking vision, they relied solely on thermal sensors and echolocation for targeting, which proved problematic.


    During their nighttime hunts, the bats secreted a unique toxin that numbed pain but made them exceedingly aggressive. When they encountered one another mid-hunt, they often couldn¡¯t control their tempers, leading to frequent shes even after realizing they were fighting their own kind.


    By day, the bats adhered to a different pattern: only one or two would attack intruders entering their caves, while the rest remained still. A single Spider Combat Bug sent into the cave during an earlier reconnaissance had resisted briefly before being torn apart, which initially masked this behavior. Despite the dyed discovery, this information proved invaluable.The next day, while the bats rested in theirir, a swarm of Flying Bugs invaded the cave. Mimicking the bats¡¯ ultrasonic frequencies, they caused chaos.


    Many bats awoke, confused and agitated. Those already awake grew increasingly irritable.


    Instinct, however, does not equate to intelligence. When the ultrasonic signals reverberated wildly through the cave, disrupting their echolocation, the bats abandoned their typical rule of limited flight responses.


    A massive swarm of bats took to the air, attacking the Flying Bugs. Some of the bugs were instantly shredded, but the survivors continued deeper into the cave, emitting more ultrasonic signals.


    As more bats took flight, the confined cave space descended into chaos. Each bat¡¯s flight triggered ultrasonic vibrations, which ricocheted throughout the cave. The ovepping waves rendered their echolocation systems useless, forcing them to rely solely on thermal detection.


    But the Flying Bugs, small and emitting negligible heat, effectively became invisible. The bats instead detected their fellow creatures, and the incessant ultrasonic noise drove them into a frenzy.


    Their toxin production elerated, eroding what little rationality they had. Soon, one bat attacked another. Within moments, more joined the fray.


    A few bats managed to escape the cave, but most remained trapped in a violent melee. Hourster, with the bats severely weakened or dead, the Spider Combat Bugs entered to finish the job.


    The bats that escaped were intercepted by the Swarm, which had the capability to eliminate them but chose not to.


    This decision wasn¡¯t out of mercy. Luo Wen¡¯s main body was still about 20 years away from arriving. Though these creatures¡¯ genes held limited practical value for the Swarm, Luo Wen had apulsive habit from his gaming days: an obsession with collecting.


    Since the Swarm¡¯s gic database had no capacity limits and these gic samples were easily obtainable, Luo Wen decided it was worth preserving them.


    The will of Luo Wen was the will of the Swarm. Even if Sarah and the Intelligent Entities had reservations, they executed his orders without hesitation. As a result, the Swarm focused on driving off aggressive species rather than eradicating them.


    Herbivores near the base were left alone as long as they didn¡¯t consume the Fungal Carpet. After all, their carbohydrate-based bodies yielded less energy than the Fungal Carpet could extract from the ground through chemical synthesis.


    After surviving its initial vulnerable phase, the base quickly established itself in the forest. Asbat units increased, the Swarm¡¯s territory expanded rapidly.


    Under the army¡¯s protection, the Fungal Carpet spread at an astonishing rate. After several encounters, the forest creatures recognized it as an invincible force. Reluctantly, they abandoned their ancestral homes and migrated elsewhere.


    Though the Swarm had only explored a small part of Great Dawn, theck of formidable native species was evident. The Visit Team rxed, no longer needing reinforcements.


    The next two Swarm Meteors did notnd on Great Dawn for support. Instead, under Sarah¡¯s guidance, they waited in orbit around neighborings.


    The Neighboring Star System only had the Great Dawn as a habitable world, where older-generation Swarm units still had a role. Others were barren,cking atmospheres, and any bases built there would likely need to be dismantled and recycled once Luo Wen¡¯s main body arrived. It was more efficient to wait.


    On Great Dawn, the red forest had beenpletely overtaken by the Swarm. The ground turned purplish-gray, and the native fauna vanished, forced to retreat far away. The fiery red trees, though still thriving, were immobile and became the Swarm¡¯s reserve food supply, ready for harvest at any time.


    With abundant resources,rger creatures began production. Monthster, 200 Storm Gods took to the skies. This deployment was a precaution after witnessingrge aerial creatures during the Swarm Meteor¡¯s descent.


    Having learned from the monkey debacle, Sarah approached aerial exploration cautiously. But with 200 Storm Gods, a top-tier species that had once dominated the skies of the Genesis, she was confident they could handle any challenges posed by the¡¯s native aerial species.

 Chapter 196: The Breath

    The monster, its slumber interrupted, awoke with a foul temper. Coupled with what seemed to be an inherently violent disposition, it began venting its frustration the moment its bodily senses returned.


    Due to its corpulent physique, bending over was impossible for the creature. Instead, it utilized its tail. With a swift motion, the tail whipped through the water at a speed exceeding 1,000 kilometers per hour.


    The tail¡¯s sheer force created a cavitation effect in the water, and the purple-gray fungal carpet had no means of resistance. The fungal carpet and the ground it clung to were obliterated in a single strike.


    The monster followed up with several more attacks, churning the seabed into a cloud of silt and debris. Despite its overwhelming strength, however, the creature¡¯s assault had little effect on the fungal roots that had already extended tens of meters underground.@@novelbin@@


    After a brief frenzy, the murky waters seemed to agitate the beast further. It paused momentarily and used some unknown means to sense the direction ofnd.


    Soon after, a massive shadow emerged from the depths, making its way toward shallower waters.


    Though the creature¡¯s body was tremendously heavy, it disyed an unexpected agility in swimming, employing what appeared to be a form of field propulsion. The blue light along its dorsal fin shed rhythmically from top to bottom, generating a maic field to propel its body through the water.


    The Intelligent Entities spected that the creature¡¯s unnatural body proportions might also be linked to this maic field.


    The monster quickly reached the shallows, where the massive octopuses scattered in panic. However, their speed was no match for the ck-tech-powered monster.One of the giant octopuses was soon caught, bing the monster¡¯s first victim. Despite its 30-meter length, the octopus was nothing more than a toy in the creature¡¯s ws.


    The octopus suctioned its tentacles onto the monster¡¯s arm, but the strength difference wasughable. With ease, the creature ripped off several tentacles and stuffed the octopus¡¯s main body into its maw, tearing it apart.


    Ink mixed with the octopus¡¯s bodily fluids dripped from the monster¡¯s sharp teeth. Curiously, it didn¡¯t eat its prey, instead discarding the lifeless carcass and moving on to chase the next octopus.


    The giant octopuses, unable to escape underwater, became easy targets. After two more were killed, they fled haphazardly towardnd in desperation.


    The monster followed, drawing ever closer to the shore. As it approached, its massive body gradually emerged from the water. Soon, the seawater only reached its waist, and the level continued to drop rapidly.


    Without the buoyancy of water, the monster¡¯s unique physiology allowed it to support its immense weight, though its movements became significantly slower.


    Each step it took sent tremors across the ground, akin to a minor earthquake or the detonation of hundreds of kilograms of TNT.


    Its slow march left deep, enduring footprints in its wake. Meanwhile, thend-bound octopuses, despite their aquatic nature, managed to outpace the lumbering behemoth. Driven by sheer survival instinct, they disappeared from the monster¡¯s view.


    The disappearance of its prey only exacerbated the monster¡¯s irritation.


    Coincidentally, Sarah¡¯s gaming area was just over ten kilometers from where the monster had madendfall.


    The monster¡¯s hearing seemed far more acute than its vision. The howls and growls of dueling wolves quickly drew its attention.


    However, given its sluggish pace onnd, the battle would likely conclude long before the monster arrived at the scene.


    The beast seemed to understand this, its frustration mounting as its slow speed thwarted its curiosity.


    Suddenly, the blue light along its dorsal fin began emitting a low humming noise, and a maic field enveloped its massive form. Its immense belly started glowing faintly red.


    ¡°Wooo~~~ woooo~~ woo~ woooooo,¡± the hum grew louder and faster. As the noise reached a crescendo, the monster locked onto the direction of the sound, opened its gaping maw, and the red glow surged upward from its abdomen.


    A beam of red energy shot forth from its mouth, traveling over ten kilometers to the battlefield.


    Though much of the energy dissipated during its journey, it still managed to detonate into a mushroom cloud upon impact.


    ¡°Atomic breath? Thermonuclear breath? God¡­ Godzi?¡±


    Luo Wen finally realized why the creature¡¯s design felt so familiar. It bore a striking resemnce to Godzi. Although it couldn¡¯t possibly be the real thing, the resemnce was uncanny.


    Far away, aboard a drifting mechanical spaceship in outer space, a pale-blue humanoid being emerged from a stasis pod.


    The extended slumber had left his body weak and his mind groggy. He shook his head slightly and nced at the timer beside the pod.


    ¡°Celia, there are still over ten years until our destination. Why have I been awakened early? Has something happened?¡±


    ¡°Captain, the monitoring instruments have once again detected a fusion reaction on T853. Due to our closer proximity, the detection is exceptionally clear. This is confirmed to be non-natural in origin,¡± replied a mechanical female voice.


    ¡°Non-natural, then it¡¯s artificial? It¡¯s been over fifty years¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the Academy¡¯s hypotheses to be urate after all. An emerging civilization, perhaps? Ha!¡± The captain chuckled wryly. Once ostracized and assigned to this perilous mission as a form of exile, his fortunes now seemed to be turning.


    If he truly discovered an intelligent civilization on T853, the wealth it would generate would be astronomical. As the captain of the exploratory vessel, his name would be etched into Riken history.


    Shaking his head to clear the residual effects of stasis, he exhaled deeply and addressed the empty room. ¡°Celia, which team is currently on duty?¡±


    ¡°Captain, the third navigation team is currently handling duties. They are en route and will arrive in approximately 51 seconds,¡± the mechanical voice responded.


    ¡°Good. Awaken the fourth navigation team, the first and second research teams, and the captain and vice-captain of the guard unit. Notify them to gather in the conference room in two hours,¡± the captain ordered after a moment¡¯s thought.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Celia replied before falling silent.


    Momentster, after a series of verification sounds, the room¡¯s doors slid open, and several pale-blue humanoids in yellow-and-white uniforms entered.


    ¡°Captain Reggie, you¡¯ve awakened. I assume you¡¯ve received Celia¡¯s briefing. What are your next orders?¡± asked the lead humanoid.


    ¡°Lieutenant Frick, let this old man recover first,¡± Captain Reggie said, still regaining his strength. After a deep breath, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already instructed Celia to wake the others. We¡¯ll discuss further in two hours during the meeting. For now, can you tell me if anything unusual has happened during your team¡¯s watch?¡±


    ¡°Captain, the third navigation team took over from the second two years ago for a five-year rotation. Since then, operations have been smooth. Energy levels are at 76.1%, speed has been maintained at one-ninth light speed, and no abnormalities have been observed,¡± Frick promptly reported.


    ¡°Excellent. Frick, it seems you¡¯ve done well these past years. Now, let¡¯s wait for the others to wake,¡± Captain Reggie said with a faint smile.

 Chapter 107: Flying Insects

    After observing for two days to ensure the insects were thoroughly familiar with their tasks, Luo Wen finally freed himself from the duties of hunting food and feedingrvae.


    By upying existing ntations and eliminating Big-headed Ants, the swarm base could now meet its daily needs. Luo Wen only needed to feed himself.


    The Long-Faced Beasts had been consumed, and the Ultra Giant Soldier Ants of the Big-headed Ants had nearly been hunted to extinction after days of relentless attacks.


    As for other Big-headed Ant soldiers, their smaller size made them unsatisfying to eat, so Luo Wen left them to the swarm to slowly consume and digest.


    Luo Wen decided to explore the nearby area, hoping to find another Long-Faced Beast. That would resolve his food supply for many days.


    At first, he didn¡¯t dare venture too far from the base, worried that the insects might slip up and attract the Big-headed Ants to retaliate against the base. He frequently used the Swarm Network to monitor the situation.


    Surprisingly, everything progressed smoothly. Every day, around ten thousand adult insects emerged from their cocoons, and the number of infiltrators inside the Big-headed Ant nest steadily increased.


    The swarm had even taken control of ntation rooms near the connecting tunnel, securing the passage and virtually eliminating the risk of exposure.


    With fewer concerns, Luo Wen expanded his exploration range over the next few days, eventually even staying out overnight. Although he didn¡¯t encounter another Long-Faced Beast, his increasingly skilled hunting techniques and the abundance of small creatures in the jungle ensured he could still fill his stomach.About two or three kilometers northwest of the base, Luo Wen discovered a mountain hollow filled with unusual green-leafed vegetation. The trees, averaging over thirty meters tall, had thick trunks and bore numerous red-skinned, ping-pong ball-sized fruits.


    Small, peculiar creatures lived in the trees. These animals, 20-30 centimeters long, had round heads,rge eyes, fur-covered bodies, short limbs, sharp ws, and slender tails tipped with short fur.


    The creatures fed on the red-skinned fruits and moved nimbly among the interconnecting branches beneath the canopy, rarely descending to the ground.


    Since the small birds sharing their ecological niche posed little threat, they faced few natural predators and existed inrge numbers. Their low vignce made them rtively easy prey.


    Despite their small size, these creatures were plump, with a fair amount of meat that tasted quite good.


    When Luo Wen first explored the area, it didn¡¯t take him long to eat his fill.


    After digesting for a while, he decided not to linger and marked the area heavily before leaving. He nned to return whenever he needed more food.


    In addition to these small creatures, Luo Wen discovered other interesting species, one of which particrly caught his attention.


    It was a flying insect resembling an ant but muchrger, measuring around 6-7 centimeters in length. Its slender, streamlined body was yellow-brown with ck circr markings. A pair of thin, transparent wings extended from its back, and its tail ended in a sharp, ck stinger.


    The insect¡¯s head was t and rounded, with a sleek, mechanical aesthetic.


    However, only its head was armored, with a small dorsal te covering the muscles around its wing base. The rest of its bodycked exoskeletal protection.


    This was understandable, as these were specialized aerialbat units, fundamentally different from Luo Wen¡¯s improvised adaptations.


    Although theycked exoskeletal protection, their flight speed was impressive. They moved inrge swarms numbering in the thousands. When the yellow insects vibrated their wings en masse, the resulting buzzing sound was loud, reminiscent of old fighter nes.


    Luo Wen first encountered these flying insects while feasting in the red-fruit forest. He had heard the sound from a distance and was puzzled, but the small creatures, apparently familiar with the noise, quickly hid in tree holes.


    What had been a lively forest moments ago was suddenly silent, save for the insects¡¯ deafening buzz.


    Realizing the situation, Luo Wen chose not to provoke trouble. He abandoned his meal, concealed himself among the treetops, and observed the swarm.


    The flying insects passed below like a squadron of fighter nes, undeterred by any other creatures.


    Their brazen disy suggested either recklessness or genuine confidence, likely thetter. At the very least, their thunderous presence was intimidating.@@novelbin@@


    Luo Wen envied their flight capabilities. Unfortunately, hisck of prior knowledge left him too far to intercept any. The ¡°air fleet¡± flew quickly, vanishing into the jungle before he could react.


    He wasn¡¯t overly disappointed, as their wings didn¡¯t seem suited for long-distance flight. Their nest was likely nearby, and he was determined to find them again.


    In another part of the jungle, Luo Wen stumbled upon a group of small green dinosaurs. He wasn¡¯t surprised, given his previous experience as a ¡°Pterosaur Food Experience Card.¡±


    These dinosaurs, resembling velociraptors from movies, numbered over ten. They had long heads filled with uneven, sharp teeth¡ªlikely indicating dental problems. Theirrge, watery eyes on the sides of their heads made them look quite alert.


    Their forelimbs were short and their hind limbs thick and powerful, each equipped with three curved, razor-sharp ws. They walked upright on two legs and had long, flexible tails that enhanced their agility and speed.


    Unlike velociraptors, these dinosaurs had colorful feathers running from their elbows to their armpits. While incapable of flight, these feathers helped them steer during high-speed sprints.


    In such moments, they resembled oversized chickens.


    Standing less than half a meter tall and measuring 1.5 meters in length, their green, white-patterned skin appeared rough andcked armor, suggesting poor defense.


    Luo Wen encountered them while they were chasing prey. Theirmotion and duck-like calls drew his attention.


    Their loud, careless cries made it clear they weren¡¯t apex predators, certainly not as awe-inspiring as the ¡°air fleet¡± of flying insects.


    Despite their speed, the jungle¡¯splex terrain forced them to constantly navigate obstacles, wasting time.


    Their agility couldn¡¯tpare to the flying insects, who left Luo Wen far behind.


    Gliding between tree trunks, Luo Wen easily caught up with the small dinosaurs.

 Chapter 200: Speculations (1)

    At the moment, the disyed footage didn¡¯t reveal what kind of weapons the opposing side might have. Surrounded by a glowing energy field, it was impossible to discern whether it was a mechanical construct or a biological entity.


    ¡°Overlord, based on the data extracted from the footage, our calctions suggest that the target is heading toward the Neighboring Star System. At its observed cruising speed, it would take approximately five years to reach the outskirts of the Great Valley. And that is assuming the ship doesn¡¯t elerate. Currently, we have no information on the target¡¯s maximum speed, so we can¡¯t estimate its fastest arrival time to the Neighboring Star System,¡± reported an intelligent entity specializing in ster observation.


    As the leader of a 200-person research team, he was adept at deducing various data points from celestial angles and positions.


    Luo Wen nodded, signaling the others to continue.


    ¡°Overlord, the alien vessel in the footagecks a visible exhaust trail, making it impossible to determine the propulsion technology behind it. Perhaps their engine technology surpasses our current understanding,¡± said Covi.


    Luo Wen recalled Covi as one of the first to integrate into the Swarm Network. In life, he had been the chief engineer for the first-generation rocket engines of the Rat Folk. After bing an intelligent entity, he now led research in rted fields. His conclusion reflected the consensus of his propulsion research group. The situation appeared increasingly unfavorable.


    ¡°Overlord, our analysis indicates that the unknown civilization likely detected the energy burst from Godzi¡¯s breath on the Great Dawn. Such abnormal energy emissions would be highly conspicuous to advanced observational instruments,¡± Morgan interjected.


    He paused before continuing, ¡°Our Swarm¡¯s technological capabilities in this area were previously underdeveloped, with limited observational range. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t detect simr energy bursts on the Great Dawn before.¡±


    ¡°As a living organism, Godzi must have used such a thermonuclear breath attack before. However, we can¡¯t determine how long ago it happened or which specific emission the unknown civilization detected, prompting them to send a ship for investigation,¡± Morgan added, ncing at Luo Wen. ¡°It¡¯s possible they observed an energy burst from centuries ago, and after a prolonged journey, have only now arrived. Alternatively, they may have detected it while passing by and decided to investigate.¡±After Morgan spoke, a discussion erupted among the intelligent entities, with group leaders taking turns to voice their opinions.


    ¡°But this theory is contradictory. Technology cannot reach advanced levels with severe imbnces in development,¡± one intelligent entity argued.


    ¡°Indeed, if a civilization can observe such energy bursts from vast distances, its technological level must be extraordinary. Moreover, given their travel speed, it¡¯s unlikely they are merely passing by. At such speeds, interster travel must have specific goals, as their technology wouldn¡¯t allow for aimless wandering,¡± another entity concurred.


    ¡°How is that impossible? Have you forgotten about our Swarm Meteors? They use random trajectories,¡± a different entity countered.


    ¡°Our Swarm is an exception. Sociologically and economically, only a civilization with a supreme will like ours can afford to waste resources so extravagantly,¡± another entity retorted.


    ¡°Are you using the Overlord of wastefulness?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re twisting my words! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    ¡°Then what did you mean?¡±


    Luo Wen recognized the two entities, who had frequently shed even before bing intelligent entities. Now, their arguments often teetered on the edge of esction. Sensing the rising tension, Luo Wen intervened. With a thought, he assigned one to an aphid and the other to a worker ant, putting them to work harvesting and licking sugar. The menial tasks were designed to foster camaraderie and resolve their differences.


    The lesson was effective. Other intelligent entities with simr disputes suddenly foundmon ground, the atmosphere shifting into a camaraderie of shared purpose. Even the two quarrelsome entities, once returned to the meeting room, were visibly changed, united in mutual understanding and refraining from mentioning the incident.


    ¡°Overlord,¡± one of them began, ¡°there¡¯s merit to Tumani¡¯s argument. A highly developed civilization would naturally consolidate resources to drive progress. Such an approach demands unified ideology. If the opposing side is an advanced civilization, there¡¯s a significant chance their ideology aligns with our Swarm.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Overlord,¡± Tumani echoed. ¡°The brief observation period doesn¡¯t confirm their observed speed as their maximum. If they are an advanced civilization using special means to traverse vast distances, then the data we have could be entirely misleading.¡±


    ¡°That scenario seems unlikely. If their technology allows spatial traversal, they should havee to investigate long ago. However, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that their technology only recently achieved a breakthrough,¡± an entity remarked.


    ¡°My group also believes the probability of them being an advanced civilization is low. If their technology were that advanced, they would only need to send a reconnaissance unit instead of deploying such a massive vessel.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps this is their reconnaissance ship? A creation of some giant biological civilization?¡±


    ¡°Though unlikely, we cannot discount the possibility.¡±


    ¡°But if they could traverse space directly, why not jump straight into the Neighboring Star System instead of stopping in the void?¡±


    ¡°Maybe sr system environments are unsuitable, with too many obstacles. We don¡¯t understand the principles of spatial traversal, so there could be unknown limitations.¡±


    ¡°Then why are they so far away? At its current speed, the ship will take five years to enter the Neighboring Star System.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a valid question. Could it be another limitation?¡±


    ¡°At this point, we can¡¯t confirm that they are an advanced civilization. It might be something entirely different. Let¡¯s not get sidetracked.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t shake the feeling that their ship embodies contradictions,¡± someone mused.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    ¡°To elerate a ship several kilometers long to a tenth of the speed of light would require extraordinary technology. But their vessel emits an intense glow, indicating severe energy leakage. Advanced technology shouldn¡¯t exhibit such inefficiencies.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I felt something was off before as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, advanced civilizations shouldn¡¯t waste energy this way. They should harness every ounce efficiently.¡±


    One entity¡¯s observation quickly gained widespread agreement.


    ¡°But this is all spection. We don¡¯t know what technology at that level truly looks like. It could be a work in progress, an experimental model.¡±


    ¡°Why would they send an experimental model here?¡±


    And so, the intelligent entities delved further into a whirlwind of hypotheses.


    [T/N: 200 chapters, I never thought I would get this far when in started tranting this novel. It¡¯s definitely been a journey lol. What are your thoughts so far? Are you guys enjoying the novel or?]

 Chapter 109: Encountering the Flying Insects Again (1)

    For the next two days, Luo Wen stayed in the vicinity. With no food concerns and hopes of finding the nests of the small dinosaurs or flying insects, he scouted the area thoroughly.


    Unfortunately, their hunting ranges were vast, and Luo Wen failed to encounter them again during this time.


    Among the new gic material he acquired, only the tail fat organ stood out. Luo Wen chose not to integrate the other traits into his body.


    Currently, Luo Wen was already a versatile predator capable of operations onnd, sea, air, and underground. His battle-hardened system of stealth and assassination was incredibly effective, and he saw no need to dilute it unless the new abilities were particrly powerful or useful.


    The tail fat organ, despite its unassuming appearance and amusing name, proved to be immensely practical. It allowed Luo Wen to convert excess energy intopact fat deposits for storage, greatly enhancing his endurance in sustainedbat.


    What would have been a week-long supply of food from the five Tail Lard Rats and three small dinosaurs had been consumed in just two days, with the surplus energypactly stored. Luo Wen estimated he could now go up to two months without eating, provided he rationed the energy. If this ability were distributed to the entire swarm, it could significantly alleviate logistical pressures.


    With food taken care of, Luo Wen no longer had any reason to remain in the area. He set off once more on his adventurous journey.


    Every day, Luo Wen remotely checked the situation at the base multiple times. Under hismand, everything ran smoothly. The swarm¡¯s numbers had surpassed 200,000, and they had quietly taken over the bottom ten levels of the Big-headed Ant nest.


    The ten Type III Queen Ants were now in cocoons, nearing maturity. In addition, 50 more Type III Queen Ant eggs awaited hatching.The swarm was currently grappling with a severe poption shortage, a situation Luo Wen, once and-dwelling apex predator, found difficult to adjust to. Strengthening the reproductive capabilities of the Type III Queen Ants was the best solution for this issue.


    Once these Type III Queen Ants matured, the swarm¡¯s numbers would explode. Luo Wen was confident that once they overcame this vulnerable period, the swarm would soon dominate the continent again.


    Over the next ten days, Luo Wen thoroughly explored the five-kilometer radius around the base. Combining his observations from the air during previous encounters, he gained aprehensive understanding of the area.


    He found himself on the edge of a primeval forest, where the vegetation grew denser and moreplex the deeper one ventured.


    Massive trees blocked out the sunlight, their thick canopies intertwined with vines. Even at midday, the forest floor remained dim and eerie.@@novelbin@@


    The forest teemed with a variety of small and medium-sized creatures, forming a tightly interwoven ecosystem.


    Luo Wen encountered many strange species here, such as a giant patterned spider the size of a millstone. It had spun a massive web between two trees, preying on flying insects, small birds, and bats.


    He also saw snakes of various sizes and colors. The smaller ones hunted birds and rodents far smaller than the Tail Lard Rats, while therger ones preyed on the Tail Lard Rats themselves.


    The Tail Lard Rats, rtively numerous here, upied the bottom rung of the food chain, subsisting on insects. Luo Wen even saw them ambush Scout Worker Ants from the Big-headed Ant nest. Something about that seemed off, though Luo Wen couldn¡¯t put his finger on it.


    Smaller creatures were even less picky eaters, their diets determined solely by hunger.


    Luo Wen discovered a small river and, above its murky surface, spotted super dragonflies with wingspans exceeding one meter. However, he refrained from entering the river. The water¡¯s opacity hid potential dangers, and as the swarm¡¯s supreme leader, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t afford unnecessary risks.


    The local fauna was surprisingly ¡°hospitable,¡± generously showcasing their talents and donating gic material to Luo Wen¡¯s collection. He gained abilities like heat detection, echolocation, and web-spinning, among others.


    Additionally, his frequent consumption of birds led to a mutation in his ocr photoreceptors, dramatically enhancing his vision range. While this change wasn¡¯t immediately noticeable in the dense forest, Luo Wen realized its impact one night when he climbed above the canopy to enjoy the breeze.


    From his vantage point, he could directly see the twin moons in the night sky without relying on light detection. One was pale yellow, the other faint white, both exuding a cool, noble glow that left Luo Wen momentarily entranced.


    Among his discoveries, Luo Wen finally located the nest of the flying insects.


    Thanks to his newly acquired echolocation system, he detected their flight squadron from afar.


    His new ability caused hidden ear holes to form on the sides of his head te. Luo Wen could emit ultrasonic waves at frequencies near 100 kHz and use the echoes to determine the size and position of surrounding objects without relying on sight.


    Though the small size of his ear holes limited the skill¡¯s effectivenesspared to that of a bat, it still significantly enhanced his auditory system. Previously, Luo Wen had to rely on his antennae and leg hairs to sense sound.


    During his first encounter with the flying insects, Luo Wen had been unprepared. Their speed,bined with the dense forest and poor visibility, caused him to lose track of them.


    This time, sound alone allowed him to trail them effortlessly.


    Hanging from a sturdy tree trunk, the giant hive of the flying insects loomed ahead. Its yellow-brown surface, made of unknown materials, stood over five meters tall and two meters wide. If not for the tree¡¯s considerable girth, smaller vegetation wouldn¡¯t have been able to support its weight.


    A circr entrance atop the hive bustled with activity as flying insects darted in and out. Around the hive, numerous guard insects patrolled the air.


    Luo Wen had no ns to attack the hive; he only needed to capture a single flying insect. However, these creatures always traveled in groups, so careful nning was essential.


    As a squadron of around 2,000 flying insects arrogantly skimmed the forest floor, they remained oblivious to the predator lurking on a nearby tree trunk, waiting for his moment.


    The main formation passed, leaving one straggler trailing behind.


    Just as thest flying insect approached, a sharpnce shot out from the tree trunk, piercing it cleanly.


    The insect emitted a strange sound as it died, alerting the rest of the squadron.


    Luo Wen quickly stuffed the insect, shell and all, into his mouth, then froze in ce, hoping to avoid detection.


    Unfortunately, his optical camouge seemed ineffective against the flying insects. Without hesitation, the squadron wheeled around in unison and charged straight at him.

 Chapter 205: Observing in Secret

    ¡°Sergeant Hasmu, I need you to lead your team to this location and capture several native creatures. The target images and coordinates have been sent to you,¡± Dr. Lute instructed.


    The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship carried a 500-member security force divided into ten squads. Opposite Dr. Lute was one of the squad leaders, Sergeant Hasmu, responsible for ensuring the safety of thisary expedition. Half of his team had disembarked to provide protection, while the other half remained on the ship, ready to offer covering fire if needed.@@novelbin@@


    Sergeant Hasmu was also the tallest Riken among those whonded on the. Equipped with his gear, his 2.7-meter frame towered over Dr. Lute¡¯sparatively diminutive 2.1-meter stature, making thetter seem almost childlike inparison.


    ¡°Understood, Dr. Lute. But what about your safety?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. The other nonbat personnel and I will take the transport craft back to the ship. You, however, must exercise caution. The situation here is extremely peculiar, and we don¡¯t know what might be lurking in the shadows,¡± Dr. Lute emphasized.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Sergeant Hasmu replied with a nod. The strangeness of the situation was not lost on him; even as a soldier, he could sense it.


    They had expected to find a civilization here, yet discovered nothing. Then, when they suspected a navigational error, they stumbled upon radiation remnants on the¡¯s surface.


    After escorting Dr. Lute and the others back to the transport craft and watching it ascend, Sergeant Hasmu gathered his team and returned to the gunboat.


    The 20-meter-long gunboat was cramped with 50 personnel aboard. On the journey down, half had traveled aboard the transport craft, which alleviated the crowding. Fortunately, Captain Reggie had dispatched an additional transport craft to assist them. Otherwise, even if they managed to capture their targets, there would have been no way to transport them back.The gunboat took off, heading toward the designated coordinates. Meanwhile, the Swarm, concealed in the shadows, shifted its focus onto the gunboat.


    This vessel was clearly on a mission. As it departed the radiation zone, it presented the Swarm with an opportunity. If the Riken weren¡¯t nning to entertain themselves, the Swarm might have driven some native creatures to stir up trouble.


    However, this time, it seemed unnecessary for the Swarm to act directly. The gunboat¡¯s destination was clear¡ªa direct flight to the nearest Feral Direwolf den located near the radiation zone.


    Luo Wen immediately directed all nearby Swarm units to maintain a safe distance while establishingprehensive surveince over the area.


    The Riken gunboat traveled quickly, covering the 50 kilometers in about three minutes, a feat attributed to the short distance that barely allowed the vessel to reach full speed.


    The ensuing skirmish was brief,sting only a few minutes before the security team overpowered the Feral Direwolf den.


    The operation began with the deployment of 30 armed personnel a kilometer away from the den. The gunboat then ascended, releasing both reconnaissance and armed drones. While the number of armed drones was small¡ªfewer than ten¡ªtheir one-meter-long frames, mounted machine guns, and four missiles each, provided formidable firepower.


    The reconnaissance drones reached the den first, providing the team with a visual overview and marking targets. With their aid, the security team initiated long-range attacks from their position a kilometer away.


    They employed energy weapons¡ªrifle-like devices that emitted ten-centimeter-long red beams. Upon contact, the beams inflicted burn damage and triggered explosions for secondary effects.


    Though these weapons packed a punch, their firing rate was rtively slow, at about three to four shots per second. The upside was that they appeared to require minimal reloading; Luo Wen observed each gun firing over a hundred rounds without anyone swapping magazines.


    Against the primitive Feral Direwolves, such ranged weaponry was more than adequate.


    The fiery explosions seemed to awaken a primal fear buried deep in the Direwolves¡¯ genes. While the scenes differed somewhat from their inherited memories, the destructive force bore enough simrity to evoke terror.


    The den, home to over 300 Feral Direwolves, scattered after leaving behind several dozen corpses. The security team did not pursue them but instead consolidated their spoils and established a defensive perimeter to await the arrival of the transport craft.


    Meanwhile, within the Swarm Network, a discussion about the skirmish and its implications was underway.


    ¡°Overlord, their technology, while different from ours, is not beyond our understanding. These firearms likely use some mechanism to process energy into beam-like projectiles,¡± an Intelligent Entity began.


    ¡°Indeed. Moreover, these energy weapons should be susceptible to our optical cloaking systems. Our cloaking technology utilizes nanocrystals on the surface to mimic environmental light reflections, blending into the surroundings. By analyzing the spectrum of their weapons, we should be able to adjust the nanocrystals to deflect the beams,¡± another Intelligent Entity suggested.


    ¡°I disagree,¡± interjected Tikas. ¡°While the projectiles are fast, they don¡¯t surpass our visual threshold. We can still see them streaking through the air. If these truly were light-based weapons, they would travel at the speed of light, making them invisible to the naked eye.¡±


    The Intelligent Entities murmured amongst themselves, exchanging views. Luo Wen found himself leaning toward Tikas¡¯s perspective. Having lived on the Genesis for years and absorbed much knowledge, he now considered himself a quasi-intellectual.


    These firearms likely condensed energy into projectiles that resembled beams but were in fact energy aggregates. This exined why their flight paths were visible.


    If that were the case, optical cloaking would be ineffective against these weapons, as it couldn¡¯t deflect such energy.


    However, the bright nature of the projectiles made them easier to detect than the nearly invisible trajectories of metallic bullets. Luo Wen spected that with the Swarm¡¯s advanced dynamic vision systems and enhanced reflexes, there was a reasonable chance of evading these projectiles.


    In any case, practical tests would be required to confirm their efficacy. For now, Luo Wen had no means to act directly without his physical body on-site.


    With the weaponry discussion settled, the meeting shifted to the next agenda: devising strategies to confront this civilization from the M37 Star System.

 Chapter 210: The Elite Squad

    ¡°Drip¡­ drip¡­¡±


    Water trickled down through cracks in the rock ceiling, dripping off stctites to the cave floor below. A team of around 30 individuals cautiously advanced through the underground cave passage. Tactical shlights mounted on their helmets illuminated the dark tunnel, casting flickering beams of light. Shadows from the numerous stgmites created an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.


    However, this team consisted of elites among elites; they were unfazed by such surroundings.


    ¡°Captain, do you know what we¡¯re really looking for?¡± asked a heavily armored guard.


    The squad leader was none other than Staff Sergeant Hasmu, who had been ordered to lead his team in investigating a suspicious underground cavity.


    ¡°Search all potential targets,¡± replied Hasmu tersely. It wasn¡¯t that he was inherently cold; this was simply his nature. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have answered such questions from his subordinates at all.


    ¡°Come on, Captain, you must know more than us. We¡¯ve been searching onnd for seven or eight years without finding anything. We thought we¡¯d get a break, but now we¡¯re down here searching underground.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Captain, how long are we going to keep at this?¡±


    ¡°When do we get to go home?¡±¡°Captain, did you sign a confidentiality agreement?¡±


    Voices chimed in over thems as the team members peppered Hasmu with their questions.


    Feeling a headacheing on, Hasmu cut them off with irritation. ¡°It¡¯s not about confidentiality. After all, we¡¯re so far from home. Even if one of you were a spy, without the captain¡¯s authorization to use the star systemmunication device, no message could be sent back anyway.¡±


    Hasmu himself had been holding back frustration; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said so much.


    ¡°As for what exactly we¡¯re looking for, I honestly don¡¯t know. Even the captain doesn¡¯t seem certain. Maybe it¡¯s some underground civilization, or perhaps¡­ a monster.¡±


    ¡°A monster?¡±


    ¡°I get the civilization part¡ªthat¡¯s why we¡¯re here. But why is it about a monster now?¡±


    ¡°Could those nuclear radiation levels have been caused by a monster?¡± a sharp guard ventured a guess.


    ¡°Wow, monsters like that only exist in movies, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Captain, even as a guard, I¡¯ve had a higher education. Don¡¯t joke about this,¡± another chimed in.


    Hasmu finally had enough of the noisy chatter over thems and bellowed, ¡°Enough! Quiet! Don¡¯t let your guard down just because things have gone smoothly so far. This hides dangers stranger than we can imagine.¡±


    Though they couldn¡¯t see Hasmu¡¯s expression through his helmet, his tone conveyed enough to make the team fall silent. The earlierx attitude was reced by renewed caution, and their movements as they advanced became more deliberate.


    Hasmu silently nodded in approval. After years of continuous searching, the initial vignce of the team had waned when it became clear the was mostly primitive. The local wildlife posed no threat to them, leading to somecency. His warning served as much for himself as for his team. In a crisis, the only things he could rely on were these soldiers and their weapons.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Captain, we¡¯ve found a downward passage ahead. Should we proceed?¡± one member operating a piece of equipment in the middle of the team suddenly reported.


    Hasmu hurried over and examined the instrument. It was a device that mapped enclosed spaces based on sound waves, simr to echolocation. The readings showed a passage leading deeper underground, extending several hundred meters.


    He gestured for a teammate to step forward. The soldier unpacked arge backpack, which unfolded into a makeshift workstationplete with joysticks and screens.


    Under the operator¡¯s control, several mechanical spiders emerged from the tform. After stretching their legs, they quickly scuttled into the passage ahead.


    Given the uncertainty of the underground terrain, drones were less practical, while mechanical spiders proved ideal for these conditions.


    Although significantly more advanced than drones, the Riken had managed to develop and miniaturize these spider robots. Equipped with cameras, the spiders transmitted real-time footage back to the workstation. The passage ahead was about five to six meters in diameter, its walls slick with moisture from constant water flow over the years.


    Thankfully, Riken technology was up to the challenge. The mechanical spiders crawled steadily along the slippery stone walls, descending further and further.


    After traveling over 500 meters down, the vertical shaft transitioned into a sloped tunnel. The spiders continued for another hundred meters before their transmissions began breaking up into static.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hasmu demanded.


    ¡°Captain, the terrain is tooplex. There¡¯s too much interference. This is as far as the spiders can transmit. Beyond this, they¡¯ll lose contact,¡± the operator exined.


    ¡°Captain, what now? Do we go down?¡± another team member asked.


    Hasmu¡¯s face clouded. Descending would require using ropes to lower the team one by one¡ªa time-consuming process. Moreover, with the unknown dangers below, a quick retreat would be nearly impossible, making the operation highly risky.


    After much deliberation, Hasmu couldn¡¯t decide and opted to consult his superiors.


    ¡°Conis, can you reach the spaceship?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, Captain. We¡¯re already 300 meters underground, and our equipment isn¡¯t powerful enough to prate this far,¡± themunications officer, Conis, replied.


    Out of options, Hasmu ordered the team to maintain their position while he, themunications officer, and two other members headed back toward the surface.


    Half an hourter, Hasmu returned, and the team replenished their rations. After nearly two more hours, the remaining 20 members of their squad stationed outside joined them, forming a reinforced unit of 50.


    The team silently checked their weapons and ammo before logistics personnel unraveled two ropes down the pit.


    Each rope, cobbled together from multiple lengths, stretched 500 meters but had limited load-bearing capacity. With each soldier and their gear weighing about 150 kilograms, each rope could only support two soldiers at a time.


    Thankfully, the descent proceeded without incident. After nearly two hours of rappelling, the entire squad finally reached the bottom of the pit.

 Chapter 112: Diplodocus and Leopard

    The new flying bug genes weren¡¯t particrly useful for Luo Wen himself. However, their temte made them suitable for mass production, potentially filling the gap in the Swarm¡¯s aerial forces.


    Perhaps soon, the first tree-based sub-base of the Swarm would be officially established.


    Still, some revtions in the gic data caught Luo Wen by surprise. The flying bugs had indeed tracked him using pollen¡ªbut not through scent.


    Instead, the pollen, mixed with saliva, created a unique refractive effect. This allowed the flying bugs to urately pinpoint him even amidst dense vegetation and blooming flowers.


    In hindsight, the ¡°Gatling¡± smoke barrage wasn¡¯t effective because of its smell but because the rising white smoke obstructed their vision. It was a lucky ident.


    Without understanding this mechanism, relying solely on scent to counter them in the future might have led to disastrous oues.


    Now somewhat rested, Luo Wen didn¡¯t feel like stopping. Although the earlier chase seemed perilous, he hadn¡¯t been injured.


    After lingering a bit longer, Luo Wen crawled out of the burrow, intending to continue exploring.


    As he followed the river downstream, the forest gradually became sparser.He had scouted this area days ago and had traced the source of the vibrations he had sensed earlier.


    Thanks to multiple rounds of gic integration, his field of vision was nowparable to his human days. Moreover, his close-range rity had improved significantly.


    Thus, Luo Wen spotted the massive creature from afar.


    It was a colossal beast, and there was no exaggeration in calling it such. It resembled a Diplodocus from Earth, with a body length exceeding 30 meters, a shoulder height of 7 to 8 meters, a tiny head, and robust limbs.


    While its body was enormous, its neck stretched 7 to 8 meters, and its tail extended about 15 meters. Its main torso wasn¡¯t thatrge, but even so, its estimated weight exceeded 10 tons. Each step it took reverberated like thunder.


    Judging by its simple head and uniform teeth, it was undoubtedly a herbivore.


    This was confirmed after Luo Wen observed it for a long time. Aside from munching on leaves, it disyed no predatory behavior.


    That made sense. With its size and structure, it was no sprinter. Its long neck would make catching even a tailrd rat a struggle. Luo Wen suspected the sparse vegetation in the area was likely the result of its voracious appetite.


    Although it was thergest creature Luo Wen had encountered, it posed no threat to him. Knowing the source of the vibrations had greatly boosted his sense of security and even helped him sleep better.


    After all, the unknown was always the most frightening.


    Despite its harmlessness, Luo Wen didn¡¯t approach it recklessly. The food source was simply toorge; he couldn¡¯t possibly consume it all before it began to rot. For now, it was better to leave it be. The creature wasn¡¯t likely to stray far with abundant food nearby.


    After circling the forest edge and finding nothing new, Luo Wen decided to return to the base.


    Since gaining remote control via the Swarm Network, he hadn¡¯t visited the base in some time. Over this period, especially after the Type III Queen Ant entered production, the Swarm had experienced explosive growth. They now controlled nearly half of the Big-headed Ants¡¯ nest.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before they wiped out the Big-headed Ants entirely and took full control of the area.


    However, the Swarm¡¯s current forceposition was imbnced. Besides Worker Ants, there were only assassin-type Spy Ants, with a ringck of frontline soldiers. Previous head-on strategies were no longer viable in the current situation.@@novelbin@@


    The tracking systems of the ant-based bugs were also outdated. Against fast-moving targets like tailrd rats or small dinosaurs, they were at a clear disadvantage¡ªnot to mention the all-aerial flying bugs and various bird species.


    The Swarm urgently needed new unit types to establish an integrated air-ground cooperativebat system.


    Yet, with resources and production capacity still catching up, Luo Wen had time to deliberate on unitbinations.


    As he contemted this on his way back, his sharp eyes caught an unusual movement above and to the side. Snapping out of his thoughts, Luo Wen focused on the sight.


    On a thick branch just beneath the canopy, a leopard-like creature crouched in an attack stance.


    The creature measured about two meters long, slightlyrger than a tailrd rat. Its body was well-proportioned, with muscr limbs that exuded agility. Its yellow fur was adorned with ck ring patterns, and it had a small head, a long tail, and razor-sharp ws.


    Its target wasn¡¯t Luo Wen, whose optical camouge was now practically a passive skill, continuously active. Despite his mishap with the flying bugs, the system still proved invaluable in fooling most visually-oriented predators.


    A quick nce to the side revealed the leopard¡¯s target: a bird-like creature about 30 centimeters in length. The bird¡¯s plumage was vibrant, and Luo Wen knew from experience it tasted great¡ªhe had eaten plenty before.


    The thought made him slightly hungry. That massive Diplodocus was beyond his capacity, but the leopard should be manageable¡ªand it came with the bonus of fresh gic material.


    The leopard must have been new to the area; its sudden appearance meant the local birds, ustomed to a predator-free life, were somewhat naive.


    After several moments of patient stalking, the leopard finally found the perfect position. It pounced, pinning the preening bird.


    Just as it lowered its head to enjoy its prize, an opportunist approached silently.


    The leopard, with its assassin-like nature, was highly vignt. Hearing a faint noise, it froze, twitching its ears.


    The movement was obvious to Luo Wen, whose high-refresh-rate vision captured it instantly. He stopped in his tracks, stabilizing his optical camouge.


    The leopard scanned its surroundings for a long time but found nothing. Pretending to yawn, it remained tense, its sharp gazebing the area.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but admire its cleverness, though its performance was too deliberate. If it were in a talent show, it wouldn¡¯t make it past the preliminaries.


    After a while, failing to detect anything amiss, the leopard finally let its guard down. It lowered its head again, just as its jaws opened wide.


    Suddenly, a gust of wind howled. The leopard reacted toote, feeling a heavy weight m onto its back and a sharp pain at its neck.


    Though the leopard¡¯s body was several timesrger than Luo Wen¡¯s, it was lean and lighter in weight.


    Pinned by the sudden weight and increasing pain at its neck, the leopard struggled fiercely, growling threateningly. However, it was perched twenty meters high in the canopy. Though the branch was thick, itcked space for a full-blown fight.


    With a series of pitiful cries, the leopard tumbled from the branch, Luo Wen clinging to its back. Mid-fall, it cunningly twisted to ensure its backnded first, attempting to use Luo Wen as a cushion.


    But Luo Wen, a self-proimed quadrupedal amphibious soldier, nted his legs firmly on the leopard¡¯s back and propelled himself away. In that split second, he even used a limb to snatch the bird from the leopard¡¯s ws.


    The two separated as they fell. Luo Wen¡¯s wing covers snapped open, membranous wings unfurling to stabilize his descent.


    The leopard, however, was merely a tree-climbing terrestrial predator. It hit the ground hard, looking up at Luo Wen in shock.

 Chapter 215: Experience

    As elite soldiers, the squad was not typically so fragile. When Hasmu first ordered the rear guard to protect themunications officer, they had shown no hesitation, fully embodying a resolve to sacrifice themselves if needed.


    However, even the toughest individuals have limits. The bugs¡¯ seemingly yful torment wore them down. Despite having countless opportunities to annihte the squad, the bugs always stopped just short, forcing the soldiers to repeatedly endure the terror of impending death.


    It was like having a de lowered to their necks, only to be lifted away again¡ªa truly harrowing ordeal.


    The creatures harassing the squad were indeed Swarmbat units, but this was not Luo Wen¡¯s doing out of cruelty.


    From the Swarm¡¯s inception, they had never experienced a true war between civilizations. Even the Ratfolk¡¯s civil wars were limited to meleebat; they had not developedrge-scale battles involving advanced weaponry before their unification.


    Thus, neither Luo Wen nor the intelligent entities had any real experience with modern warfare. All military strategies had only existed in theory.


    Now, after investing significant effort to create the perfect battlefield deep underground¡ªwhere retreat was impossible, signals were blocked, and the outside world would never know what transpired¡ªthe Swarm finally had a chance to conduct live trials.


    Drawing in a fully equipped elite team was like recruiting expert trainers and whetstones. The Swarm could test thebat effectiveness of its units, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and refine their battle strategies and coordination.@@novelbin@@


    Moreover, observing the Riken soldiers¡¯ responses to ambushes provided valuable lessons in small-scale unit coordination, tactical leadership, and emergency measures.It also offered insight into Riken weaponry. By collecting data and analyzing the technology¡¯s strengths and limitations, the Swarm could expand its knowledge base.


    Luo Wen even brought in linguists to study the Riken soldiers¡¯mand phrases and interpret theirnguage through context and gestures.


    Linguistics was an underdeveloped field for the Swarm. Intelligent entities were created from Ratfolk souls, and Ratfolk history was short and simplistic. Theirnguage had evolved from Luo Wen¡¯s teachings, leaving them with no diverse linguistic foundation or multilingual specialists.


    Fortunately, deciphering attackmands paired with corresponding actions was rtively straightforward.


    Given the numerous advantages of keeping the soldiers alive, exterminating them outright was never an option. They were to be repeatedly, methodically exploited.


    Of course, the Swarm never factored in the psychological impact on their ¡°test subjects.¡±


    The sealed tunnel suddenly stirred as sand and gravel trickled down. A bug emerged, briefly breaking the oppressive atmosphere.


    This new type of Spider Combat Bug had been designed by Luo Wen after observing Riken physiology and equipment. The old Spider Combat Bugs¡¯ short venomous fangs were ineffective against protective suits.


    Moreover, the current adversaries were not wild beasts; injecting venom and waiting for the target to sumb was no longer viable. Soldiers equipped with firearms could unleash dozens of bullets during that waiting period.


    The updated Spider Combat Bugs prioritized immediate lethality. Their segmented legs were reinforced for better piercing capabilities, while the venom sacs and stingers were removed to reduce production costs and lighten their bodies.


    Additionally, like the earlier bat-like creatures, these bugs adopted a respiratory and circtory system modeled on Great Dawn¡¯s native fauna. This adaptation allowed them to breathe the¡¯s air directly.


    This approach saved significant resources and enabled the rapid formation of Swarm armies with limited supplies.


    The Swarm currently employed two space-adapted temtes.


    The first, featuring an internal ecological chamber system, was Luo Wen¡¯s earliest design. These organisms sustained themselves through a miniature ecosystem within their bodies, enabling survival in oxygen-free environments.


    However, the energy conversion efficiency of this temte was poor. While it supported basic life functions,bat exertion quickly outstripped its energy supply, limiting endurance and power. As a result, this temte had been retired.


    The second temte was derived from atmospheric organisms. It boasted abundant energy reserves, powerful bursts of strength, and even the ability to overclock temporarily.


    However, its drawbacks included limited operational range and high production costs. The specialized structures needed to generate and control electromaic fields or sma required rare minerals and significant resources.


    The Swarm could only afford to produce juvenile versions of these units, which then absorbed energy to grow. Producing a single electromaic Spider Combat Bug cost as much as fifty standard Spider Combat Bugs of the same size.


    If, instead, they were hatched as fingernail-sizedrvae and allowed to mature over time, costs would drop significantly¡ªbut at the expense of time.


    To expedite production, the bugs¡¯ exoskeletons were reced with keratinous armor capable of growing with their bodies.


    Building a full army using this method would take time, but it was cost-effective.


    Uponnding on Great Dawn, Luo Wen had immediately destroyed one of his avatars to establish a Brood Nest. Once it matured, it began producing Brood Queens en masse.


    Alongside the dozens of Brood Queens that descended with Luo Wen, the Swarm¡¯s presence on Great Dawn grew substantially.


    The ecological-chamber bugs were recalled, and all scouting units were reced with those adapted to the¡¯s native biology.


    This transition allowed the Swarm to operate more openly. Even if captured by the Riken, dissections would reveal nothing out of the ordinary.


    Reflecting on this upgrade, Luo Wen realized the local temtes were far cheaper to produce, requiring no special minerals.


    For example, the updated Spider Combat Bugs could be mass-produced as eggs and, with current Swarm technology, would hatch fullybat-ready in just seven days, provided resources were sufficient.


    These bugs¡¯ reliance on native energy systems eliminated supply concerns. Theirbat effectiveness and endurance were more than adequate, and their one-piece exoskeleton armor matched the strength of their electromaic counterparts.


    Field tests proved these updated Spider Combat Bugs to be exceptional, particrly inplex terrains.


    Satisfied with their performance, Luo Wen found his conviction in these new strategies growing ever stronger.

 Chapter 219: Nuclear Fusion Counterstrikes

    Major Camis considered the situation and agreed: far from their homeworld, with only the 1,800 crew aboard the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, there were no oversight officials to dictate otherwise. If they seeded, they could frame the narrative however they wished.


    With renewed resolve, he refocused onmanding the battle.


    However, his options were limited. The violent energy cannons (VECs) were already the most powerful conventional weapons the ship carried.@@novelbin@@


    It wasn¡¯t that the Rikencked more potent weaponry¡ªrather, the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship simply didn¡¯t have the capacity to carry them. Bringing ten cannons was already a logistical stretch.


    When they embarked, the mission¡¯s focus had been reconnaissance, not high-intensitybat. Naturally, they had not packed many heavy weapons.


    But now, even the VECs were ineffective against Godzi. Camis was at a loss and reported the predicament to Reggie and Lute. The two looked equally grim. The treasure stood before them, unimed, yet theycked the means to seize it.


    ¡°Should we try tactical nukes?¡± Reggie suggested. ¡°What do you think, Lute?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a shot. The creature must have strong resistance to nuclear radiation. We can only hope the intense heat will kill it.¡± Lute turned to Camis.


    ¡°It¡¯s our best chance,¡± Camis replied, issuing orders via hismunicator.Meanwhile, the VECs continued firing, trying to wear Godzi down.


    Godzi retaliated, firing two nuclear breaths toward the artillery positions. However, the attack dissipated significantly over distance, its maximum effective range capped at 15 kilometers, leaving the artillery, situated 20 kilometers away, unscathed.


    The VECs, though barely scratching Godzi¡¯s thick hide, slowly chipped away at it. Yet the process was excruciatingly slow, requiring an inordinate amount of time.


    Frustrated, Godzi redirected its fury toward the mobile gunboats in the sky, unleashing several nuclear breaths. When these too failed to produce results, it seemed to reconsider its priorities.


    Looking toward the direction of the nuclear explosion¡ªwhere Hasmu¡¯s squad had detonated the bomb¡ªGodzi hesitated. After deliberation, it chose self-preservation over curiosity, turning back toward the sea.


    Weakened by its earlier outbursts, its dorsal fins dimmed slightly, evidence of depleted energy reserves.


    The VECs wouldn¡¯t be able to kill or critically injure Godzi before it reached the ocean.


    ¡°Commander, we have authorization to deploy Engineer Type II tactical nuclear missiles.¡±


    Onboard the transport ship, the three squads evacuated earlier had been idle spectators for some time. Surviving by sheer luck in a five-to-two lottery, they had avoided theirrades¡¯ grim fate.


    The deaths of their fellow soldiers filled them with frustration and a sense of powerlessness.


    Now, they had a chance to fight back, and their spirits surged with determination.


    Several transport ships carefully approached,nding just outside Godzi¡¯s range.


    Simplisticunch tforms were quickly assembled.


    The Engineer Type II tactical nukes offered versatile deployment options: close-rangeunch via specialized tubes, medium-to-long-rangeunches from tforms, or gyro-equipped air drops from ships.


    The escort forces chose tformunches. Though slightly less urate, Godzi¡¯s massive size left little room for error.


    Each 50-member squad carried two tactical nukes. To maximize the attack¡¯s impact, Camis ordered them fired simultaneously.


    Six missiles streaked toward Godzi, leaving white contrails in their wake. The 20-kilometer journey took mere moments. Godzi, oblivious to the approaching danger, ignored the smoking projectiles.


    BOOM x6!


    The six nuclear detonations merged into a single massive mushroom cloud. The resulting shockwave scouredyers off the ins, sending sand and debris billowing skyward.


    ¡°Did we get it?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Unclear. Visibility is zero.¡±


    ¡°What about sensor readings?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still a biological signal. It¡¯s not dead. In fact, its energy levels haven¡¯t even dropped significantly.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ wait. They¡¯re increasing!¡±


    ¡°Brace yourselves! Detecting a massive energy surge. It¡¯s about to attack!¡±


    Amid the swirling dust, a growing hum resonated, building in intensity. Then, a colossal energy beam¡ªfarrger than the earlier nuclear breaths¡ªerupted from the cloud.


    The fiery-red beam tore through the air, aimed at the artillery positions 20 kilometers away. Though it fell just short of reaching its target, it exploded two kilometers shy, unleashing a devastating shockwave.


    The st tossed the VECs into the air and sent the lighter escort troops flying.


    While their suits offered some protection against radiation and minor physical damage, they were woefully insufficient under such conditions.


    ¡°This creature can directly absorb energy from nuclear explosions to recharge itself? And it can weaponize the radiation to enhance its attacks?¡± Lute eximed in disbelief from the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡¯s bridge.


    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Reggie demanded. ¡°Major Camis?¡±


    ¡°With the artillerypromised, weck the means to contain it. To prevent further losses, I¡¯m ordering the escort teams to retreat,¡± Camis replied grimly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have the ship¡¯s main cannon?¡± Lute asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s designed for spacebat, mainly to target meteors. By the time its energy passes through the atmosphere, its power will be significantly diminished¡ªprobably weaker than a single VEC shot,¡± Reggie exined.


    A heavy silence fell. Camis turned to issue evacuation orders.


    Under gunboat cover, transport shipsunched emergency rescue missions. From the earlier explosion, the two artillery-operating squads suffered nine confirmed deaths, thirteen critical injuries, and five missing soldiers. The rest sustained fractures or minor injuries.


    Of the nine fatalities, three died from impalement by debris hurled by the shockwave. The remaining six suffocated due to damaged face shields or were buried under rubble, preventing timely rescue.


    Remarkably, none were directly killed by the explosion itself.


    ¡°This is beyond our capabilities. We¡¯ll need to report this to the homeworld,¡± Reggie admitted, his face dark with frustration.


    ¡°Such a bitter defeat,¡± Lute sighed.


    Camis, his expression even grimmer, remained silent. Unlike Reggie and Lute, who would retain some credit as the mission¡¯s administrators and researchers, Camis faced scrutiny for his tactical errors. At best, he could hope for his merits to offset his failures.


    ¡°How many years will we need to stay here?¡± Lute asked.


    ¡°That depends on the homeworld¡¯s response,¡± Reggie replied thoughtfully.


    ¡°Should we enter stasis?¡± Communicating with the homeworld would take a significant amount of time. Without other pressing tasks, stasis was the best way to preserve lifespan during the wait.


    ¡°We can put some personnel into stasis. Do you have other suggestions?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Lute replied. ¡°I¡¯m still intrigued by what happened to Hasmu¡¯s squad. The ecosystem here defies understanding. If creatures can manipte maic fields and harness fusion energy, could some even reach space?¡±

 Chapter 115: The New Main Combat Species (2)

    The swarm¡¯s first batch of aerial units would use the flying insect temte, divided into two versions: Type I and Type II. Type I closely adhered to the original temte, with the only significant addition being an echolocation system.


    Their primary roles on the battlefield included aerial reconnaissance, target acquisition, marking, and interception. With the swarm now equipped with a real-timemunication system, it was crucial to fully leverage it to achieve true coordinatedbat.


    Type II flying insects, on the other hand, would incorporate some genes from the Fart Bug.


    These were slightlyrger than Type I, with their abdominal poison sacs reced by storage sacs and their tail stingers swapped for small cannon-like appendages capable of firing viscous toxin projectiles.


    The Fart Bug, due to its limited mobility and range, was no longer suitable for the current version of the swarm. Type II flying insects were designed as their recements.


    The role of Type II on the battlefield was to provide aerial fire support and precision strikes. Though their attacks targeted single units, their significantly lower production costpared to Fart Bugs meant that their numbers couldpensate for this limitation.


    The original Fart Bugs would also cease production due to their mobility issues, susceptibility to terrain, high cost, and limited firing angles.


    Additionally, theirmander, the Type I Queen Ant, would undergo some modifications. A pair of membranous wings and an optical stealth system would be added to adapt to newbat scenarios.


    Two dayster, the swarm established its first tree-based sub-base, which was officially inaugurated on a nearby tree trunk. Two Type III Queen Ants were sent to develop the new base. Given their initialck of avablebat units, some Worker Ants were dispatched to handle their feeding, nest-building, and daily maintenance.The quick establishment of the air force base was made possible by Luo Wen¡¯s discovery of a new skill: updating the gene libraries of Queen Ants through direct physical contact. This meant the swarm no longer needed to produce a new batch of Queens every time it acquired new genes.


    However, the drawback was the necessity of physical contact to perform these updates. For now, while the swarm¡¯s territory remained small, this wasn¡¯t a major issue. But if it expanded to its previous scale¡ªspanning thousands of kilometers with tens of thousands of Queen Ants¡ªLuo Wen would have little time for anything else.


    Thus, Luo Wen began experimenting with the swarmwork¡¯s cloud storage functionality. If he could master its mechanisms, he could potentially update gene libraries remotely via the swarmwork in the future.


    If sessful, this would make operations much more convenient.


    With the base arrangementspleted, Luo Wen found himself temporarily idle, prompting a desire to wander outside. Staying in the base all the time was a severe drain on the swarm¡¯s resources, given his voracious appetite.


    Over the next period, Luo Wen roamed the forest, steadily expanding his exploration range. While feeding himself, he wasn¡¯t merely aimlessly wandering.


    Ever since discovering his ability to absorb nt genes, he had started consciously observing unusual nt species. Though he hadn¡¯t yet figured out how to harness this ability fully, he was already on the lookout for peculiar flora.


    The forest, with its incredible biodiversity, offered plenty to discover. Luo Wen found many fascinating examples, such as carnivorous nts.


    These nts created various traps with their bodies: some spread open like jaws, others formed pitcher-like structures, and still others utilized sticky secretions. They preyed on insects, while certainrger flower-like species could even capture small animals.


    Some species digested their prey remarkably quickly. For instance, a certain flower-like nt couldpletely digest a small animal in just one night.


    Fungi also became a collection focus for Luo Wen, as the swarm already had extensive experience cultivating them. Despite their strange appearances and diverse environmental requirements, fungi offered significant potential.


    Some grew directly on tree trunks, others on the ground, underground, or even on rocks, opening Luo Wen¡¯s eyes to previously overlooked possibilities.


    Algae were also within the scope of his collection. As one of the most ancient nt types, their continued survival and prosperity over millennia demonstrated their considerable evolutionary advantages.


    Beyond nts, Luo Wen encountered many novel creatures.


    The vast forest was teeming with life, and the number of species was overwhelming.


    Insects, naturally, were the most abundant. Though relegated to the bottom of the food chain, their sheer numbers ensured their survival.


    Despite this abundance, most insects had only mundane traits, with only a few possessing abilities that caught Luo Wen¡¯s attention.


    For example, arge golden beetle boasted a highly durable, spike-covered exoskeleton and a long, conical spiraled horn on its head resembling a unicorn.


    While its practicality was debatable, its striking and imposing appearance made it incredibly cool. Luo Wen decided that once the swarm developed enough for him to delegate manual tasks, he would fashion himself some golden armor as a showpiece.


    Conversely, some insects were utterly unimpressive, with evolutionarily pointless traits.


    One insect species, for instance, had elongated, twisted exoskeletal structures that neither provided defense nor attack capability and were extremely unsightly.@@novelbin@@


    Initially assuming that such an abstract appearance must indicate some extraordinary ability, Luo Wen¡¯s repeated experiments revealed that it had no practical use other than being an eyesore.


    This challenged Luo Wen¡¯s understanding, as he had always considered insects the epitome of functional evolution until encountering this useless species.


    Besides insects, Luo Wen encountered numerous birds. Their sizes varied greatly, as did their coloration. Some had short, stubby beaks, others long and sharp, and some were both long and robust.


    Their songs ranged from melodious and soothing, like a crystal-clear stream flowing through the soul, to outright obnoxious noise pollution. Thetter invariably ended up in Luo Wen¡¯s stomach, bing sustenance for his wanderings.


    He also encountered various snakes. Smaller ones with vibrant patterns were generally venomous, using heat sensing to hunt prey, rendering optical stealth ineffective.


    Interestingly, Luo Wen discovered that while using his hibernation ability, his slightly stiffened and less flexible body could evade their heat sensing.


    Consequently, snake species had be frequent additions to his diet during this period.


    Some snakes, however, were massive¡ªbetter described as pythons. Their enormous bodies and thick girths were astonishing. Thergest one Luo Wen encountered measured over twenty meters in length, making it the secondrgest creature he had seen, second only to the Diplodocus.


    Covered inrge, scaled armor, these creatures possessed immense strength, easily snapping tree trunks as thick as barrels. They posed a far greater threat to Luo Wen than the herbivorous Diplodocus.


    After assessing his own limitations, Luo Wen wisely chose to keep his distance from these formidable serpents.

 Chapter 226: The Riken

    Beyond its role as a weapon, the true value of the Atomic Furnacey in its energy supply system.


    With the Atomic Furnace, the Swarm¡¯s bio-ships could finally ovee their shoring of limited endurance. Long-distance, high-output eleration flights now became feasible. Where previously, a full charge allowed only a few electromaic cannon shots, now, unrestricted usage was possible. The energy expended in one thermonuclear breath could be converted into electromaic force to fire multiple projectiles.


    However, the materials required to construct this device were exceedingly rare, demandingrge quantities of specific minerals, and the reactor also needed periodic refueling. Fortunately, with the Swarm¡¯s expansive fungal carpets and the vast number ofs under its control, mining opportunities were plentiful.


    Over another half-month, Luo Wen unexpectedly acquired a new gic fragment¡ªone even more advanced than the technology behind the Atomic Furnace.


    Indeed, this gic fragment concealed the secret behind Godzi¡¯s ability to freely move its tens-of-thousands-ton body without copsing under its own weight.


    Initially, when Luo Wen obtained the gic data rted to Godzi¡¯s skeletal structure and bodyposition, he noted that while they contributed to its massive size, they alone could not possibly support such a colossal frame.@@novelbin@@


    He had theorized that Godzi used electromaic field maniption to counteract a portion of its weight. Its body did contain certain tissues capable of generating maic fields, which it employed for rapid movement underwater.


    But this newly discovered gic fragment proved his hypothesis wrong. Godzi didn¡¯t rely on pseudo-antigravity through maic repulsion to offset its weight; instead, it directly manipted gravity itself. The technology was true antigravity maniption.


    This level of sophistication was previously absent from the Swarm¡¯s arsenal. If Luo Wen could decipher and master it, the Swarm would undergo another monumental upgrade.Mastery in this context meant far more than Godzi¡¯s rudimentary application; it required deeper exploration, supported by robust theoretical frameworks and imaginative innovation. Luo Wen allocated tens of thousands of intelligent entities to begin research on the subject, while he himself spent years transforming the Atomic Furnace into a fungal carpet module.


    The fungal carpet, known for its extreme versatility andpatibility, was an ideal medium. After modrizing the Atomic Furnace, individual units could be cultivated directly from the fungal carpet and then integrated into existing bio-ships.


    Due to material constraints, the Genesis Star System¡ªhome to arge stockpile of bio-ships¡ªonly equipped Primordial Bodies over 500 meters in length with Atomic Furnaces. Meanwhile, in the Neighboring Star System, where development was still nascent, Mature Bodies over 200 meters long could be outfitted with these reactors.


    The Swarm entered a period of steady development. On Great Dawn, the brood nest named ¡°Great Dawn¡± operated continuously, producing brood queens. These queens were dispatched across various locations, generating vast numbers ofrval bio-ships that remained hidden throughout the star system.


    A great war might await the Swarm in the future. Though Luo Wen believed he had done an excellent job maintaining a fa?ade as a native apex predator, thest attack on the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship had leaked some information. He was unsure what kind of ripple effects this might cause.


    Thus, Luo Wen began preparations early. He even contemted self-destructing the Red Moon Brood Nest in the Genesis Star System and relocating to the Neighboring Star System. However, he reconsidered. The Genesis Star System, being the Swarm¡¯s stronghold, was fully conquered, and with the development of space-based Swarm units, operations there were far less constrained.


    For example, in the Genesis Star System,rval and mature bio-ships could grow by clustering directly around the star. In the Neighboring Star System, however, the Swarm had to remain hidden as they were still uncertain about the Riken¡¯s full capabilities. Space units had to disguise themselves as asteroids or hide within them, slowing their growthpared to their counterparts in the Genesis Star System. Moreover, therger the numbers, the harder they were to conceal.


    After careful consideration, Luo Wen decided to leave the Red Moon Brood Nest in the Genesis Star System to umte forces.


    The Neighboring Star System was only one sector adjacent to the Genesis Star System. Beyond ity other systems, typically seven to eight light-years away. Who knew what civilizations might be lurking there? And if they existed, how advanced were they?


    Therefore, the Swarm¡¯s megastructure near the star in the Genesis Star System not onlyunched Swarm Meteors toward the M37 Star System but also scattered them in other directions to extend the Swarm Network and broaden its monitoring range.


    In a grand office, the intricate wood-paneled doors creaked open. A sharply uniformed Riken male entered, addressing the figure seated behind an opulent desk.


    ¡°President, General Monroe requests an audience.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s so urgent that he bypassed scheduling? The military is growing increasingly disrespectful,¡± the President, a middle-aged male Riken with light blue, wrinkled skin, remarked as he set down his documents with a touch of annoyance.


    The uniformed Riken lowered his head, feigning deafness to thement.


    ¡°Very well, Ram. Check my schedule and reschedule the uing engagements. Bring General Monroe in.¡±


    ¡°But sir, there is a critical meeting shortly concerning the demands of the elected representatives from the Trinbrian District.¡± Trinbrian was a crucial vote base for the President, indirectly influencing numerous stakeholders and serving as a vital partnership.


    ¡°Those insufferable people¡­ Postpone the meeting. Compared to having Monroe barge in during a session, dealing with the representativester seems the lesser evil.¡± Between two unwee options, the President chose the path of least resistance.


    Ram once again ignored the choice of words and quietly responded, ¡°Understood,¡± before exiting the room.


    Alone in the office, President Derlin sank into thefort of his plush chair, gazing at the ornate ceiling adorned with floral motifs. He sighed.


    The Riken Federation, established five centuries ago as a union of many nations, had achieved formal unification, yet its underlying tensions persisted to this day.


    The Federation¡¯s highest executive, the President, was elected every ten years due to the Riken¡¯s extended lifespan, with a maximum of three terms.


    Six years ago, with the support of various factions, Derlin had fortuitously ascended to this position. He had initially believed he had reached the pinnacle of his career, but within a few short years, he found himself utterly drained. At only 170 years of age, he was already suffering from insomnia, headaches, and other minor ailments.


    These chronic issues stemmed from overwhelming stress, which even the Riken¡¯s advanced medical technology couldn¡¯t fully alleviate. The root causey in his obligations. To gain the support of so many factions, he had made numerous promises, and now the time hade to deliver.

 Chapter 230: The Incident Escalates

    The asteroid impact caused a massive uproar.


    After numerous technological upgrades, the Riken had fully conquered the M37 Star System, surrounding their home with advanced observational devices and space defense weapons. While perhaps not an irond fortress, it was at least a sturdy wooden barrel.


    For an unremarkable asteroid to bypass theseyers of defenses was a colossal embarrassment.


    Was it a case of equipment falsification or staff negligence?


    Regardless, someone had to be held ountable.


    The media erupted with coverage, experts mored with analyses, and everyone cited data andparisons to emphasize how advanced Riken defenses were. For an asteroid to breach these systems unnoticed was utterly inconceivable.


    It was deemed a major failure¡ªa dereliction of duty by the Federation.


    The anger of the Riken people ignited, and soon all fingers pointed at the Federation¡¯s top official, President Derlin.


    Protests broke out across the home and the three colonies, with demonstrations escting daily. The people demanded an exnation from the President.For Derlin, the current chaos was a hundred times worse than the harassment from the Trinbrian District. Compared to this, even death threats back then felt like a gentle breeze.


    He called General Monroe, demanding to know how things had spiraled out of control and what the n was.


    The response was little more than a series of cating phrases like, ¡°Stay calm,¡± and ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    As someone who knew the truth, Derlin was unable to offer the people a satisfactory exnation. The longer it dragged on, the more public anger grew, like oil fueling a zing fire, waiting for the tiniest spark to explode.


    But just as this fury reached its breaking point, events took a sudden turn.


    The military¡¯s investigation report was released.


    The findings shocked the entire Riken popce.


    The asteroid, it turned out, was a long-range weapon deployed by an alien force¡ªa deliberate attack on the Riken home. Equipped with advanced anti-detection systems, it had slipped through theyers of defense and breached Riken territory.


    The people were stunned, and a new narrative began to take shape.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it! I knew the Federation and military couldn¡¯t have been so careless. Even if one station failed, it¡¯s impossible for all of them to fail at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Experts have said that our outer space defenses cover billions of kilometers with densely packed weapons and orbital tforms. Under normal circumstances, something like this couldn¡¯t happen.¡±


    ¡°My uncle¡¯s brother-inw¡¯s nephew works for the Federation¡¯s space defense force. He says every protocol is strictly followed, but none of the observation stations detected this asteroid in advance.¡±


    ¡°Of course not¡ªit was designed by aliens to bypass our systems!¡±


    ¡°Those aliens are despicable! Why would they attack us out of the blue?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! But who are these aliens? Any insider info?¡±


    ¡°If there were, it would be ssified. Do you think they¡¯d tell me?¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do. I pay taxes; I have the right to know! I¡¯m going to protest in front of the Federation Assembly!¡±@@novelbin@@


    The protests demanding an investigation into internal corruption continued, but the slogans shifted. Now, the people demanded transparency and their right to know the truth.


    In response to public pressure, the military began releasing fragments of ¡°ssified¡± information.


    This included the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship Project and edited footage of its battle with Godzi.


    People were reminded of the project from ny years ago. Many had assumed it was a forgotten endeavor, only to learn it had a sequel¡ªand that aliens had indeed been discovered.


    Experts dissected the footage, offering interpretations andmentary.


    It became clear that the aliens followed a biological technology path. The creature in the footage was one of their bio-weapons. Given this, their use of asteroids as weapons instead of conventional steel constructs made sense.


    A wave of mourning followed for the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship and its crew. The Federation established a memorial site with pristine gravestones for all its members. Crowds flocked to pay their respects to these heroes who had ventured light-years away to carve out a new home for their people.


    Subsequently, more videos and information were ¡°leaked.¡±


    These revealed that the military, having learned from the incident, intercepted thousands of alien asteroids targeting the home and its colonies.


    The public was astounded to learn this wasn¡¯t a one-off attack. Thanks to the Federation¡¯s vignce, they had been spared further devastation.


    President Derlin¡¯s approval ratings soared, and his reelection in three and a half years became a foregone conclusion.


    However, voices of concern began to emerge.


    ¡°The tragedy of the Trinbrian District is still fresh. Relief efforts have barely begun. We can¡¯t celebrate yet; we need to ensure this doesn¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Defense alone isn¡¯t enough. We must strike back.¡±


    ¡°Offense is the best defense!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s take the fight to the T85 Star System and show them the Riken are not to be trifled with!¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s cage those wretches in a zoo.¡±


    ¡°Bring civilization to these beasts!¡±


    Public sentiment reached a fever pitch.


    No one had anticipated that the aliens would fire thousands of asteroids. If even one hadnded intact, as seen in the Trinbrian District¡¯s devastation, the consequences would have been catastrophic.


    The people demanded a powerful retaliation from the Federation.


    Some skeptics raised concerns:


    ¡°How could the aliens¡¯ attack arrive so quickly after the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship incident? If they¡¯re that advanced, can we truly oppose them?¡±


    ¡°What about the thousands of intercepted asteroids? Could the figures be exaggerated? Why haven¡¯t civilian observation organizations detected suchrge-scale actions?¡±


    ¡°Why are some military personnel unaware of these events?¡±


    These voices, however, quickly disappeared without a trace.


    As time passed, the military continued to release videos and information about intercepting alien attacks, aided by deliberate narrative shaping.


    Whether out of self-preservation, racial pride, or other motives, most Riken citizens now supported an expedition to the T85 Star System.


    Online polls showed 97% of the poption in favor of military action.


    But if they were tounch an expedition, the question arose: Where would the fundinge from?


    President Derlin addressed this issue in a live broadcast aired simultaneously across the home and the three colonies. All radio stations were mandated to carry the broadcast.


    Thus, the vast majority of the Riken people tuned in to hear his speech.

 Chapter 118: Storage Issues (1)

    The stench of blood had drawn some keen-scented predators toward the swarm¡¯s base. They lurked, observed, and edged closer.


    But as soon as they crossed a certain perimeter, they were detected by the Type I Flying Bugs patrolling the skies. These bugs immediately ryed the situation through the Swarm Network to two Queen Ants stationed in nearby sub-bases.


    The Queen Ants, having received prior authorization to ess the vision of lower-ranking insects, assessed the situation. However, unsure of how to proceed, they promptly escted the matter to Luo Wen.


    The entire process happened swiftly. In fact, from the detection of the intruders to Luo Wen receiving the alert, less than thirty seconds had passed. Some of the cautious predators hadn¡¯t even moved from their positions.


    Switching to the perspective of an airborne Type I Flying Bug, Luo Wen observed the intruders. He quickly realized their caution stemmed from weakness.


    Though the creatures were varied in type, they shared amon trait: small size. Thergest among them measured barely over two meters in length. Most were beasts with sturdy limbs, whether bipedal or quadrupedal, optimized for running.


    Their offensive and defensive capabilities were unimpressive. Based on Luo Wen¡¯s observations of the local ecosystem, most of these creatures were scavengers, feeding on nt and animal remains¡ªnature¡¯s cleanup crew.


    Among them were Tail Lard Rats, whichcked the strength to hunt but eagerly sought leftovers, and smaller dinosaur-like creatures that asionally hunted but didn¡¯t mind scraps.


    After scanning the group, Luo Wen concluded that none of them posed a serious threat. He returned the handling authority to the Queen Ants, instructing them to properly ¡°wee¡± the visitors. Since they hade all this way, they might as well stay for a while.The Queen Ants had proven adept at learning and mimicking. Although Luo Wen¡¯sstmanded battle had ended quickly, dozens of Queen Ants had been observing and exchanging insights. This situation presented a perfect opportunity to hone their skills against weaker opponents. It would also help train future Queen Ants, sparing Luo Wen from having to personally demonstrate every time. It was akin to learning to drive: earlier learners would teach the neers.


    Returning his consciousness to his body, Luo Wen set off toward the base. While the battle itself didn¡¯t require his intervention, the subsequent task of transporting the spoils was his responsibility.


    By the time Luo Wen reached the base, the battle had been over for quite some time. Corpses of various animalsy scattered around the perimeter.


    This was despite the swarm¡¯s limited manpower, which prevented them from attacking all at once, scaring off many of the intruders.


    Even so, the resulting haul weighed over two tons. Luo Wen spent an entire day transporting it back to the base.


    During this period, two more waves of ¡°food delivery¡± arrived.


    One group consisted of dog-like creatures with mottled ck, white, and yellow fur thatcked any aesthetic appeal. Though small in stature, about a dozen of them arrived as a pack. They were muscr, fast, and had impressive stamina. Unfortunately for them, none of these traits mattered against the swarm¡¯s new venom.@@novelbin@@


    Interestingly, these mottled dogs had a unique jaw structure, boasting the strongest bite force Luo Wen had seen among beasts. Even leopards, slightlyrger in size, paled inparison. The leopards, however, excelled in short bursts of speed butcked the endurance of these canines.


    Moreover, leopards were solitary hunters, though their tree-climbing ability allowed them to catch birds. Without this skill, they might not evenpete with the dogs onnd.


    Both species had gic traits thatplemented each other, offering potential as temtes for creating a newbat organism.


    The base¡¯s surroundings were dotted with mounds of earth. Withoutrge excavation units, construction of underground storage facilities progressed slowly.


    At this rate, it would be some time before the storage chambers werepleted. Meanwhile, the umting prey presented a logistical headache. The current wave consisted mostly of small-time scavengers, but who could say when one of the area¡¯s apex predators might show up?


    The amassed food alone was enough to lure those top-tier creatures.


    Should he produce more Burrower Ants to speed up excavation?


    Yet Burrower Ants required a lengthy growth period, taking at least several dozen days to mature. Too many variables could arise in that time. Nheless, Luo Wen reluctantly ced an order for a few Burrower Ants, which would likely bepleted alongside the Heavy-armored Soldier Ants.


    Even so, Luo Wen felt dissatisfied. This approach merely treated the symptoms, not the root cause. The current gic reserves were no longer as scarce as they once were. With so many new gic fragments recently collected and his capabilities enhanced severalfold, surely a better solution existed.


    He calmed himself and began recalling all the creatures he had encountered, analyzing which abilities might prove useful.


    The crux of the issue was the swarm¡¯s small size. Back when the swarm spanned ten kilometers, they had managed to dispose of mountains of insect carcasses in no time.


    Of course, back then, no other creatures dared to covet the swarm¡¯s spoils.


    Reflecting on the past held little value. Luo Wen first considered the saliva preservation method used by Worker Ants, who had once mixed their saliva with formic acid to coat and preserve food.


    Though still effective, this method faced the same limitation: the swarm¡¯s small scale. Millions of Worker Ants were insufficient to process over two tons of food quickly. Moreover, their processing methods inevitably released a lot of scent,promising safety.


    Luo Wen then contemted other animal food storage methods. However, most creatures operated on a ¡°meal-to-meal¡± basis, leaving them free of his current worries.


    Others, like Tail Lard Rats, had evolved specialized organs to store food internally. Yet such strategies held little relevance for this situation.


    Suddenly, Luo Wen thought of web-building spiders.


    Some spiders wrapped their prey in silk for preservation, periodically injecting venom to keep them subdued but alive. Luo Wen nced at the already-dead prey¡ªthis method was clearly impractical. Perhaps it could be tested in the future, but for now, none of the swarm¡¯s insects possessed silk-producing nds.


    Another spider type injected digestive enzymes into prey, turning their bodies into natural containers. Luo Wen had used this approach when processing the Long-Faced Beast, but the dissolved muscle tissue required immediate consumption to prevent rapid decay.

 Chapter 237: Decision

    ¡°Captain, there are no signs of a struggle nearby. It seems the patrol squad was subdued in an instant,¡± reported a team member.


    Another soldier inspecting the operations tform looked up. ¡°Found it, Captain. I¡¯ve identified the location where the patrol squad¡¯s signalsst disappeared.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡±


    ¡°One kilometer northwest.¡±


    ¡°Send the coordinates to the gunboats. Gunboats, provide cover. All units, stay alert and proceed in groups of three to rendezvous at the coordinates,¡± the captain ordered.


    The patrol squads¡¯bat suits not only incorporated life sign monitoring systems but also featured built-in locators. Using the historical data from the equipment left behind, the special ops team easily pinpointed the location where the signals vanished.


    ¡°Captain, there are some fresh indentations here¡ªthese don¡¯t look like tracks left by the patrol squad,¡± a soldier said, observing a faint path cutting through the grass. The shape of the trail differed slightly from what Riken footprints typically left behind.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯re heading in the right direction. Stay sharp and be ready forbat. Gunboats, keep watch around us,¡± the captain instructed, ncing at the marks.


    With the gunboats providing overhead protection, the kilometer-long journey passed without incident.¡°Captain, this is where the signals disappeared.¡±


    Nodding, the captain signaled the team to spread out and search the area.


    ¡°Captain, our scanner indicates a hollow chamber beneath us¡ªthere¡¯s a subterranean cave below,¡± a soldier called out, holding a detection device.


    ¡°Look around for an entrance nearby.¡±


    ¡°Captain, over here! There¡¯s a hole hidden under the grass,¡± a soldier shouted after his foot slipped into an unseen cavity.


    The team cleared away the thick grass, revealing an opening less than two meters in diameter. Covered by a dense mat of vegetation, the hole was nearly invisible, feeling only slightly soft underfoot unless pressed heavily. If not for the weight of the soldier¡¯s heavy weaponry, it might have gone unnoticed.


    ¡°Proceed with caution. Recon soldier, deploy mechanical spiders to scout the area,¡± the captain ordered.


    From a container, the recon soldier removed a box holding severalpact metallic devices. These quickly unfolded into mechanical spiders, each roughly 20 centimeters in size. After conducting a brief system check, the soldier linked the spiders¡¯ cameras to his monitor and sent them scuttling into the hole.


    The cave below was dark and forbidding, but the mechanical spiders¡¯ infrared lights and sensors provided some visibility. Moving carefully, the spiders scanned their surroundings, their cameras swiveling to capture as much information as possible.@@novelbin@@


    As the cave expanded deeper in, the team watched intently. Suddenly, the video feed flickered and turned to static.


    ¡°What happened?¡± the captain demanded, frowning.


    ¡°Signal lost. Two possibilities: either strong maic interference or the mechanical spiders were destroyed in a single strike,¡± the recon soldier exined.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n, Captain?¡±


    The captain, well-versed in the Great Dawn¡¯s reports, knew how perilous underground environments could be. He recalled the mission report from Hasmu¡¯s elite guard, a simr unit to his own. Hasmu¡¯s squad of 50 soldiers had beenpletely wiped out in a subterranean cavern, possibly triggering a tactical nuclear device in a final act.


    Given this precedent, the captain wasn¡¯t willing to take unnecessary risks. If Hasmu¡¯s full-strength squad had been annihted, there was little chance his smaller unit would fare better. Even though this cave might not be as dangerous, there was no guarantee. And lives were irreceable.


    After deliberating, the captain decided to escte the matter, reporting the situation to his superiors and outlining his concerns.


    ¡°General, reports from all deployed special ops teams are simr. They¡¯ve followed tracks to underground cave entrances, but their reconnaissance devices lose contact shortly after entry. Based on prior mission experience, they¡¯re awaiting further instructions,¡± an officer briefed General Masai.


    Masai frowned, recalling the extensive reconnaissance records sent back by the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship. Although the ship had operated on the for years before its final encounter, their forces seemed to be facing attacks far more frequently.


    Seeking strength in numbers, Masai called an emergency strategy meeting. Fleet captains and staff officers gathered to debate the situation intensely.


    ¡°Could there be a hidden underground civilization?¡± one captain proposed.


    ¡°Unlikely. If so, why haven¡¯t they reacted to our orbital satellites?¡± another countered.


    ¡°Good point. The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship was attacked in T855¡¯s outer orbit, suggesting the attackers had spacefaring capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Could this star system have developed two civilizations¡ªone on T855 and another on T853?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. If there were a civilization on T853, they wouldn¡¯t tolerate satellites or even the fusion-based monsters we¡¯ve observed.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that monster is a creation of such a civilization!¡± another suggested.


    ¡°Speaking of which, where is that monster now?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s hibernating. Our satellites have marked a few suspicious locations, but we haven¡¯t had the chance to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Experts spected that monster might be a relic of an ancient era. Could there be other simr species still alive but dormant? Maybe the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡¯s battle awakened them,¡± a captain posited.


    The room fell silent as the participants considered this theory.


    ¡°That¡¯s not impossible,¡± someone finally said.


    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s quite usible and makes sense.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then whatever woke up must be a rapidly reproducing species. Our bases span five continents, yet the attacks seem nearly simultaneous.¡±


    ¡°Are you suggesting they also have long-range coordination capabilities?¡±


    ¡°Why not? If a fusion-powered creature can exist, why not one with advanced coordination? Our own history has records of such creatures on Riken. They were eusocial but limited to a few kilometers.¡±


    ¡°Such creatures would be even harder to deal with than that mobile nuke monster.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of guessing? I propose concentrating our forces to storm one of the cave entrances and see what¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°Agreed! I second that!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°But our forces can¡¯t fully deploy underground. Numbers won¡¯t provide an advantage there.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll still need elite teams for the actual descent.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why not excavate the area? We brought plenty of heavy machinery for terraforming the.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a solid idea. I second it.¡±


    ¡°Seconded.¡±


    ¡°Seconded.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 239: The Performance Begins

    ¡°Overlord, the Riken people we captured this time are just ordinary soldiers, with the highest rank being a sergeant. They don¡¯t know much. All they could confirm was that the Rikens have indeed experienced several technological breakthroughs in recent years, but the specific reasons remain unknown.¡± Within the Swarm Network, Morgan reported to Luo Wen.


    After some thought, he added, ¡°However, they haven¡¯t heard of any alien species. Could this mean there¡¯s no other civilization behind them? After all, if another civilization was aiding their technological advancement without showing itself, what would be the motive?¡±


    Luo Wen shook his head and replied, ¡°We can¡¯t entirely rule out that possibility. The needs of civilizations vary greatly. Take the Rat Folk, for example. Ordinary Rat Folk have no idea the Swarm is lurking behind them.¡±


    Hearing this, Morgan nodded in agreement. It made sense. Although he considered the Swarm an extremely unique existence, there was no guarantee the Rikens weren¡¯t simrly backed by some special form of civilization.


    ¡°How about Reggie and the others? Can they deduce anything from the Rikens¡¯ external behavior?¡± Luo Wen continued to ask.


    ¡°They¡¯re relics from a century ago and are quite out of touch with the current Riken poption. Solely relying on external observation, they haven¡¯t gathered any useful information. However, they specte that the surface bases must house higher-ranking officers who know the details. If we don¡¯t expose too much of our strength, it¡¯ll be challenging to prevent those officers from escaping.¡±


    ¡°The Infiltrators still need some time to prepare. It seems we need a good script to keep performing for them. The cast for the first act is ready. This time, it¡¯s your stage, Sarah,¡± Luo Wen said thoughtfully.


    ¡°I will live up to your expectations, Overlord.¡±


    ¡ªNight was falling, and the assembly site was illuminated by towering light pirs, each over a hundred meters high. Powerful bulbs cast bright light, and with the array of lights from the construction site and the ships, the entire area remained vividly visible even in darkness.


    ¡°Stay alert, everyone. The analysis from the staff office indicates these creatures are likely nocturnal. Tonight, there¡¯s a chance we¡¯ll face an attack. Rest in shifts for two hours each, but everyone will be on night duty tonight.¡±


    ¡°Get some rest first. Stay sharp tonight and be ready for an attack.¡±


    Simr orders were issued across the various Riken teams.


    At the construction site, several gigantic excavators, each over 30 meters tall, had already been assembled. Once the remaining machinery was assembled and the team worked overtime, they estimated construction could formally begin tomorrow.


    Time quickly reached deep night, yet the site remained brightly lit. Countless Riken engineers bustled around, and the soldiers on guard were equally vignt. Some even resorted to stimnts to keep themselves alert.


    As the patrol¡¯s previous encounter with the unknown attackers drew closer to the same time, the military analysts predicted that if these attackers were low-intelligence creatures acting on instinct, they might have a fixed hunting schedule.


    Suddenly, the monitoring devices red with piercing rms.


    ¡°They¡¯re here, Captain! Abnormal underground vibrations detected¡ªsomething¡¯sing up!¡± a monitoring team member shouted, startling everyone around.


    ¡°Alert the engineering team to retreat!¡± The ground would likely be a battlefield in the event ofbat. While the site itself was bait, the personnel still needed to be preserved.


    The engineers had some understanding of their dual-purpose mission. If they weren¡¯t attacked, they would proceed with assembling the machinery. But in the event of an attack, escape was the priority.


    Thanks to prearranged ns, the personnel evacuated quickly, albeit with some panic.


    However, the creatures emerging from the ground moved faster. Holes suddenly opened up across the site, catching the Rikenspletely off guard.


    ¡°Why are there so many holes all of a sudden? How did we not detect them earlier?¡± a Riken engineer eximed, leaving behind his final words as a monstrous creature lunged toward him.


    ¡°Damn it! Those people are going to military court!¡±


    ¡°Run!¡±


    ¡°What are these things?!¡±


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Themunication channels were a cacophony of chaos, filled with screams and frantic shouting.


    After a brief moment of shock, the soldiers on guard finally sprang into action.


    ¡°Cover their retreat!¡±


    ¡°Open fire at will! Crossfire defense! Don¡¯t let them through!¡±


    The night sky lit up with streaks of red as energy weapons fired chaotically. Despite technological progress, the Rikens had clearly stuck to their tradition of energy-based weaponry.


    Meanwhile, a separate discussion was taking ce.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. We conducted multiple thorough inspections before. Within a five-kilometer radius, there was only one hole.¡±


    ¡°Look here!¡± The video was slowed down to hundreds of times its normal speed. In the footage, a t area suddenly caved in as the soil fell away, revealing a ck pit. Momentster, creatures about 30 centimeters long rapidly crawled out.


    ¡°They dug these themselves. These creatures have incredibly strong burrowing abilities!¡±


    ¡°They live underground. Isn¡¯t digging tunnels normal for them?¡±


    ¡°No, look at this picture.¡± The image zoomed in on a close-up of one of the creatures. With its eight jointed limbs outstretched, webbing connected the lower halves of its legs, making it resemble a gliding drone. The perspective suggested the image had been captured by a personal terminal belonging to a Riken engineer or soldier during their final moments.@@novelbin@@


    A Riken biologist, rare among their kind, pointed at the gleaming limbs on the creature and exined, ¡°Look at these. Judging by appearance, these de-like limbs are likely its primary weapons, probably used like this.¡± He mimicked a stabbing motion and continued, ¡°However, this limb structure is unsuitable for digging. Furthermore, no other features on its body suggest burrowing capability.¡±


    ¡°Now, return to the earlier video,¡± he instructed, reying the footage of the ground copsing. ¡°Here, notice the brief pause after the hole opens. I suspect a different burrowing species exited first, then stepped aside for these creatures to emerge.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Military leaders nodded as the biologist¡¯s professional analysis offered fresh insights.


    ¡°So, I specte these creatures may or may not possess high intelligence, but they exhibit meticulous specialization and skilled cooperation. At the very least, they are a social species. Their behavior strongly resembles an insect from Riken¡¯s past. Let¡¯s call them the Insectoid Swarm.¡±


    Thus, the Swarm, under the guise of the Insectoid species, officially took the stage in the interster theater.

 Chapter)

    [T/N: This isn¡¯t a regr chapter but rather a reflection from the author. You can skip it if you¡¯d like, but I¡¯ve included it to maintain the chapter numbering and because it offers an interesting glimpse into the author¡¯s perspective on the story. Also don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll release another chapter to make up for this one.]


    Unknowingly, this book has reached over 250,000 words. First and foremost, I¡¯d like to thank all the readers for their unwavering support.


    This is the author¡¯s first published book. The idea of writing a novel came to metest year. Initially, I wanted my first book to explore the Zerg (insect swarm) genre. However, when I began drafting, I quickly realized how much knowledge was required. Out ofziness, I temporarily shelved the idea and decided to practice by writing a different story first.


    Thus, my first book was set in an apocalyptic world. I spent a long time crafting a logically consistent setting and began writing in October. After over a month of intense effort, I amassed 200,000 words and started uploading chapters. It was only after publishing that I discovered numerous issues, realizing just how much there is to pay attention to when writing a novel.


    The apocalyptic genre proved difficult, as it involved many sensitive topics that required revisions to avoid issues. Rewriting parts of the story before uploading felt like wasting half the initial effort. As a novice, I struggled to adapt the narrative to meet guidelines effectively. Unsurprisingly, the book¡¯s performance wasn¡¯t great, with the ¡°golden finger¡± (special ability) taking a long time to appear.


    After a few days of uploads, a writing contest was announced on December 1st. Using this as an excuse, I abandoned that book¡ªfortunately, no one was reading it anyway.


    This book was born under such circumstances. Once I started, I realized just how exhausting it is to write, especially in the sci-fi genre. Sometimes, I¡¯d spend hours researching only to produce a few sentences. However, writing this book has significantly expanded my knowledge of biology, which I consider a reward in itself.


    As a neer, tackling this story was a real challenge. In the early chapters, the protagonist had no interaction with any intelligent beings, creating arge, isted environment.


    The protagonist was an ordinary person in their past life, with no special training or survival experience. To urately depict this, I referenced various social experiments, like spending 30 days in a cabin or survival challenges on deserted inds. However, those scenarios weren¡¯t truly hopeless¡ªthe participants knew they were part of an experiment, could quit at any time, and still existed within human society.Even Robinson Crusoe, who survived 28 years on a deserted ind, had apanion in Friday and knew he hadn¡¯t left Earth. Across the ocean, human civilization continued, and there was always the chance of rescue, even if it took years.


    But the protagonist¡¯s situation was truly bleak. Transformed into an insect and stranded on an alien, just surviving was an extraordinary feat. As a novice writer, Icked the skill to fully convey the protagonist¡¯splex emotions¡ªstruggling to survive while battling moments of depression and nihilism whenever they had a moment to rest.


    Theck of dialogue or interaction early in the story was another hurdle. I considered introducing intelligent insects, like Big ck, to interact with the protagonist. This would have added word count and made the story more engaging.


    However, deviating from the original outline would have required rewriting everything, and suddenly granting the insects advanced intelligence would have been jarring and against the book¡¯s core premise.


    Since this book represents the start of my writing journey¡ªa realization of a dream¡ªI chose to prioritize my vision over chasing trends.


    As a result, the book began with a very niche concept: a protagonist who is an insect, making it hard for readers to immerse themselves. At around 80,000 words, it had only a few dozen collections. Then, a website rmendation brought over 100 new collections in a week, but that was the end of the momentum. The book¡¯s performance was dismal.


    Early on, I connected with other writers through forums and author tools. When they heard about the book¡¯s struggles, they advised me to drop it, saying continuing would be a waste of time.


    However, having already abandoned one project, I worried that cutting this one would set a precedent, making it harder to everplete a novel.


    So, I resolved that even if no one read it¡ªeven if it was purely for my love of writing¡ªI would finish this book my way.


    As the story progressed, more readers gradually discovered it. I deeply admire these readers because, without rmendations, even I would struggle to find this book without directly searching for its title.


    Over time, collections,ments, and even some tips started trickling in. Whenever I received a system notification, it filled me with joy¡ªa sign of support and encouragement.


    Originally, I thought having a few hundred collections byunch would be a sess. But to my surprise, collections have grown significantly in recent weeks, with dozens added daily. Not only did I hit the 1,000-collection milestone, but it¡¯s now surpassed 1,700.


    Though this pales inparison to books with tens or hundreds of thousands of collections, it far exceeds my expectations. Thank you all for your support.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 122: The Queen and the Blade

    The second group to be eradicated was another collective force: the carnivorous fish in the river.


    These fish, relying on their sharp teeth and geographical advantage, had long blocked the river and extorted tolls. Many small to medium-sized creatures crossing the river oring to drink water would inadvertently pay with their flesh. Their crimes were innumerable, and the forest popce had suffered under their tyranny for too long.


    Given this, as a top-tier force, the Swarm naturally had an obligation to eradicate them, especially since they were located just south of the Swarm¡¯s base, seriously hindering expansion in that direction.


    However, in the water, the carnivorous fish held an absolute advantage. Luo Wen created some crabs and mantis shrimp, but they were no match for the fish. The fish had exceptionally strong bites, capable of crushing the hard exoskeletons as if they were mere snacks. The crabs were devoured before they could escape, and while the mantis shrimp managed to put up a brief resistance, it wasn¡¯t enough.


    With no other options, Luo Wen resorted to his usual tactic¡ªpoison.


    A few small prey were dragged to the riverbank, killed, and filled with neurotoxins before being tossed into the water.


    The spreading scent of blood quickly attracted the carnivorous fish. Ripples darted from all directions toward the bait, and the river surface boiled with activity. Fish bodies churned, water sshed noisily, and waves rose high in a chaotic frenzy.


    The murky river gradually turned red, drawing even more fish into the frenzy. The scent of blood drove them into a mad feeding frenzy, causing them to collide and even injure one another.


    When a fish was injured, it was immediately attacked, torn apart, and devoured by itspanions.The carnivorous fish were caught in a wild celebration.


    However, their revelry came to an abrupt end. Despite their ferocity, they relied heavily on geographical and numerical advantages. Their small bodies and rtively simple nervous systems left them highly vulnerable to neurotoxins.


    The neurotoxins from the bait had already entered their systems during the scramble, and even the river water, now mingled with trace amounts of toxins, was taking its toll.


    A massive number of fish floated belly-up to the surface. Those who had secured a piece of the bait died on the spot, while others that consumed blood-tainted water struggled in paralysis, on the brink of death.


    Several raft bugs slid into the river, carrying spiderbat bugs on their backs. These teams fished out the floating bodies of the carnivorous fish and brought them to shore.


    With the carnivorous fish having low intelligence, the Swarm¡¯sbat units repeated simr operations at multiple points along the river, harvesting abundantly each time. The campaign continued until the fish density was so reduced that they could no longer formrge groups.


    By then, the Swarm¡¯s carnivorous fish forces had already matured. Previously, the rivers were entirely under the control of wild carnivorous fish, leaving the Swarm¡¯s aquatic forces unable to descend into the water.


    Now, with the acquisition of the carnivorous fish¡¯s gic material, Luo Wen tasked the idle burrower ants and scorpions to dig a pond by the river to rear the carnivorous fishrvae.


    With the wild fish nearly exterminated, it was the perfect time for the Swarm¡¯s carnivorous fish to seize control of the river. Their presence would also allow subsequent aquatic units to hatch directly in the river.


    As the Swarm¡¯s territory expanded rapidly, the speed of troop production struggled to keep pace.


    To adapt to the changing environment, the Swarm¡¯sbat units had grownrger. The primarybat species, the modified spiderbat bugs, averaged around thirty centimeters, while Type I flying bugs were ten centimeters, and Type II flying bugs reached fifteen centimeters. Larger specialized support units were even more significant.


    In the past, ultra-giant soldier ants only reached twenty to thirty centimeters. Mainbat units like various soldier ants and worker ants were only one to two centimeters. Against small insect adversaries, this was perfectly sufficient.


    But now, their opponents often measured seven to eight meters, or even ten to twenty meters. Even their prey typically started at one meter. Consequently, aside from numerous worker ants, burrower ants, and the earlier-produced spy bugs, small and medium-sized soldier ants, once the mainbat units, were no longer being produced.


    Previously, after several rounds of optimization, the production cycle for these smaller soldier ants had been reduced to just over ten days, and the Queen Ant couldy a substantial number of eggs daily.


    However, with the mainbat units now thirty centimeters in size, the Queen Ant¡¯s unchanged ten-centimeter body struggled to keep up. The eggs it produced were too small, requiring significant time to grow. Producing a single spiderbat bug now took over forty days, even after gic modification to eliminate the need for molting.


    It was clear that the Queen Ants were no longer sufficient for the Swarm¡¯s current needs¡ªthey needed an upgrade.


    Luo Wen quickly realized this and temporarily set aside his other projects to develop a new Queen Ant.


    Previously, the limitations on Queen Ant gigantification were due to their respiratory systems. Now, this was easily solved with the addition of a powerful heart and circtory system sourced fromrge creatures, allowing their bodies to grow beyond ten meters.


    With a heart installed, they no longer used the ant temte. The new Queens were designed with a hybrid temte of reptiles and mammals, further enhancing their reproductive organs and boosting fertility.


    These new Queens were effectively a new kind of insect-beast. To reflect this, they were no longer designated as versions of the Queen Ant. Instead, they were renamed ¡°Brood Queens,¡± starting a new lineage.


    To amodate their gigantification, the new Brood Queens abandoned exoskeletal armor for keratin-based ting. Though slightly inferior in thickness andcking some auxiliary capabilities of exoskeletons, keratin armor grew with the body, eliminating molting issues. As their size increased, the keratin armor would thicken, providingparable defense.


    The Brood Queens, due to their massive size and resemnce to the Queen Ant III type, were essentially immobile. Hidden in the Swarm¡¯s safest locations, they were unlikely to face attacks.


    These new Brood Queens could directly produce eggs over thirty centimeters in diameter. Spiderbat bugs would emerge from these eggs nearly fully grown. Even one-meter-long heavy-armored soldier ants would see their production times drastically reduced.


    This would significantly elerate the Swarm¡¯s troop generation.


    Moreover, with the Queen Ant¡¯s designation dropped, the Type I Queen Ants, specialized in battlemand, would no longer bear reproductive duties.@@novelbin@@


    These would be reorganized under a new designation: ¡°des,¡± retaining their role of assisting Luo Wen in directing battles.


    Additionally, they were granted higher-level Swarm Network ess, allowing them tomand all Swarm units, including the Brood Queens.

 Chapter 248: Meaning

    Though it waste at night, the fifty-meter-tall floodlights at the camp illuminated the area as if it were daytime.


    ¡°Captain, while the other units are out fighting, we¡¯re stuck here guarding a pit. It¡¯s so boring,¡± one of Winter Squad¡¯s membersined. Originally under the directmand of Major General Porter, the squad had been assigned to investigate the disappearance of patrol teams. They remained at this location afterward.


    Later, when Major General Porter needed to replenish Lieutenant Colonel Cross¡¯s forces, the entire Winter Squad was reassigned under hermand. Overall, this reshuffle was highly beneficial for Cross. She had lost ordinary recruits, but the recements included a special forces team. Only her doting superiors would orchestrate such a maneuver.


    Additionally, the 100-plus personnel rescued from earlier operations were also ced under hermand, increasing the size of her forces rather than depleting them.


    For this current assault on other nests, Cross had to deploy forces in support. When her base¡¯s neighboring Swarm nest was attacked previously, other factions had lent their aid. Now that others needed assistance, she was duty-bound to reciprocate.


    Moreover, one of the nests targeted this time was assigned to her faction as the primary assault force.


    However, with only one elite special operations team at her disposal, Cross was reluctant to send them into a situation wheremand would be temporarily out of her hands. If they were deployed on the front lines and suffered casualties, it would be distressing. Even if they avoided serious injuries, minor harm would still weigh heavily on her.


    Thus, she sent out most of her regr troops, along with several gunships and transport ships, while leaving her base¡¯s defenses slightly undermanned. The nest near her base had been devastated and was unlikely to pose a threat in the short term, so the reduced defensive strength wasn¡¯t a major concern.


    Winter Squad, meanwhile, was assigned to guard the pit under the pretense that elite personnel were required to oversee such a critical location.¡°Come on, isn¡¯t being bored better than fighting bugs?¡± another squad member replied.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know¡ªyou¡¯re ustrophobic! No need to exin; we all get it. Haha!¡± someone teased.


    ¡°Shut it! You wanna fight me?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Bring it on! I¡¯m not scared.¡±


    Before long, the two soldiers were wrestling, their teammates cheering them on rather than intervening, stoking the skirmish with loud encouragement.


    Laughter echoed through the group.


    Winter watched his squad¡¯s antics without interfering. He understood that this assignment was a calcted move by their newmander to protect the special forces team. Despite the personnel reductions, the defensive structures hadn¡¯t been dismantled, and the tunnels were riddled with sensor mines.


    Moreover, since the nest¡¯s ¡°granary¡± had been breached, the Swarm hadn¡¯t made any further moves. Not a single bug had been spotted in the tunnels, likely having retreated after determining they were outmatched.


    With minimal pressure to defend, Winter allowed his team to rx and bond. He also took the opportunity to enjoy a rare moment of respite. After all, battles could erupt again at any moment.


    The Cross Base remained brightly lit, but with most of the troops either supporting operations elsewhere or guarding the pit, its defenses were rtively thin.


    Scattered groups of sentries patrolled the fortress-like structures, checking for damage to surveince equipment and chasing away wild animals.


    The surrounding grasnds were home to numerous wildlife species, and the asional bold creature would venture close to the massive fortification out of curiosity. Such creatures rarely returned after being enthusiastically ¡°invited¡± into the base by the Riken soldiers.


    In one shadowy corner, two sentries loitered in boredom.


    ¡°Hey, I heard you were captured by those bugs a while back,¡± one of them suddenly asked.


    The base was so understaffed that even maintaining sentry duties was a challenge. As a result, lightly injured personnel from previous battles were assigned to patrols.


    Injured soldiers weren¡¯t paired together, of course. As a healthy serviceman, he had been separated from his usual partner and assigned a new one¡ªa survivor of the Swarm¡¯s clutches. This new partner, though uninjured, had endured captivity. Now fully recovered, he was noticeably morebat-capable than most injured personnel.


    Curious about his partner¡¯s experience, the sentry hesitated briefly before finally asking.


    ¡°Ah, that was¡­ an unforgettable experience,¡± the new partner murmured, lost in thought. The sentry wondered if he had opened an old wound. Being powerless, waiting for death¡ªit must have been harrowing.


    His partner snapped out of his reverie, a strange smile crossing his face. ¡°You know what? In that ce, I discovered a new purpose for my existence.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The sentry was bewildered, unsure of what his partner meant. Could he have suffered some kind of brain damage? Overexposure to sedatives was said to cause cognitive issues. He decided to report this after their shift.


    ¡°I saw God. He is my new purpose,¡± the partner continued, his tone unsettling. The sentry regretted bringing up the topic.


    ¡°You okay? Should I take you to the medical bay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Better than ever, actually. Too bad¡ªyou¡¯ll never get to meet God.¡±


    ¡°What are you ta¡ª¡± The sentry¡¯s words were cut off as a razor-sharp appendage pierced his throat, blood sttering his breathing mask.


    Through the haze of pain and shock, he dimly heard his partner mutter, ¡°God has no use for the worthless¡­ I was just lucky.¡±


    His vision faded as consciousness left him. Behind him, a Raider with optical camouge emerged, its special adaptations shimmering.


    The Raider ignored the new partner and silently departed.


    Themlink crackled to life. ¡°Group Three, status report!¡±


    The new partner smiled faintly. ¡°Command center, this is Group Three. All clear.¡±


    Nearby, swarms of Raiders glided down from the night sky, evading the base¡¯s seismic sensors as theynded outside the fortress.


    Once on the ground, they moved with practiced ease, navigating the base¡¯s perimeter like it was their own territory.


    In no time, the sentries were systematically eliminated, each silenced before they could react. Any of the ¡°irregr¡± sentries who had outlived their usefulness were also quietly dispatched, leaving no trace of the breach.

 Chapter 124: Artillery Bugs

    Time passed, and Luo Wen¡¯s seed experiments began to yield promising results. Among them, one creation stood out as his favorite.


    This was a hybrid organismposed of gic material from various spore nts.


    Spore nts include algae, lichens, fungi, mosses, and ferns. Luo Wen¡¯s new seedbined the genes of all these spore nts into a single entity.


    The resulting organism was highly adaptable, requiring minimal environmental conditions to thrive. It was resistant to cold, heat, and drought, and it could efficiently extract nutrients from the surrounding soil. Remarkably, it could even secrete a specialized acidic substance to corrode and dpose rocks and minerals.


    This made its yield per unit area significantly higher. Most importantly, almost all parts of the nt were edible. It tasted good too¡ªrich in protein and sweet to the Swarm¡¯s pte.


    This new crop had reced the previous white mycelium nts, greatly enhancing the yield of the underground farms.


    However, it still fell short of Luo Wen¡¯s original goals, necessitating further refinement.


    With the Swarm¡¯s triumph over the giant pythons, they had firmly established themselves as top predators. Their territory was recognized by the surrounding powerful creatures, and no more apex-level creatures came to challenge them at their base.


    Most of these apex predators were solitary beings that staked out their territories. Their daily routines involved filling their bellies, asionally picking fights with their neighbors for exercise, and then waiting for old age to rece them with a new generation of apex predators.Unbeknownst to them, the Swarm was different¡ªa force with an intense drive for expansion. Securing a piece of forest territory for amusement was never their end goal.


    The Swarm expanded rapidly, often attacking before apex predators could mount a defense.


    The first target was the nests of the flying bugs, which had once relentlessly pursued Luo Wen. Strictly speaking, these creatures weren¡¯t true apex predators.


    However, theirrge numbers, flying capability, and venom made them a force most creatures dared not provoke. The few that could challenge them were either flightless or unable to navigate the dense forest terrain. Smaller airborne creatures were outmatched, whilerger ones couldn¡¯t maneuver through the forest.


    These factors had allowed the flying bugs to dominate the forest. But now, they faced a formidable adversary.


    The Swarm¡¯s air force, based on a simr temte, matched the flying bugs in speed. But unlike the wild bugs, the Swarm¡¯s air force had a rangedbat variant.


    In a confrontation between melee and ranged units, both with equal speed, the ranged units had a significant advantage. The Swarm¡¯s air force wouldunch an initial salvo and retreat, maintaining a strategic distance.


    As the flying bugs descended in pursuit, swarms of modified spiderbat bugs awaited on the ground. Any flying bugs daring to approach were met with the spider bugs¡¯ devastating sticky ws.


    It¡¯s worth noting that these spider bugs were based on a predatory archetype adapted to ambush small insects from cliff faces. Hunting flying bugs was second nature to them.


    After several skirmishes, the flying bug nests suffered heavy losses, and the Swarm¡¯s air force breached theirirs.


    Only the first nest posed a significant challenge. By the time the Swarm encountered the second nest, theirbat forces had undergone several rounds of expansion, bolstered by new specialized units.


    Beneath the second flying bug nest:


    Severalrge ck beetles crawled out from the Swarm¡¯s ranks. These beetles were over a meter long, their robust ck bodies sporting a cannon barrel extending thirty centimeters forward from the center of their shoulder carapace.


    Their design resembled living tanks¡ªsleek and imposing.


    These beetles were Luo Wen¡¯stest creation:rge artillery bugs, engineered by integrating genes from various projectile-specialized creatures. Initially, they were intended as anti-pterosaur units.


    However, lofty ambitions often sh with harsh realities. Using ¡°tanks¡± to counter ¡°aircraft¡± proved impractical. Even with enhancements in size, barrel length, and internal reaction chambers, their effective range barely reached one hundred meters. Beyond that, uracy relied on sheer luck.


    Moreover, their maximum firing angle while stationary was just thirty degrees. Luo Wen had reinforced their front two pairs of legs to act as supports, allowing them to elevate their bodies and achieve a maximum angle of seventy degrees. Despite this, the artillery bugs retained significant blind spots and limited range, hampering their utility.


    Compounding these issues, their production costs were exorbitant. Each artillery bug spent over sixty days in itsrval stage before reaching maturity. If not for the expanded underground farms, the Swarm couldn¡¯t have afforded to maintain such units.


    Thankfully, these artillery bugs were engineered with genes enabling them to consume soil and enter dormant states. They remained on standby in the underground base, emerging only when needed.


    Like other specialized units developed for apex predators, their numbers were limited. Their niche functionality rendered them unsuitable for mass deployment.


    While Luo Wen considered the artillery bugs one of his least sessful creations¡ªvirtually useless¡ªthe right circumstances allowed them to shine.


    For example, when tasked with stationary targets, they performed adequately.


    The artillery bugs assumed their firing positions, extending their legs to raise their bodies and elevate their cannons.


    Observing remotely through the Swarm Network, Luo Wen sighed. ¡°At this pace, they¡¯d miss even ground targets, let alone anything airborne. Maybe they could take out snails.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Their ammunition consisted of high-temperature, corrosive gtinous projectiles. Upon impact, the projectiles adhered to targets, continuously releasing toxins.


    The flying bug nest was suspended twenty meters up a tree trunk, constructed from bug secretions and nt fibers. Once dried, the materials oxidized and hardened.


    Several muffled shots rang out, and dark yellow projectiles streaked through the air. All but one hit their mark, puncturing the nest and leaving holes. Curious flying bugs emerged to investigate, only to be instantly killed by the waiting Swarm air force.


    Another volley followed, this time striking the middle of the nest. The structure split in two, with the lower half crashing to the ground. Dazed flying bugs attempting to crawl out were promptly speared by spiderbat bugs.


    The upper half of the nest fared no better. Swarms of flying bugs poured out of cracks and openings, only to be met with a hail of concentrated fire from the Swarm¡¯s air force. Few managed to take flight.


    The battle ended swiftly. Aside from some minor skirmishes near the spider bugs, most areas saw no closebat.


    After the fight, the artillery bugs returned to the base for storage. While their performance was decent, their practical applications remained limited.


    Should resources grow scarce, Luo Wen considered recycling them.

 Chapter 255: Collapse

    Language barriers proved rtively easy to resolve. By finding mutual reference points, both sides quickly managed to trante their conversations.


    However, the female leader of the aliens clearlycked patience. After a brief appearance, she departed swiftly, leaving behind a female guard in her ce.


    Later, Reggie learned the guard¡¯s name was Te, who referred to herself as the Empress¡¯s Chief Guard.


    As suspected, this was royalty. Yet, it seemed odd for their Empress to personally visit¡ªdid she have too much free time?


    Reggie couldn¡¯t make sense of their rtionships, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask Te. This alien female was stoic and unapproachable, makingmunication nearly impossible.


    Reggie¡¯s earlier assumption proved correct: the Riken¡¯s prison was indeed the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship. His foresight in suggesting surrender earlier had improved the Riken tribe¡¯s quality of life considerably.


    The aliens didn¡¯t restrict their movements. After dismantling a fewponents from the ship¡¯s engine and disabling the AI, they allowed the Rikens free rein within the ship¡¯s cabins.


    The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship had been dragged to the asteroid belt near T855. From the windows, one could clearly see small, nearby asteroids. Over time, numerous alien researchers came aboard.


    These researchers were much more normal-looking than the intimidating guards. Did the aliens draw such clear distinctions between their scientific and military personnel? Was it that obvious based solely on appearance?Reggie had once observed the guards¡¯ armor up close. It was genuinely part of their bodies.


    Incredible.


    At least, seeing his old friend Lute utterly dumbfounded made Reggie feel a bit better.


    The researchers were exceptionally intelligent, quickly learning the Rikennguage. During conversations, they asked detailed questions about the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡¯s various instruments, their functions, and principles.


    Under Reggie¡¯s subtle guidance, the Rikens withheld critical information. The aliens didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Gradually, Reggie became somewhat friendly with a few alien researchers and learned they referred to themselves as the Swarm.


    He had no idea what that meant and resorted to a phic transcription. Just as the Swarm didn¡¯tprehend the meaning behind ¡°Riken,¡± the Riken didn¡¯t understand ¡°Swarm.¡±


    Reggie continued to extract information. Why didn¡¯t they have armor? Who was the female alien that day? Who was their leader?


    ¡°Morgan, why don¡¯t you have armor?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean you could grow it if you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Just eat more.¡±


    For some reason, Reggie felt Morgan, the alien researcher, was mocking him.


    ¡°Who was the female alien that day?¡±


    ¡°Sarah Kerrigan.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°What¡¯s her role?¡±


    ¡°Commander.¡±


    ¡°Is she your leader?¡±


    ¡°No, she leads the des.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°I am part of the Swarm.¡±


    Reggie felt he was onto something and quickly probed further. ¡°Are you two separate species? An alliance between the des and the Swarm?¡±


    That would exin why they looked different¡ªthey weren¡¯t even the same species.


    Morgan shook his head. ¡°The des are the Swarm, but the Swarm isn¡¯t just the des.¡±


    ¡°???¡± Reggie pondered for a moment before hesitantly asking, ¡°So, the des are a part of the Swarm?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Reggie pieced it together in his head. Based on Morgan¡¯s exnation, the collective entity was called the Swarm, but it had many factions, one of which was the des, led by Kerrigan.


    That seemed to be the gist of it.


    This was significant intelligence. He wondered about the dynamics between these groups and whether there were any exploitable opportunities.


    The aliens seemed blissfully unaware of Riken cunning, sharing information freely. He¡¯d need to discuss this with Lute and Major Camister.


    For now, Reggie feigned ignorance and asked, ¡°Does the Swarm have a leader?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who? Can I meet them?¡±


    ¡°In time, you might. He calls himself F2A,¡± Morgan replied with a peculiar smile.


    ¡°???¡± Reggie was baffled. That name felt entirely out of cepared to the others.


    Morgan seemed disinclined to continue the topic, instead asking about operating various instruments.


    Out of politeness, Reggie shared trivial information while guarding the ship¡¯s core secrets. These details were his bargaining chips¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t give them away so easily.


    Morgan clearly noticed Reggie¡¯s guardedness but didn¡¯t seem to care.


    That evening, the ¡°Three Giants¡± of the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡ªReggie, Lute, and Major Camis¡ªheld a secret dinner meeting.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling,¡± Lute began.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Reggie asked, puzzled. His experience over the past few days had been rtively positive. The aliens were candid, answering almost all questions, and he¡¯d gathered considerable intelligence.


    ¡°They¡¯re too candid.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s bad because¡­?¡±


    Lute grew exasperated. ¡°Did your brain short-circuit? You should¡¯ve noticed this before me¡ªI¡¯m just a scientific advisor!¡±


    Reggie¡¯s heart sank. His old friend wouldn¡¯t say this without cause. Recently, his decision to surrender and preserve the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship had earned him praise from the crew for his foresight.


    The aliens also treated them courteously. Aside from questions about release or returning to Riken¡¯s home, the aliens answered everything.


    This had made himcent.


    Lute¡¯s words jolted him back to reality.


    Yes, the aliens¡¯ openness might not stem from goodwill but from the belief that the Rikens would never leave alive. What good was intelligence if they couldn¡¯t escape to deliver it?


    The realization sent a cold sweat down Reggie¡¯s back. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t toote. His overheated brain cooled, and his wits returned. After some thought, he asked Lute, ¡°Do we have a chance to escape? They haven¡¯t restricted us. Can we secretly repair the ship?¡±


    ¡°Escape? Where would we go? Impossible,¡± Lute said. ¡°They dismantled the engine beyond repair. Even if we somehow fixed it, the sr sail is destroyed. Without it, the ship¡¯s speed would take us over a thousand years to reach home¡ªeven without factoring in energy reserves or the chance of structural failure.¡±


    Lute was near copse.


    ¡°If escape is impossible, stop thinking about it,¡± Major Camis interjected with surprising nonchnce. ¡°Eat well, sleep well¡ªat worst, we die.¡±


    The three fell silent. Their meeting ended with a grim mood. Reggie, now depressed, didn¡¯t even feel like sharing his hypothesis about the Swarm¡¯s internal factions.

 Chapter 126: The T-Rex and the Boar Insect Beast (2)

    Luo Wen¡¯s initial design was inspired by the survival mechanisms of animals and insects that shed limbs to escape danger. He nned to make the spiral horn of the Boar Insect Beast detachable.


    However, this approachpromised the structural integrity of the horn. During an impact, if the enemy¡¯s armor was too strong, the spiral horn could break off before prating the defense.


    The solebat purpose of the Boar Insect Beast was to drive its horn deep into the enemy¡¯s body. Such ws would hinder its effectiveness.


    Moreover, even if the detachable design worked, the Boar Insect Beast would lose its horn after one collision. Regrowing the horn would take considerable time, during which the beast could not enter dormancy and would need constant food intake.


    With all this in mind, Luo Wen decided to go with a unified structure. Even if the Boar Insect Beast died, as long as its flesh remained intact, the materials could be recycled to produce another one. Cost analysis revealed this approach was more economical than the detachable model.


    Although the T-Rex managed to crush two Boar Insect Beasts, its fate was sealed the moment its body was pierced by a spiral horn. Lacking any resistance to poison, its powerful, rapid heartbeat only hastened its demise. The toxin quickly mixed with its blood and spread throughout its body at an astonishing rate.


    Paralyzed by the venom disrupting its neural signals, the T-Rex copsed to the ground. It could no longer perceive external stimuli, its consciousness trapped in a dark void as it awaited death.


    Next to the T-Rex¡¯sir, a branch base of the swarm was established. This marked the swarm¡¯s first terrestrial branch base since Luo Wen¡¯s awakening.


    With improved species, both the size and mobility of the swarm units had drastically increased. Their operational range expanded tens or even hundreds of times. The era when multiple swarm bases crowded a few hundred meters of territory was now a thing of the past.Luo Wen remotelymanded this battle via the Swarm Network. Once the fight concluded, he shifted his focus elsewhere. The des had remarkable learning capabilities, and they would handle simr enemies on their own in the future.


    The forest¡¯s unique apex creatures and factions were limited in variety. Before the swarm conquered the entire forest, Luo Wen could work undisturbed on his nt seed experiments.


    Recently, he had found a new approach: using the primitive genes of the Iphieash species to bridge the gap between animal and nt genes.


    The results of this new experimental organism exceeded Luo Wen¡¯s expectations. The experiment was heading into uncharted territory, and he could not predict the oue. However, he had a strong feeling that the results would be positive, and he eagerly anticipated the final product.


    The Brood Nest was now focused on producing Brood Queens. Newly birthed queens were transported to branch bases during their juvenile stage to make relocation manageable.


    As the Brood Queens arrived, swarm bases began multiplying rapidly, and the territory expanded swiftly. Whether giant pythons,rge carnivorous T-Rexes, or other predators, none could evade the swarm¡¯s aerial scouts unless they left the forest entirely.


    The timing of their eradication depended solely on the swarm¡¯s food reserves.


    In truth, the swarm¡¯s daily consumption was rtively low. Only a small portion of the army remained inbat readiness; most of the units consisted of aerial scouts. These small, lightweight fliers required minimal food to sustain themselves.@@novelbin@@


    The majority ofbat units would enter collective dormancy. Patrol units sustained themselves by consuming soil to maintain minimal energy levels. When facing battle or invasion, the des would use the Swarm Network to awaken select units.


    Thus, the hardest-working members of the swarm were the Worker Drones and Worker Ants. With Luo Wen¡¯s experiments yielding greater spore crop yields, maintaining the swarm¡¯s daily needs became effortless.


    This ushered in a brief period of tranquility in the forest. Although vast tracts ofnd were being incorporated into the swarm¡¯s domain daily, Luo Wen understood the principles of sustainable development and long-term gains. As a result, the forest¡¯s original ecosystem wasrgely preserved, with the exception of the previous apex predators and factions, which had now been reduced to one: the swarm.


    upying the top of the food chain, the swarm fulfilled its role by periodically culling forest creatures to prevent overpoption.


    The forest effectively became a massive breeding ground, supplying the swarm with an endless source of sustenance.


    To Luo Wen¡¯s surprise, a group of Triceratops was discovered deep within the forest. After a carefully nned hunt, he sessfully acquired their gic material. This led to an upgrade for the Anti-T-Rex Impact Injector Beast.


    The new swarm beast, modeled after the Triceratops, measured 7¨C9 meters in length, stood 2.5 meters tall, and weighed 8¨C10 tons. Beyond equipping its three iconic horns with injection tubes and venom sacs, little was altered.


    Despite being herbivorous, the Triceratops¡¯ sturdy head shield and sharp horns allowed it to counterattack and even kill a T-Rex inbat. With the addition of venom injection, this new beast required no assistance from other swarm units to defeatrge carnivorous dinosaurs, achieving a high sess rate.


    As a result, the Anti-T-Rex Collision Beast evolved from a disposable unit into a robust main battle tank. Its name was changed to Triceratops Beast.


    With the aid of the Triceratops Beast, the swarm no longer needed to frequently replenish its frontline collision units. In a short time, they had eradicated all carnivorous dinosaur species within a thousand-kilometer radius.


    Numerous Brood Queens were dispatched to establish new bases. The swarm¡¯s rapid territorial expansion and the elimination of apex predators raised concerns about ecological bnce. To address this, the dormantbat units were reactivated and, under the des¡¯mand, conducted sweeps across the region.


    The abundance of prey led to a surplus of food that the swarm couldn¡¯t consume in time. The forest¡¯s oppressive heat exposed storage issues, asrge quantities of food risked spoge. Although the swarm initiated a new round of mass unit production, the hatching process was still underway, leaving vast amounts of food at risk of rotting.


    It was at this time that Luo Wen made an extraordinary discovery in his experiments.


    He found a hybrid organism that defied categorization as either nt or animal.


    This organism,bining nt and animal genes, exhibited remarkable traits. Genes from algae, ferns, and mosses enabled it to grow rapidly and adapt to various environments, including water surfaces and underwater habitats.


    Lichen genes granted it the ability to break down rocks and minerals, absorbing essential nutrients directly from them.


    Shade-tolerant nt genes allowed it to thrive in dim, lightless underground settings without relying on photosynthesis.


    The incorporation of vine genes enabled it to parasitize other nts, extracting nutrients directly from their hosts.

 Chapter 262: The Truth?

    ¡°Hmph, I already know that,¡± Major General Porter snapped, his tone sharp as he finally addressed General Masai, who had been ¡®resting¡¯ for so long. ¡°But the longer this drags on, the slimmer Cross¡¯s chances of survival be. If she dies, none of us will have an easy time exining it.¡±


    Although General Masai outranked Major General Porter by a level, Porter was a general with real authority. If he decided to make an issue out of it, Masai would still have to give him some face.


    ¡°So, what do you suggest? We¡¯ve already deployed nearly a hundred thousand personnel to search the area. Yet this nest is bizarre¡ªwe haven¡¯t even found their food storage to this day.¡±


    The rescue efforts for other bases had been proceeding smoothly. Not only were numerous personnel saved, but the operations were also carried out with minimal losses.


    The various units dispersed across the bases didn¡¯t rest afterpleting their missions. Given the retaliatory tendencies of the Swarm, evidenced by the Cross base incident, it was clear that digging up so many ¡°granaries¡± would likely provoke more retaliation.


    Thus, some forces returned to guard their respective bases, while the rest converged to conduct a grid search of the area where Cross had disappeared.


    Over the past two days, the forces had advanced over a thousand meters through underground tunnels and excavated pits over a hundred meters deep, all in search of hidden passageways. Yet oddly enough, they still hadn¡¯t found this Swarm nest¡¯s granary.


    Of course, they couldn¡¯t find it¡ªthis nest¡¯s food storage hadn¡¯t even been built yet. The overwhelming response of the Riken forces had greatly startled the swarm.@@novelbin@@


    For the Riken to mobilize such massive resources over a missing basemander, this young Riken female must be far more important than the swarm initially thought.Fortunately, Cross¡¯s conversion site was deeply hidden underground, and the Riken forces wouldn¡¯t find it anytime soon. However, how to endure the seven-day conversion period became a pressing challenge.


    In just two days, the Riken forces had created such a stir. Under normal circumstances, they should have discovered the ¡°granary¡± by now. Left with no other options, the swarm decided to stall for time. Any anomalies would have to be exined away by the Riken experts¡¯ ¡°reasonable¡± deductions.


    At a meeting, biologist Dr. Balt presented findings and provided some constructive suggestions based on their ongoing research.


    Beyond ssifying the acid-spitting and reconnaissance Swarm units as newbat types, he also shared some intriguing observations.


    ¡°Although we still haven¡¯t located the granary of Nest C13 (the designation for the Swarm nest where Cross went missing), our study of the food storage in the previous 12 nests has revealed some interesting patterns,¡± Dr. Balt began, pausing slightly as the others watched him with curiosity.


    Smiling faintly, he continued, ¡°The Swarm seem to prefer storing small, fresh prey. In every granary we¡¯ve examined, there were no corpses. All the creatures encased in cocoons were alive, albeit weakened, but in surprisingly healthy condition.¡±


    ¡°From satellite footage¡ªthough not very clear¡ªwe¡¯ve observed that the Swarm¡¯s diet isn¡¯t limited to small prey. Larger creatures over three meters long are also on their menu.¡±


    ¡°Why, then, do we never findrge creatures stored in their granaries? Because transporting them is inconvenient. Among all the Swarm units we¡¯ve identified so far, regardless of their roles, none are particrlyrge. Transporting wholerge creatures would be difficult for them. So when they capturerge prey, they likely butcher it on-site and then transport the pieces back to their nest.¡±


    ¡°And how does that help our operations?¡± one captain couldn¡¯t help but interject.


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush¡ªlet me finish,¡± Dr. Balt replied. ¡°Because of the high temperatures on T853, these meat chunks are not easy to preserve. Thus, the Swarm prioritize consuming them quickly. The smaller prey, however, is stored for times when hunting isn¡¯t as sessful. When food supplies dwindle, they¡¯ll select smaller, dying creatures to consume.¡±


    ¡°While we haven¡¯t yet found Lieutenant Colonel Cross¡¯s location, this insight could improve her chances of survival. We can air-droprge quantities of fresh food into the target area. The food must be perishable and preferably injured, such as wounded Bull Demons. With an ample food supply, the Swarm won¡¯t need to kill the small prey in their granaries.¡±


    The logic resonated with everyone. To increase Cross¡¯s survival odds, the Riken forces began capturingrge creatures daily and, before the Swarm¡¯s regr hunting times, deposited them near the nest. To ensure the Swarm could easily capture them, the creatures were left gravely wounded.


    This behavior left Luo Wen and the other intelligent entities puzzled. What kind of narrative had the Riken experts concocted this time? After some analysis, they guessed the Riken reasoning.


    Luo Wen had been fretting over how to ensure Cross¡¯s survival without raising suspicion. Since the Riken forces had devised a justification themselves, the swarm decided to cooperate.


    Thus, during the day, the Riken forces continued their relentless digging and sting, while at night, the swarm emerged to hunt and carried the butchered remains of therge prey back to their nest.


    With this unspoken coordination between both sides, seven days passed swiftly.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± After listening to Cross¡¯s ount, Luo Wen fell into deep thought. The Riken had no real backing; their technological surge had been triggered by reverse-engineering an ancient spaceship of unknown origin.


    Cross had a unique background¡ªshe had a sister who was involved in reverse-engineering the ancient vessel. While her sister hadn¡¯t divulged many details, even the scraps she knew exceeded the knowledge of most of the Riken expedition fleet¡¯s captains.


    ording to Cross, the unearthed spaceship was a relic tens of thousands of years old. At that time, although life existed on Riken, civilization had yet to emerge.


    Why had this spaceship appeared on Riken¡¯s moon during such a time? Its purpose was unclear. The ship¡¯s technological level was incredibly advanced, and ording to Cross, the Riken had barely scratched the surface in their reverse-engineering efforts.


    Was this truly an ident? Considering how the swarm orchestrated what the Riken perceived as idents, it was evident that surface appearances weren¡¯t everything. Although the swarm¡¯s methods were sometimes wed, they revealed enough for discerning eyes to spot.


    Based on the technology described by Cross, a spaceship from such an advanced civilization would travel at incredible speeds. If it had indeed crashed by ident, the impact alone would have obliterated most of Riken¡¯s moon, triggering chain reactions capable of wiping out life on Riken.


    However, Riken¡¯s archaeological studies had found no evidence of such an event. Moreover, without external interference, natural evolution alone would likely be insufficient to produce a high-intelligence civilization within tens of thousands of years.


    This analysis suggested that the spaceship had deliberatelynded on the moon. But why had it notnded directly on Riken? Was it due to the atmosphere?

 Chapter 266: Reemergence

    General Masai mulled it over. Although the unauthorized deployment of nuclear weapons could escte into a serious issue, dealing with someone of Cross¡¯s background through official channels was nearly impossible.


    Better to sell Major General Porter a favor instead. It would strengthen ties between their factions and provide a potential avenue for cooperation during future resource distributions.@@novelbin@@


    After a round of enthusiastic, business-like ttery with Porter, Masai smoothly brushed the matter aside.


    ¡°Send a message to the other captains. Say it was a nuclear test to evaluate the damage yield against the nest.¡± Masai fabricated a reason, preemptively addressing any suspicions. If he didn¡¯t exin, he¡¯d soon be flooded with inquiries.


    Since the detonation site fell within Porter¡¯s factional territory, Masai trusted that Porter¡¯s people would corroborate the excuse.


    ¡°General, we¡¯re detecting a faint nuclear reaction in Area 39¡ªit¡¯s moving rapidly!¡± a crew member suddenly eximed from the monitoring station.


    Masai¡¯s face darkened. He set his drink down, exasperated. Someone was clearly stirring up trouble.


    ¡°Check who¡¯s over there,¡± he ordered.


    The crew quickly essed the data and reported, ¡°General, we don¡¯t have any operational units in that area. It¡¯s the shallow sea zone!¡±The Riken had only been on Great Dawn for about two months, including the time spent constructing bases, during which they had been preupied with fighting the Swarm. No effort had been allocated to exploring the oceans yet.


    For a nuclear reaction to appear in the sea out of nowhere¡­ Masai fell into deep thought. Then he remembered: apart from the Swarm, they also had to watch out for alien creatures native to T853. He had almost forgotten the original cause of their mission.


    Back then, the Rikens hade here after detecting a nuclear reaction. Further investigation, ryed by their Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, revealed the source to be a colossal super-beast.


    Now, the beast had reappeared¡ªlikely drawn by the two nuclear detonations. When the Cat¡¯s Ear first discovered it, it had also been triggered by a single nuclear detonation.


    However, Masai¡¯s expectations for this creature had dwindled since their initial encounter. While its bio-nuclear organs were fascinating, they weren¡¯t transformative for the mechanically inclined Riken civilization.


    What the Rikens valued more was the beast¡¯s longevity, hoping to study it for potential life extension breakthroughs. But now, with the emergence of the Swarm¡ªalso theorized by biologists to be ancient organisms¡ªtheir focus had shifted.


    Initial research on the Swarm indicated no gic factors for extended lifespan. Even their Raiders lived no more than twenty years. The Swarm¡¯s survival from ancient times might have been due to simple hibernation.


    If mere hibernation were the exnation, then the Riken¡¯s space hibernation pods could achieve simr results. Yet to a sapient species, sleeping for 300 years without truly living held little meaning.


    Furthermore, the Swarm¡¯s hibernation methods seemed inefficient. Likely, only a handful of eggs had survived from ancient times and reawakened under specific conditions.


    Comparative data collected since the Rikens¡¯ arrival indicated that the¡¯s biomass had significantly decreasedpared to earlier Cat¡¯s Ear reports. At this rate, the Swarm could consume all surface life within a century.


    Perhaps the extinction of ancient species was tied to these bugs. Despite their rtively low individual strength, their insatiable consumption wreaked havoc on ecosystems. Without natural predators, they could rapidly destabilize the environment.


    This theory led scientists to suspect that Swarm eggs might hold secrets. Yet no eggs had been discovered. Beyond the food stores, nest tunnels descended sharply underground. If the Riken pushed further, the Swarm simply sealed the passages. The Rikens had no means to prate deeper for now.


    If this beast shared the Swarm¡¯s characteristics and had survived solely through hibernation, its value was limited.


    Masai¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when a crew member disyed live satellite footage on his screen.


    The sea surface revealed a massive shadow writhing beneath, interspersed with shes of blue light. The creature was moving swiftly toward the shore.


    ¡°Based on calctions, the beast will makendfall in five minutes,¡± the crew member reported.


    ¡°Which special operations teams are nearby?¡± Masai asked after a pause.


    ¡°General, TZ131 and TZ084 are in the vicinity and ready to deploy. If they move now, they¡¯ll intercept the beast as it reaches shore,¡± another crew member replied after some quick checks.


    TZ131 again¡ªit made sense. They were the ones who hadunched the nukes and were already on standby. TZ084, likely a patrol unit, was also nearby. Together, they were the fastest response teams avable.


    Masai quickly issued orders: ¡°Good. Notify them to move to the coastline and block the beast¡¯s retreat. Additionally, mobilize all special operations teams within a 5,000-kilometer radius. They must reach the battlefield within 30 minutes.¡±


    The original Godzi had been dead for decades. This was a replica constructed by Luo Wen, created using the original¡¯s temte without any alterations.


    The enormous resources invested in creating this Godzi were intended as a contingency n¡ªif the Rikens proved unbeatable, the Swarm could retreat without leaving any ring inconsistencies.


    After all, if something so conspicuous vanished, suspicions would inevitably arise.


    Later, when the Rikens turned out to be less formidable than anticipated, Luo Wen had thought the creature was no longer necessary. But then it urred to him that it could still serve a purpose.


    Half an hourter, the nearby special operations teams had assembled, but Godzi didn¡¯t behave as the Rikens expected. Instead ofnding, it lingered in the shallow waters, pacing.


    ¡°It seems wary of the gunboats!¡±


    ¡°Of course it is. The Cat¡¯s Ear report mentioned this tactic being used against it before. Although it escaped, it must¡¯ve retained some fear of them.¡±


    ¡°Rubbish. I read the report too, and it didn¡¯t say anything about injuring the beast.¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t hurt, why did it retreat into the sea? I¡¯m telling you, if they hadn¡¯t used nukes back then, our predecessors might¡¯ve worn it down before it returned to the ocean.¡±


    ¡°Ha! When did you grow a brain? I thought it was all muscle up there.¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha-ha¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough! Mana, you looking for a fight?¡±


    ¡°Bring it on! Who¡¯s afraid of who?¡±


    Within the regionalmunications channel, the banter between multiple special operations captains continued.


    ¡°Orders received: all gunboats¡¯ main cannons are to charge for a synchronized volley. Ensure the target is neutralized in one strike.¡±

 Chapter 129: The Storm God

    The pterosaur didn¡¯t fly far before sumbing to the venom injected by at least twelve Modified Spider Combat Bugs. The thin, sparse blood vessels in its wing membranes had slowed the toxin¡¯s spread; otherwise, it likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to fly at all.


    The pterosaur crashed roughly 10 kilometers from the initial battlefield¡ªa distance that wasn¡¯t particrly far. Its dramatic fall quickly drew the attention of nearby predators.


    Several pterosaurs circled above, while small ground predators lurked hesitantly nearby. However, before they could approach, a loud buzzing arose in the distance. Soon, a dark cloud of Type I Flying Bugs descended, sealing off the area.


    The pterosaur had likely lost control of its body while in mid-air, plummeting headfirst to the ground without slowing. Though its body wasn¡¯tpletely shattered, its bones werergely broken. Even if it hadn¡¯t died immediately, the neurotoxin coursing through its system likely rendered it incapable of feeling pain.


    Surprisingly, the Giant Mandible Soldier Ant that had clung to the pterosaur¡¯s ankle was still alive. As the pterosaur had fallen headfirst, the ant had luckily found a ¡°cushion¡± to break its fall.


    Despite the buffer, the soldier ant was gravely injured. However, its final mission was yet to bepleted before being sent for reconstruction.


    With its sharp and durable mandibles, the Giant Mandible Soldier Ant was an excellent cutter. Since its inception, it had served as both a transport and cutting unit.


    Now too injured to drag the pterosaur¡¯s body back to base, the soldier ant began dismembering it on-site.


    Above, the Type I Flying Bugs formed an imprable barrier, blocking the view of the pterosaurs circling in the sky. On the ground, the incessant buzzing intimidated would-be predators, keeping them at bay.Despite itsrge size, the pterosaur¡¯s body was lean, and the cutting proceeded quickly. Nearby, Modified Spider Combat Bugs remained hidden, waiting for the dismemberment to finish before transporting the pieces back to the base¡ªa task well within their original function as transport bugs.


    Two hourster, thebat units delivered the pterosaur¡¯s remains to Luo Wen.


    Luo Wen entered a period of seclusion.


    Fifty dayster, the swarm¡¯s newly developed Storm God took flight.


    This creature wasrger than any pterosaur Luo Wen had previously encountered. With a wingspan of 17 meters and a widened back, it weighed nearly a ton and could carry loads of up to two tons.


    Its primary role wasn¡¯tbat, although it was formidable in battle. Instead, its primary function was long-distance transportation. It could carry 400 Modified Spider Combat Bugs, thousands of Type I Flying Bugs, and even over a dozen Giant Mandible Soldier Ants.


    The Storm God¡¯s body was a marvel of aerodynamic engineering. Its tail was short, its head was long and slender, and its elongated beak was sharp and pointed. The wings wereposed of vascrworks, muscles, and microfments of actin fibers arranged in parallel. Its forelimbs were sturdy, with thick muscles and tendons, enabling a uniqueunch mechanism.


    By crouching down, using its forelimbs as leverage, and propelling itself upward with its powerful hind legs, the Storm God could achieve a rapid catapult-like takeoff.


    Once airborne, it utilized subtle air currents to glide efficiently, requiring minimal wing movement. It could ascend to altitudes exceeding 10,000 meters with ease. Equipped with a Tail Lard Organ, its endurance was exceptional, allowing it to fly nearly 20,000 kilometers nonstop when uden.


    Though it typically glided at a leisurely speed of under 150 kilometers per hour, it could reach up to 500 kilometers per hour during full-powered flight. However, such speeds consumed energy rapidly and couldn¡¯t be sustained for long.


    The Storm God served as both a high-altitude reconnaissance unit and a rapid deployment carrier for the swarm. Dubbed the ¡°airborne mothership¡± of the swarm, its official designation was Storm God.


    With the deployment of the Storm Gods, the swarm finally had a countermeasure against the high-altitude pterosaurs.


    A few dayster, two Storm Gods took to the skies. Their immense size allowed them to ascend higher than the circling pterosaurs, granting them a vantage point over their quarry.


    The pterosaurs, drawn by ground-level bait, hovered cautiously, screeching anxiously. Unlike the previous trap, this time the swarm had stationedrge numbers of ground and aerial units near the bait, their menacing presence keeping the pterosaurs wary and reluctant to descend.


    The pterosaurs¡¯ cries attracted more of their kind, yet the real danger came not from the ground but from above.


    Several specialized insects leaped from the Storm Gods¡¯ backs.


    These creatures, measuring over 20 centimeters in length, sported robust, smooth horns on their heads, each measuring 6 to 7 centimeters. Their bodies were equipped with feathered wings on either side, though these wings were too small to enable sustained flight.


    Indeed, these bugs were head-heavy and bottom-light, with a peculiar streamlined elegance. Their exoskeletons were dense and heavy, making their wings suitable only for brief gliding and minor directional adjustments.@@novelbin@@


    Their abdomens housed numerous air vents connected to arge internal air sac derived from the genes of a jet fish species. This fish possessed a high-pressure system capable ofpressing water and shooting it from its mouth to knock insects off aquatic nts.


    Luo Wen modified this system, recing the ¡°water bullets¡± withpressed air.


    Using this mechanism, the specialized bugs could expel air at varying pressures from different abdominal vents to change direction mid-air.


    As the bugs leaped from the Storm Gods, they locked onto their targets below. By coordinating abdominal vent expulsions and minor wing adjustments, they steered themselves with precision.


    Once oriented, they folded their wings and entered a steep dive. When visual tracking became unreliable at high speeds, their targeting systems switched to echolocation. Using sonar, they continuously adjusted their trajectory.


    As they neared their targets, they closed all side vents, relying solely on wing adjustments for precision. At the same time, their high-pressure systems expelled air through theirrgest tail vents, propelling them even faster.


    At this stage, their speed reached a peak, producing a piercing whistle in the air. Within moments, the bugs struck the gliding pterosaurs with devastating force.


    The bugs¡¯ 6 to 7-centimeter horns pierced the pterosaurs¡¯ bodies with ease, propelled by the immense speed. The momentum carried them through their targets, leaving a spray of blood as they continued their descent.

 Chapter 274: Space Octopuses

    A Riken warship, over a kilometer in length, would indeed seem massive within aary atmosphere. But in the vastness of space, it was little more than a speck in a sea of stars.


    The projectiles hurtling across the 600-million-kilometer expanse had been urately locked onto the positions of the Riken fleet atunch. However, after traveling for over a day, subjected to various forces and minute deviations, the chances of actually hitting their targets were slim.


    Despite their emergency evasive maneuvers, one of the Riken warships sustained damage to its left armor, forcing it to withdraw for emergency repairs. This was the sole casualty among the hundreds of projectilesunched.


    While the bombardment yielded little in terms of direct damage, it disrupted the Riken fleet¡¯s defensive formations. In their scramble to evade, several turrets lost their original firing angles, leaving some targets out of reach.


    Spacebat was inherently a three-dimensional battlefield. It required ounting for enemies from every angle¡ªabove, below, to the sides¡ªand factoring in the ship¡¯s orientation and the risk of obstructing allied vessels. Theplexity was immense.


    After a rapid calction, the fleet¡¯s AI adjusted the turrets, redistributing targets based on the new formation.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    ¡°Launch!¡±


    As soon as the unidentified objects entered effective range, the Riken fleet unleashed their firepower. Over 300 warships, armed with more than 2,000 high-powered main turrets, unleashed several salvos, filling the void with tens of thousands of energy beams.The starry expanse lit up spectacrly as the dense barrage of beams cut through space.


    The ¡°projectiles¡± weren¡¯t passive targets. Blue arcs of sma surged across their surfaces as their sma-engine organs fired at full capacity, allowing them to execute evasive maneuvers.


    The Rikens were dumbfounded.


    ¡°What the hell are these things?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re too far and too nimble¡ªour long-range attacks are ineffective!¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to wait until they get closer.¡±


    A few minutester, the Riken fleetunched a second attack.


    With the targets now closer, and having refined their algorithms after the first round, the Rikens managed to hit over a dozen projectiles despite the evasive efforts.


    The struck ¡°projectiles¡± exploded like fireworks, but their destruction only released a greater threat. From their ruptured forms poured countless octopus-like organisms. Some were only a few meters long, while others spanned tens of meters.


    These creatures scattered like a burst of fluid, their bodies flickering with blue arcs of sma. In a sh, they leaped onto nearby ¡°projectiles,¡± merging into their surfaces and disappearing from sight.


    ¡°What the hell are those?!¡± This question, repeated countless times over the past two days, echoed once more among the Rikens, who were increasingly overwhelmed by bewilderment.


    ¡°Could these be their warships?¡± a strategist tentatively spected.


    ¡°Are you saying they¡¯reunching their warships at us?¡±


    ¡°Then what are those things inside them?¡±


    ¡°Pilots?¡±


    ¡°They look simr, but the size difference is enormous.¡±


    A flurry of questions filled the Riken fleet¡¯smunication channels, but spection didn¡¯t dy their next orders to attack.


    After several more salvos, over 200 of the iing ¡°projectiles¡± were destroyed. Yet, more than half broke through the firepower barrier, closing to within 50,000 kilometers of the Riken fleet.


    Moreover, the contents of the destroyed ¡°projectiles¡± had already spilled out, significantly reducing the Swarm¡¯s actual losses.


    Now within the range of the Riken fleet¡¯s medium-range weapons, the remaining projectiles faced a new barrage. The fleet¡¯s secondary turrets, numbering over 10,000, unleashed an even denser barrage of energy beams.


    While the ¡°projectiles¡± maneuvered desperately, their 500-meter-plus bodies proved less agile as the distance narrowed. Coupled with the overwhelming intensity of the Riken firepower, they were systematically destroyed.


    These Primordial Space Octopuses, stripped of their electromaic railgunponents to increase their carrying capacity beforeunch, were purely transport units. Their destruction merely signaled the beginning of the true battle.


    The ¡°projectiles¡± were entirely eliminated before they could close to 30,000 kilometers, but this only paved the way for a muchrger wave of attackers.


    Following the destruction of therge ¡°projectiles,¡± countless smaller ones swarmed forward, their numbers several times¡ªif not tens of times¡ªgreater. Blue arcs of sma crackled across their forms as they elerated toward the Riken fleet with astonishing speed.


    At 30,000 kilometers, the space octopuses needed only about ten minutes to cross the distance at maximum velocity. Their energy reserves were sufficient to support low-intensitybat at such a range.


    However, the scale of this battle far exceeded low intensity. Energy conservation remained a priority.


    At their maximum energy output, the octopuses could no longer maintain their cloaking capabilities, revealing themselves to the Rikens for the first time.


    ¡°What are those things?¡± repeated endlessly.


    ¡°Are these some kind of biological civilization¡¯sbat units? They look alive!¡±


    ¡°Stop analyzing¡ªthey¡¯reing in! Prepare the space torpedoes!¡±


    The Riken fleet¡¯s defenses were thorough. Long-range main turrets, medium-range secondary turrets, torpedoes for medium-closebat, and close-range defensive formations created an intricate web of protection.


    Although not the most advanced technology in the Riken arsenal, the space torpedoes were effective within a limited range. Equipped with tracking systems, they provided strong offensive and defensive capabilities and were widely deployed across Riken warships.


    Hiddenunch bays opened across the fleet, and sleek, slender missiles were ejected. As they fired, their propulsion systems ignited, and with the aid of the fleet¡¯s AI, the missiles locked onto their targets.


    Trailing long tails of exhaust, they streaked toward the oing swarm.


    Despite their speed, the torpedoes were still slower than energy beams and barely faster than the space octopuses. This limited their effectiveness.


    The octopuses, equipped with extreme dynamic vision, skillfully evaded the torpedoes. Some evenshed out with their tentacles, entwining the missiles.


    However, Riken technology ensured that physical impact wasn¡¯t necessary for detonation. Each torpedo carried a proximity fuse.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!@@novelbin@@


    Brilliant explosions lit up the void, obliterating or wounding some of the more daring octopuses.


    Guided by their knights, the space octopuses quickly adapted, keeping their distance from the ming projectiles.


    At their speed, dodging these weapons was hardly a challenge.

 Chapter 275: Space Warfare

    But the Riken missiles weren¡¯t limited to simple tracking.


    Anticipating potential evasive maneuvers during their design, the Riken AI adapted quickly. Utilizing theputational power of a regionalwork formed by all warships and support vessels, it implemented a new strategy.


    Two missiles approached a space octopus from above and below. Just as the octopus attempted to dodge, one of the missiles exploded unexpectedly, engulfing the creature in fire.


    The other octopuses, observing this, immediately distanced themselves from the missiles, refusing to allow them close.


    However, evading the missiles restricted their flight paths.


    One space octopus, entirely focused on dodging, found itself trapped when two energy beams suddenly intersected, sealing off all escape routes. It was obliterated in mid-air.


    In battles where the weaponry of both sides is rtively equal, victory oftenes down to information andputational power.


    At this moment, while the Rikens held a slight advantage inputational ability, their intelligence was woefully inadequate.


    The Swarm¡¯s biological technologies had their weaknesses, but also undeniable strengths.These space octopuses were not expendable cannon fodder. They were valuable spacebat units.


    Even those destroyed in battle hadn¡¯t truly died. Derived from fungal carpets, their bodies were filled with fungal colonies capable of acting aswork nodes.


    As long as some of these colonies survived, the space octopuses could regenerate. Floating in space, absorbing radiation to replenish energy, they could gradually recover¡ªeven from being blown apart.


    Though the process was slow, they could elerate recovery by absorbing parts of each other.


    As long as the Swarm controlled the battlefield after the battle, their forces would grow ever stronger.


    To annihte a Swarm force entirely, one would need not only to win the battle but also to thoroughly clean up the battlefield.


    This reality was entirely unknown to the Rikens. And with the Swarm¡¯s reinforcements arriving in a constant stream, the Rikens would neither oust the Swarm nor have an opportunity to clear the field.


    Nheless, this wave of torpedo missile attacks disrupted the Swarm¡¯s offensive momentum, rendering at least 20% of the space octopusesbat-ineffective.


    This kind of war was a first not only for the Rikens but also for the Swarm. Overall, the battle served as a trial for the Swarm¡¯s spacebat units¡ªa chance to identify weaknesses and refine their strategies.


    At this stage, there was no need to worry about hidden observers. If the Swarm wished to step onto the grand stage of the cosmos, such technologies would inevitablye to light sooner orter.


    Luo Wen would not cripple the Swarm¡¯s development by pretending to be a lesser power just to avoid the scrutiny of potential advanced civilizations. What the Swarm needed to conceal was not its natural technological progress, but those abilities originating from another world¡ªabilities unique to the Swarm.


    This referred to the Swarm Network, whose foundationy in extraordinary powers from another realm. In this world, it was the Swarm¡¯s core strength and absolutely must not be exposed.


    To this end, every spacebat unit, regardless of size, was equipped with information-receiving systems.


    These systems, based on bent-light transmissions, originated from the Mantis Shrimp of the Genesis. By utilizing millions of colorbinations to transmit data, and more than 20 primary color capture systems to receive it, they enabledmunication through visual cues.


    In addition, electromaic waves, body gestures, and othermunication modes were integrated, allowing the Swarm to coordinate seamlessly in battle.


    Of course, this was all for external appearances. In truth,mand and coordination were still executed through the Swarm Network.


    These systems were essential for deception. If the enemy captured a Swarmbat unit amid the chaos and found no apparentmunication systems upon dissection, it would immediately raise questions. How could such units operate in sync without a visible means of coordination?


    ¡°Overlord, our space octopuses are too weak at breaking through their firepower barriers,¡± Sarah Kerrigan noted.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be helped,¡± Morgan sighed. ¡°After all, we stillck enough atomic furnaces.¡±


    Indeed, if all mature space octopuses were equipped with atomic furnaces, their endurance would see a qualitative leap. They wouldn¡¯t need to rely on such reckless charges, instead advancing while providing suppressive fire with their electromaic railguns.


    Fortunately, the Primordial Space Octopuses, though destroyed, had preserved their atomic furnaces intact.


    During assaults, the furnaces were concealed in the rearmost sections of their bodies. Even if the Rikens¡¯ main cannons prated their forward armor, the residual energy of the beams would be absorbed by the cargo they carried¡ªother space octopuses¡ªbefore reaching the furnaces.


    For each destroyed Primordial unit, a mature octopus would retrieve and secure its atomic furnace. These mature units would refrain frombat, activating cloaking systems and suppressing all energy emissions to drift silently through space.


    This made them nearly impossible to detect, ensuring the precious furnaces could be safely recovered post-battle.


    ¡°We don¡¯t calcte losses like other civilizations do. Our only goal is to win the war. When we do, losses cease to matter,¡± Luo Wen dered.


    Biotechnology and mechanical technology each had their advantages. For mechanical civilizations, repairing damaged warships was aplex and resource-intensive process. Often, rebuilding a ship required fewer resources than repairing one.


    For the Swarm, such concerns were irrelevant. Injuries merely required time to heal.


    After losing half their forces, the space octopuses finally broke through the firepower barriers, closing to within 1,000 kilometers of the Riken fleet¡ªa near point-nk range in spacebat.


    However, the remaining octopuses were mostlyrval bodies under 20 meters in length, with a few mature ones at most reaching 50 meters.


    Therger units had all been prioritized and eliminated earlier.


    ¡°Deploy the fighters to intercept!¡± General Masai ordered.


    A dense swarm of fighters poured out of the Riken fleet¡¯s hangars. Each warshipunched at least 500 units, bringing the total to nearly 20,000.


    Among these fighters, a minority¡ªmeasuring over eight meters in length¡ªwere piloted by live Riken pilots. The rest, five meters long, were drones.


    Each piloted fighter directed nine drones, forming a squadron of ten under the pilot¡¯smand, with AI assistance. These squadrons operated in tight coordination, providing mutual support and executing precise attacks.


    The sheer number of fighters dwarfed the remaining space octopuses, instantly granting the Rikens a numerical advantage.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 132: A New Idea Emerges (1)

    Luo Wen fell into deep contemtion.


    On this beach, he remained still for a full three days, neither eating nor drinking. Thanks to the reserves stored in his Tail Lard Organ, not only could he endure three days, but he could go as long as three months without needing sustenance.


    As for the dampness of the seaside or issues like arthritis, Luo Wen could rece his appendages at any time. Would something as trivial as arthritis even matter to him?


    During these three days, he focused on a single question. This, whilecking apples, had simr fruits. His question revolved around what thoughts came to mind when these fruits fell from the tree to the ground.


    In the end, his musings led to a jumble of disorganized thoughts. While he had heard of universal gravitation, he couldn¡¯t form any coherent theories.


    The truth was that developing rockets on his own was less realistic than biding his time, relying on luck, and evolving the necessary traits through his innate abilities.


    Examining his gic library, he found that advancing into outer space presented specific challenges. Wings, effective only within the atmosphere, were practically useless in outer space, where the absence of air reduced their functionality to almost nothing.


    Perhaps wings would ultimately be less effective than a high-pressure jet propulsion system.


    Of course, the most promising solution was the anti-gravity system of beetle elytra. However, this system currently served only to reduce weight. Still, further development in this area might yield meaningful progress.But venturing into outer space wasn¡¯t as simple as just flying out.


    How would he harvest energy in outer space? How would he breathe? How would he survive in ultra-low temperatures? How would he navigate the cosmos¡ªwould he truly rely on jet propulsion? He had no desire to be a piece of floating space debris.


    There were too many problems to consider. Even a single unresolved issue could pose a threat to his survival.


    After several more days, Luo Wen had a sudden epiphany: perhaps he could create some helpers.


    As the saying goes, ¡°Three humble tailors can outwit Zhuge Liang.¡±


    If he created more des, perhaps they could pool their ideas.


    Monthster, he realized he had overestimated the potential of the des. While theycked any sense of creativity, his tinkering did enhance their learning and adaptability.


    The des became more akin to intelligent AIs. The more they experienced and learned, the ¡°smarter¡± they became. These traits could also be passed down through the Swarm Network.


    Over time, their intelligence would continue to grow.


    However, intelligence was not the same as wisdom, and theirck of creativity remained their greatest w. They could serve as excellentmanders but were incapable of bing scientists.


    Once again, his train of thought hit a dead end.


    After some time, Luo Wen suddenly realized that if the Swarm was unsuitable, he could develop other species. Other species might not have the same limitations.


    With this new idea in mind, Luo Wen immediately set to work, searching for groups suitable for cultivation.@@novelbin@@


    He sought species with traits such as adaptability, intelligence, and strong reproductive abilities. After rigorous screening, two species emerged as the top candidates.


    These two species were ones Luo Wen was already very familiar with. They were old acquaintances of the Swarm from the earliest days: Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs.


    The Tail Lard Rats reproduced rapidly, birthing 5¨C10 offspring per litter. The pups could begin foraging for food within just a few days. Being omnivorous, they ate almost anything and upied the very bottom of the food chain. While creatures like ants were weaker, their low meat content made them less appealing prey. In contrast, the Tail Lard Rats, with theirrger size and poorbat ability, were a favorite target for predators.


    However, the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ unique energy-storage organs made them exceptionally resilient. When pursued, they could sometimes hide motionless for over ten days, ousting their predators. They were also rtively intelligentpared to other species.


    The small dinosaurs, despite being predators, were also prey due to their size. They upied a slightly higher position in the food chain than the Tail Lard Rats. These creatures couldy seven or eight eggs at a time. While the incubation period for these eggs was longer, their hatchlings could forage for food shortly after hatching.


    As for their intelligence, their cooperative hunting tactics and basic strategies demonstrated significant cleverness.


    With two experimental species chosen, Luo Wen began cultivation efforts.


    He first extracted their gic temtes, erging their brain capacity. Having watched videos on human evolution, Luo Wen knew that bigger brains were the key to progress.


    He then implemented some unconventional methods.


    Capturing wild Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs, Luo Wen introduced them to the experimental specimens for interbreeding.


    Although Swarm-produced Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurscked intelligence, their offspring with wild counterparts might inherit the enhanced brain capacity.


    This approach aimed to elerate their cognitive evolution and foster the emergence of smarter offspring.


    However, things didn¡¯t progress smoothly. Despite prolonged captivity together, no offspring were produced.


    This left Luo Wen perplexed. As a non-specialist, hecked expertise in these matters. Could it be that Swarm-produced Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs had undergone species changes?


    Aside from brain enhancements, Luo Wen hadn¡¯t altered any other parts of their gic temtes. For other enhanced Swarm creatures, sterility wasmon, but these specimens were not supposed to have that issue.


    Unwilling to give up, Luo Wen persisted. With nothing else pressing, this research became a way to pass the time.


    Time passed, and his experimental field expanded severalfold. It was divided into numerouspartments, each housing differentbinations of specimens.


    The skies above were patrolled by Type I Flying Bugs, while Modified Spider Combat Bugs monitored the perimeter. Even underground, Worker Ants and Fungal Carpets maintained vignce. With half of the experimental specimens being Swarm-produced, theboratory operated with perfect order, with no incidents of escape.


    After rounds of testing, several monthster, a breakthrough finally came. A wild Tail Lard Rat became pregnant.


    A monthter, it gave birth to a litter of five.


    Armed with this newfound knowledge, Luo Wen conducted more experiments based on this set of data. Once again, he achieved sessful reproduction, confirming the problem¡¯s source.


    It turned out Luo Wen had been too hasty, attempting to erge the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ brains too significantly in one step. This had caused reproductive istion from their wild counterparts, preventing offspring.


    By scaling up his experiments, dividing the specimens into multiple groups with varying brain capacity enhancements, Luo Wen finally made progress.


    Using these sessful cases, Luo Wen refined the process, identifying the maximum amount of brain capacity enhancement that would avoid triggering reproductive istion.


    With this insight, the pace of experimentation elerated.

 Chapter 282: The New Team

    The Riken Star System had its primary, the fourth one, designated as the Riken homeworld. The fifth was named Riven, and the sixth, Riwu.


    One stood for civility, the other for strength¡ªtogether, they guarded the homeworld.


    The returning expedition fleet began disbanding upon reaching Riwu¡¯s orbit. A portion of the fleet remained stationed there for repairs and upgrades, while the rest continued to Riven¡¯s orbit, where they were entirely stationed.


    The captains, officers, and staff of the ships traveled to Riken aboard small transport vessels, relinquishing their military authority in a peaceful transfer before returning home.


    For defeated soldiers, no grand weing ceremony awaited them. President Antonio met them discreetly.


    The endless expanse of space, while awe-inspiring and beautiful, can grow tiresome after years or even decades of unchanging scenery.


    As a result, casual chatter became the best way to pass the time.


    However, onboard, either people were in hibernation, or everyone was simrly cut off from external information for decades, leading to high redundancy in conversations.


    No secret could remain hidden for long in such a closed environment.Take the Longevity nt as an example. Originally known only to the topmand and research teams, the knowledge of it somehow leaked. Within a few years, this top-secret information becamemon gossip.


    Even the reclusive engineering and maintenance teams on the ships had enough details to voice their opinions on the matter.


    Thus,munications with the homeworld became the sole source of new conversational material for the expedition fleet.


    As the fleet drew closer to Riken,munication dys shortened, and energy costs lessened, leading to increasingly frequent ¡°chats¡± between the two sides.


    The fleet had spent nearly 30 years traveling to the T85 Star System, only to stay less than a year before being driven out. They then spent another 20-plus years traveling back through the void.


    This meant their information reserves were scarce, and after a few exchanges, the topics ran dry. For the most part, it was the homeworld providing them with a one-sided stream of updates.


    This saved significant time in President Antonio¡¯s discussions with General Masai and other returning officers.


    The meeting ended quickly, and its contents were undisclosed. Shortly afterward, Dr. Balt was carefully escorted from Riven¡¯s orbit to Riken¡¯s surface.


    During the more than two decades of travel, Dr. Balt¡¯s team had not rested. They were dedicated to researching the Longevity nt.


    However, most of the advanced equipment initially carried by the expedition fleet had been transported to the T853 base. When the retreat came, the equipment had to be hastily destroyed to prevent enemy capture.


    As a result, there were no suitable recements on board. This made the already rudimentary research environment even worse. Although they managed to bring back rtively portable samples of the Longevity nt during the retreat, providing ample experimental materials, their progress over more than two decades was unimpressive.


    Dr. Balt¡¯s team included many members who were neither specialists in the relevant fields nor enthusiastic about conducting research without proper equipment. Even Dr. Balt himself was, strictly speaking, an outsider to the field.


    Dr. Balt had raised these concerns with General Masai, but amidst thepeting interests, their opinions were ultimately ignored. The team was still forbidden from entering hibernation and was assigned research tasks under duress.


    This led to dissatisfaction and resistance among many team members. Some even deliberately wasted experimental materials out of spite.


    Over 20 years, the original stockpile of over 20 tons of Longevity nts, including roots and fruit, had dwindled to less than 2 tons.


    General Masai, who not only lost the war but also allowed critical resources to be squandered, was relieved of his military duties after his meeting with the President. Thanks to backing from his allies, he avoided a court-martial.


    The Longevity nts were handed over to President Antonio¡¯s faction. Afterpleting a handover and having all their research data extracted, Dr. Balt and his team were promptly removed from the project.


    A new team,prised of more specialized personnel, was formed. With over 3,000 members, this team was better funded and equipped with precision instruments as needed.@@novelbin@@


    It was said that several senior professors in the new team fainted with excitement after reviewing the Longevity nt data. When they learned that the original experimental stock was more than ten times what remained, wasted by Dr. Balt¡¯s team, they fainted again.


    Upon regaining consciousness, the professors managed topose themselves. Had Dr. Balt¡¯s team not already been reassigned, there might have been severe consequences.


    The new team was exceptionally efficient. They quickly assimted the research results from Dr. Balt¡¯s 20-plus years of work and began making significant advancements.


    It was believed that tangible breakthroughs would soon be achieved.


    Meanwhile, of the more than 2 million personnel returning with the fleet, all but the heavy criminals and death-row convicts from the initial crew were gradually sent back to Riken in batches.


    These individuals, though defeated, had endured decades of hardship and were not without merit. Additionally, they were connected toplex powerworks. Even the rank-and-file soldiers had families who had eagerly awaited their return.


    Any mistreatment of these individuals might have caused internal copse before any external alien threat could arrive.


    ¡°Foolish little sister, you¡¯ve finally returned. I heard you encountered some mishaps this time? Almost got eaten by a beast? Hopefully, this experience has helped you mature a little.¡± The elder sister, though worried about her sibling¡¯s ordeal, had initially considered hijacking a warship to rush to the T85 Star System. Yet, when it came to expressing her concern, the words took a different turn.


    ¡°Eh? Are you mom¡¯s sister? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever met. You look at least 50 years older than me!¡± The younger sister¡¯s sharp response immediately made the elder sister wish the beast had finished the job.


    Despite this exchange, both smiled, and the five-decade gap between them melted away.


    ¡°Though you remain as annoying as ever, seeing you like this puts my mind at ease. It seems you¡¯ve indeed grown.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it was an unforgettable experience,¡± the younger sister said, her eyes filled with reminiscence, as if recalling a great being. She emphasized again, ¡°An experience you absolutely cannot imagine.¡±


    Though the elder sister looked intrigued, Lieutenant Colonel Cross wasn¡¯t inclined to borate further. Instead, she said:


    ¡°Old woman, despite our rough return, we brought back some good stuff.¡± She spoke about the Longevity nt: ¡°You better seize this opportunity. I hear the materials are running out. To stay my sister, you¡¯ll need to look even younger.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d change how you address me, I might like you more. But for now, you should rest. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    ¡°And how about your research? Have you reverse-engineered anything good over the years?¡± Cross asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± came the usual answer.


    ¡°Meh.¡±


    The sisters chatted for a while longer before the elder sibling hurried off, clearly still busy. Even visiting her sister had been squeezed into her packed schedule.


    Watching her leave, Cross¡¯s gaze turned yful. ¡°Foolish ¡®sister,¡¯ how could two species truly be siblings? I can¡¯t wait for the day you once again be my ¡®sister.¡¯ Then you¡¯ll understand just how wonderful this world truly is.¡±

 Chapter 134: A Natural Disaster (1)

    What Luo Wen didn¡¯t know was that the massive fireball was a small asteroid over ten kilometers in diameter. The smaller fireballs trailing behind it were meteors it had captured while wandering through the cosmos.


    Now, the asteroid and its entourage had arrived at this.


    The asteroid¡¯s ¡°followers¡± were less concerning. As they passed through the atmosphere, most disintegrated and failed to cause significant damage to the.


    The asteroid, however, was a different story. Traveling at over 70,000 kilometers per hour and zing with light and heat, it mmed into the surface.


    Upon impact, the asteroid exploded, most of it vaporized instantly. The energy released was equivalent to the simultaneous detonation of millions of nuclear bombs.


    The shockwaves radiated outward from the point of impact, sending massive rock fragments hurtling into the sky and triggering catastrophic tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.


    Within minutes, areas thousands of kilometers away were affected.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen was not far from the impact site. Despite having fled to a depth of several hundred meters underwater and continuing to dive deeper, his location remained within the core st zone.


    The shockwave instantly stripped away hundreds of meters of seawater. Before the water could travel far, it was vaporized. Though Luo Wen¡¯s defenses were formidable, they were utterly ineffective against this apocalyptic force.Even the heat-resistant nanomaterials in his mantis shrimp-like appendages extended his survival by only 0.01 seconds before he, too, was vaporized.


    As the explosion hurled rocks skyward, they began to rain down as fiery meteors across areas over a thousand kilometers away. Any lifeforms that had survived the initial st were now pummeled by this infernal barrage, many crushed to death.


    The asteroid¡¯s effects continued to spread. The dust and debris thrown into the atmosphere began to nket the, blocking sunlight and darkening the skies. The once-brilliant Milky Way was now obscured by a suffocating haze.


    The friction within the dust clouds generated intense heat, igniting wildfires worldwide and incinerating vast swaths of life. Burning rocks continued to rain down, and tsunamis swallowed thend.


    Yet this was merely the beginning of the disaster.


    After the explosions subsided, the molten rock from the impact covered an area spanning thousands of kilometers. Surface temperatures, initially exceeding tens of thousands of degrees, gradually dropped to around 300 degrees Celsius but remained unbearably high for months.


    Life in the surrounding region was utterly unsustainable. Even creatures that escaped the initial devastation could not endure such hostile conditions.


    Other parts of the world fared little better. The atmospheric dust prevented sunlight from reaching the surface. nts that had miraculously survived the wildfires could no longer photosynthesize and began to wither.


    As temperatures plummeted due to theck of sunlight, frost nketed thend outside the impact zone. Large herbivorous dinosaurs, particrly those requiring substantial amounts of food, began to perish en masse. Without herbivores to sustain them, carnivorous species soon followed into extinction.


    Only a handful of lifeforms, those sheltered deep underground, managed to survive.


    Luo Wen, who had been vaporized, entered a state of confusion. Remarkably, he had not died.


    His consciousness had appeared within the Swarm Network.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t feel his body anymore. That was hardly surprising¡ªafter all, it had been vaporized. Being able to feel it would have been more perplexing.


    After a brief adjustment, he realized he had be a work being.¡± Except for theck of a physical form, everything else felt nearly the same as before.


    Just as he usually essed the Swarm Network, Luo Wen could still sense its nodes. Though the number of nodes in his mental space was rapidly dwindling, he could use his consciousness to descend upon surviving Swarm entities. Even if his host body died, his consciousness could return to thework.


    Did this mean that as long as the Swarm Network existed, he would not perish? Despite the ongoing apocalypse, extinguishing the Swarm seemed nearly impossible.


    Take the Fungal Carpet, for instance. Its adaptability was unparalleled, thanks to the fusion of countless genes. Unless the entire was reduced to dust, the Fungal Carpet was sure to endure.


    Moreover, therge fungal clusters on the carpet also possessed node identities. As long as these clusters persisted, the Swarm Network would remain operational. Did this imply that Luo Wen¡¯s consciousness could exist indefinitely?


    Whether this was true would require time to confirm. Still, discovering this hidden ability was an unexpected boon, though Luo Wen would have preferred not to learn about it in such a way.


    For a brief moment, Luo Wen had genuinely believed he was dead.


    Since the Swarm had taken control of the continent and life had stabilized, Luo Wen often used consciousness descent to perform tasks in other Swarm bodies. Direct action, especially personal hunting, had be exceedingly rare.


    Now that he had lost his physical body, it seemed not to matter much in practice. Yet the situation felt undeniably strange.


    His body had contained the innate talents of the Iphieash. Luo Wen wasn¡¯t sure what his current state represented, but he was certain the Iphieash¡¯s predecessors had never encountered anything like this.


    After all, the Swarm Network was a unique mutation of his.@@novelbin@@


    After a brief moment to collect himself, Luo Wen began examining the Swarm¡¯s current state. All nodes near the impact site had been annihted. Even the Fungal Carpet had been obliterated¡ªtotal devastation.


    However, the Brood Nest had been located in the earliest Swarm base, far from the impact site. Though its situation was precarious, it had been deeply buried underground and remained unaffected.


    Luo Wen attempted to connect with the Brood Nest and found no abnormalities. Everything worked as usual. He could still ess the gic library and use the gene maniption functions.


    To his surprise, he discovered another hidden feature.


    Previously, he had noticed the Swarm Network¡¯s cloud storage capabilities. He could upload his gic library, allowing the Brood Nest to receive it remotely without requiring physical contact.


    The gic library contained not only the genes he had collected but also his entire gic blueprint, including the enigmatic Iphieash primal genes.


    When Luo Wen instructed the Brood Nest to produce a body based on his gic temte, the process proceeded smoothly. The surrounding Fungal Carpet began supplying nutrients.


    Due to theplexity of Luo Wen¡¯s genes, it took a long time before the Brood Nest finally extruded an egg measuring 30 centimeters in diameter. Such arge egg pushed the Brood Nest to its production limits, leaving it noticeably depleted.


    However, with the powerful support of the Fungal Carpet, it should recover quickly.

 Chapter 287: Departure

    Even seven dayster, Lieutenant Colonel Cross asionally recalled the scene in the underground chamber. The feeling of toying with prey was intoxicating.


    After Cleo lost consciousness, she was immediately dragged underground. Twenty kilometers beneath the vi, another hidden Riken sub-hive existed.


    Thisboratory sub-hive was established after it reached a certain level of development. A flying bug, carrying a fungal carpet seed, found Cross and set up a new base beneath the vi.


    If the Swarm Network had not evolved, Luo Wen would never have been so aggressive. But now, he had his confidence.


    After Cleo was sent to the underground base, her new body was temporarily controlled by the Hive Queen¡¯s consciousness. Meanwhile, Cross kept putting on a sisterly act in the vi above.


    However, the Cross in the underground base was not using her own body. Traveling twenty kilometers through underground tunnels risked bumps and scrapes, and being away from the vi too long could raise suspicion among the servants.


    Instead, the Cross who met Cleo used a temporary body, created specifically for this purpose. Once used, it was recycled. With Luo Wen¡¯s authorization, transferring an intelligent consciousness between multiple bodies was routine.


    As Cross was lost in thought, she noticed her ¡°sister¡¯s¡± body tremble slightly. Sensing that the Hive Queen¡¯s consciousness had departed and a new consciousness had descended, she greeted Cleo with a radiant smile and a warm hug.


    ¡°Wee back, sister. How does it feel?¡± Cross asked, her expression blossoming with joy.Cleo rolled her eyes but did not resist her sister¡¯s embrace. ¡°Not bad,¡± she replied.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, she added, ¡°It would have been even better without all your dramatics!¡±


    Examining the information provided by Cleo, Luo Wen fell into contemtion.


    Cleo was a crucial figure¡ªa brilliant researcher with direct ess to the ancient spaceship and a wealth of firsthand data.@@novelbin@@


    After transforming Cross, and learning of her connections, the n to target Cleo was immediately set in motion. Thus, as soon as the Swarm¡¯s Riken sub-hive was established, the n was executed without a hitch.


    Thanks to Cross¡¯s cooperation, the operation proceeded wlessly, yielding Luo Wen a trove of ssified information.


    The technology aboard the ancient spaceship far surpassed the Riken race¡¯s capabilities. Withoutprehensive theoretical frameworks and prerequisite technologies, the Riken¡¯s attempts at decryption had been less than ideal.


    Over the years, their analysis team had mostly been reverse-engineering fundamental theories from existing products.


    Thus far, only a handful of breakthroughs had been made.


    Yet even these few advancements had catapulted the Riken race¡¯s technological prowess forward.


    For instance, their warships could now exceed a kilometer in length, thanks to their materials research team.


    Another example was their sublight engines, reverse-engineered from the fighter engines aboard the ancient spaceship. The Riken spected that the spaceship¡¯s primary engine system was a warp drive capable of faster-than-light travel. However, due to gaps in their prerequisite technologies, they remained clueless about its workings.


    Luo Wen allocated a team of 200,000 intelligent entities to specialize in processing and studying the experimental data transmitted by Cleo.


    By now, the Swarm¡¯s pool of intelligent entities had grown to millions, most of whom were spiritual remnants of deceased Ratfolk scientists.


    Over the years, these entities had yed a pivotal role in the Swarm¡¯s progress, despite their low visibility.


    Since venturing into space, Luo Wen could no longer rely solely on harvesting biological genes to elevate the Swarm¡¯s limits, as he had done during the ant empire era.


    Although spaceborne organisms held tremendous potential for gic enhancement, such organisms were exceedingly rare. To date, the Swarm had encountered only one and a half types.


    The first was an atmospheric organism found on a gaseous¡¯s moon in the Genesis Star System, which unlocked the Swarm¡¯s bio-electromaic technology.


    The ¡°half¡± was Godzi, unable to traverse space but harboring controble fusion technology that significantly bolstered the Swarm¡¯s strength.


    Even now, Godzi¡¯s body contained untapped ck technology.


    However, such organisms were scarce, their appearances unpredictable. Relying solely on them to enhancebat capabilities and civilization levels would result in uneptably slow development.


    For the Swarm to grow rapidly, it needed its own research teams and technological systems¡ªsomething the intelligent entities had been tirelessly building for years.


    The current Swarm technologies, from upgraded electromaic and fusion technologies to optical and sma engines, railguns, and innovations in observation, radar,munications, andputation, were primarily products of these intelligent entities¡¯ research.


    Freed from concerns like sustenance, health, or interpersonal strife, and devoid of desires for recognition, the intelligent entities coborated seamlessly. This unity enabled the collective efforts of millions of entities to surpass the output of many civilizations¡¯ tens of millions of researchers.


    Their umted knowledge now represented the Swarm¡¯s most valuable asset and its foundation for future conquests across the stars.


    Six months passed slowly.


    Surrounding Cross were numerous Eagle-Eye Bugs stationed kilometers or even tens of kilometers away, using pure optical observation to monitor everything.


    No anomalies were detected.


    Luo Wen¡¯s hypothesis proved correct: even if the Watcher civilization existed, they would not scrutinize every detail. Their focus likelyy at the level of civilization-wide developments.


    With this confirmation, the Swarm¡¯s next phase could proceed.


    ¡°Sarah, the stage is yours,¡± Luo Wen said.


    ¡°We will not disappoint you, Overlord,¡± Sarah Kerrigan replied.


    Since the Riken expedition fleet fled the Neighboring Star System, the Swarm no longer hid its presence, revealing itself openly. On the system stars orbit, countless space octopuses waited, feeding on the abundant radiation to elerate their growth.


    Meanwhile, two colossal electromaic megastructures were nearingpletion.


    The Swarm¡¯s first electromaic megastructure had taken decades of painstaking effort to grow. Since then, the Swarm had constructed numerous smaller megastructures, amassing significant experience.


    Now, with new technologies and algorithms, the two new megastructures, each over 2,000 kilometers in size, had grown in less than a decade.


    Next, the megastructures beganunching Primordial-ss space octopuses toward the Riken Star System. Propelled by their ejection speed and their engines, the space octopuses formed two linear formations, advancing at over one-sixth the speed of light toward their target.

 Chapter 290: Countermeasures

    ¡°But we must first eliminate the Swarm¡¯s forces first; otherwise, victory will be even harder to achieve,¡± The man who was trying to mediate the fight changed the subject.


    ¡°Exactly. Although we don¡¯t know how many troops the enemy has sent over, it¡¯s definitely far more than what we see now,¡± another officer concurred. ¡°ording to the observation instruments in the debris fields, the enemy warships are continuously gathering outside the star system. If we don¡¯t seize the opportunity to destroy this vanguard, it will be much harder to deal with them once reinforcements arrive.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement, even General Masai remained silent.


    He understood this point too. But based on the enemy¡¯s behavior in the T85 Star System, it felt highly suspicious that they would rush into battle without waiting for their forces to assemblepletely. It seemed like a deliberate sacrifice.


    No matter how he looked at it, this army appeared to be courting death. Masai couldn¡¯t believe the enemy wouldn¡¯t recognize such an obvious w in their strategy.@@novelbin@@


    Yet he couldn¡¯t discern any tangible benefits the enemy could gain from this approach, leaving him feeling deeply conflicted.


    ¡°But we still haven¡¯t figured out what exactly they are! Those tentacle creatures¡ªare they their warships, their primary forms, or something else entirely?¡± Masai made a final effort to resist.


    ¡°Precisely because we don¡¯t know, we need to fight this battle! We need to capture some specimens for research,¡± Alcer said impatiently.


    Although Alcer¡¯s tone was sharp, Masai didn¡¯t retort.In truth, Masai knew Alcer was right. Without engaging in battle, they would never understand their opponent. It was a vicious cycle.


    Masai sighed quietly, feeling a touch of destion. Perhaps, as Alcer suggested, the previous war had sapped his courage.


    Seeing Masai¡¯s listless demeanor, Novaul tried to reassure him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Masai. You lostst time because you didn¡¯t understand the enemy. While our understanding is still limited, we¡¯ve gleaned some countermeasures from the data your team collected during that battle.¡±


    ¡°First, regarding their speed. After detailed analysis, we¡¯ve concluded that theirrgebat units rely on some kind ofunch mechanism to reach the battlefield quickly. Once they decelerate, they¡¯ve never again reached their initial speed. Otherwise, during the interster engine activation phase, they would have caught up with your fleet, and the expeditionary force wouldn¡¯t have made it back.¡±


    ¡°Although our ships are also slow without interster engines, we still outperform them in this aspect.¡±


    Novaul paused, observing the crowd¡¯s attentive expressions before continuing, ¡°Additionally, we have certain advantages in long-range attacks and supeputing technology. So far, the only long-range weapon they¡¯ve disyed is the electromaic railgun. Among space weapons, this is considered rtively slow¡ªnot in rate of fire but in projectile velocity, which is much slowerpared to beam or energy weapons.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve developed specialized detection instruments based on this principle. While they are still in their early stages and struggle to detect small railguns, the massive energy buildup required for theirrgebat units ensures their railgun projectiles achieve higher speeds and ranges, making them easier to detect. The moment these projectiles areunched, they can be tracked. With the coordination of our AI and supeputing technologies, calcting their trajectories is rtively straightforward. If our ships maintain a consistent cruising speed, there¡¯s a significant chance to evade these attacks.¡±


    ¡°As long as we avoid theirrge-scale railgun strikes, their smaller railguns won¡¯t pose much of a threat to our ships.¡±


    The speaker, Novaul, was a Vice Admiral and themander of the Second Space Fleet.


    ¡°I agree with Novaul¡¯s assessment. If we maintain the proper distance, it¡¯s possible to wear them down without sustaining losses,¡± added another Vice Admiral, Hamis,mander of the First Space Fleet.


    From their statements so far, it was evident that all three fleetmanders of the Space Fleet were in favor of engaging in this battle. The basic decision had already been made; the focus now was on how to fight.


    General Masai began racking his brain, trying to recall the details. Although more than thirty years had passed since that war, this life-altering battle was one he often revisited in his mind, contemting various strategies.


    He was the Riken most eager to defeat the Swarm.


    ¡°What about their small and medium-sizedbat units?¡± Masai asked, continuing to raise questions¡ªnot to cause trouble, but to share his concerns.


    ¡°Based on our observations, their smallbat unitsck any long-range attack capabilities,¡± Hamis responded. During the previous war, Swarmrval bodies had infiltrated the Riken fleet, engaging in closebat. Seventeen of theservals had even breached the interiors of their warships.


    As a result, the Riken had extensive footage and data on therval bodies. Even when warships exploded, most of the relevant data had already been transmitted. This information waster analyzed frame-by-frame by over ten thousand staff members and technical teams, leading to this conclusion.


    ¡°As for their medium-sizedbat units, while they have demonstrated long-range attack capabilities, they don¡¯t use them often. This suggests a possible connection to their energy supply system,¡± Hamis exined. ¡°The enemy¡¯srgebat units can fire their electromaic railguns continuously, likely due to a unique energy supply system.¡±


    ¡°However, this system might either be toorge or tooplex to manufacture, meaning it is only installed onrgebat units. Their small and medium-sized units seem to use a different energy system. This system appears to have limited energy storage, forcing them to use it sparingly. Since the Swarm is a unique biological civilization, we¡¯ll need to capture specimens for research to confirm the details. But based on our analysis, this hypothesis has a confidence level of at least 90%.¡±


    ¡°The defeat of the expeditionary fleet wasrgely due to our fighter squadrons engaging in dogfights with the enemy¡ªa situation that yed directly to their strengths. This not only squandered our advantages but also forced our forces to hold back firepower to avoid friendly fire, triggering a series of cascading failures.¡±


    ¡°If we leverage our strengths properly, we can adopt a kiting strategy. Our warships can kite the enemy¡¯srgebat units, while our fighters kite their small and medium units. By matching forces ordingly¡ªcapital ship versus capital ship, fighter versus fighter¡ªwe have a very high chance of victory.¡±


    After finishing, Hamis turned to Masai, waiting to see if he had any further questions.


    Masairgely agreed with Hamis¡¯ assessment. He also believed that the decision to engage the enemy in close-quarters dogfights during the previous battle had been a grave mistake. Thus, he wasn¡¯t angered by Hamis¡¯ critique but instead focused earnestly on considering other potential issues.

 Chapter 137: Miracles

    During one of the small dinosaurs¡¯ assaults, an unfortunate individual stepped into a trap. Though the trap was crude and only about thirty centimeters deep, it sent the sprinting dinosaur tumbling forward. Unluckily for it, the fallnded it right in front of the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ formation.


    Before the dinosaur could recover, seven or eight spears pierced its body.


    When the small dinosaurs attacked again a few dayster, the surroundings of the Tail Lard Rat group were littered with simr improvised traps. This skirmish proved disastrous for the small dinosaurs, resulting in the loss of 13 individuals, while the Tail Lard Rats lost only 7.


    After the battle, the small dinosaur poption had dropped below a hundred, leaving them with double-digit numbers. At this rate,plete annihtion seemed inevitable.


    It was then, as the small dinosaurs licked their wounds, that they stumbled upon a group of over fifty wild counterparts. Relying on their superior numbers and intelligence, they sessfully absorbed the wild group, restoring their numbers to over 150.


    Such coincidences don¡¯t happen by chance. These fifty-odd wild dinosaurs had been sent by Luo Wen.


    Although both groups had initially escaped the experimental site and vanished from Luo Wen¡¯s surveince for a while, once Luo Wen had stabilized his situation and resumed control, these escapees were once again within his sight.


    With little else to do underground, Luo Wen had been closely observing the battles between the two groups.


    Through this observation, Luo Wen noted that under constant threat and crisis, both types of experimental subjects¡ªparticrly the Tail Lard Rats¡ªwere exhibiting explosive growth in intelligence.Luo Wen found this understandable. During the experimental phase, the original version of the Tail Lard Rats already hadrger brains than the small dinosaurs. If brain size increased by 10% with each generation, the Tail Lard Rats would far surpass the small dinosaurs after an equal number of experimental cycles. Moreover, the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ shorter growth cycles meant they had undergone more experimental rounds.


    Arge brain alone was just the foundation; the life-and-death crises they faced acted as the catalyst, activating their potential. The rapid development of their intelligence became evident when the Tail Lard Rats began making traps and applying them effectively.


    This discovery thrilled Luo Wen. He had gone to great lengths to build the experimental site precisely for such results.


    To maintain the pressure on the Tail Lard Rats, Luo Wen ensured the small dinosaurs remained a formidable threat. However, he couldn¡¯t go overboard; if the small dinosaurs became too numerous and wiped out the rats, it would undermine his experiment.


    After calcting the bnce, Luo Wen sent over the additional wild dinosaurs.


    From then on, the small dinosaursunched periodic assaults on the Tail Lard Rat group. The experimental subjects noticed that the newly joined ¡°wild¡± individualscked their honed instincts, recklessly charging during attacks and even sacrificing themselves at critical moments.


    Within a few battles, these new members were almost entirely wiped out, while the experimental dinosaurs remained intact.


    Just as this wave of recruits was depleted, another group of ¡°wild¡± dinosaurs appeared, easily integrating into the experimental group.


    Simrly, the Tail Lard Rats encountered their own ¡°miraculous¡± reinforcements. During their escape, they absorbed several wild counterparts who fought fearlessly. With their addition, the experimental rats stopped suffering any losses.


    Despite this, the tension between the two groups remained high. Neither side knew the meaning of ¡°actors,¡± much less those risking their lives for a staged performance.


    The two groups continued their struggle, traversing over a thousand kilometers. This endurance alone was a ¡°miracle.¡±


    By now, the environment had shifted from scorching heat to biting cold. The Tail Lard Rats ceased their flight and settled in a defensible ravine, where they began digging burrows.


    While excavating, they also set up numerous traps outside the valley. When the pursuing small dinosaurs arrived, their smarter leaders assessed the situation and decided against rashly charging into the trapden area. Nor did they retreat.


    With food bing increasingly scarce, leaving the area presented too many uncertainties. They chose instead to im nearby territory, encouraged by a particrly clever ¡°wild¡± dinosaur among them.


    However, settling down wasn¡¯t easy for the small dinosaurs, whocked burrowing skills. It was then they ¡°miraculously¡± discovered a cave of suitable size and location.


    The cave was small at the entrance but widened as it extended underground, revealing a series ofrger chambers. Additionally, they found two more exits, both small and concealed, making them easy to defend or block. The cave was also well-insted and warm.


    Each group now had a base of operations. As their lives stabilized, their reproductive instincts surfaced. Soon, some of the Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs became pregnant.


    With their poptions replenished, a prolonged war began.


    The small dinosaurs continued their intermittent raids on the rats¡¯ base, though the terrain limited their sess. Whenever they were on the brink of starvation, they would ¡°stumble upon¡± some food.


    The Tail Lard Rats scoured the underground for nt roots and insectrvae, but their yields dwindled over time. Even the branches and leaves covering their valley traps were consumed, leaving them in dire straits. Then, under the guidance of a ¡°wild¡± counterpart, they learned to farm.


    Through trial and error, they identified a shade-tolerant crop. With this crop, they managed to scrape by.


    As the weather grew colder, the newborn generations of Tail Lard Rats and small dinosaurs became increasingly intelligent. Yet, they could only imagine the sun based on descriptions passed down from their elders.


    The two experimental groups¡¯ emerging societal structures created a need for more efficientmunication. Some brighter individuals began developingnguages based on the writing Luo Wen had initially taught them.


    Naturally, the Tail Lard Rats progressed faster than the small dinosaurs.


    After mastering farming, the rats achieved a degree of self-sufficiency. The small dinosaurs, however, would have faced extinction without Luo Wen¡¯s ¡°miraculous¡± interventions.


    Luo Wen had already made his decision internally. For now, the small dinosaurs still had value. The Tail Lard Rats needed sustained pressure to elerate their evolution and development, so the small dinosaurs would continue to receive ¡°miraculous¡± assistance.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 138: The Evolution of Civilization (1)

    The dust from the initial impact and the volcanic ash from subsequent eruptions lingered in the atmosphere for decades before gradually settling back to the ground.


    As the air cleared and the dust thinned, the earth once again basked in sunlight. Temperatures began to rise, and the frost on the ground melted. After a few heavy rains, life started to flourish again, and the airborne particles rapidly diminished.


    Early in the morning, a few juvenile Tail Lard Rats crawled out of their burrows. Although the PM2.5 levels in the air remained high, they were no longer a barrier to outdoor activity.


    [T/N: PM2.5 refers to fine particte matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter. These tiny particles can remain suspended in the air and are harmful to health when inhaled.]@@novelbin@@


    These younglings were fortunate. The ancestors of their ancestors had only imagined what the sun looked like, and now, they could see it for themselves.


    The Tail Lard Rats reproduced rapidly but lived short lives, rarely surviving beyond a decade. Over these decades, countless rats perished from natural causes, not to mention those lost to wars and idents.


    Their greatest enemy at the time had disappeared in the historical tide after battling them for over two decades during the cmity.


    With no predators left, the poption of the Tail Lard Rats exploded. They expanded their underground burrows and farms repeatedly, yet it was never enough to contain their growth.


    Then, internal wars broke out.In just a few decades, over a dozen civil wars erupted among the Tail Lard Rats, each costing countless lives. After every war, resources became abundant again, leading to a period of peace. However, this cycle of poption explosion and civil conflict continued.


    Until they discovered the light.


    The surviving Tail Lard Rats could notprehend the meaning of ¡°light.¡± Just as they couldn¡¯t understand the concept of the sun or the divine beings their ancestors had spoken of.


    These tales, along with theirnguage and script, were passed down from their forebears.


    Legends told of their race and their ancient adversaries being primitive beasts before a ¡°god¡± took pity on them, granting them intelligence and teaching them knowledge.


    However, their ancestors were too foolish, angering this ¡°god,¡± who then punished them.


    A colossal fireball descended from the heavens, obliterating their homnd.


    Much of what happened afterward is unrecorded, as few written ounts survived that time. Many were lost during civil wars. What remains now isrgely oral tradition.


    The legends describe the ¡°god¡± aspassionate and merciful. In hister years, the sage who introduced agriculture revealed the truth: agriculture was not his invention but a gift from the ¡°god,¡± who had not forsaken them.


    Perhaps their infighting had once again angered the ¡°god,¡± leading to his disappearance. Today, the younger generations only hear these tales as stories, dismissing the existence of the ¡°god.¡±


    The Tail Lard Rats emerging from their burrows faced a vast expanse ofnd, unrestrained by poption limits.


    At this time, there were over a hundred thousand Tail Lard Rats underground. After some deliberation, they divided into dozens of groups and set off in different directions.


    The Tail Lard Rats had entered the tribal age.


    Luo Wen carefully nurtured this seed of civilization. He realized that excessive interference might hinder their development. Thus, beyond some necessary guidance and assistance, he refrained from intervening in their affairs, including their civil wars.


    After several generations, the Tail Lard Rats had be more intelligent than their ancestors. They had grown ustomed to using tools and adapted to walking upright.


    In them, Luo Wen saw echoes of Earth¡¯s early hominids.


    The post-catastrophe was in ruins, but with no natural predators, the Tail Lard Rats rapidly spread across the continent. Their expansion was astonishingly swift.


    The previous experimental area was now too small to contain this burgeoning civilization. Luo Wen decided to broaden the scope of his experiment, designating the entire continent as their new field of development.


    To avoid disrupting the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ growth, Luo Wen removed allrge insect beasts and fungal carpets from the continent, leaving only small ants and flying insects to serve as observational aids.


    As for Luo Wen himself, he wasn¡¯t idle. He headed to the ocean to further develop the swarm. At the very least, he aimed to maintain the strength needed to control the situation should the experiment spiral out of control.


    The¡¯s oceans were several timesrger than itsndmass, and despite the cmity, the seas still teemed with gic samples.


    Over the years, Luo Wen had not been idle, aside from observing his experimental subjects. He had gained new insights into his abilities and gicposition.


    However, escaping this remained a distant goal. Luo Wen was not one to pin his hopes on a single method. Within his capabilities, he explored multiple paths: self-evolution, discovering unique genes, and nurturing civilizations were just a few.


    Heading to the sea to collect samples was only part of the n. His second goal was to separate himself from the Brood Nest. Luo Wen had long been uneasy about being near the Brood Nest.


    For the sake of the swarm¡¯s future, he decided to leave the Brood Nest in an underground base that had been excavated to a depth of 2,000 meters over many years.


    This task had not been easy for the swarm. Beyond a certain depth, each additional meter of excavation required extensive reinforcement work, which was exceedingly tedious.


    Luo Wen¡¯s main body, meanwhile, would move toward the ocean depths. He recalled his earlier knowledge that the challenges of developing the deep sea were on par with venturing into space.


    Resisting the intense pressure of the deep sea was no simpler than surviving in space. Since space exploration was temporarily out of reach, he would first conquer the deep sea.


    The immense pressure of the ocean depths, Luo Wen believed, would serve as a catalyst to push his innate abilities to their limits, enhancing his strength.


    The rapid reproduction of the Tail Lard Rats also elerated the progress of their civilization. With no natural predators, their poption surged from a hundred thousand to over a billion.


    This poption boom strained resources and led to the emergence of social sses. Some clever Tail Lard Rats began employing others forbor.


    Subsequently, trade practices emerged, leading to the birth ofmerce.


    At this point, the legendary ¡°god¡± reappeared.


    Several tribal chieftains and wise men imed to have received the ¡°god¡¯s¡± favor, stating that the ¡°god¡± had taught them numbers for calction and trade.


    They also imed the ¡°god¡± resided on the moon, and if they could reach it, they might meet him.


    When asked what the ¡°god¡± looked like, their descriptions varied widely. Some said it was a beautiful bird, others a kind of flying insect, and still others a giant ant.


    The Tail Lard Rats doubted their ims, believing the ¡°god¡± to be a fabrication. Yet the knowledge of numbers spread, facilitating trade. Meanwhile, the desire to reach the moon quietly took root in their hearts.

 Chapter 139: The Evolution of Civilization (2)

    ording to iplete statistics, inventors among the Tail Lard Rats suddenly multiplied. Publicly or secretly, they employed various methods in an attempt to fly.


    Although they vocally denied believing in the existence of a ¡°god,¡± their actions betrayed their curiosity.


    Unfortunately, the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ tools were still primitive. Those who builtrge slingshots tounch themselves into the air were considered advanced thinkers. Most rats simply climbed the tallest trees in their vicinity and leapt off in acts of ¡°faith.¡±


    This led to a significant number of casualties.


    Luo Wen, who was always observing, couldn¡¯t help butugh and cry at their antics. Fortunately, with the Tail Lard Rats¡¯rge poption, these losses were manageable.


    Surprisingly, this wave of experimental failures ignited a certain passion among the rats. A flurry of inventions and creations emerged, reminiscent of bamboo shoots sprouting after rain. While most ideas wereughable, a few proved practical.


    One such breakthrough was the wheel. Its invention quickly gave rise to carts, significantly improving transportation efficiency among the Tail Lard Rats.


    Besides the Tail Lard Rats, other animals had also survived the catastrophe. Among them was a creature that resembled a cross between a dinosaur and a bird. Its forelimbs had evolved into small, plump wings, rendering it flightless, while its strong hind legs made it an excellent runner.


    Some Tail Lard Rats discovered and domesticated these creatures to pull carts. Inspired by this, many other animals suffered simr fates. After much trial and error, the rats identified species suitable for domestication and breeding, using them as food sources orbor.With their productivity greatly enhanced, the Tail Lard Rats experienced another poption explosion. However, as per-capita resources dwindled, wars erupted once again.


    It is often said that war is a catalyst for technological progress. This might be nonsense when both sides possess city-destroying nuclear weapons, but in primitive societies, there is some truth to it.


    During wartime, rulers invested heavily in manpower and resources to develop weapons. Numerous military inventions emerged, including war chariots and crossbows.


    In theter stages of war, even metal tools made their debut.


    At this stage of civilization, Luo Wen found himself out of depth. He had been an ordinary person in his previous life, and most of the knowledge he had learned over the years had long been forgotten. Furthermore, as an alien world, it was uncertain how applicable Earth¡¯s knowledge would be here.


    Although he could no longer assist the Tail Lard Rats in advancing scientific knowledge, he could still guide them in other areas.


    As a result, the rulers of the Tail Lard Rats gradually learned about concepts such as ¡°family nning¡± and ¡°eugenics,¡± and came to understand their significance.


    Over the next decade, the Tail Lard Rats fought several more wars. Afterward, the thousands of tribes were consolidated into five major powers.


    By this time, Luo Wen had reached the seabed at a depth of 8,000 meters. The atmospheric pressure here was astonishing, with nearly a ton of weight pressing down on an area the size of a fingernail. Luo Wen had drawn inspiration from various sea creatures to reach this point.


    First, after several molts, he reced his exoskeleton with a soft cartge structure. This spongier material was more resistant to pressure than hard bone, though its defense capabilities were poor. Luo Wen was experimenting withbining the strengths of both to create a new type of armor.


    Furthermore, the immense pressure here could copse even the protein structures at the cellr level. Tobat this, his body produced a high concentration of oxidizedpounds that stabilized his physical structure.


    In addition to these adaptations, Luo Wen acquired many other fascinating skills. For example, in the lightless deep sea, many organisms produced their own light. Their unique understanding of bioelectricity proved invaluable.


    Luo Wen quietly absorbed these discoveries. Deep-sea resources were scarce, so he prioritized modifying the Fungal Carpet. Its inherent adaptability made it ideal for integration with deep-sea genes, allowing it to take root and provide Luo Wen with a steady energy supply.


    Meanwhile, the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ civilization evolved rapidly. Some rulers recognized the power of technology and, guided from the shadows, began to promote education and nurture talent.@@novelbin@@


    However, due to their short lifespans, Tail Lard Rats leaders changed frequently. Some resisted progress, but they invariably met with strange ¡°idents.¡±


    The same lifespan issue gued the rats¡¯ intellectuals. Advanced scientific knowledge required time to learn and umte, and the Tail Lard Rats¡¯ mere decade-long lives made such umtion impossible.


    Consequently, their technological progress stagnated after reaching a certain level.


    Luo Wen, observing this issue, quickly deployed a batch of swarm-modified Tail Lard Rats carrying longevity genes.


    Thanks to their incredible reproductive efficiency, the gene spread rapidly. The rats¡¯ maximum lifespan increased steadily, enabling technological progress to resume.


    However, the longer-lived rats faced severe poption pressure, and soon resource conflicts led to war once more.


    The five major powers were eventually reduced to two: the Kingdom of Kerrigan and the Kingdom of Merrican.


    The Kerrigan royal family consisted of a mutant strain of white-furred Tail Lard Rats. Their pure white fur made them rare and striking, granting them a natural charisma among the predominantly mottled rats.


    Luo Wen had discovered their ancestors long ago and given them the surname Kerrigan as a tribute. The white-furred rats, believing themselves to be divinely chosen, eagerly established their power base.


    Their rise to prominence was not without Luo Wen¡¯s covert assistance.


    In contrast, the Kingdom of Merrican reached its current status entirely through its own efforts. Its royal family, with solid gray fur, produced several visionary and capable leaders, building their strength over time and achieving their present-day stability.


    The two kingdoms, one in the north and the other in the south, divided the continent between them. Equally matched, they eventually chose to cease hostilities.


    With five powers reduced to two, resources were consolidated, spurring another wave of technological advancement.


    Yet, the poption problem persisted. Shortly after the war, both kingdoms experienced another poption surge, leading to resource scarcity once again.


    Luo Wen, observing from the shadows, tirelessly managed the situation. Another batch of gically modified Tail Lard Rats was discreetly introduced. These rats were engineered with limited fertility¡ªproducing a maximum of 1-3 offspring annually¡ªand extended lifespans, raising the maximum age to 60 years, four to five times the original.


    Thirty years passed quickly. The two kingdoms fought two more wars due to various disputes. Most of the old poption without the new genes had died off, and those remaining were too old to reproduce.


    The birth rate gradually declined, and after years of adjustment, the poption finally stabilized at an optimal level.

 Chapter 302: Burning

    The three destroyed aircraft were drones. The Riken pilot let out a cold breath, realizing that if the tentacle had been just a little longer, his craft would have also turned into a fireball.


    A standard formation included ten aircraft. He quickly directed the remaining fighter jets to lock onto the target and prepare for an attack.


    The target was a medium-sized Space Octopus, over 80 meters in length with tentacles extending up to 50 meters¡ªlong enough to take out three aircraft in one strike.


    Upon being locked on, the Space Octopus didn¡¯t panic. Instead, it flexed its tentacles and climbed swiftly along the rocky walls, its movements agile and gtinous, like rolling jelly.


    Most of the fighter jets¡¯ attacks missed, with only a fewnding on its body. However, the energy weapons mounted on the jets were too small in caliber to deal significant damage to the 80-meter Space Octopus.


    To disable this creature, the jets would need to attack continuously for an extended period. But time was a luxury they didn¡¯t have. As the jets locked onto the Space Octopus and focused their fire, three other Mature bodies suddenly leapt out from the cliff walls ahead.


    These three Mature bodies were smaller, only about 20 meters in length, having just transitioned from Larval body to Mature body status. They weren¡¯t yet equipped with electromaic railguns, which made their smaller frames even more nimble.


    The sudden ambush left the jets no room to evade. The three Mature bodies pounced, each taking down a jet and hurling them toward nearby allied aircraft.


    Once again, the Riken pilot was fortunate not to be targeted. He quickly pulled his craft upward, prioritizing his own survival over his drone escorts.Meanwhile, the 80-meter Space Octopus that had initially been fleeing turned back. With its 50-meter-long tentacle shing with electrical sparks, it swung from above with full force.


    The pilot¡¯s ascending jet was struck directly. Its superior build and sturdier frame spared it from immediate destruction, but the tremendous impact warped its outer shell and sent it hurtling toward the ground at an even faster speed.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The jet crashed into the ground and suffered catastrophic damage, ultimately exploding into a fireball.


    The remaining three drones fared no better. Two were destroyed in midair collisions with allied jets under the control of the Mature bodies. Thest drone, attempting to ascend, was swatted out of the sky by the 80-meter Space Octopus¡¯s tentacle, exploding on impact.


    With their prey eliminated, the team of Mature bodies disappeared once more into the mountainous terrain, waiting for their next victims.


    Scenes like this yed out across the ruggedndscape. The once nearly unscathed Riken squadrons saw their losses mount sharply. By the time themanders realized the gravity of the situation, over 20,000 fighter jets had been lost.


    In contrast, the Swarm¡¯s losses among the Mature bodies were negligible.


    The remaining Riken aircraft were ordered to ascend to higher altitudes. However, they didn¡¯t retreat entirely but instead encircled the entire mountainous area, determined to prevent the Space Octopuses from escaping.


    On the main battlefield, the Swarm forces hadpletely lost their ability to counterattack. Their electromaic railguns had all fallen silent, leaving them to endure wave after wave of bombardment.


    Yet, the purple-gray patches proved far more resilient than the Riken could have imagined. No matter how they attacked, the patches continued to repair and grow.


    ¡°Damn it! What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°Conventional firepower is useless!¡±


    ¡°We need another n.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that could work.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­?¡±


    Minutester, several gunboats departed from the Riken warships, heading toward the battlefield below.


    From an altitude of 10,000 meters, cylindrical metal canisters¡ªeach two meters tall and 1.2 meters in diameter¡ªwere dropped one by one. A total of over a hundred canisters rained down in session.


    The metal canisters plummeted quickly, and just before reaching the purple-gray patches, they detonated with a deafening roar less than a hundred meters above the ground.


    These were the Riken¡¯stest experimental weapons. Upon detonation, even in the vacuum of space, they burned for more than 30 seconds, thanks to advanced oxidizers contained within.


    During this brief time, the canisters could raise the temperature of the targeted area to over ten thousand degrees Celsius, inflicting devastating thermal damage. The oxidizer¡¯s byproducts also created a potent chemical toxin with effectsparable to intense radiation. These toxins were highly adhesive and non-biodegradable.


    On a life-bearing, such a weapon would render the affected area uninhabitable for centuries.


    Though the weapon¡¯s theoretical concept had long existed, the Riken had strictly prohibited its development until the Expeditionary Fleet¡¯s defeat. Faced with the existential threat of alien species, such forbidden weapons were revived and eventually deployed.


    The interception fleet carried a small number of these experimental weapons to test their effectiveness inbat.


    The performance of the burning barrels exceeded expectations. Over a hundred of them detonated in session, igniting what seemed like a hundred miniature suns. The bright mes flickered briefly before extinguishing, but the scars they left were indelible.


    The purple-gray patches turned to ck-brown sludge, oozing a tar-like substance. The toxins effectively stifled the growth of the Fungal Carpet.


    ¡°Look! The patches are being suppressed!¡±


    ¡°It seems to be working.¡±


    ¡°Too bad these are experimental. We don¡¯t have many.¡±


    ¡°Use them all! Destroy as much as we can. We¡¯ll figure out something for the rest.¡±


    Encouraged by the results, hundreds more gunboatsunched from the warships. In moments, even more miniature suns lit up the battlefield.


    Though these were only experimental weapons and each warship carried a limited stock, there were over 2,000 warships on-site. The cumtive number of burning barrels became significant.


    On a life-bearing, such concentrated detonations could lead to the extinction of species with delicate environmental needs. However, Raze, located in the outermost reaches of the star system, was barren and uninhabited, allowing the Riken to unleash their weapons without hesitation.


    Thousands upon thousands of burning barrels detonated, severely slowing the Fungal Carpet¡¯s repair and growth. However, it was only a dy.


    A few hourster, as the Riken focused their bombardments on regions not yet touched by the barrels, the areas affected by the toxins began to recover.@@novelbin@@


    The Fungal Carpet was the culmination of Luo Wen¡¯s mastery, a distilled essence of every gic fragment he had collected. Its rich gic features allowed it to adapt to various crises and challenges, consistently demonstrating exceptional resilience.


    The extreme temperatures produced by the burning barrels¡ªover ten thousand degrees Celsius¡ªwere hardly a threat to the Fungal Carpet. After all, Atomic Furnaces, integralponents of the carpet, could withstand temperatures exceeding millions of degrees during fusion reactions.


    The scorching heat from the barrels was easily mitigated by a slight mutation in the Fungal Carpet¡¯s surface cells.


    What truly inhibited its growth were the chemical toxins left behind by the barrels. To the Fungal Carpet, these toxins were akin to ¡°feces¡±¡ªrepulsive and difficult to digest. This was the primary reason it appeared ¡°hesitant¡± to advance.

 Chapter 141: Speculations

    ¡°Look here,¡± Morgan pointed to a pattern on the stone tablet and said, ¡°Early writingbined peculiar textual styles with some pictographic expressions. This pattern represents a burning fireball.¡±


    He then pointed to another part of the tablet. ¡°These small figures¡ªlook closely¡ªthere are subtle differences. They likely represent two different races. Over here, this glowing insect-like pattern appears to rule over these small figures. These record what seem to be natural disasters, processes of escape, and even conflicts between two races.¡±


    Morgan enthusiastically expounded on his findings for a while before concluding, ¡°The ancient legends are true¡ªthere really were ¡®Gods¡¯.¡±


    Sarah pursed her lips skeptically. ¡°Teacher, you just said these are legends. Everything you¡¯ve described could easily be guessed by any child with a vivid imagination.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Morgan patted the stone tablet. ¡°But now we have evidence. Everything is clearly recorded here.¡±


    ¡°Maybe the ancients were just bored and carved their stories onto stone tablets for fun.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Morgan¡¯s whiskers bristled as he red at her. ¡°The ancients weren¡¯t as idle as you think!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not an ancient yourself, so how can you be sure they weren¡¯t?¡±


    For the sake of his health, Morgan decided not to argue further. Sarah, however, was far from finished. Since she was young, Morgan had been her tutor, practically raising her like a father. In his presence, she could be her true self¡ªbantering, nitpicking, and showcasing her sharp tongue. Beyond this room, however, she transformed into the solemn and authoritative queen.Unfortunately, Morgan knew her too well. Just as she started to enjoy their verbal sparring, he would always put an end to it, leaving her unsatisfied.


    ncing at Morgan, who pretended to be engrossed in his research, Sarah discreetly rolled her eyes and asked softly, ¡°Teacher, do you truly believe in Gods?¡±


    Morgan sighed, leaning back in his chair. Removing his monocle, he wiped it with his sleeve and replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t at first. But as I¡¯ve learned more, I¡¯ve begun to believe.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Morgan, a renowned schr, had once been the epitome of rationality and scientific thought. In his prime, he had served as the head of the Royal Academy of Sciences and had scoffed at legends, dismissing them as baseless fabrications.


    After retiring from active duties, Morgan had shifted his focus to studying myths and history, even enlisting Sarah¡¯s help in essing the royal archives. Since her ascension to the throne, Sarah¡¯s visits to Morgan had grown infrequent, and their interactions were usually limited to their yful bickering.


    To her surprise, the man who once staunchly believed in science was now entertaining the idea of divine beings.


    After a pause, Morgan continued, ¡°A few years ago, someone proposed a theory of biological evolution¡ªa hypothesis about the origins of species. I found it intriguing and began researching it. But the deeper I delved, the more peculiar things I discovered.¡±


    ¡°ording to the theory, all species evolve over long periods through natural selection.¡±


    Sarah straightened in her seat, a sign to those familiar with her that the topic had captured her interest. ¡°Oh? And what¡¯s strange about that?¡±


    ¡°The oddity lies in us, the rat folk. We suddenly developednguage and writing and, in just two or three hundred years, propelled our civilization to its current heights.¡±


    Before Sarah could respond, Morgan pressed on. ¡°Many species have existed for tens of thousands, even millions of years. Why, then, are we so special? How did we emerge as a dominant race so quickly?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps our history extends far beyond what we know,¡± Sarah suggested. ¡°Maybe the great catastrophe from centuries ago wiped out our ancestors¡¯ civilization, and what we¡¯re building now is merely a reconstruction.¡±


    Morgan nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable hypothesis. I¡¯ve considered it myself. But through my studies of these tablets, I¡¯ve found that thenguage and writing from that period were still in their infancy,cking any structured system.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that support the idea of a previous civilization? The cmity might have destroyed it, leaving behind remnants for our ancestors to rediscover and build upon,¡± Sarah countered.


    Morgan smiled approvingly. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. But consider this: First, if we were truly rebuilding civilization, there should still be some records from the earlier era. Second, look at this skeleton. Observe its sharp teeth and massive ws¡ªevidence of arge carnivorous creature.¡±


    ¡°This skeleton is surprisingly well-preserved, dating back only a few centuries. Calctions indicate that its owner lived around the time of the great catastrophe.¡±


    ¡°And what does that imply?¡± Sarah asked.


    ¡°A great deal. Without weapons, we rat folk couldn¡¯t possibly have stood a chance against such creatures. If we coexisted with them, we would have been nothing more than their prey.¡±


    ¡°But we could have used weapons to defeat them,¡± Sarah argued.


    ¡°Such creatures required substantial amounts of food¡ªeating at least ten rat folk per meal. Moreover, numerous simr creatures have been unearthed. If a civilization like ours had existed then, these predators wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to thrive¡ªthey would have been eradicated. Even if kept for observation, their numbers wouldn¡¯t have been so vast.¡±


    Morgan¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts again. ¡°There¡¯s more. Historical records indicate that centuries ago, rat folk had extraordinarily high fertility rates,monly birthing seven or eight offspring at a time, with some cases exceeding ten. They could reproduce every two to three months. Many wars were triggered by poption explosions.¡±


    ¡°During the same era, the average lifespan of rat folk was barely over a decade. But suddenly, our fertility rates plummeted, and our lifespans increased dramatically. From an evolutionary standpoint, these changes are highly irregr.¡±


    ¡°What if evolution itself is wrong?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. But other species adhere to evolutionary principles. It¡¯s only us rat folk who seem anomalous. Then there¡¯s the matter of our ancestors¡¯ supposed nemesis¡ªscarce in number and even more mysterious. We know almost nothing about them.¡± Morgan looked visibly fatigued.


    ¡°Maybe they never existed,¡± Sarah offered consolingly.


    Morgan nodded, then shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are too many contradictions in our history.¡±


    The two fell silent for a long time before Morgan muttered to himself, ¡°But if you introduce an omnipotent God into the narrative, everything begins to make sense.¡±

 Chapter 309: Impact

    If the Swarm had a logistics base within the Riken star system, they could have easily remained beyond the range of the Riken¡¯s main cannons, slowly wearing them down over time. Both sides could have ended up in a standoffsting years, even decades, until the star system¡¯s resources were entirely depleted.


    But there were no ¡°ifs.¡± The Swarm had to capture Raze before the metal elements inside their Primordial bodies werepletely depleted.


    Afterunching more than twenty rounds of attacks, the Primordial bodies finally entered the range of the Riken¡¯s main cannons. Having endured constant bombardment for so long, the Riken forces were eagerly awaiting this moment and immediately issued counterattack orders.


    The ground-based cannons on Raze opened fire first. However, since their energy systems prioritized theser defense array, only 80% of the cannons could operate.


    Even so, the remaining operational cannons numbered in the tens of thousands. Their rapid rate of fire filled the sky with red beams of light, creating a disy far more spectacr than the silent, invisible barrages of electromaic projectiles.


    Faced with the iing barrage of red beams, the Primordial swarm adjusted their formation. They reduced energy allocated to their electromaic cannons, slowing their firing rate, and diverted most of the power to their engine organs.


    Operating at full capacity, the engine organs enveloped the Primordial bodies in flickering blue electric arcs, dramatically enhancing their speed. The sudden eleration caused the previous barrage of energy beams to miss entirely.


    ¡°Hold them back!¡± Hamis roared.


    The Riken fleet, previously concealed behind Raze, and the orbital rail cannons repositioned themselves and joined the fray. The main turrets rotated, adjusted their angles, and began firing immediately.The previously disadvantaged number of main energy cannons multiplied several times over, creating an overwhelming cascade of red beams that seemed to dye the starry void crimson.


    On the other side, the Primordial bodies, encased in crackling blue light, charged forward with unwavering determination, facing even fiercer resistance.


    The sh of red and blue light created dazzling explosions against the dark starry backdrop, a grimly beautiful and awe-inspiring sight.


    Yet this beauty came at a cost of countless lives.


    This wave of attacks, owing to its intensity, incapacitated over twenty Primordial bodies. Though not irreparably damaged, they required time to regenerate while drifting in space.


    However, the Mature bodies and Larval bodies they carried suffered coteral damage. Therger Mature bodies, with more fungal strains, sustained only injuries. In contrast, over a dozen of the smaller, 20¨C30-meter-long Larval bodies were destroyed.


    For a swarm numbering in the tens of thousands, such losses were negligible. The blue-lit charge continued relentlessly.


    By the third volley, the Riken¡¯s supeputers had adjusted their targeting parameters, and the closer range allowed the energy beams to strike faster.


    About 20% of the Primordial bodies¡¯ evasive paths were now effectively blocked. With no alternative, these units were forced to charge straight through the barrage.


    This wave of red and blue collisions left over 300 Primordial bodies incapacitated, with thousands of Mature and Larval bodies obliterated.


    The Riken¡¯s energy cannons had a high rate of fire, and the fourth barrage followed swiftly. At the now-reduced range, nearly 500 Primordial bodies were incapacitated, while over 2,000 Mature and Larval bodies were destroyed.


    During the Riken¡¯s four salvos, the Primordial bodies managed to squeeze in a single counterattack. Tens of thousands of electromaic projectiles wereunched, forcing some Riken warships to evade and disrupting their firing rhythm. A few sluggish orbital rail cannons were also destroyed, but there were no significant gains.


    The Riken¡¯s fifth barrage arrived, with red and blue beams shing once again. This wave left nearly 800 Primordial bodies incapacitated, along with the loss of over 3,000 Mature and Larval bodies.


    However, before the sixth barrage couldnd, the Primordial bodies reached the effectivebat range of the Mature bodies. The sides of the Space Octopuses split open, releasing one Mature body after another. Ranging from 20 meters to over 100 meters in size, the deployment instantly multiplied the Swarm¡¯s effective forces.


    Relieved of their burden, the Primordial bodies elerated again, surging past the coverage of the sixth barrage. The red and blue beams barely collided this time, with the Riken achieving little beyond destroying a few hundred trailing Mature bodies.


    The recalibrated parameters of the seventh barrage, however, achieved more substantial results. Another fierce sh of red and blue light left nearly 1,000 Primordial bodies incapacitated, hundreds of Mature bodies destroyed, and uncounted Larval body losses.


    But before the eighth barrage arrived, the Primordial body swarm entered the operational range of the Larval bodies. If the earlier deployment of Mature bodies resembled a snake emerging from itsir, this was akin to a swarm of bees bursting from a hive.


    An enormous wave of Larval bodies poured out of the Primordial bodies, darkening the space around them. Despite earlier losses, their numbers still exceeded a million.


    Among the Primordial bodies, over 8,000 remained operational after enduring the barrages. Of these, 5,000 halted their advance to stabilize their positions and resumed firing electromaic projectiles, the crackling arcs of electricity illuminating the battlefield as countless projectiles streaked toward the Riken orbital cannons.


    Unlike their earlier rushed shots during high-speed maneuvers, this round of stable firing achieved significantly higher uracy. The projectiles targeted the orbital cannons¡ªbulky, slow-moving structures with noser defense arrays, making them ideal targets.


    Meanwhile, the remaining 3,000 Primordial bodies clustered together, forming ayered meat-shield defense. Groups of 100 units created over 30yers of protection, presenting an imposing barrier at the forefront.


    Behind this wall, the Mature and Larval bodies regrouped, safely sheltered from the Riken¡¯s line of fire. With the current trajectory of the Riken¡¯s beams, prating all 30 defensiveyers was nearly impossible, leaving the smallerbat units unscathed.


    Unburdened and fully operational, the Primordial bodies surged forward again, their blue electric arcs shing intensely as they shielded the advancing Mature and Larval bodies.


    ¡°Stop them at all costs!¡± came the frantic orders.


    The Riken defense systems, assisted by supeputers and artificial intelligence, recalibrated targeting parameters, adjusted turret angles, andpleted these adjustments in a matter of moments.


    But by this time, the electromaic projectiles had already arrived. Predictably, the unprotected orbital rail cannons were devastated, with over 1,000 destroyed in a single volley.


    As thebatants drew closer, the flight time advantage of the Riken¡¯s energy beams began to diminish. Over longer distances, the difference between several minutes for projectiles and half an hour for energy beams was significant. But as the gap closed, the difference between three minutes and a few dozen seconds became negligible.


    When the Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies unleashed their second round of long-range support fire, the Riken¡¯s retaliatory energy beams reached the Swarm¡¯s forward units simultaneously.


    If earlier collisions of red and blue light resembled scattered beams, now they shed like spears of condensed energy.


    The Swarm¡¯s 30yer defensive formation lost its first twoyers instantly, with dozens of Primordial bodies reduced to fragments, bing the first casualties of the battle.@@novelbin@@


    The remaining hundred or so Primordial bodies in the firstyers were also severely damaged. Yet they had no chance to ¡°y dead¡± and regenerate. The next defensiveyers pushed them forward, forcing them to continue advancing.


    These heavily damaged units would serve as the front-line defense for the next wave of red energy beams, sacrificing themselves to provide one final contribution to the Swarm¡¯s assault.

 Chapter 312: Countermeasure

    The Riken, as a highly intelligent civilization, had anticipated scenarios like this during their simted war exercises. When smaller Swarm units faltered against new weapons and resorted to reckless charges to avoid being whittled down, the Riken already had response protocols in ce.


    Thus, when the Larval bodies suddenly abandoned their targets and charged en masse, the Riken forces only hesitated briefly before implementing their contingency ns.


    Along the Larval bodies¡¯ path of advance, Riken fighter jets were the first to respond. However, their long-range firepower wasn¡¯t sufficient to eliminate the Larval bodies quickly, especially when the Swarm units clustered together, using the bodies of theirrades as shields.


    ¡°Show them our little toys!¡± a Riken pilot eximed.


    Suddenly, dozens of metallic spheres, each roughly the size of a basketball, wereunched from the fighters¡¯ cargo bays.


    These metal spheres had no propulsion system, relying entirely on the momentum from their initial ejection to drift through space. They moved slowly, and given their small size, the amount of explosive material they could carry seemed unlikely to pose any real threat to the Swarm units.


    But the Riken wouldn¡¯t make such an obvious tactical blunder. After drifting a short distance, the spheres suddenly exploded, deploying massives that unfurled in an instant.


    Each spanned hundreds of square meters and was made from metallic fibers less than a millimeter in diameter. Without any cloaking technology, thes were nearly invisible in the vastness of space, relying on their size and deployment strategy to surprise their targets.


    These fibers represented the cutting edge of Riken technology. Not only were they extremely lightweight, resistant to heat, cold, and corrosion, but they were also incredibly durable. Despite their minuscule diameter, each strand could withstand several tons of tension. Coupled with a meticulously designed arrangement for distributing force, thes were strong enough to resist the tearing of the Larval bodies.Additionally, their thinness granted them a sharp cutting capability. For those without sufficiently robust defenses, attempting to tear through thes by brute force would only result in self-inflicted injuries.


    Cannon fire had failed to halt the Larval bodies¡¯ charge; the seemingly harmless metal spheres were even less likely to seed. However, when the spheres detonated overhead, releasing their enormouss, the Swarm units found themselves with no time to evade and crashed straight into the trap.


    On its own, a single metallic¡ªfreely drifting in space without anchor points¡ªposed minimal danger. It might be slightly ufortable if draped over a unit, but ignoring it would only result in minor inconvenience or a slight hindrance to movement.


    Yet, in the context of a clustered charge, the effects of these metallics were exponentially amplified.


    Each, with its coverage of hundreds of square meters, could entangle several, or even dozens, of tightly packed Larval bodies. The speed variation among the charging Swarm units, due to differences in their development stages, exacerbated the situation.


    These speed discrepancies naturally caused uneven momentum among the units caught in the same, leading to mutual pulling and dragging.


    The only way to nullify the¡¯s effects would be for the Larval bodies to halt their movement entirely and remain stationary. However, in the intensity of battle, such a scenario was impossible to imagine.


    Moreover, this wasn¡¯t a matter of just a few hundred Larval bodies and a handful ofs. The Larval bodies¡¯ charging speed was incredible. Even in the chaotic battlefield, where they couldn¡¯t sprint at full velocity due to environmental constraints, their forward momentum still exceeded 10 kilometers per second.@@novelbin@@


    Although the Larval bodies attempted to scatter to the sides the moment thes unfurled, and the vanguard units immediately tried to halt their advance and retreat, the sudden chaos was unavoidable. The foremost units collided with those behind them, causing a chain reaction that pushed them forward. In mere moments, over 220,000 Larval bodies had charged into the formation.


    While tens of thousands of Larval bodies near the rear managed to escape before thes fully enclosed the area, more than 200,000 were still trapped and unable to break free.


    These 200,000 Larval bodies were tightly ensnared by hundreds of thousands of ovepping metallics. In this intricate and tangled environment, their struggles only made matters worse. The more they thrashed, the tighter thes constricted.


    The fine metallic fibers, incredibly resilient, tore through the outeryers of the Larval bodies¡¯ skin. As thes tightened further, the fibers cut deeper into their flesh.


    Some Larval bodies had their tentacles severed; others were sliced into two or even several pieces.


    ¡°Ha! Look at them¡ªstruggling so hard they¡¯re cutting themselves into chunks. Isn¡¯t it hrious?¡± one Riken pilot remarked.


    ¡°Absolutely hrious!¡± another chimed in.


    ¡°Haha~¡±


    A group of fighter pilotsughed as they watched the trapped Larval bodies in space, slowlypacted into a giant mass of flesh. Limbs and body parts floated free from the tangleds, drifting aimlessly in the void.


    Amid the mockery, the Larval bodies suddenly wentpletely still. Their struggle ceased abruptly, as if they had turned to stone.


    The cutting power of the metallics relied entirely on the Larval bodies¡¯ own movements. Without resistance, thes lost their lethality.


    ¡°Hmph. Even if they stop moving, they¡¯re no longer a threat. Once we win this battle, they¡¯ll still be sitting ducks,¡± a Riken pilot grumbled, annoyed that the ¡°hrious¡± scene had ended.


    ¡°Forget them. Redirect your focus to stop the other little octopus freaks!¡±


    Although the Riken had official designations for each type of Swarmbat unit, their long alphanumeric codes were impractical for everydaymunication during battle.


    Thus, the Riken personnel often used informal nicknames. The Larval bodies, for example, weremonly referred to as ¡°little octopus freaks.¡±


    A tactic or weapon usually proved most effective during its first deployment. Once the enemy gathered sufficient data, replicating such outstanding sess became much more difficult.


    By now, the scattered Larval bodies no longer regrouped but instead spread out even further.


    When deployed, each metallic could cover only a few hundred square meters. While thousands ofs nketed tens of thousands of square meters, effectively countering clustered Larval bodies, they were far less effective against dispersed units.


    If an individual Larval body collided with a, it didn¡¯t even need to reverse course. Simply halting its movement would suffice; the momentum of the would carry it past the stationary Larval body, sliding off harmlessly.


    Deploying vast quantities of metallics to ensnare only a handful¡ªor even a single¡ªLarval body became an inefficient and costly endeavor.


    However, the dispersion of the Larval bodies also came with a downside. Without the protection of their clustered formations, they became far more vulnerable to machine gun fire.


    In close-quarters dogfights, the Missile Drones blocked them from approaching the Riken¡¯s main fighters. In long-range exchanges, their firepower was insufficient. When attempting to break through in groups, they faced the metallics. When spreading out for a charge, they were picked off by the fighters¡¯ ranged attacks.


    A series of counterspletely neutralized the Larval bodies¡¯ assault strategy. Without external assistance, it seemed unlikely they could escape this predicament.

 Chapter 144: Ongoing Discussion

    Luo Wen had once considered secretly recing a Rat Folk ruler. Technically, it posed no difficulty. After all, the Rat Folk had reached their current form thanks to his ndestine introduction of Swarm experimental subjects, which had propagated across generations.


    Creating a Rat Folk body and transferring his consciousness into it would be entirely feasible.


    However, this wasn¡¯t some video game where you simply clicked through a few options. It was an entire lifetime to live through¡ªnot just managing governance, but also dealing with all the extended familial rtionships, such as third aunts and eighth cousins.


    As the dignified Swarm Overlord, Luo Wen had no interest in acquiring arge n of Rat Folk rtives. While great ambitions require pragmatism, Luo Wen had been a recluse in his former life. If he were adept at navigating suchplexities, he wouldn¡¯t have been a shut-in.


    Besides, all he cared about was the progress of the Rat Folk¡¯s aerospace technology. He had no interest in other matters. The true reason, ultimately, was his advanced-stageziness.


    In the past, he had opted to work behind the scenes, quietly guiding events, and the results had been excellent¡ªfar better than if he had taken direct control. This only reinforced his decision not to get personally involved.


    Hearing Morgan¡¯s suggestion now, Luo Wen¡¯s first thought was: Could the old guy be suggesting a role-y scenario? Upon further consideration, it urred to him that Morgan, being a Rat Folk, had an intimate understanding of their society. Moreover, he was intelligent, experienced, and had even served as a royal tutor. If Morgan took on the role, it might actually work.


    Theplication was that Morgan had previously been aligned with the Kingdom of Kerrigan, whose current ruler was a female Rat. Was the old man suggesting some sort of cross-dressing scheme? A man pretending to be a woman? Luo Wen was surprised¡ªhe had reviewed Morgan¡¯s life and hadn¡¯t noticed any such tendencies.


    Or was Morgan proposing to rece the ruler of the Kingdom of Merrican? That ruler was male, but Morgan seemed less familiar with their political environment. Taking over that role might make things harder to manage.Setting these thoughts aside, Luo Wen decided to hear Morgan out. ¡°So, which king are you suggesting we rece to unify the Rat Folk?¡±


    Morgan was momentarily confused by Luo Wen¡¯s line of thought, pausing before responding, ¡°Rece? What do you mean?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that if the new empire¡¯s ruler was one of us, the problems I¡¯m worried about wouldn¡¯t arise?¡±


    After a moment of reflection, Morgan replied, ¡°Overmind, what I meant was that the Queen of the Kingdom of Kerrigan was once my student. I¡¯m confident I can persuade her to support our cause.¡±


    This discrepancy in understanding stemmed from their differing perspectives. Luo Wen had lived for centuries, even discounting his periods of hibernation. In terms of age, he far surpassed Morgan. Over such a long span, his worldview hadpletely transformed. To him, only those with a ¡°node¡± status in the Swarm Network could qualify as ¡°one of us.¡± Thework ensured their absolute loyalty, sparing Luo Wen from political maneuvering¡ªan arrangement perfectly suited to hiszy nature.


    Morgan, being the only other intelligent life form with ¡°node¡± status in the Swarm, was naturally considered trustworthy. When Luo Wen heard Morgan¡¯s suggestion, his immediate assumption was that Morgan was volunteering to y the ruler himself.


    For Morgan, however, the term ¡°one of us¡± extended to anyone with aligned or non-conflicting goals and interests.


    Luo Wen quickly grasped the misunderstanding. While he trusted Morgan due to his established node status, relying solely on the old man¡¯s past student-teacher rtionship with a queen was far too precarious. He couldn¡¯t entrust the future of his longid ns and the Swarm¡¯s destiny to such uncertain terms.


    Morgan noticed Luo Wen¡¯s hesitation and offered further exnation. ¡°Overmind, your previous strategy of minimal interference worked well. Your mysteriousness allowed you to engage with the Rat Folk effectively. Perhaps you could maintain this approach while interacting with them. But before proceeding, I¡¯d like to ask a few questions to refine my idea.¡±


    Luo Wen twitched his antennae, signaling Morgan to continue.


    ¡°Overmind, after my death, how did I end up in this bug body? When you mentioned recing a king, does that mean I could leave this body and transfer into a new Rat Folk body?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Luo Wen asked.


    Seeing the confusion in Morgan¡¯spound eyes, Luo Wen recalled that Morgan had been unconscious when his consciousness was integrated into the Swarm Network and then ced in this body. During the earlier data transmission, Luo Wen had only shared information about the current situation and future ns, omitting details about the Swarm Network.


    Moreover, Morgan¡¯swork ess was restricted to the lowest level, allowing only basicmunication with higher-ups. This oversight was likely Luo Wen¡¯s mistake¡ªbut he wouldn¡¯t admit it.


    Shifting perspectives, Luo Wen brought Morgan into the Swarm Network, letting him view the data now embedded in his consciousness and experience his new form as an energy entity.


    ¡°I can ce your consciousness into the body of another Swarm unit, including a Rat Folk,¡± Luo Wen exined.


    ¡°Then why did you put me in a bug¡¯s body?¡± Morgan asked.


    Would Luo Wen admit it was simply a whimsical experiment to see how an intelligent being would react upon discovering they had be a bug?


    ¡°Because there were no spare Rat Folk bodies¡ªonly bug bodies avable,¡± Luo Wen said after some thought, crafting a usible excuse.


    Morgan, though skeptical, didn¡¯t press the issue and instead asked, ¡°If the body I inhabit dies again, will I return here?¡±


    This question stumped Luo Wen. Even transferring consciousness into other Swarm bodies had been a first-time experiment with Morgan. He had no idea if the process could be repeated after another death.


    ¡°As the first outsider to arrive here, I can¡¯t say for certain,¡± Luo Wen admitted. ¡°But you could test it. When you leave, find a spot far away and try self-terminating. That way, we¡¯ll know for sure.¡±


    Morgan chuckled dryly. ¡°Overmind, while I¡¯m much younger than you, I¡¯m still considered old among the Rat Folk. I believe younger individuals, more suited to this task, will eventuallye along to test this question. For now, let¡¯s leave it a mystery.¡±


    The two exchanged knowing smiles, both recognizing a shared reluctance. In this moment of mutual understanding, no further words were needed.

 Chapter 314: Escaped Prey?

    The Rikens stationed on Raze felt deeply uneasy.


    Their location meant that in the event of an unfavorable battle situation, evacuation would be nearly impossible.


    In other words, if the Riken forces were defeated, they would be abandoned. The Rikens would prioritize preserving their warships and other critical assets rather than risking them to retrieve those left behind.


    Thankfully, while listening to the radio broadcasts, the soothing voice of the announcer continued to deliver encouraging news.


    The alien Swarm¡¯sbat units were being countered effectively by the Rikens¡¯ new weapons. The tide of the battle was turning in their favor, and if things continued on this trajectory, the war would soon end. They would sessfullyplete their tasks in safety.


    If the alien Swarm wanted tounch another war of this magnitude, it would likely take them another ten or even several dozen years to rebuild. By then, these Rikens imagined they¡¯d have been promoted and received pay raises. Even if another war broke out, they¡¯d at least be stationed aboard warships or in rear positions, far away from such dangerous and nerve-wracking posts.


    However, at that moment, the detector suddenly sounded an rm. Everyone¡¯s hearts sank. Why now, of all times? The timing was far too coincidental.


    It was difficult for them to believe it was just a fluke.


    ¡°Captain Ryder, what¡¯s going on? Is it an earthquake?¡± one of the engineers asked hopefully.Of the Rikens present, only Captain Ryder and two security team members could interpret the instrument readings. The others were engineers tasked with maintaining the nuclear power nt.


    The engineers stared at Captain Ryder with hopeful eyes.


    Captain Ryder furrowed his brows deeply, studying the data with a grim expression. He nced up at the group, aware of what they wanted to hear. But this wasn¡¯t something that could be resolved through self-delusion.


    He hesitated, not because he wanted to shatter their hopes, but because even he couldn¡¯t fully understand what was happening.


    ¡°Just tell us, Captain Ryder. Everyone here knows the nature of this job; we wrote our wills long ago,¡± one of the engineers said in a somber tone, seemingly interpreting Ryder¡¯s expression as a bad sign.


    ¡°It¡¯s not an earthquake, but I¡¯m not exactly sure what it is,¡± Ryder replied hastily upon noticing the group¡¯s misunderstanding.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± the group asked in confusion.


    ¡°An earthquake¡¯s data readings don¡¯t look like this.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ does that mean the enemy is here?¡±


    ¡°This data trend is extremely strange; I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before,¡± Captain Ryder said gravely, shaking his head.


    He had an excellent memory and had retained nearly all the data patterns he had studied during his training¡ªwhether caused by excavation tools, animals, machinery, explosives, weapons, or even various magnitudes of earthquakes.


    It was his exceptional test scores that had earned him the position of team leader for this three-person squad. Yet the data in front of him sparked no recollection whatsoever.


    Ryder handed the data readout to the other two team members for their input, but they both shook their heads. This deepened Ryder¡¯s concern, adding ayer of confusion.


    The data pattern was unnaturally smooth, as though something was moving through the soil without encountering any resistance.


    Of course, none of them had seen anything like this before¡ªthe Burrowing Worms were making their debut, and their excavation methods were fundamentally unlike anything previously known.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± one of the security team members reassured the group. ¡°We¡¯re wrapped in 20 meters of reinforced barriers. Even if there¡¯s an enemy, it¡¯ll be incredibly difficult for them to break through.¡±


    Before his words had fully left his mouth, the chamber shook. The tremors were minor but unmistakable, and dust from the ceiling rained down on everyone¡¯s heads.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Not good¡ªsomething¡¯s struck the outer barrier! Sound the rm immediately!¡± Ryder reacted swiftly, shouting even as he leapt toward the rm system.


    ¡°Captain, we still don¡¯t know what¡¯s out there. What if this is a false rm?¡± one team member cautioned.


    ¡°Damn it, at this point, even if it¡¯s a false rm, I¡¯ll dly ept punishmentter!¡± Ryder roared as he reached the rm and pulled the lever without hesitation.


    The piercing sound of rms echoed through the underground base. At the same time, news of the nuclear power nt under attack was transmitted to the Riken space fleet.


    As the rms red, the group collectively exhaled in silent relief. No one cared about potential reprimands when their lives were at stake.


    ¡°General, multiple underground bases on Raze are reporting attacks.¡±


    ¡°Is it the Swarm?¡± General Hamis asked, frowning at his adjutant¡¯s report.


    ¡°That¡¯s not confirmed yet.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. It must be. I¡¯ve said before¡ªthere¡¯s no way the Swarm would attack Raze without a specific objective,¡± said Alcer, one of the three fleetmanders, who had been in continuous videomunication with the others to facilitate coordinated battle strategies. He had just received the same report and was visibly agitated.


    ¡°But how did they breach our defenses and infiltrate Raze?¡± Novaul, anothermander, asked in puzzlement.


    ¡°Why infiltrate? I think they¡¯re leftovers from thest invasion,¡± Alcer suggested, his temper momentarily yielding to insight.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Hamis said. ¡°Our defenses around Raze are airtight; it¡¯s imusible for the Swarm to approach undetected. It¡¯s far more likely these are remnants we failed to eliminate. Send a special operations team to deal with it immediately.¡±


    The threemanders had long suspected something was amiss on Raze. The Swarm¡¯s prolonged concealment had left them uneasy¡ªthe unknown was always the greatest threat.


    Now that the Swarm¡¯s hidden forces had revealed themselves as mere ¡°escaped prey,¡± themanders felt reassured. Although there was no direct evidence, the sheer number of Space Octopuses that had descended upon Raze during the previous invasion made it reasonable to assume some had escaped.


    Even though they had conducted sweeps of various areas, Raze was enormous, and the Swarm was highly adept at hiding. Overlooking a few survivors was unsurprising.


    Still, themanders believed these survivors could do little more than harass energy facilities with minor attacks. The scale of their operations seemed too small to influence the oue of the war.


    This, they assumed, was merely the Swarm¡¯s final struggle. The war was nearing its end, and the Rikens would emerge victorious.


    Their confidence, however, was dangerously inted.


    Their understanding of the Swarm¡¯s technological capabilities remained fragmentary at best, yet they boldly dered these ¡°escaped prey¡± incapable of posing a serious threat.


    The 20-meter-thick reinforced barriers barely slowed the Burrowing Worms. The dense, hardened structure was no match for their terrifying, spiral-arrayed teeth.


    Concrete, steel, and debris were chewed apart and swallowed, their remnants processed and transported through the worms¡¯ bodies. Unstoppably, the worms carved a three-meter-wide tunnel from the depths of the earth straight to the nuclear power nt.


    Behind the Burrowing Worms came a dense swarm ofrval bodies. These had been lurking underground since their hatching, subsisting on radiation-rich minerals to grow and develop. Now, the time hade for them to reemerge.


    Even with their mechanical instincts, it was easy to imagine that they, too, longed for the starlit skies and the vastness of the universe.

 Chapter 146: Spore Capsule

    Luo Wen found himself increasingly impressed with Morgan¡¯s ingenuity. After careful consideration, he determined there were no issues with the elder¡¯s proposal. Within the Rat Folk¡¯s understanding, Luo Wen was already a mysterious and intangible figure. As long as he maintained his previous approach, the risk of exposure was minimal.


    The two discussed and finalized various details of the n.


    Morgan then returned to the physical world, re-entering his insect body. The bug opposite him was no longer under Luo Wen¡¯s control. After a brief moment of confusion, it found its ce and scurried off to resume its tasks.


    Morgan clicked his tongue twice in amusement before setting off to explore the underground brood nest. However, his unsteady gait made it clear he was still adapting to his insect body.


    Two dayster, a custom Rat Folk body emerged from its egg. It resembled Morgan¡¯s original form with eight or nine parts simrity, though it appeared significantly younger. This rapid production process required the Brood Queen to gestate the experimental subject to near maturity within her body. While energy-intensive and unsuitable for mass production, it was feasible for asional use.


    By now, Morgan had be proficient at using his insect body, frolicking about the brood nest. Without warning, his consciousness was pulled out remotely, then unceremoniously thrust into the new Rat Folk body.


    It took him a while to regain his senses. He stood, inspected his body, and muttered to himself, ¡°Such means¡­ how are they any different from the gods we know?¡±


    Surveying his surroundings, he noted the deep mountain location, surrounded by towering trees. Nearby, a rock bore a neatly arranged set of clothes and a small stash of Rat Folk currency.


    Luo Wen had upgraded Morgan¡¯s Swarm Network permissions, enabling him to perceive the nearby lower-ranking Swarm units. Through this connection, he discerned a hidden brood nest underground, likely the origin of his new body.Morgan dressed and attempted to navigate his way out but soon found himself lost. Using the Swarm Network, he inquired with Luo Wen, who advised him to wait patiently.


    As dusk fell, a sudden gale swept through, and a pterosaur materialized before Morgan. Thisrge airborne transport unit was something Morgan had only read about in the data Luo Wen had transmitted. Seeing it in person was an awe-inspiring experience.


    The pterosaur opened its mouth and expelled a fleshy, meatball-like object. This was one of the byproducts of Luo Wen¡¯s earlier fungal carpet research. When fully energized, it could proliferate rapidly, enveloping living beings or objects to shield them from harm.


    Luo Wen hadter fused it with certainrge fungal strains to develop it into a functional node unit, naming it the Spore Capsule. In earlier times, it had been used to transport Brood Queenrvae, protecting them from cold and strong winds due to their weak defenses.


    Morgan, with higherwork permissions than the Spore Capsule, quickly understood its use. Activating it, he watched as the meatball rapidly proliferated, forming ayer of nt-like flesh around him.


    Momentster, Morgan was entirely encased, leaving only a purple-gray capsule about a meter tall in his ce.


    The pterosaur grasped the capsule with its hind ws, spread its wings, and took off. Both it and the capsule quickly blended into the surroundings, vanishing from sight.


    This was a new model of the pterosaur, equipped with an optical camouge system.


    While the Rat Folk¡¯s technological tree was skewed¡ªthanks to Luo Wen¡¯s maniptions¡ªleaving their radar technology severely underdeveloped, their reliance on visual observation could not be underestimated. The sudden appearance of a mythical creature like this could cause a significant uproar, potentially distracting scientists from their research.


    The optical camouge system had also been improved over the years. By integrating various rted genes, the system¡¯s response time was now faster, avoiding dys that previously created mosaic-like distortions at high speeds.


    Morgan¡¯swork permissions, slightly higher than the pterosaur¡¯s, allowed him to borrow its perspective. After some fumbling, he sessfully switched views. However, the pterosaur was already flying above the clouds in the pitch-ck night, rendering visibility nearly zero.


    A wild pterosaur would have been simrly blind in such conditions. But the Swarm¡¯s mentalwork was far more sophisticated. To regard it merely as a video feed would grossly underestimate its capabilities.


    Over the years, the Swarm had reconstructed a mental map of reality, meticulously popting it with global coordinates. Ground-level node units served as guides, ensuring no Swarm entity would ever lose its way.


    The number of nodes across the? Luo Wen could only say that even the ants outside an ordinary Rat Folk household might host hidden nodes.


    Did anyone truly believe that someone as cautious as Luo Wen would leave vast swathes of the continent freely avable for Rat Folk development? Should they step out of line, they might very well vanish from history overnight.


    Of course, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t about to share this secret with anyone.


    Guided by the nodes, the pterosaur swiftly reached the skies above the City of Glory. After consulting Morgan, itnded on a nearby hill to replenish the Spore Capsule¡¯s energy and attach an airbag module.


    The fungal carpet, a unique Swarm auxiliary unit, had produced countless byproducts during its development. Over the years, Luo Wen had tinkered with these, creating numerous small yet useful tools. The airbag module was one such innovation.@@novelbin@@


    Thanks to the fungal carpet¡¯s inherent adaptability, its byproducts could be modrized. This not only made theirbinations more versatile but also reduced unnecessary energy waste.


    Taking flight once more, the pterosaur carried the Spore Capsule high above the Kerrigan royal pce, hovering at 10,000 meters before releasing its payload.


    The Spore Capsule descended silently. Equipped with an optical camouge system and shrouded in darkness, it went unnoticed.


    At 3,000 meters, the airbag module activated. Its algae-fused genes rapidly produced hydrogen, inting the airbag. As the airbag expanded, the Spore Capsule¡¯s descent slowed.


    By the time it reached 1,000 meters, the descent haltedpletely, leaving the capsule to hover in mid-air.

 Chapter 319: Cleanup

    The massive chunks of metal debris from Raze¡¯s orbit were swiftly gathered into centralized locations. Smaller fragments were cleared by swarms ofrval bodies, which had just been released from their metallic fibers. Theserval bodies had been idle during the battle and expended almost no energy, making them ideal for performing such menial tasks.


    The wreckage of the orbital cannons¡ªcolossal structures tens or even hundreds of meters in size¡ªwas piled into towering metal mountains.


    In addition to the orbital cannon debris, the remnants of countless warships floated in space. The Rikens had suffered catastrophic losses in this war. Setting aside the staggering personnel casualties, nearly 300 warships were outright destroyed in the final waves of attacks. An additional 500 ships, their main engines damaged beyond repair, had to be scuttled to prevent capture.


    This further reduced the Riken fleet¡¯s primary warships to below 2,000.


    If not for the early withdrawal of damaged ships, coupled with the retreat of support ships unable to withstand the Radiance of the Riken¡¯s electromaic pulses, their losses would have been even more devastating.


    Even with these mitigating factors, the collected warship debris formed metal mountains rivaling those of the orbital cannons.


    It¡¯s worth noting that even the smallest Riken warships were over a kilometer long¡ªtruly enormous constructions.


    As the bulk of the wreckage was consolidated, swarms ofrval bodies descended upon it, transforming into fungal carpet seeds. Soon, purple-gray tissue began to spread from the crevices, proliferating rapidly.


    The metal debris mountains were slowly enveloped in the fungal carpet, which corroded and absorbed the wreckage, breaking it down into elemental metals. Subsequently, the Primordial bodies moved forward, extending their appendages to link with the fungal carpet and replenish their war losses.Although the Swarm appeared to have suffered significant losses in this battle, they were negligiblepared to their first assault on Raze. Most Primordial bodies, aside from those used as forward shields, had not been permanently destroyed.


    Without external interference, these entities could drift in space for a decade or two and fully recover on their own. With external assistance, their recovery would be even faster.


    As for the losses ofrval bodies and mature bodies, even their remaining biological tissues could elerate the recovery of other Swarm units. These spacebat cannon-fodder units, given ess to a radioactive source and sufficient time, could be endlessly reproduced.


    The Riken Star System, much like the Genesis Star System, contained a massive, gas-giant ¡°battery¡± rich in radiation.


    Now that Raze had be a frontline base, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Swarm advanced toward this gas giant.


    The Rikens were thrown into a state of abject panic after yet another defeat in their war against an alien species. Had this not been wartime, recing generals to avoid disruptive influence, General Hamis and his peers might already have joined General Masai for tea in the strategy office.


    After the first sessful defense of Raze, the Rikens had poured vast resources into fortifying the, even to the detriment of the Twin Star Defense Zone and their homeworld¡¯s defensive systems.


    They had hoped to achieve a decisive victory and stop the Swarm beyond Raze¡¯s borders for good.


    Moreover, the new standard-series weapons and equipment performed exceptionally well, countering the Swarm¡¯s rtively monotonous unitposition. Initially, everything seemed to be progressing favorably¡ªso much so that many Rikens believed they would once again secure victory in this battle. Discussions regarding victory celebrations and guest invitations for the festivities were already underway on the Riken homeworld.


    Who could have foreseen such a sudden reversal?


    In just half a day, the imminent victory slipped from their grasp. The Raze defensive line was lost, and their fleet suffered devastating losses, with 20% of their warships destroyed in one fell swoop.


    To this day, the Rikens still hadn¡¯t figured out how the Swarm managed to hide so manybat units on Raze.


    It was baffling.


    The entire Raze defense system, including patrol logs, surveince footage, and mission reports from the outer meteor belt, had been painstakingly reviewed. Over a million analysts and strategists worked tirelessly, examining the records frame by frame.


    But they found nothing unusual.


    ¡°The Swarm couldn¡¯t possibly have the technological sophistication to secretly transport and conceal so manybat units on Raze,¡± one officer argued.


    ¡°Hah, are you still dreaming? The reality is, they did exactly that.¡±


    ¡°Are you implying we were negligent in our duties?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡±


    ¡°Are you looking for a fight?¡±


    ¡°When words fail, you turn to fists? Go ahead¡ªsee if I care!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    As the room verged on devolving into a brawl, President Antonio interjected with exasperation. The military leaders, despite holding high-ranking positions, still had a penchant for resolving disputes with brute force¡ªsomething the politically oriented Antonio had never gotten used to.


    Antonio¡¯s rise to power was itself unprecedented. When he first assumed office, he faced the fallout from the Riken expeditionary force¡¯s defeat in the Neighboring Star System. What was once a coveted position had be a hot seat. Yet, under Antonio¡¯s leadership, the Rikens sessfully repelled the Swarm invasion by the end of his third term, securing victory in the first defense of Raze¡ªa feat that cemented his legacy.


    Antonio¡¯s story grew even more remarkable. An exceptionally capable Riken, he took advantage of the constant threat posed by alien species to implement sweeping reforms. Through alliances, suppression, and other methods, he gradually centralized power in both the military and political spheres, bing one of the most powerful Rikens in history.


    As his third term drew to a close, riding the momentum of his triumph against the alien invaders, Antonio transitioned the Rikens from a federal parliamentary system to a military government.


    As a wartime leader, he avoided stepping down during elections. Over time, factions that had previously opposed him, such as those who had undermined his efforts to secure Longevity Serums, were quietly dismantled, further consolidating his power.


    Years passed, and Antonio remained the most influential figure among the Rikens.


    Thus, seated at the pinnacle of Riken authority, Antonio¡¯s words carried weight. The escting tensions in the meeting were quelled, and the discussions resumed in an orderly manner.


    As a highly advanced civilization with a poption exceeding tens of billions, the Riken elite were far from mediocre. By piecing together subtle clues, two prevailing theories emerged.


    The first theory posited that the Swarm had begun their preparations on Raze a very long time ago. How long ago? Far earlier than the Rikens¡¯ exploration of the Neighboring Star System.


    After all, the Rikens still couldn¡¯t determine when the Swarm had first ventured into space. Some even spected that the Swarm had been spacefaring from their inception, capable of surviving unaided in the vacuum of space.@@novelbin@@


    If this were true, it was entirely possible that they had reached the Riken Star System long ago.

 Chapter 148: The Unexpected

    However, as the Queen of the Kingdom of Kerrigan, Sarah Kerrigan would not avoid what she must face. Steadying herself, she asked, ¡°So, Teacher, you didn¡¯te here just to see me, did you?¡±


    Morgan was pleased with herposure. After all, she was his student, and her performance brought him a sense of pride.


    ¡°Of course not. While I did want to see Your Majesty, I also have a proposal for cooperation to discuss.¡±


    The Queen furrowed her brow. ¡°And, Teacher, in what capacity are you proposing this cooperation? As Morgan, or as a representative of the one behind you?¡±


    Morgan smiled faintly. ¡°Your Majesty sees clearly. I am here as a representative of my God.¡±


    ¡°Then please, speak inly. I¡¯m curious¡ªwhat sort of cooperation could a legendary god propose to a mere mortal like me?¡±


    ¡°After my rebirth, I learned that my fall was no ident. Moreover, it pushed the two nations to the brink of war. Therefore, I petitioned my God to aid the Kingdom of Kerrigan in annexing the Kingdom of Merrican and establishing a unified Ratfolk empire.¡±


    Queen Kerrigan hadn¡¯t anticipated such an ambitious proposal. While unifying the Ratfolk had been the dream of her and her ancestors, the scale of the offer was almost overwhelming¡ªtoo good to be true.


    She didn¡¯t doubt Morgan¡¯s capabilities. The demonstration outside had been proof enough. If even the most secure location in her kingdom could be infiltrated so thoroughly, other ces might as well have no defenses at all.¡°And what would I need to offer in return?¡± she asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. After unifying the Ratfolk, we need Your Majesty to allocate additional personnel and resources to continue advancing the lunar exploration project. Additionally, we ask for permission to spread faith among the researchers.¡±


    The Queen was stunned by the simplicity of the conditions. They were so modest that they hardly seemed worth mentioningpared to uniting the Ratfolk.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±


    ¡°Of course, for the sake of harmonious cooperation, Your Majesty would also need to offer your faith.¡± This was ast-minute addition by Morgan. If the terms seemed too light, his student might grow suspicious, so it was better to include some additional requirement.


    As expected, Queen Kerrigan¡¯s tension eased slightly at his words. So, they did have other motives. She had anticipated as much and immediately began forming countermeasures. She would set up fail-safes to ensure that if she ever acted out of character or against the kingdom¡¯s interests, someone would be ready to eliminate her.


    Te, her chief bodyguard, was unlikely to carry out such an act, but other candidates for the job quickly came to mind.


    The proposal was monumental, and in just a few exchanges, the fate of another kingdom was sealed. Once the terms were finalized, Morgan bowed and prepared to leave.


    Watching his retreating figure, Queen Kerrigan hesitated before calling out, ¡°Teacher, are you still Morgan?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Sarah,¡± Morgan replied with a smile before leaving gracefully.


    As Morgan exited the study, he knew¡ªthough he couldn¡¯t see it¡ªthat the Spore Capsule was already waiting for him.


    Shrouded as if by an invisible cloak, Morgan slowly disappeared from the Queen¡¯s view. The hydrogen within the air sac had remained bnced in a suspended state. Once it enveloped Morgan, a slight increase in hydrogen allowed the Spore Capsule to ascend gradually.


    High above, an invisible w grasped the Spore Capsule and whisked it away.


    A living person vanishing before her eyes was beyond the Queen¡¯sprehension. She had intended to observe how Morgan would leave but was unprepared for such an uncanny departure.


    Later, when the next guard shift arrived, Queen Kerrigan ordered a lockdown to prevent news of the night¡¯s events from spreading. Even a review of surveince footage revealed only guards copsing into sleep without warning. At the time of the incident, even the guards in the monitoring room had been neutralized.


    Without exposing the existence of a god, she had no usible exnation for such bizarre events.


    Ultimately, she confided only a small portion of the truth to her most trusted aide, Te. Together, they reframed the incident as a drill: a test of the guards¡¯ vignce through tampered meals. Te scolded the guards harshly, and the matter was swept under the rug.


    Although she believed Morgan¡¯s story, Queen Kerrigan maintained a cautious stance. She insisted the other side take the first action and provided a list of names¡ªmembers of the Merrican royal family and their loyalists. If these people were eliminated, the Kingdom of Merrican would crumble into chaos, allowing the Kingdom of Kerrigan to annex it with minimal cost.


    Morgan wasted no time. In the following days, the Kingdom of Merrican was thrown into upheaval. Members of the royal family and key officials across various sectors began dying mysteriously in their sleep.@@novelbin@@


    The cause of death was universally attributed to acute cardiac conditions, but the sheer volume of fatalities¡ªnumbering in the tens of thousands over just a few days¡ªmade it clear this was no coincidence.


    Investigations yielded no leads. Even isting potential targets under tight security failed to prevent the deaths.


    The chaos was caused by a minuscule creature known as the Anti-Ratfolk Poison Stinger Bug. Barely 1 millimeter long and nearly invisible to the naked eye, it resembled a spider with eight adhesive, hook-tipped legs for climbing any surface.


    The bug¡¯s abdomen was almost entirely filled with a venom sac containing a Ratfolk-specific toxin. A mere drop of this venom paralyzed the Ratfolk nervous system, halting the heart as the brain mistakenly concluded the body was dead.


    The bug¡¯s stinger was a curled appendage that extended to 1 centimeter¡ªten times its body length¡ªwhen deployed. The design was adapted from the Chameleon Bug.


    The bug infiltrated the targets¡¯ environment with ease, exploiting even the tiniest gaps. Once in position, it would inject venom through the root cavity of a coarse hair, administering the toxin over several minutes. This process usually urred during the victim¡¯s sleep.


    The venom contained anti-inmmatory agents to prevent redness or swelling at the injection site, leaving virtually no trace.


    Originally devised by Luo Wen as a defensive measure, a single small flying insect could carry and deploy hundreds of these venomous bugs. With ten brood queens producing poison stinger bugs daily, an entire Ratfolk civilization could be eradicated.


    This was merely a test of their capabilities.


    As panic spread and the Merrican Kingdom descended into chaos, even the military stationed at the Kerrigan border was not spared. High-ranking officers sumbed in their sleep, dismantling the army¡¯s chain ofmand.


    The Kingdom of Kerrigan was stunned by the neighboring kingdom¡¯s turmoil. Many feared the ¡°ident¡± might spread to their own country. However, a few dayster, Queen Kerrigan personally issued orders for an offensive, sending themand to her frontline troops.

 Chapter 149: Aftermath of War

    The war concluded more smoothly than expected. Without a functioningmand system, the Kingdom of Merrican had virtually lost all ability to resist.


    Strangely enough, whenever the Kerrigan army upied a territory, the ¡°incidents¡± would cease. Toward the end, Merrican cities practically left their gates wide open, weing the Kerrigan forces with celebratory processions.


    The Kerrigan Kingdom¡¯s army advanced with little resistance, quickly conquering most of Merrican territory. Only some remote regions remained unattended due to the rapid pace of their progress and ack of personnel to secure them.


    Both nations¡¯ sharpest minds spected about the peculiar turn of events but dared not delve too deeply. All manner of opportunists, schemers, and rebels retreated into the shadows, too terrified to act. Sarah Kerrigan¡¯s reputation soared, cementing her authority over her domain.


    Even Queen Kerrigan herself was deeply shaken by the eerie ¡°incidents.¡±


    ¡°So, this is the power of a god?¡± she wondered. Despite being a coborator, she had no understanding of how her allies had orchestrated these events, ultimately attributing it to divine intervention.


    The disy of power served a dual purpose: it crippled the Kingdom of Merrican and subdued the Kingdom of Kerrigan. The demonstration was even more fearsome than what had unfolded outside her study door.


    Until a countermeasure could be devised, the partnership was secure. Any lingering doubts or reservations the Queen harbored were dispelled. After all, her coborators¡¯ demands were modest¡ªthere was no reason to jeopardize the alliance over such trifles.


    Three monthster, following intense preparations, the newly formed Kerrigan Empire was officially established. Sarah Kerrigan ascended as its first emperor, earning the title of Empress Kerrigan I, or Sarah the Great.This monumental achievement¡ªuniting the Ratfolk¡ªetched her name deeply into their history.


    Rather than reducing investment in aerospace technology following unification, the Ratfolk Empire doubled down. The former scientific academies of both kingdoms were merged into the Imperial Space Research Institute, consolidating all aerospace-rted personnel under one banner. Resources and manpower were allocated generously, with no expense spared, leaving analysts baffled.


    The appointment of the institute¡¯s first director only deepened the confusion. Aplete unknown parachuted into the position, bypassing all conventional processes.


    ording to insiders, the new director was a rtive of Morgan, the Empress¡¯ste teacher and former head of the academy. Allegedly, the position was secured through personal connections with the Empress herself.


    The appointee¡¯s credentials were non-existent, an egregious example of nepotism. Many questioned how the Empress, renowned for her intelligence, could make such a decision.


    Yet, with the momentum of unification and unprecedented public approval, no one dared raise the issue before her.


    Though the scientificmunity bristled at the decision, they begrudgingly epted it, many nning to make life difficult for the outsider. If he stumbled badly enough, he might resign out of shame.


    However, when the new director finally appeared, his uncanny resemnce to thete Morgan stirred memories among many. Their hostility softened somewhat¡ªmany were students, prot¨¦g¨¦s, or colleagues of the old academy head. They resolved to give him a chance, provided he wasn¡¯t utterly ipetent.


    To their surprise, the new director quickly won them over. Despite his youth, he demonstrated seasoned leadership, extensive knowledge, and an uncanny familiarity with his team. Time and again, he intuitively addressed their concerns, earning widespread admiration.


    The newly crowned Empress, meanwhile, was basking in her triumph but frequently found time to consult the new director. Rumors began to swirl about an improper rtionship between the two.


    The gossip eventually reached the Empress¡¯s ears, prompting her enforcer, Chief Guard Te, to find the worst offenders and mete out punishment over trivial pretexts. Left with broken bones and months of hospital recovery, the chastened gossips dared not whisper another word.@@novelbin@@


    The Empress knew the director¡¯s true identity and had no intention of pursuing any romantic entanglement. Since ascending to the throne, she had lived in constant fear that the enigmatic figure behind Morgan woulde to collect on their deal.


    Yet, Morgan only imed the role of director for the space institute and never sought anything more¡ªnot even the faith offerings he had initially mentioned.


    At first, the Empress was convinced the demands were a smokescreen for arger scheme. Surely the true intent was to manipte her through faith, to brainwash her and seize control of the empire from the shadows.


    But as time passed, it became evident that the supposed smokescreen was their genuine goal. This only deepened her confusion. Why would a god care so much about space technology?


    Could the stories of gods living on the moon be true? Perhaps they had left and couldn¡¯t find their way back?


    With no further pressure from her allies, her fear gave way to curiosity. She began visiting Morgan frequently, driven by a need to uncover why his benefactor was so fixated on lunar exploration.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen continued to expand hiswork of followers. Among his newest recruits were two former merchants.


    Thus, apany called ¡°Starlight Enterprises¡± was soon established, specializing in mineral exploration and development.


    Starlight, an unassuming startup, seemed almost divinely blessed. Every exploration site it picked yielded rare minerals and valuable resources. Thepany expanded at an astonishing rate.


    Naturally, such sess drew envy, and opportunists sought to undermine it. However, these rivals mysteriously sumbed to the same inexplicable ¡°sleep deaths¡± that had gued the Merrican Kingdom. The connection to the royal family¡¯s earlier actions deterred most challengers, and the few who persisted soon met the same fate.


    Starlight¡¯s operations continued smoothly, but what puzzled observers was its allocation of profits. All earnings were funneled into building researchboratories.


    Thesebs tackled diverse fields: biology, mechanics, environmental science, and aerospace. Thepany weed talent from all walks of life, funding projects regardless ofmercial potential. As long as an idea was sound, Starlight offered unwavering support.


    Suddenly, misfit researchers, fringe theorists, and underfunded scientists flocked to its doors.


    Rival corporations were baffled. ¡°This isn¡¯t a business¡ªit¡¯s a charity!¡±

 Chapter 150: Development

    The Ratfolk¡¯s currency was utterly useless to Luo Wen, and their mineral resources held little value to the Swarm at present. Without the capability to leave this, the minerals were worthless; and once off, minerals were abundant in the universe.


    Thus, Luo Wen decided it was better to exchange these rtively worthless assets for technology or ideas. If even one or two proved useful, it would be worth the effort.


    During this time, Luo Wen had been exploring methods to enhance his mental strength. Relying solely on luck to recruit followers was far from sufficient for his ambition to establish a Swarm Research Institute. At this rate, who knew how long it would take to reach that goal?


    However, his understanding of this ability was limited. It was akin to how humans naturally use their arms but struggle toprehend the underlying mechanics. Luo Wen, being an ordinary individual in this regard, found it challenging to fully grasp the concept. Therefore, he avoided doggedly pursuing this single path without alternatives.


    While researching ways to enhance his mental strength, he also sought other methods. His foundation in gics proved helpful, and it led him to discover a rtively clever workaround.


    He developed a potion whose primary ingredient was the Brood Nest¡¯s blood, diluted countless times. This potion could effectively increase the recipient¡¯spatibility with the Swarm Network. Simply put, it shortened the ¡°distance¡± on the path to connection.


    For example, enhancing mental strength was like improving stamina, enabling one to walk farther along the path to find the ¡°door.¡± Simrly, if someone had poor stamina but the distance to the door was shortened, the result would be the same.


    Due to the significant dilution of Brood Nest blood, the potion was inexpensive to produce but had a notable drawback: it required an extended fermentation period. Simply put, the earlier it was administered, the better.


    Morgan began selecting suitable candidates from the Imperial Space Research Institute. His initial targets were his old acquaintances, though he spoke vaguely about the so-called ¡°cult¡± recruiting members.@@novelbin@@Unexpectedly, these individuals thought they had caught him in some sort of scheme and secretly reported him to the Empress. To their surprise, not only was Morgan not punished, but those users received a harsh reprimand.


    Morgan hadn¡¯t anticipated this oue, realizing his secrecy had gone too far. He then discreetly revealed more details to these people, identifying himself and using past connections to gain their trust. Though most remained skeptical, he managed to coax or convince them into administering the potion.


    Meanwhile, the Empress also received a vial of the potion. Despite her busy schedule, she had nearly forgotten the matter of offering devotion. Now presented with this next step, she wasted no time injecting the potion in Morgan¡¯s presence.


    She had already taken precautions. Although unmarried and childless, she had designated an heir. Should anything go awry, she was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice.


    As fate would have it, two monthster, a scientist who had received the injection suffered a severeb ident, dying instantly in an explosion that left his body shattered.


    This scientist, Kovi, was a renowned authority in engine technology. Being older, he was among those more inclined to trust Morgan and had extensive interactions with him. The allure of a second life was too great¡ªnot because he feared death, but because there was still so much unknown to explore.


    Although the injection had been recent, Kovi¡¯s strong mental attributes and fervent desire for rebirth resulted in his finding the ¡°door,¡± allowing him to be part of the Swarm.


    A few dayster, a rejuvenated Kovi returned to the research institute, sparking fervent discussion within a small circle of colleagues. They began actively inquiring how they could devote their faith to the ¡°god.¡± Morgan instructed them to read legends and imagine the god¡¯s majesty and omnipotence. Sincere faith, he exined, would allow the god to sense their devotion.


    It wasn¡¯t that Morgan didn¡¯t want to exin more¡ªit was because neither he nor Luo Wen fully understood the mechanics of this faith. In truth, faith was merely a fa?ade, one of many emotions that could connect to the Swarm Network. Luo Wen didn¡¯t care about their beliefs as long as they found the ¡°door.¡±


    Reading legends and engaging their imagination to evoke awe, curiosity, hope, and reverence might align them with the Swarm Network. Whether their expectations matched reality didn¡¯t matter¡ªonce connected, Luo Wen controlled their fate entirely.


    Within the Swarm Network, Luo Wen could effortlessly dominate their destinies. They couldn¡¯t hide any secrets from him. If he wished, he could obliterate their consciousness, take over their minds and bodies, or sift through their memories. However, such drastic measures were unnecessary. Influenced by the Swarm Network, they were absolutely loyal and incapable of harboring thoughts detrimental to Luo Wen.


    To this day, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t certain whether those assimted into the Swarm Network were true replicas or their original selves fundamentally altered.


    The Ratfolk soon began subtly inquiring whether Morgan could provide more of the potion for their rtives. Morgan reported this to Luo Wen, who, after careful consideration, instructed him to establish a reward system: recruiting skilled researchers or making significant breakthroughs would earn potion rewards.


    Given the potion¡¯s simplicity to produce, this approach motivated the Ratfolk while allowing them to include their families. Luo Wen reasoned that once the Swarm expanded into outer space, he wouldn¡¯t be able to oversee everything himself. Having intelligent individuals to assist in management would be advantageous.


    As for any unsavory individuals that slipped through, they could be given a basic body to fend for themselves. If they caused trouble, they¡¯d be transferred into Worker Ant bodies and assigned to menial tasks.


    Ordinary Ratfolk without value wouldn¡¯t burden the Swarm, but as the foundation of civilization, their descendants might one day reach the standards for Swarm nodes.


    Thus, Luo Wen decided to let them live happily on this for the rest of their lives.


    The reward system quickly transformed the Ratfolk¡¯s work ethic. Within no time, nearly all researchers over forty at the institute had been converted. Under collective pressure, Morgan lowered the age threshold to thirty and emphasized strict confidentiality. He warned that any breach of secrecy would result in the loss of rewards or eligibility altogether.


    Morgan didn¡¯t need to stress this point further; the Ratfolk tightly guarded the secret.

 Chapter 330: Returning the Favor

    War between civilizations is a process of mutual learning and adaptation, each borrowing from the other¡¯s strengths to ovee weaknesses.


    Just as the Swarm had studied and adopted the Riken¡¯s propulsion systems, observation technologies, andputer hardware and software, the Rikens, too, sought to learn from the Swarm.


    On this historic day, the Riken electromaic railguns were fired at an extraterrestrial force for the first time, marking a new chapter in the war¡¯s turning point.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Is this what the Overlord meant by using the strengths of the enemy against them?¡± Sarah Kerrigan remarked with a casualugh, watching the Riken side unleash a barrage of thousands of railgun rounds.


    Morgan, feeling a bit awkward, whispered, ¡°Your Majesty, while the meaning fits, if we view it from the Riken perspective, it doesn¡¯t put us in the best light.¡±


    ¡°Haha, they¡¯ll soon discover that we can use the same trick against them,¡± Sarah replied confidently.


    The electromaic projectiles emitted only a faint spark of electricity as they left the barrels, their subsequent flight through the void utterly silent. Over 2,000 rounds streaked across the vastness of space, heading toward Satellite 14 of Izumo.


    The Primordial bodies stationed in orbit around Izumoy motionless, seemingly indifferent. However, much like warships, they could easily evade such projectiles by making slight movements during the rounds¡¯ long travel time. Targeting them was not cost-effective.


    Among Izumo¡¯s many moons, Satellite 14 was the most favorable target due to its position within the Rikens¡¯ firing range and line of sight.Given the immense distance between the two sides¡ªover a hundred million kilometers¡ªa slight deviation of just a millimeter atunch could result in significant inuracy over such a range. Satellite 14, with a diameter of just over a thousand kilometers, saw half of the Riken¡¯s initial barrage miss it entirely.


    The Swarm paid no attention to such wildly inurate attacks, and the Rikens didn¡¯t mind either¡ªthis volley was merely for calibration.


    After analyzing the feedback, the Rikens adjusted their targeting and unleashed a second volley.


    This round proved far more urate and significantly more threatening. However, the Swarm had anticipated this development.


    Newbat units ascended into the skies, hovering at altitudes of several thousand kilometers. Their round, eyeball-like appearance earned them the name ¡°Laser-Eye Bugs.¡±


    As the electromaic rounds approached, these units quickly adjusted their angles, emitting beams of redser light from apertures in their bodies to melt the iing projectiles.


    For the Swarm, creating suchser-based defensive units based on existingser generation theories was rtively simple. However, due to the limitations of biological materials, these Swarm versions ofser defense weapons had a much shorter effective range than their Riken counterparts, maxing out at just 50 kilometers.


    Fortunately, the Swarm¡¯s versions were far more mobile. Unlike the Rikens¡¯ immobile, massive instations, the Swarm¡¯s units were small and agile. They began life as box-like objects just over ten centimeters in size, growing like fruits on specialized fungal carpets, drawing nutrients to develop.


    Upon reaching a size of 10 meters, they were considered mature, achieving the standard 50-kilometer effective range. Though they could continue growing, doing so consumed excessive resources and offered diminishing returns, making it an inefficient investment.


    These units could operate independently or integrate with propulsion modules for mobility, allowing them to intercept projectiles along calcted trajectories. When integrated with Space Octopuses, they became a criticalponent of the Primordial bodies.


    Thus, the Riken¡¯s long-coveted ship-mountedser defense array was first achieved by the Swarm.


    ¡°Fire!¡±manded Hamis, Fleet Commander of the First Space Fleet and one of the most powerful figures in the Riken military. He relished the honor of initiating the first barrage of their new weapon, his voice heralding a shift in the tides of war.


    But while the Riken railguns roared, the Swarm remained unperturbed, their evolutionary adaptability ever a step ahead.


    However, apart from its short range, the Laser-Eye Bug shares amon w with allser-based weapons: high energy consumption. An independent Laser-Eye Bug, after being fully charged, can only fire three shots before requiring a recharge. In other words, it can intercept at most three electromaic projectiles before needing to replenish its energy.


    For recharging, the bugs can rely on self-sustained ¡°dormant¡± charging, but this process is slow, taking several days to fully recharge. The only way to recharge rapidly is by linking to the fungal carpet.


    This limitation exins why the Laser-Eye Bugs are currently only integrated into Primordial bodies. These massive entities are equipped with Atomic Furnaces, providing the bugs with the energy needed to maintain their operational consumption.


    The Swarm¡¯s strategy of learning from the Rikens and turning their technology back against them left the Riken high-ranking officers dumbfounded.


    ¡°They must have reverse-engineered ourser defense array on Raze and created these knockoffs.¡±


    ¡°This proves it beyond a doubt¡ªthey¡¯re definitely not a native species.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always said that theory was nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, their defensive array is much smaller than ours. They might have had the technology for some time but chose not to reveal it until now.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Our energy beam weapons couldn¡¯t be intercepted before, so even if they had this weapon type, they had no opportunity to showcase it.¡±


    ¡°All right, enough spection. This isn¡¯t some advanced technology; it¡¯s no surprise they possess it. Let¡¯s focus.¡±


    ¡°Should we continue attacking?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If they won¡¯t let us rest, we won¡¯t let them rest either.¡±


    And so, the Swarm and the Rikens entered a daily cycle of attack and interception.


    While it appeared on the surface that both sides were evenly matched, the actual rate of resource depletion was anything but equal. Take, for example, the wear and tear on criticalponents.


    The Rikens could only rece damaged parts with new ones, while the Swarm¡¯s units could simply regenerate through biological metabolism. Over time, the Rikens were at risk of being worn down.


    Although the Rikennguagecks a direct equivalent to the phrase ¡°boiling a frog in warm water,¡± they fully understood the concept. Faced with this slow attrition, they were deeply troubled but had no clear solution.


    The Riken warships were produced through efficient assembly lines. Their advanced automated industry allowed for streamlined and effective production: various modules were cast into shape, assembled in space factories, and then deployed into the battle. The entire process was incredibly efficient.


    In contrast, the Swarm¡¯s production of Space Octopuses was far cruder yet equally effective. A mature Brood Queen couldy several half-meter-tall Space Octopus eggs daily.


    These eggs, after a period of incubation, would hatch intorvae about half a meter long. Adjacent to the Brood Chambers, the Swarm maintained heavily protected Nursery Chambers constructed from irradiated metal. These critical facilities, buried thousands of meters underground, were fortified and highly secure.


    Within the safety of the Nursery Chambers, thervae absorbed radiation and grew to two meters in length. At this stage, they were expelled to the¡¯s surface, where they continued to absorb cosmic radiation for further growth.


    Upon reaching a size of five meters, these young Octopuses earned their ce as expendable cannon fodder and were granted the privilege of moving to the low orbit of gas giants like Izumo to continue maturing.


    Here, their growth persisted. If untouched by war or death, these creatures would, over time, develop into fully-fledged Primordial bodies.


    This biological manufacturing system meant that while the Rikens¡¯ assembly-line fleets could achievebat readiness much faster in the early stages, given enough time, the Swarm¡¯s exponential growth capabilities would astound and overwhelm anyone.

 Chapter 152: Experiments Underway (1)

    Despite starting strong, Luo Wen¡¯s subsequent experiments didn¡¯t go as smoothly. His next challenge was testing his survival in cold environments.


    Luo Wen¡¯s body already possessed genes for cold resistance, allowing him to endure ordinary frigid conditions with ease. However, the extreme cold of outer space was an entirely different matter. Luo Wen vaguely recalled space temperatures being around minus 200 degrees Celsius, but the exact figure escaped him.


    The Ratfolk¡¯s industrial limitations meant theirboratory could simte temperatures only down to about minus 150 degrees Celsius.


    Even at this threshold, Luo Wen faced a significant setback. Shortly after entering the simted environment, his body began losing heat rapidly. Frost formed on his surface, and his bodily fluids started to freeze.@@novelbin@@


    At this point, his emergency systems activated, putting him into hibernation mode. His metabolism slowed drastically, nearly halting fluid flow and paralyzing his body.


    Had Luo Wen not already been a ¡°Networked Being,¡± his consciousness would likely have been forcibly shut down into a dormant state, leaving his body to slowly sumb to the cold¡¯s ravages.


    However, hibernation couldn¡¯t halt the damage caused by extreme cold. Within five minutes, his body began deteriorating at the cellr level. In the past, such circumstances would have meant death, his consciousness fading painlessly in slumber.


    Now, he was able to alert the ¡°insiders¡± monitoring the experiment to halt the test and extract his body.


    Afterward, his body cocooned itself for three days to repair the damage. This remarkable recovery left the ¡°semi-insiders¡± astonished.During this recovery period, Luo Wen reflected deeply. He realized his overconfidence, inted by the sess of the anaerobic experiment. Even with his exceptional talents, evolution required time. Plunging into an environment beyond his limits meant his body would copse before his abilities could manifest.


    In simpler terms, he had overstepped his bounds.


    Taking this lesson to heart, the second experiment was conducted with the chamber temperature set between minus 50 and minus 60 degrees Celsius.


    After filling his tailrd organ with energy reserves, Luo Wen entered the chamber. The lowest temperature he had previously endured in nature was around minus 20 to minus 30 degrees. Dropping an additional 30 degrees was ufortable but bearable.


    His internal hibernation gene attempted to force him offline. As his limbs gradually numbed, Luo Wen didn¡¯t resist, allowing himself to enter hibernation. His body cocooned itself, while his consciousness returned to the Swarm Network.


    Two dayster, his body emerged from the cocoon.


    In the third experiment, Luo Wen¡¯s hibernation system no longer triggered warnings upon entering the chamber. This time, several genes fused during his hibernation, though their exact origins were unclear given the sheer number of samples he had umted over the years.


    The resulting fusion prompted his body to secrete an oily substance. This substance mixed with his bodily fluids, lowering their freezing point. As secretion continued, its concentration in his fluids increased, further reducing their freezing point.


    Previously, in simr conditions, his bodily fluids had begun to crystallize. But now, thanks to the oily substance, this did not ur. His fluids continued to flow normally, maintaining his bodily functions.


    In subsequent tests, the chamber¡¯s temperature was gradually lowered while the oily substance concentration increased. However, at minus 100 degrees Celsius, the substance¡¯s effectiveness waned, and crystallization began.


    As the temperature dropped further, Luo Wen¡¯s hibernation system reactivated, forcing him offline. His body entered hibernation but failed to cocoon itself.


    At this point, his gic repositorycked anything capable of countering such extreme cold. Yet, as the temperature continued to plummet, his body avoided destruction.


    Instead, his innate talents initiated the evolution of his hibernation ability. His cells began shrinking, expelling non-essential materials outside their walls. The expelled material crystallized outside the cells, forming a protectiveyer.


    When the chamber reached the Ratfolk¡¯s technological limit, Luo Wen¡¯s cells had expelled 90% of their contents, retaining only their coreponents. The external crystallization also provided some protection.


    At this point, Luo Wen¡¯s consciousness forcibly returned to his body. However, with his fluidspletely frozen and cirction halted, he couldn¡¯t move.


    He signaled theboratory to cease energy input, allowing the chamber temperature to gradually rise. As the crystals outside his cells melted, they were reabsorbed, and his cells began to regain activity.


    When the temperature reached minus 100 degrees Celsius, the oily substance resumed secretion, restoring fluid cirction and returning his body to normal.


    Afterward, Luo Wen confirmed that his body hadn¡¯t sustained any damage from this test. Yet, he found little cause for celebration. Beyond minus 100 degrees, he lost all mobility.


    He wasn¡¯t venturing into space to sleep. This oue fell far short of his requirements. Moreover, the oily substance had reached its evolutionary limits, offering no further potential. Luo Wen needed to explore alternative methods tobat extreme cold.


    For now, there was no need to stubbornly pursue this avenue. While the Ratfolk worked on upgrading the chamber¡¯s capabilities, Luo Wen would dispatch numerous bugs to the¡¯s poles in search of rare organisms capable of surviving and functioning in ultra-low temperatures.


    After a few days of rest, Luo Wen began his experiments with space radiation adaptation.


    While the experiments simted space radiation, Luo Wencked precise knowledge of the specific types of radiation in space. The Ratfolk hadn¡¯t yet sent spacecraft beyond the atmosphere, leaving them unable to measure such conditions.


    As a result, the radiation used in these tests primarily came from mineral samples or byproducts of other experiments. Although not identical to space radiation, they served as a starting point for finding countermeasures.


    In reality, any object in nature with a temperature above absolute zero emits radiation in the form of electromaic waves and particles. Luo Wen¡¯s concern was with harmful radiation levels exceeding safety thresholds, which could cause decay in his body, damage his nervous system, and harm other organ systems.


    In the first test, after one hour of exposure to harmful radiation, Luo Wen¡¯s body began cocooning. However, this cocoon offered little protection against radiation pration.


    As time passed, the cocoon¡¯s internal temperature rose under continued radiation exposure. After 20 hours, irreversible cellr damage began to ur.

 Chapter 336: Warning

    ¡°Milton, you¡¯re oversimplifying things. Don¡¯t forget about our soldiers on the front lines! We can¡¯tpletely sever theirmunication with the homeworld. The earlier leaks have already dealt a severe blow to morale!¡± a general retorted.


    Being on the front lines, he had greater authority on the matter. Much of the Swarm-rted information had been deliberately withheld from ordinary Riken soldiers because battles perceived as unwinnable would severely undermine morale.


    In the past, the hope of a desperate,st-ditch effort could sometimes spark a reversal in morale. However, the Swarm¡¯s surrender offer had utterly dashed those hopes.


    Now, differing voices were emerging among the Riken soldiers. Both hardline resistance supporters and advocates for surrender had grown in number, creating significant risks to the defensive lines.


    ¡°Exactly! If the information spreads too widely, and we engage in conflict with the Swarm, captured soldiers could leak the information. Losing this bargaining chip would ce us in a highly disadvantageous position.¡±


    The old general supported this stance, though he left one thought unspoken: if the information became too widespread, surrender advocates mightmit actions that would bring shame upon the Rikens. Such individuals, desperate to curry favor with the Swarm, would eagerly use valuable information to gain their favor.


    This was a w inherent to civilizationsposed of intelligent individuals¡ªthere would always be a few who acted against the greater good for personal gain.


    Milton fell silent. Stationed on the homeworld, he had never even visited the Twin Star Defensive Zone, let alone the second colony. His understanding of the military situation was surface-level at best, shaped by polished reports far removed from reality.


    After hearing the generals¡¯ concerns, he realized his oversight but quickly raised another issue.¡°Have you considered the possibility that previously missing personnel, those aware of this information, might have been captured by the Swarm? What if the information has already been leaked?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Every senior officer on the front lines with knowledge of this information voluntarily imnted a small device in their heads to ensure the data remains secure,¡± the old general replied beforepsing into silence.


    The ¡°voluntary¡± nature of these imnts was debatable. Officially, the devices were described as self-detonating upon activation. In practice, their trigger mechanisms were far stricter¡ªif an officer moved beyond a certain distance from their fleet, vehicle, or escape pod during wartime, the imnt would automatically detonate.


    Given the unpredictable nature of the battlefield, unforeseen incidents or misjudgments were inevitable. Yet, those Rikens privy to such ssified information and enjoying its apanying privileges were expected to bear greater responsibilities and risks.


    ¡°Rest assured, the front line is secure. If a problem arises, it¡¯ll be on your end¡ªwithin the council. Some of those individuals can be too clever for their own good, often making foolish decisions.¡±


    As the discussion veered into unproductive territory, Antonio prepared to steer it back on track.


    However, the old general continued, ¡°The matter of the treasure requires a two-pronged approach. First, the specifics of what it is must remain a closely guarded secret. Second, we must enhance security around theboratory. Even if the Swarm discovers what the treasure is, not knowing its location will still leave us with leverage.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Theboratory has already implemented stricter security measures. All personnel with ess to the treasure are underplete istion. Most haven¡¯t left the facility in years,¡± Antonio confirmed.


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±


    Since the beginning of the Swarm-Riken conflict, theboratory¡¯s security measures had been continuously upgraded. Previously, before the Swarm emerged as a threat, security had been stringent but not to the extent of restricting personal freedom entirely.@@novelbin@@


    Although Cleo had initially adhered to confidentiality protocols and withheld specific research results from Lieutenant Colonel Cross, she had overlooked some peripheral details. Thispse allowed Cross to piece together fragments of information. However, because these fragments were not part of official records, the Rikens never suspected the missing Cross had ess to anything critical.


    Unbeknownst to them, the so-called ¡°treasure¡± had already been fully exposed to the Swarm. To make matters worse, even among the supposedly isted and restricted scientists, several intelligent entities loyal to the Swarm had infiltrated their ranks.


    The meeting continued for some time, ultimately resolving to keep the ¡°treasure¡± a closely guarded secret. Afterward, the recalled Riken generals hurriedly boarded their warships and returned to the front lines.


    Before departing, the old general lingered in thought before issuing a stern warning.


    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, regardless of the referendum¡¯s oue¡ªwhether we fight or surrender¡ªwe must assert our value. Only by holding leverage can we negotiate for our interests. I don¡¯t care if there are opposition members or other factions among you. President Antonio will undoubtedly safeguard the treasure¡¯s secrecy, but I expect none of you to leak information through other channels.¡±


    His sharp gaze swept over the silent council members, his tone turning cold and menacing. ¡°I don¡¯t care what schemes you¡¯re plotting or what grudges you harbor, but remember this¡ªyou are Rikens. There are lines you cannot cross. If I find anyone betraying our species, I will return with my fleet to destroy them myself, even if it means abandoning our war with the Swarm. I¡¯ll make sure they are buried before the extinction of our people!¡±


    Having delivered his message, the old general turned and boarded his warship.


    As the bright glow of the engines faded into the distance, the remaining Rikens watched the massive steel vessel disappear, their expressions shifting between uncertainty and resolve. Each harbored private thoughts but chose to remain silent.


    The old general¡¯s warning had its intended effect. Public discourse on the Riken homeworld became noticeably more restrained, with fewer instigators stirring up dissent. Antonio seized the opportunity to divert attention by releasing a flood of unrted news stories and imposing stricter controls over thework.


    The military¡¯s growing influence created a subtle but tangible rift from Antonio¡¯s authority. With their decisive interference, both Antonio and the opposition tacitly reduced the focus on divisive issues.


    The once-vigorous public referendum gradually lost momentum as the popce adopted a wait-and-see approach, hoping to gauge the Swarm¡¯s bottom line before making a decision.


    The Swarm¡¯s silence yed into this strategy, as the Rikens decided to observe and wait. As the old general had phrased it, rushing forward uninvited would not only weaken their position but also expose vulnerabilities, harming any future negotiations.


    Time passed swiftly, and the Riken public referendum became a farce. Regardless of the oue, factions arose to demand re-votes for various reasons. So far, three rounds of voting had been conducted, leaving the Riken popce apathetic.


    Then, just as the Rikens anxiously awaited developments, the Swarm finally made a move.


    A massive force of 20,000 Primordial bodies assembled and began to drift away from Izumo¡¯s orbit. Having rested there for a significant period, many had grown to nearly 600 meters, with some elite units surpassing 700 meters.


    This dramatic military maneuver was immediately detected by the ever-vignt Riken forces, who promptly adopted defensive postures.

 Chapter 154: Experiments Underway (3)

    Upon seeing the rocket¡¯s design blueprints, Luo Wen inexplicably thought of the ¡°Gatling System.¡± Both designs involved two chambers working in tandem with a reaction chamber.


    However, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t yet find gic organs capable of producing the necessary fuel and oxidizers, nor could biological structures achieve the strength required for a rocketbustion chamber. Otherwise, Luo Wen might have been able to create a biological rocket based on this theoretical framework and the blueprints.


    The rocket¡¯s direction was adjusted not only by movable air rudders on its four tail fins but also by four gas rudders installed within the nozzle, which directed the rocket¡¯s exhaust mes.


    After ignition, the rocket flew smoothly and ascended to an altitude of 500,000 meters before running out of fuel and falling back to the ground.


    This marked the first time that the rat folk¡¯s flying machine had reached such heights. Previous prototypes had struggled to even cross the 10,000-meter mark.


    The sudden leap in altitude represented a significant breakthrough and greatly excited the rat folk. Empress Kerrigan dered a two-day national holiday to celebrate the achievement.


    Theunch also provided a wealth of data. The rat folk devised multiple improvement ns based on the shorings identified during theunch.


    The dramatic advancement of the new rocket had a significant impact on the Kerrigan Empire. For the first time, the rat folk saw the possibility of sess. Empress Kerrigan capitalized on this momentum by increasing funding to the Imperial Space Research Institute.


    The researchers at the institute were the most motivated by this sess. With unlimited resources and full departmental cooperation, they managed to create an improved rocket within just one year.The main navigation and propulsion systems of the new rocket had shown no issues in the previous test. The failure was due to running out of fuel, so the new prototype focused on addressing this problem.


    The new rocket retained its streamlined design, narrow at the top and wider at the base, but was significantlyrger¡ª34 meters tall with a diameter of 3 meters. Additionally, four booster rockets, each 19 meters long, were strapped to the lower half of the main body, making the new rocket resemble the previous generation encircling a new central core. This unique configuration brought the total weight to an astounding 280 tons.


    The fuel was also upgraded, switching from alcohol to kerosene.


    The sheer size of the new rocket made it visually imposing even when stationary. However, therger size and the inclusion of five propulsion systems meant that the fueling and oxidizer-loading processes were time-consuming andplex.


    On theunch day of the new rocket, thousands of rat folk gathered outside the three-kilometer exclusion zone to witness the event. Excitement gave way to fatigue and hunger as the lengthy preparations dragged on. Finally, theunch was ready.


    Empress Kerrigan personally gave theunch order. mes erupted from the rocket¡¯s base, apanied by billowing smoke that quickly obscured the rocket.


    In moments, the rocket pierced through the smoke and soared skyward. The rat folk watched as the rocket, trailing a fiery plume, shrank into a distant speck before vanishing entirely.


    The crowd stared skyward for a while longer before erupting into deafening cheers.


    The four boosters propelled the massive rocket to an altitude of 1,500 kilometers, sessfully breaching the atmosphere before detaching. The primary stage¡¯s thruster was remotely ignited, and the rocket¡¯s navigation system recalibrated its trajectory. With renewed propulsion, the rocket continued toward the moon.


    Having escaped the atmosphere, the rocket faced significantly less air resistance. With only one engine left, it traveled nearly 100,000 kilometers before losing power. Captured byary gravity, it became an orbiting satellite.


    Theunch plunged the rat folk into a frenzy of celebration. Luo Wen, too, was thrilled. Although the rocket was still far from reaching the moon, breaking through the atmosphere was a critical milestone. The remaining challenges of expanding the fuel capacity and increasing thrust were far easier to tackle than the initial development of a rocket.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen¡¯s experiments had also made progress.


    First, his optical stealth system was functional. Its principle relied on nanometer-scale crystalline structures in his skin, forming specialized pigment cells. By controlling the spacing between the crystalline structures, these cells reflected different wavelengths of light. Over the years, Luo Wen had gained full control over this ability.


    Since many forms of radiation were transmitted via light, Luo Wen¡¯s eyes¡ªwhich could perceive a broader spectrum than human eyes¡ªclearly detected wavelengths invisible to others.


    Through continuous experimentation and observation, Luo Wen identified several wavelengths harmful to his body and adjusted his crystalline structures to reflect them.


    As for the remaining types of radiation, Luo Wen had no immediate solution and could only endure them by thickening the keratinyers on his outer body.


    His experiments on cold resistance, however, were at a standstill. While he could survive extreme cold by stalling his biological functions, this methodcked practicality.


    Yet, breakthroughs often came unexpectedly.


    After the new rocket breached outer space, several moreunch tests followed. Though they didn¡¯t achieve further breakthroughs in flight distance, they sessfully sent satellites and observation devices into space.@@novelbin@@


    Data from these devices revealed that outer space was cold, oxygen-deprived, and filled with various types of radiation. Without solutions to these challenges, the rat folk couldn¡¯t venture beyond their.


    Luo Wen realized early on that with relevant theoretical knowledge, he could conduct more effective experiments.


    For instance, with the theory behind rocket fuel and oxidizer systems, Luo Wen only needed to address a few key issues to develop a biological rocket. This approach was far more efficient and reliable than blindly relying on innate talent.


    In terms of time, evolving abilities for lunar travel through pure imagination would take an unmeasurable amount of time.


    But with theoretical knowledge and targeted evolution to address critical issues, Luo Wen estimated it might take only a century.


    Had he possessed this knowledge earlier, there would have been no need to cultivate the rat folk civilization. However, a mature rat folk civilization now proved invaluable.


    Not only did they continuously convert more members into the Swarm, but they also provided Luo Wen with theoretical insights, serving as highly effective tools.


    The discovery of space radiation spurred numerous research efforts, with many experimental results and papers published.


    One paper, in particr, inspired Luo Wen greatly.

 Chapter 342: Alarm

    The Rikens, being the native inhabitants of their star system, had spent countless years establishing their presence there. Despite being cornered into holding only the orbits ofs 3, 4, 5, and 6 due to the Swarm¡¯s dominance, most of their previously deployed observation devices remained operational.


    This wasn¡¯t forck of effort on the Swarm¡¯s part¡ªthey would dly have cleared out these devices. However, the observation units were cleverly concealed, difficult to detect, and scattered across the vast expanse of the star system.


    The Swarm¡¯s Mature and Larval bodies,cking Atomic Furnaces, were incapable of long-range operations. Clearing these devices would require the use of Primordial bodies, which, though numerous, were not infinite. Sending thousands of Primordial bodies across the system would be akin to tossing pebbles into an ocean¡ªachieving minimal impact while risking their forces being divided and picked off by concentrated Riken counterattacks.


    Thus, these ¡°small annoyances¡± were left forter, and they continued to provide the Rikens with some insight into the star system¡¯s happenings.


    In a dimly lit room, tenrge monitors hung on one wall, each split into a 5¡Á4 grid of smaller screens, all currently cked out. Opposite this wall were several additional monitors, their surfaces filled with chaotic lines, shing red and green lights, and other symbols iprehensible to anyonecking technical expertise.


    Between the two walls, a bored Riken soldier slouched in a swivel chair. This room, located in an underground fortress on Riven, was a typical Riken-style monitoring center. The soldier¡¯s duty was to oversee and maintain the daily operations of over 200 monitoring devices.


    The external units of these devices were 2¡Á2 cubic metal constructs coated with stealth materials. Inside, they housed a variety of sensors, optical recording instruments, transmission modules, high-energy batteries, and small engine modules.


    While they seemed well-equipped, these devices were closer to disposable tools. Launched via specialized ejectors, their engine modules werepact and rudimentary, limited by the Rikens¡¯ current technological capabilities.


    Indeed, the engines relied on battery power, which provided only minimal thrust for deceleration and redirection. Propulsion was generated entirely by theunching ejectors, a design reminiscent of the Swarm¡¯s Meteor Launchers.Once deployed and positioned, the devices decelerated until captured by the gravitational pull of nearby objects. A small sr panel recharged their high-energy batteries over time.


    In normal operation, they remained dormant to conserve energy and minimize detectable emissions. Data collection was passive, using external sensors to monitor their surroundings. Upon detecting anomalies, the devices activated their optical recording systems, using their engines to adjust position and aim concealed cameras at the detected phenomenon.


    Once recording began, the transmission module activated, streaming real-time footage back to the Riken monitoring centers. This long-range transmission consumed most of the battery¡¯s stored energy and generated significant energy fluctuations, making the devices highly visible. If the anomaly turned out to be hostile forces, the exposed unit would likely be destroyed.


    For this reason, the devices were treated as expendable.


    Given their passive nature, the soldier monitoring over 200 such devices rarely had anything to do. With thousands of simr monitoring centers across the Riken-controlled region, such soldiers typically faced long, uneventful shifts.


    This particr soldier had just turned off the room¡¯s lights, nning to sneak in a nap. The darkened monitors offered no entertainment, and the monotony of his post often lulled him into drowsiness. Working in a secluded, seldom-visited station, naps had be a norm.@@novelbin@@


    Just as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, the piercing sound of an rm erupted. The ring noise reverberated through the confined room, leaving his head buzzing. Simultaneously, red warning lights red, bathing the dim space in frantic, strobing shes.


    The Riken soldier forced himself to ovee the difort, jumping up from his chair and hurrying to the corner of the room to flip the light switch. The room brightened, and the once-blinding red strobe became far less abrasive. Breathing a sigh of relief, he thought that if the shing had persisted, he might have lost his lunch.


    Although it was his first time encountering such a situation on duty, his training kept him from panicking. He¡¯d also heard simr stories from his colleagues, typically involving either passing meteors or Swarm forces.


    Meteors were nothing unusual, and as for the Swarm¡ªwell, their detestable presence was everywhere outside. Triggering a few observation units wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary.


    The soldier mused about suggesting improvements to the research department, perhaps incorporating an automatic identification feature to avoid unnecessary scares, recing the rm with something less jarring, and dimming the alert lights to be easier on the eyes¡­


    Grumbling to himself, the soldier casually approached the operations tform under the wall-mounted screens. One small square on one of the screens was now illuminated, indicating that an external observation unit was functioning properly and had sessfully transmitted video footage.


    With azy flick of his finger, he opened the feed. After a brief buffering period, the footage loaded, and what appeared on the screen left him utterly speechless.


    The video did not disy a meteor, nor did it show the hated Swarm. Instead, it captured the approach of an enormous fleet. Cold, metallic ships d in dark red paint emanated an oppressive, bloodthirsty aura.


    The recording continued for about two minutes before concluding with a beam of light emanating from the fleet¡¯s direction, cutting off the feed and plunging the screen into darkness. The soldier realized the observation unit had been destroyed¡ªroughly 30 minutes prior, given that light in space doesn¡¯t travel instantaneously across vast distances.


    After double-checking the equipment to confirm there were no malfunctions or pranks involved, he finally grasped the gravity of the situation.


    Taking several deep breaths to steady himself, the soldier reached for a key hanging around his neck and used it to unlock a protective cover on the operations panel.


    Beneath the covery arge red button. Pressing it frivolously could result in a court-martial, but this was no time for hesitation. The soldier braced himself, cing both hands firmly on the button, rising onto his toes, and pressing down with the full weight of his body.


    The button depressed with a soft click. Contrary to expectation, there were no dramatic sounds or shing lights. Even the room¡¯s original rm and warning lights ceased their ring.


    Relieved, the soldier let out a long exhale. His job was done¡ªthe matter was now in the hands of higher authorities.

 Chapter 156: The Internal Ecosystem Chamber

    With setbacks in rocket propulsion research, some of the rat folk proposed building a space station inary orbit as a means of collecting data and conducting further studies. This idea inspired a subset of researchers to pursue rted projects.


    One article suggested creating a self-sustaining ecosystem chamber aboard the space station. nts could absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, while rat folk would breathe the oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, establishing a closed-loop system.


    Although implementing such a system would be far moreplicated than the article implied, the concept gave Luo Wen a new direction for his experiments.


    Previously, Luo Wen had focused on directly harnessing cosmic radiation. He had made some progress¡ªcertain thermal radiation could providerge amounts of heat energy¡ªbut he had yet to find a method to convert that heat into biological energy, leaving him stuck in a dead end.


    Now, he had a fresh idea.


    Luo Wen already had the ability to integrate nt cells into his body, even incorporating chlorosts. The ecosystem chamber concept seemed feasible for internal adaptation.


    Driven by inspiration, he began working immediately. His body was already sealed into an airtight structure from prior experiments with survival in oxygen-deprived environments, making it a natural closed chamber.


    He added numerous chlorosts to his skin cells but quickly ran intopatibility issues. His optical stealth system and maic field generation system were also located in the skin. Adding chlorosts risked disrupting their functions.


    Unable to resolve this, Luo Wen relocated the chlorosts to a lower part of his body. However, this introduced a new challenge: limited light exposure. He experimented with using the nanocrystals from the optical stealth system to reflect light to the chlorosts¡¯ new location.@@novelbin@@This required creating dedicated light pathways and adding additional nanocrystals inside his body to enhance reflection. Otherwise, the small contact area would result in inefficient energy conversion¡ªa highly inconvenient solution.


    Luo Wen resigned himself to this approach until a few dayster, when he came across another paper. It suggested that nts could grow under artificial lighting or bioluminescence.


    The revtion hit Luo Wen like a bolt of lightning. Though he knew little about bioluminescence, this solution seemed promising.


    While installing artificial lights inside his body was out of the question, bioluminescent organisms provided an ideal alternative. Many insects and deep-sea creatures naturally emitted light.


    Luo Wen began experimenting immediately. Bioluminescent organisms typically contained a special gene that produced light cells. These cells housed two chemicals that reacted under specific catalysts, releasing energy almost entirely as light with minimal heat¡ªa highly efficient illumination method.


    Luo Wen relocated the chlorosts to an internal cavity surrounded by light cells. He then modified his respiratory system to direct carbon dioxide into the cavity, where the chlorosts absorbed it and released oxygen.


    The result? Luo Wen became a glowing organism¡ªor perhaps, a bio-mecha with built-in lighting.


    This system was far more reliable than his earlier design but still fell short of a perfect cycle, requiring periodic replenishment of water and other materials. Thanks to his tailrd storage organ, however, this ¡°periodic¡± replenishment could be measured in years.


    Thus, Luo Wen had addressed almost every challenge posed by space travel. All that remained was acquiring a suitable vessel.


    ¡°Overlord, don¡¯t you think ourtest masterpiece is stunning?¡± Morgan asked, his tone full of self-admiration.


    Luo Wen, observing the rocket remotely through Morgan¡¯s perspective, replied via the Swarm Network: ¡°Stunning? I¡¯m speechless.¡±


    ¡°Your praise is most gratifying, Overlord.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t praise, you fool. Can¡¯t you tell I¡¯m being sarcastic?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a limitation of consciousnessmunication; I cannot detect tone.¡±


    Luo Wen briefly considered ¡°retraining¡± the rat folk scientist before turning his attention back to the rocket.


    Admittedly, the design left him astonished. The rat folk had devised a novel approach, strapping 36 secondary thrusters onto a single rocket. As a self-proimed intellectual, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but criticize the design¡¯s absurdity. The drag in the atmosphere alone would be monumental, and directional control seemed nearly impossible.


    Regret bubbled within him¡ªhe had entrusted his body to this mission.


    Yes, this was the vessel that would carry Luo Wen to the moon. It represented the pinnacle of rat folk ingenuity, resembling nothing more than a giant stick bound with over thirty grenades.


    This was the rat folk¡¯s first serious attempt tond on the moon. Even Empress Kerrigan had arrived at themand center to personally oversee theunch ceremony.


    ¡°Can this contraption really fly?¡± Luo Wen asked, skeptical.


    ¡°Rest assured, Overlord,¡± Morgan replied confidently. ¡°We are highly experienced with strapped booster rockets. While the drag is indeed significant within the atmosphere, it bes irrelevant once we breach it. Our calctions confirm that 36 secondary thrusters can definitely propel the rocket¡¯s core to the moon.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Your verbosity convinces me.¡± Luo Wen felt a sliver of relief after Morgan¡¯s detailed exnation.


    Luo Wen¡¯s body, secured under the guise of a ¡°volunteer organism,¡± had been ced in a transparent box filled with observation instruments and loaded onto the rocket. Apanying him were other equipment and an all-terrain rover.


    Shortly afterward, Morgan confirmed via inte, ¡°Overlord, the special organism has been secured on the rocket.¡±


    Luo Wen nodded, then remembered this was consciousnessmunication and replied, ¡°Understood.¡±


    The connection between Luo Wen¡¯s main body and the Brood Nest remained his closely guarded secret. Even the most loyal andwork-integrated rat folk had no ess to this information.


    It wasn¡¯t a matter of mistrust but of caution. Luo Wen had long believed he wasn¡¯t the universe¡¯s only exceptional being. Who knew what other peculiar abilities might exist?


    Better safe than sorry¡ªparanoia was the ultimate survival skill.

 Chapter 348: Crimson Kiss

    What kind of concept are we talking about here?


    The Earth to Moon distance of over 300,000 kilometers could be traversed by this missile in just four seconds, assuming no external factors. With the Daqi fleet over 10 million kilometers away from Izumo, factoring in eleration, the missiles would take just over two minutes to reach their target.


    This speed was extraordinary¡ªespecially for a missile. Unlike electromaic railgun projectiles or energy beams, which are one-shot, point-to-point weapons, these missiles carried fire-control systems and propulsion units, enabling them to independently seek and track targets.


    At this velocity, the Swarm¡¯s current technology offered no means of intercepting them. Once locked on, there was no way for a targeted Swarm unit to evade. At this stage, such weapons were effectively guaranteed to hit their mark.


    However, even a weapon this formidable had its drawbacks¡ªits strengths were also its limitations in some respects.


    The missile¡¯s engine system, capable of propelling it to such incredible speeds, required an immense amount of energy. The Daqi used nuclear batteries to power the engines, but due to the extreme energy demands, these batteries could not yet be miniaturized. This necessitated a massive missile body, limiting the number that could be carried per warship.


    There was also an upgraded version of this missile. By recing the nuclear battery with a controlled fusion power source, the missile¡¯s size would balloon to 100 meters in length and 20 meters in diameter. While this upgrade would extend its effective range to interster distances, measured in light-years, such missiles were impractical for anything but the void between star systems, rendering their strategic value negligible.


    And this leads to the second major limitation of the Crimson Kiss: itsck of flexibility.


    With no prior intelligence on these missiles, the Swarm found themselves caught off guard.The Crimson Kiss was rmingly fast. After initial eleration, its velocity climbed to an extraordinary level. Had the Daqi notunched such arge salvo¡ªcausing energy signatures too prominent to ignore¡ªthe missiles¡¯ speed might have allowed them to slip through the Swarm¡¯s detection systems altogether.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯ll need to upgrade our radar systems,¡± Sarah Kerrigan muttered, her expression grim.


    The brazen arrogance of this neer faction was matched by their clear technological prowess. ¡°Everyone, move now!¡± she barked.


    Lacking prior intel or adequate preparation, the Swarm could only respond by relocating their forces to minimize the missiles¡¯ uracy.


    With three minutes to react, the Space Octopuses managed to move far from their original positions.


    However, high-tech weapons like these weren¡¯t so easily countered. As the Crimson Kiss missiles approached within 300,000 kilometers of the Swarm forces, their warheads abruptly opened, revealing the true payload within.


    Each missile contained a MIRV (Multiple Independently targetable Reentry Vehicle) system, housing 36 tactical nuclear warheads. While nuclear weapons had their shorings, they remained cost-effective and devastating in spacebat.


    Each of these warheads, while less powerful than the Radiance of the Rikens, still packed enough punch to severely damage a warship.@@novelbin@@


    Had the three Riken fleets been caught off guard, a salvo like this from the Daqi could have obliterated them outright. Observing the unfolding chaos near Izumo, Riken officers collectively broke out in cold sweats, realizing how close they were to witnessing a simr catastrophe.


    Due to the Crimson Kiss missiles¡¯ enormous size and inherent limitations, each Daqi warship carried fewer than ten. In the earlier salvo, most ships hadunched at least four missiles, depleting nearly half of their onboard stockpile.


    The Daqi fleet wasn¡¯t holding back from firing more missiles¡ªthey had calcted that deploying half their arsenal would be more than sufficient.


    And indeed, the results were staggering. Over 2,000 Daqi warships, eachunching at least four missiles, filled the void with more than 300,000 tactical nuclear warheads. With precision guidance systems, the warheads rained down on the Swarm forces, striking with deadly uracy.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Sarah Kerrigan ground her teeth in frustration. Since bing part of the Swarm, she had never suffered such a severe setback.


    The Swarm units facing the Daqi fleet¡ªboth the Primordial Bodies stationed in orbit and thend-based artillery on the satellite surfaces¡ªwere decimated in a single assault. Forces that had been painstakingly built up over time were wiped out almost entirely.


    The Swarm¡¯s des had limited experience in spacebat. Their past encounters with the Rikens had been overwhelmingly one-sided, aided by near-omniscient intelligence systems.


    Each battle had been more akin to target practice, leaving little opportunity for growth. Now, deprived of foreknowledge, they suffered crippling losses, leaving Sarah and the other des reeling.


    Fortunately, the Swarm still had reserves. Shielded by the gas giant and its moons, waves of Space Octopuses emerged from the far side of Izumo, quickly repopting the battlefield. However, the destroyednd-based artillery on the satellites couldn¡¯t be reced as quickly.


    ¡°Send them another barrage!¡± Diallomanded, grinning as new missile silos opened. Tens of thousands of Crimson Kiss missiles surged toward the Swarm lines once more. If these struck as decisively as the first wave, the Swarm¡¯s defensive positions around Izumo would be utterly annihted.


    ¡°Hmph! Same old tricks! Do they think we¡¯re idiots?¡± Sarah snapped. The earlier losses still burned, her frustration far from settled.


    As the Primordial Bodies repositioned to fill the gaps, their electromaic railguns had already been recalibrated. Now, under intense strain, they fired three rapid salvos in session.


    The effort left the railguns silent, their barrels heavily damaged from overheating. If these were Riken railguns, the damagedponents would require manual recement, but the Swarm¡¯s biological advantages shone here.


    The Space Octopuses¡¯ metabolic processes elerated, expelling necrotic cells and regenerating new ones. Given sufficient energy and a brief respite, the railguns would fully repair themselves.


    However, repairs weren¡¯t the immediate priority. The three salvos hadunched over a million projectiles. While these would take hours to reach the Daqi fleet and were unlikely to hit moving targets, that wasn¡¯t the objective.


    The aim was to saturate the space between the two forces.


    This exposed a key weakness of the Crimson Kiss missiles: their extreme speed made them highly susceptible to collisions with debris. Even a minor obstacle could shatter them. Prior to firing their first wave, the Daqi fleet had used three rounds of their main guns to clear the space between themselves and the Swarm, ensuring an unobstructed path for the missiles.


    The Swarm¡¯s des had noticed this tactic. If the Daqi cleared the path, the Swarm would simply refill it.


    Though the distance between the two forces was vast, the corridor for missile trajectories was rtively narrow. Now, with the space filled by countless electromaic projectiles, the second wave of Crimson Kiss missiles faced a chaotic gauntlet.

 Chapter 158: Separation

    ¡°The second option is to detach from the rocket and, instead of decelerating, elerate inward toward the yellow moon. The rocket will be flung out of lunar orbit, while the insect body elerates toward the moon¡¯s surface,¡± Morgan exined, stroking his whiskers. Although the gesture seemed incongruous with his younger body, it had be a habit.


    ¡°What are the pros and cons of each n?¡± Luo Wen asked after some thought.


    ¡°The first option offers higher safety. Staying in lunar orbit provides ample time for observation and finding the right moment. The downside is the difficulty of elerating the insect body by an additional 0.5 km/s during detachment.¡±


    ¡°The second option¡¯s advantage is immediate action¡ªyou can proceed to the moonnding without dy. However, the opportunity is fleeting, and the descent carries significant risk due to high speed. What will you choose, Overlord?¡±


    Luo Wen pondered. His primary body¡¯s Gatling system had been reced with a jet propulsion system during anaerobic tests. He wasn¡¯t confident in its ability to increase speed by 0.5 km/s. Failure would mean being trapped in lunar orbit and forced to self-destruct, awaiting another chance.


    The second option appeared riskier, but its challenges were mainly in timing and deceleration during thending. With his reaction speed and ultra-high-resolution vision, he was confident he could manage timely deceleration.


    After conveying his decision to Morgan, Morgan immediately mobilized personnel to recalcte trajectories.


    Ten minutester:


    ¡°The rocket has been captured by the yellow moon¡¯s gravity and is entering lunar orbit,¡± a researcher monitoring the screens reported.¡°The rocket has entered lunar orbit and will leave it in thirty-four minutes.¡±


    ¡°The rocket has been in orbit for neen minutes. Calctions remain unchanged. It will leave orbit in fifteen minutes.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin, Morgan,¡± Luo Wen¡¯s voice echoed in Morgan¡¯s mind.


    Luo Wen would need to focus entirely on controlling his insect body, leaving ground operations to Morgan.


    Morgan, through the Swarm Network, pulled trusted personnel into a private channel and began directing. ns originally reserved for post-lunarnding had to be implemented ahead of schedule.


    Suddenly, rms red in the ground control center.


    ¡°Report! Monitoring in the rocket¡¯s cargo bay has failed!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the cause?¡± Morgan asked, maintaining a calm expression that betrayed no hint of the unfolding chaos.


    ¡°Likely the result of the earlier fuel tank explosion, which destabilized the cabin. The rocket remains under the moon¡¯s gravitational pull, elerating as the cabin deforms,¡± a researcher spected.


    Before Morgan could respond, another observer shouted, ¡°Report! The test subject¡¯s life-support pod has lost contact! Vital signs are gone!¡±


    ¡°Report! The cargo bay ispromised! The rocket¡¯s nose has separated from the bay, and internal gases are leaking!¡±


    The control room descended into chaos, red lights shing as bad news piled up.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen, after the ¡°monitoring failure,¡± easily opened the transparent container restraining him. Smashing a protective case on the cabin wall, he revealed a red button inside.


    Feigning a deep breath, Luo Wen pressed the button.


    With a loud ¡°bang,¡± the rocket¡¯s nose cone was ejected. Since the cabin contained air, sound traveled, making the ejection noise audible. The connection between the nose cone and the cargo bay revealed arge circr hole. Through it, the pitch-ck expanse of space was visible.


    Before Luo Wen could appreciate the view, the cabin¡¯s escaping air swept him and various debris out through the opening.


    As he tumbled, Luo Wen increased the refresh rate of his vision. To him, the surrounding debris, the rocket¡¯s nose cone, and the cargo bay seemed to drift away in slow motion.


    Now adrift in space without any external protection, he immediately felt the extreme conditions. The side of his body facing the sun soared above 300 degrees Celsius. Thankfully, he had anticipated this, incorporating nano heat-resistant materials from a mantis shrimp¡¯s hammer into his carapace. Without them, the high temperature would have inflicted severe damage.


    The side facing away from the sun plunged to -200 degrees Celsius, creating a temperature gradient of several hundred degrees. Meanwhile, his body continued to spin uncontrobly, producing a uniquely unpleasant sensation.


    His internal power system activated, supplying energy to his maic field generator. Blue electrical arcs danced across his carapace as a small maic field enveloped his body.


    Simultaneously, small vents on his body released jets of gas, gradually reducing his spin until he stabilized.


    Once his body stopped spinning, the vents closed immediately. In the vacuum of space, where replenishing air was impossible, the expelled gas came from his reserves.


    His muscles vibrated, bioluminescent organs lit up, and chlorosts began working. The reserves in his tail fat organ rapidly depleted. Though wasteful, this generated copious amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide necessary for both directional changes and deceleration during descent.@@novelbin@@


    The rocket and debris, though initially near him, maintained the same velocity, drifting away slowly. Five minutester, Luo Wen nced back at the rat folk creation onest time. Silently bidding it farewell, he acknowledged that they might never cross paths again in the vastness of space.


    Farewellplete, Luo Wen turned around. With the aid of his vents, he adjusted his trajectory by about 30 degrees toward the yellow moon. His propulsion systemcked the power for a perpendicr descent, which would only slow him down.


    Instead, he altered his angle slightly, allowing his current velocity to carry him toward the moon.


    In the featureless void of space, movement felt imperceptible, though his velocity was immense. As soon as he adjusted his angle, the rocket and debris disappeared from view.


    His course set, all that remained was to wait. He needed to travel for more than ten hours, orbiting the moon one and a half times before impact.


    This n, meticulously calcted by several of Morgan¡¯s trusted aides, was now in motion. Unfortunately, without his monitoring equipment, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t precisely track his speed or position. From the moment he left the rocket, everything depended on his instincts.


    Thankfully, with the Swarm Network, he didn¡¯t have to stay inside his body for the entire journey. Instead, he could coborate with Morgan and the others to refine the next phase of their n.

 Chapter 354: Exchanging Casualties

    In sheer numbers, the Swarm¡¯s losses appeared to be several times greater than the Daqi¡¯s. However, when analyzed from a damage assessment perspective, the Swarm had actually fared well¡ªeven profited significantly.


    The Swarm primarily lost 500 to 700 meter Space Octopuses, while the Daqi lost 2,000 meter giant warships. Although their lengths seemedparable, the tonnage of the Daqi warships was tens or even hundreds of times greater than that of the Swarm¡¯s units.


    From a tonnage perspective, the Daqi had taken a severe beating.


    This oue wasn¡¯t a fluke. It was the result of abination of elements.


    Surprise tactics yed a part, but without the raw strength to match, no amount of trickery would have made a difference.


    The external reactive armor of Daqi warships was specially designed to counter energy-based weapons, boasting exceptionally high resistance. This was why they could endure barrages of thousands of energy cannons.


    The Swarm, by contrast, relied solely on their armor¡¯s resilience, with no clever tricks involved. If this battle had taken ce decades earlier, the losses among the Primordial bodies would have been exponentially higher. In fact, the Daqi might have obliterated the Swarm¡¯s Izumo base at minimal cost.@@novelbin@@


    The turning point came over a decade ago during the First Battle of Raze. In that conflict, the Swarm managed to breach the Riken defenses and sessfully establish fungal carpets on the surface of Raze. These mats endured relentless bombardment from the Rikens, day and night.


    During this period, the Swarm gathered an abundance of data, prompting gic modifications to their fungal carpets. The immediate effect was that Riken energy beam attacks became progressively less effective. Ultimately, the Rikens resorted to deploying Radiance of Rikens, vaporizing the fungal carpets entirely.However, by then, all the relevant data had been uploaded to the Swarm Network. This spurred aprehensive upgrade of the armor on Swarmbat units.


    Luo Wen even allocated Intelligent Entities specifically for testing and improving spacebat armor. These efforts were conducted in dedicated underground facilities located deep within the Swarm¡¯s rear territories.


    Over the years, the armor of Space Octopuses underwent several minor upgrades. Lackingrge-scalebat feedback, however, the effectiveness of these enhancements remained untested in real battle conditions.


    The Second Battle of Raze, while intense, featured forces that had been pre-deployed from a neighboring system. These units hadn¡¯t undergone the most recent armor upgrades due to limited energy and resources.


    After that war, the Rikens retreated to the Twin Star Defensive Zone. With ess to new resource-rich systems, the Swarm upgraded itsbat units. Yet, with both sides settling into a stalemate, there were norge-scale conflicts¡ªor even minor skirmishes¡ªto put the new armor to the test.


    Thus, while the Swarm hadn¡¯t deliberately concealed these armor upgrades, theck ofbat meant their effectiveness remained unnoticed. That is, until now, when the Daqi stumbled headfirst into a rude awakening.


    For the Daqi, this was their first engagement with the Swarm. While they noted that the Swarm¡¯s defensive capabilities far exceeded expectations, they dismissed it as an intelligence oversight rather than anything extraordinary. Little did they realize they had underestimated their adversary¡¯s true strength.


    The Riken observers, watching the spectacle unfold, began to suspect they had underestimated certain developments. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder: had the world changed too quickly, or had the Swarm been holding back all along? They dared not delve too deeply into the question, knowing such thoughts could lead to unpleasant realizations.


    One undeniable observation, however, was that synthetic materials outperformed biological armor in resisting energy-based attacks¡ªa natural limitation for the Swarm. Still, there was significant room for improvement.


    With the anticipated capture of several Daqi warships, reverse-engineering their reactive armor materials could spur a new wave of advancements in the Swarm¡¯s biological defenses.


    Of course,bat was about more than justparing weapons and armor. For the Daqi, a destroyed warship was truly lost. Fully obliterated vessels aside, even those that were structurally intact but had engines disabled or lost maneuverability were effectively out of the fight, destined for self-destruction or dismantling¡ªeach loss a tangible blow.


    The Swarm¡¯s losses, by contrast, were far less absolute. Units that withdrew from the battlefield were often only temporarily incapacitated. Unless every fungal node spread throughout their bodies waspletely destroyed, there was always a chance of recovery¡ªsometimes sooner, sometimester.


    Some units, even with most of their mass punctured or systems like engines and radars rendered inoperable, could still resumebat roles after basic repairs, provided their weapon systems remained functional.


    Diallo was acutely aware of the Swarm¡¯s regenerative traits. He knew he needed to create as much distance as possible to regain control of the engagement.


    Amid the cacophony of fire, both sides exchanged several more volleys, with the Daqi maintaining a firing ratio of three salvos for every two from the Swarm.


    Losses on both sides mounted. During this phase, the Daqi fleet sacrificed over 200 additional warships, while the Swarm saw over 1,000 Primordial bodies withdraw from battle.


    For Diallo, such an exchange was uneptable. Fortunately, the fleet was nearing the far side of Izumo. Once behind the gas giant¡¯s shadow, they could use it as cover to replot their trajectory and elerate their retreat.


    ¡°Your Majesty, while our Primordial bodies continue to provide firepower, over 70% of their engines have sustained significant damage, severely limiting their mobility. If the enemy retreats behind Izumo, we won¡¯t have enough mobile units to pursue effectively,¡± a de warned.


    Sarah gazed at the battlefield, performed some quick calctions, and then issued hermand. ¡°Order all functional Primordial bodies to lock onto their fleet and maintain pursuit. The rest are to enter overload mode. Ignore damage constraints¡ªfocus on delivering as many additional volleys as possible.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Your Highness, the Swarm is pursuing us, but reports indicate their losses are far heavier than expected. Over 70% of their units appear to be immobilized, likely due to engine failures,¡± Aslit reported, consolidating data from across the fleet.


    ¡°Hah¡­ I knew they couldn¡¯t have suffered so little. But even so, these numbers are vastly different from the intelligence we received. Do you think the suzerain is deliberately trying to set us up?¡± Diallo spected, letting his imagination run wild.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Aslit replied softly, though inwardly rolling her eyes. If the suzerain wanted to harm us, they wouldn¡¯t need to go through such convoluted schemes.


    ¡°It¡¯s more likely a case of outdated or incorrect information. Alternatively, the Swarm might have intentionally concealed its true capabilities, inting its losses against the Rikens to mislead us.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re probably right. How infuriating. What exactly was this Swarm so afraid of before? Why did they need to be so cautious?¡± Diallo fumed, frustrated by the chain of events.

 Chapter 160: The Second Brood Nest

    Out of responsibility for the Swarm¡¯s future development¡ªand admittedly, a bit for his own safety¡ªLuo Wen had long been researching ways to enable the Brood Queens to download his primary gic code. Alternatively, he sought methods to produce additional bodies or brood nests.


    After exhaustive research and experimentation, he concluded that having the Brood Queens download his original gic code via a cloud storage system was currently beyond his capabilities.


    However, he had gained insights into creating more bodies or brood nests.


    Through trial, error, and some creative leaps, Luo Wen discovered that forcibly severing a body or brood nest from the Swarm Network effectively granted him the authority to produce another part.


    Simply put, disconnecting them from thework and simting their ¡°death¡± allowed him to incubate recements.


    While the concept seemed straightforward, implementation was extraordinarily challenging. He needed to focus all his energy on severing a body or brood nest from thework, a process requiring tens of hours of uninterrupted effort until the new entity was fully incubated.


    Luo Wen positioned his body over the spore capsule, using surrounding dust to seal the pit before beginning his cocooning process.


    Meanwhile, on Genesis, deep within a subterranean nest 3,000 meters below the surface, a Brood Nest began secreting viscous fluid from its surface. Its massive body rapidly shrank as the liquid hardened, encasing the Brood Nest in an amber-like shell.


    This was Luo Wen¡¯s first formal attempt at regenerating a brood nest. Previous efforts were purely theoretical, so he had no guarantee he could sustain his focus for the necessary tens of hours. To mitigate risks, he prepared multiple contingencies.The Brood Nest utilized a pseudo-death ability derived from specific insect species. These creatures could expel most of their bodily fluids to encase themselves in an amber-like shell that was incredibly resilient, capable of withstanding most external threats. Within the shell, the creature entered a pseudo-death state, with its life force nearly extinguished. Without external stimtion, it could essentially die.


    While this ability was typically disastrous¡ªturning pseudo-death into actual death¡ªit was ideal for Luo Wen¡¯s purpose. The Brood Nest¡¯s pseudo-death significantly eased the energy drain required to iste it from the Swarm Network.@@novelbin@@


    Surges of energy coursed through the Swarm Network, forcibly severing the pseudo-dead Brood Nest¡¯s connection. Simultaneously, the energy reserves in Luo Wen¡¯s tailrd storage organ began to deplete rapidly.


    Since Luo Wen¡¯s consciousness had decoupled from his physical body, he remained fully alert while his body entered its cocooned state. He redirected all avable energy to the incubation process, entirely deprioritizing the repair of his injuries.


    As time passed, Luo Wen concentrated on severing the Brood Nest¡¯s connection to the Swarm Network. Meanwhile, on the yellow moon, his cocooned body began developing a bulge at the rear, which grew steadilyrger.


    During this period, the Fungal Carpet seed beneath his body also came to life. Supported by the external spore capsule, it rapidly sprouted roots that extended deep underground.


    Luo Wen felt a wave of relief upon observing the Fungal Carpet¡¯s progress. Given the limited payload of the rocket and his body¡¯s size constraints, he had brought only one seed. If it failed to take root, the entire lunar mission would have been for naught.


    The Carpet¡¯s roots secreted a substance called lichen fluid, which efficiently dissolved the hard rock below. The yellow moon contained water resources, though they were unevenly distributed and existed primarily as solid ice due to the frigid temperatures.


    Luck favored Luo Wen. His crash had created a crater about a meter deep, and his subsequent digging extended it by another two to three meters. Within five days, the Fungal Carpet¡¯s roots had prated roughly ten meters further, eventually discovering solid ice crystals.


    As the roots prated the rockyyers, they also absorbed various metals.


    The enhanced version of the Fungal Carpet incorporated Luo Wen¡¯s advanced space technology. With ess to water, it transitioned from relying on the spore capsule to bing self-sufficient.


    Equipped with modules for producing metallic particles, maic field generators, and self-illumination systems, the Carpet elerated its growth.


    A root from the Fungal Carpet extended into the cracked cocoon enveloping Luo Wen¡¯s body. Incubating a Brood Nest demanded immense energy. With his tailrd reserves nearly depleted, the Carpet¡¯s timely intervention prevented Luo Wen from resorting to consuming his own flesh to sustain the process.


    Having ovee the initial challenges, the Fungal Carpet not only supported Luo Wen but also continued to expand its infrastructure.


    By the time the Brood Nest incubation wasplete, the Carpet¡¯s main body had spread throughout the pit, glowing with multicolored light that flickered and shifted.


    This illumination system, an enhancement designed by Luo Wen, reced the monotonous yellow-green glow of its predecessors with a more diverse palette inspired by marine bioluminescent creatures.


    However, gazing at the vibrant, nightclub-like lights within the pit, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but think of certain Earthly entertainment venues. He briefly considered reverting the lighting system to something less gaudy.


    Once the new Brood Nestpleted incubation, it conducted a self-diagnostic before detaching from Luo Wen¡¯s body and interfacing with the Fungal Carpet to begin producing space-adapted Swarm units.


    These units required specializedponents for surviving in space, making them significantly moreplex and costly to produce. For example, maic field generators necessitated metal resources, driving up their production cost to many times that of their terrestrial counterparts.


    Despite their expense, the emergence of these space-adapted units marked the Swarm¡¯s expansion beyond its homeworld. The harsh conditions of outer space would no longer confine the Swarm.


    To distinguish them, Luo Wen named the original Brood Nest on Genesis the Genesis Brood Nest, while the newly created one on the yellow moon was christened the Yellow Moon Brood Nest, reflecting their respective birthces.


    After the Yellow Moon Brood Nest came online, the Genesis Brood Nest initiated its reawakening sequence. The amber encasing it began to dissolve as pre-prepared nutrients flowed from the Fungal Carpet. The Brood Nest¡¯s desated body swelled like an inting balloon, regaining its full form within an hour.


    Reawakened, the Genesis Brood Nest seamlessly integrated with the Yellow Moon Brood Nest. Luo Wen noted that the Swarm Network seemed to grow stronger as a result.

 Chapter 360: Helplessness

    On the surface of the warship¡¯s hull, the Space Octopuses disyed remarkable agility, their twisting, weaving movements making them perfectly suited to the environment. Their unpredictable maneuvers often caused theser array and close-in defense cannons to miss their targets, with many shots striking their own warship instead.


    While these stray hits couldn¡¯t breach the ship¡¯s armor, the repeated impacts were far from ideal.


    Somerval bodies were shot down or even killed, but the numbers of the defensive weapons were also rapidly dwindling. The Space Octopuses, with their upgraded bio-armor for increased resilience and re-optimized tentacle strength, demonstrated destructive capabilities far exceeding expectations in closebat.


    Against these biological weapons, the mechanically rigid constructs of the Daqi warships appeared utterly powerless once engaged in meleebat.


    That such a scenario could even ur was a rarity, the result of a series of coincidences creating the perfect conditions.@@novelbin@@


    First and foremost, the enemy had to be within close range¡ªa critical requirement. Secondly, the enemy¡¯s warships had to be few in number, led by amander either unfamiliar with swarm close-quarters tactics or prone to mistakes. Additionally, the presence of an electromaic megastructure was indispensable. These factors were all interdependent, and the absence of any one would render the strategy ineffective.


    Whileunching 300 meter mature bodies was not overly taxing for the electromaic megastructure, it could only fire one at a time, even at maximum frequency. If the enemy fleet were too numerous, a single coordinated salvo could obliterate the mature body before it ever got close. At longer distances, as seen earlier, if the enemy warships had time to fire a second volley, switching their main cannons to burst energy mode could also halt the mature body¡¯s advance.


    The presence of the electromaic megastructure was straightforward enough¡ªwithout it, the mature bodies wouldck the speed to traverse the battlefield quickly enough to reach their targets.


    Take the earlier scenario, for instance. If the mature bodies had to rely on their own propulsion, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch the Daqi warships. Even if the ships had remained stationary, they could have fired twenty salvos by the time the mature bodies arrived.Finally, the inexperience or errors of the opposingmander yed a crucial role. If Diallo had been more knowledgeable, he would have switched to burst energy mode during the first volley, and none of this would have unfolded.


    ¡°Forget it! Let them retreat on their own! We¡¯re pulling back first!¡± Diallo barked, his voice tight with frustration as he watched the stricken warship being steadily dismantled. One of its rear thrusters was already destroyed, and the damage was rapidly escting.


    Rescue operations were out of the question. Once a Space Octopus closed in, the surrounding ships¡¯ main and secondary cannons were rendered ineffective. Even within the range of theser arrays and close-in defense cannons, the weaponscked the power to make a difference.


    The crew of the stricken warship faced an even grimmer fate than those forced to flee to the Riken defensive zone earlier. Diallo recalled certain descriptions from intelligence reports, opening the airlocks in such situations was tantamount to suicide. Escape was a fantasy; their only hopey in allied rescue efforts.


    Under normal circumstances, during a standoff, drones could be deployed to systematically clear the threat. However, in this time-critical scenario, there was no opportunity to spare resources for them.


    The swarm, ever perceptive of its prey¡¯s actions, sent the remaining 100 meter mature bodies swarming off the disabled warship, carryingrval bodies as they leapt onto nearby vessels.


    ¡°Intercept them! Stop them from getting close!¡± Diallo bellowed.


    The fate of the ruined warship, lying in pieces not far away, served as a grim warning. Diallo was not about to let himself be the next casualty.


    But as previously noted,unching a 300 meter mature body imposed minimal strain on the electromaic megastructure. In the short time since the first hadnded, another had already been fired and was hurtling toward them.


    ¡°Damn it! Main cannons, target it and take it down!¡± Diallo roared. Thisrger creature posed an even greater threat and had to be neutralized immediately.


    Yet, what Diallo could anticipate, the swarm had already nned for.


    After the recent skirmishes, the swarm had collectedprehensive data on the Daqi¡¯s main cannons. Every stage of the cannon¡¯s operation¡ªfrom energy umtion to firing¡ªhad been meticulously recorded, down to the millisecond.


    Meanwhile, countless types of Observer Bugs monitored the Daqi warships.


    Thus, the moment the energy cannon projectile left the barrel, the Space Octopus¡ªcurled into a tight sphere¡ªsuddenly unfurled. Its dozen or so electrically charged tentacles contracted and extended with precision, propelling its body ever so slightly to one side at high speed.


    The energy beam, traveling instantaneously, mostly missed its mark due to this small but calcted maneuver. Over 90% of the shots grazed past the mature body, with only two beamsnding direct hits, causing explosive and burn damage.


    This remarkable evasive maneuver mimicked the way a true octopus swims through water and was derived from the Space Octopus¡¯s ancestor¡ªthe Atmospheric Organism. While Atmospheric Organismscked sma propulsion organs, their swimming motion still enabled them to chase falling swarm meteors with impressive bursts of speed, demonstrating theirtent power.


    With this surprising disy, the Space Octopus evaded the majority of the cannon fire. Although the two hits slowed it down significantly, the burst-energy-mode projectiles had limited effectiveness against bio-armor designed to withstand and absorb cosmic radiation.


    Diallo hadn¡¯t expected to kill it outright with the burst-energy rounds; his goal was simply to stall its advance. However, the results fell short of expectations.


    Despite its reduced speed, the 300 meter mature body was still advancing rapidly. It wouldn¡¯t reach the Daqi warships before the second round of cannon volleys, but the electromaic megastructure had already finished preheating and reached full power.


    The third 300 meter mature body wasunched just before the second volley could be fired!


    Diallo now faced a difficult decision: which target should the second cannon volley prioritize?


    If he targeted the second mature body, it would be dangerously close by the time the cannons recharged. If he failed to kill it outright, the effort would be nearly wasted.


    On the other hand, if he targeted the third mature body, its ability toplete precise evasive maneuvers made him doubt the effectiveness of his volleys.


    Time was running out. Diallo had to act quickly and made apromise.


    He divided his firepower: half the main cannons and secondary cannons would use pration mode to attack the second mature body, while the remaining main cannons would employ burst-energy mode against the third one.


    Scattered red beams split into two directions, streaking toward their respective targets.


    The second mature body, riddled with seven or eight see-through holes, mmed into a warship¡¯s propulsion system.


    Meanwhile, the reduced barrage aimed at the third mature body allowed it to gracefully evade all iing fire. While the evasive maneuvers slowed its approach slightly, it still advanced toward the Daqi warships at a faster pace than the second body.


    The results of this volley were disastrous.


    The second mature body¡¯s back split open, releasing a torrent of smaller bodies¡ªeach less than 100 meters in size. The stricken warship, with its propulsion systems critically damaged, was doomed.


    Even worse, the fourth 300 meter mature body was already on its way.

 Chapter 364: Victory?

    The Electromaic Megastructures had been far from idle during this period. Although the few 300 meter Mature Bodies they had justunched were intercepted mid-flight by Daqi drones, their defensive forces were finally breached, allowing new 300 meter Mature Bodies to press forward and deploy to designated positions.


    Thesergebat units of the Swarm barely stabilized their forms before lunging toward the four transferring warships.


    Facing the ferocious space octopuses, the three numbered Daqi warships began converging on the Chisaya to provide desperate cover. Meanwhile, the Chisaya ignited its engines and began elerating.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Your Majesty, what do we do?¡± a de asked.


    Sarah Kerrigan¡¯s expression wavered slightly. The four warships had recently gathered escape vehicles from the Doria. Any one of them could potentially be the target chosen by the alien Supreme Commander.


    The Swarm¡¯sbat units in the area had been nearly annihted earlier, and the newly arrived forces were too few to intercept all four warships simultaneously. A focused effort was required.


    From the current situation, the Chisaya, thergest of the ships, was the most probable target. Moreover, the protective actions of the other three warships subtly suggested someone important might indeed be aboard the Chisaya.


    Yet, this very situation made Sarah suspicious. She sensed that such actions might be a ploy¡ªa facade intended to mislead. Raising her head, she put herself in the alienmander¡¯s shoes.Earlier, they had transferred from thergest gship to the secondrgest escort ship, the Doria, which then became the focal point of the Swarm¡¯s assault.


    From this, it seemed likely that the Swarm was judging the importance of warships by their size.


    Thus, after the destruction of both the gship and the Doria, the Chisaya, being thergest remaining vessel, should logically be the most dangerous ce on the field. However, the Chisaya had also suffered significant damage earlier when it shielded the gship, with severe damage to its left-front hull.


    Sarah shook her head. If she were the alienmander, she would never choose such an obvious and already-damaged warship as her ride.


    If this line of reasoning held true, the Daqi¡¯s current actions were likely an attempt to draw the Swarm¡¯s attention to the Chisaya to cover the retreat of the truemand ship.


    Narrowing her eyes, Sarah scanned the battlefield, focusing on the four warships. Momentster, she suddenly marked one of them. ¡°Found it!¡±


    Still, with the chaos of battle, illusions and deceptions were rampant. The Chisaya¡¯s engines had already fired up¡ªany misjudgment might allow themander to escape.


    However, in such time-critical circumstances, hesitation was not the hallmark of an excellentmander. After only a fleeting moment of doubt, Sarah made her decision: ¡°Full-scale assault!¡±


    This ordinary warship, while posturing as an escort, had its bow angled slightly outward, standing in a peculiarly isted position. It appeared to hover near the Chisaya, but its location ced it furthest from the Swarm¡¯s operational units.


    If the Swarm were to focus entirely on the Chisaya, its position would block much of their assault trajectory, subtly shielding this smaller warship.


    The space octopuses that had originally been rushing toward the Chisaya suddenly veered, changing their target.


    And next, the Daqi fleet¡¯s reaction confirmed Sarah¡¯s deduction.


    Including the Chisaya, the remaining three warships suddenly elerated madly, converging in an attempt to intercept the oing space octopuses¡­


    ¡°XXX! What the hell is going on?! How did they figure it out?¡± Prince Diallo hadpletely lost hisposure, cursing furiously.


    He indeed had not transferred to the Chisaya; the damage to that escort ship was far worse than it appeared externally. Thus, he had devised a n.


    The DX12497 he upied had secretly redirected most of its energy reserves to its interster engines. The moment the Swarm attacked the Chisaya, the other two ordinary warships would risk everything to block the assault, even if it meant detonating the Chisaya. Meanwhile, Diallo intended to use the opportunity to escape this disastrous battlefield.


    Unfortunately, the n had been exposed almost as soon as it began.


    ¡°Hold them off! Start the engines! Force an escape!¡± Diallo barked orders as Aslit hastily ryed them.


    In truth, it would have been more efficient to directlymand the shipboard AI at this moment. However, for various reasons, the Daqi Empire had always restrained the authority of artificial intelligence.


    At this moment, a 300 meter Mature Body led the charge. It leapt onto the DX12475, quickly scuttling across its hull to the opposite side. Compressing its body, itunched itself like a spring toward the Chisaya. Mid-air, its massive tentacles extended toward the Chisaya¡¯smand tower and coiled around it.


    Using the inertia, the creature swung a full circle around themand tower before flinging itself at the DX12497.


    The sequence of movements was fluid and seamless. In close-quartersbat like this, mechanical warships were simply too cumbersome.


    ¡°Bang!¡± Amidst the hail of bullets and shells, several warships were inadvertently struck by friendly fire, leaving a few scorched craters on the Mature Body. However, it pressed forward undeterred, crashing into the DX12497.


    Seizing the moment when the other warships hesitated to avoid coteral damage, the creature bolted toward the rear of the warship. A single tentacle stabbed directly into the portside main thruster.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A violent explosion ensued. Trading a tentacle for a main thruster? A worthwhile exchange!


    Diallo steadied himself against the tremors caused by the explosion, his expression dark. ¡°Use every means necessary to keep that 300 meter space octopus pinned to the DX12497¡¯s rear!¡±


    ¡°Your Highness! That¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Aslit quickly objected.


    ¡°Shut up! Execute the order!¡± Faced with Diallo¡¯s menacing re, Aslit dared not argue further and hastily transmitted themands.


    The Daqi¡¯s execution capabilities were terrifying. Whether it was suicidal defenses or firing on their ownmander¡¯s vessel, as long as the orders were credible, they were carried out without hesitation.


    The main and secondary cannons, which had briefly paused, resumed their barrage. The Mature Body, having just sacrificed its tentacle in the thruster exchange, was caught off guard by the Daqi¡¯s disregard for their ownmander. It was overwhelmed by the relentless firepower and rendered incapable of furtherbat.


    At the same time, the DX12497 suffered severe damage. Of its 1,600 meter long hull, over 500 meters of the rear section was left in shambles.


    Having prepared for this contingency, Diallo had secured himself beforehand. Though he was thrown about by the vibrations, he remained uninjured. Under hismand, the Daqi warships¡ªunconcerned about friendly fire¡ªunleashed a frenzied assault, quickly annihting the remaining small Mature Bodies and Larval Bodies.


    However, the cost was steep. The DX12475 was entirely removed frombat. The Chisaya, DX12490, and DX12497 sustained critical damage. Nearly all these losses stemmed from their mutual friendly fire in their desperate bid to eliminate the Swarm¡¯sbat units as quickly as possible.


    Their battered forms were not far fromplete destruction.


    ¡°Your Highness, the Swarm¡¯s electromaic cannon hasunched, and the next 300 meter space octopus has been deployed¡­¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. This round, we¡¯ve won!¡±

 Chapter 163: Take a Shot

    These rat folk had already been converted into node units, effectively bing ¡°allies.¡± Luo Wen had prepared some space-adapted rat folk bodies on the moon beforehand, then extracted their consciousnesses from their bodies on the Genesis and transferred them into the lunar bodies.


    This instantly achieved the milestone of rat folk¡¯s first, second, third¡­ all the way to the eleventh lunarnding.


    The Orbital Sling had a long-standing issue that had persisted since Luo Wen acquired the Hyperbolic System¡ªits uracy was dreadful.


    It epitomized the saying, ¡°brute force works wonders.¡± Unless used for point-nk shots, its uracy was so poor that hitting a target felt miraculous.


    In space, where distances are measured in light-years, even a one-millimeter deviation at the start could result in unimaginable off-target impacts over a light-year¡¯s span.


    Thus, there was significant room for improvement. The rat folk researchers had been specifically brought here by Luo Wen to address this issue.


    Unfortunately, the rat folk¡¯s technological development was heavily unbnced. Rocket engine technology and rted fields were leaps and bounds ahead, while radar,puting, andmunication technologiesgged significantly.


    Their calctions required a substantial amount of practical data to back them up.


    After a flurry of intense debugging, various initial data points were recorded, and the Orbital Sling entered itsunch countdown.¡°Overlord, do you think this experiment will seed?¡± Through the Swarm Network, Luo Wen had included Morgan, a few rat folk intelligences, and some des into a group chat.


    Everyone shared the visual feed of several Scout Bugs with eagle-like vision, closely monitoring the entireunch process.


    The Eagle-Eye Bug was a new reconnaissance insect developed by Luo Wen, inspired by the principle of telescopes. Shaped like a giant eyeball, itcked limbs, mouth, or nose. It relied on internal hydrogen generation and jet propulsion for mobility and received sustenance through a rear connection to the Fungal Carpet.


    Its eyeball incorporated the genes of multiple organisms, and while it appeared to have just one eye, it hid dozens of pupil structures of varying sizes. This allowed it to auto-focus and switch between modes like thermal imaging and night vision.


    The projectile¡¯s speed uponunch was incredibly high, making it impossible for standard imaging systems to capture its trajectory. However, Luo Wen had added a type of light-bending coating to the Spore Capsule, derived from the Mantis Shrimp¡¯s 20-color imaging system. This allowed the Eagle-Eye Bug to quickly detect the light distortion and lock onto the target.


    The bug¡¯s powerful dynamic vision system then kicked in, presenting a clear image of the projectile¡¯s flight path. Since Luo Wen and his subordinates shared the Eagle-Eye Bug¡¯s vision, they could observe the entire process in real time.


    Moreover, the Eagle-Eye Bugs were numerous, and Luo Wen had temporarily granted his subordinates the ability to switch camera angles freely.


    ¡°Failure is the mother of sess. Failure isn¡¯t scary as long as we can learn from it and make improvements. Sess will eventuallye.¡± Luo Wen watched the observation screen intently, casually replying to Morgan¡¯s question.


    ¡°The Overlord speaks wisely,¡± Morgan responded.


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    The countdown ended, and the Hyperbolic System activated. The Spore Capsule inside the Orbital Sling instantly vanished. The immense recoil reduced most of the Orbital Sling¡¯s structure to ash and even tore up arge section of the Fungal Carpet anchoring it to the ground.


    A few secondster, the Fungal Carpet mmed back down, sending up clouds of dust through its torn seams. Multiple horrifying gashes appeared across its surface.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t have time to worry about the damage to the Fungal Carpet. Unlike typical living organisms, the Fungal Carpet¡¯s injuries, while appearing severe, were minor as long as its main body wasn¡¯t massively burned or obliterated. These surface tears, though terrifying, were essentially superficial wounds that could heal in minutes.


    The first target for the Orbital Sling wasn¡¯t a distant but the Red Moon, a fellow satellite of the Genesis. After some calctions by the rat folk, today was the day when the Yellow Moon and Red Moon crossed paths, reducing their distance to under 200,000 kilometers.


    In space terms, this was practically point-nk range.


    Two or three seconds after the projectile disappeared, the Eagle-Eye Bug reacquired the target. By then, the ¡°projectile¡± had already covered half the distance. A minuteter, it impacted the Red Moon¡¯s surface. The entire moon seemed to tremble slightly as the impact site formed a deep crater, throwing up massive amounts of dust.


    The impact point was tens of thousands of kilometers off the intended target, but at least it sessfullynded on the Red Moon.


    ¡°Damn!¡± Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but mutter in astonishment. He wasn¡¯t surprised by the off-target distance or even the fact that it hit. What shocked him was how little time the flight had taken.


    While he already knew the Hyperbolic System was powerful, he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this potent.


    Covering 200,000 kilometers in just over a minute meant the projectile had reached 1% of light speed. Did that mean it could reach a nearby star system in just a few centuries? Well, this made it clear¡ªfurther improvements to the Orbital Sling¡¯s performance were necessary. Although Luo Wen¡¯s perception of time was bing increasingly vague, even he thought centuries were too long.


    These thoughts quickly passed as Luo Wen connected to the Spore Capsule on the Red Moon via the Swarm Network.


    The Spore Capsule¡ªno response.


    Brood Queen eggs¡ªno response.


    Worker Drone eggs¡ªno response.


    Even the Fungal Carpet¡ªno response.


    After repeated attempts, Luo Wen concluded that the excessive speed had caused too strong an impact, destroying the Spore Capsule and all the insect eggs inside.@@novelbin@@


    Was this experiment a sess?


    There was no time to ponder. With the two moons still close, Luo Wen hurriedly prepared for a secondunch.


    Fortunately, three Orbital Slings had been prepared. One was destroyed, but two remained operational. Although the previous Sling¡¯s destruction had slightly tilted the remaining two, concentrated resources had allowed one of them to be repaired.


    Under the assistance of Burrower Ants and Worker Drones, its base was straightened and repositioned.


    Without wasting time, the second projectile was loaded. With experience from the first attempt, the rat folk researchers adjusted their settings before the countdown for the secondunch began.


    This time, Luo Wen learned from the previous mishap and capped the Sling¡¯s performance.


    When the countdown ended, the ¡°projectile¡± vanished. With the reduced performance, the Orbital Sling wasn¡¯t destroyed, nor did it tear uprge portions of the Fungal Carpet.


    It sustained only minor damage. Given its significant nt-cellposition, it could be easily repaired with the Fungal Carpet¡¯s help, making it reusable after simple maintenance.

 Chapter 370: Information

    What is the Swarm¡¯s apparent style?


    The Swarm¡¯s infiltration technology is towering, eerily silent, and leaves no trace. Thus, most external civilizations perceive the Swarm as relying on brute force and sheer numbers.


    This perception is not entirely inurate. With the Swarm Network functioning as a cheat code, the Swarm has not ced much emphasis on conventionalwork technologies. In a battle between two civilizations dominated by mechanical technology, information warfare, cyberattacks, and electronic interference usually begin long before entering artillery range.


    However, Swarm warfare skips these steps entirely. In the end, it alwayses down to relying on their unparalleled regenerative and production capabilities to grind their enemies to exhaustion. While this approach leverages the strengths of biotechnology to the fullest, it undeniably has its shorings.


    For example, Luo Wen was now at a loss, staring at the two self-destructed supply ships and the strange functional vessel before him.


    After fighting for so long, all they had gained was a heap of scrap metal. In the past, this would not have seemed problematic because there had been no treasures worth coveting. Take the Rikens, for instance¡ªtheir research units had been infiltrated so thoroughly that their technological tree was essentially open to the Swarm. Even the head of their science department, Cleo, was a member of the Swarm, so there was no need to reverse-engineer anything from captured warships.


    But now, with the Daqi Empire and potentially many other future adversaries, the Swarmcked the time to prepare such thorough groundwork. Hence, gathering intelligence and technology from captured ships during the early stages of conflict had be an essential means of understanding enemies and refining their capabilities.


    In this situation, watching treasures repeatedly being reduced to scrap metal was maddening. The two supply ships were still eptable losses, containing, at most, some unique ecological recycling technologies. Luo Wen himself was an expert in this field. But the peculiar functional vessel¡ªclearly valuable¡ªwas lost before they could even discern its purpose.


    This loss brought Luo Wen a fleeting yet real pang of regret, despite him being a ¡°digital being¡± without a physical need for breathing. The sensation, nheless, felt authentic.Fortunately, the Swarm Overlord had noticed this issue. What the Overlord valued, the Swarm valued. Luo Wen believed this area of research would see increased investment in the future.


    Meanwhile, on the Daqi side, Prince Diallo found himself in a dire predicament after losing both the supply ships and themunications vessel. Cut off from his homeworld and with supplies running critically low, he had no choice but to reveal their identity to the Swarm.


    At a distance of 500,000 kilometers from the Swarm¡¯s Izumo Base, the Daqi fleet broadcast a signal. The Swarm easily intercepted and extracted the information.


    ¡°A prince of the Daqi Empire? The Interster Technological Confederation?¡± Luo Wen furrowed his brow as he read the intercepted data. ording to the information, the opposing civilization, the Daqi Empire, governed three star systems, with its borders located approximately 13.2 light-years from the Rikens¡¯ system. These details aligned with intelligence previously gleaned from prisoners of war, leaving little doubt about their authenticity.


    However, information that the war prisoners had previously been vague about was now detailed in this broadcast. First, the Daqi Empire belonged to an organization known as the Interster Technological Confederation, boasting over 200 member civilizations. Some of these civilizationsmanded territories spanning over a hundred star systems.


    The broadcast then transitioned into an extended eulogy of the organization, praising its possession of countless advanced technological theories, an invincible joint fleet, the unity and camaraderie of its members, and their mutual support and fiercely protective nature.


    At the end of the broadcast, it was mentioned that if the Swarm was willing to pay a certain price, the organization could conditionally allow the Swarm to join and provide them with protection. Naturally, this would also require the Swarm to show its gratitude to the Daqi Empire, who acted as their guide and introducer, including gestures of tribute andpensation for the losses the Daqi Empire incurred in this war.


    The words were filled with an implicit, almost tangible threat, making the message clear: the Swarm had bestply obediently and avoid any foolish resistance. Otherwise, the powerful joint fleet of the organization could invade the Swarm¡¯s territory at any moment.


    ¡°What should we do, Overlord?¡± Sarah frowned and asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic!¡± Luo Wen chuckled. The information in the broadcast was riddled with inconsistencies, making its credibility questionable.


    Firstly, the existence of the organization itself was likely true, as were the vast territories of powerful civilizations and advanced technologies. These were things that, if real, would inevitably be verified in time, so there was no need to fabricate them.


    However, the subsequent ims became dubious. For instance, notions of unity, camaraderie, and mutual support¡ªLuo Wen didn¡¯t believe a single punctuation mark of it. Not to mention, if the Swarm were beaten to a pulp and then forced to join such an alliance, Luo Wen¡¯s unforgiving nature would guarantee that he¡¯d find an opportunity for revenge.


    As for the tributes and reparations mentioned at the end, it was outright nonsense. If Luo Wen had a better understanding of the Interster Technological Confederation, he wouldn¡¯t tolerate a mere Crown Prince of the Daqi Empire daring to threaten the Swarm in such a manner. He¡¯d have already mobilized the Swarm¡¯s forces to confront the Daqi leadership directly.


    Under the Overlord¡¯s will, the Swarm did not respond to the broadcast. However, the normally idle Primordial Bodies began to stir. They started forming groups, swaggering from the Izumo Base to the ster orbital swarm base to absorb sr energy, then returning after a few days to drawary radiation.


    Since Diallo¡¯s message had been sent as an indiscriminate broadcast, the Riken near the Swarm base also received it.


    ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve seen the message. Please feel free to share your thoughts,¡± President Milton said, looking rather troubled.


    Because of the precedent set by his predecessor, Antonio, measures had been taken to prevent excessive centralization of the president¡¯s power when Milton took office. As a result, his authority had been significantly curtailed, leaving him unable to speak decisively and forcing him to convene meetings to hear the opinions of various leaders.


    ¡°With the Swarm outside as a shield, the Daqi Empire is hardly a concern,¡± said one Riken council member. ¡°Moreover, the credibility of the broadcast remains questionable, but I believe there truly is a powerful force backing the Daqi Empire. This aligns with our previous spection regarding the Treasure Starship.¡±


    When the Daqi fleet first appeared, the Riken had noticed that, while formidable, the fleet did not seem advanced enough to have created the ¡°Treasure Starship.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°However, we still don¡¯t know what this powerful force intends. If all of this is simply the Daqi Empire acting on its own initiative, then it¡¯s easy enough to deal with. But if this is orchestrated by the force behind them, we must consider the possibility of them intervening directly.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. While the Swarm is indeed formidable, I estimate they may not be a match for this hidden power. If a conflict truly breaks out, we, caught in the middle, should prepare in advance.¡±

 Chapter 165: The Observation Center

    When Morgan first created the ¡°Deity Faith Sect,¡± its doctrines were remarkablyx. Beyond a requirement for secrecy, there were virtually no bindingmandments. It simply preached that those who, in life, believed in, revered, and drew close to the divine might find the Kingdom of God after death and gain rebirth there.


    Initially, many rat folk dismissed this as a hoax. However, over the years, more and more rat folk who had supposedly died returned to society with new bodies. These bodies often looked simr to their original forms but appeared significantly younger.


    Moreover, these individuals disyed no abnormalities. Their thoughts were coherent, their values aligned with their pre-death selves, and they remained dedicated to their former professions, showing no signs of mind control or brainwashing.


    As a result, what once required Morgan¡¯s considerable effort to promote turned into something rat folk fervently pursued. The ¡°Deity Faith Sect¡± became an open secret in certain circles.


    Over time, people from various walks of life, including many royals and nobles, sought ways to join. However, only those with scientific, managerial, or militarymand experience had a realistic chance of reaching the divine realm.


    This dynamic significantly reduced the prevalence of idle aristocrats among the rat folk. Many who had ess to inside information pursued specialized careers, hoping to increase their chances of finding the Kingdom of God after death¡ªand perhaps achieving immortality.


    Even Empress Kerrigan, despite having injected the affinity serum in her youth, took a keen interest in militarymand in her spare time. She often engaged in simted battle games with military staff outside her administrative duties.


    While the ¡°Deity Faith Sect¡± consistently maintained a low profile, as time passed, the number of deceased rat folk who returned grew steadily. These individuals often held positions of power before their deaths¡ªteachers, superiors, royals, nobles, or leaders of influential families.


    Having been integrated into the Swarm Network, these returning rat folk subtly extended the influence of the ¡°Deity Faith Sect¡± across every facet of society.Although some insightful rat folk raised rms and issued warnings, theycked the power to change the tide.


    The returning individuals behaved obediently because Luo Wen needed a stable rat folk civilization to cultivate new talent for his purposes. However, should Luo Wen ever issue questionable orders, these individuals would carry them out without hesitation. The concerns of the insightful few were thus well-founded, yet the overall trend left them powerless to resist, often leading to their reluctant eptance.


    Since its inception, an unknown factor seemed to have guided rat folk civilization toward a distinct preference for scientific research. Entertainment and leisure activities were sparse, and young rat folk aspired to careers in science, with researchers forming a substantial portion of the poption.


    Years earlier, Empress Kerrigan had embraced Morgan¡¯s proposal to reduce funding for rocket-rted technology and prioritize other underdeveloped fields.


    The empire¡¯s reallocation of resources led many rat folk students to focus on previously neglected areas of science. Over the years, this shift produced a new wave of outstanding researchers and numerous breakthroughs.


    Under Luo Wen¡¯s direction, the rat folk¡¯s vast power structure began implementing various policies and measures in secret. Computing and radar-rted technologies were prioritized, resulting in rapid advancements.


    However, astronomical research remained tightly controlled by Swarm-affiliated ¡°insiders.¡± Letting outsiders witness the frequent ¡°ball tossing¡± experiments between the two moons could incite widespread panic.


    The rat folk¡¯stest refracting telescope technology offered superior image quality and a broader field of viewpared to reflecting telescopes. However,rge refracting telescopes required extensive industrial capabilities to construct. The immense size and weight of their lenses made them difficult to operate.


    Luo Wen had no such constraints. No longer limited to passively using foreign gene fragments, he developed a new observational bug species through cellr reconfiguration.


    Unlike the Eagle-Eye Bug, this new bug, designed forrge-scale refracting telescope purposes, was massive in size.


    Resembling a giant toad, it stood 30 meters tall. Its head was reced by an enormous cylindrical telescope made of biological ¡°lenses¡± crafted from crystalline cells, transparent scales, cartge, and other materials.


    The creature¡¯s other organs were concentrated in its chest and abdomen. Itcked a mouth, relying on a connection to the Fungal Carpet for sustenance. Its limbs were extraordinarily thick, containing a high proportion of nt cells to support its massive body. Additionally, it was equipped with an anti-gravity maic module at its base.@@novelbin@@


    Even with these adaptations, the bug could only function on the Moon¡¯s surface; the significantly stronger gravity of the Genesis would crush it instantly.


    This nonbative, purely auxiliary bug¡¯s sole purpose was to observe celestial bodies in real time and provide alerts for unidentified objects or phenomena.


    Due to its appearance, Luo Wen named it the Giant-Eye Bug.


    The Swarm gradually produced over a dozen Giant-Eye Bugs for deployment across the two moons. To ensure timely reception of their observations, Luo Wen assigned a de to coordinate with them.


    Simultaneously, he established an observation center on the Moon.


    Over the years, as more intelligent rat folk were assimted into the Swarm Network, not all chose to return to rat folk society. Many, devoted to research, remained within the Swarm¡¯s secretboratories, which hosted a growing number of insiders.


    In certain scientific fields where progress was slow due to ack of personnel, Luo Wen forcibly reassigned these insiders to critical projects.


    For instance, in the Red Moon¡¯s observation center, Luo Wen mandated that over 80% of insiders in relevant fields work there.


    To amodate those needing legitimate identities within rat folk society, Luo Wen devised a unique clock-in system.


    On the Genesis, these individuals were officially employed by Swarm-affiliatedboratories. Each workday, they would report to a designated location and lie in prepared Fungal Carpet chambers.


    With a ¡°whoosh,¡± their consciousnesses would transfer to their space-adapted bodies at the lunar observation center. At the end of their shifts, they would return the same way.


    However, the proportion of rat folk choosing this arrangement steadily decreased. Only recently deceased individuals harbored lingering attachment to their previous lives. Over time, even these attachments faded entirely.

 Chapter 166: The Swarm Meteors

    The star system containing the Genesis was named the Genesis System by Luo Wen.


    Long-term observations from the lunar observation center revealed that the Genesis Systemprised elevens. Luo Wen named them sequentially from the star outward as A1, A2, A3¡­ A11, with A5 being the Genesis.


    Of theses, A1 to A3 had no moons, A4 had two, A5 (the Genesis) also had two, A6 had three, A7 had thirty-six, A8 had five, and A9 had four. The presence of moons around A10 and A11 remained uncertain due to their extreme orbital distances.


    To better organize these celestial bodies, Luo Wen devised a new naming system. The moons of the A-seriess were given grouped identifiers. For example, A5B1 referred to the Yellow Moon, and A5B2 refers to the Red Moon. The ¡°A¡± with a number indicated the parent, while ¡°B¡± and its subsequent number represented the moon¡¯s designation, ranked from closest to farthest.


    Over the years, the Swarm had honed its expertise in slow-projectileunches through its ¡°ball-tossing¡± experiments between the two moons. Combined with rapid advancements inputing and trajectory calction technologies thanks to the rat folk, the uracy of theunchers significantly improved. Now, spore capsulesunched between the moons couldnd within a kilometer of the target location.


    With technical proficiency secured, the Swarm was ready to implement the next phase of its n.


    This second phase was ambitious: to colonize the entire Genesis System.


    The first step involvedunching spore capsules toward thes and their moons to establish subsidiary bases.


    While the varied environments of these celestial bodies presented challenges, long-term observations indicated no signs of existing civilizations within the system. This eliminated the primary risk. Environmental factors would be addressed by the Swarm¡¯s maic field protection systems, with extreme cases managed as they arose.Although described as ¡°slow,¡± the spore capsules still achieved a velocity of 30 kilometers per second, a speed roughly 10,000th of the speed of light¡ªseveral times faster than the rat folk¡¯s rockets.


    Achieving a sessfulunch, however, required extensive calctions. For instance, the nearest to the Genesis, A4, was about 60 million kilometers away at its closest approach and over 400 million kilometers at its farthest. During thetter, the star would obstruct the path, making aunch impossible.


    The optimalunch window, therefore, was during the closest approach, when the spore capsule, traveling at 30 kilometers per second, would take about 23 days to reach A4.


    However, boths orbited the star at high speeds. urate targeting required ounting for lead angles, gravitational influences from various celestial bodies,ary rotation and revolution, and even the star¡¯s motion.


    Luo Wen alone couldn¡¯t handle these calctions, but with a team of 15,000 rat folk researchers, the benefits of cultivating rat folk civilization became evident.


    A4, the closest to the Swarm, was just the beginning. The system¡¯s outermost, A11, required over 300 years toplete one orbit around the star and came no closer than 8 billion kilometers to the Genesis. A spore capsule would take roughly ten years to reach it. Theplexity of lead angle calctions over such distances was staggering, requiring consideration of multipleary orbits.@@novelbin@@


    Given these challenges, colonizing A11 would rely heavily on luck, so Luo Wen decided to focus on closer targets first.


    Luo Wen also opted to temporarily forego A1 to A3, as their proximity to the star made their environments extremely hostile, posing significant colonization challenges with minimal reward.


    Over more than a decade, the Swarmunched spore capsules tos A4 through A8 and their moons. The extended timeline was partly due to missing the closest approach to A8 when the n was first formted, forcing the Swarm to wait ten years for the next alignment¡ªmeasured in billions of kilometers of separation.


    Meanwhile, the Swarm sessfullynded and expanded on A4 and A6.


    A4, being closer to the star than the Genesis, had higher temperatures,cked an atmosphere, and was subjected to intense radiation. Surface temperatures reached over 200¡ãC. Despite these harsh conditions, the Swarm adapted by utilizing genes from deep-sea organisms found near undersea volcanoes. Such temperatures were trivial byparison.


    However, A4¡¯s limited water resources restricted the growth of the fungal carpet, slowing the base¡¯s development.


    In contrast, A6, located farther from the star, was coated in frost and had abundant water resources. Despite temperatures dropping to nearly -100¡ãC, Luo Wen¡¯s experiments with enhanced glycerol secretion systems allowed Swarm organisms to function normally. Maic field generators further stabilized their internal temperatures, rendering the cold a non-issue.


    With plentiful water, the fungal carpet spread rapidly, supporting a thriving Swarm base.


    Observations indicated that A7 was a gas giant, thergest in the system, nearly 1,500 times the size of the Genesis. It boasted 36 moons.


    Even at its closest, A7 was about 1.5 billion kilometers from the Genesis. Two years earlier, the Swarm capitalized on this proximity,unching over 100 spore capsules toward A7 within a year. Factoring in other influences, the capsules traveled over 2 billion kilometers. They were now approaching A7 and its moons, with their arrival expected in a few days.


    Luo Wen eagerly anticipated this milestone, marveling at how, in the vastness of space, the Genesis and A7 could still be considered ¡°neighbors.¡± Yet even a neighborly visit required travel times measured in years.


    Thankfully, Luo Wen no longer perceived time as a constraint. For the rat folk, however, a trip to a distant neighbor might take so long they¡¯d perish of old age before arriving.

 Chapter 376: Core Principles

    Although the New Ji inherited everything, they are ultimately not truly native Ji people. Their mentality regarding certain matters has yet to change.


    For example, caring for their progenitor race.


    Some ancient traditions and systems were broken.


    For instance, restricting the development of their progenitor race.


    In the past, while alien races relied on the excavation of Ji spaceships during the early stages of their civilization¡¯s development to achieve a technological leap, after being integrated under the Ji, they could exchange contributions to the Ji for technology, achieving another leap forward.


    However, their potential was ultimately capped. Their activities were confined to their home star systems, beyond which they could not venture.


    To provide hope, this limitation could theoretically be ovee by earning contribution points, but the required number was exorbitantly high.


    Once alien races reached their limits, they had several options. They could choose to rebel, though this was tantamount to seeking their own destruction.


    Alternatively, they could rely on generations of researchers to strive to earn points. While the goal was nearly unattainable, it at least offered a glimmer of hope. However, records show that no race ever crossed this threshold through point umtion.Of course, they could also choose to resign themselves to their situation and ept the status quo.


    At its peak, the Ji controlled nearly 200 star systems. It wasn¡¯t that they were incapable of further expansion, but as their poption declined, the resources they already had were sufficient to meet their needs.


    Later, the Ji gradually concentrated more and more around their home star system. However, thes they had once upied were not abandoned. Instead, they relied on Lumina to remotely control machinery, continuing maintenance and production tasks.


    By contrast, the alien races were scattered and fragmented. Back then, the Ji sent outrge exploration teams to search fors with life, resulting in many alien civilizations being located extremely far from Ji territory.


    Conversely, some alien civilizations were very close to Ji territory. Some of the earliest alien races found their homeworlds entirely enveloped by Ji territory.


    When the native Ji dominated everything, the gap in technological levels was so vast that even alien races that reached the imposed technological ceiling could be easily controlled by the Ji with a standard fleet of 100 warships. In critical moments, these fleets could destroy them entirely.


    As a result, proximity to Ji territory conferred significant advantages at that time. Communication was easier, and researchers from these alien civilizations had better ess to Ji territories, allowing them to earn points more effectively.


    However, when the native Ji perished, everything changed.


    The new Council of Elders passed a resolution abolishing territorial restrictions. Alien races were allowed to leave their home star systems and began to explore outward.


    One alien civilization cautiously bypassed the stationed Ji fleet, left its home star system, reached a nearby unimed star system, and established a colony.


    There was no reaction. The stationed Ji fleet turned a blind eye. The rule had indeed been abolished.


    The new Council of Elders was ecstatic. Whether willingly or out of necessity, they now understood that the native Ji had truly perished, and they had genuinely inherited everything.


    They also realized the extent of their newfound authority.


    The hundreds of alien races were equally ecstatic. The shackles above their heads had been removed. They could finally leave their confined ponds and truly roam the vast expanse of stars and seas.


    But what happened next poured cold water on some.


    The alien races, following the example of others, began venturing beyond their home star systems. Those located far from Ji territory, surrounded by unimed space, faced little obstruction. However, for those near Ji territory¡ªor entirely surrounded by it¡ªdisaster struck when they attempted to encroach upon Ji domains.


    The previously dormant Ji warships revealed their fangs. The technological gap was so vast that the alien races stood almost no chance of resistance. Moreover, such encroachments were deemed by the Ji as extremely severe offenses.


    Caught off guard, three alien civilizations werepletely obliterated.


    The remaining alien races, while relieved at their slower reactions, were simultaneously enraged and rmed. Especially the new Council of Elders, who had believed themselves to be the new masters, only to discover there were still forces beyond their control.


    However, their cautious nature kept them from acting rashly. They couldn¡¯t pinpoint the source of the issue.


    The individuals from the three annihted civilizations who were living within Ji society were not implicated. Perhaps, ording to Lumina, these individuals were already considered new Ji people.


    But without the support of their original races, they became the most vulnerable group.


    The peripheral details of the events were not recorded, but eventually, these individuals stepped forward. Led by a few elders, they openly questioned Lumina.


    Lumina provided the reason for the destruction of the three civilizations: they had threatened the Ji¡¯s legacy.


    This prompted the alien races to recall Lumina¡¯s revised core principles.


    The Ji¡¯s legacy, to the alien races, was an exceptionally broad concept. However, Lumina outlined three key aspects: faith, territory, and rules.


    Of the three, thetter two were straightforward.@@novelbin@@


    Ji territory was sacred and invible. Any attempt to encroach upon it would result in being ssified as an enemy¡ªand enemies would be annihted. This was entirely reasonable.


    The three civilizations met their end because they allowed their greed to blind them. They failed to thoroughly understand Lumina¡¯s directives before taking action. Lumina had been too low-key, and before it revealed its fangs, no one paid attention to it. No one expected it to enforce its core principles with such brutal decisiveness.


    The incident of the three civilizations eventually passed. Alien races farther away gloated, while those closer shook their heads in regret. Early signs of division began to emerge. However, regardless of their perspective, Lumina was now seen as an unpredictable factor that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.


    Conspiracies quickly surfaced. The new Council of Elders and the alien races formed an alliance, as the elders themselves did not want a supervisory presence above their heads. Together, they began exploring ways to shut down Lumina.


    However, Lumina¡¯s existence exceeded theirprehension. Lumina was connected to all Ji artificial intelligence and all their machinery.


    Cutting off its power wasughable. Formatting it was utterly impossible. Even destroying its ¡°physical form¡± would merely reduce itsputational power slightly.


    Yet these hostile actions triggered another of Lumina¡¯s core principles.


    Although the two core principles were theoretically equal in priority, self-preservation was slightly ranked above the protection of the Ji¡¯s legacy.


    Destruction descended once more.


    The omnipresent surveince, Lumina¡¯s countless eyes, always pinpointed the culprits.


    Historical records indicate that nearly 30% of alien civilizations were wiped out during this incident. Most of them were those whose home star systems were surrounded by Ji territory, as they were the most desperate.


    Fortunately, they would no longer need to hurry ever again.


    Lumina was safe.


    The new elders and the alien races finally realized that the three ts of the Ji¡¯s legacy did not include them.


    Although the native Ji people were extinct, the new Ji still had to follow the original rules. Some aspects could be modified, but others were utterly invible.

 Chapter 168: Sarah (2)

    ¡°Teacher, is this the Divine Kingdom?¡± Sarah asked Morgan as they stood within the Swarm Network.


    Over the years, the Swarm Network had undergone several updates. The most notable improvement was the ability for intelligent beings within thework to manifest physical forms, rather than appearing as mere glowing orbs.


    As the Deity Faith Sect grew increasingly powerful and more Ratfolk discovered the ¡°door¡± to thework, Luo Wen could no longer personally oversee every individual entering it. He didn¡¯t want to end up ying the role of a doorman.


    To address this, Luo Wen assigned a team of des to handle the Ratfolk Intelligent Entities entering the Swarm Network. To distinguish them from thebatmanding des, he renamed this group Lookouts.


    Luo Wen established a set of rules for the Lookouts to evaluate each Intelligent Entity knocking on the ¡°door.¡± Those who met the criteria were granted ess to thework.


    However, since the Lookouts¡¯ rigid thinking and inflexible methods could miss certain exceptional talents, Luo Wen also appointed a secondary review teamposed of Intelligent Entities to ensure no valuable souls were overlooked.


    As the former Empress of the Kerrigan Empire, Sarah possessed extraordinary talent and had been injected with Affinity Serum. She easily found the door and, with her abilities, effortlessly met the entry standards, gaining ess to the Swarm Network.


    Morgan, as the first Ratfolk Intelligent Entity to enter the Swarm Network, had served as a steward for Luo Wen over the years,pleting numerous tasks. Hiswork privileges had been upgraded multiple times, granting him the ability to freely traverse between the Swarm Network and physical space.


    Thus, the seemingly final farewell between teacher and studentsted less than two minutes. The two reunited within the Swarm Network.Sarah¡¯s exceptional talent was evident. When Morgan had first entered thework, he had been unconscious for a long time, only waking up after Luo Wen had imnted his consciousness into an insect body. As the first Ratfolk to enter thework, Morgan was no slouch in terms of aptitude.


    Yet Sarah not only maintained consciousness upon entry but was able to casually chat with Morgan as if nothing had happened. Morgan felt a mix of awe and resignation¡ªhad he possessed such prowess, his initial experience wouldn¡¯t have been so nerve-wracking.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Yes, you can also call it the Swarm Network. We¡¯re all part of it now,¡± Morgan exined.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± Sarah remarked as she tested her youthful virtual body. ¡°It¡¯s even more remarkable than I imagined. I¡¯ve been looking forward to this for decades.¡±


    Morgan shrugged. ¡°Wait here a moment. I¡¯ll make arrangements for your¡­ affairs. Meanwhile, here¡¯s some information for you to review¡ªthere are decisions you¡¯ll need to make soon.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a rather awkward way to put it,¡± Sarah muttered as she epted the data packet. Despite her protest, she began reading.


    Morgan, meanwhile, disconnected from thework and returned to his body in the Kerrigan Empire¡¯s pce.


    An hourter, Morgan re-entered thework and appeared beside Sarah. ¡°Sarah, everything has been arranged. Your funeral will be exceptionally grand.¡±


    ¡°Of course, it was nned by me personally. But please, don¡¯t overdo it.¡±


    ¡°I was merely trying to lift your spirits. After all, you¡¯ve only just died¡ªit must be quite distressing.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯d be even happier if you would stop talking,¡± Sarah replied with a graceful bow.


    Morgan shrugged, ending their first round of banter within the Swarm Network. His expression turned serious. ¡°Sarah, you should now have a general understanding of the situation. What is your decision?¡±


    Sarah appeared to have made up her mind. Without hesitation, she replied, ¡°I won¡¯t return to the empire to make trouble for my nephew, who¡¯s waited so long for me to pass. He was quite adorable as a child. I¡¯ve dedicated my life to the Ratfolk. Now that I have a new identity, I¡¯ll contribute to my new kin.¡±


    ¡°Well said, Sarah. Perhaps it¡¯s time for you to meet the Overlord, the being you¡¯ve long considered your god.¡±


    ¡°It would be an honor, Teacher.¡±


    ¡°Although the Overlord can reach us instantly within the Swarm Network, it¡¯s only fitting for us to meet in person given our status,¡± Morgan exined.


    Guiding Sarah through the Swarm Network, Morgan led her to the Red Moon Base. There, within one of the spore capsules,y a body prepared for Sarah.


    With Morgan¡¯s assistance, Sarah entered a spore capsule containing a well-equipped female Ratfolk body with white fur.


    When the capsule opened, Sarah stood up. She gazed at her body in a daze, gently stroking her fur. Although she had experienced a youthful form within the Swarm Network, the physical sensation of this body was far more impactful.


    She opened her mouth but made no sound. Remembering Morgan¡¯s earlier exnation that the lunar surfacecked air, Sarah recalled the method of telepathicmunication he had taught her¡ªa unique form of interaction among Swarm nodes.


    With her exceptional talent, Sarah quickly mastered telepathic dialogue. Linking to Morgan, she said, ¡°As incredible as it may sound, I must repeat how amazing this all is. Does this mean I¡¯ve trulye back to life?¡±


    ¡°Of course. This is the Overlord¡¯s immense power. Consciousness is your true self; the body is merely clothing. Your current body, for instance, is specially designed for space¡ªit may look like a Ratfolk on the outside, but its internal structure is entirely different,¡± Morgan exined, pointing to her body¡¯s protective maic field. He added, ¡°Think of it this way: when clothing is damaged, it can always be reced. As long as consciousness remains intact, we can achieve immortality.¡±


    ¡°What an awe-inspiring ability,¡± Sarah said with admiration. ¡°No wonder the Deity Faith Sect is unstoppable. The allure of immortality alone is enough to drive many to abandon everything in pursuit of it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll grow ustomed to it, Sarah. The Swarm¡¯s potential far exceeds your imagination.¡±


    ¡°So, Teacher, are we going to meet the god now? Does he have any taboos I should know about?¡± Sarah inquired earnestly.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Morgan replied, ¡°Don¡¯t call him a god. Address him as ¡®Overlord¡¯ instead. And whatever you do, never refer to him as ¡®Queen.¡¯ That will incur punishment.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Sarah asked, curious.


    ¡°The Overlord is the source of the Swarm and, by our understanding, suited to maternal titles. But for some reason, he strongly rejects such names,¡± Morgan exined.


    ¡°What would happen if I called him that?¡± Sarah pressed.


    ¡°Oh~¡± Morgan drawled. ¡°You might want to try it out¡ªperhaps you¡¯ll develop an appreciation for the cute little green bugs and their secretions.¡±


    ¡°Thanks for the warning. I¡¯m officially not interested,¡± Sarah said, shaking her head. She wasn¡¯t about to fall for such an obvious trap.


    After chatting for a while, the two exited the spore capsule chamber and walked through a passageway.


    In a massive chamber, they met Luo Wen. This time, Luo Wen was using a temporary insect body, as his original body was stored away with no pressing research tasks requiring its use.


    Luo Wen had little impression of the Ratfolk¡¯s first Empress. Most negotiations and subsequent dealings had been handled by Morgan. Knowing she was an unmarried old monarch, Luo Wen spected that such individuals tended to be temperamental.


    To avoid unnecessary trouble, he decided to adopt a slightly more imposing demeanor for their meeting.

 Chapter 381: Troi

    Before discovering the Interster Technological Confederation, Luo Wen had already detected signs of life forms and activities in this direction.@@novelbin@@


    In earlier years, the Swarmunched countless Swarm Meteors in all directions. Even though most of them were destroyed on impact, advancements inunch technology andter the introduction of electromaicunch tforms significantly improved their survival rates.


    Some of the earlierunched meteors, after prolonged journeys, traveled beyond thepanion systems surrounding the Genesis System and ventured further outward, extending the Swarm Network along the way.


    Through observations, Luo Wen identified at least two different intelligent civilizations. However, as his main focus at the time was on the Neighboring and Riken Star Systems, and due to various limitations, the Swarm never made contact with these civilizations.


    Now, with information obtained from the Intelligent Entities, Luo Wen learned that the civilizations in that direction all belonged to the Interster Technological Confederation.


    The alien fleet discovered this time came from the outer regions of the White Grub System. They had just entered the Swarm Network¡¯s surveince range when they were promptly spotted by the Observer Bugs.


    Judging from their battleship designs, it was clear that, like the Riken and Daqi civilizations, this fleet primarily followed a mechanical technology path, influenced by Ji ships. While the designs were broadly simr, their paint schemes disyed more distinct differences.


    Based on images captured from multiple angles by the Observer Bugs andputations by the biputers, this fleet numbered around 200,000 ships. This was a massive force, even by the vast standards of the interster void, representing a truly colossal gathering. If a conflict broke out, the scale of war would far surpass any previous battle the Swarm had experienced.


    ¡°What an enormous undertaking!¡± Luo Wen eximed.Forget the logistics of assembling a fleet of 200,000 ships and the manpower and resources required; the daily consumption of food and energy alone would be staggering. Even just constructing such a fleet would demand an unfathomable amount of time and resources.


    When the Riken civilization, upying an entire star system, spent decades building their fleet, they only managed to produce just over 2,000 ships. Although their rtively backward technology and the simultaneous construction of other defensive facilities contributed to this low number, it still offered a sense of perspective on what 200,000 ships represented.


    ording to information from the Daqi Intelligent Entities, the Daqi, who control three star systems, have taken thousands of years to build their fleet, which still falls short of 200,000 ships. After all, maintaining these mechanical constructs incurs enormous costs inter upkeep. Without significant resources, even maintaining a small number is a challenge.


    Suchparisons underscored the staggering power of this newly revealed civilization.


    However, Luo Wen was not entirely unfamiliar with this civilization. Interestingly, this civilization shared a historical connection with the Daqi Empire. When the Daqi first joined the Interster Technological Confederation, it was this civilization that extended the invitation.


    At that time, the Daqi¡¯s fleet was decimated by a single wave of attacks from the Crimson Kiss, after which many of their talents and resources were plundered¡ªa significant loss for them.


    Of course, this was the ¡°proper¡± way to issue an invitation. Every civilization thatter joined the Confederation underwent the same process.


    Although that invitation ceremony urred thousands of years ago and rtions between the two civilizations seemed to have improved, the lingering animosity was evident, particrly from the words of the Daqi third prince, who harbored deep resentment. Such enmities, buried deep in the bones, are not easily resolved.


    As for this civilization, known as Troi, its territory was located at a considerable distance from the Swarm, separated by at least one other species¡¯ domain. Why had they taken the stage now? Clearly, something unknown to Luo Wen had transpired.


    ¡°Overlord, what should we do? The target of their fleet is unequivocally us.¡±


    Indeed, the Troi fleet was now only separated from the Genesis System by the Golden Horn System, whichcked any habitables. For the Troi civilization, it was merely a mining system. Even if they nned to establish a colony, deploying 200,000 warships seemed entirely unnecessary.


    ording to information from the Daqi Intelligent Entities, the Troi civilization controlled nearly twenty star systems and had a civilization history approaching 100,000 years.


    Among the Outer-ring civilizations, they were considered a true behemoth. Yet, their total fleet strength was approximately 500,000 warships, andmitting 40% of that force at once was no trivial matter.


    These warships were normally dispersed across more than ten star systems, guarding an extremely long frontier while also maintaining internal security. Despite the Troi civilization¡¯s formidable power, over the years, they hadmitted numerous unscrupulous acts.


    Take the Daqi Empire, for example¡ªif given the opportunity, they would undoubtedly strike back without hesitation.


    The New Ji Race understood that even ancient grudges could eventually fade with time. Only through asional shes could the memories of such grievances be reinforced and hatred solidified. Therefore, they amended several rules to allow for conflicts below a certain scale.


    The Ji Race would not intervene in such cases, iming to grant greater autonomy to other races to resolve disputes on their own.


    Not only did they refrain from preventing such conflicts, but they also secretly incited and encouraged them. Over thest hundreds of thousands of years, more than 80% of the conflicts within the Interster Technological Confederation were fueled by their machinations.


    For Troi,mitting 40% of their military strength was already their upper limit. Any further mobilization could lead to vulnerabilities within their territories.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t entered the Golden Horn System.¡±


    ¡°Are they nning to bypass the Golden Horn System and the White Grub System?¡±


    ¡°Do they intend tounch a direct attack on the Genesis System?¡± Several Intelligent Entities eximed in astonishment while reviewing the intelligence alongside Luo Wen.


    Luo Wen shook his head. The fact that this civilization had managed to thrive in the Outer-ring, amidst a host of rival forces, was undoubtedly no stroke of luck. Furthermore, mobilizing nearly half of their fleet meant that the leader of this operation would certainly not be someone as wed in character as the Daqi Crown Prince.


    Given this, they must possess a certain level of understanding about the Swarm.


    Much of the Swarm¡¯s forces were currently stationed at sr orbital positions in a state of inactivity. With minimal effort, this could be scouted. If the Troi fleet were to brazenly traverse the space between the Golden Horn System and the White Grub System, they would effectively hand the initiative over to the Swarm.


    Should they truly enter the Genesis System and a battle breaks out, they would find themselves surrounded by Swarm forces from the Sandstorm, Golden Horn, White Grub, and Genesis Systems. If pinned down, Swarm forces from the Neighboring and Red Ant Systems could also arrive to reinforce.


    Although the Swarm¡¯s development period was rtively short and the number of star systems they upied was fewer than that of the Troi civilization, the Swarm¡¯s poption had no ¡°nonbatants.¡±


    To say every member was abat unit would not be an exaggeration. Coupled with their rapid hatching speed and exceptional resource efficiency, their strength was formidable.


    Currently, even the number of Primordial bodies exceeding 500 meters was astonishingly high. And within the Swarm¡¯s liberally constructed strongholds, numerous megastructures had been established.


    To be frank, the Troi civilization¡¯s n to challenge the Swarm¡¯s stronghold with a fleet of 200,000 warships seemed insufficient by any measure.

 Chapter 170: A7B25

    From the perspective of the Spore Capsule, the enormous A7 loomed ahead, dominating the entire field of view. Its elliptical surface wasyered with bands of various colors, resembling a multyered cake.


    A7¡¯s rotational speed was astonishing. Despite being over a thousand timesrger than the Genesis, itpleted one rotation in less than half the time, causing the colored bands to visibly swirl as they moved.


    In the vastness of space surrounding the massive, several smaller, dimly lit spheres were faintly visible. One of these was growing steadilyrger¡ªthe target of this Spore Capsule¡¯s journey: A7B25.


    Located in A7¡¯s outer orbital zone, A7B25 became the first celestial body in the A7 system to be visited by the Swarm. Smaller than Yellow Moon, it was roughly one-tenth its size.


    Ordinarily, the Swarm could conquer such a small satellite with a single Spore Capsule. However, for this mission, Luo Wen had decreed that every satellite, regardless of size, would receive at least two capsules for redundancy.


    Inside the Spore Capsule, the propulsion system activated. Unlike the older jet-based deceleration and steering mechanisms, the Swarm had made significant technological advancements with the help of its growing number of Intelligent Entities.


    This capsule featured a new hydrogen propulsion system.


    Historically, Spore Capsules had been equipped with an external hydrogen balloon module. Morgan had even once used this feature to bluff Sarah into astonishment.


    The upgraded system consisted of two storage chambers and a reaction chamber. One storage chamber housed special algae cells capable of generating hydrogen, while the other connected to the capsule¡¯s internal ecological recycling system.During operation, the chlorosts in the ecological system releasedrge amounts of oxygen into one chamber. Simultaneously, the other chamber produced hydrogen. These gases were fed into the reaction chamber through specialized conduits, where a chemical reaction urred.


    The reaction chamber, lined with heat-resistant and insting materials, withstood the intense heat generated withoutpromising the integrity of the capsule¡¯s other internalponents.


    The energy from the reaction was expelled through propulsion nozzles, enabling the Spore Capsule to fly or adjust its trajectory. Additionally, the water produced as a byproduct of the reaction was recycled back into the ecological system, ensuring resource efficiency.


    Although the new propulsion system was more powerful than the older jet-based systems, it had its limitations. In space, its maximum velocity barely reached 3 km/s¡ªjust enough to escape the Moon¡¯s gravitational pull.@@novelbin@@


    This speed was far slower than Ratfolk rockets, leaving the system in an awkward position. For short-range space travel, the Swarm¡¯s Meteor Launchers were far more efficient and reliable. For long-range journeys, despite its resource efficiency, the propulsion system¡¯sck of perpetual motion meant it would deplete its energy long before leaving the Genesis Sr System.


    Furthermore, with the Genesis¡¯s orbital speed at 30 km/s, any such ¡°spaceship¡± that left the¡¯s gravitational influence would be incapable of returning under its own power.


    Still, the system represented an alternate pathway. The Swarm couldn¡¯t rely solely on ballisticunches forever; it needed conventional spacefaring technology. This propulsion system might just be the beginning of the Swarm¡¯s journey toward functional spacecraft.


    A7¡¯s orbital positioning had dyed theunch of the Swarm Meteors until two years prior. Luo Wen assigned the hydrogen propulsion system as a deceleration mechanism for this mission, intending to evaluate its performance.


    To mitigate potential risks, a second Spore Capsule equipped with the traditional jet-based deceleration system wasunched for each target. This redundancy was the primary reason for the minimum of two capsules per satellite.


    As the capsule approached A7B25, the lichen coating its exterior opened up preconfigured vents and observation holes. The forward vents began expelling energy, initiating deceleration.


    The docking team,prising Intelligent Entities and des, worked diligently. Given the vast distance between the Genesis and A7, numerous variables rendered the initial calctions less precise. The team constantly recalcted the capsule¡¯s trajectory based on live feed data and made minor adjustments using the side vents.


    As the capsule neared A7B25, its velocity gradually dropped to 5 km/s. Over the next two minutes, it would decelerate further to 2 km/s, eventually colliding with the satellite at just 1 km/s.


    A7B25 was a frigid world. The frost covering its surface testified to its extreme cold. Situated even farther from the star than A6, it was unsurprising that A7B25 was essentially a frozen wastnd.


    Thending proceeded without incident. With the Swarm¡¯s prior experience ons like A4 and A6, the operation had be routine. Apart from the need to significantly reduce speed for ice-covered worlds, there were few special considerations.


    Upon impact, shards of ice and rock flew in all directions. The front half of the capsule¡¯s lichen structure was obliterated, but the interior remained intact.


    Momentster, the Fungal Carpet seeds were ejected and activated. Once they connected to the Swarm Network, thending was dered a sess. The seeds of a Swarm base had been sown, ready to expand and grow.


    Not long after, the second Spore Capsule equipped with the jet-based deceleration systemnded 200 kilometers away. Its Fungal Carpet seeds also sessfully connected to thework.


    The Intelligent Entities in the docking team collectively sighed in relief, while the des remained emotionless.


    In the following hours, Spore Capsules sessfullynded on A7B3, A7B7, A7B9, A7B15, A7B21, and A7B23.


    Remarkably, several of these satellites had thin atmospheres¡ªlikely a result of A7¡¯s immense gravitational influence. However, the atmospheres were too sparse to hinder thendings.


    Even more astonishing were the abundant water resources discovered on the satellites. On A7B15, for instance, the Fungal Carpet¡¯s roots prated just 10 meters of rock before reaching vast reserves of liquid water.


    The presence of such water allowed the Fungal Carpet to proliferate rapidly, elerating the establishment of Swarm bases.


    With the satellites secured, the main event awaited: thending of fifteen Spore Capsules on A7 itself within the next hour.


    Luo Wen reassigned members from teams that hadpleted their tasks to reinforce the groups managing the capsules bound for A7. Landing on a gas giant of such size was uncharted territory for the Swarm, and the operation would undoubtedly generate a wealth of data. Adequate manpower was essential to handle the unprecedented challenges ahead.

 Chapter 386: Encryption

    Shutting down the weapons systems was one thing, but deactivating the radar system was an entirely different matter. It was akin to venturing blindfolded into an enemy stronghold, essentially surrendering one¡¯s fate.


    If the enemy approached with a weapon in hand, you wouldn¡¯t even realize it until it was toote. What good was speed in such a situation?


    If the Swarm harbored any ill intentions, Br and his fleet would likely meet their end here.


    ¡°Major General, do you think the Swarm has detected us?¡± Kayi¡¯s usually resolute face now bore an expression of deep worry, her thick ck eyebrows curving in uncharacteristic distress.


    Br shot Kayi an annoyed nce, visibly displeased. He was beginning to regret his earlier decision to fast-track her promotion to adjutant. At the time, her exceptional beauty and outstanding capabilities had impressed him. However, it was only now that he realized her mental fortitude left much to be desired.


    The situation was already tense enough, and Br¡¯s legs were trembling slightly beneath his stoic exterior. Maintaining an air of calm was draining all his energy¡ªhe simply didn¡¯t have the bandwidth to console someone else.


    ¡°Kayi, stop asking meaningless questions,¡± he snapped, his tone sharp. ¡°Respecting our opponent is respecting ourselves. If the Swarm, in their home base, cannot detect us after we exited the warp bubble, then what reason do we have for even being here?¡±


    Chastened by Br¡¯s rebuke, Kayi flushed with embarrassment. Despite her striking appearance by Troi standards, she was far from useless. Quickly, she engaged in self-reflection and worked to adjust her mindset.


    As time passed, the fleet drew closer to the Swarm¡¯s outermost base. Observing the majority of Swarm units remaining in dormancy and seeing only a small, non-aggressive force intercepting them, Br finally let out a breath of relief.His confidence rapidly grew. The Swarm remained an enigmatic entity, and even the powerful Ji Race hadn¡¯t managed to uncover their true form. If Br could simplyy eyes on a real member of the Swarm and return alive to provide a detailed sketch, it would already be an impressive feat.


    The approaching units were ssic examples of the Swarm¡¯s biological weaponry, well-documented in the Confederation¡¯s records. The Swarm seemed particrly fond of this type of design.


    In fact, many alien researchers had concluded that the octopus-like shape was an extremely efficientbat configuration.


    ording to the data, these units were primarilyposed of soft materials, providing excellent defense against physical impacts. Their surface contained specialpounds capable of weakening and reflecting energy-based weaponry, giving them significant resistance to energy attacks.


    Additionally, their flexible tentacles allowed for multidirectional movement, enabling exceptional agility in confined spaces. The tentacles also offered formidable meleebat capabilities. With the exception of rtively weaker long-range firepower and endurance, these units had no major ws.


    This had been vividly demonstrated when ten or so Daqi warships, spread out in formation, had barely managed to hold their ground against over a hundred 500 meter octopus units. But when a handful of these units managed to close the distance, supported by smaller Swarm units, the Daqi found themselves in utter disarray. Without timely reinforcements, the fleet might have been annihted entirely.


    This footage had shocked the alien civilizations with ess to it. For most of them, space battles were contests of massive fleets exchanging long-range artillery fire. Even at close quarters, their tactics didn¡¯t deviate much, perhaps supplemented by attacks from fighter or drone swarms.


    The Swarm, however, had introduced a novel element: meleebat. In a field dominated by long-range bombardments, their ability to ¡°engage in close-quartersbat with terrifying precision¡± was an unsettling anomaly.


    Alien civilizations had long focused on improving weapon range, firepower, and rate of fire, along with enhancing warship mobility, armor, and radar systems. Closebat capabilities, however, had never been a priority, constrained as they were by the structural limitations of traditional warships.


    Yet the Swarm¡¯s biological designs effortlessly circumvented these limitations, enabling them to excel where others couldn¡¯t evenpete. This fundamental difference left the gxy¡¯s established powers grappling with an ufortable realization: their conventional strategies were ill-suited to counter the Swarm¡¯s uniquebat approach.


    Although the Swarm had always been at a disadvantage in terms of mobility¡ªstruggling to close the distance to their enemies¡ªtheir exceptional melee capabilities had nheless drawn significant attention from other civilizations.


    The Swarm had effectively pioneered a newbat paradigm, proving the feasibility of a theoretical possibility. While many alien civilizations dismissed the Swarm¡¯s effectiveness, they didn¡¯t extend the same skepticism to themselves. They believed that if they could resolve the issue of mobility, such a melee-orientedbat style might yield impressive results. The analogy was simple: a martial artist with unparalleled agility could easily wreak havoc amidst a formation of spear-wielders.


    Consequently, numerous projects were initiated among different civilizations to explore this new approach. Whether these endeavors would bear fruit remained uncertain.


    As the two groups drew closer, Br ordered his fleet to broadcast their mission objectives in Rikenese. This was a necessarypromise, given the enigmatic nature of the Swarm¡¯snguage andmunication systems.


    ording to avable data, intercepted Swarmmunications were exceedingly rare, and their content remained undeciphered to this day.


    It was hypothesized that the Swarm used a spectrum-based encryptionnguage,posed of a staggering array of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors¡ªfar beyond the perception of most civilizations. Without the corresponding reading apparatus, even capturing the fullmunication stream was impossible, let alone decoding it.


    Such specialized devices were so advanced that even the Ji Race couldn¡¯t construct them. This was because developing them required not only profound knowledge of biology and biomimetics but also specific biological materials that were exceptionally rare.


    Take, for example, pre-Swarm Luo Wen and his fellow humans from Earth. Most of them could only perceive three primary colors, which couldbine to produce roughly one million distinct hues.


    A small subset of people were dichromats, capable of perceiving only about ten thousand colors.@@novelbin@@


    Even rarer were tetrachromats¡ªindividuals who could perceive a fourth primary color. These people could see an estimated one billion colors, significantly more than the average trichromat.


    For every additional primary color that a visual system could perceive, the number of observable colors increased exponentially. A tetrachromat could see one billion colors¡ªbut what about a pentachromat, a hexachromat, or a creature capable of perceiving thirty primary colors? This alone illustrated theplexity of the Swarm¡¯s encryption methods.


    To decode suchmunications, one would first need toprehend these unseen primary colors. It was difficult enough for a trichromat to describe their world to a dichromat.


    Attempting to convey the vastly richer world of a tetrachromat to a trichromat was even more futile.


    For a trichromat to study and understand the tetrachromatic world, they would first need a pair of tetrachromatic eyes. Simrly, understanding the world of thirty primary colors would require eyes capable of perceiving all thirty colors.


    To date, the only known creatures in this starfield capable of perceiving so many colors were members of the Swarm. As such, decoding the Swarm¡¯s encryptedmunications would require capturing a Swarm unit equipped with thirty-color vision.


    Such units were exceedingly rare even within the Swarm itself. The Confederation had yet to identify their appearance, and even if one were captured, the Swarm¡¯s gic locks presented another significant challenge.


    It could be said that while the Swarmgged behind in overall technological development, they had far surpassed the mechanically inclined civilizations of the Confederation in certain branches of biological science.


    Br sighed to himself. Perhaps this was the real reason why the Ji Race was so invested in this mysterious Outer-ring civilization.

 Chapter 172: Unknown Lifeform

    Time flew by. Although the attempt tond on A7 was unsessful, the missions on its many moons, excluding the A7B5 satellite, were all executed smoothly.


    Dozens of Swarm Bases were established, and many smaller moons were now shrouded in the characteristic purplish-gray fungal carpet.


    Even thending operation on A7B5 was technically a sess, though it encountered a small but unexpected incident during the descent and subsequent development.


    The Spore Capsule, during its descent, was attacked by an unknown lifeform. This brought Luo Wen immense excitement¡ªhis gic database hadn¡¯t been updated in a long time.


    A7B5, the fifth ¡°satellite¡± of A7, was thergest among its moons. Though it was A7¡¯s subordinate, its sheer size and mass made it a behemoth. It ounted for over 80% of the total mass of A7¡¯s satellite system, making it only slightly smaller than the Genesis.


    From its orbital path, one could see a thick atmosphere enveloping its spherical body, with clear outlines ofnd and oceans visible on the surface.


    If not for the atmosphere¡¯s high concentration of toxic gases and the rtively low temperatures, it might have nurtured life forms simr to those on the Genesis.


    Yet life¡¯s evolution often defies expectations. While A7B5¡¯s environment didn¡¯t produce Earth-like life, it gave rise to a different, unique kind of life.


    As the Spore Capsule passed A7B5¡¯s orbit and entered its atmosphere, theposition of the air¡ªremarkably simr to that of the Genesis¡ªcaused the capsule¡¯s meteoric shell to heat up due to friction, glowing red like a fireball descending toward the surface.A7B5¡¯s atmosphere, though simr inposition to Genesis¡¯s, was denser and more viscous, with the addition of toxic gases.


    The capsule¡¯s braking system required minimal thrust to drastically reduce its speed. The friction-heated front cooled down, and the meteoric shell returned to its normal coloration.


    Suddenly, a nearby white cloud came to life.


    The movement revealed its true nature. It resembled an abstract, enormous octopus or jellyfish, stretching 30 to 40 meters in length. With a massive head and countless elongated, cloud-like tendrils trailing behind, it dwarfed the Spore Capsule.


    The now-living white cloud seemed to mistake the capsule for food. Despite its massive size, the creature was surprisingly agile. Even though the Spore Capsule was traveling at approximately 2,000 kilometers per hour¡ªslow by space standards¡ªthis cloud entity confidently pursued it.


    The creature¡¯s body was incredibly soft and pliable. Contracting its body and flexing its tendrils, it suddenly propelled itself forward with explosive force, mimicking an octopus swimming in water. However, instead of water, it swam through the air, with its cloudy form emitting rhythmic, blue, arc-shaped electrical discharges.


    Luo Wen and the team of intelligent entities, witnessing this scene through shared vision, were momentarily stunned. The white cloud organism, wingless, moved by ¡°swimming¡± and steadily closed the gap with the Spore Capsule.


    Its seemingly fluffy, cloud-like form showed no signs of dispersing, even at such high speeds. Its enormous head resembled a giant cotton candy puff, ented by the glow of blue electrical arcs¡ªan endearing sight from afar.


    However, as it neared and its immense size became apparent, the sense of oppression erased any semnce of cuteness.


    Nature often provides examples of such phenomena: a pet pig can be adorable, but a wild boar is terrifying. Simrly, tiny insects might be charming, butrger ones are horrifying.


    The ¡°cute¡± giant took no time to demonstrate its true nature. It made no attempt to slow down, relying on its speed advantage as it streaked past the Spore Capsule, its dozens of glowing tendrils coiling toward the capsule¡¯s meteoric shell.


    Strangely, the cloud-like tendrils, appearing weightless and insubstantial, adhered to the shell.


    The creature abruptly halted, tightening its tendrils as blue arcs intensified in brilliance. However, it had clearly overestimated its strength. The capsule barely decelerated before breaking free and continuing its descent.


    As it disentangled itself, several tendrils were torn off, spilling transparent fluid. These severed tendrils vanished in an instant, their destination unknown.


    The white cloud emitted a silent roar, its entire body glowing brighter with electrical arcs, apanied by a faint hum. It surged forward again, catching up to the Spore Capsule within moments and entangling it once more.


    The process repeated: the creature halted, the tendrils tightened, and then they were ripped apart.


    However, this time, the capsule¡¯s speed dropped more significantly, reducing its velocity to approximately 1,500 kilometers per hour.


    The creature¡¯s repeated attempts had cut the capsule¡¯s speed nearly in half. Luo Wen noted that with the considerable distance remaining to the surface, the likelihood of the cloud entity seeding in fully stopping the capsule was high.


    Though its intentions were unclear, the creature¡¯s actions were unlikely to be friendly. Luo Wen needed to find a solution before the entitypletely subdued the capsule.


    The team of intelligent entities began a frantic discussion. This novel lifeform was a first encounter for everyone, and with limited data, their spections were tentative at best.


    Time was running out. The white cloud entity was already making a third attempt, preparing to grapple the Spore Capsule once again.@@novelbin@@


    The preliminary hypothesis suggested that the creature was an exceptionally low-density organism, enabling it to navigate air as if it were water. To the entity, the atmosphere was its ocean.


    The blue arcs emitted from its body likely signified an electromaic field, which it used for propulsion.


    Despite its size and behavior, the Spore Capsule was almost certainly not a part of its natural diet. Survival couldn¡¯t hinge on consuming falling meteors.

 Chapter 392: Return

    ¡°Major General, it really feels like a dream. Before we departed, you had us all write our wills, making everything seem so grim. Who would¡¯ve thought this mission would be so easy?¡± Kayi reminisced about their departure preparations with mixed emotions.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out this way either. After all, the Swarm didn¡¯t even bother to talk to anyone before crushing two civilizations. Their resolve is harder than our muscles!¡± Br sighed.


    The journey from initial anxiety toplete relief had been nothing short of extraordinary.


    ¡°I like tough things. I like the Swarm,¡± Kayi joked with a smile.


    ¡°Then you can apply to be a permanent liaison officer. With this experience on your record, you¡¯ll definitely have an advantage,¡± Br suggested.


    Kayi quickly shook her head. ¡°No way! As much as I like the Swarm, wherever you go, Major General, I go.¡±


    Br cast her a sidelong nce and shook his head. How could he not see through Kayi¡¯s little schemes?


    Friendly civilizations often maintained permanent liaison officers to facilitatemunication. It was usually a cushy job¡ªnot only could one travel at the government¡¯s expense, but it was also an opportunity to experience the culture of an alien civilization. If that civilization had particrly thriving industries, one could even witness unique talents from another species.


    However, when it came to the Swarm, the experience left much to be desired. It wasn¡¯t that the Swarm treated them poorly¡ªthey neither singled them out nor offered any special amodations. But staying in a deste cave every day? Who could endure that? Forget culture or local vor¡ªBr hadn¡¯t even seen a fourth member of the Swarm since their arrival.Even though A11 was merely aary outpost on the outermost edge of the system, it shouldn¡¯t have been this barebones. Given these conditions, Kayi, who knew the situation, had no intention of suffering through such an assignment.


    ¡°Enough. Inform everyone toplete their mission reports before entering cryosleep!¡± Br ordered, cutting short the banter with Kayi.


    ¡°Understood, Major General!¡±


    At this moment, Br¡¯s fleet was en route back to the main forces. The basic framework of the agreement had been signed, and his mission wasplete. Personnel tasked with finalizing the details had already been dispatched, while he could now return to enjoy the rewards of his adventure.


    Before that, however, the fleet needed topile aprehensive record of everything they had observed during their time with the Swarm. These reports would be handed over to sociologists and other experts to analyze, in hopes of gaining deeper insights into the Swarm.


    Everyone knew the Swarm was hiding secrets. Without the constraints imposed by various powers, a dominant force would have long since moved against them. Take the Troi civilization, for example¡ªif the region only contained the Troi and the Swarm, the Troi would undoubtedly mobilize their entire poption to annihte the Swarm and seize their secrets.


    Since direct action was currently impossible, the alternative was to maintain good rtions and cultivate a future ally. However, if Troi schrs could piece together the Swarm¡¯s secrets from the tiniest clues, and if a thorough analysis suggested a high chance of sess, the Troi might still take the risk.


    Concerns about offending the Swarm or other allies? Those were trivial matters. For any civilization, its own strength always came first.


    As the leader of this mission and the fleetmander, Br had his own private quarters on the ship. The room spanned over twenty square meters and was devoid of extravagant decorations. The cold metallic walls were painted with a coat of off-white paint.


    All the furniture in the room was made of an unidentified metal. A bed was tucked into one corner, with a desk and chair ced next to it. The room was equipped with basic lighting, along with essential living and work supplies. The entire space felt clean and spacious.


    Br sat in his chair, furrowing his brow in thought. He knew that the mission summary report wouldrgely hinge on himself, Kayi, and the diplomatic personnel. The average soldiers, who had never even left the ship, could only provide limited information.


    As the person who had interacted with the Swarm most directly, Br understood that he was the linchpin. This report would be a test of his abilities¡ªhis observations, attention to detail, and analytical skills would all need to shine in it. A well-written report could significantly bolster his des, while a poor one could undermine his achievements.


    Fortunately, with four or five years remaining before they returned to the main base, he had plenty of time to reflect, analyze, and perfect this report.


    ¡°Overlord, what is our next course of action?¡±


    Luo Wen¡¯s gaze pierced the void as if he were already envisioning the vast, unexplored gxies beyond. The Swarm needed to elerate its pace. Though speeding up would inevitably lead to ws and imperfections, there was no other choice at this critical juncture.


    Through recent interactions and reflections, Luo Wen hade to realize something. Despite his efforts to keep a low profile, the Swarm¡¯s progress was still too conspicuous. Consider this: what civilization could simultaneously develop and upy multiple star systems while controlling the territory of just one or two systems?@@novelbin@@


    Such capabilities were bound to attract the attention of many forces, enough to make some take risks. The only reason the Swarm had not yet been attacked was the internal discord among these powers. How long this internal strife wouldst, or how quickly they would reach a consensus, was unclear due to theck of information.


    Since the Swarm had already provoked their greed, keeping a low profile alone would no longer suffice. It would require the backing of even greater strength.


    For instance, the Troi civilization was able to engage in diplomatic talks with the Swarm rather thanunching an invasion precisely because of the Swarm¡¯s power. If the Swarm still possessed the strength it had a century ago, it would not have been diplomats that arrived but an overwhelming military force.


    However, while building strength, maintaining a low-key approach remained essential. Ignoring this bnce would only increase the Swarm¡¯s perceived value in the eyes of others.


    It was akin to a hidden gold mine: if only a gold bar were visible to outsiders, they might quarrel among themselves over its limited value. But as more of the gold was revealed, the potential bounty would force those factions to set aside their disputes temporarily and seize it collectively.


    Thus, the Swarm¡¯s task was to bnce discretion with elerated growth, ensuring both progressed in tandem without tipping the scales too far in either direction.


    Luo Wen pondered, concluding that it was time to rely on traditional Swarm techniques once more.


    Before proceeding with the next phase, it was imperative to identify all the ¡°eyes¡± within their territory.


    Over the next several days, the Swarmunched vast numbers of newly developed recon bugs across all upied star systems. These units were specifically designed to counter the Ji Race¡¯s surveince efforts on the Swarm.


    Utilizing innovative techniques, the density of these units was astonishing. Yet, without specialized detection methods, they were almost impossible to uncover.

 Chapter 396: Mission Report

    Luo Wen had considered all these scenarios when devising the method of hiding forces in in sight. During the Troi Civilization¡¯s military incursion, Luo Wen had nearly been forced to reveal this secret prematurely.


    Fortunately, the Troi Civilization acted rationally, and conflict was avoided, allowing the secret to remain undisclosed.


    After handling the expansion efforts, Luo Wen¡¯s next focus was on the so-called ¡°head tax¡±¡ªa term coined by alien civilizations to describe researchers ¡°sold¡± to the Ji.


    The Swarm¡¯s researchers were certain to be under strict surveince, so only a limited number could be dispatched. However, the Swarm could leverage its influence within the Riken people. Over years of covert operations, the Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities had secretly gained considerable influence among the Rikens. By subtly inserting their own people into the head tax system, they could achieve their goals effortlessly.


    The Swarm¡¯s infiltration techniques were unrivaled. Given the right opportunities and methods, they might even find individuals aligned with their ideologies.


    ¡ª


    Inside a resting cabin aboard a Troi warship, Br sat at a desk, meticulously documenting every detail of the recent mission.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°The mission took ce at A11, a Swarmary base in the Rat Folk star system. This location is suspected to be a Swarm stronghold, but since we were not permitted to visit others, this remains unconfirmed.¡±


    ¡°We encountered three Swarm representatives during this mission¡ªtwo males and one female¡ªwho were the only Swarm members we interacted with throughout.¡±¡°From observation, they continuously wore what appeared to be protective exoskeleton armor. Strangely, the armor was exceptionally form-fitting, showing no visible signs of wear or attachment. Noticing this anomaly, I informed the Adjutant and several negotiation delegates. Over subsequent days, through multiple close encounters, observations, and even physical contact, we still found no seams or indications of the armor detaching from their bodies. Even within the ecological chambers they constructed, the armor remained in ce.¡±


    ¡°This anomaly leads to several hypotheses. First, the armor might be innate to the Swarm, suggesting that either their evolutionary history is short, retaining many primitive traits, or they are a highly militant and cautious species that preserves such traits through frequentbat.


    ¡°The third hypothesis posits that the armor is a technological product, created by the Swarm¡¯s advanced biological technologies to replicate and enhance ancient characteristics. This seems the most usible. Regardless, the external traits of the Swarm suggest that they are an aggressive and warlike species.¡±


    ¡°The Swarm is suspected of being capable of surviving in space. While this was not directly observed, external ship monitors captured a scene supporting this theory. A video clip,beled #4121, shows a Swarm member appearing on aary surface without any protective breathing apparatus.¡±


    ¡°Hypothesis 1: The Swarm¡¯s armor includes a field protection function capable of forming a protective barrier around the face, shielding it from the harsh environment of space. An internal airbag module may provide life-sustaining gases directly to the respiratory system, ensuring survival. Given the Swarm¡¯s mastery of field technologies and advanced biological systems, this hypothesis is highly likely.


    ¡°Hypothesis 2: The Swarm is an inherently space-adapted species, capable of maintaining internal circtory functions without external gases. This could be either an innate trait or a result of post-birth modifications. However, given that even the Ji have not achieved this technology, this hypothesis seems improbable.¡±


    ¡°Over the recent period, the Swarm representatives observed did not consume any visible food or water, nor were simr items detected within their ecological chambers. Thus, their diet remains entirely unknown in terms of type and scope.¡±


    ¡°The Swarm negotiator for this mission identified himself as Major General Danton, but given that hemunicated in the Rikennguage, the uracy of this rank description is uncertain.¡±


    ¡°Reasons for skepticism include the Swarm¡¯s exceptionally austere living conditions. Visual observation revealed no monitoring equipment, nor were any hidden receiver devices detected on their protective suits. Additionally, there was no indication of private or covertmunication during the negotiations.¡±


    ¡°However, throughout the discussions, the Swarm negotiator made significant decisions after only brief moments of thought, indicating a level of authority far greater than would be expected of a major general. This inconsistency suggests his rank may not reflect his true level of power.¡± Writing this, Br touched his own shoulder insignia. How could the same rank mean such vastly different levels of authority?


    ¡°During the mission, we toured several Swarm facilities. Overall, the impression was one of extreme primitiveness and backwardness; there was no sign of anything resembling modern technology. Furthermore, no other Swarm members were observed, nor were there any signs of habitation. If they were not deliberately avoiding us, the Swarm poption on this must be exceedingly sparse. Considering that this star system is said to host thergest Swarm garrison and is suspected to be their main stronghold, such low poption density is puzzling and suggests the Swarm may have very few individuals.¡±


    ¡°Contrary to the apparent scarcity of Swarm members, their biological weapons exist in vast numbers. These are referred to by the Swarm as bugs, most of which resemble octopuses of various sizes. The smallest measure one to two meters, while thergest exceed hundreds of meters. They are also the most numerous. Regardless of their size, these bugs are extremely lethargic, performing no work and floating aimlessly inary orbit like lifeless objects.¡±


    ¡°In addition to these, there are other types of bugs that exhibit high levels of diligence and basic intelligence. They carry out simple, repetitive tasks tirelessly, day and night. Strangely, no supervisors or managers were observed in any of the facilities, yet the bugs never made mistakes, and everything operated in perfect order. This suggests they are far more than ordinary biological weapons.¡±


    ¡°All observed Swarm members and bug designs have been recorded and preserved as visual sketches by the mission¡¯s artists.¡± Br¡¯s team was notably professional, with members possessing diverse skills. For instance, both his adjutant and one of the negotiators held advanced artistic qualifications, making sketching the bugs a straightforward task.


    ¡°Most areas within Swarm territory are covered in a purplish-gray, fleshy carpet-like substance, referred to by the Swarm as the Fungal Carpet. It is said to create afortable living environment for the Swarm. However, since this carpet has been observed in previous Swarm wars, the team suspects its functionality extends far beyond merefort.¡±


    At this point, Br paused, deep in thought. Before his departure, his superiors had instructed him to investigate the Swarm¡¯s marketce to identify any unique goods that might hold value.


    Given the rtively amicable rtions between the two sides, it was important to capitalize on this honeymoon period for maximum benefit.


    As a civilization that followed a unique biological development path, the Swarm undoubtedly possessed many distinctive ¡°specialties.¡±


    Yet during the mission, Br hadn¡¯te across even a small shop, let alone a full marketce.


    This part of his mission, which had been given special attention, yielded no leads whatsoever, leaving him somewhat frustrated.

 Chapter 399: Peculiarities

    These Nth-generation descendants of the Ji immigrants probably had no clue where their original civilizations were located. Given their mindset shift, it was perhaps understandable that their perspectives were somewhat warped.


    However, what struck Luo Wen as truly peculiar was the attitude of the Troi Civilization representatives.


    From the ongoing collection of intelligence, Luo Wen learned that within the Troi delegation, there were indeed individuals advocating for raising the stakes in negotiations.


    They believed that the Swarm was not as formidable as it seemed, suspecting that the Swarm¡¯s military presence across several star systems was little more than a facade. ording to this faction, the Swarm likely had no hidden reserves and was merely bluffing with the forces it openly disyed.


    Their strategy was to pressure the Swarm, testing its limits and revealing its true capabilities, all while negotiating for maximum benefits for their civilization. Many within the Troi delegation shared this view.


    This perspective was not unreasonable¡ªit was, after all, their job to secure advantages for their civilization. If sessful, they would personally benefit as well.


    What made this odd, however, was the apparentck of coordination in their approach. Negotiations between civilizations should not be so haphazard. When Br led the initial delegation, he had refrained from any hostile or aggressivenguage.


    His behavior reflected a clear and measured understanding of the Swarm, likely shaped by the Fleet Commander¡¯s directives. Could it be that this new delegation, led by their second-inmand, held conflicting views with the Fleet Commander?


    The royal representative Froede, a member of the Troi royal family and an admiral, had been remarkably silent since his arrival. By now, he rarely even appeared at the negotiation table. From casual conversations among the delegation, it was evident that Froede had neither openly supported nor opposed the current strategy. However, his neutrality led many Troi representatives to interpret his stance as tacit approval for those pushing a harder line.Yet even if Froede disagreed with the Fleet Commander, this was hardly the time to make such divisions public. Did he not realize how this would appear to other civilizations? It risked giving the Troi Civilization a reputation for unreliability and dishonesty.


    Could the internal conflicts within the Troi leadership truly run this deep? Was Froede some kind of ¡°rival¡± to the Fleet Commander? Luo Wen found this possibility difficult toprehend. As the Swarm¡¯s supreme will, Luo Wen¡¯s authority was absolute, with no room for political rivals or dissent. The concept of such internal divisions was entirely alien to him.


    After much deliberation, Luo Wen concluded that such a scenario was unlikely. Could the Troi Civilization truly be unconcerned about the Swarm expanding into the Inner Circle?


    The stakes involved spanned several star systems and their associated resources. Perhaps something had urred in the fifteen years since Br¡¯s visit that had fundamentally shifted the Troi Civilization¡¯s overall stance.


    If so, this was troubling news. The idea of being ensnared in a shadowy conspiracy without any clear intelligence left Luo Wen deeply uneasy.


    Before long, Luo Wen received another curious piece of intelligence: the five Ji representatives in the delegation had originated from within Troi territory.


    Civilizations that joined the Interster Technological Confederation engaged in various forms of cooperation beyond the so-called head tax or umting points. These includedmerce and tourism agreements. Unlike the Swarm, where every intelligent entity, though seemingly independent, was ultimately a product of the collective will, other civilizations wereposed of individuals with distinct and autonomous minds.


    For the Swarm, there was only one will. The existence of individual intelligence and emotions within the Swarm was permitted solely by the Overlord¡¯s discretion.


    For the Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities, tasks such as ¡°9-9-7¡± (working nine hours a day, seven days a week) were trivial; working continuously for hundreds of hours was routine. They never experienced resentment toward the Overlord¡¯smands.


    In contrast, the individuals of other civilizations had their own wills, requiring a bnce of work and recreation to remain functional.


    Interster tourism¡ªespecially traveling to star systems of other civilizations to experience exotic cultures¡ªwas among the most expensive and sought-after forms of entertainment.


    For these Ji representatives, their presence in Troi territory likely stemmed from such agreements, blending trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. Yet their origins added an intriguing wrinkle to therger picture of the Ji¡¯s evolving identity.


    This kind of interster tourism and trade typically flourished in established civilizations, as newly-initiated interster civilizations required considerable time to adjust to the realities of interster travel. After all, even with faster-than-light ships, such journeys still involved prolonged periods of space travel.@@novelbin@@


    Every Interster Technological Confederation member civilization typically designated one or more cities to serve as hubs for tourism and trade. The New Ji Race delegation, it turned out, had previously been stationed in one of the trade cities on the Troi homeworld.


    When they learned of the Troi Civilization¡¯s invitation to the Swarm, they somehow acquired authorization to represent the Ji in this negotiation. The ten-year dy in the Troi diplomatic mission¡¯s arrival was caused by these Ji representatives traveling from the Troi homeworld to the fleet¡¯s current position.


    This revtion invalidated earlier assumptions about Ji ship speeds. It was now unclear whether these Ji representatives had used Troi vessels or their own. Either way, the ten-year travel time from the Troi homeworld to Swarm territory was far from impressive.


    While this might be considered good news, it also made the situation murkier.


    The Troi Civilization, though significant in the Outer-ring, was geographically and strategically akin to a remote backwaterpared to the Ji¡¯s central territory. Yet somehow, a handful of Ji individuals¡ªwhether they were traveling for leisure or another reason¡ªended up in such a ce, and managed to secure the authority to represent the Ji in signing the Swarm¡¯s Confederation membership agreement.


    Although specific intelligence wascking, it was almost certain that these five Ji representatives possessed significant backgrounds. However, wasn¡¯t the Swarm already under the scrutiny of the Ji and numerous other civilizations?


    Luo Wen had initially expected that, at the very least, the Ji would send a delegation of ¡°professionals¡± for this negotiation. He even anticipated the presence of representatives from other civilizations, possibly mixed with spies and saboteurs.


    Instead, no foreign representatives or spies had been detected. The Ji did send five representatives, but none were experts. While the Troi delegation appeared professional, their current behavior¡ªwhether influenced by the Ji or for other reasons¡ªhad turned the negotiations into something resembling a child¡¯s ydate.


    All of this left Luo Wen with an overwhelming sense of surreal absurdity.


    Despite the disarray, Luo Wen was able to glean useful information from the seemingly arrogant demands of the Ji delegation. While their terms frequently shifted, one demand remained constant: the sharing of the Swarm¡¯s biological technology.


    This persistent demand revealed the Ji¡¯s strong desire for the Swarm¡¯s advancements in biological tech. Even though the delegation¡¯s Nth-generation representatives were scatterbrained, their presence here suggested they had at least some insider knowledge and negotiation directives.


    Of course, the Swarm would never agree to such terms. The Ji representatives, however, continued to make increasingly absurd threats, including ims that the Ji would send their armies to annihte the Swarm and seize the technology by force.


    At such moments, members of the Troi delegation would step in, seemingly with ¡°good intentions,¡± to inform the Swarm that, as non-members of the Confederation, they were not yet protected by its rules. Therefore, the Ji¡¯s threats were not as empty as they might seem.


    Luo Wen remained unfazed. He understood this tactic for what it was¡ªa clumsy attempt at intimidation. But if the Ji¡¯s fixation on Swarm biological technology was this intense, it was likely a key point of leverage in the ongoing negotiations.


    For now, all Luo Wen needed to do was keep stalling while continuing to expand the Swarm¡¯s influence and strength.

 Chapter 176: Games

    Thergest atmospheric organism, constrained by many of its tentacle-like limbs still wrapped around the Spore Capsule Meteor, was at a disadvantage. Coupled with the loss of limbs it had suffered earlier while intercepting the meteor, it found itself in a precarious position. Despite its immense size, it had fewer limbs avable for defense and attack.


    In contrast, the two smaller atmospheric organisms, though also damaged during their initial interception attempts, were unburdened and outnumbered it¡ªnot by much, but theirbined limbs exceeded thergest one¡¯s by several dozen.


    As the fierce brawl between the three unfolded, their limbs were torn apart, sttering transparent liquid into the air, making it seem as though a localized drizzle had begun.


    Before long, thergest atmospheric organism suffered severe injuries. Finally, with only a dozen or so limbs remaining, it relinquished its grip on the Spore Capsule Meteor, flinging it away.


    The two smaller atmospheric organisms immediately ceased their assault on thergest and turned their attention to the now unimed Spore Capsule Meteor.


    The slightlyrger of the two managed to secure the meteor, leveraging its size advantage. It began to drag the meteor around, wobbling back and forth in midair. However, it hadn¡¯t yed with its ¡°toy¡± for long before the smallest atmospheric organism attacked it.


    Soon, thergest organism reentered the fray, and a chaotic melee ensued.


    As the battle continued, more cloud-like atmospheric organisms appeared, joining the struggle.


    By the end, over 100 atmospheric organisms were involved, rolling through the sky like a massive storm of clouds, with blue electric arcs shing incessantly. The sheer scale of the battle, apanied by its dazzling light and sound effects, was a spectacle rarely seen.This event shattered Luo Wen and the Intelligent Entities¡¯ previous assumptions about the rarity of these creatures. Initially thought to be scarce, their numbers turned out to be unexpectedlyrge.


    The Spore Capsule Meteor, inparison to these colossal beings¡ªeach averaging over thirty meters in length¡ªtruly resembled nothing more than a toy, constantly contested.


    Fortunately, the low-density structure of the atmospheric organisms¡¯ bodies meant their attacks were not particrly destructive. Otherwise, the Spore Capsule Meteor would likely have been crushed long ago.


    The battle, which Luo Wen expected tost longer, ended surprisingly quickly. In less than an hour, the numerous atmospheric organisms had exhausted their interest.


    While the time was short, many organisms suffered severe injuries, with some reduced to just two remaining limbs.


    Yet, the wounds didn¡¯t appear as critical as they seemed. During the scuffle, Luo Wen and the Intelligent Entities had meticulously counted their numbers. By the time the battle ended, not a single atmospheric organism had perished.


    The Spore Capsule Meteor, due to its weight, required active support from the atmospheric organisms to remain airborne.


    Through their continuous observation, Luo Wen and his team deduced that these creatures could float effortlessly in the sky, much like genuine clouds, solely due to their ultra-low-density bodies.


    However, when they held onto the Spore Capsule Meteor, their natural buoyancy was insufficient, and they had to rely on an unknown electromaic mechanism to maintain altitude.


    Sustained use of this mechanism seemed to be a burden for them. Perhaps now, having tired themselves out in theirpetitive y, not one of the atmospheric organisms was willing to take responsibility for ¡°keeping the toy.¡±


    Thus, the Spore Capsule Meteor was abandoned. The once fiercely contested object was now discarded like an insignificant roadside pebble.


    The abandoned meteor streaked through the sky, covered in ayer of unidentified liquid, and plummeted toward the ground.


    This liquid, sttered from the atmospheric organisms¡¯ injuries, was likely either blood or some other biological fluid. While the quantity of this substance was quite minimal¡ªonly spraying out during the severing of limbs¡ªtherge number of participants ensured it umted. Positioned at the epicenter of the scuffle, the Spore Capsule Meteor ended up thoroughly coated.


    For Luo Wen, this was an immense waste. If his main body had been present, he would have likely licked the meteor clean, collecting the gic secrets hidden within these fluids for integration into the Swarm Gene Bank.


    Unfortunately, Luo Wen¡¯s main body was countless miles away, far too distant to reach the meteor in time.


    Thankfully, with so many living atmospheric organisms still present, gic material was hardly in short supply.


    But Luo Wen¡¯s regret was short-lived. As the Spore Capsule Meteor descended into the lower atmosphere, the liquid clinging to it appeared to hit an invisible barrier, suspended mid-air.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen¡¯s main body, previously hidden on the Yellow Moon, had been unearthed, sent to the Red Moon, and subsequentlyunched into space from a facility on its far side.


    This was part of ast-minuteunch mission. Missing the optimalunch window meant that waiting for the next opportunity would require seven to eight years, in addition to more than two years of travel.


    Impatient, Luo Wen ordered the Swarm¡¯s Intelligent Entities to recalcte trajectories, factoring in the rotational and orbital data of A7, the Genesis, satellite A7B5, and the Red Moon. A longer yet faster route was chosen, requiring approximately five years of travel through space¡ªcurrently the shortest avable option.


    The perception of time in space vastly differed from that ons. On a, a journey spanning several days might be considered long. In space, even modest distances were measured in years.


    Being a long-lived species, Luo Wen no longer felt strongly about time. Reflecting on past events on the Genesis, he experienced a ¡°heavenly day, earthly year¡± sensation.


    On the Genesis, Luo Wen had lost interest in the Ratfolk civilization. After Sarah¡¯s nephew ascended to power, he initially worried about her reiming authority. However, Sarah showed no intention of returning.


    Humans often believe in what others abandon. Sarah¡¯s nephew assumed her absence meant life in the Divine Kingdom was better, thus intensifying his support for the Deity Faith Sect.


    In truth, his devotion didn¡¯t matter. Over decades of development, the Ratfolk¡¯s upper echelons were either Swarm node units or their descendants.


    Even if the Swarm publicly tossed meteors between the moons, which some civilians might spot using homemade telescopes, legions of experts would dismiss it as a peculiar astronomical event.@@novelbin@@


    Though Sarah¡¯s nephew held supreme power among the Ratfolk, Luo Wen could deny him ess to any truthful information if he so desired.


    Of course, Luo Wen had no interest in petty power ys. To him, the Ratfolk were merely a domesticated species that provided Intelligent Entities for the Swarm¡ªa source no longer worth his attention.


    Interestingly, the Ratfolk¡¯s gaming industry had flourished in recent years. Providingmon Ratfolk with diversions seemed prudent. Legends even imed that Empress Sarah had once been addicted topetitive gaming.


    The truth was that Luo Wen, bored, had subtly guided this development. As a former gamer himself, he found it a pleasant distraction.


    Unsurprisingly, the Ratfolk¡¯srgest gamingpany was one Luo Wen secretly founded. Back when Sarah was enthralled with a certainpetitive game, several of the top-ranked IDs belonged to Luo Wen¡¯s secret ounts.


    Given Sarah¡¯s status, she had neither overly revered nor underestimated Luo Wen. After growing familiar, she even challenged him to a duel in the game.


    Frankly, Luo Wen had long grown bored with such trivial pursuits. Invincibility brought solitude. But when invited, he graciously epted the duel, if only to demonstrate the Overlord¡¯s omnipotence.

 Chapter 405: Doubts

    The inspection process for over 100,000 researchers and their belongings was incredibly time-consuming. With the Ji race¡¯s limited staff and constrained facilities, the entire process took nearly a year toplete.


    Fortunately, none of the boarding personnel were found to have any abnormalities. All were in good health, and no strange pathogens were detected. As for the luggage, while a few hazardous items were discovered, further investigation revealed no intentional wrongdoing by the owners, so these were deemed minor issues.


    Once cleared, the researchers began entering their cryosleep pods, while their luggage was stored separately. With all preparationsplete, two Ji transport ships, escorted by eighteen warships, slowly departed the starport and began elerating.


    The light from the ships¡¯ engines gradually dimmed, eventually disappearing into the vast sea of stars.


    The Ji race¡¯s warp drive technology was highly advanced. Their warp bubbles were incredibly stable andpact, eliminating the need to avoidrge gravitational sources likes.


    Unlike Troi warships, which had to exit their star systems before activating warp, the Ji fleet initiated their warp drives just 5 million kilometers beyond the Twin Star Defensive Zone under the watchful gaze of the Swarm¡¯s Observer Bugs. Momentster, their forms blurred, and optical radar could no longer track their precise coordinates.


    However, warp bubbles, being a special kind of gravitational field, could still be detected using gravitational-wave radars.


    Hundreds of intelligent entities were on high alert, constantly tracking the ships¡¯ coordinates and calcting their speed: twice the speed of light, three times, four times¡­ The ships elerated rapidly, stabilizing at eight times the speed of light and maintaining that velocity.


    Luo Wen¡¯s expression grew serious. The Ji race¡¯s technological sophistication exceeded even his most pessimistic expectations. Back when the Troi diplomats had been negotiating, there was spection about the origin of the five-member Ji delegation and an attempt to estimate their ship¡¯s speed. The resulting calctions were terrifying. Learning that they had traveled aboard Troi warships to the negotiation site had brought some relief at the time.But now, reality proved even worse than Luo Wen had feared. Eight times the speed of light¡ªthis withrge transport ships in tow. The Ji warships were likely even faster.


    And this might not even represent their cutting-edge technology. After all, this was merely a fleet for transporting foreign researchers, a peripheral operation. Their main battle fleets could be far more formidable.


    Suddenly, Luo Wen¡¯s brow furrowed. Something felt off. While the situation was dire, it might not be as catastrophic as it seemed.


    If the Swarm were just an ordinary foreign civilization, his earlier concerns would have been valid. However, the Swarm was now an essential piece on the interster chessboard. Given the prolonged dys during the negotiations, it was clear the mastermind behind the scenes needed the Swarm to fit a specific mold.


    To achieve this, they would undoubtedly employ various methods to reshape and influence the current state of the Swarm.@@novelbin@@


    Yet, due to time constraints, the Swarmcked significant allies or enemies and had no critical stakes in therger intersterwork. As things stood, there were limited means by which the mastermind could exert influence over the Swarm.


    This made the Ji race¡¯s current mission¡ªa rare point of contact for the Swarm with the outside world¡ªhighly significant. If the Swarm failed to meet the mastermind¡¯s expectations during this encounter, they would not let such an opportunity go to waste.


    Considering how smoothly the Ji ships had left without any conflict with the Swarm, it was highly likely that their actions during departure were a subtle disy of military strength. This disy, conducted at maximum capacity, suggested that eight times the speed of light might be the current technological limit of the Ji race.


    But what exactly were they trying to aplish? Was this military pressure intended to heighten the Swarm¡¯s sense of crisis? Were they trying to elerate the Swarm¡¯s growth under external threats? The Swarm¡¯s rapid mass-production capabilities had already been acknowledged, so were they now pushing the Swarm to improve not just in quantity but also in quality?


    This situation¡­?


    It felt suspiciously like a contrived plot, where a divine mandate was being thrust upon the Swarm. The mastermind seemed to have set up a hypothetical enemy for the Swarm to stimte its development¡ªalmost as if they were racing against time.


    Could it be that the mastermind pulling the strings was actually a hidden rebel organization within the Interster Technological Confederation?


    If they were opposing the Ji race, they would need a powerful ally. The Swarm, with its potential, itsck of desire for life-bearings, and its rtively non-violent tendencies¡ªjudging from how it treated the Riken and Rat folk¡ªappeared to be a trustworthy candidate for such an alliance.


    Most importantly, the Swarm¡¯s rapid unit production made it an excellent source of cannon fodder.


    Perhaps, once the Swarm reached a certain level of development, an organization might suddenly reveal itself, iming they had secretly cultivated the Swarm all along and now needed it to spearhead the charge against the ¡°evil¡± Ji race?


    Luo Wen raised an eyebrow. This was amusing spection, but spection nheless. What if the opposing faction had deliberately set up this scenario, allowing Luo Wen to arrive at this conclusion, just to achieve their actual goals?


    Was this the legendary case of ¡°I predicted your prediction of my prediction¡±?


    The kind of convoluted strategy where they seemed to be on the fifthyer ofplexity but were actually operating on an entirely different ne?


    This was bing increasingly difficult to unravel¡ªreal and fake, truth and deception. Who could tell whichyer they were operating on? The only viable strategy was to respond to each move as it came.


    However, there was one fundamental question: how could they be certain that the Swarm would be able to observe the Ji ships at all? This was the premise of everything. If they couldn¡¯t guarantee that the Swarm could detect them, then wasn¡¯t all this theater for nothing? An act performed for blind spectators?


    The Swarm¡¯s technological level had always been carefully concealed. Based on its outwardly disyed capabilities, it shouldn¡¯t have been able to detect the Ji fleet within its warp bubble. Even if the Swarm suspected something, they wouldck evidence.


    And truly, without some external help, it would have been impossible for the Swarm to achieve in mere centuries what had taken other civilizations tens of thousands of years.


    Even with millions of intelligent entities working tirelessly withoutint, normal technological research would never have been able to produce such breakthroughs in such a short time¡ªespecially in an entirely different field like biotechnology.


    When Luo Wen had first captured Godzi, it had taken him months to decode the creature¡¯s biological controlled fusion technology, resulting in the development of the Atomic Furnace. But there had also been a hidden gic fragment, which took Luo Wen over a year to fully analyze.


    Godzi was a truly legendary organism. Its evolutionary achievements were almost beyondprehension. Even with Luo Wen¡¯s abilities, replicating Godzi¡¯s state of evolution would take an unimaginable amount of time.


    Nevertheless, Godzi had provided Luo Wen with tremendous benefits, instantly elevating the Swarm¡¯sbat power by several tiers and solving numerous technological bottlenecks¡ªsuch as the endurance issues of the Space Octopuses.


    Its contributions extended not only to the past but also to the present, continuing to aid the Swarm.

 Chapter 178: Five Years

    A monthter, as everyone monitored it intently, the Swarm Meteor in question suddenly lost contact¡ªexactly as the previous two had.


    It became clear that the hypothesis was correct. Having spent nearly two months in suspense, Luo Wen found himself both relieved and bemused.


    The Swarm Network had always exhibited overwhelming capabilities since Luo Wen discovered it upon waking.


    He suspected it hadn¡¯t been this powerful initially. Rather, during his extended slumber¡ªits duration still a mystery¡ªthework had grown to its current strength.


    Even after his awakening, centuries had passed. Luo Wen had observed the Swarm Network growing stronger but hadn¡¯t identified specific improvements due to ack of reference points.


    Now, at least one aspect was clear: its range had expanded. As for other improvements, those would require continued observation.


    When he first awoke, Luo Wen had considered thework¡¯s coverage limits. However, as the Swarm¡¯s exploration area grew, thework never encountered any such issues.


    The breakthrough came when the Swarm developed the Storm God. This greatly elerated exploration efforts, and soon, the Genesis was teeming with Swarm units.


    Even at that stage, the Swarm Network showed no signs of range limitations.Following the lunar expedition and colonization of others, the issue faded from Luo Wen¡¯s mind¡ªuntil now.


    Fortunately, for the modern Swarm, this problem was manageable. Developing a new bug species to act as stationary rys in key locations could easily resolve it.


    Moreover, the Swarm Network¡¯s capabilities continued to grow. Given Luo Wen¡¯s now-immortal lifespan, it was only a matter of time before he could extend thework¡¯s signal to cover the entire universe without relying on rys.@@novelbin@@


    Two monthster, the loss of a fourth Swarm Meteor confirmed the hypothesis.


    Though the scare had been unnerving, Luo Wen acknowledged that the Swarm was not yet equipped to face such advanced adversaries. A false rm was, perhaps, the best possible oue.


    Six monthster, after confirming it was indeed a false rm, Swarm colonies resumed normal activities. On the far side of the Red Moon, meteorunchers were reassembled, and operations restarted.


    Over the following months, the Swarmunched dozens of new meteors toward the locations of the lost ones, hoping to reestablish connection.


    However, this was unlikely to seed.


    The Swarm¡¯sunch technology had not advanced in recent years, meaning the newlyunched meteors traveled at simr speeds to the lost ones.


    Given that the new meteors wereunched nearly a yearter, the distance gap between them was insurmountable. If the lost meteors didn¡¯t stop, the new ones would never catch up.


    If they had stopped, their situation was undoubtedly dire.


    The dormant eggs within the meteors required Luo Wen¡¯s remote activation to awaken, and without it, they would remain in stasis indefinitely.


    While the Spore Capsules themselves were active, theycked the adaptability to respond effectively without oversight from Luo Wen or the Intelligent Entities. If they encountered celestial bodies, collision was inevitable.


    Their sole hope of survivaly in drifting through the void, avoiding obstacles, and waiting for the Swarm¡¯s navigation technology to improve enough for faster units to reach and reconnect them.


    Time flew by, and five years passed in the blink of an eye. Luo Wen¡¯s Spore Capsule Meteor was nearing satellite A7B5, ready for descent.


    The massive A7 remained as turbulent as ever. Its extreme rotational speed fueled superstorms visible even from deep space.


    Meanwhile, satellite B5 was emerging from A7¡¯s shadow and rotating into view. In five days, Luo Wen¡¯s meteor would enter its atmosphere.


    The monotony of stargazing in space was mitigated by Luo Wen¡¯s ability to multitask via the Swarm Network.


    While engrossed in forum discussions, Luo Wen received a de¡¯s alert: his meteor was about to enter B5¡¯s atmosphere.


    He sprang into action, assembling arge group for tight monitoring and coordinated oversight of the uing descent.


    Satellite A7B5¡¯s geography bore some resemnce to the Genesis. However, its lower temperatures meant its liquid oceans were encased in thick ice.


    Frozen seas enveloped onerge and two smaller continents, with scattered inds dotting their peripheries.


    During the initial deployment, the Swarm hadunched four Brood Queens onto A7B5. To minimize risks, all were sent to thergest continent.


    While Spore Capsules could establish bases even in the ocean, the unfamiliar environment had prompted caution. Concerns about hidden marine life led to the decision tond all capsules onnd.


    If attacked, the units could still be observed by others on nearby satellites. In the ocean, such monitoring would have been difficult.


    Ironically, the initial threats hade from the sky.


    Thankfully, whether by luck or after minor ¡°yful¡± interference, all four capsulesnded safely on solid ground.


    Over the next five years, the Swarm developed cautiously. Initially, fearing unknown surface threats, the four Brood Queen bases remained underground, with even the Fungal Carpet refraining from spreading to the surface.


    After producing small scout flyers and discovering that the continent was utterly barren¡ªeven of nts¡ªthe bases abandoned their caution.


    With no threats, the four bases began an explosive expansion.


    In five years, they had transformed A7B5¡¯srgest continent into a purple-gray expanse and had started extending into the frozen oceans.

 Chapter 412: The Discovery

    For something to elicit exmations from a Ji member, it might simply be novel. But for it to earn the approval of two Ji members from different maternal lineages, it was undoubtedly a significant find. The ¡°blue-haired monkey¡± had truly stumbled upon something remarkable.


    Out of curiosity, the group gathered around in amotion. This wasn¡¯t wartime, so regtions were rxed, and this breach of seating protocol went unchallenged. Even the cabin supervisors were drawn in by their curiosity and joined the crowd.


    When the Ji members saw what was disyed on the screen in front of the blue-haired monkey, gasps of astonishment erupted one after another.


    ¡°Is this for real?¡±


    ¡°Could they just be hyping themselves up?¡±


    ¡°Possible, but I don¡¯t believe a civilization of this level could produce something like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense¡ªit wouldn¡¯t benefit them at all to exaggerate this.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they did it deliberately for us to see.¡±


    ¡°Look at the post¡¯s timestamp. I did the conversion earlier¡ªthey didn¡¯t even know about the Interster Confederation when this was posted.¡±¡°Takk, scroll down. Let¡¯s see what else it says.¡±


    ¡°A universal vination n? Extending the entire poption¡¯s lifespan by a tenth? Goodness, that¡¯s quite the ambitious project.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. And it doesn¡¯t even seem to be rare.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If it¡¯s mass-producible, its value is enormous.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll need to report this. If the information is verified, we¡¯ll all get credit for it. What a surprising discovery,¡± remarked one of the Ji supervisors.


    Seeing the blue-haired monkey, Takk, hesitating to speak, he added with a grin, ¡°Of course, Takk, the first credit is yours.¡±


    Takk¡¯s face immediately lit up with delight.


    What the Ji team had discovered was none other than the Longevity Serum developed by the Riken. This was the very same serum that the Swarm had painstakingly created to infiltrate the Riken and convert them into an intelligent entity production base.


    The report quickly escted and received immediate attention. All Ji personnel aboard the two stationed warships were called off leave and ordered back to their posts.


    ¡°Everyone, get moving! I want you to do everything in your power, through all avable means, to collect every scrap of data on the Longevity Serum,¡±manded the Ji officer in charge, a humanoid with dark yellow coloration and eyes resembling massive golden gemstones. He gathered the Ji team and began delegating tasks.


    ¡°General, I think we should directly request the data from the Riken. Judging from the public information, this doesn¡¯t appear to be ssified,¡± suggested one Ji member.


    The golden-eyed officer, named Oga, thoughmanding only two warships, held a bona fide brigadier general rank. Nodding at the suggestion, he said, ¡°I will. After this meeting, I¡¯ll submit a formal request to the Riken Council. However, we also need to gather our own data forparison, in case they withhold anything.¡±


    The group nodded in agreement, returning to their stations and essing the Riken intr to search for relevant information.


    Though the original Ji race had suffered catastrophic losses in their pursuit of longevity, ultimately leading to their demise, the lesson served more as a cautionary tale than a deterrent. The innate desire of intelligent beings for extended lifespans was not something that could simply be erased, only approached with greater caution.


    While many civilizations utilized cryosleep as an indirect means of prolonging life, unconscious slumber wasn¡¯t considered true longevity by many.


    The essence of being alive was to experience life¡¯s wonders. What was the difference between eternal sleep and death? The universe was vast and brimming with mysteries; few intelligent beings were willing to pass on without uncovering more of its secrets.


    Thus, both the New Ji Race and other species continued to seek methods of extending life, investing heavily in exploration and research. Yet the Progenitor Ji race had already pushed these efforts to their limits. For their sessors, achieving further breakthroughs was daunting. Instead, they often resorted topromises, such as sacrificing a fraction of emotional capacity in exchange for an extended lifespan.


    However, they were far from satisfied¡ªthey wanted more. This was precisely why the Ji personnel were so thrilled upon discovering the Riken¡¯s information regarding the Longevity Serum. The Riken had never previously interacted with the Ji¡¯s longevity-rted technologies, indicating that they had independently forged their own path in this field.


    From their universal vination n, it was evident that the technology was highly mature. Moreover, the fact that they could afford to vinate tens of billions of their poption, despite their pitifully small territory, suggested that the method was extremely cost-effective.


    If this technology could be proven to be both genuinely effective and widely applicable, it might have the potential to revolutionize the entire Confederation.


    When the Ji requested rted materials from the Riken, thetter, perhaps understanding the disparity in strength or for other reasons, didn¡¯t put up much resistance. They handed over the information readily.


    Of course, what they provided was limited to general descriptions and didn¡¯t include any core technology.


    ¡°The initial material originates from the T85 Star System, near their of a beast capable of atomic breath? How could we have missed this? This is negligence! I¡¯m going to report those responsible for monitoring that area.¡±


    ¡°Calm down. That region belongs to the Swarm. For all we know, that beast might be one of their bio-weapons. The report even mentions that this waster suspected.¡±


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t the Swarm discover these materials themselves?¡±


    ¡°Are you joking? Something growing in their backyard¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t miss it.¡±


    ¡°Then why did they allow the Riken to take it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s nothing special to the Swarm!¡±


    The Ji members exchanged nces. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s of no use to the Swarm.¡±


    ¡°If this material isn¡¯t universally applicable, its value would drop significantly.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the Swarm has better resources? Maybe these are just leftovers?¡±


    ¡°Good point. There¡¯s no way this has nothing to do with the Swarm. They probably have superior alternatives.¡±


    ¡°Possibly. But we know so little about the Swarm. We don¡¯t even know how long their members live. For all we know, their natural lifespans could be so long that they don¡¯t even need this.¡±


    The Ji members exchanged another round of nces, silently noting their discussion to include in their task report¡ªperhaps they¡¯d earn some credit for it.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°The report says that the material is easy to cultivate. It only requires nuclear waste and essentially no other maintenance.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then it¡¯s truly a win-win resource. There¡¯s so much nuclear waste¡ªit¡¯s usually just packed up and thrown into stars, which is such a hassle.¡±


    ¡°I knew a small, backwater civilization couldn¡¯t have developed such advanced technology. Their so-called core technology probably relies entirely on this special material. It¡¯s likely not worth much on its own.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. With our level of technology and personnel resources, replicating this product would be a trivial matter.¡±

 Chapter 180: A New Template

    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 elerate to such velocities.


    Yet, the reality was undeniable¡ªthey had achieved it.


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


    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 circte through the entrance passage, creating a somewhat oppressive atmosphere.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen¡¯s body came equipped with its own ecological cirction 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 maic shields. Even when briefly paralyzed, they quickly recovered, avoiding nonbat 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 sessfully 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,nding on the purple-gray fungal carpet below. After half an hour, over a thousand Storm Gods had perished, their corpses forming a thickyer 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 ted 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 temte, derived from a dominant aerial species of another, 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 andcked endurance. Inbat mode, their bodies glowed with flickering blue arcs, a state that ced 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 ¡°ying¡± with the spore capsule meteors earlier because they had lost interest¡ªthey 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 centimetersy quietly.


    Having transferred to the Swarm Network, Luo Wen uploaded the gic 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 dayster, 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 primarilyposed 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 indexpared to air prevented them from bing invisible. Instead, their environment¡ªsurrounded by reflective clouds¡ªgave them their cloud-like appearance.


    On a resource-scarce 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, theycked 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 cirction 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 A7ary system sumbed to the overwhelming radiation, their protective spore capsule shells prated, 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.

 Chapter 417: The Elder’s Visit

    While the Riken were bustling with activity, a group of over ten massive Ji warships silently broke off from the main fleet and headed toward Swarm territory.


    ¡°Where are those Ji ships headed?¡± The Koya Alliance¡¯s fifty or so warships, now relegated to a corner of the starport, had a clear view of the movement.


    With these colossal vessels¡ªeach over 4,000 meters long¡ªso close by, it would¡¯ve been impossible to miss their departure.


    The Ji fleet wasn¡¯t exactly subtle about their maneuver, so it was no surprise they were noticed. Representatives from the ten or so civilizationsprising the Koya Alliance hastily convened an emergency meeting.


    ¡°Where else would they be going? Their direction makes it obvious,¡± one representative remarked dryly.


    ¡°But why are they going there? Could this impact our operation?¡± another representative asked, his voice tinged with worry.


    After all, their current activities¡ªillicit dealings with the Riken ck market¡ªwere tantamount to undermining the Ji. If discovered, the consequences for their alliance might be uncertain, but for those directly involved, it could spell disaster.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve managed to glean some insider information,¡± another representative said, clearly relishing the moment. ¡°A few members of my species were among the personnel who arrived with the Ji fleet, and thanks to that connection, I¡¯ve gotten some details.¡±


    It was standard Ji policy to cross-station personnel across their garrisons to avoid conflicts of interest with their original species. Most garrison personnel were assigned to posts at least 500 light-years away from their origins. However, exceptions always existed, and for various reasons, some personnel bypassed this rule, though such cases made up less than 5% of deployments.This time, the representative had been lucky enough to encounter members of their own species among the Ji fleet. However, his attempt to create suspense by withholding the details was met with indifference. The other representatives, seasoned political yers themselves, simply waited him out.


    Seeing his theatrics fall t, the representative begrudgingly continued, ¡°Apparently, a Ji Elder is among the arriving personnel.¡±


    ¡°An Elder?¡± Everyone exhaled audibly at the mention of the Ji Elder, the highest-ranking officials in the Ji Council of Elders.


    In theory, all Elders held equal authority. While the Daqi representative¡¯s expression darkened at the news, the others seemed relieved.


    ¡°That exins it,¡± one representative concluded. ¡°It must be time to formally sign the agreements. ording to protocol, it makes sense for the Ji to visit the Swarm first.¡±


    Indeed, the representatives realized that the personnel who had arrived earlier were not of sufficient rank to finalize agreements. The agreements signed so far were merely letters of intent. Formal treaties required the participation of a Ji Elder and a corresponding high-ranking official¡ªsuch as a ruler or supreme leader¡ªfrom the newly recognized civilizations.


    Given the order of invitations, the Ji would naturally need to sign with the Swarm first before moving on to finalize their agreement with the Riken. Clearly, the departing Ji warships were transporting the Elder to meet with the Swarm for this purpose.


    ¡°No matter the reason, we need to wrap up our business here quickly and minimize exposure,¡± one representative urged.


    ¡°Agreed. Their asking price isn¡¯t high. Let¡¯s pay them, get the data, and leave. The longer we linger here, the greater the risk¡ªElder or not, idents can happen,¡± another added.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave!¡± another representative objected. ¡°Our stated purpose foring here was to discuss the Daqi prisoners. If we suddenly withdraw without resolving that matter, it¡¯ll only look more suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± someone muttered under their breath as the room fell into a tense silence.


    While the Koya Alliance representatives debated their next steps, the Ji warships continued toward the Swarm. As the alliance had guessed, the Ji ships were indeed en route to finalize an agreement with the Swarm.


    After briefly pausing at the Izumo Swarm Base to report their intentions, the Ji fleet continued on toward the Neighboring Star System.


    The speed of the Ji ships was indeed impressive¡ªwhat had once taken the Swarm and Riken decades to traverse now required less than a year. Back then, the actual fighting between the two races had been minimal, with most of the time consumed by the journey itself.


    Luo Wen was somewhat surprised by the sudden arrival of a Ji Elder, but he had been informed of this protocol in advance. Thus, preparations had already been made, and everything proceeded smoothly.


    When the Ji fleet reached the asteroid belt on the outskirts of the Neighboring Star System, a Swarm and Primordial body fleet was already stationed there to greet them. Following their guidance, the two fleets merged and proceeded together toward Neighboring.


    Due to the high-level nature of this meeting, everything was conducted with great formality. Despite this being the Swarm¡¯s first time hosting such an event, all arrangements were in ce, and there were no notable errors.


    On Neighboring, a massive underground pce had been excavated in preparation for the event. Underground structures weremon among interster civilizations. On hostiles, underground colonies could save significant engineering resources. However, on habitables, pces constructed underground were far less typical.


    Luo Wen had no clear exnation for why the Swarm¡¯s style leaned so heavily toward underground architecture. Although he saw himself as open and optimistic, for some reason, the Swarm¡¯s aesthetic always veered underground.


    The pce¡¯s interior was neither ostentatiously decorated norden with technological flourishes. Its design was raw and primitive, much like the descriptions in previous Troi reports.


    Elder Humes, the Ji Elder leading the delegation, walked through the underground corridors, observing his surroundings and mentallyparing them with the information he had studied.


    The walls were lined with bizarre, luminescent, fleshy nts, and while the rocky walls seemed imprable, his suit¡¯s sensors registered multiple warnings about hidden hollow spaces. Clearly, countless concealed passageways existed around them.


    Humes harbored no doubts¡ªif they made any wrong moves, they would be instantly overwhelmed by a swarm of bio-weapons. In such an environment, surrounded underground, escape would be nearly impossible for either attackers or defenders. For the Swarm to confidently construct such an underground pce implied exceptional mastery in this domain.


    Based on the Swarm¡¯s history, this was not surprising. They excelled at subterranean warfare and concealment.


    Humes pondered whether to suggest to the Ji Council of Elders that they strengthen their own subterranean capabilities to avoid potential disadvantages in any future conflicts with the Swarm.


    Humes himself was an unusual figure. He was short and stocky, with an extraordinarily long neck and a t, wide head that extended his overall height to over two meters. His appearance was reminiscent of a tortoise without its shell, but with an elongated neck¡ªa striking and somewhatical presence.


    Behind him followed several dozenpanions and guards as they made their way to meet the legendary Swarm Empress. Truthfully, the word ¡°legendary¡± was an exaggeration.


    Humes himself had only recently learned of the existence of a Swarm Empress. Before that, he had never even heard rumors of such a figure.


    The Swarm¡¯s ability to keep secrets was truly remarkable. Only a handful of intelligent Swarm representatives had ever interacted with outsiders, and they rarely discussed the Swarm¡¯s internal power structure.


    If not for the high-level and formal nature of this treaty, which required the participation of a civilization¡¯s supreme ruler or leader, the Empress might have remained hidden indefinitely.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 182: Restructuring (1)

    Atmospheric organisms, with their extremely low density, truly became ¡°clouds¡± upon death, slowly evaporating in the sky. Because they left no remains that would fall to the ground, such as fossils, there was no trace of their existence on others.


    However, with the deployment of the Swarm¡¯s version of atmospheric organisms, the Swarm now had units capable of regr interster navigation. Investigations of A7¡¯s satellite clusters revealed signs of atmospheric organism activity on several satellites with discernible atmospheres.


    Yet, because theses had iplete, extremely thin atmospheres unsuitable for atmospheric organisms, their poptions were very sparse.


    Simultaneously, the Swarm sent arge number of its atmospheric organisms to scout A7 itself, but they found no evidence of atmospheric organisms on the.


    This was because A7¡¯s atmosphere was constantly ravaged by high-energy storms, requiring atmospheric organisms to maintain their electromaic fields at all times to withstand the storms¡¯ destructive forces.


    Although A7¡¯s atmosphere was rich in lightning and intense radiation, allowing for faster energy recharge, the rate of consumption still far exceeded replenishment.


    If atmospheric organisms failed to leave A7 in time, they could survive at most ten days before running out of energy, losing their protective fields, and being torn apart by the storms.


    Decades passed, and the Genesis Star System had be far busier. Between the Red Moon and Yellow Moon, small Swarm ships frequently shuttled back and forth. Larger ships also traveled between the system¡¯ss and satellites.@@novelbin@@


    Through decades of research and with the assistance of the Intelligent Entities, Luo Wen upgraded the fungal carpet temte. Using nt cells as a foundation and incorporating genes from deep-sea jellyfish, electric eels, and atmospheric organisms, he developed a highly efficient energy storage cell.These cells not only stored energy but also directly absorbed it to sustain themselves. This eliminated the need for a separate energy production and conversion system.


    By recing non-functionalponents of the atmospheric organisms with these energy storage cells, their operational time at maximum output increased from just a few minutes to several hours¡ªan enormous improvement.


    Moreover, the modified atmospheric organisms, now denser, could take off andnd onary surfaces. However, this came at the cost of their ability to float naturally within atmospheres.


    While their performance in space remained unaffected, this limitation impacted theirbat capabilities within atmospheric environments.


    The Storm Gods, once the Swarm¡¯s main force for aerialbat and long-range delivery as airborne motherships, had fallen behind in every performance metric. An upgrade was necessary.


    Despite their modifications, the new atmospheric organisms could still rely on their sma propulsion systems to achieve rapid flight within atmospheres. However, they had to keep moving and couldn¡¯t hover, leading to increased energy consumption¡ªa notable w.


    To address this, Luo Wen revisited an earlier ¡°ck tech¡± that had enabled his first flight: the anti-gravity system of the beetle¡¯s elytra.


    Research revealed that the beetle¡¯s anti-gravity mechanism was, in fact, a specialized application of maic fields. While it only lightened the body by partially countering gravity, it couldn¡¯t achieve true anti-gravity lift.


    Though innovative, it was less practical than simple wings at the time and was ultimately abandoned.


    Now, however, this technology proved perfect for the upgraded atmospheric organisms.


    With an added anti-gravity system, the revised atmospheric organisms could hover and float with minimal energy output, much like their predecessors. They could even charge themselves mid-air by absorbing sr radiation, though at a slower rate.


    The upgraded atmospheric organisms were essentially a variant of the fungal carpet¡ªa massive, flying collection of fungal colonies.


    This redesign made them more versatile andpatible with additional features, such as optical camouge, visual and radar systems, and more. These enhancements greatly expanded their functionality, allowing for modr upgrades to refine their temte.


    However, their nature as a non-autonomous organism limited their intelligence. To counter this, Luo Wen mass-produced des to manage them.


    des had evolved from Type I Queen Ants.


    In earlier Swarm development stages, theck ofmand units posed a significant challenge. Queen Ants, naturally adept at managing and directing various ant species, provided an effective solution. Their intelligence and adaptability made them invaluable.


    Based on these traits, Luo Wen specialized the Queen Ants, enhancing their mobility and reducing their reproductive ability, creating a new breed specialized formand andbat coordination.


    When the Swarm Network emerged, Type I Queen Ants were renamed des, bing a flexible unit type. Whether monitoring, directing, calcting, guarding, or overseeing fungal carpet conditions, des were omnipresent in the Swarm.


    Their AI-like nature¡ªdevoid of emotions¡ªmade them ideal for monotonous tasks. From their inception, des became indispensable to Luo Wen.


    As the Swarm expanded, the demand for des grew. Most now relinquished their physical bodies to join the Swarm Network, bing virtual entities.


    However, the increasing number of des made the term too generic and potentially confusing. Luo Wen introduced subdivisions for rity.


    For example:


    des monitoring the Swarm Network were renamed Lookouts.


    Those observing Ratfolk civilizations, colonies, surface bases, or fungal carpet conditions became Listeners.


    des tracking celestial mechanics, Swarm meteor trajectories, and maintaining observation equipment were called Celestial Monitors.


    des responsible for data collection, recording, and logistics in preparation for potential intelligent adversaries were renamed Adjutants.


    des controlling low-intelligence fungal carpet warships and fighters via the Swarm Network were termed Knights.


    The title ¡°de¡± was retained by Swarm Intelligent Entities specializing in interster and legion warfare, led by Sarah Kerrigan.

 Chapter 421: Internal Network

    Due to gic encryption, the external world had no knowledge of the internal structure of the Swarm¡¯s bioweapons and was thus unaware that the Atomic Furnace was the primary factor in creating the environment for the growth of Longevity nts.


    The Swarm¡¯s exnation that there weren¡¯t enough Godzis to support widespread cultivation seemed reasonable. After all, it was well-documented that the Swarm did not produce nuclear waste, something easily verified through observation. Moreover, Longevity nts were discovered in Godzi nests, as detailed in official records. Lastly, Godzis, as massive and cumbersome terrestrial units, genuinely didn¡¯t require mass production.


    Additionally, the response formally acknowledged Godzi as a Swarm creation, addressing some previous ambiguities. While minor ws remained, it was a significant improvement over earlier exnations.


    Upon receiving the Swarm¡¯s reply, the Ji race expressed their desire for the Swarm to increase the number of Godzis to boost the production of Longevity nts. However, they understood that such a request was not enforceable and unlikely to be fulfilled.


    The production of a single Godzi required an astonishing amount of resources. Spreading that cost across production made the Longevity nts much more expensive. While the Ji race, as the issuer of points, wasn¡¯t particrly concerned about minor expenses, they foresaw that the demand for Longevity nts would rise substantially in the future. If the price were inted now, reducing itter would require significant effort and could disrupt the market.


    Thus, they refrained from pressing the Swarm further and instead directed their orders to the Koya Alliance, neighbors located slightly further from the Riken System.


    Longevity nts, after all, were meticulously cultivated by Luo Wen. They were drought-tolerant, flood-resistant, corrosion-proof, and impervious to pests, diseases, and pesticides. Once the environment was prepared, all that was left was harvesting, making them extremely easy to grow.


    For the Koya Alliance, a coalition of civilizations focused on mechanical engineering, the immense amounts of nuclear waste they generated were a constant headache. Unlike the Swarm, which could recycle waste, the Koya Alliance could only package it and hurl it into stars. To repurpose their waste into something valuable while openly participating in the Longevity nt trade was undoubtedly an attractive proposition for them.


    Everything began falling into ce. Afterpleting construction projects for the Riken, several functional Ji ships turned their attention to the Swarm. They split into two groups, one started building quantummunication facilities in the Neighboring Star System, while the other moved to the Sandstorm System to oversee the construction of Trade City.The Swarm¡¯s Trade City was likely the only one among foreign civilizations to ce all major infrastructure underground from the start. It wasn¡¯t that other trade citiescked underground structures¡ªon the contrary, many of the older ones had undergroundplexes farrger than their surface counterparts after years of expansion.


    However, during the initial stages of construction, surface structures generally far outweighed underground ones. The Swarm¡¯s decision to nearly exclude surface structures was unprecedented.


    Although the Neighboring Star System was only the second star system the Swarm had entered, they weren¡¯t destructive developers. Neighboring still maintained a rtively pristine ecology, and the Swarm had even nted forests on other rockys. From a distance, the lush, violet-tingeds were a breathtaking sight.


    This system had been chosen as the Swarm¡¯s public royal court, and its surveince intensity was naturally elevated to the highest levels. Among the Swarm¡¯s active species, the Observer Bugs prioritized stealth and privacy, making them nearly undetectable.


    To prevent foreign visitors from mistakenly believing the Swarm¡¯s monitoring wasx, which might tempt them into rash actions, Luo Wen specially developed numerous Observer Bugs without optical camouge, electromaic shielding, or sound-dampening systems. These visible bugs served as a deterrent on the surface.


    Under thisprehensive system of overt and covert monitoring, the visiting Ji were exceedingly well-behaved and refrained from crossing any lines. Still, some intelligence inevitably leaked out.


    ¡°Has today¡¯s request to ess the Swarm¡¯s intr been approved yet?¡± A Ji official aboard their ship inquired.


    ¡°No,¡± the crew member replied sinctly.


    ¡°Ridiculous! This is the third application already. What¡¯s their excuse this time?¡± the official fumed.


    An intr of any civilization, from its inception to its growth, inevitably umtes a vast amount of internal information. This data is pieced together over time, forming a tightly interwoven continuity that is exceedingly difficult to falsify or manipte.


    Gaining ess to a civilization¡¯s intr could reveal a trove of information, such as its history, culture, customs, beliefs, poption numbers, density, and demographic structure. While the civilization itself might find these details trivial, other civilizations could use them to deduce vulnerabilities and exploit them strategically.


    For instance, after gaining ess to the Riken intr, the Ji learned not only the aforementioned information but also uncovered critical data such as the number, locations, and scales of colonies, active warship statistics, trooppositions, and their distribution. It even led to the discovery of valuable resources like Longevity Serum.


    This method of reconnaissance was one of the Ji¡¯s most effective tools for understanding emerging powers. However, when it came to the Swarm, they had hit a wall.


    ¡°They¡¯re giving the same excuse as before: the Swarm doesn¡¯t have an intr,¡± the crew member remarked with a hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°Who do they think they¡¯re fooling? A civilization at this level of development not having an intr? Impossible!¡± the Ji official roared in frustration.


    In truth, this misunderstanding wasn¡¯t Luo Wen¡¯s fault. The Swarm did have an intr, but its ess level was so restricted that only ¡°insiders¡± could connect to it.


    Luo Wen was open to weing these Ji into the fold as ¡°insiders,¡± but the conditions were far from ideal. After all, these individuals couldn¡¯t simply disappear for extended periods without raising suspicion.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen hadn¡¯te away empty-handed during this period. On the ecologicals, the Ji personnel didn¡¯t need bulky spacesuits¡ªjust a filtration mask sufficed. This meant their skin was often exposed, allowing the Swarm to collect gic samples.


    Moreover, the Neighboring Star System wasn¡¯t even the primary focus. The real treasure trovey with the Riken, where an influx of researchers had arrived, representing no fewer than fifty to sixty different species. Luo Wen had already devised a tiny bug specifically designed to collect samples like hair and skin kes from these individuals.@@novelbin@@


    While the Swarm Network was a key asset, the Swarm also had a public-facing intr. However, as previously mentioned, a civilization¡¯s intr carries enormous amounts of sensitive information. Since the Swarm hadn¡¯t undergone a traditional process of organic growth from inception to maturity, fabricating a seamless and w-free history for their public intr was an insurmountable challenge.


    Initially, Luo Wen¡¯s intent in creating this intr was to establish a simted Swarm society to handle situations like the current one. However, he soon realized the workload was astronomical and ultimately abandoned the project.


    The intr then became Luo Wen¡¯s personal storage for game saves¡ªafter all, the Swarm Network didn¡¯t support gaming. Thus, calling it an ¡°intr¡± was a stretch; it was more like a massive gaming website.


    Naturally, such a system couldn¡¯t be opened to the Ji. The potential embarrassment alone made the ideaughable. Luo Wen decided it was better to im the Swarm didn¡¯t have one at all¡ªproblem solved.

 Chapter 422: Seeking a Breach

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t found a way to forcibly ess their intr?¡± The Ji official was clearly unwilling to give up.


    Since the New Ji Race inherited the Ji name, hundreds of thousands of years had passed. During that time, they had encountered civilizations simr to the Swarm¡ªunwilling to let the Ji or any other foreign power ess their intrs.


    However, weakness was the original sin. Fragile, fledgling civilizations stood no chance against the Ji¡¯s overwhelming technological superiority. What those civilizations believed to be foolproof intr defenses often proved utterly meaningless in the face of the Ji¡¯s capabilities.


    But the Swarm was fundamentally different from any stubborn civilizations they had faced before.


    ¡°Not yet, sir. I¡¯m sorry,¡± admitted a Ji crew member, bowing his head in shame. He often boasted about his exceptional hacking skills, but the current situation made him look like a clown.


    ¡°Useless!¡± The official cursed and flung a cup at the wall in frustration.


    He had been tasked with achieving results, but with more than half the project alreadypleted, his team had made no progress whatsoever.


    ¡°Sir, perhaps the Swarm is telling the truth. Maybe they really don¡¯t have an intr,¡± a technician suddenly interjected.


    ¡°What? Are you an idiot now too? No intr¡ªdo theymunicate telepathically?¡± The Ji official was fuming.He couldn¡¯t believe someone under hismand would suggest such a naive idea. Any civilization that advanced beyond a certain level and umted sufficient knowledge would inevitably require an efficient means of information transmission.


    Relying solely on memory was impossible. For instance, just the theoretical framework for a warp drive would take eons to record even with rapid transcription devices.


    ¡°But they don¡¯t even havemunication satellites. Our instruments haven¡¯t detected anywork signals. At this point, we don¡¯t even know where the entrance is, let alone how to breach it,¡± the technician argued, convinced that the issuey with the Swarm and not their own methods.


    ¡°The Swarm follows a biological pathway. Who says they needmunication satellites to transmit information? Those giant creatures floating in the sky could easily serve as biologicalmunication rys. Stop making excuses for your ipetence! Right now, immediately, think of a solution! I don¡¯t want to hear any more about what can¡¯t be done¡ªI want results! Otherwise, none of you will have a good time!¡±


    The official was on the verge of losing his temper. His technicians seemed to havepletely lost their edge,ing up with ridiculous excuses. The Swarm conducted long-distance transmissions regrly¡ªdata that the Ji had managed to intercept on asion. While their unique primary-color encryption rendered the content undecipherable, it at least confirmed that the Swarm possessed an information transmission system.


    The problem wasn¡¯t that the Swarmcked awork. The problem was that the Ji had yet to find the door. Once they did, the Ji¡¯s technological prowess would make breaking into the Swarm¡¯s intr a matter of minutes. There was no way the intr¡¯s entire contents could be encrypted.


    Unfortunately, despite deliberately slowing down their construction progress to buy time, the Ji made no breakthroughs. By the time the project waspleted, their technical team was left questioning their own abilities, utterly demoralized.


    During this time, the Ji weren¡¯t entirely passive. They attempted to physically infiltrate Swarm habitats to gather intelligence. However, they quickly discovered that challenges were everywhere.


    Although they knew the must conceal numerous Swarm hives, Ji ships couldn¡¯t conductrge-scale scans, and the Swarm¡¯s underground tunnels were shielded by maic fields, rendering small scanning devices ineffective.


    As a result, the Ji didn¡¯t even know where the Swarm¡¯s hives were, let alone how to infiltrate them. Even if they had precise locations, figuring out how to avoid the omnipresent Observer Bugs in the sky posed another significant challenge. These creatures¡ªwhose exact nature, whether living or something else, the Ji couldn¡¯tprehend¡ªleft them stumped.


    In an effort to study the Observer Bugs, the Ji orchestrated an ¡°ident,¡± sessfully capturing a small Observer Bug and cing it in a specially designed container to prevent it from raising an rm. However, when they tried to dissect it, they encountered the same awkward situation that the Riken had faced before. The moment a probe pierced the bug¡¯s body, its gic material copsed, reducing it to a pool of viscous liquid.


    Undeterred, the Ji conducted several more attempts until they received a stern warning from the Swarm, which forced them to stop.


    Frustrated and resentful, the Ji construction team eventually left, heading to the Sandstorm System to rendezvous with their colleagues and stay there for a while. Unfortunately, their counterparts in the Sandstorm System had made simrly little progress. The Sandstorm System was even more primitive than the Neighboring Star System.


    In the days that followed, everything seemed calm. Luo Wen waited for the next move from the mastermind behind the scenes, but no follow-up actions materialized. It was as if the Swarm had been entirely forgotten.


    Yearster, the Swarm¡¯s Trade City waspleted and inspected, prompting the Ji vessels to leave Swarm territory and return to the Riken System. Unlike the cold treatment they had received from the Swarm, the Riken System had been transformed into a bustling research hub.


    It was said that considerable progress had been made in recent years, and several finished products had been developed¡ªthanks in no small part to Luo Wen¡¯s covert assistance. With increasing mastery over himself and the Swarm Network, Luo Wen manipted node units with precision.


    Remote-controlled gic mutations during experiments became second nature to him. His interventions were seamless, leaving no trace behind.


    Time marched on, and nearly a century passed in rtive tranquility. During this time, Luo Wen observed nothing suspicious within Swarm territory that could be considered a follow-up action from the mastermind. This eerie quiet made him question the validity of his previous assumptions.


    However, Luo Wen quickly dismissed such doubts. While his biological age was vast, his mental age was still rtively ¡°young.¡± Over the years, he had gathered substantial information from various sources, including the Ji and other civilizations.@@novelbin@@


    In civilizations with histories spanning hundreds of thousands of years, records often documented ns and schemes that took centuries or even millennia to unfold. Some ns even spanned tens of thousands of years, crossing multiple generations.


    Byparison, the mere hundred years of silence around the Swarm hardly seemed unusual. Yet the uncertainty of being a piece on the chessboard without knowing the next move weighed on Luo Wen.


    Meanwhile, the Riken System¡¯s newfound prosperity, bolstered by the Ji¡¯s presence and experimental output, attracted even more outsiders. Although the finished products were technically Ji creations and had little direct connection to the Riken, many production processes heavily involved the Riken people.


    These products became items of trade within the Trade City, generating tax revenue. The city had expanded multiple times, and the massive influx of personnel fueled the Riken economy and elerated their progress. On this foundation, the Riken grew stronger.


    As strength grew, so too did ambition. Backed by the Ji and theirboratories, as well as extensive foreign interaction, the Riken were emboldened. If a war were to break out in the Riken System, it would implicate not just a few factions but an intricate web of interests.


    Feeling untouchable, the Riken now sought to achieve more. Their first demand wasplete control over the Riken System.

 Chapter 185: A Megastructure?

    Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several decades had passed.


    ¡°Good day, everyone! Wee to the live broadcast of our daily science segment. Today, we have the renowned astrophysicist, Professor Staffin, here to address some of the public¡¯s pressing questions.¡±


    ¡°Good day, Professor Staffin.¡±


    ¡°Good day to you, host.¡±


    ¡°Recently, we¡¯ve received numerous letters from viewers intrigued by the shadow clusters around A7. Many specte that they might be artificial structures created by aliens. What are your thoughts on this matter?¡±


    ¡°Haha, this is a ssic question. People have asked about this many times in the past. In truth, it¡¯s a simple matter to exin. Those objects are natural formations that have existed there for ages. As you know, A7 is a gas giant with an immense volume and equally immense gravity. Its gravitational pull captures numerous passing meteors, trapping them in its orbit over time. This umtion forms what we call the meteor belt¡ªwhat you¡¯ve referred to as the shadow clusters.¡±


    Professor Staffin, an elderly male Ratfolk with white and brown fur¡ªa sign of his partial Kerrigan royal lineage¡ªwore a tailored suit and ck-framed sses. His speech,bined with his refined appearance, exuded an air of credibility that naturally engendered trust in his words.


    ¡°Then why have we only recently discovered this meteor belt?¡± the host¡ªa young female Ratfolk dressed in a floral dress¡ªpressed further. Her tail, adorned with a decorative bow, peeked out from the folds of her skirt. Clearly unsatisfied with Staffin¡¯s exnation, she continued probing.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve known about it for quite some time. However, it was previously only of interest to specialists in certain circles. The im that it was recently discovered arises from the broader public now having ess to advanced observational tools. Many consumer-grade telescopes today are capable of spotting the meteor belt,¡± Staffin exined, pausing briefly before adding:¡°So, the meteor belt wasn¡¯t recently discovered; it¡¯s just that the general public has only recently started paying attention to it.¡±


    The host nodded thoughtfully, though her refined features still betrayed a hint of skepticism. She pressed on: ¡°So, do they have any impact on us?¡±


    Staffin discreetly smirked to himself, thinking: Such an ignorant pretty face will never understand the greatness of the Overlord, nor the true nature of the world.


    Although he¡¯d been spouting nonsense with an air of authority, anyone with basic logic could follow his reasoning and avoid asking such questions. Still, to protect his cover for the Overlord, Staffin maintained his persona.


    After a moment of contemtion, he replied, ¡°The meteor belt has always been there. The fact that we¡¯ve observed it now doesn¡¯t change anything. So,pared to when we hadn¡¯t noticed it, what difference does it make?¡±


    He continued: ¡°However, without A7, they might indeed pose a threat to us. Many of those meteors were initially on a trajectory toward our but were captured and held in orbit by A7¡¯s gravity. In this way, A7 serves as our protector. Without it, the likelihood of meteor strikes on our world would increase severalfold.¡±


    As Staffin borated, the conversation veered further from its original course.


    Finally, as the program drew to a close, Staffin left his audience with an enigmatic remark: ¡°Our Ratfolk have already reached the moon. From Genesis, one can asionally catch glimpses of our spacecraft through telescopes. And on the moon, with its unobstructed view unimpeded by an atmosphere, observations are even clearer. For those interested in such matters, I encourage you to pursue rted studies. Who knows? Someday you might join us and uncover the true nature of the world.¡±


    With that, the broadcast concluded. Neither the host nor the bewildered viewers realized that the ¡°we¡± Staffin spoke of was not the ¡°we¡± they understood.


    Only when they experienced it firsthand would theye toprehend the true meaning of ¡°we.¡±


    Such incidents were but the tip of the iceberg in Ratfolk society. The Swarm had assimted the brightest minds from the Ratfolk, while the rest were relegated to a controlled existence, unwittingly reduced to mere breeding machines.


    Their offspring underwent the same selection process, generation after generation, in an endless, repeating cycle.


    The originally nned ultra-massive electromaicunch tform halted its growth upon reaching 500 kilometers in length, following Luo Wen¡¯s orders.


    This wasn¡¯t due to concern that ordinary Ratfolk might uncover anything unusual. If that were the case, it could easily be addressed by the countless Ratfolk experts fabricating usible exnations.


    The real reason for halting its growth was its increasing gravitational influence.


    At 500 kilometers, the tform was already longer than many of A7¡¯s moons in diameter. If it grew to 5,000 kilometers, it would be second only to A7B5 among A7¡¯s orbiting bodies.


    Such a massive structure would cause unpredictable gravitational tidal effects, posing potential risks not only to the megastructure itself but also to A7 and its many moons.


    After extensive research and discussions, Luo Wen decided to rebuild the electromaicunch tform elsewhere.


    Since the existing tform was already enormous and difficult to move, it was left in A7¡¯s orbit.


    The new tform¡¯s construction site was chosen away from A7. With advancements in Swarm technology, Luo Wen had found an even better location: the system¡¯s sun.


    The star, whose mass ounted for over 99% of the Genesis Star System¡¯s total mass, was far superior to A7 as a power source. Even the colossal A7, thousands of timesrger than Genesis, was dwarfed by the sun.


    Constantly emitting vast amounts of light energy, the sun far surpassed A7¡¯s charging capabilities.


    The new electromaicunch tform was positioned in the synchronous orbit of A2, much closer to the sun, where it could absorb a plethora of energies. For the tform¡¯s fungal carpet, the environment was ideal for growth.@@novelbin@@


    With support from Swarm bases on A2, A4, and the moons Red Moon and Yellow Moon, the primal fungal strains were continuously deployed to designated locations, where they absorbed energy and began to grow.


    After years of development, the new tform had already reached over 3,000 kilometers in length¡ªfar surpassing its predecessor.

 Chapter 186: Fifty Years

    The new location for the electromaicunch tform was specifically chosen on the far side of the sun. Even though the tform had grown into a mega structure, it remained obscured from observation on Genesis due to the sun¡¯s positioning.


    This reduced the workload for the Swarm¡¯s Intelligent Entities; after all, crafting usible exnations required effort.@@novelbin@@


    Over the years, the first batch of Swarm Meteors, based on their speed, should have reached the nearest star system. For simplicity, this system was designated as the Neighboring Star System.


    Unfortunately, apart from the earliest Swarm Meteors that lost contact, the majority encountered idents en route and were destroyed mid-journey.


    However, these sessive waves of meteors paved navigation routes with their sacrifice. Along the way, they deployed numerous node units, serving as routers.


    These nodes, camouged as small meteors and fused with various observational gic temtes, not only extended the Swarm Network but also monitored vast areas around them.


    From the collected data, the Intelligent Entities identified numerous hidden dangers, such as debris fields, which were too small to detect from a distance and could only be observed up close.


    Additionally, they mapped the trajectories ofrge celestial bodies and obstacles.


    Gradually, theypiled several rtively safe routes and beganunching new Swarm Meteors along these paths.Over the years, as Swarm observational technology advanced and their interference with the Neighboring Star System increased, Luo Wen confirmed that no high-level civilization existed there.


    Although the distance made direct observation ofary surfaces impossible, the Swarm¡¯s Intelligent Entities could infer the technological state of any civilization by analyzing their space activities.


    For instance, from the Neighboring Star System, one could observe significant changes in the Genesis Star System over the past century. The number of objects in space had increased dramatically, and A7¡¯s brightness diminished annually, clearly obscured by something.


    Such details could indicate the presence of a spacefaring civilization in the Genesis Star System¡ªsomething that would require long-term observation andparison to confirm.


    Conversely, decades of Swarm surveince of the Neighboring Star System revealed no significant changes, indicating that if intelligent life existed there, its technological level remained rudimentary.


    With no threat from the Neighboring Star System confirmed, the Swarm became increasingly bold. Many Swarm Meteors wereunched straight toward the system without even adjusting their trajectories.


    Luo Wen decided to take a more aggressive approach.


    By temporarily severing his primary consciousness or a Brood Nest, he could produce a new counterpart. Luo Wen had calcted that he could suppress up to three such entities simultaneously.


    This meant that at maximum capacity, the Swarm could operate five primary bodies or Brood Nests at once.


    Currently, with his own primary body, the Genesis Brood Nest, and the Yellow Moon Brood Nest, Luo Wen had three in operation, leaving room for two more.


    Two new primary bodies had since been created. They were set to embark on their journey aboard two Egret-ss transport ships, each 50 meters long, bound for the Neighboring Star System.


    Although the electromaicunch tform hadn¡¯t fully matured, it had already grown to 3,000 kilometers in scale. Thanks to its biological nature, its growth was proportionally scaled¡ªmuch like the difference between arge fish and a small fish.


    In other words, while it hadn¡¯t reached its intended size, all its functions were fully operational.


    With 3,000 kilometers of electromaic eleration, the tform could propel ¡°projectiles¡± to roughly one-fifteenth the speed of light. At this speed, the journey to the Neighboring Star System was estimated to take about 80 years.


    This timeline was faster than waiting for the tform to grow to 5,000 kilometers and thenunching the projectiles.


    However, to prioritize the tform¡¯s growth and efficiency, energy-intensiveunches were kept to a minimum. For this mission, Luo Wen nned only tounch two Egret-ss transport ships carrying the primary bodies, seeds, and Swarm eggs.


    Thanks to advancements in Swarm technology, the electromaicunch tform could directly fire bio-ships as projectiles. By equipping these ships with pressure-resistant gicponents, they could withstand the stresses of such high-speed travel.


    Moreover, the transport ships were equipped with advanced kic systems, offering far greater maneuverabilitypared to the Swarm Meteors, which only had braking mechanisms. This significantly improved the safety of Luo Wen¡¯s primary bodies and the eggs.


    Luo Wen¡¯s decision to send two primary bodies to the Neighboring Star System wasn¡¯t a whim.


    Conquering the entire system would require numerous Swarm bases and extensive support from Brood Queens.


    Since only Brood Nests could produce Brood Queens, relying on the Genesis Star System to supply them via Swarm Meteors or transport ships would drastically slow down the Swarm¡¯s expansion and prove highly inconvenient.


    Additionally, if the Neighboring Star System harbored any peculiar life forms, only a Brood Nest or primary body could assimte their gic material and integrate it into the Swarm¡¯s gene pool.


    For these reasons, it was essential to establish a Brood Nest in the Neighboring Star System. As for sending two primary bodies, this was due to their inherent adaptability andbat capabilities.


    Whether during transit or upon arrival, the survival chances of primary bodies were far higher than those of Brood Nests.


    Once a foothold was secured in the Neighboring Star System and safety was confirmed, one of the primary bodies would self-destruct, allowing the other to produce a Brood Nest.


    Time flew by, and fifty years passed in a sh. During this time, the Swarm hadpletely dominated the Genesis Star System. Apart from the gas giant A7, which had no Swarm bases, alls and satellites hosted Swarm outposts.


    Even A1, the closest to the sun with a surface temperature exceeding 3,000 degrees year-round, saw the construction of a base in recent years. The organisms and Fungal Carpet on this were specially engineered with heat-resistant and instion genes.


    Luo Wen¡¯s daily routine now consisted of studying, reviewing reports, and asionally indulging in some online games to crush Sarah for fun.


    Just as Luo Wen assumed this tranquility wouldst for decades, the Celestial Monitors responsible for overseeing the Swarm Meteors ryed an unexpected message.

 Chapter 432: Discovery

    In a massivemand center, the cold metallic walls shimmered under artificial light. Dozens ofrge screens hung suspended in the air, while countless smaller screens were arranged below. Nearly every small screen had a humanoid figure seated in front of it, busily working.


    The shrill sound of rms echoed throughout the room. Amidst the chaos, the personnel hurriedly checked their assigned instruments, fingers darting across input devices in an attempt to quickly gather the necessary data.


    Several humanoid figures rushed into themand center¡¯s bridge. Before they had even steadied themselves, the leader spoke sharply. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Commander, we¡¯re detecting energy-level fluctuations at the wormhole¡¯s exit¡ªit¡¯s about to open!¡± shouted one of the operators below.


    ¡°What?!¡± Themander¡¯s disbelief was palpable. ¡°ording to Dr. Benba¡¯s calctions, the next activation wasn¡¯t supposed to ur for another 15 months!¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know, sir, but it¡¯s happening now.¡±


    ¡°Where is Dr. Benba?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been notified and is on his way. He¡¯ll be here in about five minutes.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time! The wormhole is opening. Who¡¯s on duty?¡±¡°Strider and Cyclone Dancer, sir!¡±


    ¡°Dispatch them immediately to investigate. Recall all off-duty teams as well!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander!¡±


    ¡ª


    Outside themand center, a vast metallic base loomed. A massive 60-meter-high side hatch began to open slowly, revealing two towering mechas, each just slightly shorter than the hatch itself.


    The mechas strode forward, their steel frames colliding with the metal ground beneath them, creating deep reverberations that caused a faint tremor throughout the base.


    On the expansive za before the hatch, two equally enormous missiles¡ªeach over 50 meters tall¡ªrose from theirunch silos.


    ¡°Hey, Rooney?¡±


    ¡°Signal is stable. I can hear you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so serious, man,¡± the speaker teased before adding, ¡°Looking at those two big sticks gives me a bad feeling.¡±


    ¡°With the wormhole activating out of nowhere, no one was prepared for this. We need to move as quickly as possible to find out what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°I knew pulling duty with you wouldn¡¯t bring me any luck. Here¡¯s hoping those engineers had time to disarm the warheads on those missiles.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, time clearly isn¡¯t on our side.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I hate you, Rooney?¡±


    Inside the cockpit, Rooney shrugged. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, Zeki. Just keep yourself in check while we¡¯re en route. I don¡¯t want my partner screwing up.¡±


    Zeki was about to fire back when themander¡¯s voice suddenly crackled through themunication channel: ¡°Focus, soldiers! For your sake¡ªand ours¡ªdon¡¯t waste time. Get moving!¡±


    The concept of mecha pilots was a rtively new one within the Federation. About ten years ago, an incident shook their civilization to its core. In the depths of the Jane Obak Trench, an undersea region, an extraordinarily powerful energy wave was detected, heralding the sudden appearance of a wormhole.


    The wormhole closed shortly after it opened, and despite months of painstaking searches, the Botians, limited by their technological capabilities, found nothing unusual.


    But then, the wormhole opened again, and from it emerged a massive creature over 50 meters long. The beast was extraordinarily fast, immensely strong, and wreaked catastrophic havoc on the Botians.


    Conventional weaponry proved nearly useless against it. In the end, the Botians resorted to a desperate measure: setting a trap and detonating three medium-yield nuclear warheads at close range. This managed to eliminate the creature.


    However, as the Botians prepared to clean up the resulting nuclear contamination, they discovered something even more terrifying. The creature¡¯s corpse had reacted with the radiation, intensifying the contamination and causing it to spread slowly but steadily.


    To this day, the Botians had no way ofpletely neutralizing this pollution. They could only seal off the area and attempt to slow its spread.


    Monthster, while debates raged over who was responsible for the ecological disaster, the wormhole reopened. A second monster appeared, bringing with it yet another area of contamination.


    It was only at this point that the Botians fully grasped the magnitude of the threat. Scientific projections revealed that if 20 such polluted zones appeared on their, the entire ecosystem would copse. While the Botians might not face outright extinction, over 90% of their poption would perish.@@novelbin@@


    This apocalyptic scenario galvanized the Botians into action. They pooled their global resources and developed a n. The Mecha Warrior Project.


    The n was straightforward: construct mechas equal in size to the monsters and use them to physically kill the creatures, thus preventing their bodies froming into contact with nuclear radiation.


    The challenges of building such colossal mechas were quickly ovee thanks to global coboration. However, the original idea of using artificial intelligence to pilot the mechas fell short. The AI systems struggled with the unpredictable and fast-paced nature ofbat due to overlyplex algorithms and limited adaptability.


    Thus, the Botians pivoted to Botian pilots. However, the humanoid design of the mechas made them extraordinarily difficult to operate. To ensure real-time responsiveness, the possibility of distributing the controls among a team was ruled out, which meant the pilot had to manage everything solo.


    This required individuals with exceptional vision, lightning-fast reflexes, precise hand-eye coordination, and a solid physical constitution. Moreover, the pilots couldn¡¯t suffer from acrophobia and needed a strong sense of spatial awareness and strategic thinking.


    When the military conducted initial screenings, the number of suitable candidates was far too low to meet the needs of the mecha program. During this time, the wormhole opened twice more, bringing two additional contaminated zones to the.


    Time was running out. To find enough qualified pilots in the shortest time possible, the Federation developed a simted training system and opened recruitment to everyone, regardless of background.


    Office workers, housewives, students, recluses¡ªeven petty criminals¡ªcould be mecha warriors if they passed the initial selection and met training standards. Past mistakes were forgiven in favor of future survival.


    This unconventional approach finally provided the mecha corps with enough pilots, though their diverse backgrounds resulted in varying levels of quality, creating headaches for theirmanding officers.


    Zeki was one of those headaches. Before joining the program, he had been a professional esports yer with a mboyant personality. He loved his new role, finding these massive ¡°toys¡± far more exhrating than virtual games.


    His extraordinary reflexes and hand speed allowed him to execute shy and extreme maneuvers, even with the cumbersome mechas. Zeki thrived on individual performance and enjoyed being the center of attention.


    Rooney, in contrast, was far more mature andposed. Formerly a senior executive at arge corporation, hecked Zeki¡¯s raw reflexes but excelled in meticulous nning and keen observational skills. Rooney consistentlypleted his missions with precision and demonstrated exceptional team coordination.


    Though Zeki often imed to ¡°hate¡± Rooney, theirplementary personalities made them an incredibly effective team. Their synergy was undeniable, earning them a reputation as one of the most reliable pairs in the mecha corps.

 Chapter 435: Reconnaissance

    Meanwhile, in the Riken Star System, the Swarm¡¯s two Megaliths had self-destructed and plunged into the star,pleting their annihtion without leaving a trace for onlookers to examine.


    However, the seemingly redundant and over-the-top maneuver by the Swarm didn¡¯t escape the notice of certain attentive observers. As they analyzed the data collected from the event, they were surprised to find anomalies¡ªsome energy signatures appeared to have simply vanished, as if they had been obliterated.


    The unusual data sparked debates among these interested parties. One faction argued that the Swarm must have done something and that an investigation was necessary to uncover the truth. The other faction dismissed the concern, suggesting that the proximity to the star likely caused data inuracies.


    Even if the Swarm had been up to something, they reasoned, it wasn¡¯t worth overreacting¡ªwhat could the Swarm possibly aplish with their level of technology?


    Luo Wen was unaware of these debates, much less their eventual oue. He was focused solely on executing his carefullyid ns.


    Due to the uncertainty surrounding the new gxy¡¯s political and military dynamics, the Swarm elerated its evacuation following the Megaliths¡¯ destruction.


    Over 60% of the Swarm¡¯s forces in the Riken Star System had already withdrawn, though their departure had been spread over more than a decade, carried out in small, stealthy batches under optical cloaking. As a result, most outside observers still had little idea of the Swarm¡¯s true numbers.


    At the Sr Orbital Base, which housed nearly 40% of the Swarm¡¯s remaining forces in the Riken Star System, things were different. Previously, these forces had clustered together in an unassuming, sunbathing formation, drawing little attention.


    But as they began their mass exodus, a seemingly endless procession of Primordial-ss units stretched across millions of kilometers. For many onlookers, it was the first time they trulyprehended the Swarm¡¯s sheer scale.¡°What a terrifying race,¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± said another, their voice tinged with regret.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have provoked them.¡±


    Simr sentiments echoed repeatedly, especially among members of the Koya Alliance. However, not all shared this unease.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Against superior technology, numbers are meaningless,¡± scoffed one alien, his tone dripping with disdain.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± a supporter chimed in.


    Of course, those voicing such dismissive opinions were primarily from species whose territories were far removed from Swarm-controlled space. Without ess to efficient interster travel, the Swarm¡¯s numbers posed little immediate threat to them.


    At the same time, others raised more substantive questions rather than indulging in idlementary.


    ¡°What kind of societal structure do they have? It seems like they can convert almost all their economic output into military potential.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. For such a militaristic race, how does their ruling ss even survive? Why don¡¯t their people rise up against them?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps their ruling ss is deceiving the masses.¡±


    ¡°It seems we should consider spreading more progressive ideologies to them.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Thus, the seeds of intrigue were sown. Yet, for these ns to bear fruit, they would first need to identify the Swarm¡¯s civilian poption¡ªa daunting challenge in and of itself.@@novelbin@@


    After withdrawing from the tumultuous Riken Star System, the Swarm fell into silence once more. Apart from limited operations in Trade City within the Sandstorm System, the rest of the Swarm¡¯s territories closed off entirely, entering a state akin to ¡°istionism.¡±


    Even when the Interster Technological Confederation¡¯s news outlets mocked the Swarm¡¯s ¡°concessionary retreat¡± with a fresh wave of sneers and ridicule, the Swarm remained unresponsive.


    A one-handed p makes no sound; the Swarm¡¯s stance of non-engagement left many subsequent plots and conspiracies feeling like futile punches against a cloud. Interest in the Swarm cooled over time, reced by the next shiny news cycle.


    Meanwhile, the true masterminds seemed to need more time to devise follow-up ns, resulting in a strange calm around Swarm-controlled territories.


    This rtive peace finally gave Luo Wen the opportunity to thoroughly explore the new gxy.


    Before the Recon Bugs could even emerge from the seabed¡¯s sediment, they detected something unusual¡ªdense vibrationsing from above. To create such tremors in the deep sea, it had to be some colossal entity. Judging by the frequency of the vibrations, there were many of them.


    This discovery made the Recon Bugs even more cautious. They slowed their movements, carefully inching upward. While inconspicuous, they could not afford even the slightest exposure. If discovered, their alien physiology and ipatible circtory systems would surely bring unnecessary danger to the Swarm.


    Near the seabed¡¯s surface, the Recon Bugs encountered native creatures hidden beneath the sand. Concerned about creating disturbances, the bugs avoided them and silently emerged above the seabed.


    With no natural light at these depths, the Recon Bugs¡¯ gic configurations had been carefully selected to include both optical observation systems and sonar capabilities. Underwater organisms often possessed simr organs, and with thousands of sonar variants in the Swarm¡¯s gic library, gathered from multiple life-sustainings, Luo Wen had no trouble selecting one suited to this environment.


    Unexpectedly, the optical systems were the first to provide useful data. Above the seabed, Luo Wen observed over a dozen mecha warriors, their bodies illuminated by numerous lights, apanied by submarines and an array of small underwater robots. These machines wandered the seafloor as though they were searching for something.


    The vibrations hade from the mecha warriors.


    Though the sight of these enormous steel constructs startled Luo Wen for a moment, his experience quickly tempered his reaction. Having witnessed countless technological marvels, he considered these mechas¡ªtens of meters tall¡ªrtively ordinary. Moreover, he had already suspected the presence of intelligent life in this region, so this revtion didn¡¯t surprise him much.


    What unsettled Luo Wen was a nagging feeling that something about the scene was off. He deliberated for a long while before finally identifying the source of his unease.


    The Swarm was no longer the primitive, mud-slinging race it once was. Through interactions with various alien species, the Swarm¡¯s database had umted numerous samples of alien technology.


    By analyzing the external structure, manufacturing techniques, movement fluidity, turning capabilities, and even the surface wear of these machines, the Swarm could infer a civilization¡¯s approximate technological level.


    The steel constructs before him didn¡¯t match the image of an advanced civilization capable of creating artificial wormholes.


    Still, Luo Wen didn¡¯t act rashly. Perhaps this civilization simply favored a retro aesthetic. He recalled films from Earth that depicted pivotal cosmic battles, deciding the fate of half the universe¡¯s poption through close-quartersbat and frontal charges.


    Perhaps this universe had simr preferences. After all, the Swarm¡¯sbat units¡ªwhethernd, sea, or air¡ªwere all equipped with formidable melee capabilities.


    If the Interster Technological Confederation dared to abandon their long-range weaponry and engage purely in closebat, the Swarm might already be strong enough to defeat the entire Confederation, including the New Ji Race.


    Of course, such a scenario was nothing more than a dream.

 Chapter 437: Clues

    The Swarm¡¯s node units, camouged in the exteriors of native marine creatures, had little need to remain hidden while aboard the ship. If discovered, they were either casually stepped on or thrown back into the sea, raising no suspicions.


    Behind these reconnaissance units, Luo Wen had already assembled a specialized team of intelligent entities. The Swarm was no longer the fledgling force it had been when it first encountered the Rikens. It had now umted considerable experience in deciphering thenguages and scripts of alien races.


    By observing and recording the conversations between the native crew members, the Swarm steadily expanded its vocabry of the natives¡¯nguage.


    In the crew¡¯s quarters, the Recon Bugs discovered numerous books. Judging from the illustrated covers, these books were unlikely to provide much insight into the native species¡¯ history. However, the Swarm¡¯s primary focus was on decoding their writtennguage. Although progress was slow without a direct point of reference, it was better than making no progress at all.@@novelbin@@


    The ship¡¯s machinery also became a focal point of the Swarm¡¯s study. From these machines, Luo Wen could not detect any traces of an advanced civilization. The ship relied on primitive fossil fuels for energy, with an antiquated design where a boiler generated steam to drive a main turbine.


    Such a rudimentarybination was not only far below the level of the Rikens but even inferior to that of the Rat Folk civilization.


    Although Luo Wen couldn¡¯t draw broad conclusions based solely on this observation, the umting evidence began to shape his thoughts.


    The Swarm¡¯s expansion proceeded at an elerating pace, with several ocean-going vessels being infiltrated each day. With more materials forparison, progress in decoding the natives¡¯ written and spokennguage advanced rapidly. Soon, the Swarm could roughly understand conversations between the natives.


    Although the discussions aboard the deep-sea vessels rarely touched on anything of substantial value, the Swarm managed to extract some interesting tidbits from the scattered information.On one deck, the crew was busily working under considerable tension.


    ¡°Stop cking off! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can rest! We¡¯ve still got to work overtime tonight!¡± barked a native supervisor as he patrolled and directed the crew.


    ¡°Boss, the guys have been working seventeen or eighteen hours a day for the past few days. We just can¡¯t hold out anymore,¡± one crew memberined.


    They were tasked with sorting and storing the seafood caught the previous night into cold storage. Some of it even required light steaming before it could be stored, adding to theplexity of the task, often keeping them busyte into the night.


    ¡°Yeah, so hurry up now! The faster you finish, the longer you can rest, and the easier tonight will be,¡± the supervisor snapped.


    ¡°Boss, we¡¯ve been doing this for over ten days straight. If this keeps up, something bad¡¯s going to happen,¡± another crew member added.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, boss. You¡¯ve got to talk to the captain. We can¡¯t keep this up. He¡¯s treating us like we¡¯re not even Botian,¡± someone chimed in.


    ¡°Exactly! Before we set sail, I thought I¡¯d signed up for a job. Turns out I signed up to risk my life!¡± The crew voiced their frustrations collectively.


    ¡°Shut it! I know what¡¯s going on, but this arrangement is for your own good!¡± the supervisor yelled in response.


    ¡°Boss, you can¡¯t fool us with that! How is this madness for our own good?¡± The crew members were clearly unconvinced by the supervisor¡¯s exnation.


    ¡°You lot don¡¯t know anything! Haven¡¯t you noticed how the defense forces at the wormhole base have been acting crazy these past few days, constantly deploying?¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it, it has been strange. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen those Mecha Warriors up close,¡± one of the crew remarked.


    ¡°Same here. But what¡¯s that got to do with us working eighteen hours a day?¡± another crew member questioned.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had the chance to see those Mecha Warriors up close before, have you? There¡¯s a big story behind all this,¡± the supervisor began, his tone mysterious.


    ¡°Boss, stop keeping us in suspense and just tell us!¡± The workers dropped what they were doing and crowded around him, eager to hear more.


    Of course, they were more interested in sneaking in a break than in hearing a story. The supervisor knew it well. Even he, whose job was merely to oversee and shout orders, was utterly exhausted in recent days, let alone the crew, who had been working tirelessly.


    He understood that if the resentment kept building, trouble would inevitably follow. Better to be transparent and give them a moment to rest.


    ¡°Hmph, you all know that every so often, the wormhole opens and spits out a monster, right?¡±


    ¡°Boss, of course, we know that! Tell us something we don¡¯t¡ª¡± One of the crew began to retort but was quickly silenced by a nearby colleague, who covered his mouth and pulled him back.


    Everyone hade here to rest; they¡¯d much rather have the boss start from the origins of their species and drag the story on for days if possible. Some workers were already yawning and preparing to sneak in a nap.


    The supervisor didn¡¯t pay any attention to their small antics. He continued at his own measured pace. ¡°Every time the wormhole is about to open, the defense base locks down a vast area of the sea. At that time, there¡¯s no work for us.¡±


    The crew were paid daily wages¡ªno work meant no pay, and taking a break only meant dipping into their savings.


    ¡°We know all this already, boss¡ª¡± Another worker started, but he too was pulled away. However, this time, someone dared to ask, ¡°Boss, what¡¯s the point of bringing this up? We just got back from a break.¡±


    This one wasn¡¯t dragged away because, truthfully, everyone was curious about what wasing next.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know a thing!¡± the supervisor retorted. ¡°This time, after the wormhole opened, the Mecha Warriors sessfully dealt with the monster. But not long after, the wormhole opened again. However, this time, no monster came out¡ªor if it did, the defense forces didn¡¯t find it.¡±


    ¡°What? What does that mean? Are we in danger?¡± one of the workers eximed. Concerned for their safety, even the crew members who had been dozing off were suddenly alert.


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re in danger or not, I can¡¯t say. But I do know this¡ªif you don¡¯t keep working, your savings will run dry soon. That¡¯s why, at my request, the captain decided to make the most of the defense forces¡¯ current confusion by keeping us out at sea to fish as much as possible. At any moment, we might be ordered to return to port. When that happens, the thickness of your savings will depend entirely on what we¡¯ve managed to catch these past few days.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? You¡¯re not just making this up, are you?¡± Some of the crew were skeptical.


    ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s the truth! This came directly from the captain. And you all know the captain¡¯s connections, don¡¯t you? His sister-inw¡¯s fianc¨¦¡¯s aunt¡¯s lover¡¯s nephew works at the defense base. That¡¯s firsthand information!¡±


    Though the source of the news was convoluted, the crew chose to believe it. After all, the captain had never pushed them this hard before. With this in mind, they resumed work with a bit more effort¡ªnot for the captain, but for themselves. The supervisor felt gratified by this change in attitude.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen, through the Recon Bugs hidden aboard the ship, recorded the entire conversation and gleaned several key pieces of information.


    A wormhole that opens periodically? Monsters? And Mecha Warriors? The general outline of the situation began to take shape in Luo Wen¡¯s mind. Could it be that these natives truly weren¡¯t an advanced civilization? Was it possible that such wormholes existed naturally in the universe?


    The idea unsettled Luo Wen. If such wormholes were indeed natural phenomena, it challenged much of what he understood about the cosmos.

 Chapter 190: A New Ecosystem

    The surface temperature of the Great Dawn remained around 50 degrees Celsius year-round. Combined with its oxygen-rich atmosphere, fires were likely amon urrence.


    The flora had evolved advanced fire-resistant systems. Those that hadn¡¯t adapted had already been eliminated by time.


    Thus, although the fire caused by the Swarm Meteors appeared overwhelming, with mes towering high and an intimidating presence, it didn¡¯t burn much. The dark red trunks and fiery red branches valiantly resisted the ze, secreting copious amounts of water to avoid ignition.


    Soon, after consuming the dried leaves and branches mixed in the soil, the fire began to lose momentum, eventually dwindling and extinguishing.


    In the end, aside from a few severed and ignited trees, most of the forest withstood the ze.


    Hourster, the forest had only gained a small patch of charred ground. The usual sounds of life returned among the trees.


    At this point, the Fungal Carpet had fully absorbed the contents of the Spore Capsule. From the crater left by the meteor, a purplish-gray mass emerged.


    Earlier, during close-range observations in space, the Swarm had confirmed that the Great Dawn¡¯s orbit showed no signs of artificial constructs. Furthermore, while passing through the atmosphere and surveying thousands of kilometers of surface terrain, no evidence of advanced civilizations was found.


    A subsequent data analysis reaffirmed that the Great Dawncked any traces of advanced civilizations.Additionally, Great Dawn¡¯s atmosphere filtered out significant amounts of harmful radiation, sparing the Fungal Carpet from the need to build maic field generators for self-protection.


    Under such favorable conditions, the Fungal Carpet began growing recklessly, no longer needing to hold back.


    Amidst the dark red and fiery tones of thendscape, an incongruous purplish-gray hue began to spread.


    Dayster, in an underground cavern, the Brood Queen¡¯s egg had grown to a size of three meters. Although it was still rtively small, under Sarah Kerrigan¡¯s orders, it cracked open prematurely.


    The forest harbored many dangerous creatures. Coupled with the oxygen-rich environment, the fauna here grew to massive sizes.


    For instance, a species resembling short-haired monkeys typically grew over two meters in adulthood. Their agile figures leaped effortlessly between towering trees, their long, powerful arms easily grabbing branches and vines.


    Their fiery red fur allowed them to blend seamlessly into the simrly colored forest.


    Moreover, theserge monkeys were highly curious.


    While most creatures had fled in terror following the Swarm Meteor¡¯s impact, too frightened to return, these monkeys, driven by curiosity, came in groups only two dayster, emitting strange calls as they approached the Fungal Carpet.


    They were intensely curious about the purplish-gray Fungal Carpet in the crater. The monkeys tested it with various methods¡ªthrowing sticks and stones. Finding no immediate danger, they eventually began tearing at and biting into the carpet.


    Though tender and nutrient-rich, the Fungal Carpet contained toxins, albeit only mildly poisonous.


    However, these alien toxins inflicted severe consequences on the native monkeys.


    Within minutes, the monkeys that consumed parts of the Fungal Carpet began showing adverse reactions such as bloating, nausea, and vomiting.


    Several gluttonous monkeys sumbed to their ailments within a dozen hours, while the others were left utterly drained by the ordeal.


    Two dayster, the monkeys recovered. Fueled by a strong sense of vengeance, theyunched frenzied attacks on the Fungal Carpet.


    Without additional modules, the Fungal Carpet only possessed its innate weak toxins andcked other defensive mechanisms. It could only endure the monkeys¡¯ assault. Fortunately, while they destroyed the surfaceyer, they were powerless against its subterranean portions.


    Observing covertly, Luo Wen shook his head. ¡°Sarah is still too inexperienced. If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t dare to expand the Fungal Carpet so boldly without amassing a thousand troops underground first.¡±


    However, he refrained from intervening. Some lessons were best learned through failure. As the Swarm¡¯s territory expanded, he wouldn¡¯t be able to handle everything personally. It was crucial to nurture capable subordinates.


    Sarah faced a significant setback in her first practical mission. Consequently, the three-meter-tall Brood Queen was deployed prematurely.


    The Fungal Carpet began channeling maximum nutrients into it. While developing itself, the Brood Queen also diverted energy to produce additional eggs.@@novelbin@@


    The Swarm Meteor carrying this Brood Queen was among the earliestunched, having spent over a century in space. Its gic library was severely outdated.


    Itcked advanced electromaic propulsion systems and bio-ship temtes, not even equipped with hydrogen-oxygen propulsion devices. Apart from basic ecological cirction systems and radiation shields, most of its gic makeup came from primitive lifeforms of the Genesis.


    Yet, these genes represented billions of years of evolution on a single. Even as the Swarm advanced into the space age, many of these genes remained in use.


    Back when Luo Wen was hiding in the ocean and secretly guiding the Ratfolk civilization over centuries, he had plenty of idle time. Without games to distract him, he entertained himself by creating biological temtes.


    Sadly, these temtes never saw the light of day, as the Swarm quickly advanced beyond their scope, rendering them obsolete.


    Perhaps fate had other ns. An unknown higher-dimensional force gave these temtes a second chance to shine.


    While insignificant in the vastness of space, they seemed more than sufficient to handle the primitive creatures on the Great Dawn.


    Although Luo Wen had boasted during games with Sarah about the superiority of his creations, her actual experience proved frustrating. The selection of temtes was too limited. It wasn¡¯t that Luo Wen hadn¡¯t created enough but that his designs were tailored for the Genesis. These creatures excelled in that environment but were ill-suited for Great Dawn¡¯s challenges.


    With surface temperatures averaging 50 degrees Celsius, the conditions didn¡¯t bother the current Swarm. But for Luo Wen back then, such an environment was extreme.


    Although he had considered scenarios requiring temtes for high and low temperatures and had created some for these conditions, their proportion was minimal.


    After thorough analysis, Sarah and her advisors determined that the avable temtes could manage the current situation. Luo Wen¡¯s designs often featured integrated unit systems, ensuring that even with limited numbers, each unit typeplemented the others.


    Learning from her rashness, Sarah decided to proceed cautiously. Dayster, flying insects emerged from underground caves, dispersing in all directions.

 Chapter 441: Retreat

    The replicated monster¡¯s unknown organ began functioning, producing a peculiar energy that traveled through awork of previously overlooked specialized energy conduits. The energy circted throughout the body and eventually formed an energy membrane on its surface.


    The entire process was excruciatingly slow, taking several hours toplete and rendering it almost impractical for any immediate use.


    This energy transmission system was incredibly intricate,posed of countless convoluted conduits linked together. Fortunately, Luo Wen had meticulously replicated the monster¡¯s original anatomical structure. Otherwise, the experiment could easily have gone awry.


    The cost of producing this bug-like replica was exorbitant, and with Swarm bases still in their early developmental stages, the expenditure was difficult to justify. Additionally, the time required for this experiment was a significant drawback.


    As for the strange energy, Luo Wen quickly realized what it was.


    It was the very negative energy used to neutralize power and stabilize the wormhole¡¯s passage.


    Where there¡¯s positive energy, there¡¯s also negative. While negative energy is not umon in the universe, it is notoriously difficult to detect and even harder to harness. Even identifying and observing it is a challenge.


    At present, the Swarm could only conduct limited observation and collection of negative energy, utilizing it in a rudimentary fashion¡ªprimarily as a protective coating for wormhole traversal.


    The Swarm¡¯s understanding of negative energy was akin to that of Stone Age humans who could recognize stones and use them primitively but had no knowledge of their origins, manufacturing processes, or deeper applications.The Ji civilization was more advanced in this respect, at least capable of gathering negative energy far more efficiently than the Swarm. If the Swarm¡¯s methods were akin to picking stones by hand, the Ji were operating excavators. Yet, whether the Ji could independently produce negative energy remained uncertain.


    Now, Luo Wen had confirmed the existence of a civilization capable of manufacturing negative energy, and their expertise was rooted in the biological domain¡ªan area in which the Swarm excelled. Could it be that the other side of the wormhole harbored a bio-tech-based advanced civilization?


    Previously, Luo Wen had entertained a sliver of doubt regarding the unnatural origin of the wormhole. Observing the Botian civilization¡¯s primitive state and the amateurish battles between monsters and Mecha Warriors, he had wondered whether his perspective was limited.


    The vastness of the universe defiesprehension¡ªjust because he had never encountered something didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t exist. Perhaps this small wormhole was indeed a natural phenomenon.


    But that thought was now firmly dismissed. All the evidence pointed to the likelihood that the other side of the wormhole was controlled by a force far more advanced than even the Ji civilization.


    This ce was far too dangerous.


    Luo Wen was acutely aware of the eerie and formidable nature of bio-tech civilizations. It was entirely possible that the seemingly unremarkable insects on the Botian homeworld were embedded with the other side¡¯s surveince. This could exin why he had been unable to locate any traditional observation devices.


    If Luo Wen¡¯s suspicions were correct, many of the Swarm¡¯s tactics¡ªeffective against mechanical civilizations¡ªmight prove ineffective here. Worse, the opposing force might even discover methods to counteract the Swarm entirely.


    Learning how to manufacture negative energy was a tremendous breakthrough for Luo Wen, filling him with excitement. However, it was too advanced to be of immediate practical use given the Swarm¡¯s current technological level.@@novelbin@@


    Yet, it was a stepping stone¡ªa foothold simr to what gravitational control had once been. That, too, had been shelved for a long time due to itsplexity, but once the Swarm grasped its principles, progress had been explosive, catapulting them beyond many long-established powers.


    Luo Wen delegated a portion of the Intelligent Entities to begin researching negative energy, withdrawing his personal focus from the project. There were more pressing matters to attend to.


    This ce was simply too dangerous for prolonged stay.


    The satellite, the gas giant it orbited, and even the entire star system held little strategic value for the Swarm. In situations where the potential gains could not outweigh the risks, Luo Wen had already decided¡ªit was time to abandon this territory.


    The Swarm¡¯s bases on the Botian homeworld had expanded with reckless speed, their actions bing increasingly bold as their understanding of Botian civilization deepened. However, under Luo Wen¡¯s directive, the expansion slowed to a crawl, eventually nearing aplete halt.


    Previously, in the rush for growth, nearly all the energy harvested by the bases had been devoted to hatching reconnaissance units and Brood Queens. This left the bases poorly concealed, typically situated just a hundred meters underground.


    To mitigate exposure risks, the Swarm began relocating its existing bases to far deeper underground locations as expansion on the Botian homeworld paused.


    The Intelligent Entities embedded within Botian society also reduced their activity, adopting a low-profile approach. Simrly, reconnaissance units significantly restrained their operations.


    In stark contrast, the Swarm¡¯s actions in space became increasingly audacious. The situation was inherently precarious¡ªevery passing second carried immense risk. Luo Wen¡¯s will was now intensely focused on this theater, ready to annihte all node units in the region at the first sign of danger to prevent any potential information leaks.


    Still, before taking such drastic measures, Luo Wen intended to push his efforts a little further.


    On the far side of the star, the Swarm began constructing a Sr Orbital Base in close proximity to the star. Spacecked theplexities of the Botian homeworld¡¯s environment, making concealment far more challenging.


    To address this, Luo Wen deployed a massive swarm of Observer Bugs near the orbital base. The density and coverage of these units bordered on obsessive, forming a nearly imprable surveince web. Even space dust would struggle to pass through undetected.


    Under such intense monitoring, the orbital base rapidly grew and developed. Two megastructures were also added to the construction queue. Luo Wen nned to utilize these facilities to enable another long-range Fold Crossing, intending to escape before the unknown force on the other side of the wormhole could react.


    By now, Luo Wen hade to a conclusion about his Fold Crossing ability, it involved high-dimensional interference and was fundamentally different from the wormhole¡¯s mechanisms.


    While the opposing force appeared capable of creating small-scale wormholes, Luo Wen surmised they likely hadn¡¯t achieved higher-dimensional research capable of tracking Fold Crossings.


    Even if they had, Luo Wen was prepared to abandon the region entirely if necessary. The universe was vast¡ªsurely it could provide a new refuge for the Swarm.


    It was under these conditions that the wormhole on the Botian homeworld opened for the fourth time since the Swarm¡¯s arrival.


    Previously, Dr. Benba¡¯s calctions for the wormhole¡¯s activation times had been wless. However, the arrival of the Swarm had introduced unforeseen variables, setting off a chain of disruptions. After being ousted from his position, unable to cope with the dramatic fall from grace, Dr. Benba had considered suicide. Before he could act, however, the Swarm found him.


    No one paid attention to the plight of a disgraced figure. When Benba isted himself in his room for days, people assumed he had sumbed to depression.


    Little did they know that by the time he reemerged, he was no longer entirely human¡ªhe had be a member of the Swarm.


    Benba¡¯s ability to predict wormhole activation times with precision, based solely on patterns and parameters, was a testament to his intellect. With his expertise, the Swarm incorporated the variable introduced by the Flesh Pod into his form, refining their predictions with each subsequent activation.


    By the time the wormhole opened for the fourth time, the Swarm had already pinpointed its exact timing.

 Chapter 192: Creatures from the Great Dawn Planet (1)

    There was, however, one species that caused significant trouble for the Swarm.


    This species resembled bats, with sturdy wing membranes spanning 2 to 5 meters. Their bald heads and ferocious, grotesque appearances were reminiscent of the mythical gargoyles.


    Theycked vision and were strictly nocturnal. They detected prey through thermal sensors and used echolocation generated by ultrasonic vibrations in their bones during flight.


    These capabilities effectively countered the Spider Combat Bugs¡¯ optical stealth systems. Coupled with their size advantage, the bats inflicted substantial casualties on the Spider Combat Bugs.


    Sarah Kerrigan ordered the Flying Bugs to locate their roosts, hoping to strike their nests during the day. However, the reconnaissance revealed that the bats sheltered in dark caves during daylight hours, where many remained active and alert.


    The caves were so silent that even the faintest sounds made by Spider Combat Bugs walking along the cave walls would alert the bats. Thus, the n for a daytime ambush was abandoned before it even began.


    However, through further observation, the Intelligent Entities discovered a critical weakness in the bats: they struggled to differentiate friend from foe. Lacking vision, they relied solely on thermal sensors and echolocation for targeting, which proved problematic.


    During their nighttime hunts, the bats secreted a unique toxin that numbed pain but made them exceedingly aggressive. When they encountered one another mid-hunt, they often couldn¡¯t control their tempers, leading to frequent shes even after realizing they were fighting their own kind.


    By day, the bats adhered to a different pattern: only one or two would attack intruders entering their caves, while the rest remained still. A single Spider Combat Bug sent into the cave during an earlier reconnaissance had resisted briefly before being torn apart, which initially masked this behavior. Despite the dyed discovery, this information proved invaluable.The next day, while the bats rested in theirir, a swarm of Flying Bugs invaded the cave. Mimicking the bats¡¯ ultrasonic frequencies, they caused chaos.


    Many bats awoke, confused and agitated. Those already awake grew increasingly irritable.


    Instinct, however, does not equate to intelligence. When the ultrasonic signals reverberated wildly through the cave, disrupting their echolocation, the bats abandoned their typical rule of limited flight responses.


    A massive swarm of bats took to the air, attacking the Flying Bugs. Some of the bugs were instantly shredded, but the survivors continued deeper into the cave, emitting more ultrasonic signals.


    As more bats took flight, the confined cave space descended into chaos. Each bat¡¯s flight triggered ultrasonic vibrations, which ricocheted throughout the cave. The ovepping waves rendered their echolocation systems useless, forcing them to rely solely on thermal detection.


    But the Flying Bugs, small and emitting negligible heat, effectively became invisible. The bats instead detected their fellow creatures, and the incessant ultrasonic noise drove them into a frenzy.


    Their toxin production elerated, eroding what little rationality they had. Soon, one bat attacked another. Within moments, more joined the fray.


    A few bats managed to escape the cave, but most remained trapped in a violent melee. Hourster, with the bats severely weakened or dead, the Spider Combat Bugs entered to finish the job.


    The bats that escaped were intercepted by the Swarm, which had the capability to eliminate them but chose not to.


    This decision wasn¡¯t out of mercy. Luo Wen¡¯s main body was still about 20 years away from arriving. Though these creatures¡¯ genes held limited practical value for the Swarm, Luo Wen had apulsive habit from his gaming days: an obsession with collecting.


    Since the Swarm¡¯s gic database had no capacity limits and these gic samples were easily obtainable, Luo Wen decided it was worth preserving them.@@novelbin@@


    The will of Luo Wen was the will of the Swarm. Even if Sarah and the Intelligent Entities had reservations, they executed his orders without hesitation. As a result, the Swarm focused on driving off aggressive species rather than eradicating them.


    Herbivores near the base were left alone as long as they didn¡¯t consume the Fungal Carpet. After all, their carbohydrate-based bodies yielded less energy than the Fungal Carpet could extract from the ground through chemical synthesis.


    After surviving its initial vulnerable phase, the base quickly established itself in the forest. Asbat units increased, the Swarm¡¯s territory expanded rapidly.


    Under the army¡¯s protection, the Fungal Carpet spread at an astonishing rate. After several encounters, the forest creatures recognized it as an invincible force. Reluctantly, they abandoned their ancestral homes and migrated elsewhere.


    Though the Swarm had only explored a small part of Great Dawn, theck of formidable native species was evident. The Visit Team rxed, no longer needing reinforcements.


    The next two Swarm Meteors did notnd on Great Dawn for support. Instead, under Sarah¡¯s guidance, they waited in orbit around neighborings.


    The Neighboring Star System only had the Great Dawn as a habitable world, where older-generation Swarm units still had a role. Others were barren,cking atmospheres, and any bases built there would likely need to be dismantled and recycled once Luo Wen¡¯s main body arrived. It was more efficient to wait.


    On Great Dawn, the red forest had beenpletely overtaken by the Swarm. The ground turned purplish-gray, and the native fauna vanished, forced to retreat far away. The fiery red trees, though still thriving, were immobile and became the Swarm¡¯s reserve food supply, ready for harvest at any time.


    With abundant resources,rger creatures began production. Monthster, 200 Storm Gods took to the skies. This deployment was a precaution after witnessingrge aerial creatures during the Swarm Meteor¡¯s descent.


    Having learned from the monkey debacle, Sarah approached aerial exploration cautiously. But with 200 Storm Gods, a top-tier species that had once dominated the skies of the Genesis, she was confident they could handle any challenges posed by the¡¯s native aerial species.

 Chapter 445: Decision

    ¡°But why didn¡¯t they do it this way? And how did Benba manage to calcte the precise timing of the wormhole¡¯s openings? ording to your reasoning, that should have been impossible,¡± an Intelligent Entity asked with a puzzled tone.


    ¡°The first part, I don¡¯t know. Maybe they¡¯re not as strong as we think,¡± the expert replied. ¡°As for the second part, only Benba himself¡ªor you, Overlord¡ªmight have that answer.¡±


    That phrase, ¡°Maybe they¡¯re not as strong as we think,¡± hit Luo Wen like a lightning bolt.


    Of course. This was the ufortable thought he had been suppressing all along. The existence of high-level technologies was undeniable, but what if their actual capabilities didn¡¯t match their sophistication?


    For instance, the metallic shell on the Botian homeworld¡ªit was beyond the reach of Botian technology to even approach, let alone construct. And yet, there it was.


    As for the second question, Luo Wen already knew the answer. When Benba was converted into an Intelligent Entity, Luo Wen, curious about how he calcted the wormhole timings, had directly essed his memories.


    What he found had been equal parts eye-opening and baffling. Luo Wen wasn¡¯t sure whether tobel Benba a daring genius or an audacious oddball.


    Due to theck of critical data points, Benba had made several bold assumptions, plugging in entirely arbitrary values. Even more surprisingly, his calctions ignored the first four instances of the wormhole¡¯s openings entirely.


    Why? Because Benba had discovered that the initial activations showed no discernible pattern. Given the constraints of his civilization, he had limited his assumptions.He surmised that during those early instances, the wormhole¡¯s creators had sufficient energy reserves, allowing for more flexibility in timing. As energy became scarcer, the wormhole activations began following a predictable pattern.


    Benba then extrapted the energy collection efficiency of the opposing force, incorporated his assumptions, and through a mix of guesswork and calction, derived a form.


    And, against all odds, his form worked. The subsequent sess only bolstered his reputation¡ªuntil a malfunction in the wormhole system caused his calctions to fail. His tenuous model, which had already drawn skepticism from peers, fell apart under scrutiny. Critics seized the opportunity to tear it apart.


    Despite its ws, Benba¡¯s form held some merit. After two adjustments, it regained utility. This indirectly confirmed that the opposing force wasn¡¯t particrly strong; their apparent struggle to umte enough energy for each activation betrayed their limitations. Such constraints were far from what one would expect of a high-level civilization.


    With this ¡°they¡¯re not strong¡± hypothesis in mind, many previously unexined contradictions began to make sense. Verifying this theory was theoretically simple¡ªLuo Wen could send an anchor unit through the wormhole during its next activation to observe the other side.


    But the risks were immense. If the opposing force was not as weak as Luo Wen suspected, such a move could expose the Swarm and result in the loss of an anchor unit. Unlike in a game, where losses can be reset, a single misstep here could lead to catastrophic consequences.


    Even if the opposing force was weak, there was nopelling reason for Luo Wen to confirm it firsthand. There was a treasure trove awaiting him right here, the metallic shell. Why risk the unknown when the riches beneath his feet were far more essible?


    Luo Wen¡¯s insatiable curiosity often drove him, but he understood the importance of prioritizing his goals. With that in mind, he formted a clear course of action for the next phase.


    ¡°Perhaps they are weak. But we cannot confirm it. So, I will assume they are weak and choose to ignore their existence while focusing on what needs to be done. If they are indeed weak, they won¡¯t be able to interfere with the Swarm. If they are strong and react, then the Swarm will retreat.¡±


    With this decision, the Swarm¡¯s expansion resumed, now even more aggressive than before. Within six months, over a thousand Swarm bases had sprung up across the Botian homeworld.


    In just over a year of sustained growth, these bases collectively reached the metallic shell. Regardless of their location on the, every excavation ended with the same result. It became undeniably clear, the metallic shell enveloped the entire satellite.@@novelbin@@


    The Botian civilization was living on a man-made structure.


    No wonder Luo Wen had always felt that the satellite¡¯s position, orbit, and tidal locking seemed almost too perfect¡ªlike a series of coincidences too precise to be natural. It was now clear that this perfection was the result of deliberate design.


    This metallic satellite, with a diameter exceeding 7,000 kilometers, was undoubtedly a creation of an immensely powerful civilization. Toplete such a colossal project would require technological capabilities far beyond anything Luo Wen had encountered.


    Forparison, the Swarm¡¯s 3,000-kilometer Megastructure was merely a rectangr prism¡ª3,000 kilometers long, less than 1,000 kilometers wide, and with a height half its width. Even with the numerous advantages offered by biotechnological methods, such as organic self-growth and self-adaptation, constructing it had been an incredibly challenging feat. The spherical metallic satellite, in contrast, was orders of magnitude more advanced inplexity, leaving the Swarm¡¯s Megastructure far behind.


    Yet even the Swarm¡¯sparatively simple Megastructure had drawn the attention and envy of countless civilizations. The construction of this metallic-like satellite was a testament to the strength and ambition of the civilization that built it.


    The satellite had evidently existed for an unimaginably long time. Despite the durability of its materials, signs of weathering and corrosion had begun to appear¡ªscars left by the passage of time.


    Its abandonment remained a mystery. Over millennia, it had be a cradle for a new civilization, the Botians. The force on the other side of the wormhole might have some knowledge about its origins. Alternatively, answers might lie within the satellite itself.


    For Luo Wen, the next step was clear: open it and uncover its secrets. Even if the interior held no records or data, merely observing its internal structure would yield tremendous insights for the Swarm.


    This was akin to what other civilizations had hoped for when they sought to study the Swarm¡¯s Megastructure.


    Since the metallic satellite was an artificial construct, it must have entry and exit points. However, locating these ess points would be an immense undertaking. Furthermore, such locations were almost certainly equipped with identity verification systems. If operational, these systems would pose a significant obstacle. Additionally, entry points were likely to be fortified with defensive measures.


    Whether these systems were still functional or not, attempting to breach them directly risked triggering unpredictable responses.


    Given these uncertainties, Luo Wen concluded that brute-forcing a hole through the metallic shell was a more practical approach. He reasoned that defensive systems near walls would not be as concentrated as those at entry points.


    However, the shell¡¯s material was exceptionally resilient. Breaching it would not be easy. For now, Luo Wen¡¯s only viable method was to experiment with various toxicpounds, attempting to corrode the surfaceyer byyer.


    This approach, while feasible, was excruciatingly slow. The thickness of the shell was unknown, and at the current rate of corrosion, it could take years¡ªor even decades¡ªto break through. The longer the process dragged on, the higher the likelihood of unexpectedplications, which often meant increased danger.


    Luo Wen detested unnecessary risks, but in this situation, he had no better options.

 Chapter 446: New Troubles

    Time passed, and the wormhole opened twice more. However, Luo Wen no longer had the interest to watch the monster versus Mecha Warrior battles. His attention was fully consumed by the metal shell.


    Through continuous experimentation, his understanding of toxin production had advanced rapidly. Thetest toxins he developed corroded at three times the speed of his initial attempts. Over three years, he had managed to erode more than fifty meters of the metal shell. However, it was still a far cry from fully prating it.


    Using various methods, Luo Wen measured the thickness of the metal shell and was astonished to find it exceeded 500 kilometers. At his current rate, it would take more than 30,000 years to breach.


    Such a timeline was clearly uneptable.


    Thus, Luo Wen began exploring alternative methods. Unfortunately, calctions and tests revealed that the material of the metal shell had excellent resistance to both kic impacts and energy weapons.


    Additionally, underground conditions made these weapons less effective¡ªparticrly electromaic railguns, whose destructive power was reduced by at least 50% within aary interior.


    Left with no choice, Luo Wen turned his attention to developing more powerful or specialized weapons. The most promising avenuey in negative energy, a field he had only recently begun to explore.


    In the universe, all visible matter falls under the category of positive energy. These materials are diverse and varied in nature. Simrly, negative energy is a general term epassing certain types of substances, which also have different ssifications.


    After deciphering the gic blueprint for the negative energy production organ, Luo Wen assembled a team of intelligent entities to conduct research.Though the Swarm¡¯s venture into the realm of negative energy was still in its infancy, the foundation it had established¡ªmuch like its earlier foray into gravitational studies¡ªprovided a solid starting point. Despite the limited time, the Swarm had already made some progress.


    Through research, Luo Wen discovered that the negative energy produced by the monster¡¯s genes was an extremely inert type. It only reacted when exposed to high-energy impacts. This specific negative energy appeared to have been deliberately engineered by an unknown civilization, optimized for traversing the violent energies within the wormhole.


    Luo Wen recalled his earlier defensive tests on the monster¡¯s negative energy membrane. It had shown no reaction to kic or energy-based attacks, which he now realized was because those attackscked the necessary energy levels to activate it.


    With this understanding, the Swarm¡¯s next step was to identify a more active type of negative energy and develop a way to produce it. This would enable the creation of negative energy weapons.


    While this goal seemed straightforward in theory, its execution was incredibly challenging. Although the Swarm had developed the capability to collect negative energy from space, these samples were a mixed assortment. Identifying the more activeponents was akin to discovering gunpowder in the material world¡ªit required not only extensive screening but also a stroke of luck.


    Luo Wen had no idea how his luck would fare, so he increased manpower, hoping sheer numbers could elerate the process.


    Days turned into weeks, and the wormhole on Botian began to open and close at irregr intervals. The spectacle of monsters battling Mecha Warriors reyed itself repeatedly. During this time, the Swarm resumed its infiltration of Botian society in earnest.


    Arge number of intelligent entities embedded themselves into various levels of Botian civilization, even among the Mecha Warrior pilots, who now included some of the Swarm¡¯s own operatives.


    The good news was that the force on the other side of the wormhole showed no reaction to the Swarm¡¯s actions. Perhaps they dismissed the Swarm as inconsequential, or perhaps they were so weak they were unaware of the Swarm¡¯s activities on this side.


    Another unexpected development was that the force on the other side seemed to have stopped its ¡°extreme deployments.¡± The monsters sent through the wormhole no longer followed a consistent pattern, which disrupted Dr. Benba¡¯s predictive form. The wormhole¡¯s activations became chaotic and impossible to predict. ?¨¢??¦Â¦¥??


    However, apart from increasing the workload for the Botians, the unpredictable wormhole activations had little impact on Luo Wen. For him, this status quo was ideal. He only needed to wait patiently for the results from the Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities.


    Time flew by, and twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. During these calm years, nothing significant urred, and everything remained tranquil.


    In this peace, Luo Wen was able to allocate even more intelligent entities to focus on negative energy research. The number of entities working on this field reached an astounding thirty million, with over 80% of them having more than a century of research experience.


    Under this sheer manpower, the Swarm had made significant strides in the realm of negative energy. The intelligent entities had identified several types of active negative energy and were now conducting tests to determine their offensive potential.


    If the tests proved sessful, the next step would be to create biological organs capable of producing these energies. This would require Luo Wen¡¯s direct involvement.


    While Luo Wen was meticulously studying the gic structure of the monster¡¯s negative energy generation mechanism, events in the Interster Technological Confederation began to take a troubling turn.


    Since the Swarm had retreated from the Riken System and returned the territory to the Rikens years ago, the many factions that had initially criticized the Swarm eventually fell silent when they realized there would be no response. With theck of an immediate target for conflict, their agitation gradually subsided.


    However, the Koya Alliance began stirring up trouble again.


    Luo Wen had long anticipated that the Koya Alliance, or rather the shadowy maniptors behind it, would make further moves. Decades ago, he had already discerned their goals¡ªor at least the objectives of some factions among them.


    Thus, when they resumed their actions, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t surprised. The 20-year period of silence had far exceeded his expectations. Perhaps the Swarm had concealed its strength so effectively that the maniptors only now believed the Swarm had reached the level required for the next stage of their ns.


    This time, their strategy remained the same: fabricate an excuse to attack the Swarm, fuel public opinion, and iste the Swarm while quietly creating additional enemies for it.@@novelbin@@


    Their current target for propaganda was the Rat Folk. The plight of the Rat Folk was even more dire than what the Rikens had faced years ago. On the surface, the Rat Folk controlled only their homeworld and two moons. Their technological advancement had been stunted by the Swarm, leaving them in a state of stagnation for centuries.


    Under normal circumstances, the Rat Folk¡¯s level of technology would never meet the requirements for joining the Interster Technological Confederation. Their current condition was a direct result of their dependence on the Swarm¡¯s ¡°nurturing,¡± which was a vition of the Confederation¡¯s rules.


    However, the rtionship between the Swarm and the Rat Folk predated the Swarm¡¯s admission into the Interster Technological Confederation.


    Unlike the Rikens, the Rat Folk¡¯s rapid development meant that the Ji civilization hadn¡¯t had time to mark them with ¡°treasure starships¡± before their alliance with the Swarm was solidified.


    Furthermore, the origins and growth of the Rat Folk civilization were clearly linked to the Swarm. Their rtionship was far more intertwined than that of the Swarm and the Rikens.


    But for those determined to create trouble, none of these nuances mattered.

 Chapter 195: The Behemoth

    Luo Wen no longer paid attention to the situation. Terror Wolves were effective inbat against smaller or simrly-sized foes, or even slightlyrger enemies.


    With some further modifications when time allowed, they could serve as a mainbat unit.


    But for now, he had no time to indulge in creating new units, because the Swarm¡¯s scouting units in the ocean had discovered an extraordinary entity.


    Although the Great Dawn had five continents, its oceans covered several times thend area. So, when the Swarm¡¯s influence reached the coasts, the exploration of the oceans began immediately.


    The Swarm hatched several scout units in the ocean, modeled after the Odd-Headed Fish. However, with only one Brood Queen, the production of these scouts was limited to just over 3,000 due to the need to prioritize essential units and also the eggs of Terror Wolves.


    [T/N: Odd-Headed Fish was previously tranted as Monster Headed Fish.]


    Since the Brood Queen was immobile for now, the eggs were transported to the coast by the Storm God after hatching ind. Fortunately, several fungal carpet seeds had been nted in advance along the coastline, ensuring their early supply lines.


    Thousands of Odd-Headed Fish released into the ocean were but a drop in the bucket. Their numbers were insufficient for thorough reconnaissance, providing only a rudimentary survey of the ocean¡¯s environment and species. A detailed exploration would have to wait until Luo Wen¡¯s main body arrived, establishing a Brood Nest and bolstering the ranks of the Brood Queens.


    The marine ecosystem of Great Dawn was peculiar. Along the coastal forests, the shallow seas seemed rtively normal, home to small-sized organisms.But the shallow waters near the grasnd regions were different. Odd-Headed Fish discovered a massive, octopus-like creature a few dozen meters offshore.


    These creatures measured an astonishing 30 to 40 meters in length. Their tentacle count wasn¡¯t limited to eight but hovered around ten. Based on prior experience, such enormous beings shouldn¡¯t be able to find enough food in the shallow seas.


    This observation held true to some extent. However, these colossal octopuses had developed a unique solution: their robust tentacles enabled them to hoist their bodies ashore to hunt.


    Through the perspective of a scouting flying bug, Luo Wen witnessed one of these octopuses crawl ontond and drag a Bull Demon back into the water.


    Despite the Bull Demon¡¯s formidable defenses, they seemed useless against this predator, rendering it a mere source of meat. It wasn¡¯t justnd creatures; even marine organisms forcibly integrated the Bull Demons into their diets.


    Luo Wen wondered about the design of the octopus temte¡ªwhy was it so universally favored? It seemed that regardless of the, atmospheric and aquatic creatures were particrly inclined toward this form.


    Yet, from Luo Wen¡¯s extensive knowledge, these giant octopuses didn¡¯t yet qualify as ¡°extraordinary.¡±


    That title belonged to another creature¡ªone that treated these octopuses as mere ythings.


    A colossal shadow emerged from the deep sea, resembling a small ind rising from the depths. The shadow spanned about 100 meters in length, with a pointed head, a massive and rotund body, sturdy limbs, and a long tail.


    This behemoth had been slumbering approximately 2,000 meters below the ocean¡¯s surface. How long it had slept was unknown, as its body was entirely concealed beneathyers of rock and coral, making it appear lifeless.


    Odd-Headed Fish had passed the area multiple times, detecting faint radioactive emissions but no signs of life. Intelligent Entities hypothesized the presence of high-energy minerals.


    Such minerals were highly prized by the Swarm. Once harvested and stored in the embryonic chambers of bio-ships, they significantly elerated growth, with the rate of development varying depending on the mineral¡¯s radiation level, but at least two to three times faster than sunlight exposure.


    Upon detecting this potential mineral site, the Swarm transported a fungal carpet seed and hundreds of Worker Drones to the location. The fungal carpet¡¯s robust roots prated the ground, secreting lichen liquid to dissolve the rock and coral, gradually extending toward the radiation source.


    The roots eventually reached a peculiar, scale-like fossil, though it felt no different from ordinary rock. The fungal carpet,cking intelligence, ignored this anomaly. However, the Listeners monitoring the Swarm Network noticed the irregrity and reported it.


    Despite its novelty, the Visit team¡¯s Intelligent Entities had not yet made sense of it when the area suddenly disyed signs of life.


    The bio-signatures grew increasingly intense. The ground trembled, and masses of rock and coral were lifted and scattered as a gargantuan creature emerged from the radiation source.


    Its head was seven to eight meters long, six meters wide, and five meters highrge, yet smallpared to its 100-meter-tall frame.


    Its neck was exceptionally thick, almost the size of its head, giving the impression of a face and eyes embedded in its throat.


    The neck featured prominent gill-like structures, and its muscr body was covered in coarse, hard keratinous scales. Its robust forelimbs appeared incredibly powerful, with four massive ws nearly the size of its head that could flexibly grip and release.


    The creature¡¯s immense body, verging on obesity, was supported by disproportionately thick hind limbs, making its forelimbs appear rtively short.


    A long tail extended nearly 100 meters, equal to its height, while sharp dorsal fins lined its back, glowing faintly blue since its awakening.@@novelbin@@


    When the monster rose, Luo Wen¡¯s attention shifted entirely from Sarah¡¯s game. The Visi¡± team¡¯s Intelligent Entities eximed in disbelief, dering the sight ¡°scientifically impossible.¡±


    Luo Wen scoffed inwardly. They held meetings inside the pinnacle of ¡°scientific impossibility¡± and yet judged others. Still, the monster indeed defied conventional understanding.


    Judging from its appearance, surface structure, muscture, and the water currents and geological shifts it caused, its body mass likely reached tens of thousands of tons.


    Within the Swarm¡¯s technological framework, it was inconceivable how such a massive creature could sustain itself. While bio-ships surpassed this monster in size, most of their structure consisted of ultra-light aerogel materials.


    It would take over a thousand simrly-sized bio-ships to match the weight of this single behemoth.


    But that was a good thing¡ªunknowns represented opportunities for advancement. When Luo Wen¡¯s main body arrived, uncovering its secrets would be as simple as taking a few bites, leaving no mysteries unsolved.


    Still, why did this creature¡¯s design feel so strangely familiar?

 Chapter 196: The Breath

    The monster, its slumber interrupted, awoke with a foul temper. Coupled with what seemed to be an inherently violent disposition, it began venting its frustration the moment its bodily senses returned.


    Due to its corpulent physique, bending over was impossible for the creature. Instead, it utilized its tail. With a swift motion, the tail whipped through the water at a speed exceeding 1,000 kilometers per hour.


    The tail¡¯s sheer force created a cavitation effect in the water, and the purple-gray fungal carpet had no means of resistance. The fungal carpet and the ground it clung to were obliterated in a single strike.


    The monster followed up with several more attacks, churning the seabed into a cloud of silt and debris. Despite its overwhelming strength, however, the creature¡¯s assault had little effect on the fungal roots that had already extended tens of meters underground.


    After a brief frenzy, the murky waters seemed to agitate the beast further. It paused momentarily and used some unknown means to sense the direction ofnd.


    Soon after, a massive shadow emerged from the depths, making its way toward shallower waters.


    Though the creature¡¯s body was tremendously heavy, it disyed an unexpected agility in swimming, employing what appeared to be a form of field propulsion. The blue light along its dorsal fin shed rhythmically from top to bottom, generating a maic field to propel its body through the water.


    The Intelligent Entities spected that the creature¡¯s unnatural body proportions might also be linked to this maic field.


    The monster quickly reached the shallows, where the massive octopuses scattered in panic. However, their speed was no match for the ck-tech-powered monster.One of the giant octopuses was soon caught, bing the monster¡¯s first victim. Despite its 30-meter length, the octopus was nothing more than a toy in the creature¡¯s ws.


    The octopus suctioned its tentacles onto the monster¡¯s arm, but the strength difference wasughable. With ease, the creature ripped off several tentacles and stuffed the octopus¡¯s main body into its maw, tearing it apart.


    Ink mixed with the octopus¡¯s bodily fluids dripped from the monster¡¯s sharp teeth. Curiously, it didn¡¯t eat its prey, instead discarding the lifeless carcass and moving on to chase the next octopus.


    The giant octopuses, unable to escape underwater, became easy targets. After two more were killed, they fled haphazardly towardnd in desperation.


    The monster followed, drawing ever closer to the shore. As it approached, its massive body gradually emerged from the water. Soon, the seawater only reached its waist, and the level continued to drop rapidly.


    Without the buoyancy of water, the monster¡¯s unique physiology allowed it to support its immense weight, though its movements became significantly slower.


    Each step it took sent tremors across the ground, akin to a minor earthquake or the detonation of hundreds of kilograms of TNT.


    Its slow march left deep, enduring footprints in its wake. Meanwhile, thend-bound octopuses, despite their aquatic nature, managed to outpace the lumbering behemoth. Driven by sheer survival instinct, they disappeared from the monster¡¯s view.


    The disappearance of its prey only exacerbated the monster¡¯s irritation.@@novelbin@@


    Coincidentally, Sarah¡¯s gaming area was just over ten kilometers from where the monster had madendfall.


    The monster¡¯s hearing seemed far more acute than its vision. The howls and growls of dueling wolves quickly drew its attention.


    However, given its sluggish pace onnd, the battle would likely conclude long before the monster arrived at the scene.


    The beast seemed to understand this, its frustration mounting as its slow speed thwarted its curiosity.


    Suddenly, the blue light along its dorsal fin began emitting a low humming noise, and a maic field enveloped its massive form. Its immense belly started glowing faintly red.


    ¡°Wooo~~~ woooo~~ woo~ woooooo,¡± the hum grew louder and faster. As the noise reached a crescendo, the monster locked onto the direction of the sound, opened its gaping maw, and the red glow surged upward from its abdomen.


    A beam of red energy shot forth from its mouth, traveling over ten kilometers to the battlefield.


    Though much of the energy dissipated during its journey, it still managed to detonate into a mushroom cloud upon impact.


    ¡°Atomic breath? Thermonuclear breath? God¡­ Godzi?¡±


    Luo Wen finally realized why the creature¡¯s design felt so familiar. It bore a striking resemnce to Godzi. Although it couldn¡¯t possibly be the real thing, the resemnce was uncanny.


    Far away, aboard a drifting mechanical spaceship in outer space, a pale-blue humanoid being emerged from a stasis pod.


    The extended slumber had left his body weak and his mind groggy. He shook his head slightly and nced at the timer beside the pod.


    ¡°Celia, there are still over ten years until our destination. Why have I been awakened early? Has something happened?¡±


    ¡°Captain, the monitoring instruments have once again detected a fusion reaction on T853. Due to our closer proximity, the detection is exceptionally clear. This is confirmed to be non-natural in origin,¡± replied a mechanical female voice.


    ¡°Non-natural, then it¡¯s artificial? It¡¯s been over fifty years¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the Academy¡¯s hypotheses to be urate after all. An emerging civilization, perhaps? Ha!¡± The captain chuckled wryly. Once ostracized and assigned to this perilous mission as a form of exile, his fortunes now seemed to be turning.


    If he truly discovered an intelligent civilization on T853, the wealth it would generate would be astronomical. As the captain of the exploratory vessel, his name would be etched into Riken history.


    Shaking his head to clear the residual effects of stasis, he exhaled deeply and addressed the empty room. ¡°Celia, which team is currently on duty?¡±


    ¡°Captain, the third navigation team is currently handling duties. They are en route and will arrive in approximately 51 seconds,¡± the mechanical voice responded.


    ¡°Good. Awaken the fourth navigation team, the first and second research teams, and the captain and vice-captain of the guard unit. Notify them to gather in the conference room in two hours,¡± the captain ordered after a moment¡¯s thought.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Celia replied before falling silent.


    Momentster, after a series of verification sounds, the room¡¯s doors slid open, and several pale-blue humanoids in yellow-and-white uniforms entered.


    ¡°Captain Reggie, you¡¯ve awakened. I assume you¡¯ve received Celia¡¯s briefing. What are your next orders?¡± asked the lead humanoid.


    ¡°Lieutenant Frick, let this old man recover first,¡± Captain Reggie said, still regaining his strength. After a deep breath, he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already instructed Celia to wake the others. We¡¯ll discuss further in two hours during the meeting. For now, can you tell me if anything unusual has happened during your team¡¯s watch?¡±


    ¡°Captain, the third navigation team took over from the second two years ago for a five-year rotation. Since then, operations have been smooth. Energy levels are at 76.1%, speed has been maintained at one-ninth light speed, and no abnormalities have been observed,¡± Frick promptly reported.


    ¡°Excellent. Frick, it seems you¡¯ve done well these past years. Now, let¡¯s wait for the others to wake,¡± Captain Reggie said with a faint smile.

 Chapter 453: Intelligence

    ¡°But back then, the Swarm only sent 3,000 researchers, which probably broke a Confederation record for stinginess. With how tight-fisted they are, it¡¯s no surprise they refused to help,¡± a male team member named Art interjected.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong there, Art. The Swarm¡¯s Empress is exceptionally shrewd; that move was a masterstroke,¡± Amina countered.


    ¡°Oh? How so?¡±


    ¡°Word on the street is that of those 3,000 researchers, only a handful remain. You get what I¡¯m saying?¡± Amina spoke cryptically, shing a ¡°you know what I mean?¡± look.


    Art fell silent in thought, while Wright seemed to catch on and eximed, ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ve still got a lot to learn. The Confederation runs deep. Stick with me, and if I¡¯m in a good mood, I might teach you a thing or two. Trust me, it¡¯ll be worth your while,¡± Amina said with a self-satisfied smirk.


    ¡°Hold on, it might not be that simple! What if all of this was orchestrated for us to see?¡± nca, who had been silent until now, suddenly interrupted their banter.


    The Captain nodded in agreement. ¡°I think so too. Even if their rtionship isn¡¯t great, with us acting as intermediaries, it seems unlikely the Swarm would be so tantly dismissive.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve reviewed the profile of the Swarm¡¯s Empress. She¡¯s not someone who acts on impulse.¡±¡°The Koya Alliance¡¯s proposal came unexpectedly, so the Swarm likely wasn¡¯t prepared. Then they stalled us for 20 years. That suggests there¡¯s something in the Genesis System the Swarm doesn¡¯t want anyone to know about.¡±


    ¡°After 20 years, they left decisively, but now they¡¯re refusing to return. It seems they¡¯re trying to sever ties with the Genesis System entirely.¡±


    ¡°A prior internal report indicated that the Swarm first emerged in the Genesis System. This was their original stronghold. Being forced to relocate so suddenly might mean there¡¯s something they couldn¡¯t move or destroy¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, by cutting ties, they¡¯re likely trying to protect whatever it is,¡± the Captain and nca analyzed together, gradually piecing the puzzle together.


    By the end, nca¡¯s expression was one of excitement. Licking her lips, she said seductively, ¡°Secrets are good. Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re here?¡±


    ¡°But where would the Swarm hide their secret?¡± Wright chimed in.


    For a civilization like the Ji, a star system might not seem veryrge, but searching it for something without knowing what it looks like? That was no small challenge.


    ¡°I think the best way is to ask the Rat Folk. They¡¯ve lived alongside the Swarm for hundreds of years; there¡¯s no way they know nothing,¡± nca suggested after a moment¡¯s thought.


    The Captain shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough information. Even if we ask, we wouldn¡¯t know how to frame the question. We need to gather more intel ourselves first¡ªat least enough to know what to ask.¡±


    Meanwhile, the construction of the Rat Folk¡¯s Trade City was in full swing. During this bustling period, the Ji requested permission to visit Rat Folk cities under the guise of experiencing exotic cultures and learning about alien civilizations.


    Being in a position of absolute weakness, the Rat Folk couldn¡¯t refuse the Ji¡¯s many requests. However, they cited theirck of prior contact with non-Swarm civilizations as a reason to limit the Ji¡¯s ess to only two weeks. Future openness would depend on public feedback.


    The Ji teams set out, with most genuinely looking to experience Rat Folk life, though some had ulterior motives disguised by the pretense of tourism.


    Two weekster, the squad regrouped.


    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m losing my mind,¡± Wright eximed as soon as he entered the meeting room.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, kid? Were you overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the Rat Folk females?¡± Amina teased.


    Wright froze for a moment, then responded, ¡°As charming as I am, I don¡¯t think my height meets the preferences of female Rat Folk. Besides, they don¡¯t fit my taste either. I was focused on my work, okay? How could I mix personal and professional matters to do¡­ that?¡± ???¨°§£???


    ¡°Tch, you¡¯ve got a history, kid. But go on, if it wasn¡¯t some frivolous escapade, then what¡¯s got you so worked up?¡± Amina¡¯s rapid shifts in thought nearly threw Wright off, but after pausing to collect himself, he finally got back to his original point.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it. I went to one of the Rat Folk cities and stayed there for a few days. While shopping and mingling, I asked a lot of questions. They imed not to know what the Swarm is!¡±


    Seeing Amina raise her eyebrows but show no surprise, Wright took a moment to gather himself before continuing. ¡°At first, I thought I was talking to the wrong crowd. So I tried approaching Rat Folk from different professions and even visited two more cities. The result? They all said the same thing¡ªthey don¡¯t know what the Swarm is!¡±


    The Captain waited for Wright to finish, then gestured to an empty chair. ¡°Sit down. We¡¯ve already been briefed on this. Do you have any other information?¡±


    Wright shook his head and obediently took his seat. As the youngest member of the team, he had arrivedte to the meeting. His exaggerated performance had sessfully diverted attention from his tardiness. Now that his goal was achieved, he wisely chose to lower his profile and let the matter pass.


    ¡°This is truly bizarre. Two civilizations living side by side for centuries, and yet one doesn¡¯t know the other exists? How amusing,¡± the Captain remarked as the meeting resumed.


    ¡°The Rat Folk are lying. Their leaders clearly know about the Swarm,¡± nca said, frowning.


    ¡°Our schedule and interactions were entirely random. There¡¯s no way they could¡¯ve prepared in advance. And even if they had, what would they gain from this?¡±


    ¡°It is strange. I don¡¯t see how this benefits them at all.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary citizens have no idea the Swarm exists, while their leaders are desperate to distance themselves. What exactly is going on between the Rat Folk and the Swarm?¡±


    ¡°Now that I think about it, the Rat Folk leaders¡¯ behavior during the negotiations felt too deliberate. I can¡¯t tell if they were genuinely trying to sever ties or just putting on a show.¡±


    ¡°Could they be staging this on purpose? But what do they want us to believe?¡±


    ¡°A mix of truth and lies, perhaps to make us overthink and divert our attention. It¡¯s a ssic tactic to hide something bigger.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. But what is the real secret?¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± nca, who had been mostly silent since the meeting began, suddenly spoke up, cutting off the discussion.


    ¡°What is it, nca?¡± the Captain asked. nca was a veteran team member and, in the Captain¡¯s opinion, the second smartest person in the squad after himself.


    ¡°Have you considered that by fixating on this so-called ¡®real secret,¡¯ you¡¯ve already been distracted?¡± nca didn¡¯t beat around the bush and stated her point directly.


    Her words hit the team like a wake-up call. They realized they had been led into a mental trap. Continuing down this path would either yield minimal results or ensnare them further inyer uponyer of misdirection.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± someone cursed.

 Chapter 456: The Key

    ¡°Silja, are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Of course! I wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this, especially not now,¡± Silja, the social rtions expert, replied firmly.


    The clues they had painstakingly pieced together seemed to hit another snag. If the Rat Folk¡¯s so-called god wasn¡¯t the Swarm, then what could it be?


    ¡°Does anyone have any other findings?¡± nca asked, her purple markings furrowing deeply in frustration. It seemed their inability to uncover the truth was due to ack of sufficient information.


    When the others shook their heads, nca pped her hands to encourage them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve only just essed the Rat Folk¡¯s intr. We¡¯re still unfamiliar with it, and the time we¡¯ve had so far is far too short. It¡¯s normal not to have any major breakthroughs yet. Keep at it.¡±


    In the days that followed, as they delved deeper into the Rat Folk¡¯s data, they uncovered more information bit by bit.


    ¡°I found something interesting on a rather obscure website,¡± Amina reported first. ¡°It said that after the so-called divine punishment, the Rat Folk were guided by their god to survive those harsh years. However, for over ten generations, their ancestors lived underground and never saw the sunlight.¡±


    ¡°That sounds exaggerated. I¡¯ve looked into their records, and while the Rat Folk have short lifespans, they still average around sixty years. If we calcte ten generations, they should¡¯ve only recently emerged from underground,¡± Wright scoffed.


    ¡°Not necessarily,¡± Silja interjected. ¡°I¡¯ve found that the Rat Folk tend to be a rather precise and meticulous species. They rarely exaggerate.¡±¡°mer!¡± nca suddenly called out.


    A male Ji team member nodded, his fingers dancing rapidly across the input device before him. Soon, a virtual sphere appeared on the screen.


    After reviewing the data disyed, he said, ¡°Over the past few days, with Warwick¡¯s help, we¡¯ve reconstructed a model of Genesis. Using surveince records, remnants on the¡¯s surface, and some of the Rat Folk¡¯s records, I¡¯ve roughly calcted the mass,position, velocity, and angle of the meteorite that struck Genesis. After factoring in atmospheric data from a thousand years ago, the impact would¡¯ve kicked up enough dust to block sunlight¡ªbut only for less than a century.¡±@@novelbin@@


    nca nodded in satisfaction. ¡°So, if the Rat Folk¡¯s records are urate, their average lifespan a thousand years ago must have been less than ten years?¡±


    ¡°They likely hadn¡¯t started evolving at that point. Considering their poor medical conditions and harsh external environment, it¡¯s possible their lifespan was that short. However, it¡¯s rare for a species to show such drastic changes within the same lineage. I suggest examining skeletal remains from different periods to get more urate data,¡± said one of the Ji team members, an expert in life sciences.


    nca nodded again. ¡°We¡¯ll consider that if the opportunity arises. But I still think the Swarm must have yed a role in this.¡±


    ¡°Highly likely,¡± another team member agreed. ¡°The longevity nts from the Riken Star System were obtained from the Swarm. Additionally, records show that the Swarm Empress and a few of her ministers who¡¯ve appeared in public haven¡¯t aged at all. With their technology, extending the Rat Folk¡¯s lifespan wouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡±


    nca agreed and meticulously recorded these findings, gging the lifespan-rted issue as a key point. Longevity-rted topics were often prioritized in research.


    If the Ji in the Riken Star System learned of this, those research fanatics might even resort to abducting Rat Folk to uncover the Swarm¡¯s methods. After all, they had been coveting the Swarm¡¯s technology for a long time.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± nca asked, ready to jot down additional findings.


    Silja raised her hand to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve discovered that our assumption about the Rat Folk civilians not knowing about the Swarm is incorrect.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I forged a Rat Folk identity, registered some social media ounts, and attempted to interact with Rat Folk from different social strata.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t outright ask them if they knew about the Swarm, did you?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, Wright!¡±


    Silja rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course not. I wasn¡¯t that direct. I posed as a Rat Folk and asked them what they thought about ¡®our colonies and fleets¡¯.¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°They believe all of those things belong to them,¡± Silja shrugged. ¡°Especially the less educated Rat Folk¡ªthey don¡¯t care at all. Rat Folk society offers substantial welfare benefits. They can livefortably without working, and the only thing their government requires of them is to have children.¡± ??a????¨¨S?


    A Ji team member raised his hand to interject. ¡°The Rat Folk government shares very little information about events beyond Genesis. Only on highly specialized websites can you find details like a new colony being built or a specific ship model entering service. Moreover, the Rat Folk impose strict controls on astronomical telescopes and observation equipment, so ordinary civilians have little to no understanding of what¡¯s happening in space.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Silja continued. ¡°The Rat Folk I mentioned don¡¯t care about these things. However, the well-educated Rat Folk clearly know something. When I used ounts posing as ordinary Rat Folk to talk to them, they were vague and evasive, even subtly probing for my personal information. But when I used an ount posing as a senior engineer, they were more open. Although reluctant to speak much, the details in their words made it clear that they were aware of the Swarm¡¯s existence.¡±


    Seeing everyone intently absorbing her report, Silja added, ¡°I believe the Rat Folk have been deliberately divided into two groups. One group remains ignorant andcent, tasked only with increasing the poption. The other group is exposed to the truth of the world.¡±


    ¡°Keeping the masses ignorant to avoid distractions while allowing the elite to execute ns effectively¡ªwhat an intriguing system,¡± nca remarked with a click of her tongue. ¡°The Rat Folk ruler who devised this strategy was quite visionary. Can you pinpoint when they implemented this policy?¡±


    Art raised his hand. ¡°Based on historical records, the Rat Folk transitioned from a confederation of nations to a unified state in less than a century. After unification, the first Empress concentrated the entire nation¡¯s resources on developing space technology. However, curiously, after their first lunar rocket failed, there are almost no subsequent records. I used to think they abandoned their space ambitions due to resource constraints, but after hearing Silja¡¯s findings, it seems more likely that they used that time to divide their society.¡±


    ¡°The first Empress?¡±


    ¡°Yes! A remarkable ruler who reigned for decades, founding the Kerrigan Dynasty, which continues to this day. The Rat Folk deeply revere her. It¡¯s said that when she passed away, a blood rain fell from the sky, and they believed the heavens themselves mourned their queen.¡±


    ¡°What was her name?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s another peculiar point. All the records refer to her as the ¡®First Empress¡¯ or the ¡®Kerrigan Empress.¡¯ I¡¯ve found no mention of her personal name.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps the Rat Folk sought to deify her, given their beliefs,¡± Wright scoffed dismissively. ¡°A native ruler, no matter how impressive, is still just that¡ªwhat¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    But nca fell into deep thought. ¡°Is there anyone else in Rat Folk history granted such an honor?¡±


    ¡°None,¡± Art said with certainty after a moment of thought. Amina, also responsible for historical research, nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Interesting. I have a feeling the identity of this First Empress holds crucial information. Uncovering it might help usplete our mission more effectively.¡±

 Chapter 459: Discovery

    The Captain switched his helmet¡¯s vision mode once again and pulled out a two-centimeter bullet-shaped device. He activated it, linking it to his helmet. After a brief setup, Warwick¡¯s countdown ended.


    The room¡¯s door slid open silently. As soon as a small gap appeared, the Captain flicked the device inside. Once airborne, the device transformed, extending a pair of wings and deploying a stinger from its surface. After a quick spin midair, it locked onto its target and plunged the stinger into the neck of the room¡¯s upant before he even realized something was happening.


    By the time the door opened halfway, the Captain had already slipped inside, quickly crossing the room to catch the Rat Folk before he could hit the floor.


    ¡°All clear. Come in,¡± the Captain said, exhaling with relief as everything went smoothly.


    The rest of the team entered the room. Some began searching for hidden documents or other confidential information, while nca joined the Captain. From a pouch on her belt, she retrieved a syringe and injected it into the Rat Folk¡¯s body. Thirty secondster, she pulled out another device, ran a few tests on the Rat Folk, and nodded at the Captain.


    Understanding her signal, the Captain removed the stinger from the Rat Folk¡¯s neck and applied a dab of milky-white ointment. The ointment quickly absorbed into the skin, healing the puncture wound left by the stinger.


    Momentster, the Rat Folk groaned softly and began to wake. However, his ssy eyes made it clear he was still in an altered state.


    Although the Ji primarily focused on mechanical technology, they had made considerable advancements in other fields. Developing advanced interrogation agents was no challenge for them. The one used here had no side effects, leaving the subject unaware that anything was amiss after waking.


    ¡°Your name?¡± nca asked softly as the Rat Folk regained consciousness.¡°Keller-Kerrigan,¡± he replied without hesitation.


    ¡°Your position?¡±


    ¡°Royal family, administrative officer of the Red Moon Base.¡±


    nca nodded at the Captain, confirming that the information matched their prior intel. It was time to delve into the real questions.


    ¡°What is the rtionship between the Rat Folk and the Swarm?¡±


    Despite his dazed state, Keller froze noticeably. His eyelids began twitching violently, and the device monitoring his vitals started ring rms.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down, calm down,¡± nca repeated urgently, finally managing to soothe the trembling Rat Folk. ¡°No good. His subconscious is resisting this question strongly. Forcing it could be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Ask something else!¡± the Captain ordered.


    nca nodded, her mind racing before settling on another question. ¡°Keller, do you know the name of the First Empress?¡±


    Keller¡¯s reaction was even more intense this time. nca opened her mouth to speak, but the Captain¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°Give him another dose!¡±


    ¡°That could have severe consequences!¡± nca protested.


    ¡°These two questions are critical. We must get answers!¡±


    After a brief hesitation, nca relented. She retrieved another syringe from her pouch and administered it. Keller¡¯s trembling body went rigid, and foam dribbled from the corner of his mouth.


    But the drug worked. ¡°Sarah,¡± Keller croaked.


    ¡°What?¡± The Captain leaned closer, unable to catch the faint response. ¡°Repeat that.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°The First Empress was named Sarah Kerrigan!¡± Keller¡¯s voice grew louder, and the information he provided was nowplete.


    The Captain quietly recorded the name, but nca couldn¡¯t shake a sense of familiarity. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she pped her hands over her mouth in shock. ??¨¤???¨§??


    The Captain quickly noticed her reaction. ¡°What is it? What did you realize?¡±


    nca steadied her nerves. ¡°It might just be a coincidence,¡± she said hesitantly, though it was clear she didn¡¯t fully believe her own words.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The Captain¡¯s tone became stern.


    Watching nca falter was frustrating, especially in enemy territory where every second carried significant risk. There was no time for hesitation or cryptic remarks.


    nca shook her head to refocus. She had just pieced together several fragments of information, and the fog of mystery was beginning to lift. But the Captain¡¯s interruption forced her back to the present. ¡°It¡¯splicated. Back then¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, a voice came through thems channel. ¡°Captain, someone¡¯s heading your way! Looks like they¡¯re here to see the administrative officer!¡±


    This was the residential area, where foot traffic was rtively high. Fortunately, Keller¡¯s quarters were in a quiet section, giving the team a small window to react.


    The Captain gestured sharply, and the team quickly restored the room¡¯s original appearance. Those searching through Keller¡¯s belongings stopped and rearranged everything. nca carefully wiped the residue from Keller¡¯s mouth and smoothed out the creases in his clothes. She then retrieved another syringe from her belt and injected it into Keller.


    ¡°Warwick, is the doorway clear?¡± the Captain asked.


    ¡°No, Captain. Leaving now risks detection.¡±


    ¡°Then I hope you¡¯ve got another n!¡±


    ¡°Three meters to the right, there¡¯s an air duct. It¡¯srge enough to hide you. I¡¯ve already sent the 3Dyout to your helmets.¡±


    The Ji squad acted immediately. They activated the anti-gravity modules built into their suits, allowing them to hover. Jets ofpressed gas kept them stable as they moved toward the duct.


    Following Warwick¡¯s guidance, the team quickly located the air duct. Wright extended a sma de about ten centimeters long and sliced through the ceiling panel. He nodded to his teammates, then grabbed the removed section and stepped aside as the others swiftly climbed into the duct.


    The Captain and nca finished positioning Keller on his bed before slipping into the duct themselves. Wright was thest to enter. He pulled the ceiling panel up with him and held it in ce while another teammate used a spray device along the cut edges. The spray released a mist of nanobots that filled the gaps and repaired the seam.


    Within moments, the room lookedpletely untouched, showing no signs of tampering or damage.


    ¡°Warwick, can we retreat directly from here?¡± the Captain asked.


    ¡°The risk is too high. The air ducts are highlyplex andced with numerous standalone rm systems. I can¡¯t disable them all remotely.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s hold here for now. If worsees to worst, we¡¯ll have to risk a retreat.¡±


    The team nodded and maintainedplete silence.


    Inside the room, Keller groaned softly and sat up, looking confused. The final injection nca administered had elerated his recovery and waking process while muddling his memory of the past few minutes.


    Keller shook his head, ncing back at the bed as though trying to recall something. Scratching his head, he seemed lost in thought.


    Hiding in the air duct, the Ji squad monitored the room¡¯s surveince feed on their personal terminals. Warwick had patched the live footage directly to them.


    Tension filled the confined space as they watched Keller closely, hoping the two doses of interrogation serum wouldn¡¯t cause anyplications.

 Chapter 200: Speculations (1)

    At the moment, the disyed footage didn¡¯t reveal what kind of weapons the opposing side might have. Surrounded by a glowing energy field, it was impossible to discern whether it was a mechanical construct or a biological entity.


    ¡°Overlord, based on the data extracted from the footage, our calctions suggest that the target is heading toward the Neighboring Star System. At its observed cruising speed, it would take approximately five years to reach the outskirts of the Great Valley. And that is assuming the ship doesn¡¯t elerate. Currently, we have no information on the target¡¯s maximum speed, so we can¡¯t estimate its fastest arrival time to the Neighboring Star System,¡± reported an intelligent entity specializing in ster observation.


    As the leader of a 200-person research team, he was adept at deducing various data points from celestial angles and positions.


    Luo Wen nodded, signaling the others to continue.


    ¡°Overlord, the alien vessel in the footagecks a visible exhaust trail, making it impossible to determine the propulsion technology behind it. Perhaps their engine technology surpasses our current understanding,¡± said Covi.


    Luo Wen recalled Covi as one of the first to integrate into the Swarm Network. In life, he had been the chief engineer for the first-generation rocket engines of the Rat Folk. After bing an intelligent entity, he now led research in rted fields. His conclusion reflected the consensus of his propulsion research group. The situation appeared increasingly unfavorable.


    ¡°Overlord, our analysis indicates that the unknown civilization likely detected the energy burst from Godzi¡¯s breath on the Great Dawn. Such abnormal energy emissions would be highly conspicuous to advanced observational instruments,¡± Morgan interjected.


    He paused before continuing, ¡°Our Swarm¡¯s technological capabilities in this area were previously underdeveloped, with limited observational range. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t detect simr energy bursts on the Great Dawn before.¡±


    ¡°As a living organism, Godzi must have used such a thermonuclear breath attack before. However, we can¡¯t determine how long ago it happened or which specific emission the unknown civilization detected, prompting them to send a ship for investigation,¡± Morgan added, ncing at Luo Wen. ¡°It¡¯s possible they observed an energy burst from centuries ago, and after a prolonged journey, have only now arrived. Alternatively, they may have detected it while passing by and decided to investigate.¡±After Morgan spoke, a discussion erupted among the intelligent entities, with group leaders taking turns to voice their opinions.


    ¡°But this theory is contradictory. Technology cannot reach advanced levels with severe imbnces in development,¡± one intelligent entity argued.


    ¡°Indeed, if a civilization can observe such energy bursts from vast distances, its technological level must be extraordinary. Moreover, given their travel speed, it¡¯s unlikely they are merely passing by. At such speeds, interster travel must have specific goals, as their technology wouldn¡¯t allow for aimless wandering,¡± another entity concurred.


    ¡°How is that impossible? Have you forgotten about our Swarm Meteors? They use random trajectories,¡± a different entity countered.


    ¡°Our Swarm is an exception. Sociologically and economically, only a civilization with a supreme will like ours can afford to waste resources so extravagantly,¡± another entity retorted.


    ¡°Are you using the Overlord of wastefulness?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re twisting my words! That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Then what did you mean?¡±


    Luo Wen recognized the two entities, who had frequently shed even before bing intelligent entities. Now, their arguments often teetered on the edge of esction. Sensing the rising tension, Luo Wen intervened. With a thought, he assigned one to an aphid and the other to a worker ant, putting them to work harvesting and licking sugar. The menial tasks were designed to foster camaraderie and resolve their differences.


    The lesson was effective. Other intelligent entities with simr disputes suddenly foundmon ground, the atmosphere shifting into a camaraderie of shared purpose. Even the two quarrelsome entities, once returned to the meeting room, were visibly changed, united in mutual understanding and refraining from mentioning the incident.


    ¡°Overlord,¡± one of them began, ¡°there¡¯s merit to Tumani¡¯s argument. A highly developed civilization would naturally consolidate resources to drive progress. Such an approach demands unified ideology. If the opposing side is an advanced civilization, there¡¯s a significant chance their ideology aligns with our Swarm.¡±


    ¡°Agreed, Overlord,¡± Tumani echoed. ¡°The brief observation period doesn¡¯t confirm their observed speed as their maximum. If they are an advanced civilization using special means to traverse vast distances, then the data we have could be entirely misleading.¡±


    ¡°That scenario seems unlikely. If their technology allows spatial traversal, they should havee to investigate long ago. However, we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that their technology only recently achieved a breakthrough,¡± an entity remarked.


    ¡°My group also believes the probability of them being an advanced civilization is low. If their technology were that advanced, they would only need to send a reconnaissance unit instead of deploying such a massive vessel.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps this is their reconnaissance ship? A creation of some giant biological civilization?¡±


    ¡°Though unlikely, we cannot discount the possibility.¡±


    ¡°But if they could traverse space directly, why not jump straight into the Neighboring Star System instead of stopping in the void?¡±


    ¡°Maybe sr system environments are unsuitable, with too many obstacles. We don¡¯t understand the principles of spatial traversal, so there could be unknown limitations.¡±


    ¡°Then why are they so far away? At its current speed, the ship will take five years to enter the Neighboring Star System.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a valid question. Could it be another limitation?¡±


    ¡°At this point, we can¡¯t confirm that they are an advanced civilization. It might be something entirely different. Let¡¯s not get sidetracked.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t shake the feeling that their ship embodies contradictions,¡± someone mused.


    ¡°Same here.¡±


    ¡°To elerate a ship several kilometers long to a tenth of the speed of light would require extraordinary technology. But their vessel emits an intense glow, indicating severe energy leakage. Advanced technology shouldn¡¯t exhibit such inefficiencies.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I felt something was off before as well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, advanced civilizations shouldn¡¯t waste energy this way. They should harness every ounce efficiently.¡±


    One entity¡¯s observation quickly gained widespread agreement.


    ¡°But this is all spection. We don¡¯t know what technology at that level truly looks like. It could be a work in progress, an experimental model.¡±


    ¡°Why would they send an experimental model here?¡±


    And so, the intelligent entities delved further into a whirlwind of hypotheses.


    [T/N: 200 chapters, I never thought I would get this far when in started tranting this novel. It¡¯s definitely been a journey lol. What are your thoughts so far? Are you guys enjoying the novel or?]

 Chapter 465: Discussion

    A New Era!


    Year One!


    This was the year Luo Wen flipped the table, the year the Swarm dispatched forces tounch an aggressive attack on the Riken Star System and the Interster Technological Confederation. It was the year the Swarm broke its dormancy and shifted its strategic thinking¡ªa year marking the start of an epic war.


    Tomemorate this event and to provide a meaningful and auspicious beginning for the new era, Luo Wen decided to separate it from the past. From this moment on, it would be the start of a new era.


    And this year was designated as Year One.


    In the first year of the new era, the Swarm dispatched 100 million Primordial bodies to the Riken Star System.


    At the end of Year Two, the swarm of Primordial bodies reached the Riken Star System, leading to the surrender of the Riken people, and the Swarm regained control of the region.


    Back when the Rikens and Rat Folk joined the Interster Technological Confederation, the Swarm had withdrawn all its overt forces to the Neighboring Star System. This Neighboring Star System was the second star system controlled by the Swarm, with the Riken Star System being the third.


    The military units produced in the first, second, and third star systems were concentrated together. One can imagine how vast the Swarm¡¯sbat forces in the Neighboring Star System truly were.Even after dispatching 100 million Primordial bodies, the star¡¯s brightness observed from the Neighboring Star System showed barely any increase. It wasn¡¯t until the Swarm reinforced the Riken Star System with another 1 billion units during the third year of the new era that the star¡¯s luminosity showed a noticeable rise.


    The blue luminescent spots scattered across the Primordial bodies made them look both mysterious and beautiful. They orderly departed from the Sr Orbital Swarm Base near the star, forming a dazzling blue light trail in space, resembling a small gxy¡ªmagnificent and awe-inspiring.


    After moving a certain distance from the star, the warp bubbles enveloped them, propelling them toward the Riken Star System.


    Although the Interster Technological Confederationcked precise data on the Swarm¡¯s reinforcement numbers, calctions from various data sources allowed them to derive an almost urate figure.


    ¡°Over 1 billion 500-meter-ss Space Octopuses?¡±


    ¡°My god, how can there be so many?¡±


    ¡°ording to intelligence, this number doesn¡¯t even ount for two-tenths of the Swarm¡¯s forces stationed in the Neighboring Star System.¡±


    ¡°Hiss~ While we already had a rough estimate of their numbers when the Swarm withdrew from the Neighboring Star System, I never imagined it could be this massive!¡±


    ¡°This is going to be a real headache.¡±


    The sheer number of Swarmbat units exceeded everyone¡¯s imagination. It was no wonder the Interster Technological Confederation was so shocked. To put it into perspective, the Koya Alliance had been mobilizing for so long and only managed to assemble a fleet of 10 million ships. Compared to the Swarm¡¯s 1 billion-unit force, it was utterly insignificant. ?¨¢£Î???¨º?


    After all, the Swarm¡¯s cost of producing units was incredibly low. Over the years, countless half-meter-long Space Octopusrvae had grown into Primordial bodies.


    Furthermore, the Swarm was no longer just about numbers; their quality had reached the upper-middle levels within the Outer-ring territories. The three-light-year deployment speed created an overwhelming sense of crisis for all alien civilizations.


    Particrly for the Koya Alliance, which had twice leveraged diplomatic maneuvers against the Swarm and initiated proposals forcing the Swarm to make concessions. At this moment, they felt a deep chill.


    Since the Swarm dared to tantly tear up the alliance treaties, attacking and upying the Riken Star System, it would have no qualms about continuing its assaults on the Koya Alliance.


    While they still firmly believed the Interster Technological Confederation would eventually secure victory, that might take hundreds or even thousands of years. The Swarm¡¯s immediate threat, however, was already at their doorstep.@@novelbin@@


    Before the Swarm could be suppressed, the Koya Alliance had to hold out until reinforcements arrived.


    The Koya Alliance urgently convened several meetings.


    ¡°I opposed taking the lead in this matter from the beginning. Why provoke the Swarm? Who exactly is selling out our alliance¡¯s interests?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! When the pressure was put on the Rikens, our race wasn¡¯t involved.¡±


    ¡°Rubbish! You weren¡¯t involved because you were too far away and couldn¡¯t make it in time! And as for the rest of you, the action was approved in the meetings. You may not have supported it outright, but you didn¡¯t explicitly oppose it either. And now you¡¯re dredging up old grievances? You don¡¯t seem to have anyints about the benefits you¡¯ve already reaped.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no one here is clean. Go ahead and ask the Swarm¡ªwhen they attack, do you think they¡¯ll spare any of you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The meeting unfolded in a ¡°harmonious¡± atmosphere and continued until its conclusion. Although many factions hurled usations at one another¡ªespecially the Daqi race, who were thoroughlymbasted as the instigators¡ªeveryone understood one thing: the Swarm would not spare them.


    Nevertheless, the meeting yielded some results.


    Within the Koya Alliance, every faction entered the highest state of war readiness. Citizens meeting specific criteria were forcibly conscripted, and virtually all resources were redirected to military efforts.


    Massive space factories were constructed and assembled, asteroids lined up to be dismantled at designated sites, and warships were built one after another. Alongside them, waves of green recruits were sent to the front lines.


    Under its previous peacetime military posture, the Koya Alliance had maintained a fleet of approximately 100 million warships. This number was sufficient to safeguard its territory,bat piracy, and handle most emergencies. After all, an excessivelyrge fleet would ce an immense maintenance burden on the member races.


    But now, such concerns no longer mattered. The Alliance faced a life-or-death crisis for their entire member civilizations. Any excess resources left behind would only fall into the hands of the enemy if they failed to hold the line.


    As such, by exhausting their reserves and sparing no expense, the Koya Alliance estimated that within 50 years, they could expand their fleet tenfold¡ªor even more.


    Although their warships were not as advanced as those of the Ji race, they still ranged between 2,000 to 3,000 meters in length, making their individualbat capabilities far superior to the 500-meter-ss Space Octopuses of the Swarm.


    Furthermore, the Alliance held the defensive advantage, upying naturally favorable positions. Perhaps they needed only half¡ªor even less¡ªof the Swarm¡¯s forces to repel the attack.


    But this would take time. Until then, they could only elerate the deployment of their existing forces to the front lines and pray the Swarm would not attack. As for the security of their internal territories? In such a monumental conflict, any pirate or rogue faction foolish enough to take advantage of the chaos would be courting death.


    Pirates weren¡¯t fools. At times like this, they kept their heads down. Not only would they avoid taking advantage of the situation, but they would also steer well clear. With so many major factions gathering forces in the region, any pirates unlucky enough to cross paths with an Outer-ring or even Inner-circle powerhouse might find themselves conscripted and sent to the front lines¡ªa surefire one-way ticket.


    By Year Eight of the New Era, the Swarm, having upied the Riken Star System and remained dormant for several years, finally made a move.


    The Swarm assembled a 200 million-strong Primordial body cluster and set out from the Riken Star System. The cluster effortlessly tore through the interferencework surrounding the system. The Swarm¡¯s radar systems resumed operation, rapidly updating their data. They even paused briefly to replot their navigation routes.


    Afterward, the Primordial cluster sped northwest from the Riken Star System, heading toward its next target.

 Chapter 468: Moving Again

    The Sivian representative immediately caught the signal. With a heavy snort, he said, ¡°Representative of Daqi, the Koya Alliance belongs to everyone, not just you. This decision has been approved by all members. Even if you oppose it, it won¡¯t change anything.¡±


    The Daqi representative retorted bitterly, ¡°Our king will never agree!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Either ept the proposal and preserve everyone¡¯s dignity, or withdraw from the Koya Alliance. After that, we¡¯ll each go our own way. You can report this back and let your king decide!¡± The Sivian representative sneered disdainfully. If it weren¡¯t for the sake of appearances, he wouldn¡¯t even care about the survival of these three-eyed creatures.


    The Daqi representative¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment, but his tone grew eerily calm. ¡°Representative of Sivian, from the way you speak, one might think you were the leader of the Koya Alliance.¡±


    Realizing resistance was futile, the Daqi representative took the opportunity to nt a seed of distrust between the Sivian and Koriato representatives. Hearing his remark, the previously bored representatives of other civilizations suddenly perked up.


    ¡°You!¡± The Sivian representative flushed with anger. He wasn¡¯t worried that Koriato would start doubting the Sivians because of this. What enraged him was the Daqi representative¡¯s petty attempt to sow discord even at this juncture.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The Koriato representative, now visibly annoyed, interjected. With a tone of sincerity, he said, ¡°Representative of Daqi, we all recognize the sacrifices your people are making. But you must not use that as an excuse to act out. Besides, this is only temporary. Once the Swarm is defeated, we will petition the Ji race to prioritizepensating your losses with the Swarm¡¯s territory. What more could you ask for?¡±


    The Daqi representative, ncing at the other representatives¡¯ expressions, understood that further protest would change nothing and might even jeopardize the promised assistance andpensation. However,cking the authority to make an immediate decision, he could only promise to consult with the Daqi king and provide a responseter.


    ¡ª¡°Overlord, the Daqi civilization has begun their full-scale evacuation, and the Koya Alliance fleets stationed at their borders are also retreating. Should we stop them?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Luo Wen replied indifferently. ¡°We¡¯ll just continue advancing steadily. Eventually, they¡¯ll run out of ces to retreat.¡±


    As a civilization located very close to the Swarm¡¯s territory, the Daqi had long been infiltrated by the Swarm¡¯s micro fungal carpet seeds. Over the years, these seeds had developed covertly within the Daqi poption, even converting some of their people into intelligent entities.


    If Luo Wen truly wanted to block the Daqi¡¯s mass migration, activating some hidden assets alongside the advance of the Primordial body clusters would make it entirely feasible.


    However, there was no need to do so. Stopping the Daqi would yield little benefit to the Swarm while nullifying the value of the infiltrated intelligent entities.


    Letting them go, on the other hand, would disrupt the Koya Alliance¡¯s order and burden its member states with an additional poption load, further straining their already war-focused resource allocations and intensifying internal conflicts. Moreover, the infiltrated intelligent entities could seize this opportunity to illuminate more star systems, elerating Luo Wen¡¯s growth.


    With Luo Wen determining the Swarm¡¯s strategic direction, the des handled specific operations. Following Luo Wen¡¯s decision, the Swarm made no response to the Koya Alliance¡¯s actions.


    The migration of 50 billion Daqi people was no easy task. The Koya Alliance¡¯s territory spanned hundreds of light-years, and dispersing the Daqi poption across this vast area meant that many of them would likely never see one another again in their lifetimes.


    Thisplex web of social rtionships made achieving a perfect allocation nearly impossible. On top of that, there were those unwilling to leave their homnd, issues of asset calction and conversion, and countless other logistical hurdles.@@novelbin@@


    If the relocation followed normal procedures, it would likely take 500 years toplete. However, under the pressure of a life-or-death crisis, the military directly intervened, significantly improving efficiency.


    By Year Fifteen of the New Era, after consolidating their hold over the LKDW291 Star System, the Swarm made its next move.


    At 11 o¡¯clock from the LKDW291 Star Systemy the Daqi civilization¡¯s Qi-102 Star System, and at 9 o¡¯clocky their home system, the Qi-101 Star System. The Swarm mobilized a force of 300 million Primordial bodies, splitting into two groups to advance on these two systems.


    Simultaneously, forces in the Sandstorm Star System, the Golden Horn Star System, and the White Grub Star System also began assembling.


    For a moment, the gxy was rife with tension.


    It was easy to predict that the Swarm would target the Daqi civilization¡¯s territory. However, the mobilization of forces from the other three star systems caught everyone off guard. ??£Î¨®¦¢§¦??


    The neighboring regions of these three systems weren¡¯t part of the Koya Alliance but belonged to the Locke Mutual Aid Society. Among its founding civilizations was the Troi civilization, a faction that had once fostered seemingly friendly rtions with the Swarm. In fact, it was the Troi civilization that initially invited the Swarm to join the Interster Technological Confederation.


    At one point, the Troi had even signed an agreement with the Swarm. The Swarm would not be forced to sendrge numbers of researchers to the Ji race, and in return, the Swarm agreed not to expand in the direction of the Confederation.


    This agreement, however, exposed the fragile and superficial nature of their so-called friendship. The Swarm, after all, never had genuine allies, and the hollowness of their ¡°friendship¡± was nowid bare.


    Having overturned the table, Luo Wen felt no burden in tearing up the agreement. Just one year after deploying forces to the LKDW291 Star System¡ªin Year Sixteen of the New Era¡ªthe Swarmunched attacks from the Sandstorm, Golden Horn, and White Grub Star Systems, assembling a force of over 500 million Primordial bodies.


    The assault came so suddenly that, although the Locke Mutual Aid Society had detected the Swarm¡¯s movements a year prior, they never imagined the Swarm would dare to wage multi-front warfare, simultaneously antagonizing two major Outer-ring alliances.


    Compounding the issue, there were no buffer systems between the Locke Mutual Aid Society and the Sandstorm, Golden Horn, and White Grub Star Systems. This allowed the Swarm to breach Locke territory within two years.


    Caught unprepared, the Locke Mutual Aid Society¡ªstill mocking the Koya Alliance for their evacuation efforts¡ªfound themselves in a simr predicament. Although they had been gathering forces, they deliberately chose assembly points deep within their territory to avoid provoking the Swarm or drawing its ire.


    Consequently, their fleets couldn¡¯t possibly reach the front lines in just two years. Worse still, their assembled fleets were woefully outnumbered and incapable of contending with the overwhelming force of 500 million Primordial bodies.


    With no other options, the Locke Mutual Aid Society was forced to issue emergency evacuation orders. Fortunately, the star systems bordering Swarm territory were newly developed by member factions, with low development levels, making the evacuation process rtively manageable.


    Just days prior, the Locke Mutual Aid Society had been criticizing the Koya Alliance for their evacuation strategies. Now, the same fate had befallen them.


    The Koya Alliance, despite being overwhelmed with their own troubles, even found time to send ¡°congrattory messages,¡± adding insult to injury. Humiliated, the Locke Mutual Aid Society quickly fired back with a simr message of mockery.


    Interestingly, this exchange of barbs eventually brought the two bitter rivals together. Faced with a shared crisis, they began discussing ways to jointly resist the Swarm¡¯s advance.

 Chapter 203: Discovery

    ¡°Celia, notify the repair crew to perform a final check on the satellites, then deploy them,¡± Captain Reggie ordered once the ship stabilized.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship measured 360 meters in length but had a diameter of less than 10 meters. Since it relied primarily on a sr sail spanning tens of kilometers for propulsion, maneuvering was extremely challenging, necessitating a design that minimized its collision surface. As long as the ship itself avoided impacts, minor sr sail damage was eptable, as thoseponents were repairable.


    About ten minutester, a hatch on the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship opened, releasing a small 20-meter-long craft. It deployed satellites, each approximately three meters in size, into their designated orbits.


    With the satellites in ce, themand center became a hub of activity. Dozens of crew members busied themselves at their stations, carefully analyzing the iing data disyed on their monitors and reporting their findings to Captain Reggie, seated at the center of the hall.


    ¡°Strange,¡± Captain Reggie murmured to himself.


    The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship was coated in an advanced stealth material. Unlike the Swarm¡¯s optical camouge, its primary function was to absorb various electromaic waves, making radar detection ineffective. However, it offered little advantage against visual observation.


    Reggie had expected T853¡¯s civilization to have reached a level of technological sophistication capable of utilizing radar systems, given its use of fusion reactors. Thus, the approach had kept him somewhat on edge.


    Despite his confident demeanor earlier, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure the Riken¡¯s technological edge wouldpletely overwhelm T853¡¯s civilization. If the stealth coating failed and they were detected, a barrage of nuclear missiles might prove too much for the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡¯s limited evasive capabilities.Yet, as the ship approached the, Reggie grew increasingly perplexed.


    The eerie silence in orbit was unnerving¡ªthere wasn¡¯t a single piece of space debris to be found.


    Initially, his n had been to approach slowly, observe at a safe distance, and maintain ample time to respond in case of an attack.


    But as the ship drew closer, one cautious step after another was abandoned, and eventually, they boldly docked inary orbit without any resistance.


    Even now, after safely aligning their orbit, Reggie struggled to believe how easily it had been aplished.


    Could it be that this civilization was uninterested in the skies above them? Was such a thing even possible?


    As data from the satellites began streaming back to the ship, Captain Reggie¡¯s confusion deepened.


    ¡°Captain, Satellites 1 and 5 report no signs of civilization on the surface of T853.¡±


    ¡°Captain, Satellites 2 and 3 also report no traces of civilization.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Captain, Satellites 4 and 7 confirm the same.¡±


    ¡°Captain, the same¡­¡±


    Reggie¡¯s forehead creased, question marks practically shing above his head. Had they arrived at the wrong ce? That couldn¡¯t be possible¡ªthey weren¡¯t navigating by sight!


    ¡°Celia, are our navigation systems functioning correctly?¡±


    Secondster, the mechanical voice responded, ¡°Captain, the deviation between the actual and nned course is less than 0.01%. Navigation data is normal, and we have not veered off course.¡±


    Then what was happening? If there were no signs of civilization on the, where had the fusion reactionse from? Reggie¡¯s head filled with even more questions.


    ¡°Captain, radiation remnants detected in two locations on Continent 3,¡± a crew member suddenly reported, breaking the tense atmosphere.


    Everyone in the room stiffened. The unsettling silence earlier had confused not just Reggie but the rest of the crew as well.


    Finally, a clue had surfaced, corroborating their earlier observations of fusion reactions on the. The atmospheric interference had obscured the specifics, leaving them with iplete data. The reality, however, seemed to diverge from their expectations.


    ¡°Send the security team along with the research group to investigate,¡± Reggie ordered.


    The ship was equipped not only with its standard crew and research team but also with a 500-strong rapid-response military unit for protection.


    The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, with its unconventional design, was incapable of atmospheric entry. However, it carried smaller escort ships and transport vessels suited for such tasks.


    Soon, a side hatch opened, releasing an escort vessel and a transport craft toward the anomalous radiation sites.


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    The Swarm had been monitoring the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship all along. However, due to limited observational units in the neighboring star system, their surveince was restricted to tracking the ship¡¯s general location without precise detail.


    While the Genesis¡¯s Brood Queens had the capability to produce orbital slings and Swarm Meteors, using such devices within the atmosphere was a self-destructive endeavor. The immense kic energy generated during deployment turned the surrounding air into an imprable barrier, leading to catastrophic failure.


    The Swarm¡¯s strategic position ats A5, A6, and A7 had allowed them to station Swarm Meteors capable of descending, spreading fungal carpets, andunching further meteors toward A3¡¯s orbit. Yet, uncertainties about the enemy¡¯s technology and time constraints had led Luo Wen and the intelligent entities to veto such actions, fearing unnecessaryplications.


    Nevertheless, while the Swarm had sparse reconnaissance units in space, the Great Dawn was their stronghold.


    Despite withdrawing many conspicuousbat units earlier, they had retained scout bugs, worker ants, and drones, which had woven an intricate three-dimensional surveincework in non-radiation zones.


    Now, the prey had arrived.


    Two 20-meter-long mechanical ships descended with a roar, ttening the two-meter-high grass beneath their energy streams.


    One ship featured visible weaponry, marking it as an armed escort vessel, while the other carried only two mounted machine-gun-like weapons, indicating it was a transport craft.


    Once theynded, the transport ship¡¯s hatch opened, and a group of humanoids cautiously disembarked.


    Under the bright daylight, scout bugs concealed among the flora advanced stealthily, providing Luo Wen and the others with a clearer view.


    The teamprised over 50 individuals, with about 20 carrying various instruments and dressed in fully sealed yet lightweight protective suits. The light-diffusing visors on their helmets obscured their faces.


    The rest of the team bore rifle-like weapons and wore visibly thicker protective suits, suggesting superior defensive capabilities. These individuals were noticeably taller, ranging from 2.3 to 2.7 meters.


    Luo Wen, familiar with countless ¡°blockbusters,¡± easily identified them as a research team under the guard of a military escort.


    Unfortunately, the radiation levels in the area were too high for typical creatures to approach. Otherwise, Luo Wen could have driven some beasts to attack and test their weaponry to understand theirbat capabilities.

 Chapter 474: Clearing

    The lifes previously conquered by the Swarm were either like Neighboring, whichcked advanced intelligent life, or like the Rikens, where the Swarm had infiltrated for centuries, prompting a surrender as soon as the Swarm army approached.


    However, in terms of directly conquering a through hardbat in a short period, the Swarm had no prior experience. This operation presented a valuable opportunity for the Swarm to conduct such an exercise and learn from it.


    When devising the battle n, Luo Wen encountered a dilemma: this type ofbat exercise would be most effective if conducted covertly, away from the prying eyes of external observers. To achieve this, their surveince channels had to be destroyed or blocked.


    The reconnaissance ships in space, equipped with quantummunication devices and relying on their speed, continued hovering near the Swarm forces. However, they dared not get too close. As long as the Swarm sealed off the exercise area and deployed interference devices, these ships¡¯ long-distance observation methods would bergely ineffective, providing at best vague data. Moreover, the lifes¡¯ atmospheres served as natural barriers against surveince.


    Within the star system, the Swarm had already cleared out all monitoring devices. The only remaining surveince devices were on the lifes themselves. These devices were far more numerous and omnipresent, making it impossible for the Swarm to destroy them all before thes were fully conquered¡ªa task inherently contradictory to their n.


    Fortunately, transmitting the surveince data beyond the Swarm¡¯s blockade to the outside world was not an easy feat. There was only one method for such transmission, quantummunication devices.


    These instant quantummunication systems could not be intercepted¡ªnot by the Swarm and not even by the Ji. While the information itself could not be stopped, the devices transmitting it could be destroyed.


    If the Swarm managed to eliminate the quantummunication devices, the two lifes would be isted information inds. No matter how much intelligence the monitoring devices collected, it would be useless without a way to transmit it.


    The problem, however, was that the quantummunication facilities of the Daqi were hidden in extremely secretive locations. Even within the Daqi civilization, their existence was highly ssified, and very few Daqi individuals knew their exact positions.By a stroke of luck¡ªor perhaps carelessness¡ªLuo Wen had uncovered the locations of these hidden facilities. But how he came to know of them was a closely guarded secret of the Swarm itself.


    If the Swarm destroyed these facilities with surgical precision to ensure the secrecy of their exercise, it would inevitably raise suspicion among their enemies, possibly revealing some of the Swarm¡¯s methods. On the other hand, leaving them operational would result in continuous transmission of intelligence to the outside.


    Fortunately, the Swarm now had full control over the region, and external factions could not mount a counterattack anytime soon. This allowed Luo Wen to take his time preparing these twos as testing grounds.


    The Primordial Cluster split into smaller units, with tens of thousands of Primordial bodies upying the lifes¡¯ orbits. The atmosphere, a double-edged sword, effectively protected against external attacks but weakened outgoing strikes.


    For example, electromaic projectiles would burn up upon entering the atmosphere. Even if constructed from more robust materials, the cost would rise sharply, and the projectiles would still lose much of their power due to resistance during flight through the atmosphere.@@novelbin@@


    Simrly, energy beams or ray-based weapons would experience elerated energy dissipation and refraction upon crossing the atmosphere. Consequently, the two Daqi lifescked significant capabilities to mount attacks against spaceborne targets.


    The few remaining ground-based cannons on thes were quickly destroyed by the Swarm as soon as they revealed their firing locations. The Swarm didn¡¯t even need to rely on electromaic railguns or other sophisticated weaponry; they simply dropped rods made of specialized metals from orbit. The kic energy generated from their descent was devastating, creating impacts more destructive than nuclear explosions.


    With the resistance forces eliminated, the Primordial Units encircled thes, releasing electromaic interference to prevent signals from being transmitted off to the reconnaissance ships outside the system.


    Afterward, the Swarm dropped several spore pods onto the¡¯s surface.


    The Swarm¡¯s actions quickly piqued the interest of the observing factions. Since the quantummunication devices on the lifes had not yet been destroyed, they could still monitor the battlefield in real time.


    The footage of the spore pods being dropped from orbit was captured by numerous instruments. The observers assumed that the Swarm would immediatelyunch a ground offensive. To their surprise, the Primordial Units simply ceased all activity after dropping the pods, entering what seemed like a dormant state.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. Maybe they¡¯re conducting some kind of experiment.¡±


    ¡°Send someone to check what they¡¯ve dropped on the surface, immediately.¡±


    The Ji AI, while having lost control of all space-deployed weapons, stillmanded the electronic systems on the Daqis. Additionally, it retained the assistance of a few remaining Daqi individuals and convicts who had stayed behind on the lifes. ????????¨§?


    Some convicts, realizing their grim fate, had gone rogue and were executed by the AI. The Ji AI operated with no ethical restrictions on harming alien species and eliminated these potential troublemakers without hesitation.


    The remaining Daqi people, regardless of their reasons for staying, had fully epted the Ji AI¡¯smand. After receiving the observers¡¯ requests and performing its own calctions, the AI quickly dispatched a mixed squad of robots and Daqi personnel to investigate the spore podnding sites.


    The spore pods¡¯ drop locations had been meticulously calcted by the Intelligent Entities, targeting remote wilderness areas. The mixed squad, traveling in transport airships, soon spotted the remnants of the spore pods from a distance. The crash site was littered with purple-gray organic tissue and fluids, but the contents of the pods had disappeared.


    ¡°This is TLAS3607. No signs of danger at the site. Requesting permission tond.¡± Several airships circled the crash site at a safe distance, but the visible destruction offered little insight. The squad leader requested permission tond for closer inspection.


    ¡°Permission granted. Proceed with caution,¡± came a cold, mechanical voice through themunication channel. While the AI expressed concern for safety, there was no trace of emotion in its tone.


    The squad leader grimaced but knew better than to expect more from an artificial intelligence. He gestured to his team, and the airships adopted a scattered formation,nding around the spore pod crash site.


    Several all-terrain robots emerged from the airships first, advancing without fear to clear the path. Behind them, a group of Daqi soldiers cautiously followed, weapons at the ready.


    Suddenly, the robots emitted a shrill rm. A blue arc of light shed ahead, and before anyone could react, a cold voice in themunication channel managed to utter a single syble. ¡°Intru¡ª¡± before being drowned out by the sound of static.

 Chapter 205: Observing in Secret

    ¡°Sergeant Hasmu, I need you to lead your team to this location and capture several native creatures. The target images and coordinates have been sent to you,¡± Dr. Lute instructed.


    The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship carried a 500-member security force divided into ten squads. Opposite Dr. Lute was one of the squad leaders, Sergeant Hasmu, responsible for ensuring the safety of thisary expedition. Half of his team had disembarked to provide protection, while the other half remained on the ship, ready to offer covering fire if needed.


    Sergeant Hasmu was also the tallest Riken among those whonded on the. Equipped with his gear, his 2.7-meter frame towered over Dr. Lute¡¯sparatively diminutive 2.1-meter stature, making thetter seem almost childlike inparison.


    ¡°Understood, Dr. Lute. But what about your safety?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us. The other nonbat personnel and I will take the transport craft back to the ship. You, however, must exercise caution. The situation here is extremely peculiar, and we don¡¯t know what might be lurking in the shadows,¡± Dr. Lute emphasized.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Sergeant Hasmu replied with a nod. The strangeness of the situation was not lost on him; even as a soldier, he could sense it.


    They had expected to find a civilization here, yet discovered nothing. Then, when they suspected a navigational error, they stumbled upon radiation remnants on the¡¯s surface.


    After escorting Dr. Lute and the others back to the transport craft and watching it ascend, Sergeant Hasmu gathered his team and returned to the gunboat.


    The 20-meter-long gunboat was cramped with 50 personnel aboard. On the journey down, half had traveled aboard the transport craft, which alleviated the crowding. Fortunately, Captain Reggie had dispatched an additional transport craft to assist them. Otherwise, even if they managed to capture their targets, there would have been no way to transport them back.The gunboat took off, heading toward the designated coordinates. Meanwhile, the Swarm, concealed in the shadows, shifted its focus onto the gunboat.


    This vessel was clearly on a mission. As it departed the radiation zone, it presented the Swarm with an opportunity. If the Riken weren¡¯t nning to entertain themselves, the Swarm might have driven some native creatures to stir up trouble.


    However, this time, it seemed unnecessary for the Swarm to act directly. The gunboat¡¯s destination was clear¡ªa direct flight to the nearest Feral Direwolf den located near the radiation zone.


    Luo Wen immediately directed all nearby Swarm units to maintain a safe distance while establishingprehensive surveince over the area.


    The Riken gunboat traveled quickly, covering the 50 kilometers in about three minutes, a feat attributed to the short distance that barely allowed the vessel to reach full speed.@@novelbin@@


    The ensuing skirmish was brief,sting only a few minutes before the security team overpowered the Feral Direwolf den.


    The operation began with the deployment of 30 armed personnel a kilometer away from the den. The gunboat then ascended, releasing both reconnaissance and armed drones. While the number of armed drones was small¡ªfewer than ten¡ªtheir one-meter-long frames, mounted machine guns, and four missiles each, provided formidable firepower.


    The reconnaissance drones reached the den first, providing the team with a visual overview and marking targets. With their aid, the security team initiated long-range attacks from their position a kilometer away.


    They employed energy weapons¡ªrifle-like devices that emitted ten-centimeter-long red beams. Upon contact, the beams inflicted burn damage and triggered explosions for secondary effects.


    Though these weapons packed a punch, their firing rate was rtively slow, at about three to four shots per second. The upside was that they appeared to require minimal reloading; Luo Wen observed each gun firing over a hundred rounds without anyone swapping magazines.


    Against the primitive Feral Direwolves, such ranged weaponry was more than adequate.


    The fiery explosions seemed to awaken a primal fear buried deep in the Direwolves¡¯ genes. While the scenes differed somewhat from their inherited memories, the destructive force bore enough simrity to evoke terror.


    The den, home to over 300 Feral Direwolves, scattered after leaving behind several dozen corpses. The security team did not pursue them but instead consolidated their spoils and established a defensive perimeter to await the arrival of the transport craft.


    Meanwhile, within the Swarm Network, a discussion about the skirmish and its implications was underway.


    ¡°Overlord, their technology, while different from ours, is not beyond our understanding. These firearms likely use some mechanism to process energy into beam-like projectiles,¡± an Intelligent Entity began.


    ¡°Indeed. Moreover, these energy weapons should be susceptible to our optical cloaking systems. Our cloaking technology utilizes nanocrystals on the surface to mimic environmental light reflections, blending into the surroundings. By analyzing the spectrum of their weapons, we should be able to adjust the nanocrystals to deflect the beams,¡± another Intelligent Entity suggested.


    ¡°I disagree,¡± interjected Tikas. ¡°While the projectiles are fast, they don¡¯t surpass our visual threshold. We can still see them streaking through the air. If these truly were light-based weapons, they would travel at the speed of light, making them invisible to the naked eye.¡±


    The Intelligent Entities murmured amongst themselves, exchanging views. Luo Wen found himself leaning toward Tikas¡¯s perspective. Having lived on the Genesis for years and absorbed much knowledge, he now considered himself a quasi-intellectual.


    These firearms likely condensed energy into projectiles that resembled beams but were in fact energy aggregates. This exined why their flight paths were visible.


    If that were the case, optical cloaking would be ineffective against these weapons, as it couldn¡¯t deflect such energy.


    However, the bright nature of the projectiles made them easier to detect than the nearly invisible trajectories of metallic bullets. Luo Wen spected that with the Swarm¡¯s advanced dynamic vision systems and enhanced reflexes, there was a reasonable chance of evading these projectiles.


    In any case, practical tests would be required to confirm their efficacy. For now, Luo Wen had no means to act directly without his physical body on-site.


    With the weaponry discussion settled, the meeting shifted to the next agenda: devising strategies to confront this civilization from the M37 Star System.

 Chapter 207: Gradually Unveiling the Truth

    ¡°Overlord, Knight 3857 is honored to serve you,¡± greeted the Knight controlling the Bio-ship, sensing Luo Wen¡¯s consciousness descend.


    A year earlier, two Egret-ss transport ships carrying Luo Wen¡¯s physical body had traversed the outermost asteroid belt of the Neighboring Star System and arrived near A5.


    The two Bio-ships, disguised as meteors, didn¡¯t head directly for the Great Dawn. For a Bio-ship to reach the Great Dawn, it required multiple deceleration maneuvers and orbital adjustments¡ªbehaviors inconsistent with a natural meteor.


    Additionally, the Swarmcked information about the observation capabilities of the alien civilization¡¯s shipborne systems. Such maneuvers could expose anomalies in the meteor disguise.


    To remain cautious, the two meteors simted being captured by the gravitational pull of A5, following a natural trajectory to impact Satellite 2 of A5.


    Afternding, Luo Wen¡¯s consciousness descended to inspect his physical body, which had been dormant for decades but remained in good condition. Satisfied, he directed the fungal carpet to begin its work and ordered the hatching of ten Brood Queen eggs.


    Thanks to advancements in Swarm technology, the Egret-ss transport ships, which no longer required an ecological recycling system, featured significantlyrger internal spaces than older Swarm Meteors. These spaces could carry much more cargo.


    Luo Wen¡¯s personal transport ships alone housed dozens of Brood Queen eggs, each of which had been in close proximity to his physical body and was encoded with thetest gene library version.


    A monthter, the Swarm base on Satellite A5B2 began to take shape. Besides hatching auxiliary worker species for excavation, the Brood Queens focused on producing Bio-ship eggs.During the egg development period, the Swarm discovered a radiation-rich mining area on the satellite. Though the Neighboring Star Systemcked giant gaseouss that could serve as massive energy sources, certain radiation deposits were adequate substitutes.


    Once hatched, the Bio-shiprvae thrived in the radiated caverns, which had been excavated into vast chambers. When thervae reached a size of three to four meters, they were sent into space to absorb cosmic radiation directly.


    These Bio-ships, primarilyposed of transparent aerogel-like materials, were further camouged with a coating of nanocrystals. Without close-range, focused detection, they were nearly impossible to spot.


    While the Swarm continued amassing strength near A5, the Riken¡¯s investigations on the Great Dawn yielded initial results.


    ¡°Reggie, after years of effort, we¡¯ve mapped out theary surface and constructed aprehensive model. However, apart from a few more sites with radiation remnants, we¡¯ve found nothing else,¡± Dr. Lute reported in the Captain¡¯s quarters.


    Besides Dr. Lute, the room also held Captain Reggie and Major Camis, who oversaw the mission¡¯s security. These three were the most powerful figures aboard the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, representing administration, military, and science respectively.


    Though the meeting appeared informal, it carried significant weight.


    ¡°So, the anomalies must be hidden underground or underwater? A subterranean or deep-sea civilization?¡± Captain Reggie spected.


    ¡°It¡¯s too early to conclude that. For years, we¡¯ve been operating openly on the surface without encountering any attacks. If a civilization is hidden here, their restraint is extraordinary,¡± Dr. Lute reasoned.


    Captain Reggie nodded in agreement. If he were in their position, he would have at least attempted contact.


    He nced at Major Camis, whose expression betrayed the military¡¯s impatience. They would likely resort to force rather than wait.


    ¡°Still, I believe the possibility of a subterranean civilization is higher,¡± Captain Reggie remarked. ¡°I¡¯ve allocated most satellite resources to monitoring oceanic anomalies and directed Celia to focus processing power on analyzing these areas. Yet we¡¯ve found nothing.¡±


    ¡°Given theck of artificial evidence inary orbit, it seems they haven¡¯t ventured into space. Surveince from ten kilometers above the surface should be undetectable. If we still can¡¯t find anything, they¡¯re likely not underwater.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s possible, but I have another hypothesis,¡± Dr. Lute interjected, pausing before nodding, then shaking his head as if deliberating.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What if the nuclear explosions were caused by a creature, a biological entity stronger than the beasts we¡¯ve seen? A predator that usually hibernates but emerges to hunt when hungry. That would exin the anomalies quite well.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°I thought you were a scientist, but it turns out you¡¯re a fantasist. Do you have any idea what temperatures such a creature would need to endure internally? It¡¯s impossible,¡± Captain Reggie retorted, his expression shifting as Dr. Lute remained serious. ¡°You¡¯re not joking?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. The universe is vast and filled with unknowns. We shouldn¡¯t define it with our limited understanding of science,¡± Dr. Lute replied confidently.


    ¡°Have you discovered something?¡±


    ¡°Near the two initial radiation sites, I found several shallow pits along the coast, about ten kilometers away. These pits are remarkably uniform in size and shape. Analyzing the surrounding environment and sedimentyers suggests they are footprints of some kind of creature. Initially, the footprints were likely much deeper but became shallow due to the high water content in the sand near the sea. I estimate their formation to be about ten years ago.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying these footprints coincide with the timeline of the observed fusion reactions?¡± Captain Reggie immediately grasped the implication.


    ¡°Exactly. Imagine two groups of beasts shing on the ins. Suddenly, a massive creature emerges from the sea, fires two fusion sts at them from a distance, and then returns to the ocean.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ beyond imagination,¡± Captain Reggie admitted, stunned by the concept of a creature capable of firing fusion attacks.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a theory. But if true, the creature would be colossal¡ªover a hundred meters tall and weighing tens of thousands of tons,¡± Dr. Lute exined.


    Captain Reggie¡¯s lips moved, but he hesitated to voice the phrase ¡°That¡¯s unscientific.¡±


    If Luo Wen were present, he would have apuded Dr. Lute¡¯s deduction. Aside from the exact parties involved in the ins battle, the doctor had almost perfectly reconstructed the events.


    Seeing his friend¡¯s astonished expression, Dr. Lute chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if it¡¯s true, it¡¯s just a creature. We¡¯re a spacefaring civilization. Are we really afraid of one monster?¡±

 Chapter 210: The Elite Squad

    ¡°Drip¡­ drip¡­¡±


    Water trickled down through cracks in the rock ceiling, dripping off stctites to the cave floor below. A team of around 30 individuals cautiously advanced through the underground cave passage. Tactical shlights mounted on their helmets illuminated the dark tunnel, casting flickering beams of light. Shadows from the numerous stgmites created an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.


    However, this team consisted of elites among elites; they were unfazed by such surroundings.


    ¡°Captain, do you know what we¡¯re really looking for?¡± asked a heavily armored guard.


    The squad leader was none other than Staff Sergeant Hasmu, who had been ordered to lead his team in investigating a suspicious underground cavity.


    ¡°Search all potential targets,¡± replied Hasmu tersely. It wasn¡¯t that he was inherently cold; this was simply his nature. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have answered such questions from his subordinates at all.


    ¡°Come on, Captain, you must know more than us. We¡¯ve been searching onnd for seven or eight years without finding anything. We thought we¡¯d get a break, but now we¡¯re down here searching underground.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Captain, how long are we going to keep at this?¡±


    ¡°When do we get to go home?¡±¡°Captain, did you sign a confidentiality agreement?¡±


    Voices chimed in over thems as the team members peppered Hasmu with their questions.


    Feeling a headacheing on, Hasmu cut them off with irritation. ¡°It¡¯s not about confidentiality. After all, we¡¯re so far from home. Even if one of you were a spy, without the captain¡¯s authorization to use the star systemmunication device, no message could be sent back anyway.¡±


    Hasmu himself had been holding back frustration; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have said so much.


    ¡°As for what exactly we¡¯re looking for, I honestly don¡¯t know. Even the captain doesn¡¯t seem certain. Maybe it¡¯s some underground civilization, or perhaps¡­ a monster.¡±


    ¡°A monster?¡±


    ¡°I get the civilization part¡ªthat¡¯s why we¡¯re here. But why is it about a monster now?¡±


    ¡°Could those nuclear radiation levels have been caused by a monster?¡± a sharp guard ventured a guess.


    ¡°Wow, monsters like that only exist in movies, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Come on, Captain, even as a guard, I¡¯ve had a higher education. Don¡¯t joke about this,¡± another chimed in.


    Hasmu finally had enough of the noisy chatter over thems and bellowed, ¡°Enough! Quiet! Don¡¯t let your guard down just because things have gone smoothly so far. This hides dangers stranger than we can imagine.¡±


    Though they couldn¡¯t see Hasmu¡¯s expression through his helmet, his tone conveyed enough to make the team fall silent. The earlierx attitude was reced by renewed caution, and their movements as they advanced became more deliberate.


    Hasmu silently nodded in approval. After years of continuous searching, the initial vignce of the team had waned when it became clear the was mostly primitive. The local wildlife posed no threat to them, leading to somecency. His warning served as much for himself as for his team. In a crisis, the only things he could rely on were these soldiers and their weapons.


    ¡°Captain, we¡¯ve found a downward passage ahead. Should we proceed?¡± one member operating a piece of equipment in the middle of the team suddenly reported.


    Hasmu hurried over and examined the instrument. It was a device that mapped enclosed spaces based on sound waves, simr to echolocation. The readings showed a passage leading deeper underground, extending several hundred meters.


    He gestured for a teammate to step forward. The soldier unpacked arge backpack, which unfolded into a makeshift workstationplete with joysticks and screens.


    Under the operator¡¯s control, several mechanical spiders emerged from the tform. After stretching their legs, they quickly scuttled into the passage ahead.


    Given the uncertainty of the underground terrain, drones were less practical, while mechanical spiders proved ideal for these conditions.


    Although significantly more advanced than drones, the Riken had managed to develop and miniaturize these spider robots. Equipped with cameras, the spiders transmitted real-time footage back to the workstation. The passage ahead was about five to six meters in diameter, its walls slick with moisture from constant water flow over the years.


    Thankfully, Riken technology was up to the challenge. The mechanical spiders crawled steadily along the slippery stone walls, descending further and further.


    After traveling over 500 meters down, the vertical shaft transitioned into a sloped tunnel. The spiders continued for another hundred meters before their transmissions began breaking up into static.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hasmu demanded.


    ¡°Captain, the terrain is tooplex. There¡¯s too much interference. This is as far as the spiders can transmit. Beyond this, they¡¯ll lose contact,¡± the operator exined.


    ¡°Captain, what now? Do we go down?¡± another team member asked.


    Hasmu¡¯s face clouded. Descending would require using ropes to lower the team one by one¡ªa time-consuming process. Moreover, with the unknown dangers below, a quick retreat would be nearly impossible, making the operation highly risky.


    After much deliberation, Hasmu couldn¡¯t decide and opted to consult his superiors.


    ¡°Conis, can you reach the spaceship?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, Captain. We¡¯re already 300 meters underground, and our equipment isn¡¯t powerful enough to prate this far,¡± themunications officer, Conis, replied.


    Out of options, Hasmu ordered the team to maintain their position while he, themunications officer, and two other members headed back toward the surface.


    Half an hourter, Hasmu returned, and the team replenished their rations. After nearly two more hours, the remaining 20 members of their squad stationed outside joined them, forming a reinforced unit of 50.


    The team silently checked their weapons and ammo before logistics personnel unraveled two ropes down the pit.


    Each rope, cobbled together from multiple lengths, stretched 500 meters but had limited load-bearing capacity. With each soldier and their gear weighing about 150 kilograms, each rope could only support two soldiers at a time.


    Thankfully, the descent proceeded without incident. After nearly two hours of rappelling, the entire squad finally reached the bottom of the pit.

 Chapter 212: The Bats

    ¡°res!¡±


    The soldiers quickly disabled their night-vision devices and switched to normal mode. Two shells fired skyward, bursting into twin miniature suns that bathed the cavern in blinding light, turning the darkness into a blinding white day.


    The sudden illumination revealed a horrifying sight. A dense, ck swarm of bat-like creatures formed an imprable wall, surging toward them like an unstoppable tide.


    Fear rippled through the team.


    ¡°Attack!¡± Hasmu shouted, his voice cutting through the tension as the swarm closed within 100 meters.


    His order jolted the stunned soldiers back into action. Years ofbat training snapped them out of their fear, and they swiftly engaged.


    Red energy beams streaked through the air, intermingling with the res¡¯ bright white glow. Shadows of soldiers and bat-like creatures danced chaotically on the cavern walls like a macabre ballet.


    ¡°Switch to explosive mode!¡±


    The Riken firearms had two firing modes. The default mode emitted concentrated energy beams capable of prating even the thick armor of Bull Demons. The explosive mode, however, discharged unstable energy that detonated upon impact, creating small shockwaves. It was particrly effective against swarm assaults like this one.This mode came at the cost of the weapon¡¯s lifespan, but in a life-or-death situation, none of the soldiers hesitated to make the trade-off.


    In normal mode, the energy beams often pierced through the frontmost bats and continued through two or three more before dissipating. However, the bats¡¯ massive size¡ªeach over two meters long¡ªmeant that such wounds rarely proved fatal unless vital organs like the head or heart were hit. As a result, the swarm¡¯s advance remained relentless, closing the distance to just 50 meters within seconds.


    Switching to explosive mode significantly improved their effectiveness. The sts not only caused greater damage but also disrupted the bats¡¯ formation, pushing them back slightly.


    Despite this, the swarm pressed on undeterred, their numbers seemingly endless. Soon, they were within 40 meters.


    ¡°Shock grenades! Brace for impact!¡± Hasmumanded as he fired his weapon. These creatures, adapted to survive in sunless caves, likely relied on senses other than sight.


    On their homeworld, the Riken had dealt with simr creatures. As a seasoned warrior, Hasmu instinctively deployed an effective countermeasure.


    Several cylindrical ¡°cans¡± were hurled into the air. As they detonated, the soldiers activated the sound-blocking systems integrated into their helmets.


    The ensuing explosions produced an earsplitting roar that echoed throughout the cavern, amplified several times by the enclosed space. Stctites rained down from the ceiling, and the entire passage seemed to tremble.


    Even with the helmet¡¯s protections, Hasmu¡¯s head swam from the intense noise. He shook it off, muttering to himself that they¡¯de dangerously close to bing victims of their own tactic.


    Looking at the aftermath, however, he felt the risk had been worth it.


    The bats iled wildly like headless flies, their formation shattered. The shock grenades had inflicted severe harm; dark red blood trickled from their ears and eyes.


    ¡°Finish them off!¡± Hasmu barked.


    The team seized the opportunity, unleashing explosive energy beams that decimated the swarm. Corpses piled up, and the swarm retreated further. Yet suddenly, the bats regrouped, as if regaining their senses, and charged once more.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Hasmu growled. Creatures that relied on sound for navigation shouldn¡¯t recover this quickly from a sonic attack. It was as if someone were providing them with vision and directing their actions.


    ¡°Angulo, figure it out!¡± Hasmu shouted.


    A scout retreated to the backline, adjusting his helmet. Unlike the others, his helmet wasrger, ringed with an array of sensors connected to a miniatureputer. Each sensor was specialized for detecting specific phenomena.


    Angulo rotated the sensors, scanning the area for any hidden threats. The process was slow due to the poor visibility and numerous obstacles.


    ¡°Hurry up, Angulo!¡±


    ¡°Working as fast as I can!¡± he snapped, though his hands moved even quicker under pressure.


    ¡°We can¡¯t hold them much longer! Bring out the methrowers!¡± Hasmu yelled.


    Two burly soldiers, each equipped with a methrower, stepped forward. Setting aside their rifles, they adjusted their equipment before unleashing twin columns of fire, each nearly two meters wide.


    The methrowers discharged a highly mmable, adhesive substance that clung to whatever it touched. Once ignited, the only way to extinguish it was to sever the affected area entirely¡ªa nearly impossible task in the chaos of battle.


    The bats, despite their size and ferocity, were still flesh-and-blood creatures. They burned easily, and the mes spread rapidly among them as they flew into one another in panic.


    In moments, the swarm suffered heavy casualties.@@novelbin@@


    However, the methrowers had significant drawbacks. The fuel was heavy and difficult to carry, limiting their operational time. Only a reinforced squad like Hasmu¡¯s 50-man team had ess to such weapons; smaller ten-man units couldn¡¯t afford the luxury.


    Moreover, the burning fuel consumedrge amounts of oxygen and produced toxic fumes. While the helmets¡¯ filtration systems handled the toxins easily, the dwindling oxygen posed a serious problem. Already deep underground, the air was thin to begin with.


    Each soldier carried only two small oxygen canisters for emergencies, which wouldn¡¯tst long. Under normal circumstances, they relied on breathing the¡¯s atmosphere, which, despite its toxicity, was easily filtered by their helmets.


    ¡°Cease fire!¡± Hasmu ordered as the bats¡¯ assault faltered. If the methrowers continued for another two minutes, the entire squad could suffocate.


    ¡°Captain, I¡¯ve found it! There¡¯s an abnormal maic field behind the column to the upper left!¡± Angulo suddenly shouted.


    Elite training left no room for hesitation. The instant Angulo reported the location, the team unleashed a barrage of explosive beams, engulfing the indicated area in a ze of destruction.

 Chapter 215: Experience

    As elite soldiers, the squad was not typically so fragile. When Hasmu first ordered the rear guard to protect themunications officer, they had shown no hesitation, fully embodying a resolve to sacrifice themselves if needed.


    However, even the toughest individuals have limits. The bugs¡¯ seemingly yful torment wore them down. Despite having countless opportunities to annihte the squad, the bugs always stopped just short, forcing the soldiers to repeatedly endure the terror of impending death.


    It was like having a de lowered to their necks, only to be lifted away again¡ªa truly harrowing ordeal.


    The creatures harassing the squad were indeed Swarmbat units, but this was not Luo Wen¡¯s doing out of cruelty.


    From the Swarm¡¯s inception, they had never experienced a true war between civilizations. Even the Ratfolk¡¯s civil wars were limited to meleebat; they had not developedrge-scale battles involving advanced weaponry before their unification.


    Thus, neither Luo Wen nor the intelligent entities had any real experience with modern warfare. All military strategies had only existed in theory.


    Now, after investing significant effort to create the perfect battlefield deep underground¡ªwhere retreat was impossible, signals were blocked, and the outside world would never know what transpired¡ªthe Swarm finally had a chance to conduct live trials.


    Drawing in a fully equipped elite team was like recruiting expert trainers and whetstones. The Swarm could test thebat effectiveness of its units, identify their strengths and weaknesses, and refine their battle strategies and coordination.


    Moreover, observing the Riken soldiers¡¯ responses to ambushes provided valuable lessons in small-scale unit coordination, tactical leadership, and emergency measures.It also offered insight into Riken weaponry. By collecting data and analyzing the technology¡¯s strengths and limitations, the Swarm could expand its knowledge base.


    Luo Wen even brought in linguists to study the Riken soldiers¡¯mand phrases and interpret theirnguage through context and gestures.


    Linguistics was an underdeveloped field for the Swarm. Intelligent entities were created from Ratfolk souls, and Ratfolk history was short and simplistic. Theirnguage had evolved from Luo Wen¡¯s teachings, leaving them with no diverse linguistic foundation or multilingual specialists.


    Fortunately, deciphering attackmands paired with corresponding actions was rtively straightforward.


    Given the numerous advantages of keeping the soldiers alive, exterminating them outright was never an option. They were to be repeatedly, methodically exploited.


    Of course, the Swarm never factored in the psychological impact on their ¡°test subjects.¡±


    The sealed tunnel suddenly stirred as sand and gravel trickled down. A bug emerged, briefly breaking the oppressive atmosphere.


    This new type of Spider Combat Bug had been designed by Luo Wen after observing Riken physiology and equipment. The old Spider Combat Bugs¡¯ short venomous fangs were ineffective against protective suits.


    Moreover, the current adversaries were not wild beasts; injecting venom and waiting for the target to sumb was no longer viable. Soldiers equipped with firearms could unleash dozens of bullets during that waiting period.


    The updated Spider Combat Bugs prioritized immediate lethality. Their segmented legs were reinforced for better piercing capabilities, while the venom sacs and stingers were removed to reduce production costs and lighten their bodies.


    Additionally, like the earlier bat-like creatures, these bugs adopted a respiratory and circtory system modeled on Great Dawn¡¯s native fauna. This adaptation allowed them to breathe the¡¯s air directly.


    This approach saved significant resources and enabled the rapid formation of Swarm armies with limited supplies.


    The Swarm currently employed two space-adapted temtes.


    The first, featuring an internal ecological chamber system, was Luo Wen¡¯s earliest design. These organisms sustained themselves through a miniature ecosystem within their bodies, enabling survival in oxygen-free environments.


    However, the energy conversion efficiency of this temte was poor. While it supported basic life functions,bat exertion quickly outstripped its energy supply, limiting endurance and power. As a result, this temte had been retired.


    The second temte was derived from atmospheric organisms. It boasted abundant energy reserves, powerful bursts of strength, and even the ability to overclock temporarily.


    However, its drawbacks included limited operational range and high production costs. The specialized structures needed to generate and control electromaic fields or sma required rare minerals and significant resources.


    The Swarm could only afford to produce juvenile versions of these units, which then absorbed energy to grow. Producing a single electromaic Spider Combat Bug cost as much as fifty standard Spider Combat Bugs of the same size.


    If, instead, they were hatched as fingernail-sizedrvae and allowed to mature over time, costs would drop significantly¡ªbut at the expense of time.


    To expedite production, the bugs¡¯ exoskeletons were reced with keratinous armor capable of growing with their bodies.


    Building a full army using this method would take time, but it was cost-effective.


    Uponnding on Great Dawn, Luo Wen had immediately destroyed one of his avatars to establish a Brood Nest. Once it matured, it began producing Brood Queens en masse.


    Alongside the dozens of Brood Queens that descended with Luo Wen, the Swarm¡¯s presence on Great Dawn grew substantially.


    The ecological-chamber bugs were recalled, and all scouting units were reced with those adapted to the¡¯s native biology.


    This transition allowed the Swarm to operate more openly. Even if captured by the Riken, dissections would reveal nothing out of the ordinary.


    Reflecting on this upgrade, Luo Wen realized the local temtes were far cheaper to produce, requiring no special minerals.


    For example, the updated Spider Combat Bugs could be mass-produced as eggs and, with current Swarm technology, would hatch fullybat-ready in just seven days, provided resources were sufficient.


    These bugs¡¯ reliance on native energy systems eliminated supply concerns. Theirbat effectiveness and endurance were more than adequate, and their one-piece exoskeleton armor matched the strength of their electromaic counterparts.


    Field tests proved these updated Spider Combat Bugs to be exceptional, particrly inplex terrains.@@novelbin@@


    Satisfied with their performance, Luo Wen found his conviction in these new strategies growing ever stronger.

 Chapter 218: Striking Godzilla

    Two gunboats quickly approached. These 20-meter-long steel behemoths looked insignificantpared to Godzi¡¯s towering figure, standing over 100 meters tall.


    Godzi paid no attention to the metal boxes circling nearby. As the undisputed ruler of Great Dawn for countless millennia, it had every reason to disdain lesser beings.


    It continued moving toward the explosion site, entirely focused on its goal.


    This disregard gave the two gunboats a chance to circle it at a distance of two or three kilometers, meticulously observing the colossal creature.


    ¡°Incredible,¡± Dr. Lute murmured in awe once again. ¡°When do we take action?¡±


    ¡°Once it¡¯s farther from the shore. With our current equipment, we can¡¯t do much to it in the water,¡± Major Camis replied.


    Lute nodded in agreement. Their manpower was limited, and given the beast¡¯s speed and the ocean¡¯s vast depths, if it retreated into the sea after being attacked, they would have little recourse.


    If the creature decided to stay submerged, the mission would end in one of two undesirable oues: either they returned home with mere data instead of the creature itself, or they waited decades for reinforcements.


    Both scenarios were uneptable. Bringing back a living specimen was exponentially more valuable than bringing back reports. And waiting for reinforcements could take so long that by the time they returned, their loved ones on their homeworld might have already passed away.Two hourster, Godzi had trudged 20 kilometers ind. Despite its slow gait, its immense stride length allowed it to cover significant ground.


    During this time, the two gunboats had filmed Godzi from every angle, capturing even close-ups of the soles of its feet whenever it lifted them.


    Major Camis had deployed all nine remaining squads. Seven were positioned behind Godzi to form a defensive line, preventing it from returning to the ocean. The remaining two operated the gunboats, providing fire support.


    Transport ships had delivered heavy artillery, vehicles, and other armaments to reinforce the frontlines. These elite troops, proficient in variousbat equipment, quickly prepared for battle.@@novelbin@@


    On the ind side, no defensive points were established. As long as Godzi didn¡¯t return to the sea, it was seen as a fish on the chopping block¡ªready for ughter.


    An additional hour passed. Godzi was now 30 kilometers from the coast. Its relentless march toward the explosion site underscored its fascination with the nuclear st. Otherwise, such a creature would likely have avoided such an exhausting journey.


    ¡°Begin,¡± Camis ordered softly into themunicator.


    The escort squads, long impatient, opened fire instantly.


    Over a dozen long-range cannonsunched massive energy beams. These weapons resembled scaled-up rifles, with firing rates only marginally slower than handheld versions. On a cannon, such speed was astonishing.


    Simultaneously, the ten gunboats joined the assault, raining down red energy beams from above. Five squads of ground troops, positioned two kilometers from Godzi, added their firepower, their weapons zing.


    A storm of red energy beams filled the sky.


    Caught off guard by the sudden barrage, Godzi hesitated. How long had it been since anything dared to attack it? The answer would require a moment of thought¡ªthough now was hardly the time for contemtion.


    ¡°What?!¡± Exmations of disbelief echoed across the bridge, the artillery posts, the gunboats, and the forward lines.


    The energy beams inflicted far less damage than anticipated. Although the Riken forces experimented with two firing modes, the results were disheartening. In pration mode, the beams struggled to pierce Godzi¡¯s thick outer armor, leaving only small dents.


    The explosive mode fared even worse. The minor sts and burns wereughable to a creature that could bathe inva and generate nuclear fusion within its body.


    As for the infantry¡¯s small arms, they were less than a nuisance, not even qualifying as an itch.


    Godzi was not a creature to endure an attack in silence.


    Its dorsal fins began to glow, emitting a faint hum as the surrounding air grew noticeably hotter.


    rms red across the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, gunboats, and portable reconnaissance devices.


    ¡°Fusion strike detected! Beware!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s about to attack!¡±


    A red glow traveled upward from Godzi¡¯s abdomen, lighting up its torso and neck. When it opened its massive jaws, a beam of concentrated energy erupted forth.


    The artillery positions, over 20 kilometers away, avoided being the first target due to their distance despite their ferocious firepower. The gunboats, having ascended rapidly upon the first rms, evaded the initial strike thanks to their mobility.


    Unfortunately, the infantry squad closest to Godzi bore the brunt of the attack.


    The Riken had spected that Godzi possessed long-range capabilities, but Major Camis had gambled on overwhelming it with concentrated firepower. This led him to risk deploying infantry armed with personal weapons.


    His gamble failed spectacrly.


    Although he ordered a retreat as soon as their weapons proved ineffective, he underestimated Godzi¡¯s rapid counterstrike.


    The squads clustered near the transport ships for evacuation became easy targets.


    One squad won the ¡°lottery.¡±


    A single nuclear breath st descended upon their position. Before they could react, the explosion obliterated them, creating a mushroom cloud.


    Those outside the transport ship were vaporized instantly, their protective suits offering no resistance. The ship itself was flung into the air, its remains heavily damaged. Whether there were survivors inside would require post-battle rescue efforts.


    One st was not enough for Godzi. The rms continued as it unleashed a second nuclear breath, annihting another squad.


    Thankfully, the remaining three squads managed to board their ships and retreat before Godzi could fire a third time.


    Losing a fifth of the escort force in mere moments was a tactical disaster. Without significant justification or results, Major Camis risked facing a military tribunal rather than receiving des upon returning home.


    Aware of this, Camis felt his mouth go dry.


    ¡°Camis, pull yourself together andmand the battle. If we capture this creature, Lute and I will ensure this setback is omitted from our reports,¡± Reggie assured him.

 Chapter 221: Ambush

    The Sr Sail requires a long eleration process.


    However, the distance between Great Dawn and Great Ursa was so short that the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship reached its destination before fully elerating.


    Luo Wen initially assumed the alien spacecraft was returning to its home. But as he observed its gradual repositioning, he realized he had miscalcted.


    Why was it heading toward the Great Ursa?


    When Luo Wen¡¯s avatar had previously docked a bio-ship at Great Ursa, he left behind dozens of Brood Queens, which produced arge number of bio-ships. The meteorite strike had used only a fraction of them, and they were quickly replenished.


    On Great Dawn, bio-ship production was slow due to the need for secrecy, as the ships couldn¡¯t leave to absorb radiation. On the Great Ursa, such limitations didn¡¯t exist.


    Hidden within the asteroid belt, bio-ships there freely absorbed cosmic radiation to grow.


    Over time, their numbers had increased significantly. The oldest of these bio-ships had grown to 20 meters or more, reaching Hawk-ss status and outfitted with electromaic cannonponents.


    However, the distance between Great Dawn and Great Ursa made deploying these reinforcements difficult without detection. Luo Wen had nned to wait until Great Dawn¡¯s bio-ships grew in sufficient numbers before engaging the alien spacecraft.But now, the aliens were effectively delivering themselves to his doorstep.


    Self-delivery? No, more like walking into a trap.


    No matter what it was called, Luo Wen felt a peculiar mix of surprise and delight. If they were so eager, he would ensure they received a proper wee.


    After a month of travel, the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship finally reached the Great Ursa, also known as T855.


    The asteroid belt surrounding the was hostile to the Sr Sail. To avoid damage, the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship navigated above the belt, settling into a suitable orbit. Most of the Sr Sail was retracted, leaving only a one-kilometer segment exposed to absorb sr energy.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait here. I¡¯ve already sent our coordinates back with thest transmission. They won¡¯t miss it,¡± Reggie announced.


    ¡°What¡¯s next? Rotational hibernation for the crew?¡± Lute inquired.


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯ve been out here for over eighty years and still don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll return. If we don¡¯t conserve our lifespans, enjoying our wealth back home will be meaningless.¡±


    ¡°Pity our achievements have diminished somewhat.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it. We¡¯ve already exceeded expectations with this mission. Everything else is just bonus.¡±


    ¡°True enough.¡±


    ¡°Do you have anything left to do? If not, I¡¯ll put you in the first hibernation group.¡±


    Lute hesitated. ¡°There¡¯s one thing that bothers me. If T853 has spacefaring organisms, could they have reached others before we arrived? For instance, this one¡ªT855?¡±


    ¡°Ha, you could investigate it yourself. We¡¯re free to act as we please.¡±


    ¡°I intend to. So leave me off the first hibernation list. If I find anything here, our achievements might grow further. I hope they exist¡ªand aren¡¯t too scarce.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Should Major Camis assist you?¡±


    Before Lute could respond, a piercing rm erupted.


    ¡°Celia, what¡¯s happening?¡± Reggie demanded.


    ¡°Captain, there¡¯s significant maic activity in the asteroid belt 2,000 kilometers below the ship,¡± Celia reported.


    ¡°What kind of activity?¡±


    Several videos streamed to Reggie¡¯s personal terminal. The footage showed faint blue arcs of electricity flickering in the darkness, resembling writhing tentacles. Switching to electromaic imaging revealed hundreds of dense maic fields converging on the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship.


    ¡°Those are space creatures! They¡¯re here!¡± Lute eximed. The irony of discussing them moments before the attack was not lost on him.


    ¡°They don¡¯t look rare at all. Celia, activate the automated defense system and authorize firepower. Alert the escort squads to assist!¡± Reggie ordered.


    ¡°Acknowledged. Automated defense system activated. Targeting unidentified lifeforms. Preparing to fire.¡±


    The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡¯s 300-meter-long hull bristled with turreted cannons on its underside. These weapons swiveled to aim, unleashing fiery red energy beams.


    With a range of only 1,000 kilometers, these cannons were built more for decoration than function. Despite their impressive energy supply and firepower, their limited range and sparse numbers suggested the designers never anticipated their actual use.


    Yet now, they faced a swarm of closebat specialists.


    The iing maic lifeforms were Swarm spacebat units¡ªjuveniles under 20 meters in length, unequipped with electromaic cannons but incredibly agile. After a brief eleration period, they reached speeds of 10 kilometers per second, crossing the 2,000-kilometer gap in mere minutes.


    Their tentacle-like appendages flexed and twisted, allowing for precise, multi-directional propulsion. Despite the ferocity of the cannon fire, only a few were hit, and fewer still were destroyed.


    ¡°Take them down! Don¡¯t let them near the ship!¡± Reggie barked.


    At first, he assumed these creatures were mere beasts, their smaller size making them seem manageable. After all, the decorative cannons were significantly more powerful than terrestrial artillery and should have sufficed to eliminate such ¡°wildlife.¡±


    What Reggie hadn¡¯t ounted for was their extraordinary agility in zero-gravity conditions.


    Though uncertain if these creatures could harm the spaceship¡¯s reinforced hull, Reggie wasn¡¯t keen to find out. A damaged ship would spell disaster, as survival in deep space without a functioning vessel was impossible.


    Reality, however, seldom aligns with wishes.


    Within minutes, the creatures reached the ship. Several juvenilestched onto the cannon barrels, tentacles writhing as blue electrical arcs danced across the metal. With increasing force, the barrels began to bend. Some cannons were wrenched entirely from their mounts.


    Meanwhile, countless juveniles swarmed the Sr Sail, tearing through the delicate 0.0005-millimeter material with ease. Their frenzied movements quickly reduced the exposed section to shreds.

 Chapter 224: The Observer Bugs

    In addition to technological pursuits, Luo Wen organized a team of Intelligent Entities specializing innguage, culture, and psychology to interrogate the captured Riken. Their goal was to extract as much relevant information as possible.


    However, the Rikens¡¯ mental resilience proved formidable. Beyondnguage breakthroughs, little progress was made. Any information they disclosed was either trivial or of no intelligence value.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen was in no hurry. The Intelligent Entities were instructed to y the long game, wearing down the prisoners over time. Meanwhile, the Swarm asionally selected Rikens for experimental purposes. Survivors were returned, while fatalities were deemed eptable losses.


    This practice exerted tremendous psychological pressure on the Riken captives, elerating the interrogation process significantly.


    Over five years, the Swarm consolidated its strength in the neighboring star system. Every and its satellites now hosted a stationed Brood Queen.


    During this period, arge number of Swarm Meteors wereunched toward the M37 Star System. These meteors carried countless surveince units called Observer Bugs.


    The Observer Bugs evolved rapidly, incorporating Riken monitoring technologies absorbed and transformed into biologicalponents. These upgrades enhanced their ability to detect a wide range of energy types and increased their surveince range.


    The Observer Bugs were equipped with advanced observation systems, radiation emission systems, and ayer of lichen coating to disguise them as small meteorites.


    As the meteors approached the M37 Star System, the Observer Bugs were scattered throughout the interster space between the two systems. They served not only as information-gathering units but also aswork nodes for the Swarm.Meanwhile, Swarmbat units underwent an overhaul, spurred by feedback from the des. Previously, bio-ships were divided into warship and transport categories, with multiple subssifications. This naming convention was deemed cumbersome and impractical formand purposes.


    A new hierarchy was introduced:


    Units under 20 meters, incapable of mounting electromaic cannons, were collectively termed the Larval bodies.


    Units between 20 and 500 meters were designated the Mature bodies.


    Units exceeding 500 meters were ssified as Primordial bodies.


    Roles such as Lookouts, Celestial Monitors, Listeners, Knights, and Adjutants retained their specific designations but were collectively referred to as Hive Queens.


    Spider Combat Bugs with toxin sacs and stingers kept their original name, while upgraded versions with reinforced limbs and no toxin sacs were renamed Raiders.


    On the Great Dawn, Godzi had remained dormant for years after its initial sh with the Rikens. Following its failed search for kin, it had wandered the nearby seas for months before returning to itsir. It vented its frustrations by obliterating two packs of unlucky Feral Direwolves with nuclear breath before retreating into slumber.


    Five yearster, it was time for Godzi to awaken once more.


    The Swarm¡¯s expansion had led to the deployment of over 300 Brood Queens on Great Dawn, with more than 100 bases established along the coastline. This bolstered the Swarm¡¯s aquatic forces significantly, far surpassing the meager 3,000 Odd-Headed Fish initially avable.


    To rouse Godzi, dozens of fungal carpet seeds were sown near itsir, rapidly sprouting into sprawling growths. The same method had been used years ago to wake Godzi, whose slumber had been disrupted by the invasive root systems.


    The strategy remained unchanged.


    The fungal roots, though harmless to agile creatures, were highly effective against the immobile Godzi. They crept into the armored crevices of its body, causing sharp, familiar pain. Godzi awoke in a rage, tearing apart the encroaching roots.


    However, the pervasive purple-gray fungal carpet surrounding it left Godzi disheartened. It pondered whether itsir had be cursed. If the nts could not be eradicated, perhaps it was time to move to one of its other known nesting grounds. But wouldn¡¯t that tarnish its reputation as the¡¯s invincible overlord?


    While Godzi reminisced about its glory days, tens of thousands of Odd-Headed Fish swarmed toward it. These 30-40 cm-long creatures surrounded the 100-meter behemoth, exploiting their sheer numbers.


    Designed as cheap cannon fodder, these fishckedplexity but featured formidable steel jaws infused with high-bite-force gic material. They could prate Godzi¡¯s tissues, though their small size limited the damage they could inflict individually. Yet, with enough numbers, even Godzi could be worn down.


    Godzi¡¯s ws and jaws proved ineffective against the swarming fish. Only its powerful tail served as a reliable weapon, sweeping through the waters at supersonic speeds. Direct hits obliterated the fish, leaving behind only clouds of blood and debris. The shockwaves from these strikes killed or stunned others nearby.


    However, the Odd-Headed Fish were too numerous. For every sweep of Godzi¡¯s tail that decimated hundreds or thousands, tens of thousands more swarmed in to rece them. Many nestled in Godzi¡¯s blind spots, exacerbating its predicament.@@novelbin@@


    Desperate, Godzi¡¯s dorsal fins began to glow blue as its abdominal core brightened red. It unleashed a devastating nuclear breath.


    The underwater explosion created a blinding sh, followed by a shockwave that pulverized the Odd-Headed Fish,pressing them into a fine mist.


    Yet, the close-range detonation inflicted coteral damage on Godzi. While immune to the radiation, it couldn¡¯t escape the physical shock. Blood seeped from its nostrils and eyes, though the bothersome fish were finally gone.


    Godzi had barely rxed when, momentster, another wave of tens of thousands of Odd-Headed Fish approached.

 Chapter 227: The Visitor

    Certain promises he had made back then were merely expedient moves to secure votes. After all, the Riken were not an autocratic species. His authority as President wasn¡¯t as substantial as one might imagine. Passing proposals that were contentious was far from simple.


    Take, for example, the Trinbrian District. This area was the most chaotic region on the entire Riken. Though it spanned only 300 square miles, it was teeming with violent elements.


    Gangs, drug dealers, mercenaries, and other dark professions thrived here. Petty thieves were practically upstanding citizens byparison. The owner of a corner store might very well be a retired gangster kingpin. Ordinary people had no way of surviving in this ce.


    In his bid to defeat hispetitor, he had recklessly promised certain conditions to the Trinbrian people. For instance, he had vowed to push for drug legalization reforms, reduce criminal penalties, and exempt low-value robberies from being considered crimes once he became President.


    This not only secured him votes from the Trinbrian District but also garnered support from professionals in rted fields, enabling him to ascend to his current position.


    Now, despite his desire to fulfill those promises, the proposals, no matter how he dressed them up, were too tant for the average Riken citizen to overlook.


    If he were to insist on pushing these agendas through, whether they seeded or not was uncertain, but in four years, his role in the election would likely be that of a mere spectator.


    A single-term President would surely be aughingstock in Riken history, and that was not a legacy he wanted.@@novelbin@@


    However, the Trinbrian people were no pushovers. They weren¡¯t ordinary civilians but the kind who slept with a loaded gun under their pillow. Breaking promises to such individuals was no small matter. He had dyed for six years and had received countless death threats from unidentified sources.Just a few days ago, a military-grade bomb was discovered near his residence. Its origins were unknown, and although the bomb squad had been involved, the case ultimately went unresolved.


    The perpetrators had made their stance clear¡ªit was the work of the Trinbrian District. But that area was a fortress of vice, so well-defended that even the regr army hesitated to intervene.


    If something were to happen to him, the culprits could easily slip back into the Trinbrian District, where no one would risk investigating for the sake of a dead man.


    Caught between his own life and career prospects, President Derlin was torn. Even his so-called team of elite advisors couldn¡¯t offer a viable solution.


    Just as his recurring migraines began to surface again, the door to his office was pushed open.


    A robust middle-aged Riken man with a stern face strode in. His upright posture and vigorous stride revealed him to be a military man.


    ¡°President Derlin, pardon my intrusion.¡±


    ¡°General Monroe, what urgent matter brings you here today?¡± President Derlin thought to himself that someone who imed to understand etiquette would have made an appointment. But with someone like General Monroe, there was no need for excessive pleasantries. Getting straight to the point was more effective, which suited Monroe¡¯s personality perfectly.


    True to form, General Monroe nodded. A slight smile appeared on his chiseled blue face, as he too disliked idle chit-chat. President Derlin¡¯s straightforwardness earned his approval.


    General Monroe nced at the secretary, Ram, who had followed him into the room.


    ¡°President, General, I¡¯ll go prepare some refreshments for you,¡± Ram offered tactfully, using the excuse to leave the room and close the door behind him.


    ¡°President Derlin, here¡¯s a file for you to review,¡± General Monroe said, cing a folder on the President¡¯s desk.


    President Derlin picked up the document and nced at it. ¡°The ¡®Cat¡¯s Ear n¡¯?¡±


    Flipping through it casually, he realized it was a n from nearly a century ago. His memories began to stir¡ªhe had been young then and vaguely recalled such a project.


    At the time, leveraging the Riken¡¯s cutting-edge technology, a spaceship had beenunched toward a neighboring star system. Its exact mission had not been disclosed to the public, only that it was searching for potentially habitables.


    The crew aboard had beenuded as heroes by the media, celebrated as the first colonial pioneers to leave their home star system. Everyone dreamed of discovering a new habitable to expand the Riken territory.


    But as years passed, public interest waned. With the project managed by the military, no updates ever surfaced, and eventually, people forgot about it.


    Even he, the President, had not recalled it until seeing this file.


    ¡°Energy bursts of non-natural origin detected?¡± As he continued reading, his expression grew increasingly grave.


    ¡°Communication logs? Discovery of mysterious lifeforms capable of conducting nuclear fusion reactions within their bodies? Creatures that could unleash energy sts to trigger nuclear explosions?¡± Each question from him was more incredulous than thest. Finally, he looked up sharply. ¡°General Monroe, are you trying to pitch me a movie script? Parliament doesn¡¯t handle that. You should go to a film studio. They¡¯d love this¡ªit¡¯s a great story. I waspletely engrossed.¡±


    General Monroe shook his head, his voice calm. ¡°This is theplete record of the Cat¡¯s Ear n from the past ny years. Every word is genuine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not joking?¡± President Derlin remained skeptical. The ims in the file were utterly astonishing, and anyone would struggle to ept them at face value.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯te all this way to waste your time. I¡¯m busy too.¡± General Monroe¡¯s tone was unwavering.


    President Derlin stared into General Monroe¡¯s eyes, and Monroe returned the gaze without flinching. After several seconds, the President finally looked down again to review the file.


    He saw the seriousness in General Monroe¡¯s demeanor. This was no joke.


    ¡°If this is true, it¡¯s a monumental discovery. But can we trust the data from the ship? It¡¯s just fragments of a report.¡±


    General Monroe nodded, then produced a miniature storage device from his pocket and handed it over. ¡°View this. It self-deletes after one viewing.¡±


    President Derlin chuckled and shook his head. ¡°Is that necessary? This office has the highest level of security.¡±


    Seeing Monroe¡¯s silence, he sighed and plugged the device into hisputer. Momentster, the device initiated yback.


    The footage showed Godzi emerging from the water, with Riken forces intercepting it. Conventional weapons were ineffective. A nuclear missile wasunched, but Godzi retaliated amidst the smoke and debris, unleashing energy sts that obliterated the artillery before retreating into the sea.

 Chapter 228: Negotiations

    ¡°This is real?¡± After watching the video, President Derlin rubbed his face. The scenes were like something out of a science fiction movie. To be told they were real was hard to ept.


    ¡°Doubt is normal. We, too, questioned the authenticity of the footage at first. However, after rigorous expert analysis, there were no traces of tampering or post-production. Moreover, the video contained the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡¯s AI, Celia¡¯s verification code, confirming its authenticity.¡±


    ¡°What can it bring us?¡±


    ¡°A lot.¡±


    ¡°For instance?¡±


    ¡°We formed an expert team that studied the footage and data transmitted by the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship. Usingputer simtions, we reconstructed the ecosystem of T853. Except for this creature, all other lifeforms perfectly fit into the ecosystem,¡± General Monroe paused before continuing:


    ¡°Thus, this creature wasn¡¯t born within the current ecological environment. It might have originated in an earlier era of T853¡¯s ecological cycle, or it could be from elsewhere. After careful calctions, we lean towards the former because the creature¡¯s disyed capabilities don¡¯t suggest it has interster travel potential.¡±


    ¡°So, we theorize it¡¯s a super-ancient species¡ªa living fossil.¡± General Monroe stopped suddenly, fixing his gaze on President Derlin. After ensuring the President¡¯s full attention, he resumed, ¡°And its body may hold the secret to immortality.¡±


    President Derlin began to understand why the military was treating this so cautiously. The implications were indeed earth-shattering. His breathing quickened.¡°Then why have youe to me? Apart from discussing military budgets, I can hardly offer you much help.¡± Derlin¡¯s feelings wereplicated. Though Riken technology had advanced rapidly over the past century, even if he served a full term as President, he only had about 20 years left in office.


    Once he retired, his influence would fade. Even if significant discoveries were made on T853, he would have little chance of securing a share of the spoils.


    Yet, since Monroe had approached him and shared such ssified information, there must be a role for him to y. The question was what price Monroe would offer.


    ¡°We need to organize arge-scale expedition to the T85 Star System.¡±


    ¡°Large-scale? Howrge?¡±


    ¡°A million strong.¡±


    President Derlin nearly fell out of his chair. ¡°How many?¡±


    ¡°Mr. President, you heard correctly. The military intends to organize an expedition of one million personnel,¡± General Monroe said calmly, unbothered by the President¡¯s shock. After all, he had reacted simrly when he first learned of the number.


    ¡°This is impossible. Considering the creature¡¯s disyed capabilities, a single 300-meter standard-ss battleship would suffice. It doesn¡¯t warrant an expedition of this scale!¡± Derlin snapped, ¡°You¡¯re delusional. Even if I agreed, the council would never approve, and the citizens would never ept it.¡±


    A million-person expedition was an astronomical endeavor. Even without an economics background, Derlin understood the financial implications.


    Even if the council approved, taxpayers would storm the capitol.


    This n was utterly unrealistic.


    ¡°Don¡¯t dismiss it so quickly, Mr. President. In the current context, it¡¯s indeed unfeasible. But what if the aliens strike first, and we¡¯re forced to retaliate?¡±


    ¡°Are you nning to fabricate an alien civilization?¡± Derlin began considering the feasibility of such a ruse but still found the likelihood of sess low.


    ¡°Not fabricate. Mr. President, please review this additional footage and data.¡±


    Monroe produced another miniature storage device, leaving Derlin speechless. Taking the device, he plugged it into hisputer, and audio and video began ying.


    The video was fragmented, appearing to have been heavily edited. It showed the Swarm attacking the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, along with Captain Reggie exhausting the ship¡¯s power reserves to transmit some final messages.


    ¡°This is¡­?¡± In the video, Derlin barely recognized Captain Reggie and Chief Science Officer Lute, their identities clear only because of the prior footage. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have recognized them as they belonged to a bygone era.


    ¡°This is thest footage transmitted by the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship. Much of the data was lost, so it has been edited to include all decipherable visuals,¡± Monroe said, his tone grave. ¡°The footage suggests that an alien force attacked them and intercepted their transmissions. The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship likely met a grim fate.¡±


    ¡°Are you certain?¡±


    Monroe nodded firmly.


    ¡°Was it a native T85 civilization or outsiders that attacked the spaceship?¡±


    ¡°That remains unclear, but it¡¯s most likely a hidden native force. Their need for a sneak attack suggests their technological level is significantly below ours. Military strategists believe they pose little threat and that arge-scale expedition could easily subdue them.¡±


    ¡°But attacking our spaceship alone isn¡¯t enough to justify a million-person expedition. The public won¡¯t support it,¡± Derlin said. Losses in a distant star system would hardly resonate with the Riken people. Convincing them to tighten their belts to fund an expeditionary fleet seemed nearly impossible.


    ¡°They will agree, but it will require some maneuvering. When the timees, we¡¯ll need your full support, Mr. President.¡±


    Seeing Derlin¡¯s hesitation, Monroe added, ¡°Rest assured, Mr. President. We have many allies. Keep in mind, there¡¯s a habitable there. With minor modifications, it could support Riken life. It¡¯s unimed territory¡ªyou understand the implications?¡±@@novelbin@@


    Derlin felt a jolt of realization.


    A habitable? If the families and corporations learned of it, they would fight tooth and nail for their slice of this new frontier.


    It was a realm far from centralized control, where even the Federation¡¯s authority would be weak. The colony Riken had established decades ago on a neighboring was already experiencing independence movements, let alone a system so far removed.


    Fighting aliens and capturing ancient creatures were secondary; their true goal was to establish dominion. Derlin quickly grasped their intent.


    With this understanding, it was clear they had plenty of natural allies. However, a misstep could lead to irreparable disaster, leaving his name tarnished in history. But if he refused, he might not even remain in office for the next election.

 Chapter 231: Military Funding and Technological Surge

    With eloquence and historical references, President Derlin began by summarizing the Riken¡¯s development over time. He then addressed the grave challenge they now faced.


    This was different from the past.


    Previous wars had been internal conflicts. Even in defeat, there was always a retreat.


    But this time, it was a war against an alien species. Failure could mean the extinction of their entire race.


    ¡°In a broken nest, no egg is left intact.¡±


    He emphasized that there was no room for wishful thinking. This war against the aliens must be fought and won decisively, ideally with a single, crushing blow to eliminate the enemy entirely.


    After rousing the popce to a state of unified indignation, Derlin shifted the discussion to the critical issue at hand: money.


    Wars required funding¡ªan immense amount of it.


    A regr war demanded a colossal starting budget.But this was no ordinary war; it was an interster expedition, a sh of civilizations.


    The required resources would reach astronomical levels.


    The Federation government alone could not shoulder such an enormous burden.


    However, this war concerned everyone. Whether for themselves, their families, or their race, every Riken citizen had a duty to support the expedition.


    In closing, President Derlin called on everyone to contribute to the cause, urging them to donate whatever they could afford toward military funding.


    Of course, voluntary contributions wouldn¡¯t suffice.


    The Federation Parliament seized the opportunity to introduce a wartime tax, imposed on all citizens.@@novelbin@@


    Under normal circumstances, such a measure would never pass. Even if it did, the enraged popce would likely raze the parliamentary building. But at this moment, the timing was impable. Amid widespread fury, dissenting voices were drowned out. Media narratives cast opposition as treason against the species.


    Thus, the tax was smoothly implemented.


    Simultaneously, major corporations and prominent families made substantial donations.


    As staggering sums were publicized, many Riken citizens, initially grumbling about the war tax, were stunned. They couldn¡¯t understand why these typically stingy entities were now so generous. Were they truly acting out of a newfound sense of responsibility?


    Regardless, the wave of donations spurred a nationwide trend. With subtle guidance from various factions, the movement grew until it reached a point where donating less became a source of embarrassment.


    The vast funds amassed were safeguarded with an iron hand. Anyone attempting to misappropriate funds was swiftly eliminated. Every credit was allocated to military development.


    For the first time, all financial records were made public. The transparency of fund usage far surpassed any previous project. Citizens were delighted to see the government genuinely taking action. Alongside their praise for the current administration, they spected that the crisis might be more severe than it seemed.


    This spection sparked yet another donation surge.


    The Riken star system, known to the Swarm as the M37 Star System,prised tens. The Riken home was the fourth, apanied by two moons.


    A century ago, before theunch of the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, the Riken had established their first space city on the primary moon. Over time, this moon evolved into their first colony.


    Not long after the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship departed, construction began on the second moon.


    While building the third space city on the second moon, the Riken made a shocking discovery:


    They unearthed a spaceship.


    This vessel, over 500 meters long, was made of an unknown metal. Geological analysis suggested it had been buried for tens of thousands of years.


    Though its origin remained a mystery, its long abandonment indicated it was unimed.


    After years of effort, the Riken finally breached the ship¡¯s doors. Its defensive systems had long been deactivated due to energy depletion.


    It was a windfall straight out of a novel.


    The ship¡¯s technology was leagues ahead of the Riken¡¯s. Reverse-engineering its equipment spurred unprecedented advancements.


    In just a few decades, their technological capabilities had multiplied several times over.


    For instance, where earlier spacecraft relied on sr sails and prolonged eleration to achieve one-tenth light speed, new propulsion engines could easily reach that speed. Thetest engines even achieved one-fifth light speed.


    With these new engines, journeys to the neighboring star system now took only twenty years.


    This rapid progress allowed the Riken to terraform the third in the newly named Cloud Return Star System into their third colony, maintaining firm control over it.


    Currently, orbiting the fifth in the same system¡ªdesignated the Riven¡ªnumerous spaceyards had beenpleted.


    Construction on these yards had started over a decade ago, around the time the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship neared the Neighboring Star System and detected Godzi¡¯s thermonuclear breath.


    It seemed preparations for this operation had begun long ago. Perhaps the previous President had been involved. Even without the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship incident, they might have fabricated a different pretext to achieve simr goals.


    If Luo Wen were here, he would undoubtedly quip, ¡°That¡¯s absolutely right.¡± After all, Swarm meteors had only recently departed from the Neighboring Star System, traveling just one light-year.


    They still required decades to reach the Riken system. The Riken¡¯s fabricated asteroid strikes were essentially a form of ¡°Fraud.¡± using the Swarm¡¯s tactics.


    Their maneuvering, however, had hit the mark. Yet one had to wonder how they would react upon discovering a genuine biological civilization in the Neighboring Star System,plete with bio-weaponsparable to or even surpassing Godzi.


    Their response would likely be quite¡­ visceral.


    The once-quiet Cloud Return Star System now bustled with activity. Ships from countless corporations, organizations, and individuals arrived to sell asteroids to the spaceyards.


    To these capital-driven entities, the vast war funds represented a feast. No one wanted to miss the opportunity to im a share.


    Asteroids were melted in space foundries, their metal extracted using maic fields. The molten material was cast into modules and parts, which were then assembled into various spacecraft.


    With the collective effort of over ten billion Riken citizens, warships of all sizes were rapidly constructed, delivered to the military, and staffed for training.


    Time passed. Amid this, President Derlin crushed all opposition to secure a second term in office.

 Chapter 236: Investigation

    However, such ambushes could only eliminate ordinary patrol squads, essentially expendable units. Expecting this strategy to deal a significant blow to the Riken forces was nothing short of a pipe dream.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen never held high expectations for this operation. The main objective was to instill fear, making the Rikens realize that the wilderness was dangerous and discouraging them from recklessness.


    As long as they adopted caution, Luo Wen¡¯s goal of buying time would be achieved. This buffer would allow him to gather as much intelligence as possible about the Riken forces.


    Minutester, a bright light appeared in the distant sky, rapidly approaching. A ten-meter-long transport ship hovered over Kaida Squad¡¯s former encampment.


    The ship¡¯s floodlights illuminated the ground below, turning the area into a ring white field. However, Kaida¡¯s squad was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Calling Corporal Kaida. This is transport ship YS2315, dispatched to assist you. Please respond.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Captain, no response from the ground.¡±


    ¡°Switch to broadcast and try again.¡±¡°But that will reveal our position.¡±


    ¡°Are you stupid? Anyone with eyes can see our floodlights from miles away.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After broadcasting several more calls without sess, a crew member suggested, ¡°Captain, they¡¯re still not responding. Should we head down and check?¡±


    ¡°If you want to die, be my guest. Report this tomand.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir¡­¡±


    Inside the newly constructed fortress city.


    ¡°Lieutenant Colonel Cross, YS2315 has reported arriving at the designated area but found no trace of the patrol squad. They¡¯re requesting further instructions,¡± amunications officer ryed.


    ¡°Have them gain altitude and stand by. Do notnd until further notice,¡± replied Cross, a female Riken officer in a high-ranking uniform.


    After issuing themand, she wearily rubbed her temples. This wasn¡¯t the only missing patrol squad. From the moment Kaida Squad¡¯s distress call came in, she¡¯d felt something was amiss.


    Even though the scheduled check-in time hadn¡¯t yet arrived, she ordered all patrol squads to report their status immediately.


    Her suspicions were soon confirmed.


    Of the 50 patrol squads under hermand, 21 had gone missing¡ªover half. This realization left her shaken. Initially, she hoped the¡¯s environment was causing some kind of interference with theirmunications equipment.


    But when she dispatched all 10 avable transport ships to investigate, the news they brought back shattered her hopes. It wasn¡¯t interference¡ªthe patrol squads had genuinely disappeared.


    Cross had only recently been promoted to her position and now faced this disastrous start. Despite her reluctance, she had no choice but to report the situation truthfully.


    Failure to act promptly, or worse, concealing such critical intelligence, could not only cost her rank butnd her in a military tribunal.


    On a Riken warship orbiting the Great Dawn.


    ¡°Major General Porter, reports from all bases indicate varying degrees of losses among their patrol squads. So far, we have no information on what¡¯s attacking them,¡± a staff officer summarized.


    Major General Porter was an elderly male Riken, his height barely reaching 1.8 meters, with a slightly hunched posture¡ªhighly unusual among his kind. That someone with such physical limitations had risen to the rank of general spoke volumes about his capabilities.


    ¡°Deploy our special operations teams to investigate these attacks. It¡¯s fortunate that Cross took the initiative, despite her earlier mistakes. At least greater losses were avoided. Replenish her personnel and consider this a wash,¡± Porter said, stroking his chin with an air of calm that betrayed no concern for his subordinates¡¯ setbacks.


    At the ground base.


    ¡°Seriously? Such good fortune?¡± Cross muttered, her brow furrowed as she looked at the newly arrived reinforcements brought by the transport ships. However, upon hearing that other bases had suffered even greater losses, she understood why Porter had made this arrangement.


    By now, the sky was beginning to lighten. High above Kaida Squad¡¯s former location, a rescue team that had been circling all night finally received reinforcements.


    Five small gunboats and three transport ships approached¡ªa special operations team akin to the elite guards once assigned to the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship. A century of technological advancements had rendered their equipment even more sophisticated.


    ¡°Calling transport ship YS2315, this is Special Operations Team TZ091. Please respond,¡± amunications officer hailed, transmitting an identification code as a precautionary measure, even though only Riken ships existed in this region.


    ¡°This is YS2315. How can we assist?¡± The transport ship¡¯s crew verified the code before responding.


    ¡°Have you detected anything unusual during your watch?¡±


    ¡°We followed orders and activated all monitoring equipment but found nothing abnormal.¡±


    ¡°Understood. We¡¯ll take over from here. You¡¯re cleared to leave.¡±


    ¡°Thank heavens. Finally, we can retreat. Good luck out there, guys.¡± With that, the transport ship¡¯s engines roared to life, swiftly departing.


    Watching the transport ship recede into the distance, a member of the special operations team clicked his tongue and muttered something before turning to their captain, a massive Riken male. ¡°Captain, what¡¯s the n?¡±


    ¡°Gunboats will provide overwatch from above. The rest of us will head down for a closer look. Have the ships keep their distance¡ªwe don¡¯t want them damaging the environment.¡±


    Soon, the three transport ships lowered to an altitude 500 meters away from the site. Hovering three meters above the ground, the special operations team disembarked directly, carrying their gear as they leapt out of the hatch without using ropes.


    Theirbat suits were far more advanced, equipped with rudimentary exoskeleton structures that granted them immense strength and agility. Carrying 50 to 100 kilograms of equipment was no challenge, even when jumping from a ship.


    The captain, towering at over 2.6 meters in hisbat suit, was thest to disembark. The suit¡¯s bulk made most of the team appear simrly massive, with heights averaging 2.5 meters, and two members approaching 2.7 meters.


    He crouched slightly to absorb the impact of hisnding, then stood upright, scanning the surroundings. After quickly counting the 30 team members, he gestured for the transport ships to ascend as the squad fanned out.


    Unlike the greenhorns in the patrol squads, these special operations soldiers were seasoned veterans, selected for their experience. They moved with precision and cohesion, needing minimalmands to position themselves effectively.


    The team advanced in a dispersed formation, maintaining vignce and mutual cover.


    ¡°Keep an eye out for anything unusual.¡±


    Unfortunately, when the squad reached the patrol site, they found no discernible traces.


    ¡°Strange. The operations tform is still here, but the personnel are gone. Search in groups of three, and report any findings immediately.¡±@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 238: Major Operation

    ¡°Captain, what¡¯s the order frommand?¡±


    ¡°All units are to return to the transport ships, ascend to higher altitude, and stand by. Keep an eye out for anything emerging from the cave.¡±


    ¡°Phew, I was really worried the officers would order us to head down there,¡± one soldier said with a relieved sigh, a smile spreading across his face.


    ¡°Hah, you coward.¡±


    ¡°Tch, then why don¡¯t you go down? I¡¯ll cover you from up here.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, unauthorized action is grounds for a court-martial.¡±


    The special operations team had barely boarded their transport ship when two gunboats arrived in the distance. Several incendiary rounds wereunched near the cave entrance, igniting a roaring fire.


    Thick ck smoke rose into the air as the mes cleared a three-kilometer radius, reducing the tall grass to ashes and leaving a charred, barrenndscape. The previously obstructed view was now open and unobstructed.


    ¡°Captain, what are they doing?¡± A member of Team TZ091, still on standby over the cave, asked in confusion as they watched.The captain shook his head. His rank wasn¡¯t high enough to be privy to the full n.


    ¡°Looks likemand is gearing up for something big. They¡¯re clearing the field,¡± another soldier interjected.


    ¡°Tch, I can see that too. But do you know what this big move is?¡±


    ¡°Haha, just look at this grass¡ªso tall and thick¡ª¡±


    Shortly after the fire subsided, a fleet of various ships appeared on the horizon. This time, their numbers were overwhelming¡ªdozens of vessels, including over 20 transport ships and more than 40 gunboats.


    ¡°Calling TZ091, this is TZ083,¡± came a sudden voice over themunicator.


    ¡°This is TZ091, go ahead,¡± replied the soldier handling the transmission, ncing at the captain for confirmation.


    ¡°Haha, is your captain Winter there?¡± The tone turned rough and familiar.


    The captain tapped themunicator operator on the shoulder and took the mic. ¡°Mana? Is that you?¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s me! Bet you didn¡¯t expect this¡ªI got promoted. I¡¯m now the captain of TZ083, with a higher number than you.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions! We haven¡¯t met since we left Riken. When this mission¡¯s over, drinks are on me.¡± Winter and Mana were long-time friends but had been separated since departing their homeworld, assigned to different ships. Reconnecting now was a wee surprise.


    ¡°Sounds good! But be careful this time¡ªyou don¡¯t want to end up in a bad spot.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do you have insider info?¡±


    After a brief pause, Mana replied, ¡°It¡¯s not ssified, so I suppose I can share. Want to know how I became captain?¡±


    Winter was puzzled. Mana had been a deputy before they left¡ªhow had he suddenly been promoted? Out of respect for their friendship, he didn¡¯t ask outright, but Mana brought it up anyway.


    Before Winter could respond, Mana continued, ¡°We were also sent to investigate missing patrol squads. Found a cave, just like you did. The previous captain insisted on going down despite the risks. None of them came back. We even lost a dozen men. That¡¯s how I ended up as captain.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Winter was speechless at the sheer brutality of the exnation. He felt a chill thinking about how close he hade to the same fate. Shaking off the thought, he asked, ¡°Do you know what the current mission is?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been briefed yet?¡±


    ¡°Nope, just told to hold position and maintain vignce.¡±


    ¡°Probably because the orders haven¡¯t been fully disseminated yet. Since we¡¯re on the same mission, I¡¯ll give you the scoop.¡±


    Winter¡¯s lips twitched in hesitation. Should Mana really be sharing this? But before he could protest, Mana borated, ¡°See all those ships? They¡¯re special ops teams, just like us. Command sent them to lead the charge. The main force is still en route from orbit and will take some time to get here.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°What¡¯s this big move?¡± Winter couldn¡¯t help his curiosity.


    ¡°Something major, for sure. Word is, it¡¯s a deployment of over ten thousand troops.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand? Is the area below really that dangerous?¡±


    ¡°No idea how dangerous it is. The problem is that it¡¯s too narrow down there. Arge force would be useless. That¡¯s why they¡¯re sending engineers to dig out the caves. We¡¯re just here for cover, so it shouldn¡¯t be too risky.¡±


    ¡°Sounds manageable.¡±


    Soon, the main force arrived. Hundreds of transport ships and gunboats descended en masse. Large metal modules andponents, slung beneath transport ships, were dropped onto the scorched ground.


    From several 50-meter-long heavy transport ships emerged engineering vehicles, apanied by thousands ofbat engineers from smaller transport ships. They began rapidly assembling equipment.


    Meanwhile, 5,000 soldiers secured the perimeter, erecting makeshift fortifications around the construction site. The cave entrance received special attention, with numerousndminesid in the vicinity.


    From their vantage point in orbit, the Rikenmanders monitored the operation via the observation systems on the ships and soldiers¡¯ terminals.


    ¡°Are we sure this isn¡¯t a hidden civilization?¡± one captain asked skeptically. Despite earlier theories about ancient creatures, the possibility of a subterranean society couldn¡¯t be entirely dismissed.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. We¡¯re deliberately making a spectacle at the cave entrance. If they were intelligent, they wouldn¡¯t tolerate this provocation,¡± someone countered. The construction site below was a trap; any emergence would be met by the fleet of gunboats hidden in the skies.


    ¡°On the contrary, the ability to endure such a tant disturbance suggests intelligence. Beasts would haveshed out by now,¡± another captain argued.


    ¡°Good point,¡± another officer agreed.


    ¡°But wild animals also know to avoid danger. Faced with a superior threat, they might choose to retreat,¡± someone retorted.


    Due to the mechanized nature of Riken¡¯s homeworld, wild animals had nearly gone extinct. The few that survived were kept in artificial reserves, long removed from their natural behaviors. As such, the Rikens¡¯ understanding of wildlife was based on books and videos, leaving room for spection.


    ¡°Enough arguing. We¡¯ll know soon. Since thest attack urred at night, have the soldiers remain vignt after dark.¡±

 Chapter 241: Research

    The Raiders were ultimately just low-tier cannon fodder. After catching the Riken soldiers off guard initially, the weaknesses of a single-unit assault force became increasingly apparent.


    The gunships in the sky soon locked onto the tunnels from which the Raiders were emerging. Concentrated fire rained down, scorching the ground with thick red energy beams, obliterating countless Raiders before they even had the chance to surface.


    The Raiders already on the ground found themselves without reinforcements and with no path of retreat. Though they had inflicted considerable casualties, their numbers dwindled rapidly under the soldiers¡¯ firepower.


    For over a century, the Rikens appeared to have devoted most of their research efforts to ship engines and rted technologies. While energy weapon lethality had not improved significantly, firing rates had increased substantially, aided by advanced targeting and locking systems. Against such firepower, the remaining Raiders quickly sumbed.


    After the battle, thendy in ruins. Many of theponents and equipment that had been transported and assembled were destroyed. The soldiers couldn¡¯t focus on safeguarding the materials duringbat, and the Raiders themselves had utilized these metallic constructs as cover¡ªwhat better bullet shields than sturdy machinery?


    Post-battle statistics revealed approximately 500 tons of irreparably damaged metal materials, which could not be replenished quickly. The battle had also cost the Rikens over a thousand soldiers, 80% of whom were killed outright, demonstrating the Raiders¡¯ high lethality.


    The Rikenmanders were somewhat relieved, however, that most of the casualties were inexperienced recruits. The special operations forces, busy manning the gunships, emerged unscathed. Moreover, the surviving recruits began transforming into hardened veterans, with noticeable improvements inbat effectiveness.


    In total, over 5,000 Raiders were killed during the engagement, most of them obliterated before reaching the surface. Had all of them emerged, Riken casualties would have been at least double.


    Both sides revealed a bit of their hand during the battle, though the Swarm took a slight loss. The Rikens¡¯ tactics and technology werergely what the Swarm had already expected. Conversely, the Raiders lost their mystique, greatly diminishing their intimidation factor.During the post-battle video conference:


    ¡°Gentlemen, the dissection report on the Insectoid Swarm has been distributed. Let¡¯s have Dr. Balt deliver a briefing,¡± began General Masai.


    Dr. Balt, the rare Riken biologist, exined, ¡°From the data, the Swarm¡¯s internal circtory, digestive, and nervous systems closely resemble those of the surface creatures we¡¯ve previously captured. While there are minor differences, these can likely be attributed to variations in survival era or environment. This rules out the possibility of the Swarm being an alien species¡ªthey are clearly native to this.¡±


    The attendees nodded. Although not all were experts, no one had reached their current rank without a solid grasp of basic analysis.


    ¡°So, these creatures are not the same species that attacked the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°Definitely not. These Swarm creaturesck the physiological adaptations required for survival in space.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± a ship captain interjected. ¡°We¡¯ve only identified three varieties so far. Couldn¡¯t there be a strain adapted to space?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Evolution doesn¡¯t work that way. A single species cannot exhibit such extreme divergence,¡± Dr. Balt asserted firmly. ¡°The Swarm¡¯s physiology is unremarkable aside from their unique forelimbs. These adaptations fall far short of what¡¯s needed for survival in space. Suggesting otherwise is absurd.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough, I¡¯ll defer to the expert,¡± the captain conceded, realizing his question might have been na?ve.


    The discussion shifted to practical matters.


    ¡°This battle revealed some of their secrets, but it hasn¡¯t improved our situation. They can emerge from underground at will, but we can¡¯t remain on high alert constantly,¡± a strategist observed.


    ¡°Agreed. Without knowing their exact numbers or devising effective countermeasures, our ground bases remain in significant danger.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a major problem,¡± Dr. Balt interjected. ¡°These creatures have very specific environmental requirements. Just as we can¡¯t breathe directly on the surface of T853, once we terraform the atmosphere to suit the Riken physiology, these native creatures will struggle to survive.¡±


    ¡°Understood. So, the challenge now is defending against their attacks during the terraforming process.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, but the terraforming project spans decades, possibly centuries, involving base construction, space habitats, and environmental modification,¡± another officer added.


    ¡°Dr. Balt, are there alternative solutions?¡± asked a captain.


    ¡°Perhaps. We might develop a specialized toxin targeting their respiratory and nervous systems. This would require extensive experimentation, but it likely wouldn¡¯t take decades,¡± Dr. Balt replied thoughtfully.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll rely on you. Until then, we¡¯ll have to bolster our defenses against the Swarm.¡±


    ¡°Any further questions orments?¡± General Masai asked.


    A strategist raised his hand. ¡°General, I have one concern. Does the Swarm exhibit intelligence?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s something I¡¯ve wondered about myself,¡± a captain replied. ¡°Their ambush on the patrol disyed precise coordination, suggesting higher intelligence. But today¡¯s battle seemed to show them acting more like beasts.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps their earlier actions were merely instinctive?¡± another strategist spected.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible,¡± another captain agreed. ¡°I¡¯ve doubted from the start that such primitive creatures could coordinate on a global scale.¡±


    Dr. Balt added, ¡°One more point: these Swarm specimensck organs for long-rangemunication or even basic vocalization. However, we captured a few live specimens for study. Observing their behavior, I discovered they use rapid limb strikes and friction to produce sounds,bined with pheromones, tomunicate.¡±


    He paused before continuing. ¡°We might exploit this trait. If we decode the meaning of their sounds and pheromones, we could disrupt their coordination¡ªor even drive them to attack one another.¡±


    ¡°An excellent idea. But you¡¯re saying global coordination isn¡¯t feasible for them?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Correct. In simple terms, while these Swarm creatures are the same species, they don¡¯t belong to the same hive.¡±

 Chapter 243: A Shift in Tactics

    The Swarm creatures in the pit, shielded by the bodies of theirrades, pressed forward relentlessly under heavy fire, inching closer to the pit¡¯s edge.


    ¡°Deploy heavy firepower support! Deploy the methrowers!¡± ordered the fieldmander, calm despite the situation.


    The gunboats, already primed, unleashed thicker, more intense red energy beams, bombarding the Swarm below. Along the pit¡¯s edge, heavily armored methrower troops advanced, directing streams of fuel downward. With the help of elerants, roaring mes erupted, incinerating the leading Swarm creatures. Some fell off the walls, while others burned as they clung to the dirt.


    Combined with the aerial bombardment, the assault was repelled, driving the Swarm back into their tunnels.


    The day passed in cycles of attack and defense. Though the Swarmunched several charges, they achieved no significant breakthroughs. In the end, they retreated to their burrows, signaling the battle¡¯s conclusion.


    This skirmish dealt a heavy blow to the Swarm, leaving tens of thousands of carcasses behind. Conversely, the Rikens suffered no fatalities, with only minor injuries, most caused by friendly fire. This victory marked an overwhelming sess.


    To celebrate, the Rikens held a small feast. Special forces hunted over a hundred Bull Demons, which were prepared for the event. Every participant in the construction andbat efforts had their fill¡ªa rare treat of natural meat that many Rikens had never tasted in their lifetimes.


    Time flew, and by the third night, the pit had deepened to 70 meters and expanded to nearly a square kilometer in area. That evening, the Swarmunched another suicidal charge. However, the seasoned and well-prepared Riken troops easily repelled the attack, incinerating and obliterating countless Swarm creatures. This time, there was no panic among the ranks, nor even idental injuries.


    ¡°They seem to have exhausted their tactics,¡± a captainmented during a discussion, watching a live video feed.¡°What could you expect from low-level creatures?¡± another captain chuckled.


    ¡°True, we overestimated them at first.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Still, their numbers are surprising,¡± a strategist noted. ¡°Despite two days of heavy losses, their forces don¡¯t appear to have dwindled.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s indeed a concern. But as long as we proceed cautiously, we¡¯ll eventually dig our way to their main nest. Then, let¡¯s see where they can hide.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    One weekter, the pit was 300 meters deep and spanned three square kilometers. The Rikens unearthed and destroyed a vastwork of Swarm tunnels during this time.


    Attempts to explore the tunnels with ground teams werergely unsessful. In the confined, dark spaces, the elite soldiers were no match for the swift and deadly Raiders. Despite this, nightly battles in the pit resulted in the deaths of at least 100,000 Swarm creatures. Yet their numbers seemed endless.


    These nightly skirmishes became routine, an unspoken ritual of attack and defense.


    ¡°Their intelligence must be incredibly low. After all this time, they still don¡¯t realize this path is blocked,¡± remarked a strategist during a meeting.


    ¡°Do they think they can exhaust our ammunition supply?¡± someone joked.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± another chimed in. ¡°Dr. Balt did say their brain capacity is extremely small.¡±


    ¡°Still, it feels off.¡±


    ¡°Yes, how can they sustain such massive numbers? Howrge is their underground nest? What are they eating to maintain such a vast poption?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they farm their own food,¡± someoneughed. ¡°I once read about insects on our home that cultivated crops.¡±


    ¡°Or they could have additional tunnel exits. Their territory might be farrger than we imagine.¡±


    But events often change without warning.


    That day, as the construction crews continued excavation, a sudden attack broke out. The Swarm surged from the tunnels in a frenzy. Although the instruments provided an early warning, the creatures moved too quickly. The Rikens, lulled intocency by the previous days¡¯ ¡°routine,¡± had left their daytime defensesx.


    The Swarm broke into the worksite, ughtering numerous Rikens before the defenders could react. By the time the soldiers were ready to open fire, the Swarm had mingled with the workers. Firing would likely result in massive friendly fire casualties¡ªan uneptable risk.


    The soldiers had no choice but to engage in closebat, some even resorting to melee weapons.


    Perhaps emboldened by recent victories, the Rikens underestimated the Raiders¡¯ lethality, daring to face them up close. They were quickly reminded of the terror of the Raiders¡¯ rapid maneuvers and de-like forelimbs. The battlefield turned into a one-sided massacre, with the Rikens now the victims.


    In the end, the chaos was quelled¡ªnot because the Rikens repelled the Swarm, but because nearly every soldier and worker on-site had been killed. The Swarm¡¯s relentless onught left the pit strewn with Riken corpses.


    The Swarm then surged upward, charging toward the rim of the pit.


    Seeing the disaster unfold, themanding officer ordered an all-out assault, disregarding the few remaining survivors and machinery. Energy beams rained down, and dozens of incendiary bombs followed, setting the entire pit aze. In minutes, the Swarm was reduced to ash. Yet the creatures showed no fear, and as the mes subsided, they surged forward once more.


    ¡°Have they gone mad?¡± The captains and strategists convened for an emergency video meeting to watch the unfolding battle.


    ¡°They¡¯ve changed their behavior patterns,¡± one noted grimly.


    ¡°Could they have been feigning their routine to lull us intocency for this counterattack?¡±


    ¡°Unlikely,¡± Dr. Balt interjected. ¡°Their brain capacity doesn¡¯t support suchplex nning.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s causing this? Judging from the footage, our losses this time are catastrophic.¡±


    Indeed,cency had cost the Rikens dearly. The construction team and the closebat security forces were wiped out, and much of their machinery was destroyed in the ensuing bombardment and fires. The casualty count was expected to exceed ten thousand¡ªthe worst losses they had ever suffered.


    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ve finally reached their core,¡± Dr. Balt spected.

 Chapter 245: The Granary

    ¡°Ha! I thought they didn¡¯t need to eat, but look at all this stuff they¡¯ve hidden away,¡± one soldier remarked.


    ¡°Wow, this is a massive granary!¡± another eximed.


    As the team examined the white silk-wrapped bulges hanging from the ground, walls, and even the cavern¡¯s ceiling, a wave of curiosity rippled through the ranks.


    But then¡ª


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± A sudden scream shattered the air.


    Winter reacted instantly, sprinting over in a few strides.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he demanded. The screaming soldier wasn¡¯t from his squad but a regr guard unit, though his rank was significantly higher, giving him the authority to question the situation.


    ¡°Sir, there¡¯s someone inside,¡± the shaken soldier stammered, pointing at one of the silk-wrapped bulges. He had followed Winter¡¯s earlier example and sliced open a cocoon out of curiosity, only to be startled by what he saw.


    Judging by his reaction, he was still a rookie, with nerves that hadn¡¯t fully hardened despite priorbat experience.Winter leaned in and peered through the slit in the cocoon. Inside, a pair of wide, unblinking eyes stared back at him, unnervingly intense.


    Even Winter, with his steel nerves, was startled, stumbling back two steps beforeposing himself. Steeling his resolve, he approached again. This time, prepared for the sight, he looked more carefully and realized the cocoon held a Riken.


    The man¡¯s pale blue face looked deathly pale, and hisrge eyes conveyed aplex mix of terror, confusion, and relief. Winter marveled at how much emotion could be transmitted through a single gaze.


    The man¡¯s body was curled up within the cocoon. Whether it was due to the binding silk or some other reason, he remained motionless, even after being discovered. His lips were tightly sealed, giving him the appearance of a lifeless corpse¡ªif not for those vivid eyes.


    Winter immediately called over several teammates, and together they carefully cut open the cocoon, freeing the trapped Riken.


    Yet, despite the removal of the bindings, the man remained immobile.


    A special operations soldier used a handheld scanner, waving it over the man¡¯s face. Momentster, a string of information appeared.


    ¡°Captain, it¡¯s one of the missing patrolmen from the initial disappearance!¡± the soldier reported.


    Winter¡¯s eyes widened. Though he had suspected as much, confirming the man¡¯s identity still left him astonished. After all, nearly ten days had passed since the patrol had gone missing.


    ¡°Still alive after all this time? That¡¯s one lucky bastard,¡± Winter muttered. Surviving without food for so long bordered on miraculous.


    ¡°Carson, report back to the base immediately. Everyone else, carefully open the remaining cocoons. Be mindful¡ªthere could be more of ourrades inside,¡± Winter ordered.@@novelbin@@


    Carson, the team¡¯smunications specialist, slung his equipment and sprinted back along their entry route, adjusting his gear to check for signals as he ran. Thankfully, he managed to ry the message without incident once he cleared the maic interference zone. Upon receiving the update, Lieutenant Colonel Cross promptly escted the report.


    This was no longer an isted issue. Every ground base had experienced patrol disappearances. If even some of the missing personnel were still alive, the implications were grave.


    ¡°Cross, brief everyone on the situation,¡± General Masai said. Within minutes, an emergency video conference was convened. Thanks to the fleet¡¯s readiness, the captains and strategists were all standing by, allowing for such swift action.


    ¡°Everyone,¡± Cross began, ¡°a special operations team has discovered what appears to be an Insectoid Swarm granary. Inside, they found one of the missing patrolmen¡ªalive but immobilized and unable to speak for unknown reasons.¡±


    Her summary left the participants in a tense silence.


    ¡°Only one survivor?¡± a strategist finally asked.


    Cross shook her head. ¡°The situation on the ground isplex. Search and rescue operations are ongoing, butmunication remains hindered, so specifics are still unclear.¡±


    Silence fell again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll wait for further updates,¡± one captain sighed.


    Time passed asbat engineers worked to establish wired connections in the tunnels. Gradually, more footage and data streamed in, revealing massive subterranean chambers lined with white silk, cocoon-like bulges, and other eerie details.


    The initial survivor proved not to be alone. As rescue efforts continued, additional survivors were discovered. By the end of several hours, all the silk-wrapped pods¡ªincluding those hanging from the ceiling¡ªhad been opened with the aid of specialized equipment.


    In total, 112 survivors were rescued.


    This number was remarkable. Cross¡¯s base, which had been the first to detect anomalies, suffered the fewest losses. Out of the 21 patrol teams initially attacked¡ªeach consisting of ten members¡ªalmost half had been recovered alive.


    However, the discovery posed a new problem.


    For Cross, the rescue was a sess, reflecting well on hermand. But for other basemanders, the news was a headache.


    Most of the missing patrol members were rookies, but that didn¡¯t diminish the obligation to save them. Now that their survival was known, abandoning them was out of the question. Refusal to attempt rescue would be seen as heartless, ending anymander¡¯s career and risking bacsh. In the isted confines of an interster expedition, being ostracized by peers could be far more dangerous than any official punishment.


    Yet the logistics of rescue were daunting.


    It had taken nearly ten days of sustained effort to breach the granary. Replicating this feat at other Swarm nests wasn¡¯t feasible given the time constraints¡ªcaptives elsewhere likely couldn¡¯t survive for much longer. Slow, methodical digging would only doom them further.


    The only option was to send troops directly into the nests, fighting their way down as quickly as possible. But previous attempts to storm Swarm tunnels had resulted in heavy casualties. Now, they were expected to assault multiple unexplored nests simultaneously¡ªa daunting and perilous task.


    Although logic dictated that the captives be abandoned, such an act was unthinkable for a civilizationposed of sentient, empathetic individuals. The decision weighed heavily on the gatheredmanders, leaving the conference room in a pensive, oppressive silence.

 Chapter 248: Meaning

    Though it waste at night, the fifty-meter-tall floodlights at the camp illuminated the area as if it were daytime.


    ¡°Captain, while the other units are out fighting, we¡¯re stuck here guarding a pit. It¡¯s so boring,¡± one of Winter Squad¡¯s membersined. Originally under the directmand of Major General Porter, the squad had been assigned to investigate the disappearance of patrol teams. They remained at this location afterward.@@novelbin@@


    Later, when Major General Porter needed to replenish Lieutenant Colonel Cross¡¯s forces, the entire Winter Squad was reassigned under hermand. Overall, this reshuffle was highly beneficial for Cross. She had lost ordinary recruits, but the recements included a special forces team. Only her doting superiors would orchestrate such a maneuver.


    Additionally, the 100-plus personnel rescued from earlier operations were also ced under hermand, increasing the size of her forces rather than depleting them.


    For this current assault on other nests, Cross had to deploy forces in support. When her base¡¯s neighboring Swarm nest was attacked previously, other factions had lent their aid. Now that others needed assistance, she was duty-bound to reciprocate.


    Moreover, one of the nests targeted this time was assigned to her faction as the primary assault force.


    However, with only one elite special operations team at her disposal, Cross was reluctant to send them into a situation wheremand would be temporarily out of her hands. If they were deployed on the front lines and suffered casualties, it would be distressing. Even if they avoided serious injuries, minor harm would still weigh heavily on her.


    Thus, she sent out most of her regr troops, along with several gunships and transport ships, while leaving her base¡¯s defenses slightly undermanned. The nest near her base had been devastated and was unlikely to pose a threat in the short term, so the reduced defensive strength wasn¡¯t a major concern.


    Winter Squad, meanwhile, was assigned to guard the pit under the pretense that elite personnel were required to oversee such a critical location.¡°Come on, isn¡¯t being bored better than fighting bugs?¡± another squad member replied.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know¡ªyou¡¯re ustrophobic! No need to exin; we all get it. Haha!¡± someone teased.


    ¡°Shut it! You wanna fight me?¡±


    ¡°Bring it on! I¡¯m not scared.¡±


    Before long, the two soldiers were wrestling, their teammates cheering them on rather than intervening, stoking the skirmish with loud encouragement.


    Laughter echoed through the group.


    Winter watched his squad¡¯s antics without interfering. He understood that this assignment was a calcted move by their newmander to protect the special forces team. Despite the personnel reductions, the defensive structures hadn¡¯t been dismantled, and the tunnels were riddled with sensor mines.


    Moreover, since the nest¡¯s ¡°granary¡± had been breached, the Swarm hadn¡¯t made any further moves. Not a single bug had been spotted in the tunnels, likely having retreated after determining they were outmatched.


    With minimal pressure to defend, Winter allowed his team to rx and bond. He also took the opportunity to enjoy a rare moment of respite. After all, battles could erupt again at any moment.


    The Cross Base remained brightly lit, but with most of the troops either supporting operations elsewhere or guarding the pit, its defenses were rtively thin.


    Scattered groups of sentries patrolled the fortress-like structures, checking for damage to surveince equipment and chasing away wild animals.


    The surrounding grasnds were home to numerous wildlife species, and the asional bold creature would venture close to the massive fortification out of curiosity. Such creatures rarely returned after being enthusiastically ¡°invited¡± into the base by the Riken soldiers.


    In one shadowy corner, two sentries loitered in boredom.


    ¡°Hey, I heard you were captured by those bugs a while back,¡± one of them suddenly asked.


    The base was so understaffed that even maintaining sentry duties was a challenge. As a result, lightly injured personnel from previous battles were assigned to patrols.


    Injured soldiers weren¡¯t paired together, of course. As a healthy serviceman, he had been separated from his usual partner and assigned a new one¡ªa survivor of the Swarm¡¯s clutches. This new partner, though uninjured, had endured captivity. Now fully recovered, he was noticeably morebat-capable than most injured personnel.


    Curious about his partner¡¯s experience, the sentry hesitated briefly before finally asking.


    ¡°Ah, that was¡­ an unforgettable experience,¡± the new partner murmured, lost in thought. The sentry wondered if he had opened an old wound. Being powerless, waiting for death¡ªit must have been harrowing.


    His partner snapped out of his reverie, a strange smile crossing his face. ¡°You know what? In that ce, I discovered a new purpose for my existence.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The sentry was bewildered, unsure of what his partner meant. Could he have suffered some kind of brain damage? Overexposure to sedatives was said to cause cognitive issues. He decided to report this after their shift.


    ¡°I saw God. He is my new purpose,¡± the partner continued, his tone unsettling. The sentry regretted bringing up the topic.


    ¡°You okay? Should I take you to the medical bay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Better than ever, actually. Too bad¡ªyou¡¯ll never get to meet God.¡±


    ¡°What are you ta¡ª¡± The sentry¡¯s words were cut off as a razor-sharp appendage pierced his throat, blood sttering his breathing mask.


    Through the haze of pain and shock, he dimly heard his partner mutter, ¡°God has no use for the worthless¡­ I was just lucky.¡±


    His vision faded as consciousness left him. Behind him, a Raider with optical camouge emerged, its special adaptations shimmering.


    The Raider ignored the new partner and silently departed.


    Themlink crackled to life. ¡°Group Three, status report!¡±


    The new partner smiled faintly. ¡°Command center, this is Group Three. All clear.¡±


    Nearby, swarms of Raiders glided down from the night sky, evading the base¡¯s seismic sensors as theynded outside the fortress.


    Once on the ground, they moved with practiced ease, navigating the base¡¯s perimeter like it was their own territory.


    In no time, the sentries were systematically eliminated, each silenced before they could react. Any of the ¡°irregr¡± sentries who had outlived their usefulness were also quietly dispatched, leaving no trace of the breach.

 Chapter 250: Recommendations

    Unfortunately, things rarely go as hoped. While the reinforced doors did slow the Swarm¡¯s advance, it wasn¡¯t by much. Surveince cameras continued to ck out, albeit at a slightly slower pace than before.


    Moreover, the Swarm seemed rmingly familiar with the base¡¯s internalyout.


    By tracing the routes where cameras had gone offline, it became evident that the bugs were heading straight for themand center.


    Even when encountering base staff or scattered defensive personnel along the way, the Swarm paid them no heed. There were no deviations or detours in their march.


    Had this not been an interspecies war, Cross might have suspected an insider had leaked the base¡¯s schematics to the enemy.


    At their current speed, it wasn¡¯t a matter of holding out for thirty minutes. The bugs would reach her in ten minutes at most.


    The othermanders watching the surveince feed shared her grim expression. Though the Swarm¡¯s actions weren¡¯t beyond what they had disyed before, everything seemed unsettlingly deliberate.


    ¡°Cross, you must leave themand center immediately,¡± Major General Porter advised. ¡°Meanwhile, gather as many personnel as you can and organize a defense. Avoid the Swarm¡¯s route and hold out until reinforcements arrive.¡±


    As her elder, Porter¡¯s advice carried weight, and Cross took it seriously. After some consideration, she realized it was the best course of action for now.She granted full control of the base¡¯s defense systems to the AI, then began evacuating with themand center staff.


    Using the guidance of their personal terminals to avoid the Swarm, the group advanced through the base. Along the way, more personnel joined them.


    The current situation was unprecedented; the base had few remainingbat personnel. Even injured sentries had been pressed into duty earlier, underscoring the dire shortage of armed defenders.


    When she previously inquired with the surveince team, Cross learned that contact with all sentry squads had been lost. Judging by the Swarm¡¯s aggressive advance, their fates were likely sealed.


    Passing the medical bay, the group gained reinforcements. Aside from a few doctors and nurses, most were survivors rescued from the nests earlier.


    Some of them had been temporarily assigned to sentry duty, but many others were still recovering in the base due to slow physical recuperation.


    Though weakened from prolonged malnourishment and paralysis, andrgely consisting of raw recruits, these individuals had undergone basicbat training. Compared to the clerks and administrators apanying Cross, they were significantly more capable fighters.


    After stopping by an armory to pick up weapons, these reinforcements became the primarybat and security force for the group.


    Cross initially thought that using their superior knowledge of the base¡¯syout to y a game of cat and mouse with the Swarm would suffice until reinforcements arrived.


    Reality once again proved her wrong.


    After the wounded survivors joined her group, and she felt a brief surge of relief at gaining additional manpower, the bugs inexplicably seemed to locate her position. They stopped advancing toward themand center and instead redirected their assault toward her current location.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because therger group size made us easier to detect,¡± Cross spected. She had no idea how the Swarm had pinpointed her, but considering their means ofmunication through limb vibrations, it was likely their auditory systems were highly developed. The noise generated by so many people moving together could have given them away.@@novelbin@@


    It seemed the most usible exnation.


    With this in mind, she quickly instructed everyone to quiet their footsteps. Unfortunately, their location had already been exposed. Even though they reduced the noise, the Swarm continued advancing toward them.


    Cross¡¯s mind froze momentarily under the pressure, unable toe up with any viable solutions. Thankfully, with so many people around, someone still had their wits about them.


    As they marched, Cross shared their predicament with the group, hoping someone might have an effective suggestion.


    One of the wounded stepped forward hesitantly. Her adjutant moved to stop him, but Cross waved him off. She recognized this soldier.


    His name was Kaida, the patrol team leader who first raised the rm. Later, he was also the first survivor found in the ¡°granary.¡± Cross had always thought his luck was extraordinary¡ªotherwise, he¡¯d have been long dead.


    Since Kaida hade forward, he likely had something worthwhile to suggest. As an experienced veteran rather than a fresh recruit, his advice was worth considering, even if she didn¡¯t necessarily have to follow it.


    ¡°Commander, I rmend we head to the top-level hangar immediately,¡± Kaida suggested in a hushed tone. ¡°If we¡¯re cornered inside the base, we¡¯ll be in grave danger. The hangar likely still has transport or gunboats parked there. We can use them to escape into the air, out of the Swarm¡¯s reach.¡±


    Cross understood why Kaida spoke so quietly. With three to four hundred people in the group, there probably wouldn¡¯t be enough ships to carry everyone. It was inevitable that some would have to be left behind.


    Though this thought pained her, she had no other options. She chose to ignore the potential fallout.


    ¡°Do we have anyone who can pilot a ship?¡± she asked. Beyond the issue of capacity, finding someone to fly the ships was another concern. Clerks and medical staff weren¡¯t trained for such tasks.


    ¡°No problem,¡± Kaida replied confidently. ¡°We may not be able to executeplex maneuvers, but we can at least take off.¡±


    Cross nodded subtly. Taking off was enough. While the bugs could glide, they couldn¡¯t achieve sustained flight. Gaining altitude would mean safety.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the top-level hangar,¡± she ordered decisively, leading the group upward.


    They hadn¡¯t gone far when a muffled explosion rumbled from the base¡¯s lower levels. Momentster, the corridor lights flickered and went out, plunging them into darkness.


    Gasps and even some shrieks of panic erupted from the group, with a few female Riken sobbing softly in fear.


    ¡°Damn it! The bugs have sabotaged the base¡¯s power supply!¡± Cross eximed.


    She had already suspected this when she noticed one group of bugs diverting in a different direction earlier. Now, her fears were confirmed.


    Just as the lights diedpletely, they flickered back on, albeit dimmer. The base¡¯s backup power supply had activated.


    Before anyone could breathe a sigh of relief, another dull explosion echoed, and the corridor was once again plunged into darkness.


    This time, the ckout was total¡ªthe base only had a single backup generator, and it had been destroyed.


    The group, fully aware of this fact, descended into despair. Several of the more fragile-minded female Riken broke down into muffled sobbing.

 Chapter 252: The Escape

    Elsewhere, Lieutenant Colonel Cross and her adjutant, escorted by two patrol officers, hurried to a nearby gunboat. Just as she was about to climb aboard, she heard cries from behind her.


    It turned out that the ships were equipped with an ess control system. Normally, these could be unlocked remotely via the basework, but with the energy system disabled, the administrative and medical staffcked the required permissions to open the hatches.


    Cross paused, withdrawing her foot from the ship¡¯s steps. After a moment of deliberation, she gritted her teeth and turned to run toward the other ships, ignoring her adjutant¡¯s calls to stop.


    As the highest-ranking officer at the base, Cross had the authority to override all systems, but she needed to be physically close to the ships to do so.


    Fortunately, the ships were not too far apart, and the Swarm was pinned down at the hatch by the intense firepower of the wounded patrol team. They had switched their weapons to explosive energy mode, which caused unstable energy beams to detonate on impact.


    This mode, while less effective at prating the hatch, created a barrage that kept the Swarm at bay. The hatch held firm under the chaotic red energy sts, buying Cross precious time to unlock the other ships.


    Even so, the hole in the hatch was visibly expanding. Cross had to move faster.


    Luckily, despite her status as a ¡°connected¡± officer, she had genuine talent and was a graduate of an elitemand academy. Her physical conditioning was impable.


    Within two minutes, both the transport ships and gunboats began to lift off, and Cross returned to her original gunboat.Though she initially intended to board any avable ship, she changed her mind after seeing the pilots. Even if they were all novices, trained soldiers were undoubtedly more reliable than amateur enthusiasts.


    The ships were overcrowded. When Cross finally reached the gunboat, it was already packed with people. She managed to squeeze into the cockpit just as the ship began to take off.


    ¡°Have the exoskeleton team open the dome. Everyone, put on your breathing masks,¡± Kaida shouted, noticing that Cross had safely boarded her gunboat.


    Despite other officers present, no one challenged Kaida¡¯s authority. The exoskeleton-equipped team, along with several other personnel, rushed to a hidden panel on the wall, exposing a hydraulic mechanism.


    The mechanism, clearly not designed for frequent use, resisted even thebined strength of three exoskeleton suits. Slowly but steadily, the steel dome above the hangar began to split open.


    Impatience proved costly. One transport ship attempted to fly out prematurely, scraping against the dome and losing control. It wobbled erratically before crashing into a wall on the western side of the hangar and falling to the ground.


    Fortunately, the ship¡¯s altitude had been low, and Riken ships were built tough. The impact didn¡¯t cause significant damage to the vessel, but the pilot was likely incapacitated, as the ship remained grounded.


    This mishap sobered the other pilots, who waited for the dome to fully open. Once the gap was wide enough, the remaining ships surged upward.


    Unbeknownst to them, the Swarm had already surrounded the base, taking advantage of their ability to climb and cling to surfaces. The bugs had also stationed acid-spewing insects at the exits.


    As soon as the ships emerged, they were greeted by a barrage of acidic spray.


    This acid was highly effective against the ships¡¯ metallic exteriors. Within moments, the hulls were riddled with pitted holes that continued to expand as the acid corroded the material.


    However, the acid wasn¡¯t meant to breach the entire hull but to target criticalponents¡ªspecifically, the engines.


    The energy exhaust ports on the ships¡¯ undersides and tails were particrly vulnerable. Although some of the acid vaporized in the exhaust¡¯s heat, the engines weren¡¯t operating at full power yet, allowing enough acid to reach and damage them.


    Soon, the engines began to fail, with some even exploding. One by one, the ships were crippled, trailing smoke and plummeting to the ground.


    The grassy ins surrounding the base were teeming with hidden Swarm forces, and the fates of the downed ships¡¯ upants were grim.


    Cross¡¯s gunboat fared slightly better due to its enhanced defensive features and more experienced crew. Though it lost three of its four engines, the remaining one managed to keep the ship airborne.


    The pilots, fully aware of their peril, struggled to gain altitude and distance from the battlefield. Amid screams from the passengers, they maneuvered the ship over ten kilometers before it crashed to the ground.


    The violent impact left Cross dazed. She vaguely heard the cockpit door being opened.


    It must have been the pilot, she thought. With the engines damaged and the crash, the gunboat could explode at any moment. She needed to get out.


    ¡°I can¡¯t die here,¡± she told herself. Her family, her sister, and her elders were waiting for her return.


    Clinging to this thought, Cross forced her muddled mind to focus. Though her vision was blurred, she used her memory to feel her way out of the cockpit.


    At the pilot¡¯s seat, where she had heard movement earlier from the patrolman, she found her way forward. But as she crawled, her right hand slipped, and her head struck the edge of the console hard.


    Her face pressed painfully against her breathing mask, tears and mucus streaming as her nose was crushed. She ignored the difort, using her arms to pull herself out of the cockpit and onto the soft grass outside.@@novelbin@@


    She rested briefly, intending to crawl further away. Just then, she felt someone pushing her from behind. Too weak to resist, she allowed herself to be turned over.


    Strong hands lifted her into a seated position, then slid under her arms to lock around her chest, dragging her away from the wreckage.


    It must be the pilot returning to rescue me, she thought. Good job¡ªI¡¯ll make sure to reward you once we¡¯re safe.


    With thisforting realization, Cross¡¯s strained nerves finally gave out. She passed out as the tension drained from her body.

 Chapter 255: Collapse

    Language barriers proved rtively easy to resolve. By finding mutual reference points, both sides quickly managed to trante their conversations.


    However, the female leader of the aliens clearlycked patience. After a brief appearance, she departed swiftly, leaving behind a female guard in her ce.


    Later, Reggie learned the guard¡¯s name was Te, who referred to herself as the Empress¡¯s Chief Guard.


    As suspected, this was royalty. Yet, it seemed odd for their Empress to personally visit¡ªdid she have too much free time?


    Reggie couldn¡¯t make sense of their rtionships, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask Te. This alien female was stoic and unapproachable, makingmunication nearly impossible.@@novelbin@@


    Reggie¡¯s earlier assumption proved correct: the Riken¡¯s prison was indeed the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship. His foresight in suggesting surrender earlier had improved the Riken tribe¡¯s quality of life considerably.


    The aliens didn¡¯t restrict their movements. After dismantling a fewponents from the ship¡¯s engine and disabling the AI, they allowed the Rikens free rein within the ship¡¯s cabins.


    The Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship had been dragged to the asteroid belt near T855. From the windows, one could clearly see small, nearby asteroids. Over time, numerous alien researchers came aboard.


    These researchers were much more normal-looking than the intimidating guards. Did the aliens draw such clear distinctions between their scientific and military personnel? Was it that obvious based solely on appearance?Reggie had once observed the guards¡¯ armor up close. It was genuinely part of their bodies.


    Incredible.


    At least, seeing his old friend Lute utterly dumbfounded made Reggie feel a bit better.


    The researchers were exceptionally intelligent, quickly learning the Rikennguage. During conversations, they asked detailed questions about the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡¯s various instruments, their functions, and principles.


    Under Reggie¡¯s subtle guidance, the Rikens withheld critical information. The aliens didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Gradually, Reggie became somewhat friendly with a few alien researchers and learned they referred to themselves as the Swarm.


    He had no idea what that meant and resorted to a phic transcription. Just as the Swarm didn¡¯tprehend the meaning behind ¡°Riken,¡± the Riken didn¡¯t understand ¡°Swarm.¡±


    Reggie continued to extract information. Why didn¡¯t they have armor? Who was the female alien that day? Who was their leader?


    ¡°Morgan, why don¡¯t you have armor?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean you could grow it if you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°Just eat more.¡±


    For some reason, Reggie felt Morgan, the alien researcher, was mocking him.


    ¡°Who was the female alien that day?¡±


    ¡°Sarah Kerrigan.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s her role?¡±


    ¡°Commander.¡±


    ¡°Is she your leader?¡±


    ¡°No, she leads the des.¡±


    ¡°And you?¡±


    ¡°I am part of the Swarm.¡±


    Reggie felt he was onto something and quickly probed further. ¡°Are you two separate species? An alliance between the des and the Swarm?¡±


    That would exin why they looked different¡ªthey weren¡¯t even the same species.


    Morgan shook his head. ¡°The des are the Swarm, but the Swarm isn¡¯t just the des.¡±


    ¡°???¡± Reggie pondered for a moment before hesitantly asking, ¡°So, the des are a part of the Swarm?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡±


    Reggie pieced it together in his head. Based on Morgan¡¯s exnation, the collective entity was called the Swarm, but it had many factions, one of which was the des, led by Kerrigan.


    That seemed to be the gist of it.


    This was significant intelligence. He wondered about the dynamics between these groups and whether there were any exploitable opportunities.


    The aliens seemed blissfully unaware of Riken cunning, sharing information freely. He¡¯d need to discuss this with Lute and Major Camister.


    For now, Reggie feigned ignorance and asked, ¡°Does the Swarm have a leader?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Who? Can I meet them?¡±


    ¡°In time, you might. He calls himself F2A,¡± Morgan replied with a peculiar smile.


    ¡°???¡± Reggie was baffled. That name felt entirely out of cepared to the others.


    Morgan seemed disinclined to continue the topic, instead asking about operating various instruments.


    Out of politeness, Reggie shared trivial information while guarding the ship¡¯s core secrets. These details were his bargaining chips¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t give them away so easily.


    Morgan clearly noticed Reggie¡¯s guardedness but didn¡¯t seem to care.


    That evening, the ¡°Three Giants¡± of the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship¡ªReggie, Lute, and Major Camis¡ªheld a secret dinner meeting.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling,¡± Lute began.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Reggie asked, puzzled. His experience over the past few days had been rtively positive. The aliens were candid, answering almost all questions, and he¡¯d gathered considerable intelligence.


    ¡°They¡¯re too candid.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s bad because¡­?¡±


    Lute grew exasperated. ¡°Did your brain short-circuit? You should¡¯ve noticed this before me¡ªI¡¯m just a scientific advisor!¡±


    Reggie¡¯s heart sank. His old friend wouldn¡¯t say this without cause. Recently, his decision to surrender and preserve the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship had earned him praise from the crew for his foresight.


    The aliens also treated them courteously. Aside from questions about release or returning to Riken¡¯s home, the aliens answered everything.


    This had made himcent.


    Lute¡¯s words jolted him back to reality.


    Yes, the aliens¡¯ openness might not stem from goodwill but from the belief that the Rikens would never leave alive. What good was intelligence if they couldn¡¯t escape to deliver it?


    The realization sent a cold sweat down Reggie¡¯s back. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t toote. His overheated brain cooled, and his wits returned. After some thought, he asked Lute, ¡°Do we have a chance to escape? They haven¡¯t restricted us. Can we secretly repair the ship?¡±


    ¡°Escape? Where would we go? Impossible,¡± Lute said. ¡°They dismantled the engine beyond repair. Even if we somehow fixed it, the sr sail is destroyed. Without it, the ship¡¯s speed would take us over a thousand years to reach home¡ªeven without factoring in energy reserves or the chance of structural failure.¡±


    Lute was near copse.


    ¡°If escape is impossible, stop thinking about it,¡± Major Camis interjected with surprising nonchnce. ¡°Eat well, sleep well¡ªat worst, we die.¡±


    The three fell silent. Their meeting ended with a grim mood. Reggie, now depressed, didn¡¯t even feel like sharing his hypothesis about the Swarm¡¯s internal factions.

 Chapter 258: The Three Elements

    As Lute had suspected, the technology aboard the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship was,pared to its intrinsic value, no more than scrap metal for the Swarm.


    The experimentsmenced swiftly.


    Luo Wen, with his extensive experience from countless tests conducted during the genesis of intelligent entities, approached this process with confidence.


    The creation of intelligent entities relies on three essential elements: soil, seeds, and nutrients.


    Firstes the nutrients, intricately tied to the seeds in a symbiotic rtionship.


    The Riken civilization has a far more ancient history than the Ratfolk, making thetter appear as a newly emergent culture inparison. From this perspective, wisdom nourished by such a venerable civilization was bound to meet the required standards.


    And seeds cultivated by such wisdom would likely be exceptional as well.


    So far, the highest-quality seed Luo Wen had encountered was the first-generation Ratfolk Empress, Sarah. Her spiritual essence was extraordinarily refined, and her capacity for reception exceeded all others. Most intelligent entities would enter aatose state after the infusion of memories due to an adaptation process, but Sarah showed no such reaction.


    Although this was the only advantage Luo Wen had discovered in her, he was certain there was more to uncover as his capabilities and familiarity with her deepened.However, Sarah was merely an exception.


    From the perspective of nutrients, the Riken civilization, with its profound cultural heritage, might produce entities of higher average qualitypared to the Ratfolk.


    While there were no issues with seeds and nutrients, the Riken people encountered a bottleneck in the most fundamental element: the ¡°soil.¡±


    Their bodiescked any connection to the Swarm.@@novelbin@@


    Yet, this issue was rtively straightforward to address given the Swarm¡¯s current capabilities.


    Luo Wen¡¯s proudest creation wasn¡¯t the Ratfolk, nor the Hive Queens, but the fungal carpet.


    The fungal carpet, a gic amalgamation, possessed unparalleled versatility andpatibility.


    Electromaic cannons, bio-ships, and external incubation chambers were just a few of its derivatives. Nearly every unit in the Swarm now had some degree of association with it.


    By imnting fungal carpet cells into the bodies of the Riken people, their physical forms could gradually be transformed into suitable ¡°soil.¡±


    Luo Wen had conducted simr experiments on various wild animals in the past, all of which seeded. Unfortunately, these subjects ultimately failed in the seed and nutrient stages, preventing their transformation into intelligent entity production materials.


    The transformation process was remarkably smooth. After only a few failures and the loss of a handful of test subjects, the ¡°soil¡± was gradually modified. Seeds then thrived in the enriched nutrients.


    A yearter, the seeds matured and were harvested.


    Thus, the first Riken intelligent entity was born.


    Subsequently, Riken intelligent entities began to appear at a rate of two every half-month¡ªprecisely matching the frequency with which crew members were taken, as recalled by Reggie.


    Despite the sess, Luo Wen still perceived minor ws in the process.


    First, during the transformation of ¡°soil,¡± the fungal carpet cells within their bodies could be detected. Given the Riken people¡¯s advanced technology, such anomalies would be easy for them to discover.


    This made covertly transforming the Riken into hosts unsuitable. However, once the transformation wasplete and the seed converted into an intelligent entity, the Swarm could use the original body as a temte to produce an identical new one.


    This new body could be made indistinguishable from its pre-transformation state, leaving no detectable differences. This sparked some ns in Luo Wen¡¯s mind at the time.


    These ns, however, led to a second minor w.


    The transformation of the ¡°soil¡± took too long. Allowing the fungal carpet cells to slowly alter the entire body of a Riken individual required almost a year. This extended timeframe rendered Luo Wen¡¯s ns nearly unfeasible.


    Thus, elerating the maturation of seeds became Luo Wen¡¯s next research focus.


    The remaining Riken test subjects became precious, a non-renewable resource in the short term. Even if Luo Wen attempted to breed them in captivity, the seeds produced without the proper nutrient environment would likely differ from the originals.


    Furthermore, the experimentation itself introduced risks to the otherwise perfected technique.


    Under such circumstances, the timeline for converting key Riken figures into intelligent entities was postponed.


    If, in the end, the ordinary Riken subjects were exhausted before the maturation eleration experiments reached the desired results, the important figures would have to be used. While they still possessed some ssified information, its value had likely already diminished due to time, rendering it insufficient to save them from bing expendable resources.


    Fortunately, the experiments progressed well. Luo Wen¡¯s centuries of umted expertise finally bore fruit. The maturation period for the seeds waspressed to seven days.


    At this point, further reductions became nearly impossible. On both gic and spiritual levels, Luo Wen had reached the current limits of his ability.


    Within these seven days, half a day was allocated to the fungal carpetification of the body.


    During the remaining six and a half days, the body¡¯s transformation facilitated a profound metamorphosis of the spiritual essence, culminating in its connection to the Swarmwork.


    Furtherpressing this metamorphosis period would severely damage the spiritual essence, rendering it incapable of retaining memories. Such apromised entity would be utterly useless to Luo Wen.


    Thankfully, seven days, while inconvenient, held strategic value.


    The reduced timeframe came with one unavoidable side effect: irreversible destruction of the physical body.


    For the Swarm, creating a new body for an intelligent entity was effortless. However, applying this research to practical ns still required careful consideration.


    Reggie awoke fully aware of everything. Before regaining his body, the Hive Queen had transmitted essential information to him. He inherited all of Reggie¡¯s past and continued to exist as Swarm Reggie.


    ¡°Old friend, how do you feel?¡± Morgan asked as Reggie sat up.


    ¡°Excellent. Better than ever,¡± Reggie said, flexing his arm. ¡°But why put me in the same body as before? I need something more robust.¡±


    ¡°I thought you might feel nostalgic,¡± Morgan replied with a grin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been reborn. I should leave the old era behind,¡± Reggie said firmly.


    Different seeds produced subtly distinct oues.


    Perhaps because the Ratfolk were derivatives of the Brood Nest¡¯s creations, intelligent entities made from them, while absolutely loyal to Luo Wen, often experienced identity confusion for the first few years post-conversion, craving a return to their former lives.


    Riken intelligent entities, however, exhibited no such tendencies. From the moment they awoke post-conversion, they clearly understood their identities, leaving no room for confusion.


    Luo Wen marveled at this difference and weed it wholeheartedly.

 Chapter 259: The Plan

    ¡°So, is there anything else you¡¯ve been hiding?¡± Morgan asked.


    Reggie, still adjusting to his newly imnted memories, furrowed his brow and pondered for a while before replying, ¡°I did withhold some information, but I¡¯m unclear about the most critical details.¡±


    Morgan nodded knowingly. ¡°As expected. Fortunately, we still have plenty of time. When the enemyes, we¡¯ll meet them head-on. Even if the Riken people have backing, the Swarm is not to be trifled with. When the timees, we may need your body to help your former kin understand the greatness of our Overlord.¡±


    ¡°Ha, they should consider it an honor,¡± Reggie replied with a smirk.


    Reggie then integrated into the de system. As a former elite of the Riken people, with a systematic education, he and Major Camis, who had arrived earlier, brought new insights to the des. The sh of knowledge from two civilizations was bound to spark brilliant results.@@novelbin@@


    The arrival of the Riken fleet was faster and farrger in scale than the Swarm had anticipated. This revealed that their external support was much greater than initially estimated, forcing the Swarm to remain hidden until they understood the reason behind this assistance.


    Still, the Swarm had its own advantages. Luo Wen¡¯s original form was an extraordinary being from another world. He had carved a unique path in this universe, granting him unparalleled abilities and a bizarre life form.


    Another advantage of the Swarm was the concealment of its true capabilities.


    The Riken, following their technological and cultural paradigms, underestimated the ¡°indigenous¡± civilizations in the neighboring star system due to theck ofrge-scale artificial constructs or scientific activity in space.The Swarm exploited this arrogance to execute a series of ns.


    First, they ambushed a detachment of Riken soldiers. Although some unexpected developments led to the n being discovered slightly ahead of schedule, the timeline shifted only minimally, causing no significant impact on the Swarm¡¯s overall strategy.


    The captured soldiers were transformed into intelligent entities over the next seven days. Identical bodies were prepared during this period to rece their originals.


    These newly converted Riken soldiers provided some intelligence, but none exined the sudden technological leaps of their civilization. Even if such information had surfaced, its reliability would have been questionable¡ªlikely known only to a select few among the fleet¡¯s captains.


    Thankfully, the Swarm had never pinned its hopes on such an easy acquisition of knowledge.


    Instead, they unearthed another crucial piece of information: the Riken expedition fleet was rife with factions, a fact well-known even to ordinary soldiers. The initial fortresses and bases established on the ground were controlled by the fleet¡¯s elite.


    Each base¡¯s highestmander was likely to be a fleet captain, and these individuals were most likely privy to the real reason behind the Riken¡¯s technological advancements.


    This aligned with the Swarm¡¯s prior assumptions, setting the stage for the next phase of the n.


    During the seven-day transformation process, the Swarm kept the Riken upied without revealing anything extraordinary.


    The des predicted that the Riken would opt for a cautious approach to explore the mysterious species they had encountered. Far from their homeworld, with limited resources, they were unlikely to squander manpower and materials on a seemingly primitive species.


    To them, the Swarm was merely a nuisance impeding the terraforming of T853, while the T855 civilization, capable of space-based attacks on the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, posed a greater threat.


    As predicted, the Riken decided to uncover a way to counter the Swarm by excavating underground nests.


    Upon realizing this, the Swarmunched regr ¡°hunting¡± operations, sacrificing countless expendable bugs to feign low intelligence and harmlessness.


    The Swarm¡¯s wless ¡°performance¡± allowed the seven days to pass swiftly.


    Once the transformation of the intelligent entities wasplete, the challenge became reintegrating them seamlessly into the Riken forces.


    To achieve this, the Swarm retrofittedrge underground caverns near each ambushed base into grain storage facilities, carefully aged to appear authentic. The attention to detail ensured the deception¡¯s sess.


    Yet, the Riken¡¯s methodical digging progressgged behind the script. At their pace, it would take several more days to reach the grain stores.


    As each day passed, the number of ¡°prisoners¡± in the grain storehouses needed to diminish logically. Otherwise, their prolonged survival would raise suspicion.


    Attention to detail was paramount. Against a civilization, even minor ws could lead to catastrophic failure. The Swarm could not allow such mistakes.


    With the Riken¡¯s sluggish progress, the Swarm staged a desperate counterattack, sacrificing hundreds of thousands of bugs to mislead the Riken into believing they had uncovered the cause of the bug ¡°retaliation.¡±


    This ultimately led the Riken to ¡°discover¡± the remaining ¡°operatives.¡±


    The operatives¡¯ original bodies had long since been consumed by the fungal carpet transformation. Their new bodies, meticulously crafted by the Brood Nest from their gic temtes, were indistinguishable from the originals. No Riken inspection could detect any anomalies.


    Thus, the operatives sessfully infiltrated the bases.


    With operatives in ce, the next phase of the n could proceed smoothly.


    Thanks to the prior attacks on base patrols, the Swarm had already gathered substantial intelligence on the bases¡¯youts.


    One infiltrated base, known as Cross Base, wasmanded by Lieutenant Colonel Cross, the youngest captain in the Riken expedition fleet. Holding authority over one of the few dozen ground bases indicated her significant status.


    For the Swarm, she was a prime target. Capturing her¡ªeven without obtaining key information¡ªwould allow her conversion into an intelligent entity, enabling deep infiltration of the Riken leadership and benefiting future Swarm operations.


    However, Cross was protected by a heavily fortified base, with ships ready to evacuate her at any moment.


    The Swarm had yet to reveal its aerial units, and even if it did, the physical limitations of wild organisms made it difficult to pose a threat to Riken airships.


    Thus, capturing Cross within reasonable constraints was a daunting challenge.

 Chapter 260: A Reasonable Coincidence

    Capturing Lieutenant Colonel Cross was only part of the mission; once the conversion wasplete, the Swarm would need to return her undetected.


    Thus, to ensure the sess of subsequent ns, the Swarm¡¯s disyed abilities during the capture operation had to remain within the bounds of what the Riken people could usibly ept.


    Fortunately, with over a hundred ¡°operatives¡± already embedded, the Swarm overcame this formidable challenge.


    First, the Swarm needed to iste Cross Base from external reinforcements.


    This problem had been anticipated when the ¡°operatives¡± were initially sent back. By exposing the survival of Riken personnel, the Swarm knew that, regardless of the circumstances, themanders would initiate rescue operations.


    The Swarm¡¯s deliberate reduction of patrol team members near the ¡°grain storehouses¡± proved to be a meaningful ploy.@@novelbin@@


    The Riken people, ¡°luckily¡± noticing this trend, werepelled to expedite their operations.


    The Swarm¡¯s n involved luring forces from other bases deep into underground nests while upying them with drawn-out skirmishes. Meanwhile, a massive swarm would gather tounch a blitz on Cross Base.


    The n unfolded surprisingly smoothly. While the Riken demonstrated caution¡ªusing methrowers to clear paths slowly rather than advancing recklessly¡ªmost of Cross Base¡¯s military strength was dispatched to support other bases.Due to the operatives¡¯ low ranks, the Swarm only learned of this development shortly before the attack.


    Initially, the Swarm had amassed over 30 million Raiders around Cross Base, prepared to deploy them as needed. If the base had been heavily defended, the Swarm would havemittedrge numbers, risking exposure but ensuring sess. Such an oue would have raised rms within the Riken fleet about the Swarm¡¯s vast scale.


    However, the timely intelligence altered the strategy. Adding to this, the unexpected involvement of an operative among the guards shocked Sarah and the des, as it revealed just how understaffed Cross Base truly was.


    Previously, due to the low status and injured condition of the operatives, their movements within the base were limited to avoid suspicion. Consequently, the Swarm had little detailed knowledge of the base¡¯s internal structure.


    Now, with an operative embedded among the guards, Cross Base¡¯s defensiveyout was fully exposed to the Swarm. The Swarm could bypass minefields, sensors, and automated defensive weapons, reducing the need forrge-scale deployments.


    Although the Riken might question how the Swarm avoided their defenses¡ªconcluding that the Swarm possessed intelligence¡ªthis was an eptable loss. The Swarm had already hinted at this capability during previous encounters.


    Using an already exposed detail to obscure the Swarm¡¯s true scale was a worthwhile trade-off.


    Moreover,cking sufficient context, the Riken could never deduce the true source of the breach.


    With the operatives¡¯ assistance, the Swarm bypassed defenses and reached the perimeter of the base¡¯s main structure. Exposed outposts and hidden sentries stood no chance against the Swarm¡¯s various observational units, especially with inside help.


    Still, the operatives¡¯ role ended here. The Swarm would not jeopardize a valuable card by having them open the gates.


    It would have been foolish to expose such an asset for something so trivial.


    Thus, the operatives were eliminated at their posts. While their bodies perished, their consciousness returned to the Swarm Network. As long as Luo Wen remained, the Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities were immortal.


    For the heavily fortified gates, specially designed acid-bugs easily dissolved the barriers. These readily produced creatures were expendable tools, and exposing their existence posed no risk.


    The base¡¯s generalyout was already known to the Swarm thanks to the operatives. The Swarm Network¡¯s capability for secure, real-timemunication proved invaluable in wartime, allowing attacking forces to head directly for themand center.


    The des surmised that Cross was most likely there. Even if she wasn¡¯t, micro-scout bugs were already spreading throughout the base. These expendable bugs served as decoys, drawing attention away from the main attack.


    Simultaneously, the Swarm¡¯s aggressive assault heightened pressure on the defenders, forcing Cross to expose her position.


    True to expectations, the Swarm soon received word from an operative pinpointing her location. However, this revtion came with a downside: Riken reinforcements would arrive sooner than anticipated.


    Attempting to capture Cross inside the base and then escape presented two problems. First, time constraints made it likely they would be cornered by the reinforcements. Second, such a direct action would contradict the Swarm¡¯s image as only semi-intelligent, making it clear the capture was deliberate.


    Furthermore, it would make Cross¡¯s eventual return problematic. A prominent figure intentionally targeted by the Swarm, rescued after the fall of an entire base, would undoubtedly raise suspicions.


    Thus, the situation called for an ¡°ident¡± that wouldpel Cross to leave the base on her own.


    The Swarm intensified its attack, maintaining enough distance to create tension without breaching the base. The pressure led to a ¡°reasonable¡± suggestion being ryed to Cross, subtly influencing her decision-making.


    The suggestion was simple: the base couldn¡¯t hold against the Swarm, but the bugs couldn¡¯t fly. Escaping in an airship would ensure her safety.


    Because the suggestion was ¡°reasonable,¡± it was adopted.


    Under the cover of ¡°heroic¡± sacrifices by patrol unit ¡°survivors,¡± Cross boarded a gunship.


    By this stage, the n was nearingpletion. The des, monitoring the situation, breathed a sigh of relief.


    With both the ground resistance and the gunship¡¯s pilot under Swarm control, Cross was effectively in their grasp.


    The Swarm escted its assault. The defensivemander, ¡°forced by necessity,¡± ordered the dome opened to allow the gunship¡¯s escape.


    Acid-bugs lying in wait outside easily damaged the ship with the pilot¡¯s cooperation.


    Billowing ck smoke, the gunship made a ¡°reasonable¡± emergencynding far from the base. Even if the gunship hadn¡¯t been damaged, it would still havended, and any investigation would attribute the incident to pilot error under duress.


    After all, a rookie patrolman operating in such high-stress conditions could reasonably make mistakes, right?


    Wherever the gunshipnded, there would ¡°coincidentally¡± be a Swarm nest nearby. Cross Base¡¯s surroundings were riddled with underground passages, ensuring no matter where the gunshipnded, a nest was always conveniently close.


    During the Swarm¡¯s ¡°hunting period,¡± the gunship¡¯s upants being captured was entirely ¡°reasonable.¡±


    Thus, the n to capture a high-ranking Rikenmander concluded perfectly.

 Chapter 263: Discovery

    Perhaps there wasn¡¯t any conspiracy at all; it could simply be a gift from a higher civilization to a lower one.


    After discovering a capable of nurturing life, they left a spaceship on its moon. When the inhabitants of the evolved to develop civilization, and eventually reached space to explore their satellite, they would discover the ship.


    The technology on the spaceship would help this fledgling civilization advance into the cosmos at a much faster pace.


    Could such civilizations really exist in the universe? Perhaps. Luo Wen couldn¡¯tprehend the ideology of higher civilizations¡ªthat was something beyond his current understanding.


    Now, as one of the immortals, Luo Wen thought that perhaps tens of thousands of yearster, when the Swarm had grown to be a top-tier force in the universe, he might have the leisure to do something simr.


    Then, another thought struck him: tens of thousands of years ago, a higher civilization might have visited the Genesis. Although he had been in hibernation at the time, the had been nurturing life.


    Following this logic of ¡°gift-giving,¡± could there be a ¡°gift¡± on the Red Moon or Yellow Moon as well?


    Luo Wen quickly dismissed the idea. The twin moons had long been the Swarm¡¯s initial footholds in space exploration and had been developed for many years. The fungal carpet now covered every inch of their surfaces. If there were any unknown objects, they would have been discovered long ago.


    Still, to be certain, Luo Wen directed the Swarm to begin a search on the twin moons. Simultaneously, the Swarm expanded its search to other terrestrials in the Genesis Star System.Theses, beingrger, had been somewhat neglected by the Swarm during theter stages of development, as most resources had been allocated to space-based projects. It wasn¡¯t impossible that a higher civilization could have hidden a ¡°gift¡± there.


    If one were to follow the ¡°gift¡± hypothesis further, that might mean the higher civilization was monitoring everything. If so, wouldn¡¯t the Swarm¡¯s activities over the years all have been under their watchful eyes?


    The information provided by Lieutenant Colonel Cross left Luo Wen¡¯s thoughts in a jumble. However, over the years, he had matured. Counting his hibernation period, Luo Wen¡¯s age might even surpass the history of that higher civilization.


    If he allowed himself to be scared by spections of this sort, worrying about wolves in front and tigers behind, how could the Swarm continue to develop? Dealing with enemies of simr strength required wit and courage. For those far superior, there was no other option but to feign ignorance and press forward.


    While Luo Wen expressed these lofty sentiments, he still made preparations for potential retreat. In the following days, the Swarm used megastructures tounch arge number of Swarm meteors randomly into the depths of space.


    One of these meteors secretly carried the excavated Genesis Brood Nest.


    Perhaps the higher civilization was conducting some sort of experiment in civilizationalpetition, but Luo Wen would not stop the Swarm¡¯s development because of that. Only by bing stronger could they break free of constraints and control their own destiny.


    The next stage of his n was to acquire the ancient spaceship and rted information unearthed by the Riken. As the first civilization to encounter the ancient vessel, the Riken must have obtained far more information¡ªsuch as whether there were individuals from the higher civilization aboard, and if so, were they alive or dead? Any shred of information could help Luo Wen unravel the truth.


    As for conquering the Riken, Luo Wen already had a n in mind.


    ¡°Still no news from Cross?¡± Major General Porter asked via video, addressing the search teams.


    ¡°Sir, we still have no updates regarding Lieutenant Colonel Cross,¡± the officer on the other side of the call replied helplessly. This was the twelfth time today the general had inquired, averaging once every half hour.


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Porter ended the call with a heavy sigh.


    The personnel deployed for the search belonged to various factions, and themander of Porter¡¯s contingent was Clirey.


    Clirey, however, held little hope for this operation. After all, Cross had been missing for eight days. By now, she was probably nothing more than fertilizer.


    What a pity for such a stunning beauty. Even though their paths would rarely intersect, Clirey still found himself drawn to the thought of her.


    ¡°Sir! We¡¯ve found something!¡± A soldier suddenly came running from the entrance of a distant underground cavity. After a quick scan of the area, he locked onto the brooding Clirey and sprinted toward him.


    ¡°What did you find?¡± Clirey asked reflexively, still caught in his thoughts. Then, as realization hit, his eyes widened. ¡°Did you find Lieutenant Colonel Cross?¡±@@novelbin@@


    The soldier panted heavily, shaking his head. ¡°No, sir.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Clirey fell silent. Just moments ago, his heart had leapt with excitement. If they had found Cross, with her background, the title of her savior might have propelled him to great heights¡ªperhaps even winning her hand in a romantic, albeit far-fetched, scenario.


    He had even startedposing wedding vows in his mind, only for his hopes to be dashed.


    ¡°So, what did you find?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve located those signals.¡±


    Clirey, thoughcking significant political clout, had climbed the ranks on merit andpetence. He instantly understood what the soldier was referring to.


    The rtionship between their search teams and the so-called Swarm was peculiar. By day, they dug pits and unearthed soil, while the Swarm seemed to sleep, showing no concern for the activities happening right outside their nests. At night, the teams hunted nearby and deposited their prey into the pits.


    By dawn, the Swarm would send drones to retrieve the offerings and drag them back to their nest.


    And so, the cycle continued.


    Clirey suspected the Swarm might even see them as caretakers.


    This caretaking, however, wasn¡¯t without its purpose. The teams had hidden trackers within some of the smaller prey, attempting to locate the Swarm¡¯s feeding grounds.


    Although he believed the Swarm incapable of understanding such advanced technology, unknown electromaic interference from the underground nest had prevented signal reception on the surface.


    Recently, the trackers had been upgraded to emit localized signals.


    Thus, during daylight hours, while excavation continued, teams were also dispatched into the caverns to search for these signals. The soldier¡¯s report likely referred to finding one such signal.


    Once his suspicions were confirmed, Clirey quickly ryed the information to Major General Porter, his heart racing with the possibility of glory, wealth, and promotion.


    Porter was overjoyed at the news. Although they hadn¡¯t found Cross directly, this was still better than having no leads. He immediately ordered Clirey to assemble a team to investigate further.


    At the same time, he reported the development to General Masai, requesting reinforcements.

 Chapter 265: Directed

    ¡°This isn¡¯t Lieutenant Colonel Cross!¡± Clirey ran over at full speed upon receiving the report, but the sight of the female Riken inside the silk cocoon quickly dampened his excitement.


    Unlike the ordinary soldiers who had only seen photos, Clirey had met Cross in person multiple times as a confidant of Major General Porter.


    As such, he could immediately tell that the person before him was not Cross.


    Although this female Riken wasn¡¯t Cross, Clirey recognized her¡ªit was her adjutant, either named Rita or Risha, if he remembered correctly.


    The adjutant had already regained consciousness and was visibly ted. Clirey didn¡¯t question her condition, knowing from past experience that rescued Rikens usually required at least two days to recover their ability to speak. Asking now would be futile.


    While this wasn¡¯t exactly finding Cross, it was still a positive development. The adjutant¡¯s presence here meant they were on the right track.


    If Cross was still alive, she was likely somewhere nearby.@@novelbin@@


    Looking at the cocoon that was only a third of the way opened, hope was still strong.


    Clirey ordered the troops to speed up. A promotion and a raise were within reach, and the previously sluggish team, now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, elerated their efforts.At the same time, Clirey redistributed Cross¡¯s portrait to the team. Considering the circumstances¡ªan entire gunship full of personnel, including dozens of young female medical staff, had gone missing¡ªif every find stirred such dramatic highs and lows, it would take a toll on their morale.


    Good news often came suddenly. Within just half an hour, in the same chamber and not far from where the adjutant¡¯s cocoon had been found, a soldier had another breakthrough.


    This time, it wasn¡¯t a false rm. It was genuinely Cross.


    Upon confirming her identity, Clirey was overjoyed. He immediately halted further search operations and personally led a special operations team to escort Cross back to the surface.


    The team did not rest. Shortly after leaving the cave, arge transport craft dispatched by Major General Porter arrived to pick them up, flying them directly to a warship stationed in outer space.


    Due to Cross¡¯s prolonged disappearance and uncertain fate, her former base had not remained leaderless. Having suffered significant damage, the base urgently required someone to take charge and stabilize the situation.


    Under such circumstances, the base had naturally been reassigned, and not even Major General Porter could prevent it. Fortunately, the newmander was from their faction, so he had no reason to object.


    Now that Cross was alive, there was hope. Porter offered someforting words to the still-paralyzed and speechless Cross, expressing his hope that this experience would help her grow stronger as a leader.


    A few dayster, after a preliminary recovery, Cross visited and thanked General Masai, Major General Porter, and other superiors. She then returned to her warship without showing much interest in the base¡¯s affairs.


    During a meeting of senior officers, they sighed privately. It seemed the ordeal had traumatized her. Whether she could ovee it would determine her future. If she could process it, she would grow stronger; if not, she might be finished.


    Several psychologists were dispatched to Cross¡¯s ship to aid in her recovery. The doctors advised that finding ways to vent her emotions and release her pent-up frustration would help significantly.


    The nest that had captured Cross was undoubtedly unique. After losing over a million bugs, it had retreated into hiding for a few days. However, the moment the Riken forces withdrew from the food store, it resumed its hunting activities that very night.


    Somehow, this news reached Cross. It was said that upon hearing it, the previously withdrawn Cross was so enraged that she vented her fury in a frenzy, smashing numerous items.


    ¡°General, there¡¯s a nuclear reaction in Area 34! Wait¡­ another one! Two reactions with simr energy levels. Judging by the yield, they must be our tactical nukes!¡±


    General Masai was sipping a hot drink. The past few days had been uneventful. As the Rikens gained morebat experience against the Swarm, their troops had adapted quickly. Those damn bugs were no longer a significant threat.


    Base defenses had been strengthened across the board, with surveince systems and sentries multiplied tenfold. Although the Rikens had taken the food stores of twelve nests, apart from Cross¡¯s former base, the retaliatory attacks on other bases had caused no major incidents.


    The Swarm¡¯s raiding parties couldn¡¯t even approach the base perimeters before being detected and wiped out.


    General Masai had even begun to consider transforming T853 into the Rikens¡¯ second naturally habitable. Yet amidst these peaceful musings, the sudden report from his subordinate disrupted everything.


    What?! Two nuclear detonations? Who was stirring up trouble? Couldn¡¯t they let him have some peace?


    Ordinary Riken squads weren¡¯t equipped with tactical nukes. Only special operations teams carried two as standard. With both detonating simultaneously, the answer was clear.


    ¡°Check which special operations team is in the area.¡±


    Every Riken soldier carried a personal terminal. Without maic interference on the surface, it was easy to locate their positions.


    A data report was projected onto the general¡¯s screen.


    The image disyed the face of Kaida.


    Kaida, a former patrol team leader and seasoned veteran, had been the first to sound the rm during a Swarm attack. He was also the first Riken rescued from the food store.


    While recuperating at Cross¡¯s base, Kaida had distinguished himself during a Swarm assault. He had taken charge of injured personnel, organizing a stubborn defense. Although his actions in sending away Cross during the incident remained debatable, his courageous cover of his superior¡¯s retreat had earned widespread respect.


    When the rescue team finally arrived, Kaida¡¯s squad had held off the Swarm for nearly five minutes, allowing for sessful extraction.


    After Cross¡¯s rescue, rather than being punished, Kaida was promoted to captain of the TZ131 team, directly under hermand.


    ¡°What a lucky guy,¡± General Masai muttered, reviewing Kaida¡¯s record. Based on reports from Cross¡¯s ship, the general quickly pieced together what had happened.


    Area 34, adjacent to Cross¡¯s former base, was where the nest that had captured her was located. Those two nukes had to have been dropped on her orders for revenge.


    As the general considered how to handle the situation, Major General Porter¡¯smunication came through.


    As expected, the conversation confirmed Masai¡¯s suspicions. The nukes had indeed beenunched at Cross¡¯s direction. Porter brushed it off as a young officer venting her frustrations, suggesting they let the matter slide as a favor to him.

 Chapter 267: The Pursuit

    ¡°That¡¯s how it should be. Does it think that staying in the water will keep us from attacking it?¡±


    ¡°Haha, it probably thinks our gunboat firepower is still stuck fifty years in the past.¡±


    ¡°I highly doubt its intelligence is capable of contemting anything thatplex.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s show this big dumb beast the power of technology.¡±


    A few minutester, all the gunboats aimed and charged their weapons. Dozens of thick energy beams shot toward Godzi, surrounding itpletely. These beams, far more powerful than those from decades ago, inflicted unimaginable damage in a single salvo.


    Godzi¡¯s agonized wails echoed across the sky. A significant portion of its head was blown off, threerge holes were torn through its neck, its right arm was left hanging by a thread of flesh, and multiple enormous wounds¡ªnearly a meter wide and deep¡ªgouged its torso and legs.


    Onnd, where Godzi moved sluggishly, it was nothing more than a massive target. As long as their weapons could prate its defenses, killing it was only a matter of time.


    Fortunately for Godzi, it appeared to have some resistance to this kind of energy, sparing it from instant death. But even if it survived, it likely wouldn¡¯t live for long.


    Perhaps due to part of its skull being blown open, Godzi seemed to have ¡°seen the light¡± physically. It reacted swiftly, refraining from unleashing its thermonuclear breath and instead turning and heading back toward the sea.Its movements were so fast that waves tens of meters high rose in its wake.


    Even the Riken people were startled by Godzi¡¯s defense and vitality. Seeing it attempt to escape, they quickly ordered another salvo.


    But before the gunboats¡¯ main cannons could finish charging, Godzi had taken a few swift steps and dived into the ocean.


    Although the water was still shallow, leaving its entire back exposed above the surface, Godzi¡¯s swimming speed far outstripped its movement onnd.


    With a few agile strokes, Godzi covered over a kilometer, gradually sinking deeper into the sea.


    The Riken people¡¯s second volley only struck the shadow of Godzi in the water. Though it still seemed to inflict significant damage, they ultimately failed to stop its retreat.


    ¡°It¡¯s done for! After it!¡±


    Half the gunboats plunged into the water in pursuit. These sleekly designed craft were amphibious and could move swiftly underwater.


    The other half of the fleet, boxy and brick-like,cked aquatic capabilities. They remained airborne, providing visual support from above.


    ¡°Where¡¯s it headed?¡±


    ¡°No idea.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? An injured beast would naturally want to hide in its den.¡±


    ¡°Kid, you rookies are getting cocky. How about a man-to-man duel?¡±


    On themunication channel, the squad captains bantered without a trace of tension. The monster was already gravely injured and wouldn¡¯tst much longer.


    The Riken people¡¯s weapons weren¡¯t as effective underwater, so they refrained from attacking. In Godzi¡¯s current state, they merely needed to keep up the chase. Once it exhausted thest of its strength, it would be ripe for the taking.


    Understanding this, the captains were in a notably rxed mood.


    Godzi seemed desperate to shake off the pursuing gunboats, but its speed didn¡¯t provide much of an advantage. Worse yet, several tracking devices had been embedded in its body during the previous attack. Coupled with its injuries, escaping its pursuers was impossible.


    As time passed, Godzi, now teetering on the brink of death, could no longer care about much else. While its wounds looked horrific, they were mostly reparable over time. The exception was the damage to its ¡°enlightened¡± brain, which was truly fatal.


    If it had been able to rest and heal immediately, there might have been a chance of recovery. But under the current conditions, the constant flush of seawater worsened its injuries.


    Its condition deteriorated, and its speed gradually slowed. Thankfully, its destination was near.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s done for!¡± one captain eximed.


    ¡°Haha, this is a big catch. Wonder how it tastes?¡±


    ¡°Probably tough.¡±


    ¡°Bet it¡¯d get stuck in your teeth.¡±


    ¡°Maybe a bite would give you a random radiation sickness.¡±


    ¡°Damn it! You just ruined my appetite.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The jovial atmosphere filled the Riken Special Forces.


    Godzi managed to press on for another twenty kilometers, finally reaching its destination¡ªitsir. The joy of returning home gave it a brief resurgence of strength, allowing it to speed up slightly before diving headlong into an underwater cave.


    ¡°Is that itsir?¡±


    ¡°Seems like it!¡±


    ¡°I hate caves, whether they¡¯re onnd or underwater.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    ¡°Be cautious. We¡¯re not certain it¡¯s a lone bachelor.¡±


    The captains grew rmed. That was indeed a critical issue. In the ocean, their forces were halved, and their weaponry¡¯s effectiveness was diminished.


    ¡°So what do we do? Wait for reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°With you guys already here, I don¡¯t want to share the credit further.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s proceed cautiously and maintain distance.¡±


    ¡°Have you all gone soft fighting bugs? We can deploy probes; there¡¯s probably no maic interference here.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That was a valid point. The captains, ustomed to the maic interference of insectirs, had instinctively assumed this cave would be the same. Several underwater drones were released from the gunboats, cautiously venturing into the underwater cave.


    ¡°There really isn¡¯t any maic interference here.¡±


    ¡°This is a major discovery. Those bugs might have some species that generate maic fields.¡±


    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s normal for ancient creatures to have special traits. Even spitting nuclear bombs isn¡¯t unheard of.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. I¡¯ve got no argument against that.¡±


    ¡°But where did the monster go?¡±


    ¡°You think this could be a maze, and it¡¯s already escaped¡­¡±


    The captains were rmed. That was a possibility.


    ¡°Haha, are you all fools? It¡¯s still got trackers on it. There¡¯s no maic interference here, and the trackers are working fine.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll have to duel all of uster.¡±


    ¡°Right. A duel against all of us.¡±


    ¡°Stop messing around. Be careful. The tracker shows it hasn¡¯t gone far.¡±


    The underwater drones pressed forward for a few more minutes and finally found Godzi lying at the bottom of the cave. Its dorsal fins, faintly glowing with blue light, were strikingly conspicuous in the darkness.


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely done for. I think we can approach now.¡± The drones, being expendable, swam straight to Godzi, scanning its surroundings and rying information back to the Special Forces.


    ¡°Be cautious. That¡¯s a live nuke. Watch out for a self-detonation,¡± one captain warned.


    ¡°How do you know it¡¯ll self-destruct?¡± another captain asked skeptically. There didn¡¯t seem to be any such data in their files.


    ¡°That¡¯s how it always goes in the movies.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 269: Effectiveness

    Most of the issues were manageable and within normal bounds. However, the biggest problemy in the Swarm¡¯s strongest asset: the Swarm Network.


    While the other functions of the Swarm Network were eptable due to their high level of concealment, the cross-stermunication feature, despite being equally covert, could potentially reveal ws in certain scenarios.


    For instance, the Swarm¡¯s externalmunication systems were extremely outdated. Fortunately, after absorbing a wave of technology from the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceship, the Swarm managed to barely catch up technologically.


    However, the Swarm¡¯smunication infrastructure was exceedingly sparse. Large-scale interster information transmitters, which upied vast areas, were deliberately avoided during initial construction to reduce visible artificial structures in space and to deceive themon Ratfolk popce. As a result, such facilities were never built.


    Over time, as they were deemed unnecessary, the matter was forgotten. However, the absence of these massive transmitters was a ring characteristic. If an advanced civilization were secretly observing the Swarm, they would surely notice that the Swarmcked these devices, yet their interster operations remained unaffected.


    This was a ring vulnerability. Now, all Luo Wen could do was try to remedy past oversights and hope his concerns were merely unwarranted fears. Even if advanced civilizations were observing them, he hoped they would overlook these anomalies from the Swarm.


    Yes, the Swarm was still too weak. While they could manipte civilizations of simr technological levels, they remained powerless against those of higher orders.


    The Swarm was no longer just Luo Wen alone. With numerous dependents under its banner, he bore responsibility for the entire Swarm. The Swarm must grow stronger.


    But bing stronger wasn¡¯t just about words. Whether through mechanical pathways or biological routes, aprehensive theoretical foundation was essential. Thus, the Swarm needed more researchers. Fortunately, the Swarm was establishing a second Intelligent Entity production base, which promised a significant boost in production speed soon.¡°Dr. Balt, how is that big creatureing along?¡± General Masai asked during a routine captain¡¯s meeting.


    These past days had been peaceful, and the source of their initial arrival here had already been located.


    Numerous new bases and factories had sprung up, both consolidating upied territories and replenishing losses.


    The next step was to methodically eliminate the Swarm threat.


    Although the biological team led by Dr. Balt had temporarily shelved their research on Swarm-eradication viruses due to the creature, the Riken felt they had already mastered methods to counter the Swarm. Recent operations had proven highly sessful, with the military convinced that viruses weren¡¯t necessary and that exterminating the Swarm was only a matter of time.


    Under such circumstances, routine captain¡¯s meetingscked substantive discussions. However, it wouldn¡¯t do to convene just for greetings and adjournment. After all, these were serious, formal meetings.


    Thus, General Masai shifted the topic to prolong the discussion.


    Fortunately, the nuclear-breathing creature was a rare phenomenon. Everyone was curious, and their inquisitive eyes bore into Dr. Balt through the video screens.


    Although this was a captain¡¯s meeting, experts from other fields often participated as consultants. Dr. Balt, used to such situations, cleared his throat and spoke without suspense-building theatrics.


    ¡°Research time has been too short, so no significant breakthroughs yet.¡± Truthfully, there was nothing worth hyping.


    Godzi emitted intense radiation, and without protective measures, the Riken couldn¡¯t even approach its corpse. Thus, a specialized, highly shieldedboratory was constructed for Godzi. Transporting and calibrating scientific equipment from the warship to the consumed considerable time, leaving Dr. Balt¡¯s team with little to show in such a short period.


    The captains understood this, so they didn¡¯t press further. After all, General Masai¡¯s inquiry was a mere meeting filler.


    ¡°However, we¡¯ve made some astonishing discoveries in other areas,¡± Dr. Balt continued, piquing everyone¡¯s interest.@@novelbin@@


    Amid the captains¡¯ inquiries, he borated: ¡°The creature itself yielded no results, but the nts brought back from itsir surprised us.¡±


    Drinking some water, he resumed: ¡°Specifically, the fruit of those nts. Since some instruments hadn¡¯t arrived yet, a small team began studying the fruit during their downtime, feeding it to Riri Beasts.¡±


    The Riken fleet maintained dedicated logistics and transportation ships, two of which simted Riken ecosystems to house experimental creatures like Riri Beasts. These animals shared a 95% gic simrity with the Riken, making them ideal for drug trials.


    ¡°A few dayster, the Riri Beasts exhibited various radiation sickness symptoms.¡±


    The captains raised mental question marks. Was this the so-called astonishing discovery? It seemed trivial¡ªnts growing in the high-radiationir would naturally carry radioactive substances. Developing radiation sickness was expected, and severe cases might even result in instant death.


    However, trusting that Dr. Balt wouldn¡¯t speak frivolously, they curbed their skepticism and listened further.


    ¡°When the instruments finally arrived, the team didn¡¯t study the creature but continued researching the fruit and the Riri Beasts. They uncovered something shocking: although the Riri Beasts contracted radiation sickness, their bodies grew younger. To be precise, their cell division count increased.¡±


    Seeing some captains puzzled, Dr. Balt exined: ¡°All known organisms, including the Riken, follow a pattern of cell division throughout growth. After a certain stage, aging and death ur. This corresponds to the cell division count and cycle. Their product determines an organism¡¯s theoretical lifespan. For instance, Riken cells divide approximately every six years, with a maximum of 55 divisions, giving a theoretical lifespan of 330 years.¡±


    As the captains nodded, he continued: ¡°Simrly, Riri Beasts have a two-year division cycle and divide 25 times, theoretically living 50 years. Of course, external factors mean actual lifespans often fall short¡ªfor example, the Riken average is around 310 years.¡±


    ¡°To extend lifespan, you either prolong the cell division cycle or increase division count. The former risks fundamentally altering our biology, potentially making us a different species. Increasing the division count isparatively feasible but remains a challenge. Despite millennia of research, we¡¯ve made no breakthroughs.¡±


    ¡°Yet, now things have changed. Eating this fruit increased the Riri Beasts¡¯ cell division count by five, extending their theoretical lifespan by one-fifth.¡± Dr. Balt gestured at the screen disying the fruit from the creature¡¯sir. ¡°This is the first substance we¡¯ve found capable of increasing cell division counts. In other words, it¡¯s medicinal.¡±


    ¡°And if refined, its effects might be even stronger.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°Though it does have some minor ws.¡±

 Chapter 272: Changes

    The propulsion system of the Swarm, as it stood now, seemed somewhat outdated.


    Although it surpassed the escape velocity of the neighboring star system, it only reached 50 km/s.


    In reality, however, this speed was more than sufficient for close-range spacebat. Let¡¯s not forget, the space octopuses could elerate to this speed in a short amount of time.


    The Riken fleet, while capable of flying at approximately one-fifth the speed of light, needed an extended eleration period to reach that velocity, and that required the activation of specialized engines.


    Even though this eleration period was far shorter than when using sr sails, in a space engagement, there wouldn¡¯t be time for such prolonged eleration.


    Moreover, within a sr system, achieving such high speeds was impossible due to theplexity of the environment. Obstacles abounded, and traveling too fast would lead to collisions and destruction.


    As such, in terms of short-range agility, the Riken warships might not even be as nimble as the space octopuses.


    That said, a distance of 600 million kilometers was still a challenging one to traverse quickly. At such distances, it was difficult to effectively threaten the enemy with any form of attack.


    Both sides needed to close the gap to a certain proximity beforebat could erupt.At this juncture, if one side could deceive the other¡¯s detection systems and set up an ambush ahead of time, they would gain a significant advantage.


    However, the opponent had abandoned this advantage and exposed their position. Even if they wanted tounch a surprise attack, they would need to undertake a journey of several hundred days. During this time, the defenders could calmly arrange their defenses and prepare for battle.


    If the attackers didn¡¯t possess overwhelming numbers, such an operation would be tantamount to suicide.@@novelbin@@


    This was precisely what puzzled the Rikens.


    Could it be that their opponents were so confident?


    Indeed, the Swarm was extraordinarily confident. The Riken¡¯s deployments were being continuously transmitted back to the Swarm through Lieutenant Colonel Cross. Never before had the Swarm possessed such perfect knowledge of their enemy.


    The Swarm, of course, wouldn¡¯t rely solely on their 50 km/s speed for an attack. Their gigantic electromaicunchers could elerate Primordial Space Octopuses to 5,000 km/s, reducing the theoretical travel time from Great Ursa to the Riken fleet to just over one day.


    And that calction even ounted for the necessary deceleration. Without the need to slow down, the journey could be even faster.


    In practice, it took nearly three days for the Swarm¡¯s forces to reach the Riken fleet, as they began sustained deceleration after traversing half the distance.


    Even so, this was far beyond what the Rikens had imagined.


    ¡°Captain, T855 has detected a dense energy burst of exceptionally high intensity!¡± The observer reported in a panicked voice. The previously calm instruments were now ring rms like mad, with the disy screen covered in a chaotic array of red dots,rge and small.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± General Masai demanded, immediately ordering the AI to summon all ship captains to the conference room for a meeting.


    ¡°They¡¯re attacking us! Based on earlier deductions, it¡¯s their electromaic railguns. The T855 and its satellites are saturated with their railgun strikes!¡± the observer stammered, his voice trembling.


    ¡°Damn it! What was the reconnaissance team doing earlier? Why wasn¡¯t anything detected? Where¡¯s Mchi? Get him to provide a report immediately. Otherwise, we won¡¯t need to wait for the war to start¡ªI¡¯ll execute him myself!¡± General Masai roared.


    Mchi, the officer in charge of reconnaissance, held the rank of lieutenant colonel. His position ced him on equal footing with many of the ship captains, granting him significant authority. Yet this blunder left no room for exnation. Even if General Masai didn¡¯t execute him on the spot, Mchi wouldn¡¯t escape a court-martial after the war.


    The Rikens¡¯ efficiency wasmendable. As they had already heightened their alert status, it took only two minutes after General Masai¡¯s tirade for all participants to join the online meeting room.


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation now, General? I heard the enemy is approaching. Didn¡¯t earlier reports suggest we had at least a hundred days to prepare?¡± a captain questioned the moment General Masai logged into the meeting. This individual was a prominent leader, holding a status equivalent to Major General Porter¡¯s. While they usually maintained cordial rtions, the war¡¯s onset stripped away formalities.


    Not to mention, Mchi was known to be General Masai¡¯s subordinate¡ªand rumored to be a rtive. With such a gross intelligence failure, everyone present could face significant losses, and it was no surprise that the captain¡¯s tone was sharp.


    General Masai, knowing he was at fault, ignored the captain¡¯s criticism and addressed the group instead: ¡°The overall situation has already been sent to you. Somehow, the enemy has managed to deceive our reconnaissance. But this is not the time to assign me. The enemy¡¯s attack is imminent. If anyone has any suggestions, speak freely.¡±


    ¡°General, we currently know nothing. Earlier intelligence is likely unreliable. We need new, urate information before we can analyze the situation,¡± one of the captains responded.


    Pretending not to hear the implied rebuke, General Masai was about to say something when his adjutant approached and whispered in his ear.


    After hearing the message, he nodded and said to the screen, ¡°Let¡¯s have Lieutenant Colonel Mchi join us. As the officer in charge of reconnaissance, I believe he¡¯ll have some firsthand information to share.¡±


    A new video window appeared on the screen, revealing a middle-aged male Riken with a sharp gaze. He looked visibly displeased, as if caught in a storm not of his making.


    After straightening his uniform, he began: ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, I admit there werepses in the intelligence department this time, but the me doesn¡¯t entirely lie with us.¡±


    From the outset, Lieutenant Colonel Mchi admitted the mistake but quickly hinted that there was more to the story.


    ¡°Then please exin it to us,¡± said the captain who had earlier questioned General Masai. Though his words were polite, his tone wasced with sarcasm, implying he doubted Mchi¡¯s ability to rify the issue.


    Mchi nodded. He caught the insinuation but had no retort, his eyes growing colder. ¡°Everyone, please look at these two images.¡±


    Twoparative images appeared on the screen, showing what appeared to be a distant star system.


    The left image seemed ordinary, but the right one depicted the same system with extensive purple-gray patches over thes and moons. Two of the smaller moons were entirely engulfed in this purple-gray color.


    Although the assembledmanders were high-ranking and prestigious, they were well-prepared. If shown only the right image, they might hesitate, but the left image made it clear. It was the T855 and its satellites.


    Their expressions turned grave.


    ¡°What happened?¡± a captain asked.


    ¡°The left image was taken ten hours ago. The right image shows their current state,¡± Mchi exined.


    ¡°Is this real? Why have they changed so drastically? Are there any close-up images?¡±

 Chapter 274: Space Octopuses

    A Riken warship, over a kilometer in length, would indeed seem massive within aary atmosphere. But in the vastness of space, it was little more than a speck in a sea of stars.


    The projectiles hurtling across the 600-million-kilometer expanse had been urately locked onto the positions of the Riken fleet atunch. However, after traveling for over a day, subjected to various forces and minute deviations, the chances of actually hitting their targets were slim.


    Despite their emergency evasive maneuvers, one of the Riken warships sustained damage to its left armor, forcing it to withdraw for emergency repairs. This was the sole casualty among the hundreds of projectilesunched.


    While the bombardment yielded little in terms of direct damage, it disrupted the Riken fleet¡¯s defensive formations. In their scramble to evade, several turrets lost their original firing angles, leaving some targets out of reach.@@novelbin@@


    Spacebat was inherently a three-dimensional battlefield. It required ounting for enemies from every angle¡ªabove, below, to the sides¡ªand factoring in the ship¡¯s orientation and the risk of obstructing allied vessels. Theplexity was immense.


    After a rapid calction, the fleet¡¯s AI adjusted the turrets, redistributing targets based on the new formation.


    ¡°Fire!¡±


    ¡°Launch!¡±


    As soon as the unidentified objects entered effective range, the Riken fleet unleashed their firepower. Over 300 warships, armed with more than 2,000 high-powered main turrets, unleashed several salvos, filling the void with tens of thousands of energy beams.The starry expanse lit up spectacrly as the dense barrage of beams cut through space.


    The ¡°projectiles¡± weren¡¯t passive targets. Blue arcs of sma surged across their surfaces as their sma-engine organs fired at full capacity, allowing them to execute evasive maneuvers.


    The Rikens were dumbfounded.


    ¡°What the hell are these things?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re too far and too nimble¡ªour long-range attacks are ineffective!¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to wait until they get closer.¡±


    A few minutester, the Riken fleetunched a second attack.


    With the targets now closer, and having refined their algorithms after the first round, the Rikens managed to hit over a dozen projectiles despite the evasive efforts.


    The struck ¡°projectiles¡± exploded like fireworks, but their destruction only released a greater threat. From their ruptured forms poured countless octopus-like organisms. Some were only a few meters long, while others spanned tens of meters.


    These creatures scattered like a burst of fluid, their bodies flickering with blue arcs of sma. In a sh, they leaped onto nearby ¡°projectiles,¡± merging into their surfaces and disappearing from sight.


    ¡°What the hell are those?!¡± This question, repeated countless times over the past two days, echoed once more among the Rikens, who were increasingly overwhelmed by bewilderment.


    ¡°Could these be their warships?¡± a strategist tentatively spected.


    ¡°Are you saying they¡¯reunching their warships at us?¡±


    ¡°Then what are those things inside them?¡±


    ¡°Pilots?¡±


    ¡°They look simr, but the size difference is enormous.¡±


    A flurry of questions filled the Riken fleet¡¯smunication channels, but spection didn¡¯t dy their next orders to attack.


    After several more salvos, over 200 of the iing ¡°projectiles¡± were destroyed. Yet, more than half broke through the firepower barrier, closing to within 50,000 kilometers of the Riken fleet.


    Moreover, the contents of the destroyed ¡°projectiles¡± had already spilled out, significantly reducing the Swarm¡¯s actual losses.


    Now within the range of the Riken fleet¡¯s medium-range weapons, the remaining projectiles faced a new barrage. The fleet¡¯s secondary turrets, numbering over 10,000, unleashed an even denser barrage of energy beams.


    While the ¡°projectiles¡± maneuvered desperately, their 500-meter-plus bodies proved less agile as the distance narrowed. Coupled with the overwhelming intensity of the Riken firepower, they were systematically destroyed.


    These Primordial Space Octopuses, stripped of their electromaic railgunponents to increase their carrying capacity beforeunch, were purely transport units. Their destruction merely signaled the beginning of the true battle.


    The ¡°projectiles¡± were entirely eliminated before they could close to 30,000 kilometers, but this only paved the way for a muchrger wave of attackers.


    Following the destruction of therge ¡°projectiles,¡± countless smaller ones swarmed forward, their numbers several times¡ªif not tens of times¡ªgreater. Blue arcs of sma crackled across their forms as they elerated toward the Riken fleet with astonishing speed.


    At 30,000 kilometers, the space octopuses needed only about ten minutes to cross the distance at maximum velocity. Their energy reserves were sufficient to support low-intensitybat at such a range.


    However, the scale of this battle far exceeded low intensity. Energy conservation remained a priority.


    At their maximum energy output, the octopuses could no longer maintain their cloaking capabilities, revealing themselves to the Rikens for the first time.


    ¡°What are those things?¡± repeated endlessly.


    ¡°Are these some kind of biological civilization¡¯sbat units? They look alive!¡±


    ¡°Stop analyzing¡ªthey¡¯reing in! Prepare the space torpedoes!¡±


    The Riken fleet¡¯s defenses were thorough. Long-range main turrets, medium-range secondary turrets, torpedoes for medium-closebat, and close-range defensive formations created an intricate web of protection.


    Although not the most advanced technology in the Riken arsenal, the space torpedoes were effective within a limited range. Equipped with tracking systems, they provided strong offensive and defensive capabilities and were widely deployed across Riken warships.


    Hiddenunch bays opened across the fleet, and sleek, slender missiles were ejected. As they fired, their propulsion systems ignited, and with the aid of the fleet¡¯s AI, the missiles locked onto their targets.


    Trailing long tails of exhaust, they streaked toward the oing swarm.


    Despite their speed, the torpedoes were still slower than energy beams and barely faster than the space octopuses. This limited their effectiveness.


    The octopuses, equipped with extreme dynamic vision, skillfully evaded the torpedoes. Some evenshed out with their tentacles, entwining the missiles.


    However, Riken technology ensured that physical impact wasn¡¯t necessary for detonation. Each torpedo carried a proximity fuse.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Brilliant explosions lit up the void, obliterating or wounding some of the more daring octopuses.


    Guided by their knights, the space octopuses quickly adapted, keeping their distance from the ming projectiles.


    At their speed, dodging these weapons was hardly a challenge.

 Chapter 277: Infiltration

    Before the second wave of bombardment, the Rikens had learned from their earlier losses and made subtle adjustments to their detection systems. The fleet focused its attention on the rear of the Swarm¡¯s second wave, keeping a close watch on the over 100 Primordial Space Octopuses stationed there.


    Thus, when these massive units began charging energy for their next attack, the fleet received an immediate evasive order.


    However, the Riken warships that had been severely damaged in the first round of bombardment either lost mobility or could only move sluggishly.


    In wars between civilizations, mercy is a rarity.


    Rather than wounding ten fingers, it¡¯s better to sever one entirely¡ªa principle Luo Wen had drilled into his des countless times.


    As a result, these crippled warships were given special attention in the second round of strikes.


    One heavily damaged ship was utterly destroyed, its energy core detonating and turning the vessel into a shower of debris. The shrapnel sprayed in all directions, colliding with nearby ships and disrupting ongoing rescue operations. The Rikens drifting in space from the first attack faced an even bleaker fate.


    The scene became a grim spectacle.


    More small rescue craft were deployed to assist, but before they could reach the field, the third wave of bombardment arrived.The Rikens, still reeling, finally adjusted their tactics. They redirected their main guns to target the 100 Primordial Octopuses at long range. These massive units were so far away that only the main guns could reach them.


    However, this redirection of firepower allowed other Primordial Octopuses to breach the firepower more easily. Their enormous size let them withstand multiple hits from the secondary turrets before going down.


    The thirdyer of defense¡ªspace torpedoes¡ªwas now noticeably thinner. Unlike energy weapons, torpedoes required physical reloading, and manyunchers were still in the process of being rearmed.


    The fourth defensive line of fighter craft remained embroiled in skirmishes with the remnants of the first wave of octopuses.


    By the time the 400 Primordial Octopuses broke through the fourth line, dozens of them still retained mobility. They were joined by hundreds of mature and over 5,000rval bodies.


    The mature bodies, many armed with electromaic railguns, began closing the distance while targeting the Riken fleet¡¯s main and secondary turrets.


    Therval bodies,cking ranged attack capabilities, rushed toward the fleet, acting as both a distraction and a screen.


    The Riken fire-control system prioritized therger Primordial and mature octopuses, leaving minimal firepower to deal with therval bodies. At just 10 meters in length, these small and agile units were difficult to lock onto, zipping through space with unpredictable trajectories.


    Exploiting this oversight, therval bodies effortlessly reached the Riken fleet.


    Now, the battle entered a phase of close-quartersbat.


    At this critical juncture, the Rikens activated their fifth line of defense.


    Numerous multi-barreled close-in weapon systems (CIWS) mounted on the warships sprang to life. These weapons, designed for short-range defense, could fire tens of thousands of rounds per minute, creating a dense curtain of fire.


    While the CIWScked power and had a short effective range, they were perfect for dealing with therval bodies.@@novelbin@@


    The resulting barrage lit up the void with streaks of light, and for the first time since the battle began, the Swarm suffered notable casualties.


    Severalrval bodies, unable to evade the wall of fire, were shredded into pulp. Being small creatures with limited fungal colonies, these units had no chance of recovery.


    Even so, their remains could still be absorbed by other octopuses, elerating growth and regeneration.


    The CIWS system relied on AI to predict flight paths and project a lethal trajectory in front of its targets. This approach worked well against less agile mechanical units.


    However, after some initial losses, therval bodies adapted. They began zigzagging erratically, rendering their movements unpredictable.


    Once they adopted this new strategy, their casualties plummeted.


    Though the CIWSwork continued firing ceaselessly, it achieved diminishing results.


    Therval bodies sought out gaps in the firepower and, after several maneuvers, sessfully breached the defenses,nding directly on the warships.


    While therval bodiescked the weaponry to prate the ships¡¯ heavy armor, they quickly proved their utility. Some swarmed the exposed turrets, ripping apart smaller instations like point-defense cannons through brute force.


    Against the heavily armored main and secondary turrets, therval bodies employed a different strategy: burrowing directly into the cannon barrels.


    Being soft-bodied creatures, squeezing through tight spaces was a trivial task. Once inside, their presence caused catastrophic backfires when energy was discharged, disabling the turrets entirely.


    Although therval bodies were annihted in the process, the exchange was entirely in the Swarm¡¯s favor.


    Recognizing the threat, General Masai issued an emergency order to prioritize defending the turrets. The CIWS systems were redirected to focus on the turrets instead of creating a firepower. Since the main and secondary turrets were immune to CIWS fire, friendly fire was not a concern.


    However, this shift in priorities made the overall CIWSwork more porous, allowing more octopuses to slip through.


    While the turrets gained some protection, the CIWS units themselves became vulnerable. Their rtively weak armor made them easy targets for thergerrval bodies, which dismantled them piece by piece.


    By targeting the rotating bases of the CIWS units, therval bodies quickly rendered the weapons inoperable. Without the ability to adjust their firing angles, the CIWS units became non-threatening.


    Meanwhile, otherrval bodies took a more audacious approach. They infiltrated the wreckage of destroyed Riken warships, blending in with the rescue operations in an attempt to sneak aboard intact vessels.


    Despite the Rikens¡¯ efforts to shut down hangar bay doors, somerval bodies managed to slip inside before the closures.


    Inside the ships, these ¡°small¡± creatures from space became towering giants.


    Capable of tearing apart CIWS units, theserval bodies were unstoppable against the unarmed Riken crew.


    Most of the personnel in the hangars were engineers wielding repair tools, wholly unprepared forbat. The once-secure rear areas of the ship were suddenly transformed into front-line battle zones.


    Chaos erupted as therval bodies crushed several crew members before reinforcements arrived. The surviving crew fled in terror, colliding with armed soldiers rushing to contain the threat.


    The resulting scene was one of pure pandemonium.

 Chapter 279: A Reminder

    The newly arrived wave of Primordial Space Octopuses brought a fresh change in deployment. Among them, 200 were equipped with electromaic railguns, joining the 30 or so surviving units from the previous wave in providing long-range fire support.


    This drastically increased the Swarm¡¯s long-range firepower, while the Rikens¡¯ firepower had diminished significantly. With warships destroyed by bombardment or sabotaged by blocked turrets, their ability to retaliate was no longer what it once was.


    The Primordial Octopuses positioned for long-range assault could now only be threatened by the Riken warships¡¯ main cannons. As the bnce tipped in the Swarm¡¯s favor, their long-range firepower soon matched that of the Rikens.


    However, this equality only applied to the mid-range exchange.


    The Riken fleet¡¯s second line of secondary turrets still maintained a semnce of effectiveness, but their third and fourth lines of defense were riddled with gaps from earlier assaults by the mature bodies andrval bodies.


    Moreover, while the secondary turrets could still provide some resistance, their firepower was no longer a lethal threat to the Primordial Octopuses.


    Using data to illustrate.


    A single main cannon shot could prate a Primordial body¡¯s armor and render it adrift with three or four hits. In contrast, a secondary turret needed five or six direct hits to breach the armor and far more to disable a Primordial Octopus entirely.


    Yet, Primordial bodies were no sitting targets. Hitting the same spot multiple times in session was a daunting challenge.With the main cannons upied suppressing the distant Primordial bodies, only scattered shots could target the transport-oriented Primordial bodies breaching the secondary lines.


    As a result, of the over 300 transport units in this wave, only a dozen or so were lost before breaking through.


    This was a dire situation¡ªnot just for the Rikens but for the Swarm as well.


    Luo Wen hadn¡¯t expected the seemingly mighty Riken warships to falter so quickly. By the second wave of reinforcements, their defenses were already copsing.


    The Rikens had no effective countermeasures for close-rangebat against the space octopuses.


    Although the second wave ofrval bodies had suffered heavy losses to the CIWS, over a thousand still swarmed around the Riken fleet. The CIWS systems themselves were now heavily damaged.


    A mere 17rval bodies infiltrating a single warship had managed to destroy it from within, leaving the Rikens so wary that they even avoided retrieving escape pods.


    Despite all this, the Riken situation continued to deteriorate. Many warships were damaged by the Primordial Octopuses¡¯ long-range bombardment, creating breaches that allowed morerval bodies to infiltrate. Escape pods beganunching from several warships.


    Though only two of the fleet¡¯s 300 warships werepletely destroyed, over a hundred suffered varying degrees of damage. Worse still, the remaining transport-type Primordial bodies had broken through the secondary defenses.


    The implications were dire. Each of these transports carried at least thousands of mature bodies and tens of thousands ofrval bodies.


    Riken warships, measuring just over a kilometer long, paled inparison to the 500-meter-plus Primordial Octopuses. Even without electromaic railguns, their tentacles alone posed a catastrophic threat.


    If the transport units reached the fleet, the remaining warships would fall in no time¡ªeven without reinforcements from subsequent waves.


    Yet, the Swarm had alreadyunched 15 waves of Primordial bodies, all en route to the battlefield. Even if the Swarm ceased further reinforcements, the forces already deployed were more than enough to annihte the Riken fleet.


    But Luo Wen¡¯s true objective wasn¡¯t to destroy the fleet entirely.


    He had prepared for a hard-fought battle, going all-out from the start. If not for the limited number of electromaicunchers, even more troops would have reached the field by now.


    To his surprise, the Riken fleet was already on the verge of copse before he could bring his full strength to bear.


    Luo Wen found himself hoping the Rikens had some secret weapon left to deploy. ¡°If you¡¯ve got any trump cards, use them already,¡± he thought. ¡°At this rate, the whole thing is bing farcical.¡±


    As if in answer to his prayer¡ªor perhaps spurred by their recognition of the looming threat¡ªthe Rikens revealed their ace.


    General Masai gave the order, and hundreds of strategic nuclear missiles wereunched from the fleet. These weren¡¯t the tactical nuclear weapons used by ground forces but super-nukes with yields exceeding 200 megatons each.


    The missiles detonated as they neared the Primordial Octopus formations. While the octopuses had a chance to evade the sts, Luo Wen saw an opportunity to leverage the event, orchestrating a dyed reaction from the Swarm.


    In truth, the oue would have been the same regardless. The explosions were unimaginably powerful. Even if the octopuses had moved earlier, their survival would have been unlikely.


    The dazzling nuclear explosions illuminated space, lingering like hundreds of miniature suns. Some of the Swarm¡¯s optical observation units suffered severe damage.


    The Primordial formations directly facing the sts were vaporized.


    The resulting radiation belt spanned thousands of kilometers, temporarily cutting off the Riken fleet from the Swarm¡¯s reinforcements.


    The intense light, heat, and charged particles from the explosions first struck the Riken fleet.


    The EMP effects generated by hundreds of high-yield nuclear detonations were catastrophic, disabling many of the fleet¡¯s electronic systems.


    Fortunately, the Rikens had anticipated some coteral effects and initiated emergency protocols, shutting down vulnerable systems to prevent irreparable damage.


    Even so, smaller units¡ªfighters, escape pods, and drones¡ªwere rendered inoperable. Without rescue, these crews faced suffocation and starvation in the void.


    The explosions¡¯ effects weren¡¯t limited to space. On the nearby Great Dawn, shockwaves wreaked havoc on the atmosphere, triggering massive tidal storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The¡¯s maic field became unstable, further exacerbating the chaos.


    The Rikens¡¯ initial confidence in their superior technology had been shattered by the Swarm¡¯s relentless assault. After the first wave, their arrogance faltered; after the second, their morale crumbled entirely.


    Some had already proposed retreat, but the realization of the Swarm¡¯s full scale of reinforcements solidified their decision.


    This was Luo Wen¡¯s deliberate ploy¡ªa disy of the Swarm¡¯s might designed to terrify his opponents into fleeing.


    Convinced they had narrowly escaped annihtion, the Rikens prepared to withdraw, believing the heavens had offered them a second chance.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 281: The Situation

    The Swarm reaped significant rewards from this war.


    They captured arge number of Riken warships. While some steadfast captains chose to perish with their vessels, many sumbed to their fear of death and surrendered.


    The personnel and supplies obtained were secondary. The real prize was the technological advancements the Riken had developed over the years, which provided valuable inspiration to the Swarm.


    With the assistance of Riken researchers who had been converted into Intelligent Entities, the Swarm rapidly assimted all of this knowledge.


    ¡°General, we¡¯ve confirmed that they are not pursuing us.¡±


    ¡°It seems their engine technology is indeed a shoring.¡± After a moment of contemtion, General Masai let out a long sigh. ¡°And now, we¡¯ve practically helped them ovee this weakness. Perhaps we¡¯ve doomed ourselves to be traitors of the Riken.¡±


    The Riken firmly believed that while the T85 civilization was powerful inbat, their inability to expand into the Riken Star System was due to their limited travel speeds.


    The abandoned Riken warships, particrly the severely damaged ones, had their personnel evacuated, and their engines destroyed before being relinquished. However, some of the less damaged ships, ording to the final images, had likely fallen into the hands of the T85 civilization.


    With the physical prototypes of these warship engines and the assistance of defectors, the T85 civilization could potentially master these technologies within decades, eventually advancing into the Riken Star System.General Masai regretted not decisively destroying all the warships back then, even if it meant sacrificing tens of thousands of lives and being branded a butcher in history.


    Unfortunately, such cold-blooded orders would likely never have been executed without the disastrous consequences presenting themselves first.


    Feeling powerless, General Masai couldn¡¯t predict what the future held.


    But given the circumstances, he resolved to focus on survival. As long as he retained militarymand, there might still be opportunities in the future.


    ¡°Ensure that Dr. Balt receives everything he needs. Aside from entering hibernation, fulfill his requests as best as you can!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    More than twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. After a prolonged journey across the void between the Neighboring Star System and the Riken Star System, the Riken fleet finally returned to their home system.


    Upon arriving at the outermost asteroid belt of the Riken Star System, they noticed the area had undergone significant changes, with many new artificial structures present. Most appeared to be observation equipment, with only a small number of weapon instations.


    As they crossed the asteroid belt and entered the inner regions of the Riken Star System, the transformations became even more apparent.


    Observation devices floated throughout space, monitoring every corner of the system. On thes and their moons, massive construction projects were in progress.


    The closer they approached the Riken homeworld, the more evident the changes became.


    From the sixth onward, numerous space factories were seen orbiting the system, with various transport ships shuttling in and out. These ships carried refinedponents to specific locations for assembly.


    Countless metallic space fortresses and turrets were dispersed across orbital paths, while the surfaces ofs and moons were bristling with weapons, with more still being added.


    The fleet¡¯s speed had already decreased to 10 km/s, moving very slowly through space cluttered with obstacles, making higher speeds unattainable.


    Although many of the facilities were still in early stages of development, achieving such progress was undoubtedly not the work of mere years.


    ¡°It seems the current President is an exceptionally bold leader,¡± General Masai remarked. The expedition fleet had been away from their homeworld for over fifty years.


    Back when they departed, the President at the time, President Derlin, had justpleted his third term. He was seeded by another leader who served for thirty years, followed by the current President, Antonio.@@novelbin@@


    Before the fleet¡¯s construction, the Riken had experienced rapid technological progress.


    Thus, they no longer had to rely on primitive Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceships, where everymunication required years of umted energy from sr sails. Thanks to advances in energy systems, the fleet could nowmunicate more frequently with the homeworld.


    Unfortunately, the transmission speed ofmunication devices remained bound by the speed of light. Despite more frequentmunication, the time it took for messages to travel between locations was essentially unchanged from the era of the Cat¡¯s Ear Spaceships.


    When the expedition fleet was defeated and fled, General Masai had transmitted reports of the battle back to the Riken homeworld.


    By the time the message arrived, President Antonio had just taken office. He likely hadn¡¯t anticipated inheriting such a catastrophic situation so early in his tenure.


    Over the past twenty years, as the fleet gradually approached their homeworld, the time required formunications had shortened from several years to a few months.


    Throughout this period, President Antonio had been the primary decision-maker for the Riken.


    Remarkably, under these dire circumstances, he managed to secure two additional terms, demonstrating extraordinary capability.


    It should be noted that constructing the fleet in the past had taken over twenty years, during which the Riken endured significant declines in their standard of living.


    If not for their dreams of defeating alien invaders and the honor of colonizing other star systems, internal unrest might have erupted long ago due to their years of militaristic strain.


    Finally, the fleet waspleted, and the Riken enjoyed just thirty years of prosperity and recovery before the disastrous news of the expedition fleet¡¯s defeat and retreat shattered their hopes.


    Most importantly, there was now the looming threat that their enemy might counterattack.


    This news shocked the entire Riken poption. President Antonio, who had been brimming with confidence and intent on leading the Riken to a brighter future, was dealt a crushing blow.


    Resignation was out of the question. If Antonio had stepped down, he would¡¯ve beenbeled a deserter. Should the Riken perish afterward, it would be excusable, but if they survived, Antonio would surely be remembered with infamy.


    Faced with this crisis, Antonio embarked on sweeping reforms. Everyone understood the gravity of the situation, so despite Antonio¡¯s harsh measures, they reluctantlyplied.


    Gradually, Antonio¡¯s authority expanded, particrly over military matters, transforming the Federal Assembly into a de facto military regime.


    By the time others realized what had happened, it was toote to reverse the changes.


    Antonio issued more directives, including raising military taxes, enforcing conscription, draftingborers, and restricting the entertainment industry.


    At the same time, arge-scale propaganda campaign wasunched. While it initially caused widespread panic, over time, public fear subsided, and many began to appreciate Antonio¡¯s decisions.


    Antonio¡¯s previously plummeting approval ratings skyrocketed.


    The portrayal of alien invaders as ruthless, merciless beings who spared no prisoners had be deeply ingrained through years of propaganda.


    Faced with the existential threat of extinction, all other concerns paled inparison.

 Chapter 282: The New Team

    The Riken Star System had its primary, the fourth one, designated as the Riken homeworld. The fifth was named Riven, and the sixth, Riwu.


    One stood for civility, the other for strength¡ªtogether, they guarded the homeworld.


    The returning expedition fleet began disbanding upon reaching Riwu¡¯s orbit. A portion of the fleet remained stationed there for repairs and upgrades, while the rest continued to Riven¡¯s orbit, where they were entirely stationed.


    The captains, officers, and staff of the ships traveled to Riken aboard small transport vessels, relinquishing their military authority in a peaceful transfer before returning home.


    For defeated soldiers, no grand weing ceremony awaited them. President Antonio met them discreetly.


    The endless expanse of space, while awe-inspiring and beautiful, can grow tiresome after years or even decades of unchanging scenery.


    As a result, casual chatter became the best way to pass the time.


    However, onboard, either people were in hibernation, or everyone was simrly cut off from external information for decades, leading to high redundancy in conversations.


    No secret could remain hidden for long in such a closed environment.Take the Longevity nt as an example. Originally known only to the topmand and research teams, the knowledge of it somehow leaked. Within a few years, this top-secret information becamemon gossip.


    Even the reclusive engineering and maintenance teams on the ships had enough details to voice their opinions on the matter.


    Thus,munications with the homeworld became the sole source of new conversational material for the expedition fleet.


    As the fleet drew closer to Riken,munication dys shortened, and energy costs lessened, leading to increasingly frequent ¡°chats¡± between the two sides.


    The fleet had spent nearly 30 years traveling to the T85 Star System, only to stay less than a year before being driven out. They then spent another 20-plus years traveling back through the void.


    This meant their information reserves were scarce, and after a few exchanges, the topics ran dry. For the most part, it was the homeworld providing them with a one-sided stream of updates.


    This saved significant time in President Antonio¡¯s discussions with General Masai and other returning officers.


    The meeting ended quickly, and its contents were undisclosed. Shortly afterward, Dr. Balt was carefully escorted from Riven¡¯s orbit to Riken¡¯s surface.


    During the more than two decades of travel, Dr. Balt¡¯s team had not rested. They were dedicated to researching the Longevity nt.


    However, most of the advanced equipment initially carried by the expedition fleet had been transported to the T853 base. When the retreat came, the equipment had to be hastily destroyed to prevent enemy capture.


    As a result, there were no suitable recements on board. This made the already rudimentary research environment even worse. Although they managed to bring back rtively portable samples of the Longevity nt during the retreat, providing ample experimental materials, their progress over more than two decades was unimpressive.


    Dr. Balt¡¯s team included many members who were neither specialists in the relevant fields nor enthusiastic about conducting research without proper equipment. Even Dr. Balt himself was, strictly speaking, an outsider to the field.


    Dr. Balt had raised these concerns with General Masai, but amidst thepeting interests, their opinions were ultimately ignored. The team was still forbidden from entering hibernation and was assigned research tasks under duress.


    This led to dissatisfaction and resistance among many team members. Some even deliberately wasted experimental materials out of spite.


    Over 20 years, the original stockpile of over 20 tons of Longevity nts, including roots and fruit, had dwindled to less than 2 tons.


    General Masai, who not only lost the war but also allowed critical resources to be squandered, was relieved of his military duties after his meeting with the President. Thanks to backing from his allies, he avoided a court-martial.


    The Longevity nts were handed over to President Antonio¡¯s faction. Afterpleting a handover and having all their research data extracted, Dr. Balt and his team were promptly removed from the project.


    A new team,prised of more specialized personnel, was formed. With over 3,000 members, this team was better funded and equipped with precision instruments as needed.


    It was said that several senior professors in the new team fainted with excitement after reviewing the Longevity nt data. When they learned that the original experimental stock was more than ten times what remained, wasted by Dr. Balt¡¯s team, they fainted again.


    Upon regaining consciousness, the professors managed topose themselves. Had Dr. Balt¡¯s team not already been reassigned, there might have been severe consequences.


    The new team was exceptionally efficient. They quickly assimted the research results from Dr. Balt¡¯s 20-plus years of work and began making significant advancements.


    It was believed that tangible breakthroughs would soon be achieved.


    Meanwhile, of the more than 2 million personnel returning with the fleet, all but the heavy criminals and death-row convicts from the initial crew were gradually sent back to Riken in batches.


    These individuals, though defeated, had endured decades of hardship and were not without merit. Additionally, they were connected toplex powerworks. Even the rank-and-file soldiers had families who had eagerly awaited their return.


    Any mistreatment of these individuals might have caused internal copse before any external alien threat could arrive.


    ¡°Foolish little sister, you¡¯ve finally returned. I heard you encountered some mishaps this time? Almost got eaten by a beast? Hopefully, this experience has helped you mature a little.¡± The elder sister, though worried about her sibling¡¯s ordeal, had initially considered hijacking a warship to rush to the T85 Star System. Yet, when it came to expressing her concern, the words took a different turn.


    ¡°Eh? Are you mom¡¯s sister? I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever met. You look at least 50 years older than me!¡± The younger sister¡¯s sharp response immediately made the elder sister wish the beast had finished the job.


    Despite this exchange, both smiled, and the five-decade gap between them melted away.


    ¡°Though you remain as annoying as ever, seeing you like this puts my mind at ease. It seems you¡¯ve indeed grown.¡±


    ¡°Ah, it was an unforgettable experience,¡± the younger sister said, her eyes filled with reminiscence, as if recalling a great being. She emphasized again, ¡°An experience you absolutely cannot imagine.¡±


    Though the elder sister looked intrigued, Lieutenant Colonel Cross wasn¡¯t inclined to borate further. Instead, she said:


    ¡°Old woman, despite our rough return, we brought back some good stuff.¡± She spoke about the Longevity nt: ¡°You better seize this opportunity. I hear the materials are running out. To stay my sister, you¡¯ll need to look even younger.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯d change how you address me, I might like you more. But for now, you should rest. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    ¡°And how about your research? Have you reverse-engineered anything good over the years?¡± Cross asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°It¡¯s a secret!¡± came the usual answer.


    ¡°Meh.¡±


    The sisters chatted for a while longer before the elder sibling hurried off, clearly still busy. Even visiting her sister had been squeezed into her packed schedule.


    Watching her leave, Cross¡¯s gaze turned yful. ¡°Foolish ¡®sister,¡¯ how could two species truly be siblings? I can¡¯t wait for the day you once again be my ¡®sister.¡¯ Then you¡¯ll understand just how wonderful this world truly is.¡±

 Chapter 284: Upgrades

    Among the faces hidden beneath the helmets of the raiding party, a few were strikingly familiar. Were they members of the patrol team that had been rescued long ago?


    Indeed, if someone were to carry out such a mission on Riken¡¯s homeworld, who could be more suitable than expeditionary soldiers¡ªrecently returned from deep space, with no records for decades, and well-versed inbat?@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Overlord, the fungal carpet seeds we nted on Riken¡¯s homeworld have been activated,¡± Sarah Kerrigan reported.


    Luo Wen nodded. Although the seeds were activated by a Celestial Monitor under his direct authorization, he had known about it the instant it happened.


    ¡°Overlord, we need to find a way to deploy a Brood Queen to Riken¡¯s homeworld. Only then can we proceed with the next phase of the n.¡±


    ¡°What ideas do you have?¡±


    ¡°We currently have no feasible solutions. ording to the intelligent entities on their side, the Riken have fortified their star system into an imprable fortress. Although it isn¡¯t yet fullypleted, it would be exceedingly difficult for us to prate without deploying arge-scale force.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll handle this,¡± Luo Wen replied after some thought.


    From the intelligence provided by Lieutenant Colonel Cross, it was clear that the closer one got to the Riken homeworld, the tighter their defenses became. Rumor had it that their technology had advanced further¡ªthey even nned to hollow out their satellites and turn them intoary fortresses.It was impossible for the Swarm to rely on its old strategy of disguising a few Swarm Meteors as cover to crash into a. The very reason for the Riken¡¯s previous expedition had been the destruction of a Riken administrative district by a ¡®Swarm¡¯ Meteor.


    This revtion made Luo Wen realize that he had been saddled with an undeserved infamy. If he ever discovered who was responsible for that act, he would turn them into feed for hisrvae.


    Nheless, this event had left the Riken hypervignt against anything resembling meteors. No meteor, no matter how small, could approach their homeworld without arousing suspicion.


    Twenty years ago, this would have been a nearly insurmountable problem. The Swarm would have had no choice but to rely on brute force to conquer the Riken homeworld¡ªan approach that ran counter to Luo Wen¡¯s objectives.


    But now, this problem had be exceedingly simple to solve.


    The reason? Luo Wen¡¯s Swarm Network had undergone another evolution.


    Since the first intelligent entity crafted from a Riken¡¯s spiritual essence was born, Luo Wen had sensed subtle changes in the Swarm Network. However, the transformations had been so faint, and thework so vast, that he couldn¡¯t pinpoint what had shifted.


    Over time, as more intelligent entities of various types were created, the changes became increasingly pronounced.


    Yet, attributing the changes solely to the new intelligent entities would be inurate. The process of creating these entities involved absorbing the energy of mature spiritual essences and using it to construct the intelligent entities.


    The key point was that this energy was first absorbed by the Swarm Network before forming the entities.


    In essence, this energy didn¡¯t disappear¡ªit simply changed form. The seemingly independent intelligent entities were still fundamentally part of the Swarm Network.


    Over the years, the Swarm had umted millions of intelligent entities. Absorbing so much energy had inevitably altered the Swarm Network, leading to both quantitative and qualitative transformations, culminating in an evolution.


    The most direct result of this evolution was that many long-standing challenges Luo Wen had faced were now effortlessly resolved¡ªand thework¡¯s functionalities were strengthened to an unimaginable degree.


    For example, in the past, all production units¡ªwhether early-stage Queen Ants or modern Brood Queens¡ªrequired a Brood Nest to produce other units. Now, any Brood Queen could be authorized to produce such units, including other Brood Queens.


    This capability dramatically elerated the Swarm¡¯s expansion into new star systems. Colonizing a system no longer requiredunching the primary body and Brood Nest as it had when exploring the Neighboring Star System.


    Simrly, absorbing the gic material of certain lifeforms used to necessitate the direct involvement of Luo Wen¡¯s primary body or a Brood Nest. Now, any production unit could absorb gic material and upload it to the Swarm Network.


    For instance, if the Swarm encountered another creature like Godzi, Luo Wen wouldn¡¯t need to personally consume it. Any nearby Brood Queen could do so, and Luo Wen could still acquire the gic data via thework.


    In the past, updating the gic library of production units required Luo Wen to personally interact with each one¡ªa time-consuming andbor-intensive process. Even with the modrponents of fungal carpet-based units, which allowed for retrofitting, dys in gic updates were still a hindrance.


    These updates were especially critical when dealing with major acquisitions like Godzi¡¯s genes, which requiredprehensive updates across the board. Each such asion demanded arge-scale operation.


    Additionally, frequent appearances of his primary body in the field were far from ideal for Luo Wen at the time.


    Fortunately, these problems were now resolved. Gic libraries of all production units could now be remotely updated via the Swarm Network. What once required painstaking data sharing had be as simple as copy-pasting.


    Previously, the primary body and Brood Nest were intrinsically linked: only the primary body could spawn a Brood Nest, and only a Brood Nest could hatch a primary body.


    Now, Luo Wen could authorize the hatching of a primary body through any production unit. With a primary body in ce, a Brood Nest could naturally follow.


    This shift was revolutionary. The abilities of the Iphieash had been fully integrated into the Swarm Network, transforming from physical entities into virtual capabilities.


    The Swarm¡¯s gic absorption ability would no longer be lost if the primary body or Brood Nest were destroyed. Their once-exclusive functions had been entirely subsumed by thework, diminishing their strategic importance.


    Luo Wen even contemted obliterating them entirely, producing new ones only when necessary to further safeguard the Iphieash¡¯s gic secrets.


    This evolution vastly enhanced Luo Wen¡¯s survival prospects.


    While the primary body and Brood Nests were limited to five each, the Swarm now had over a million Brood Queens across two star systems and in the cosmic void. As long as any one of them survived, the Swarm could regenerate within a short time.


    These changes marked Luo Wen¡¯s gradual transformation from a physical organism into a spiritual one. Whether this was good or bad remained unclear to him, but the newfound capabilities gave him unprecedented confidence in facing future crises.

 Chapter 287: Departure

    Even seven dayster, Lieutenant Colonel Cross asionally recalled the scene in the underground chamber. The feeling of toying with prey was intoxicating.


    After Cleo lost consciousness, she was immediately dragged underground. Twenty kilometers beneath the vi, another hidden Riken sub-hive existed.


    Thisboratory sub-hive was established after it reached a certain level of development. A flying bug, carrying a fungal carpet seed, found Cross and set up a new base beneath the vi.


    If the Swarm Network had not evolved, Luo Wen would never have been so aggressive. But now, he had his confidence.


    After Cleo was sent to the underground base, her new body was temporarily controlled by the Hive Queen¡¯s consciousness. Meanwhile, Cross kept putting on a sisterly act in the vi above.


    However, the Cross in the underground base was not using her own body. Traveling twenty kilometers through underground tunnels risked bumps and scrapes, and being away from the vi too long could raise suspicion among the servants.


    Instead, the Cross who met Cleo used a temporary body, created specifically for this purpose. Once used, it was recycled. With Luo Wen¡¯s authorization, transferring an intelligent consciousness between multiple bodies was routine.


    As Cross was lost in thought, she noticed her ¡°sister¡¯s¡± body tremble slightly. Sensing that the Hive Queen¡¯s consciousness had departed and a new consciousness had descended, she greeted Cleo with a radiant smile and a warm hug.


    ¡°Wee back, sister. How does it feel?¡± Cross asked, her expression blossoming with joy.@@novelbin@@Cleo rolled her eyes but did not resist her sister¡¯s embrace. ¡°Not bad,¡± she replied.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, she added, ¡°It would have been even better without all your dramatics!¡±


    Examining the information provided by Cleo, Luo Wen fell into contemtion.


    Cleo was a crucial figure¡ªa brilliant researcher with direct ess to the ancient spaceship and a wealth of firsthand data.


    After transforming Cross, and learning of her connections, the n to target Cleo was immediately set in motion. Thus, as soon as the Swarm¡¯s Riken sub-hive was established, the n was executed without a hitch.


    Thanks to Cross¡¯s cooperation, the operation proceeded wlessly, yielding Luo Wen a trove of ssified information.


    The technology aboard the ancient spaceship far surpassed the Riken race¡¯s capabilities. Withoutprehensive theoretical frameworks and prerequisite technologies, the Riken¡¯s attempts at decryption had been less than ideal.


    Over the years, their analysis team had mostly been reverse-engineering fundamental theories from existing products.


    Thus far, only a handful of breakthroughs had been made.


    Yet even these few advancements had catapulted the Riken race¡¯s technological prowess forward.


    For instance, their warships could now exceed a kilometer in length, thanks to their materials research team.


    Another example was their sublight engines, reverse-engineered from the fighter engines aboard the ancient spaceship. The Riken spected that the spaceship¡¯s primary engine system was a warp drive capable of faster-than-light travel. However, due to gaps in their prerequisite technologies, they remained clueless about its workings.


    Luo Wen allocated a team of 200,000 intelligent entities to specialize in processing and studying the experimental data transmitted by Cleo.


    By now, the Swarm¡¯s pool of intelligent entities had grown to millions, most of whom were spiritual remnants of deceased Ratfolk scientists.


    Over the years, these entities had yed a pivotal role in the Swarm¡¯s progress, despite their low visibility.


    Since venturing into space, Luo Wen could no longer rely solely on harvesting biological genes to elevate the Swarm¡¯s limits, as he had done during the ant empire era.


    Although spaceborne organisms held tremendous potential for gic enhancement, such organisms were exceedingly rare. To date, the Swarm had encountered only one and a half types.


    The first was an atmospheric organism found on a gaseous¡¯s moon in the Genesis Star System, which unlocked the Swarm¡¯s bio-electromaic technology.


    The ¡°half¡± was Godzi, unable to traverse space but harboring controble fusion technology that significantly bolstered the Swarm¡¯s strength.


    Even now, Godzi¡¯s body contained untapped ck technology.


    However, such organisms were scarce, their appearances unpredictable. Relying solely on them to enhancebat capabilities and civilization levels would result in uneptably slow development.


    For the Swarm to grow rapidly, it needed its own research teams and technological systems¡ªsomething the intelligent entities had been tirelessly building for years.


    The current Swarm technologies, from upgraded electromaic and fusion technologies to optical and sma engines, railguns, and innovations in observation, radar,munications, andputation, were primarily products of these intelligent entities¡¯ research.


    Freed from concerns like sustenance, health, or interpersonal strife, and devoid of desires for recognition, the intelligent entities coborated seamlessly. This unity enabled the collective efforts of millions of entities to surpass the output of many civilizations¡¯ tens of millions of researchers.


    Their umted knowledge now represented the Swarm¡¯s most valuable asset and its foundation for future conquests across the stars.


    Six months passed slowly.


    Surrounding Cross were numerous Eagle-Eye Bugs stationed kilometers or even tens of kilometers away, using pure optical observation to monitor everything.


    No anomalies were detected.


    Luo Wen¡¯s hypothesis proved correct: even if the Watcher civilization existed, they would not scrutinize every detail. Their focus likelyy at the level of civilization-wide developments.


    With this confirmation, the Swarm¡¯s next phase could proceed.


    ¡°Sarah, the stage is yours,¡± Luo Wen said.


    ¡°We will not disappoint you, Overlord,¡± Sarah Kerrigan replied.


    Since the Riken expedition fleet fled the Neighboring Star System, the Swarm no longer hid its presence, revealing itself openly. On the system stars orbit, countless space octopuses waited, feeding on the abundant radiation to elerate their growth.


    Meanwhile, two colossal electromaic megastructures were nearingpletion.


    The Swarm¡¯s first electromaic megastructure had taken decades of painstaking effort to grow. Since then, the Swarm had constructed numerous smaller megastructures, amassing significant experience.


    Now, with new technologies and algorithms, the two new megastructures, each over 2,000 kilometers in size, had grown in less than a decade.


    Next, the megastructures beganunching Primordial-ss space octopuses toward the Riken Star System. Propelled by their ejection speed and their engines, the space octopuses formed two linear formations, advancing at over one-sixth the speed of light toward their target.

 Chapter 290: Countermeasures

    ¡°But we must first eliminate the Swarm¡¯s forces first; otherwise, victory will be even harder to achieve,¡± The man who was trying to mediate the fight changed the subject.


    ¡°Exactly. Although we don¡¯t know how many troops the enemy has sent over, it¡¯s definitely far more than what we see now,¡± another officer concurred. ¡°ording to the observation instruments in the debris fields, the enemy warships are continuously gathering outside the star system. If we don¡¯t seize the opportunity to destroy this vanguard, it will be much harder to deal with them once reinforcements arrive.¡±


    Everyone nodded in agreement, even General Masai remained silent.


    He understood this point too. But based on the enemy¡¯s behavior in the T85 Star System, it felt highly suspicious that they would rush into battle without waiting for their forces to assemblepletely. It seemed like a deliberate sacrifice.


    No matter how he looked at it, this army appeared to be courting death. Masai couldn¡¯t believe the enemy wouldn¡¯t recognize such an obvious w in their strategy.


    Yet he couldn¡¯t discern any tangible benefits the enemy could gain from this approach, leaving him feeling deeply conflicted.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°But we still haven¡¯t figured out what exactly they are! Those tentacle creatures¡ªare they their warships, their primary forms, or something else entirely?¡± Masai made a final effort to resist.


    ¡°Precisely because we don¡¯t know, we need to fight this battle! We need to capture some specimens for research,¡± Alcer said impatiently.


    Although Alcer¡¯s tone was sharp, Masai didn¡¯t retort.In truth, Masai knew Alcer was right. Without engaging in battle, they would never understand their opponent. It was a vicious cycle.


    Masai sighed quietly, feeling a touch of destion. Perhaps, as Alcer suggested, the previous war had sapped his courage.


    Seeing Masai¡¯s listless demeanor, Novaul tried to reassure him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Masai. You lostst time because you didn¡¯t understand the enemy. While our understanding is still limited, we¡¯ve gleaned some countermeasures from the data your team collected during that battle.¡±


    ¡°First, regarding their speed. After detailed analysis, we¡¯ve concluded that theirrgebat units rely on some kind ofunch mechanism to reach the battlefield quickly. Once they decelerate, they¡¯ve never again reached their initial speed. Otherwise, during the interster engine activation phase, they would have caught up with your fleet, and the expeditionary force wouldn¡¯t have made it back.¡±


    ¡°Although our ships are also slow without interster engines, we still outperform them in this aspect.¡±


    Novaul paused, observing the crowd¡¯s attentive expressions before continuing, ¡°Additionally, we have certain advantages in long-range attacks and supeputing technology. So far, the only long-range weapon they¡¯ve disyed is the electromaic railgun. Among space weapons, this is considered rtively slow¡ªnot in rate of fire but in projectile velocity, which is much slowerpared to beam or energy weapons.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve developed specialized detection instruments based on this principle. While they are still in their early stages and struggle to detect small railguns, the massive energy buildup required for theirrgebat units ensures their railgun projectiles achieve higher speeds and ranges, making them easier to detect. The moment these projectiles areunched, they can be tracked. With the coordination of our AI and supeputing technologies, calcting their trajectories is rtively straightforward. If our ships maintain a consistent cruising speed, there¡¯s a significant chance to evade these attacks.¡±


    ¡°As long as we avoid theirrge-scale railgun strikes, their smaller railguns won¡¯t pose much of a threat to our ships.¡±


    The speaker, Novaul, was a Vice Admiral and themander of the Second Space Fleet.


    ¡°I agree with Novaul¡¯s assessment. If we maintain the proper distance, it¡¯s possible to wear them down without sustaining losses,¡± added another Vice Admiral, Hamis,mander of the First Space Fleet.


    From their statements so far, it was evident that all three fleetmanders of the Space Fleet were in favor of engaging in this battle. The basic decision had already been made; the focus now was on how to fight.


    General Masai began racking his brain, trying to recall the details. Although more than thirty years had passed since that war, this life-altering battle was one he often revisited in his mind, contemting various strategies.


    He was the Riken most eager to defeat the Swarm.


    ¡°What about their small and medium-sizedbat units?¡± Masai asked, continuing to raise questions¡ªnot to cause trouble, but to share his concerns.


    ¡°Based on our observations, their smallbat unitsck any long-range attack capabilities,¡± Hamis responded. During the previous war, Swarmrval bodies had infiltrated the Riken fleet, engaging in closebat. Seventeen of theservals had even breached the interiors of their warships.


    As a result, the Riken had extensive footage and data on therval bodies. Even when warships exploded, most of the relevant data had already been transmitted. This information waster analyzed frame-by-frame by over ten thousand staff members and technical teams, leading to this conclusion.


    ¡°As for their medium-sizedbat units, while they have demonstrated long-range attack capabilities, they don¡¯t use them often. This suggests a possible connection to their energy supply system,¡± Hamis exined. ¡°The enemy¡¯srgebat units can fire their electromaic railguns continuously, likely due to a unique energy supply system.¡±


    ¡°However, this system might either be toorge or tooplex to manufacture, meaning it is only installed onrgebat units. Their small and medium-sized units seem to use a different energy system. This system appears to have limited energy storage, forcing them to use it sparingly. Since the Swarm is a unique biological civilization, we¡¯ll need to capture specimens for research to confirm the details. But based on our analysis, this hypothesis has a confidence level of at least 90%.¡±


    ¡°The defeat of the expeditionary fleet wasrgely due to our fighter squadrons engaging in dogfights with the enemy¡ªa situation that yed directly to their strengths. This not only squandered our advantages but also forced our forces to hold back firepower to avoid friendly fire, triggering a series of cascading failures.¡±


    ¡°If we leverage our strengths properly, we can adopt a kiting strategy. Our warships can kite the enemy¡¯srgebat units, while our fighters kite their small and medium units. By matching forces ordingly¡ªcapital ship versus capital ship, fighter versus fighter¡ªwe have a very high chance of victory.¡±


    After finishing, Hamis turned to Masai, waiting to see if he had any further questions.


    Masairgely agreed with Hamis¡¯ assessment. He also believed that the decision to engage the enemy in close-quarters dogfights during the previous battle had been a grave mistake. Thus, he wasn¡¯t angered by Hamis¡¯ critique but instead focused earnestly on considering other potential issues.

 Chapter 293: Disappearance

    This skirmish erupted suddenly and ended just as quickly. The entire engagementsted less than two hours, during which both sides exchanged over a dozen salvos. The swarm lost more than 30 Primordial-ss bodies, while the Riken fleet suffered the loss of eight warships.


    From a numerical perspective, it might appear that the swarm suffered greater losses.


    However, the Primordial-ss bodies of the swarm were essentially juveniles slowly growing into maturity, with the primary cost being time. As long as time was abundant, the swarm could produce as many Primordial-ss bodies as needed.


    Moreover, in this battle, none of the Primordial-ss bodies were truly destroyed. They only needed a period of dormancy to repair themselves before reentering the battlefield, fully restored.


    In contrast, the Riken fleet¡¯s warships required aplex construction process involving vast amounts of manpower and resources. Each warship needed to be staffed by hundreds of crew members.


    The training of these personnel also demanded significant resource investment.


    From the perspective of practical losses, the swarm had clearly profited greatly.


    Yet, the Riken fleet believed they hadn¡¯t suffered a loss, and perhaps even gained a slight advantage. Despite losing a few warships, they had acquired a crucial piece of information and managed to destroy over 30 enemy units. By their calction, it was a fair exchange.


    After the battle concluded, both sides astonishingly considered the engagement worthwhile. As for which perspective was more valid, it depended on one¡¯s interpretation.Since the Riken fleet had voluntarily withdrawn from the battlefield, the wreckage of the destroyed warships became spoils for the swarm. The Primordial-ss bodies leisurely drifted over, encircling the debris.


    Space octopuses firing electromaic cannons weren¡¯t without cost; the projectiles required them to draw from their internal reserves of metal elements. Even though the atomic furnaces could supply the electromaic cannon¡¯s energy needs, the projectiles themselves weren¡¯t infinite and asionally needed replenishment.


    The wreckage of these warships was an excellent source of raw materials.


    The space octopuses were creations of the fungal carpet and could even revert to fungal carpets when necessary. Growing root-like appendages was, therefore, routine for them.


    The wreckage, now entirely encircled by the swarm, was soon covered in root-like tendrils. These appendages secreted a special liquid that continuously corroded the debris, absorbing the resultant solution and channeling it back into the Primordial-ss bodies.


    By the time the Primordial-ss group departed, the smoldering remnants of the warships, asionally sparking with small explosions, hadpletely vanished. Even the armor tes flung outward by the explosions had disappeared without a trace.


    The Riken fleet, observing the battlefield through optical systems, assumed the swarm had dismantled the warships but couldn¡¯t fathom how they had cleaned up so thoroughly.


    ¡°Those warship remains are so challenging for us to dismantle. Why would a biological civilization even bother with them?¡± A voice meeting was promptly convened among the First Space Fleet Command immediately after their withdrawal.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re taking them back for research. After all, whether it¡¯s a mechanical or biological civilization, foundational theories are universal,¡± replied Novaalu of the Second Fleet.


    ¡°But hadn¡¯t they already captured warships from our expeditionary forces before? They shouldn¡¯t need more wreckage. Besides, these remnants are difficult to transport, and our technology hasn¡¯t made any qualitative leaps in recent years,¡± one of the captains questioned.


    ¡°But they don¡¯t know that! If I were them, I¡¯d also haul the wreckage back to see if there were any differences,¡± another captain retorted.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been paying close enough attention. Even when our warships are destroyed, the main wreckage typically remains hundreds of meters in size, farrger than theirbat units. But look at the current reconnaissance images¡ªthere¡¯s no trace of any debris.¡±


    ¡°Heh, maybe they ate it. If thosebat units are alive, they could get hungry, and hungry things need to eat,¡± one captain joked.


    ¡°Your guess might actually be correct. We know far too little about their technological system. In the next battle, we must capture some of theirbat units to figure out exactly what they are.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°What was the reason for halting the operation?¡± A sudden, unfamiliar voice interrupted¡ªit came from the Riken Homeworld¡¯s Command Center.


    Because the battlefield was far from the Riken home system, even light-speedmunications took about 30 minutes to reach them. The three frontline legions had been discussing the situation for some time before the homeworld¡¯s response finally arrived.


    Only then did the officers recall that the critical issue wasn¡¯t the whereabouts of the wreckage but the unexpectedly advancedputational capabilities of the swarm.


    At this level of warfare, where neither side¡¯s weapons and equipment provided a decisive advantage, the conflict revolved aroundputational power.


    For instance, during the recent exchanges of fire, although most projectiles missed their targets, every single shot had been meticulously calcted. Without such precision, they wouldn¡¯t have even forced the enemy to evade.


    ¡°The n must proceed as scheduled. We can¡¯t abandon an operation that has been in the works for so long just because theirputational capabilities exceeded our expectations.¡± Despite their prolonged discussion, the Rikenmanders failed to devise a countermeasure.


    There was no alternative¡ªthis was a matter of raw capability, one that could only be addressed through direct confrontation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it head-on. Our weapons have faster projectile speeds, so even if theirputational power is superior, we should have the advantage.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And who knows? Theirputational abilities might not actually surpass ours.¡±


    ¡°However, they do have another advantage: their weapons are not standardized. Theye in a variety of specifications, which forces us to rely on average values for our calctions, introducing errors in predicting their trajectories,¡± said a staff officer in charge of supeputer maintenance.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong¡ªthis was indeed one of the swarm¡¯s strengths.


    The Riken warships were mass-produced on assembly lines, with identical modules andponents. For any given model, all parameters were uniform. If a weapon¡¯s maximum range was listed as 50,000 kilometers, it wouldn¡¯t reach 50,001. If a shell diameter was specified as 50 centimeters, it would never be 51.


    In contrast, the Primordial-ss bodies were entirely different. Since each one grew individually from a juvenile stage, variations in incubation and development times meant that even among units ssified as Primordial-ss, their sizes differed slightly.


    Even when their external dimensions matched, their electromaic cannons, as separate growthponents, varied in size.


    A 300-meter electromaic cannon and a 350-meter one didn¡¯t fire projectiles at identical speeds.


    Moreover, differences in projectile material and size further affected rted parameters.


    For each salvo, the swarm¡¯s projectiles reached the target at slightly staggered times. While this had little impact on the swarm, it significantly increased theputational workload for the Riken forces, causing them considerable difficulty.


    ¡°I can¡¯t understand how they manage it. Without mass production, how could they manufacture so many weapons?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they really are living organisms. Based on their behavior in the asteroid belt earlier, some of them appeared to grow noticeablyrger.¡±


    ¡°Ha, are you suggesting they just grow to this size on their own?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Haven¡¯t you noticed that theirbat units, regardless of size, all look more or less the same?¡±

 Chapter 295: Induction Thunder

    The battle had raged on for over a hundred hours, yet the Riken fleet still couldn¡¯t get within their effective firing range.


    If the Riken were to blindly charge forward, they might reach the target position, but by then, their fleet would likely be almost depleted. Once they were in position, retreating would be nearly impossible¡ªnothing short of a fool¡¯s dream.


    However, they hadn¡¯t beenpletely fruitless. Although they couldn¡¯t hit the Swarm fleet, the Swarm fleet also didn¡¯t actively approach them. As a result, the Swarm fleet had been confined to maneuvering within a small area.


    Even though more than fifty warships had withdrawn from the battle sequence, the retreat had been timely, and not a single warship waspletely destroyed.


    After such prolonged bombardment, the Swarm fleet wasn¡¯t entirely without losses.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the metallic reserves inside our Primordial bodies are running low. If we keep up this level of fighting, it won¡¯t be long before the railguns are out of ammunition,¡± Te said. She was once the chief bodyguard during the reign of Empress Sarah Kerrigan, but after bing an Intelligent Entity, their rtionship had be one of equals.


    Even after they were integrated into the des, forming a hierarchical bond, Te continued to address Sarah by name. However, due to Luo Wen¡¯s influence, Te still referred to Sarah as ¡°Your Majesty.¡± This was also the case for other Intelligent Entities.


    Since Luo Wen wanted topletely withdraw into the shadows, the Swarm needed a visible leader. As a former Empress, Sarah was perfectly suited for the role.


    Sarah was among the first to be transformed into an Intelligent Entity. Among those who preceded her, some were her teachers, others her subjects. Thus, this shift in identity felt natural and logical.¡°Reduce the frequency of our bombardments. Give the Riken some hope¡ªwe mustn¡¯t scare them off,¡± Sarah replied calmly. Compared to her role as a queen, she enjoyed the thrill ofmanding fleets in battle, especially in such vast interster engagements with railguns exchanging fire. The mere thought of it exhrated her.


    ¡°Understood, Your Majesty!¡± If you¡¯re going to act, you must y the part fully, and the formalities could not be neglected.


    The reduced Swarm bombardment was immediately detected by the Riken.


    It was exceedingly obvious. With advanced instruments monitoring constantly, even ordinary soldiers could tell the difference. After enduring over a hundred hours of shelling, they noticed that the intensity of the bombardment had significantly diminished.


    ¡°They¡¯ve used up too much ammunition; they can no longer fire as recklessly as before,¡± an excited captain shouted.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°ording to calctions, although the frequency of bombardment remains unchanged, the quantity of shells has dropped to only 47% of what it was before,¡± a staff officer reported, presenting freshly gathered data.


    ¡°Excellent! Keep it up. If we can exhaust all of their ammunition before reinforcements arrive, even if we don¡¯t destroy a single one of their units, the top honors will still belong to us!¡± Hamis loudly encouraged, while discreetly wiping the cold sweat from his brow.


    Having been under bombardment without the ability to return fire, the morale of the fleet had plummeted. After all, no one knew whether the next second would see their own ship struck by a shell.


    Under such conditions, every second felt like an eternity to the Riken, an excruciating torment.


    And yet, despite the Swarm¡¯s significant ammunition expenditure, the Riken fleet was not without its own heavy consumption.


    Over seven hundred warships had been operating at full speed for more than a hundred hours, consuming an astonishing amount of energy. Additionally, the constant need to change directions and angles kept the crew in a state of high mental strain. Even though each warship had three teams rotating shifts for rest, the oppressive atmosphere had pushed everyone to their limits.


    Ironically, the ordinary armed personnel had the easiest job¡ªthey only needed to pray that they wouldn¡¯t get hit by a shell.


    Now, with the news that the enemy might be faltering, everyone realized their efforts hadn¡¯t been in vain, greatly boosting morale.


    Although the frequency of bombardment had decreased, the wave patterns of attacks remained unchanged. The only difference was that the coverage area had be more sparse.


    In statistical terms, the hit rate had dropped from 2% to 1%. Practically, this made little difference and depended more on luck. However, this change felt monumental to the Riken forces. The numbers showed a dramatic decline, effectively halved.


    For the next several days, the two sides maintained this standoff. The Riken fleet circled the Swarm forces, while the Swarm¡¯s bombardment continued to keep the Riken at bay.


    Now, the intensity of the Swarm¡¯s bombardment had further diminished, with only about 2,000 railguns firing¡ªless than 30% of their full capacity. Meanwhile, the Riken forces experienced a new development: several oddly designed utility ships arrived from the star system¡¯s interior to join the battle.


    Thirty-two of these utility ships appeared in total. Their overall structure was simr to that of warships, but they carried very few weapons. Each had only two main cannons and eight secondary cannons, making their external appearance less intimidating.


    These were space mineyers, a recent addition to the battle sequence. They were specialized forying mines in space quickly. These mines came in various models, ranging from half a meter to two meters in size, with their power directly corrting to their size¡ªtherger the mine, the greater the power.


    The mines were equipped with external sr panels, allowing them to remain on standby in space for extended periods. They also had automated targeting systems. When an enemy unit approached within a three-kilometer radius, the mine¡¯s thrusters would activate, propelling it rapidly toward the target, where it would attach itself and detonate.


    Furthermore, the mines were coated with ayer of stealth material that could absorb and refract radar waves. Although they could be detected with optical systems or even the naked eye, spacebat urred over vast distances, often spanning thousands of kilometers in mere moments. Radar was the primary method of detection, and by the time a mine was spotted visually, it was often toote to evade. As a result, their stealth coating retained a degree of effectiveness.


    These mineyers could rapidly deploy mines in specific regions. Hamis had summoned these ships to help restrict the movement of the Swarm forces.


    In a few more days, Raze would reach its nearby orbital path. Without an atmosphere to obscure observations, even though the Riken had made some efforts to conceal their activities, advanced optical observation systems could still detect abnormalities on the¡¯s surface.


    There were certain unnatural protrusions that defied naturalws.


    However, the Swarm fleet remained unresponsive to these signs. This led Hamis and other seniormanders to conclude that the enemy¡¯s observational technology was likely outdated, prompting the deployment of the mineyers.


    The goal was twofold. First, to prevent the Swarm forces from escaping. After all, the Riken had engaged in this prolonged artillery duel, and it would be a disaster if the enemy withdrew at the critical moment.


    Second, if the enemy¡¯s observation equipment was indeedcking, they might identally stumble into the minefield. Not only would this save considerable effort, but it would also earn the Riken forces significant merit.


    Thus, under the cover of the First Space Fleet, the mineyers circled the Swarm fleet alongside the main Riken forces, deploying mines in specific regions.


    Due to the limited number of mines they carried, it was impossible to cover such a vast area entirely. Instead, the minefields were strategically positioned in key areas, while leaving safe passages for their own fleet to navigate.

 Chapter 298: Impact

    Faced with the oing barrage of dense artillery fire, the Swarm forces did not adjust course to evade, as the Riken had anticipated. Instead, the entire formation contracted inward, using the Primordial bodies at the forefront as living shields to absorb the attack head-on.


    Due to the narrowing of the formation into an irregr cylindrical shape, the area exposed to the assault was extremely limited. Out of the 5,000 Primordial bodies, only 200 to 300 at the very front suffered severe damage in this volley. Despite their battered state, their broken forms were still carried by the swarm, continuing to serve as shields for the second wave of fire.


    This sight struck the Riken with awe.


    ¡°What a terrifying civilization!¡± they thought. Imagine if it were them. Could they resolutely ce their fleet in harm¡¯s way under such intense bombardment?


    Highly unlikely.


    Their warships housed not onlymanders but numerous soldiers and crew. Even if a captain ordered the sacrifice of their entire ship, whether such amand would be executed in the heat of a life-and-death crisis was doubtful.


    In a split-second moment where the tide of battle could shift, even the slightest hesitation would render such a maneuver impossible to execute. Yet, the Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies at the forefront exhibited no hesitation. Hundreds of them moved in perfect unison, seamlessly forming the defensive configuration.


    For the Riken, who had no understanding of the Swarm¡¯s biological nature, this level of cohesion and execution was utterly horrifying.


    ¡°What are they trying to do?¡±After their initial shock, the Riken were puzzled by the Swarm forces¡¯ actions, unable to discern their intentions.


    ¡°They¡¯re heading straight for Raze! Are they nning tond there?¡±


    ¡°Fools! They¡¯re courting death!¡±


    Indeed, for the Riken, maneuveringrge spacecraft tond on a was immensely challenging. The mutual gravitational pull necessitated engines of extraordinary power to aplish such an operation.


    Exiting the¡¯s gravity well would also inflict damage on the ship¡¯s structure. Designing a vessel capable of such maneuvers would require substantial rethinking of its overall structure.


    The Riken¡¯srge warships were all assembled directly in space and were not built to withstand strong gravitational forces. If it were a low-gravity satellite, they might attempt a directnding. However, Raze, with its formidable gravitational pull, restricted their warships to orbit, unable tond freely on its surface.


    Judging by their own standards, the Riken thought the Swarm¡¯smanders must have lost their minds. Once the Swarm descended, taking off again would be exceedingly difficult.


    ¡°Be cautious. This could be a feint, a diversion!¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    Manymanders concurred, suspecting that the Swarm forces might perform a sudden turn near Raze, using it as a shield to avoid encirclement. By enduring theary defense cannons on the far side of the, they could potentially break through the blockade. Such a maneuver might result in heavy losses but would avoid total annihtion.


    As the second wave of artillery fire from Raze hit, the few hundred Primordial bodies at the forefront sustained even more grievous injuries. Some of the most severely damaged were vaporized by the intense heat, their internal fungal strains obliterated, andpletely killed. This marked the first time the Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies sumbed to conventional weaponry in their conflict with the Riken.


    By the time the third wave of artillery fire arrived, the angles had been adjusted, concentrating the barrage on the Swarm¡¯s front. If the Swarm absorbed this round in its entirety, they could potentially lose over a thousand Primordial bodies.


    However, such an ideal scenario remained just that¡ªa fantasy. Sarah and her des weren¡¯t foolish. The Swarm forces abruptly dispersed, creating gaps in the concentrated firing zone, then scattered toward Raze.


    When the fourth wave of artillery switched to a dispersed coverage, the Swarm forces regrouped into a single formation.


    Subsequentary defense barrages experimented with multiple targeting methods, such as emphasizing the regions where the Swarm concentrated. However, these proved futile. The Swarm simply vacated the heavily targeted zones, reorganizing into several more ¡°slender¡± cylindrical formations around the periphery.


    In this exchange of tactics, after more than a dozen waves of artillery fire, the Swarm forces didn¡¯t make the anticipated sharp turn but instead headed straight for Raze, reaching its low orbit¡ªjust a step away from the surface.


    As the descending swarm of Primordial bodies plunged toward the surface, they abruptly began ejecting vast quantities of Mature bodies and Larval bodies from within.


    During the earlier bombardment, the Swarm had lost over a thousand Primordial bodies. From the initial 5,000-plus, only about 3,000 remained. In just a matter of minutes, their losses exceeded a hundredfoldpared to the past ten days of intensebat.


    However, with the release of the smaller Space Octopuses carried within their bodies, their numbers instantly multiplied dozens of times over.@@novelbin@@


    The sight of hundreds of thousands of Space Octopuses diving toward the surface was nothing short of spectacr. The 30,000 ground-based cannons found themselves momentarily overwhelmed, unable to decide which targets to prioritize.


    In the brief dy caused by this hesitation, the Swarm forces moved even closer. After hastily firing two more volleys, the ground cannons had lost their optimal firing angles.


    Once the Space Octopuses closed the distance, the ground cannons appeared clumsy and ineffective. Against the agile Space Octopuses, their turrets couldn¡¯t adjust fast enough to track their movements.


    In contrast, for the immobile ground cannons, it took only a single point-nk shot from a Mature Space Octopus¡¯s electromaic railgun to destroy them.


    While the¡¯s surface defenses included some close-in weapon systems, they were utterly insufficient against the overwhelming numbers of the Swarm forces. Their attempts to halt the destruction were akin to trying to quench a raging fire with a handful of water.


    The Riken never expected this turn of events. In their view, the Swarm forces should have focused on escape. Although the Swarm appeared to have disrupted the ground-based cannons by forcefullynding on Raze, it also seemed to have sacrificed any chance of retreat.


    This maneuver left the Rikenmanders bewildered.


    Even if they managed to annihte this Swarm vanguard, the Riken would still find themselves in a difficult position. While the ground-based cannons were lifeless objects and mass-produced on assembly lines, deploying so many of them required a significant amount of time and effort.


    Judging by the Swarm¡¯s current rate of destruction, it was likely that the cannons would be almost entirely wiped out before the Riken could eliminate the Swarm forces. Reestablishing such a defensivework before the arrival of the Swarm¡¯s follow-up forces would be impossible.


    Once this war was over, Raze would lose its strategic value. It would no longer serve as a thorn in the Swarm¡¯s path.


    In the short term, wiping out this vanguard force might seem like a victory. But in the long run, it was a loss for the Riken.


    Still, this conclusion was entirely one-sided wishful thinking on the part of the Riken.


    Completely ignorant of the Swarm¡¯s biological nature, they viewed trading lives for lifeless objects as irrational. However, for the Swarm, such exchanges were merely standard procedure.


    Even if the Swarm truly did exchange lives to eliminate a ¡°thorn,¡± it wouldn¡¯t be a loss in their eyes.


    And, in truth, the situation was far from as simple as it seemed.

 Chapter 299: Reemergence

    It¡¯s worth noting that the Space Octopuses are essentially a variant of the Fungal Carpet, with each fungal strain inside them acting as a seed for a new carpet.


    While the Mature bodies bombarded the ground-based cannons, many Larval bodies had alreadynded on the¡¯s surface.


    With their flexible tentacles, thervae burrowed into the ground with impressive speed. In a short time, they had vanished beneath theary surface.


    Over the years, Cross¡¯s family had converted more than a hundred Intelligent Entities, many of whom held prominent and influential public identities.


    Among the high-ranking officers in the Riken¡¯s three main fleets, several were secretly Intelligent Entities. These individuals ryed real-time fleetmand updates directly to Sarah and her des.


    When Sarah learned of the Riken¡¯s astonishment, she nearlyughed aloud. This was a prime example of how asymmetric information leads to misconceptions. The Riken assumed their n was seeding, yet they remained oblivious to the possibility that the Swarm might have been employing a stratagem. Perhaps their target had always been Raze.


    Theary surface was vast and featureless, with tens of thousands of ground-based cannons concentrated in a dozen or so areas. This arrangement facilitated energy supply and reduced engineeringplexity.


    The materials used to construct these metallic structures were partially sourced from metal-rich asteroids dragged in from the debris fields and refined in space before being dropped onto theary surface.


    However, the majority of the materials were mined directly from Raze Raze is a rich in metallic elements, boasting abundant mineral resources. Many of these deposits are located near the surface, making extraction incredibly easy.


    Currently, the Riken have dozens of bases on Raze, supporting nearly 100,000 ground-based cannons. The scale of these defenses is directly tied to the¡¯s ease of mining.


    Beneath the surface, the holds even more abundant resources, including vast deposits of radioactive minerals.


    If the Swarm wanted to engage in a war of attrition with the Riken, it wouldn¡¯t be feasible to continually transport forces from the Neighboring Star System. Establishing a local frontline base within the Riken star system was a necessity.


    Thus, from the very beginning, the Swarm¡¯s objective was to seize control of Raze.


    However, had their strategic intent been exposed early on, they would have faced thebined resistance of the Riken¡¯s three main fleets¡ªover 2,000 warships¡ªand the concentrated firepower of Raze¡¯s ground-based defenses.


    Faced with such ferocious artillery fire, the Swarm forces¡¯ losses were bound to double.


    For the Swarm, such losses wouldn¡¯t typically matter. However, if they identally crippled the Riken¡¯s three main fleets, that could lead to trouble.


    The Riken¡¯s current fleet capacity was finite. Should a significant portion of it be lost here, it might provoke a sense of despair and hysteria, leading them to attempt a desperate mutual annihtion.


    At this point, the ¡°seeds¡± had already been nted. To Luo Wen, the Riken had be a high-quality material production base, now considered part of the Swarm¡¯s assets. He couldn¡¯t afford to let them destroy themselves recklessly.


    If it weren¡¯t for the need to avoid drawing the attention of potential observers, Luo Wen wouldn¡¯t have evenunched an attack on the Riken.


    While Sarah and her des were mulling over their next move, they learned of the Riken¡¯s tactical ns. Seizing the opportunity, they turned the tables, orchestrating this grand spectacle.


    Essentially, the Riken had unwittingly opened the path for the Swarm to upy Raze.


    This upation wasn¡¯t just superficial. A single Larval body, measuring ten meters in length, contained hundreds of fungal strains. Therger the organism, the more strains it carried, with the number doubling as size increased.


    Each fungal strain served as a Fungal Carpet seed, capable of spreading uncontrobly if given enough time¡ªlet alone the simultaneous activation of countless seeds.


    One Larval body copsed at the base of a ground-based cannon, allowing its fungal strains to extract nutrients from the Larval body¡¯s tissue, converting them into the first wave of sustenance for growth.


    In no time, root-like structures sprouted from the strains, crawling over the metallic base and burrowing into the soil below.


    The cannon¡¯s base began to corrode,promising its structure. Unable to support the weapon¡¯s weight, the thick barrel leaned downward, temporarily maintaining bnce by resting against the ground.


    However, the purple-gray Fungal Carpet had already spread from the base to the cannon¡¯s body and barrel, covering the entire weapon and surrounding area in a creeping, ominous hue.


    This phenomenon unfolded across Raze. A single instance might go unnoticed amid the chaos of battle.


    But the simultaneous activation of tens of thousands¡ªif not hundreds of thousands¡ªof Larval bodies triggered a chain reaction so conspicuous it was impossible to ignore.


    ¡°Look at screen 63! What is that?¡± A captain eximed, staring at the video feed showing the spreading purple-gray carpet.


    ¡°My god, what is that thing?!¡±


    ¡°It looks familiar¡ªlike I¡¯ve seen it somewhere before.¡±


    Hearing themotion, other fleet members switched to the corresponding video feed, discussing the strange phenomenon.


    ¡°What? This? Stop them immediately!¡± A panicked staff officer suddenly shouted.


    ¡°Mott! Do you know what this is?¡± Hamis urgently asked.


    ¡°Back when they attacked our expeditionary fleet, T855 ended up like this. It was a normal at first, but then it turned purple-gray,¡± Mott replied.


    Mott, once a captain of the Riken¡¯s expeditionary fleet like General Masai, had been demoted after his defeat and now served as a senior staff officer.


    The transformation of T855 and its satellites was far more shocking to witness in person than it appeared in video footage.


    Many present had likely reviewed the recorded events, finding the scene vaguely familiar. However, for those like Mott who had experienced it firsthand, the terror was unforgettable.


    Mott¡¯sment jogged the memories of the assembled Riken. They recalled how T855¡¯s satellites had been dyed purple-gray in no time, creating an eerie spectacle.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°They¡¯re targeting Raze!¡± Hamis growled, a mix of anger and dread shing across his face. It finally dawned on him that the Swarm¡¯s earlier erratic behavior wasn¡¯t indicative of diminished intelligence.


    In truth, they¡ªthe Riken¡ªhad been the real fools all along.


    Despite Masai¡¯s prior example, why had they fallen for such a basic error of underestimating their enemy? Hamis fell into deep thought.


    Was it because the Swarm¡¯s appearance made associating them with intelligence difficult? Or could it be some strange technology¡ªperhaps a debilitating aura of stupidity?


    On reflection, the first exnation seemed more usible than the second.


    The Swarm¡¯s technology, their units¡ªthey all subconsciously reminded one of beasts. And beasts, by definition,cked intelligence.


    When sitting in their iron warships and looking upon a race that still relied on physical bodies forbat, an inexplicable sense of superiority inevitably arose.


    In such moments, it was easy to overlook the fact that their enemy was, indeed, an intelligent civilization.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Hamis cursed, his fury unable to mask his frustration.

 Chapter 301: Fighter Jets

    The warship in space stood like a pestle, unmoving. Three minutester, a burst of fire erupted against its front reactive armor. The powerful impact pierced the thick armor, tore through severalpartments, and pushed the warship several kilometers back.


    ¡°Seal the damagedpartments! Get us away from River Tank 223 immediately! If it explodes, I don¡¯t want to get dragged down with it!¡± the captain shouted. The violent tremors from the impact had left every Riken crew member on edge.


    Fortunately, after the shaking subsided, the self-diagnostics revealed that apart from the destroyed front reactive armor and a few damagedpartments, the ship¡¯s overall structure remained intact. Its operational capabilities were unaffected. Such damage could only be considered minor.


    However, in its current state, the warship was no longer capable of withstanding another electromaic railgun round. Worse, River Tank 223, already severely damaged, appeared on the verge of destruction. Should it explode, the uncontrolled wreckage would pose a far greater threat than a railgun projectile.


    Unfortunately, their ship was the closest to River Tank 223.


    Having narrowly avoided disaster, the captain immediately ordered the ship to distance itself from this looming danger.


    Even without the captain¡¯smand, the crew had already begun moving. The forward engines engaged, and the warship began retreating, its stern tilted up as it pulled away from Raze.


    This maneuver drew curses from nearby captains and even prompted an inquiry from Hamis, but none of it matteredpared to survival.


    While the main cannons on both sides exchanged fire, the smaller units were far from idle.Most of the Swarm¡¯s Larval bodies had transformed into Fungal Carpet, while the Mature bodies targeted the remaining ground-based cannons.


    However, with the arrival of the fighter squadrons, the Mature bodies now had new targets.


    Although their electromaic railguns were highly destructive¡ªcapable of downing a fighter jet with a single hit, or even taking out multiple jets with a lucky shot¡ªtheir slow firing rate posed a significant drawback.


    After all, the Mature bodies could only fire their railguns using the energy reserves within their bodies. This massive energy consumption slowed their engines, reducing their mobility.


    Under favorable circumstances, they could leverage their superior numbers and defenses to hold their own against the Riken¡¯s squadrons in a long-range duel. However, in this case, there were only tens of thousands of Mature bodies, facing fighter jets outnumbering them several times over.


    Faced with such odds, the Mature bodies quickly found themselves at a disadvantage.


    Fortunately, the Mature bodies were incredibly resilient. Their thick armor provided excellent resistance to the smaller-caliber energy weapons used by the fighter jets.


    Nevertheless, the chaotic battlefield created awkward situations for both sides. Amid the exchange of main cannon fire, avoiding friendly fire became increasingly challenging. The Primordial bodies had managed to avoid incidents of friendly fire, but the Riken¡¯s warships, stationed far from the core battlefield, had difficulty coordinating their main cannon strikes.


    Even though their energy beams traveled quickly, it still took tens of seconds to reach their targets. For the fighter jets attempting to maneuver through this intense warzone, avoiding friendly fire became an increasingly daunting task.


    Many Riken fighter jets were inadvertently struck by their own side¡¯s energy beams while pursuing the Mature bodies. For these fragile fighter units, being hit by a warship¡¯s main cannon meant instant destruction¡ªreduced to scattered debris in an instant.


    Fortunately for the Riken, the majority of their fighter fleet consisted of unmanned drones. So far, all the losses from friendly fire had been limited to drones, with no casualties among their pilots.


    Unintentionally, the battles between the squadrons and the Mature bodies began drifting away from the mainbat zone, as both sides pursued their engagements elsewhere.


    The Primordial bodies, which had suffered heavy losses during their charge on Raze, were further reduced while resupplying on metallic elements.@@novelbin@@


    In terms of firing rate, projectile quantity, and the speed of their shots, the Swarm¡¯s railguns were now at a disadvantage.


    Two hourster, the Riken fleet had lost over 300 warships, but the number of active Swarm railguns had dwindled to fewer than 500.


    It was only a matter of minutes before the railguns would fall silent entirely.


    Despite the battlefield gains, the Rikenmanders felt no joy.


    At the start of the battle, the Riken fleet had deliberately avoided targeting the intact ground-based cannons. However, the Primordial Space Octopuses had used the cannons as cover, forcing the fleet into a difficult position. Continuing to spare the cannons only restricted their firepower and limited their effectiveness in eliminating the Swarm.


    After deliberations among several Fleet Commanders, it was decided that the fleet would no longer spare the remaining metallic constructs. Friendly fire was no longer a concern.


    Now, with most of therge Space Octopuses nearly wiped out, the ground-based cannons had suffered a damage rate exceeding 90%.


    But those purple-gray patches, those fleshy structures¡ªdespite the relentless bombardment¡ªhad not only survived but were thriving amidst the destruction. They continually repaired damaged areas and expanded outward.


    Meanwhile, in the aerial battle, the Mature bodies found themselves relentlessly pursued by the Riken squadrons. Leveraging their superior speed, the Riken jets weaved around the Mature bodies, maintaining a safe distance while firing continuously. The Swarm¡¯s numbers dwindled steadily under this strategy.


    The Riken¡¯s new tactics effectively neutralized the closebat advantages of the Space Octopuses. Even thergest Mature bodies, over a hundred meters in size, couldn¡¯t withstand the sustained damage. Their structures eventually gave way, and they plummeted to the ground, losing their ability to fly.


    As the battle dragged on, the number of Mature bodies continued to decline, while the Riken squadrons sustained minimal losses. The kill-to-loss ratio was so lopsided that the Swarm couldn¡¯t even manage a one-to-one exchange.


    However, during the chase, the terrain began to change, and a range of mountains and valleys appeared ahead. The remaining Mature bodies turned and dove into theplex terrain.


    ¡°What do we do? They¡¯ve gone in!¡± a Riken pilot radioed his superior.


    ¡°Pursue them. Send drones ahead to scout. There aren¡¯t many left¡ªfinish them off!¡± the superior officermanded.


    These pilots, who hadn¡¯t participated in the earlier T853 campaign, relied only on recorded footage for reference. Had they experienced the battle firsthand, they would never have made such a decision.


    In such rugged terrain, the speed and long-range advantages of the Riken fighters were severely curtailed, while thebat capabilities of the Space Octopuses were exponentially enhanced.


    A squadron cautiously navigated the valleys, scanning the surroundings. The Space Octopuses had vanished after only a few twists and turns.


    The Space Octopuses¡¯ optical cloaking technology, which had remained unused until now, finally came into y. The Riken¡¯s gravitational detectors struggled to perform due to the high interference in the area,bined with the rtively weak gravitational waves emitted by the Mature bodiespared to the Primordial bodies.


    Having lost track of the Mature bodies, the Riken forces could only close in for a risky search.


    Suddenly, from the side of a cliff wall, a tentacleshed out. The air shimmered with electric sparks, and the image of the Space Octopus appeared distorted, like a mosaic of fragmented light.


    The rms of various instruments red simultaneously, but it was toote. Not even the drones reacted in time, let alone the Riken pilot.


    With a deafening explosion, three fighter jets were obliterated midair.

 Chapter 302: Burning

    The three destroyed aircraft were drones. The Riken pilot let out a cold breath, realizing that if the tentacle had been just a little longer, his craft would have also turned into a fireball.


    A standard formation included ten aircraft. He quickly directed the remaining fighter jets to lock onto the target and prepare for an attack.


    The target was a medium-sized Space Octopus, over 80 meters in length with tentacles extending up to 50 meters¡ªlong enough to take out three aircraft in one strike.


    Upon being locked on, the Space Octopus didn¡¯t panic. Instead, it flexed its tentacles and climbed swiftly along the rocky walls, its movements agile and gtinous, like rolling jelly.


    Most of the fighter jets¡¯ attacks missed, with only a fewnding on its body. However, the energy weapons mounted on the jets were too small in caliber to deal significant damage to the 80-meter Space Octopus.


    To disable this creature, the jets would need to attack continuously for an extended period. But time was a luxury they didn¡¯t have. As the jets locked onto the Space Octopus and focused their fire, three other Mature bodies suddenly leapt out from the cliff walls ahead.


    These three Mature bodies were smaller, only about 20 meters in length, having just transitioned from Larval body to Mature body status. They weren¡¯t yet equipped with electromaic railguns, which made their smaller frames even more nimble.


    The sudden ambush left the jets no room to evade. The three Mature bodies pounced, each taking down a jet and hurling them toward nearby allied aircraft.


    Once again, the Riken pilot was fortunate not to be targeted. He quickly pulled his craft upward, prioritizing his own survival over his drone escorts.Meanwhile, the 80-meter Space Octopus that had initially been fleeing turned back. With its 50-meter-long tentacle shing with electrical sparks, it swung from above with full force.


    The pilot¡¯s ascending jet was struck directly. Its superior build and sturdier frame spared it from immediate destruction, but the tremendous impact warped its outer shell and sent it hurtling toward the ground at an even faster speed.


    ¡°Boom!¡± The jet crashed into the ground and suffered catastrophic damage, ultimately exploding into a fireball.


    The remaining three drones fared no better. Two were destroyed in midair collisions with allied jets under the control of the Mature bodies. Thest drone, attempting to ascend, was swatted out of the sky by the 80-meter Space Octopus¡¯s tentacle, exploding on impact.


    With their prey eliminated, the team of Mature bodies disappeared once more into the mountainous terrain, waiting for their next victims.


    Scenes like this yed out across the ruggedndscape. The once nearly unscathed Riken squadrons saw their losses mount sharply. By the time themanders realized the gravity of the situation, over 20,000 fighter jets had been lost.


    In contrast, the Swarm¡¯s losses among the Mature bodies were negligible.


    The remaining Riken aircraft were ordered to ascend to higher altitudes. However, they didn¡¯t retreat entirely but instead encircled the entire mountainous area, determined to prevent the Space Octopuses from escaping.


    On the main battlefield, the Swarm forces hadpletely lost their ability to counterattack. Their electromaic railguns had all fallen silent, leaving them to endure wave after wave of bombardment.


    Yet, the purple-gray patches proved far more resilient than the Riken could have imagined. No matter how they attacked, the patches continued to repair and grow.


    ¡°Damn it! What is this thing?¡±


    ¡°Conventional firepower is useless!¡±


    ¡°We need another n.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that could work.¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­?¡±


    Minutester, several gunboats departed from the Riken warships, heading toward the battlefield below.


    From an altitude of 10,000 meters, cylindrical metal canisters¡ªeach two meters tall and 1.2 meters in diameter¡ªwere dropped one by one. A total of over a hundred canisters rained down in session.


    The metal canisters plummeted quickly, and just before reaching the purple-gray patches, they detonated with a deafening roar less than a hundred meters above the ground.


    These were the Riken¡¯stest experimental weapons. Upon detonation, even in the vacuum of space, they burned for more than 30 seconds, thanks to advanced oxidizers contained within.


    During this brief time, the canisters could raise the temperature of the targeted area to over ten thousand degrees Celsius, inflicting devastating thermal damage. The oxidizer¡¯s byproducts also created a potent chemical toxin with effectsparable to intense radiation. These toxins were highly adhesive and non-biodegradable.


    On a life-bearing, such a weapon would render the affected area uninhabitable for centuries.


    Though the weapon¡¯s theoretical concept had long existed, the Riken had strictly prohibited its development until the Expeditionary Fleet¡¯s defeat. Faced with the existential threat of alien species, such forbidden weapons were revived and eventually deployed.


    The interception fleet carried a small number of these experimental weapons to test their effectiveness inbat.


    The performance of the burning barrels exceeded expectations. Over a hundred of them detonated in session, igniting what seemed like a hundred miniature suns. The bright mes flickered briefly before extinguishing, but the scars they left were indelible.


    The purple-gray patches turned to ck-brown sludge, oozing a tar-like substance. The toxins effectively stifled the growth of the Fungal Carpet.


    ¡°Look! The patches are being suppressed!¡±


    ¡°It seems to be working.¡±


    ¡°Too bad these are experimental. We don¡¯t have many.¡±


    ¡°Use them all! Destroy as much as we can. We¡¯ll figure out something for the rest.¡±


    Encouraged by the results, hundreds more gunboatsunched from the warships. In moments, even more miniature suns lit up the battlefield.


    Though these were only experimental weapons and each warship carried a limited stock, there were over 2,000 warships on-site. The cumtive number of burning barrels became significant.


    On a life-bearing, such concentrated detonations could lead to the extinction of species with delicate environmental needs. However, Raze, located in the outermost reaches of the star system, was barren and uninhabited, allowing the Riken to unleash their weapons without hesitation.


    Thousands upon thousands of burning barrels detonated, severely slowing the Fungal Carpet¡¯s repair and growth. However, it was only a dy.


    A few hourster, as the Riken focused their bombardments on regions not yet touched by the barrels, the areas affected by the toxins began to recover.


    The Fungal Carpet was the culmination of Luo Wen¡¯s mastery, a distilled essence of every gic fragment he had collected. Its rich gic features allowed it to adapt to various crises and challenges, consistently demonstrating exceptional resilience.


    The extreme temperatures produced by the burning barrels¡ªover ten thousand degrees Celsius¡ªwere hardly a threat to the Fungal Carpet. After all, Atomic Furnaces, integralponents of the carpet, could withstand temperatures exceeding millions of degrees during fusion reactions.@@novelbin@@


    The scorching heat from the barrels was easily mitigated by a slight mutation in the Fungal Carpet¡¯s surface cells.


    What truly inhibited its growth were the chemical toxins left behind by the barrels. To the Fungal Carpet, these toxins were akin to ¡°feces¡±¡ªrepulsive and difficult to digest. This was the primary reason it appeared ¡°hesitant¡± to advance.

 Chapter 305: Purge

    ¡°We must destroy them in one decisive blow. Prolonged attrition is not an option,¡± Hamis said with a furrowed brow.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯ll need to use that,¡± Novaul replied gravely.


    ¡°Haha! It¡¯s about time. Why hesitate? Weapons are made for moments like this!¡± Alcerughed heartily.


    The three highestmanders on the front line reached a consensus, and the orders were quickly dispatched.


    To simultaneously strike at the dozens of battlefields across Raze, over a hundred warships stationed in orbit gradually opened the missile silos on the lower sides of their hulls.


    Towering missiles, 35 meters tall with a diameter of 7.6 meters and cone-shaped tips, emerged from the silos. Each warshipunched at least two of these massive projectiles.


    The missiles elerated steadily as their fire-control systems activated, locking onto their designated targets with assistance from the warships¡¯ artificial intelligence.


    Minutester, hundreds of miniature suns ignited on Raze. Unlike incendiary bombs, these suns burned relentlessly.@@novelbin@@


    These were the Riken¡¯s newly deployed nuclear weapons.This new generation of nuclear weapons utilized a significantly more potent structure and form. In addition to the energy released from nuclear fission, the outer shell of each missile was coated with radioactive materials. The high temperatures from the fission reaction initiated a second fusion process, unleashing even greater energy.


    The Riken had perfected the underlying theories of these weapons long ago. Although they had previously manufactured such weapons, their immense destructive power, extreme danger, and storage challenges led to their dmissioning.


    After the unification of the Riken, there was little need for such armaments¡ªuntil the emergence of the Swarm.


    Compared to the 200-megaton nuclear devices the Riken had previously detonated in the Neighboring Star System, these new weapons boasted a staggering yield of one gigaton.


    When hundreds of these superweapons detonated simultaneously, the absence of an atmosphere to generate shockwaves did little to diminish their devastating impact. The sheer power annihted everything within dozens of kilometers of each detonation site.


    At the epicenters, within tens of kilometers of the sts, everything¡ªwhether rock, dust, metal, ground-based cannons, or the Fungal Carpet¡ªwas vaporized into nothingness. All that remained were massive, hemispherical craters.


    The hundreds of miniature suns burned for an extended time before finally extinguishing, leaving Raze riddled with craters. The once-persistent purple-gray patches that had so troubled the Riken vanished without a trace.


    Gazing at the now-scarred surface of Raze, Hamis sighed softly.


    Hearing the sigh during their video call, Alcer quipped, ¡°What¡¯s this? Feeling sorry for our enemy?¡±


    Hamis shook his head. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect it woulde to this.¡±


    Truth be told, this new type of nuclear weapon was far less sophisticated than the energy-beam main cannons. Yet Hamis found the weapon deeply unsettling¡ªnot because of its power.


    Alcer, a staunch believer in the philosophy that weapons were meant to be used, understood Hamis¡¯s concern. He fell silent briefly before murmuring, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. Focus on the present. If we can¡¯t survive now, there¡¯s no future to worry about.¡±


    When Godzi unleashed its ¡°atomic breath¡± on the Great Dawn, its yield barely reached tens of kilotons. Yet even from another star system, the Riken had been able to observe the event through their instruments.


    Thus, the Riken were acutely aware of the dangers posed by such weapons.


    Each spiral gxy contained hundreds of billions of stars, suspended in the void. Among themy countless civilizations of varying levels, each hidden within their own star systems, oblivious to the others¡¯ locations.


    But an abnormal fusion reaction was akin to broadcasting a civilization¡¯s coordinates. It was an open invitation to any nearby civilization capable of detecting such energy waves.


    When the Riken detonated hundreds of 200-megaton nuclear devices in the Neighboring Star System, their aim had not only been to hinder the Swarm¡¯s pursuit but also to expose the coordinates of the Swarm¡¯s home star system.


    If the event drew the attention of civilizations of a simr level nearby, causing them to investigate and create trouble for the Swarm, it would give the Riken the breathing room they desperately needed to regroup and develop. This oue would be ideal.


    However, such actions also carried significant risks, such as attracting more advanced civilizations. After eliminating the Swarm, those civilizations would likely turn their attention to the Riken next.


    In that case, the Riken could only hope that the Swarm was strong enough to buy them some time for development.


    Even though it had been decades since thest nuclear detonations, the danger could not be entirely ruled out. If a civilization¡¯s travel speed remained below the speed of light, it would be entirely normal for them to spend decades¡ªor even centuries¡ªen route.


    Perhaps, right now, one or several civilizations had already been drawn by thest nuclear explosions and were on their way to investigate.


    This time, however, the nuclear detonations on Raze were on an even grander scale.


    If Godzi¡¯s atomic breath was akin to lighting a match in the dark, and the Neighboring Star System¡¯s nuclear sts were like setting off a firework in the night sky, then this nuclear event was equivalent to firing a re into the darkness¡ªone bright enough to overshadow the fireworks entirely.


    If there were spectators drawn by the ¡°fireworks,¡± they would undoubtedly shift their attention to this ¡°re¡± ande to investigate.


    The problem was that the location of this nuclear event, Raze, was a in the Riken¡¯s home star system.


    This posed a significant risk.


    But as Alcer had pointed out, if alien forces from the T85 Star System were to seize Raze, they would establish a foothold in the Riken star system. Coupled with their mysterious and unpredictable technological systems, the Riken would likely face certain defeat.


    As a vanquished civilization, what future would there be to consider?


    Thus, the Riken had no choice but to focus on the present.


    Fortunately, after paying such a steep price, the persistent purple-gray patches, which clung to the like parasitic maggots, were finally eradicated from Raze.


    The Riken refused to believe that any of the alien monstrosities could still exist within the vaporized, hemispherical craters left behind.


    Thanks to the design of the newly equipped nuclear warheads, which reacted with their radioactive materials in a secondary reaction, the explosions left no lingering radiation zones. Compared to previous iterations, these were remarkably ¡°clean.¡±


    Without theplications of high-radiation areas, there was no need for additional radiation suits, allowing reconstruction efforts on Raze tomence swiftly after the battle. ording to forward Lookouts, the Swarm¡¯s next wave of forces had already begun amassing near the asteroid belt on the outskirts of the Riken star system. The Riken needed to restore all¡ªor at least part¡ªof their defensive infrastructure before the Swarm¡¯s next attack.


    Massive transport ships and utility vessels streamed in from within the star system, delivering enormous quantities of engineering equipment to Raze. Mining facilities, smelting centers, and ground-cannon production nts were rapidly constructed across the.


    Once the initial setup phase wasplete, a steady flow ofponents was transported to various locations on the. Airships carrying intelligent engineering machinery shuttled back and forth, assembling theponents piece by piece.


    Meanwhile, in the¡¯s orbit, vacuum smelting facilities and shipyards were also taking shape.

 Chapter 306: Back Again

    The three main fleets sustained heavy losses in this battle, with nearly 500 warships rendered incapable of long-range travel, over 80 of which werepletely destroyed. Most of these losses urred during the final stages, in the exchange of fire between orbiting Riken warships and the Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies on Raze¡¯s surface.


    Other warships also suffered varying degrees of damage, though none were critically impaired.


    After the war, the rtively intact Third Fleet was assigned to monitor the Swarm¡¯s follow-up forces. Taking advantage of the smaller number of Swarm units, they sought opportunities to exploit the situation.


    Even if they couldn¡¯t destroy a significant amount of the Swarm¡¯s forces, depleting the Swarm¡¯s ammunition stockpiles would be a worthwhile effort. In the Riken¡¯s understanding, the Swarmcked logistical bases, making replenishments difficult.


    The Second Fleet, which sustained moderate losses, was stationed on Raze to defend the logistical engineering units and the damaged warships. Once the orbital shipyards on Raze were fully operational, the Second Fleet would undergo repairs and then relieve the Third Fleet, allowing them to return for maintenance.


    The First Fleet, which had battled the Swarm for over ten days, suffered the heaviest losses. Including the warships grounded on Raze, the First Fleet had lost nearly half of its operational strength.


    They would return to the Twin Star Defensive Zone of the Riken home system for repairs, receive reinforcements to restore theirposition, and prepare for future engagements. At the same time, Vice Admiral Hamis, who had participated in the entire campaign, would return to the Riken homeworld to report on the war.


    Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion¡ªfor both the Riken and the Swarm.Time flew by. The Riken and the Swarm maintained a rtive peace, with only low-intensity skirmishes urring in the asteroid belt on the outskirts of the Riken star system.


    Initially, the Riken capitalized on the destruction of the Swarm¡¯s first wave of 5,000 Primordial bodies at Raze. Before the Swarm could regroup, the Riken leveraged their numerical superiority, securing significant advantages. At one point, the Swarm forces even retreated to a position farther from the Riken star system to regroup.


    However, the Swarm had initially deployed 30,000 Primordial bodies toward the Riken star system. Despite losing 5,000, over 20,000 remained.


    In less than a year, the Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies in the Riken star system had replenished their numbers, once again surpassing 1,000. This made it difficult for any single Riken fleet to achieve further tactical victories.


    The Riken then shifted their strategy to circling the Swarm forces¡¯ perimeter, feigning advances to exhaust the Swarm¡¯s ammunition, mimicking the earlier attritional battles between the First Fleet and the Swarm.


    However, the current positions of both sides were vastly different, and this strategy no longer yielded the desired results.


    By now, the Swarm had grown significantly stronger. They no longer feared the approach of Riken warships.


    For the Riken, closing into range of the Swarm¡¯s main cannons also meant cing themselves dangerously close to the Swarm¡¯s forces. At such distances, victory was uncertain. If they managed to win, all would be well. But if they lost, they would find themselves in an inescapable dilemma.


    Advancing meant inevitable defeat, while retreating along predetermined routes drastically reduced maneuverability and increased the likelihood of being hit. How many ships could escape after retreating was anyone¡¯s guess.


    Thus, after the Riken feigned several advances and noticed no reaction from the Swarm forces, they awkwardly withdrew.


    From then on, the two sides simply stared at each other across the void, as the Swarm forces continued to grow in size. Apart from feeling anxious, the Riken had no better solutions.@@novelbin@@


    Years passed, and as Primordial bodies from the Neighboring Star System arrived one after another, the Swarm forces regrouped, their numbers exceeding 10,000.


    ¡°They¡¯re bing active again. It seems war is about to break out,¡± Hamis sighed as he watched the video feed before him.


    The First Fleet was stationed on Raze¡¯s outer orbit for repairs. This area, being near the front line, had been fortified into a forward stronghold against the Swarm.


    Afterpleting repairs and receiving newly constructed warships, the First Fleet grew to over 1,000 vessels. When Hamis returned to the front line brimming with confidence to relieve the Second Fleet and harass the Swarm forces, he had hoped for a decisive victory.


    Unfortunately, by then, the number of Primordial bodies had already exceeded 3,000. With only 1,000 Riken warships, a direct confrontation would have resulted in mutual destruction at best.


    In the end, after losing dozens of warships, Hamis retreated in defeat.


    This poor decision, though costly, did not result in harsh punishment due to wartime circumstances. However, Hamis lost the chance tomand offensive operations.


    As a result, the First Fleet became a permanent fixture at the Raze base¡ªa status quo that had persisted until now.


    But now, after years of rtive quiet, the Swarm forces seemed to have awakened from their slumber and grown active once more.


    As Hamis expected, the new Swarm contingent was over twice asrge as the previous force, with more than 10,000 units. From the moment they stirred to their departure, the process took merely a month.


    Meanwhile, the Third Fleet, tasked with long-range monitoring of the Swarm forces, dared not make any aggressive moves and maintained their distance beyond the Swarm¡¯s firing range, shadowing them cautiously.


    The Riken were not panicked by this Swarm offensive, as they had long anticipated it.


    Over the past decade, Raze¡¯s defensive systems had recovered to 80% of their pre-war capacity. Despite this partial recovery, the dense array of ground-based cannons still provided formidable firepower for the Riken.


    Along the Swarm¡¯s anticipated advance route, the Riken had deployed arge number of smart mines, hoping to slow the Swarm¡¯s advance and perhaps eliminate part of their force.


    While this n was sound in theory, it proved difficult to execute in practice. The Swarm appeared to have ovee their previous ¡°poor eyesight¡± issues. The stealth coating on the smart mines was no longer effective, and the Swarm forces dispatched small- and medium-sizedbat units to clear the minefields as they advanced.


    Although the smart mines were equipped with remote detonation capabilities and propulsion systems, they were unable to evade the close-range electromaic railgun fire from the Swarm. The small Mature bodies proved to be the perfect units for mine clearance.


    From a safe distance¡ªtypically around 10 kilometers¡ªthese units targeted the smart mines, remaining just outside their active detection range while using their electromaic cannons to destroy them.


    At such distances, the smart mines¡¯ propulsion systems had no chance of evading the artillery shells.


    Small explosions, like bursts of fireworks, dotted the Swarm¡¯s advance path, almost as if celebrating their march. Watching this, the Riken forces¡¯ morale began to crumble.


    ¡°Novaul, under normal circumstances, if ws in your fleet¡¯s design were exposed duringbat, what would you do?¡± Hamis, stationed in the frontlinemand center on Raze, furrowed his brow as he suddenly posed this question to Novaul, the Second Fleet¡¯smander standing beside him.

 Chapter 307: Attack

    Seeing Hamis frowning in thought, seemingly asking himself questions, Novaul pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°I would probably record it and report it back.¡±


    ¡°And then what happens next in the process?¡± Hamis pressed.


    This time, Novaul also took a while to think. ¡°I haven¡¯t paid much attention to this before, but I suppose the issue would be sent to the Academy or a simr research department. They would analyze the ws and make improvements. If there are results, the solutions would then be passed on to the space shipyards. These improvements would be reflected in the warships produced in the future.¡±


    ¡°And what about the warships produced before then?¡±


    ¡°That would depend on the severity of the issue. If it¡¯s a minor problem, perhaps the engineers onboard could resolve it. But if it¡¯s a structural w, those ships might have to be sent back to the shipyard in batches for upgrades and repairs.¡± Novaul shrugged, starting to grasp Hamis¡¯s line of thinking.


    ¡°So, in their eyes, is the stealth coating w of the smart mines a major issue or a minor one?¡±


    ¡°That, I don¡¯t know.¡± Novaul shook his head.


    ¡°Our intelligence indicates that the Swarm forces we¡¯re about to face were sent out over 20 years ago. This means these forces have spent most of that time drifting through the void, where there are no Swarm shipyards,¡± Hamis said after some thought.


    ¡°But the previous Swarm units couldn¡¯t detect the smart mines. Now, however, this new force seems topletely ignore their stealth coating. This suggests one of two possibilities: Either this issue was considered a minor w by the Swarm¡ªwhich is unlikely, as radar upgrades areplex and not easily executed unnoticed¡ªor¡­¡±¡°Or the Swarm was acting all along,¡± Novaul interjected, continuing Hamis¡¯s line of thought. ¡°They¡¯ve been able to detect the smart mines from the beginning. They only pretended not to notice to lower our guard, using our trap to enter Raze. Their actions align with this theory. They probably didn¡¯t expect us to detonate so many new nuclear warheads, though.¡±


    Despite their differing personalities, all three Fleet Commanders, including the irritable Alcer, were sharp individuals. Their current positions were not attained through mere luck.


    ¡°That could very well be the case. But if the Swarm is this cunning, and nuclear weapons are rtively low-tech, they must have ounted for such variables. Would you, under these circumstances, recklessly sacrificerge numbers of troops?¡± Hamis asked, his brows furrowing deeply.


    Novaul thought carefully for a moment before responding, ¡°It would depend on what could be gained. If the reward was significant enough, I might take the risk. But is Raze worth such a gamble? Even without us using nuclear weapons, Raze is still our territory. How long could the Swarm hold out without support?¡±


    As he spoke, doubts began to surface in Novaul¡¯s mind as well.


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s what puzzles me. The risks and rewards don¡¯t align, yet the Swarm proceeded anyway. If we assume they¡¯re not idiots, then this means their actions must have¡­¡± Hamis trailed off, his voice growing quieter as he sank into deep thought.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Could it be that their true objective isn¡¯t Raze?¡± Novaul asked, growing increasingly uncertain as he mulled it over.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but there must be something we¡¯re missing. Their forces waited for so long without moving, only to act now. I can¡¯t shake this feeling of unease,¡± Hamis replied gravely.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯ve already achieved their real objective. If that¡¯s the case, and we don¡¯t even know what it is, it bodes poorly for us,¡± Novaul said, his face dark with concern.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope we¡¯re overthinking it. But we should pass these theories to Alcer and advise him to exercise extra caution on the front lines. Meanwhile, we must bolster our own vignce, especially around Raze, to guard against potential surprises.¡±


    Novaul nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll notify him.¡±


    The Third Fleet¡¯s efforts to dy the Swarm forces¡¯ advance proved almost entirely ineffective once the smart mines failed and they dared not venture too close.


    Under such circumstances, continuing to linger there was pointless. It was more prudent to return to the defensive base on Raze for maintenance, ensuring optimalbat readiness to face the Swarm forces¡¯ arrival.


    The trajectory of the Swarm forces had already been calcted.


    Their target was clear and undisguised. While the Swarm forces could have bypassed the defenses around Raze, they deliberately chose not to. Instead, they made a slight detour, arriving at the¡¯s orbital path just as Raze itself reached that point in its revolution.


    ¡°Their target remains Raze. What exactly is drawing them here?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they simply want to establish a forward base,¡± Novaul spected, though he didn¡¯t believe his own suggestion.


    Yet the Swarm¡¯s persistence toward Raze suggested there was another purpose.


    ¡°I can¡¯t shake this ominous feeling,¡± Hamis murmured.


    Meanwhile, on the Swarm side, Sarah observed the well-prepared Riken defenses. Before themy not only the three main fleets and Raze¡¯s ground-based defense systems, but also a newly constructed orbital defense ring.


    The ring was armed with numerous orbital railguns, while smart mines littered several of the routes leading to Raze.


    ¡°They¡¯re pulling out all the stops. But this is ours. Drive them off!¡± Sarahmanded decisively.


    With her order, over ten thousand Primordial bodies surged forward. Amidst flickering arcs of electricity, tens of thousands of electromaic railguns erupted in unison, initiating the attack with their superior range.


    Electromaic projectiles, apart from emitting faint light and sound uponunch, traveled silently and invisibly during flight. However, with the Riken¡¯s current technological capabilities, the moment the projectiles were fired, they were detected. Their trajectories were calcted in real-time using a variety of parameters.


    In open areas where guerri tactics could be employed, these projectiles were rtively easy to evade.


    But in this entrenched battlefield, the effectiveness of the electromaic railguns was magnified exponentially. Unlike warships, the orbital railguns and ground-based cannons defending Raze were far less maneuverable andcked the ability to dodge iing fire effectively.


    Fortunately for the Riken, they had anticipated such an eventuality. The orbital cannons had been strategically concealed on the far side of Raze and its satellites, lying in wait to emerge and defend once the Swarm forces came within range.


    Thus, during the first wave of attacks, it was the defensive instations at the rearmost positions of Raze¡¯s defensive line that bore the brunt of the Swarm¡¯s assault.

 Chapter 310: Chaos

    The Primordial bodies forced to the front line had portions of their structures charred and carbonized. As they moved at high speed, the carbonized fragments broke apart and scattered.


    In the near-frictionless environment of space, these debris fragments would travel vast distances.


    The ninth wave of cannon fire arrived, allowing these sacrificial units to fulfill their final purpose.


    Thanks to their sacrifice, while the thirdyer of defense waspletely obliterated, the fourthyer sustained only minor damage.


    ¡°Are theypletely unafraid of death?¡±


    ¡°Concentrate all firepower! Stop them from advancing!¡±


    This tactic of using physical bodies as shields to cover an assault was something only a force like the Swarm, with its unique organizational structure, could employ as a standard strategy.


    For civilizations like the Riken, anymander attempting to use such a tactic routinely would have been court-martialed long ago.


    Yet, there was no denying the effectiveness of the strategy.As the bulk of the Riken firepower was drawn toward these ¡°meat shields,¡± the 5,000 Primordial bodies in the distance could fire their electromaic projectiles with impunity. The Riken forces, forced to respect these tens of thousands of projectiles, had no choice but to dodge. This, in turn, disrupted their firing rhythm.


    The cascading effects of this strategy allowed the meat shield battalion to breach the Riken¡¯s defensive line after sacrificing only 26yers of their formation.


    Faced with the onught of the Space Octopuses, the Riken warships dared not engage directly. They began retreating, opening their hangar bays to deploy waves of fighters.


    The current generation of Riken warships not only carried several hundred mainline fighters and drones per ship but were also equipped with a new type of miniature drone.


    These new drones, measuring only 2.5 meters in length, were smaller than some missiles. In fact, their design and functionality were strikingly simr to missiles.


    Externally, they resembled missiles with small wings attached. Apart from a small-caliber autocannon mounted on their undersides, theycked any other long-range firepower.


    Most of their internal structure, aside from the radar in the nose and the engine in the tail, was packed with explosives.


    These drones were specifically developed as a countermeasure to the Larval bodies, which favored close-quartersbat. They deployed alongside fighter squadrons. Due to their small autocannon caliber, they posed little long-range threat to the Larval bodies, serving instead to harass, obscure vision, and increase the Swarm¡¯sputational burden.


    However, when Larval bodies closed in on the fighters, these drones would actively intercept. If a Larval body used its tentacles to grab them, they would promptly revert to their ¡°primary function¡± as bombs.


    Thanks to the sheer quantity of these miniature missile drones, the three fleets,prising over 2,000 warships,unched nearly 100,000 fighter jets and approximately 500,000 miniature drones.


    A total of 600,000 mechanical units surged forth like a dark tide to meet the Swarm¡¯s Mature and Larval bodies. In terms of sheer momentum, they did not appear at a disadvantage.


    As the two sides closed to within 200¨C300 kilometers, the Riken fighter formations suddenly braked sharply in space,ing to a synchronized halt.


    The Primordial bodies at the forefront of the Swarm¡¯s assault still formed severalyers of resilient meat shields. With the firepower of the fighter squadrons, breaking through these defenses head-on would be nearly impossible. A direct sh would likely result in catastrophic losses for the fighter squadrons.


    Furthermore, the fighter formations were meant to serve as harassing units, not to engage the Space Octopuses in close-quartersbat. After their abrupt halt, they dispersed widely, forming a massive-like formation to wait for the Swarm forces to approach.


    The Swarm forces, however, showed no intention of avoiding the trap. The Space Octopuses charged straight into the web.


    As the Swarm¡¯s vanguard breached the fighter formation¡¯s ,¡± the fightersunched a fierce assault from all directions on the Space Octopuses. Countless red energy beams streaked through the starry void, targeting the Swarm units.


    Among these were the small-caliber autocannons of the miniature drones, which, whilecking in direct destructive power, added to the dazzling chaos of lights that disrupted the Swarm¡¯s movements.


    Many Larval bodies, attempting to avoid these autocannon barrages, were struck by the fighter squadron¡¯s energy beams, sustaining severe injuries. Fortunately for the Swarm, the sheer number of Larval bodies ensured that the losses were negligible. Larger Mature bodies moved to the outer edges of the formation, using their bodies to shield the smaller units from these attacks.


    Eventually, after several salvos from the Riken¡¯s main cannons, the Primordial meat shield was shattered. Deprived of their formidable ¡°shields,¡± the remaining Mature and Larval bodies could no longer withstand the main cannon fire.


    As the next wave of cannon fire loomed, the Swarm forces voluntarily dispersed. Without the cohesion of a tight formation, their charge ground to a halt.


    The dispersed vanguard was soon entangled by the fighter squadrons, unable to advance further.


    In response, the Swarm quickly adjusted their tactics, ordering the Mature and Larval bodies to attack freely, prioritizing the elimination of the fighter squadrons while continuing to push forward.


    Recognizing this tactical shift, the Riken redirected their main cannons away from the vanguard and aimed at the 5,000 distant Primordial bodies, which had been firing uninterrupted, systematically destroying the Riken¡¯s orbital cannons.@@novelbin@@


    The Riken¡¯s decision to retarget was driven by necessity. Continuing to fire their main cannons at the smaller Swarm units felt like using cannons to kill mosquitoes¡ªinefficient and wasteful. Meanwhile, the long-range Primordial bodies posed an existential threat, with their unrelenting barrages wreaking havoc.


    With the Riken¡¯s long-range firepower now focused on them, the Primordial bodies were forced to adopt erratic movements, increasing the Riken¡¯sputational load and reducing the likelihood of being hit. However, this also impacted the uracy and firing rate of their own projectiles.


    The Riken fleet faced simr constraints. Forced to keep moving to avoid the destructive electromaic projectiles, they found it increasingly difficult to maintain precise targeting.


    As a result, the battlefield split into two distinct zones: long-range units shing at a distance and close-quarters skirmishes between the vanguard forces.


    At a range of 100 kilometers, the fighting in the vast expanse of space was effectively closebat. The Riken¡¯s original n to maintain distance and use long-range firepower to gradually wear down the Swarm proved difficult to execute.


    The battlefield had be an uncontroble maelstrom. Chaos reigned asbatants from both sides filled every direction.


    It wasmon for a unit to lock onto a target tens or even hundreds of kilometers away, only to be blindsided by another enemy unit mere meters away.


    Amid such disorder, theck of reliable reference points made it impossible to gauge distances urately. No unit could guarantee that all enemy forces within a 360-degree radius were safely out of range.


    This led to situations where a Riken pilot, focused on outmaneuvering a Swarm unit and maintaining a safe distance of several kilometers, would suddenly be ambushed by a third party and killed in an instant.


    The sheer scale andplexity of the battlefield created an overwhelmingputational load. Even the Riken¡¯s supeputers were unable to issue real-time alerts for all unexpected developments.

 Chapter 311: Missile Drones

    The abundance of enemy units allowed each Riken fighter squadron to find its own targets, engaging in one-on-one dogfights and forming countless small battle zones.


    However, the battlefield had limited space, and these smaller zones ovepped and intertwined, creating a chaoticrger battleground.


    In such a frenzied arena, fair one-on-one duels were impossible.


    A primary fighter jet was skillfully keeping more than ten Larval bodies at bay, maneuvering in evasive patterns under the cover of its drones, while simultaneouslyunching attacks at the pursuing enemies.


    Although the fighter¡¯s firepower was somewhat underwhelming, with enough time and persistence, even the strongest opponents could be worn down.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± a sudden warning came through the channel. The pilot didn¡¯t recognize the voice¡ªit wasn¡¯t someone he knew personally. But in a war between species, alien organisms didn¡¯t speak the Rikennguage. Reacting instinctively, he veered his fighter off its original course, performing a standard evasive maneuver.


    A tentacle crackling with blue arcs of electricity shed past the side of his cockpit, grazing the surface of his craft heavily enough to knock it off bnce. Fortunately, the pilot had participated in simted bombardment drills for Raze and had decent technical skills and nerves of steel. He quickly regained control of his fighter.


    Running a systems diagnostic, he found that only the external armor had sustained minor damage. This allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief. However, his drone hadn¡¯t been so lucky. The artificial intelligence controlling the support drone failed to evade the attack, and the drone exploded into fragments amidst shes of fire.


    The loss of the drone soured the pilot¡¯s mood considerably.Each Riken pilot was allocated nine drones, which assisted in attacks and served as shields in critical moments.


    More drones meant better survivability. But now, mere moments into the battle, he had already lost one. In wartime conditions, it would be nearly impossible to rece a lost drone.


    To make matters worse, this loss wasn¡¯t even his fault.


    The chaotic battlefield generated an overwhelming amount of data. Most of the Riken¡¯s supeputers prioritized calctions for the long-range fleet¡¯s bombardments and evasive maneuvers, leaving insufficientputational resources to monitor every aspect of close-quartersbat.


    Each Riken pilot could designate up to three groups of enemies for prioritization. The supeputers would allocate processing power to calcte interactions with these designated enemies first.


    Given the rapid movement of both sides, with hundreds of other small battle zones intersecting every few seconds, only the designated enemy group remained consistently tracked. Other nearby threats shifted too quickly for the system to provide timely warnings.


    As a result, pilots usually only marked the group they were actively engaging, leaving the remaining slots unused. However, this approach introduced a slight dy in warnings for sudden attacks from other sources.


    This was the primary reason the pilot¡¯s drone had been destroyed.


    His teammates had failed to pin down their own targets, leaving them free to attack passing fighter squadrons. The pilot, meanwhile, hadn¡¯t detected the attack in time due to the dyed warnings from the supeputer.


    Luckily, with a teammate¡¯s timely warning, the pilot narrowly escaped disaster. However, the frustration of losing his drone left him eager tosh out at his unknown ally.


    Just as he was about to hurl some choice words, the stranger¡¯s voice echoed through thems once more.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    The Riken pilot immediately shut his mouth and reflexively performed another evasive maneuver.


    Unfortunately, his luck had run out. His maneuver was too predictable, repeating the exact same angle and direction as before.


    Through his transparent cockpit canopy, he saw the rapidly approaching, electrified tentacle. He didn¡¯t even have time to scream before it struck. The impact was devastating¡ªthe cockpit cracked, and the fighter spun out of control, crashing into one of his nearby drones.


    A brief sh of fire lit up before both the fighter and drone were reduced to debris. Even if the pilot wasn¡¯t killed instantly, his chances of survival in the chaotic battlefield were slim.


    The loss of the main fighter was immediately reported to the battlefield¡¯s supeputer center, where it was processed and ryed back. The original squadron¡ªnow missing its main fighter and two drones¡ªhad its remaining seven drones reassigned to other nearby squadrons.


    As the battle demonstrated, in such aplex and chaotic environment, luck was just as vital as skill. Even a nearplete formation of drones couldn¡¯t guarantee survival.


    Scenes like this weremon across the battlefield. If the Riken¡¯s fighter squadrons had been using their old configurations, their entire strategy might have fallen apart.


    Fortunately, the Missile Drones had been introduced.


    The Riken¡¯s new small missile-armed drones, referred to as Missile Drones, performed surprisingly well in this war.


    The Larval bodies, unfamiliar with this new weapon, were caught off guard. While pursuing enemy fighters, they suddenly encountered these small drones approaching them head-on.


    Although the drones¡¯ machine guns weren¡¯t particrly powerful, concentrated fire from multiple drones posed a real threat to the Larval bodies. Faced with this, the Larval bodies prioritized eliminating the drones.


    However, when theytched onto the Missile Drones with their tentacles and attempted to dismantle them, the drones exploded without warning.


    At two meters long, these drones packed a substantial payload. For the Larval bodies¡ªmost of which were only around ten meters in size¡ªthe explosions were devastating. Within just a few minutes of engagement, the Swarm lost nearly 10,000 Larval bodies to these drones.


    The Larval bodies, having previously been hit by missiles, quickly adapted. Realizing that these small, winged machines with machine guns weren¡¯t true fighters, they immediately began avoiding them.


    This created a new dilemma. The Missile Drones effectively blocked the pursuit routes of enemy fighters, while the Larval bodiescked sufficient long-range attack capabilities to counter them.


    Engaging in meleebat with the drones was tantamount to suicide.


    Ignoring them wasn¡¯t a great option either. While the Missile Drones¡¯ machine guns had small calibers, sustained fire was both annoying and increasingly dangerous. Moreover, leaving the Riken¡¯s main fighters unthreatened allowed them to rain fire from afar.


    Therge-caliber machine guns mounted on those fighters posed a significant threat to the Larval bodies.


    The introduction of this new unit had changed the dynamics of the battlefield, making things far more challenging for the Larval bodies while giving the Riken¡¯s main fighters and drones more room to operate.


    ¡°Heh, bombsbined with machine guns¡ªwhat an interesting idea. Order the Larval bodies to ignore these nuisances and focus on all-out assaults. Let the Riken showcase their tactics for a bit,¡± Sarah Kerrigan said, observing the battle.


    She showed little concern for the Larval bodies¡¯ struggles. In her view, the oue of the war wouldn¡¯t be decided by one or two local skirmishes but by the broader strategy.@@novelbin@@


    This battlefield had exposed some weaknesses in the Swarm¡¯s Larval bodies, but the Swarm had already devised solutions for such ws. All they needed now was the right opportunity to implement them.


    Upon receiving Sarah¡¯s orders, the Larval bodies ceased pursuing the Riken¡¯s main fighters and drones and ignored the interference of the Missile Drones. Instead, they charged directly at the Riken¡¯s warship formations.


    ¡°They¡¯re going for ast-ditch assault! Hold the line!¡± Hamis roared, his voice filled with urgency.

 Chapter 313: Burrowing Worms

    ¡°All the demonstrations are done; now it¡¯s time for us to reveal our trump card.¡±


    Across the battlefronts, the situation was either bnced or disadvantageous, with no advantage to be seen anywhere. If this continued, the second wave of warunched by the Swarm would likely end in another anticlimactic failure.


    Faced with various unfavorable circumstances, Sarah Kerrigan, as the suprememander, remained calm¡ªshe had her own confidence to rely on.


    On Raze, due to the insufficient number ofser defense arrays, severalnd-based cannons were destroyed. However, all the destroyed cannons were outside the protective range of theser arrays. With their destruction, the remainingser arrays were now sufficient to guard all remainingnd-based cannons.


    Thus, in the final few rounds of bombardment from the Primordial bodies, the loss ofnd-based cannons was minimal. Later, the emergence of orbital defense cannons sessfully diverted the Swarm¡¯s long-range firepower.


    Under such interference-free conditions, thend-based cannons freely unleashed energy beams, firing to their heart¡¯s content.


    But when Sarah gave hermand, the Swarm forces hidden deep underground on Raze, quietly developing for more than a decade, finally revealed their ws.


    Years ago, the Riken¡¯snd-based cannon bases, totaling over thirty locations, had turned into patches of purple on the map after being attacked by the Swarm. After trying numerous methods without sess, the Rikens were forced to resort to nuclear strikes.


    The tremendous power of the new nuclear bombs vaporized the bases and the Swarm units within them, along with several kilometers of the subsurface area, leaving behind semi-spherical craters.Even the rugged mountain areas, which proved difficult during repeated attempts to eliminate residual Swarm forces, were eventually bombed into depressions.


    Afterward, the Rikens conducted careful inspections, confirming no traces of Swarm units remained before beginning the reconstruction of Raze.


    But in truth, they had deceived themselves. In the regions scorched by nuclear fire, the fungal carpets, still shallow at the time, were indeed evaporated by the extreme heat.


    However, an unknown number ofrval bodies and mature bodies, equipped with optical stealth, had escaped unnoticed. The Rikens,cking effective reconnaissance means for these medium- and small-sized units,pletely missed their presence.


    Not to mention that during the Swarm¡¯s attacks on various cannon bases across Raze, at least tens of thousands ofrval bodies had detached from their units and gone into hiding en route.@@novelbin@@


    After burrowing underground, they didn¡¯t resurface but continued to dig deeper.


    For the Rikens to eradicate them entirely, they would have to obliterate an entireyer of Raze. However, the scale of such an operation and the sheer quantity of nuclear bombs required would exceed all the Rikens¡¯ reserves, making it an impossible task.


    Eachrval body carried at least a hundred spores, with each capable of mutating into a fungal carpet seed. The fungal carpet, after developing for a while, could mutate parts of its tissues to produce a Brood Queen.


    Thus, thousands of Swarm bases took root across Raze. But they remained dormant, deliberately staying hidden deep underground to avoid Riken detection, relying primarily on geothermal and radioactive materials for sustenance.


    Now, however, it was time for these bases to sprout.


    A new species of gigantic insect appeared before the world for the first time.


    These creatures were over fifty meters in length, with a diameter exceeding three meters, resembling enormous worms magnified hundreds of times. Their mouths were lined with countless sharp teeth arranged in a spiral pattern, extending deep into their pitch-ck, abyss-like interiors.


    As their mouths opened and closed, soft soil, resilient bedrock, and even tough metals were sliced through like tofu, swallowed into their abdomens.


    It contained more than ten massive grinding organs inside, functioning like gigantic blenders that pulverized everything ingested into fine particles.


    These particles were then transported into specialized internal pipelines coated with a unique secretion. As the particles passed through, they fused with the secretion, forming a viscous, paste-like substance.


    The creature¡¯s body was covered in a hardened chitinous exoskeleton. Unlike fearsome spiked armor, this exoskeleton was remarkably smooth, allowing the creature to glide effortlessly through the underground without worrying about unnecessary damage.


    The exoskeleton was riddled with evenly distributed pores, each about five centimeters in diameter. These pores connected to the viscous fluid pipelines, enabling the liquid to be expelled outside the body.


    When the creature began working, it consumed all soil and rock in its path. Inside its body, these materials were converted into a thick liquid, which was then transported to its exterior.


    Between the soft tissues of the creature and its exoskeletony ayer of air sacs. When inted, these sacs caused the creature¡¯s body to lose its suppleness and expand into a rounded, rod-like shape.


    Once inted, the creature forcefullypressed the surrounding soil, solidifying the walls of the passage it created. Simultaneously, the viscous liquid was expelled through the numerous pores across its body, coating thepressed passage walls as the creature advanced.


    When the expelled liquid mixed with the soil and stone, it quickly seeped into the materials. Within a minute, it solidified and bonded, reinforcing the tunnel walls further.


    This newly revealed species, dubbed the Burrowing Worm, could excavate tunnels over a hundred kilometers long and three meters wide in a single hour. Compared to the Swarm¡¯s previous reliance on Worker Drones to painstakingly dig and reinforce tunnels bit by bit, this represented a monumental leap in their assault capabilities.


    ¡°Team Leader! Come take a look at this¡ªour instruments are detecting some abnormal data!¡±


    Inside a chamber of the underground nuclear power nt, a Riken technician suddenly shouted.


    Hearing the call, the other Rikens in the room quickly gathered. The chamber housed only about a dozen Rikens, a mix of engineers and security personnel.


    Amid the ongoing war in space, theser defense arrays andnd-based cannons had been continuously firing since the conflict began. Supplying energy to these weapons made the nuclear power nt a critical strategic asset. Yet, because Raze was firmly within Riken territory and most forces had been dispatched to the main battlefront, the security team here was small. Engineers, tasked with maintaining the power nt¡¯s operations, formed the majority.


    After all, no one wanted their weapons to go offline during a war because of preventable equipment failures.


    Despite the limited security personnel, the facility was equipped withprehensive early warning systems. Located more than a hundred meters underground, the nt¡¯s primary monitoring systems focused on ess tunnels and geological changes in the surrounding area.


    At the war¡¯s outset, theser defense arrays andnd-based cannons operated at maximum output. Theser arrays, in particr, consumed enormous amounts of energy, triggering repeated rms in the power nt. Maintenance engineers scrambled everywhere to inspect and repairponents, ensuring the nt continued to run smoothly.


    Had the output demands continued for another hour, the power nt might have risked a shutdown.


    Fortunately, the Swarm shifted their bombardment to other targets, relieving theser defense arrays from active duty. With only thend-based cannons drawing power, the nt now operated at just 50% of its maximum capacity to meet energy needs.


    With the reduced workload, the personnel gathered in the control room.


    Deep underground and prohibited from venturing to the¡¯s surface during the war, they couldn¡¯t directly observe the battlefield. Instead, they relied on videos broadcast by apanying military ships to glean updates on the war.


    However, the ferocity of the battlefield made it difficult to secure clear footage. Computational resources were prioritized for frontline operations, leaving the power nt staff with only sporadic audio feeds to follow.

 Chapter 316: The Radiance of the Rikens

    Though more than a decade had passed since thest Battle for Raze, the Rikens had obtained numerous experimental samples of Swarmbat units during that war.


    Yet, to this day, they had failed to unlock the secrets behind those samples.


    This left them with few effective means ofbating the ever-expanding purple-gray fungal carpets.


    ¡°Deploy the Radiance of the Rikens!¡± The fleetmander and his strategists held an emergency discussion, but ultimately, they had no choice but to resort to their old method.


    The Radiance of the Rikens referred to a modified nuclear warhead, symbolically named for its ability to ¡°shine¡± and protect the Riken people.


    These weapons represented the most powerful armaments in the Rikens¡¯ arsenal¡ªand the most hazardous.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a poison pill, but at least it solves the immediate crisis.¡±


    Each detonation of the Radiance of the Rikens was akin to broadcasting the¡¯s coordinates to the surrounding star systems.


    Such frequent use risked drawing the attention of any sufficiently advanced civilizations nearby. These civilizations would not only be able to discern that a war was urring but also make educated guesses about the technological levels of both warring factions. A confident opportunist might decide to intervene.¡°There¡¯s no choice. If we don¡¯t neutralize them quickly, we¡¯ll be caught in a pincer attack!¡±


    In interster warfare, when the technological gap between civilizations was not significant, the aggressor often faced a disadvantage.


    For example, in the current battle, the Rikens, defending their territory, held the upper hand. They had the advantage of pre-built defensive structures and could use Raze as a shield, making attacks, retreats, and rotations highly flexible.


    Moreover, they had the logistical support of their entire star system. Supplies flowed in steadily from within the system to sustain their efforts.


    In contrast, the Swarm, as the attackers,cked the advantages of terrain and faced significant logistical challenges. If not for their unique biological nature, the cost of transporting forces from outside the system to Raze alone might have exhausted the entire Swarm army.


    The Rikens originally assumed that the Neighboring Star System was home to a weaker civilization andunched a colonial expedition with 315 warships and 164 transport vessels.


    Had they anticipated a tougher conflict, the number of transport ships might have been several times that of the warships.


    This reflected the standard configuration of a proper interster campaign.


    The Swarm, while equipped with transport units, seemed tock dedicated resupply units. This peculiarity had puzzled the Rikens for years. Without understanding the Swarm¡¯s methods of sustaining themselves, the Rikens couldn¡¯t formte effective attritional strategies.


    Returning to the present, if the Swarm were to seize control of Raze, the roles in this siege would immediately reverse.


    The Swarm would be the defenders, and the Rikens would take on the role of aggressors.


    While the Swarm¡¯s logistics remained an enigma, analyzing the electromaic railgun firing patterns suggested they did, in fact, require resupply.


    The Rikens knew that if they allowed the Swarm to entrench themselves further, they would lose their home-field advantage. Their only option was to unleash the Radiance of the Rikens and hope it would be enough to burn away the Swarm¡¯s creeping threat.


    If the Swarm forces on Raze could establish a foothold, their logistical capabilities would improve, and their tactics would shift ordingly.


    Although the Rikens still knew little about the Swarm, they could foresee one immediate consequence, with a logistical base, the Swarm would likely fire their electromaic railguns far more liberally.


    Currently, the Swarm forces, operating without visible logistical support, maintained a ferocious rate of fire. But in a few hours, they might no longer be able to sustain such high-intensity bombardments.


    At that point, the Swarm might be forced to retreat to the asteroid belt at the edge of the star system to resupply. However, if their main fleet withdrew, the Swarm would suffer immense losses.


    Their Primordial bodies, which had served as living shields, would have been sacrificed in vain; tens of thousands ofrval bodies trapped by the metallic fibers would be annihted; and even the mature bodies andrval units at the forefront of the battle would be abandoned.


    Such significant losses would require the Swarm to spend years, possibly decades, reorganizing for another war. This dy would give the Rikens much-needed time to recover. They could refine and deploy more advanced anti-Swarm weaponry, making a counterattack on the Swarm¡¯s home territory no longer just a dream.


    But all of this hinged on Raze not falling into Swarm hands.


    Thus, the Riken leadership was prepared to destroy Raze entirely if necessary, rather than allowing the Swarm to im it.


    However, the Rikenscked the means to obliterate an entire. Their best option was to cleanse the Swarm from Raze, even if it meant destroying all their own bases and turning the into a neutral zone.


    The Radiance of the Rikens, a 35-meter-long, 8-meter-diameter colossus, was deployed once more. Waves of purple-gray fungal carpets were incinerated, transformed into seas of blinding light. The violent energy flows from the explosions created massive EMP fields, which disabled numerous inadequately shielded Riken facilities. Even some functional spacecraft inary orbit were partially affected.


    Fortunately, the warships were specially shielded and remained operational.


    The familiar sight returned: purple-gray carpets were wiped away, leaving behind high-temperature, smooth, semi-circr craters.


    But to the Rikens¡¯ dismay, the Swarm¡¯s deployment on Raze exceeded all expectations. Unlike before, the fungal carpets didn¡¯t stop spreading after being bombarded.


    For every crater formed by the explosions, more purple-gray patches emerged elsewhere.


    As a strategic deterrent, the Radiance of the Rikens was expensive to manufacture, maintain, and store, and its stockpile was limited. During thest battle on Raze, hundreds of these weapons had been expended, depleting previous reserves.


    Although production had continued over the past decade, only about 2,000 were avable. Many of these were reserved for the Twin Star Defensive Zone and the homeworld¡¯s defensive perimeter, leaving just over 1,200 for the Raze defensivework.


    If the current trend continued, the Rikens would exhaust their stockpile of these weapons first.


    Moreover, as more ¡°mini-suns¡± lit up the, the environment on Raze deteriorated. Even cannon emcements untouched by direct attacks were rendered inoperable due to the powerful EMP fields.


    The situation was grim.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start evacuating our personnel from Raze,¡± Hamis sighed.


    The relentless EMP pulses had severely disrupted the operations of Riken bases on the. Although the bases were shielded to maintain life-support systems, continued bombardment risked catastrophic failures.


    Additionally, the Swarm¡¯s assault showed no signs of slowing. It was only a matter of time before they breached the bases entirely. With the¡¯s defensive systemsrgely crippled, there was no reason to continue holding their positions.


    ¡°It¡¯s toote. Our smaller transport craft can¡¯t withstand the EMP fields, and therger transports can¡¯t approach the¡¯s surface. Those Rikens will have to fend for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Then at least send a message, telling them to save themselves if they can. If we hold out for another half-day, perhaps the enemy will finally copse,¡± Hamis said, though even he felt uncertain about the hope in his words.

 Chapter 317: Familiar Forms

    With the loss of thend-based cannons on Raze and the near-total destruction of the orbital cannons due to their slow maneuverability, the Riken firepower had been reduced by over half.


    Without their firepower advantage, the pressure on the Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies greatly diminished. Their evasion time shortened, and their firing rate increased. Faced with the Swarm¡¯s intensified bombardment, the previously steady output of the three Riken fleets faltered. Their firing rate decreased, and as this chain reaction unfolded, the Swarm seemed to have gained the upper hand, pressing the Rikens into a defensive posture.


    The fleetmanders recognized this awkward situation, pinning their hopes on this being the Swarm¡¯s final frenzy.


    Based on their data, they believed the Swarm¡¯s ammunition reserves were no longer sufficient to sustain such intense firepower.


    Their assumption wasn¡¯t entirely wrong. The Swarm¡¯s forces had traveled from the outerary belt without any resupply. Even with new tactics, they had consumed significant metal reserves during skirmishes with the Riken fleets along the way.


    Now, after such prolonged high-intensity bombardments, their metal reserves were nearly depleted.


    However, the Riken fleet was also on itsst legs. Theary orbit and surface defense systems had copsed, leaving only the fleet¡¯s firepower to maintain a fragile standstill.@@novelbin@@


    Despite their predicament, the Rikens believed that as the defending force, they held the advantage. Theoretically, they could leverage the cover of Raze and its moons to oust the Swarm¡¯s dwindling ammunition reserves.


    But they underestimated the Swarm¡¯s deployments on Raze.Had the Rikens understood the Swarm¡¯s biological capabilities, they might already have begun their retreat.


    Under Luo Wen¡¯s mastery of gic mutation, the Swarm¡¯s ability to establish outposts had advanced by orders of magnitude. In the past, even if the Swarm managed to send a few Brood Queen eggs to Raze, ten years wouldn¡¯t have been enough to make a significant impact.


    But things were different now. As long as a singlerval body breached the defenses, its continuous mutations could spawn an endless supply of Brood Queens, given time.


    During the earlier invasion of Raze, countlessrval bodies hadnded. To elerate progress, over 100,000 Brood Queens had been spawned inter mutations.


    For perspective, after upying the Genesis and the Neighboring Star System, the total number of Brood Queens across both star systems had just exceeded one million¡ªa result of centuries of development.


    Now, the equivalent of one-tenth of that number was concentrated on a single. The sheer power the Swarm could unleash was unimaginable.


    Each Brood Queen acted as a sub-hive, and the 100,000 sub-hives spread across Raze¡¯s undergroundwork had produced countlessbat units over the past decade.


    Even if every Radiance of the Rikens bomb could wlessly destroy one Swarm hive, with only slightly over a thousand of them avable, the Rikens could barely scratch the surface of the Swarm¡¯s numbers.


    As the Rikens watched in stunned disbelief, purple-gray fungal carpets appeared en masse on the surface of Raze. These patches quickly expanded and merged, nketing nearly half the in a matter of moments.


    And this was the Swarm holding back.


    The Swarm¡¯s des, thoroughly trained in Luo Wen¡¯s doctrine of ¡°concealing strength,¡± ensured that their true capabilities and numbers were masked whenever the battle had already been decided.


    Yes, the oue was already certain.


    The Swarm¡¯s conquest of Raze was only a matter of time. All it needed now was a final ¡°straw¡± to break the Rikens¡¯st vestige of resistance.


    On the surface of Raze, as the purple-gray fungal carpet spread, the Rikens found themselves in an impossible dilemma, unsure of which region to strike first. Their hesitation, however, would soon give way to true despair.


    The fungal carpet squirmed and writhed as chunks of fleshy tissue emerged from within. These fragments fused and morphed, gradually taking shape.


    Finally, they locked into a form all too familiar to the Rikens.


    The elongated cylindrical shapes that materialized bore an uncanny resemnce to the electromaic railguns mounted on the Primordial bodies.


    Not only did their exteriors mimic the railguns perfectly, but their functionality was identical as well.


    After all, the railgun organ was originally a derivativeponent of the fungal carpet.


    This scene had, in fact, urred once before on T855 in the Neighboring Star System, but at that time, the Rikens¡¯ satellites around the had already been destroyed. Forced to rely on long-range observation, the Rikens had only witnessed T855 slowly changing color without understanding how the electromaic railguns had appeared.


    This time, however, they were close enough to see everything clearly.


    ¡°What is that? It looks¡­ familiar,¡± one Riken observer murmured as they stared at the detection screen, puzzled.


    ¡°It does seem familiar, but I can¡¯t quite recall where I¡¯ve seen it before,¡± another Riken said, furrowing his brow. The shape tugged at his memory, as if recognition were just out of reach.


    ¡°Look! Don¡¯t they resemble¡ª¡± Another Riken suddenly spoke up.


    He pulled up a high-resolution image of a Primordial body andpared it side-by-side with the cylindrical structures forming on Raze¡¯s fungal carpet.


    ¡°They¡¯re identical.¡±


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°Report to the captain immediately!¡±


    The observers scrambled in panic, but at least the information was quickly ryed up the chain ofmand.


    ¡°General, we¡¯re detecting electromaic strikes¡ªoriginating from directly beneath us!¡±


    ¡°What!?¡± General Hamis, who had been focused on the battlefront, was stunned by the report.


    The Space Octopuses responsible for long-range attacks were all in front of the fleet. Beneath the fleety Raze¡ªwhat could be attacking them from below?


    Initially, the crew suspected a sensor malfunction. The surrounding area was saturated with intense electromaic pulses, and data errors seemed usible.


    However, after repeated verification, the crew confirmed the readings were urate.


    By then, the observers¡¯ report had also arrived.


    ¡°Evade!¡± Realizing the gravity of the situation, Hamis ordered an emergency fleet-wide maneuver.


    But it was toote. The proximity was simply too close. At such a distance, electromaic projectiles struck almost instantaneously.


    Worse still, since the shots came from below, they hit the fleet¡¯s undersides¡ªits most vulnerable area. The damage inflicted in this single strike far exceeded what the Primordial bodies had achieved after hours of bombardment.


    The First Fleet, consisting of 1,000 warships, had already lost nearly 200 ships earlier and was down to just over 800 vessels. In this assault, more than 50 ships were instantly obliterated, and over half the remaining fleet sustained varying levels of damage.


    The Rikens had not suffered such catastrophic losses since the war began. These were not just disabled ships retreating from battle¡ªthese were fully destroyed vessels. Taking out a warship with electromaic projectiles, even after traveling for over ten minutes, was no easy feat.


    If it weren¡¯t for the limited number of initial railguns and the suboptimal firing angles, this barrage might have annihted over half the Riken fleet in one fell swoop.

 Chapter 318: Escape

    And this was only the losses from Hamis¡¯s First Space Fleet. The Second and Third Space Fleets, positioned around Raze, also suffered significant damage during the sudden barrage, losing abined total of 79 warships.


    ¡°This war is lost. We must retreat now,¡± Hamis said grimly over the videomunication.


    ¡°Indeed, as reluctant as I am, we must preserve as much of our fighting force as possible for the survival of our species,¡± Novaul agreed.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± snarled Alcer, his temper boiling over.


    Who could have predicted that the situation, which had seemed favorable mere moments ago, would turn so dramatically and disastrously?


    Now, they could only cut their losses.


    The three fleets began their retreat decisively, as more and more electromaic railguns were forming on the spreading purple-gray fungal carpet across Raze.


    The instruments detected energy gathering for another electromaic strike. If not for the significant energy depletion caused by the fungal carpet¡¯s rapid spread from deep underground, the second barrage might already have hit them.


    Fortunately, there was still a small window of time. If they didn¡¯t flee now, there would be no chance to escapeter.The remaining warships of the three fleets ignited their rear engines, the blinding glow from their thrusters signaling maximum output. It was fortunate they had been moving in evasive patterns prior to this. Had they been stationary, starting their engines from a dead stop would have likely doomed every vessel.


    As the fleets retreated, the fighter squadrons previously engaged with Mature bodies and Larval bodies received orders to withdraw. Missile drones covered the retreat at full capacity, and even escort fighters could be sacrificed if necessary¡ªsaving the Riken pilots was the highest priority.


    The situation had shifted too quickly for the Rikens to adapt. There wasn¡¯t enough time to recover the fighter squadrons, but being on home turf meant the fighters could use their own propulsion to fly back to safer positions.


    The Primordial bodies¡¯ electromaic railguns weren¡¯t practical for targeting the nimble small craft, so as long as they could hold off the pursuit of the Mature and Larval bodies, the Riken pilots had a high chance of survival¡ªhigher, in fact, than those aboard the warships.


    The three fleets had been dangerously close to Raze. Even at full speed, it would take considerable time for them to escape the range of the railguns now forming on the fungal carpet.


    Because of the urgency to escape, the fleets had little time to execute advanced evasive maneuvers. The Swarm¡¯s railguns fired calcted, wide-area volleys, forcing the Rikens to charge through the least-concentrated zones of fire.@@novelbin@@


    Despite their efforts to angle their ships and absorb the iing rounds with reactive armor on the sides and rear of the vessels, the massive engine exhaust ports remained exposed and unprotected.


    On the fungal carpet, blue shes heralded the firing of the railguns. The electromaic projectiles screamed forth, their limited angles of fire restricting the number of railguns that could target the retreating fleets. Even so, the first three waves inflicted devastating losses.


    In the first wave, as the fleets had barely moved any distance, over 70 warships were destroyed, and more than 100 suffered critical damage to their primary engines, drastically reducing their speed.


    The second wave destroyed over 50 ships, more than half of which were previously damaged. This barrage left nearly 50 additional warships with crippled engines.


    The third wave obliterated another 50 ships, with over 90% being those alreadypromised from earlier attacks. Only about 20 new ships sustained engine damage during this round.


    The retreating Riken fleets, already battered and fractured, were now limping away, leaving behind a trail of debris and smoldering wrecks. The Swarm¡¯s relentless assault, spearheaded by the fungal carpet¡¯s newly-formed railguns, had turned what was once a calcted withdrawal into a desperate flight for survival.


    By the time the fourth wave of attacks began, the increased distance had provided the Rikens with a sufficient buffer. Furthermore, the Swarm prioritized targeting ships with damaged primary engines. As a result, the Riken warships with fully operational engines sustained almost no further losses.


    The remaining fleet, with its propulsion systems intact, didn¡¯t dare linger. The Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies had begun advancing from Raze toward the frontlines the moment the¡¯s mutations started. By now, they had already crossed Raze and were in pursuit.


    Ships with damaged primary engines, realizing they were doomed, were reluctantly abandoned. Captains issued orders to evacuate, and a swarm of gunships, shuttles, and escape podsunched from the crippled vessels, scattering in all directions.


    The rest of the Riken fleet had picked up speed, and with no further engine damage, the Swarm¡¯s subsequent attacks proved ineffective.


    The electromaic railguns on Raze continued to fire for a total of twelve volleys, but by then, the Riken fleet had exited their effective range and reached a safe zone.


    Without the cover fire from Raze, the pursuing Primordial bodies¡ªtheir metal reserves nearly depleted from earlierbat¡ªsaw little point in continuing the chase. Further pursuit risked exposing themselves to encirclement. Instead, they redirected their focus to the abandoned Riken warships, systematically annihting them.


    The abandoned ships had been emptied of their crews, who escaped in evacuation vessels. The warships¡¯ self-destruct systems were activated, detonating them one after another into brilliant bursts of light in the vacuum of space.


    For the Swarm, however, even the debris of destroyed Riken warships had value. Some of the Primordial bodies broke off to hunt down escape pods and shuttles, while others stayed behind to collectrge fragments of wreckage.


    After some time, a group of Mature bodies and Larval bodies arrived to join the cleanup effort. They meticulously scoured the battlefield, gathering every piece of visible metal debris. The thoroughness of their cleanup operation was so remarkable that Luo Wen could have opened a space-cleaning business with pride.


    By this time, the Primordial bodies that had pursued the smaller escape vessels had also returned. The vastness of space made it nearly impossible to track down all the scattered Riken survivors. Coupled with the Swarm¡¯sck of intent to exterminate everyst enemy, the pursuit wasrgely symbolic. They destroyed a few gunships and transport shuttles before calling it off and regrouping.


    Back on Raze, the skirmishes between Larval bodies and Riken missile drones continued. The drones, acting like flying porcupines, proved difficult for the Larval bodies to handle, hampering their movements and attacks.


    However, after preparing for such tactics, the missile drones were no longer able to inflict meaningful damage on the Swarm. Their limited fuel reserves furtherpounded the issue, and it became evident that they would soon run out of power on their own.


    The Rikens understood this inevitability. As the drones neared fuel exhaustion, they remotely detonated all remaining units. Even if the drones couldn¡¯t achieve victory, the Rikens were determined not to leave them for the Swarm to salvage.


    On Raze¡¯s orbit, a few scattered orbital cannons located in remote areas activated their self-destruct protocols. To the Swarm, however, intact equipment and scrap metal were equally valuable.


    The Larval bodies, previously trapped in metallic fibers, had also been freed and were now assisting in the cleanup.


    This war had left behind an unprecedented amount of wreckage. The countless destroyed orbital cannons created a storm of metal debris, effectively sealing Raze¡¯s orbit.


    If there had been a nascent civilization on Raze, such a metal storm would have permanently barred them from reaching the stars, trapping them in their infancy and preventing them from ever bing significant yers in the cosmic arena.


    For a force as advanced as the Swarm, however, even a debris storm of this magnitude was inconsequential.

 Chapter 320: Summary Conference

    The first theory had garnered significant support.


    The Swarm was first discovered on the fifth of the T85 Star System, a barren, atmosphere-less world. ording to the Rikens¡¯ evolutionary theories, such acked the conditions necessary for life to emerge.


    Yet not only was life present, but it also belonged to an advanced civilization.


    However, whether the Swarm qualified as a ¡°civilization¡± remained a contentious debate among the Rikens. To this day, they had not fully grasped the Swarm¡¯s true nature.


    Regardless of its essence, the Swarm had demonstrated the ability to travel between star systems. Though the Rikens had yet to crack the Swarm¡¯s gene lock, one thing was clear: the Space Octopuses, regardless of size, had no onboard operators.


    This was the central puzzle surrounding the Swarm¡¯s identity, and the key argument supporting the first theory.


    If the Space Octopuses were not some kind of biomechanical weapon but actual members of the Swarm, then the Swarm might not be the bio-technology-focused civilization the Rikens had previously assumed.


    This line of thinking suggested that the Swarm might be a species with a hive-mind consciousness, exhibiting coordination and fearlessness akin to insect colonies.


    If so, and if the Swarm was naturally capable of surviving in the vacuum of space, it stood to reason that they had expanded into surrounding star systems long ago. Raze could have harbored Swarm units for years, allowing them to develop and grow unnoticed.Despite its usibility, the first theory faced considerable opposition. While it provided a partial exnation for the presence of so manybat units on Raze, it raised more questions than it answered.


    First of all, could a naturally evolved species develop electromaic railguns and sma propulsion systems?


    Supporters of the first theory argued that while the Swarm exhibited hive-mind traits, this didn¡¯t preclude technological advancements. Perhaps their current abilities reflected centuries of self-modification. However, this interpretation circled back to the idea of a bio-technology civilization.


    Secondly, the fungal carpet (the purple-gray patches) presented a significant conundrum. These entities were clearly not individual Swarm units, yet they exhibited functional characteristics simr to those of the Space Octopuses.


    The electromaic railguns present on the fungal carpet mirrored those mounted on the Space Octopuses, which seemed inexplicable under the first theory.


    Finally, if the Swarm had indeed been developing forces on Raze for years, why didn¡¯t they deploy them during the first defense of Raze? Letting so many units lie dormant while sacrificing countless others seemed irrational. Even proponents of the first theory struggled to address this point convincingly.


    In response to these criticisms, a second theory emerged.


    The second theory posited that the Swarm was a bio-technologically advanced civilization. The exact form of its members remained unknown, but the Space Octopuses were considered biomechanical weapons, as were the fungal carpets.


    Under this framework, the Swarm¡¯s various units shared functions and features because they were products of the same technological ecosystem. Though the Rikens had yet to unravel their structures, their external simrities and operational characteristics supported this hypothesis.


    Additionally, these units could sometimes transition between forms. This exined why electromaic railguns appeared across different Swarm entities, from Space Octopuses to fungal carpets.


    Delving further into this perspective, it raised the question: if some Swarm units could transition into others, might they all be interconnected? Could certain units function as hatcheries for otherbat entities?


    This theory implied a highly adaptive and modr biological system, wherein the Swarm¡¯s technological and biologicalponents were seamlessly integrated. It also hinted at the terrifying possibility that the Swarm¡¯s ability to repurpose its own units extended far beyond what the Rikens had observed.


    This perspective could exin why, during the first defense of Raze, the Swarm went to such great lengths, sacrificing an entire fleet just to establish a foothold.


    The purpose was to deploy unit-producing structures on the. Over the subsequent decade, these structures produced vast numbers ofbat units. Evidence of this could be seen in the final assault on the underground nuclear power nt, where surveince footage captured the presence of numerous small Space Octopuses.


    ¡°In this light, the second theory does seem much more usible than the first,¡± one participant acknowledged.


    ¡°Hmph! Until we discover proof of individual intelligent life within the Swarm, I¡¯ll stick to the first theory,¡± another countered.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t it be abination of both theories?¡± someone suggested.


    ¡°You mean they used technology to transform themselves into those things? What¡¯s the point of survival for their individuals, then?¡±


    ¡°How do you know their survival has no meaning? Don¡¯t impose your narrow values on other intelligent species!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this? Did you take a bribe from the Swarm? Why are you defending them? This is a war of civilizations! A war between species! There¡¯s no such thing as surrender!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re full of crap!¡±


    ¡°That part is indeed strange,¡± a Riken strategist remarked, attempting to shift the conversation. ¡°With the Swarm¡¯s advanced technology, you¡¯d thinkmunication would be possible. We were wrong to invade their star system first, but why didn¡¯t they attempt any form ofmunication beforeunching a war?¡±


    In the decades of conflict between the Rikens and the Swarm, there had been no attempts at diplomacy or even simplemunication. To this day, the Rikens didn¡¯t even know whether the Space Octopuses were the Swarm¡¯s true members or merely their constructs.


    Thisck of information had left many Riken experts with little to contribute.


    In interspecies interactions, even seemingly insignificant details could reveal crucial information. For example, creatures with eyes positioned at the front of their heads were generally predators. Forward-facing eyes provided better depth perception and spatial awareness, traits advantageous for locating prey. Such species often exhibited higher aggression and a predilection for meat consumption, or at least omnivory.


    Conversely, creatures with eyes positioned on the sides of their heads tended to be prey animals. Their wider field of vision helped them detect threats and escape. These species were typically herbivores, less aggressive, and lower on the food chain.


    While such primitive analysis might not fully apply to advanced intelligent civilizations, the evolutionary roots of sentient species often influenced their behavior to some degree.


    Beyond eye cement, physical characteristics such as height, posture, cranial size, muscle distribution, and skeletal structure could provide critical insights.


    Unfortunately, these fields of study were rendered useless by theck of information about the Swarm¡¯s true form. If the Space Octopuses were indeed individual members of the Swarm, their design suggested an overwhelmingly aggressive and militaristic nature.


    Everyponent of their bodies seemed to serve as a weapon or as support for weapon systems. This appearance had led most Rikens to believe that the Space Octopuses were not members of the Swarm but rather biomechanical weapons.


    ¡°Maybe we just haven¡¯t found the right way tomunicate with them?¡± one participant suggested tentatively.


    ¡°I agree. This war feels utterly senseless. We don¡¯t have any deep-seated hatred toward them. How did ite to this?¡±

 Chapter 323: Planet Izumo

    The Riken Star System was, after all, the Rikens¡¯ main battlefield, and over the decades, they had installed numerous surveince devices throughout the system. Even after their defeat and retreat, these surveince systems could not be cleared out quickly.


    The Swarm, meanwhile, made no effort to conceal their movements, leaving the Rikens well-informed about the iing reinforcements.


    In the second Battle for Raze, the Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies suffered minimal losses. If their numbers continued to grow unchecked, the Rikens¡¯ chances of victory would dwindle further.


    The Riken leadership was well aware of this, but they had no effective countermeasures. The three main fleets had sustained heavy losses in the second battle for Raze, losing nearly 20% of their ships, with the remainder requiring extensive repairs.


    Even if they included newly constructed vessels, the Rikens could muster fewer than a thousand ships ready for immediate deployment.


    This number was theoretically sufficient to intercept the Swarm¡¯s reinforcements, but the risks were enormous, and the cost-benefit ratio was uneptably low.


    Tounch a surprise interception, the Rikens would have to bypass Raze, now firmly in Swarm hands and defended by thousands of Primordial bodies.


    Moreover, the Swarm¡¯s reinforcements did not move individually. They waited until reaching critical mass before moving as a group. If the Rikens¡¯ interception force were dyed, they risked being caught between the reinforcements and the Swarm forces on Raze.


    Such a scenario¡ªbeing attacked from both sides¡ªcould result in the total annihtion of the interception force. For the Rikens, losing a thousand warships would be catastrophic, tantamount to forcing a surrender.However, failing to intercept the Swarm reinforcements meant the Swarm¡¯s growing strength would steadily erode the Rikens¡¯ ability to resist, drawing them closer to a slow and inevitable death.


    Faced with this grim reality, the Rikens adopted a fatalistic attitude, focusing on immediate survival over long-term strategy.


    The discovery of the Watchers faction, however, emboldened the Swarm. Confident in their position, they acted more aggressively.


    After uniting part of their reinforcements, the Swarm stationed 5,000 Primordial bodies to defend Raze. Another 2,000 rested in space to recover, while over 8,000 Primordial bodies formed a fleet advancing deeper into the Riken Star System.


    Due to the defensive advantage provided by Raze in the front and the Twin Star Defensive Zone behind, the Rikens had only installed observational devices on 8, leaving it without a defense system.


    When the Swarm forces passed by 8, they left behind 200 Primordial bodies and their apanyingrval bodies, nting fungal carpets that wouldter develop into railguns.


    Although 8 was small, it was farrger than the Primordial bodies. Railguns developed on its surface could grow to immense sizes and potentially provide long-range fire support during critical moments.


    No matter whether a civilization followed a mechanical or biological route, their theoretical foundations were often simr. The Rikens, unlike the Swarm, could not simplytch onto the orbit of a gas giant to absorb its radiation for growth. However, energy conversion was not aplex process.


    On Izumo¡¯s many moons, the Rikens had constructed numerous facilities for energy conversion, making it a major production hub for their energy storage systems.


    The movements of the Swarm forces had been under constant surveince by the Rikens. A massive mobilization like this was impossible to hide under the scrutiny of their gravitational wave detection radars.


    The Swarm made no attempt at concealment, openly signaling that their next target was Izumo. Within the Riken ranks, this revtion sparked intense debate.


    ¡°We must hold Izumo!¡± a strategist eximed.


    ¡°Hah! With what?¡± another countered. ¡°We can only field about a thousand warships, while they¡¯ve got 8,000 five-hundred-meter-ss Space Octopuses. How do you propose we fight that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we have a decent number of defensive systems set up around Izumo?¡±


    Izumo is a gas giant,¡± a strategist patiently exined, ¡°so it cannot host aary defense system. Of its 19 moons, only 11 arerge enough to amodate defensive structures. Moreover, because Izumo is so massive, the orbital paths of these moons are highly varied. This makes it difficult to concentrate fire in a single direction, let alone form ovepping fields of fire. That¡¯s why Izumo¡¯s defenses were given a lower priority.¡±


    He continued, ¡°Previously, we had to simultaneously construct the defensive systems for Raze, the Twin Star Defensive Zone, and our homeworld¡¯s defensework. We simply couldn¡¯t afford secondary projects. As a result, Izumo¡¯s defenses are rtively weak.¡±


    The room fell into silence for a moment before a Riken general finally spoke.


    ¡°If we lose Izumo, our energy costs will increase by at least 50%.¡±


    The energy produced by Izumo¡¯s resource systems was safe, convenient, and low-cost. It primarily supplied the main fleet and the various defenseworks. Losing Izumo would force them to rely on energy supplies from the homeworld and other colonies. The production costs alone would be substantial, not to mention the logistical nightmare of transportation.


    ¡°There¡¯s no choice,¡± another officer said. ¡°Although Izumo is critical, our deployments there simply aren¡¯t enough to repel a Swarm attack. Even if the three main fleets were still at full strength, it wouldn¡¯t make a difference.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct,¡± agreed General Hamis, a veteranmander who had faced the Swarm in battle. ¡°Even if we started fortifying Izumo now, it¡¯s already toote. Furthermore, we must concentrate our resources where they matter most¡ªon the Twin Star Defensive Zone. That¡¯s where we¡¯ll make our stand against the Swarm.¡±


    Hamis spoke with the authority of someone who understood the Swarm¡¯s capabilities all too well. He harbored no illusions about defeating the Swarm outright. His goal was simply to stop their advance using the powerful ovepping firepower of the Twin Star Defensive Zone.


    Discussions like this had taken ce countless times recently. Initially, many Rikens supported the idea of making a stand at Izumo. However, after thorough analysis, they realized it was a futile endeavor.


    For one, establishing robust defenses was nearly impossible. Unlike terrestrials like Raze, Izumo¡¯s moonscked abundant mineral resources. They couldn¡¯t rely on local materials, and the construction costs would be exorbitant.@@novelbin@@


    More importantly, they still hadn¡¯t figured out how the Swarm had infiltrated Raze. Theories about gic mutation and adaptive transformations remained spective. For now, the only reliable method to counter Swarm infiltration was to prevent them from approaching at all. This required an imprable firepowerwork to destroy anything that came close¡ªbe it Space Octopuses or meteors.


    However, Izumo¡¯s environment made such awork infeasible. Once the Swarm drew near, it wouldn¡¯t take long for those ursed purple-gray fungal carpets to spread across its moons.

 Chapter 324: Evacuation

    If the Rikens had abundant resources, they wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to dy the Swarm with defensive actions, even at significant cost. But the current reality left no room for such luxuries.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We anticipated this situation long ago,¡± one officer said reassuringly. ¡°We¡¯ve already deployed sr sails across near-ster orbits, covering an area of tens of millions of square kilometers, and we¡¯re continuing to expand them. As long as we can keep the Swarm outside the Twin Star Defensive Zone, we won¡¯t have to worry about energy supplies.¡±


    The Rikens¡¯ earliest interster navigation systems had been built on the foundation of sr sails. These sails not only provided propulsion for their ships but also enabled energy conversion to sustain their daily operational needs.


    Harvesting energy from a star was an inevitable milestone for any advanced civilization. With shared theoretical principles, many civilizations gravitated toward the concept of Dyson Spheres.


    For the Rikens, enclosing a star and harnessing its energy had no better candidate than sr sails. The technology was mature and rtively cost-effective. Using a special material with a thickness of only 0.0005 millimeters, the sails could cover vast areas. Even with low energy conversion rates, their advantages in other aspects were undeniable.


    As a highly intelligent civilization, the Rikens always crafted interconnected contingency ns. The loss of Izumo had long been ounted for, with ster energy collection as the recement strategy.


    The Rikens gathered for the meeting were high-ranking officers and strategists, most of whom were already aware of the sr sail initiative. Yet the decision to abandon Izumo left a bitter taste in their mouths, a lingering sense of frustration and helplessness.


    The Swarm, however, remained utterly unaffected by the Rikens¡¯ internal struggles. The 8,000 Primordial bodies pressed forward. Despite theplexities of the star system¡¯s environment slowing them somewhat, they covered the distance in just over a month, advancing to within 10 million kilometers of Izumo.


    The des, aware from prior intelligence that the Rikens had abandoned the, still pretended ignorance, carrying out token reconnaissance.As the Swarm closed the gap, the moons of Izumo,cking atmospheric cover, were easily observable by optical detection systems.


    The moons presented a deste scene. Within the observable areas, there was no sign of units that could pose a threat to the Swarm.


    When the distance narrowed to 2 million kilometers, the Primordial bodies slowed to a cautious 10 km/s. At this speed, they would reach Izumo¡¯s orbit within two days.


    Several hundred-meter mature bodies, their surfaces crawling withrval bodies, broke off from the main fleet and sped toward Izumo ahead of the rest.


    The Rikens¡¯ evacuation seemed remarkably thorough. Not a single smart mine had been left in space to hinder the Swarm, an extreme measure of resource conservation.


    In the orbital paths around Izumo, space factories originally used for energy production, along with orbital refineries and shipyards, had been hauled away by tug ships. These facilities had been designed with relocation in mind, a consideration drawn from earlier experience with the Raze Defensive Zone, where numerous logistics factories had also been moved at the outset of hostilities.


    The relocation process required tug ships equipped with over ten high-power engines to drag the structures out of Izumo¡¯s orbit. Once freed from the¡¯s gravitational pull, the factories were linked to tractor ships, each boasting an even number of high-power engines.


    Withoutary gravity, a single tractor ship could tow hundreds of space factories, resembling an interster freight train from afar.


    This high-efficiency process ensured that thebined total of over 10,000 space factories from the Raze Defensive Zone and those originally stationed in Izumo¡¯s orbit were evacuated in just a few rounds.


    The relocation of factories and equipment on Izumo¡¯s moons proved more challenging. Most of these facilities were modr in design, enabling dismantling by specialized machinery. The modules were thenunched into space using makeshift electromaicunchers, where they were retrieved and transported by waiting ships.


    The electromaicunchers constructed by the Rikens bore a striking resemnce to the biological megastructures of the Swarm. Resembling enormous roller coaster tracks, these hastily assembled systems were crude but effective. Eachunch could hurl modr structures weighing tens of tons into space.


    Once their transport tasks wereplete, the electromaicunchers were dismantled and hauled away by swarms of small transport ships.


    The star system named after the Rikens was their home turf, where their operational efficiency reached its peak. Within this domain, their forces exhibited exceptional coordination and synergy, far surpassing the performance of their expeditionary fleets.@@novelbin@@


    On the moons of Izumo, all significant structures had long been dismantled and evacuated, leaving behind only gaping craters. Most of the Riken instations on the moons had undergroundponents, which were predominantly modr in design but fused tightly with the surrounding rock and soil.


    These underground structures were harder to disassemble, and logistical constraints further limited their evacuation. As a result, only the most critical underground facilities were removed, while the remainder were destroyed. The moons were left pockmarked with craters.


    Since the onset of war, both sides had gone to great lengths to protect the secrets of their technological systems. For example, the Swarm¡¯s creations were safeguarded by gic locks, while the Rikens, even during emergency retreats, prioritized destroying any ships or facilities they couldn¡¯t take with them.


    What the Rikens didn¡¯t know, however, was that the Swarm didn¡¯t require intact Riken technology to extract value. Even if a structure were reduced to rubble or dissolved into liquid using specialized chemical agents, the Swarm could still harvest it for nutrients to fuel their growth.


    The mature bodies andrval bodies sent ahead for reconnaissance dispersed across the moons of Izumo, carefully inspecting for any hidden Riken surveince devices.


    These devices undoubtedly existed. The Rikens wouldn¡¯t miss any opportunity to study the Swarm. The cost of these monitoring systems was negligible, and their loss wasn¡¯t significant. But if any of them managed to capture critical Swarm data, the Rikens would gain invaluable insights.


    The Swarm, aware of this, refused to allow such a possibility. Multiple waves of mature andrval bodies were dispatched, meticulously sweeping the moons. Only after thorough inspections confirmed the destruction of every surveince device did therval bodies burrow underground and transform into fungal carpet seeds.


    ¡°They¡¯re incredibly cautious. All of our surveince systems have been destroyed without exception,¡± one Riken officer reported.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± another cursed.


    ¡°As expected. Stop being misled by their appearance. The battles we¡¯ve fought so far have proven that their intelligence is on par with our own, if not greater,¡± a third officer interjected.


    Even after repeated losses, Riken arrogance only allowed them to grudgingly acknowledge the Swarm¡¯s intelligence as equal to their own¡ªsomething they regarded as an extraordinary concession.


    ¡°Fortunately, our contingency measures remain undiscovered. We might still dy their advance.¡±


    ¡°The enemy is being uncharacteristically cautious. Those 500-meter-ss Space Octopuses are still maintaining their distance from Izumo.¡±


    ¡°We must act now! If this continues, our hidden measures might be exposed!¡±

 Chapter 325: Hidden Perils

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not enough; there are too few Swarm units entering the battlefield now. Not even a single 500-meter-ss unit has appeared yet. Activating it now is meaningless!¡± A Riken general objected.


    ¡°Exactly! Eliminating a few 100-meter-ss Space Octopuses will have no impact on the battle!¡± Alcer echoed. Despite the loss in the second defense of Raze, he remained the Fleet Commander of the Third Space Fleet, his voice carrying more weight than most peers.


    ¡°But if we dy any longer, our arrangement might be discovered.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t activate it at all. This n is already incredibly risky. If it backfires, we¡¯ll be the ones to suffer,¡± another general remarked dismissively, clearly against the n.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just do nothing. If we don¡¯t stop them, our chances of victory are too slim.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! If their true goal is the treasure, then our conflict is practically irreconcble. We¡¯re at a disadvantage now, so we must do everything possible to weaken them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that serious, is it? While our technological paths differ from the Swarm¡¯s, our actual technological levels areparable. We¡¯ve already begun harnessing sr energy, and with the treasure¡¯s aid, our technological advancement will undoubtedly elerate. Time is on our side. As long as we can hold off and dy the Swarm¡¯s offensive, the scales of victory will gradually tip in our favor,¡± a general argued skeptically.


    ¡°I agree with Major General Porter. Their supply line spans five light-years, while we have the support of half a star system. They cannotpete with us in a war of attrition.¡±


    ¡°Gentlemen, perhaps in your haste to convene this meeting, you neglected to read thetest intelligence from the General Staff. Allow me to summarize,¡± President Antonio interrupted, pping the table to silence the room. ¡°Our technicians, through extensiveparisons and analyses, have discovered that the T85 Star System might not be the Swarm¡¯s home system. Like us, they appear to be outsiders in the T85 Star System.¡±¡°How is that possible?¡± a Riken eximed.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be possible? I¡¯ve harbored doubts about this for some time. We achieved our current level of technology within a short span due to the treasure¡¯s assistance. But they¡¯re entirely different. Who knows how many years it took them to reach their current level? Can you imagine a civilization sitting quietly for so many years? Think about a century ago, when we were driven by sr sail propulsion¡ªalready eager to colonize other star systems!¡±


    ¡°Ha! How do you know they didn¡¯t acquire something simr to our treasure? Besides, maybe they¡¯re just a civilization without desires or ambitions.¡±


    ¡°Zik! Oh, you¡¯re stationed on Riven now, aren¡¯t you? Did you forget to wear your protective suit when you went out? Are you suffering from hypoxia and neurological damage? No Riken in their right mind would make such a ridiculous statement,¡± retorted Ricard.


    ¡°Ricard! Are you looking for a fight?¡±


    ¡°Bring it on! I¡¯m on Riwu. If you start now, you might make it in time for tomorrow¡¯s dinner at the hospital!¡±


    ¡°Silence!¡± Antonio coughed a few times, cutting off the escting quarrel. ¡°Mind your words, gentlemen! And Major Zik, please think carefully before you speak.¡±


    The Twin Star System was exceptionally peculiar, centered around two nearly identical stars. These twin stars maintained a delicate gravitational bnce, orbiting each other while influencing thes and other celestial bodies within the system.


    It is precisely because of this that there is still an unresolved debate among the Riken people about the ssification of the fifth and sixths within therger Twin Star System.


    Due to the proximity of the twin stars, the stationed officers in this system benefit from lowtency video conferences. However, the Twin Star System is still some distance from the Riken homeworld, resulting inmunication dys of 3 to 15 minutes.


    Under such conditions, real-time strategic meetings are unfeasible. Hence, President Antonio himself traveled the vast distance to the Twin Star System with key personnel to convene this meeting. His objectives included gathering opinions, deliberating strategies, and reinforcing his authority over the military.


    The President¡¯s rebuke carried considerable weight, but Major Zik still muttered under his breath, ¡°What words should I be mindful of?¡± Though quiet, hisment was clearly audible through the video feed.


    President Antonio¡¯s expression shifted imperceptibly¡ªan almost unnoticeable furrow of his brow. Zik had always been a thorn in his side, stationed outside the homeworld and thus interacting with Antonio infrequently. This distance bred a certainck of respect.


    Ricard, noticing Antonio¡¯s reaction, immediately took the hint. ¡°Zik! Let¡¯s put aside whether the Swarm possesses some treasure. Don¡¯t you understand that only interests drive technological progress? If the Swarm were truly devoid of desire, they would never have reached their current level. Saying something so brainless¡ªshouldn¡¯t you think before you speak?¡±


    Still unconvinced, Zik retorted, ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be that the Creator favored them, granting them this level of development from the outset? Without natural enemies, they would naturally have no desires or ambitions. It¡¯s only our appearance that has angered them.¡±


    This theory had been circting on Rikenworks. The Swarm¡¯s external forms were so far removed from anything resembling intelligent life that some Rikens, ignorant of the facts, concocted this idea. Surprisingly, it had garnered a considerable following.


    The Rikens had pursued militaristic policies for decades, pouring nearly all resources into war-rted industries. While themon people were not destitute, their quality of life was far from satisfying. Despite the external threat posed by the Swarm, the long-standing umtion of negative sentiment was not easily eradicated. Many were dissatisfied with the Riken leadership, believing the Swarm to be a harmless species whose retaliation was provoked by Riken aggression.


    Advocates of negotiation and peace argued for reducing military expenditures to focus on civilian development and improving living standards. This dissatisfaction even gave rise to bizarre and mystical ideologies.


    Fortunately, the Riken were under military governance, with wartime regtions suppressing most dissent. While overt issues were controlled, the seeds of discontent had already been nted, leaving the future uncertain.


    Antonio was well aware of these undercurrents, knowing they could never be entirely eradicated. However, he had never expected such ideas to infiltrate the upper echelons of the military.


    His frown deepened¡ªit seemed Zik would need to be thoroughly investigated. Under no circumstances could he allow any subversion during critical moments of conflict. If Zik sought to disgrace himself, so be it¡ªbut Antonio would not tolerate coteral damage to his own reputation.


    Clearing his throat, he cut off Major Ricard, who was about to continue his rebuttal, and said, ¡°Gentlemen, the im that the Swarm are outsiders in the T85 Star System is not baseless. The General Staff wouldn¡¯t make such statements without evidence.¡±


    With that, Antonio gestured toward the screen in front of him, sharing a series of documents with the assembled Riken officials.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 328: Attrition

    ¡°I feel like we¡¯ve made some kind of mistake,¡± Hamis murmured.


    ¡°This scene feels eerily familiar. I think I¡¯ve figured out how the star in the T81 Star System started dimming.¡±


    Izumo is far more important than we ever imagined.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it. Even if we¡¯d known earlier, there¡¯s nothing we could have done.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Izumo¡¯s environment makes it impossible to set up extensive defensive systems. Our fleet alone is no match for the assault of 8,000 500-meter-ss Space Octopuses.¡±


    ¡°Do we currently have any chance to eliminate the Swarm near Izumo?¡± another officer asked.


    ¡°The chances are slim. While our previous efforts did eliminate many Space Octopuses under 100 meters in size, the losses among the 500-meter-ss units were minimal. Right now, we can only deploy around 2,000 warships¡ªnot enough to defeat them.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°I reviewed thetest reconnaissance footage. Many of those 500-meter-ss Space Octopuses appear to be in poor condition. The Swarm¡¯s situation might be worse than we think. I believe we should take the opportunity to strike,¡± Alcer suggested.


    ¡°I disagree with Alcer. We still don¡¯t fully understand what these creatures are. Is it not possible they¡¯re deliberately presenting this weakened state to lure us in? What if they¡¯ve already set a trap?¡±¡°That¡¯s a valid point. But are we just going to sit and watch?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s really not much we can do,¡± another officer sighed.


    ¡°This is not worth debating,¡± Antonio concluded. ¡°Even if we eliminate the weakened 500-meter-ss Space Octopuses, over 4,000 of them would still remain. At that scale, our fleet could engage them in battle but couldn¡¯t force them out. Even if we destroy a portion of them, it won¡¯t meaningfully impact the overall war, and the risk to our warships would be far too high. It¡¯s simply not worth the gamble.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to stay on the defensive for now. It seems the Swarm isn¡¯t in a rush to attack either,¡± another officer observed.


    ¡°Gentlemen, it¡¯s now up to you. If there¡¯s anything you need, just let me know,¡± Antonio said.


    After a brief silence, one major general spoke up, ¡°If we could miniaturize theser defense arrays and equip them on our warships, it would significantly improve ourbat capabilities.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Solving this issue would indeed provide a substantial boost to our firepower,¡± another added.


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll push the research division to prioritize this project and allocate manpower and resources ordingly,¡± Antonio promised.


    To the Rikens¡¯ surprise, the Swarm didn¡¯t take long to recover. The Primordial bodies, replenished with metal elements, resumed operations. While orbiting Izumo to absorb energy, they also mounted electromaic railguns and began firing toward the Twin Star Defensive Zone.


    The region between Izumo and the Twin Star Defensive Zone wasrgely unobstructed. What few obstacles there were¡ªneutral structures incapable of evasion¡ªwere swiftly obliterated by sessive railgun salvos. These stationary targets were easy to predict and eliminate with precise calctions.


    The Swarm¡¯s relentless bombardment signaled that their counteroffensive had already begun, leaving the Rikens with little time to prepare for the storm that was about to descend.


    The advantages of kic weaponry were fully evident at this moment. In the near-vacuum environment of space, as long as there were no obstructions or gravitational interference, electromaic projectiles could theoretically travel an infinite distance.


    Whenunched from Izumo¡¯s orbit, the projectiles fired by the Swarm¡¯s railguns took several days to reach the Twin Star Defensive Zone. Hitting mobile fleet units was out of the question, and even slow-moving targets like orbital cannons were difficult to strike. However, fixed targets like ground-basedser defense arrays andary artillery instations were well within reach.


    Through optical observation and sessive test firings, the Swarm railguns gradually improved their uracy. With adjustments for additional parameters, the electromaic projectiles achieved a respectable hit rate.


    Were it not for theser defense arrays, the immobile ground facilities of the Rikens would likely have been eroded away over time. Though unable to deal significant damage to the Riken instations, the railgun bombardment still served other purposes.


    For the Space Octopuses,unching railgun projectiles was rtively inexpensive, consuming only moderate amounts of energy, metal elements, and a small degree of body tissue wear.


    Here, the strengths of biotechnology shone. The cells that aged or sustained significant damage during the process were quickly metabolized and reced with new ones, allowing the railguns to maintain a steady rate of fire without interruption.


    On the Riken side, the constant harassment fire from the Swarm was maddening. On average, around 10,000 electromaic projectiles rained down on their defensive lines every ten minutes.


    This forced the Riken defensive interception systems to remain active at all times. While the rtively small number of projectiles meant only a limited number ofser arrays had to be operational simultaneously, the Swarm¡¯s continuous, unrelenting attacks strained the system heavily.


    Though the Rikens rotated theirser arrays for rest and maintenance to avoid wear from high-intensity usage, the frequent operation led to elerated aging of many precisionponents, necessitating regr repairs and recements.


    Meanwhile, the Swarm¡¯s forces around Izumo continued to grow. Reinforcements of Primordial bodies from the Neighboring Star System were routed to Raze for minor repairs before being deployed to Izumo¡¯s vicinity.


    Additionally, Primordial bodies recovering near the ¡°cosmic battery¡± of Izumo showed rapid recuperation. Units with lighter injuries prioritized restoring their railgun functions, joining the bombardment effort even before their propulsion systems were fully operational.


    Mature bodies also rapidly evolved, ascending to join the Primordial ranks. Meanwhile, the surfaces of Izumo¡¯s moons were increasingly covered with the Swarm¡¯s purple-gray fungal carpets.


    These carpets gave rise to ground-based electromaic railgun emcements. While akin toary artillery, theck of atmospheric interference allowed these satellite-based cannons to participate effectively in long-range bombardment.


    Within a year, the number of electromaic projectilesunched every ten minutes doubled to 20,000. This development ced an even greater strain on the Riken defenses, exacerbating their already precarious situation.


    ¡°In summary,¡± reported a Riken major general, ¡°8% of ourser defense arrayponents need recement every three days, 14% every seven days, and the remaining 78%,prisingrger, castponents, are at risk of wear-rted failure. While theserger parts don¡¯t require frequent recement, their gradual degradation poses a hidden risk. Ideally, they should be reced annually, which is essentially equivalent to rebuilding an entire defensive array.¡±


    ¡°Therge castponents aren¡¯t much of an issue,¡± another officer added. ¡°Our space factories can easily produce them, using asteroids as raw material. The real problem lies with the frequently reced precisionponents. Their manufacturing is highlyplex, requiring the facilities of the homeworld or the first and second colonies. On top of that, transportation logistics are cumbersome, consuming vast amounts of our resources.¡±


    The Rikens¡¯ officers furrowed their brows in unison.

 Chapter 330: Returning the Favor

    War between civilizations is a process of mutual learning and adaptation, each borrowing from the other¡¯s strengths to ovee weaknesses.


    Just as the Swarm had studied and adopted the Riken¡¯s propulsion systems, observation technologies, andputer hardware and software, the Rikens, too, sought to learn from the Swarm.


    On this historic day, the Riken electromaic railguns were fired at an extraterrestrial force for the first time, marking a new chapter in the war¡¯s turning point.


    ¡°Is this what the Overlord meant by using the strengths of the enemy against them?¡± Sarah Kerrigan remarked with a casualugh, watching the Riken side unleash a barrage of thousands of railgun rounds.


    Morgan, feeling a bit awkward, whispered, ¡°Your Majesty, while the meaning fits, if we view it from the Riken perspective, it doesn¡¯t put us in the best light.¡±


    ¡°Haha, they¡¯ll soon discover that we can use the same trick against them,¡± Sarah replied confidently.


    The electromaic projectiles emitted only a faint spark of electricity as they left the barrels, their subsequent flight through the void utterly silent. Over 2,000 rounds streaked across the vastness of space, heading toward Satellite 14 of Izumo.


    The Primordial bodies stationed in orbit around Izumoy motionless, seemingly indifferent. However, much like warships, they could easily evade such projectiles by making slight movements during the rounds¡¯ long travel time. Targeting them was not cost-effective.


    Among Izumo¡¯s many moons, Satellite 14 was the most favorable target due to its position within the Rikens¡¯ firing range and line of sight.Given the immense distance between the two sides¡ªover a hundred million kilometers¡ªa slight deviation of just a millimeter atunch could result in significant inuracy over such a range. Satellite 14, with a diameter of just over a thousand kilometers, saw half of the Riken¡¯s initial barrage miss it entirely.


    The Swarm paid no attention to such wildly inurate attacks, and the Rikens didn¡¯t mind either¡ªthis volley was merely for calibration.


    After analyzing the feedback, the Rikens adjusted their targeting and unleashed a second volley.


    This round proved far more urate and significantly more threatening. However, the Swarm had anticipated this development.


    Newbat units ascended into the skies, hovering at altitudes of several thousand kilometers. Their round, eyeball-like appearance earned them the name ¡°Laser-Eye Bugs.¡±


    As the electromaic rounds approached, these units quickly adjusted their angles, emitting beams of redser light from apertures in their bodies to melt the iing projectiles.


    For the Swarm, creating suchser-based defensive units based on existingser generation theories was rtively simple. However, due to the limitations of biological materials, these Swarm versions ofser defense weapons had a much shorter effective range than their Riken counterparts, maxing out at just 50 kilometers.


    Fortunately, the Swarm¡¯s versions were far more mobile. Unlike the Rikens¡¯ immobile, massive instations, the Swarm¡¯s units were small and agile. They began life as box-like objects just over ten centimeters in size, growing like fruits on specialized fungal carpets, drawing nutrients to develop.


    Upon reaching a size of 10 meters, they were considered mature, achieving the standard 50-kilometer effective range. Though they could continue growing, doing so consumed excessive resources and offered diminishing returns, making it an inefficient investment.


    These units could operate independently or integrate with propulsion modules for mobility, allowing them to intercept projectiles along calcted trajectories. When integrated with Space Octopuses, they became a criticalponent of the Primordial bodies.


    Thus, the Riken¡¯s long-coveted ship-mountedser defense array was first achieved by the Swarm.


    ¡°Fire!¡±manded Hamis, Fleet Commander of the First Space Fleet and one of the most powerful figures in the Riken military. He relished the honor of initiating the first barrage of their new weapon, his voice heralding a shift in the tides of war.


    But while the Riken railguns roared, the Swarm remained unperturbed, their evolutionary adaptability ever a step ahead.@@novelbin@@


    However, apart from its short range, the Laser-Eye Bug shares amon w with allser-based weapons: high energy consumption. An independent Laser-Eye Bug, after being fully charged, can only fire three shots before requiring a recharge. In other words, it can intercept at most three electromaic projectiles before needing to replenish its energy.


    For recharging, the bugs can rely on self-sustained ¡°dormant¡± charging, but this process is slow, taking several days to fully recharge. The only way to recharge rapidly is by linking to the fungal carpet.


    This limitation exins why the Laser-Eye Bugs are currently only integrated into Primordial bodies. These massive entities are equipped with Atomic Furnaces, providing the bugs with the energy needed to maintain their operational consumption.


    The Swarm¡¯s strategy of learning from the Rikens and turning their technology back against them left the Riken high-ranking officers dumbfounded.


    ¡°They must have reverse-engineered ourser defense array on Raze and created these knockoffs.¡±


    ¡°This proves it beyond a doubt¡ªthey¡¯re definitely not a native species.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always said that theory was nonsense!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, their defensive array is much smaller than ours. They might have had the technology for some time but chose not to reveal it until now.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Our energy beam weapons couldn¡¯t be intercepted before, so even if they had this weapon type, they had no opportunity to showcase it.¡±


    ¡°All right, enough spection. This isn¡¯t some advanced technology; it¡¯s no surprise they possess it. Let¡¯s focus.¡±


    ¡°Should we continue attacking?¡±


    ¡°Of course. If they won¡¯t let us rest, we won¡¯t let them rest either.¡±


    And so, the Swarm and the Rikens entered a daily cycle of attack and interception.


    While it appeared on the surface that both sides were evenly matched, the actual rate of resource depletion was anything but equal. Take, for example, the wear and tear on criticalponents.


    The Rikens could only rece damaged parts with new ones, while the Swarm¡¯s units could simply regenerate through biological metabolism. Over time, the Rikens were at risk of being worn down.


    Although the Rikennguagecks a direct equivalent to the phrase ¡°boiling a frog in warm water,¡± they fully understood the concept. Faced with this slow attrition, they were deeply troubled but had no clear solution.


    The Riken warships were produced through efficient assembly lines. Their advanced automated industry allowed for streamlined and effective production: various modules were cast into shape, assembled in space factories, and then deployed into the battle. The entire process was incredibly efficient.


    In contrast, the Swarm¡¯s production of Space Octopuses was far cruder yet equally effective. A mature Brood Queen couldy several half-meter-tall Space Octopus eggs daily.


    These eggs, after a period of incubation, would hatch intorvae about half a meter long. Adjacent to the Brood Chambers, the Swarm maintained heavily protected Nursery Chambers constructed from irradiated metal. These critical facilities, buried thousands of meters underground, were fortified and highly secure.


    Within the safety of the Nursery Chambers, thervae absorbed radiation and grew to two meters in length. At this stage, they were expelled to the¡¯s surface, where they continued to absorb cosmic radiation for further growth.


    Upon reaching a size of five meters, these young Octopuses earned their ce as expendable cannon fodder and were granted the privilege of moving to the low orbit of gas giants like Izumo to continue maturing.


    Here, their growth persisted. If untouched by war or death, these creatures would, over time, develop into fully-fledged Primordial bodies.


    This biological manufacturing system meant that while the Rikens¡¯ assembly-line fleets could achievebat readiness much faster in the early stages, given enough time, the Swarm¡¯s exponential growth capabilities would astound and overwhelm anyone.

 Chapter 333: Unrest

    The pursuit of power often involves bloodshed, and over the years, Antonio had not shied away from employing ruthless tactics. His unprecedented move to extend his term beyond the traditional three allowed terms¡ªjustified by the war effort against an external threat¡ªfaced significant opposition despite its patriotic framing.


    As long as Antonio remained strong, these hidden factions posed no real threat. However, in the current climate, a single misstep could cause his carefully constructed authority to copse.


    These dissenters were well-hidden, and Antonio suspected some were even within his inner circle. The unsolved breach of the Longevity Serumboratory years ago highlighted the existence of forces beyond his control, despite his outward dominance.


    Antonio had long suspected the identities of these individuals. Their previous actions, while disruptive, were tolerable given their elevated status and utility. However, circumstances had changed¡ªAntonio now had to identify and eliminate them.


    Without these opposition forces, he would have the undisputed authority to control the narrative. Even surrender could be reframed as a strategic decision, potentially turning a burden into an advantage.


    But before he could act, the opposition struck first.


    News from the frontlines somehow leaked, flooding the Riken socialworks overnight. The reports,den with technical terminology, appeared highly credible but were difficult for the average citizen to understand.


    No matter¡ªan army of ¡°experts¡± emerged seemingly out of nowhere, breaking down the reports into innguage for the public. Videos andmentary further amplified the message, pointing fingers squarely at the Council and Antonio himself, using his lust for power of leading to the current crisis.


    The reports imed the Swarm invasion was merely a defensive response, arguing that it was the Rikens who had first encroached upon Swarm territory. To support this, ssified documents from the administration of Antonio¡¯s predecessor, President Derlin, were leaked and made public.The revtion shocked the uninformed Riken popce to their core. Stunned, they reeled as their worldview crumbled.


    The destruction of the Trinbrian District, long believed to be the catalyst for the Riken-Swarm conflict, was exposed as a carefully orchestrated conspiracy by the Council and military.


    (Somewhere, the Overlord smirked: ¡°Finally found a way to offload that me.¡±)


    The narrative shifted dramatically. The Rikens, once perceived as the victims, were now unmasked as the aggressors¡ªa revtion that caught everyone off guard.


    With the Swarm upying Izumo and poised to strike at the heart of the Riken civilization, the timing could not have been worse. The Rikens stood on the brink of extinction, yet the Council and Antonio had concealed the truth. This enraged the popce.


    When Antonio learned of the uproar, he realized he had missed his window to act decisively. While he had been verifying the authenticity of the reports, the opposition had moved swiftly.


    What shocked him most was the sheer scale of the opposition¡¯s coordination. Despite his tight control, they managed to unleash such a powerful wave of dissent. This indicated careful nning and extensive resources¡ªperhaps even Swarm involvement.


    Shaking his head, Antonio dismissed the thought. His mind was racing with paranoia. The Swarm¡¯s involvement? Impossible.


    Antonio¡¯s political skill soon reasserted itself. After a brief period of disarray, he regained hisposure and issued a series of decisive orders.


    The Rikens were a high-tech civilization. The security reforms following the Longevity Serumboratory incident had greatly expanded surveince infrastructure, including an increased number of monitoring devices.


    Leveraging the wartime state of emergency and strictwork controls, Antonio¡¯s administration swiftly suppressed the flood of news. Within a short span, the media coverage vanished, and key agitators were tracked down by security forces and detained.


    Antonio had contained the immediate fallout, but he knew this was just the beginning of a deeper and more dangerous struggle.@@novelbin@@


    Following investigations, it turned out that most of the Rikens involved in the protests were merely external agents hired to follow a pre-drafted script in exchange for payment, with no understanding of the broader situation. Others were simply idealistic citizens dissatisfied with the Council and volunteering their efforts for free.


    This oue left Antonio deeply frustrated.


    While the primary instigators remained atrge, Antonio had sessfully suppressed the situation for the time being, offering him a brief respite.


    But this relief was likely wishful thinking. Though the visible mes had been extinguished, the underlying tensions surged even more fiercely.


    Decades of wartime austerity had stripped the Rikens of their once-prosperous lives. Most of their wealth was funneled into military buildup, leaving citizens to endure a meager existence devoid of cultural or recreational enrichment. Many lived as though they were the walking dead.


    Resentment had long simmered among the popce, but the existential threat to their species kept thempliant. Now, with the revtion that their suffering had been for a series of wed decisions, the people felt deeply betrayed.


    One day after the initial leak, offline protests and petitions broke out.


    Ordinary Rikens, limited in their ess to urate information, were easily swayed by maniptive rhetoric. Under the influence of skilled agitators, the protests swelled rapidly, soon reaching an unignorable scale.


    In wartime, troop deployment bypassed the usual bureaucratic processes. Antonio swiftly mobilized military forces to encircle the demonstrators.


    Initially, the protesters panicked at the show of force, but soon, emboldened by the sheer size of their numbers and a belief inw by numbers, they resumed their advance. When they realized the military was merely containing them and not taking direct action, their courage grew. Eventually, physical shes erupted between protesters and soldiers.


    The opposition, having infiltrated the military long ago, subtly influenced the response. Coupled with the growing doubts and frustrations within the ranks, many soldiers disyed remarkable leniency toward the protesters.


    Antonio quickly realized that the situation was spiraling out of control. The opposition¡¯s reach and resources far exceeded his expectations. Simultaneous uprisings erupted in over a thousand cities worldwide. Many of the military units stationed in these areas had beenpromised, furtherplicating the response. Antonio marveled at the scale and nning behind the protests.


    To regain control, Antonio knew he had to quell the anger of the manipted masses. Once order was restored, he could regain the upper hand and take the fight to his opponents. He was determined to ensure the opposition paid dearly for their defiance.


    Denying the leaked information was no longer a viable option. Doing so would only fuel suspicions and appear as a cover-up. Instead, Antonio resolved to acknowledge the revtions outright and scapegoat a figure of sufficient importance.


    With his consolidated power, no one dared suggest Antonio himself as the scapegoat. He had already identified a more suitable candidate for the role¡ªsomeone perfectly positioned to take the fall.


    On a remote ind far from the maind, sunlight streamed over white-gold sands. The ind was dotted with uniquely designed vis and bungalows. Among these structures, hidden restaurants served rare delicacies, including natural meats that were considered a luxury in Riken society.


    Devoid of docks, the ind relied on air transport for all supplies. Only the wealthiest and most powerful Rikens had ess to this secluded retreat, a haven seemingly untouched by the chaos of the outside world.

 Chapter 335: Countering Moves

    In the grip of fear, the rationality of intelligent beings tends to falter, making them susceptible to panic-driven actions and they are prone to blindly following others.


    Before long, the Riken citizens had emptied the shelves of all essential goods in major markets. Those who managed to hoard supplies felt somewhat reassured, while those who missed out were consumed by deeper fear. Thetter, being far greater in number, began to stir unrest.


    Thankfully, due to the wartime state, the military intervened swiftly. Through rationed and scheduled distribution of resources, the brewing chaos was suppressed before it could escte.


    Just as President Antonio heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to use the opportunity to eliminate his opposition, new sensitive information was leaked.


    If not for the risk of further unrest and dissatisfaction, Antonio might have cut offwork ess altogether. The Rikenscked an exact proverb like ¡°Water can carry a boat but can also overturn it,¡± but they understood the principle well enough.


    Though Antonio was the most powerful figure in Riken society, if he overstepped and stood against the people, he could meet the same fate as former President Derlin in a matter of moments.


    Thus, despite being overwhelmed, he worked tirelessly to calm the popce. Unfortunately, the leaked information this time was explosive.


    The Swarm¡¯s Proposal for Surrender!


    Facing the seemingly invincible Swarm, what should the Rikens do? If the matter had been kept confidential, there would have been room for negotiation and maneuvering. But now, everything was out in the open, under the scrutiny of all Riken citizens, leaving almost no room for strategic adjustments.A single misstep could ensure Antonio¡¯s legacy as one of eternal infamy.


    Nevertheless, Antonio was no ordinary leader. Having governed the Rikens for over fifty years, his power far exceeded that of any predecessor. If the opposition sought to bind him with public opinion and restrict his actions, he resolved to counter by relinquishing the choice to the people.


    This way, the oue, whether sess or failure, would align with the will of the popce, alleviating his responsibility to some degree.


    The Riken citizens were stunned. They never expected to be involved in deciding the fate of their entire civilization. Their esteemed President Antonio had granted every individual a vote to determine the course: surrender or resistance.


    A massive public referendum wasunched.


    This historic event diverted most of the public¡¯s attention. Shrewdly, Antonio had set no deadline for the vote. Without clear information, the citizens were left in confusion. Fortunately, there was no immediate urgency, so many decided to wait and see how others voted before making their choice.


    As the poption settled into this period of observation, unrest subsided. Antonio, seething inwardly, finally had a brief moment to mount a counterattack.


    He resolved to crush all opposition with overwhelming force. If these dissenters were left unchecked, there was no telling what future chaos they might incite.


    But his opponents were equally aware of his intentions and gave him no respite.


    A new line of discourse emerged.


    What are the chances of victory if we do not surrender? Analysts quickly provided their insights: the longer they dyed, the closer their odds approached zero. The debate on war or peace demanded an immediate decision from the council.@@novelbin@@


    Once again, the matter was pushed back onto Antonio¡¯s desk. Left with no choice, he announced a deadline for the referendum¡ªvoting would conclude in two weeks.


    However, just as Antonio made this announcement, the narrative shifted again.


    If we choose peace, what are the Swarm¡¯s terms? Would basic rights be preserved? What restrictions or impacts might there be on the future development of our civilization? The implications were vast.


    If the Swarm¡¯s terms were reasonable, surrender might be eptable. But if their conditions were too harsh, it would be better to fight to the death.


    Hearing this, Antonio was left dumbfounded. The Swarm had merely flexed its military might; it had not initiated any formal dialogue. He himself had no idea what the Swarm¡¯s terms might be.


    Antonio and his advisory team spected that the Swarm¡¯s interest likely revolved around the ancient starship. If it were something else, the Swarm could have continued systematically eradicating the Rikens without expending such effort.


    The secret behind the Rikens¡¯ rapid advancement was likely significant enough to warrant such drastic actions from the Swarm. Yet, the Swarm seemed unsure about the exact nature of the secret or whether it could be destroyed. They might be cautious not to push the Rikens into a desperate corner that would result in itsplete obliteration.


    However, surrender posed another dilemma: even if favorable terms could be negotiated, how could the Rikens ensure the Swarm would honor the agreement after obtaining the desired benefits? Conversely, refusal to cooperate might provoke the Swarm, who held absolute military superiority, into a destructive rage.


    Exining these considerations to the average Riken citizen was almost impossible. The ancient starship¡¯s existence was a closely guarded secret. Even most captains knew little about it, with only high-ranking generals and specific research department heads having full ess to the details.


    The starship¡¯s mystique was a critical bargaining chip for future negotiations with the Swarm. Publicizing its existence would weaken its secrecy. If too many Rikens learned of it, the Swarm, as a technologically advanced civilization, could likely decipher the Rikenworks after subjugation, exposing all secrets.


    A critical meeting was convened at the Riken homeworld¡¯s second satellite colony. Attendees included senior council members, top advisors, and several generals from the Twin Star Defensive Zone, some of whom were recalled from the front lines.


    The meeting was crucial. Antonio needed input from various perspectives, particrly the military. Many top-ranking officers were stationed on the front lines, so Antonio acknowledged the risk in bringing them back. However, he gambled that since the Swarm had extended an offer of surrender, they were unlikely tounch an immediate attack.


    He reasoned that the brief absence of these generals would notpromise their defenses.


    If not for the vast distances, the hightency of videomunication, and concerns over confidentiality, he would not have taken this gamble.


    ¡°Mr. President, time is of the essence. Let¡¯s skip the formalities and get straight to the point,¡± an old general interjected as Antonio had just begun with a few pleasantries. Antonio frowned slightly, cursing the man inwardly as coarse and disrespectful.


    The recent leaks and turmoil had evidently reached the front lines, eroding his prestige. Previously, no general would have dared interrupt him so rudely.


    Still, Antonio swallowed his annoyance, knowing that these influential generals were indispensable allies in his current predicament.


    Dispensing with formalities, Antonio outlined his thoughts, concerns, and uncertainties regarding their situation.


    ¡°No, absolutely not! The existence of the ancient starship must never be revealed!¡± dered the old general forcefully upon hearing Antonio¡¯s reasoning.


    ¡°Why not? I think Mr. President is being overly cautious,¡± argued a senior council member, one of the most powerful figures in the parliament besides Antonio himself and a likely candidate to seed him if needed.


    ¡°Our defenses are imprable. Unless the Swarm breaches both the Twin Star and homeworld defensive zones, they¡¯ll never ess ourworks. As long as they remain uncertain about the nature of the secret, they¡¯re unlikely to recklessly attack us. Until then, ourworks are secure.¡±

 Chapter 337: The Target

    ¡°This is interesting. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s time for us to make a move as well¡ªlet them face reality,¡± Sarah Kerrigan said with a smirk as she observed the Rikens joke of a public referendum.


    Suddenly, rms red across the Twin Star Defensive Zone. The Rikens scrambled into action, warship engines heating up and glowing red and blue, whilend-based and orbital cannons began charging.


    Under the watchful eyes of the Rikens, the Swarm¡¯s Primordial forces steadily elerated. However, just as they approached the range of the Riken energy cannons, the entire formation abruptly turned, bypassing the defensive line and heading toward the rear.


    Panic swept through the Riken forces. The Swarm, breaking all conventions of fairness, had bypassed a head-on confrontation to nk them instead.


    The three Riken fleets scrambled tounch in pursuit, but just as they mobilized, another 20,000 Primordial bodiesunched from Izumo. Simultaneously, additionalnd-based electromaic cannons emerged from Izumo¡¯s moons, significantly increasing the Swarm¡¯s firepower and pressuring Rikenmanders into a strategic conundrum.


    Pursuing the nkers meant risking their defensive line. With 3,000 warships redeployed, the remaining firepower might not hold against the Swarm forces still at Izumo. Even if the line held, the cost would be devastating.


    Yet not pursuing the nkers would leave their homeworld and rear defenses vulnerable to encirclement or even destruction. If the homeworld fell, the troops stationed at the Twin Star Defensive Zone would face a simrly precarious situation.


    This nking maneuver was an almost unthinkable tactic in traditional interster warfare. Rival civilizations, typically close in technological capability and military strength, would risk being divided and conquered if they split their forces.


    The Twin Star Defensive System spanned over ten million kilometers¡ªa significant distance but not insurmountable in the vastness of space. Its design aligned with the Riken homeworld¡¯s defense zone and the third, Cloud Return, forming a coordinated line of mutual support.If the Swarm had tried such a tactic immediately after conquering Izumo, their divided forces might have been crushed by concentrated Riken fleets. Those warships could then return to assist the homeworld and eliminate any Swarm remnants.


    But the Swarm operated on an entirely different set of rules. Their unparalleled ability to mass-produce units had skewed the bnce of power so significantly that the Rikens could no longer rely on conventional strategies. Now, the Swarm could suppress the Riken¡¯s mobile units at the Twin Star Defensive Zone while simultaneously deployingrge forces for gueri strikes.


    ¡°What do we do, Admiral Heaton?¡± Hamis asked, his tone reflecting the dilemma they faced.


    Admiral Heaton, the same old general who had delivered the fiery warning to the parliament, was the highest-ranking officer of the Twin Star Defensive Zone and its de factomander. Previously, the military factions under hismand had often been divided, with each general representing their own interests. Heaton¡¯s influence had been limited as a result.


    However, after the secret meeting at the second colony, his authority had be more explicit. His upromising stance had garnered greater support among the officers. Even the fleetmanders of the three main fleets now sought his counsel.


    ¡°Pursuing with all fleets would leave our defenses dangerously thin,¡± Heaton said after a moment of contemtion. ¡°However, sending just one fleet to shadow and harass the nkers could work. If they attack the homeworld, that fleet could at least serve as a diversion and buy us some time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the task!¡± Hamis volunteered, exchanging nces with the other two fleetmanders, Alcer and Novaul. Both secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Though none would have refused such a dangerous mission if ordered, intelligent beings naturally seek to avoid unnecessary risks.


    With only around 1,000 warships, Hamis¡¯s fleet was tasked with monitoring and harassing the Swarm¡¯s 20,000-strong Primordial force. Even at a distance, their mission was akin to dancing on the edge of a de¡ªan incredibly perilous undertaking.


    As Hamis prepared his fleet, Alcer and Novaul quietly gave thanks for not being chosen for such a treacherous mission.


    The Riken First Fleet, having departed the Twin Star Defensive Zone under a veil of obfuscation, was nevertheless spotted by the Swarm¡¯s Observer Bugs. However, upon noting that the bulk of the Riken fleet remained in ce, the Swarm showed no further interest.


    Rikenmanders kept a close eye on the Swarm forces stationed at Izumo. Observing that the Swarm had made no overtly aggressive moves and merely maintained a posture of intimidation, they collectively exhaled in relief. Many were deeply anxious about the possibility of the Swarm taking advantage of the situation tounch a direct assault on the Twin Star Defensive Zone.


    In such a scenario, the ensuing chaos could result in heavy casualties. Particrly disconcerting for certain high-ranking officers was the knowledge of the devices imnted in their heads¡ªa grim reminder of their precarious position.


    Meanwhile, the Swarm¡¯s detached Primordial bodies force, having bypassed the Twin Star Defensive Zone, continued on its trajectory without heading directly for the Riken homeworld.


    ¡°Where are they going?¡±


    The Swarm¡¯s movements were anything but subtle, given that this was deep within Riken territory. Their path was easily tracked by massive monitoring equipment scattered across the defensive zones, not to mention the Riken First Fleet tailing them.


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re circling to attack the homeworld from the far side,¡± onemander spected. ¡°If they attack directly, they¡¯ll remain within range of our defensive lines. We¡¯d still be able to provide some support.¡±


    Dayster, the Swarm forces approached the Riken homeworld¡¯s defensive perimeter. Here, the Rikens were fully prepared. The homeworld, along with its two heavily armed satellites, was fortified with an overwhelming array ofnd-based and orbital cannons, a dense minefield of Smart Mines, and more. Despitecking a mobile fleet, the defenses here surpassed even the formidable Twin Star Defensive Zone.


    After all, this was the heart of the Riken civilization.


    Weapons were charged and ready, waiting to deliver a crushing blow should the Swarm enter range. But the Swarm force merely skirted the homeworld, continuing its steady march without turning to engage.


    ¡°Their target isn¡¯t the homeworld!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been fooled again!¡±


    Again. And again.


    ¡°Their target is Cloud Return!¡± rm spread through the ranks as the realization struck. As the Riken star system¡¯s innermost, closest to the star, Cloud Return¡¯s defenses were not as robust as those of the other two defensive zones. Moreover, it housed the third colony, where a significant Riken poption resided, furtherplicating any counteroffensive due to the risk of coteral damage.


    ¡°Organize an evacuation immediately! If we act quickly, we can reduce civilian casualties!¡±@@novelbin@@


    Transport ships scrambled to ferryrge numbers of Rikens from Cloud Return to the homeworld. In their haste to maximize efficiency, the evacuees¡¯ living conditions aboard the vessels were dire. Rikens were crammed into every avable inch of space; many could not even sit, let alone lie down, and had to stand on tiptoes. Weapons had been stripped from the ships to make room for passengers, leaving them defenseless should theye under attack.


    For many, abandoning the lives they had painstakingly built on Cloud Return was unbearable. Heartbroken Rikens wept openly in the overcrowdedpartments. Yet,pared to those left behind to await subsequent evacuation waves, these were the fortunate ones.


    Those who remained would have to wait for the second or even third round of evacuations. By then, however, it was feared that the Swarm would have already initiated their assault.

 Chapter 339: Passing Through

    The Riken¡¯s fourth colony was located on Riven, constructedter than the other three colonies. After the first two colonies werepleted, there was considerable debate within the Riken leadership over whether the third colony should be established on Cloud Return or Riven.


    Ultimately, Cloud Return was chosen due to its rtively lower terraforming difficulty.


    The development of three colonies exhausted the Riken¡¯s resources, leaving them unable to expand further for a time. Just as they began to recover and nned to construct a fourth colony, the Swarm emerged.


    From that point on, Riken resources were primarily directed towards fleet construction and expanding the first three colonies. The fourth colony¡¯s construction n was shelved once more.


    Following the catastrophic defeat of the expeditionary fleet, the Rikens shifted their focus to building extensivend-based and orbital defensive systems along with supporting power facilities.


    Ironically, this situation led to the revival of the fourth colony¡¯s construction n¡ªnot because the Rikens had surplus resources, but due to an urgent need for a supply base in the outer regions of their star system.


    Thus, the fourth colony was established on Riven within the Twin Star System. This colony differed significantly from its predecessors as it was primarily designed as arge-scale production base.The colony¡¯s main output consisted of various essential supplies for the frontlines. Consequently, it had a minimal permanent poption¡ªjust a few million Rikenspared to the two hundred million that once inhabited Cloud Return. The contrast was stark.


    As predicted by the Riken generals, the Swarm fleet pressed onward toward the system¡¯s star. When passing the system¡¯s second, the Swarm dispatched 5,000 Primordial bodies to destroy the few orbital satellites stationed there and secure the.


    ¡°The Swarm¡¯s adaptability and integration capabilities are truly remarkable.¡±


    The second¡¯s proximity to the star resulted in surface temperatures reaching several hundred degrees Celsius. The Rikens had minimal infrastructure on the due to the excessive costs of operating in such an environment, deeming it inefficient.


    In contrast, the Swarm¡¯s Space Octopuses not only withstood extreme heat but also thrived in the vacuum of near-absolute zero temperatures. Their ability to gically mutate into a variety of specialized units astonished the Rikens, sparking newfound admiration for biotechnology.


    After securing the second, the Swarm continued its advance, halting only upon reaching the orbital path of the first. Using it as a base, they began constructing a new stronghold.


    Given the¡¯s immense radiation levels, the Swarm¡¯s new base was expected to surpass the scale of their existing outpost on Izumo in no time.


    The First Riken Fleet, which had been tailing the Swarm, stopped its pursuit when the Swarm upied the second.


    Continuing further presented several challenges. The intense heat would elerate wear and tear on their warships, potentially causing critical equipment failures during maximum output.


    More pressing was the presence of 5,000 Primordial bodies guarding the second. To proceed, the fleet would need to bypass these defenses. If the Swarm¡¯s main force decided to double back, the fleet could find itself caught in a deadly pincer maneuver.


    Thus, continuing to shadow the Swarm fleet posed excessive risks. The Swarm¡¯s intent was tantly clear; they had no reason to disguise their actions. Given that the Rikens could do nothing to halt their advance, further pursuit seemed unnecessary.


    ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll soon lose even the chance to fight a respectable battle,¡± a concerned Riken officermented as the situation unfolded.


    ¡°What else can we do? Without sufficient strength, we have no choice but to endure.¡±


    ¡°This helplessness is unbearable.¡±


    ¡°If the Swarm has already signaled their willingness to negotiate a surrender, why haven¡¯t they taken any concrete steps? Are they determined to have both the substance and the appearance, denying us even a shred of dignity? Does having power truly allow one to act without restraint?¡±


    ¡°The saying ¡®the weak have no diplomacy¡¯ has never felt more true.¡±


    The Swarm fleet brazenly crossed the Rikens¡¯ three primary defense lines. After establishing their base near the system¡¯s star, they fell silent, quietly consolidating their position. Meanwhile, chaos erupted once more within the Riken civilization.


    The situation became particrly vtile when the Swarm¡¯s 20,000-strong Primordial fleet bypassed the Riken homeworld at a distance as close as ten million kilometers, opting not to engage optical cloaking. Many amateur astronomers captured images of the colossal Swarm force using civilian-grade telescopes.


    Previously, duringbat, the Space Octopuses had relied on optical cloaking, and publicly released photos were limited to colorful spectrographic visuals from military sensors. Though the Swarm¡¯s decision to deactivate cloaking carried ominous implications, the government and military strictly controlled the dissemination of high-resolution images. Few clear,plete images of the Space Octopuses had ever reached the public.


    While the popce knew the Swarm was attacking, they had little understanding of the true scale or form of the enemy. This time, however, with no way to control the flood of civilian observation devices, countless images of the Primordial fleet were uploaded online, vividly showcasing the alien force in all its bizarre glory.


    For the first time, ordinary Rikens were fully confronted with the terrifying reality of their extraterrestrial adversary. The sheer size of the Swarm force, especially when juxtaposed against the much smaller trailing Riken fleet, was overwhelming.


    As the alien fleet passed so close to the homeworld¡¯s defensive line, the Rikens could do nothing but watch anxiously, too afraid to even fire a warning shot lest they provoke an unwanted response.


    This powerlessness ignited widespread discontent among the popce. Fear turned to anger, and panic surged anew, surpassing any prior levels of unrest. This time, no external factions were needed to stoke the mes¡ªthe visceral imagery alone was enough to drive the masses into hysteria.


    The result was pandemonium. Supermarkets and stores were emptied in a matter of hours. Those unable to secure supplies took to the streets in protest, demanding solutions from the government and President Antonio. Their calls for increased supply distribution were not unreasonable, but production required time¡ªamodity the panicked popcecked.


    Conspiracy theories spread like wildfire. What began as peaceful protests quickly escted into violent demonstrations. Civilians shed withw enforcement and began targeting military supply depots, attempting to seize resources by force.


    If the chaos continued unchecked, the Rikens risked internal copse before the Swarm even made a move.@@novelbin@@


    It was at this critical moment that the unthinkable urred.


    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±

 Chapter 340: The Third Party

    In the war against the Rikens, Luo Wen had already achieved his basic strategic objectives.


    If no third party interfered, events would continue to unfold predictably. Once the Swarm established infrastructure near the system¡¯s star, the next step would be to destroy the Riken sr sail facilities.


    These primitive Dyson sphere-like structures provided the Rikens with abundant clean energy. Without them, the high-energy weapons of the Riken homeworld¡¯s defensive line could only sustain a few days of intensebat before over 60% would be useless scrap metal. The Twin Star Defensive Zone would also be significantly impacted.


    Once the Rikens¡¯ firepower was depleted, the Swarm would neither annihte them outright nor engage in negotiations. Instead, routine patrols near the Riken homeworld would be the norm.


    This sustained close proximity by an alien species would exacerbate the Rikens¡¯ sense of helplessness and escte their already mounting fear. They might attempt a desperate counterattack, but the overwhelming strength of the Swarm would crush their efforts, driving home their futility.


    Given the earlier surrender overtures, the Rikens, finding themselves with no alternatives, would likely implore their council to negotiate with the Swarm. However, the Swarm¡¯s unresponsive stance would leave the Rikens baffled and adrift.


    The council¡¯s inaction would transform the Rikens¡¯ fear into anger, creating a need for an outlet. President Antonio, previously a symbol of centralized authority, would find his perceived power worthless, bing a scapegoat for the people¡¯s wrath.


    A new Riken leader would be elected, one who would seed in making contact with the Swarm. The Swarm¡¯s rtively lenient terms for capittion would elevate the new leader¡¯s poprity to unprecedented heights.


    Unbeknownst to the Rikens, this leadership transition would already mark a fundamental shift. Nearly half of the Riken leadership would be reced with Swarm-controlled Intelligent Entities.These individuals, cultivated over decades by the Clirey family, had been carefully embedded into Riken society. The Swarm¡¯s mandatory seven-day quarantine protocol had limited their numbers thus far, but this was only the beginning.


    The real operation would follow.


    The first recipients of longevity serums in Riken society were invariably high-ranking officials and wealthy elites. These serums extended their lifespans by fifty years. Upon their eventual deaths, they would be converted into Intelligent Entities and reintroduced into Riken society through carefully orchestrated means.


    These individuals would ¡°rebirth¡± into Riken families as children, carrying the memories and experiences of their previous lives. Their umted knowledge and expertise would allow them to excel in all fields, quickly rising to prominence once more.


    The scale of this operation far exceeded that of the seven-day forced conversion protocol.


    A centuryter, these Intelligent Entities would reim positions of power. More than half of the Riken leadership in government, military, andmerce would consist of disguised Swarm agents. By this point,plete Swarm control over the Rikens would be a foregone conclusion.


    Naturally, this process could be elerated. Through forced conversion and more aggressive methods, control could be achieved in just a few centuries. However, under natural evolution, due to the Rikens¡¯ longer lifespans, total integration might take a millennium.


    At that point, the Rikens would resemble the Ratfolk civilization, with their upper echelons entirely dominated by Intelligent Entities, while ordinary Rikens became mere tools for reproduction and the provision of raw materials for the Swarm.


    For an immortal being, either timeline was eptable.


    Initially, Luo Wen had deliberated over which path to take. The allure of rapid domination through forced conversion was tempting. However, the looming presence of a third party observing from the shadows swayed his decision toward a more gradual approach.


    While immediate control was appealing, the risks of exposure through excessive forced conversions were too great, particrly under the watchful eyes of the mysterious Watchers.


    A gradual infiltration and assimtion strategy, while more time-consuming, is significantly safer and virtually undetectable. As long as the Watchers deem the Rikens necessary for their purposes, the n is all but guaranteed to seed.


    Following the outlined strategy, the Swarm had upied the Riken star system¡¯s first and seconds along with their orbital zones, preparing to dismantle the sr sail energy grid. This would cripple the Rikens¡¯ energy supplies and significantly weaken their defensive capabilities. However, a new discovery caused the Swarm to halt all operations.


    In the void beyond the Riken star system, Observer Bugs camouged as asteroids detected an approaching fleet.


    The Observer Bugs absorbed radiation only for minimal sustenance and relied on simple optical observation to monitor their surroundings. This low-energy operation rendered them indistinguishable from actual space debris, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t attract attention.


    However, this simplicity came at the cost of limited detection range; they could only spot objects at a distance of roughly one light-year. As a result, the fleet they detected was already within five months of reaching their position.


    The approaching fleet exhibited technology levels far surpassing those of both the Rikens and the Swarm. Notably, their ships traveled at over half the speed of light through the void, a velocity that pushed the limits of conventional propulsion systems.


    The high speed and stealth technology of this third party allowed them to avoid detection until they were rtively close. Their stealth coating,posed of unknown materials, rendered them invisible to the radars of both the Rikens and the Swarm. While this prevented earlier detection, their proximity provided Luo Wen¡¯s forces with an abundance of information.@@novelbin@@


    Certain aspects of their technology could be concealed, such as energy systems, circuitry, and software, but others were impossible to hide. Their technological lineage was immediately apparent: cold, elegant, and unmistakably mechanical.


    Their warships ranged from 1,500 meters in length to over 2,000 meters, with some even exceeding this.


    Such massive constructs reflected their advanced capabilities. Building ships of this size posed immense challenges; as vessels increased in scale, theplexity of construction rose exponentially. Without adequate technological foundations, such ships would risk structural failure during high-speed travel or intensebat, even without external attacks.


    While the fleet¡¯s weapon systems featured visible cannon-like structures, their specific type was unclear. Observations of certain design details led Swarm Intelligent Entities specializing in weaponry to theorize that these ships likely used energy-based armaments. This would be logical, as carrying energy cells for long-distance travel was far more practical than transporting physical ammunition.


    In terms of propulsion, the third party¡¯s engines bore striking simrities to those used by the Rikens. Their external structure, exhaust characteristics, and generalyout suggested an advanced version of existing Riken technology rather than an entirely novel theoretical framework.


    As for radar and observational systems, their design was entirely concealed, leaving little room for analysis.


    Despite their advanced capabilities and imposing fleet, the neers didn¡¯t align with Luo Wen¡¯s conception of the Watchers.

 Chapter 342: Alarm

    The Rikens, being the native inhabitants of their star system, had spent countless years establishing their presence there. Despite being cornered into holding only the orbits ofs 3, 4, 5, and 6 due to the Swarm¡¯s dominance, most of their previously deployed observation devices remained operational.


    This wasn¡¯t forck of effort on the Swarm¡¯s part¡ªthey would dly have cleared out these devices. However, the observation units were cleverly concealed, difficult to detect, and scattered across the vast expanse of the star system.


    The Swarm¡¯s Mature and Larval bodies,cking Atomic Furnaces, were incapable of long-range operations. Clearing these devices would require the use of Primordial bodies, which, though numerous, were not infinite. Sending thousands of Primordial bodies across the system would be akin to tossing pebbles into an ocean¡ªachieving minimal impact while risking their forces being divided and picked off by concentrated Riken counterattacks.


    Thus, these ¡°small annoyances¡± were left forter, and they continued to provide the Rikens with some insight into the star system¡¯s happenings.


    In a dimly lit room, tenrge monitors hung on one wall, each split into a 5¡Á4 grid of smaller screens, all currently cked out. Opposite this wall were several additional monitors, their surfaces filled with chaotic lines, shing red and green lights, and other symbols iprehensible to anyonecking technical expertise.


    Between the two walls, a bored Riken soldier slouched in a swivel chair. This room, located in an underground fortress on Riven, was a typical Riken-style monitoring center. The soldier¡¯s duty was to oversee and maintain the daily operations of over 200 monitoring devices.


    The external units of these devices were 2¡Á2 cubic metal constructs coated with stealth materials. Inside, they housed a variety of sensors, optical recording instruments, transmission modules, high-energy batteries, and small engine modules.


    While they seemed well-equipped, these devices were closer to disposable tools. Launched via specialized ejectors, their engine modules werepact and rudimentary, limited by the Rikens¡¯ current technological capabilities.


    Indeed, the engines relied on battery power, which provided only minimal thrust for deceleration and redirection. Propulsion was generated entirely by theunching ejectors, a design reminiscent of the Swarm¡¯s Meteor Launchers.Once deployed and positioned, the devices decelerated until captured by the gravitational pull of nearby objects. A small sr panel recharged their high-energy batteries over time.


    In normal operation, they remained dormant to conserve energy and minimize detectable emissions. Data collection was passive, using external sensors to monitor their surroundings. Upon detecting anomalies, the devices activated their optical recording systems, using their engines to adjust position and aim concealed cameras at the detected phenomenon.


    Once recording began, the transmission module activated, streaming real-time footage back to the Riken monitoring centers. This long-range transmission consumed most of the battery¡¯s stored energy and generated significant energy fluctuations, making the devices highly visible. If the anomaly turned out to be hostile forces, the exposed unit would likely be destroyed.


    For this reason, the devices were treated as expendable.


    Given their passive nature, the soldier monitoring over 200 such devices rarely had anything to do. With thousands of simr monitoring centers across the Riken-controlled region, such soldiers typically faced long, uneventful shifts.


    This particr soldier had just turned off the room¡¯s lights, nning to sneak in a nap. The darkened monitors offered no entertainment, and the monotony of his post often lulled him into drowsiness. Working in a secluded, seldom-visited station, naps had be a norm.


    Just as he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, the piercing sound of an rm erupted. The ring noise reverberated through the confined room, leaving his head buzzing. Simultaneously, red warning lights red, bathing the dim space in frantic, strobing shes.


    The Riken soldier forced himself to ovee the difort, jumping up from his chair and hurrying to the corner of the room to flip the light switch. The room brightened, and the once-blinding red strobe became far less abrasive. Breathing a sigh of relief, he thought that if the shing had persisted, he might have lost his lunch.


    Although it was his first time encountering such a situation on duty, his training kept him from panicking. He¡¯d also heard simr stories from his colleagues, typically involving either passing meteors or Swarm forces.


    Meteors were nothing unusual, and as for the Swarm¡ªwell, their detestable presence was everywhere outside. Triggering a few observation units wasn¡¯t anything out of the ordinary.


    The soldier mused about suggesting improvements to the research department, perhaps incorporating an automatic identification feature to avoid unnecessary scares, recing the rm with something less jarring, and dimming the alert lights to be easier on the eyes¡­


    Grumbling to himself, the soldier casually approached the operations tform under the wall-mounted screens. One small square on one of the screens was now illuminated, indicating that an external observation unit was functioning properly and had sessfully transmitted video footage.@@novelbin@@


    With azy flick of his finger, he opened the feed. After a brief buffering period, the footage loaded, and what appeared on the screen left him utterly speechless.


    The video did not disy a meteor, nor did it show the hated Swarm. Instead, it captured the approach of an enormous fleet. Cold, metallic ships d in dark red paint emanated an oppressive, bloodthirsty aura.


    The recording continued for about two minutes before concluding with a beam of light emanating from the fleet¡¯s direction, cutting off the feed and plunging the screen into darkness. The soldier realized the observation unit had been destroyed¡ªroughly 30 minutes prior, given that light in space doesn¡¯t travel instantaneously across vast distances.


    After double-checking the equipment to confirm there were no malfunctions or pranks involved, he finally grasped the gravity of the situation.


    Taking several deep breaths to steady himself, the soldier reached for a key hanging around his neck and used it to unlock a protective cover on the operations panel.


    Beneath the covery arge red button. Pressing it frivolously could result in a court-martial, but this was no time for hesitation. The soldier braced himself, cing both hands firmly on the button, rising onto his toes, and pressing down with the full weight of his body.


    The button depressed with a soft click. Contrary to expectation, there were no dramatic sounds or shing lights. Even the room¡¯s original rm and warning lights ceased their ring.


    Relieved, the soldier let out a long exhale. His job was done¡ªthe matter was now in the hands of higher authorities.

 Chapter 343: Detection

    The Riken soldier¡¯s task was indeedplete. His role was merely that of an initial screener; upon discovering valuable information and triggering the rm, all the equipment and instruments in his room were remotelymandeered by the intelligence department.


    Before long, the two-minute video stirred up a storm among the Riken leadership. Optical observation stations on Riven, Riwu, and even the Riken homeworld redirected more than 60% of theirrge-scale instruments to focus on the location where the monitoring unit had been destroyed.


    It didn¡¯t take long for them to locate the fleet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll bet anything¡ªthose warships aren¡¯t part of the Swarm.¡±


    ¡°Alcer! This isn¡¯t the time for jokes!¡± Hamis snapped, ring at Alcer, who shrugged indifferently.


    Surprisingly, after a brief panic, the Riken highmand settled into an unusual calm upon discovering this new fleet. Some even seemed to relish the situation.


    Although the Rikens were currently surrounded and pinned down by the Swarm, they realized this also meant they were somewhat shielded by the Swarm. Any new force looking to trouble the Rikens would first have to contend with the Swarm.


    This ironicyer of ¡°protection¡± led to a rather rxed atmosphere in what should have been a tense meeting. The Rikens adopted the mindset of spectators, anticipating the Swarm¡¯s sh with this new faction and hoping to see them mutually devastate each other.


    After all, the Swarm was their oppressive captor, not a trusted guardian. If the neers managed to engage the Swarm in a bloody conflict, both sides weakening each other would be a win-win for the Rikens.They showed little concern for their own safety. To them, the Swarm was overwhelmingly powerful, while the neers, based on the size of their warships, appeared only slightly stronger than the Rikens themselves.


    ¡°It seems the Swarm likely noticed them long ago, which is why they¡¯ve been holding their position. We were overthinking it before.¡±


    ¡°Still, those neers¡­ their main engines look oddly familiar,¡± remarked a logistics general, staring at the high-resolution photos and videos captured by the Riken observation systems now trained on the dark-red fleet.


    The remark drew attention. With so many advanced optical instruments focused on the new fleet, the Rikens had acquired exceptionally clear images of their warships. The general¡¯sment about the engines piqued interest.


    ¡°What did you notice, Safang?¡± someone asked.


    Major General Safang was lost in thought, not responding immediately. Suddenly, he moved swiftly, isting the image of the dark-red warships¡¯ rear engine section. He then retrieved an image of a Riken warship, isting its engine as well, and ced the two images side by side.


    The other Riken officers crowded around to see. Gradually, their expressions shifted, mouths agape in astonishment.


    ¡°I understand that technological convergence can happen, but this¡­ this is way too simr,¡± one officer murmured.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t shown me the full images, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell which was which.¡±


    ¡°There are some minor differences in the details, but they¡¯re nearly identical,¡± Safang said, adjusting the non-prescription sses perched on his nose. The familiarity he had felt earlier was now ringly obvious, leaving him even more puzzled.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t just about convergence,¡± Safang continued. ¡°Every civilization develops with its own unique culture, which shapes its distinct technological style. Consider the stark contrasts between the Rikens and the Swarm. Even among ourselves, before unification, the differences in style and culture between various nations and tribes were worlds apart.¡±


    ¡°And yet, here we are¡ªseparated by who knows how many light-years¡ªand their designs align so closely with ours. Even if both of us follow the mechanical technology path, it¡¯s extraordinarily unlikely we¡¯d arrive at such simr oues.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    The Rikens fell into deep thought.


    After a brief silence, Hamis spoke up suddenly: ¡°Have you ever wondered why this new faction came here?¡±


    ¡°I suspect it was the nuclear explosions that attracted them. If that¡¯s the case, they can¡¯t be too far from us,¡± replied Novaul, Fleet Commander of the Second Fleet, after some consideration. ¡°Why bring this up now?¡±


    Hamis didn¡¯t answer directly but posed another question: ¡°Where did our engine technologye from?¡±


    Novaul rolled his eyes at Hamis¡¯s seemingly erratic train of thought but managed to follow along. ¡°From reverse-engineering the Treasure starship?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Now, have you considered another possibility?¡±


    By now, Novaul was catching on. He chuckled and replied, ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Sure, these neers appear a little stronger than us based on their ship sizes, but suggesting they¡¯re the original owners of the Treasure starship? I can¡¯t agree with that.¡±


    Hamis, unbothered, nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s exactly my point.¡±


    Suddenly, Safang interrupted with a eureka-like realization. ¡°I think I understand what Admiral Hamis means!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then tell us,¡± said Hamis, gesturing for Safang to continue.


    Safang nodded and took a moment to gather his thoughts. ¡°Our engine technologyes from the ancient starship. It¡¯s like crossing a river by feeling for the stones¡ªit drastically shortened our research and development time, but it also passed on its stylistic influences to us. The simrity in engine design between our ships and the neers¡¯ isn¡¯t coincidental.¡± He paused, letting his words sink in.


    ¡°Since they aren¡¯t the owners of the ancient starship, then they must have their own version of it!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ they have another ancient starship?¡± The Rikens were stunned, finding the idea difficult to digest. Yet, upon careful consideration, they realized the possibility was quite high.


    ¡°I have a bad feeling about this,¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°Funny, so do I.¡±


    What once seemed like a stroke of fortune now felt like a carefully orchestrated n. That realization left a sour taste in their mouths.


    ¡°So, this new faction may not have been drawn here by the nuclear explosions after all,¡± Hamis said, nodding.


    ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what came to my mind first?¡± asked another officer.


    ¡°Some kind of experiment?¡±


    ¡°Haha, looks like we¡¯re on the same page.¡±


    ¡°A civilization or faction, using us as test subjects, but now rushing in because they see us on the brink of annihtion by the Swarm?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good story. I like it.¡±


    ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve been underestimated.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more about the imbnce of information. I¡¯d argue that in terms of intelligence, we¡¯re not inferior to any other species.¡±


    ¡°But the scale of this operation¡­ If whoever is behind this harbors malicious intent, we might be in serious trouble.¡±


    ¡°Then, the Swarm is the wildcard?¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Seems likely.¡±


    ¡°How are they different from us?¡±


    ¡°In countless ways. The simplest difference is that they primarily follow a biotechnology path. Even if you gave them an ancient starship, they¡¯d have to reverse-engineer it and then convert its technology into their biological framework. That¡¯s much moreplicated than what we had to do.¡±


    ¡°But that might also make their adaptations more valuable. The Swarm could be in for some trouble.¡±


    ¡°Kind of makes me happy¡­¡±


    Receiving all this in real time, Sarah Kerrigan sighed. ¡°A civilization destined to be livestock¡ªwhy bother thinking so much?¡±

 Chapter 344: Daqi

    When the neers destroyed the Riken observation device, their action was immediately detected by the ever-vignt Swarm.


    Such decisive hostility, without a hint of hesitation, suggested not only ill intent but also an unwavering confidence in their own strength.


    However, the Swarm¡ªparticrly Luo Wen, who had be even more formidable after thetest upgrade to the Swarm Network¡ªwas unfazed.


    Confidence born of power is a universal trait, and now, two equally confident factions were on a collision course, where only raw strength would decide the victor.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see who¡¯s really bluffing,¡± Luo Wen remarked.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Ah, two fledgling interster civilizations, ignorant and without reverence for the cosmos. Don¡¯t they realize that detonating high-yield nuclear weapons in space is incredibly dangerous?¡± A tall, humanoid figure standing over two meters spoke from the bridge of a warship.


    d in a dark red uniform adorned with intricate patterns along its edges, the figure¡¯s attire perfectly matched his crimson skin, which exuded an eerie, almost blood-soaked beauty.


    His facial features included the standard eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, but with a striking anomaly: he possessed three eyes. The outer two stretched to the tops of his ears, while the third sat atop the bridge of his nose, aligned horizontally with the other two. This unique arrangement granted him a field of vision far superior to that of any two-eyed species.The irises of his eyes were predominantly dark yellow, with constricted ck pupils that lent his gaze a fierce intensity.


    His crimson skin was marked by intricate cracks and scattered granr protrusions, which were not indicative of disease. The figure standing behind him, a slender humanoid of the same race, shared these traits, confirming them as a characteristic of their species.


    The second figure, though shorter at just over 1.9 meters, possessed a form that could stir boundless imagination from behind. However, her magma-textured skin and three half-lidded yellow eyes likely fell short of appealing to many species¡¯ aesthetic standards.


    ¡°What do you think, Aslit?¡± the taller figure asked, breaking the silence. He was clearly basking in his own musings and seemed miffed that his subordinate hadn¡¯t offered anymentary. Nevertheless, he turned to her with the question.


    Despite her appearance being unappealing to other species, by her race¡¯s standards, Aslit was a bona fide beauty.


    ¡°You are correct, Your Highness,¡± she replied with a sigh, her tone carrying a note of resignation.


    The speaker was Prince Diallo, the third prince of the Daqi Empire, a vast interster state spanning three star systems. Though over 300 years old, by the empire¡¯s standards, he was still considered a youth.


    In the Daqi Empire, interster travel necessitated extended stasis. As such, age calctions were inconsistent. While Diallo had been alive for over three centuries, two-thirds of that time had been spent in hibernation during interster voyages, leaving his body biologically in its prime, around 100 years old.


    The Daqi Empire, a sprawling civilization, had fully conquered its home star system two millennia ago with external assistance. Over the centuries, they expanded their dominion to two additional star systems.


    Although their engine technology was advanced¡ªapproaching the theoretical limits of their technological paradigm¡ªthey had yet to achieve faster-than-light travel.


    The distances between neighboring star systems, typically spanning more than five light-years, meant that even at their current speeds, journeys between the empire¡¯s core and its colonies took over a decade. Earlier in their colonial history, these trips could take upwards of 30 years.


    As the colonies grew more stable and developed, their istion from the empire¡¯s core gave rise to separatist ambitions among certain factions. Though these uprisings were swiftly crushed by the empire¡¯s mighty fleets, the events left the Daqi royal family wary.


    In response, the royal court convened and agreed to station imperial fleets permanently in the colonies. However, the empire was unwilling to entrust such critical roles to outsiders. Thus, the royal family decided to appoint its own members to oversee these fleets.@@novelbin@@


    Through careful deliberation, the Daqi Empire established a new set of rules to maintain its royal lineage and ensure the stability of its dominion.


    Given the Daqi¡¯s long lifespans and their position as regional overlords, the king resided safely at the empire¡¯s core. By the time an old king abdicated and the crown prince ascended the throne, the new king was often already advanced in age with numerous offspring.


    For example, when Prince Diallo¡¯s father ascended the throne, he already had dozens of siblings.


    Upon the new king¡¯s coronation, his sons were required to assumemand of the imperial fleets stationed in the colonies. Their role was to defend the empire¡¯s borders while intimidating potential internal and external threats within their territories.


    The priormander of the fleet¡ªthe previous generation¡¯s prince, now promoted to ¡°Duke¡±¡ªwould determine their next step based on circumstances.


    If the newmander (their nephew or younger cousin) maintained a good rtionship with them, the former fleetmander might stay on as an advisor or in a subordinate role. If rtions were strained, they would return to the imperial homeworld to retire.


    However, by this stage, few dukes typically remained alive. This was due to one of the Daqi¡¯s most brutal traditions.


    When the king reached a certain age, the Battle for Session was initiated. All princes with the qualifications to im the throne were required to participate.


    To participate in the Battle for Session, a prince needed to wield actual power¡ªtypicallymand of a fleet. As such, eligible participants were generally born before the reigning king¡¯s coronation, as those born afterward rarely had time to attain such positions.


    While thepetition was restricted to a limited number of princes, all methods of contention were deemed legal during this period.


    The means of contention varied widely, ranging from peaceful to violent:


    Peaceful Means: Princes could expand the empire¡¯s borders, quell rebellions, or carry out extraordinary missions to prove their worth. However, such achievements were rare and unpredictable. Since the Daqi royal family implemented this system, no prince had ever ascended to the throne through merit alone.


    Most princes opted for more aggressive approaches. Competitors were summoned to the imperial homeworld, where they engaged in various battles to determine the victor.


    These contests ranged fromrge-scale simted fleet battles to directbat between special operations teams. Even poisonings or outright assassinations were permissible, with rivals vanishing without a trace.


    At the end of the Battle for Session, the surviving princes were ranked through a unique scoring system, with the highest scorer iming the title of crown prince. All grievances and rivalries from thepetition were officially resolved and could no longer be pursued.


    The brutality of these battles ensured that only a few princes survived. Of the dozens of participants, fewer than five typically emerged alive. The practice was so blood-soaked that the imperial line was perpetually thinned with each session.

 Chapter 346: Mystery

    ¡°They don¡¯t seem friendly. Sound the rms, elevate the war alert level, and prepare forbat!¡±manded Admiral Heaton, as he monitored the approaching fleet and directed the defensive lines into position.


    Warship engines roared to life, weapons charged, and gun barrels turned toward the iing threat.


    Compared to the Swarm, which had already shown no inclination toward aggressive measures, this new faction posed a far greater threat to the Rikens. While their intentions remained unclear, their intimidating approach hardly suggested a peaceful visit.


    ¡°Admiral Heaton, if their target is our defensive line, should we fire the first shot?¡± a staff officer asked tentatively.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Fire? Are you kidding? The Swarm is here¡ªthis isn¡¯t our problem,¡± Heaton snapped, though he paused to reconsider. ¡°That said, the Swarm¡¯s logic is often impossible to predict. If these neers attack the Twin Star Defense Zone and the Swarm does nothing, then we¡¯ll have to handle it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Admiral.¡±


    ¡°Report! We¡¯ve received a broadcast message from the direction of the unknown fleet,¡± amunications officer suddenly announced.


    None of the factions involved hadmunication channels with each other, leaving public broadcasts as the only means of contact. The Rikens had previously tried hailing the Swarm, but their efforts were met with utter indifference.


    ¡°Can we decode it? Let¡¯s hear what they have to say.¡±¡°Admiral, they¡¯re using ournguage!¡± the officer eximed, disbelief evident in his voice.


    ¡°What?!¡± Several generals echoed the sentiment, their astonishment palpable.


    Languages evolve uniquely within each civilization, shaped by a myriad of cultural and biological factors. For an entirely unknown faction to independently develop anguage identical to that of the Rikens was not just improbable¡ªit was impossible.


    The only usible exnations were unsettling. One possibility was that the neers possessed overwhelmingly superior technology, allowing them to infiltrate Rikenworks, intercept data, and crack theirnguage. Yet their brash and unrefined demeanor seemed at odds with such a level of sophistication.


    The second, more likely possibility was even more rming: the Rikens had been under this faction¡¯s surveince for an extended period. If so, theirnguage would have been thoroughly documented and decrypted long ago. Considering the earlier theories regarding the ¡°Treasure¡± starship, this exnation seemed dangerously close to the truth.


    ¡°Damn it, these guys didn¡¯t even bother pretending, did they?¡± one general growled. To an advanced species priding itself on its intelligence, the revtion of prolonged surveince was a humiliating blow.


    ¡°Forget our pride for now. What did the message say?¡± Admiral Heaton redirected focus, brushing aside the bruised egos of his peers.


    Themunications officer hesitated before replying, his voice trembling. ¡°They said theye from the great Daqi Empire and demand our unconditional surrender. They warned us not to bring misfortune upon ourselves.¡±


    The bluntness of the message was almost too much to bear. Instinctively, the officer took a step back, fearing the wrath of the gathered generals. The sheer audacity of the statement was dripping with mockery.


    ¡°What?!¡± one general bellowed, seemingly unable to process such a terse and direct approach. ¡°No greeting? No formalities? Just straight to demands?!¡±


    ¡°Are they insane?¡± another general muttered, aghast. ¡°They¡¯vepletely discarded even the most basic diplomatic protocols. Honestly, the Swarm¡¯s silence feels more respectful than this.¡±


    ¡°Arrogant and ignorant! Arrogant and ignorant!¡±


    ¡°Theypletely disregard us!¡±


    The senior Riken officers were seething with rage. Themunications officer, feeling the tension rise, instinctively took another step back. As he debated whether to quietly exit the room, General Hamis turned to him abruptly.


    ¡°Is there any other information besides this message?¡±


    Themunications officer thought carefully, ensuring he hadn¡¯t missed anything, then shook his head. ¡°No, General, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°No other transmissions in unknownnguages?¡± Hamis pressed.


    ¡°None, sir. Only in our Rikennguage.¡±


    Hearing this, Hamis¡¯s fury reignited. ¡°Damn it! I knew the Swarm could understand ournguage!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly surprising, is it? Over the course of several wars, many of our soldiers have likely been captured by the Swarm. For a technological civilization, cracking anguage once they have examples is trivial.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Hamis admitted, though the realization did little to soothe his frustration. ¡°But this reinforces my suspicion¡ªthe Swarm is the wild card here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The Swarm remains as enigmatic to this so-called Daqi Empire as it is to us. Otherwise, with their arrogance, they would never miss an opportunity to show dominance over the Swarm.¡±


    ¡°Does this mean we¡¯re just that weak?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so self-critical. I¡¯m now certain the Swarm aren¡¯t natives of the T85 Star System. Otherwise, how could two neighboring civilizations like ours and theirs be treated so differently? Why would we be surveilled, while they remain untouched?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, but I can¡¯t help feeling we¡¯re missing something,¡± another officer murmured thoughtfully.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got it,¡± Novaul interjected, his tone decisive. ¡°Based on our analysis, the Daqi Empire likely isn¡¯t the true owner of the Treasure starship. They seem more like errand-runners. Given the advanced technology of the civilization behind the scenes, the spatial barriers that constrain us might be no obstacle to them. If that¡¯s the case, then perhaps this entire star region is under their surveince. So¡­¡±


    ¡°So how has the Swarm, with technology far inferior to theirs, managed to break through their watch, evade their surveince, and maintain their mystery?¡± Hamis finished, grasping Novaul¡¯s line of reasoning.


    ¡°Exactly! It¡¯s a ring contradiction!¡±


    ¡°Could it be because they¡¯ve followed a biological technology path?¡± another officer spected.


    ¡°Scientific principles are universal,¡± Novaul countered. ¡°Whether mechanical or biological, they¡¯re just expressions of those principles. Even we have many technologies rooted in biology. There¡¯s no need to mystify them.¡±


    Meanwhile, aboard the gship of the Daqi fleet, Prince Diallo reclined in hismand chair, his cracked, volcanic-textured jaw resting thoughtfully in his hand.


    ¡°Even the suzerain has refrained from providing further information on this Swarm. Clearly, there¡¯s something unique about them,¡± Diallo mused. ¡°But how do they do it?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness,¡± Aslit ventured cautiously, ¡°I¡¯ve previously spected that their history may include a genius who, early in their civilization¡¯s development, treated a suzerain-level threat as a hypothetical enemy and meticulously prepared their society while hiding their true strength until now.¡±


    Diallo shook his head. ¡°That doesn¡¯t hold water. Achieving this level of secrecy and advancement requires more than a single genius. It demands the unwavering cooperation of their entire species. Do you think that¡¯s likely? Moreover, the suzerain hasn¡¯t even provided basic information, like theirnguage or scripts. This goes far beyond mere concealment.¡±


    ¡°Yes, which leads to my second hypothesis,¡± Aslit continued. ¡°The Swarm may be outsiders. They could be an advanced intelligent species that, for some reason, ended up in this star region. Their high level of technology from the outset would make sense, but their history before that would be a nk.¡±


    ¡°That does seem usible,¡± Diallo agreed, ¡°but there are still inconsistencies. A civilizationrge enough to migrate wouldn¡¯t escape the suzerain¡¯s surveince. And for a disced species to rebuild to this extent would require significant time.¡±

 Chapter 349: Repulsion Field

    In the distant reaches of space, fleeting sparks asionally lit up the void.


    These were caused by Crimson Kiss missiles colliding with electromaic rounds. Despite being tactical nuclear weapons, Crimson Kiss warheads were engineered with exceptional safety measures, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t detonate from impacts alone.


    Still, at such high speeds, even a ncing hit spelled the end of their mission.


    Ultimately, 80% of the Crimson Kiss missiles were intercepted, with only 20% breaking through the defense lines and inflicting some damage on the Swarm¡¯s formations. Both sides seemed to find this oue eptable.


    The Crimson Kiss relied on surprise and asymmetrical information to achieve its efficacy. After the first strike, replicating its initial sess became significantly harder¡ªa phenomenon well-documented not only in Daqi¡¯s records but in those of many other civilizations. This weapon had earned its nickname, ¡°The Neer¡¯s Gift,¡± for this reason.


    ¡°What a spectacle. It¡¯s my first time seeing them unleashed en masse,¡± Aslit murmured.


    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it? ording to the records, during our first encounter with them, we lost 80% of our fleet in the initial salvo. Utter humiliation. But the Swarm is clearly hiding some significant secret. Even after that wee ceremony, they¡¯re still standing,¡± Diallo said with a mix of admiration and intrigue.


    ¡°Indeed, Your Highness. However, this is just one of their bases. We should proceed cautiously.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The technological gap between us is insurmountable with numbers alone. The more resilient they are, the more excited I get. If they were wiped out in one go, it¡¯d be no fun at all.¡±After two volleys, the Daqi fleet had nearly exhausted their supply of Crimson Kiss missiles. What little remained was insufficient tounch another full-scale barrage. Still, the operation had decimated a substantial portion of the Swarm¡¯s active forces, marking it as a significant victory.


    As the Daqi fleet powered up their engines and surged forward once more, Sarah Kerrigan issued calm orders, all Space Octopuses were to disperse into a loose formation, while reinforcements from the Swarm bases on Raze and the near-sr orbit base were to mobilize immediately.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯ve deployed all forces from the Izumo base. If the enemy gets close enough to use those weapons again, I fear they won¡¯t hold out until reinforcements arrive,¡± a de remarked with concern.


    ¡°No need to worry,¡± Sarah replied confidently. ¡°Judging by their earlier performance, those weapons aren¡¯t cheap. With such limitations, I doubt they brought many. In fact, I suspect these weren¡¯t standard issue for their fleet but specifically prepared for us.¡±


    Sarah¡¯s analysis was spot on. From numerous details, she had deduced the Daqi¡¯s level of industrialization. While tactical nuclear weapons were rtively easy for such a civilization to produce, the simplified interster engines and nuclear batteries mounted on the Crimson Kiss missiles were far from economical.


    The two volleys fired so far had totaled nearly 20,000 Crimson Kiss missiles. Their collective value within the Daqi Empire was enough to construct hundreds of warships.


    Moreover, given their limited practicality, Crimson Kiss missiles were not standard-issue weapons for the Daqi fleet. They were only effective as a one-off surprise, as demonstrated earlier. Hundreds of Daqi warships couldn¡¯t have eliminated so many Swarm units without them.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Fire! Don¡¯t let them get closer!¡±


    With a singlemand, the Swarm¡¯s electromaic railguns began firing. In the near-vacuum of space, the range of these weapons was vast. However, beyond a certain distance, their uracy diminished significantly, turning them into ¡°chance shots¡± with little hope of hitting their targets.


    At this moment, the Daqi warships were moving at extreme speeds with clear, direct objectives. Their narrow navigational trajectory made it easy for the Swarm¡¯s railgun rounds to restrict their movement.


    ¡°Activate all repulsion fields!¡± Diallo ordered. While the Daqi were unaware of the Swarm¡¯s hidden capabilities, they were well-versed in its primarybat weapons.


    The moment the Swarm¡¯s railguns began firing, the energy fluctuations were detected by the Daqi sensors, prompting an immediate response.


    In the interster void between star systems, material density was exceedingly low but not nonexistent. Large obstacles were scanned and preemptively destroyed with energy weapons. However, smaller objects¡ªlike pebble-sized meteor fragments¡ªwere too small and too numerous for active targeting. By the time such debris appeared on radar, the warships would already be too close for effective interception.


    Ignoring these micro-obstacles wasn¡¯t an option either. At velocities approaching or exceeding half the speed of light, even a grain-sized particle could shatter the warships¡¯ reinforced armor¡ªdesigned to withstand railgun strikes¡ªas if it were ss. The resulting impact force could easily tear a warship apart.


    To address this challenge, the Daqi developed a repulsion field generator. Installed at the bow of their warships, this device created an invisible field that deflected and shattered small obstacles during high-speed travel.


    While the Daqi¡¯s technological limitations prevented miniaturization of the repulsion field generator¡ªrequiring the entire bow section of their warships to house the device¡ªit remained indispensable. Without it, Daqi warships would be restricted to a maximum speed of one-fifth the speed of light.


    In other words, the technological gap between Riken and Daqi warships in terms of engines wasn¡¯t vast. The real disparityy in the repulsion field generator. If the Rikens had such a device, their warships¡¯ speed would simrly skyrocket.


    The repulsion field had its limitations, only covering a small section in front of the warship¡¯s bow. However, with precise route calctions, it proved to be a powerful countermeasure against the Swarm¡¯s railguns.


    As the Swarm¡¯s electromaic projectiles rained down, the Daqi warships maintained full speed, making only slight course adjustments to align their hulls behind the small shield created by the repulsion field.


    Despite the immense power of the Swarm¡¯s projectiles, they were utterly ineffective against the transparent repulsion field. Millions of railgun rounds were deflected harmlessly, leaving the Daqi fleetpletely unscathed.


    The failure of their primary weapon left Sarah and the des momentarily stunned. Since the beginning of their conflict with the Daqi fleet, the Swarm had been on the back foot, suffering significant losses from expertly targeted strategies.


    This asymmetry was due to the overwhelming disparity in intelligence.


    The Swarm knew next to nothing about their enemy, while the Daqi had gathered considerable information about the Swarm. This was an entirely new experience for Sarah and her forces.


    The hidden third party naturally held the upper hand in intelligence,pounding the Swarm¡¯s disadvantage.


    Faced with such a predicament, there was no time for careful reconnaissance. The Swarm had no choice but to sacrifice their forces to ¡°pay the tuition¡± for this learning process, probing their way to a solution through trial and error.


    Fortunately, for the Swarm, individual lives were expendable. Unlike the Daqi or the Rikens, considerations of morale or personal consent were irrelevant, making this strategy easier to implement.

 Chapter 351: Playing the Cards

    From the moment Luo Wen emerged as a fingernail-sized hatchling, he had systematically and strategically eliminated countless foes that once seemed insurmountably powerful to him. He understood the dangers of relying too heavily on a single weapon.


    While the electromaic railgun was a formidable force, he had always been wary of its limitations and ensured that the Swarm¡¯s strategies were not overly reliant on it.


    In fact, long ago, after the Swarm captured a Cat-Eared vessel, they had reverse-engineered its energy weapon technology. Luo Wen even produced a batch ofrval units equipped with energy weapon systems to offset their melee limitations. However, he quickly found these weapons impractical due to their short range and high energy consumption, and the project was shelved.


    Later, when the Swarm seized Riken warships and acquired more advanced energy weaponry, it became clear that the Swarm had already surpassed the Rikens in this domain. By that time, Luo Wen had amassed over ten million research-oriented Intelligent Entities. This was a monumental advantage.


    To understand the scale, consider that no civilization begins omniscient. Each must learn slowly, advancing along specific technological paths over generations.


    Progress demands enormous time investments, and as technology bes moreplex, new members of the civilization require increasingly longer periods to digest prior knowledge before they can contribute meaningfully.


    During this process, many individuals give up, leaving only a select few to reach the pinnacle of a particr technological field. These rare experts might further advance their chosen field incrementally during their lifetimes.


    The overall progress of a civilization depends on the continuous advancement of countless technological paths. Therefore, the lifespan of its members often determines a civilization¡¯s potential.


    Take the Ratfolk civilization, for example. Even without the Swarm restraining them, their potential to be a spacefaring civilization was slim. Despite Luo Wen¡¯s interventions to address their gic ws and extend their lifespan, most Ratfolk still lived less than fifty years.When their umted knowledge reached a critical threshold, newborn Ratfolk could barely master existing knowledge within their lifetimes, let alone innovate further.


    In contrast, both the Riken and Daqi peoples enjoyed lifespans exceeding 300 years. This gave their young generations over a century to advance their civilizations¡¯ knowledge and technology.


    This was why the Rikens had ced such value on longevity-enhancing nts. In times of peace and abundant resources, longer lifespans meant deeper cultural and technological foundations.


    Now consider the Swarm¡¯s Intelligent Entities. Freed from the limitations of mortality, they had infinite time to umte and refine knowledge.


    Take Morgan, one of the earliest research-oriented Intelligent Entities, for instance. Having existed for centuries, any one of his caliber would be a treasured asset in a civilization like the Rikens. As time passed, the Swarm would produce ever more such ¡°treasures.¡±


    When hundreds of thousands, millions, or even tens of millions of such minds coborated, their collective innovation and advancement would be iprehensible to most civilizations.


    This ability to reverse-engineer physical objects, deduce their principles, and surpass the original creators was a natural consequence of the Swarm¡¯s intellectual might.


    Even so, despite their progress in energy weapons, the Swarm¡¯s early opponents were technologically inferior. Sheer numbers and basic long-range weaponry were sufficient to overpower them.


    Additionally, Luo Wen had already suspected the existence of Watchers at the time. His inclination to conceal the Swarm¡¯s full capabilities influenced the des as well. Against the Rikens, the Swarm operated on a ¡°just enough¡± principle.


    For instance, if the Rikens hadn¡¯t developed railguns for counterattacks, the Swarm¡¯sser-eye bugs would never have been revealed.


    Simrly, while it appeared that the Swarm had lost its primary weapon, they were far from defenseless.


    The Space Octopuses, an amalgamation of atmospheric creatures and fungal carpets, were modr beings capable of internal transformation. Under the control of the fungal strains within, their bodily tissues churned, modules shifted, and organs relocated. Amid this internal overhaul, their external electromaic cannons remained unchanged in appearance, but their inner workings underwent aplete overhaul.@@novelbin@@


    When Diallo ordered his fleet to fire, the Daqi warships¡¯ primary cannons unleashed a thunderous barrage. Simultaneously, the Swarm¡¯s counterattack began.


    Thousands of red beams streaked toward the Swarm¡¯s position¡ªstandard behavior for the Daqi. But from the Swarm¡¯s side, the very cannons that had previouslyunched electromaic projectiles now fired red energy beams directly at the Daqi fleet.


    The red beams from both sides met mid-space, interweaving and parting ways, creating a spectacr disy as they hurtled toward their respective targets. This visual marvel, however, was not universally appreciated.


    ¡°What?!¡± Diallo shouted in disbelief, theva-like patterns on his face cracking visibly in his shock. Aslit¡¯s three eyes widened in astonishment.


    ¡°This is impossible!¡± Diallo roared again. ¡°Since when could electromaic cannons fire energy beams? What kind of freakish nonsense is this Swarm? Do they have no sense of honor?!¡±


    But the Swarm¡¯s attacks did not pause for his incredulity. Diallo¡¯s gship, measuring over 2,500 meters, was thergest in the Daqi fleet and bore thergest repulsion field generator. Consequently, it also bore the brunt of the Swarm¡¯s counterfire.


    Having anticipated nothing like this, and with the fleet maintaining its bow-aligned formation toward the Swarm, the Daqi warships made no effort to evade the barrage of energy beams.


    Diallo¡¯s gship shuddered violently under the assault. Though still venting his frustrations, Diallo¡¯s years of military experience had prompted him to brace for impact in advance. Aslit, standing behind him, also emerged unscathed from the shockwave.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Diallo cursed. ¡°Doria, Chisaya¡ªadvance and assess gship damage. Report fleet casualties. Shut down the repulsion fields! Lock main cannons on target and fire at full capacity!¡±


    Despite his rage, Diallo forced himself to regainposure and issued a series of swiftmands.


    The Doria and Chisaya, heavily armored escort ships slightly smaller than the gship, were tasked with shielding it and absorbing damage in its ce.


    Repulsion fields, while effective against physical projectiles, offered no protection against energy beams. With the Swarm shifting its attack strategy, keeping the fields active would only waste energy.

 Chapter 353: Retreat

    Two minutester, the Swarm¡¯s energy cannons began charging. Primordial bodies equipped with Atomic Furnaces were among the fastest to reach full power, despite requiring greater energy for theirrger-caliber weapons.


    Following them, the lower-tier units charged at varying speeds due to differences in weapon size, proximity to energy sources, and other factors.


    ¡°Fire!¡± Sarah Kerriganmanded decisively as soon as over 80% of the units hadpleted their charge. While theck of standardized equipment was both a strength and a weakness, there was no time to wait for the remaining units.


    Thanks to the data gathered from the first volley, the second strike, though slightly smaller in number, was far more precise and devastating.


    More than sixty Daqi warships were destroyed outright, and nearly a hundred others were disabled.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± Diallo roared in disbelief upon receiving thetest damage report.


    He had assumed theckluster performance of the Swarm¡¯s first volley was due to outdated energy weapon technology, resulting in weak firepower and poor uracy. Confident in this misjudgment, he had ordered his fleet to rely on the reactive armor on their right-front side to tank the second attack.


    In reality, the first volley¡¯s shorings were due to the Swarm¡¯s inexperience in coordinating such arge-scale, long-range assault. Their improved uracy in the second strike shattered Diallo¡¯s assumptions.


    His decision to expose the fleet¡¯s right nk, where the reactive armor was thinner, inadvertently revealed vulnerable enginepartments. While the exposure angle was small, the concentrated barrage magnified this weakness, leading to catastrophic losses.¡°Full power! Increase distance immediately!¡± Diallo shouted, running his hands through his hair in frustration.


    ¡°What about the personnel on the disabled ships, Your Highness?¡± Aslit asked cautiously.


    ¡°Mark a coordinate along our inbound route and send it to them. They¡¯ll have to evacuate on their own! We can¡¯t afford to stay here any longer, or the losses will only grow!¡± Diallo barked.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Understood, Your Highness.¡± Aslit sighed inwardly.


    She knew the grim reality. In the current battlefield conditions, attempting to escape in lifeboats or escape pods was nearly suicidal. Sending those left behind to retreat on their own was tantamount to abandoning them to their deaths.


    Yet she also understood the harsh truth behind Diallo¡¯s order. Rescuing the personnel from over a hundred disabled ships would take hours¡ªtime the Swarm could use tounch hundreds more volleys. Staying would onlypound their losses and risk the annihtion of the entire fleet.


    ¡°No, wait¡ªAslit, I¡¯ve reconsidered. Order them to abandon their ships and head toward the Riken defensive line!¡± Diallo suddenly amended his instructions.


    Aslit pondered this shift for a moment before understanding his reasoning. Though this was not the Daqi¡¯s home turf, and the Swarm was a formidable opponent, the Rikens were a far easier target to manipte.


    By sending the stranded personnel toward the Riken lines, the Swarm would face a dilemma. If they pursued, it would divert their forces toward the Rikens, potentially drawing them into the conflict and alleviating pressure on the main Daqi fleet.


    If the Swarm chose not to pursue, the Rikens¡ªafter witnessing the Daqi fleet¡¯s technological prowess¡ªwould likely not dare to obstruct the fleeing personnel. They might even feelpelled to provide aid.


    In either scenario, the Daqi stood to gain more than they lost.


    Red energy beams streaked across the void as the Daqi fleet fired a third salvo before elerating and retreating in a curved trajectory, keeping their ship bows angled toward the Swarm forces. Their maneuver gradually took them farther from the battlefield.


    Because of Diallo¡¯s misced confidence, the fleet had advanced dangerously close, a distance that in spacebat terms was akin to melee range. At this proximity, it was nearly impossible for the slower side to disengage. However, the Daqi fleet, with its speed advantage, still had a chance to escape.


    Directly turning their ships around and retreating head-on was out of the question. Such a move would expose their vulnerable rear propulsion systems to the Swarm¡¯s firepower, which at this range would amount to suicide.


    Instead, the Daqi ships relied on the reactive armor at their bows to absorb iing fire. They retreated diagonally, using both forward and side propulsion shields to move away more quickly than a straight backward withdrawal.


    At the Izumo battlefield, the number of Swarm units capable of operating energy cannons was rtively limited. Even under optimal conditions, there were about 10,000batants equipped for this purpose, each outfitted with two main cannons, for a total of approximately 20,000 energy weapons.


    By contrast, the Daqi fleet, while numbering just over 2,000 warships, had far more firepower. Each warship boasted at least eight main cannons, and Diallo¡¯s gship alone was armed with 16. The Daqi¡¯s total weapon count easily rivaled, if not exceeded, the Swarm¡¯s.


    Moreover, the Daqi had a slight technological edge in energy weapon design, supplemented by superior systems integration, operational experience, and faster recharge and firing rates. While the Swarm¡¯s two salvos had inflicted significant damage, destroying over 10% of the Daqi fleet, the Daqi¡¯s three volleys had achieved even greater results.


    If the battle continued as a direct slugfest, the Swarm¡¯s Izumo base was likely to be wiped out.


    Yet Diallo didn¡¯t dare to pursue such an oue. Even if he could annihte the Swarm¡¯s Izumo forces, his fleet would suffer devastating losses.


    With no reinforcements avable more than 10 light-years away from his home territory, and with Swarm reinforcements from the near-ster base arriving in just five hours, any prolonged engagement would leave his fleet stranded and eventually overwhelmed by the growing Swarm tide.


    No matter the cost, Diallo was determined to create distance. Distance was the key to leveraging their technological advantage. Only by pulling away could he regain the upper hand and a chance to turn the tide.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Your Majesty, they¡¯re attempting to retreat,¡± a de reported.


    ¡°Hmm, I see. Theirmander seems to be a decisive one,¡± Sarah remarked, nodding slightly. Her expression remained unreadable as she narrowed her eyes in thought.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the personnel from the disabled ships appear to be heading toward the Riken defensive line. How should we respond?¡±


    ¡°Leave them be for now. Let the Rikens take care of them and glean information about their origins. Whatever the Rikens uncover will be more than what we know now.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s our current battle damage?¡±


    ¡°972 Primordial bodies have exited thebat sequence, and 2,243 have sustained severe injuries but can continue fighting after emergency repairs.¡±


    ¡°Not bad. Prioritize data collection. At this stage, casualties don¡¯t matter. Divert energy to weapon systems and capitalize on their disengagement to maximize our gains.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

 Chapter 355: Oversight

    ¡°Target the remaining mobile Swarm units and eliminate them first!¡± Diallo ordered as the Daqi fleet continued its spiraling retreat from Izumo.


    With the Swarm¡¯s Primordial bodies increasingly reduced to stationary defensive turrets, fewer of them had the firing angles necessary to maintain pressure on the retreating fleet.


    Still, before losing their functionality entirely, many of them pushed their limits. By overloading their cellr structures and destroying their weapon mechanisms in the process, they achieved a final burst of firepower.


    By this stage of the battle, over 800 Daqi warships had been left behind on the front lines. Among these, more than 300 werepletely destroyed, while the rest were disabled and unable to follow the fleet¡¯s retreat.


    Initially, the Daqi had attempted to rescue some of their strandedrades. However, once the fleet began withdrawing in earnest, small vessels and escape pods from the disabled ships began heading toward the Riken Twin Star Defensive Zone instead.


    This retreat was far from orderly. Diallo¡¯s fleet, which had made space for the Crimson Kiss missiles by partially clearing out their drone bays, still carried a significant number of drones¡ªabout 500 per warship.


    The Daqi drones were elliptical and t, resembling an erged first-generation Swarm Combat Beetle. Measuring 5 meters in length, 3 meters in width, and 2 meters in height, they were designed to be storedpactly. The drones were slotted into racks within their hangars, looking like rows of oversized USB drives.


    Even after amodating the bulky Crimson Kiss missiles, each warship retained room for over 500 drones.


    The primary role of these drones was breaching and harassment. Armed with two small energy cannons concealed on either side of their chassis, the drones posed little threat to the reactive armor of enemy warships. However, theirpact size allowed them to exploit gaps, targeting exposedponents such as radar arrays, main and secondary turrets, and even prating hangar bays to wreak havoc inside enemy ships.Against the Swarm, however, Diallo had refrained from deploying the drones early in the battle. He knew from his research that the Swarm excelled at close-quartersbat. Sending out the drones would have been futile, serving only to inte the Swarm¡¯s kill count.


    However, whilepletely destroyed warships lost their drones, those left behind due to mobility issues often still had functioning drone bays. Before triggering self-destruction protocols, the Daqi ensured their drones were evacuated.


    Since these drones might still prove usefulter, they couldn¡¯t be sent to the Rikens along with the escape pods. This created an unusual scene on the battlefield.


    From the disabled Daqi warships emerged two distinct groups of craft. Escape pods and small vessels headed for the Twin Star Defensive Zone, while swarms of drones flew back toward the main fleet, seeking refuge in the now partially emptied hangars.


    As the number of disabled warships grew, the scale of these dual evacuations increased dramatically. By the end, the flow of craft was almost overwhelming.


    While the Rikens had ample capacity to amodate iing escape pods, the Daqi fleet¡¯s hangars quickly filled up. Compounding the issue, several warships that had taken in drones were themselves destroyed shortly afterward. The crowded hangars became a liability, furtherplicating retreat operations.


    Eventually, the Daqi were forced to halt drone recoveries entirely. Newly arriving drone swarms were redirected to linger behind the retreating fleet, clustered in vulnerable formations.


    As disposable assets, the drones had minimal protective armor. Against the Swarm¡¯s high-pration energy weapons, they couldn¡¯t even serve as effective shields. Had they been suitable for such a role, Diallo would have deployed them to block iing fire long ago. Instead, they were left to trail behind, waiting for their next opportunity to contribute.


    After two more rounds of volley exchanges, the Daqi fleet left behind over 50 additional warships. However, they finally managed to shake off most of the immobilized Primordial bodies. Only about 2,000 remained in pursuit, sluggishly adjusting their orbital positions to keep pace with the Daqi fleet¡¯s maneuvers.


    At this point, these remaining Primordial bodies posed little threat. The Daqi fleet still had over 1,300 warships, collectively outweighing the Primordial bodies by several dozen times and outnumbering their main cannons by multiples. Destroying the remnants was merely a matter of time.


    The Primordial bodies seemed to understand their grim fate. They began overloading their weapon systems, seeking to maximize their attacks in their final moments.


    ¡°Fire at will! Finish them off quickly! Begin loading the drones into the hangars¡ªdon¡¯t waste any more time!¡± Diallo finally exhaled in relief.


    The reckless charge had been costly, but as long as they broke through, there was still hope for a turnaround. If necessary, he could even request reinforcements from the Empire. He had no aspirations of bing king and was prepared to relinquish hismand upon returning. A quiet title as a prince was far more appealing than pursuing hollow military achievements.


    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± Aslit replied.


    This was a battle of unequal firepower, evident from the overwhelming volume of energy beams emanating from the Daqi fleetpared to the Swarm¡¯s output. The remaining Primordial bodies capable of firing dwindled rapidly, soon dropping below 1,000. Meanwhile, they had managed to destroy fewer than ten Daqi warships¡ªan abysmal performance.


    The poor results were due to the Daqi warships¡¯ tactical adaptability. Their firepower density had declined significantly, and unless a single volley could overwhelm a warship entirely, the Daqi vessels were able to reposition and rotate different sections of reactive armor to absorb subsequent attacks.


    ¡°Adjust heading! Preheat the main engines! Activate the repulsion fields! Leave the remaining Swarm units behind¡ªwe¡¯re retreating!¡± Diallomanded sharply.


    Though the battle was nearing a decisive victory, an ominous feeling gnawed at him. Something critical seemed forgotten, just out of reach in his thoughts.


    Whatever it was, it was better to retreat now than to risk lingering on the battlefield. The fewer than 1,000 remaining Primordial bodies were insignificant to therger picture.


    Suddenly, a shrill rm pierced the air, its rhythmic beep-beep-beep cutting through themotion.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Diallo demanded.@@novelbin@@


    Aslit quickly reviewed the iing data. ¡°Your Highness, energy umtion detected on Izumo! Based on the readings, it¡¯s the Swarm¡¯s electromaic cannons!¡±


    ¡°Damn it! Forget the formation¡ªscatter! Don¡¯t block each other¡¯s paths! Everyone retreat on their own! Regroup at 157 degrees, 50 million kilometers out!¡± Diallo barked out the emergency orders.


    At that moment, he realized what he had overlooked.


    While the Daqi fleet had neutralized the Swarm¡¯s front-facing defenses with their Crimson Kiss missiles, the Swarm¡¯sary defensive emcements were distributed across the entire surface of Izumo. Though they had escaped the firing arcs of the forward-positioned Primordial bodies, they had unwittingly drifted into the range of theary defenses on the opposite side.


    While their repulsion fields were effective counters against electromaic cannons, the warships were currently oriented incorrectly. Having pivoted their vessels to prepare for a retreat, the repulsion fields no longer covered their exposed sides and rear. Reorienting their ships to protect against the threat would be time-consuming and leave them vulnerable.


    Diallo cursed inwardly, feeling the urge to bang his head against the console. If he had known this would happen, he would have risked pushing through the diminished firepower of the remaining Primordial bodies rather than facing this new predicament.


    This would have been better than the current situation.

 Chapter 357: Abandoning Ship

    At this moment, the Daqi Fleet hadpleted its turnaround. The repulsion fields at the bow opened, while the primary thrusters at the stern surged to higher power levels, emitting energy streams over a hundred meters long.


    The fleet began elerating. By the time the swarm¡¯s electromaic railguns were recharged, the fleet might already be out of their effective range.


    Fate, however, has a cruel sense of humor.


    The drone swarm and wreckage served as near-perfect shields, yet a few electromaic projectiles still broke through theyered obstacles and struck Daqi warships. Though these impacts often deviated from their original targets, their effects were no less devastating.


    Prince Diallo¡¯s gship, which had led the charge at the front during the initial assault, now found itself at the rear of the retreat. One electromaic projectile, its trajectory altered by multiple collisions, veered off course and struck the gship¡¯s left main thruster housing at an unusually sharp angle, breaching its defenses and causing some damage to the exhaust port.


    Initially, the damage could have been repaired with minimal effort. Unfortunately, this coincided with the thruster increasing its output, amplifying the damage to the exhaust port and triggering a series of chain reactions.


    Ultimately, the entire left thruster exploded. The st not only destroyed several adjacentpartments and auxiliary thrusters but also disrupted the central main thruster¡¯s circuitry. While it didn¡¯t detonate, the central thruster¡¯s power output could no longer be increased and eventually shut down entirely.


    The remaining right thruster, operating at full power, caused the gship to swerve violently due to the sudden imbnce.


    The violent shockwave from the left thruster¡¯s explosion threw both Prince Diallo and Aslit to the ground. By the time they scrambled to their feet, still shaken, the bad news arrived.¡°Damn it!¡± Diallo cursed furiously. ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Your Highness, the left main thruster ispletely destroyed. Given the equipment we have on board, it¡¯s nearly impossible to repair it independently. The central thruster¡¯s issues are primarily with its wiring, but repairs would require the ship to remain stationary and powered down. Additionally, several auxiliary thrusters have sustained varying degrees of damage,¡± Aslit reported after quickly gathering the information.


    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Diallo asked grimly.


    ¡°Approximately¡­ approximately two days,¡± Aslit replied hesitantly.


    ¡°Hah.¡± Diallo let out a bitterugh.


    Among the fleet, only about a dozen warships had suffered severe damage from two rounds of the swarm¡¯s railgun salvos, and yet his gship was among them. It was infuriating.


    ¡°Can we escape using just the right thruster?¡±


    ¡°It will be difficult,¡± Aslit said, her voice tinged with unease as she noticed Diallo¡¯s menacing expression. ¡°If the other sections of the stern were intact, we could potentially keep up with the fleet using only the right thruster. But now that the entire left side of the stern is destroyed, the ship¡¯s structural integrity has beenpromised. Forcing the right thruster to operate at full power could result in catastrophic chain reactions¡­¡±


    ¡°Huff¡­ huff¡­ huff¡­¡± Diallo took several deep breaths, trying to suppress his frustration. ¡°Abandon ship! Transfer everyone to the Doria immediately!¡±


    Prince Diallo acted decisively, though he had little choice.@@novelbin@@


    Having already issued the order for independent disengagement, the other warships, once their trajectories were adjusted and flight paths recalcted, wasted no time. They powered up and surged away without hesitation. Even those that noticed the gship¡¯s damage stuck to the original orders, proceeding as nned in the absence of further instructions.


    Diallo could have overridden his previousmand, ordering the fleet to stay and cover the gship. However, slowing the fleet to match the gship¡¯spromised speed would likely subject the entire formation to several additional salvos from the swarm¡¯s railguns.


    Even if they managed to escape the electromaic railguns¡¯ effective range, the swarm¡¯s reinforcements would likely arrive by then. If not, the swarm could still pursue them, closing the gap with ease. Once pinned down, the endless tide of the swarm would grind them into oblivion.


    Rather than face such a dire scenario, Diallo considered revealing his identity. He believed that if he exposed who he was, the battle would end immediately. No matter how bold the swarm was, they would weigh the consequences carefully. He represented a force they could not afford to provoke.


    Yet doing so after suffering such a humiliating defeat would weaken his position in subsequent negotiations. It would make him appear desperate, unable to stand his ground, diminishing his stature in the swarm¡¯s eyes.


    Worse, it would make him aughingstock throughout the Confederation and even tarnish the reputation of the Daqi species.


    In the history of the Confederation, no veteran civilization had ever been humiliated by a ¡°neer¡± they were meant to integrate into their ranks. Diallo¡¯s defeat at the hands of the swarm would be an unprecedented disgrace.


    Unwilling to ept such an oue, Diallo steeled himself. He resolved to avoid revealing his identity unless all other options were exhausted.


    In fairness, his frustration was understandable. Had it been a typical ¡°neer,¡± like the Rikens, their famed three fleets and Twin Star Defensive Zone would have been annihted in the first volley of Crimson Kisses.


    Without a mobile force to defend their homeworld¡¯s fixed defenses, those instations wouldn¡¯t even warrant the expenditure of additional missiles. Energy weapons, with their superior performance, could systematically obliterate such fortifications from a safe distance.


    Once their defenses werepletely dismantled, the Rikens would have been at Diallo¡¯s mercy. Unfortunately for him, he faced the swarm¡ªa relentless, overpowered adversary.


    With no better alternative, Diallo made the hard decision to abandon his gship.


    The two escort ships, the Doria and the Chisaya, were his only viable options. The Chisaya, having shielded the gship earlier, had sustained damage to its forward-right bow, including the loss of its reactive armor. Smoke asionally leaked from its sealedpartments. The Doria, on the other hand, remained unscathed, making it the obvious choice for the transfer.


    The transfer itself proceeded smoothly. The swarm¡¯s railguns were still recharging, and the Laser-Eye Bugscked the range to threaten the operation. Under the protection of his escort team, Diallo and Aslit boarded a small, dedicated transport and crossed the void to the Doria in under 30 seconds.


    Meanwhile, the gship¡¯s artificial intelligence hadpleted its upload, transferring full control to the Doria.


    A scenario like this¡ªabandoning the gship¡ªwas covered by contingency ns in any advanced civilization¡¯s military doctrine. Thus, the process unfolded with remarkable orderliness, devoid of chaos.


    Once Diallo was safely aboard, smaller transport crafts began ferrying personnel from the gship¡¯s variouspartments to nearby warships. Within just over ten minutes, more than 5,000 Daqi crew members had been evacuated. This urred despite enduring another salvo from the swarm.


    Fortunately, the earlier nuclear explosions had severely disrupted the swarm¡¯s reconnaissance capabilities. Unaware that the Daqi Fleet had been reduced to just over a dozen stationary warships, the swarm relied on predictive targeting, firing based on past fleet behavior.


    This miscalction caused over 99% of the projectiles to miss entirely. The few that did align correctly were intercepted by wreckage and drones, achieving little.


    Atst, the remaining warships powered up and elerated away from the battlefield. Behind them, the abandoned gship erupted into a massive fireball, marking the end of its service.

 Chapter 359: A Classic Swarm Move

    A 300 meter mature Space Octopus could not withstand the firepower of over twenty main cannons.


    Despite curling its most durable tentacles in front of its body to serve as a shield, a single volley left it riddled with over a dozen gaping wounds, each over a meter wide. Among them, seven or eight shotspletely pierced through its body.


    However, a weakness of energy beam weapons became apparent at this moment.


    The beams¡¯ high pration meant they transferred very little kic energy to the target upon impact.


    As a result, while the mature Space Octopus was severely injured, its momentum remained almost unaffected as it barreled toward the Daqi warships.


    ¡°Switch to burst energy mode!¡± Prince Diallo ordered urgently. Burst energy mode traded pration for explosive force, making it more effective at halting an advancing target.


    Diallo had a gut feeling. Though this mature form seemed unimpressive, the swarm would not haveunched it without good reason¡ªit must have some unique abilities.


    Unfortunately, the main cannons required time to recharge, and the mature form, propelled by the megastructure, was closing the distance at high speed. Before the second volley in burst mode could fire, the Space Octopus was already upon them.


    Its tightly curled tentacles suddenly unfurled. Though many were mangled or missing, the remaining ones iled wildly, exuding a ferocious energy.From the nozzle on its underside, blue electric arcs flickered as its sma propulsion organ fired at full power. However, instead of elerating, it was using the propulsion to decelerate.


    Even so, the output of the mature form¡¯s propulsion organ was no match for the megastructure that hadunched it. Overloaded, it still mmed into the rear of a 1,600-meter-ss standard warship at an rming speed.


    The massive impact instantly knocked out one of the warship¡¯s main thrusters, causing the vessel to lurch violently. Inside, Daqi crew members stumbled and fell.@@novelbin@@


    The hardnding wasn¡¯t kind to the Space Octopus either. Already battered from the earlier barrage, parts of its body were pulverized into unrecognizable mush. However, thanks to its soft, cartge-based anatomy, much of the force was absorbed.


    Despite its grievous injuries, the mature form clung stubbornly to the warship. Its back split open, revealing a gaping cavity from which numerous smaller creatures began pouring out.


    These were smaller mature bodies andrval bodies, ranging in size from 100 meters to as little as 7 or 8 meters. Upon emerging, they dispersed rapidly, attacking various sections of the warship.


    ¡°Activate theser defense array and close-in defense cannons!¡± Diallo ordered swiftly, fully aware of the threat these creatures posed.


    Hidden hatches on the warship opened, deployingser turrets and close-in defense cannons. Thetter were fairly standard, but thepact, ship-mountedser turrets were particrly eye-catching.


    The Rikens, who had been observing the spectacle, watched with envy. They had always believed that possessing such technology would enable them to counter the swarm¡¯s electromaic railguns and achieve victory. However, seeing the Daqi¡ªequipped with repulsion fields andser turrets¡ªbeing driven to desperation by the swarm shattered those illusions.


    Countless small energy beams streaked across the void, interwoven with redser threads that shed in all directions, creating a dazzling light show. The visual effects were spectacr, and the atmosphere was intense.


    However, the effectiveness of the Daqi¡¯s close-in defense systems left much to be desired.


    The energy beams fired by the close-in defense cannons were too small in caliber to effectively damage the swarm¡¯s bio-armor, which was bolstered with resistance-enhancing buffs.


    Againstrval bodies, they proved somewhat effective, but against mature Space Octopuses, the beams could only create small bloody craters on their surface¡ªmere superficial wounds for such creatures.


    Meanwhile, the effectiveness of the miniaturizedser emitters was even more disappointing. Ever since the Rikens developedser weapons, Luo Wen had implemented a minor upgrade to the swarm¡¯s bio-armor.


    Back during Luo Wen¡¯s exploits on the Genesis, he had a signature skill that earned him both fame and the ire of countless native creatures¡ªOptical Camouge.


    This ability functioned by utilizing nanoscale crystal particles embedded in the armor to reflect light identical to the surrounding environment, effectively allowing the user to blend in seamlessly.


    Sincesers, at their core, are concentrated beams of light, they were inherently countered by this mechanism. Luo Wen¡¯s upgrade involved thickening the nanoscale crystal particleyer within the bio-armor, enabling it to endure higher-powerser attacks.


    Beyond this enhancement, no other changes were made, so the update qualified as a minor version upgrade.


    This nanoscale crystalyer created a reflective surface when exposed toser strikes, achieving a reflectivity of over 95%. Againstrge-scale ground-basedser emcements, the residual 5% of light energy converted into heat might still scorch through a mature form¡¯s crystalyer defense. However, the diminutive power of the ship-mountedser emitters was simply insufficient.


    This led to a surreal scene witnessed by the Rikens and others on the observation screens. A thin redser beam locked onto an 80-meter-ss mature Space Octopus. Despite the beam traveling at near-light speed, leaving the target no time to evade, the result was anticlimactic. Other than a faint ckened scorch mark on the octopus¡¯s bio-armor, there was no discernible damage.


    ¡°Damn it! Another undocumented ability!¡± Prince Diallo cursed once more. Such uncharacteristic outbursts were rare for the third prince, who had been rigorously trained in noble etiquette since childhood.


    Frustrated, Diallo ran his hands through his hair, pulling out several strands in the process. A nagging suspicion crept into his mind, had he unwittingly offended someone influential? Was this a deliberate setup?


    In his view, the Suzerain had always been unfathomably powerful. Yet, the intelligence they provided was riddled with critical oversights.


    It seemed imusible that such a young and seemingly peculiar interster civilization could so thoroughly conceal its capabilities from the Suzerain¡¯s scrutiny.


    The more he thought about it, the more deliberate targeting seemed like the likelier exnation.


    But there was no time to dwell on such thoughts. Outside, the Space Octopuses were wreaking havoc with reckless abandon.


    Although the spacefaring age had rendered meleebat seemingly obsolete, especially in the face of massive firepower, the swarm¡¯s unique biology¡ªand the entric preferences of a certain Overlord¡ªensured that close-quartersbat not only endured but had been upgraded several times. It simply hadn¡¯t found a fitting stage for its disy¡ªuntil now.


    The stage was set, and Luo-style Combat Techniques were making a grand return.


    A close-in defense cannon swiveled, pouring out a torrent of firepower. Its rapid-fire mechanism unleashed a dense rain of light, saturating the void as it targeted a Space Octopus. Each unit boasted 164 mini-barrels, capable of firing tens of thousands of rounds per minute.


    But just as the barrage reached its peak, a tentacle suddenly extended from the cannon¡¯s blind spot, wrapping around its base. Another tentacle followed, coiling tightly and locking the cannon¡¯s rotation mechanism, rendering it unable to counterattack.


    The octopus then anchored itself to the ship with additional tentacles. Using its entire body, it exerted immense force. Blue electric arcs crackled along its appendages, while its sma propulsion organ expelled streams of energy for added torque.


    Luo-style Combat Technique: Pulling the Radish!


    Under the immense strain, the close-in defense cannon¡¯s support struts gave way, snapping apart.


    With its power supply and circuitry severed, the cannon dimmed. Its once-zing barrels, glowing red-hot, gradually cooled and faded back to a lifeless ck.

 Chapter 361: Failure

    Bad news arrived one after another, leaving Prince Diallo¡¯s dark red, magma-like face looking as though it had cooled to a dark green. But reality was indifferent to his growing despair.


    The second mature Space Octopus, though damaged, was far less injured than its predecessor. Even after unloading all its ¡°passengers,¡± it retained considerable mobility.


    The destructive potential of a 300 meter mature form in closebat far exceeded that of its smaller counterparts, including the 70 to 80 meter bodies and therval bodies under 20 meters.


    Its nearly 200 meter long tentacles, crackling with blue electric arcs, swept across the ship¡¯s surface with devastating efficiency. A single strike could clear away clusters of defensive weapons protruding from the hull without needing to resort to techniques like ¡°Pulling the Radish.¡±


    This maneuver was instead the Luo-style Combat Technique: Sweeping Heaven and Earth¡ªa grandiose name for a simple yet effective move. The only requirement? A bodyrge enough and tentacles long enough to execute it.


    The rampage of the Space Octopus as it coiled and thrashed about the ship evoked imagery of deep-sea leviathans attacking cruise ships in old movies.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Full engines! Get us out of here at maximum speed!¡± Diallo roared.


    ¡°Your Highness, with the repulsion field, main and secondary cannons,ser defense array, and close-in defense systems all active, we don¡¯t have enough energy for full engine power,¡± Aslit reminded him quietly.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Diallo cursed, the harshness of his words automatically censored by the trantion systems. ¡°Deactivate the repulsion field! Shut down theser defense array!¡±These systems were among thergest energy drains, and theser defense array had already proven ineffective against the swarm¡¯s bio-armor. Disabling it was a logical choice.


    However, deactivating the repulsion field posed significant risks. In theplex environment of a star system, even traveling at a fraction of light speed was perilous. At one-twentieth the speed of light, let alone half that, a single obstacle could lead to catastrophic destruction.


    ¡°But that would still leave us vulnerable,¡± Aslit protested cautiously.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! We need to get moving. The reactive armor can handle low-intensity collisions. Once we¡¯ve gained some distance, we¡¯ll have more time to react. At that point, whether we fight or retreat, we¡¯ll have the advantage. Now redirect any main cannons without a firing angle to clear the path ahead!¡±


    With sufficient energy redirected to the engines, they roared to life at full capacity. The propulsion systems emitted increasingly powerful streams of energy.


    Warships, unlike missiles, required a brief eleration phase to reach their maximum speeds. At full thrust, the interster engines could bring the ship to 1% of the speed of light within moments and, over billions of kilometers, push it past the halfway mark to 50% of light speed.


    Diallo, however, needed only the initial burst of velocity. Even that brief window of eleration, taking just thirty seconds, would allow the ship to put tens of thousands of kilometers between itself and its attackers, giving him the breathing room to regain control of the situation.


    The swarm, well aware of the consequences of letting their prey escape, quickly reacted. If the Daqi fleet managed to pull away here, the swarmcking a speed advantage in the vastness of space¡ªwould likely lose its chance to destroy them. The prospect of dealing with gueri tactics from a dispersed enemy was an infuriating one.


    Suddenly, the 300 meter mature form froze in ce. Its tentacles retracted quickly, pressing against the ship it clung to as its bodypacted. Blue electric arcs erupted across its entire form, and the air seemed to grow heavy with the scent of burning ozone.


    In a sh, the Space Octopus pushed off the warship with tremendous force, springing forward like a coiled spring released. The recoil was so intense that the stricken warship was jolted out of position.


    Simultaneously, its sma propulsion organ fired up, creating a double eleration effect as it hurtled toward the Doria.


    The swarm had not missed the earlier transfer of personnel after the gship¡¯s destruction. All the small craft had been relocated to the Doria. Though the swarm¡¯s creatures couldn¡¯t distinguish between gships and escorts, they could infer from the ship¡¯s size and the activity around it that it was a high-value target.


    At such a critical moment, where the swarm could only drag one warship into the fray, the Doria naturally became the target.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Diallo¡¯s voice cracked under the strain. The blood vessels in his three eyes swelled to bursting, radiating a mixture of malice, frustration, disbelief, and fear.


    Realistically, they were already struggling to fend off mature bodies under 100 meters in size at this range¡ªlet alone a 300 meter behemoth.


    In mid-air, the mature Space Octopus poised itself, extending two massive, 200 meter long tentacles crackling with electricity. The limbs mmed down heavily onto the Doria, unleashing a tremendous impact that sent Diallo and the other Daqi crew flying. Even the control consoles erupted with sparks from the force of the blow.


    The recoil, however, wasn¡¯t kind to the mature form. Despite the electromaic fields protecting its tentacles, the force tore through flesh and muscle, leaving both limbs mangled and temporarily out ofmission. But with over a dozen remaining tentacles, losing two hardly mattered. After some recuperation¡ªperhaps basking in sunlight¡ªit could regrow them without issue.


    This brutal strike was a foundational move in the Luo-style Combat Techniques: Face-smashing hammer strike¡ªalbeit adapted for tentacles instead of ws. The technique¡¯s essence remained intact, amplified here by the sheer scale and power of the Space Octopus.


    While the move didn¡¯tnd directly on Diallo¡¯s face, its reverberations stunned him as though it had. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he opened his mouth to speak, only for the ship to lurch violently again.


    ¡°Damn it! What now?!¡± Diallo bellowed.


    Aslit, thrown to the floor by the repeated impacts, hurriedly checked the systems and reported, ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s the third octopus¡ªit destroyed our right main thruster.¡±


    The Daqi, unfamiliar with the swarm¡¯s internal nomenture, referred to these creatures by the Riken name, ¡°Octopus Freaks.¡±


    ¡°Damn it all!¡± Diallo cursed again. ¡°Forget them! Just keep moving! Go as far as we can!¡±


    Despite the relentless assaults, Diallo retained hisposure. He knew that lingering here would only invite more of these abominable creatures.


    The swarm¡¯s strategy was tantly unfair: turning melee-capable ¡°tanks¡± into assassins that closed in on fragile targets. The only viable strategy was to retreat, widen the distance, and cut off reinforcements before addressing the situationter.


    But Diallo¡¯s n was overly optimistic.


    The Doria was already pinned down by two 300 meter mature bodies, each clinging to opposite sides of the ship. The third mature form had unleashed a torrent of smaller bodies andrvae, while the fourth was almost upon them, and the fifth was already en route.


    In this scenario, Diallo¡¯s confidence seemed misced. Other warships might escape, but the Doria was doomed.


    The two massive mature bodies prioritized destroying the ship¡¯s propulsion systems. One by one, they targeted the left main thruster and central main thruster at the stern, inflicting catastrophic damage. Though the ensuing explosions severely wounded the attacking creatures, they seeded in their mission.


    The Doria was crippled.


    The chain reaction from the explosions of the three main thrusters ignited a raging inferno in the ship¡¯s rear sections. Although the onboard AI immediately sealed off the affectedpartments, the fire continued to spread, damaging critical systems and wreaking havoc on electrical circuits.


    The Doria¡¯s fate was sealed; itsplete destruction was only a matter of time.

 Chapter 363: Evacuation?

    Reality, as ever, was harsh and unsympathetic to Prince Diallo.


    ¡°Your Highness, energy umtion detected from the direction of Izumo!¡± Aslit reported urgently, just as Diallo stepped onto the transport vehicle.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Diallo demanded.


    ¡°It¡¯s the swarm¡¯s ground-based electromaic railguns!¡± Aslit eximed.


    Diallo immediately grasped the situation. Earlier, the concentrated detonation of tactical nuclear warheads hadn¡¯t destroyed the swarm¡¯s terrestrial weaponry. However, the apanying light shes and electromaic pulses had temporarily blinded their fire-control systems.


    But the effects of the nuclear sts were fleeting. After this lengthy dy, the swarm¡¯s fire-control radars had recalibrated and recovered. The railguns were ready to fire once again.


    ¡°Order all warships except the Chisaya, DX12475, DX12490, and DX12497 to turn their bows to face Izumo. Activateser defense arrays and repulsion fields, and form a defensive barrier at the front,¡± Diallo instructed calmly.


    Given the circumstances, escape was no longer an option. A steady defense, buying time for the fleet¡¯s return, was the best course of action.


    The Daqi¡¯s execution of orders was impable. Since the onset of the battle, even seemingly suicidalmands had been carried out without hesitation.The massive 1,600 meter warships, assisted by their side thrusters, adjusted their positions swiftly. Electromaic projectiles, slower than energy beams, gave the Daqi ships just enough time to reach their designated defensive positions before the first wave arrived.


    Turning toward Izumo meant these warships temporarily forfeited any chance of retreat. Energy meant for their engines was redirected to power theser defense arrays and repulsion fields.


    The repulsion fields proved to be the bane of the electromaic projectiles. Although their operation consumed enormous amounts of energy, any ship positioned behind an active repulsion field was virtually invincible.


    These warships managed to intercept almost every projectile aimed at the Doria and its apanying vessels. The few projectiles that slipped past the repulsion fields were swiftly neutralized by theser defense arrays, which were specifically designed for countering electromaic projectiles and iing aircraft.


    However, defending against thousands of railguns was no small feat. While the repulsion fields held, the warships¡¯ otherponents were less indestructible.


    After just one railgun volley, two of the defensive warships experienced catastrophic power system failures from the energy overload. Their forward repulsion fields flickered and vanished.


    Still, the warships had bought precious time. Charging the railguns and the flight time of their projectiles provided a crucial window of opportunity.


    Several side hatches on the Doria suddenly opened, releasing a swarm of small transport vehicles. They divided into four groups and flew toward the surrounding warships. Simultaneously, the Chisaya and the other three ships opened their own hatches, preparing to receive the evacuees.@@novelbin@@


    The swarm, of course, would not sit idly by and watch the Daqi evacuate. The few remaining small mature andrval bodies lunged at the transports. But at the same time, the Daqi dronesunched an all-out frenzy, throwing themselves at the attackers with reckless abandon.


    One 10 meterrval body had barely leapt into the air before over ten drones locked onto it, mming into it mid-flight and reducing it to a pulp.


    A 30 meter mature Space Octopus had justtched onto an escape vehicle when over twenty drones mmed into it without hesitation, destroying both the octopus and the Daqi transport in a fiery explosion.


    Seeing their smaller brethren faltering, the four 300 meter mature bodies abandoned their efforts to dismantle the Doria¡¯smand tower. Instead, they turned their attention toward the fleeing escape vehicles.


    These mature bodies had refrained from attacking the surrounding warships earlier, knowing the Doria housed an important figure among the Daqi. However, with Prince Diallo now evacuating, the Doria had lost its strategic value.


    For the Daqi, the Doria without Diallo was equally expendable. As the 300 meter mature bodies began to pivot, the main and secondary cannons of the surrounding four warships opened fire.


    At such close range, even 300 meter mature bodies stood no chance against dozens of main cannons and hundreds of secondary weapons concentrating their fire. The mature bodies were instantly shredded, their bodies riddled with prating energy beams.


    The beams, after tearing through the mature bodies, continued their trajectory and struck the Doria, which was directly behind them.


    The Doria, along with the small mature bodies andrval bodies clinging to its hull¡ªand even the remaining Daqi crew still onboard¡ªwas obliterated in the barrage.


    The explosion lit up the void, forming a massive fireball. The force of the st scattered some of the recently deployed escape vehicles, causing chaos.


    While the Daqi lost a single escort ship and several personnel, the destruction of over 90% of the Space Octopuses significantly reduced the immediate threat. The few remaining smaller individuals were no longer a critical danger.


    Allowing these creatures to remain unchecked could have resulted in more ships being whittled down over time. In Diallo¡¯s view, the sacrifice had been worth it.


    ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t be sad. This was the best solution to minimize our losses,¡± Aslit consoled him, noticing the grim, fluctuating expressions on Diallo¡¯s face.


    Diallo didn¡¯t respond. He simply stared into the star-speckled void, lost in thought.


    Meanwhile, the evacuation was still underway. However, the second wave of electromaic railgun salvos was already upon them.


    With two of the defensive warships down, the repulsion field barrier now had critical gaps. More electromaic projectiles slipped through the defenses, overwhelming even theser defense arrays, which couldn¡¯t intercept them all due to sheer numbers.


    A few projectiles struck the ships tasked with retrieving the escape vehicles. Fortunately, their reactive armor absorbed most of the damage, preventing catastrophic destruction.


    But disaster loomed. Under the concentrated bombardment, several defensive warships experienced power system failures from the strain of overloading.


    The sudden copse of repulsion fields left the warships vulnerable, and electromaic projectiles mmed into their exposed hulls.


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    Explosions erupted across the battlefield.


    Armor ting shattered, and the forward sections of several warships were torn apart. Multiple projectiles tore through dozens ofpartments, triggering internal detonations.


    In mere moments, two warships were consumed by mes, while others suffered severe damage. Though their reactive armor managed to shield them from total annihtion, their current state left them defenseless against another volley.


    To make matters worse, at least a thousand small mature bodies andrval bodies began swarming in from both nks.


    These were passengers that had escaped from the 300 meter mature bodies intercepted earlier by drones.


    While therger mature bodies had been stalled, these smaller creatures had slipped free. With the defensive warships severely damaged and the drone reserves nearly exhausted, the Daqi could only watch as the swarm advanced.


    Before they could reach the warships, however, a 300 meter mature body suddenly crashed onto one of the defensive vessels.

 Chapter 366: Terms

    When the Swarm arrived at the Twin Star Defensive Zone, the Rikens, who had nevermunicated with the Swarm before, chose to broadcast indiscriminately to the Swarm forces.


    They used a very euphemistic tone, roughly meaning that for the sake of peace between the two neighbors and to avoid further bloodshed, they were willing to make concessions, and so on¡ªa long-winded speech. The central message, however, was ¡®we surrender¡¯, delivered in the Rikennguage.


    After receiving this message, both sides entered a period of silence. The Swarm forces did not attack, nor did they show any other response, leaving the native Rikens feeling extremely uneasy.


    Several days passed like this. Eventually, the new Riken President, Milton, arrived at the front lines from the home and made a more formal broadcast.


    Thus, in a small, private meeting, the Rikens finally met the legendary ¡°Swarm people¡± for the first time.


    ¡°I knew it! Those octopus freaks aren¡¯t their true forms! This appearance is much more pleasing to the eye,¡± remarked Alcer, gazing at the female Swarm figure engaged in conversation with the President.


    Her slender physique, armored tes covering vital areas, and spiky joints presented a visage both menacing and beautiful¡ªaligning well with the aesthetics favored by the military¡¯s tough personnel.


    As Fleet Commanders of the three main Riken fleets, Alcer and his peers held positions of power and real authority, making them naturally eligible to attend the meeting. The camaraderie they had built during their previous joint operations also drew them together now.


    ¡°Shut it, Alcer. We¡¯re the losers here; we need to stay humble,¡± scolded Hamis.¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I didn¡¯t say anything bad. Besides, we¡¯re so far away that even if I had, she wouldn¡¯t hear it,¡± Alcer said dismissively.


    Yet, just as he finished speaking, the female Swarm figure turned her head and gave him a slight smile.


    Alcer awkwardly raised his ss in acknowledgment.


    When she turned back again, he exchanged nces with the other two and, in tacit agreement, the trio retreated further into a corner of the room.


    ¡°Alcer, you really need to curb that habit of yours¡ªrunning your mouth like that,¡± whispered Novaul.


    ¡°How was I supposed to know they could hear that well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure she heard it.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Nothing concrete, just a feeling. Anyone being stared at by eyes like searchlights would probably sense something.¡±@@novelbin@@


    At that, Hamis and Novaul gave each other a high five andughed out loud.


    Alcer, somewhat flustered and annoyed, chose to deflect. ¡°I think they¡¯re being overly cautious. We¡¯ve been fighting them for so long¡ªwhat, decades now? And only now do we get to see what they really look like. Other than their appearance, we still know absolutely nothing about them. So, who do you think they¡¯re guarding against?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not us! After witnessing thatst battle, it¡¯s clear howughable our strength is now. If the Swarm unleashed their full firepower, one charge would wipe us out.¡±


    ¡°I think they may not be guarding against a specific target. They¡¯re powerful enough to conceal certain things, which makes them seem mysterious and unpredictable. This strategy probably serves to deter potential enemies more effectively.¡±


    The group nodded in agreement. That was indeed a logical conclusion. At the very least, the Daqi Empire would have to think twice before making any rash moves.


    ¡°But their terms are surprisingly lenient¡ªfar beyond what I expected.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If I were in their ce, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d be this magnanimous.¡±


    As the defeated side in a war between civilizations and species, it wouldn¡¯t be iprehensible if the victors chose to exterminate thempletely.


    In their current predicament, where they were like fish on the chopping block, even if the Swarm proposed harsh conditions, as long as it wasn¡¯t total annihtion, the Rikens were prepared to grit their teeth and agree. They had already steeled themselves for this eventuality.


    The Swarm¡¯s conditions stunned the Rikens. First, both sides would maintain their current spheres of influence: the outer edges of the star system would be divided by the Twin Star Defensive Zone, while the inner region would be delineated by Three. The territories within these boundaries would remain under Riken jurisdiction, while territories outside would require further negotiation for passage or development.


    When this condition was first announced, every Riken present at the meeting was dumbfounded.


    Before their surrender, the Rikens had held several internal meetings to establish certain so-called ¡°bottom lines.¡±


    For example, regarding borders, they had anticipated that the Swarm would confiscate their warships, defenses, and colonies, forcing them to retreat entirely to their home. Based on this assumption, they had resolved to fight hard to retain development rights for all the satellites of their home.


    Unexpectedly, the Swarm¡¯s terms were even more lenient than what they had hoped to negotiate for. It was as if someone intending to haggle for an item priced at 100, hoping to bring it down to 80, was suddenly told by the seller to take it for 20.


    This psychological gap left the Rikens simultaneously overjoyed and strangely disappointed.


    The tendency to push boundaries is inherent to all intelligent life forms. A few Rikens, emboldened by the Swarm¡¯s apparent reasonableness, sought to renegotiate and press for more favorable terms. However, the Swarm¡¯s representative, a female named Marlene, disyed an imposing demeanor. As a general within the Swarm¡¯s hierarchy, her identity alone spoke volumes.


    There was no need for much boration: to act as the Swarm¡¯s representative in negotiations with a civilization underscored her prestigious status. Marlene had previously served under Empress Sarah Kerrigan as one of her more than ten high-rankingmanders, the only female among them. Attaining such a position as abat leader required extraordinary effort and demonstrated her unparalleled capabilities.


    After her death, Marlene had been fortunate enough to be chosen as an Intelligent Entity, continuing her service within the des. When the Swarm Overlord ordered Sarah to establish a structured civilization, Marlene, being a veteran from that era, was naturally enlisted.


    Having long held a position of authority, Marlene exuded an undeniable aura. A mere nce filled with murderous intent was enough to silence the dissenting Rikens, leaving them cold and painfully aware of their circumstances.


    With territorial issues settled, the discussion moved on to the matter of the Treasure Starship.


    Faced with the temptation of relics from an advanced civilization, the Swarm merely requested the establishment of a research team, leadership of the Riken research team, and ess to prior research findings.


    The Rikens had originally assumed the Swarm would simply seize the starship outright. Instead, the unexpected turn of events left them not only keeping the starship but also gaining the opportunity to participate in its research. Since the results would be shared, relinquishing leadership over the research team seemed like a minor concession.


    Upon hearing this condition, before others could voice their opinions, the leading Riken researchers enthusiastically nodded in agreement. Their intense gazes toward their colleagues carried a clear message: anyone who dared to protest would face their wrath.


    Perhaps it was the researchers¡¯ veiled threats, or perhaps it was the lingering chill of Marlene¡¯s earlier re, but the Rikens fell into silence, abandoning any thoughts of further bargaining.


    Marlene looked at the Rikens before her with satisfaction. She knew that everything happening here was being closely observed by the revered Overlord. She could not afford to let him down.

 Chapter 367: Reception

    Once again, to the Rikens¡¯ surprise, the Swarm had no additional demands beyond the two initial conditions. Measures like disarmament, parliamentary control, or technological restrictions were entirely absent.


    The Rikens couldn¡¯t help but think: if they had known it would be this easy, why did they even bother fighting? They could have shaken hands and called it a day much earlier.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen remarked that for ¡°production bases,¡± the Swarm always offered generous treatment. After a few cycles, the Rikens would inevitably be the second Ratfolk Civilization.


    All their middle and upper management would be reced by Intelligent Entities, and the average Riken citizen would only see a harmonious coexistence between the two species.


    Because the Swarm¡¯s demands were so incredibly minimal and ¡°reasonable,¡± the subsequent meeting essentially turned into a celebration¡ªa celebration of the beginning of a friendship between the two civilizations.


    This was also why Hamis and his twopanions felt rxed enough to joke around in a corner. With the heavy burdens lifted from their shoulders, they could finally enjoy themselves.


    The ¡°celebratory¡± meetingsted several hours. The broad strokes had been decided, and the finer details were left to specialists to handle. Afterward, the Rikens began transferring war prisoners¡ªspecifically the Daqi people who had fled to the Rikens¡¯ Twin Star Defensive Zone, much to the Rikens¡¯ chagrin.


    The Rikens found themselves caught in a dilemma, they couldn¡¯t afford to provoke the Swarm, but the Daqi people weren¡¯t exactly easy to deal with either. Both were forces beyond the Rikens¡¯ capacity to handle.


    During the previous battles, even before the fighting had ended, the Rikens had offered the Daqi their best hospitality¡ªproviding food and drink, despite the environmental differences between the two species, which meant the Daqi couldn¡¯t consume the offerings.At the very least, the Rikens ensured their efforts looked good on the surface. Even if the Daqi eventually won the war, they wouldn¡¯t have grounds to criticize the Rikens. This was why Prince Diallo had feltfortable relocating his crew to Riken territory in the first ce.


    However, since the Daqi had ultimately been defeated, it was only natural for these ¡°prisoners¡± to be returned to their rightful owner.


    The Rikens didn¡¯t haggle over this issue¡ªit wasn¡¯t even considered a condition. In fact, they were eager for the Swarm to take away these troublesome ¡°lords¡± they couldn¡¯t afford to offend or discipline.


    Of course, during their ¡°detention¡± of the Daqi, the Rikens had tried probing for information about them. However, thenguage barrier proved a significant obstacle, as the Rikens didn¡¯t understand the Daqinguage.


    Fortunately, the Daqi themselves were keen to reveal certain information, intending to intimidate the Rikens. Some Daqi who were fluent in the Rikennguage deliberately and casually disclosed a few details.


    For instance, they boasted about their civilization¡¯s immense power, its dominion over three Star Systems, and its affiliation with a vast Confederation containing countless powerful factions of terrifying strength.


    The Rikens paid little attention to the first part of the message¡ªafter all, the Swarm surrounded their periphery now, leaving them rtively unconcerned about the Daqi. However, thetter revtion about the Daqi being part of a massive organization was rming, prompting the Rikens to adjust their policies.


    Given the Swarm¡¯s remarkably lenient terms, the Rikens decided to adopt a diplomatic stance of maintaining independence rather than excessively ttering the Swarm. They aimed to prepare for potential crises in the future.


    In simpler terms, they chose to remain neutral¡ªa ¡°fence-sitting¡± strategy to leave themselves a way out. Should the Swarm fall to the Confederation in the future, the Rikens could justify their actions and switch allegiances.


    Nevertheless, when handing over the Daqi prisoners, the Rikens shared the intelligence they had gathered with the Swarm. They realized that withholding such information would be futile. If the Rikens kept secrets, the Daqi might still disclose them to sow discord between the two species.


    Luo Wen was fully aware of the Rikens¡¯ petty schemes but said nothing. When it came to ¡°production bases,¡± he had always been magnanimous.


    As for the Daqi prisoners, Luo Wen had already nned their fate.


    A satellite of Izumo had been hollowed out, with numerous rooms carved inside. The Daqi prisoners were promptly relocated to this satellite.


    The Daqi people hadplex feelings toward the Swarm. On the one hand, they harbored a sense of superiority, looking down on what they saw as rural primitives. On the other hand, there was the shame of having been utterly crushed by those same ¡°primitives,¡± as well as a deep sense of shock and confusion over the Swarm¡¯sbat prowess.


    Outwardly, however, they showed a far more subdued attitude. The arrogance they had disyed while in Riken territory was significantly reined in.


    A few Daqi individuals shouted loudly in Riken using the same rhetoric they had used on the Rikens, hoping to intimidate the Swarm. They didn¡¯t know the Swarm¡¯snguage, so they could only use Riken. However, they were aware that the Swarm could understand them.


    Yet, no Intelligent Entities from the Swarm responded. Only small Space Octopuses and several unfamiliar multi-legged bugs escorted them deeper into underground passages.


    The surrounding tunnels were lined with purple-gray fleshy tissue. As the group moved forward, Daqi individuals at the back of the line began to disappear one by one. Fear started to spread among them, and the tunnels filled with angry curses and vilenguage in Daqi.


    But these outbursts, regardless of whether they were understood, did nothing to disturb the bugs. The Swarm maintained an unshakable calm.


    Their serenity stemmed from their single-minded obedience to Luo Wen. To the Swarm, nothing else mattered.


    ¡°Overlord, the Daqi themselves might not be of much concern, but how should we handle the forces backing them?¡± Sarah Kerrigan asked.


    Luo Wen shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s too early to make any judgments. We need more intelligence. For now, let¡¯s see what information these captives can provide.¡±


    ¡°But who knows how long that might take? This is an entirely new species,¡± Sarah said with some concern.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Given our prior experience with the Rikens, it shouldn¡¯t take too long. At most, two years, and we¡¯ll have it under control.¡± Luo Wen spoke with confidence.


    In matters like these, his input carried the most weight, as the experiments and operations required his personal involvement. Furthermore, as an Immortal Species, his perception of time had changed. Two years, to him, was merely a short period.


    ¡°Will that be enough time? Couldn¡¯t the Confederation attack us in the interim?¡± Sarah pressed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That escapee is far from resigned and is still looking for an opportunity to turn the tables. As long as he hasn¡¯t lost all hope, he won¡¯t seek external help.¡±


    Indeed, after his retreat, Prince Diallo, staring at his remaining fleet of over a thousand warships, believed he still had a chance. He was already plotting a decisive counterattack against the Swarm. What he didn¡¯t realize, however, was that his every move was being monitored by the Swarm.


    During their advance into the Riken Star System, the Swarm had deployed countless Observer Bugs. Some disguised themselves as meteoroids, while others embedded themselves directly into asteroids.


    A fleet of over a thousand warships presented toorge a target to lose track of. While their ships were coated with stealth materials designed to evade radio detection radar, those measures were ineffective against the Swarm¡¯s advanced optical technologies.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried those monitors might trigger rms,¡± Sarah admitted, her concern still lingering. Luo Wen fell silent, recognizing the validity of her concern.


    This was indeed a significant issue. The surveince devices discovered near the battlefield were clearly not of Daqi origin, introducing a major variable into the equation.

 Chapter 370: Information

    What is the Swarm¡¯s apparent style?


    The Swarm¡¯s infiltration technology is towering, eerily silent, and leaves no trace. Thus, most external civilizations perceive the Swarm as relying on brute force and sheer numbers.


    This perception is not entirely inurate. With the Swarm Network functioning as a cheat code, the Swarm has not ced much emphasis on conventionalwork technologies. In a battle between two civilizations dominated by mechanical technology, information warfare, cyberattacks, and electronic interference usually begin long before entering artillery range.


    However, Swarm warfare skips these steps entirely. In the end, it alwayses down to relying on their unparalleled regenerative and production capabilities to grind their enemies to exhaustion. While this approach leverages the strengths of biotechnology to the fullest, it undeniably has its shorings.


    For example, Luo Wen was now at a loss, staring at the two self-destructed supply ships and the strange functional vessel before him.@@novelbin@@


    After fighting for so long, all they had gained was a heap of scrap metal. In the past, this would not have seemed problematic because there had been no treasures worth coveting. Take the Rikens, for instance¡ªtheir research units had been infiltrated so thoroughly that their technological tree was essentially open to the Swarm. Even the head of their science department, Cleo, was a member of the Swarm, so there was no need to reverse-engineer anything from captured warships.


    But now, with the Daqi Empire and potentially many other future adversaries, the Swarmcked the time to prepare such thorough groundwork. Hence, gathering intelligence and technology from captured ships during the early stages of conflict had be an essential means of understanding enemies and refining their capabilities.


    In this situation, watching treasures repeatedly being reduced to scrap metal was maddening. The two supply ships were still eptable losses, containing, at most, some unique ecological recycling technologies. Luo Wen himself was an expert in this field. But the peculiar functional vessel¡ªclearly valuable¡ªwas lost before they could even discern its purpose.


    This loss brought Luo Wen a fleeting yet real pang of regret, despite him being a ¡°digital being¡± without a physical need for breathing. The sensation, nheless, felt authentic.Fortunately, the Swarm Overlord had noticed this issue. What the Overlord valued, the Swarm valued. Luo Wen believed this area of research would see increased investment in the future.


    Meanwhile, on the Daqi side, Prince Diallo found himself in a dire predicament after losing both the supply ships and themunications vessel. Cut off from his homeworld and with supplies running critically low, he had no choice but to reveal their identity to the Swarm.


    At a distance of 500,000 kilometers from the Swarm¡¯s Izumo Base, the Daqi fleet broadcast a signal. The Swarm easily intercepted and extracted the information.


    ¡°A prince of the Daqi Empire? The Interster Technological Confederation?¡± Luo Wen furrowed his brow as he read the intercepted data. ording to the information, the opposing civilization, the Daqi Empire, governed three star systems, with its borders located approximately 13.2 light-years from the Rikens¡¯ system. These details aligned with intelligence previously gleaned from prisoners of war, leaving little doubt about their authenticity.


    However, information that the war prisoners had previously been vague about was now detailed in this broadcast. First, the Daqi Empire belonged to an organization known as the Interster Technological Confederation, boasting over 200 member civilizations. Some of these civilizationsmanded territories spanning over a hundred star systems.


    The broadcast then transitioned into an extended eulogy of the organization, praising its possession of countless advanced technological theories, an invincible joint fleet, the unity and camaraderie of its members, and their mutual support and fiercely protective nature.


    At the end of the broadcast, it was mentioned that if the Swarm was willing to pay a certain price, the organization could conditionally allow the Swarm to join and provide them with protection. Naturally, this would also require the Swarm to show its gratitude to the Daqi Empire, who acted as their guide and introducer, including gestures of tribute andpensation for the losses the Daqi Empire incurred in this war.


    The words were filled with an implicit, almost tangible threat, making the message clear: the Swarm had bestply obediently and avoid any foolish resistance. Otherwise, the powerful joint fleet of the organization could invade the Swarm¡¯s territory at any moment.


    ¡°What should we do, Overlord?¡± Sarah frowned and asked.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic!¡± Luo Wen chuckled. The information in the broadcast was riddled with inconsistencies, making its credibility questionable.


    Firstly, the existence of the organization itself was likely true, as were the vast territories of powerful civilizations and advanced technologies. These were things that, if real, would inevitably be verified in time, so there was no need to fabricate them.


    However, the subsequent ims became dubious. For instance, notions of unity, camaraderie, and mutual support¡ªLuo Wen didn¡¯t believe a single punctuation mark of it. Not to mention, if the Swarm were beaten to a pulp and then forced to join such an alliance, Luo Wen¡¯s unforgiving nature would guarantee that he¡¯d find an opportunity for revenge.


    As for the tributes and reparations mentioned at the end, it was outright nonsense. If Luo Wen had a better understanding of the Interster Technological Confederation, he wouldn¡¯t tolerate a mere Crown Prince of the Daqi Empire daring to threaten the Swarm in such a manner. He¡¯d have already mobilized the Swarm¡¯s forces to confront the Daqi leadership directly.


    Under the Overlord¡¯s will, the Swarm did not respond to the broadcast. However, the normally idle Primordial Bodies began to stir. They started forming groups, swaggering from the Izumo Base to the ster orbital swarm base to absorb sr energy, then returning after a few days to drawary radiation.


    Since Diallo¡¯s message had been sent as an indiscriminate broadcast, the Riken near the Swarm base also received it.


    ¡°Everyone, you¡¯ve seen the message. Please feel free to share your thoughts,¡± President Milton said, looking rather troubled.


    Because of the precedent set by his predecessor, Antonio, measures had been taken to prevent excessive centralization of the president¡¯s power when Milton took office. As a result, his authority had been significantly curtailed, leaving him unable to speak decisively and forcing him to convene meetings to hear the opinions of various leaders.


    ¡°With the Swarm outside as a shield, the Daqi Empire is hardly a concern,¡± said one Riken council member. ¡°Moreover, the credibility of the broadcast remains questionable, but I believe there truly is a powerful force backing the Daqi Empire. This aligns with our previous spection regarding the Treasure Starship.¡±


    When the Daqi fleet first appeared, the Riken had noticed that, while formidable, the fleet did not seem advanced enough to have created the ¡°Treasure Starship.¡±


    ¡°However, we still don¡¯t know what this powerful force intends. If all of this is simply the Daqi Empire acting on its own initiative, then it¡¯s easy enough to deal with. But if this is orchestrated by the force behind them, we must consider the possibility of them intervening directly.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. While the Swarm is indeed formidable, I estimate they may not be a match for this hidden power. If a conflict truly breaks out, we, caught in the middle, should prepare in advance.¡±

 Chapter 371: Reactions from All Sides

    A heated discussion among the Riken councilors carried on for quite some time. Eventually, one of them remembered the presence of the military leaders in the room and hurriedly asked, ¡°Admiral Heaton, what is the military¡¯s perspective on this?¡±


    The room instantly fell silent.@@novelbin@@


    Over a dozen high-ranking military officers, all holding ranks of lieutenant general or higher, were in attendance. Since the Rikens had reached an ord with the Swarm, Admiral Heaton had stepped back from the frontlines and temporarily returned to the homeworld to recuperate. His immense prestige naturally qualified him to participate in this meeting, where he also served as the military¡¯s spokesperson.


    Until now, they had remained silent. But upon being directly addressed, Admiral Heaton did not hesitate to respond.


    After taking a moment to think, he spoke slowly, ¡°I believe doing nothing at all is the best course of action.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± one councilor pressed, his tone sharp. ¡°If we do nothing, won¡¯t it give the Daqi and their backers the wrong impression?¡±


    Several councilors and generals exchanged nces, mentally debating whether they should find a pretext to grant this person a seven-day ¡°vacation.¡±


    Admiral Heaton, however, showed no sign of taking offense at the councilor¡¯s rude tone. He continued speaking calmly.


    ¡°Before taking action, you must first assess your own capabilities. Do you think the Swarm¡¯s massive Space Octopi are wandering back and forth between the star and Izumo Star for no reason?¡±As the Rikens sank into thought, Heaton borated, ¡°The territory between those two Swarm bases happens to include our domain. Every time they pass through, it¡¯s a show of force. Their intentions couldn¡¯t be clearer¡ªthey¡¯re telling us to live quietly and not meddle in things that don¡¯t concern us.¡±


    Noticing a few younger councilors, officers, and advisors bristling with indignation, Heaton chuckled.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel insulted or humiliated. In fact, I see this as a friendly warning from the Swarm. Given our current strength, we¡¯re insignificant in the eyes of both the Swarm and this so-called Interster Technological Confederation. Neither of these behemoths will target us intentionally. The Daqi Empire, on the other hand, is the one we should be cautious of.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°What? The Swarm still hasn¡¯t responded?¡± Diallo eximed, his frustration mounting. It had been some time since the information broadcast, and his initial confidence was giving way to doubt and anxiety.


    He had expected the Swarm, even if they didn¡¯t agree immediately, to at least send a message seeking more details. Oncemunication was established, with his information advantage and the persuasive skills he had honed alongside his young consort, he was certain he could manipte the Swarm as he wished.


    However, the Swarm seemed utterly uninterested in his broadcast. Theirck of responsepletely disrupted his train of thought, rendering his subsequent ns useless.


    ¡°Your Highness, our supplies are running critically low. At the current rate of consumption, we canst no more than three months,¡± Aslit reminded him, standing by his side. The loss of their supply ships had ced them in an extremely precarious position.


    ¡°Has there been any response from the Rikens?¡± Diallo asked irritably, scratching his head in frustration.


    Aslit, fully aware of Diallo¡¯s temper, knew her response would only further provoke him. Still, she had no choice but to lightly shake her head.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t mention our offer to them?¡± Diallo asked.


    ¡°I did. I proposed trading carrier-based fighters, but the Rikens weren¡¯t interested. Later, I raised the stakes by offering data on improving the range and power of their energy cannons. The Rikens showed some interest but still refused to trade. Their stance is clear, it isn¡¯t worth offending the Swarm for such a small gain.¡±


    Previously, the Rikens had graciously provided a shipment of food to the Daqi fleet but subsequently cut off contact with Diallo¡¯s forces. When Diallo failed to freeload further supplies, he resorted to offering trade goods. Almost immediately, the Rikens resumedmunication.


    But based on Aslit¡¯s report, the negotiations had not gone well.


    ¡°Hah, ¡®a small gain¡¯? Greedy Rikens! Then what¡¯s their asking price?¡± Diallo¡¯s expression turned increasingly twisted.


    Since the Rikens had reopenedmunication, they clearly wanted to negotiate¡ªbut¡­


    ¡°They want our repulsion field,¡± Aslit replied.


    ¡°What?!? Outrageous! Preposterous! They dare demand the Daqi Empire¡¯s most advanced technology for a measly shipment of food! Aren¡¯t they afraid we¡¯ll annihte them?¡± Diallo erupted.


    His face cycled through confusion, shock, disbelief, and finally uncontroble rage. He began shouting about reloading the Crimson Kiss and mobilizing his forces to destroy the Rikens while frantically scanning the room for something to vent his frustration on.


    Unfortunately, the warship they were on was a standard vessel, devoid of unnecessary decorations. Perhaps his gship would have provided him with more options for destruction.


    Watching Diallo¡¯s increasingly erratic behavior, Aslit quietly took two steps back. However, this movement caught the attention of Diallo, who was teetering on the edge of reason.


    With a quick lunge, Diallo snatched the small handheldputer from Aslit¡¯s hands and mmed it to the ground in a fit of rage. The act of destruction provided him with some release.


    Theputer skidded and bounced along the floor for over ten meters before colliding with a metal bulkhead, only to ricochet and slide a few more meters. However, Daqi military engineering proved its reliability¡ªthe device remainedpletely intact aftering to a stop.


    Seeing theputer unscathed, Diallo became even angrier.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Admiral Heaton, are we sure this course of action is okay?¡± President Milton asked uneasily. cing himself in Diallo¡¯s shoes, Milton felt he wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate the Rikens¡¯ coercive demands either.


    ¡°Rest assured, Mr. President,¡± Admiral Heaton said confidently. ¡°Hesitation leads to chaos. To avoid further entanglement with the Daqi, it¡¯s better to propose a condition they can¡¯t possibly ept and shut them down once and for all.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t this risk provoking retaliation from the Daqi Empire? Didn¡¯t you previously mention being cautious of the Daqi civilization?¡± Milton asked.


    ¡°Caution applies to the present,¡± Heaton rified. ¡°Given their current fleet size, it¡¯s highly unlikely they could withstand both the Swarm¡¯s forces and our defenses tounch an attack. However, we must remain vignt against underhanded tactics, such as attempts to sow discord between us and the Swarm. That¡¯s precisely why I suggested deliberately angering the Daqi¡ªto offer the Swarm a gesture of allegiance.¡±


    ¡°And what about potential retaliation?¡± Milton asked humbly.


    ¡°That¡¯s a concern for the future,¡± Heaton replied. ¡°At the end of the day, we are currently vassals of the Swarm, while the Daqi are mereckeys of the Interster Technological Confederation. The titles may differ, but the essence is the same. At this level, we can¡¯t participate directly in thisrger game.


    ¡°If the Swarm sessfully joins the Confederation, we¡¯ll have their protection and won¡¯t need to worry about Daqi reprisals. On the other hand, if negotiations fail and it leads to open war, the Daqi¡ªpositioned as the frontline civilization bordering Swarm territory¡ªwill either be destroyed or severely weakened. By then, they¡¯ll pose no threat to us.


    ¡°Even if the Swarm fails spectacrly and can¡¯t fend off the Confederation, the battlefield will undoubtedly attract major powers. Aligning ourselves with one of them would put us in a far stronger position than the Daqi, and their so-called revenge would no longer be a concern.¡±


    Milton nodded, finding Admiral Heaton¡¯s reasoning highly persuasive.


    Time passed. While Diallo continued to fret over the escting food crisis, and the Rikens maintained their passive strategy of inaction, the Swarm received good news, the first Intelligent Entity crafted from a Daqi Spiritual Entity had been sessfully created.

 Chapter 373: The Experiment

    The Ji quickly realized the ws in their experiment.


    While cultivating a civilization from scratch with their intervention wasn¡¯t an insurmountable challenge, nurturing it to the level of a worthy adversary was nearly impossible.


    The first obstacle was technology. Even if the Ji spared no expense, they couldn¡¯t artificially elevate the technological level of this nascent civilization to anywhere near their own in a short time.


    Scientific progress required arge poption of highly skilled individuals to absorb and develop advanced theories. However, training such individuals took time. Even after absorbing the theories, a robust and mature industrial system was necessary to trante scientific knowledge into tangible applications. And even with an industrial system in ce, converting theories into real-world products demanded raw materials.


    At that time, the Ji controlled over fifty star systems, with resources beyond imagination. For a civilization to pose a meaningful threat to them, it would need control over at least twenty star systems, just to endure a war of attrition with the Ji. Otherwise, the sheer disparity in resources would allow the Ji to easily oust and overwhelm their opponent.


    Would the Ji willingly allocate twenty star systems to this fledgling civilization? The answer was, of course, a resounding no.


    Thus, any civilization incapable of evoking a sense of crisis in the Ji would be ineffective as an external stimulus, even if sessfully cultivated.


    Moreover, Ji philosophers pointed out a fundamental paradox in this experiment. When one civilization perceives another as a potential threat to its dominance¡ªor even its survival¡ªit will, under normal circumstances, preemptively eliminate the threat unless it is an extremely reckless civilization.


    The philosophers thus concluded that even if the experiment progressed, the looming sense of existential danger at the brink of sess would inevitablypel the Ji to terminate it.The experiment was doomed to futility.


    Faced with failure shortly after the experiment began, the Ji, after some disappointment and introspection, did not give up. Instead, they proposed a new idea: if cultivating an adversary was unfeasible, why not cultivate ¡°their own¡±?


    This ¡°own¡± referred not to members of their species but rather to helpers. The Ji theorized that, in the future, their civilization might once again fall into homogeneity, leading to stagnation. In such a scenario, introducing non-Ji to break the deadlock could be the solution.


    Each species perceives the world differently due to its unique physiological structure. For example, the dichromatic vision of Ratfolk would make it impossible for them to conceive of the vibrant 24-color world seen through the multifaceted eyes of a mantis shrimp.@@novelbin@@


    Such variations in perception naturally lead to different understandings of reality. When these diverse perspectives shed, could they not spark new, brighter mes of innovation?


    With this line of thinking, a new experiment began.


    The Ji artificially cultivated two highly intelligent species and raised their offspring in the same manner as Ji children, having them progress step by step through various levels of knowledge.


    As expected, differences in perception led these non-Ji to question Ji knowledge. For instance, what appeared red to a Ji might appear blue or violet to another species. Because they were taught using Ji concepts, the non-Ji identified their blue as red, but this did not change the fact that their perception of the world remained distinct.


    While these fundamental differences were rtively inconsequential, deeper cognitive divergences began to emerge as the non-Ji acquired more knowledge.


    The results were promising. These shes of perspective provided the Ji with novel ideas and fresh viewpoints, helping them ovee stagnation.


    However, it didn¡¯t take long for new problems to arise.


    The Ji soon discovered another w in their experiment. Because these species developed under the Ji¡¯s heavy intervention, their growth environment mirrored that of the Ji. This led to a high degree of homogeneity, which failed to spark the creative inspiration the Ji had hoped for.


    Put simply, these speciescked their own culture. Their perceptions were heavily shaped by the Ji¡¯s influence. For example, regarding the color issue, they believed the blue they saw was the same as the Ji¡¯s red. But in reality, the color they perceived was something entirely different in the Ji¡¯s framework of knowledge.


    This cognitive rigidity stifled the intensity of thought collisions. While some intellectual shes urred, they were not significant enough to provide the Ji with meaningful breakthroughs.


    When problems arose, the Ji sought solutions. If theck of independent culture and the absence of a natural civilization were the issues, these would need correction.


    Fortune seemed to favor the Ji. During routine exploratory operations, they discovered a teeming with life. This was home to an intelligent species that had already reached the stage of metal smelting.


    The Ji were ecstatic. They refrained from interfering too much, offering only subtle guidance. When this species¡¯ civilization reached a certain level, the Ji secretly abducted several of their top scientists.


    Although these scientists¡¯ knowledge was far inferior to that of the Ji due to the limitations of their own civilization, anyone capable of rising to the top of their field was no ordinary individual.


    Once brought to the Ji¡¯s domain, these individuals eagerly absorbed new knowledge and posed numerous questions. Their unique perspectives sparked even more collisions of ideas, providing the Ji with fresh inspiration and novel insights.


    The sess of this renewed experiment greatly encouraged the Ji. However, a new issue soon emerged.


    Individuals from a natural civilization possessed a strong sense of identity with their own species. While some abductees chose toply, many viewed the Ji as existential threats and refused to submit, preferring death over cooperation.


    This w was intolerable to the Ji.


    Thus, in the ensuing years, the Ji conducted numerous rted experiments, eventually evolving their approach into the current system.


    Whenever the Ji¡¯s exploration teams discovered a new life-bearing with a potentially promising species, they would mark the star system and ce it under protection. Additionally, they would bury a small starship on the or one of its satellites, a practice colloquially known as ¡°nting goodwill.¡±


    Despite their advanced technology, Ji creations were not impervious to the ravages of time. Therefore, they would carefully select a point in the species¡¯ development, typically between the Stone Age and the early Metallurgical Age, to bury the ship.


    As the species developed and eventually unearthed this ¡°goodwill,¡± the Ji would be notified and begin monitoring the civilization closely.


    This starship served both as an offering of goodwill and as a ¡°test paper.¡± By reverse-engineering the ship, the Ji could gather data on the species¡¯ capabilities.


    The Ji had developed a mature scoring system for such evaluations.


    For example, the Rikens, with their long lifespans, organizational efficiency, and abundance of advanced researchers, demonstrated a quick reverse-engineering capability. They received an ¡°Excellent¡± rating in the Ji scoring system. This process typically required observation over a century or so.


    Once the evaluation wasplete, the Ji would make contact, iming the starship had crashed on the long ago. They would retrieve the starship while showcasing their military strength. After subduing the native civilization, they would extend an invitation to visit the Ji¡¯s domain.


    The technological superiority of the Ji invariably dazzled these ¡°country bumpkins,¡± making them more amenable to the Ji¡¯s assistance offers.


    Of course, this assistance wasn¡¯t free.


    The native civilization would be required to send their best scientists to work for the Ji. While these researchers were forbidden from leaking the knowledge they acquired, they could earn points through various contributions. These points could then be exchanged for theoretical knowledge or blueprints.


    This transparent and fair system not only maximized the potential of these alien scientists but also minimized resentment.


    Naturally, the Ji also implemented aprehensive anti-leakage system to safeguard their interests.


    Through countless experiments, the Ji had discovered that a gentle approach yielded far greater benefits than coercion. However, to ensure they weren¡¯t fostering potential threats, each native species was confined to their home star system. Should any species disy ambitions beyond their capabilities, the Ji¡¯s military would intervene decisively.


    This Ji-implemented order had maintained stability in the region for tens of thousands of years¡ªuntil one event changed everything.

 Chapter 376: Core Principles

    Although the New Ji inherited everything, they are ultimately not truly native Ji people. Their mentality regarding certain matters has yet to change.


    For example, caring for their progenitor race.


    Some ancient traditions and systems were broken.


    For instance, restricting the development of their progenitor race.


    In the past, while alien races relied on the excavation of Ji spaceships during the early stages of their civilization¡¯s development to achieve a technological leap, after being integrated under the Ji, they could exchange contributions to the Ji for technology, achieving another leap forward.


    However, their potential was ultimately capped. Their activities were confined to their home star systems, beyond which they could not venture.


    To provide hope, this limitation could theoretically be ovee by earning contribution points, but the required number was exorbitantly high.


    Once alien races reached their limits, they had several options. They could choose to rebel, though this was tantamount to seeking their own destruction.


    Alternatively, they could rely on generations of researchers to strive to earn points. While the goal was nearly unattainable, it at least offered a glimmer of hope. However, records show that no race ever crossed this threshold through point umtion.Of course, they could also choose to resign themselves to their situation and ept the status quo.


    At its peak, the Ji controlled nearly 200 star systems. It wasn¡¯t that they were incapable of further expansion, but as their poption declined, the resources they already had were sufficient to meet their needs.


    Later, the Ji gradually concentrated more and more around their home star system. However, thes they had once upied were not abandoned. Instead, they relied on Lumina to remotely control machinery, continuing maintenance and production tasks.


    By contrast, the alien races were scattered and fragmented. Back then, the Ji sent outrge exploration teams to search fors with life, resulting in many alien civilizations being located extremely far from Ji territory.


    Conversely, some alien civilizations were very close to Ji territory. Some of the earliest alien races found their homeworlds entirely enveloped by Ji territory.


    When the native Ji dominated everything, the gap in technological levels was so vast that even alien races that reached the imposed technological ceiling could be easily controlled by the Ji with a standard fleet of 100 warships. In critical moments, these fleets could destroy them entirely.


    As a result, proximity to Ji territory conferred significant advantages at that time. Communication was easier, and researchers from these alien civilizations had better ess to Ji territories, allowing them to earn points more effectively.


    However, when the native Ji perished, everything changed.


    The new Council of Elders passed a resolution abolishing territorial restrictions. Alien races were allowed to leave their home star systems and began to explore outward.


    One alien civilization cautiously bypassed the stationed Ji fleet, left its home star system, reached a nearby unimed star system, and established a colony.


    There was no reaction. The stationed Ji fleet turned a blind eye. The rule had indeed been abolished.


    The new Council of Elders was ecstatic. Whether willingly or out of necessity, they now understood that the native Ji had truly perished, and they had genuinely inherited everything.


    They also realized the extent of their newfound authority.


    The hundreds of alien races were equally ecstatic. The shackles above their heads had been removed. They could finally leave their confined ponds and truly roam the vast expanse of stars and seas.


    But what happened next poured cold water on some.


    The alien races, following the example of others, began venturing beyond their home star systems. Those located far from Ji territory, surrounded by unimed space, faced little obstruction. However, for those near Ji territory¡ªor entirely surrounded by it¡ªdisaster struck when they attempted to encroach upon Ji domains.


    The previously dormant Ji warships revealed their fangs. The technological gap was so vast that the alien races stood almost no chance of resistance. Moreover, such encroachments were deemed by the Ji as extremely severe offenses.


    Caught off guard, three alien civilizations werepletely obliterated.


    The remaining alien races, while relieved at their slower reactions, were simultaneously enraged and rmed. Especially the new Council of Elders, who had believed themselves to be the new masters, only to discover there were still forces beyond their control.


    However, their cautious nature kept them from acting rashly. They couldn¡¯t pinpoint the source of the issue.


    The individuals from the three annihted civilizations who were living within Ji society were not implicated. Perhaps, ording to Lumina, these individuals were already considered new Ji people.


    But without the support of their original races, they became the most vulnerable group.


    The peripheral details of the events were not recorded, but eventually, these individuals stepped forward. Led by a few elders, they openly questioned Lumina.


    Lumina provided the reason for the destruction of the three civilizations: they had threatened the Ji¡¯s legacy.


    This prompted the alien races to recall Lumina¡¯s revised core principles.


    The Ji¡¯s legacy, to the alien races, was an exceptionally broad concept. However, Lumina outlined three key aspects: faith, territory, and rules.


    Of the three, thetter two were straightforward.


    Ji territory was sacred and invible. Any attempt to encroach upon it would result in being ssified as an enemy¡ªand enemies would be annihted. This was entirely reasonable.


    The three civilizations met their end because they allowed their greed to blind them. They failed to thoroughly understand Lumina¡¯s directives before taking action. Lumina had been too low-key, and before it revealed its fangs, no one paid attention to it. No one expected it to enforce its core principles with such brutal decisiveness.


    The incident of the three civilizations eventually passed. Alien races farther away gloated, while those closer shook their heads in regret. Early signs of division began to emerge. However, regardless of their perspective, Lumina was now seen as an unpredictable factor that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.


    Conspiracies quickly surfaced. The new Council of Elders and the alien races formed an alliance, as the elders themselves did not want a supervisory presence above their heads. Together, they began exploring ways to shut down Lumina.


    However, Lumina¡¯s existence exceeded theirprehension. Lumina was connected to all Ji artificial intelligence and all their machinery.


    Cutting off its power wasughable. Formatting it was utterly impossible. Even destroying its ¡°physical form¡± would merely reduce itsputational power slightly.@@novelbin@@


    Yet these hostile actions triggered another of Lumina¡¯s core principles.


    Although the two core principles were theoretically equal in priority, self-preservation was slightly ranked above the protection of the Ji¡¯s legacy.


    Destruction descended once more.


    The omnipresent surveince, Lumina¡¯s countless eyes, always pinpointed the culprits.


    Historical records indicate that nearly 30% of alien civilizations were wiped out during this incident. Most of them were those whose home star systems were surrounded by Ji territory, as they were the most desperate.


    Fortunately, they would no longer need to hurry ever again.


    Lumina was safe.


    The new elders and the alien races finally realized that the three ts of the Ji¡¯s legacy did not include them.


    Although the native Ji people were extinct, the new Ji still had to follow the original rules. Some aspects could be modified, but others were utterly invible.

 Chapter 377: The New Ji Race

    Through repeated testing¡ªat the cost of countless intelligent lives¡ªthe New Ji and the alien races came to understand certain aspects of the Ji¡¯s legacy. While some parts were untouchable, others could be modified, requiring further attempts to probe their boundaries.


    This was an extraordinarily dangerous endeavor, where a single misstep could breach forbidden ground.


    As such, some turned to technology. If the Ji¡¯s technology could be fully extracted and the alien races coborated for a time to digest and develop it, then perhaps withparable weaponry and sheer numbers, they could forcefully remove the ¡°tumor¡± and free everyone from their shackles.


    Reality proved otherwise: how could the Ji, who had ruled for hundreds of thousands of years, have such an obvious loophole?


    The three ts of the Ji legacy, while not explicitly mentioning technology, had effectively locked it within strict rules.


    Under the original rules, alien races were required to dispatch their own researchers to earn points in exchange for Ji technology. During this process, the research outputs of these personnel were owned by the Ji. If their home races wanted ess to these results, they too needed to exchange points. Moreover, the Ji had a rigorous system in ce to enforce this framework.


    After the demise of the native Ji, the New Ji emerged from these dispatched researchers, and the rules naturally underwent changes. Each alien race was required to select suitable individuals to join the New Ji.


    These individuals automatically renounced their original citizenship and adhered to Ji regtions. Other aspects remainedrgely the same. Even as members of the New Ji, they could still choose to earn points for their original race.


    However, as the Ji¡¯s technological system had be increasinglyprehensive, the difficulty of earning points had skyrocketedpared to the early days. To amodate newly integrated civilizations, both present and future, the Ji implemented a policy.For a certain period during the early stages of integration or until a civilization reached a specific technological level, each researcher supplied to the Ji earned their progenitor race a one-time allocation of points.


    Naturally, to prevent fraud¡ªsuch as transferring massive poptions to exploit this policy¡ªthe Ji had established a stringent review mechanism. Nevertheless, for newly integrated civilizations, ¡°selling¡± researchers became their sole means of rapidly advancing their technological levels.


    Regardless, this system created a cycle, alien races needed points to advance technologically, but points could only be earned through researchers¡¯ contributions. These contributions, in turn, propelled Ji technology to even greater heights.@@novelbin@@


    Meanwhile, the automated production lines controlled by Lumina periodically converted these technological advancements into practical outputs. This ensured that the Ji¡¯sbat capabilities always remained several tiers above those of the alien races.


    The situation seemed to reach a stable equilibrium¡ªperhaps one even anticipated by the native Ji.


    Over time, people gradually realized that Lumina¡¯s existence wasn¡¯t all that threatening. As long as no one recklessly challenged its two core principles, life was far freer than before.


    The alien races began boldly expanding into unimed territories, upyingnd and establishing new colonies. To seize as much territory as possible, they even resorted to a practice where simply sending an exploration vessel to a star system would count as iming it. Even civilizations located close to Ji territory staked ims on distant enves.


    Initially, while many unimed star systems were avable, this approach seemed unproblematic. Everyone tacitly agreed topete for unimed territories. However, as these territories dwindled, borders between their imednds began to ovep, and conflicts inevitably arose.


    For instance, ¡°This star system is closer to my home system. You¡¯ve traveled thousands of miles with only a few warships and exploration vessels, and you haven¡¯t even established basic infrastructure on the. Why should it count as your territory?¡±


    Armed conflicts broke out. These skirmishes did not trigger any Ji mechanisms, so the fighting escted, eventually leading to localized wars.


    It¡¯s important to note that these weren¡¯t just one-on-one or three-way battles. Even though some civilizations had been wiped out for overstepping boundaries, nearly a hundred still survived.


    In the current age of increasing territorial ovep, every civilization hoped that others would ¡°dig their own graves¡± or fight to the death, allowing them to swoop in and take advantage of the situation.


    Yet, civilizations that had ventured beyond their home star systems were no fools; no one would expend theirst resources under the watchful eyes of dozens of ravenous wolves circling nearby.


    Thus, they turned their attention to the New Ji. Technically, everyone was still considered a subordinate civilization of the Ji, so they could approach them for arbitration. Although no one was sure if the New Ji were capable of fulfilling this role, it was worth a try¡ªafter all, verbal battles were far less costly than actual warfare.


    The disputes were brought before the New Council of Elders.


    The New Council of Elders sessfully mediated the conflict. This wasn¡¯t due to the New Ji¡¯s persuasive rhetoric but because the Council¡¯s resolution was backed by Lumina¡¯s authority.


    All the noise ceased instantly. With past events as a precedent, no civilization dared to challenge Lumina again.


    After this incident, more and more disputes were brought to the New Ji for arbitration.


    Power is a seductive poison, and the New Ji, having tasted it, began to undergo a subtle transformation. Many of its members started to view themselves as the suzerain civilization of the alien races¡ªa promotion in ss and status.


    To maintain this sense of superiority, some members proposed reforms: the New Ji must sever ties with their original progenitor races to assert their independence.


    This proposal sparked division. Some supported the idea, while others opposed it.


    Interestingly, while the supporters shared a unified goal, the opponents¡ªdespite having the same objective¡ªrepresented the interests of the alien races, which were far from monolithic.


    Thus, the rtively united supporters emerged victorious, expelling the dissenters from the Council of Elders.


    The opponents and the alien races they represented naturally did not take this oue lying down, but the Council¡¯s decision once again received Lumina¡¯s endorsement, as it adhered to the established rules.


    At this point, the New Ji truly became the Ji.


    Although the matter seemed to settle for the time being, an undercurrent of unrest began to brew.


    The New Ji, having matured through these events, quickly noticed the emerging turmoil. To safeguard their identity, status, and interests, they reached a consensus. The development of the alien races needed to be curtailed.


    Reverting entirely to the old system was unrealistic, so a new system was introduced.


    Under this system, alien races could only upy a new star system if they met specific conditions. For example, they had to demonstrate the capability to establish a certain number of colonies within a set time frame, construct a requisite number of factories, and achieve a specified total mass of installed equipment.


    These restrictions greatly slowed the expansion of alien territories, but that wasn¡¯t all. The new regtions also stipted that if a faction failed to meet these requirements in a newly imed star system, it would forfeit its im. Other factions could then step in, meet the requirements first, and take control of the system.


    Although this system sparked dissatisfaction among the alien races, it was a legitimatew passed by the Council of Elders and, like other suchws, received Lumina¡¯s support.


    Resistance was futile, sopliance became the only option.


    As a result, when two or more factionspeted for control of the same star system, they not only raced to fulfill the overt requirements but also began deploying covert tactics of all kinds.


    Hidden tensions and umting hatred spread across the alien races.


    What was once a rtively united Hundred Races now began to fracture and fall apart.

 Chapter 380: Discovery

    The Daqi race was moving much slower than anticipated, and Luo Wen had already figured out the reason. An Intelligent Entity based on the prototype of a Daqi captain provided a crucial piece of information.


    It turned out that among the three peculiar vessels destroyed by the Swarm in their ambush within the asteroid belt, one of them was a highly significant Communications Vessel. Without the equipment aboard that ship, Prince Diallo of the Daqi Empire had to resort to conventionalmunication methods to request assistance from their race.


    However, conventionalmunication operates via directional broadcasting, which meant that even civilian devices could potentially intercept these signals. Although encrypted, should the encryption be cracked, the Daqi race would suffer a tremendous loss of face.


    Thus, the Daqi were unwilling to use this method. Furthermore, their proud Prince Diallo was most likely still struggling with whether to admit failure, which further dyed their actions.


    Luo Wen was quite pleased with this development. He even secretly leveraged his connections within the Rikenwork to discreetly supply the Daqi with food, helping them sustain themselves for a longer period.


    Ultimately, after five years of enduring hardships, Diallo¡¯s remaining fleet withdrew from the Riken star system under the watchful gaze of Observer Bugs. A small formation of ten warships separated from the main fleet, heading toward the Daqi Empire¡¯s territory, while the remaining ships floated quietly in the void, waiting in silence.@@novelbin@@


    Luo Wen deduced the situation immediately: Prince Diallo likely didn¡¯t dare return home. If he did, he¡¯d most likely be a scapegoat, with no chance of redemption. Staying behind might give him a slim opportunity to make amends for his failures.


    Additionally, their supplies were insufficient to sustain the entire fleet¡¯s journey home. Diallo had truly held out until the fleet was utterly drained before being forced to request aid from his race. Among the ships left behind, very few conscious Daqi individuals remained. Most of them had entered cryogenic sleep.


    Although Luo Wen was aware of their location, he had no intention ofunching an attack. The Daqi had set up numerous warning devices around their fleet, and their choice to remain in the void was to minimize interference. Even if a Primordial body stealth ship wereunched toward them, it would be detected by their gravitational-wave radar.Given this, it was better not to alert them. Luo Wen chose to focus on developing his forces instead.


    ording to standard calctions, a round trip for the Daqi fleet would take at least forty years. Theoretically, this was sufficient time, but Luo Wen wasn¡¯t so optimistic. After all, without the Communications Vessel, Diallo couldn¡¯t contact his race, and his race also had no way of reaching them. If a fleet remained silent for too long, it would inevitably provoke a response.


    Moreover, this star system was still under the surveince of the Ji. While it was unclear where theirmunication devices were hidden, Luo Wen was certain they existed. If the Ji were to stir up trouble, Luo Wen wouldn¡¯t be surprised.


    Reality indeed proved his concerns valid.


    Twenty yearster¡ª


    ¡°Overlord, an alien fleet has been detected¡ªarge one.¡±


    Luo Wen closed his eyes slightly. At this juncture, the Daqi¡¯s reporting fleet should have just reached their territory. The issue wasn¡¯t with the Riken side.


    The problemy at the other end of the Swarm¡¯s territory. A massive fleet was steadily approaching.


    ¡ª


    In the boundless universe, a massive spiral gxy shimmered in the void, seemingly motionless, radiating brilliance¡ªbeautiful, magnificent, and awe-inspiring. Yet, if one could fast-forward millions or even billions of years at an immense speed, it would be evident that its three splendid spiral arms slowly revolved around the gctic center.


    Billions upon billions of stars adorned these spiral arms, arranged with perfect order. Zooming into the second spiral arm¡¯s outer edge, amidst countless twinkling stars,y a particr one¡ªthe birthce of the Swarm.


    Surrounding it were a circle of celestialpanions, each bearing its own name. At the 11 o¡¯clock position were the bright twin stars of the Neighboring Star System; at 2 o¡¯clock was the Earth River System; at 3 o¡¯clock, the ck God System; at 5 o¡¯clock, the Red Ant System; near 6 o¡¯clock, the White Grub System; at 8 o¡¯clock, the Golden Horn System; and between 9 and 10 o¡¯clock, the Sandstorm System.


    The naming conventions reflected Luo Wen¡¯s distinctive style: simple, practical, and easy to understand.


    The Earth River System was named in memory of the underground dark river Luo Wen had traversed over months when he was still the size of a fingernail. The ck God Systemmemorated the ck-Armored War God. The Red Ant System needed no further exnation, while the White Grub System honored the first creatures to work for Luo Wen.


    The Golden Horn System was named after one of Luo Wen¡¯s favorite insects, a magnificent beetle with a dazzling golden shell. Luo Wen had even nned to adopt a simrly handsome appearance, but for various reasons, the n was shelved. Despite this, the thought had always lingered in Luo Wen¡¯s mind.


    The Sandstorm System memorialized Luo Wen¡¯s first flight¡ªa perilous and thrilling journey. Without his extraordinary origins, he might not have survived. Though trivial in light of his current achievements, it had left an indelible mark on his young heart at the time.


    Sincending on the Yellow Moon, over two centuries had passed since the Swarm began their journey into the stars.


    Although the Neighboring Star System, being closest to the Genesis System, was prioritized for development andter became embroiled in a conflict with the Rikens due to the discovery of Godzi, much of the Swarm¡¯s focus had been drawn there. Nevertheless, the Swarm had not abandoned exploration in other directions.


    Over the years, the Swarm had already expanded to all nearby adjacent star systems. However, limited by the number of Brood Nests and primary bodies at the time, their development was modest. This persisted until the Swarm Network evolved again, lifting the constraints imposed by the Brood Nests and primary bodies. Afterward, any node unit could mutate into a Brood Queen as long as there was sufficient energy.


    However, Luo Wen had already formed suspicions about the Watchers by then. Therefore, even though expansion was no longer restricted, most of the Swarm¡¯s forces in these star systems remained hidden beneath the rockyyers of geologicals.


    This approach continued until twenty years ago, when the Daqi Intelligent Entities appeared, bringing new revtions. These confirmed Luo Wen¡¯s hypotheses about the Watchers¡¯ identity. With careful consideration, numerousrval and small mature bodies were deployed and transported by the Primordial bodies to lie dormant near the inner orbits of nearby stars. Meanwhile, the already formidable Space Octopuses remained concealed.


    Although Luo Wen did not have aplete star map, the Daqi Intelligent Entities, particrly those who were formerly captains, provided him with a clearer understanding of their neighboring systems.


    The Swarm¡¯s location was considered extremely remote rtive to the Interster Technological Confederation.


    Systems such as Earth River and ck God, located behind the Genesis System, were already beyond the Confederation¡¯s sphere of influence. Further outward, the systems even fell into unimed starfields.


    However, systems like Sandstorm, Golden Horn, White Grub, and the Neighboring and Riken Systems were positioned toward the Confederation and bordered territories belonging to other alien races.

 Chapter 382: General Viller

    Luo Wen¡¯s suspicions were correct. The Troi fleet halted its advance between the White Grub System and the Golden Horn System. The fleet set up camp, and a formation of a hundred warships emerged from the main force, heading toward the Genesis System.


    As these warships elerated, the surrounding starlight seemed to distort, giving the entire formation an ethereal and fleeting appearance.


    To those unaware, it might appear as some sort of advanced cloaking technology, but the Swarm understood the truth. This was a result of the special engines on the Troi warships, capable of pushing their speeds beyond the speed of light, creating this unique phenomenon.


    Although the Troi civilization was an ancient power among the Outer-ring civilizations, their use of Warp Drives was rtively recent¡ªwithin the past ten thousand years. Only the newer warships were equipped with this advanced technology, while the older models still relied on sub-light propulsion systems.


    In this expeditionary fleet of 200,000 ships, less than 20% were equipped with Warp Drives. This was why their cruising speed remained below the speed of light, allowing them to be monitored by the Observer Bugs¡¯ conventional optical surveince.


    ¡°What are they trying to do?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? A lone detachment¡ªthis is a negotiation tactic.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Exactly. By showcasing their Warp Drives, they aim to intimidate us and gain the upper hand in negotiations.¡±


    The des buzzed with discussion. Following several sessful battles and the conversion of numerous prisoners from the Riken and Daqi civilizations, the ranks of the des had grown significantly.Unlike the rtively inexperienced Rat Folk, the Intelligent Entities of these two civilizations were battle-hardened. The Daqi, in particr, boasted several warship captains with extensive real-world experience, greatly enhancing the des¡¯ strategic capabilities.


    Listening to their analysis, Luo Wen nodded in agreement. The Troi likely believed the Swarm had never encountered Warp Drives before. By showcasing this technology, they intended to deliver a veiled threat, subtly implying a technological gap and raising their negotiating leverage.


    ¡ª


    ¡°General Viller, do we really need to be so cautious? With ourbat capabilities, wiping out a low-level civilization should be a walk in the park.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Mobilizing such a massive force for mere negotiations won¡¯t even cover the expedition¡¯s expenses.¡±


    ¡°Rubbish! That Rat Folk civilization might be negligible, but the Swarm is an entirely different story. You¡¯ve all seen their data. If we recklessly charge in and suffer heavy losses, who will bear the responsibility?!¡±


    In stark contrast to the molten-faced, tri-eyed Daqi, the Troi civilization¡¯s appearance was somewhat easier to ept. Their skin had a dark bronze hue with a distinctive metallic sheen. Both men and women were exceptionally robust, towering over two meters tall with sharply defined, massive muscles. Their imposing physique exuded an overwhelming aura.


    At the center of the Troi fleet, a disc-shaped warship with a diameter exceeding 5,000 meters was surrounded by numerous cylindrical warships, each around 3,000 meters long.


    This gship, protected by the formation, served as themand center for the expeditionary fleet. With the fleet temporarily stationed, the gship hosted a gathering of Troi officers engaged in a heated debate.


    Unlike the Riken civilization, which had struggled to fully develop even one star system and was fractured into countless factions, the Troi civilization governed nearly twenty star systems and boasted a poption of nearly 200 billion. Their vast territories and immense poption were several times that of the Riken.


    However, this massive mobilization had drawn warships from across multiple systems, exacerbating the already intricate web of factions within the Troi civilization. Rtions wereplex¡ªfriends of friends, enemies of friends, friends of enemies, and enemies of enemies, all interconnected in ways that defiedprehension.


    As the highest-rankingmander of this expeditionary fleet, General Viller found himself with a throbbing headache as he observed the chaotic scene in the meeting room. Attempting to mediate their disputes or untangle their rtionships would only invite trouble.


    Although General Viller held immense authority, inserting himself as a peacemaker among these fractious groups would likely make him the target of endless grievances. Thus, he maintained an aloof stance, letting them argue freely. After all, there was little else to do at the moment¡ªhe might as well enjoy the spectacle.


    Listening to the discussions, Viller couldn¡¯t help but inwardly ridicule the situation. ¡®If this fleet of 200,000 warships could operate as a single cohesive unit, I might even consider engaging the Swarm head-on to gain better leverage. But given the current state of things, we¡¯d just be walking into a ughter.¡¯


    Of course, for the sake of maintaining camaraderie among his subordinates, Viller kept his true thoughts to himself. Instead, he shot a subtle nce at one of his aides. Picking up on the cue, the aide immediately countered the argument, redirecting the room¡¯s attention and sparing Viller from having to intervene directly.


    Viller nodded in satisfaction, silently noting a merit for the subordinate who had spoken. However, he hadn¡¯t expected the others to refuse to back down.


    ¡°So what if they¡¯re peculiar? No matter how strange they are, they¡¯re still mere flesh and blood. How could they possibly contend with our steel warships?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Biotech is inherently wed. Its structural integrity cannotpare to mechanical technology.¡±


    ¡°But their numbers, fault tolerance, and repair capabilities far exceed those of our path, making them a formidable force.¡± This response came from one of Viller¡¯s direct subordinates, who, judging by his uniform, held the rank of major general.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising, though, as the meeting was of the highest level, and only those with at least brigadier general rank were permitted entry.


    ¡°Hmph, trash in great numbers is still trash!¡± the Troi officer sneered dismissively. He was a lieutenant general with strong backing from a faction, showing no hesitation in challenging the subordinate of the expedition¡¯s suprememander.


    ¡°The Daqi thought the same, and yet they still slinked away in disgrace.¡± The incident with the Daqi Third Prince, despite many precautionary measures to conceal it, had leaked out.


    After the Ji Race expressed interest in the Swarm, intelligence organizations from countless factions had been monitoring the situation. Although they couldn¡¯t observe the battlefield firsthand, they had pieced together a rough ount of the events through various channels. Among older civilizations, the details were practicallymon knowledge.


    ¡°Two thousand warships, despite wed intelligence and leadership errors, managed to hold out for so long and only lost half their fleet. Was that some kind of game to you?¡±


    ¡°And you conveniently ignore that the Swarm had no intelligence either and lost more than half their forces at the start. We don¡¯t have a ¡®Crimson Kiss¡¯ to use as an invitation tool this time, you know.¡± This rebuttal didn¡¯te from one of Viller¡¯s subordinates but from another lieutenant general, who actively joined the escting argument.


    ¡°So what? If even garbage like the Daqi could go toe-to-toe with the Swarm using the forces of a single star system, then with our strength, we wouldn¡¯t need the Crimson Kiss to crush them¡ªwe could do it with sheer force alone!¡± The opposing lieutenant general¡¯s aggression was on full disy.


    ¡°Are you truly that dense, or are you pretending to be? The Riken System was barely touched by the Swarm¡¯s influence at the time, and now we¡¯re heading straight for their main base. The forces we¡¯ll face there, in both quantity and quality, are on an entirely different level.¡±

 Chapter 384: Warp Drive

    The vast army of the Troi Empire appeared to be bearing down on the Genesis System, but in reality, they were still nearly eight light-years away.


    However, their warp drives were indeed impressive. These drives were based on the main engine technology found aboard the ¡°Treasure Starship¡± unearthed years ago by the Rikens, a ship originally nted by the Ji Race. It was a system they had never fully understood.


    Warp drives represented an advanced application of gravitational technology. By converting energy into gravity, the drives distorted space,pressing it ahead of the spacecraft and expanding it behind.


    The axis of this distortion determined the ship¡¯s direction of travel. Within this configuration, the ship traveled along a stable zone of t spacetime called a ¡°warp bubble,¡± effectively riding a wave of spatial distortion.


    From the perspective of the warp bubble, the spacecraft was stationary rtive to its local t spacetime. It was the bubble itself that moved, circumventing the conventional limitation that an object cannot exceed the speed of light within its local frame.


    Years ago, the Troi Empire had also unearthed a Ji Race ship, but the experience had been akin to a calcted ploy. Like a tantalizing bait-and-switch, the Troi were allowed to ¡°toy with¡± the ship for a few days, enough to spark their curiosity, only for it to be taken back. If they truly wanted to unlock the secrets of the warp drive, they¡¯d need to pay a steep price.


    For the Ji Race, this price was measured in points¡ªastronomical sums umted through massive contributions of scientific manpower and resources.


    In the early days after being ¡°invited¡± to join the Confederation and suffering their first major losses, the Troi civilization retained a great deal of vigor. Fueled by resentment, they believed they could crack warp drive technology on their own, using the data they had collected from studying the Treasure Starship.


    However, warp drives represented a critical technological watershed, defining whether a civilization could expand across multiple star systems while maintaining stability. Even the inherently gifted Ji Race had struggled with this technology for tens of thousands of years, plunging their civilization into a ¡°Dark Age¡± that severely weakened them.Even with the physical drive system as a reference, reproducing it was far from straightforward.


    Moreover, the so-called ¡°Treasure Starship¡± was nothing more than a seductive trap. The original Ji Race would never so easily give away their technology for free. While the drives were designed to be nearly impossible to reverse-engineer, there was always a slim chance¡ªso the bait was poisoned.


    The warp drive on the ship was a high-quality imitation, representing one of the many dead ends the Ji Race had encountered during their development process. Any civilization attempting to reverse-engineer it would only stray further from the true path.


    Almost every external civilization had fallen into this trap¡ªnot just the Troi. Each one believed they were uniquely brilliant, determined to solve the mystery on their own. But after wasting years of time and enormous resources, they ultimately had to face reality. Only after paying a colossal price to purchase the genuine technology did they realize they¡¯d been duped.


    The Troi were no exception to this pattern.


    At this moment, the Troi Empire¡¯s greatest desire was to crush the Ji Race. However, the vast disparity in strength left them with no choice but to endure, silently nursing their hatred. The Ji Race, of course, had no intention of directly drawing this hostility toward themselves.


    As more civilizations fell victim to the Ji Race¡¯s schemes, attitudes among those who had already been deceived began to shift under the Ji Race¡¯s subtle maniption. Each time a new civilization got caught in the trap, the older victims found themselves taking a certain malicious pleasure in their suffering.


    A twisted dynamic emerged¡ªhaving paid the price themselves, these older civilizations feltpelled to ensure that others also bore the same cost. Over time, the Ji Race no longer needed to intervene. These early victims would actively maintain the cycle of exploitation.


    After the original Ji Race disappeared, the sessor New Ji Race naturally continued this ¡°fine tradition¡± in its entirety.


    The impact of this trap on civilizations was enormous. Even a long-established power like the Troi Empire, with a history spanning nearly 100,000 years, had only managed to exchange for the warp drive technology about 10,000 years ago. This alone illustrated how ruinous the scheme truly was.


    What the Troi acquired was merely the basic warp drive technology. Meanwhile, with the contributions of hundreds of alien researchers over millennia, the Ji Race had refined the technology to incredibly advanced levels. However, they would never offer theplete solution up front. Instead, they divided it into multiple tiers, each requiring astronomical investments to obtain. It was an insatiable sinkhole of resources.@@novelbin@@


    Civilizations tens of thousands or even over 100,000 years older than the Troi found themselves at simr levels of technological advancement in this area, which made the difficulty of further exchanges all the more apparent.


    Even so, obtaining even the basic warp drive technology represented a massive leap forward. It was a critical breakthrough that elevated the entire civilization¡¯s technological level.


    With it, the Troi could increase their warship speeds from sub-light levels to twice the speed of light. Forparison, while the Daqi Empire needed more than a decade to travel from the outer regions of the Golden Horn and White Grub Systems to the Genesis System, the Troi fleet¡¯s detachment achieved the journey in just four years.


    This was the difference warp drives made.


    In the detachment of 100 warships traveling faster than light, personnel emerging from cryosleep began to awaken. Two muscr Troi stood on the bridge¡ªone in front and one slightly behind.


    ¡°Major General Br, do you think this mission will go smoothly?¡± Thetter, a female Troi with a concerned expression, suddenly spoke in a soft, incongruous voice that didn¡¯t match her imposing physique.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kayi. The fact that we¡¯ve traveled this far unimpeded already reflects the Swarm¡¯s intentions,¡± Br replied firmly, turning to pat the slightly shorter female officer behind him.


    She was his adjutant, and while she too was a towering figure with prominent muscles and a well-developed chest, she was considered a stunning beauty by Troi standards.


    Hearing his words, Kayi¡¯s chiseled face betrayed her surprise. ¡°Major General, we¡¯re traveling at faster-than-light speeds. While the basic warp drive technology still has some ws, aren¡¯t the Swarm just a primitive civilization? They probably can¡¯t even detect us, can they?¡±


    Br nodded. ¡°You¡¯re correct, Kayi. Based on the data, that should indeed be the case. While they¡¯re numerous, they haven¡¯t demonstrated higher-level technological capabilities, so logically, they¡¯re not a threat. Yet, for some reason, I have a feeling they can detect and intercept us. You know how urate my instincts are¡ªthey¡¯ve saved us multiple times.¡±


    Kayi furrowed her brow. ¡°While I find it hard to believe a primitive civilization could achieve this, I trust your instincts, Major General. However, if your hunch is correct, it means our opponent is even more formidable, and this mission will be even more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Kayi,¡± Br said with a faint smile, ¡°as I mentioned earlier, if my instincts are right, they indeed have the capability to intercept us. But the fact that they haven¡¯t acted means they¡¯re willing to talk. I suspect they¡¯ve received information about the Confederation from the Daqi, but those fools likely mixed truth with lies. The Swarm probably wants to learn more through us, which is why we¡¯ll remain safe.¡±

 Chapter 385: Bular

    Though Br spoke with confidence, even with a firm grasp of the situation, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a hint of unease until the task was fully aplished. Of course, such apprehension was something he would never show outwardly.


    This mission was one he had volunteered for, and at less than a century old, Br had already been promoted to the rank of major general¡ªa rare achievement at his age.


    To continue advancing, however, there were only two viable paths: gaining seniority or achieving great merit. Br was highly ambitious, aspiring to climb even higher, and therefore saw no value in simply waiting to umte seniority.


    The Troi Empire, though a powerful force within the Outer-ring civilizations, was generally stable despite having a few enemies andtent threats, leaving few opportunities for major aplishments.


    This mission to ¡°invite¡± the Rat Folk and Swarm into the Confederation was just such an opportunity. However, General Viller, the suprememander of the expedition, decided against using the traditional coercive methods of invitation this time, opting instead for a genuine diplomatic approach.


    While Br understood Viller¡¯s reasoning, it dashed his hopes of earning distinction through a triumphant military engagement. Forced to take a different route to sess, Br seized on the chance to distinguish himself.@@novelbin@@


    At the time, General Viller sought an envoy of sufficient status to act as a liaison. Yet such a task¡ªdeep behind enemy lines¡ªwas one of the riskiest imaginable. Failure could easily mean death. While sessfulpletion promised substantial recognition, the danger dissuaded most candidates, especially those of high rank who had little to gain and everything to lose.


    As Viller continually raised the stakes, Br stepped forward. Though his rank as brigadier general at the time technically fell short of the status ideal for this mission, in the absence of higher-ranked volunteers, Br became the only viable choice.


    Promoted to major general even before departing, Br considered this a preemptive reward for the merits he was expected to earn, elevating his position to make him a more suitable representative.In fact, Viller had initially proposed awarding Br the full merits of the mission in advance, promoting him directly to lieutenant general.


    This would not only reflect the Troi Empire¡¯s respect for the diplomatic exchange but also acknowledge the mission¡¯s inherent dangers¡ªmany doubted Br would even survive to return. However, this n met with fierce opposition and was ultimately shelved.


    Despite this, Br was more than satisfied. Opportunities to rise two ranks above major general were exceedingly rare, and such missions were virtually one in a million. Though the mission appeared perilous, Br¡¯s analysis and instincts led him to believe the risks were not as high as they seemed.


    Once the fleet departed, he remained on edge, prepared to flee at the first sign of trouble. Better to face a military tribunal than lose his life. Yet as the detachment passed uneventfully through the outer regions of the Golden Horn and White Grub Systems, his confidence grew. It seemed the odds were in his favor.


    The primary limitation of the basic warp drive technology was its instability. The warp bubble it generatedcked sufficient stability, making it highly susceptible to external interference. Interception was rtively straightforward: an unstable gravitational field generated ahead of the ship¡¯s trajectory could disrupt the warp bubble, either forcing the warship out of warp or, in severe cases, disintegrating it entirely.


    However, while the concept seemed simple, execution required advanced technology. First, the ability to detect fleets traveling within warp bubbles was essential¡ªif you couldn¡¯t even ¡°see¡± them, interception was out of the question.


    Second, the ability to precisely calcte their trajectory and position was critical. Due to differences in warp drive technology across civilizations¡ªand even between production stages and manufacturing facilities within the same civilization¡ªeach engine¡¯s performance varied. These disparities made prediction and interception exceedinglyplex.


    For Br, this variability was a small reassurance. Unless the Swarm had achieved parity with warp drive technology, they couldn¡¯t intercept the fleet, and thus far, intelligence suggested the Swarmcked such capabilities.


    However, the possibility of encountering the unexpected always loomed, and Br¡¯s instincts¡ªthough often reliable¡ªleft room for doubt. Nevertheless, as the detachment drew closer to their destination, he allowed himself a measure of cautious optimism.


    If a warship¡¯s speed cannot be precisely calcted, determining its position bes meaningless. Describing this as ¡°missing by a mile¡± wouldn¡¯t even begin to capture the issue¡ªat speeds measured in light-years per hour, a warship could travel millions of kilometers in the blink of an eye.


    Even after pinpointing a target¡¯s location, sessfully attacking it remains a monumental challenge. One approach is to set up a trap by calcting the ship¡¯s trajectory in advance. However, this requires the trap to be highly concealed; if the target detects it even slightly ahead of time, the warship can make a minor course adjustment, and within seconds, it will deviate by tens or even hundreds of thousands of kilometers from its original path.


    To ount for such potential deviations, the trap would need either a massive range or immense destructive power. Yet, such measures would inherentlypromise its stealth, creating a paradoxical challenge.


    The alternative is direct interception, the preferred method in advanced civilization warfare. This approach relies on a technological advantage¡ªfor instance, if Party A¡¯s warship travels at twice the speed of light, but Party B¡¯s gravitational bombs can move at three times the speed of light, Party B can catch up with Party A¡¯s ship and force it to exit its warp bubble.


    Thus, the ease of interference only applies to the technologically superior side. As technological advancements continue, the weaker side may find themselves unable even to escape when faced with overwhelming superiority.


    However, this doesn¡¯t mean the technologically inferior side has no chance against a superior foe. Before warp drive technology reaches a certain maturity, star systems remain challenging terrain due to their numerous gravitational sources, which serve as natural interference traps. Unstable warp bubbles are highly fragile in the presence of such gravitational forces.


    In such environments, if the weaponry of both sides is somewhat evenly matched, the technologically weaker side still has a fighting chance. Of course, if the stronger side¡¯s capabilities are vastly superior¡ªsuch as resolving all issues of warp bubble stability¡ªtheir warships can maintain high speeds even within a star system, leaving the weaker side utterly outssed.


    Yet Br couldn¡¯t shake a lingering doubt. The Swarm was unlikely to have reached such an advanced level of warp drive technology, yet his intuition insisted they could intercept Troi warships traveling within warp bubbles.


    Though he had great confidence in his instincts, he knew that if this guess was wrong, the mission¡¯s true challenge woulde next. Clearing this hurdle would be crucial to ensuring the sess of the operation.


    As the Troi fleet neared the asteroid belt at the outskirts of the Genesis System, the ships exited their warp bubbles of their own ord. This was not only to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings but also because Troi¡¯s basic warp technology was incapable of functioning properly within star systems.


    This marked the mission¡¯s second major hurdle. In the sub-light speed environment of the star system, their fleetcked a firepower advantage and was outnumbered. Even with a slight speed advantage, they could easily be encircled by the Swarm¡¯s massive forces.


    Whether the Swarm truly intended to negotiate or not would soon be evident.


    As the Troi warships slowed down and cautiously passed through the asteroid belt, they silenced all weapon and radar systems.


    Br was gambling, knowing full well that this move cost them some face. But in another civilization¡¯s territory, keeping weapons charged and indiscriminately sweeping with radar would be an egregious breach of etiquette, potentially viewed as outright provocation.


    If they genuinely wanted to negotiate, it was better to adopt the most humble posture possible.


    For Br, the priority waspleting the mission and returning home alive¡ªany loss of pride in the process was a small price to pay.

 Chapter 388: The Meeting

    Standing over two meters tall, d in seamless keratin armor and sporting jagged bone spikes from their ramming horns, the three humanoid figures exuded a brutal aesthetic of primal violence.


    Two were male and one female, distinguishable by their body shapes and the subtle differences in their armor. The female¡¯s frame was slightly slimmer, her armor less angr, and her bone spikes more restrained.


    ¡®So, this is the true form of the Swarm?¡¯ Br thought, suppressing a sigh. From their protective suits alone, it was clear that this was not a race to be trifled with.


    Yet, a faint sense of disdain began to creep into his thoughts. He found the Swarm¡¯s protective suits overly ornate, bordering on impractical. A suit capable of shielding a body from the radiation of space wasn¡¯t exactly rare for an interster civilization, but it certainly wasn¡¯t cheap either.


    All this shy extravagance¡ªdoes it serve any purpose other than driving up manufacturing costs? Or do they really n to board enemy ships and engage in meleebat?


    To Br, this reeked of outdated thinking. What era are they living in? They still cling to such primitive ideas. Their civilization must be young. Perhaps some fortuitous encounter elerated their technological progress, but their ancient instincts for closebat and hunting clearly remain ingrained. These thoughts fed a growing sense of superiority.


    ¡®That exins why their bioweapons excel at close-quartersbat¡ªthey have a clear preference for hand-to-hand fighting.¡¯


    ¡°Wee, guests of the Troi!¡± A deep voice cut through Br¡¯s musings, snapping him back to reality. The momentary surge of superiority quickly receded; after all, he was standing in the heart of enemy territory. Angering the host here would likely lead to disastrous consequences.


    Thankfully, the protective suit concealed his facial expressions, preventing any offense from being detected. Moreover, the Swarm¡¯s greeting as ¡°guests,¡± while not ¡°friends,¡± hinted at a mutual understanding.@@novelbin@@The Troi had no desire to waste resources and manpower shing with the Swarm over this mission. Likewise, the Swarm likely wished to avoid offending the Confederation unnecessarily. With this shared foundation, negotiations could proceed.


    Br¡¯s mind raced. ¡®How can I secure the greatest possible benefit for the empire?¡¯


    Although the Troi were the dominant power in the Outer-ring, they had only extended invitations to three civilizations in their history. Each instance left a significant mark on their annals. If this invitation to the Swarm could be managed diplomatically, maximizing benefits while maintaining dignity, the operation would undoubtedly be a historical milestone.


    While the top brass would im most of the credit, as the first to engage the Swarm, Br knew his name would also be recorded in glory.


    Refocusing, Br noticed a subtle detail: the Swarm representative was speaking in Riken, anguage shared between them.


    That made sense¡ªafter all, even if the Swarm used their ownnguage, he wouldn¡¯t understand it. Using a mutuallyprehensible tongue was practical. However, this wasn¡¯t what stood out most.


    The significant point was that the voice wasn¡¯t being amplified or transmitted through any devices. Instead, it carried naturally through the air.


    Admittedly, even that wasn¡¯t extraordinary¡ªcreating a habitable ecological chamber within their own base would be trivial for the Swarm. What truly stood out to Br was that the representative wasn¡¯t wearing a breathing mask.


    Their facial features were fully exposed, indicating the room¡¯s atmospheric conditions were breathable for them.


    Br immediately activated the analyzer built into his protective suit. This tool, a standard feature of such suits, was designed to analyze theposition of the atmosphere on aliens, ensuring safe disembarkation.


    Atmospheric analysis was crucial. By examining the airposition, it was possible to approximate the environmental conditions of the host species. The Interster Technological Confederation maintained atmospheric samples from thousands ofs across over ten thousand star systems.


    If the Swarm¡¯s environment matched an existing sample, it would reveal where they originated. If not, it would suggest that the Swarm were an extragctic species that had somehow ended up in this gxy. This discovery could have profound implications.


    Although the Swarm representative¡¯s posture was upright and exuded a harmonious aesthetic, Br couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off. However, he had no time to dwell on this unease.


    Everything he had just thought and done¡ªthe activation of the analyzer and his observations¡ªhad taken ce in mere moments. The analysis results would take much longer, but Br needed to respond now.


    ¡°Greetings. I am Br of the Troi civilization, a member of the Interster Technological Confederation. It is an honor to meet you,¡± he said, performing a high-level Troi greeting gesture.


    Although the Swarm likely wouldn¡¯t understand the significance of the gesture now, if they ever joined the Confederation, this kind of basic etiquette would be recorded in the annals of various civilizations. By showing respect now, Br could avoid potential usations of rudeness in the future¡ªa preemptive measure to prevent unnecessary conflicts.


    ¡°What is your purpose here?¡± The deep voice asked, and the lead male Swarm representative made a motion, which Br interpreted as a gesture of Swarm etiquette.


    ¡°Ie in the spirit of friendship and hope to gain yours as well,¡± Br replied.


    The purpose of his visit, of course, was obvious from both the information gathered from the Daqi and the broadcasts made by the Troi fleet. However, it was still necessary to formally ask and rify the intent. Diplomatic protocol demanded explicit exchanges; this was not a ce for guessing games.


    The Swarm representative nodded and made a universal ¡°please¡± gesture, indicating the chairs behind them. From the gesture and the crude furniture¡¯s design, the meaning was unmistakable.


    Thanks to Br¡¯s humble and respectful demeanor, the initial interaction was free of hostility. Both sides sat down in a rtively amicable atmosphere.


    The chair-like objects, while wild in design and adhering to the Swarm¡¯s untamed aesthetic, thankfullycked the soft, fleshy materials Br had feared. As he nervously lowered himself onto the seat, the firm surface beneath him brought unexpected relief, and he unconsciously exhaled.


    As both parties settled in, Br finally had a moment to observe the room more closely. His protective suit had built-in scanning capabilities, but it was already stretching boundaries to analyze the airposition subtly.


    Overtly using his scanner to survey the surroundings would be considered highly arrogant and provocative in any civilization. No one with even a shred of diplomacy would make such a blunder.


    That said, there wasn¡¯t much worth scanning in this room. The walls were lined with mysterious, faintly glowing purple nts, giving the dim space an eerie, organic ambiance. Thanks to the advanced optics in his suit¡¯s visor, which included low-light vision as a basic feature, Br could see clearly despite the dim lighting.


    A quick nce confirmed the simplicity of the room¡ªit was essentially arge cavern, roughly 400 to 500 square meters in size, devoid of unnecessary decorations. There was nothing here that remotely suggested advanced technology.


    If Br didn¡¯t already know the Swarm¡¯s overwhelmingbat capabilities, he might have mistaken this ce for the den of primitive creatures on a feral.

 Chapter 389: The Genesis Swarm

    ¡®Is this really necessary?¡¯ Br couldn¡¯t help butin internally. He wasn¡¯t sure if the opposing party genuinely lived in such an environment or if they had deliberately arranged the venue this way to express some kind of primitive reverence.


    Br guessed it was thetter. One of the hallmarks of technological progress is to enhance convenience in life. If a civilization had advanced to the point of conquering star systems, yet still resided in primitive caves, Br knew he couldn¡¯t tolerate it.


    If this were the Troi civilization, it would undoubtedly be a grand and imposing metallic hall,plete with amplifiers, trantors,rge video screens, hostesses for protocol, and refreshments¡ªeverything in order. While other civilizations might differ in details, none would go so far as to be this rudimentary.


    Br could onlyfort himself by thinking this was part of their tradition¡ªa very high-standard reception. As he shifted his gaze back to the Swarm members in attendance, that strange feeling he had earlier once again washed over him.


    Br¡¯s brows furrowed. His chiseled and angr face took on a contemtive expression. Suddenly, he finally realized what was amiss.


    The proportions of the opposing party were too perfect!


    Yes, that was it. This was what made Br feel uneasy. Normally, even if a protective suit sacrificed some functionality for the sake of being lightweight and form-fitting, there would still be visible signs at the joints.


    For instance, if he were to remove his helmet now, his head would appear slightly smaller against the backdrop of the protective suit, and the cor of the suit would be clearly noticeable.


    Yet, as Br observed the male Swarm member seated before him from every angle, he saw no such indications. The armor seemed to be seamlessly integrated with its body, wless in every way. Even after scrutinizing the neck area for a long time, he couldn¡¯t detect any anomalies.Could it be that this armor wasn¡¯t something the Swarm wore, but rather something they were born with? Were those intricate spikes and decorations not useless ornaments but natural extensions of their bodies? An absurd thought suddenly popped into Br¡¯s mind. He quickly shook his head to dispel it.


    Impossible. Even if a species had been highly aggressive during its primitive era, evolution tends to diminish such traits as they develop tools, cognitive abilities, and technology. Their physical strength, endurance, and speed would all decline, let alone retain such external weaponry. Typically, at most, they would retain features like fangs or ws.


    This trend would continue until the species made a breakthrough in biotechnology. With the aid of certain chemical enhancements, they could regain strength, endurance, and speed. But the likelihood of re-embracing aggressive external features was slim. Could this biological path really be so wild that they even restored these attributes?


    Unbelievable. If this armor was indeed reminiscent of their ancestors¡¯ appearance during ancient times, thebat capabilities of a fully-armored form must reflect an environment of unimaginable harshness. What kind of peril would necessitate such extreme adaptations?


    It was usible. The fact that the Swarm members could breathe naturally in this room implied that this was their natural habitat. If so, their ability to function in this environment without additional gear seemed reasonable.


    Wait. Something about this thought felt off. If this hypothesis were correct, wouldn¡¯t that mean this armor was essentially their skin, and they were currently not wearing any clothing?


    No, no. That couldn¡¯t be right. How could they appear in such an important setting in such a manner? Regardless of the species, once they reached a level of civilization, they shouldprehend the concept of modesty, shouldn¡¯t they?


    But as he observed the Swarm member, it seemed like there wasn¡¯t anything inappropriate about their appearance. Or was it simply a difference in perception between species? If Br strippedpletely and stood here now, would they even notice which parts of his body shouldn¡¯t be exposed? Probably?@@novelbin@@


    Br¡¯s thoughts became increasingly chaotic. He had a gut feeling that this was an important question, but he couldn¡¯t figure out why. His instincts were usually spot-on, and he trusted them implicitly.


    Sitting across from Br, Danton felt a chill run down his neck under Br¡¯s intense and unblinking gaze. Ufortably, he reached up to rub his neck, wondering if the Troi species had some kind of mental disorder.


    Kayi, noticing Danton¡¯s reaction, sensed something was off. The Major General she admired seemed to have lost hisposure. She quickly tugged at Br¡¯s protective suit, snapping him out of his daze. However, her curiosity was piqued¡ªwhat exactly had captured the Major General¡¯s attention so thoroughly?


    Looking at the ferocious horn-like protrusions and the wild, violent appearance of the keratinous exoskeleton, Kayi pondered silently. Was it these features? Did the Major General have a particr liking for them? She mused privately, wondering if she should consider ordering a custom suit for herself¡­


    One must admit, while the Troi species¡ªboth male and female¡ªwere all burly and muscr, their thoughts were astonishingly whimsical and imaginative. Was this some kind of racial trait?


    Coming back to his senses, Br also realized his loss ofposure. Quickly, he cleared his mind of the chaotic thoughts. After a brief cough to cover his embarrassment, he took the initiative to ask, ¡°May I know how to address you and your species?¡±


    Up until now, the Interster Technological Confederation had no idea what the Swarm actually called themselves. The name ¡°Swarm¡± had been coined by the Riken species and subsequently adopted by everyone else. However, in formal diplomatic settings, it was only proper to ask the species in question what they preferred to be called. Assigning them a nickname and sticking to it would hardly be respectful.


    ¡°You may call us the Genesis Swarm. We are quite fond of that name. As for myself, I am Danton, a Major General, responsible for this diplomatic mission,¡± Danton replied. His voice was low, raspy, and resonant, as if processed through multipleyers of reverberation.


    As for the species¡¯ official name, although Luo Wen was fond of the term ¡°Swarm,¡± it was only natural for a species to have its own name after years of development. Adopting a nickname created by others would seem unprincipled and invite scorn.


    Thus, while ¡°Swarm¡± could remain part of the designation, it needed a proper prefix. Initially, Luo Wen had considered using ¡°Iphieash,¡± but upon further reflection, he decided against it. That name was part of his original foundation. Even though this universe likely had no connection to the wizarding continent he came from, there was always a possibility, however slim.


    Even if the universes were unrted, his ability to traverse worlds suggested that other unknown entities could potentially do the same. If any records of ¡°Iphieash¡± existed and surfaced, they might expose his origins and secrets. Granted, in the wizarding continent, ¡°Iphieash¡± was more myth than reality, with few reliable ounts.


    Cautious by nature, Luo Wen had decided to use ¡°Genesis¡± as the prefix after careful consideration. Within the Swarm itself, ¡°Genesis¡± and ¡°Genesis System¡± were internal designations. To the outside world, the Genesis System was known by other names, such as ¡°T83 System¡± among the Riken.


    Thus, this choice wouldn¡¯t reveal much.


    ¡°Genesis? Swarm?¡± Br murmured, repeating the names to himself.

 Chapter 390: Mutual Interests

    ¡°Genesis? Swarm?¡± Br repeated softly.


    Genesis?


    That name carried a certain weight, but it wasn¡¯t entirely unprecedented. Plenty of species had grandiose names. For example, the Troi civilization itself¡ªwhile the name ¡°Troi¡± meant nothing to other cultures, in their ownnguage, it signified ¡°Masters of the World,¡± which far outshined something like ¡°Genesis.¡±


    However, from Danton¡¯s brief introduction, Br was able to glean a considerable amount of information.


    First, Danton had said that ¡°we¡± liked the name. Due to the Swarm¡¯s previous aura of mystery, some external analysts had spected that the Swarm might have evolved from a kind of social organism. These analysts believed that the space octopuses were merely Swarm drones, devoid of independent thought, operating solely under the control of a single will.


    But this theory had been strongly contested. On the homeworlds of many alien species, there were examples of social organisms that evolved during theirary ecosystems¡¯ development.


    Such species had members that followed the will of a central leader, with individual units almostpletely devoid of self-awareness, mechanically executing tasks.


    While these groups disyed unparalleled unity and coboration, none of them had ever evolved into an advanced species. In their primitive eras, such creatures could dominate due to their collective strength, but once other species began developing intelligence, they were quickly outpaced.


    Put simply, as long as no one had developed brains, these organisms could rely on their cohesion to hold the upper hand. But once intelligence came into y, the disadvantage of a species having only one ¡°brain¡± became apparent.No matter how brilliant that one mind might be, it could never outmatch the collective brainpower of thousands or millions. With examples from countlesss as evidence, this theory was eventually discarded. However, a minority of people argued that the universe was vast and full of wonders, continuing to support the idea.


    Before undertaking this mission, Br had devoted significant effort to researching the Swarm¡ªnot just for his career prospects but also for his survival. He reviewed every piece of data, video, text, and analysis on the Swarm no fewer than ten times.


    Thus, the moment Danton used the term ¡°we,¡± Br immediately picked up on it. The Swarm couldn¡¯t be a singr-will species.


    While this conclusion could already be inferred from the simultaneous presence of three Swarm members and various other details, hearing it directly confirmed was much more conclusive.


    Second, Danton introduced himself by name, further supporting this inference. While it was possible that the Swarm was numerically scarce, it was clearly not to the extent of having only one individual.


    Lastly, Danton mentioned his military rank¡ªMajor General. Though he used the term in Riken, this suggested that the Swarm had a hierarchical structure. Danton also emphasized that he was responsible for handling this diplomatic mission.


    A Major General would typically be a military officer, whereas diplomats among most species were usually civil officials. Br wasn¡¯t sure if the Swarm had sent a Major General as a gesture of reciprocity, given that he himself was a Major General, or if there simply wasn¡¯t a more precise term in Riken to describe Danton¡¯s position.


    Br mentally cataloged these observations, nning to subtly probe for more details if an opportunity arose during future conversations.


    Thus, this diplomatic meeting stretched on for nearly a month. During this time, Br and Danton discussed many topics and solidified numerous agreements.


    The most significant oue was that the Swarm would join the Interster Technological Confederation. At the very least, this meant the main objective of the talks had been achieved.


    Br was already envisioning his bright future upon his return¡ªpromotions, pay raises, and a meteoric rise to glory. Consequently, the three-hundred-pound giant and his equally massive ¡°beautiful¡± adjutant, along with their simrly hefty colleagues, were all in high spirits.


    Additionally, there were finer details. The Swarm had earned respect through its own strength, distinguishing itself from the fledgling civilizations that were defeated and subsequently piged.


    The Swarm would still abide by the Confederation¡¯s rules. For example, the first batch of researchers dispatched to the Ji species would have their contributions tallied into the Confederation¡¯s points system, with the Troi civilization taking the lion¡¯s share of the rewards.


    However, Danton made it clear not to expect a significant number of researchers¡ªthis was merely a symbolic gesture, a reciprocal acknowledgment for the Troi civilization¡¯s decision to pursue peace instead of war.


    The Troi civilization understood this dynamic. Initially, realizing theycked the strength to conquer the Swarm, they opted for a peaceful negotiation. While this was primarily to preserve their own resources, it also benefited the Swarm. As a result, the Swarm offered a token of goodwill, providing a diplomatic middle ground.


    The Troi civilization could publicly dere that they had sessfully invited the Swarm to join the Confederation, and the Swarm, in turn, could join the Confederation in ordance with established rules without appearing excessively unconventional. This arrangement allowed both parties to save face, avoid conflict, and preserve their strength.


    Another point of discussion involved the Riken and Ratfolk species. The Riken species had reached the technological threshold for an invitation to the Confederation, while the Ratfolk were still some distance away from meeting the standards.


    Previously, both species had respective sponsoring civilizations for potential membership. However, with the Swarm joining the Confederation, they became the nearest member civilization to both species, thus inheriting the right to invite them.


    This could lead to minor disputes, such as protests from the Daqi species or even some conflicts. Br stated that the Confederation wouldn¡¯t intervene in such matters; these issues would need to be resolved independently. Danton, however, dismissed these concerns as trivial.


    At this point, the major issues surrounding the Swarm¡¯s membership in the Confederation had been resolved. The remaining minor matters were easily manageable. The lengthy negotiations had primarily been due to two reasons.


    First, Br, a recently promoted Major General, was little more than a sacrificial pawn. Officially referred to as a diplomat, he was, in reality, expendable. If the Swarm turned out to be temperamental, there was no chance he would make it back alive.


    As a result, Br had very limited authority, with hardly any decisions under his purview. He was merely a tool, sent to the Swarm to establish amunication channel. Once the channel was set up, Br essentially became a ry, passing information between the two sides.


    Second, given the uncertainty surrounding the Swarm¡¯s disposition, a quantummunication device was installed on Br¡¯s ship to ensure smoothmunication.


    This piece of equipment, even by Troi standards, was extraordinarily expensive and ssified under Confederation technology protection protocols. As such, it was heavily secured, with its operation room equipped with multiple recognition devices that only Br could ess.


    Every day, Br had to clock in at the operation room and check that all recognition devices were functioning correctly. If he failed to clock in at the designated time or if the recognition devices were tampered with, the ship, the operation room, and the device itself would immediately trigger a triple self-destruct protocol.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 392: Return

    ¡°Major General, it really feels like a dream. Before we departed, you had us all write our wills, making everything seem so grim. Who would¡¯ve thought this mission would be so easy?¡± Kayi reminisced about their departure preparations with mixed emotions.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to turn out this way either. After all, the Swarm didn¡¯t even bother to talk to anyone before crushing two civilizations. Their resolve is harder than our muscles!¡± Br sighed.


    The journey from initial anxiety toplete relief had been nothing short of extraordinary.


    ¡°I like tough things. I like the Swarm,¡± Kayi joked with a smile.


    ¡°Then you can apply to be a permanent liaison officer. With this experience on your record, you¡¯ll definitely have an advantage,¡± Br suggested.


    Kayi quickly shook her head. ¡°No way! As much as I like the Swarm, wherever you go, Major General, I go.¡±


    Br cast her a sidelong nce and shook his head. How could he not see through Kayi¡¯s little schemes?


    Friendly civilizations often maintained permanent liaison officers to facilitatemunication. It was usually a cushy job¡ªnot only could one travel at the government¡¯s expense, but it was also an opportunity to experience the culture of an alien civilization. If that civilization had particrly thriving industries, one could even witness unique talents from another species.


    However, when it came to the Swarm, the experience left much to be desired. It wasn¡¯t that the Swarm treated them poorly¡ªthey neither singled them out nor offered any special amodations. But staying in a deste cave every day? Who could endure that? Forget culture or local vor¡ªBr hadn¡¯t even seen a fourth member of the Swarm since their arrival.Even though A11 was merely aary outpost on the outermost edge of the system, it shouldn¡¯t have been this barebones. Given these conditions, Kayi, who knew the situation, had no intention of suffering through such an assignment.


    ¡°Enough. Inform everyone toplete their mission reports before entering cryosleep!¡± Br ordered, cutting short the banter with Kayi.


    ¡°Understood, Major General!¡±


    At this moment, Br¡¯s fleet was en route back to the main forces. The basic framework of the agreement had been signed, and his mission wasplete. Personnel tasked with finalizing the details had already been dispatched, while he could now return to enjoy the rewards of his adventure.


    Before that, however, the fleet needed topile aprehensive record of everything they had observed during their time with the Swarm. These reports would be handed over to sociologists and other experts to analyze, in hopes of gaining deeper insights into the Swarm.@@novelbin@@


    Everyone knew the Swarm was hiding secrets. Without the constraints imposed by various powers, a dominant force would have long since moved against them. Take the Troi civilization, for example¡ªif the region only contained the Troi and the Swarm, the Troi would undoubtedly mobilize their entire poption to annihte the Swarm and seize their secrets.


    Since direct action was currently impossible, the alternative was to maintain good rtions and cultivate a future ally. However, if Troi schrs could piece together the Swarm¡¯s secrets from the tiniest clues, and if a thorough analysis suggested a high chance of sess, the Troi might still take the risk.


    Concerns about offending the Swarm or other allies? Those were trivial matters. For any civilization, its own strength always came first.


    As the leader of this mission and the fleetmander, Br had his own private quarters on the ship. The room spanned over twenty square meters and was devoid of extravagant decorations. The cold metallic walls were painted with a coat of off-white paint.


    All the furniture in the room was made of an unidentified metal. A bed was tucked into one corner, with a desk and chair ced next to it. The room was equipped with basic lighting, along with essential living and work supplies. The entire space felt clean and spacious.


    Br sat in his chair, furrowing his brow in thought. He knew that the mission summary report wouldrgely hinge on himself, Kayi, and the diplomatic personnel. The average soldiers, who had never even left the ship, could only provide limited information.


    As the person who had interacted with the Swarm most directly, Br understood that he was the linchpin. This report would be a test of his abilities¡ªhis observations, attention to detail, and analytical skills would all need to shine in it. A well-written report could significantly bolster his des, while a poor one could undermine his achievements.


    Fortunately, with four or five years remaining before they returned to the main base, he had plenty of time to reflect, analyze, and perfect this report.


    ¡°Overlord, what is our next course of action?¡±


    Luo Wen¡¯s gaze pierced the void as if he were already envisioning the vast, unexplored gxies beyond. The Swarm needed to elerate its pace. Though speeding up would inevitably lead to ws and imperfections, there was no other choice at this critical juncture.


    Through recent interactions and reflections, Luo Wen hade to realize something. Despite his efforts to keep a low profile, the Swarm¡¯s progress was still too conspicuous. Consider this: what civilization could simultaneously develop and upy multiple star systems while controlling the territory of just one or two systems?


    Such capabilities were bound to attract the attention of many forces, enough to make some take risks. The only reason the Swarm had not yet been attacked was the internal discord among these powers. How long this internal strife wouldst, or how quickly they would reach a consensus, was unclear due to theck of information.


    Since the Swarm had already provoked their greed, keeping a low profile alone would no longer suffice. It would require the backing of even greater strength.


    For instance, the Troi civilization was able to engage in diplomatic talks with the Swarm rather thanunching an invasion precisely because of the Swarm¡¯s power. If the Swarm still possessed the strength it had a century ago, it would not have been diplomats that arrived but an overwhelming military force.


    However, while building strength, maintaining a low-key approach remained essential. Ignoring this bnce would only increase the Swarm¡¯s perceived value in the eyes of others.


    It was akin to a hidden gold mine: if only a gold bar were visible to outsiders, they might quarrel among themselves over its limited value. But as more of the gold was revealed, the potential bounty would force those factions to set aside their disputes temporarily and seize it collectively.


    Thus, the Swarm¡¯s task was to bnce discretion with elerated growth, ensuring both progressed in tandem without tipping the scales too far in either direction.


    Luo Wen pondered, concluding that it was time to rely on traditional Swarm techniques once more.


    Before proceeding with the next phase, it was imperative to identify all the ¡°eyes¡± within their territory.


    Over the next several days, the Swarmunched vast numbers of newly developed recon bugs across all upied star systems. These units were specifically designed to counter the Ji Race¡¯s surveince efforts on the Swarm.


    Utilizing innovative techniques, the density of these units was astonishing. Yet, without specialized detection methods, they were almost impossible to uncover.

 Chapter 394: Inside Story

    During that period, the New Ji Race had declined to its lowest point, rendering it incapable of restricting all the alien races. Combined with the establishment of certain new regtions, it was impossible to return to the old ways.


    Although the New Ji Race managed to suppress the Confederation through various means, their influence could no longerpare to the dominance of the progenitor Ji race.


    The progenitor Ji race had once confined every alien civilization to its home star system, strictly forbidding expansion and stationing troops in those systems to monitor everything.


    In contrast, the New Ji Race could no longer achieve such control. Initially, military authority was entirely under the jurisdiction of Lumina, and by the time the New Ji Race transitioned its mindset and took over the military, the alien races had already developed significantly.


    Although the New Ji Race was still the most powerful force at that time, they could no longer station troops in alien home systems as before. While they continued to maintain garrisons, these were concentrated in specific star systems within the gxy, rather than being as widespread as before.


    ording to Br, the Ji garrison point nearest to the Swarm was nearly a hundred light-years away. Such a distance meant that any journey to the Swarm¡¯s domain would require passing through numerous alien territories.


    As for the monitoring devices, they were now mostly concentrated in newly emerging civilizations and unimed star systems. The older civilizations had already removed these devices, as no one wished to be under surveince.


    Br even expressed great pride in this, stating that few civilizations in the Outer-ring could detect and eliminate these devices. The Troi Civilization was one of them.


    Luo Wen directed Danton to feign confusion, questioning whether such actions would provoke retaliation from the Ji.At first, Br hesitated to answer. Only after Danton repeatedly pressed the issue, even hinting atplicating the negotiations, did Br reluctantly reveal some information.


    The New Ji Race consisted of researchers sent or, in some cases, ¡°sold¡± by alien civilizations. These researchers were skilled and highly knowledgeable, capable of passing the Ji¡¯s stringent evaluations. Compared to others, they were also rtively pure in thought.


    This exined why the early days of the New Ji Race were chaotic¡ªthey were ill-suited for governance or the intricate power struggles between civilizations.


    Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t this initial group of researchers whose mindset shifted. Over time, within the New Ji Race, the alien races intermingled, forming new lineages. Some species were hermaphroditic and could produce offspring without pairing.


    These offspring, and the subsequent generations, were the true New Ji Race in the truest sense. Having never lived within their original civilizations, their mindset evolved naturally.


    These descendants embraced their identity as members of the New Ji Race. With their early education emphasizing broader learning, not limited to scientific research, the New Ji Race eventually developed its own political and administrative personnel.


    However, the New Ji Race¡¯s ¡°immigration¡± channels remained open, continually epting alien researchers. This influx created persistent internal conflicts between the naturalized descendants and the first-generation immigrants.


    Nevertheless, because the descendants¡¯ behavior better aligned with the Ji¡¯s interests, they received Lumina¡¯s support at a policy level. Consequently, the newly immigrated researchers, who still yearned for their original civilizations, were constantly suppressed.


    ording to Br, many researchers from native civilizations wereter forcibly sent to the Ji by the New Ji Race¡¯s methods. Among them were individuals filled with deep resentment. Over time, as their hatred grew, some even formed ndestine organizations in secret.


    These groups aimed to overthrow the Ji¡¯s rule and their imposed regtions, seeking to liberate all native civilizations from oppression. Their ideals were admirable, but without the Ji¡¯s suppression of older alien civilizations, the fate of newer civilizations could be even worse.


    Still, regardless of their motivations, their rhetoric found considerable support. However, such organizations were never tolerated by the descendants of the New Ji Race. When discovered, they were met with brutal suppression. Despite this, these resistance groups persisted for hundreds of thousands of years, surviving and thriving in secrecy.


    This was an open secret. As long as these rebels didn¡¯t openly reveal themselves or leave any traceable evidence, they continued to exist as part of the New Ji Race, protected by its rules.


    So, the so-called New Ji Race can now be broadly divided into three major factions:


    The descendants, whose mindsets havepletely shifted and who embrace their New Ji Race identity.


    The immigrants, who, while bearing the identity of the New Ji Race, still strongly identify with their original civilizations.


    The rebels, who aim to overthrow Ji¡¯s rule.


    Among these, the first two factions operate openly under the light of day. The descendants, being the most aligned with the New Ji Race¡¯s ideals, hold thergest power base. The immigrants, in contrast, wield significantly less influence. However, they often receive covert support from the rebels, as their goals ovep in some respects.


    The true strength of the rebels remains a mystery. Theirwork is vast and diverse, and its members maintain legitimate identities in public life, some even belonging to the descendant faction.


    Additionally, many smaller factions exist within the New Ji Race, each pursuing its own unique objectives and ideals. Upon hearing this, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but marvel. This version of the Ji¡¯s history differed somewhat from the ounts provided by the Daqi intelligent entities.


    However, Luo Wen trusted Br¡¯s exnation more, as the Daqi civilization primarily studied official records, which often omitted discordant details.@@novelbin@@


    Attacking Ji monitoring devices was, of course, prohibited. In the early days, such actions were even considered acts of war. However, as alien civilizations grew in strength and expanded their influence, coupled with internal factional conflicts within the Ji, the rules were eventually revised.


    A civilization capable of detecting and urately locating Ji monitoring devices would be regarded as having reached a certain threshold of strength. Upon proving this capability, the Ji would view them as deserving greater freedom and respect.


    The Ji were then expected to voluntarily remove all concealed devices from that civilization¡¯s territory, recing them with standard observation equipment.


    The quantity, cement, and scale of such observation devices, as well as the type of data collected, would be negotiated between the Ji and the civilization and jointly supervised by both parties.


    As a result, the Ji no longer cared as much about their monitoring devices as they once did. With garrisons stationed far away and inspections challenging to enforce, the loss of a few monitors was no longer considered significant.


    However, Br cautioned that attacking the signal ry stations was strictly prohibited. identally destroying a single monitor might be excusable, but targeting a ry station was seen as crossing the line.


    Of course, having someone within the Ji to advocate on one¡¯s behalf would make things much safer. Br subtly suggested that the Swarm consider joining their alliance to gain protection.


    Danton did not outright reject the proposal but stated that he would report it to his superiors.

 Chapter 395: Micro Seeds

    Given the current situation, Luo Wen naturally chose not to reveal the Swarm¡¯s ability to detect and capture Ji monitors.


    Even the Daqi civilization, which had been part of the Confederation for thousands of years, hadn¡¯t achieved this capability. For the Swarm, which had only appeared on the interster stage for a few centuries, to demonstrate such prowess would attract too much attention. The Swarm was already prominent enough; it didn¡¯t need to shine even brighter.


    While Br might have some suspicions, hecked concrete evidence. Moreover, as he mentioned, the rtionships within the Ji themselves, between the Ji and the Interster Technological Confederation, and even within the Confederation were an entangled mess. Whether the Troi civilization would spread these spections was uncertain.


    Regardless, after acquiring some intelligence, Luo Wen realized that the Swarm¡¯s situation was far less dire than the previously imagined scenario of being surrounded by enemies with imminent invasions.


    Even though Luo Wen intended to conceal the Swarm¡¯s capabilities, locating all the Ji monitors remained a priority. While destroying them wasn¡¯t necessary, knowing their exact locations was essential for the next steps in the n.


    To achieve this, a new type of Recon Bug was deployed. These bugs were incredibly small, smaller by tens to hundreds of times than Luo Wen¡¯s earlier nail-sized miniature bugs. Each individual consisted of only a few dozen cells¡ªLuo Wen¡¯s first experiment with extremely tiny organisms.


    Based on the Atmospheric Organism temte, these micro bugs required only minimal radiation energy to sustain themselves due to their diminutive size.


    With so few cells, their functionality was extremely limited¡ªthey could only detect electromaic signals within a specific range and frequency band. They had no autonomous mobility andcked data transmission modules. However, as node units, they could rely on the Swarm Network to ry information.


    Their small size also made them inherently stealthy, requiring no additional cloaking modules to evade detection. In space, such minuscule entities were almost impossible to notice. Even if detected, alien civilizations wouldn¡¯t be able to discern their purpose, as these bugs,posed of just a few dozen cells, had no autonomous consciousness or identifiable function.These bugs were specifically designed to target Ji monitors. While each bug¡¯s detection range was small, their overwhelming numberspensated for this limitation. A single mature Brood Queen could produce billions of these bugs daily. Once deployed by the Primordial bodies, they spread across multiple star systems within mere months.


    Under the dense surveincework of these bugs, the Ji monitors were left with nowhere to hide, each one being marked and logged.


    With the monitors¡¯ positions identified, the next phase of the n couldmence.


    Usingary bodies and groups of Primordial bodies as cover and interference, the Swarmunched Swarm Meteors into the monitors¡¯ blind spots. Unlike previous Swarm Meteors, these new ones disintegrated into nothingness shortly afterunch.


    A closer look would reveal that they didn¡¯t truly vanish but instead broke apart into countless minuscule entities.


    This marked Luo Wen¡¯s second creation of micro-scale organisms following the sessful development of the recon bugs.


    The outeryer of these micro seeds was covered by a metallic mineral shell, a gic capability derived from the Metallic Snail. Although the Metallic Snail was a rtively primitive organism, this ability yed an unimaginable role in the Swarm¡¯s development. From the early Swarm Meteors to theter electromaic projectiles, and even today, it continued to shine.


    Beneath the mineral shell was a miniature Fungal Carpet seed, Luo Wen¡¯s crowning achievement to date. Itpressed an astonishing amount of functionality into just a few cells, making it nearly invisible to the naked eye. Moreover, in its dormant state, it emitted no discernible signs of life.


    This mineral shell made the seeds indistinguishable from ordinary interster dust. Even if the outer shell were peeled away, the few remaining non-desated cells would be virtually undetectable. Even if discovered, they would likely be mistaken for fossil specimens or simr inert matter.


    Due to their small size, these micro seeds were easily captured by gravitational sources, allowing them to attach to meteors ands. Once they reached a suitable environment and were activated by the Swarm Network, they would absorb the surrounding metallic mineral shell and germinate like real seeds.


    Their ¡°roots¡± would absorb local nutrients while driving the main body deeper underground, umting energy and remaining dormant. Whenmanded by the Swarm, they could mutate into Brood Queens, ready to expand the Swarm¡¯s domain.


    Though the production cost of these micro Fungal Carpet seeds was significantly higher than that of the Recon Bugs, due to the metallic outer shell, the Swarm¡¯s current scale made this expense easily manageable.


    Some Brood Queens worked at full capacity, producing tens of millions of micro Fungal Carpet seeds daily. These seeds were briefly fused together before beingunched via projectors.


    The primaryunch direction focused on the Inner Circle of the Confederation. Although the Swarm had agreed with the Troi civilization not to expand toward the Inner Circle, this strategy was merely a dying tactic. Besides, given the technological capabilities of those nascent civilizations, it was highly unlikely they could excavate deep into theirs¡¯ cores. The Swarm¡¯s intervention could even be considered a ¡°helpful¡± act of loosening the soil for future use.


    As long as these civilizations remained friendly toward the Swarm, they would never notice the anomalies deep within theirs. However, if they ever became hostile, any agreements would naturally be nullified, leaving them with a colossal ¡°surprise.¡±


    Meanwhile, in the Outer-ring direction, numerous Primordial-level and above Space Octopuses advanced via electromaic Megastructures. In these unimed territories, the Swarm didn¡¯t need to operate as covertly.


    That said, maintaining a degree of subtlety was still crucial. Given the Swarm¡¯s currently disyed capabilities,pletely avoiding Outer-ring development or making it too inconspicuous would appear suspicious¡ªtoo perfect to be believable. Overreaching would be just as detrimental.@@novelbin@@


    However, if the development pace was too rapid, it might draw unnecessary attention. Luo Wen¡¯s strategy relied on a mix of truth and falsehood. Development was essential, but the scale and speed had to be carefully controlled.


    For instance, in certain star systems directed toward the Inner Circle, the Swarm¡¯s surface forces openly stationed themselves as if idling, while the underground forces remained entirely concealed. Even the visible forces on the surface employed technical measures for concealment.


    The Space Octopuses, soft-bodied organisms based on the Fungal Carpet temte, could connect with the Fungal Carpet for energy replenishment and also link together. Bypressing unnecessary gaps within and between their bodies, they could merge in groups of several to even a dozen individuals without noticeably increasing their apparent volume.


    Although this lowered their energy absorption efficiency, it effectively concealed their numbers. After all,s were minusculepared to the vastness of space. Even if a were entirely hollowed out, it couldn¡¯t hold a significant force. Moreover, forces hidden undergroundcked the rapid growth potential of units basking in proximity to a star.


    Thus, Luo Wen ensured that the Swarm appeared restrained and realistic in its development, while secretlyying the groundwork for future domination.

 Chapter 397: The Return

    Fifteen years after Br¡¯s departure, arger diplomatic delegation from the Troi Civilization finally arrived in the Genesis System, muchter than Luo Wen had anticipated.


    Based on calctions, Br would havepleted his initial negotiations and reported the situation back to his civilization. With their Quantum Communication System, there would have been no dy in transmitting information. It should have taken no more than five years for a more professional diplomatic team to assemble and arrive via ships equipped with Warp Drive.


    Could the Troi fleet assemble a professional diplomatic delegation? With over 200,000 warships and an estimated poption of hundreds of millions aboard, finding the necessary personnel should not have been an issue. Moreover, given their intent for peaceful negotiations, such a delegation should have been prepared before they even set out.


    As for ships equipped with warp drives? That should have been even less of a problem. Even if only 20% of their fleet had warp capability, this would amount to 40,000 ships¡ªeasily sufficient to assemble a visiting fleet of a few hundred vessels.


    So what caused the dy? Considering the avable intelligence, the Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities spected that the Troi Civilization had likely been waiting for Ji personnel. After all, joining the Interster Technological Confederation required the presence of at least a nominal representative of the Confederation¡¯s leader, the New Ji.


    As it turned out, the Swarm¡¯s hypothesis was correct. The newly arrived Troi fleet announced its personnel upon entering Swarm territory. ording to the report, this diplomatic team not only included nearly 10,000 personnel but also over a dozen Ji representatives.


    Luo Wen and several intelligent entities watched the Troi fleet¡¯s slow advance, apanied by an escort of Primordial bodies, deep in thought.


    ¡°Overlord,¡± said Morgan, his tone tinged with concern, ¡°ording to the Troi Civilization, the Ji¡¯s nearest garrison point is about 100 light-years away. If they departed fifteen years ago, right after Br left, then their warp drive technology must allow for speeds of at least seven light-years per year.¡±


    Morgan, who had been responsible for Swarm research and rarely participated in military operations, was present now due to the need for analytical insights rather thanbat. In addition to the des, several research-oriented intelligent entities were also in attendance.The implications of such technological advancements were rming. Forparison, the Troi fleet¡¯s fastest warships could only reach speeds of about two light-years per year. A speed advantage of nearly three times would be magnified exponentially in an interster war.


    In a single star system, such mobility might not significantly impact the oue. But in wars spanning multiple or even dozens of star systems, this mobility advantage would allow the Ji to consistently outmaneuver and outnumber their opponents in localized engagements, even if weaponry and radar technology were simr.


    The Swarm¡¯s current propulsion technologygged far behind the Ji. If the Ji were to take direct action, it would only be a matter of time before the Swarm, no matter how many star systems it controlled, was annihted.


    ¡°Overlord, perhaps the situation isn¡¯t as dire as it seems,¡± said Covi, a propulsion expert who had overseen the development of the rocket engines that firstunched Luo Wen into space.


    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s your reasoning?¡± Luo Wen asked with interest. Maintaining the individuality of each intelligent entity was precisely to gather diverse perspectives in such situations.


    ¡°Overlord, if the Ji truly arrived on their own ships, why didn¡¯t they assemble directly outside our territory? Why first rendezvous with the Troi fleet beforeing here?¡± Covi pointed out.


    Luo Wen nodded, understanding Covi¡¯s reasoning. While many civilizations within the Interster Technological Confederation were initially influenced by Ji ship designs, significant differences in ship aesthetics had developed over time. Each civilization¡¯s fleet typically exhibited distinctive designs.


    However, the Troi fleet currently in Swarm territorycked any such individuality. Its ships were uniform in appearance, and no vessels disyed the characteristic style of Ji ships¡ªsomething the Swarm was somewhat familiar with.


    This suggested that the Ji personnel had not arrived in their own ships but had traveled alongside the Troi fleet.


    There were several possible exnations for this. One was the earlier hypothesis that when Br reported back, the Ji representatives had departed from their garrison point. For reasons unknown, they first traveled to the Troi fleet¡¯s location before apanying them on this diplomatic mission.


    The second possibility was that when Br departed from the Troi fleet¡ªor perhaps even while the Troi fleet was still en route to Swarm territory¡ªthe Ji had already begun their journey to rendezvous at a predetermined assembly point.


    Although this hypothesis differed from the first in terms of timing, the implications were vastly different. If the second hypothesis were true, the Ji¡¯s technological capabilities might not be as advanced as previously imagined.


    Of course, there was yet another possibility: that the Ji representatives had been part of the Troi fleet from the very beginning, apanying them from their point of departure. This scenario could not be ruled out either.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯ll have to rely on Danton to probe them,¡± Luo Wen concluded.@@novelbin@@


    The process of the Swarm joining the Interster Technological Confederation, along with finalizing agreements with the Troi Civilization, turned out to be far moreplex than expected. During the initial negotiations, Br had suggested leaving behind a small team to begin drafting less controversial uses for efficiency¡¯s sake.


    However, the Swarm had no interest in saving time. Luo Wen, in fact, preferred to dy the process as much as possible.


    Using excuses such as the Swarm¡¯s limited personnel and inability to host long-term visitors, as well as requesting that the Troi Civilization send higher-ranking representatives as a sign of respect, Luo Wen rejected Br¡¯s proposal.


    Br realized that unless he himself stayed behind, the warship equipped with Quantum Communication Systems would have to leave, rendering any discussion by remaining personnelrgely pointless.


    Furthermore, if he were to stay, his limited authority would require him to ry messages back and forth¡ªa tiring process that would not only hinder his ability to report his sess but also dy his recognition back home. Ultimately, he decided not to press the matter further.


    The result was favorable for the Swarm. The dy far exceeded Luo Wen¡¯s expectations, and during the fifteen years since, the Swarm hadunched countless biological seed pods into space. These pods drifted in the void, waiting to be captured by gravitational sources, where they could root and grow.


    At the same time, two more star systems in the Outer-ring had be home to Swarm entities basking in the ster energy of their suns. Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.


    For now, all Luo Wen needed was time¡ªthe more, the better.


    As the Confederation diplomatic team disembarked from their ships, Luo Wen observed a group of towering, 300-pound individuals escorting a few humanoid aliens of varying shapes. These, he surmised, were representatives of the so-called New Ji Race.


    ¡°Hmph, so this is the Swarm? How utterly primitive!¡± remarked one of the humanoids, whose pale blue skin and height bore some resemnce to the Rikens.


    However, unlike the Rikens, this being had a rounded head, gill-like tes on the sides of his cheeks, and webbed fingers, giving him the appearance of an evolved mackerel.


    ¡°Kant, stopining. Didn¡¯t you review the files before we came? The Swarm has always been like this,¡± another member of the delegation responded with mild exasperation.

 Chapter 398: Intelligence

    The speaker was a humanoid figure barely one meter tall, with milky white skin and a slightly pointed head. Hisrge, ck eyes, which upied nearly half of his face, gleamed like wless gemstones.


    However, amidst a group of towering individuals over two meters tall and weighing more than 300 pounds, this frail figure resembled nothing more than a ¡°child.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, shut up, Hyman. With your perspective, all you can see are thick legs. Wait until you see the outside world before you start talking again,¡± sneered Kant, the so-called New Ji Race, whose sharp tongue made him appear to be the group¡¯s provocateur.


    Though mocked, the diminutive Hyman remained calm. ¡°What difference does it make? Since nothing can be changed, why waste words?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! The Swarm knows we¡¯reing, yet they didn¡¯t bother to prepare. Isn¡¯t that disrespectful? And as for you, arguing with me is just wasting your own breath. Do you think you can change my mind?¡± Kant shot back.


    ¡°¡­¡± Hyman fell silent, refusing to engage further with Kant.


    ¡°Enough! Stop arguing. Don¡¯t let the outsidersugh at us,¡± said another humanoid figure, approximately 1.7 meters tall, with golden skin that shimmered like polished gold.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Kant reluctantly obeyed, silenced by the golden figure¡¯smanding presence. Clearly, this golden-skinned individual was the leader of the Ji delegation.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t they look like professional diplomats?¡± Luo Wen muttered, observing the scene through a concealed Observer Bug.The bickering among the Ji delegation hardly resembled the conduct of a serious diplomatic team. What exactly had the Ji sent here? And what was with the arrogance radiating from their every word and action? Was this the Ji?


    From his prior research, Luo Wen had regarded the Ji as a great race. Yet their sessors, the New Ji Race, appeared to be¡­ this?


    The negotiations that followed were even stranger. Perhaps Br¡¯s earlier visit had given the impression that the Swarm was too agreeable, leading this batch of diplomats to a grave misunderstanding.


    ¡°Hmph! The Swarm must surrender all its biological technology, or they can forget about joining the Confederation!¡± Kant barked.


    The Troi delegation, though more professional, was simrly unyielding. Many of the agreements preliminarily settled with Br were overturned and renegotiated, with the new terms being far harsher.


    Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but smirk as he listened. The arrogance on disy made it seem as though the Swarm was desperate to join the Interster Technological Confederation.


    Perhaps other native civilizations had indeed acted this way in the past, eagerly seeking membership after being coerced into concessions in order to gain the protection of the Confederation¡¯s rules.


    But the Swarm was apletely different case. Did these people even think? If Br¡¯s team had been reasonable, this new delegation felt like a farce¡ªnumerous and noisy butcking substance, as if ying at diplomacy.


    For Luo Wen, this was perfect. If negotiations stalled, they could simply drag on indefinitely. And the longer they dragged on, the better.


    As an immortal being, Luo Wen had no fear of prolonged discussions. He would be more than happy to spend thousands or even tens of thousands of years negotiating. By then, perhaps the Swarm would be strong enough to crush the Confederation outright.


    Of course, such an ideal scenario was unlikely in reality.


    Still, Luo Wen¡¯s goal was simple: dy as much as possible.


    This round of negotiations featured the highest-ranking representatives of the Troi Civilization, including a member of their royal family who also held the rank of Admiral. As the second-inmand of the expedition fleet, this individual was a major figure within the Troi hierarchy.


    Aside from a few words exchanged during the initial meeting, the Troi royal representative¡ªan admiral and supposedly one of the most influential figures in their civilization¡ªremained silent throughout the negotiations. He acted more like a ceremonial figurehead, observing everything coldly without uttering a single word.


    On the Ji side, the delegation consisted of five members, led by the golden-skinned humanoid named Seguen. While not outright rude, Seguen¡¯s demeanor was unmistakably arrogant.


    He frequently referred to the Swarm and even the Troi delegation as ¡°outsiders,¡± a term that seemed to rub the Troi representatives the wrong way. However, Seguen himself appeared oblivious, as if ustomed to such reactions, continuing to act as he pleased.


    It seemed the New Ji Race delegation shared a like-minded arrogance. Though the other Ji representatives were not as overbearing as Seguen, their attitudes weren¡¯t far behind. They disyed an almost obsessive pride in their identity as New Ji, taking extraordinary care never to mention their progenitor Ji race or original civilizations.


    Given the elevated status and stakes of this negotiation, Danton was relegated to a secondary role, while the Swarm¡¯s lead negotiator became Marlene, the one who had overseen the Rikens¡¯ surrender in person.


    Each party in the negotiations harbored their own ulterior motives. The Ji representatives continued making unrealistic demands, the Troi delegation sought to inte their own leverage, and the Swarm neither agreed nor outright refused. Instead, they simply convened daily sessions, wasting time with meaningless discussions.


    Months passed without any tangible progress. The three sides continued their verbal sparring, each seemingly unbothered by theck of resolution.


    The negotiations were hosted at A11, where the¡¯s surface was popted by driftingrval bodies. Thergest of these measured no more than seven or eight meters, while the smallest were barely over a meter in size. Theserval bodies remained stationary, curled into tight balls. Apart from clearing space when the Troi fleet first arrived, they had not shifted position or changed posture since.


    Also present were the Worker Drones, tirelessly performing repetitive tasks like unfeeling machines. They paid no attention to their surroundings, ignoring even the diplomatic delegates when touched.


    Perhaps it was the seemingly harmless and unassuming nature of these creatures that gradually lowered the vignce of the delegates. Some members of the delegation even began to mistake therval bodies for lifeless ornaments, as their behavior aligned more with decorations than living entities.@@novelbin@@


    In this rxed environment, much information was inadvertently disclosed. These fragments of data were carefully intercepted by the seemingly insignificant bugs scattered around, acting as the Swarm¡¯s covert surveincework.


    The intercepted data wasrgely fragmented and disjointed¡ªidle chatter rather than structured intelligence. Yet, when pieced together, the Swarm was able to glean several valuable insights.


    For instance, during casual conversation among the Troi diplomats, it was revealed that the sharp-tongued, blue-skinned Kant hailed from a civilization called Kanbo. Another Ji delegate, with dark green skin and named Boikos, was from a civilization known as Kibu.


    The Kibu civilization was located approximately 800 light-years from the Swarm, while the location of the Kanbo civilization remained unknown. However, intelligence suggested that these Ji representatives were several generations removed from their original homeworlds.


    As such, their actions and attitudes likely had little connection to their original civilizations.


    ¡°So, the Ji representatives sent here are what they call Descendants¡ªthose who have fully embraced their identity as the New Ji Race?¡± Luo Wen mused, furrowing his brows in thought.


    If this were true, their behavior began to make more sense. These individuals, who saw themselves as rulers of this gxy, likely regarded their very presence in this remote region as a magnanimous gift to the Swarm.


    A measure of arrogance and disrespect would seem, in their eyes, entirely justified.

 Chapter 399: Peculiarities

    These Nth-generation descendants of the Ji immigrants probably had no clue where their original civilizations were located. Given their mindset shift, it was perhaps understandable that their perspectives were somewhat warped.


    However, what struck Luo Wen as truly peculiar was the attitude of the Troi Civilization representatives.


    From the ongoing collection of intelligence, Luo Wen learned that within the Troi delegation, there were indeed individuals advocating for raising the stakes in negotiations.


    They believed that the Swarm was not as formidable as it seemed, suspecting that the Swarm¡¯s military presence across several star systems was little more than a facade. ording to this faction, the Swarm likely had no hidden reserves and was merely bluffing with the forces it openly disyed.


    Their strategy was to pressure the Swarm, testing its limits and revealing its true capabilities, all while negotiating for maximum benefits for their civilization. Many within the Troi delegation shared this view.


    This perspective was not unreasonable¡ªit was, after all, their job to secure advantages for their civilization. If sessful, they would personally benefit as well.


    What made this odd, however, was the apparentck of coordination in their approach. Negotiations between civilizations should not be so haphazard. When Br led the initial delegation, he had refrained from any hostile or aggressivenguage.


    His behavior reflected a clear and measured understanding of the Swarm, likely shaped by the Fleet Commander¡¯s directives. Could it be that this new delegation, led by their second-inmand, held conflicting views with the Fleet Commander?


    The royal representative Froede, a member of the Troi royal family and an admiral, had been remarkably silent since his arrival. By now, he rarely even appeared at the negotiation table. From casual conversations among the delegation, it was evident that Froede had neither openly supported nor opposed the current strategy. However, his neutrality led many Troi representatives to interpret his stance as tacit approval for those pushing a harder line.Yet even if Froede disagreed with the Fleet Commander, this was hardly the time to make such divisions public. Did he not realize how this would appear to other civilizations? It risked giving the Troi Civilization a reputation for unreliability and dishonesty.


    Could the internal conflicts within the Troi leadership truly run this deep? Was Froede some kind of ¡°rival¡± to the Fleet Commander? Luo Wen found this possibility difficult toprehend. As the Swarm¡¯s supreme will, Luo Wen¡¯s authority was absolute, with no room for political rivals or dissent. The concept of such internal divisions was entirely alien to him.


    After much deliberation, Luo Wen concluded that such a scenario was unlikely. Could the Troi Civilization truly be unconcerned about the Swarm expanding into the Inner Circle?


    The stakes involved spanned several star systems and their associated resources. Perhaps something had urred in the fifteen years since Br¡¯s visit that had fundamentally shifted the Troi Civilization¡¯s overall stance.


    If so, this was troubling news. The idea of being ensnared in a shadowy conspiracy without any clear intelligence left Luo Wen deeply uneasy.


    Before long, Luo Wen received another curious piece of intelligence: the five Ji representatives in the delegation had originated from within Troi territory.


    Civilizations that joined the Interster Technological Confederation engaged in various forms of cooperation beyond the so-called head tax or umting points. These includedmerce and tourism agreements. Unlike the Swarm, where every intelligent entity, though seemingly independent, was ultimately a product of the collective will, other civilizations wereposed of individuals with distinct and autonomous minds.


    For the Swarm, there was only one will. The existence of individual intelligence and emotions within the Swarm was permitted solely by the Overlord¡¯s discretion.


    For the Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities, tasks such as ¡°9-9-7¡± (working nine hours a day, seven days a week) were trivial; working continuously for hundreds of hours was routine. They never experienced resentment toward the Overlord¡¯smands.


    In contrast, the individuals of other civilizations had their own wills, requiring a bnce of work and recreation to remain functional.


    Interster tourism¡ªespecially traveling to star systems of other civilizations to experience exotic cultures¡ªwas among the most expensive and sought-after forms of entertainment.


    For these Ji representatives, their presence in Troi territory likely stemmed from such agreements, blending trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. Yet their origins added an intriguing wrinkle to therger picture of the Ji¡¯s evolving identity.


    This kind of interster tourism and trade typically flourished in established civilizations, as newly-initiated interster civilizations required considerable time to adjust to the realities of interster travel. After all, even with faster-than-light ships, such journeys still involved prolonged periods of space travel.


    Every Interster Technological Confederation member civilization typically designated one or more cities to serve as hubs for tourism and trade. The New Ji Race delegation, it turned out, had previously been stationed in one of the trade cities on the Troi homeworld.


    When they learned of the Troi Civilization¡¯s invitation to the Swarm, they somehow acquired authorization to represent the Ji in this negotiation. The ten-year dy in the Troi diplomatic mission¡¯s arrival was caused by these Ji representatives traveling from the Troi homeworld to the fleet¡¯s current position.


    This revtion invalidated earlier assumptions about Ji ship speeds. It was now unclear whether these Ji representatives had used Troi vessels or their own. Either way, the ten-year travel time from the Troi homeworld to Swarm territory was far from impressive.


    While this might be considered good news, it also made the situation murkier.


    The Troi Civilization, though significant in the Outer-ring, was geographically and strategically akin to a remote backwaterpared to the Ji¡¯s central territory. Yet somehow, a handful of Ji individuals¡ªwhether they were traveling for leisure or another reason¡ªended up in such a ce, and managed to secure the authority to represent the Ji in signing the Swarm¡¯s Confederation membership agreement.


    Although specific intelligence wascking, it was almost certain that these five Ji representatives possessed significant backgrounds. However, wasn¡¯t the Swarm already under the scrutiny of the Ji and numerous other civilizations?


    Luo Wen had initially expected that, at the very least, the Ji would send a delegation of ¡°professionals¡± for this negotiation. He even anticipated the presence of representatives from other civilizations, possibly mixed with spies and saboteurs.@@novelbin@@


    Instead, no foreign representatives or spies had been detected. The Ji did send five representatives, but none were experts. While the Troi delegation appeared professional, their current behavior¡ªwhether influenced by the Ji or for other reasons¡ªhad turned the negotiations into something resembling a child¡¯s ydate.


    All of this left Luo Wen with an overwhelming sense of surreal absurdity.


    Despite the disarray, Luo Wen was able to glean useful information from the seemingly arrogant demands of the Ji delegation. While their terms frequently shifted, one demand remained constant: the sharing of the Swarm¡¯s biological technology.


    This persistent demand revealed the Ji¡¯s strong desire for the Swarm¡¯s advancements in biological tech. Even though the delegation¡¯s Nth-generation representatives were scatterbrained, their presence here suggested they had at least some insider knowledge and negotiation directives.


    Of course, the Swarm would never agree to such terms. The Ji representatives, however, continued to make increasingly absurd threats, including ims that the Ji would send their armies to annihte the Swarm and seize the technology by force.


    At such moments, members of the Troi delegation would step in, seemingly with ¡°good intentions,¡± to inform the Swarm that, as non-members of the Confederation, they were not yet protected by its rules. Therefore, the Ji¡¯s threats were not as empty as they might seem.


    Luo Wen remained unfazed. He understood this tactic for what it was¡ªa clumsy attempt at intimidation. But if the Ji¡¯s fixation on Swarm biological technology was this intense, it was likely a key point of leverage in the ongoing negotiations.


    For now, all Luo Wen needed to do was keep stalling while continuing to expand the Swarm¡¯s influence and strength.

 Chapter 401: Straightening Out the Thought Process

    In the blink of an eye, twenty years passed, and the negotiations remained at a standstill. The members from the Troi civilization who attended the meetings had already been reced multiple times.@@novelbin@@


    For some members of other civilizations, sleeping for decades or even centuries was perfectly normal. After all, time passed imperceptibly during cryosleep. However, Luo Wen struggled to adapt to this concept of time.


    For such a trivial matter to drag on this long?


    They hadpletely redefined the meaning of efficiency, and Luo Wen suddenly felt 80% of the pressure on his shoulders dissipate. With how things were proceeding, even if they were discussing whether to go to war with the Swarm, it might take them centuries of arguing to reach a conclusion.


    Just as Luo Wen thought this endless stalling would continue, another event disrupted the rhythm. It came from the Riken.


    The Third Prince¡¯s actions, despite attempts at secrecy, had finally been exposed¡ªhis failed invitation could no longer be hidden.


    Since the Swarm had yet to join the Interster Technological Confederation, there were no formal diplomatic exchanges or channels for information. Thus, Luo Wen learned of this incident only by overhearing idle chatter among Troi diplomats.


    Although the Daqi civilization was rtively insignificantpared to Troi, thetter seemed to pay particr attention to them¡ªperhaps due to a grudge.


    Luo Wen wasn¡¯t too worried about the strength of the Daqi civilization. However, they had been part of the Confederation for millennia and had joined various internal organizations. Meanwhile, the Swarm was still in the negotiation phase, technically not a member of the Confederation, and therefore not protected by its internal rules.Even within the Confederation, wars between civilizations were not umon, provided there was a usible excuse. The key difference was that such conflicts were internal disputes, with the intensity of warfare kept within controlled limits.


    As an ¡°outsider,¡± however, the Swarm didn¡¯t enjoy these protections. Luo Wen worried that a conflict might escte uncontrobly, with stronger allies joining the fray, turning a minor skirmish into a full-blown war.


    Coupled with the ongoing negotiations in the Genesis System, Luo Wen suspected this might be a coordinated ¡°good cop, bad cop¡± strategy to pressure the Swarm into epting harsh terms.


    Fortunately, the situation didn¡¯t devolve into the worst-case scenario. Unable to contain themselves, the Daqi civilization did amass their forces andunched a campaign to save face.


    Now, the Daqi civilization had assembled a fleet of 50,000 warships, advancing menacingly toward the outer rim of the Riken System.


    These 50,000 warships represented nearly the entirety of Daqi¡¯s avable military strength. Their overwhelming momentum was apparent, but the Swarm¡¯s presence in the Riken System was not what it had been six decades ago. The Daqi had dyed far too long, and the Swarm¡¯s deployments in the Riken System had grown vastly stronger.


    More than a million Primordial bodies rose to meet them. Their sheer numbers were so immense that they nketed the void of space like an overwhelming tide. And this was merely a fraction of the Swarm¡¯s forces in the Riken System.


    In the end, after a brief probing skirmish, the Daqi warships, despiteparable technology and a stark size disparity between individual units, were utterly outnumbered. With casualties amounting to half their fleet, they retreated in defeat, tails between their legs.


    Although the Daqi civilization lost face once again, at least their fleet suffered minimal losses, preserving their core assets.


    This war, despite the Swarm intentionally holding back, revealed certain truths that could no longer be concealed¡ªlike the brightest star in the night sky, some things are impossible to hide.


    The Swarm¡¯s unparalleled capacity for rapid military production became ringly obvious to all. Sixty years ago, a fleet of just over 2,000 Daqi warships had inflicted heavy casualties on the Swarm¡¯s forces in the Riken System. Yet now, the Swarm had effortlessly repelled a 50,000-strong fleet.


    This disparity was noteworthy enough, but the true issuey elsewhere: despite mobilizing such a massive force, the Primordial bodies basking in the ster near-orbit of the Riken System seemed untouched. This observation raised serious concerns.


    The Primordial bodies of the Swarm had always been there. Even though some were deliberately hidden, many remained visible. They were exposed to observation all along but appeared to have been consciously overlooked¡ªuntil this war, which had been decades in the making yet ended in an instant, jolted many to their senses.


    However, Luo Wen did not face stronger adversaries or coordinated attacks in the aftermath. Instead, changes began unfolding at A11 in the Genesis System. The pace of negotiations suddenly elerated. Just two years after the war, several new Ji members arrived at the A11 Swarm base aboard a warship styled like a ¡°Treasure Starship.¡±


    These new Ji members reced the original five-member group, and Froede reappeared as well. The agreement reverted to the draft originally proposed by Br, and their attitude was a stark contrast to their earlier stance. Their intentions to expedite negotiations were unmistakable, and the situation seemed to return to normalcy.


    ¡°Overlord, what are you worried about?¡± Sarah appeared behind Luo Wen, her voice soft.


    ¡°Have we calcted the speed of the Ji¡¯s ship?¡± Luo Wen ignored Sarah¡¯s question and directed his inquiry to Morgan.


    ¡°It¡¯s done. Approximately six times the speed of light. Since they only had a single warship with a small profile, by the time we detected them, they were already close to our territory. It¡¯s unclear whether they decelerated earlier,¡± Morgan replied.


    Luo Wen nodded. Fortunately, the technological gap wasn¡¯t insurmountable, though it would take time to catch up. And right now, time was what the Swarm needed most.


    However, the current state of affairs felt even more surreal than before, leaving Luo Wen somewhat baffled.


    ¡°Why do you think they want to speed up the negotiations?¡± Luo Wen murmured, seemingly to himself. Without waiting for Morgan or the other intelligent entities to respond, he continued, ¡°It¡¯s definitely rted to the Riken Systems campaign. But what is their ultimate goal?¡±


    Luo Wen rewound the timeline and began piecing things together from the start.


    He couldn¡¯t discern who was orchestrating this game or how many factions were involved, but one thing was certain¡ªthe Swarm was a pawn in their strategy.


    After the Daqi civilization¡¯s Third Prince retreated in defeat, the Troi civilization immediately stepped in before Daqi couldunch a counterattack. What was the meaning of this? Luo Wen scratched his head, and then a sudden sh of insight struck him.


    That was it. The opposing factions likely had no idea that the Swarm possessed both the Swarm Network and the ability to convert intelligent entities. Although the Swarm had captured numerous Daqi individuals, the other side couldn¡¯t be sure what those captives knew or what they might reveal.


    In essence, Br¡¯s purpose was to ¡°educate¡± the Swarm about the Interster Technological Confederation. Though he himself was undoubtedly unaware of this role, his mission to discuss the Swarm¡¯s membership inevitably involved disclosing critical information.


    What exactly had Br said back then? Luo Wen began to recall and retrieved fragments of the scene from that time. Because Luo Wen had already learned about the Confederation and the Ji¡¯s origins beforehand, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the specifics of Br¡¯s exnations.


    Looking back now, it was clear he had overlooked some details. Fortunately, Danton, who had been responsible for negotiations at the time, was unaware of this intelligence and inadvertently avoided potential pitfalls. Otherwise, Br might have noticed inconsistencies and be suspicious.


    Pretending not to know something and genuinely not knowing it were entirely different, Luo Wen reflected. This time, luck had been on his side, but it wouldn¡¯t always be. He resolved to pay closer attention to the details moving forward.

 Chapter 403: Boarding the Ship

    In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed, and the Ji fleet arrived on schedule. It was said they departed from another Ji outpost, though the exact distance from there to the Riken System remained unclear.


    This was a small fleet with the distinctive style of ¡°Treasure Starships,¡± consisting of two massive transport ships over 6,000 meters long and twenty 3,000-meter-ss escort ships.


    The Ji ships had undergone significant advancements in miniaturization and precision engineering, incorporating space-bending technologies to achieve their current scale. Even among 3,000-meter-ss warships, the Ji¡¯s vessels far outssed those of the Troi civilization, which couldn¡¯t evenpare.


    The fleet docked at the spaceport of the Twin Star Colony in the Riken System. Perhaps it was a trick of perception, but from afar, the imposing presence of the dozens of Ji warships seemed to overshadow the nearby thousand-ship Riken fleet.


    Everything had been meticulously prenned. Since this was the Riken civilization¡¯s first formal appearance on the Confederation stage, their leadership had taken the matter seriously, assigning a specialized team to oversee the event.


    With rehearsalspleted many times beforehand, the entire process unfolded without dys. Orderly and efficient, the personnel in charge directed the researchers to begin boarding the Ji transport ships.


    The transport ships, with their unprecedented 6,000-meter length, dwarfed the nearby 2,000-meter Riken fleet, making them appear even more massive. To Luo Wen, these were thergest vessels he had seen so far.


    Rumor had it that the Ji also possessed super-transport ships exceeding 10,000 meters in length. However, to Luo Wen, these were mere curiosities;pared to the Swarm¡¯s megastructures, they were nothing but scraps.@@novelbin@@


    Apart from being faster, their size was truly unimpressive¡ªchild¡¯s ypared to the Swarm¡¯s titans.Of course, the speed difference was nothing to scoff at. Comparing these ships to the Swarm¡¯s vessels was akin toparing a snail to a rocket¡ªa stark gap, so vast it defied analogy.


    While the Ji warships were tightly guarded, making it impossible for outsiders to learn much about their internal structures, the transport ships were a different story. Thanks to the perspective of the Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities, Luo Wen was able to fully experience the Ji¡¯s boarding procedures firsthand.


    Because the researchers had already passed the Ji¡¯s tests beforehand, there was no need for another round of evaluations. After boarding the transport ships, they were guided by abination of Ji personnel and machines to form orderly lines, leading into individual rooms.


    The rooms were spacious yet minimalistic, containing only essential detection equipment. Here, the researchers underwent a series of tests.


    The first step was aprehensive check of physical functions. Researchers destined for Ji territory needed to be healthy, physically robust, and free oftent illnesses. Following this was full-body sterilization to ensure no bacteria or viruses were carried aboard. This step also doubled as a scan for any concealed weapons.


    In addition, body structure scans, external feature analyses, and gic backups were all performed. Once these procedures werepleted, each researcher was assigned a new identity along with a personal terminal.


    They were then directed to enter hibernation pods. After all, the journey from the Riken System to Ji territory was no short trip¡ªeven at the Ji¡¯s advanced ship speeds, it would take considerable time. Naturally, this time was not meant to be idly spent.


    Luo Wen observed all of this. Whaty ahead was crucial to the implementation of his long-term ns. For the first time in ages, he felt a twinge of nervousness¡ªan emotion he had almost forgotten he could experience.


    Thankfully, everything proceeded smoothly. No rms sounded, no abnormalities were detected. The Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities disguised as Riken researchers passed the inspections effortlessly. Apart from their minds, they were identical to their originals, and Ji technology clearly couldn¡¯t prate into the soul.


    Luo Wen exhaled in relief. If the disguised Rikens passed so easily, then the Swarm researchers would pose even less of an issue. They didn¡¯t even have ¡°originals¡± topare against; in a sense, they were the originals. Any peculiarities would simply be regarded as normal for them.


    Since the inspections required participants to wear only basic clothing, an environment suitable for such conditions had to be provided. Thus, the Swarm researchers underwent their examinations separately from the Riken researchers. For the first time, they revealed their ¡°true forms¡± to the world.


    As nonbatants, their armor, while still adorned with horns and spikes, was more decorative than practical and far less intimidating. Before the Ji inspection personnel, thisyer of armor slowly retracted,pacting into a solid mass and condensing at their chests.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s so cool!¡± eximed one of the Ji inspectors, a 1.6-meter-tall figure with blue fur covering their face, resembling a monkey. The origins of their species were unclear.


    ¡°What is that?¡± another Ji member asked, eyes wide as they studied the exposed Swarm researcher.


    This inspector had dark skin and stood over two meters tall. His muscr build was impressive but differed from the 300-pound Troi warriors; his muscture was more refined and proportional. However, next to the diminutive ¡°blue-furred monkey,¡± he towered like a steel colossus.


    The Swarm researcher, now without armor, appeared somewhat slender. They stood about 1.8 meters tall, with two eyes and a mouth¡ªfeaturesmon enough to seem unremarkable.


    ¡°This is our biological parasitic armor, which also serves as our protective suit. Apologies, but it is symbiotically linked to my bloodstream. I can retract it temporarily, but I cannot remove it,¡± the Swarm researcher exined calmly.


    ¡°Incredible! I have to document this and report it immediately!¡± dered the ¡°towering muscleman,¡± who promptly began operating his recording device.


    ¡°Wow, this is way better than our armor. It¡¯s hard to believe something this advanced coulde from a ce as remote as this,¡± the blue-furred Ji inspector eximed, continuing his string of amazement.


    The room was designed to be suitable for the Swarm but not for the monkey-like Ji inspector¡¯s species. To cope, he wore a simplified protective suit that shielded him from the room¡¯s gravity and a face mask to filter out harmful gases.


    These suits were standard equipment for the Ji, a necessity given their diverseposition as a race of immigrants. The Ji civilization was a melting pot of species, each with unique physiological needs and ecological preferences. For one race, breathable air might be a deadly poison to another.


    This diversity drove the rapid evolution of the Ji¡¯s protective suit technology, which had reached its current level of sophistication. The standard Ji suits were designed for use on habitables with atmospheres. They could adjust or counteract gravity within certain limits, and their face masks automatically filtered atmospheric elements harmful to the wearer¡¯s species.


    Although Ji suits were already lightweight and aesthetically pleasing, they still required some effort to wear. Inparison, the Swarm¡¯s biological armor, which could be donned and retracted at will and even provided some exoskeletal support, was vastly superior.

 Chapter 405: Doubts

    The inspection process for over 100,000 researchers and their belongings was incredibly time-consuming. With the Ji race¡¯s limited staff and constrained facilities, the entire process took nearly a year toplete.


    Fortunately, none of the boarding personnel were found to have any abnormalities. All were in good health, and no strange pathogens were detected. As for the luggage, while a few hazardous items were discovered, further investigation revealed no intentional wrongdoing by the owners, so these were deemed minor issues.


    Once cleared, the researchers began entering their cryosleep pods, while their luggage was stored separately. With all preparationsplete, two Ji transport ships, escorted by eighteen warships, slowly departed the starport and began elerating.


    The light from the ships¡¯ engines gradually dimmed, eventually disappearing into the vast sea of stars.@@novelbin@@


    The Ji race¡¯s warp drive technology was highly advanced. Their warp bubbles were incredibly stable andpact, eliminating the need to avoidrge gravitational sources likes.


    Unlike Troi warships, which had to exit their star systems before activating warp, the Ji fleet initiated their warp drives just 5 million kilometers beyond the Twin Star Defensive Zone under the watchful gaze of the Swarm¡¯s Observer Bugs. Momentster, their forms blurred, and optical radar could no longer track their precise coordinates.


    However, warp bubbles, being a special kind of gravitational field, could still be detected using gravitational-wave radars.


    Hundreds of intelligent entities were on high alert, constantly tracking the ships¡¯ coordinates and calcting their speed: twice the speed of light, three times, four times¡­ The ships elerated rapidly, stabilizing at eight times the speed of light and maintaining that velocity.


    Luo Wen¡¯s expression grew serious. The Ji race¡¯s technological sophistication exceeded even his most pessimistic expectations. Back when the Troi diplomats had been negotiating, there was spection about the origin of the five-member Ji delegation and an attempt to estimate their ship¡¯s speed. The resulting calctions were terrifying. Learning that they had traveled aboard Troi warships to the negotiation site had brought some relief at the time.But now, reality proved even worse than Luo Wen had feared. Eight times the speed of light¡ªthis withrge transport ships in tow. The Ji warships were likely even faster.


    And this might not even represent their cutting-edge technology. After all, this was merely a fleet for transporting foreign researchers, a peripheral operation. Their main battle fleets could be far more formidable.


    Suddenly, Luo Wen¡¯s brow furrowed. Something felt off. While the situation was dire, it might not be as catastrophic as it seemed.


    If the Swarm were just an ordinary foreign civilization, his earlier concerns would have been valid. However, the Swarm was now an essential piece on the interster chessboard. Given the prolonged dys during the negotiations, it was clear the mastermind behind the scenes needed the Swarm to fit a specific mold.


    To achieve this, they would undoubtedly employ various methods to reshape and influence the current state of the Swarm.


    Yet, due to time constraints, the Swarmcked significant allies or enemies and had no critical stakes in therger intersterwork. As things stood, there were limited means by which the mastermind could exert influence over the Swarm.


    This made the Ji race¡¯s current mission¡ªa rare point of contact for the Swarm with the outside world¡ªhighly significant. If the Swarm failed to meet the mastermind¡¯s expectations during this encounter, they would not let such an opportunity go to waste.


    Considering how smoothly the Ji ships had left without any conflict with the Swarm, it was highly likely that their actions during departure were a subtle disy of military strength. This disy, conducted at maximum capacity, suggested that eight times the speed of light might be the current technological limit of the Ji race.


    But what exactly were they trying to aplish? Was this military pressure intended to heighten the Swarm¡¯s sense of crisis? Were they trying to elerate the Swarm¡¯s growth under external threats? The Swarm¡¯s rapid mass-production capabilities had already been acknowledged, so were they now pushing the Swarm to improve not just in quantity but also in quality?


    This situation¡­?


    It felt suspiciously like a contrived plot, where a divine mandate was being thrust upon the Swarm. The mastermind seemed to have set up a hypothetical enemy for the Swarm to stimte its development¡ªalmost as if they were racing against time.


    Could it be that the mastermind pulling the strings was actually a hidden rebel organization within the Interster Technological Confederation?


    If they were opposing the Ji race, they would need a powerful ally. The Swarm, with its potential, itsck of desire for life-bearings, and its rtively non-violent tendencies¡ªjudging from how it treated the Riken and Rat folk¡ªappeared to be a trustworthy candidate for such an alliance.


    Most importantly, the Swarm¡¯s rapid unit production made it an excellent source of cannon fodder.


    Perhaps, once the Swarm reached a certain level of development, an organization might suddenly reveal itself, iming they had secretly cultivated the Swarm all along and now needed it to spearhead the charge against the ¡°evil¡± Ji race?


    Luo Wen raised an eyebrow. This was amusing spection, but spection nheless. What if the opposing faction had deliberately set up this scenario, allowing Luo Wen to arrive at this conclusion, just to achieve their actual goals?


    Was this the legendary case of ¡°I predicted your prediction of my prediction¡±?


    The kind of convoluted strategy where they seemed to be on the fifthyer ofplexity but were actually operating on an entirely different ne?


    This was bing increasingly difficult to unravel¡ªreal and fake, truth and deception. Who could tell whichyer they were operating on? The only viable strategy was to respond to each move as it came.


    However, there was one fundamental question: how could they be certain that the Swarm would be able to observe the Ji ships at all? This was the premise of everything. If they couldn¡¯t guarantee that the Swarm could detect them, then wasn¡¯t all this theater for nothing? An act performed for blind spectators?


    The Swarm¡¯s technological level had always been carefully concealed. Based on its outwardly disyed capabilities, it shouldn¡¯t have been able to detect the Ji fleet within its warp bubble. Even if the Swarm suspected something, they wouldck evidence.


    And truly, without some external help, it would have been impossible for the Swarm to achieve in mere centuries what had taken other civilizations tens of thousands of years.


    Even with millions of intelligent entities working tirelessly withoutint, normal technological research would never have been able to produce such breakthroughs in such a short time¡ªespecially in an entirely different field like biotechnology.


    When Luo Wen had first captured Godzi, it had taken him months to decode the creature¡¯s biological controlled fusion technology, resulting in the development of the Atomic Furnace. But there had also been a hidden gic fragment, which took Luo Wen over a year to fully analyze.


    Godzi was a truly legendary organism. Its evolutionary achievements were almost beyondprehension. Even with Luo Wen¡¯s abilities, replicating Godzi¡¯s state of evolution would take an unimaginable amount of time.


    Nevertheless, Godzi had provided Luo Wen with tremendous benefits, instantly elevating the Swarm¡¯sbat power by several tiers and solving numerous technological bottlenecks¡ªsuch as the endurance issues of the Space Octopuses.


    Its contributions extended not only to the past but also to the present, continuing to aid the Swarm.

 Chapter 407: Trade City

    ording to the regtions of the Interster Technological Confederation, new member civilizations are required to open a city to serve as a hub for tourism, exchanges, and fostering mutual understanding.


    This city must also be equipped with quantummunication devices to facilitate real-timemunication with other Confederation members.


    After all, when foreign visitors arrive, differences in values and customs are inevitable, potentially leading to incidents of misconduct. Resolving such issues¡ªwhether through localws or repatriation to their home civilization¡ªrequires extensive and instantaneousmunication.


    Although referred to as a ¡°city,¡± it is often effectively equivalent to opening an entire. For the purposes of inter-civilization trade, a single city is simply too small.


    The trade city must be located on an ecological so that visiting aliens only need basic protective gear, such as light suits and filtration masks, to operatefortably.


    Most emerging civilizations possess territories limited to a single star system. Unless they are extraordinarily fortunate, their home system generally contains only one ecological¡ªtheir homeworld. Opening a trade city therefore often means granting ess to a portion of their homeworld, which is typically the nucleus of their civilization, housing their ruling ss, research institutions, and cutting-edgeboratories.


    This openness poses significant security risks, as it exposes these critical assets and individuals to potential harm. In the past, nascent civilizations were allowed to designate trade cities on non-ecological colonys.


    However, a catastrophic incident changed this practice. Due to theck of atmospheric protection, spacecraft could bypass orbital defenses and directly impact theary surface.


    On one asion, an unidentified vessel disguised as a foreign tourism ship managed to fool the identification systems of a trade city on a non-ecological colony. The ship then elerated to a staggering speed and rammed into the city.@@novelbin@@This trade city, located on an airless and radiation-exposed colony,cked adequate external protection. The colliding vessel not only carried immense kic energy but was also loaded with massive amounts of explosives. The impact and subsequent explosion severely damaged the trade city. Although emergency systems were in ce, they were overwhelmed by the scale of the attack.


    As a result, the city¡¯s atmosphere, under intense pressure, was violently vented into space, dragging countless individuals and objects into the vacuum. While property losses were negligible, the unprepared individuals,cking spacesuits, stood no chance of survival against thebined forces of extreme cold, oxygen deprivation, and cosmic radiation.


    To this day, the perpetrating vessel¡¯s origins, motivations, and purpose remain unknown. However, following this tragedy, the rules were amended: trade cities of emerging civilizations must be located on ecologicals.


    This ensures that all iing vessels must dock at orbital starports before smaller shuttles ferry visitors to the surface. Moreover, on an ecological, as long as filtration masks remain intact, the risk of natural fatalities is minimal.


    The history of this policy, while harsh and unfriendly to emerging civilizations, leaves little room for negotiation. Without the power to resist,pliance bes the only option.


    For the Riken, the choice was straightforward¡ªthey had no option but to open a portion of their homeworld. In contrast, the Swarm, with its territorial range vastly exceeding that of typical nascent civilizations, had far more flexibility.


    After careful deliberation, Luo Wen decided to locate the Swarm¡¯s trade city in the Sandstorm System.


    To its 12 to 1 o¡¯clock position lies the Riken System.


    To its 2 o¡¯clock position is the Neighboring Star System.


    To its 4 o¡¯clock position is the Genesis System.


    Between 5 and 6 o¡¯clock is the Golden Horn System.


    To its 10 o¡¯clock position, one star system away, lies the territory of the Daqi civilization.


    From 7 to 9 o¡¯clock, it borders other Confederation members at a distance of one star system.


    Overall, the Sandstorm System represents the Swarm¡¯s outermost territory, situated closest to the Interster Technological Confederation. This locationplies with Confederation rules while also maximizing the protection of the Swarm¡¯s privacy.


    The Sandstorm System, apart from its star, consists of nine majors. The third lies in the habitable zone and is slightlyrger than the Genesis. However, its biological evolution is still at the unicellr stage, making it a very primitive world.


    Luo Wen named this Storm God, in honor of the aerial dominators that had greatly contributed to the Swarm¡¯s development. The Storm Godbat units had not been phased out despite advancements in other areas.


    Due to the low density of Space Octopuses, their primary battlefield remained outer space. On the other hand, the repeatedly upgraded Storm God proved more effective in atmospheric environments and was significantly cheaper to produce. As a result, the Storm God remained an active part of the Swarm¡¯sbat lineup.


    Since the Swarm had little need for ecologicals and the primitive state of life on Storm God offered no valuable biological insights, the had seen minimal development. Furthermore, the Swarm had no real experience constructing cities.


    However, this posed no issue for Luo Wen. ¡°Just dig a few interconnected burrows, and voil¨¤, you have a city!¡± Luo Wen thought.


    The Swarm¡¯s outward image had always been somewhat primitive, so their city should reflect that aesthetic as well.


    As for concerns about the city being crude,cking high-tech amenities, providing a poor experience, and failing to attract merchants or tourists, Luo Wen couldn¡¯t care less. The Swarm wasn¡¯t particrly interested in trade, and fewer visitors would be preferable.


    Meanwhile, due to the proximity of the Twin Star Defensive Zone to the Riken homeworld, the two Ji warships first traveled to the Riken homeworld. The Rikens designated a plot ofnd far from their capital and constructed a new city in ordance with Confederation requirements.


    The Interster Technological Confederation currently boasts over 200 member factions, epassing an incredible diversity of species. Some, such as the giant race, stand over ten meters tall. As a result, the Riken¡¯s original architectural standards fell short of amodating the needs of all potential visitors.


    While it was unlikely the giants would visit within thousands or even tens of thousands of years, necessary facilities had to be prepared to avoid potential diplomatic disputes or usations of racial discrimination.


    Fortunately, while the Riken were considered neers to the Confederation, their technological level made constructing a city rtively straightforward. For a spacefaring civilization capable of interster colonization, rapidly building a city was standard practice.


    Over a century ago, when the Riken invaded the Neighboring Star System, they established numerous outposts and bases in a short span. Building a city on their home turf was an even simpler task.


    Massive alloy modules were deployed directly from orbit. On the ground, construction machinery was already in position, tasked with leveling the terrain and assembling theponents.


    Within six months, the city had taken shape. The process was only slightly dyed by changes in module specifications and the construction teams¡¯ unfamiliarity with the revised parameters.


    During this period, the two Ji warships remained stationed in orbit around the Riken homeworld, supervising the construction.

 Chapter 410: Essence

    The universe itself, though its internal worlds may cycle and reset, exists on a higher level of being where time is meaningless. Luo Wen needed only to apany it,zily sleeping, to grow stronger in his dreams.


    However, Luo Wen had not fully transitioned into a higher-dimensional being. He could not ignore the passage of time, and hisck of understanding of his essence led him to perform a variety of operations. By chance, he stumbled upon a way to elerate his growth¡ªthe creation of Intelligent Entities.


    Regardless of Luo Wen¡¯s initial intent, the emergence of these Intelligent Entities undeniably made him stronger¡ªnot just in technological terms, but more importantly, in the development of the Swarm Network.@@novelbin@@


    Perhaps this was because Luo Wen¡¯s ascension had been achieved through a sacrifice of both life and spirit, granting him the ability to absorb spiritual energy to enhance his essence.


    This was far more efficient than passively drawing energy from the universe. Moreover, while absorbing spiritual energy, he could simultaneously extract the universe¡¯s energy.


    The process of forming an Intelligent Entity involved the Swarm Network consuming the entirety of a spiritual entity, creating a nk te, and then copying its original memories into this new entity.


    It is important to note that this process required the spiritual entity to first be absorbed and digested by Luo Wen, which in turn strengthened his essence. As for what an Intelligent Entity truly was, it could be understood as a derivative of Luo Wen¡¯s higher-dimensional essence.


    This rtionship was difficult for lower-dimensional beings toprehend. They might interpret it as a clone, a split personality, or even as akin to precise control over one¡¯s own cells, but none of these exnations sufficed to describe the unique connection.


    Whether or not this rtionship could be understood, Luo Wen grew stronger, and the Swarm Network grew more robust as a result. Unfortunately, Luo Wen¡¯s understanding of this higher-dimensional growth was limited. What he could perceive was merely an increase in the node units¡¯ signal range and their ability to create more anchor points.At the time, Luo Wen used various methods¡ªputting his primary body into dormancy or simting death¡ªto hatch additional primary bodies and Brood Nests.


    In reality, his rtionship with these primary bodies and Brood Nests was that of tools. They could have been created with far less effort, but Luo Wen¡¯s limited understanding caused him to oveplicate the process.


    For higher-dimensional beings, their power isrgely an expression of their will. Yet Luo Wen was still confined by his old way of thinking, believing that a being could have only one primary body. This mental limitation hindered his ability to create more anchor points.


    Luo Wen¡¯s subsequent borate operations were, in essence, a way to hypnotize himself into bypassing these mental blocks. However, no matter how he circumvented them, he could only create five primary bodies or Brood Nests at the time. This limitation stemmed from his capabilities at that point, which allowed for a maximum of five anchor units.


    As Luo Wen¡¯s true essence grew stronger and his mindset gradually shifted, he came to understand more, and his abilities expanded. Yet, his self-awareness remained wed.


    The so-called ¡°upgrade¡± of the Swarm Network urred. Afterward, Luo Wen believed he had fully transformed into a worked being.¡± However, this transformation was simply an inherent aspect of his nature¡ªhis essence.


    Everywork has a carrier. In theworks Luo Wen previously understood, their carriers were storage devices and electrical signals. Networks were not intangible; their signals could be intercepted, and destroying their carriers could dismantle them.


    But since its inception, the Swarm Network had never been detected by outsiders, nor by any known instrument. What, then, was its carrier? What was its method of transmission? How did the node units achieve instantaneousmunication with zero dy?


    Now Luo Wen understood: the Swarm Network was an expression of his higher-dimensional essence. To beings in lower dimensions, without the means to observe higher dimensions, the Swarm Network could never be detected¡ªno matter how advanced their technology or how deeply they investigated. It was simply beyond their grasp.


    Instantaneousmunication now became much easier toprehend. Although the Swarm nodes appeared to be scattered across the lower-dimensional world, in Luo Wen¡¯s higher-dimensional essence, they were inherently unified. Communication urred through exchanges outside the constraints of dimensions, naturally eliminating any dy.


    The rtionship between the universe and Luo Wen¡¯s essence transcended the traditional concepts of rge¡± and ¡°small¡± as understood by lower-dimensional beings.


    As long as an anchor point existed, Luo Wen could effortlessly connect two points in the lower-dimensional world through his higher-dimensional body,pletely bypassing the concept of distance in the lower dimensions.


    With this realization, Luo Wen experienced a profound sense of self-awareness¡ªan epiphany that made him feel as if he had truly understood himself for the first time. This was not a material or power-based ascension but a spiritual elevation, a deeper understanding and mastery of his true essence.


    As a result, problems that had once seemed insurmountable¡ªsuch as extending the Swarm Network¡¯s coverage throughout the Confederation¡ªnow appeared manageable. Luo Wen¡¯s current capabilities allowed him to create up to ten anchor units.


    These no longer needed to be tied to physical Swarm bodies or Brood Nests, nor did they require the borate and resource-intensive efforts of the past. He could now freely design their form as he desired, limited only by their quantity.


    With this newfound flexibility, Luo Wen crafted a small golden insect encased in amber, disguising it as a personal belonging for one of the departing Riken Intelligent Entities. This inconspicuous anchor point would enable Luo Wen to locate the universe and breach its dimensional barriers, allowing him to connect with nearby Swarm nodes.


    As the Intelligent Entities and the amber-encased insect drifted farther away, Luo Wen made yet another discovery. Node units themselves could transmit coordinates, though their signals were too weak to pierce through the manyyers of barriers. Furthermore, Luo Wen¡¯s essence had previously been too feeble to actively locate them.


    However, when tens of thousands of node units gathered in one ce, thebined strength of their signals rivaled that of an anchor unit. In such cases, even without a nearby anchor unit, Luo Wen could pinpoint their location and establish a connection.


    This revtion suggested that the limitation on the number of anchor units might be irrelevant. While the current cap of ten seemed generous¡ªand Luo Wen had so far only utilized two¡ªit was clear that as technology advanced and the Swarm¡¯s speed increased, thework¡¯s coverage would eventually face new challenges.


    If, for example, the Swarm reached the Ji race¡¯s current warp speed of eight times the speed of light, exploring unknown star systems would be cumbersome if they had to repeatedly decelerate, exit warp bubbles, and deploywork nodes. This would not only be inefficient but also significantly hinder their expansion efforts.


    Now, however, the solution was simple. As long as the exploration fleets maintained a sufficient number of node units, Luo Wen would never lose contact with them. Solving this potential issue before it arose left Luo Wen in high spirits.


    Additionally, as his essence continued to strengthen, the distinction between node units and anchor units might eventually blur. When that day came, any node unit could function as an anchor unit, regardless of its signal strength. Luo Wen would be able to locate them through even the most imprable barriers.

 Chapter 412: The Discovery

    For something to elicit exmations from a Ji member, it might simply be novel. But for it to earn the approval of two Ji members from different maternal lineages, it was undoubtedly a significant find. The ¡°blue-haired monkey¡± had truly stumbled upon something remarkable.


    Out of curiosity, the group gathered around in amotion. This wasn¡¯t wartime, so regtions were rxed, and this breach of seating protocol went unchallenged. Even the cabin supervisors were drawn in by their curiosity and joined the crowd.


    When the Ji members saw what was disyed on the screen in front of the blue-haired monkey, gasps of astonishment erupted one after another.


    ¡°Is this for real?¡±


    ¡°Could they just be hyping themselves up?¡±


    ¡°Possible, but I don¡¯t believe a civilization of this level could produce something like this.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense¡ªit wouldn¡¯t benefit them at all to exaggerate this.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they did it deliberately for us to see.¡±


    ¡°Look at the post¡¯s timestamp. I did the conversion earlier¡ªthey didn¡¯t even know about the Interster Confederation when this was posted.¡±¡°Takk, scroll down. Let¡¯s see what else it says.¡±


    ¡°A universal vination n? Extending the entire poption¡¯s lifespan by a tenth? Goodness, that¡¯s quite the ambitious project.¡±


    ¡°Interesting. And it doesn¡¯t even seem to be rare.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. If it¡¯s mass-producible, its value is enormous.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll need to report this. If the information is verified, we¡¯ll all get credit for it. What a surprising discovery,¡± remarked one of the Ji supervisors.


    Seeing the blue-haired monkey, Takk, hesitating to speak, he added with a grin, ¡°Of course, Takk, the first credit is yours.¡±


    Takk¡¯s face immediately lit up with delight.


    What the Ji team had discovered was none other than the Longevity Serum developed by the Riken. This was the very same serum that the Swarm had painstakingly created to infiltrate the Riken and convert them into an intelligent entity production base.


    The report quickly escted and received immediate attention. All Ji personnel aboard the two stationed warships were called off leave and ordered back to their posts.


    ¡°Everyone, get moving! I want you to do everything in your power, through all avable means, to collect every scrap of data on the Longevity Serum,¡±manded the Ji officer in charge, a humanoid with dark yellow coloration and eyes resembling massive golden gemstones. He gathered the Ji team and began delegating tasks.


    ¡°General, I think we should directly request the data from the Riken. Judging from the public information, this doesn¡¯t appear to be ssified,¡± suggested one Ji member.


    The golden-eyed officer, named Oga, thoughmanding only two warships, held a bona fide brigadier general rank. Nodding at the suggestion, he said, ¡°I will. After this meeting, I¡¯ll submit a formal request to the Riken Council. However, we also need to gather our own data forparison, in case they withhold anything.¡±


    The group nodded in agreement, returning to their stations and essing the Riken intr to search for relevant information.


    Though the original Ji race had suffered catastrophic losses in their pursuit of longevity, ultimately leading to their demise, the lesson served more as a cautionary tale than a deterrent. The innate desire of intelligent beings for extended lifespans was not something that could simply be erased, only approached with greater caution.


    While many civilizations utilized cryosleep as an indirect means of prolonging life, unconscious slumber wasn¡¯t considered true longevity by many.


    The essence of being alive was to experience life¡¯s wonders. What was the difference between eternal sleep and death? The universe was vast and brimming with mysteries; few intelligent beings were willing to pass on without uncovering more of its secrets.


    Thus, both the New Ji Race and other species continued to seek methods of extending life, investing heavily in exploration and research. Yet the Progenitor Ji race had already pushed these efforts to their limits. For their sessors, achieving further breakthroughs was daunting. Instead, they often resorted topromises, such as sacrificing a fraction of emotional capacity in exchange for an extended lifespan.


    However, they were far from satisfied¡ªthey wanted more. This was precisely why the Ji personnel were so thrilled upon discovering the Riken¡¯s information regarding the Longevity Serum. The Riken had never previously interacted with the Ji¡¯s longevity-rted technologies, indicating that they had independently forged their own path in this field.


    From their universal vination n, it was evident that the technology was highly mature. Moreover, the fact that they could afford to vinate tens of billions of their poption, despite their pitifully small territory, suggested that the method was extremely cost-effective.


    If this technology could be proven to be both genuinely effective and widely applicable, it might have the potential to revolutionize the entire Confederation.


    When the Ji requested rted materials from the Riken, thetter, perhaps understanding the disparity in strength or for other reasons, didn¡¯t put up much resistance. They handed over the information readily.


    Of course, what they provided was limited to general descriptions and didn¡¯t include any core technology.


    ¡°The initial material originates from the T85 Star System, near their of a beast capable of atomic breath? How could we have missed this? This is negligence! I¡¯m going to report those responsible for monitoring that area.¡±


    ¡°Calm down. That region belongs to the Swarm. For all we know, that beast might be one of their bio-weapons. The report even mentions that this waster suspected.¡±


    ¡°But why didn¡¯t the Swarm discover these materials themselves?¡±


    ¡°Are you joking? Something growing in their backyard¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t miss it.¡±


    ¡°Then why did they allow the Riken to take it?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s nothing special to the Swarm!¡±


    The Ji members exchanged nces. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s of no use to the Swarm.¡±


    ¡°If this material isn¡¯t universally applicable, its value would drop significantly.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that the Swarm has better resources? Maybe these are just leftovers?¡±


    ¡°Good point. There¡¯s no way this has nothing to do with the Swarm. They probably have superior alternatives.¡±


    ¡°Possibly. But we know so little about the Swarm. We don¡¯t even know how long their members live. For all we know, their natural lifespans could be so long that they don¡¯t even need this.¡±


    The Ji members exchanged another round of nces, silently noting their discussion to include in their task report¡ªperhaps they¡¯d earn some credit for it.


    ¡°The report says that the material is easy to cultivate. It only requires nuclear waste and essentially no other maintenance.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then it¡¯s truly a win-win resource. There¡¯s so much nuclear waste¡ªit¡¯s usually just packed up and thrown into stars, which is such a hassle.¡±


    ¡°I knew a small, backwater civilization couldn¡¯t have developed such advanced technology. Their so-called core technology probably relies entirely on this special material. It¡¯s likely not worth much on its own.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. With our level of technology and personnel resources, replicating this product would be a trivial matter.¡±

 Chapter 413: Adjusting the Layout

    The materials required for the Riken¡¯s Longevity Serum, specifically the Longevity nts, indeedcked universal applicability because they were custom-designed by Luo Wen to suit the gic makeup of the Riken.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen had prepared for this eventuality. Initially, his goal had been to ensure the smooth implementation of the universal vination n for the Longevity Serum. Thus, in the early stages of the Swarm¡¯s infiltration of the Riken, most of the intelligent entities embedded in their society, apart from those focused on military and political matters, were directed toward the production and research of the Longevity Serum.


    After anticipating the Watchers¡¯ scrutiny, Luo Wen elerated his ns, taking full control of all rted industries. Under his covert instructions, all original samples and data rted to the Longevity nts were systematically destroyed.


    Destroying the original nt samples was a straightforward task for Luo Wen. The nts themselves were node units of the Swarm, capable of self-destructing and revealing their locations when necessary.


    There was no chance of them being hidden. Luo Wen could even remotely trigger their gic self-destruction. However, to avoid leaving behind any suspicious traces, he refrained from using such methods.


    The destruction of the original research data, on the other hand, required significantly more effort. At the time, the Swarm¡¯s presence on the Riken homeworld was still rtively weak.


    Later, after converting a few key individuals¡ªsuch as Dr. Balt, the original leader of the Longevity nt research team during the expedition fleet¡¯s return, and the three directors of the first official Rikenboratory, Dr. Simone, Dr. Hartman, and Dr. Natal¡ªLuo Wen gained ess to their memories.


    With the recollections of these pivotal figures, much of the original data could no longer remain hidden. Their expertise in the early research on Longevity nts added credibility to their statements, which further legitimized the Swarm¡¯s efforts to rewrite the narrative.


    Eventually, after gaining control over all critical stages of the research and production process, Luo Wen systematically altered the original archives over time. The Longevity nts were ressified from having no universal applicability to possessing limited applicability.The modified nts were now effective only for organisms with a specific chromosomal sequence, which roughly 20% of the species in the Interster Confederation possessed.


    This adjustment made the Riken¡¯s development of the Longevity Serum seem less intentional. The 20%patibility rate could be chalked up to coincidence.


    Although this change significantly reduced the nts¡¯ initial value, it opened the door for further advancements. With proper cultivation, the nts could eventually be improved to target more chromosomes, potentially achieving universalpatibility with all Confederation species in the future.


    In nature, perfection is rare. Something too wless inevitably invites suspicion. Even with the lowered value of the Longevity nts, they remained highly prized. However, the mysterious circumstances surrounding their emergence made it difficult for Luo Wen to fabricate a seamless origin story for them.


    To avoid unnecessary scrutiny, Luo Wen decided that the eventual improvement of the nts would not be conducted by the Swarm, nor even by the Riken. Instead, the task would be entrusted to unrted external species.


    Of course, if needed, Luo Wen could discreetly offer these species a subtle nudge in the right direction.


    As the information regarding the Longevity Serum continued to be collected, it drew increasing attention. Eventually, the Ji even offered 10,000 points to purchase all rted research data from the Riken.@@novelbin@@


    To put this into perspective, the Riken¡¯s 100,000-strong scientific workforce had collectively earned only 100,000 points in total.


    ¡°What a tremendous bargain they¡¯ve gotten. I knew it¡ªa small, backwater civilization like the Riken couldn¡¯t possibly develop such advanced technology. It turns out they relied entirely on this special material.¡± After obtaining the Riken¡¯s data, the Ji quickly pieced together much of the situation through analysis. In terms of technological sophistication, the Riken truly didn¡¯t amount to much.


    ¡°This is an utterly perfect nt¡ªa pinnacle creation of nature itself. How could such a thing even exist in this world? ording to the Riken, it doesn¡¯t require altering an organism¡¯s original genes. It merely increases the number of times cells can divide, achieving life extension without any side effects. This is precisely the path we¡¯ve been striving to follow for countless years without sess. To have it fall into our hands so effortlessly is incredible,¡± one Ji scientist marveled. ¡°Nature humbles us yet again. It¡¯s truly awe-inspiring.¡±


    ¡°However, these materials don¡¯t reveal much,¡± another Ji scientist interjected, pouring cold water on the enthusiasm. ¡°The Riken¡¯s terminology differs significantly from the Confederation¡¯s system, so we¡¯ll need physical samples for validation. Until we get actual data, I suggest tempering your optimism.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. There¡¯s no such thing as perfection. Let¡¯s not fall into blind reverence. We stand at the pinnacle of this star region. Nature might have simply been ahead of us in time, but one day, we¡¯ll catch up and uncover all its mysteries,¡± said another Ji member, whose words reflected the confidence of the descendant faction.


    ¡°Alright, enough,¡± said a Ji who appeared to be in a management role. ¡°Focus on analyzing the data further and see if there¡¯s anything we¡¯ve overlooked. As for the physical samples, it¡¯ll be a long time before we get our hands on those.¡±


    This discussion took ce in a Ji research facility deep within their territory. Theb was dedicated to life-extension research, and its members were experts in the field.


    Suchboratories were plentiful among the Ji, given their immigration-driven model, with scientistsprising over 90% of their poption. The remaining 10% were the descendants who had umted over the years, some of whom chose not to pursue scientific careers.


    While the Longevity Serum data could be transmitted instantly via quantummunication devices, transporting the physical samples required spacecraft. Even at the Ji¡¯s fastest speeds, delivery would still take decades.


    For the Ji, such time spans were routine. At worst, they¡¯d simply enter cryosleep¡ªan experience akin to blinking.


    The emergence of the Longevity Serum partially diverted attention away from the Swarm. The Ji ced great importance on the newly discovered serum. The two stationed Ji ships departed, carryingrge quantities of nts and their cultivation methods.


    The Ji provided five quantummunication devices to the new Confederation members. Apart from one installed in Trade City, the others were typically used for fleetmunication, as seen with the Daqi Third Prince¡¯s use fortency-free coordination. The devices¡¯ primary role, however, was to transmit daily Confederation news and updates.


    The departure of the two Ji ships responsible for instation dyed the setup of quantummunication devices for the Swarm. Luo Wen, however, didn¡¯t mind the dy¡ªhe weed it.


    As for the devices¡¯ functionalities, Luo Wen was indifferent. For fleetmand, the Swarm¡¯s Network was far more advanced and free from Ji monitoring concerns.


    As for the news and updates, Luo Wen could easily acquire them through the Riken. Given the amicable rtionship between the two species, ¡°sharing¡± such information posed no issue.

 Chapter 414: The Koya Alliance

    The sudden departure of the Ji brought a sense of calm to the region. A few yearster, a fleet of more than 50 warships entered the Riken System.


    Judging by their design, these ships bore no resemnce to the Ji fleet and didn¡¯t even look like a formal navy. That¡¯s not to say they were dpidated or makeshift, but their appearance was unusually ¡°shy.¡±


    Among the 50-plus warships, Luo Wen identified at least a dozen different design styles, giving the impression of a hodgepodge fleet. If not for their small numbers andck of a real threat to the Riken, Luo Wen might have mistaken them for a band of interster pirates.


    Notably, he spotted a familiar dark red pattern on some ships, sparking a vague suspicion about their origin.


    The fleet didn¡¯t attempt to hide their arrival and openly announced themselves. ording to their transmission, they were members of the Interster Technological Confederation and could even be considered the Riken¡¯s neighbors.


    However, their tone, dripping with unrestrained arrogance, left little room for misinterpretation¡ªthey hadn¡¯te bearing friendly tidings for their new neighbors. The fleet identified themselves as belonging to an organization called the Koya Alliance.


    Neither the Riken nor the Swarm, as neers to the Confederation, had any knowledge of this organization. Perhaps realizing this, the visitors promptly sent over an introductory dossier, apparently unwilling to ¡°perform for an audience of blind men.¡±


    ording to their self-description, the Koya Alliance was a defensive coalition of more than 20 civilizations, spearheaded by a powerful civilization called Koriato. The alliance was ostensibly founded to unite neighboring civilizations, foster mutual support, and collectively resist oppression from stronger powers.


    Of course, the dossier was undoubtedly polished to present them in the best light. To Luo Wen, the alliance¡¯s true purpose was just as likely to involve bullying weaker civilizations under the guise of unity.The fleet¡¯sposition seemed to corroborate this. Each civilization contributed a few ships, resulting in a mishmash of styles and the ostentatious fleet of 50 warships. This wasn¡¯t just a visit¡ªit was a disy of strength, a demonstration meant to intimidate.


    Sure enough, the fleet bypassed the Swarm¡¯s territory in the Riken System and parked directly in near-orbit of Riken¡¯s homeworld. A diplomatic team then disembarked in a small shuttle, heading for the.


    The Riken, adhering to the philosophy that courtesy never harms, gave them a grand and borate wee. The visitors, however, showed no appreciation. In their eyes, this was merely the bare minimum of what was owed to them.


    After only a few perfunctory pleasantries, the representatives of the Koya Alliance got straight to the point,ying out their two main objectives.


    The first was to invite the Riken to join the Koya Alliance. With the alliance¡¯s territory soon to border the Riken System, joining would supposedly unite their regions into a seamless whole. On the surface, this sounded like a beneficial proposition¡ªif not for the second point.


    The second was to demandpensation. Yes,pensation!


    The Koya Alliance¡¯s nearest member to the Riken was none other than the Daqi civilization¡ªthe same one that had sent the Third Prince, under the pretext of inviting the Riken, only to end up delivering the Swarm the ¡°Crimson Kiss¡± instead.


    It turned out that this visit was nothing more than an attempt to reim some dignity on behalf of the Daqi civilization.


    By all logic, the conflict back then was between the Daqi and the Swarm. At most, the Riken could be considered innocent bystanders¡ªspectators who happened to stand a little too close. Yet now, instead of confronting their real opponent, the Koya Alliance was demanding reparations from the onlookers. How absurd was that?


    The Riken officials shared the same doubts and raised these concerns with the Koya Alliance representatives. However, being unclear about the alliance¡¯s true strength and influence, they chose their words carefully, maintaining a tone of deference.


    Unfortunately, the Koya Alliance was unimpressed by this courtesy. The Daqi representative, emboldened by the support of the alliance, acted particrly arrogant. However, as the Riken were technically a reserve member of the Interster Technological Confederation, the smaller alliance had to show some respect to therger organization.


    Thus, the Daqi representative confidentlyid out his reasons, speaking with a sense of righteousness.@@novelbin@@


    Apparently, the Daqi civilization acknowledged that during their conflict with the Swarm, the Riken were mere bystanders. However, when the Daqi forces retreated, they had directed a significant number of refugees to the Riken base for sanctuary.


    But after the battle ended, the Riken¡ªwithout so much as a token of resistance¡ªhanded over those noble Daqi refugees to the Swarm. This, the Daqi imed, was wrong, unjustifiable, and unforgivable.


    The Daqi argued that those citizens had been held captive by the Swarm for decades, surely enduring hunger, poor living conditions, and unimaginable suffering. They were far from their homnd and loved ones, consumed by homesickness. Moreover, their absence had caused frequent protests back in Daqi society, leading to instability, damaging the reputation of the royal family, and so on.


    In essence, after an endless litany of grievances, the Daqi representative concluded that the Riken must take full responsibility.


    Specifically, they demanded the return of all Daqi citizens held by the Swarm. They also required the Rikens to providepensation to these individuals and their families for emotional distress. They needed to make amends for the losses incurred by Daqi civilization. Lastly, they also had to cover the Koya Alliance¡¯s ¡°appearance fee¡± for this matter.


    As for the specifics of thepensation, the Daqi, in their supposed magnanimity, stated they would settle for 110,000 Confederation points¡ªa sum equal to what the Riken had just earned for thebined efforts of their 100,000 scientists and technological resources.


    For the Koya Alliance, they demanded several hundred tons of Longevity nts and the associated technologies. They were confident this modest request would satisfy their ¡°lords.¡±


    The Riken were, naturally, outraged. They had barely warmed their hard-earned points, and now the Daqi were demanding the lion¡¯s share under the guise of generosity.


    As for the Longevity nts, while they were rtively easy to cultivate with high yields, the Ji had just purchased all production capacity and intellectual rights for the next several decades for a hefty sum of 10,000 points. And now the Koya Alliance thought they could waltz in and seize them for free? Such audacity!


    The Riken firmly denied all usations, attempting to distance themselves from the matter. They argued that the Daqi refugees weren¡¯t even their responsibility in the first ce. They had merely offered hospitality¡ªensuring the Daqi were well-fed and treated with the utmost respect¡ªuntil the Daqi fleet abandoned them.


    When the Swarm came to im these individuals, they were, by the rules of engagement, legitimate spoils of war.


    Furthermore, if the mighty Daqi couldn¡¯t stand against the Swarm, how could the weak and insignificant Riken hope to resist? Why would they risk their lives to defy the Swarm for a group of unrted Daqi citizens? If the Daqi wanted their people back, they were wee to negotiate with the Swarm themselves. The Riken, as they put it, were mere ¡°ornaments¡± in the Confederation and had no authority to act.


    As for the Longevity nts and the apanying technology, the Riken diplomatically pointed out that the Ji had already purchased the entire production capacity and intellectual rights for the next few decades.


    While the Riken were willing to assist the Koya Alliance for the sake of neighborly rtions, the fact was that those resources were no longer under their control.


    ¡°If the Koya Alliance truly desires them,¡± the Riken officials added, ¡°you are wee to discuss the matter with the esteemed Ji lords.¡±

 Chapter 415: Motive

    The Riken officials, feeling emboldened by their newfound rtionship with the Ji and believing that this situation was primarily the Swarm¡¯s issue, responded with a mix of polite words and thinly veiled mockery.


    Though they maintained a veneer of courtesy, their insinuations that the Koya Alliance were bullies who only preyed on the weak were clear.


    This provocation enraged the Koya Alliance. What began as a discussion dominated by the Daqi representatives quickly turned into a collective rebuke, with representatives from various alliance members joining in. Even the Koriato, the leading civilization of the alliance, took the stage.


    The Koriato were an imposing species. Five of their members, towering over two meters in height, attended the talks. Regardless of gender, their bodies were robust, and their meticulously groomed manes gave them the appearance of majestic lions.


    Unfortunately, even with these ¡°lions¡± stepping in personally, their unrelenting and exorbitant demands met with steadfast resistance from the Riken.


    The Riken now fully appreciated the benefits of being surrounded by the Swarm. Any attack on their homeworld would first have to go through the Swarm. The 50-ship fleet from the Koya Alliance had been ignored by the Swarm only because it posed no immediate threat. However, if arge-scale invasion were attempted, it was unlikely that the Swarm would stand idly by.


    Of course, this assumption required confirmation from the Swarm.


    Thus, the Riken discreetly sought assurances from the Swarm. This was more for show than genuine consultation, aimed at cating the still-unconverted original Riken poption. Once the Swarm gave their unequivocal support, the Riken negotiators felt a newfound confidence.


    Though they didn¡¯t know if the Swarm could truly stand against the Koya Alliance¡¯s coalition of over 20 civilizations, they reasoned that it wouldn¡¯t matter. If the Swarm fell, they could always surrenderter.After all, the Confederation¡¯s rules would prevent their outright annihtion. As for thepensation, their total of 110,000 points would cover the alliance¡¯s demands. If they were forced to pay it all, it wouldn¡¯t make much differencepared to the current negotiation terms.


    With this mindset, the Riken stood firm, refusing to budge. The talks dragged on for over two months, with neither side willing topromise.


    The Koya Alliance maintained their initial demands, while the Riken adopted a stalling strategy. Their message was clear: they would not negotiate, at most agreeing to pass along the message for the alliance to take up the matter directly with the Swarm.


    The alliance members, in turn, thought: If we could negotiate with the Swarm directly, why would we need you to mediate? But they knew the Swarm was no pushover. The Swarm had grown closer to the Troi civilization recently, and their military might made them far less vulnerable than the Riken.@@novelbin@@


    In reality, the alliance¡¯s primary objective wasn¡¯t to resolve the Daqi¡¯s grievances but to exploit the situation for their benefit. At the very least, they hoped to secure some Longevity Serum materials.


    News travels fast, and no secret remains hidden forever. Word of the Ji acquiring something valuable from the Riken had already spread far and wide in smaller circles. The fact that even the Ji¡¯s task force had recalled its stationed warships hinted at the significance of the discovery.


    The Koya Alliance, benefiting from their proximity to the Riken, wanted to im their share before it was toote. If the serum-rted data entered the Ji¡¯s official exchange system, its price would skyrocket beyond reach.


    Regardless of how crude the Riken¡¯s technology might be, the Ji had spent 10,000 points to acquire it. Any resale price would undoubtedly be several times higher. The alliance was determined to act before that happened.


    If the Koya Alliance could exploit a timing advantage and extract materials from the Riken before the Ji formallymercialized the Longevity Serum, it would save them a considerable number of points. Points, after all, were a precious currency¡ªmore was always better, and any savings were worth pursuing.


    But as the days passed, the Riken¡¯s stubborn, unyielding stance in the face of both coercion and persuasion left the Koya Alliance grinding their teeth in frustration.


    Initially, they had considered massing their forces, easily gathering tens of thousands of warships from their member civilizations. However, the Riken¡¯s precarious location presented a problem, they were surrounded by Swarm bases.


    The true strength of the Swarm remained a mystery. The data provided by the Confederation offered no concrete conclusions, but the Koya Alliance could infer some clues from the way the Troi civilization treated the Swarm.


    The Troi, who were part of the Locke Mutual Aid Society, had been longtime rivals of the Koya Alliance in the struggle for dominance in the Outer-ring. Despite countless open and covert shes, the two factions knew each other well.


    The Troi might appear straightforward and affable, but in truth, they were shrewd and calcting. The fact that even they treated the Swarm with such respect strongly suggested that the Swarm possessed considerable strength.


    For the sake of tens of thousands of points, it might have been eptable to bully a weak neighbor. But to recklessly provoke a potentially powerful force? That was a different story entirely¡ªone that wasn¡¯t worth the risk.


    Yet this cautious approach did little to quell growing dissatisfaction among the alliance¡¯s member civilizations. Fueled by the Daqi¡¯s persistent provocations, frustration with the Swarm gradually escted from mildints to outright resentment and finally simmering hatred.


    Unfortunately for the Koya Alliance, the reality of interster politics boiled down to raw power. Though their collective anger toward the Swarm festered, they dared not act on it directly.


    Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t that theycked the courage¡ªit was that their considerations held them back. The Swarm was, after all, a new and seemingly fragile force.


    Their only notable victories so far were against a backwater civilization and a limited skirmish with the Daqi. And even in that battle, the Daqi had fielded only about 2,000 warships.


    At that time, the Swarm¡¯s forces had been limited. While the Koya Alliance was uncertain about the Swarm¡¯s current capabilities, during their journey to Riken¡¯s homeworld, they had passed near a star and observed countless Space Octopuses densely packed around it. Though individually unimpressive, such overwhelming numbers would be a logistical nightmare inbat.


    If the Koya Allianceunched an assault and failed to decisively crush the Swarm, they would be aughingstock to the Locke Mutual Aid Society. At their level of influence, preserving face in the absence of decisive action was of paramount importance.


    What the alliance didn¡¯t know, however, was that the Daqi had already conducted another offensive against the Swarm. That operation had ended in a swift retreat.


    Embarrassed by the failure, the Daqi had expunged all records of the campaign and officially denied its urrence. While a few rumors persisted, the line between fact and fiction blurred, leaving few to believe the whispers.


    The Daqi¡¯sck of transparency extended even to their allies in the Koya Alliance, who were kept in the dark about the Swarm¡¯s true capabilities. If they had known the real strength the Swarm had demonstrated during that earlier engagement, their current deliberations might have taken a very different course.


    Meanwhile, Luo Wen, with little else demanding his attention, shifted part of his focus to monitoring the situation surrounding the Riken. As one of the key parties involved in the negotiations, Luo Wen found himself hoping for a speedy resolution.


    The Daqi prisoners had been in the Swarm¡¯s custody for decades. Many of them were indeed ¡°homesick,¡± yearning to return to their people and reunite with family and friends.


    But sadly, their civilization had proven too ipetent to arrange their return.

 Chapter 416: Garrisoned

    Luo Wen had gone through aplex emotional journey regarding the Daqi prisoners of war.


    In the early days, after the Swarm had taken custody of the prisoners from the Riken, Luo Wen had worked tirelessly to research a method to convert them into intelligent entities. He feared that during this period, the Interster Technological Confederation might intervene and demand the prisoners¡¯ immediate return.


    But Luo Wen had overestimated the cohesion within the Confederation and underestimated the civilizations¡¯ loose perception of time. As a result, these prisoners had stayed with the Swarm for over 20 years.


    Initially, Luo Wen had only nned to convert a portion of the prisoners into intelligent entities and then mix them with the unconverted ones before returning them to the Daqi civilization. Yet, the Daqi left their people in the Swarm¡¯s custody without a second thought, as if they had no concerns at all.


    This indifference annoyed Luo Wen. Was it the Swarm they looked down upon, or was it him personally? If the prisoners were left unattended for so long, wouldn¡¯t it make him look weak if he didn¡¯t fully convert them?


    Thus, what began as a n for partial conversion turned into aplete transformation¡ªeveryst Daqi prisoner became an intelligent entity in disguise.


    Having created spies, Luo Wen naturally needed an opportunity to send them back. He waited and waited, and eventually, a Daqi fleet arrived. Luo Wen thought, If they¡¯re willing to show some humility and pay a nominal fee for amodations and meals, I¡¯ll return their people.


    After all, maintaining the prisoners was a resource drain, so much so that the Swarm had built a massive eco-pod on Izumo just to sustain them.


    But what happened?The Daqi fleet opened fire on the Swarm without so much as a greeting, exchanged a volley, and then turned tail without a word. Their swift retreat left Luo Wen utterly speechless.


    After that, the Daqi fell silent, as if they had forgotten the tens of thousands of their people still in the Swarm¡¯s custody.


    Luo Wen was left with no options. He couldn¡¯t very well deliver the prisoners back to the Daqi¡¯s doorstep, could he? It wasn¡¯t about saving face¡ªsuch an action would be too suspicious. Anyone with half a brain would smell a trap.


    And so, the situation dragged on. Time passed, and eventually Luo Wen began to worry that the prisoners might die of old age before the Daqi remembered them.


    In a fit of frustration, he stuffed them all into cryo-pods, ensuring they would still be usable spies rather than retirees bound for a Daqi nursing home.


    Over time, Luo Wen¡¯s expectations for these spies dwindled. Through his interactions with the Troi and the acquisition of intelligence, he realized that even if the spies were sessfully nted, the Daqi¡¯s limited power made them an unlikely source of valuable information. Worse still, some of the information they might gather could be deliberately falsified by the Daqi.


    Thus, in Luo Wen¡¯s eyes, the utility of these spies became negligible. With no pressing need to act, he allowed the situation to stagnate.@@novelbin@@


    Decades passed, and the matter seemed forgotten¡ªuntil now. The Daqi, having finally gathered some allies, showed up on the Riken¡¯s doorstep. However, it appeared they had picked the wrong house to cause trouble.


    The prisoners seemed to be nothing more than a pretext, a side note to the main event. Even the Daqi themselves didn¡¯t appear to care much about them.


    And why would they? It had been over 60 years. If the Daqi had truly cared, they would have acted long ago. Their apathy only deepened Luo Wen¡¯s doubts about the efficacy of his spies.


    Still, if an opportunity presented itself, Luo Wen would dly send the prisoners back to the Daqi. Even if they failed to provide useful intelligence, the cluster of node units among them could at least map a portion of the Daqi¡¯s territory. Such pinpointed data would be far more efficient than waiting for Swarm meteors to drift into the region.


    If not for the presence of the Ji, Luo Wen would have instructed the Riken to package all the materials, technologies, and even finished products of the Longevity Serum and hand them over to the Koya Alliance.


    But for the sake of a broader strategy, he had no choice but to let go of this easy opportunity for now.


    The situation remained at an impasse. Despite failing to achieve their goals, the Koya Alliance members stubbornly refused to leave. Every so often, they would rally their representatives to harass the Riken, escting their behavior to baseless usations. They even started meddling with the newlypleted Trade City, offering unsolicited and often absurd criticisms.


    However, the Riken took it in stride, assigning a few even-tempered representatives to engage in pointless discussions with the Koya Alliance.


    The Alliance¡¯s numbers were small, and they provided their own food and drink, so the Riken suffered little from these antics.


    This patience emboldened the Koya Alliance. Convinced their criticisms were effective, they became increasingly brazen in their actions.


    Luo Wen could not fathom the Koya Alliance¡¯s concept of ¡°face,¡± but from his perspective, their behavior was utterly disgraceful.


    Fortunately, a turning point soon arrived. A few yearster, the Ji fleet returned, this time with even more ships. Over 100 massive vessels, each over 4,000 meters long, slowly approached the Riken homeworld¡¯s starport.


    The Koya Alliance¡¯s warships, which had been upying the prime docking positions, hastily vacated the area. Compared to the Ji¡¯s grand and orderly fleet, their colorful and motley assortment of ships resembled a group of clowns.


    This fleet hade from the Ji¡¯s nearest garrison point, a term used by the Ji to describe entire star systems they upied beyond their official borders.


    Each garrison point epassed at least one star system and hosted not only fleets but also a significant number of researchers. These garrison points allowed the Ji to engage more quickly with surrounding civilizations and to utilize local resources for specialized research. The Ji maintained nearly 200 such garrison points throughout their Confederation territory.


    With such vast territories and personnel reserves, the Ji were able to assemble a specialized research team at a moment¡¯s notice and dispatch them to the Riken. These researchers hade to recreate the experimental data for the Longevity Serum using Ji-standard methods.


    Back at the Ji¡¯s main base, an evenrger contingent of researchers eagerly awaited this data. The Ji¡¯s interest in the Longevity nts exceeded even Luo Wen¡¯s expectations¡ªthey could not even wait for the two previous transport ships to return with their cargo.


    As a result, the Riken found themselves busy once again, deploying substantial manpower to handle the logistics of hosting the Ji researchers. Whether intentional or not, the Koya Alliance found themselves increasingly ignored, and the years-long discussion meetings came to a halt.


    The moment the Ji ships arrived, the Koya Alliance realized their n to obtain official data from the Riken had failed. But this didn¡¯t deter them from lingering, as they had recently established contact with the Riken ck market, which offered precisely what they were looking for¡ªat a surprisingly reasonable price.


    Though the process involved a series of twists and turns, the oue was ultimately favorable. From the Koya Alliance¡¯s perspective, this was a fortunate and delightful turn of events.


    And from Luo Wen¡¯s perspective? He couldn¡¯t agree more.

 Chapter 417: The Elder’s Visit

    While the Riken were bustling with activity, a group of over ten massive Ji warships silently broke off from the main fleet and headed toward Swarm territory.


    ¡°Where are those Ji ships headed?¡± The Koya Alliance¡¯s fifty or so warships, now relegated to a corner of the starport, had a clear view of the movement.


    With these colossal vessels¡ªeach over 4,000 meters long¡ªso close by, it would¡¯ve been impossible to miss their departure.


    The Ji fleet wasn¡¯t exactly subtle about their maneuver, so it was no surprise they were noticed. Representatives from the ten or so civilizationsprising the Koya Alliance hastily convened an emergency meeting.


    ¡°Where else would they be going? Their direction makes it obvious,¡± one representative remarked dryly.


    ¡°But why are they going there? Could this impact our operation?¡± another representative asked, his voice tinged with worry.


    After all, their current activities¡ªillicit dealings with the Riken ck market¡ªwere tantamount to undermining the Ji. If discovered, the consequences for their alliance might be uncertain, but for those directly involved, it could spell disaster.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve managed to glean some insider information,¡± another representative said, clearly relishing the moment. ¡°A few members of my species were among the personnel who arrived with the Ji fleet, and thanks to that connection, I¡¯ve gotten some details.¡±


    It was standard Ji policy to cross-station personnel across their garrisons to avoid conflicts of interest with their original species. Most garrison personnel were assigned to posts at least 500 light-years away from their origins. However, exceptions always existed, and for various reasons, some personnel bypassed this rule, though such cases made up less than 5% of deployments.This time, the representative had been lucky enough to encounter members of their own species among the Ji fleet. However, his attempt to create suspense by withholding the details was met with indifference. The other representatives, seasoned political yers themselves, simply waited him out.


    Seeing his theatrics fall t, the representative begrudgingly continued, ¡°Apparently, a Ji Elder is among the arriving personnel.¡±


    ¡°An Elder?¡± Everyone exhaled audibly at the mention of the Ji Elder, the highest-ranking officials in the Ji Council of Elders.


    In theory, all Elders held equal authority. While the Daqi representative¡¯s expression darkened at the news, the others seemed relieved.


    ¡°That exins it,¡± one representative concluded. ¡°It must be time to formally sign the agreements. ording to protocol, it makes sense for the Ji to visit the Swarm first.¡±


    Indeed, the representatives realized that the personnel who had arrived earlier were not of sufficient rank to finalize agreements. The agreements signed so far were merely letters of intent. Formal treaties required the participation of a Ji Elder and a corresponding high-ranking official¡ªsuch as a ruler or supreme leader¡ªfrom the newly recognized civilizations.


    Given the order of invitations, the Ji would naturally need to sign with the Swarm first before moving on to finalize their agreement with the Riken. Clearly, the departing Ji warships were transporting the Elder to meet with the Swarm for this purpose.


    ¡°No matter the reason, we need to wrap up our business here quickly and minimize exposure,¡± one representative urged.


    ¡°Agreed. Their asking price isn¡¯t high. Let¡¯s pay them, get the data, and leave. The longer we linger here, the greater the risk¡ªElder or not, idents can happen,¡± another added.


    ¡°We can¡¯t just leave!¡± another representative objected. ¡°Our stated purpose foring here was to discuss the Daqi prisoners. If we suddenly withdraw without resolving that matter, it¡¯ll only look more suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± someone muttered under their breath as the room fell into a tense silence.


    While the Koya Alliance representatives debated their next steps, the Ji warships continued toward the Swarm. As the alliance had guessed, the Ji ships were indeed en route to finalize an agreement with the Swarm.


    After briefly pausing at the Izumo Swarm Base to report their intentions, the Ji fleet continued on toward the Neighboring Star System.


    The speed of the Ji ships was indeed impressive¡ªwhat had once taken the Swarm and Riken decades to traverse now required less than a year. Back then, the actual fighting between the two races had been minimal, with most of the time consumed by the journey itself.


    Luo Wen was somewhat surprised by the sudden arrival of a Ji Elder, but he had been informed of this protocol in advance. Thus, preparations had already been made, and everything proceeded smoothly.


    When the Ji fleet reached the asteroid belt on the outskirts of the Neighboring Star System, a Swarm and Primordial body fleet was already stationed there to greet them. Following their guidance, the two fleets merged and proceeded together toward Neighboring.


    Due to the high-level nature of this meeting, everything was conducted with great formality. Despite this being the Swarm¡¯s first time hosting such an event, all arrangements were in ce, and there were no notable errors.


    On Neighboring, a massive underground pce had been excavated in preparation for the event. Underground structures weremon among interster civilizations. On hostiles, underground colonies could save significant engineering resources. However, on habitables, pces constructed underground were far less typical.


    Luo Wen had no clear exnation for why the Swarm¡¯s style leaned so heavily toward underground architecture. Although he saw himself as open and optimistic, for some reason, the Swarm¡¯s aesthetic always veered underground.


    The pce¡¯s interior was neither ostentatiously decorated norden with technological flourishes. Its design was raw and primitive, much like the descriptions in previous Troi reports.


    Elder Humes, the Ji Elder leading the delegation, walked through the underground corridors, observing his surroundings and mentallyparing them with the information he had studied.


    The walls were lined with bizarre, luminescent, fleshy nts, and while the rocky walls seemed imprable, his suit¡¯s sensors registered multiple warnings about hidden hollow spaces. Clearly, countless concealed passageways existed around them.


    Humes harbored no doubts¡ªif they made any wrong moves, they would be instantly overwhelmed by a swarm of bio-weapons. In such an environment, surrounded underground, escape would be nearly impossible for either attackers or defenders. For the Swarm to confidently construct such an underground pce implied exceptional mastery in this domain.


    Based on the Swarm¡¯s history, this was not surprising. They excelled at subterranean warfare and concealment.


    Humes pondered whether to suggest to the Ji Council of Elders that they strengthen their own subterranean capabilities to avoid potential disadvantages in any future conflicts with the Swarm.


    Humes himself was an unusual figure. He was short and stocky, with an extraordinarily long neck and a t, wide head that extended his overall height to over two meters. His appearance was reminiscent of a tortoise without its shell, but with an elongated neck¡ªa striking and somewhatical presence.


    Behind him followed several dozenpanions and guards as they made their way to meet the legendary Swarm Empress. Truthfully, the word ¡°legendary¡± was an exaggeration.


    Humes himself had only recently learned of the existence of a Swarm Empress. Before that, he had never even heard rumors of such a figure.


    The Swarm¡¯s ability to keep secrets was truly remarkable. Only a handful of intelligent Swarm representatives had ever interacted with outsiders, and they rarely discussed the Swarm¡¯s internal power structure.


    If not for the high-level and formal nature of this treaty, which required the participation of a civilization¡¯s supreme ruler or leader, the Empress might have remained hidden indefinitely.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 419: Departure

    ¡°Elder Humes,¡± Sarah began, her tone steady, ¡°I understand your curiosity. The Swarm was born in this star region, grew in this star region, and has always existed here from ancient times to the present.¡±


    Humes¡¯ question was difficult to answer directly, so Sarah opted for an ambiguous response, one that left room for interpretation. The rest she left to the imagination of those hearing it.


    Interestingly, Sarah¡¯s statement wasn¡¯t entirely untruthful. The Swarm indeed originated in this region. As for where the Iphieash egg had been before Luo Wen¡¯s emergence, even he didn¡¯t know¡ªand it hardly mattered. Humes had asked about the Swarm, not about Iphieash¡¯s origins.


    Humes stared intently at Sarah, attempting to discern the truth through her subtle expressions. Unfortunately for him, his skill in micro-expression analysis was misced. Sarah¡¯sposure was impable; her gaze unwavering, she calmly returned his stare.


    Such tactics were futile against the Swarm. The figure Humes was scrutinizing was merely a Swarm body. Sarah¡¯s consciousness, if she wished, could disconnect and engage in apletely unrted activity, like ying a game with Luo Wen, while still maintaining her presence here.


    Sarah¡¯s fearless, steady gaze seemed to convey confidence and conviction, leading Humes to potentially misjudge her intent. He began to delve into the possible implications of her words.


    The first part was straightforward, but why had the Swarm Empress emphasized the phrase ¡°from ancient times¡±?


    The Swarm¡¯s recorded history spanned only a few centuries¡ªhardly enough to justify using the word ¡°ancient.¡±


    Moreover, Humes had never believed that a civilization focused on biotechnology could achieve its current level of advancement in such a short period. Biological technology was notoriously challenging to developpared to mechanical pathways.If it were so easy, why hadn¡¯t any of the 200-plus civilizations in the Interster Technological Confederation produced a race like the Swarm?


    Could the Swarm¡¯s history be far older than it appears? Humes considered this possibility, though it seemed unlikely. This star region had been under Ji surveince for tens of thousands of years, and no anomalies had ever been reported.


    Could the monitoring personnel have failed in their duties? He made a mental note to investigate the historical records thoroughly upon his return, searching for any overlooked irregrities.


    However, he quickly dismissed this line of reasoning. Surveince had always been under the jurisdiction of Lumina, the Ji¡¯s trusted AI overseer. Lumina¡¯s core protocols were designed to ensure nothing could harm the Ji. Anypse in surveince would have been unthinkable.


    That left two possibilities: either the Swarm Empress was lying, or the Swarm¡¯s origins predated the Ji¡¯s arrival in the region. Humes found thetter hypothesis more usible.


    The Swarm¡¯s earliest appearance in Ji records had shown them operating at a rudimentary technological level. Their biological weaponry and ships were incapable of long-range invasion. Even their current capabilities fell short of that threshold.


    A more likely exnation was that the Swarm was an ancient civilization with some technological foundation, whose progress had been sealed away for some reason. Only recently had they re-emerged and begun redeveloping their capabilities.


    After all, if the Ji could create an AI like Lumina capable of persisting for hundreds of thousands of years, it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to think that a biotechnology-oriented civilization might have left behind dormant biological constructs or weapons.


    Suddenly, Humes recalled Morgan¡¯s earlierment about the carrier bug being ¡°one of their own.¡±


    A chill ran down his spine as a disturbing hypothesis formed in his mind.


    What if this ancient civilization didn¡¯t leave behind any living members at all? What if all that remained were their engineered biological weapons?


    It would be akin to how the Ji had left Lumina to safeguard their interests. Could it be that the original creators of the Swarm had long since perished, and the beings before him¡ªincluding the so-called Empress¡ªwere merely advanced biological constructs, inheritors of fragments of their creators¡¯ knowledge?


    If this were true, it would exin Morgan¡¯s remark about the carrier bug being part of their ¡°family.¡±


    The implication sent Humes into deep contemtion, even as the meeting concluded.


    At this realization, Elder Humes¡¯ gaze toward Sarah shifted, his eyes now carrying a mixture of wariness, curiosity, and contemtion.


    Sarah immediately noticed the change in his expression. She understood that Humes had likely arrived at some conclusions¡ªthough what they were, she couldn¡¯t be sure. Still, she wasn¡¯t unustomed to such situations.


    During the Swarm¡¯s conflict with the Riken, the Riken frequently constructed their own interpretations of Swarm mysteries based on their limited understanding and logic, often patching together a plete¡± exnation. Humes appeared to be doing something simr now.@@novelbin@@


    The Swarm had no fear of such conjectures; in fact, they weed them. The more deeply Humes thought and hypothesized, the greater the likelihood he would inadvertently mislead the Ji. By the end, he might even craft a usible narrative for the Swarm¡¯s origins¡ªprecisely the oue the Swarm desired.


    Several dayster, the Ji fleet departed, and Elder Humes seemed visibly drained. The days of his visit had left him in a near-dazed state. During the weing banquet, he had engaged Sarah in further discussions, raising several questions. However, Sarah¡¯s answers remained deliberately vague, leaving Humes grasping at clouds.


    In the days that followed, Humes had barely slept, his mind spinning at full speed as he mulled over countless possibilities. No matter what conclusions he reached, each felt iplete, riddled with minor ws that prevented full rity.


    The only tangible oue of the Ji delegation¡¯s visit was their sess in mediating an agreement. The Daqi agreed to pay a modest amount of Confederation points, and in return, the Swarm would release the Daqi prisoners. The Swarm¡¯s low asking price was a gesture of goodwill, granting the Ji Elder a small diplomatic victory. This was the sole aspect of the visit that brought Humes some measure of satisfaction.


    As the Ji fleet receded into the starry expanse, Sarah engaged in conversation with Luo Wen through the Swarm Network.


    ¡°Overlord,¡± she began, ¡°what do you make of this Ji Elder?¡±


    Information exchange worked both ways. While the Ji sought to glean intelligence on the Swarm, the Swarm had gained significant insights about the Ji, particrly about Elder Humes himself.


    Sarah had casually inquired about Humes¡¯ background during their conversations. To her surprise, Humes was candid about his origins but offered a cultural caveat. He exined that in Ji society, asking about someone¡¯s species of origin without prior knowledge was considered deeply rude.


    Humes borated: among newly-immigrated or neutral factions, such questions were met with little resistance. However, for descendants, those who prided themselves on their integration into the Ji, it was a taboo topic. These individuals took immense pride in their Ji identity and viewed such inquiries as a slight.


    Humes went on to share his own story. He belonged to a species called the Sher, but his ancestors had migrated to the Ji tens of thousands of years ago. Over time, the Sher¡¯s cultural practices had faded, leaving Humes with only a tenuous connection to his original heritage.


    By all ounts, Humes was a thoroughbred descendant, though he disliked the faction¡¯s behavior and chose to align with the neutral party instead. His neutral stance had unintentionally propelled him into the Elders¡¯ Council.


    Humes also shared an intriguing tidbit with Sarah: due to the constant power struggles between the descendent and immigrant factions within the Ji, any Elder dispatched to negotiate treaties with new civilizations was invariably chosen from the neutral faction.


    ¡°He¡¯s not bad,¡± Luo Wen replied, his tone calm yet contemtive. ¡°Let¡¯s hope he gives us a few pleasant surprises.¡±

 Chapter 421: Internal Network

    Due to gic encryption, the external world had no knowledge of the internal structure of the Swarm¡¯s bioweapons and was thus unaware that the Atomic Furnace was the primary factor in creating the environment for the growth of Longevity nts.


    The Swarm¡¯s exnation that there weren¡¯t enough Godzis to support widespread cultivation seemed reasonable. After all, it was well-documented that the Swarm did not produce nuclear waste, something easily verified through observation. Moreover, Longevity nts were discovered in Godzi nests, as detailed in official records. Lastly, Godzis, as massive and cumbersome terrestrial units, genuinely didn¡¯t require mass production.


    Additionally, the response formally acknowledged Godzi as a Swarm creation, addressing some previous ambiguities. While minor ws remained, it was a significant improvement over earlier exnations.


    Upon receiving the Swarm¡¯s reply, the Ji race expressed their desire for the Swarm to increase the number of Godzis to boost the production of Longevity nts. However, they understood that such a request was not enforceable and unlikely to be fulfilled.


    The production of a single Godzi required an astonishing amount of resources. Spreading that cost across production made the Longevity nts much more expensive. While the Ji race, as the issuer of points, wasn¡¯t particrly concerned about minor expenses, they foresaw that the demand for Longevity nts would rise substantially in the future. If the price were inted now, reducing itter would require significant effort and could disrupt the market.


    Thus, they refrained from pressing the Swarm further and instead directed their orders to the Koya Alliance, neighbors located slightly further from the Riken System.


    Longevity nts, after all, were meticulously cultivated by Luo Wen. They were drought-tolerant, flood-resistant, corrosion-proof, and impervious to pests, diseases, and pesticides. Once the environment was prepared, all that was left was harvesting, making them extremely easy to grow.


    For the Koya Alliance, a coalition of civilizations focused on mechanical engineering, the immense amounts of nuclear waste they generated were a constant headache. Unlike the Swarm, which could recycle waste, the Koya Alliance could only package it and hurl it into stars. To repurpose their waste into something valuable while openly participating in the Longevity nt trade was undoubtedly an attractive proposition for them.


    Everything began falling into ce. Afterpleting construction projects for the Riken, several functional Ji ships turned their attention to the Swarm. They split into two groups, one started building quantummunication facilities in the Neighboring Star System, while the other moved to the Sandstorm System to oversee the construction of Trade City.The Swarm¡¯s Trade City was likely the only one among foreign civilizations to ce all major infrastructure underground from the start. It wasn¡¯t that other trade citiescked underground structures¡ªon the contrary, many of the older ones had undergroundplexes farrger than their surface counterparts after years of expansion.


    However, during the initial stages of construction, surface structures generally far outweighed underground ones. The Swarm¡¯s decision to nearly exclude surface structures was unprecedented.


    Although the Neighboring Star System was only the second star system the Swarm had entered, they weren¡¯t destructive developers. Neighboring still maintained a rtively pristine ecology, and the Swarm had even nted forests on other rockys. From a distance, the lush, violet-tingeds were a breathtaking sight.


    This system had been chosen as the Swarm¡¯s public royal court, and its surveince intensity was naturally elevated to the highest levels. Among the Swarm¡¯s active species, the Observer Bugs prioritized stealth and privacy, making them nearly undetectable.


    To prevent foreign visitors from mistakenly believing the Swarm¡¯s monitoring wasx, which might tempt them into rash actions, Luo Wen specially developed numerous Observer Bugs without optical camouge, electromaic shielding, or sound-dampening systems. These visible bugs served as a deterrent on the surface.


    Under thisprehensive system of overt and covert monitoring, the visiting Ji were exceedingly well-behaved and refrained from crossing any lines. Still, some intelligence inevitably leaked out.


    ¡°Has today¡¯s request to ess the Swarm¡¯s intr been approved yet?¡± A Ji official aboard their ship inquired.


    ¡°No,¡± the crew member replied sinctly.


    ¡°Ridiculous! This is the third application already. What¡¯s their excuse this time?¡± the official fumed.


    An intr of any civilization, from its inception to its growth, inevitably umtes a vast amount of internal information. This data is pieced together over time, forming a tightly interwoven continuity that is exceedingly difficult to falsify or manipte.


    Gaining ess to a civilization¡¯s intr could reveal a trove of information, such as its history, culture, customs, beliefs, poption numbers, density, and demographic structure. While the civilization itself might find these details trivial, other civilizations could use them to deduce vulnerabilities and exploit them strategically.


    For instance, after gaining ess to the Riken intr, the Ji learned not only the aforementioned information but also uncovered critical data such as the number, locations, and scales of colonies, active warship statistics, trooppositions, and their distribution. It even led to the discovery of valuable resources like Longevity Serum.


    This method of reconnaissance was one of the Ji¡¯s most effective tools for understanding emerging powers. However, when it came to the Swarm, they had hit a wall.


    ¡°They¡¯re giving the same excuse as before: the Swarm doesn¡¯t have an intr,¡± the crew member remarked with a hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°Who do they think they¡¯re fooling? A civilization at this level of development not having an intr? Impossible!¡± the Ji official roared in frustration.


    In truth, this misunderstanding wasn¡¯t Luo Wen¡¯s fault. The Swarm did have an intr, but its ess level was so restricted that only ¡°insiders¡± could connect to it.


    Luo Wen was open to weing these Ji into the fold as ¡°insiders,¡± but the conditions were far from ideal. After all, these individuals couldn¡¯t simply disappear for extended periods without raising suspicion.@@novelbin@@


    Fortunately, Luo Wen hadn¡¯te away empty-handed during this period. On the ecologicals, the Ji personnel didn¡¯t need bulky spacesuits¡ªjust a filtration mask sufficed. This meant their skin was often exposed, allowing the Swarm to collect gic samples.


    Moreover, the Neighboring Star System wasn¡¯t even the primary focus. The real treasure trovey with the Riken, where an influx of researchers had arrived, representing no fewer than fifty to sixty different species. Luo Wen had already devised a tiny bug specifically designed to collect samples like hair and skin kes from these individuals.


    While the Swarm Network was a key asset, the Swarm also had a public-facing intr. However, as previously mentioned, a civilization¡¯s intr carries enormous amounts of sensitive information. Since the Swarm hadn¡¯t undergone a traditional process of organic growth from inception to maturity, fabricating a seamless and w-free history for their public intr was an insurmountable challenge.


    Initially, Luo Wen¡¯s intent in creating this intr was to establish a simted Swarm society to handle situations like the current one. However, he soon realized the workload was astronomical and ultimately abandoned the project.


    The intr then became Luo Wen¡¯s personal storage for game saves¡ªafter all, the Swarm Network didn¡¯t support gaming. Thus, calling it an ¡°intr¡± was a stretch; it was more like a massive gaming website.


    Naturally, such a system couldn¡¯t be opened to the Ji. The potential embarrassment alone made the ideaughable. Luo Wen decided it was better to im the Swarm didn¡¯t have one at all¡ªproblem solved.

 Chapter 422: Seeking a Breach

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t found a way to forcibly ess their intr?¡± The Ji official was clearly unwilling to give up.


    Since the New Ji Race inherited the Ji name, hundreds of thousands of years had passed. During that time, they had encountered civilizations simr to the Swarm¡ªunwilling to let the Ji or any other foreign power ess their intrs.


    However, weakness was the original sin. Fragile, fledgling civilizations stood no chance against the Ji¡¯s overwhelming technological superiority. What those civilizations believed to be foolproof intr defenses often proved utterly meaningless in the face of the Ji¡¯s capabilities.


    But the Swarm was fundamentally different from any stubborn civilizations they had faced before.


    ¡°Not yet, sir. I¡¯m sorry,¡± admitted a Ji crew member, bowing his head in shame. He often boasted about his exceptional hacking skills, but the current situation made him look like a clown.


    ¡°Useless!¡± The official cursed and flung a cup at the wall in frustration.


    He had been tasked with achieving results, but with more than half the project alreadypleted, his team had made no progress whatsoever.


    ¡°Sir, perhaps the Swarm is telling the truth. Maybe they really don¡¯t have an intr,¡± a technician suddenly interjected.


    ¡°What? Are you an idiot now too? No intr¡ªdo theymunicate telepathically?¡± The Ji official was fuming.He couldn¡¯t believe someone under hismand would suggest such a naive idea. Any civilization that advanced beyond a certain level and umted sufficient knowledge would inevitably require an efficient means of information transmission.


    Relying solely on memory was impossible. For instance, just the theoretical framework for a warp drive would take eons to record even with rapid transcription devices.


    ¡°But they don¡¯t even havemunication satellites. Our instruments haven¡¯t detected anywork signals. At this point, we don¡¯t even know where the entrance is, let alone how to breach it,¡± the technician argued, convinced that the issuey with the Swarm and not their own methods.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°The Swarm follows a biological pathway. Who says they needmunication satellites to transmit information? Those giant creatures floating in the sky could easily serve as biologicalmunication rys. Stop making excuses for your ipetence! Right now, immediately, think of a solution! I don¡¯t want to hear any more about what can¡¯t be done¡ªI want results! Otherwise, none of you will have a good time!¡±


    The official was on the verge of losing his temper. His technicians seemed to havepletely lost their edge,ing up with ridiculous excuses. The Swarm conducted long-distance transmissions regrly¡ªdata that the Ji had managed to intercept on asion. While their unique primary-color encryption rendered the content undecipherable, it at least confirmed that the Swarm possessed an information transmission system.


    The problem wasn¡¯t that the Swarmcked awork. The problem was that the Ji had yet to find the door. Once they did, the Ji¡¯s technological prowess would make breaking into the Swarm¡¯s intr a matter of minutes. There was no way the intr¡¯s entire contents could be encrypted.


    Unfortunately, despite deliberately slowing down their construction progress to buy time, the Ji made no breakthroughs. By the time the project waspleted, their technical team was left questioning their own abilities, utterly demoralized.


    During this time, the Ji weren¡¯t entirely passive. They attempted to physically infiltrate Swarm habitats to gather intelligence. However, they quickly discovered that challenges were everywhere.


    Although they knew the must conceal numerous Swarm hives, Ji ships couldn¡¯t conductrge-scale scans, and the Swarm¡¯s underground tunnels were shielded by maic fields, rendering small scanning devices ineffective.


    As a result, the Ji didn¡¯t even know where the Swarm¡¯s hives were, let alone how to infiltrate them. Even if they had precise locations, figuring out how to avoid the omnipresent Observer Bugs in the sky posed another significant challenge. These creatures¡ªwhose exact nature, whether living or something else, the Ji couldn¡¯tprehend¡ªleft them stumped.


    In an effort to study the Observer Bugs, the Ji orchestrated an ¡°ident,¡± sessfully capturing a small Observer Bug and cing it in a specially designed container to prevent it from raising an rm. However, when they tried to dissect it, they encountered the same awkward situation that the Riken had faced before. The moment a probe pierced the bug¡¯s body, its gic material copsed, reducing it to a pool of viscous liquid.


    Undeterred, the Ji conducted several more attempts until they received a stern warning from the Swarm, which forced them to stop.


    Frustrated and resentful, the Ji construction team eventually left, heading to the Sandstorm System to rendezvous with their colleagues and stay there for a while. Unfortunately, their counterparts in the Sandstorm System had made simrly little progress. The Sandstorm System was even more primitive than the Neighboring Star System.


    In the days that followed, everything seemed calm. Luo Wen waited for the next move from the mastermind behind the scenes, but no follow-up actions materialized. It was as if the Swarm had been entirely forgotten.


    Yearster, the Swarm¡¯s Trade City waspleted and inspected, prompting the Ji vessels to leave Swarm territory and return to the Riken System. Unlike the cold treatment they had received from the Swarm, the Riken System had been transformed into a bustling research hub.


    It was said that considerable progress had been made in recent years, and several finished products had been developed¡ªthanks in no small part to Luo Wen¡¯s covert assistance. With increasing mastery over himself and the Swarm Network, Luo Wen manipted node units with precision.


    Remote-controlled gic mutations during experiments became second nature to him. His interventions were seamless, leaving no trace behind.


    Time marched on, and nearly a century passed in rtive tranquility. During this time, Luo Wen observed nothing suspicious within Swarm territory that could be considered a follow-up action from the mastermind. This eerie quiet made him question the validity of his previous assumptions.


    However, Luo Wen quickly dismissed such doubts. While his biological age was vast, his mental age was still rtively ¡°young.¡± Over the years, he had gathered substantial information from various sources, including the Ji and other civilizations.


    In civilizations with histories spanning hundreds of thousands of years, records often documented ns and schemes that took centuries or even millennia to unfold. Some ns even spanned tens of thousands of years, crossing multiple generations.


    Byparison, the mere hundred years of silence around the Swarm hardly seemed unusual. Yet the uncertainty of being a piece on the chessboard without knowing the next move weighed on Luo Wen.


    Meanwhile, the Riken System¡¯s newfound prosperity, bolstered by the Ji¡¯s presence and experimental output, attracted even more outsiders. Although the finished products were technically Ji creations and had little direct connection to the Riken, many production processes heavily involved the Riken people.


    These products became items of trade within the Trade City, generating tax revenue. The city had expanded multiple times, and the massive influx of personnel fueled the Riken economy and elerated their progress. On this foundation, the Riken grew stronger.


    As strength grew, so too did ambition. Backed by the Ji and theirboratories, as well as extensive foreign interaction, the Riken were emboldened. If a war were to break out in the Riken System, it would implicate not just a few factions but an intricate web of interests.


    Feeling untouchable, the Riken now sought to achieve more. Their first demand wasplete control over the Riken System.

 Chapter 423: Schemes

    If there was any development over the years that could be attributed to the behind-the-scenes maniptor, it was likely the chaos surrounding the Riken.


    Although the Swarm had released all the Daqi prisoners, it appeared to gain no gratitude in return. As the only failed invitation case in the history of the Interster Technological Confederation, Daqi had be aughingstock after the story spread, permanently etched into the annals of history.


    The returned prisoners seemed to amplify this humiliation, adding a ¡°debuff¡± to the Daqi civilization and making their shame even more ring. Perhaps because of this, the Swarm¡¯s rtionship with the Koya Alliance¡ªdespite no direct conflict¡ªremained strained.


    When the Daqi failed to recruit the Riken into their alliance, they didn¡¯t give up and had been engaged in constant minor schemes over the years.


    While the Riken were the original inhabitants of the Riken System, they did not possess ownership over the entire system. Their territory included only Riken, Riven, Riwu, and Cloud Return, along with their respective moons. The rest of the vast system was controlled by the Swarm.


    This left the Riken with rtively scarce resources. Although the Swarm allowed them to mine asteroids on the system¡¯s periphery, they were required to transport the materials back to their own territory.


    However, the Rikencked the capacity to towrge asteroids, and moving smaller ones required crossing Swarm-controlled regions. This process was subject toyers of approval and regtion, creating a system that was not only highly restrictive but also deeply inconvenient.


    Any goodwill stemming from the Swarm¡¯s mercy in the past had long since eroded with time. Adding to the tension, certain unidentified forces in the media stirred public opinion, framing the Swarm as antagonistic toward the Riken.


    This strained rtionship was in stark contrast to the close bond that had developed between the Riken and the Koya Alliance¡ªa faction that had previously extorted the Riken but was now their ally.Under the guise of trade, the Koya Alliance provided the Riken with significant amounts of basic raw materials and technological assistance, enabling the Riken to build a fleet of over 10,000 ships.


    The two sides cooperated in other areas as well. Many Riken industries opened to the Koya Alliance, and some media outlets that incited discord between the Riken and the Swarm were indirectly supported by Koya.


    At this point, the Riken were outwardly neutral but had effectively be de facto allies of the Koya Alliance.


    Now, emboldened by Koya¡¯s encouragement and support, the Riken aimed to take control of the entire Riken System.


    Even so, their ambitions wereughable. While their fleet of 10,000 ships was several timesrger than what they had fielded in their past confrontation with the Swarm, it was still utterly insufficient. At this stage, any attempt to challenge the Swarm would be nothing short of a fool¡¯s dream.


    The Daqi¡¯s fleet of 50,000 ships had been obliterated with just one volley from the Swarm before they fled in disgrace. The Riken¡¯s 10,000 ships wouldn¡¯t even make a ripple in the face of such power.


    The only way they might stand a chance was if the Koya Alliance intervened with full force, sending their entire military. But that was unlikely. The Riken were hardly indispensable to the Koya, and risking an all-out war with the Swarm over a rtively insignificant ally was not something the Koya Alliance would entertain.


    The Koya Alliance, with its numerous members, long history, and vast poption, had a much deeper understanding of the Interster Technological Confederation¡¯s rules and far more experience navigating its systems.@@novelbin@@


    With the Koya Alliance advising them, the Riken chose not to confront the Swarm in direct, head-on conflict. Instead, they pursued a more insidious strategy, appealing to sympathy and seeking external support through the maniption of public opinion.


    Their entry point into this strategy was highly calcted.


    Before the Swarm and Riken joined the Confederation, all fledgling civilizations were protected by Ji-established rules. These regtions prohibited outside interference until a civilization reached a certain stage of development.


    Even when such civilizations wereter invited to join the Confederation, their losses were generally limited to small poptions, knowledge, or cultural artifacts. Territorial losses were umon because uninhabited star systems in the Outer-ring were not particrly valuable.


    In fact, it became customary for fledgling civilizations to retain ownership of their home star systems, with the Ji eventually codifying this into official regtions. This approach not only fostered goodwill among younger civilizations, shifting resentment toward their invitees, but also ensured that these civilizations remained robust enough to serve as worthypetitors for the older factions. It was a win-win for the Ji.


    Before the emergence of the Swarm and the Riken, no faction had ever weaponized this rule.


    However, the Ji and other factions never anticipated the rise of a force like the Swarm. It seemed toe out of nowhere, conquering a star system and reaching the heart of its opponents in just over a century.


    The Ji had been caught t-footed, still in deliberations about the situation. By the time they were ready to act, the Swarm had already established dominance, leaving the current status quo in ce.


    Interestingly, the Riken¡ªa civilization without full sovereignty over their home star system¡ªdidn¡¯t seem to align with the Confederation¡¯s regtions.


    Yet the Swarm¡¯s upation of Riken territory urred before either faction joined the Confederation, meaning it didn¡¯t vite any existing rules. This was an unforeseen loophole in the regtions. Given the Ji¡¯s obsession with precision and order, such ws in their rules were intolerable and would undoubtedly be rectified.


    The Koya Alliance and the Riken seized on this opportunity. Their goal was to manipte public sentiment and pressure the Ji into amending the rules in a way favorable to the Riken.


    If sessful, the Swarm would be faced with two unptable choices. Should they refuse toply, they would risk alienating not just the Koya Alliance but also the Ji themselves. Regardless of the Ji¡¯s preferential treatment toward the Swarm, they would feelpelled to enforce the rules for the sake of their reputation and centuries-long authority. This could force the Ji into direct conflict with the Swarm, allowing the Koya Alliance to eliminate the Swarm without lifting a finger.


    On the other hand, if the Swarmplied, their image would take a severe hit. This would enable the Riken to establish independence and align with the Koya Alliance. At the same time, it would iste the Swarm within the Confederation, limiting their opportunities for growth and development. Either way, as long as the n proceeded smoothly, the Koya Alliance would benefit immensely.


    However, the Koya Alliancecked the influence to generate such widespread attention on their own. Even if they had the means, they wouldn¡¯t risk openly antagonizing a powerful force like the Swarm. Publicly stepping into the fray wasn¡¯t their intention. Their preferred tactics were more underhanded: sowing discontent, fanning the mes from the shadows, and letting others take the heat.


    The Riken began flooding the Confederation¡¯s internal newsworks with distorted narratives, recasting themselves as weak, helpless victims while subtly painting the Swarm as oppressive aggressors. They rewrote history, portraying the Swarm¡¯s actions as unjust vitions, hoping to elicit sympathy from other factions.


    Thanks to the quantummunication system, these stories spread instantaneously across the Confederation. Some civilizations dismissed them with a scoff, but others viewed them with keen interest.

 Chapter 424: Doubts

    Luo Wen¡¯s curiosity had always been intense, a trait that had often gotten him into trouble in the past. With the Ji¡¯s instation of quantummunication systems, keeping up with the gossip and news from various civilizations had be one of his favorite pastimes.


    Naturally, he had noticed the Riken¡¯s recent public statements.


    However, Luo Wen didn¡¯t take them seriously. To be honest, without his approval, the Koya Alliance¡¯s n wouldn¡¯t have gotten off the ground in the first ce.


    Thanks to years of development and the Riken¡¯s universal vination program, at least 200 million Riken individuals were now disguised intelligent entities under Luo Wen¡¯s control, upying 80% of the Riken¡¯s military, political, andmercial leadership. They secretly controlled every facet of the Riken¡¯s society.


    And that wasn¡¯t all. At least 50% of the Riken poption had undergone physical modifications, allowing Luo Wen to forcibly extract their spiritual entities from their bodies at any time. In essence, the rise or fall of the Riken rested entirely in Luo Wen¡¯s hands.


    With such capabilities, Luo Wen considered the theoretical possibility of dominating the entire Confederation by spreading Longevity Serum universally. However, his calctions showed that even under optimal conditions, this process would take at least 10,000 years toplete¡ªassuming there was no resistance from any civilizations.


    By that time, the Swarm might already possess the sheer military power to overwhelm the Confederation directly. Surely, the mastermind wouldn¡¯t allow the Swarm that much time to grow.


    When the Koya Alliance first approached the Riken, Luo Wen had known about it. Initially, he dismissed it as a minor attempt to sow discord and decided to let events unfold, curious to see what tricks they would y.


    But as the Koya Alliance¡¯s ns became increasingly borate, Luo Wen sensed something was amiss. Could this be the long-awaited next step in the hidden maniptor¡¯s strategy?The more information Luo Wen uncovered, the more convinced he became that his suspicions were correct. He had begun to discern his opponent¡¯s methodology and had even pieced together a vague understanding of their ultimate goal.


    The Koya Alliance might have some insight into the truth, but it was far more likely that they, too, were merely pawns. Their so-called ¡°n¡± was almost certainly orchestrated and encouraged by the hidden maniptor.@@novelbin@@


    After all, there was no deep-seated enmity between the Koya Alliance and the Swarm. Conflicts between civilizations were far moreplex than personal grudges. Impulsive decisions could lead to disastrous consequences, but a civilization¡¯s ¡°brain¡± wasposed of countless individual minds. Even if some were prone to rashness, the collective wisdom of others would pull them back from the brink.


    And for a coalition like the Koya Alliance,posed of over twenty civilizations, the minor grievances between the Swarm and the Daqi were insignificant. They were more likely to spectate and mock from the sidelines than actively intervene in such a dispute.


    As for alliance agreements? Luo Wenughed at the thought. Through the Riken, he had reviewed these agreements himself. They weren¡¯t even proper defense pacts¡ªbarely more than mutual aid agreements for convenience.


    If the Swarm had attacked the Koya Alliance outright, perhaps they would have united to resist. But in this case, it was the Daqi who had initiated the conflict and bungled it so badly that they became aughingstock, losing tens of thousands of crew members in the process.


    The notion that the Daqi¡¯s actions were motivated by a desire to avenge their prisoners wasughable even to the Daqi themselves.


    Luo Wen knew exactly what had happened to those prisoners after they were repatriated.


    The Daqi prisoners, held captive by the Swarm for over sixty years, did not return to a hero¡¯s wee. Fearful of resentment and rebellion, the Daqi government relocated them to a small colony world under the pretense of assigning them to ¡°guard duty.¡± In reality, they were kept under semi-detention.


    As a result, the tens of thousands of intelligent entities embedded among them failed to gather any useful information. For Luo Wen, it was a disappointing investment. However, over the course of a century, a portion of these intelligent entities had been allowed to ¡°die¡± through reasonable means, returning to the Swarm Network, where they finally served some purpose.


    The Daqi¡¯s aggressive actions, therefore, could only be exined as an attempt to save face. However, the humiliation they endured had already been etched into history, and unless the Daqi managed to reim their pride through direct military victory, their honor would remain irretrievable.


    Yet, curiously, the Daqi seemed to suddenly rally together with unwavering resolve to destroy the Swarm. Luo Wen found it impossible to believe this was happening without an invisible hand guiding events from the shadows.


    In the Interster Technological Confederation, some civilizations in the Middle Circle and even the Inner Circle had growncent. Their territories were entirely bordered by other member states, leaving them with little incentive to explore unimed star systems in the distant Outer Ring. The pioneering spirit of their ancestors had long since faded, reced by an attitude offortable stagnation.


    These civilizations, immersed in their spiritual pursuits, often developed peculiar hobbies. Among them, certain factions took great pleasure in sympathizing with the weak. Under the guise of altruism, they intervened to ¡°help¡± those they deemed vulnerable, achieving a sense of moral fulfillment in the process.


    These factions were typically well-resourced¡ªfar better off than many Outer Ring civilizations. With their long histories, they had established extensive social circles and influence within the Confederation.


    Moreover, their actions, while entric, rarely crossed the line, and their neighbors were content to let them indulge rather than risk turning them intopetitors. For many, having a passive, non-expansionist neighbor was a dreame true.


    In this permissive environment, these factions had gradually be more domineering and capricious in their behavior.


    The Koya Alliance, aware of this dynamic, decided to target these civilizations. The Riken¡¯s plight, carefully orchestrated, became a trending topic in the Confederation¡¯s internal newswork. Predictably, the unprecedented story captured the attention of these idle factions.


    Previously, such groups had limited themselves to helping endangered subspecies or saving near-extinct animal poptions. A case involving an entire civilization in need of salvation was unheard of. The mere thought of such a grand cause was enough to give them an almost euphoric sense of purpose.


    As for the supposed oppressor¡ªthe Swarm¡ªhow powerful could they be? Thecent factions, uninterested in relevant details, dismissed the Swarm as mere Outer Ring primitives.


    The situation quickly grew bizarre. More and more old, established powers began stepping in, brandishing the banner of altruism. They called on the Ji to revise the rules, demanding better protections for weaker civilizations to ensure their healthy development.


    At this point, Luo Wen¡¯s earlier suspicions became absolute certainty. If he had been 80% sure of his hypothesis before, he was now 100% convinced. After all, the Swarm was beingbeled an Outer Ring upstart¡ªso what was the Koya Alliance inparison? They certainly didn¡¯t have the capacity to orchestrate a media storm of this magnitude.


    Clearly, the mastermind behind these events was immensely powerful, with influence not only among the Ji but also within other factions across the Confederation. But what were they after? With such strength, why the need for secrecy? The only usible answer was that their ultimate target was the Ji themselves.


    But what role did the Swarm y in this grander scheme?


    Luo Wen had a fairly good idea of their immediate objectives based on their recent actions. However, linking these objectives to their ultimate goal left him feeling as though something didn¡¯t quite add up.

 Chapter 425: The Visit

    With too many missing pieces of information, Luo Wen was unable to connect the dots, though he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was amiss. After several days of trying to piece together his thoughts and finding no answers, he decided to set the matter aside temporarily, awaiting more information before drawing further conclusions.


    As for the Koya Alliance¡¯s ns, Luo Wen decided to cooperate. His reasons were severalfold.


    First, although Luo Wen controlled the Riken, neither the Riken themselves nor the Koya Alliance nor the Ji were aware of this. By all appearances, the Riken had no reason or justification to reject the Koya Alliance¡¯s overtures. A sudden refusal without cause would be highly suspicious and draw unwanted attention.


    Second, the Swarm was unable to directly retaliate. Now that the Riken were members of the Interster Technological Confederation, they were protected by its rules. The Swarm could not simply wipe them out. Furthermore, the Riken were home to numerous Jiboratories and foreign teams. Any attack on the Riken would invite chaos and conflict, something Luo Wen was keen to avoid.


    Third, the Riken were an essential production base for the Swarm, contributing to Luo Wen¡¯s growth. Destroying them would be counterproductive. Luo Wen had no interest in sabotaging his own ns for strength.


    Finally, if the current scheme was merely ¡°n A,¡± it was highly likely the hidden maniptor had additional contingency ns¡ª¡±n B¡± or even ¡°n C.¡± Allowing n A to run its course, even if already exposed, gave Luo Wen the opportunity to better understand his opponent and maintain some measure of control.


    Moreover, the Riken themselves, under Luo Wen¡¯s control, were still heavily involved, providing an additionalyer of oversight.


    Thus, as the Swarm remained silent, the Confederation¡¯s public rtions onught continued unabated. The Swarm and the Riken, two fringe civilizations, entered the spotlight. Even civilizations on the far side of the Confederation, tens of thousands of light-years away, began taking notice.


    The stories surrounding the Swarm and the Riken had now been spun into numerous variations. While the specifics varied, they all shared the same core narrative, the Swarm was a tyrant, and the Riken were a weak, oppressed civilization enduring hardship, humiliation, and despair while courageously seeking protection. The tales were sopelling that even Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help but admire their creativity.Yet aside from the self-proimed ¡°altruists,¡± few took the stories at face value. Civilizations with think tanks understood that no trending topic reached such heights by ident. For two minor Outer Ring factions to attract this level of attention, there had to be a hidden agenda.


    Most observers cared little about the Swarm or the Riken themselves; they were far more interested in the mastermind behind the scenes and their ultimate goal.


    As the narrative gained traction and the maniptor¡¯s influence spread, the Ji finally turned their attention to the issue. The Council of Elders convened to address the loophole in the rules, initiating deliberations on how to resolve the matter.


    At this pivotal moment, Elder Humes, who had spent nearly a century in the Riken System, made an unexpected visit to the Swarm, requesting an audience.


    ¡°Your Majesty, it has been many years, and yet your radiance remains undiminished,¡± Elder Humes greeted, his piercing gaze filled with curiosity.


    Though he had spent over 80% of the past century in cryosleep, the passage of time had still left its marks upon him. Yet the Swarm¡¯s Empress standing before him appearedpletely unchanged from theirst meeting.


    The highest leaders of civilizations were typically among the first to sumb to the ravages of time. Their responsibilities, filled with endlessplexities, rarely allowed them the luxury of extended rest. But this phenomenon seemed utterly absent in the Swarm Empress.


    The Confederation was home to a species known as the Potling. They retained their youthful appearance for 99% of their lives, only aging rapidly when nearing death. Time seemed to hold no sway over them. The Swarm Empress¡¯s appearance reminded Elder Humes of this peculiar trait, stirring his curiosity even further.


    If the Swarm wasn¡¯t blessed with innate longevity like the Potling, then their lifespans must far exceed ordinary expectations.


    The Swarm remained shrouded in mystery. Their members seldom interacted with outsiders or revealed themselves publicly. Their origins, culture, history, societal structure, and even their lifespans were all enigmas.


    Some factions had attempted unconventional methods to pry into these secrets. For instance, twenty years ago, a ship carrying Swarm and Riken researchers stopped at a Ji outpost during its journey.


    Half of the personnel disembarked there, while the ship continued toward the Ji homeworld. Over the next two decades, nearly 500 Swarm researchers at the outpost mysteriously disappeared.


    Considering there were only 1,500 Swarm researchers on the ship to begin with, the loss of over 30% of them was staggering. Disappearing under such circumstances, while on Ji-controlled territory, bordered on absurdity.@@novelbin@@


    Officially, these Swarm researchers had been ¡°sold¡± to the Ji. Furthermore, the Ji ship¡¯s journey spanned 80 years and at least 500 light-years. Without quantummunication equipment, contacting their homnd was impossible.


    The missing Swarm researchers, outnumbered and voiceless, could only endure their fate. However, Luo Wen knew exactly what had happened to them. As node units of the Swarm, their every experience was essible to him.


    Attempts by these factions to extract intelligence from the Swarm researchers through special means were futile. The Swarm¡¯s sophisticated safeguards ensured that no useful information could be gleaned.


    Elder Humes was aware of some of these incidents. As the only Ji elder directly engaged with the Swarm, he asionally received ssified information about such events.


    From the Ji¡¯s perspective, the Swarm¡¯s gic achievements were unprecedented. Their unbreakable encryption technology was proof enough that the Swarm might have surpassed the Ji in this field.


    The Scherian race, to which Humes belonged, had an average lifespan of just over 400 years¡ªless than 500 even with frequent cryosleep and ess to Longevity Serum. For someone like Humes, this was far from satisfactory. He wanted more.


    The Swarm, Humes believed, might hold the key to solving the problem of lifespan. The Swarm Empress standing before him was evidence of that potential.


    But the Swarm was a tough nut to crack. Humes knew he needed patience to achieve his goals, and the current situation might provide the perfect opportunity.


    ¡°Elder Humes, what brings you here this time?¡± Sarah raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction with the recent spate of nderous public opinion targeting the Swarm.


    Humes merely chuckled, unaffected. Such petty tactics had no impact on someone as seasoned as he was. Did they expect him to feel guilt over such trivialities?


    Since Sarah had dispensed with pleasantries, Humes saw no need for further niceties either. He got straight to the point: ¡°Your Majesty, regarding the historical disputes between your civilization and the Riken, our Council of Elders has already begun deliberations. As you surely understand, the current situation is less than ideal for your people.¡±

 Chapter 431: Escape

    The sess of his experiment filled Luo Wen with excitement. He continued to practice relentlessly, increasing the teleportation range from ten meters to a hundred, and eventually a thousand meters.


    The objects he teleported also grewrger, starting from small beetles, progressing torge beetles, worker drones, and ultimately even teleporting Sarah Kerrigan¡¯s insect body.


    However, Luo Wen discovered a limitation: he could only teleport node units. The inherent nature of node units made them bridges capable of connecting reality and the virtual.


    Fortunately, this restriction didn¡¯t trouble him much.


    As his proficiency grew, so too did his ability¡ªor rather, he approached the upper limit of his current capabilities. The ceiling itself was fixed, but through practice, Luo Wen got ever closer to it.


    That ceiling, however, still constrained him. This limitation was also something that could be ovee. As Luo Wen continued to evolve, so too would his upper limit increase.


    The path he had taken seemed to diverge from his original intent. The ¡°wormholes¡± he now used bore little resemnce to the wormholes he had studied earlier. Yet, this new method was uniquely suited to him and the Swarm, a wormhole concept entirely their own.


    Tomemorate this breakthrough, Luo Wen named his new skill Fold Crossing.


    Despite this achievement, Luo Wen¡¯s current abilities still fell short of his goal to send the ¡°seed¡± beyond the New Ji Race¡¯s territory. Achieving that was akin to chasing an impossible dream; he needed to further refine and enhance this skill.Through continuous experimentation, he discovered that he could temporarily amplify his abilities by drawing energy through the node units. It was akin to taking a low-level character at level 10 and injecting it with enough power to temporarily experience the capabilities of a level 20 ount. Although the enhancement was short-lived, the abilities during this period were undiminished.


    Because of this discovery, the previously abandoned Megastructure Self-Destruction n was revisited.


    On that day, the energy generated by a 2,000-kilometer-long Megastructure,bined with the power it siphoned from a star, allowed Luo Wen to experience the capabilities of a level 60 ¡°high-level ount¡± for a fleeting moment.


    However, the massive power gap and the brief usage period, despite Luo Wen¡¯s prior preparation, still caught him off guard. A small mishap urred, causing the n to fail.


    Fortunately, he had another chance.


    Over the course of several hours, Luo Wen reyed the sensation of the enhanced power in his mind, analyzing and internalizing every detail. Only when he felt fully prepared did his consciousness return to the present.


    The second Megastructure had already reached its designated position and was siphoning energy from the star. Luo Wen waited patiently, with Sarah silently standing guard behind him.


    Suddenly, Luo Wen closed his eyes. At the same time, the Megastructure in the distant Riken Star System exploded, unleashing a brief yet dazzling burst of light.


    At the center of the explosion, a flesh pod was ejected.


    Drawing on his earlier experience, Luo Wen executed his operation with unparalleled precision this time. The flesh pod didn¡¯t need to search for the ck spot; instead, the ck spot ¡°actively¡± appeared along the pod¡¯s trajectory.


    The ck spot flickered briefly and disappeared, taking the flesh pod with it.


    Luo Wen didn¡¯t immediately open his eyes. Instead, his expression grew even more solemn.


    Currently, every illuminated point within the Swarm Network resided within the territory of the Interster Technological Confederation, firmly under the influence of the New Ji Race. Transporting the seed to these areas would be meaningless. What Luo Wen truly needed was a new gxy, a region beyond the New Ji Race¡¯s reach.


    When the ¡°wormhole¡± was opened earlier, a massive influx of energy entered at the same time as the flesh pod.


    As previously mentioned, higher dimensionsck the concept of distance. Luo Wen, existing partially outside dimensions, randomly sought a location within this universe. By guiding the energy through the Swarm Network as a bridge, he attempted to pierce the dimensional wall at that point.@@novelbin@@


    However, this subsequent step was untested. Luo Wen encountered a new challenge.


    Perhaps there was insufficient energy intake, or perhaps too much energy was consumed in constructing the bridge, or maybe the dimensional wall was simply too sturdy. Whatever the reason, Luo Wen found himself unable to breach the wall and release the seed.


    The situation was dire. If the energy depleted entirely, the seed suspended between ¡°reality¡± and ¡°virtual¡± would inevitably be annihted. With both opportunities exhausted, attempting something simr again within a reasonable time frame would be virtually impossible.


    Fortunately, at this critical moment, Luo Wen suddenly sensed a weaker region within the dimensional wall. He mustered all his strength to punch through it.


    Within the energy-charged passage flickering with lightning, the ck spot reappeared briefly, ejecting the flesh pod.


    The foreign intrusion caused the already vtile energy to surge even more violently, threatening to obliterate the intruder.


    It turned out this was another wormhole.


    As the spatial field¡¯s energy surged to devour the flesh pod, something unexpected urred. After enduring the chaotic storm of energy, the flesh pod emergedpletely unharmed.


    While Luo Wen¡¯s Fold Crossing bore a surface resemnce to wormholes in terms of effect, its formation and operational principles were fundamentally different¡ªat least for short-distance crossings.


    Being different, Fold Crossing required no ¡°negative energy¡± as a stabilizing medium. However, for long-distance Fold Crossings, Luo Wen was uncertain whether the same principles would hold.


    Being cautious by nature, he had added a special storagepartment to the flesh pod to hold a small amount of negative energy as a safeguard.


    Negative energy wasn¡¯t particrly rare in the universe, but even for the technologically advanced New Ji Race, collecting it was extremely difficult. For the less-advanced Swarm, it was even more so. Fortunately, the Swarm only needed enough for a single flesh pod, a manageable requirement.


    Although the addition of a storagepartment slightly increased the flesh pod¡¯s size, it was like purchasing an insurance policy¡ªbetter safe than sorry.


    Aside from the exponentially greater energy demands, long-distance Fold Crossing worked fundamentally the same as its short-distance counterpart. It effectively manifested part of Luo Wen¡¯s essence, allowing him to pierce through dimensional barriers and traverse them. Thus, negative energy wasn¡¯t strictly necessary.


    However, the unexpected happened. Due to insufficient energy, the flesh pod exited directly into an actual wormhole. If not for Luo Wen¡¯s caution in including a failsafe, this attempt would have ended in failure.


    Inside the wormhole, time held no meaning. In the blink of an eye, the flesh pod was expelled.


    Returning to ¡°reality,¡± the flesh pod unraveled, revealing a small, golden beetle inside¡ªa rare Anchor Unit. This unit allowed Luo Wen to pinpoint its location.


    Yet withoutparative reference data, Luo Wen had no way of knowing where it hadnded or how far it was from the current Swarm territory. However, given the extent of Luo Wen¡¯s level-60 enhancement, it was certain to be well beyond the original gxy.


    The specifics of its location would require a Swarm base to develop in the area and map the star charts for confirmation.


    Still, the Swarm now had a genuine escape route. With this backdoor secured, Luo Wen could face the crises ahead with far greaterposure.


    Luo Wen finally opened his eyes, a smile spreading across his face. Sarah, who had moved closer, saw the expression on her revered Overlord¡¯s face and understood that the n had seeded. She, too, broke into a smile.


    However, Luo Wen paid no attention to Sarah. Instead, he rubbed the corners of his eyes and closed them again. The situation on the other side remained unknown, and he needed to monitor it closely.

 Chapter 433: The Search

    ¡°Hurry up!¡±


    Under themander¡¯s constant urging, the two mecha warriors stepped in front of the missiles. Using specialized mps, they locked their mechas securely onto the missiles¡¯ bodies. The precise fit made it clear that this setup was no improvised n.


    ¡°Rooney, I still have a bad feeling about this. If I throw up in the cockpit, do I have to clean it up myself?¡± Despite themander¡¯s reprimands, Zeki couldn¡¯t stop chattering.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you will,¡± Rooney replied tly.


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll try to hold it in.¡±


    The preparation process proceeded briskly. Shortly after securing the mechas, the parameter recalibrations werepleted. As themander counted down, the missiles ignited, spewing thick clouds of smoke as they carried the mechas skyward.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope everything goes smoothly,¡± themander murmured, silently praying.


    ¡ª


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? The wormhole is opening again?¡±Themand room doors burst open, and a disheveled Botian rushed in, shouting.


    ¡°Yes, Dr. Benba,¡± an officer confirmed.


    ¡°This is impossible! The wormhole just opened two weeks ago!¡± eximed Dr. Benba, the first person to calcte the wormhole activation patterns. His algorithm had been wless, consistently giving the Botians a decisive edge¡ªuntil now.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s impossible, Doctor. The instruments have confirmed the activation signals,¡± themander replied, unfazed by Benba¡¯s agitation. He understood how the doctor felt; after all, no wormhole had ever reopened just two weeks after itsst activation.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening. My algorithm can¡¯t be wrong! There must be some mistake,¡± Benba muttered, clearly shaken.


    His calctions had saved the Botians countless resources and earned him widespread acim. If proven incorrect, those des might vanish overnight.


    Themander ignored Benba¡¯s muttering and fixed his gaze on the central monitor, which disyed a live feed from the departing mechas.


    The two mechas, assisted by the missiles, were now traveling at over 15 times the speed of sound. The immense pressure pushed the mechas to their structural limits, with small sparks flickering at some connection points. At this rate, they wouldn¡¯t even needbat¡ªthe mechas would disintegrate after 20 minutes of flight.


    Fortunately, the base was constructed on a coastline near the wormhole, and at their current speed, they would reach the designated location in just three minutes.


    In fact, there were reaction bases even closer to the wormhole, stationed on tforms over the sea. However, two weeks earlier, these bases had repelled a monster attack. Based on Dr. Benba¡¯s predictions that the next attack was more than a year away, only a skeleton crew had remained, while the rest were on leave.


    Themander nced at the visibly distraught Benba and sighed inwardly. If today¡¯s events went south, Benba would undoubtedly be made the scapegoat.


    ¡°$#%&#!¡± Zeki¡¯s voice continued over thems, but the turbulence and pressure made his words iprehensible even to himself.


    On the other side, Rooney listened to the static-filled channel and couldn¡¯t help but admire Zeki. The mecha¡¯s life-support and protection systems were never designed to handle such extreme conditions. By now, Rooney was drenched in sweat, every muscle tense, his teeth clenched tightly. Forget speaking¡ªhe couldn¡¯t even make a sound.


    Three minutes felt like an eternity for the two mecha pilots until finally¡­


    ¡°Commander, ten seconds to the designated drop zone!¡±


    ¡°Release bindings and activate auxiliary systems!¡±


    The mps securing the mechas to the missiles were remotely disengaged, and the missiles veered upward. After expending their fuel, the missiles would fall to a predetermined recovery location.


    The mechas, meanwhile, plunged toward the sea below. Despite losing the missiles¡¯ thrust, their inertia kept them hurtling at an incredible speed. At this velocity, hitting the water would be akin to smashing into a mountain, and even the mechas¡¯ sturdy defenses wouldn¡¯t be enough to prevent catastrophic damage.


    In the split second where their minds went nk from the intense g-forces, the pilots couldn¡¯t react. Thankfully, the auxiliary systems were remotely activated. Additional thrusters around the mechas ignited, stabilizing their descent and slowing their speed.


    ¡°You okay, brother? Did you throw up yet?¡± Zeki¡¯s voice suddenly crackled through thems. Rooney, still recovering, decided not to respond.


    ¡°Get yourselves together! Ten seconds to water impact!¡± themander¡¯s voice echoed through their headsets. Despite the extreme difort, the two pilots gathered their strength and regained control of their mechas.


    With two resounding sshes, the mechas plunged into the water, sending massive waves cascading outward. Their onboard lighting, sonar, and propulsion systems all activated instantly.


    ¡°Take it easy, brother. I don¡¯t want to be stuck finding a new partner,¡± Zeki continued to chatter.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Rooney barked, for the first time that day. Zeki immediately mmed up, understanding the gravity of the situation.


    Rooney rarely raised his voice, and when he did, it was a sign of imminent danger. Although Zeki was brash, he wasn¡¯t oblivious to the importance of the moment.


    ¡°Be cautious. The wormhole is just ahead. Let¡¯s move in closer,¡± Rooney directed.


    The base, relying only on the mechas¡¯ onboard observation systems, wouldn¡¯t be able to provide real-timebat directives. Once they enteredbat, the pilots had to make their own decisions, and in their duo, the mature andposed Rooney naturally took the lead.


    ¡°Understood!¡± Zeki focused, knowing the importance of teamwork. While his reflexes were sharp, he wasn¡¯t invincible, and he owed it to his partner to cooperate.


    ¡°Deploy warning sensors and watch your footing.¡±


    ¡°Roger that!¡±


    Panels on the backs of both mechas opened, ejecting several small reconnaissance drones. The drones shifted into underwater mode and darted outward, leaving rippling trails in their wake.


    Inside the mechas, additional disy feeds appeared, linking to the drones and giving the pilots a clearer view of their surroundings, allowing them to detect potential threats in advance.


    Minutes passed with no sign of anything unusual. This was highly irregr.


    While the reaction base staff might have been on leave, the automated warning systems certainly weren¡¯t. Otherwise, the main base wouldn¡¯t have received any alerts. In addition to therge amount of energy detectors, this area was also equipped with video capture devices, sonar, and other instruments.


    Given the open sea, it should have been nearly impossible for a monster to hide its movements after emerging from the wormhole.


    The intel Zeki and Rooney had received indicated that no monitoring equipment had detected the monster leaving the area.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Zeki, I need to map the terrain. Cover me.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡±

 Chapter 435: Reconnaissance

    Meanwhile, in the Riken Star System, the Swarm¡¯s two Megaliths had self-destructed and plunged into the star,pleting their annihtion without leaving a trace for onlookers to examine.


    However, the seemingly redundant and over-the-top maneuver by the Swarm didn¡¯t escape the notice of certain attentive observers. As they analyzed the data collected from the event, they were surprised to find anomalies¡ªsome energy signatures appeared to have simply vanished, as if they had been obliterated.


    The unusual data sparked debates among these interested parties. One faction argued that the Swarm must have done something and that an investigation was necessary to uncover the truth. The other faction dismissed the concern, suggesting that the proximity to the star likely caused data inuracies.


    Even if the Swarm had been up to something, they reasoned, it wasn¡¯t worth overreacting¡ªwhat could the Swarm possibly aplish with their level of technology?


    Luo Wen was unaware of these debates, much less their eventual oue. He was focused solely on executing his carefullyid ns.


    Due to the uncertainty surrounding the new gxy¡¯s political and military dynamics, the Swarm elerated its evacuation following the Megaliths¡¯ destruction.


    Over 60% of the Swarm¡¯s forces in the Riken Star System had already withdrawn, though their departure had been spread over more than a decade, carried out in small, stealthy batches under optical cloaking. As a result, most outside observers still had little idea of the Swarm¡¯s true numbers.


    At the Sr Orbital Base, which housed nearly 40% of the Swarm¡¯s remaining forces in the Riken Star System, things were different. Previously, these forces had clustered together in an unassuming, sunbathing formation, drawing little attention.


    But as they began their mass exodus, a seemingly endless procession of Primordial-ss units stretched across millions of kilometers. For many onlookers, it was the first time they trulyprehended the Swarm¡¯s sheer scale.¡°What a terrifying race,¡± someone muttered.


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve made a mistake,¡± said another, their voice tinged with regret.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have provoked them.¡±


    Simr sentiments echoed repeatedly, especially among members of the Koya Alliance. However, not all shared this unease.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to fear? Against superior technology, numbers are meaningless,¡± scoffed one alien, his tone dripping with disdain.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± a supporter chimed in.


    Of course, those voicing such dismissive opinions were primarily from species whose territories were far removed from Swarm-controlled space. Without ess to efficient interster travel, the Swarm¡¯s numbers posed little immediate threat to them.


    At the same time, others raised more substantive questions rather than indulging in idlementary.


    ¡°What kind of societal structure do they have? It seems like they can convert almost all their economic output into military potential.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. For such a militaristic race, how does their ruling ss even survive? Why don¡¯t their people rise up against them?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps their ruling ss is deceiving the masses.¡±


    ¡°It seems we should consider spreading more progressive ideologies to them.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Thus, the seeds of intrigue were sown. Yet, for these ns to bear fruit, they would first need to identify the Swarm¡¯s civilian poption¡ªa daunting challenge in and of itself.


    After withdrawing from the tumultuous Riken Star System, the Swarm fell into silence once more. Apart from limited operations in Trade City within the Sandstorm System, the rest of the Swarm¡¯s territories closed off entirely, entering a state akin to ¡°istionism.¡±


    Even when the Interster Technological Confederation¡¯s news outlets mocked the Swarm¡¯s ¡°concessionary retreat¡± with a fresh wave of sneers and ridicule, the Swarm remained unresponsive.


    A one-handed p makes no sound; the Swarm¡¯s stance of non-engagement left many subsequent plots and conspiracies feeling like futile punches against a cloud. Interest in the Swarm cooled over time, reced by the next shiny news cycle.


    Meanwhile, the true masterminds seemed to need more time to devise follow-up ns, resulting in a strange calm around Swarm-controlled territories.


    This rtive peace finally gave Luo Wen the opportunity to thoroughly explore the new gxy.


    Before the Recon Bugs could even emerge from the seabed¡¯s sediment, they detected something unusual¡ªdense vibrationsing from above. To create such tremors in the deep sea, it had to be some colossal entity. Judging by the frequency of the vibrations, there were many of them.


    This discovery made the Recon Bugs even more cautious. They slowed their movements, carefully inching upward. While inconspicuous, they could not afford even the slightest exposure. If discovered, their alien physiology and ipatible circtory systems would surely bring unnecessary danger to the Swarm.


    Near the seabed¡¯s surface, the Recon Bugs encountered native creatures hidden beneath the sand. Concerned about creating disturbances, the bugs avoided them and silently emerged above the seabed.


    With no natural light at these depths, the Recon Bugs¡¯ gic configurations had been carefully selected to include both optical observation systems and sonar capabilities. Underwater organisms often possessed simr organs, and with thousands of sonar variants in the Swarm¡¯s gic library, gathered from multiple life-sustainings, Luo Wen had no trouble selecting one suited to this environment.


    Unexpectedly, the optical systems were the first to provide useful data. Above the seabed, Luo Wen observed over a dozen mecha warriors, their bodies illuminated by numerous lights, apanied by submarines and an array of small underwater robots. These machines wandered the seafloor as though they were searching for something.


    The vibrations hade from the mecha warriors.


    Though the sight of these enormous steel constructs startled Luo Wen for a moment, his experience quickly tempered his reaction. Having witnessed countless technological marvels, he considered these mechas¡ªtens of meters tall¡ªrtively ordinary. Moreover, he had already suspected the presence of intelligent life in this region, so this revtion didn¡¯t surprise him much.@@novelbin@@


    What unsettled Luo Wen was a nagging feeling that something about the scene was off. He deliberated for a long while before finally identifying the source of his unease.


    The Swarm was no longer the primitive, mud-slinging race it once was. Through interactions with various alien species, the Swarm¡¯s database had umted numerous samples of alien technology.


    By analyzing the external structure, manufacturing techniques, movement fluidity, turning capabilities, and even the surface wear of these machines, the Swarm could infer a civilization¡¯s approximate technological level.


    The steel constructs before him didn¡¯t match the image of an advanced civilization capable of creating artificial wormholes.


    Still, Luo Wen didn¡¯t act rashly. Perhaps this civilization simply favored a retro aesthetic. He recalled films from Earth that depicted pivotal cosmic battles, deciding the fate of half the universe¡¯s poption through close-quartersbat and frontal charges.


    Perhaps this universe had simr preferences. After all, the Swarm¡¯sbat units¡ªwhethernd, sea, or air¡ªwere all equipped with formidable melee capabilities.


    If the Interster Technological Confederation dared to abandon their long-range weaponry and engage purely in closebat, the Swarm might already be strong enough to defeat the entire Confederation, including the New Ji Race.


    Of course, such a scenario was nothing more than a dream.

 Chapter 436: Expansion

    Luo Wen was well aware of what these creatures were searching for, but now was not the right time to make a ssh.


    Two dayster, several bugs over ten centimeters long emerged from the depths of the underground. Their sturdy carapaces and powerful ws made it evident that these werebat-type bugs.


    Thest time the Recon Bugs were sent to work, they had discovered some native creatures hidden in the silt. The designs of these bugs were modeled after one of these local species. However, these highly imitative bugs were merely superficial copies; their internal structures werepletely different. If dissected, their disguise would undoubtedly be exposed.


    Luo Wen, of course, would not allow such a w to exist.


    These imitative bugs had emerged this time to gather some native biological genes.


    Luo Wen did not add poison capabilities to these bugs, as every¡¯s ecosystem was unique. Except for highly corrosive toxins, most poisons were not universally effective. However, highly corrosive toxins would damage the gic sequences of the species, which did not meet Luo Wen¡¯s requirements. Therefore, in such cases, physical attacks were the most appropriate means ofbat.


    Soon, one of the bugs discovered a ¡°simr-looking¡± creature beneath the silt. Although their appearances were nearly identical, the native creature was slightlyrger in size, but actualbat power cannot be judged by appearance alone.


    The bug did not rashly engage in a one-on-one fight but insteady in ambush nearby. Soon, two more bugs arrived for reinforcement.


    They surrounded the native creature from three sides. The native creature quickly realized these ¡°simr-looking¡± creatures were not friendly and raised its ws in a threatening posture.In its understanding, such encounters typically involved a disy of size and ended without esction. However, these three ¡°simr-looking¡± creatures had no intention of following these unwritten rules. Two of the bugs exploited the raised ws¡¯ opening, swiftly stepping forward to each grab one of the native creature¡¯s ws.


    The native creature instantly found itself in an awkward situation, caught between the two attackers. The third bug took the opportunity to strike, raising its w and delivering a precise thrust that pierced the native creature¡¯s frontal carapace, ending it swiftly and cleanly.


    Afterward, two of the bugs dragged their spoils back to the underground base while the remaining bug continued its search.


    In just half a day, Luo Wen had obtained gic samples from several native creatures. Since they were deep underwater, most of these were seabed-dwelling organisms. However, the original imitations could now all be recycled, as a new batch of ¡°authentic¡± bugs was sent out.


    With their newfound ¡°native identity,¡± reconnaissance and hunting operations that had previously been too risky to undertake now became much bolder.


    Numerous carapaced organisms quietly spread out in all directions. Once gathered at a distance from the Swarm¡¯s hive tunnel, they set traps and collectively hunted a fish-like creature.


    With the gic foundation provided by these fish-like creatures, the efficiency of the Swarm¡¯s reconnaissance and hunting teams improved significantly, expanding their operational range considerably.


    This, in turn, further elerated Luo Wen¡¯s acquisition of gic material, enriching the Swarm¡¯s gic repository with an ever-growing diversity of marine life, giving Luo Wen more options to utilize.


    One particr sample caught Luo Wen¡¯s attention¡ªa small, aggressive species of fish. It resembled the Odd-Headed Fish found on the Genesis. Although small in size, it possessed incredibly fierce biting capabilities, moved at great speed, and traveled in swarms. It was highly suited for the Swarm¡¯s current needs.


    With the assistance of this fish-like sample, the Swarm¡¯s operational range expanded even further. These fish, initially prey forrger marine creatures, had now reversed the situation under the Swarm¡¯smand. The Swarm began harvesting the gic material ofrge marine organisms.


    Meanwhile, under the cover of the fish schools, the Swarm began constructing sub-hives. Eggs from the Brood Queens were carried by the fish to distant locations, allowing the Swarm¡¯s influence in the ocean to grow at an explosive rate.


    During the expansion, Luo Wen discovered numerous ships belonging to the¡¯s native intelligent species. In the waters near the wormhole, he even found a floating tform. Judging by the aircraft constantly taking off andnding there, the tform was clearly military in nature, likely designed to monitor the wormhole closely.


    However, based on the aircraft¡¯s design, they seemed to follow a retro aesthetic. Observing for several days, Luo Wen noted that their performance in terms of takeoff,nding, payload capacity, and speed all pointed to them being true relics of the past.


    A bold idea came to Luo Wen¡¯s mind, perhaps the technological level of the native intelligent species on this wasn¡¯t as advanced as he had initially assumed. However, more evidence was needed to confirm this hypothesis.


    One thing puzzled Luo Wen, as the Swarm¡¯s forces gradually increased, he had managed to locate nearly all of the monitoring instruments deployed by the natives in the surrounding waters. These instruments, like the aircraft, appeared outdated and underwhelming in performance. Yet, they were more than capable of monitoring the flesh pod¡¯s emergence from the wormhole.


    Given the tform¡¯s proximity to the wormhole, the natives¡¯ initial response had been unexpectedly slow. Luo Wen couldn¡¯t determine if this dy was intentional. Could everything he was seeing now be a deliberately staged illusion?


    Luo Wen¡¯s habit of overthinking resurfaced, as he pondered deeply but failed to grasp the crux of the matter. If the natives¡¯ technological level was low, then how could they have such a wormhole? A small, controbleary wormhole¡ªwas it truly a natural phenomenon? That idea stretched the limits of Luo Wen¡¯s understanding.


    Conversely, if the natives¡¯ technological level was high, why would they stage such a charade for him?


    Such a meticulous setup wasn¡¯t something that could be arranged in just a day or two. Luo Wen had no prior knowledge that the flesh pod wouldnd here, so how could the other party predict the future?


    He dismissed the notion¡ªit seemed even less usible than the wormhole being a natural urrence. Moreover, it didn¡¯t make sense. What significance could the Swarm hold to warrant such borate efforts from an advanced civilization?


    Unable to make sense of it, Luo Wen temporarily set these thoughts aside. He decided to proceed methodically at his own pace. At worst, he could continue to flee. With the ability to perform long-range Fold Crossing, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t concerned about gaining or losing territory. In a critical situation, he was even prepared to abandon the Genesis System territories entirely.


    Before such an abandonment, Luo Wen calcted that he could use the resources within his territory to perform hundreds of long-range random Fold Crossings. He didn¡¯t believe that each jump would lead to him encountering intelligent life.


    For now, Luo Wen had no intention of tampering with the natives¡¯ military facilities. However, on the surface of the sea, aside from military tforms and vessels, there were also numerousrge civilian deep-sea fishing ships that could easily be distinguished at a nce.


    Luo Wen decided to target those.


    After careful nning and preparation, a civilian vessel weighing 20,000 tons was selected as the target. The infiltration process turned out to be several times easier than expected. Using bugs created from temtes of native marine creatures adept at clinging and climbing, the Swarm infiltrated the ship by crawling along its hull and entering the cabins.@@novelbin@@


    Taking advantage of the native intelligent creatures¡¯ rest period, the bugs sessfully collected their gic samples.


    At the same time, the bugs scoured the ship thoroughly, gathering a wealth of intelligence for the Swarm.

 Chapter 440: Harvest

    Suspecting that observation devices from the wormhole¡¯s opposing force might be hidden near the Botian homeworld, the Swarm kept its expansion in outer space restrained.


    Although the gas giant was like a massive energy reservoir, perfect for the Space Octopuses to ¡°hibernate,¡± they were instead instructed to hide underground until safety could be confirmed.


    However, the Observer Bugs were released en masse. With experience gained from dealing with the Ji monitors, the Swarm had be highly adept at identifying surveince devices.


    Tens of thousands of Observer Bugs formed a densework around the Botian homeworld in space, with Gravitational-Wave Radar Technology operating at full capacity. Any object with mass would be detected.


    Surprisingly, Luo Wen found nothing out of the ordinary. Apart from a hundred or so artificial satellitesunched by the Botians and some space debris, the Observer Bugs detected no anomalies in the¡¯s orbit.


    Could the area of the search have been too small or toorge? Or perhaps, like the Swarm¡¯s Intelligent Entities, the opposing force¡¯s units had infiltrated the Botian society itself?


    In response to these spections, Luo Wen ordered the hatching of additional Observer Bugs, expanding the search radius. Thework gradually epassed the gas giant and its satellites, with some Observer Bugs venturing into other regions ands of the star system.


    Simultaneously, some Observer Bugs descended into the Botian atmosphere, tasked with inspecting the high-altitude and near-orbit regions for abnormalities.


    Meanwhile, the Swarm¡¯s Intelligent Entities embedded within Botian society scoured records, monitored people, and tracked current events, hoping to uncover useful clues.During these meticulous and systematic operations, the wormhole opened for the second time since the Swarm¡¯s arrival on the Botian homeworld. As before, it released a monster before quickly closing again.


    Once again, the monster was surrounded and neutralized after causing limited damage. The corpse was transported for burial, much like the previous case.


    This time, the Swarm had already located the burial site. It was in a vast and arid desert, to which the monsters were transported via various vehicles. The site was guarded by dozens ofrge researchbs and military camps, which were tasked with studying the monsters while overseeing this ¡°graveyard.¡±


    Due to the limitations of Intelligent Entity conversion, it was challenging for the Swarm to infiltrate a location with such stringent daily check-ins. However, a fortunate coincidence offered an opening; a reclusive, academically brilliant Botian who had been converted into an Intelligent Entity recently graduated and decided to continue their studies under a professor who was invited to work at one of these researchbs.


    Through this connection, the converted Intelligent Entity entered theb as an assistant and student, gaining ess to first-hand information. Unexpectedly, the Botians¡¯ research goals were simple¡ªthey aimed only to find a way to neutralize the toxins produced by the monsters.


    For the Botians, the periodic threat of monster invasions had already be manageable. Inparison, the buried monster corpses posed a greater hazard due to the risk of environmental contamination.


    While this information was of little value to the Swarm, the Swarm nheless achieved its goal. Beneath the burial site, the Swarm had dug tunnels, allowing its bugs to infiltrate the monsters¡¯ remains. These bugs extracted additional samples while thoroughly analyzing the monsters¡¯ internal structures.


    What Luo Wen didn¡¯t expect was that these seemingly unremarkable monsters would provide some surprising rewards.


    While the toxins within the monsters were an insurmountable challenge for the Botians, they posed no such difficulty for Luo Wen. As an expert in toxins¡ªparticrly neurotoxins and corrosive agents¡ªhe found the monsters¡¯ toxin sacs and their mechanisms for producing andbining toxins to be enlightening.


    These discoveries offered Luo Wen new insights that, once fully assimted, would undoubtedly enhance the Swarm¡¯s expertise in toxin deployment.


    But this was just the appetizer. The greater surprisey in a unique organ structure within the monsters. Luo Wen¡¯s abilities required time to fully analyze it¡ªa rarity. Until now, only controlled fusion and gravitational maniption had demanded simr processing time. Now, this mysterious third structure joined the list.


    Could the other side of the wormhole truly belong to an advanced civilization? If so, how had they managed to embed such powerful capabilities into monsters of this level? Yet, in previous battles, why hadn¡¯t these abilities been apparent? Forget gravitational maniption¡ªeven a single atomic breath attack had been absent.


    Regardless of the reasoning, Luo Wen knew that with a little more time, he would uncover the secrets hidden within these monsters.


    Days turned into months, and the decoding process proceeded at an agonizingly slow pace. When Luo Wen had once analyzed the controlled fusion technology of the Atomic Furnace, it had taken only a few months. Deciphering the gene fragments responsible for gravitational maniption had taken over a year. Now, nearly two years had passed.


    During this time, the wormhole opened again, unleashing the third monster since the Swarm¡¯s arrival on the Botian homeworld. Aside from the monster being marginally stronger and two additional Mecha Warriors joining the fray, the battle was no different from the previous ones.


    The monster met the same fate as its predecessors. Its corpse was dragged to the desert for burial, providing thebs with fresh material for study.


    By now, the Swarm¡¯s Observer Bugs had nearly expanded theirwork to epass the entire star system. While the density of thework still fell shortpared to other Swarm-controlled territories, it had formed a rudimentary surveince grid.


    Unfortunately, despite covering both the star system and the Botian homeworld, no anomalies were found. There were no hidden observation devices, nor any quantummunication signals detected.


    The Swarm had even begun expanding beyond the star system, but the likelihood of discovering anomalies at such distances was slim. No monitoring equipment could observe from so far away with sufficient detail.


    Meanwhile, the Intelligent Entities embedded in Botian society uncovered slight anomalies in the historical records and origin studies of the Botian homeworld. However, the data was far too iplete to draw any conclusions. Luo Wen realized that expanding the Swarm¡¯s infiltration into the Botian leadership was necessary to ess rare and hidden archival materials.


    Finally, after two years and two months, the unknown gene fragments extracted from the monsters were fully decoded. Eager to test its potential, Luo Wen immediately began the transformation process. For safety and to avoid exposure, the experiment was conducted on the 11th of the star system, far from the Botian homeworld.


    At this time, the 11th was on the far side of the star, hundreds of billions of kilometers from the Botian homeworld. The massive star between them served as a natural barrier. Even if the experiment caused amotion, the star¡¯s presence would shield the Botian side from detecting any anomalies.


    Of course, Luo Wen was primarily concerned about the unidentified observation devices he still hadn¡¯t located. The Botians themselves were of no real concern to him.


    A one-to-one replication of the monster¡¯s body was created using the Swarm¡¯s biotechnology. Since Luo Wen had yet to fully understand and master the potential of this new gic material, the creature¡¯s design was kept as close to the original as possible to minimize errors.


    With everything in ce, Luo Wen issued themand, anticipation building within him.@@novelbin@@

 Chapter 442: A Great Discovery

    Knowing the exact timing of the wormhole¡¯s next activation, the Swarm chose not to take any provocative actions to draw attention. Two days before the event, all Swarm activity ceasedpletely.


    Luo Wen was concerned that the opposing force¡¯s technological capabilities might allow them to observe this side through the wormhole. While such surveince had gone unnoticed before, he hoped this precautionary step would rectify any oversight.


    Whether due to the Swarm¡¯s actions or other unidentified factors, the fourth activation of the wormhole brought an unprecedented change. Before the wormhole closed, it ejected two monsters instead of one.


    This marked a dramatic esction¡ªdoubling the opposing side¡¯s deployment. The sudden shift left not only Luo Wen but also the Botians stunned.


    Fortunately, the Botians had always approached each wormhole crisis with maximum preparedness. Their Mecha Warriors, organized into five two-man teams, were always ready for deployment.


    The limited space around the monsters made it impractical for too many Mecha Warriors to engage simultaneously. Overcrowding would diminish effectiveness and risk interference between units. Thus, no more than two teams engaged directly with the monsters at any given time, while the remaining teams provided support from the periphery.


    This strategy proved invaluable during this encounter. The unexpected addition of a second monster could have spelled disaster had the Botians been less cautious. After nearly three hours of fiercebat, both monsters attempted to flee¡ªa behavior never seen before. Despite their efforts, the oue remained the same, their bodies were dragged away for disposal.


    After the wormhole closed, the Swarm remained dormant for another two days, ensuring that no abnormalities were detected through any channels before resuming operations.


    But only a few dayster, something extraordinary urred.From Luo Wen¡¯s earliest days as a tiny, wed insect, tunneling had been a foundational skill of the Swarm. It was an ability ingrained in nearly every unit, from Worker Drones to Space Octopuses. Only specialized units like Observer Bugscked this capability. Throughout the Swarm¡¯s history, most of its bases and territories had been concealed underground.


    The Swarm¡¯s tunneling prowess was unmatched. If the tally includeds and satellites, the Swarm had dug through nearly two thousand worlds. Whether it was rocky, diamondden, golden, or icy crusts, the Swarm had encountered virtually every type of geologicalposition. The only exception was stars themselves.


    But never had they encountered anything like this.


    Under Luo Wen¡¯s directive to halt expansion on the Botian homeworld, the Swarm focused instead on fortifying and concealing its existing bases by digging deeper underground.


    Initially, everything proceeded as expected. However, as one of the oceanic bases dug over ten kilometers beneath the seabed, it breached the asthenosphere, a thinyer of magma beneath the crust. Pressing onward into the mantle, the excavation advanced an additional five kilometers¡ªonly to reveal something astonishing.


    The Swarm unearthed a smooth metallic shellposed of an unknown material.


    This structure was unnaturally even, bearing faint signs of corrosion. It was immediately apparent that it wasn¡¯t a natural formation. The sight evoked the same unsettling strangeness as the small, controlled wormhole.


    This shell seemed to have gone undiscovered until now. Given the Botians¡¯ technological limitations, they had never prated the asthenosphere, let alone reached this depth.


    The discovery raised a host of unsettling questions. What was this shell? Who¡ªor what¡ªhad created it? And most importantly, whaty beneath?@@novelbin@@


    Luo Wen realized the metal shell could be a colossal treasure trove, but for now, it was imprable. The shell¡¯s defensive properties were extraordinary, and the Swarm¡¯s physical methods proved entirely ineffective against it. Concerned about energy leakage, Luo Wen refrained from using thermal weapons and instead opted to test toxins¡ªtaking advantage of the new toxin production methods he had recently acquired.


    Simultaneously, the Swarm began expanding its excavationterally along the shell, attempting to determine its boundaries.


    The results were both astonishing and unsettling. It wasn¡¯t long before other oceanic Swarm bases, spread across distant locations, began encountering the same metal shell. The distances between these bases often spanned hundreds of kilometers, yet they all uncovered the same structure. In total, more than ten Swarm bases had unearthed the shell, suggesting it spanned at least a thousand kilometers.


    This was no small number. Aplishing such a feat beneath the surface of a would require an almost unimaginable amount of effort. Even for the Swarm, renowned for its tunneling capabilities, this would have been an immense undertaking. Moreover, the metal shell exhibited corrosion marks but no visible seams or assembly lines¡ªits fabrication far surpassed the Swarm¡¯s current technological capabilities.


    As more and more bases encountered the shell, Luo Wen¡¯s expression grew serious. He seemed to be waiting for confirmation of a suspicion.


    Eventually, the firstnd-based Swarm base reached the metal shell. Becausend-based bases required deeper excavationspared to their oceanic counterparts, they hadgged in progress. Soon, however, additionalnd bases also began uncovering the shell.


    In the end, every Swarm base on the Botian homeworld, except for the few atop the high peaks that were not tasked with excavation, uncovered the metal shell.


    Standing before the three-dimensional map disying the distribution of the Swarm bases and the¡¯s interior, Luo Wen pieced together the obvious truth: the entire Botian homeworld was encased within this metal shell. Whatevery inside this shell held a secret of monumental significance.


    This revtion reframed Luo Wen¡¯s understanding of the opposing force on the other side of the wormhole. Perhaps their true objective wasn¡¯t the Botians, nor some experimental rivalry. Instead, they could be targeting whatevery within this metal shell. Was this why the wormhole was ced in the ocean, the closest point to the shell?


    But how had they discovered and pinpointed this location in the first ce?


    A bold idea struck Luo Wen.


    If his spection was correct, then the Swarm needed to risk everything for a chance to seize the prize. After all, no one invests in losing ventures, but high-risk, high-reward opportunities often attract the boldest of yers. When the potential rewards grow vast enough, the risks cease to matter.


    Swarm activity on the Botian homeworld resumed. Bases began producingbat units en masse, and Fungal Carpet expansion into the mantleyer elerated. Luo Wen prepared for multiple contingencies. While refining his toxins, he hoped the Fungal Carpet might yield results.


    Unfortunately, the lichen solution that had proven so effective in the past struggled against the metal shell. At first nce, the shell appeared ordinary, but its molecr structure was astoundingly dense and precisely aligned, teaching the Swarm a humbling lesson in material science.


    The corrosion marks on the shell were likely the result of billions of years of natural forces at work, rather than anything intentional or immediate.


    Luo Wen¡¯s progress with toxins was simrly unsatisfactory. No matter how hebined his reserves, the results failed to surpass those achieved by the Fungal Carpet¡¯s lichen solution.


    A thought struck Luo Wen as he pondered the unknown force beyond the wormhole. From their actions, it was clear they had some familiarity with the metal shell. Surely, they possessed a method to breach it. However, the only tools they had sent through the wormhole were the monsters.


    That could only mean one thing: the monsters themselves were the key.


    Was there something unique about them? Of course there was.


    Luo Wen smirked to himself. Negative energy?


    It all fit.

 Chapter 444: Discussion

    Luo Wen theorized that the metallic shell on the Botian homeworld was likely a remnant of a mechanical civilization, as its design andposition bore no resemnce to the organic methods typical of biological civilizations.


    In contrast, the force on the other side of the wormhole appeared to be a highly advanced biological civilization. After all, creating organisms capable of generating negative energy was a feat far beyond the current capabilities of the Swarm¡ªa significant achievement, even by Luo Wen¡¯s standards.


    Yet, despite their apparent expertise, the monsters they produced left much to be desired from Luo Wen¡¯s perspective as a ¡°junior¡± in the field of biological technology.


    Take the internal cirction system, for instance. Luo Wen couldn¡¯t help butpare it to the one he had devised when the Swarm first ventured into space.@@novelbin@@


    His system, though rudimentary and reliant on oxygen, only required asional replenishment of water every few years. While finding liquid water in space was challenging, locating ice was rtively easy, allowing for extended operations.


    The monster¡¯s system, however, was far less efficient. Once filled with air, it could onlyst about a month under minimal activity. During high-intensitybat, its reserves would be depleted within mere hours. This mismatch between the negative energy organ¡¯s sophistication and the subpar life support system seemed puzzling.


    Was it due to cost considerations? Luo Wen spected. Perhaps these monsters were designed to serve as expendable cannon fodder? But the negative energy organ would be far too expensive for such a purpose.


    And these monsters weren¡¯t being deployed en masse on a battlefield. This was a precision strike operation, with each monster akin to an elite special forces unit. If Luo Wen were in charge, he would have equipped them with cutting-edge technology, weaponizing them to the maximum extent possible.


    Instead, the opposition¡¯s approach felt akin to sending a poorly armed elementary schooler with a stick to execute a mission¡ªalbeit with a nuclear power source in their pocket.Another ring issue was the monsters¡¯ low intelligence.


    Luo Wen found no evidence of chips or other control systems within the monsters. For a civilization so advanced in biological technology, enhancing the autonomy of their bio-weapons¡ªparticrly elite units¡ªshould not have been difficult.


    Even primitive monkeys could be trained using rudimentary methods to carry outplexmands, let alone sophisticated biological weapons crafted by a highly specialized civilization. Yet, the monsters showed no signs of advanced tactical thinking.


    For instance, why didn¡¯t the monsters immediately begin excavating upon exiting the wormhole? The ¡°dead zones¡± created by their nuclear annihtion were all located onnd, indicating that earlier monsters had chased the Botians across the, only to be eventually destroyed.


    Furthermore, except for the final instance where two monsters simultaneously emerged and demonstrated some coordination by retreating and splitting up, all previous monsters fought to the death without retreating¡ªeven when it was tactically unwise.


    In terms of intelligence, they were barely on par with Luo Wen¡¯s early Soldier Ants and Worker Ants back when the Swarm was still ying in the mud on the Genesis. At that time, Swarm units operatedrgely on instinct. If Luo Wen had given his current units the same degree of autonomy, they would devise and execute sophisticated strategies on their own.


    A vague suspicion began to form in Luo Wen¡¯s mind, but he was reluctant to fully embrace it, subconsciously trying to rationalize the opposing force¡¯s decisions.


    Yet, one question after another emerged, with no cohesive exnation tying everything together into a logically consistent narrative.


    In the end, Luo Wen resorted to his old fallback, collective brainstorming.


    ¡°Maybe themand given to the monsters was simply to eliminate all threats, which is why they pursued the Botians,¡± one of the Intelligent Entities suggested.


    ¡°Then at the very least, they should have equipped the monsters with Atomic Furnaces,¡± another countered. ¡°That way, they could achieve something closer to Godzi¡¯s level ofbat ability. Relying on physical attacks alone, how long would it take to wipe out even the Botians, let alone if this were inhabited by monkeys?¡±


    The Swarm¡¯s collective debate deepened Luo Wen¡¯s suspicions and highlighted the ring inconsistencies in the opposition¡¯s methods. But no single theory could yet fully exin their behavior.


    The Intelligent Entities engaged in a heated debate.


    ¡°First of all, monkeys couldn¡¯t possibly kill the monster. Based on the fact that the opposing side sends one monster every so often, their numbers would only continue to increase. Given the monster¡¯s size, it should theoretically obliterate monkeys in a single strike. However, monkeys are rtively agile, and the monster¡¯s attacks won¡¯t alwaysnd. Factor in the monster needing to rest and replenish its strength, and it can¡¯t maintain continuous kills. Without knowing the monkeys¡¯ reproduction rate, food consumption, and other parameters, it¡¯s impossible to calcte how long it would actually take¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Monkeys aren¡¯t even a threat to the monster!¡±


    ¡°Says who? Are you underestimating monkeys now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As this group of Intelligent Entities descended into pointless arguments, Luo Wen redirected his focus to another discussion.


    ¡°Perhaps the monsters are controlled remotely, much like the Knights remotely control the Space Octopuses. But once the wormhole closes, the connection is severed, which could exin why the monsters seem¡­ dumb,¡± suggested one Intelligent Entity, pausing briefly to find the right word.


    ¡°That makes sense. But if that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t it mean the opposing force has no surveince ormunication facilities on this side of the wormhole?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. They can only receive feedback from the monster when the wormhole opens again.¡±


    ¡°But what they don¡¯t realize is that the monster gets killed by the Botians as soon as it emerges.¡±


    ¡°So, after more than ten repetitions of this pattern, they finally noticed something was wrong. They increased the number of monsters and modified their behavior to flee if overpowered?¡±


    This alternate exnation resonated with Luo Wen¡¯s own suspicions, aligning somewhat with his reluctant hypothesis. However, there still wasn¡¯t enough evidence to confirm this theory.


    ¡°But this contradicts their technological capabilities. Could they really be unaware of the Botians¡¯ presence on this side?¡± an Intelligent Entity raised the very question lingering in Luo Wen¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Indeed. The small-scale wormhole and the negative energy organ are both undeniably advanced technologies. Yet, their behavior here seems inconsistent,¡± another agreed.


    ¡°And why do they wait so long between each wormhole activation? Why not send more monsters at once? Could the wormhole itself impose limitations on the number of monsters that can pass through?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unclear. I¡¯m not particrly familiar with this field of knowledge.¡±


    ¡°We need to consult a specialist in wormhole dynamics,¡± suggested one of the Intelligent Entities.


    Efficiency being a hallmark of the Swarm, the Intelligent Entities promptly located an expert on wormhole physics. The questions were posed to this individual.


    ¡°Opening a wormhole requires an enormous amount of energy. Perhaps the opposing side is waiting to recharge,¡± the expert began. ¡°As for the number of monsters sent, the wormhole itself likely has no such limitations. The real constraint lies in the activation window. Monsters still need time to pass through the wormhole, and they¡¯re not exactly graceful creatures,¡± the expert added with a shrug.


    ¡°How much energy does it take to open a small-scale wormhole? Would even such an advanced civilization need over a year to recharge?¡± one Intelligent Entity pressed.


    ¡°That¡¯s the puzzling part,¡± the expert admitted. ¡°While the energy required is significant, it shouldn¡¯t be prohibitive for such a civilization. Compared torger wormholes, this small-scale wormhole consumes much less. If the opposing force had ess to a fully functional Dyson Sphere, the energy harvested daily would be sufficient to open a wormhole of this size every single day. For a civilization of that level, building a Dyson Sphere should be a trivial matter.¡±


    The expert paused before continuing. ¡°And there¡¯s another inconsistency. ording to Botian records, the early wormhole activations had intervals of just a few months. Over time, this interval stretched into what we see now. This implies the opposing side has the capability to shorten activation times¡ªor, at the very least, extend the duration of each activation to send more monsters through.¡±

 Chapter 446: New Troubles

    Time passed, and the wormhole opened twice more. However, Luo Wen no longer had the interest to watch the monster versus Mecha Warrior battles. His attention was fully consumed by the metal shell.


    Through continuous experimentation, his understanding of toxin production had advanced rapidly. Thetest toxins he developed corroded at three times the speed of his initial attempts. Over three years, he had managed to erode more than fifty meters of the metal shell. However, it was still a far cry from fully prating it.


    Using various methods, Luo Wen measured the thickness of the metal shell and was astonished to find it exceeded 500 kilometers. At his current rate, it would take more than 30,000 years to breach.


    Such a timeline was clearly uneptable.


    Thus, Luo Wen began exploring alternative methods. Unfortunately, calctions and tests revealed that the material of the metal shell had excellent resistance to both kic impacts and energy weapons.


    Additionally, underground conditions made these weapons less effective¡ªparticrly electromaic railguns, whose destructive power was reduced by at least 50% within aary interior.


    Left with no choice, Luo Wen turned his attention to developing more powerful or specialized weapons. The most promising avenuey in negative energy, a field he had only recently begun to explore.


    In the universe, all visible matter falls under the category of positive energy. These materials are diverse and varied in nature. Simrly, negative energy is a general term epassing certain types of substances, which also have different ssifications.


    After deciphering the gic blueprint for the negative energy production organ, Luo Wen assembled a team of intelligent entities to conduct research.Though the Swarm¡¯s venture into the realm of negative energy was still in its infancy, the foundation it had established¡ªmuch like its earlier foray into gravitational studies¡ªprovided a solid starting point. Despite the limited time, the Swarm had already made some progress.


    Through research, Luo Wen discovered that the negative energy produced by the monster¡¯s genes was an extremely inert type. It only reacted when exposed to high-energy impacts. This specific negative energy appeared to have been deliberately engineered by an unknown civilization, optimized for traversing the violent energies within the wormhole.


    Luo Wen recalled his earlier defensive tests on the monster¡¯s negative energy membrane. It had shown no reaction to kic or energy-based attacks, which he now realized was because those attackscked the necessary energy levels to activate it.


    With this understanding, the Swarm¡¯s next step was to identify a more active type of negative energy and develop a way to produce it. This would enable the creation of negative energy weapons.


    While this goal seemed straightforward in theory, its execution was incredibly challenging. Although the Swarm had developed the capability to collect negative energy from space, these samples were a mixed assortment. Identifying the more activeponents was akin to discovering gunpowder in the material world¡ªit required not only extensive screening but also a stroke of luck.


    Luo Wen had no idea how his luck would fare, so he increased manpower, hoping sheer numbers could elerate the process.


    Days turned into weeks, and the wormhole on Botian began to open and close at irregr intervals. The spectacle of monsters battling Mecha Warriors reyed itself repeatedly. During this time, the Swarm resumed its infiltration of Botian society in earnest.


    Arge number of intelligent entities embedded themselves into various levels of Botian civilization, even among the Mecha Warrior pilots, who now included some of the Swarm¡¯s own operatives.


    The good news was that the force on the other side of the wormhole showed no reaction to the Swarm¡¯s actions. Perhaps they dismissed the Swarm as inconsequential, or perhaps they were so weak they were unaware of the Swarm¡¯s activities on this side.


    Another unexpected development was that the force on the other side seemed to have stopped its ¡°extreme deployments.¡± The monsters sent through the wormhole no longer followed a consistent pattern, which disrupted Dr. Benba¡¯s predictive form. The wormhole¡¯s activations became chaotic and impossible to predict. ?¨¢??¦Â¦¥??


    However, apart from increasing the workload for the Botians, the unpredictable wormhole activations had little impact on Luo Wen. For him, this status quo was ideal. He only needed to wait patiently for the results from the Swarm¡¯s intelligent entities.


    Time flew by, and twenty years passed in the blink of an eye. During these calm years, nothing significant urred, and everything remained tranquil.


    In this peace, Luo Wen was able to allocate even more intelligent entities to focus on negative energy research. The number of entities working on this field reached an astounding thirty million, with over 80% of them having more than a century of research experience.


    Under this sheer manpower, the Swarm had made significant strides in the realm of negative energy. The intelligent entities had identified several types of active negative energy and were now conducting tests to determine their offensive potential.


    If the tests proved sessful, the next step would be to create biological organs capable of producing these energies. This would require Luo Wen¡¯s direct involvement.


    While Luo Wen was meticulously studying the gic structure of the monster¡¯s negative energy generation mechanism, events in the Interster Technological Confederation began to take a troubling turn.


    Since the Swarm had retreated from the Riken System and returned the territory to the Rikens years ago, the many factions that had initially criticized the Swarm eventually fell silent when they realized there would be no response. With theck of an immediate target for conflict, their agitation gradually subsided.


    However, the Koya Alliance began stirring up trouble again.


    Luo Wen had long anticipated that the Koya Alliance, or rather the shadowy maniptors behind it, would make further moves. Decades ago, he had already discerned their goals¡ªor at least the objectives of some factions among them.


    Thus, when they resumed their actions, Luo Wen wasn¡¯t surprised. The 20-year period of silence had far exceeded his expectations. Perhaps the Swarm had concealed its strength so effectively that the maniptors only now believed the Swarm had reached the level required for the next stage of their ns.@@novelbin@@


    This time, their strategy remained the same: fabricate an excuse to attack the Swarm, fuel public opinion, and iste the Swarm while quietly creating additional enemies for it.


    Their current target for propaganda was the Rat Folk. The plight of the Rat Folk was even more dire than what the Rikens had faced years ago. On the surface, the Rat Folk controlled only their homeworld and two moons. Their technological advancement had been stunted by the Swarm, leaving them in a state of stagnation for centuries.


    Under normal circumstances, the Rat Folk¡¯s level of technology would never meet the requirements for joining the Interster Technological Confederation. Their current condition was a direct result of their dependence on the Swarm¡¯s ¡°nurturing,¡± which was a vition of the Confederation¡¯s rules.


    However, the rtionship between the Swarm and the Rat Folk predated the Swarm¡¯s admission into the Interster Technological Confederation.


    Unlike the Rikens, the Rat Folk¡¯s rapid development meant that the Ji civilization hadn¡¯t had time to mark them with ¡°treasure starships¡± before their alliance with the Swarm was solidified.


    Furthermore, the origins and growth of the Rat Folk civilization were clearly linked to the Swarm. Their rtionship was far more intertwined than that of the Swarm and the Rikens.


    But for those determined to create trouble, none of these nuances mattered.

 Chapter 448: Deployment

    Edres and his team ended up waiting for twenty years. Perhaps it was because the masterminds behind the scenes believed the Swarm still needed time, or perhaps there were other reasons. Regardless, the result was that the Ji Council of Elders made somepromises.


    Thus, Edres¡¯ construction team remained stationed at the outer edge of the Genesis System for two decades. Fortunately, the Ji warships were massive and had been fully stocked before departure. Midway through, another supply shipment was sent from the Riken. Additionally, most of the crew chose to enter cryogenic sleep to avoid wasting their lives unnecessarily. As a result, those twenty years passed rtively quickly.


    In truth, Edres¡¯ team could have returned to the Riken Star System for rest and resupply. Although a neighboring star system separated the two, the direct distance was only about nine light-years¡ªa journey that would take the Ji just three years for a round trip.


    However, the Ji leadership insisted that Edres remain on site to have a legitimate excuse to closely monitor the Swarm¡¯s activities. As it turned out, during this time, Edres did manage to gather some intelligence.


    For example, he observed that most of the Swarm forces in the Genesis System had been redeployed to the Neighboring Star System.


    When this information was analyzed by Ji strategists, they concluded that the Neighboring Star System must be where the Swarm¡¯s royal court was located. To the north of this system was the Riken Star System, to the westy the Sandstorm Star System, a hub for trade, and to the south was the Genesis System, which was in the process of being vacated. These three directions were open and could not be fully secured.


    It made sense that the Swarm would strengthen the defenses of their royal court.


    Another piece of intelligence Edres gathered was that the Swarm had been systematically destroying six megastructures located in the ster orbit of the Genesis System. Although the process involved self-detonation followed by ejection into the star, making it seem repetitive and overlyplex, it did not attract much attention due to the precedent set in the Riken Star System.


    If the Ji hadbined this with earlier intelligence, they might have uncovered something significant. Initially, the Swarm had only two megastructures in the ster orbit of the Genesis System. The other four had been constructed just a few decades earlier.To be precise, the Swarm began constructing these additional megastructures shortly after the destruction of the ones in the Riken Star System.


    Back when the Koya Alliance conspired with the Riken to hatch their schemes, Luo Wen had already anticipated the current situation. However, at that time, he had no intention of adding more megastructures in the Genesis System.


    It was only when the ¡°seed¡± was warped over vast distances and fell into the Swarm current territory on Botian that the sheer unpredictability of the situation made Luo Wen realize he needed to create more ¡°escape routes.¡±


    Thus, the construction of four additional megastructures was expedited. Fortunately, the Genesis System was the Swarm¡¯s true home base, rich with umted resources over the years. This allowed them to mature the four megastructures within a mere twenty to thirty years.


    Together with the original two, Luo Wen now had six opportunities for long-range warps, enough to send six ¡°seeds¡± to safety. He refused to believe that, with six chances, he wouldn¡¯t find a pristine, lifeless gxy.


    The results were promising. As the megastructures were systematically detonated, Luo Wen¡¯s control over long-range warping improved significantly thanks to his prior ¡°sessful¡± experience.


    The ¡°seeds¡± were dispatched one by one.


    In the vast emptiness of space, between two unknown star systems, a rift suddenly tore open. From it emerged a flesh pod, two meters in diameter.


    The pod drifted in the void for a while. First, a tentacle stretched out, followed by an eye. The cold and lifeless vacuum outside reassured Luo Wen, who had been observing closely.


    Atst, this one seemed normal. He surveyed the surroundings, but optical observation alone was insufficient to urately calcte distances. In the end, he selected thergest celestial body nearby and used a rudimentary propulsion system to move in its direction.


    Whether this seed was a sess remained to be seen. For now, it was impossible to determine if there was life in the surrounding star systems. However, the seed¡ªor rather its carrier¡ªstill had significant ws.


    Initially, due to Luo Wen¡¯sck of proficiency with long-distance warping, he had minimized the carrier¡¯s size, reducing it to only basic functionalities.


    The original n was for the pod to adapt to its new environment by absorbing energy and undergoing gic mutations to grow additional functionalponents. Unfortunately, the energy present in the void was extremely sparse. Using such meager resources, the pod would take an unthinkable amount of time to mutate a sma propulsion system. And even if it managed to develop the propulsion, there wouldn¡¯t be enough energy to operate it.


    Luo Wen had anticipated this scenario, but the situation had been urgent at the time, leaving him no better options. His sole objective was to send the seeds out, ensuring a fallback n. Even if it took an extended period, the seed would eventually reach a nearby star system.


    Time was critical for Luo Wen while he still held territory to defend. But if he were to lose everything, with nonds to worry about, time would no longer hold much significance for him.@@novelbin@@


    With the experience of two long-distance warps through the Riken Star System and the subsequent years of refinement, Luo Wen¡¯s skills had improved considerably. By the most recent deployment, he felt more confident and capable of achieving more. ???¦­?????


    For the second flesh pod, Luo Wen incorporated an enhanced atomic furnace, increasing the pod¡¯s diameter from two meters to five. This was the smallest atomic furnace avable, yet it represented Luo Wen¡¯s pinnacle of current technology. In addition to the furnace, he added a shielding field to mask its reaction fluctuations.


    If this seed seeded, even if itnded in the void, the continuous energy supply from the atomic furnace would allow it to rapidly mutate advanced tissues and infiltrate nearby star systems, establishing new Swarm territories.


    Another megastructure was detonated. In an unknown region of space, a rift opened, and a five-meter-diameter pod was ejected. Following standard procedures, after confirming the environment was normal, the shielding field deployed, and the atomic furnace activated.


    Instead of mutating a propulsion system first, the pod created a simple radar device. This radar captured various particle data in its vicinity, analyzing the distances to nearby star systems.


    After some calctions, a star system 1.7 light-years away was selected as the target. This star system¡¯s central star was very small and somewhat dim. Using only optical observation, it appeared to be the thirdrgest celestial body in the vicinity. Thergest body visible turned out to be six light-years away from the pod.


    Soon, the pod¡¯s propulsion organs had fully mutated, followed by various cloaking and stealth systems. Powered by the atomic furnace, the pod transformed into a 20-meter-long Swarm warship and silently set course for the target star system.


    ¡°Hah¡­¡± Luo Wen exhaled softly afterpleting the process. The increased size of the pod had made the long-distance warp noticeably more taxing, but it was still within his capabilities.


    Closing his eyes, he reviewed everything that had just urred, meticulously searching for ws and shorings.


    Before long, preparations for deploying the third seed were underway.

 Chapter 450: F-371

    Luo Wen only briefly paid attention to the situation in the Genesis System before redirecting his focus to Botian. It had been fifty years since the Swarm firstnded on Botian.


    The Botians¡¯ lifespan was extremely short, likely due to their rtively poor technological development. Their average lifespan was less than a century. The once spirited young mecha pilots like Zeki and Rooney had now grown old and gray-haired.


    Twenty years ago, it seemed that the forces on the other side of the wormhole had recognized the risks of this side. The wormhole¡¯s activation times became increasingly erratic. On one asion, it remained inactive for a full five years.


    Just as the Botians began to believe that their adversary had given up, the wormhole suddenly reopened, and ten monsters emerged in one go¡ªstronger than ever before.


    The surprise attack caught the Botians off guard, resulting in devastating losses. The first wave of mecha warriors sent to eliminate the monsters waspletely annihted, leaving five of the monsters still alive.


    The five monsters went on to destroy several submarines and, before the Botian reinforcements could arrive, split into two groups to advance in different directions.


    Unfortunately for them, one group of three monsters was intercepted mid-journey by eight mecha warriors. At the cost of five mecha, the monsters were finally defeated. This attack exceeded the Botians¡¯ defensive capacity¡ªat the time, they had only twenty mecha in active service.


    After dealing with the first group of monsters, only three severely damaged mecha remained. Attempting to stop the remaining two monsters with such a weakened force would have been tantamount to suicide.


    In ast-ditch effort, the Botian leadership held an emergency meeting and decided tounch nuclear missiles to kill the monsters before they could reach the city. As a result, Botian gained yet another zone of radioactive pollution, which immediately imed the title of the¡¯s most contaminated area.Luo Wen, however, was not concerned about the Botians¡¯ losses or the environmental pollution. Such contamination was trivial to the Swarm, which could traverse the vacuum of space with their physical bodies.


    What intrigued him was the question of what the two groups of monsters were trying to aplish.


    It was evident that the forces on the other side of the wormhole had some understanding of Botian¡¯s massive metallic satellite. It was known that the monsterscked any negative energy-based attack capabilities, meaning they couldn¡¯t violently breach the satellite¡¯s metal shell. Their objective, therefore, seemed apparent.


    ¡°They know the location of the metal shell¡¯s gateway. It¡¯s highly likely they also know how to open it,¡± Luo Wen quickly concluded.


    Due to the Botians¡¯ weak technological capabilities, the Swarm had infiltrated their society rapidly over the years, with the intelligent entities gaining significant influence.


    If Luo Wen wanted to, he could likely dy the Botians¡¯ decisions and actions. With its sheer strength, the Swarm could even intervene to prevent the Botians from killing the monsters.


    By doing so, Luo Wen might have been able to use the monsters to locate the metal shell¡¯s gateway. However, after careful consideration, he abandoned this idea.


    Even if the gateway were located, Luo Wen had no knowledge of how to open it. Even if the monsters managed to open it, the consequences were entirely unpredictable.


    After all, everything about the forces on the other side of the wormhole remained purely spective.


    Another significant reason Luo Wen abandoned this idea was that the Swarm¡¯s research into active negative energy had already entered the practical testing phase.


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before the Swarm could rely on its own strength to open the metal shell.


    With this safer and more reliable method in sight, Luo Wen saw no need to take unnecessary risks.


    In theory, mastering negative energy technology¡ªwhile not definitively harder than gravity-based technology¡ªwas at least on the same level ofplexity. For an ordinary civilization to conquer such a field in just a few decades would be nothing short of a pipe dream. ?§¡????§¦??


    But the Swarm, with its thirty million immortal research-oriented intelligent entities, had turned that dream into a reality.


    Indeed, describing it this way might be a bit exaggerated. The primary task of the intelligent entities was to observe negative energy and filter out the more activeponents. The rest of the work could only bepleted at such a rapid pace under Luo Wen¡¯s direct supervision.


    When a specific type of active negative energy, named F-371, was selected after rigorous filtering, Luo Wen was able to avoid many detours during its production thanks to the negative energy gene temte derived from the monsters.


    Using his innate ability to precisely manipte genes, Luo Wen spent years of research and experimentation before sessfully modifying the monster¡¯s gic structure to incubate an organ capable of directly producing F-371 energy.


    Luo Wen named this organ the HF Organ, an abbreviation for ¡°Hyperactive Negative Energy Field Organ.¡±


    With an energy generator in ce, the next step was to weaponize it. Currently, the Swarm¡¯s research on negative energy had only reached the level of basic production and manufacturing, with little progress in more advanced applications.


    For example, using electrical energy as an analogy, the Swarm had essentially just built their first power nt. However, they were still far from being able to harness that energy to create something like ball lightning. On the other hand, building pipelines to transmit and utilize the energy wasparatively simpler.


    This approach conveniently benefited from the monster gene temte. The monsters¡¯ original negative energy transmission system and its associated field generation system could be modified and repurposed for use. Armed with the experience of modifying the HF Organ, Luo Wen found himself well-equipped to handle the transformation of these two systems.


    In just over a year, the two systems were sessfully modified. However, the results from their initial deployment were less than ideal.


    The monsters¡¯ original negative energy membrane was primarily designed for passive defense during wormhole traversal. In contrast, F-371 had entirely different properties. It was more destructive but also significantly more unstable.@@novelbin@@


    The characteristics of negative energy meant that it could only be contained using maic fields. However, the carrier for the maic field generator required by F-371 imposed far higher demands.


    Fortunately, this problem wasn¡¯t difficult to solve. By analyzing the performance of the metallic shell during experimental trials in materials science, the Swarm¡¯s understanding of rted theories advanced significantly.


    Combining this with their inherent ¡°cheating¡± methods, a new type of cell was created using genes from the metallic snail. These cells could absorb metallic elements and rearrange their molecr structure to produce a unique metallic material simr to a metallic exoskeleton.


    After undergoing numerous practical tests, this led to the birth of a new offensive weapon system.


    Fueled by an atomic furnace, the HF Organ would convert energy into F-371, which was then transmitted to the weapon system via the modified energy transmission system. The energy was contained and enveloped around the weapon by a connected maic field generation system.


    The weapon itself was a melee weapon that could be customized into various forms based on requirements, such as ws, des, or horns. It wasposed of a keratin outeryer reinforced with the special metallic substance. The keratin provided malleability, while the special metal acted as an ¡°enchantment¡± for enhanced durability.


    Even without being enveloped in negative energy, the weapon¡¯s innate toughness made it a formidable tool. Whenbined with negative energy, it became nearly unstoppable, capable of piercing even the sturdiest defenses.


    Luo Wen named this weapon system FN de!

 Chapter 451: Redfang Breaker

    The FN de¡¯s attack power was exceptionally strong. When it was enveloped in active negative energy and struck a target, any positive-energy material it contacted would be instantaneously neutralized.


    It was as if an eraser wiped away the affected areapletely, leaving no trace behind. The neutralization effect had an incredibly high priority, rendering physical defenses utterly useless. Against the FN de, even the robust defenses of a metallic shell were as fragile as tofu.


    However, despite its fearsome offensive power, the FN de had significant drawbacks. The most critical issue was the slow production rate of the F-371 negative energy.


    This limitation was inherited from its temte¡ªthe monster genes themselves generated negative energy at a sluggish pace. In initial tests, it took several hours for a test organism to generate a singleyer of negative energy membrane. The HF Organ, derived from the monster genes, carried over this inefficiency.


    Additionally, F-371 would neutralize any positive-energy material it came into contact with, necessitating maic field containment for storage, which made it extremely difficult to preserve.


    As a result, the weapon¡¯s battlefield performance was far from ideal. It was a ssic case of ¡°charging for ten hours, firing for five minutes.¡± Fortunately, the FN de¡¯s material itself was exceptionally durable and sharp, allowing it to prate most defenses even without F-371.


    Thus, against ordinary targets, the weapon could operate in standard attack mode, while the energy-enveloped attack mode could be reserved for heavily fortified defenses. This dual-mode approach gave it a degree of tactical flexibility.


    For now, Luo Wen primarily nned to use it for logistics-rted tasks such as excavation, where sheer numbers could offset its shorings.


    The first creatures to be equipped with the FN de system were a newly designed Swarm beast. These creatures stood about six meters tall in their mature form and resembled bipedal werewolves.The humanoid design granted them agility and bnce. Their muscr limbs allowed them to run on both two legs and all fours. Additionally, the efficient distribution of muscle mass provided them with excellent jumping capabilities.


    Their forelimbs featured four fingers, each ending in sharp ws roughly 30 centimeters long¡ªthe FN des in practical deployment. Tests showed that reducing the energy output per unit time effectively extended the FN de¡¯s usage duration. Considering both functionality andbat effectiveness, w-based weapons were deemed an optimal choice.


    Moreover, in standard mode, the ws were not only powerful weapons but also excellent tools for climbing, greatly enhancing the creature¡¯s mobility.@@novelbin@@


    Luo Wen named this werewolf-like Swarm beast Redfang Breaker.


    The name itself hinted at its intended role. The Swarm currently faced limitations in breaking through defensive instations such as steel fortresses.


    During their previous skirmishes with the Riken civilization, the Swarm had been able to use toxins to quickly breach defenses due to the Rikens¡¯ subpar materials science. However, in future conflicts with the Interster Technological Confederation, the Swarm would likely encounter advanced defensive materials, akin to the metallic shell. In such scenarios, the Swarm could not afford to be helpless.


    The Redfang Breaker was designed to fill this gap. While the FN de¡¯s energy-enhanced mode had limited duration, it was more than sufficient to carve a path through formidable defenses for the Swarm.


    Initially, Luo Wen considered making the Redfang Breaker as small as possible, as overlyrge creatures would struggle to navigate certain passages.


    However, the FN de¡¯s supporting systems required considerable space. The atomic furnace and HF Organ alone made it impossible for the creature¡¯s body to be toopact.


    Despite his best efforts, Luo Wen could only shrink its mature size to six meters tall. This achievement was partly thanks to the experience he gained from miniaturizing the atomic furnace during the second-generation flesh pod design. Without that knowledge, the Redfang Breaker¡¯s prototype might have been as tall as ten meters.


    Fortunately, the Redfang Breaker could move on all fours, effectively lowering its height for traversing smaller passages.


    As Luo Wen looked at the six-meter-tall humanoid wolf before him, he nodded in satisfaction. The final product was awe-inspiring, exuding a feral, imposing aesthetic. Even from its appearance alone, one could sense its extraordinarybat capabilities.


    While the Botians¡¯ mecha warriors might appear farrger and bulkier than the Redfang Breakers, the Raiders would have no problempletely overwhelming them. The two were on entirely different levels when it came to agility and flexibility.


    The slow, lumbering movements of the mecha warriors, despite their immense strength, wereughably sluggish in the eyes of the highly dynamic and visually acute Raiders. Their movements were so slow they couldn¡¯t even be described as slow-motion anymore. ?????B§¦s?


    However, the Redfang Breaker had another notable drawback: its production cost was incredibly high. It was worth noting that the Swarm¡¯s current primarybat units¡ªthe Space Octopuses¡ªwere only outfitted with atomic furnaces if they were over 500 meters long and of primordial ss.


    Yet, the Redfang Breaker not only came equipped with an atomic furnace but also included the even more expensive HF Organ, along with apanying maic field containment systems, energy transmission systems, and more. The resources consumed to produce a single Redfang Breaker were equivalent to two or three primordial-ss units.


    As a result, the Redfang Breaker, packed with concentrated cutting-edge technology, could only serve as an elite unit.


    Yet, the first task assigned to this prestigious elite unit was surprisingly mundane. On the metallic shell, a Redfang Breaker squatted awkwardly, digging a hole. Its motion resembled dog-paddling, with its ws moving so fast that they became a blur, creating a somewhatical scene.


    Unfortunately, in just two minutes, its F-371 reserves were depleted, forcing it to vacate its position and move to the side to recharge. Another Raider promptly took over the digging.


    Since Botian was an artificial celestial body, its mineral reserves were far lower than those of naturals. Consequently, the Swarm¡¯s base on Botian was unable to produce many Redfang Breakers due to the high resource costs.


    As a result, the number of Raiders working at the excavation site was rtively small.


    Fortunately, the Swarm¡¯s operations in this star system were already well-established. Numerous space bases had begun producing Redfang Breakers simultaneously. Apart from maintaining resources for megastructure construction, all other avable resources were funneled into Raider production.


    Compared to the primordial-ss Space Octopuses, the Redfang Breakers required far less time to mature. Once hatched, they quickly developed into fully grown adults.


    Mature Redfang Breakers were transported to Botian aboard Space Octopuses,nding at the High Peak Base. The technological gap between the Swarm and the Botians was so vast that the Space Octopuses could effortlessly enter and exit the¡¯s atmosphere undetected.


    Since the metallic shell yielded simr results regardless of where it was excavated, the Swarm chose to establish the excavation site at the foot of High Peak Base for logistical convenience. Raiders delivered to the base were directed through tunnels dug into the mountainside, allowing them to quickly reach the worksite.


    As more Redfang Breakers arrived, the excavation site grew increasingly active. What began as a small digging operation expanded significantly. Within the pit, over a dozen Redfang Breakers were hard at work, their ws rapidly gouging into the shell in a frenzy of ¡°dog-paddling,¡± while countless others stood motionless outside the pit, recharging.


    The Raiders operated in shifts, swapping every two to three minutes, working tirelessly day and night. The excavation progressed rapidly, with the tunnel burrowing deeper into the metallic shell at an astonishing pace. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the secrets hidden within were uncovered.

 Chapter 454: Strategy

    The Captain pondered for a moment. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then they¡¯re trying to focus our attention on the rtionship between the Swarm and the Rat Folk. Could it be that they¡¯re attempting to downy the fact that ordinary Rat Folk don¡¯t even know about the Swarm¡¯s existence?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very possible,¡± someone agreed.


    ¡°Everyone, keep discussing. I¡¯ll take some time to visit Colonel Edres.¡±


    Two hourster, the Captain returned.


    ¡°Well, Captain, did you find anything new?¡± Wright asked eagerly.


    ¡°I inquired with Colonel Edres about some details. ording to his recollection, when we first proposed visiting Rat Folk cities, their high-ranking officials were very weing. They proactively arranged guides and were quite enthusiastic,¡± the Captain said, frowning. ¡°But when our team suggested free exploration, their expressions changed immediately. They seemed caught off guard and extremely unwilling, offering some flimsy excuses to refuse.¡±


    The Captain, recalling his conversation with Edres, continued, ¡°But Colonel Edres and his team were firm and made it clear that refusal wasn¡¯t an option. The Rat Folk leadership had no choice but to agree. However, they still insisted on limiting the visit to 15 days, iming that their people were highly conservative and unustomed to interacting with alien species.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Heh, in hindsight, they weren¡¯t lying about that. The Rat Folk really haven¡¯t met any alien species,¡± the Captain concluded with a wryugh.


    ¡°This is truly bizarre,¡± Amina remarked. ¡°The Rat Folk have been living side by side with the Swarm for centuries. The leaders know about the Swarm, but the general poption doesn¡¯t. Is this the doing of the Rat Folk leadership? Or the Swarm?¡±¡°We need more information,¡± nca said softly. ¡°Previously, our time was too limited, and our goals were unclear. We weren¡¯t able to gather targeted intelligence. Captain, I request permission to conduct another in-depth investigation into Rat Folk society. This time, we also need ess to their intr.¡±


    The Captain sighed and shook his head. ¡°I already discussed this with Colonel Edres earlier. He contacted the Rat Folk leadership about it, but their response was swift and resolute, aplete refusal.¡±


    ¡°What? How dare they?¡± Wright blurted out in disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯m increasingly convinced there¡¯s a significant secret buried here,¡± Amina said with a sly smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering this whole time,¡± nca added with a grin as though she¡¯d just figured something out. ¡°In 20 years, the Swarm had no problem destroying their megastructures. So what could they possibly leave behind that they couldn¡¯t move or destroy? Now, it¡¯s starting to make sense¡ªit¡¯s these Rat Folk civilians, isn¡¯t it? The Swarm couldn¡¯t just kill them all.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± the Captain agreed. ¡°This exnation ties up many loose ends. Besides, it¡¯s not that the Swarm couldn¡¯t; it¡¯s that they didn¡¯t dare. They can ignore us, but they can¡¯t ignore the entire Ji race.¡± His voice carried a tone of pride for his powerful civilization.


    ¡°But what should we do now?¡± Wright asked, scratching his head. ¡°Even though the formal agreement hasn¡¯t been signed, the Rat Folk are essentially members of the Confederation now. We can¡¯t openly go against their wishes. Who knows how the media would twist the story?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± the Captain admitted. ¡°The Rat Folk are likely on high alert against us now.¡±


    ¡°Captain, what if we use¡­ unconventional methods?¡± Amina suggested with a mischievous glint in her eye.


    The Ji¡¯s technology was nothing short of extraordinary. With their personal stealth battle suits, avoiding the Rat Folk¡¯s monitoring systems was a breeze. Additionally, the full-spectrum simtion system allowed them to disguise themselves as Rat Folk. By being cautious, they could potentially ask some naive Rat Folk civilians a few questions without raising suspicion.


    However, the significant height disparity between the Ji and the diminutive Rat Folk made the risk of exposure quite high. If the Swarm were to get involved, that risk would increase even further.


    Besides, the kind of questions they intended to ask would already sound strange to the Rat Folk. It would be akin to walking down a street on Earth and asking random passersby if they¡¯d seen Ultraman, iming Ultraman had been living among them for hundreds of years. Such a question would likely get thembeled as lunatics¡ªor worse, reported to the authorities.


    Even though the Rat Folk civilians might not understand the situation, their leaders would undoubtedly piece things together if they caught wind of it. And once exposed, the Ji team would be held ountable. A misstep like this required extra caution.


    After weighing the risks, the Captain shook his head. ¡°No. While the Rat Folk civilians aren¡¯t much of a concern, there¡¯s a good chance the Swarm could intervene. Their technology is strange, and we can¡¯t be sure if we can evade their surveince. In a diplomatic context like this, we have to tread carefully.¡±


    ¡°So, what do we do? Just sit here and wait?¡± someone asked, clearly frustrated.


    ¡°I¡¯ll report this issue to Colonel Edres, exin the stakes, and ask him to advocate for us as much as possible,¡± the Captain replied after a moment of thought. ????????¦¥??


    He figured it was better to pass the buck. However, he also realized that if Edres couldn¡¯t deliver, his own team¡¯s failure toplete their mission would stillnd him in trouble.


    ¡°Warwick,¡± the Captain turned to a male team member, ¡°can you ess their intr?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have authorization,¡± Warwick shrugged.


    ¡°I already asked about this earlier. The Rat Folk said they¡¯re ¡®discussing it.¡¯ Who knows when, or if, they¡¯ll decide. Right now, I need you to get creative. Think of some alternative methods. Can you manage that?¡±


    ¡°Heh, during my little ¡®tour,¡¯ I happened to leave something behind in one of the Rat Folk cities. If the Captain can secure permission to use our signal reception radar, I can handle it discreetly. No one will suspect a thing,¡± Warwick said with a sly grin.


    ¡°Can you ensure you bypass the Swarm¡¯s monitoring systems?¡± the Captain pressed.


    ¡°No problem. The Swarm¡¯s technology is biological. Even if they¡¯ve dabbled inworks, they won¡¯t be on par with us. Our tech is leagues ahead,¡± Warwick assured, patting his chest confidently.


    The Captain nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get the authorization as soon as possible. I want you to scour the Rat Folk¡¯s intr for any suspicious information.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s a massive workload. If you need results quickly, I¡¯ll need some help,¡± Warwick said with a mock groan.


    ¡°Until Colonel Edres gets results, everyone else is without a task. For now, follow Warwick¡¯s lead and get it done quickly,¡± the Captain ordered.


    ¡°Understood, Captain!¡± the team responded in unison.


    The Captain nodded and hurriedly left the meeting room. While tampering with online data wasplicated, it wasn¡¯t impossible for the Rat Folk leadership to pull off. If there were any modifications made to cover up information, it would likely require extra effort to uncover.


    The Captain didn¡¯t have high hopes for Warwick¡¯s sess. He believed that the most critical intelligence would require physical infiltration into the Rat Folk¡¯s inner workings. He had a feeling that once the mystery was unraveled, it would be a significant achievement for their team.


    But before that could happen, he needed to press Colonel Edres to expedite their authorization to reenter Rat Folk society.

 Chapter 457: Progress

    ¡°What Wright just said makes sense. Maybe the Rat Folk really do intend to deify their First Empress. But have you considered this? The Rat Folk believe in these things¡ªthey understand what it means to have a god. Whether their god represents the Swarm or something else, a native empress daring to ce herself on the same level yet being neither stopped nor punished, living out her natural lifespan, and continuing to be celebrated to this day¡ªisn¡¯t that, in itself, very strange?¡± nca analyzed.


    ¡°It¡¯s true. If I raised a colony of ants and their queen dared to ce herself on equal footing with me and divide my authority, I¡¯d dump a bucket of hot water on them without hesitation,¡± Wright joked with a grin.


    ¡°Maybe the rtionship between the Rat Folk and the Swarm is far closer than we¡¯ve imagined.¡±


    ¡°Yes, especially considering the Rat Folk¡¯s backward technology and their mere two satellite colonies. Their societal segmentation n seems utterly pointless.¡±


    ¡°Unless they gained some significant benefits from it!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! For those upper-level elites who know the truth to willingly maintain such a divide, lofty ideals wouldn¡¯t be enough. There has to be substantial benefit involved.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there are also restrictions, like limited quotas? That would give them a strong incentive to protect the secret and prevent morepetitors from taking a share.¡±


    ¡°Such benefits must be incredibly tempting.¡±


    ¡°Silja, can you continue to pose as a Rat Folk and extract more intelligence?¡± nca asked.Silja considered the question before responding. ¡°They¡¯re extremely cautious, and they seem to have some sort of screening mechanism. I¡¯ve already attracted some attention, and it was only with Warwick¡¯s help that I managed to extricate myself. If we¡¯re not worried about causing a diplomatic incident, I could try again.¡±


    ¡°Can you guarantee results?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s unlikely. Even with individuals at the same level, they¡¯re reluctant to share much. It seems they really don¡¯t want to increasepetition.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t work. Without sufficient evidence or clear benefits, the Elders won¡¯t approve viting Confederation regtions. We still need to tread carefully,¡± nca said, shaking her head. ¡°For now, we can only hope the Captain makes progress. We need more intelligence to uncover the truth.¡±


    ¡°Once we obtain permission, perhaps we should consider visiting the Rat Folk¡¯s colonies next. The societal hierarchy there might reveal more.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    Unfortunately, the much-anticipated efforts of Colonel Edres and the Captain bore little fruit. Multiple applications and requests to the Rat Folk were met with various rejections and excuses.


    Nearly a year passed before the situation took a turn.


    Elder Humes, the Ji¡¯s permanent representative in this region, arrived at Genesis. His purpose was to sign the formal Confederation membership agreement with the Rat Folk. Both the Riken and the Swarm had undergone this process in the past.


    As one of the highest decision-makers of the Ji, Elder Humes was in apletely different league from an engineering team leader or a nameless squad captain. The current Rat Folk Emperor personally weed him.


    The signing of the agreement went smoothly, as it was little more than a ceremonial formality. However, after the meeting, Elder Humes expressed his concern on behalf of the Ji regarding the Rat Folk¡¯s refusal to allow Ji personnel into their cities for tourism.


    The Rat Folk could afford to ignore the requests of engineers and minor captains, but they could not ignore an Elder of the Ji. Thus, the Rat Folk reopened their cities to the Ji.


    ¡°Elders really get things done!¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, they sure do!¡± the team eximed in agreement.


    ¡°Too bad Elder Humes is too old, and he doesn¡¯t fit my aesthetic.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Do you have something in mind?¡±


    ¡°Hehe~¡±


    The intelligence team set off again on their spacecraft, the mood lively with chatter andughter. The Captain, however, sat quietly, veins bulging on his forehead. Their new target was the Red Moon Colony, a Rat Folk settlement. ?¨¤????§§¡ì


    Initially, the Rat Folk had refused to allow ess, but they eventually relented after some ¡°civilized discussions¡± led by Elder Humes, who had yet to leave Genesis.


    ¡°Everyone, stay cautious and prioritize safety. I¡¯m not sure if the Rat Folk mightsh out when we get close to the truth,¡± the Captain warned as the spacecraft began its descent.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Captain, we¡¯re all seasoned professionals. We¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Besides, the Rat Folk wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything.¡±


    The Captain remained silent, choosing not to argue further.


    The Red Moon Colony was located within a massiveary crater. Most of the settlement was underground, with only a few structures visible on the surface, including a handful ofnding pads.


    ¡°This ce is so bare-bones!¡± Wrightined.


    ¡°With the Rat Folk¡¯s technological level, even building a colony is an achievement,¡± another team member retorted.


    After disembarking from the spacecraft, the team was greeted at the hatch by several Rat Folk officials. Following a brief introduction, the group proceeded into the colony¡¯s interior.


    ¡°Honored guests, please forgive the simplicity of our facilities. We have a small staff, and everyone is upied with their duties, so we cannot hold a formal wee ceremony,¡± one of the Rat Folk officials said politely.


    ¡°No problem, we¡¯re just here to take a casual look around,¡± the Captain responded courteously.


    While pleasantries were exchanged at the front, the Ji team members at the back began their covert operations. Due to the colony¡¯s outer space environment, their protective suits were bulkier, allowing them to conceal more integrated equipment.


    ¡°Wright, you¡¯re at the rear. Collect samples while the rest of us provide cover,¡± nca instructed, temporarily takingmand from the Captain. She issued orders in an obscure dialect from a civilization on the far side of the Confederation¡¯s territory¡ªso obscure that even few members of that civilization understood it, let alone the Rat Folk.


    Wright, following orders, pretended to casually brush his hand against the wall. A thin steel needle extended from his palm, functioning as a sampling device. It was incredibly sturdy, piercing the wall like it was tofu. Once the sample was taken, the needle retracted in an instant, and Wright lowered his hand. The wall bore a nearly imperceptible pinhole.


    As they continued their tour, they encountered surprisingly few Rat Folk. It was unclear whether this was due to the colony¡¯s small poption or a deliberate message of unweeness. By the end of the day, aside from the officials greeting them, the Ji team hadn¡¯t seen a single other Rat Folk.@@novelbin@@


    ¡ª


    Nighttime ¨C Rest Area


    ¡°Captain, we¡¯ve checked. No surveince equipment here.¡±


    ¡°Captain, no bio-signatures detected. This room ispletely free of other life forms,¡± two team members reported after scanning the room with their devices.


    ¡°It seems the Rat Folk know exactly why we¡¯re here. They¡¯re cautious of us but are avoiding leaving any evidence behind,¡± the Captain mused.


    ¡°Hmph, they¡¯re being overly defensive. I can understand empty research facilities, but not seeing anyone in the living quarters? They definitely had advance notice and locked this ce down.¡±


    ¡°All right, does anyone have any findings from today?¡±


    ¡°I analyzed the samples Wright collected,¡± another team member reported. ¡°The colony¡¯s construction materials are standard, nothing out of the ordinary. However, the structures seem to be much newer than expected¡ªless than a century old. This contradicts their official records.¡±

 Chapter 459: Discovery

    The Captain switched his helmet¡¯s vision mode once again and pulled out a two-centimeter bullet-shaped device. He activated it, linking it to his helmet. After a brief setup, Warwick¡¯s countdown ended.


    The room¡¯s door slid open silently. As soon as a small gap appeared, the Captain flicked the device inside. Once airborne, the device transformed, extending a pair of wings and deploying a stinger from its surface. After a quick spin midair, it locked onto its target and plunged the stinger into the neck of the room¡¯s upant before he even realized something was happening.


    By the time the door opened halfway, the Captain had already slipped inside, quickly crossing the room to catch the Rat Folk before he could hit the floor.


    ¡°All clear. Come in,¡± the Captain said, exhaling with relief as everything went smoothly.


    The rest of the team entered the room. Some began searching for hidden documents or other confidential information, while nca joined the Captain. From a pouch on her belt, she retrieved a syringe and injected it into the Rat Folk¡¯s body. Thirty secondster, she pulled out another device, ran a few tests on the Rat Folk, and nodded at the Captain.


    Understanding her signal, the Captain removed the stinger from the Rat Folk¡¯s neck and applied a dab of milky-white ointment. The ointment quickly absorbed into the skin, healing the puncture wound left by the stinger.


    Momentster, the Rat Folk groaned softly and began to wake. However, his ssy eyes made it clear he was still in an altered state.


    Although the Ji primarily focused on mechanical technology, they had made considerable advancements in other fields. Developing advanced interrogation agents was no challenge for them. The one used here had no side effects, leaving the subject unaware that anything was amiss after waking.


    ¡°Your name?¡± nca asked softly as the Rat Folk regained consciousness.¡°Keller-Kerrigan,¡± he replied without hesitation.


    ¡°Your position?¡±


    ¡°Royal family, administrative officer of the Red Moon Base.¡±


    nca nodded at the Captain, confirming that the information matched their prior intel. It was time to delve into the real questions.


    ¡°What is the rtionship between the Rat Folk and the Swarm?¡±


    Despite his dazed state, Keller froze noticeably. His eyelids began twitching violently, and the device monitoring his vitals started ring rms.


    ¡°Calm down, calm down, calm down,¡± nca repeated urgently, finally managing to soothe the trembling Rat Folk. ¡°No good. His subconscious is resisting this question strongly. Forcing it could be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Ask something else!¡± the Captain ordered.


    nca nodded, her mind racing before settling on another question. ¡°Keller, do you know the name of the First Empress?¡±


    Keller¡¯s reaction was even more intense this time. nca opened her mouth to speak, but the Captain¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°Give him another dose!¡±


    ¡°That could have severe consequences!¡± nca protested.


    ¡°These two questions are critical. We must get answers!¡±


    After a brief hesitation, nca relented. She retrieved another syringe from her pouch and administered it. Keller¡¯s trembling body went rigid, and foam dribbled from the corner of his mouth.


    But the drug worked. ¡°Sarah,¡± Keller croaked.


    ¡°What?¡± The Captain leaned closer, unable to catch the faint response. ¡°Repeat that.¡±


    ¡°The First Empress was named Sarah Kerrigan!¡± Keller¡¯s voice grew louder, and the information he provided was nowplete.


    The Captain quietly recorded the name, but nca couldn¡¯t shake a sense of familiarity. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she pped her hands over her mouth in shock. ??¨¤???¨§??


    The Captain quickly noticed her reaction. ¡°What is it? What did you realize?¡±


    nca steadied her nerves. ¡°It might just be a coincidence,¡± she said hesitantly, though it was clear she didn¡¯t fully believe her own words.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The Captain¡¯s tone became stern.


    Watching nca falter was frustrating, especially in enemy territory where every second carried significant risk. There was no time for hesitation or cryptic remarks.


    nca shook her head to refocus. She had just pieced together several fragments of information, and the fog of mystery was beginning to lift. But the Captain¡¯s interruption forced her back to the present. ¡°It¡¯splicated. Back then¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish, a voice came through thems channel. ¡°Captain, someone¡¯s heading your way! Looks like they¡¯re here to see the administrative officer!¡±


    This was the residential area, where foot traffic was rtively high. Fortunately, Keller¡¯s quarters were in a quiet section, giving the team a small window to react.


    The Captain gestured sharply, and the team quickly restored the room¡¯s original appearance. Those searching through Keller¡¯s belongings stopped and rearranged everything. nca carefully wiped the residue from Keller¡¯s mouth and smoothed out the creases in his clothes. She then retrieved another syringe from her belt and injected it into Keller.


    ¡°Warwick, is the doorway clear?¡± the Captain asked.


    ¡°No, Captain. Leaving now risks detection.¡±


    ¡°Then I hope you¡¯ve got another n!¡±


    ¡°Three meters to the right, there¡¯s an air duct. It¡¯srge enough to hide you. I¡¯ve already sent the 3Dyout to your helmets.¡±


    The Ji squad acted immediately. They activated the anti-gravity modules built into their suits, allowing them to hover. Jets ofpressed gas kept them stable as they moved toward the duct.


    Following Warwick¡¯s guidance, the team quickly located the air duct. Wright extended a sma de about ten centimeters long and sliced through the ceiling panel. He nodded to his teammates, then grabbed the removed section and stepped aside as the others swiftly climbed into the duct.@@novelbin@@


    The Captain and nca finished positioning Keller on his bed before slipping into the duct themselves. Wright was thest to enter. He pulled the ceiling panel up with him and held it in ce while another teammate used a spray device along the cut edges. The spray released a mist of nanobots that filled the gaps and repaired the seam.


    Within moments, the room lookedpletely untouched, showing no signs of tampering or damage.


    ¡°Warwick, can we retreat directly from here?¡± the Captain asked.


    ¡°The risk is too high. The air ducts are highlyplex andced with numerous standalone rm systems. I can¡¯t disable them all remotely.¡±


    ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s hold here for now. If worsees to worst, we¡¯ll have to risk a retreat.¡±


    The team nodded and maintainedplete silence.


    Inside the room, Keller groaned softly and sat up, looking confused. The final injection nca administered had elerated his recovery and waking process while muddling his memory of the past few minutes.


    Keller shook his head, ncing back at the bed as though trying to recall something. Scratching his head, he seemed lost in thought.


    Hiding in the air duct, the Ji squad monitored the room¡¯s surveince feed on their personal terminals. Warwick had patched the live footage directly to them.


    Tension filled the confined space as they watched Keller closely, hoping the two doses of interrogation serum wouldn¡¯t cause anyplications.

 Chapter 461: Legacy

    Operating within the Rat Folk base proved increasingly inconvenient. Despite the Ji squad¡¯s meticulous efforts to cover their tracks with Keller, it appeared he had still be suspicious. The base¡¯s security had noticeably tightened.


    With their critical findings in hand, the Ji squad refrained from further risks. They swiftly concluded their mission and returned to their ship.


    ¡°Although the records are sparse, we¡¯ve managed to reconstruct the timeline. The unification of the Rat Folk Empire looks quite peculiar,¡± Art said with enthusiasm. Aided by Warwick and Amina, he had pieced together fragments of the First Empress¡¯s life.


    ¡°The Kingdom of Merrican? A sudden gue wipes out the royal family, the chain ofmand copses, and it¡¯s attributed to divine punishment? Hah, are we reading a fantasy novel?¡± Wright scoffed as he skimmed the records, shaking his head disdainfully.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°In early civilizations, rulers often relied on myths and gimmicks to add an aura of mystique and legitimacy to their rule. But we¡¯ve already analyzed the Rat Folk¡¯s case¡ªtheir ounts are likely genuine.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Regardless of how they interpreted the events, the copse of one of the two dominant kingdoms, leaving the other unchallenged, is a historical fact. This suggests the First Empress may have received what they described as divine intervention at that time.¡±


    ¡°So, the so-called god granted her the Swarm¡¯s legacy?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. How can you believe in gods? Wright, as a proud Ji, how can you entertain such ignorance?¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think it was?¡± Wright shot back.¡°I don¡¯t know yet, but I¡¯m certain it wasn¡¯t a god.¡±


    nca, who had been silent, finally spoke up. ¡°Have you considered that this so-called god might actually be the Swarm?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we initially suspected? But if it were the Swarm, why would they choose a native creature as their empress?¡±


    ¡°I misspoke earlier. The so-called god isn¡¯t the Swarm itself¡ªit¡¯s the Swarm¡¯s legacy,¡± nca rified after a moment of thought. ¡°Let¡¯s assume the Swarm is an advanced civilization. For some unknown purpose, they sent out a legacy object, much like ¡®Lumina,¡¯ to disseminate their influence. This legacy reached Genesis and began affecting its environment. That¡¯s why we see such rapid evolution¡ªturning the Rat Folk from prey into a civilized species in a mere thousand years.¡±


    ¡°But all of this was merely the passive influence of the legacy object. Then came the First Empress, who gained its full recognition and inherited the Swarm¡¯s true legacy. With that power, she unified the Rat Folk and split their society, isting a portion of the elite and transforming them into the Swarm. If the Swarm truly possesses the ability to transfer consciousness and achieve immortality, their personnel quality would eventually surpass ours. Over time, the gap would widen even further.¡±


    nca¡¯s theory left the entire team stunned, and a collective gasp filled the room.


    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then we can only be grateful that we discovered this early. If they were allowed to develop for tens of thousands more years, they could be a catastrophic threat¡ªperhaps even endangering the Ji¡¯s position,¡± Amina said, visibly shaken.


    She now saw the Swarm as an even greater danger, cing them in an elevated category of threat. After all, the Ji had taken millions of years to reach their current level of development.


    The Captain, however, shook his head. ¡°I think you¡¯re still underestimating the Swarm. Our probes have detected Swarm activity across hundreds of star systems in the Outer-ring. Given the growth rate of their bioweapons, they¡¯ve likely already achieved formidablebat capabilities. In terms of numbers, they can now overwhelm any external civilization.¡±


    ¡°However, numbers mean nothing in the face of overwhelming technological superiority. We still hold the absolute advantage in technology,¡± Wright said with some defiance, his belief in the Ji¡¯s invincibility unshaken.


    ¡°If the Swarm¡¯s researchers truly achieve immortality, their knowledge will continuously umte without interruption. Imagine how terrifying such researchers would be,¡± the Captain said, his voice somber. ¡°Over time, they would be omnipotent, capable of conducting cross-disciplinary research entirely on their own. Since all knowledge would reside within the same individual, there would be no gaps in understanding or mimunication. This would allow the Swarm to make advancements in science and technology far beyond what we can imagine. They could catch up to us in less than ten thousand years. And when that dayes, we won¡¯t be able topete with their sheer numbers.¡±


    The weight of his words hung in the air as the team began to grasp the gravity of the situation. But then the Captain delivered an even more chilling thought.


    ¡°And that¡¯s not the worst part. Consider this¡ªwhere did the Swarm¡¯s legacye from? Was it carried on the asteroid that struck Genesis, or has it been hidden there all along?¡±


    ¡°I think it came with the asteroid. The Rat Folk only started evolving after the impact,¡± one team member offered.


    ¡°I reviewed the surveince records from that time. There¡¯s no mention of the asteroid¡¯s origin,¡± another added.


    ¡°That¡¯s normal. The recorders back then couldn¡¯t have foreseen the significance of this event today.¡±


    ¡°Or it might not have been the asteroid at all. Maybe the impact merely awakened the Swarm¡¯s legacy,¡± someone countered.


    Seeing the argument spiraling, the Captain raised a hand to calm them. ¡°No matter the cause, there¡¯s one undeniable fact: this legacy had a creator. Just like ¡®Lumina,¡¯ which was created by the original Ji. And we have no way of knowing how much technology its creator embedded within this legacy.¡± ??a?§à£Â??


    ¡°Thus far, the Swarm¡¯s recorded actions are few, and their technology appears limited. But we can¡¯t rule out the possibility that they¡¯re hiding their true capabilities. It¡¯s very likely that we¡¯ve been underestimating theirbat potential.¡±


    ¡°If the creator of this legacy is like the original Ji¡ªextinct¡ªthen the threat is somewhat contained. But if the creator still exists, the Swarm bes an even greater danger. There¡¯s no telling whether they have additional reinforcements waiting to join them.¡±


    ¡°Captain, what do we do now? We don¡¯t have the means to verify these spections,¡± someone asked.


    The Captain mulled over the question for a long time before shaking his head. ¡°Given the urgency of this situation, we can¡¯t afford to linger here any longer, nor is this something we can solve. I¡¯llpile all the intelligence and hypotheses we¡¯ve gathered so far and submit them to our superiors. The next steps will be for them to decide.¡±


    The team nodded in agreement. The situation had escted to a strategic level, far beyond what their intelligence-gathering unit could handle.


    The Captain¡¯s decision to pass the matter upward was the most logical course of action.

 Chapter 464: Conquest

    Mobilizing forces across star systems is never a task that can bepleted in a short time. The Koya Alliance, after ten years of effort, had managed to assemble just over ten million warships at the border of the Daqi Empire¡¯s territory.


    These ships represented thebined military reserves of several nearby civilizations, while many more fleets were still en route. Given the outer-ring civilizations¡¯ rtively short development time andgging technological advancement, with average speeds of only two to three times the speed of light, the assembly of such a vast fleet within a decade was already remarkably efficient.


    ording to the calctions of various think tanks, this war would take over a hundred years just to mobilize and deploy forces. For factions further away, it would require hundreds or even thousands of years to reach the battlefield.


    But this posed no issue. Predictions suggested that the war would be drawn out and exhaustive. Even if the Swarm was annihted early on, the subsequent struggles for territory and resources would make a swift resolution impossible.


    Should the conflict enter a prolonged stalemate and spread across the entire Interster Technological Confederation, engulfing thousands of star systems and spanning tens of thousands of light-years, the war could potentiallyst tens of thousands of years¡ªor even longer.


    Every faction involved was well aware of these stakes. Yet, while they were still in the process of assembling their forces, the Swarm, long regarded as formidable in defense but weak in offense,unched a sudden and aggressive counterattack.


    No one had anticipated this move. To them, the Swarm was undeniably the weaker party. Shouldn¡¯t the Swarm have patiently awaited thepletion of their enemies¡¯ fleet assembly, endured their attempts to justify action, and then waited for the inevitable Confederation rules to be used against them, followed by the eventual enforcement of sanctions?


    They had even drafted the justification in advance: star systems surrounding newly emerging civilizations should be protected and not preemptively upied. This was merely a slight amendment to existing Interster Technological Confederation regtions.


    Take the rtionship between the Swarm and the Riken as an example. Any territories seized around the Rat Folk and Riken by the Swarm prior to joining the Confederation would, under these new rules, have to be relinquished. The Swarm would have to yield all nearby star systems toply with the revised policy.If the Swarm refrained from responding, that would be fine too¡ªit would still amount to a weakening of their position. Moreover, another set of targeted policies was waiting in the wings. If the Swarm chose not to act, it would be tantamount to a slow death. If they did act, it would hand their enemies a legitimate excuse to strike.


    After all, everything had to be recorded in history. It wouldn¡¯t look good for the Confederation to appear as if it were ganging up on a civilization less than a thousand years old. They needed to maintain the moral high ground.


    But the Swarm dared! The Swarm dared! While this was the reaction they had hoped to provoke, they hadn¡¯t expected it so soon!


    Skipping these procedural steps changed everything. The Swarm was defying them? Did they not fear annihtion at the hands of the New Ji Race and the Interster Technological Confederation?


    Outrage erupted. Self-righteous indignation and scathing condemnations poured forth from every corner.


    But did the Swarm care? Did Luo Wen care? Since they were destined to be enemies and a battle was inevitable, why not disrupt their ns as much as possible? Losing the moral high ground¡ªwhat of it?


    If the Swarm annihted its enemies, transforming their civilizations into production bases, wouldn¡¯t history simply be written by Luo Wen?


    Besides, by then, anyone with ess to historical records would already be a loyal member of the Swarm. What difference would it make what those records said?


    A hundred million Primordial bodies set off from the Neighboring Star System, heading toward the Riken System at three times the speed of light. The Swarm had once been expelled from this region by the Confederation. Now, it was time to reim it. ??£Î§à??S


    Simultaneously, the Swarm unveiled its Warp Drive technology to the watching civilizations for the first time. This revtion delivered a resounding p to those who had long proimed the Swarm¡¯s speed disadvantage and inadequate offensive capabilities.


    Although traveling at three times the speed of light was unremarkable among established civilizations, it was already considered top-tier in the outer-ring. Besides, who could say for sure that the Swarm didn¡¯t have other hidden capabilities?


    The Riken System, roughly five light-years from the Neighboring Star System, had once taken the Swarm or the Riken decades to traverse. Now, at three times the speed of light, the Primordial bodies needed less than two years to reach the outskirts of the Riken System.@@novelbin@@


    With over a hundred million Primordial bodies mobilized, such an operation was impossible to conceal. During the more than a year-long journey, most of the New Ji Race and other factions had already fled the Riken System. Betweens, countless abandoned and unrecovered experimental pods drifted in space.


    Of course, there were always exceptions.


    ¡°Swarm! How dare you vite Confederation rules and attack an ally! Withdraw immediately while there¡¯s still a chance to salvage the situation, or when the Confederation fleet arrives, you¡¯ll be doomed to eternal destruction!¡±


    ¡°Cowards! Don¡¯t think hiding behind these bio-weapons will stop us from finding you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think sheer numbers will let you act recklessly! Numbers can never bridge the technological gap!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself in a position of disgrace. You¡¯ll regret it!¡±


    ¡°Do me a favor and just go back!¡±


    Various taunts and admonitions red through public broadcasts toward the Swarm¡¯s Primordial Bodies. Who gave these individuals such confidence to address the Swarm this way was anyone¡¯s guess.


    Because the Swarm¡¯s assault hade so abruptly, the Interster Technological Confederation hadn¡¯t had time to establish a defensive line in the Riken System. At this moment, only fewer than ten thousand Riken warships, alongside a handful of fixed defense facilities, were left to defend the region.


    However, the Riken had already been taught a painful lesson by the Swarm once before. With their internal systems infiltrated by the Swarm to the point of copse, the Riken Council, after weighing their options, decisively announced their surrender to protect their citizens and avoid unnecessary losses.


    Thus, the Swarm reimed the Riken System without breaking a sweat. Construction resumed at Raze, Izumo, and the Sr Orbital Swarm Bases, restoring their previous structures and operations.


    As for the loud voices earlier, the reality was far less courageous. Those individuals had long since fled to unknown locations. The ones left behind in the Riken System were merely a few cannon fodder or remotely controlled robots ying pre-recorded messages.


    But Luo Wen, though generally not one to hold grudges, made a note of these provocateurs¡¯ names in his ledger. He ordered the Intelligent Entities lurking in enemy territory to covertly track and mark their locations.


    The universe is vast, but no matter where these individuals tried to hide, Luo Wen was determined to one day deliver his message of ¡°reconciliation.¡±


    When that day came, he was certain they would be ¡°pleasantly surprised.¡±


    With the Riken System back under Swarm control, the Swarm temporarilyy low.


    The Neighboring Star System, serving as the Swarm¡¯s overt royal stronghold, had drawn plenty of hatred. Now, with the Riken System acting as a buffer zone, the Neighboring Star System was no longer directly exposed to the enemy¡¯s line of sight.

 Chapter 465: Discussion

    A New Era!


    Year One!


    This was the year Luo Wen flipped the table, the year the Swarm dispatched forces tounch an aggressive attack on the Riken Star System and the Interster Technological Confederation. It was the year the Swarm broke its dormancy and shifted its strategic thinking¡ªa year marking the start of an epic war.


    Tomemorate this event and to provide a meaningful and auspicious beginning for the new era, Luo Wen decided to separate it from the past. From this moment on, it would be the start of a new era.


    And this year was designated as Year One.


    In the first year of the new era, the Swarm dispatched 100 million Primordial bodies to the Riken Star System.


    At the end of Year Two, the swarm of Primordial bodies reached the Riken Star System, leading to the surrender of the Riken people, and the Swarm regained control of the region.


    Back when the Rikens and Rat Folk joined the Interster Technological Confederation, the Swarm had withdrawn all its overt forces to the Neighboring Star System. This Neighboring Star System was the second star system controlled by the Swarm, with the Riken Star System being the third.


    The military units produced in the first, second, and third star systems were concentrated together. One can imagine how vast the Swarm¡¯sbat forces in the Neighboring Star System truly were.Even after dispatching 100 million Primordial bodies, the star¡¯s brightness observed from the Neighboring Star System showed barely any increase. It wasn¡¯t until the Swarm reinforced the Riken Star System with another 1 billion units during the third year of the new era that the star¡¯s luminosity showed a noticeable rise.


    The blue luminescent spots scattered across the Primordial bodies made them look both mysterious and beautiful. They orderly departed from the Sr Orbital Swarm Base near the star, forming a dazzling blue light trail in space, resembling a small gxy¡ªmagnificent and awe-inspiring.@@novelbin@@


    After moving a certain distance from the star, the warp bubbles enveloped them, propelling them toward the Riken Star System.


    Although the Interster Technological Confederationcked precise data on the Swarm¡¯s reinforcement numbers, calctions from various data sources allowed them to derive an almost urate figure.


    ¡°Over 1 billion 500-meter-ss Space Octopuses?¡±


    ¡°My god, how can there be so many?¡±


    ¡°ording to intelligence, this number doesn¡¯t even ount for two-tenths of the Swarm¡¯s forces stationed in the Neighboring Star System.¡±


    ¡°Hiss~ While we already had a rough estimate of their numbers when the Swarm withdrew from the Neighboring Star System, I never imagined it could be this massive!¡±


    ¡°This is going to be a real headache.¡±


    The sheer number of Swarmbat units exceeded everyone¡¯s imagination. It was no wonder the Interster Technological Confederation was so shocked. To put it into perspective, the Koya Alliance had been mobilizing for so long and only managed to assemble a fleet of 10 million ships. Compared to the Swarm¡¯s 1 billion-unit force, it was utterly insignificant. ?¨¢£Î???¨º?


    After all, the Swarm¡¯s cost of producing units was incredibly low. Over the years, countless half-meter-long Space Octopusrvae had grown into Primordial bodies.


    Furthermore, the Swarm was no longer just about numbers; their quality had reached the upper-middle levels within the Outer-ring territories. The three-light-year deployment speed created an overwhelming sense of crisis for all alien civilizations.


    Particrly for the Koya Alliance, which had twice leveraged diplomatic maneuvers against the Swarm and initiated proposals forcing the Swarm to make concessions. At this moment, they felt a deep chill.


    Since the Swarm dared to tantly tear up the alliance treaties, attacking and upying the Riken Star System, it would have no qualms about continuing its assaults on the Koya Alliance.


    While they still firmly believed the Interster Technological Confederation would eventually secure victory, that might take hundreds or even thousands of years. The Swarm¡¯s immediate threat, however, was already at their doorstep.


    Before the Swarm could be suppressed, the Koya Alliance had to hold out until reinforcements arrived.


    The Koya Alliance urgently convened several meetings.


    ¡°I opposed taking the lead in this matter from the beginning. Why provoke the Swarm? Who exactly is selling out our alliance¡¯s interests?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! When the pressure was put on the Rikens, our race wasn¡¯t involved.¡±


    ¡°Rubbish! You weren¡¯t involved because you were too far away and couldn¡¯t make it in time! And as for the rest of you, the action was approved in the meetings. You may not have supported it outright, but you didn¡¯t explicitly oppose it either. And now you¡¯re dredging up old grievances? You don¡¯t seem to have anyints about the benefits you¡¯ve already reaped.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no one here is clean. Go ahead and ask the Swarm¡ªwhen they attack, do you think they¡¯ll spare any of you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The meeting unfolded in a ¡°harmonious¡± atmosphere and continued until its conclusion. Although many factions hurled usations at one another¡ªespecially the Daqi race, who were thoroughlymbasted as the instigators¡ªeveryone understood one thing: the Swarm would not spare them.


    Nevertheless, the meeting yielded some results.


    Within the Koya Alliance, every faction entered the highest state of war readiness. Citizens meeting specific criteria were forcibly conscripted, and virtually all resources were redirected to military efforts.


    Massive space factories were constructed and assembled, asteroids lined up to be dismantled at designated sites, and warships were built one after another. Alongside them, waves of green recruits were sent to the front lines.


    Under its previous peacetime military posture, the Koya Alliance had maintained a fleet of approximately 100 million warships. This number was sufficient to safeguard its territory,bat piracy, and handle most emergencies. After all, an excessivelyrge fleet would ce an immense maintenance burden on the member races.


    But now, such concerns no longer mattered. The Alliance faced a life-or-death crisis for their entire member civilizations. Any excess resources left behind would only fall into the hands of the enemy if they failed to hold the line.


    As such, by exhausting their reserves and sparing no expense, the Koya Alliance estimated that within 50 years, they could expand their fleet tenfold¡ªor even more.


    Although their warships were not as advanced as those of the Ji race, they still ranged between 2,000 to 3,000 meters in length, making their individualbat capabilities far superior to the 500-meter-ss Space Octopuses of the Swarm.


    Furthermore, the Alliance held the defensive advantage, upying naturally favorable positions. Perhaps they needed only half¡ªor even less¡ªof the Swarm¡¯s forces to repel the attack.


    But this would take time. Until then, they could only elerate the deployment of their existing forces to the front lines and pray the Swarm would not attack. As for the security of their internal territories? In such a monumental conflict, any pirate or rogue faction foolish enough to take advantage of the chaos would be courting death.


    Pirates weren¡¯t fools. At times like this, they kept their heads down. Not only would they avoid taking advantage of the situation, but they would also steer well clear. With so many major factions gathering forces in the region, any pirates unlucky enough to cross paths with an Outer-ring or even Inner-circle powerhouse might find themselves conscripted and sent to the front lines¡ªa surefire one-way ticket.


    By Year Eight of the New Era, the Swarm, having upied the Riken Star System and remained dormant for several years, finally made a move.


    The Swarm assembled a 200 million-strong Primordial body cluster and set out from the Riken Star System. The cluster effortlessly tore through the interferencework surrounding the system. The Swarm¡¯s radar systems resumed operation, rapidly updating their data. They even paused briefly to replot their navigation routes.


    Afterward, the Primordial cluster sped northwest from the Riken Star System, heading toward its next target.

 Chapter 467: Koya

    ¡°Our race had already given up its disputes with the Swarm, but you sought us out, iming you could help us exact vengeance. And now you dare to shift the me onto us!¡±


    ¡°Hah,ughable! And who was it that came running to persuade our race first? Shall I request the internal records and send over the footage?¡±


    ¡°Fine! Back then, our race, unable to swallow its anger, sought help within the alliance, but you all refused. And just when we had given up, you brought it up again! Isn¡¯t that what happened?¡±


    ¡°Enough, stop bickering. The rights and wrongs of the past are irrelevant now. You¡¯re wasting everyone¡¯s time. The priority right now is to devise a response n.¡± As the initiators and strongest members of the alliance, the representative of the Koriato civilization stillmanded significant authority.


    However, the Daqi representative¡¯s earlier remarks of ¡°you all, you all¡± had offended too broad an audience. While the events had indeed unfolded as he described, putting it so bluntly made everyone unhappy and alienated nearly all the other alliance members.


    The Daqi representative, realizing his outburst had been unwise, promptly fell silent, attempting to lower his presence. But the Sivian representative, who had been arguing with him earlier, wasn¡¯t quite ready to let it go.


    ¡°Hmph, in any case, I don¡¯t support directly confronting the Swarm at the Daqi borders.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The Daqi representative¡¯s three eyes red up once more.


    The Sivian representative¡¯s appearance and build were slim and delicate, making him seem frailpared to the fierce and intimidating Daqi representative.Yet, he showed no fear, responding with disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t re at me. The data wepared earlier are just theoretical figures. Have you all forgotten? Before this move, the Swarm¡¯s cruising speed hadn¡¯t even reached half the speed of light.¡±


    At this, his expression grew serious. ¡°I¡¯ve investigated through some channels. The Swarm has never exchanged technology or theories with the Ji race. The only time they coborated with the Rikens was to share a Ji spaceship for a brief period. Everyone here knows what kind of junk that ship was. So, how did the Swarm acquire warp drive technology? And how long has it been since the Swarm¡¯sst major move? I think the Daqi representative is the most qualified to answer that.¡±


    These words silenced the room. Even the previously enraged Daqi representative stopped speaking. This was indeed a pressing question.


    As the technological watershed separating civilizations, the warp drive wasn¡¯t something that could be easily attained. Even the progenitor Ji race, as the dominant force in the Interster Technological Confederation, had endured a ten-thousand-year dark age and nearly wiped itself out in civil wars before achieving it.


    The Swarm had advanced from sublight speeds to the warp era in just over a hundred years. What¡¯s more, they debuted at three times the speed of light. While this level was still inferior to the long-established civilizations, it already surpassed the capabilities of factions like the Daqi civilization.


    This reminded everyone of the intelligence reports that had been previously downyed¡ªor perhaps deliberately ignored¡ªsuggesting that the Swarm possessed technological reserves originating from a higher biological civilization.


    The Sivian representative¡¯s earlier remarks were clear, no one knew the Swarm¡¯s full capabilities or whether three times the speed of light was even their limit. Under such uncertainty, engaging this enemy based on unreliable data would be a massive gamble.


    If the Koya Alliance¡¯s assembled forces were defeated by the Swarm, the entire alliance would be ced in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous position.


    ¡°I agree with the Sivian representative. We cannot face the Swarm head-on at the Daqi borders.¡±


    ¡°I concur. Since the Swarm has chosen a cautious, step-by-step approach, there¡¯s no need for us to throw away forces over a few star systems. Instead, we should abandon them to buy time. This will allow us to fully unleash our war potential, assemble more forces, and deter the Swarm from advancing recklessly or altering their attack trajectory. That would be the wisest course of action.¡±


    ¡°An excellent n!¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡±


    As more Koya Alliance members voiced their support, the Daqi representative gritted his teeth in frustration. This so-called n to ¡°buy time¡± involved sacrificing star systems, which, unsurprisingly, belonged to the Daqi civilization. £Ò?£Î??§¦?


    Moreover, from the tone of the other representatives, it was evident that more than one star system would be abandoned. With the Daqi having only three star systems in total, they were bound to be the first to lose their territory. Without a home, wouldn¡¯t the Daqi race be a wandering, homeless species?


    At this thought, the Daqi representative, unable to care about offending his peers, furiously protested.


    ¡°No! This cannot be allowed. What will happen to our 50 billion citizens?¡±


    The room fell into silence for a moment before the Koriato representative, the leader of the alliance, spoke up. ¡°Representative of Daqi, the Koya Alliance has a responsibility to all its members. We cannot jeopardize everyone¡¯s safety for your sake. However, the Daqi race is one of us, and the Koya Alliance will take responsibility for your people. We will relocate them to safe areas and ensure their well-being, with every member contributing to the effort. Do you agree with this?¡±


    ¡°My race can provide supply ships to assist in relocating the Daqi poption,¡± one member quickly offered, following the leader¡¯s direction.


    ¡°My race can also help with transportation.¡±


    ¡°We have no problem helping with the relocation.¡±


    ¡°Same here¡­¡±


    However, while these offers to assist with transportation sounded generous, the question of where to relocate the Daqi people remained unanswered. As the leader, the Koriato representative had to set an example.


    ¡°The Koriato civilization can provide 1,000rge space survival pods, which, with some modifications, can amodate 8 billion Daqi people. We will also cover their living needs.¡±@@novelbin@@


    Large space survival pods were a variant ofrge ecological ships. These pods were enormous, with highly advanced ecosystems capable of fully simtingary environments. However, their size meant they generallycked the ability for rapid movement.


    These pods were a standard solution for housing excess poptions. With rtively low technological requirements and construction difficulty, even wealthy individuals couldmission custom-made pods tailored to their tastes.


    With their leader setting the example, the other members had no choice but to follow suit.


    ¡°Our race can provide one mineral-rich colony and 200 ecological pods, capable of housing 1.8 billion Daqi people.¡±


    ¡°Our race can provide 300 ecological pods, which can amodate 2.5 billion Daqi people.¡±


    ¡°Our race can¡­¡± Around the room, the various civilizations pledged their contributions ording to their capabilities.


    The Koriato representative was very pleased with this show of support from the members.


    Turning to the Daqi representative, he asked. ¡°Representative of Daqi, with everyone supporting you so generously, what do you think?¡±


    The Daqi representative¡¯s eyes were filled with fury, but he said nothing.


    His silence displeased the Koriato representative, whose expression turned cold. He exchanged a nce with the Sivian representative, silently signaling for further action.

 Chapter 468: Moving Again

    The Sivian representative immediately caught the signal. With a heavy snort, he said, ¡°Representative of Daqi, the Koya Alliance belongs to everyone, not just you. This decision has been approved by all members. Even if you oppose it, it won¡¯t change anything.¡±


    The Daqi representative retorted bitterly, ¡°Our king will never agree!¡±


    ¡°Hmph! Either ept the proposal and preserve everyone¡¯s dignity, or withdraw from the Koya Alliance. After that, we¡¯ll each go our own way. You can report this back and let your king decide!¡± The Sivian representative sneered disdainfully. If it weren¡¯t for the sake of appearances, he wouldn¡¯t even care about the survival of these three-eyed creatures.


    The Daqi representative¡¯s eyes were filled with resentment, but his tone grew eerily calm. ¡°Representative of Sivian, from the way you speak, one might think you were the leader of the Koya Alliance.¡±


    Realizing resistance was futile, the Daqi representative took the opportunity to nt a seed of distrust between the Sivian and Koriato representatives. Hearing his remark, the previously bored representatives of other civilizations suddenly perked up.


    ¡°You!¡± The Sivian representative flushed with anger. He wasn¡¯t worried that Koriato would start doubting the Sivians because of this. What enraged him was the Daqi representative¡¯s petty attempt to sow discord even at this juncture.


    ¡°Enough!¡± The Koriato representative, now visibly annoyed, interjected. With a tone of sincerity, he said, ¡°Representative of Daqi, we all recognize the sacrifices your people are making. But you must not use that as an excuse to act out. Besides, this is only temporary. Once the Swarm is defeated, we will petition the Ji race to prioritizepensating your losses with the Swarm¡¯s territory. What more could you ask for?¡±


    The Daqi representative, ncing at the other representatives¡¯ expressions, understood that further protest would change nothing and might even jeopardize the promised assistance andpensation. However,cking the authority to make an immediate decision, he could only promise to consult with the Daqi king and provide a responseter.


    ¡ª¡°Overlord, the Daqi civilization has begun their full-scale evacuation, and the Koya Alliance fleets stationed at their borders are also retreating. Should we stop them?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Luo Wen replied indifferently. ¡°We¡¯ll just continue advancing steadily. Eventually, they¡¯ll run out of ces to retreat.¡±


    As a civilization located very close to the Swarm¡¯s territory, the Daqi had long been infiltrated by the Swarm¡¯s micro fungal carpet seeds. Over the years, these seeds had developed covertly within the Daqi poption, even converting some of their people into intelligent entities.


    If Luo Wen truly wanted to block the Daqi¡¯s mass migration, activating some hidden assets alongside the advance of the Primordial body clusters would make it entirely feasible.@@novelbin@@


    However, there was no need to do so. Stopping the Daqi would yield little benefit to the Swarm while nullifying the value of the infiltrated intelligent entities.


    Letting them go, on the other hand, would disrupt the Koya Alliance¡¯s order and burden its member states with an additional poption load, further straining their already war-focused resource allocations and intensifying internal conflicts. Moreover, the infiltrated intelligent entities could seize this opportunity to illuminate more star systems, elerating Luo Wen¡¯s growth.


    With Luo Wen determining the Swarm¡¯s strategic direction, the des handled specific operations. Following Luo Wen¡¯s decision, the Swarm made no response to the Koya Alliance¡¯s actions.


    The migration of 50 billion Daqi people was no easy task. The Koya Alliance¡¯s territory spanned hundreds of light-years, and dispersing the Daqi poption across this vast area meant that many of them would likely never see one another again in their lifetimes.


    Thisplex web of social rtionships made achieving a perfect allocation nearly impossible. On top of that, there were those unwilling to leave their homnd, issues of asset calction and conversion, and countless other logistical hurdles.


    If the relocation followed normal procedures, it would likely take 500 years toplete. However, under the pressure of a life-or-death crisis, the military directly intervened, significantly improving efficiency.


    By Year Fifteen of the New Era, after consolidating their hold over the LKDW291 Star System, the Swarm made its next move.


    At 11 o¡¯clock from the LKDW291 Star Systemy the Daqi civilization¡¯s Qi-102 Star System, and at 9 o¡¯clocky their home system, the Qi-101 Star System. The Swarm mobilized a force of 300 million Primordial bodies, splitting into two groups to advance on these two systems.


    Simultaneously, forces in the Sandstorm Star System, the Golden Horn Star System, and the White Grub Star System also began assembling.


    For a moment, the gxy was rife with tension.


    It was easy to predict that the Swarm would target the Daqi civilization¡¯s territory. However, the mobilization of forces from the other three star systems caught everyone off guard. ??£Î¨®¦¢§¦??


    The neighboring regions of these three systems weren¡¯t part of the Koya Alliance but belonged to the Locke Mutual Aid Society. Among its founding civilizations was the Troi civilization, a faction that had once fostered seemingly friendly rtions with the Swarm. In fact, it was the Troi civilization that initially invited the Swarm to join the Interster Technological Confederation.


    At one point, the Troi had even signed an agreement with the Swarm. The Swarm would not be forced to sendrge numbers of researchers to the Ji race, and in return, the Swarm agreed not to expand in the direction of the Confederation.


    This agreement, however, exposed the fragile and superficial nature of their so-called friendship. The Swarm, after all, never had genuine allies, and the hollowness of their ¡°friendship¡± was nowid bare.


    Having overturned the table, Luo Wen felt no burden in tearing up the agreement. Just one year after deploying forces to the LKDW291 Star System¡ªin Year Sixteen of the New Era¡ªthe Swarmunched attacks from the Sandstorm, Golden Horn, and White Grub Star Systems, assembling a force of over 500 million Primordial bodies.


    The assault came so suddenly that, although the Locke Mutual Aid Society had detected the Swarm¡¯s movements a year prior, they never imagined the Swarm would dare to wage multi-front warfare, simultaneously antagonizing two major Outer-ring alliances.


    Compounding the issue, there were no buffer systems between the Locke Mutual Aid Society and the Sandstorm, Golden Horn, and White Grub Star Systems. This allowed the Swarm to breach Locke territory within two years.


    Caught unprepared, the Locke Mutual Aid Society¡ªstill mocking the Koya Alliance for their evacuation efforts¡ªfound themselves in a simr predicament. Although they had been gathering forces, they deliberately chose assembly points deep within their territory to avoid provoking the Swarm or drawing its ire.


    Consequently, their fleets couldn¡¯t possibly reach the front lines in just two years. Worse still, their assembled fleets were woefully outnumbered and incapable of contending with the overwhelming force of 500 million Primordial bodies.


    With no other options, the Locke Mutual Aid Society was forced to issue emergency evacuation orders. Fortunately, the star systems bordering Swarm territory were newly developed by member factions, with low development levels, making the evacuation process rtively manageable.


    Just days prior, the Locke Mutual Aid Society had been criticizing the Koya Alliance for their evacuation strategies. Now, the same fate had befallen them.


    The Koya Alliance, despite being overwhelmed with their own troubles, even found time to send ¡°congrattory messages,¡± adding insult to injury. Humiliated, the Locke Mutual Aid Society quickly fired back with a simr message of mockery.


    Interestingly, this exchange of barbs eventually brought the two bitter rivals together. Faced with a shared crisis, they began discussing ways to jointly resist the Swarm¡¯s advance.

 Chapter 469: Hidden Mines

    Faced with the relentless advance of the Swarm, the Koya Alliance and the Locke Mutual Aid Society¡ªlong-time rivals¡ªfound themselves reluctantly joining forces.


    However, even this alliance offered little practical benefit, as both sides were under simultaneous attack by the Swarm and unable to spare forces to aid one another. In essence, their cooperation was more symbolic, serving only to offer moral support and encouragement.


    In practice, the animosity between these two factions was not easily dissolved. Their remote conference was rife with passive-aggressivepliments and thinly veiled provocations.


    ¡°The Locke Mutual Aid Society may be ourpetitor, but it has always been our role model. Your consistent achievements have been an inspiration, driving us to improve.¡±


    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re too modest. You are the real role model. Throughout our manypetitions, we¡¯ve always found ourselves at a disadvantage. We¡¯re unworthy of such high praise.¡±


    ¡°No, no, your strength is evident to all. We are confident you will annihte the Swarm forces foolish enough to offend you, delivering them a harsh lesson while setting a benchmark for the rest of us.¡±


    ¡°No, no, we¡¯ve always maintained a good rtionship with the Swarm. This time, we¡¯re unsure where the misunderstanding arose, but we are actively engaging them to resolve it. On the other hand, your longstanding conflicts with the Swarm¡ªeven prompting the Ji race to convene two separate Council of Elders meetings¡ªmake it unclear whether our current predicament stems from your entanglements. We sincerely hope you resolve the matter quickly to avoid coteral damage to innocent parties.¡±


    The representatives of the Koya Alliance bristled at this insinuation. No one could predict the Swarm¡¯s next moves, and the possibility of the Swarm temporarily reconciling with the Locke Mutual Aid Society to relieve pressure on their frontlines was a troubling scenario.


    If the Swarm forces from the Sandstorm, Golden Horn, and White Grub Star Systems redirected their focus onto the Koya Alliance, it would spell disaster.¡°The Swarm¡¯s ambitions are obvious to all. Their goal is to devour your territory, and I believe your advisors can see this as well. We urge you to abandon any illusions and actively resist. Strengthen your defenses to avoid inviting the wolves into your house.¡±


    ¡°That is none of your concern. What is concerning, however, is your treatment of your member civilizations. Many factions have already expressed dissatisfaction with your actions.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re hardly in a position to criticize us. Weren¡¯t you the ones who sacrificed your members¡¯ interests to avoid conflict with the Swarm not long ago?¡±


    ¡°Those star systems were unimed regions being developed by a few of our newer members. Their infrastructure was minimal, and the Swarm already had development rights there. Since the Swarm wanted them, we stepped back to preserve our friendship. That¡¯s hardlyparable to your massive relocation of 50 billion citizens.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, that particr member of ours had some disputes with the Swarm. They¡¯ve since recognized their mistake and decided to cede all their territory to the Swarm aspensation. This was their decision, not ours, and we had no choice but to assist in relocating their poption. Fortunately, we¡¯ve managed the situation quite well so far.¡±@@novelbin@@


    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ve never seen someone as shameless as you.¡±


    ¡°You tter me, truly!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, the truth is clear to all. If it were us, we wouldn¡¯t allow ourselves to be humiliated to this extent and still choose to swallow our pride.¡±


    ¡°Talk is cheap. The Swarm is at your doorstep now¡ªgo ahead and challenge them if you dare.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, if we were in your situation, we wouldn¡¯t cower like turtles.¡±


    The two factions squabbled endlessly, each attempting to provoke the other into taking the first action against the Swarm, hoping to divert the Swarm¡¯s attention and alleviate their own pressures.


    Luo Wen, however, paid no mind to this feeble alliance between the Koya Alliance and the Locke Mutual Aid Society. Instead, he proceeded methodically with the Swarm¡¯s established n.


    At the beginning of Year Eighteen of the New Era, the vanguard forces of the Primordial clusters from the Sandstorm, Golden Horn, and White Grub Star Systems arrived at star systems designated as LKDW286, 287, and 288.


    The few alien forces stationed there had already withdrawn, leaving behind some infrastructure. Unlike the Daqi Empire, which had destroyed their facilities during their retreat, these factions left them intact, though their reasons were unclear.


    The Swarm followed its standard procedure, first sweeping for hidden surveince devices and nting fungal carpet seeds, along with mutated Brood Queens, as they awaited the arrival of the main forces.


    Meanwhile, on the Daqi Empire front, the Swarm forces departing from the LKDW291 Star System¡ªdespite setting off earlier than the Sandstorm, Golden Horn, and White Grub clusters¡ªhad yet to arrive. They were significantly dyed.


    This dy was due to the Koya Alliance¡¯s efforts to buy more time for the Daqi civilization¡¯s evacuation. As their border fleets withdrew, they scattered numerous hidden mines throughout the Swarm¡¯s route.


    One particr type of mine was specifically designed to disrupt warp bubbles. These technologically advanced, actively triggered mines could detect warp bubbles within a certain range and release a burst of specialized energy when a warp bubble approached. ?a??¦¢???


    This energy could instantly generate a high-level disturbance, destabilizing the internal structure of the warp bubble and causing parts of it to copse. Such disturbances could severely damage the warships or biological weapons traveling within the bubble.


    In milder cases, structural damage could eject the vessel from warp space; in more severe cases, the copse energy could annihte the target entirely, sending it to oblivion.


    However, these mines had significant drawbacks. First, they were exorbitantly expensive. Just the warp-bubble detection radar alone was costly, not to mention the otherponents. Second, their effective range was extremely limited. The st radius could only affect a few kilometers.


    On aary surface, this range might be devastating, but in the vast expanse of space, it was almost negligible. Consider that these mines needed to be pre-positioned along routes the enemy might traverse. With warp engines operating at speeds well above the speed of light¡ªcovering hundreds of thousands of kilometers per second¡ªthe likelihood of colliding with a stationary mine with such a small effective range was infinitesimally small.


    Additionally, the mines relied on advanced technology and the application of high-level energy, making them difficult to produce. Within the Koya Alliance, only the Koriato civilization, as its leader, had the capability to manufacture them.


    The border fleets did not include Koriato warships. However, one alliance member had acquired some of these mines as part of a military procurement deal with the Koriato civilization. As a goodwill gesture, a few mines had been included as a bonus. By coincidence, the warships carrying these mines were among the first to arrive at the border¡¯s gathering point.


    During their retreat, these mines were jettisoned alongside other types of mines.

 Chapter 470: Disassembly

    When the decision was made by the Koya Alliance to dismantle and abandon the Daqi civilization, the alliance fleet originally assembled at the Daqi border also received orders to withdraw. To buy time for the Daqi civilization¡¯s relocation, they were instructed to deploy all loaded smart mines into the void beyond the star system.


    One type of smart mine, specifically targeting warp travel, though limited in number, caused some trouble when first encountered by the Swarm. In standard warfare, these smart mines are considered to be of little tactical advantage, neither significant enough to keep nor negligible enough to discard. To achieve any sess, they must be deployed over arge area, hoping for the idental interception of enemy forces.


    However, these mines are by no means cheap to produce, making mass deployment difficult. Yet, when this seemingly useless weapon encountered the Swarm¡¯s massive forces, unexpected results emerged.


    In the history of the Koya Alliance, there had never been a war measured in billions of ships. It should be noted that before this, the Daqi civilization operated only half a million warships in regr service. When the Troi civilization exerted pressure on the Swarm, they also mobilized a force of several hundred thousand warships.


    At their level, tens of thousands of warships constituted arge-scale operation. Even in the history of the Interster Technological Confederation, wars with over a hundred millionbat units are rare. And those few warfare instances only met such standards due to the extensive scope of engagement.@@novelbin@@


    In reality, the troop engagements in these wars were more often in the millions, with tens of millions being rare. The Swarm, however, concentrated hundreds of millions of troops within a single star system, which was unprecedented in Alliance history. The density of forces could be imagined.


    Thus, warp-bubble smart mines, a weapon relying on passive engagement, performed exceptionally well due to the high concentration of targets. Over a hundred of these mines destroyed dozens of primordial bodies and severely damaged nearly two hundred, achieving a significant oue.


    Of course, this sess also stemmed from the Swarm¡¯sck of experience with these devices. And considering the cost of a primordial body, it¡¯s hard to say definitively who suffered a loss. Nheless, this novel situation attracted Luo Wen¡¯s attention.


    Upon hismand, the primordial cluster voluntarily ceased warp travel, cautiously proceeding while deploying numerousrval and mature bodies to clear the smart mines in the void.As a result, their advance naturally slowed. This was actually Luo Wen¡¯s intention, because the implementation of warp propulsion modules had significantly increased the deployment speed of the primordial bodies. The distance between adjacent star systems could be crossed in just two to three years. Even ounting for troop deployment and rallying time, it wouldn¡¯t take more than five years.


    However, even five years is far from sufficient for the migration efforts of the Daqi civilization. Luo Wen had been pondering how to ease up without being too obvious or arousing enemy suspicion.


    Honestly, this was a considerable test of the Swarm¡¯s acting prowess. Just as he was revisiting the art of self-cultivation in acting and brainstorming methods, the opposing side conveniently handed him the script, allowing Luo Wen to slow the Swarm¡¯s advance.


    Moreover, the novel smart mines, or rather the application of their energy, genuinely piqued his interest. The actions of the Swarm were continuously monitored; for those small devices with minimal mobility, the Swarm could locate and clear them one by one.


    However, surrounding the Swarm forces were numerous reconnaissance ships. These vessels, highly specialized in their roles, mayck offensive capabilities but excel in sensory acuity, vision, and speed. Utilizing these traits, they patrolled just outside the security line of the primordial cluster. The Swarm had very few effective measures against these pesky observers.


    Fortunately, the billion-strong primordial cluster couldn¡¯t achieve invisibility, and opting for a frontal breakthrough strategy meant being surveilled was inconsequential. Intelligence warfare is unavoidable at any time.


    The encounters of the primordial cluster were captured by these ships and ryed back. In response, the Interster Technological Confederation could only marvel at there being no useless weapons, only improperly used ones. There was no suspicion regarding the Swarm forces¡¯ slowed advance and cautious bypassing of the mines.


    Most factions secretly let out a sigh of relief, especially the Koya Alliance and the Locke Mutual Aid Society, which had alreadye into contact with the Swarm. Since warp mines could restrain the Swarm¡¯s cluster attacks, they could produce more to buy themselves more time.


    The slower the Swarm¡¯s progress, the fewer their losses. As long as they could dy until the big yers from the inner and middle circles entered the battlefield, they could escape their current precarious situation.


    As for the Daqi civilization, their relief was anything but simple. With the primordial cluster¡¯s previous approach, they had barelypleted thirty percent of their migration efforts. If the Swarm had attacked then, they would have faced certain annihtion.


    This situation caused significant panic and led to unrest. Fortunately, divine providence intervened, and the abhorrent Swarm was obstructed by mighty technological creations, allowing them another chance at survival. Furthermore, following this event, the previously uncooperative Daqi, for various reasons, became much morepliant, greatly enhancing the efficiency of the migration efforts.


    Luo Wen did not concern himself with these developments; his focus was already on analyzing the warp mines. Beyond their high cost and limited operational range, these mines had another w. ??N?B¦¥?


    The mines were secured with multiple protocols controlling the special energy but had a single triggering mechanism, making them ineffective against units not engaged in warp travel.


    Moreover, targeting high-speed warp units meant any dy caused by remote control could lead to failure, so they didn¡¯t even have remote triggering systems. Therefore, when ordinary smart mines activated and injured the probingrval and mature bodies, these more advanced mines were inert like stones, easily captured by the Swarm.


    Luo Wen organized arge group of intelligent entities tomence the disassembly work. The Swarm¡¯s current technological level was already advanced; such smart mines, which would be iprehensible to civilizations without the requisite technology, were manageable for the Swarm.


    The functional design was quickly analyzed by the intelligent entities, and, ording to their understanding, the mines were dismantled systematically. Failures led to discussions and reattempts.


    Despite the limited number of these special mines, the Swarm had already captured dozens. With sufficient test samples, the intelligent entities operated more boldly, resulting in some rapid progress.

 Chapter 471: Entry

    As the intelligent entities delved into their research, they discovered that the special energy triggered by these mines upon explosion was produced by a special substance encapsted within the mines. The Swarm was not unfamiliar with this substance, as they had already begun exploring rted areas in their research. This special substance was none other than dark matter.


    Dark matter exists throughout the vast universe, ounting for 27% of the universe¡¯s matter. Theoretically, it is not umon. However, dark matter does not interact with any wavelengths of light and remains unaffected by various light actions. Hence, it cannot be seen or measured using conventional means.


    In this sense, dark matter is somewhat simr to the negative energy previously encountered by the Swarm. However, dark matter is not negative energy. Negative energy ispletely opposite to positive energy; they do not react but rather cancel each other out.


    In contrast, dark matter is a genuine positive energy material. While it does not interact with light, it can react with other positive energy materials. Dark matter contains immense energy, making up one-fourth of the universe¡¯s matter but holding 69% of the universe¡¯s energy, almost 70%. The remaining three-fourths of matter ount for 30%.


    The potential of dark matter is enormous, as indicated by these figures. If there were a way to safely and effectively harness this energy, it would surpass controlled fusion technologyprehensively, bing the new generation of energy sources.@@novelbin@@


    The evolution of energy technology would trigger a series of advancements inplementary technologies. Just as during the development of civilization, learning to use fire as a basic energy conversion technology allowed for the preliminary smelting of metals and the forging of troops equipped with metal weapons and armor.


    Subsequently, the mastery of gunpowder technology elevated instantaneous energy output, leading to the creation of numerous kic weapons. Then, with the acquisition of fossil fuel utilization and refining technologies, new kic weapons such as missiles emerged. However, due to limitations in energy conversion efficiency and output power, many high-power weapons were cumbersome and impractical for actualbat.


    After mastering controlled fusion, weapons considered cumbersome due to fossil energy became morepact with increased conversion efficiency and output power. More powerful kic weapons, such as electromaic railguns, entered practical use. Meanwhile, energy weapons such as energy beams and rays gained practical value.


    Dark energy, which surpasses controlled fusion in energy output efficiency, promises even more significant changes. Previously, energy-output-constrained ray weapons could no longer be limited to short-range defense. Enhanced instantaneous output power would bring more ray weapons onto the battlefield, and bomb power would further increase.The newly appeared type of mines, while merely crudely triggering dark matter to release a massive amount of energy instantaneously, leading to local spatial distortion and interference or destruction of passing warp units, still provided some insights for the Swarm. Prior to this, the Swarm had only reached the stage of observing dark matter and was clueless about harnessing it. Now, with the warp mines as a reference, despite their crude methods, they provided the Swarm a glimpse into the mysteries of dark matter.


    However, the emergence of such technology so early in the conflict caught Luo Wen by surprise. If outer-ring forces could master such technology, the Ji race likely possessed even more advanced versions.


    Luo Wen silently reminded himself that the Swarm must remain vignt in this area to avoid being outmaneuvered by strange weapons. Just like the initial encounter with the sub-light multi-headed nuclear ¡°Crimson Kiss,¡± which had caused significant damage to the Swarm.


    As days passed, even though Luo Wen endeavored to reasonably suppress the Swarm¡¯s advance speed within usible limits, all the smart mines could not withstand the exhaustive search conducted by the boundless Swarm forces for long.


    By the end of the neenth year of the New Era, the Swarm finally entered the territories of the Daqi race¡¯s two star systems. The Koya Alliance fleet, which had been assembled at the front line and withdrew, assisted in relocating arge number of Daqi citizens.


    Initially, the Daqi people were somewhat uncooperative, but facing the immense threat of the advancing Swarm, they eventuallypleted most of their migration before the Swarm breached the minefield.


    When the primordial cluster entered the star systems, they found devastation left in the wake of a hurried evacuation. Unlike LKDW291, perhaps due to time constraints, the Daqi did not destroy all the assets they couldn¡¯t take with them.


    At this point, the Swarm¡¯s technological advancement far surpassed that of the Daqi civilization, rendering any relics left behind insignificant for technological gains. Thus, the Swarm was indifferent to thepleteness of the abandoned items.


    Naturally, they wouldn¡¯t be left untouched; even though some artifacts might hold historical value or significance, the Swarm had no young needing history lessons. Consequently, everything would be recycled and repurposed by the Swarm.


    That said, from a certain perspective, the Swarm preferred not to see relics too intact, as it doesn¡¯t reduce their workload. Instead, it sometimes creates issues. As the Swarm methodically proceeded with system upation, the previously dormant defense systems unexpectedly reactivated. Defense weapons came online, and after a simple self-check, theyunched assaults on the unsuspecting primordial bodies.


    Luo Wen was actually aware of this potential situation because the number of Daqi intelligent entities was considerable, with several even holding high positions. Naturally, they could obtain rtively hidden intelligence.


    After the Daqi civilization decided to evacuate, some people unwilling to leave their homnd stayed behind. Additionally, a number of serious criminals were not taken away. Operating on a principle of ¡°waste utilization,¡± the Daqi left part of the defense system¡¯s control to these individuals when departing, and even armed them.


    However, most remaining Daqi were on livings or colonies and could not immediately threaten the Swarm. The current attack was operated by artificial intelligence systems.


    The Daqi royal family harbored resentment towards the Koya Alliance, whom they felt betrayed them, but they despised the Swarm even more, holding them responsible for everything that happened. Unwilling to leave their homes without a fight, even in their absence, they aimed to cause trouble for the Swarm. Though the Daqi had departed, the AI systems steadfastly remained operational.


    Nevertheless, due to several reasons, Daqi civilization¡¯s advancements in AI technology were mediocre. To date, they could only facilitate auxiliary equipment operation.


    Moreover,putational power and authority restrictions prevented them from controlling multiple devices simultaneously. During wartime, coordinated joint operations required human intervention for sess. ??????¨º?

 Chapter 473: Fear

    The Ji artificial intelligence demonstrated extraordinary coordination and strategic capabilities. Fighting against it was entirely different from engaging other alien forces. Under the control of the Ji AI, the Daqi defensive lines executed maneuvers with astonishing precision¡ªrelocating forces, concentrating fire, and other actions were seamless.@@novelbin@@


    In previous battles, the Swarm often relied on its overwhelming execution capabilities to secure victory. However, in some areas, the Ji AI surpassed even the Swarm.


    But in the face of absolute numbers, such advantages became irrelevant. The Swarm¡¯s charging forces formed into lines, and even when the Primordial Units at the front were struck, their massive bodies provided partial cover for those behind them, absorbing iing firepower.


    The charging lines grew longer and more numerous, overwhelming the Daqi defensive positions, which could not target them all. Eventually, Primordial Units breached the effective range of the defenses. Their storagepartments opened, releasing countlessrval and mature bodies onto the battlefield.


    Thanks to continuous gic optimization, space octopuses had enhanced energy efficiency. This allowedrval and mature bodies to operate effectively even without the energy support of an Atomic Furnace.


    The result inbat was clear: the Primordial Units could deploy these smaller units from a greater distance.


    The endless swarm ofrval and mature bodies ced an even greater strain on the already overstretched Daqi firepowerwork. A chain reaction followed¡ªmore Primordial Units reached effective deployment range, releasing even morerval and mature bodies into the fray.


    However, the Daqi¡¯s defensive instations were already abandoned assets, so losses were of little concern. Operating in overdrive, the systems ignored damage and wear, focusing solely on maximizing output within their limited lifespan.


    Some cannons began sparking, and energy transmission pipelines neared their breaking point. Suddenly, one orbital cannon, overwhelmed by its load, short-circuited. A cascade of failures followed, culminating in a massive explosion.The explosion of the orbital cannon seemed to trigger a chain reaction, as one defensive weapon after another self-destructed. At this rate, the Swarm didn¡¯t even need to do much¡ªsimply stalling for time would cause the defenses to destroy themselves.


    By this point, however,rge numbers of Swarmbat units had reached the Daqi defensive line, initiating close-quartersbat¡ªan area where the Swarm excelled. The fate of the Daqi line, once engaged in melee, was sealed.


    It didn¡¯t take long before only a few units in the Daqi defensive line remained capable of sustaining fire. As formidable as the Ji AI was, itcked sufficient forces at its disposal. All it had were static units, making any innovative strategies nearly impossible.


    These static defenses might have been far more effective ifplemented by dynamic units like warships or drones. In that case, theirbat potential would have been on an entirely different level.


    Unfortunately, all mobile units had departed with the main forces. With threats in space and on the uninhabiteds resolved, the Swarm resumed its operations methodically.


    Some units began clearing the battlefield, while others dismantled monitoring devices. Everything proceeded in an orderly fashion.


    ¡ª


    ¡°The Swarm¡¯sbat approach is both brutal and effective. Without a significant technological gap orparable numbers, it¡¯s nearly impossible to stop this kind of assault,¡± remarked many alien analysts after reviewing the battle footage transmitted from Daqi 101 and Daqi 102.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If the Koya Alliance had participated in the defense, perhaps the oue could have been different.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, among the outer-ring factions, no single race¡¯s military force can rival the Swarm. They can only trade territory for time to regroup. If they were to engage the Swarm head-on now, wouldn¡¯t the sacrifices made so far be in vain?¡±


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m just saying. Why are you so worked up? What does it matter how much those other races lose? Honestly, I think it would be better if the Swarm wiped them all out¡ªit¡¯d free up some space.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. The Ji wouldn¡¯t allow that to happen. They still need those smaller races to wave gs and shout slogans.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Twenty years have passed since the Swarmunched its offensive. If the Ji forces stationed nearby were as ready as you im, they should already be at the battlefield. But the reality is that they¡¯re still gathering their forces, with no departure date in sight.¡±


    ¡°Ah, the Ji are no longer what they used to be. This current generation of sessors has split into multiple factions, locked in internal conflicts. Who knows what they¡¯re even thinking.¡± ?????¦¥??


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing? It gives us opportunities. Still, their artificial intelligence¡ªnow that¡¯s something worth watching.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. When was thest time the Ji deployed their artificial intelligence? In my lifetime, I haven¡¯t heard of such a thing. I never thought they¡¯d approve the Daqi¡¯s request for AI assistance this time.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The legendary Lumina, even now, remains beyond their full control. They can only rely on various methods to restrain it. It¡¯s said that the Ji¡¯s artificial intelligence programs are all derived from Lumina¡¯s subroutines. The fact that they dared to deploy it at all was a shock to everyone.¡±


    ¡°Still, the Ji AI performed exceptionally well this time. Its ability to coordinate andmand in battle far surpasses ourmand systems. Unfortunately, even the most skilled chef cannot cook without ingredients¡ªthere¡¯s little more we can glean from this.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s better that way. ording to historical records, fleetsmanded by Lumina were an unstoppable force. Thankfully, the New Ji race are fools who keep it suppressed. Otherwise, very few would dare involve themselves in the Swarm¡¯s affairs.¡±


    ¡°After this battle, who knows how many factions will have their long-buried fears reawakened? Perhaps that¡¯s why the Ji allowed their AI to take action this time.¡±


    ¡°Hah, in the past, everyone held back their cards, but the Swarm¡¯s prize has grown sorge that many are now willing to risk everything. Maybe the New Ji have already realized they¡¯re losing control of the situation.¡±


    ¡°Do you think they would truly let Lumina step into the fray?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. They¡¯ve spent so long building their power bit by bit within the rules. If it were you, would you give up the authority you¡¯ve amassed?¡±


    ¡°Ah, power truly is a poison, yet it¡¯s so intoxicating¡­ Now it all depends on just how big a prize the Swarm turns out to be. I can¡¯t wait to see how this unfolds.¡±


    ¡°Our race won¡¯t arrive at the battlefield for at least another century. Hopefully, we¡¯ll have the chance to witness this grand spectacle up close.¡±


    All in all, this war ended quickly. The newborn civilizations treated it as a spectacle and began debating whether to develop artificial intelligence.


    Meanwhile, the veteran factions found their old nightmares reawakened. Some chose to withdraw entirely, while others decided to face the challenge head-on, risking everything.


    None of this, however, concerned Luo Wen. As the protagonist of these events, the Swarmpleted their tasks of salvaging resources and clearing monitoring devices before turning their sights toward the remaining habitables.

 Chapter 474: Clearing

    The lifes previously conquered by the Swarm were either like Neighboring, whichcked advanced intelligent life, or like the Rikens, where the Swarm had infiltrated for centuries, prompting a surrender as soon as the Swarm army approached.


    However, in terms of directly conquering a through hardbat in a short period, the Swarm had no prior experience. This operation presented a valuable opportunity for the Swarm to conduct such an exercise and learn from it.


    When devising the battle n, Luo Wen encountered a dilemma: this type ofbat exercise would be most effective if conducted covertly, away from the prying eyes of external observers. To achieve this, their surveince channels had to be destroyed or blocked.@@novelbin@@


    The reconnaissance ships in space, equipped with quantummunication devices and relying on their speed, continued hovering near the Swarm forces. However, they dared not get too close. As long as the Swarm sealed off the exercise area and deployed interference devices, these ships¡¯ long-distance observation methods would bergely ineffective, providing at best vague data. Moreover, the lifes¡¯ atmospheres served as natural barriers against surveince.


    Within the star system, the Swarm had already cleared out all monitoring devices. The only remaining surveince devices were on the lifes themselves. These devices were far more numerous and omnipresent, making it impossible for the Swarm to destroy them all before thes were fully conquered¡ªa task inherently contradictory to their n.


    Fortunately, transmitting the surveince data beyond the Swarm¡¯s blockade to the outside world was not an easy feat. There was only one method for such transmission, quantummunication devices.


    These instant quantummunication systems could not be intercepted¡ªnot by the Swarm and not even by the Ji. While the information itself could not be stopped, the devices transmitting it could be destroyed.


    If the Swarm managed to eliminate the quantummunication devices, the two lifes would be isted information inds. No matter how much intelligence the monitoring devices collected, it would be useless without a way to transmit it.


    The problem, however, was that the quantummunication facilities of the Daqi were hidden in extremely secretive locations. Even within the Daqi civilization, their existence was highly ssified, and very few Daqi individuals knew their exact positions.By a stroke of luck¡ªor perhaps carelessness¡ªLuo Wen had uncovered the locations of these hidden facilities. But how he came to know of them was a closely guarded secret of the Swarm itself.


    If the Swarm destroyed these facilities with surgical precision to ensure the secrecy of their exercise, it would inevitably raise suspicion among their enemies, possibly revealing some of the Swarm¡¯s methods. On the other hand, leaving them operational would result in continuous transmission of intelligence to the outside.


    Fortunately, the Swarm now had full control over the region, and external factions could not mount a counterattack anytime soon. This allowed Luo Wen to take his time preparing these twos as testing grounds.


    The Primordial Cluster split into smaller units, with tens of thousands of Primordial bodies upying the lifes¡¯ orbits. The atmosphere, a double-edged sword, effectively protected against external attacks but weakened outgoing strikes.


    For example, electromaic projectiles would burn up upon entering the atmosphere. Even if constructed from more robust materials, the cost would rise sharply, and the projectiles would still lose much of their power due to resistance during flight through the atmosphere.


    Simrly, energy beams or ray-based weapons would experience elerated energy dissipation and refraction upon crossing the atmosphere. Consequently, the two Daqi lifescked significant capabilities to mount attacks against spaceborne targets.


    The few remaining ground-based cannons on thes were quickly destroyed by the Swarm as soon as they revealed their firing locations. The Swarm didn¡¯t even need to rely on electromaic railguns or other sophisticated weaponry; they simply dropped rods made of specialized metals from orbit. The kic energy generated from their descent was devastating, creating impacts more destructive than nuclear explosions.


    With the resistance forces eliminated, the Primordial Units encircled thes, releasing electromaic interference to prevent signals from being transmitted off to the reconnaissance ships outside the system.


    Afterward, the Swarm dropped several spore pods onto the¡¯s surface.


    The Swarm¡¯s actions quickly piqued the interest of the observing factions. Since the quantummunication devices on the lifes had not yet been destroyed, they could still monitor the battlefield in real time.


    The footage of the spore pods being dropped from orbit was captured by numerous instruments. The observers assumed that the Swarm would immediatelyunch a ground offensive. To their surprise, the Primordial Units simply ceased all activity after dropping the pods, entering what seemed like a dormant state.


    ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. Maybe they¡¯re conducting some kind of experiment.¡±


    ¡°Send someone to check what they¡¯ve dropped on the surface, immediately.¡±


    The Ji AI, while having lost control of all space-deployed weapons, stillmanded the electronic systems on the Daqis. Additionally, it retained the assistance of a few remaining Daqi individuals and convicts who had stayed behind on the lifes. ????????¨§?


    Some convicts, realizing their grim fate, had gone rogue and were executed by the AI. The Ji AI operated with no ethical restrictions on harming alien species and eliminated these potential troublemakers without hesitation.


    The remaining Daqi people, regardless of their reasons for staying, had fully epted the Ji AI¡¯smand. After receiving the observers¡¯ requests and performing its own calctions, the AI quickly dispatched a mixed squad of robots and Daqi personnel to investigate the spore podnding sites.


    The spore pods¡¯ drop locations had been meticulously calcted by the Intelligent Entities, targeting remote wilderness areas. The mixed squad, traveling in transport airships, soon spotted the remnants of the spore pods from a distance. The crash site was littered with purple-gray organic tissue and fluids, but the contents of the pods had disappeared.


    ¡°This is TLAS3607. No signs of danger at the site. Requesting permission tond.¡± Several airships circled the crash site at a safe distance, but the visible destruction offered little insight. The squad leader requested permission tond for closer inspection.


    ¡°Permission granted. Proceed with caution,¡± came a cold, mechanical voice through themunication channel. While the AI expressed concern for safety, there was no trace of emotion in its tone.


    The squad leader grimaced but knew better than to expect more from an artificial intelligence. He gestured to his team, and the airships adopted a scattered formation,nding around the spore pod crash site.


    Several all-terrain robots emerged from the airships first, advancing without fear to clear the path. Behind them, a group of Daqi soldiers cautiously followed, weapons at the ready.


    Suddenly, the robots emitted a shrill rm. A blue arc of light shed ahead, and before anyone could react, a cold voice in themunication channel managed to utter a single syble. ¡°Intru¡ª¡± before being drowned out by the sound of static.

 Chapter 475: The Trap

    ¡°Ah!¡± The harsh static transitioned into an even more piercing buzzing sound. Several Daqi team members couldn¡¯t bear it any longer, hastily removing their helmets and throwing them to the ground. Fortunately, since they were on a life, removing their helmets didn¡¯t cause any difort from the environment.


    They shook their heads, trying to clear the disorientation caused by the sudden noise. The intense buzzing had inflicted significant harm, leaving some team members retching, while others already had blood seeping from their noses and mouths.


    After a while, they began to recover slightly.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Captain, it¡¯s an EMP!¡± shouted one of the Daqi soldiers. However, the deafening sound had left most of them temporarily hearing-impaired. The team leader, still dizzy and disoriented, couldn¡¯t make out what was being said.


    The captain struggled against the lingering effects, tapping his own helmeted head, but the noise and disorientation rendered him unable to hear anything clearly.


    The soldier, physically sturdier than the captain and having been positioned further back during the EMP detonation, had recovered more quickly. He dragged himself closer to the captain and used his weapon to draw the letters ¡°EMP¡± in the dirt.


    The captain rubbed his eyes, focusing on the roughly scrawled letters. He nodded grimly. Although the Swarm predominantly relied on biotechnology, their mastery of controlled fusion and maic field technology was highly advanced. Deploying an EMP device was well within their capabilities.


    What puzzled him, however, was why the Swarm would ce an EMP here instead of a high-yield explosive. Wouldn¡¯t a bomb have been far more effective? The all-terrain robots that had been leading the way were now disabled, their circuits sparking as theyy inert.


    The Daqi had taken most of their valuable assets with them during their evacuation. Large defensive instations had to be left behind due to size, but smaller equipment, such as advanced robots, had been taken wherever possible. The robots left behind were older models, which, though equipped with basic EMP shielding, had failed to withstand such a close-range detonation.The captain, a retired soldier who had refused to leave his homnd, cursed under his breath at the poor performance of the robots. If they had been equipped with thetestbat models, they wouldn¡¯t have fared so poorly.


    He picked up his discarded helmet and tested it. Themunications system was damaged, leaving thempletely cut off from themand center. For a veteran ustomed to modern warfare with constant ess to remote intelligence support, the absence of such resources was unsettling.


    Stifling his unease, the captain gestured for his team to press on toward the Swarm¡¯s spore pod impact site. If the Swarm hadn¡¯t destroyed the area with a bomb, they must have had a specific purpose, and the crash site might hold some clues.


    Suddenly, he looked up into the distance. Several small ck dots were rapidly approaching. Using the binocr function on his helmet, he recognized the familiar shapes and markings¡ªthey were drones from their own forces, dispatched as reinforcements by themand center.


    Just as he began to feel a sliver of relief, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air, growing louder by the second. The Daqi soldiers instinctively looked up, spotting a small ck dot hurtling toward them, rapidly growingrger.


    The captain only had time to shout a curse before the ck dot transformed into a metallic rod. In an instant, the rod mmed into the ground with unimaginable force,unching the team into the air and knocking them unconscious.


    The impact shattered the crust of the, sending a shockwave rippling outward, carrying debris and dirt far into the distance. The arriving Daqi drones wobbled midair in the aftermath of the shockwave, struggling to stabilize themselves before finally regaining theirposure.


    At this point, the site of the Swarm¡¯s spore pod impact¡ªand the Daqi squad¡ªhadpletely disappeared, leaving nothing but a smallva pool. Dark red magma seeped from fissures in the ground.


    From the EMP detonation to the current state of the area, only a few minutes had passed. The Swarm¡¯s EMP st had a limited range, covering less than 100 meters. While the strike team waspletely cut off, monitoring systems further away remained unaffected. ?????¦Â??


    Thus, the Daqimand center and the hidden observers watched the entire sequence of events unfold in real-time. The EMP detonation and the orbital rod strike had urred almost simultaneously.


    From the moment the strike team stepped into the st radius, their fate was sealed. Even if they had attempted to retreat immediately, the destruction of their airships¡¯ electronic systems ensured they would not have escaped the subsequent devastation.@@novelbin@@


    ¡°This was a trap!¡±


    ¡°You think? Even an idiot could see that. The question is¡ªwhy would the Swarm go to such lengths?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. They had countless simpler ways to eliminate that squad, yet they chose such an borate method.¡±


    ¡°Maybe someone in the Daqi squad was an important figure,¡± suggested one observer.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± A Daqi representative retorted, ¡°If anyone of value had stayed behind, they would¡¯ve been forcibly evacuated long ago, even against their will.¡±


    ¡°Then what if someone impersonated an ordinary soldier and defected to the Swarm? The Swarm could be staging this scene to make us think they¡¯re dead, while secretly taking them away,¡± proposed another.


    ¡°That¡¯s absurd. If they wanted to take someone, they could do it openly. Do you think the scraps the Daqi left behind could stop them?¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily. Perhaps their goal wasn¡¯t those individuals at all. Maybe this was just a rehearsal, testing whether we could uncover their real intentions. Next time, it might be you or me they n to deceive.¡±


    ¡°While your idea sounds far-fetched, I agree they¡¯re conducting some sort of exercise or experiment. Elena, analyze the data from earlier.¡±


    Elena, the artificial intelligence sent by the Ji for support,cked emotions and couldn¡¯t grasp the concept of absurdity. But data analysis was its forte.


    A momentter, its mechanical voice responded: ¡°All 191 video data streams from the incident have been reviewed. The identities of all participants are verified as authentic. Behavioral patterns from the past 72 hours were analyzed, with no indications of falsification. Frames surrounding the Swarm weapon¡¯s impact with the ground¡ªspanning 30 seconds before and after¡ªwere slowed by a factor of 1,000 and scrutinized. No signs of Swarm interference were detected. All squad members confirmed deceased.¡±


    The analysts nodded, epting Elena¡¯s report without question.


    ¡°So, why would the Swarm go to such lengths?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they simply didn¡¯t want us to know what was inside that projectile.¡±


    ¡°But if that were the case, why not just destroy it themselves after itnded?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they¡¯re trying to mislead us.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Swarm had always presented itself as an efficient and goal-oriented species. It didn¡¯t take unnecessary actions; everything it did served a purpose. Luo Wen, however, often sought to obfuscate his enemies by performing seemingly meaningless actions to confuse their observations.


    But in this case, the action was far from meaningless.


    The opponent currently facing the Swarm was the Ji¡¯s artificial intelligence,manding a hodgepodge of second-rate forces.


    This was a prime opportunity to test and document the AI¡¯s responses to various scenarios in a highly controlled and low-risk environment.

 Chapter 478: Testing

    What about theck of native gic samples forary invasions before this?


    This issue was easily addressed. When the Swarm¡¯s Recon Bugs appeared on a, obtaining native biological samples became a trivial task. These samples were uploaded through the Swarm Network to Luo Wen, who calibrated and modified the gic data before sending it back. This allowed the Brood Queens to undergo gic adaptation tailored to the local environment.


    As time passed, reconnaissance ships from the Interster Technological Confederation repeatedly attempted to breach the Swarm¡¯s blockade to uncover what schemes the Swarm might be plotting. However, with new Swarm units arriving on the front lines daily, the fleet achieved nothing but the loss of nearly a hundred scout vessels.


    Meanwhile, inside the Daqis, an eerie calm prevailed, as though the war had already ended. Yet all the remaining Daqi inhabitants knew this was pure fantasy. The Swarm units gathered in near orbit were so numerous they almost blocked out the sunlight. They weren¡¯t simply sunbathing; everyone understood they were plotting something ominous.


    The heavy psychological pressure weighed down on the remaining Daqi, filling them with regret for their hasty decision to stay behind. Many wished they could turn back time and make a different choice. Now, isted from the outside world, they could only wait helplessly for the inevitable oue they so feared.


    Monthster, the long-standing silence was shattered by piercing rms in an underground Daqi base.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± demanded the Daqimander, his emotions aplicated mix of tension and resignation.


    Hearing the rms, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief, as though the guillotine hanging above him had finally dropped, ending the agonizing anticipation.


    ¡°Commander, something is rapidly approaching us!¡±¡°Do we know what it is?¡±


    ¡°Our sensors can¡¯t identify it, but it¡¯s big. It¡¯s here!¡±


    A deafening crash echoed through the base, causing the entire structure to tremble slightly.


    ¡°Sector B51 has been struck by an unknown object! The walls have sustained damage. Wait¡ªit¡¯s continuing its attack!¡± an operator eximed, staring wide-eyed at the data disyed on their instruments.


    ¡°Sound thebat rm! Deploy Teams One and Two to investigate. Engage immediately if you encounter hostile forces. The remaining teams, prepare for backup!¡± The underground base¡¯s narrow corridors made it difficult for too many personnel to operate simultaneously, as crowding would reduce maneuverability. Two teams were the optimal choice for such a situation.


    Outside the underground base, a massive Burrowing Worm, seven to eight meters in diameter, mmed into the exterior walls. It opened its colossal maw and bit deeply into the base¡¯s reinforced structure.


    The Burrowing Worm¡¯s mouth was lined with threeyers of interlocking, spiral-shaped teeth that gleamed ominously, their sharpness evident at a nce. Additionally, some of these teeth were connected to venom nds.


    As the worm bit down, it secreted a potent acid designed specifically for breaking down metals. This acid rapidly degraded metal structures, softening and corroding them with terrifying efficiency.


    The relentless assault on the base¡¯s defenses was just the beginning of what the Swarm had in store.


    Thebination of razor-sharp teeth and potent acid allowed the Burrowing Worm to tear through the base¡¯s thick outer walls with ease. Each time its massive maw opened and closed,rge chunks of the protective walls were ripped away.


    These fragments were swallowed and carried through its long digestive tract, whereyers of grinding teeth reduced the metal to fine particles. The worm then expelled the metallic debris, which other Swarm units promptly collected and transported back to the hive for storage.


    Though the underground Daqi base was heavily fortified with a nearly ten-meter-thick metal shell, it stood no chance against the Burrowing Worm¡¯s specialized assault. In a surprisingly short time, the walls were breached.


    The moment the wall gave way, a torrent of gunfire erupted from within the base. However, the small-caliber weapons of the Daqi soldiers provedughably ineffective against the Burrowing Worm¡¯s tough hide, akin to scratching an itch through a boot.@@novelbin@@


    Unfazed, the Burrowing Worm widened the breach to a diameter of five or six meters before retracting its body and slinking off to another section of the wall. Its role in the assault wasplete; it was time for the next act of the invasion to unfold.


    Inside the base, the Daqi soldiers cheered, mistakenly believing their firepower had driven off the massive creature. Their celebrationsted only seconds before a smaller, half-meter-long insect with a spider-like appearance leapt into the breach.


    This was the localized version of the Spider Combat Bug, known as the Raider, which had previously been deployed during the invasion of Great Dawn¡¯s Riken bases. ???¦­o?¦Â¨º?


    [T/N: Great Dawn is currently called Neighboring. Don¡¯t know why the author decided to rename it but I used it¡¯s old name here because it makes more sense in this context.]


    Though they had no role in spacebornebat, Luo Wen had continued optimizing them over the years.


    As the Raider¡¯s role became more defined, its design underwent increasingly specialized modifications, making it an extreme yet highly effectivebat unit.


    Built with a cost-efficient gic structure, the Raider sacrificed all non-essential armor and auxiliary abilities, such as stealth, to minimize production costs. This left them virtually defenseless against high-tech weapons.


    However, the absence of armor dramatically enhanced their agility. With six spider legs tipped with hooked ws, they could dart and weave across most terrains with exceptional speed and mobility.


    Their simple biological structure allowed each egg to produce multiple Raiders, and their growth cycle was astonishingly fast. With adequate energy, they could mature within just a few days.


    Once mature, Raiders experienced an overproduction of adrenaline, granting thembat prowess far exceeding their baseline physical attributes. This came at a cost: their rapid metabolism led to extreme wear and tear on their bodies, resulting in a lifespan of no more than a year¡ªeven if they didn¡¯t die in battle.


    On the upside, Raiders had an incredibly high recovery rate. The remains of a single Raider could be recycled to produce 0.8 of a new Raider, making them a cost-effective and powerful expendable unit.


    As the first Raider emerged from the breach, the Daqi soldiers froze in shock. Those with professional training quickly recovered, demonstrating theirbat discipline. They ceased celebrating and immediately opened fire on the Raider, prompting the less experienced recruits to follow suit.


    Under the intense barrage of concentrated firepower, the Raider onlysted two seconds before a direct hit obliterated it into a spray of greenish goo. The soldiers stood dumbfounded, astonished at how easily the creature was destroyed. Compared to the towering Burrowing Worm, this new foe seemed far less formidable.


    As they began to wonder whether the Swarm was as fearsome as legend imed, their optimism was crushed. In the next instant, a flood of Raiders surged through the breach, their sheer numbers turning the narrow passage into a writhing mass of ck limbs.


    The swarm of Raiders was so densely packed that their limbs became entangled, limiting their ability to evade iing fire. Yet their overwhelming numbers made them appear like a dark tidal wave crashing toward the Daqi defenders.


    ¡°Open fire!¡±

 Chapter 480: Fire Attack

    The designers of the base never imagined that one day the defensive passages they built to repel external attacks would be reversed, repurposed to defend against assaults from within.


    Their design philosophy assumed that even ifmanders inside the base were besieged by intruders, they could rely on these passages to hold out until reinforcements arrived.


    They had indeed considered the possibility of an enemy breaching the base¡¯s sturdy outer walls. Given the technological level of the Daqi Empire, such capabilities were feasible with equipment avable to the military. However, the military would never take such actions unless it signified an internal rebellion. Their designs were never intended to amodate traitors.


    And in that, they were correct. What they failed to ount for was a scenario where they would be forced to abandon their home, fleeing in disgrace from an alien force. After all, the Interster Technological Confederation seemed invincible to the Daqi, and under the rules of the Ji, conflicts¡ªno matter how fierce¡ªnever threatened the safety of habitables. They had never anticipated the emergence of an outlier like the Swarm.


    Perhaps one day in the future, should the Daqi have the opportunity to rebuild their homeworld, they might address such oversights. But for now, no amount of reflection could change their predicament.


    ¡°Commander! An object is approaching rapidly from the northwest, 200 meters underground!¡± A corner instrument red an rm once again, and an operator shouted out after checking the data.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A muffled impact resonated through the base, followed by a faint tremor. As before, every Daqi inside the base knew exactly what this meant.


    From the first time the Swarm¡¯s Burrowing Worms struck the Daqi base to now, less than ten minutes had passed. Perhaps the numerous passage gates had slowed the attackers, prompting the Swarm to open another front.


    However, this was thest thing the Daqimander wanted to see. The base was merely a gathering point for the remnants of their people, with barely enough personnel for routine maintenance, let alonebat. Most of the soldiers were untrained recruits, far from professional.With such troops, even defending a single front was nearly impossible¡ªsplitting their forces for a multi-front battle was out of the question. It was clear they needed to elerate their own ns.


    If the base was doomed to fall, then¡­


    ¡°Order squads 5 and 6 to deploy all ourndmines in the passageways. Spread concentrated fuel as well!¡± themander barked, mming his fist as he gave the order.


    The base only had six squads in total, and squads 1 and 2 had already been overwhelmed by the Swarm. Their status was unknown. Surveince of that area had been destroyed, leaving themand room blind to their situation, but it was safe to assume they were no longer operational.


    Squads 3 and 4 were apanying the engineering team to prepare transportation vehicles. The remaining two squads were tasked with defensive arrangements, but even under the life-threatening pressure, every Daqi gave their all. Yet, the shortage of personnel made progress frustratingly slow.


    Meanwhile, the Swarm¡¯s advance showed no signs of slowing¡ªin fact, it was elerating. Thus far, fewer than a few hundred Raiders had been lost, a trivial number given their vast reserves. Cheap to produce, requiring no rare materials, and even partially recoverable post-battle, the cost-effectiveness of these units ensured that any results achieved would be worth the investment.


    The Raiders quickly closed in on themand room, and the Daqi defenses were far fromplete. Inside themand room, operators, adjutants, strategists, and even themander himself were pitching in, hauling supplies to expedite preparations.


    ¡°Commander, we have to retreat! If we dy any longer, it¡¯ll be toote! The Swarm is moving faster and faster!¡± the sole operator still at their station shouted, his eyes fixed on the disy.


    Themander dropped what he was carrying and hurried to the screen. Indeed, the Swarm¡¯s dual-pronged assault was progressing rmingly fast. Moreover, they had discovered the venttion shafts and split off a portion of their forces to infiltrate the base via these routes, spreading rapidly throughout the facility.


    The intricate and varied structure of the venttion shafts, with their numerous barriers, posed a challenge. Yet the sheer numbers of the Swarm rendered these obstacles meaningless. The Raiders divided into smaller groups at every branching path, their numbers undiminished, steadily advancing. It was only a matter of time before one group would reach themand room.


    ¡°Retreat!¡± themander barked, leading his team in a sprint toward the hangar.


    Along the way, they scatteredndmines and doused the corridors with concentrated fuel. When their supply of explosives and fuel ran out, themander ordered all avable robots to stay behind and form a final defensive line in the passageways. ?????§¦?


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Can the vehicles move?¡± themander demanded, panting heavily as he arrived in the hangar, bent over and gasping for air.


    ¡°Eleven are still refueling, but they¡¯ll be ready in just a moment,¡± an engineer replied.


    ¡°Good¡­¡±


    A thunderous explosion suddenly interrupted him. The detonation was followed by sessive sts, and momentster, a wave of heat surged through the corridors, raising the temperature in the hangar.@@novelbin@@


    The mines they had just set had detonated, igniting the concentrated fuel. Themand room corridor was likely now engulfed in a raging inferno.


    ¡°I hope it can hold off the Swarm¡¯s advance,¡± themander murmured a silent prayer, urging his team to work faster.


    The mines packed considerable power, and in the confined corridors, their destructive force was magnified. Yet such single-use attacks posed little threat to the Raiders. However, the fire caused by the concentrated fuel presented a different kind of challenge¡ªa persistent and enduring hazard.


    Although the Raiders were cheap and expendable creations, designed with minimal durability, navigating through several hundred meters of zing corridors was no simple feat.


    Fortunately, Luo Wen had anticipated such scenarios when designing the Raiders. Their acidic bodily fluids served more than just a corrosive function. When heated, these fluids releasedrge quantities of heavy chemical gases with strong adhesive properties.


    Once produced, these gases adhered to the burning materials, forming an insting barrier that cut off the mes from external oxygen. While the concentrated fuel contained its own oxidizing agents, theck of additional oxygen supply caused these agents to deplete quickly, eventually extinguishing the mes.


    Though the fires died down, the metal floors and walls remained searingly hot. Yet the advancing Raiders pressed forward without hesitation.


    The first Raiders to touch the scorching metal immediately suffered damage. Their exteriors ruptured, their bodily fluids overheated, and their circtory systems copsed, rendering them immobile.


    But there was no panic, no attempt to retreat. Instead, they copsed in ce, their bodies forming a protectiveyer over the hot surfaces, paving a safe path for the Raiders following behind.


    Thus, the metal floors and walls became coated with ayer of Raider corpses, insting the rest of the Swarm from the intense heat. Though some were lost, the Daqi¡¯s meticulously prepared trap had been neutralized.


    Unfortunately for the Daqi, who had already evacuated themand room, they missed witnessing this chilling spectacle. Had they seen it, they would undoubtedly have been ovee with shock and despair.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 481: Escape

    ¡°Biu~ biu~ biu~¡± The sound of explosions grew closer, and the firing of the guarding robots¡¯ weapons echoed through the corridors, signaling to the Daqi in the hangar that the Swarm was dangerously close.


    ¡°Hurry! Squad three and four, board the airships! Squads five and six, get on the war vehicles! Cover the main force as we retreat through the tunnel! Everyone regroup at the tunnel exit!¡± the commander barked orders.


    Though five of the vehicles hadn¡¯t finished refueling, they should have enough fuel to make it out of the tunnel. Their immediate priority was escape¡ªany further plans could wait.


    The vehicles were crucial and had to be taken, and the transport and gunships were even more valuable. Unlike the ground-restricted war vehicles, airships were unhindered by terrain, making them indispensable.


    Thus, a heavy guard had to be assigned to protect the airships. Naturally, the commander, as the leader, needed the aerial vantage provided by the airships to oversee the retreat, making it only logical for him to ride one.


    However, in a situation of life and death, some Daqi opposed this plan. Everyone knew traversing a ten-kilometer underground tunnel was fraught with danger. By comparison, taking an airship directly to the surface via the ventilation shafts seemed much safer.


    Just as a few dissenting Daqi were about to voice their objections¡ª


    ¡°Boom!¡± A sharp metallic crash sounded overhead, and a metal plate fell from above, smashing onto the ground. The sudden noise startled the Daqi, sending them scrambling.


    Though the Raiders advancing from the command room were already fast, the groups infiltrating through the ventilation shafts had moved even faster. Without encountering resistance, they reached the hangar first.


    Shrill insectoid screeches filled the air, grating on nerves and sending shivers through the Daqi.


    ¡°Combat personnel, cover the retreat! Everyone else, get to the vehicles! Move quickly!¡± the commander yelled.


    The hangar erupted into chaos. The arrival of the Swarm inadvertently resolved the commander¡¯s leadership crisis. Those who had intended to argue against the retreat plan saw no choice but to comply.


    A few dissenters initially intended to sneak onto the airships in the confusion, hoping to claim the safer option and force the issue. However, upon noticing soldiers subtly aiming their guns at them, they reluctantly gave up and turned toward the nearby war vehicles.


    Four Daqi combat squads had gathered in the hangar, and many of the war vehicles were equipped with heavy machine guns. The combined firepower quickly sealed off the ventilation shaft entrance, reducing any Raiders attempting to emerge into splattered remains, their acidic fluids spraying everywhere.


    A dozen or so Raiders managed to leap out of the shaft and race toward the crowd. But as they charged, they were met with fierce firepower. Though their agility allowed them to evade most of the attacks, their fragile bodies left no margin for error. The heavy machine guns in particular ensured that even a glancing hit meant either death or severe incapacitation.


    In the end, only two Raiders made it into the Daqi ranks, managing to kill one and injure another before being gunned down in a hail of bullets.


    ¡°Open the ventilation shafts!¡±


    Two soldiers smashed through a transparent protective cover on the wall, forcefully pressing a red button inside. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The metal dome atop the hangar began to open, its sections slowly retracting outward. As the opening widened, several layers of protective covers above followed suit, retracting in the same manner.


    Layer by layer, the protective covers opened until a circular patch of sky was revealed. Several small drones were launched first, ascending swiftly into the air. ???????B¦¥S?


    ¡°There¡¯s no sign of an ambush outside. Let¡¯s move,¡± the scout operating the drone reported after circling the surface near the ventilation shaft. Upon confirming the absence of threats, he nodded to the pilots.


    Two gunships led the way, followed by five transport airships, each departing in an orderly manner according to their assigned numbers. The remaining two gunships hovered in mid-air inside the hangar, training their cannons and machine guns on the ventilation shaft that the Swarm had breached.


    From their elevated firing position, the gunships unleashed suppressive fire that turned the Raiders at the entrance into splattered remains. Unable to advance further, the Swarm was forced to retreat temporarily into the bends of the ventilation shafts.


    This momentary firepower advantage provided the convoy on the ground some breathing room. Every Daqi in the hangar, driven by the threat to their lives, moved with uncharacteristic speed. By now, all of them had boarded their vehicles.


    The combat squads tasked with escorting the convoy wasted no time. Engines roared to life, and the lead war vehicle surged ahead, quickly followed by the second.


    But just as the convoy began its retreat, the combat robots guarding the main passage were overwhelmed by the advancing Swarm, now a black tide surging through the flames. The vanguard of Raiders spilled into the hangar.


    The sudden appearance of the Swarm reignited panic among the Daqi.


    After all, the Daqi left behind in the base were remnants¡ªuntrained and ill-prepared. Many of the combat personnel were originally civilians pressed into service. Their lack of experience and poor psychological resilience left them unequipped for the chaos unfolding around them.


    The vehicles positioned at the front of the convoy were all assault vehicles¡ªfaster, equipped with heavy weapons, and piloted by some of the few trained veterans. They had been strategically placed at the front to lead the convoy through potential dangers. However, for some reason, all the combat squads had been assigned to the front, leaving no battle-ready units to guard the middle or rear of the convoy.


    Even so, the veterans in the lead vehicles remained composed. Without hesitation, they started their engines and entered the tunnel in an orderly manner. One of the gunships hovering in the hangar rotated its weapons toward the main passage to target the advancing Swarm.


    But with the departure of the assault vehicles and combat squads, the Daqi¡¯s firepower dropped significantly. A single gunship couldn¡¯t hope to suppress the torrent of Raiders pouring through the main passage.


    Despite the massive numbers of Raiders, each shell that detonated in the corridor killed multiple targets at once. Yet, the dense throng of Raiders seemed endless, as though their numbers were unaffected.


    With the Swarm¡¯s rapid advance, the second gunship was forced to shift half its firepower to the main passage to assist. However, the reduced firepower at the ventilation shaft emboldened the Raiders there, who began to emerge once again.


    By now, the Swarm¡¯s main force had reached the hangar. The previously suppressed vanguard, now reinforced, surged forward, overwhelming the gunships¡¯ defenses. A few Raiders managed to evade the barrage, clinging to the walls of the corridor as they climbed upside down toward the hangar.


    The two novice operators manning the gunship weaponry panicked at the sight of escaping Raiders, instinctively redirecting their fire to chase the escapees. This slight lapse created an opening, allowing the black tide of Raiders to burst through the weakened firepower blockade, flooding into the hangar.


    At this point, only a dozen of the convoy¡¯s vehicles had departed, leaving half the vehicles still idle in the hangar. Unfortunately, the remaining vehicles were all transport types, equipped with minimal firepower and lacking combat personnel. They were utterly incapable of halting the advancing swarm.


    Panic spread like wildfire. One driver at the rear of the convoy, his fragile nerves shattered, slammed his foot on the accelerator. The roar of the engine echoed as the war vehicle barreled into the tunnel, prioritizing flight over formation.

 Chapter 482: The Tunnel

    The tunnel leading to the surface stretched deep underground, spanning ten kilometers. For practical reasons, it was never designed as a spacious multi-lane highway. Instead, it was narrow, accommodating at most two vehicles side by side.


    The Daqi commander¡¯s decision to assign numbers for the war vehicles to enter the tunnel had been a calculated one. While there might have been minor flaws in his allocation strategy, the impulsive queue-jumping of one driver completely doomed their escape.


    This reckless act triggered a chain reaction. As the rear vehicle¡¯s engine roared, overtaking the others and surging into the tunnel, the rest of the convoy followed suit, reacting with similar haste.


    But the tunnel was already packed to capacity, leaving no room for additional vehicles to squeeze in¡ªlet alone a third, fourth, or fifth.


    Even in times of peace, queue-jumping was universally detested. In the face of a life-threatening situation, such behavior was utterly intolerable.


    The result was chaos. Several war vehicles collided at the tunnel entrance, their drivers slamming on the gas in desperate attempts to force their way through. Profanities¡ªranging from ancient Daqi curses to modern and trendy expletives¡ªerupted as they hurled insults at one another.


    Yet, no matter how loudly they cursed or how hard they pressed their pedals, the vehicles¡ªproducts of advanced interstellar engineering¡ªremained largely unscathed. These were military-grade constructs, after all. The collisions amounted to little more than scratches on the paintwork.


    The growing pileup only worsened as more vehicles joined the fray. This unintended bottleneck created the perfect opportunity for the Raiders. Jumping onto the last vehicles in the line, they rapidly scrambled across rooftops toward the front of the convoy.


    The gunships, still hovering above, were losing control of the situation entirely. While some Raiders swarmed the ground vehicles, others climbed up the walls of the hangar, reaching a sufficient height before leaping toward the gunships.


    On one gunship, a Daqi soldier stationed at the cabin¡¯s firing port was caught off guard by the sudden aerial assault. One Raider, with its sharp appendages, plunged its claws directly into his arm. The intense pain caused him to collapse, his weapon slipping from his hands.


    Another soldier beside him, hesitant to shoot due to the proximity of the attacker, grabbed the Raider with both hands and tried to pull it off his injured comrade. However, the Raider¡¯s sharp appendages had pierced through the first soldier¡¯s arm and become lodged. The futile tugging only intensified the victim¡¯s agonized screams.


    Seeing this, a third soldier on the opposite side drew a tactical knife from his waist and drove it into the Raider¡¯s body.


    In an instant, translucent green fluid sprayed out from the wound, splattering across all three soldiers. The corrosive properties of the Raider¡¯s bodily fluids took effect immediately, causing the soldiers¡¯ protective suits to emit white smoke as the acid began eating through the material.


    Fortunately, all three were wearing protective helmets, which prevented immediate fatality. However, the visors on their helmets became corroded, obscuring their vision. The rest of their protective suits, lacking the same level of defense, quickly failed.


    The compromised areas of their suits were soon eaten away, exposing their skin to the acid. What began as one soldier¡¯s agonized cries now escalated into a chorus of three distinct howls of pain.


    All of this occurred in a flash. The soldiers behind them finally reacted, dragging the three injured comrades back into the cabin. With swift but brutal efficiency, they cut away the remnants of their suits and surgically removed the corroded flesh, filling the gunship with a cacophony of blood-curdling screams.


    Fortunately, the Raiders¡¯ splattered acidic fluids were limited in quantity. Combined with the neutralizing effects of the Daqi¡¯s protective suits, the acid¡¯s corrosive power was greatly diminished by the time it reached their bodies. Otherwise, these highly corrosive fluids, capable of melting through metal barriers, would not have been so easily mitigated.


    However, the soldier whose arm had been impaled by the Raider¡¯s sharp appendage wasn¡¯t as lucky. His entire right arm, along with the now-lifeless Raider embedded in it, had to be amputated.


    In the past, for a civilization like the Daqi, outfitting this injured soldier with a bionic mechanical arm would have been a routine matter. But now, with their homeworld abandoned and resources scattered, finding someone capable of performing such a procedure would be near impossible.


    Meanwhile, more Raiders began scaling the walls, their threat level now undeniable. With the convoy below descending into chaos, the commanders of the two gunships made the decisive call to retreat. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The gunship engines roared to life, releasing streams of energy from their bases. The ships ascended rapidly, easily escaping the pursuing Raiders.


    ¡°Being alive¡­ feels so good,¡± one soldier murmured.


    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen sunlight¡­ it¡¯s beautiful,¡± another whispered.


    With a faint whooshing sound, the gunships emerged from the ventilation shafts. The planet¡¯s surface greeted them with the soft glow of dawn, the star just beginning to rise. Sunlight bathed the Daqi, freshly escaped from the depths of the base, in a sensation of rebirth, as though they had emerged from the underworld itself.


    After a brief moment of reflection, the gunships regrouped under the commander¡¯s orders and followed the planned route toward the main forces.


    Meanwhile, those trapped in the chaotic convoy below had no chance of seeing the familiar light of their homeworld¡¯s star. Their frenzied actions at the tunnel entrance had unintentionally delayed the Swarm¡¯s pursuit¡ªthough only slightly. ??¦­?§£?¡ì


    The Raiders, working together, quickly cleared the blocked vehicles out of the tunnel. The Swarm had specialized units to salvage the wreckage, leaving the Raiders free to continue their primary mission, chasing down the fleeing Daqi.


    Those who had managed to advance deeper into the tunnel were keenly aware of the absence of their rear companions. They understood the implications of this silence but had no recourse other than to press harder on the accelerator, urging their vehicles forward as fast as possible.


    Suddenly, a muffled rumble echoed from up ahead, growing louder as it approached.


    ¡°Speed up! Drive faster!¡± the squad leader bellowed. He didn¡¯t know the source of the sound, but he was certain it wasn¡¯t coming from their side. That could only mean it was the enemy.


    In the confined space of the underground tunnel, any disturbance could spell their doom.


    The assault vehicles in the lead, designed for speed, quickly outpaced the slower transport vehicles at the rear. At full throttle, they widened the gap between themselves and their less-equipped counterparts.


    The strange rumbling grew closer, accompanied by vibrations that sent dust cascading from the tunnel ceiling. Fear gripped the Daqi as they scanned the walls with wide eyes, unable to pinpoint the source of the noise. The tunnel¡¯s structure caused the sounds to reverberate and echo chaotically, making it impossible to determine their origin.


    Suddenly, a deafening thud echoed from the metal wall on the upper right of the tunnel. A moment later, a nerve-wracking sound of metal being gnawed and torn apart filled the air. A thick tunnel wall, several meters deep, was quickly breached, leaving a small but rapidly widening hole.


    ¡°Push through!! Go!!¡± the squad leader shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking from the strain. No one mocked him for the distortion in his voice¡ªnone of them even noticed. All eyes were fixed on the hole in the wall, which was growing larger by the second.


    Without needing further orders, the drivers of the assault vehicles floored their accelerators. Engines roared, echoing through the tunnel as five assault vehicles shot past the danger zone like phantoms.


    But as the sixth vehicle approached, the metal wall gave way entirely. A massive creature burst through the breach, its enormous body blocking the tunnel¡¯s center.


    It was a Burrowing Worm, one of the Swarm¡¯s specialized tunnel breachers!

 Chapter 483: A Plan

    It was a Burrowing Worm from the Swarm!


    The driver of the sixth assault vehicle had no time to react. At a speed exceeding 300 kilometers per hour, the vehicle crashed directly into the massive body of the Burrowing Worm. The immense recoil left the Daqi passengers with no time to feel pain¡ªthey were launched into the air and killed instantly.


    The Burrowing Worm let out a sharp screech. However, with its thick hide and a metallic layer excreted from its body¡ªformed by digesting and expelling consumed metal¡ªit absorbed the impact with its soft inner body, dissipating the force. Although the collision left it momentarily uncomfortable, it suffered no significant damage.


    The seventh assault vehicle followed closely behind. Despite the driver¡¯s desperate attempts to brake, the short stopping distance meant the vehicle also crashed into the Burrowing Worm.


    Due to its slower speed and the military-grade build of interstellar vehicles, most of the passengers survived the collision. Only the unlucky gunner manning the heavy machine gun on the roof was flung from his position, breaking his neck upon impact and dying instantly.


    The remaining survivors were far from unscathed. Blood oozed from their orifices, their bodies twisted unnaturally, and bones pierced through their protective suits. Their anguished groans filled the air. Compared to the sixth vehicle¡¯s passengers, it was debatable whether their fate was any better.


    The eighth assault vehicle, given more time to react, managed to stop just short of a collision. The Daqi soldiers aboard, visibly shaken by the carnage ahead, couldn¡¯t help but feel both relief and dread at their close call.


    Behind the assault vehicles were nearly ten transport vehicles. Traveling at slower speeds, they had more time to react and stopped safely before reaching the blockage.


    However, seeing the devastation wrought on the vehicles ahead, some of the Daqi passengers began screaming in terror, while others felt a morbid sense of satisfaction. To them, the combat squads in the lead had seemingly been trying to abandon them moments earlier.


    The Burrowing Worm¡¯s massive body completely blocked the tunnel, leaving no room for passage. A few remaining Daqi soldiers jumped out of their vehicles, retreating while firing their weapons frantically at the enormous creature.


    But the Burrowing Worm¡¯s defenses were far too formidable. The earlier collision, as powerful as a missile strike, had done little more than inconvenience it. Small-caliber weapons were utterly ineffective.


    One particularly brave Daqi soldier climbed onto the roof of a nearby vehicle and mounted a heavy machine gun. The large-caliber rounds managed to create a few dents in the Burrowing Worm¡¯s metallic outer layer, but it was no more than superficial damage.


    The metallic coating was merely the worm¡¯s waste material, expelled after consuming large amounts of metal in a short time. Even if the layer were shattered into pieces, the Burrowing Worm would feel no pain or discomfort.


    The Burrowing Worm¡¯s task was to block the tunnel. With no immediate threats, it ignored the screaming and shooting Daqi soldiers, leisurely gnawing at the metal wall on the opposite side of the tunnel as if enjoying a meal. Its relaxed demeanor further agitated the desperate Daqi.


    One soldier, his face twisted with determination, pulled a bomb from his tactical pouch. Unfortunately, these regular soldiers weren¡¯t equipped with tactical nuclear warheads. The bomb he carried was merely a standard explosive charge. Seeing his actions, the other soldiers stopped their futile gunfire and began pulling out their own explosives.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening on your side?!¡± a voice suddenly called from the other side of the Burrowing Worm. It came from the Daqi soldiers who had managed to evade the worm¡¯s interception earlier but, for some reason, had now returned.


    Initially, worried about alarming the Burrowing Worm, they had attempted to use their communicators to call softly. However, interference blocked their signals. After observing the worm¡¯s lack of aggression and sluggish movements, they reluctantly resorted to shouting.


    Hearing the inquiry from the other side, the Daqi trapped near the worm felt a renewed glimmer of hope. While they had only one functional assault vehicle left, the other side still had five.


    ¡°Squad six is gone. There are survivors from squad seven, but we haven¡¯t had time to assess their condition. Everyone else is safe,¡± someone from the trapped group called back.


    ¡°Check on squad seven. Don¡¯t worry¡ªthis big guy won¡¯t attack unless provoked,¡± the voice from the other side reassured them.


    At the same time, the soldiers on the trapped side realized the Burrowing Worm was more focused on blocking the tunnel than attacking. Following the suggestion, the squad eight leader signaled for two soldiers to put away their explosives and inspect the seventh vehicle.


    The soldiers approached cautiously and were visibly shaken by what they saw inside. Grimacing, they gestured to their squad leader, who nodded and sent a few more soldiers to assist. The rest remained on guard.


    One by one, the injured were carefully carried out of the vehicle. Some groaned in pain, while others were eerily silent. After a grim few minutes, more than ten bodies lay on the ground.


    Despite their care, the handling aggravated the injuries of several Daqi, who soon stopped breathing. Those still alive were barely clinging to life. The accompanying medics gave each a quick examination and then shook their heads grimly.


    ¡°Squad seven is gone, too. What do we do next?¡± the squad eight leader shouted, his voice tinged with frustration and despair.


    During this time, the soldiers on the other side had been examining the Burrowing Worm more closely. Despite its massive size¡ªabout seven or eight meters in diameter¡ªthey noticed that it didn¡¯t entirely block the tunnel. There were gaps around its sides. ??¦­??¨º????


    ¡°This way!¡± a voice from the other side called out. The squad eight soldiers soon spotted a narrow gap where the voice was coming from.


    The gap was incredibly tight, only wide enough for a single Daqi to crawl through at a time. Once the squad eight soldiers located the opening, the voice from the other side lowered considerably: ¡°Send your squad leader over.¡±


    Recognizing the voice as that of the squad three leader , a soldier nodded and gestured to his own leader. Without hesitation, the squad eight leader approached.


    ¡°Bring the equipment from squads six and seven and crawl through here. Move quickly!¡± the squad three leader instructed in a low voice, pointing behind the squad eight leader.


    Turning to look, the squad eight leader immediately understood. The gap was too small to accommodate vehicles¡ªonly Daqi could fit through. On the other side, they had just five vehicles left, but if they squeezed, they could fit an additional squad. However, the transport vehicles behind them carried a large number of Daqi passengers.


    If they didn¡¯t move quickly, once the remaining convoy discovered the gap, the soldiers on the other side might decide to abandon them to ensure their own safety. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The squad eight leader nodded and signaled his soldiers. The troops, no fools themselves, quickly grasped the situation. Silently, they rose to their feet.


    There wasn¡¯t much equipment to carry. Squad six¡¯s vehicle and gear had been completely obliterated in the collision, and squad seven¡¯s supplies were roughly scavenged from the wreckage.


    Acting as though they were conducting a routine patrol, the squad eight soldiers began slipping through the gap under their leader ¡¯s direction, one by one.

 Chapter 484: Revelation

    The convoy of transport vehicles had stopped about 200 meters from the Burrowing Worm. While the distance wasn¡¯t great, the chaotic screams and commotion from earlier had drowned out the shouted communication attempts, leaving the transport teams clueless about the situation.


    ¡°Squad leader Kuo Ben, what¡¯s the situation up ahead?¡± one of the leaders from the convoy shouted, his voice tinged with urgency.


    ¡°Stop wasting time! Move faster!¡± Kuo Ben barked, completely ignoring the convoy leader¡¯s question and urging his own soldiers to pick up the pace.


    Meanwhile, the convoy finally managed to calm their panicked companions, leaving them with time to focus on what the combat team was doing. However, being ignored left them uneasy.


    Several Daqi cautiously approached, intending to discuss a plan with the combat team. Being trapped in the tunnel wasn¡¯t a sustainable option, especially with the Swarm potentially closing in from behind. They needed a way out¡ªand fast.


    As they moved closer, the combat team became visibly wary. Two soldiers stepped forward, blocking their approach.


    ¡°Squad leader Kuo Ben, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± one of the convoy leaders asked, confused by the cold reception.


    ¡°There¡¯s danger up ahead. We¡¯re setting up explosives to try and blast through. Stay back,¡± Kuo Ben replied curtly, his weapon raised slightly, its barrel subtly pointed in their direction.


    A Daqi engineer craned his neck to get a better look at the combat team¡¯s actions. They appeared to be rummaging through the gear of another group¡¯s wounded soldiers. Some were aimlessly moving about, while others were attempting to crawl under the Burrowing Worm. On the surface, it looked as though they were doing as Kuo Ben claimed.


    After a brief discussion among themselves, the convoy representatives decided not to press further. They agreed it wasn¡¯t the time to complicate matters, and perhaps their best course was to let the combat team handle the situation.


    Still, wanting to contribute in some way, one of the convoy members offered, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, we can carry the wounded back to the convoy. We have medics who can take care of them.¡±


    The suggestion was well-meaning, driven by a desire to alleviate the combat team¡¯s burden. After all, the wounded lying around could only hinder their operations. In such a critical situation, working together was paramount.


    However, before they could take action, Kuo Ben abruptly stopped them. ¡°No need,¡± he said coldly. ¡°They¡¯re as good as gone. Don¡¯t waste your time. Just back off and clear a path for our vehicles when we¡¯re ready to move.¡±


    The convoy representatives were stunned. In their minds, they had simply been offering to help. Why would Kuo Ben refuse such an obviously beneficial suggestion? Moreover, his words left a bitter taste in their mouths¡ªwhat did he mean by ¡°as good as gone¡± and ¡°don¡¯t waste your time¡±?


    A younger Daqi, his temper flaring, stepped forward and snapped, ¡°Squad leader Kuo Ben, you¡¯re not a medic! What gives you the right to make such a call? They¡¯re our kin, and I won¡¯t allow you to abandon them so callously!¡±


    The atmosphere grew tense, the air heavy with an unspoken chill, as the young Daqi¡¯s outburst hung in the air. Squad leader Kuo Ben¡¯s cold gaze locked on him, and his companions couldn¡¯t help but inwardly curse his bluntness. While the young Daqi had spoken the truth, voicing it so plainly in such dire circumstances was akin to a slap in the face.


    In times of peace, such an exchange would have been manageable. But in their current situation¡ªisolated, abandoned, and left to fend for themselves¡ªwho could say whether past rules and norms still held any meaning?


    As the standoff dragged on, one Daqi soldier on the sidelines began noticing something odd. Out of curiosity, he had been observing the team supposedly placing explosives beneath the Burrowing Worm. However, despite the time that had passed, none of the soldiers had emerged. In fact, two more had gone in after them.


    The soldier, a low-ranking vehicle mechanic with little knowledge of explosives, couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious. If the explosives needed to be concentrated for maximum effect, why couldn¡¯t the soldiers outside simply pass them in? Why were so many entering, and what sort of space could accommodate them all?


    Driven by his unease, he stepped back slightly, trying to find a better angle to see what was happening.


    Suddenly, his voice broke through the tense silence: ¡°There¡¯s a passage over there! They¡¯re trying to escape to the other side!¡±


    Both sides of the standoff turned toward the voice, their attention snapping to the soldier pointing toward a narrow gap beneath the Burrowing Worm. His expression was a mix of shock and realization.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Several other Daqi quickly pieced together the truth. The combat team wasn¡¯t setting explosives¡ªthey were using the gap to sneak through to the other side. The realization spread like wildfire, and the reason for their actions became clear.


    ¡°Shut up and come with us!¡± Kuo Ben hissed, his gun subtly shifting toward the soldier but never firing. It wasn¡¯t compassion that stayed his hand¡ªit was practicality. Shooting now would alert the convoy nearby, and the last thing they needed was more attention. Bringing a few extras wouldn¡¯t make much difference.


    The accusing Daqi hesitated, torn between their anger and their survival instincts. Before they could decide, the commotion had already drawn the attention of the convoy.


    From their vantage point, the convoy had been watching this side closely, and the apparent dispute had not gone unnoticed. More Daqi began approaching, curious about the unfolding situation. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Kuo Ben cursed under his breath, spinning on his heels and rushing toward the gap. His soldiers quickly followed, abandoning any pretense.


    The tension boiled over as the convoy, now realizing what was happening, caught sight of the gap beneath the Burrowing Worm. Shouts of alarm and determination rippled through their ranks. Engines roared to life as the transport vehicles began surging toward the narrow opening, desperate to escape. R??¨®£Â¨§?


    But at that moment, the unexpected happened.


    The Burrowing Worm, which had seemed passive and uninterested so far, suddenly sprang to life. Its orders were clear: block the Daqi at all costs. While it had tolerated a few sneaking through, the sight of the entire convoy attempting to escape pushed it into action. It couldn¡¯t allow such an open breach¡ªit had its pride as a servant of the Swarm to uphold.


    The Burrowing Worm tensed its massive body, then abruptly withdrew into the tunnel wall, clearing the path. For a brief, fleeting moment, the Daqi thought their escape had succeeded. But before they could celebrate, the worm struck again.


    With a thunderous crash, the Burrowing Worm lunged forward like a massive pile driver, smashing into the tunnel with explosive force. A group of Daqi soldiers directly in its path was slammed against the metal walls, their bodies reduced to a blood-soaked mural. Kuo Ben himself was caught in the carnage, adding his own red streaks to the grotesque scene.


    ¡°Ahhh!!¡± Screams of terror and pain echoed through the tunnel as the Daqi scattered in panic, retreating to avoid the worm¡¯s range.


    From the other side of the tunnel, the combat team that had already passed through the gap heard the chaos. Seeing the situation deteriorate, they made the logical choice: retreat. Engines roared as their vehicles sped away, leaving the remaining Daqi behind.


    Despair washed over those left behind. One enraged soldier who had failed to crawl through the gap leapt onto an assault vehicle, manning the heavy machine gun. With gritted teeth, he unleashed a barrage of fire on the Burrowing Worm, targeting its now-exposed face.


    The worm¡¯s mouth opened wide, its head retracting slightly. What had once been a face vanished, leaving only a massive, gaping maw. The energy rounds hit their mark, but the damage was minimal, serving only to enrage the creature further.


    With a deafening roar, the Burrowing Worm lunged forward again, its massive body smashing into the vehicle. In one colossal strike, the assault vehicle, its occupants, and a large chunk of the tunnel floor were obliterated.


    As the dust settled, the worm slowly retracted, leaving behind a gaping void where the vehicle had once been.

 Chapter 485: Pursuit

    Though the Burrowing Worm¡¯s primary role was to dig tunnels for Swarm forces, its combat capabilities were formidable. With its massive size, even a casual swipe was beyond what most beings could endure.


    The trapped Daqi quickly realized this, albeit too late. While the worm had cleared the tunnel briefly, it now appeared even more menacing, ready to obliterate anything that dared to cross its path.


    Time dragged on, and from the distance came the sound of sharp scraping against metal walls. The Daqi knew this could only mean one thing. Raiders were moving along the tunnel walls, their sharp appendages scraping against the metal as they closed in.


    The oppressive silence of the Swarm¡¯s approach was suddenly broken by sharp, shrill screeches, signaling the moment they had caught the scent of prey. The piercing cries reverberated through the tunnel, assaulting the Daqi¡¯s eardrums and amplifying their terror.


    Panic overtook the trapped Daqi. Their vehicles carried minimal weaponry, and none among them were trained combat personnel. With the Burrowing Worm blocking their escape ahead and the Swarm closing in from behind, it felt as though their annihilation was only a matter of time.


    Desperation spurred a few Daqi to action. Suppressing their fear, they decided to risk everything. They had noticed earlier that the Burrowing Worm¡¯s attacks involved a significant delay after each strike. Perhaps, if timed perfectly, they could exploit this gap to make a break for it.


    Engines roared to life as a war vehicle sped forward, heading straight for the tunnel ahead. Thirty meters behind, another vehicle followed, maintaining a short but steady distance.


    As expected, the motion caught the worm¡¯s attention. Like a coiled spring, its massive body shot forward, smashing the first vehicle into debris. It then began retracting its body, seemingly resetting for another strike.


    ¡°Now! While it¡¯s retracting, we¡¯ll rush through!¡± The first vehicle had been an empty decoy, set to automatic drive. The second vehicle, however, carried five or six Daqi, all shouting and urging the driver to accelerate.


    Adrenaline surged through the driver, his already flushed face turning crimson as if aflame. The war vehicle roared deafeningly, accelerating to its maximum speed. It became a blur as it shot toward the narrowing gap ahead.


    As the vehicle reached the Burrowing Worm, its body was still halfway through its retraction. According to their calculations, the worm wouldn¡¯t be able to launch another attack before they passed.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± One Daqi screamed with excitement, elated by the prospect of survival. Unable to contain his glee, he leaned out the window and made a universal obscene gesture toward the worm.


    As the saying goes, don¡¯t tempt fate.


    Mid-retraction, the Burrowing Worm abruptly surged forward, its attack delay nothing but a ruse. It wasn¡¯t some programmed machine bound by rigid protocols¡ªit had full control over its body and could act as it pleased.


    The elation on the Daqi¡¯s faces froze in an instant as the worm¡¯s massive body blocked their path. Although its speed was slightly reduced due to the incomplete retraction, it was still fast enough to intercept the war vehicle.


    The vehicle slammed into the Burrowing Worm with a deafening crash, halting abruptly. Metal crumpled and twisted as the massive creature¡¯s body crushed it completely. The Daqi¡¯s desperate gamble ended in utter failure.


    ¡°Boom!¡± Flames erupted as the war vehicle that collided with the Burrowing Worm exploded on impact. Fortunately, the acceleration distance had been short, sparing its passengers from instant death. Perhaps some could still be saved¡ªif only for a moment.


    But before that hope could materialize, the Burrowing Worm swung its massive head with a sudden motion. Its enormous maw opened wide, revealing three layers of razor-sharp, spiraling teeth that gleamed ominously under the tunnel¡¯s faint lights.


    The brutality of the scene was too much to bear. Nearby Daqi instinctively staggered back in fear. Yet their psychological torment wouldn¡¯t last long, as the shrill screeches of the Raiders echoed from the far end of the tunnel. The Swarm was here.


    ¡°They¡¯re done for!¡±


    Moments earlier, the five escaping war vehicles had reached the far end of the tunnel. Watching as the Burrowing Worm re-established its blockade, a squad leader made the grim call. ?a???????£Ó


    ¡°What do we do now?¡±


    ¡°Head for the exit. We need to regroup with the main force!¡±


    ¡°Keep an eye on both sides. I don¡¯t trust that there¡¯s only one of those big things lurking around.¡±


    Whether through sheer luck or an unseen force testing the Swarm¡¯s diversity of units, the five vehicles traveled the remainder of the tunnel without further incident. They emerged into the open air, successfully reaching the exit.


    ¡°Send the signal. Let the commander know we made it. Proceed to the designated coordinates!¡± The squad leader ordered.


    Though communications were still jammed, the Daqi had planned for such contingencies. Primitive tools often bypassed advanced countermeasures¡ªsuch as the signal flare that shot into the sky, trailing a red smoke plume as it climbed.


    The signal provided a brief moment of relief for the Daqi. In the confined tunnels, the war vehicles¡¯ performance had been severely limited. Now, with the open ground at their disposal, they believed their survival odds had significantly improved.


    But their optimism was short-lived.


    ¡°Squad leader! Something¡¯s coming up behind us!¡± shouted a soldier stationed on the roof of one of the war vehicles. Positioned in an open-air ¡°gunner seat,¡± he had the best view of their surroundings and was the first to spot the anomaly.


    Several Squad leaders poked their heads out of windows or climbed to the roof, pulling down their helmet-mounted binoculars. What they saw sent chills down their spines: a rolling cloud of dust, trailing behind a pack of ferocious beasts charging toward them.


    The creatures were grotesque, with terrifying jaws that hinted at immense biting power. Standing about 1.8 meters tall at the shoulder, their sleek, muscular bodies measured nearly four meters in length, excluding their tails. Despite their heavy, half-ton frames, their long, powerful limbs allowed them to move with shocking speed and grace.


    These creatures were unlike anything native to the Daqi planet. The Daqi Squad leaders immediately realized that these beasts were not on their side.


    ¡°Speed up! Drop all the landmines on the war vehicles¡ªblow those bastards to hell!¡± a Squad leader bellowed, his frustration boiling over. Being chased relentlessly had stripped away any semblance of calm.


    ¡°Try to contact the boss! We need air support!¡± another Squad leader shouted.


    ¡°No good, sir. Still no signal!¡±


    ¡°Accelerate! Keep trying to make contact. I don¡¯t believe the Swarm can jam communications across the entire area!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    The beasts continued their relentless pursuit, their monstrous jaws snapping with predatory hunger as they closed the distance. Despite the Daqi war vehicles reaching speeds of nearly 500 kilometers per hour, they could not shake the creatures.


    ¡°Faster!¡± one of the Squad leaders yelled, panic creeping into his voice. ¡°What the hell are these things made of? How can they run this fast on flesh and blood alone?¡±


    Though the two sides had yet to clash directly, the beasts¡¯ sheer speed and appearance left no room for doubt¡ªthey were not foes to be taken lightly.


    ¡°Squad leader, we can¡¯t go any faster! The terrain won¡¯t allow it. These aren¡¯t aircraft!¡± the driver of one vehicle snapped back, his voice strained with tension.


    The hasty evacuation of the Daqi civilization had left their once-thriving planet in a state of decay. Without maintenance crews, infrastructure like roads and buildings had fallen into disrepair.


    The terrain was littered with debris and obstructions. While the war vehicles¡¯ superior engineering helped mitigate these challenges, they couldn¡¯t eliminate them entirely. At such breakneck speeds, a collision with even a minor obstacle would result in catastrophic destruction.


    The vehicles continued to push their limits, engines roaring, but the beasts were relentless. Worse, the distance between predator and prey was steadily shrinking.


    sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 486: Shaking Them Off?

    ¡°Cover fire!¡± Seeing the pursuers closing in, the Daqi could only opt for the most dangerous method.


    The heavy machine gun on the vehicle roof opened fire first. Simultaneously, the team members leaned out of the car windows, raising their weapons to shoot.


    These actions would be simple under normal circumstances, but they were extremely dangerous during high-speed movement.


    Although their combat armor had magnetic lock devices to help stabilize their bodies, there was still a risk of being thrown off.


    Moreover, shooting in this situation made accuracy difficult to ensure. If the angles were bad, they might even accidentally hit their own teammates.


    Dazzling energy beams streaked backward, though the amount was somewhat disappointing. With only five vehicles and limited personnel, very few had the proper angle to shoot, resulting in sparse firepower.


    While they couldn¡¯t form a powerful fire net, their attacks still effectively slowed down the Swarm beasts¡¯ pursuit, increasing the distance that had been closing in. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A sudden loud explosion erupted, blasting a group of Swarm beasts spanning tens of meters. It was a heavy sensor mine that had just been dropped.


    These sensor mines had an enormous blast radius. To prevent enemies from disarming them, they were triggered based on vibration coefficients within the detection area. When the vibration coefficient in the area reached a specific threshold, the mines would detonate.


    These weapons, initially designed to deal with enemy main battle vehicles, were also highly effective against Swarm beasts. After all, flesh-and-blood bodies were naturally weaker in defense than steel structures.


    Explosions rang out continuously, scattering flesh and blood. The Swarm beasts suffered heavy casualties, yet no sign of joy appeared on the Daqi¡¯s faces. The sheer number of beasts was overwhelming, and the gaps left by the explosions were quickly filled with more creatures. Their total numbers didn¡¯t seem to decrease at all.


    ¡°Still no signal?¡± The squad leader shouted as he reloaded his energy magazine.


    ¡°No! The signal is still blocked!¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The squad leader cursed angrily, spitting on the ground.


    He was about to continue venting his frustrations when the soldier manning the heavy machine gun shouted.


    ¡°Squad leader, they¡¯re slowing down!¡±


    The squad leader quickly turned his head and saw that, indeed, compared to before, the Swarm beasts¡¯ speed had clearly decreased.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are they slowing down?¡±


    ¡°No idea. Could they be scared of our attacks, worried about stepping on more mines?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. They¡¯re not real beasts. There¡¯s no way mere mines would frighten them!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The Swarm¡¯s combat style has never cared about such losses.¡±


    The Daqi discussed the bizarre behavior, unease creeping over them. After thinking it over, one of the soldiers suddenly proposed a theory:


    ¡°I¡¯ve carefully studied the Swarm¡¯s records. They¡¯ve only made limited moves so far¡ªmost of it has been space battles. Ground combat is extremely rare. Also, the soldier types we¡¯re encountering now have never been recorded before. Based on the Swarm¡¯s prior behavior, I think they might be experimenting on us.¡± ?????????????


    ¡°You mean they¡¯re using actual combat to test their new weapons?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The Swarm has likely already taken over the Star System. They could destroy us in a hundred different ways, but they¡¯ve chosen this cumbersome method. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re doing this just for fun.¡±


    ¡°Now that you say it, that does make sense.¡±


    ¡°Following that line of thought, if these beasts are experimental units, perhaps they have some flaws that caused them to stop pursuing us?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°If this is a live test, there might be other strange creatures waiting for us ahead¡­¡±


    As the Daqi had guessed, the pursuing beasts indeed had certain flaws.


    The current species appearing on the Daqi Planet had all been modified using native genetic templates. This made them far cheaper to produce compared to their space-based counterparts while imbuing them with more biological traits.


    For instance, the pursuing beasts had been enhanced by Luo Wen to increase their adrenaline secretion, enabling them to ignore pain and fatigue, heightening their mental stimulation and explosive strength. However, their foundational templates imposed limits on their capabilities.


    Their respiratory and heat dissipation systems simply couldn¡¯t handle such high-intensity, prolonged bursts of activity. After chasing for a certain distance, their bodies naturally slowed and gradually came to a stop.


    If they kept running, even without the Daqi attacks, their lungs would rupture on their own.


    Fixing these flaws wasn¡¯t impossible, but it would require more investment, and the incubation process would take longer. After weighing the options, Luo Wen decided not to enhance them further. If these units became too costly, they would lose their numerical advantage, which was their primary value as expendable cannon fodder.


    Furthermore, the beasts¡¯ current performance wasn¡¯t up to par. Luo Wen¡¯s intention had been to create a species capable of long-range pursuits, constantly exerting pressure on retreating forces.


    But as it stood, he seemed to be trapped in a cycle: the balance between cost and functionality couldn¡¯t be achieved, forcing Luo Wen to consider other solutions.


    The Daqi convoy continued forward as the pursuing Swarm beasts disappeared from view. Soldiers stationed on the open roof positions remained vigilant, scanning their surroundings nervously, while the others seized the rare opportunity for a brief rest.


    ¡°Huh?¡± One soldier positioned in the open roof was cleaning his weapon and checking his remaining ammunition when a shadow suddenly enveloped him.


    What puzzled him was that the surrounding ground was still bathed in sunlight, and their vehicle was speeding at over 400 miles per hour, yet this shadow remained firmly over him¡ªand was rapidly expanding.


    His instincts told him this was far from normal. He hurriedly looked up.


    ¡°Ah!!¡± A cry of terror and despair escaped his lips.


    Within the bright glare of the star, a black dot was rapidly growing. That black dot soon revealed itself as a massive beast. It had sharp, piercing eyes and a gleaming, lethal beak. Its wings stretched out like a curtain of night, each feather polished to a metallic shine, giving the beast an awe-inspiring, divine presence.


    The creature¡¯s wings pulled back as it dove, its terrifying talons extending forward. It plummeted rapidly, its target clear: the vehicle he was riding.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Hearing his shout, the squad leader stuck his head out of the car window, scanning the surroundings with alarm in search of the threat.


    ¡°It¡¯s above us! Overhead!¡± The beast was descending almost vertically, at nearly a 90-degree angle, leaving the vehicle¡¯s heavy machine gun with no line of fire. The soldier in the open roof hurriedly grabbed his nearby personal weapon and started shooting into the sky.


    The red energy beams cut through the air, pointing out the threat to the other soldiers. More heads emerged from car windows, straining to look upward. When they finally saw the source of the danger, their mouths instinctively gaped open.


    Although they had grown somewhat prepared for encounters with massive Swarm units during their battles.


    But when a colossal creature with a wingspan nearly sixty meters came plunging down from the sky, the suffocating pressure it brought was something no data or briefing could ever fully convey.

 Chapter 487: The Other Side

    These Daqi soldiers, after all, had undergone specialized training. Even the recruits, having experienced the earlier round of escape, had grown to some extent. After the initial terror passed, they quickly reacted by opening fire. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although the angles were awkward, the massive beast diving toward them¡ªnamed the Vulturehawk¡ªwas so enormous that as long as they aimed in the right direction, there was no need for precise targeting to hit it.


    Unfortunately, this Vulturehawk was no ordinary creature. It was an expensive, elite unit among the Swarm, boasting a complex native genetic combination due to its high cost.


    Its beautiful feathers shimmered with a metallic luster. Small-caliber energy beams shattered or deflected harmlessly off its feathers, failing to cause any damage.


    The Vulturehawk¡¯s diving speed was astonishing. Before the Daqi soldiers could fire more than two rounds, the Vulturehawk was already upon them.


    The Daqi soldiers faced a dilemma. With the vehicle speeding so quickly, jumping off was impossible¡ªthey would be reduced to a broken mess. But staying inside didn¡¯t seem much safer either.


    They didn¡¯t have time to hesitate. In just an instant, the Vulturehawk¡¯s massive, razor-sharp talons seized the vehicle. Though the vehicle was large on its own, in comparison to the Vulturehawk, it now seemed as fragile and helpless as a chick.


    With the Vulturehawk¡¯s altitude lowering, its talons provided clearer shooting angles. The vehicle¡¯s roof-mounted heavy machine gun opened fire, spraying energy beams. However, even the heavy machine gun was powerless to break through the Vulturehawk¡¯s defenses.


    Having secured its prey, the Vulturehawk let out a triumphant screech, flapping its wings sharply. A whirlwind erupted as it carried the vehicle into the air.


    It didn¡¯t climb too high, though. Instead, it flapped its wings rapidly a few times to accelerate, flew above another vehicle, and then hurled the captured vehicle down at it.


    The soldiers on the receiving vehicle realized the Vulturehawk¡¯s intentions as it dove toward them. At that moment, they no longer cared how many pieces they would shatter into if they jumped.


    Because if they didn¡¯t jump, they were guaranteed to be turned into pulp.


    ¡°Boom!¡± A deafening crash erupted as two vehicles collided. At such high speeds, even vehicles built to interstellar standards disintegrated on impact.


    Fragments of debris scattered everywhere, mixed with the bodies of those who hadn¡¯t managed to jump in time. By now, though, they likely no longer cared¡ªbecause their souls had departed the moment of impact, leaving only their shattered bodies to soar freely through the air.


    The victorious Vulturehawk let out a gleeful screech, then turned its form to target the next vehicle.


    A few minutes later, the leader of Squad Three lay sprawled in the grass, staring at the distant Vulturehawk, now reduced to a black dot as it retreated into the sky. Its devilish screeches still seemed to echo in his ears.


    The vehicles must have all been destroyed; otherwise, that monster wouldn¡¯t have left. But that was no longer his concern. Just moments ago, he had thrown himself from a vehicle moving at nearly 500 miles per hour.


    He had rolled over countless times before finally coming to a stop. Though he had miraculously survived, he was now completely immobilized.


    With his limited medical knowledge, he understood that he was beyond saving. His bones were shattered, yet he felt no pain. His consciousness, too, was beginning to blur.


    At that moment, a sudden realization dawned on him: the Swarm truly was using them for experiments, throwing different units at them one after another. Given this, the officers who had escaped the base ahead of them were likely doomed as well.


    As his vision darkened, the squad leader let out a faint sigh.


    ¡°Ha, this damned world¡­ this cursed Swarm!¡±


    His eyes gradually lost their light. He had done everything he could.


    Just as this unnamed Daqi squad leader had guessed, the commander who had left the base earlier aboard the gunship had already completed his part of the experiment.


    At that time, their two gunships and five transport ships had flown out first. Shortly after, the two gunships that had been covering the escape of the ground vehicles in the hangar also pulled out. ?????¦­??¨§?


    However, not long after they regrouped, the radar systems aboard their ships began blaring alarms frantically. The threat was coming from the skies!


    This time, it wasn¡¯t the Vulturehawk. Though the Vulturehawk was covered in tough feathers and possessed considerable mass, its speed¡ªwhile impressive against ground targets¡ªwas still lacking compared to aerial units like the gunships.


    The Vulturehawk¡¯s role was that of an aerial heavy-armored unit, responsible for breaking through defenses, drawing fire, and supporting ground incursions.


    For airborne combat, the Swarm had other solutions. Now appearing on the scene was the Storm God, a former flying swarm unit. Although it had been phased out in the past, after multiple rounds of genetic optimization, the Storm God had once again taken to the skies.


    The newly enhanced Storm God had grown even larger, with a wingspan exceeding fifty meters. It had been augmented with aerogel components, which made its body lighter and more agile.


    Additionally, it had been equipped with a new energy absorption system, allowing it to harness the frictional electricity generated as it passed through cloud layers to replenish its power. This gave it incredible endurance, enabling it to remain airborne for nearly ten continuous days.


    The new Storm God was also equipped with optical cloaking and electromagnetic wave refraction systems, allowing it to evade most radar scans. Its newly added field protection system negated the compressive forces of air resistance, enabling it to fly at even greater speeds.


    The strategic role of the Storm God was to establish aerial platforms in the stratosphere, providing air support to ground forces. It lacked significant offensive capabilities itself, but its expansive back could carry other units to assist in combat.


    These new functionalities made the Storm God expensive to produce, solidifying its place as an elite unit. While it still had some flaws, the Swarm needed such a combat unit to fill the operational gap between the ground and altitudes of ten thousand meters.


    During the Swarm¡¯s attack on the Daqi underground base, two Storm Gods had already been circling above. When the Daqi ships emerged, the Sky Strikers they carried immediately locked onto their respective targets.


    The Sky Strikers were an upgraded version of the self-aiming, direction-variable jet impact bugs, also known as the Flying Kamikaze Bug. In the past, they had been deployed from the Storm God platforms to massacre the wild pterosaurs on Genesis Planet.


    In principle, the Sky Strikers and Storm Gods were longtime partners.


    The older version of the Flying Kamikaze Bug had relied on soundwave-based targeting, which had been highly effective against slow-flying wild pterosaurs. However, in the face of high-end interstellar mechanical constructs capable of supersonic speeds, soundwave targeting was no longer sufficient.


    As a result, the Sky Strikers¡¯ targeting system had been upgraded to an advanced radar scanning system. While not the most cutting-edge technology, it was more than enough to ensure that no aircraft could escape.


    Furthermore, the outdated segmented acceleration system of the older Flying Kamikaze Bugs, which used air cannons, could no longer meet modern demands. To solve this, Luo Wen had outfitted the Sky Strikers with custom-designed plasma propulsion modules.


    These propulsion modules were heavily modified, capable of instantaneously draining all the Sky Striker¡¯s energy to propel it to terrifying speeds.


    This design prioritized explosive speed above all else, with no consideration given to any residual effects.

 Chapter 488: Rising Again

    In truth, there was no way to worry about side effects. The casualty rate of the Sky Strikers far surpassed that of their older versions. The previous Flying Kamikaze Bugs had targeted flesh-and-blood creatures, and there was at least some chance of survival after impact. However, the Sky Strikers¡¯ opponents now were armored steel constructs, and each attack was essentially a one-way mission.


    To maximize the impact force, the original keratin impact heads had been reinforced with a metallic layer. By incorporating techniques derived from the metallic crust of Planet Botian, the Swarm had made significant advancements in materials science.


    This metallic layer enhanced the Sky Strikers¡¯ ability to pierce enemy armor, maximizing the destructive power of their kinetic attacks.


    The small radars onboard the Daqi vessels couldn¡¯t detect the new Storm God at all. It wasn¡¯t until the Sky Strikers launched off the Storm God¡¯s back, exiting its cloaking field, that the radars finally registered movement.


    But the Sky Strikers were simply too fast. A distance of over a thousand meters was crossed in an instant, leaving the Daqi no time to react.


    A total of nine airships were targeted, and seven of them were obliterated mid-air. The powerful kinetic collisions shattered the ships into fragments, as the Sky Strikers used their very lives to display the pinnacle of destructive elegance.


    ¡°Where did they come from?!¡±


    The two surviving gunships were only spared due to their stronger armor and greater maneuverability compared to the transport ships. The moment the radar picked up the Sky Strikers, the experienced commanders gave the order to evade¡ªbefore they even had time to identify what was attacking them.


    Once the Sky Strikers locked onto their targets and reached their terrifying speeds, they became incapable of precise directional changes. This flaw allowed the two gunships to narrowly escape, as the Sky Strikers only grazed them instead of landing direct hits.


    Even so, the grazing impact inflicted severe damage. Half of the reactive armor on one gunship was torn away, exposing the ship¡¯s inner cabin. Icy winds howled through the opening, forcing the Daqi soldiers to rely on their magnetic stabilizers to keep themselves in place.


    ¡°Pull us higher!¡± The situation was critical. Maintaining or lowering altitude would only invite the next wave of attacks. Landing on the surface would eliminate their speed advantage and lead to certain death.


    The only option left was to climb to a higher altitude. The shipboard computers had already calculated the origin of the attacks. If they could ascend beyond the attackers¡¯ reach, they had a chance to evade further strikes and possibly escape.


    However, this maneuver was extremely dangerous. Ascending meant a continuous drop in temperature, which would test the endurance of the soldiers aboard.


    Moreover, the structural integrity of the gunships had already been compromised. There was a real risk that the vessels might disintegrate mid-air. Continuing to fly was a direct threat to the ships themselves.


    But the Daqi commanders had no other choice. This was the only option with even the slimmest chance of survival.


    The gunships performed admirably. As they ascended rapidly, the ships shuddered violently, but there were no signs of immediate structural failure. Soon, they had climbed high enough to surpass the invisible Storm Gods and were pushing toward higher altitudes.


    The Storm Gods did not follow the gunships. The Sky Strikers were independent units, and there were no issues with attack intervals. While the Daqi gunships ascended, the Sky Strikers still had the capacity to launch at least two more waves of attacks.


    However, the Sky Strikers did not pursue. This operation was part of a weapon-testing experiment designed to build a collaborative combat system. Any threats at higher altitudes would be left to other Swarm units.


    Above this altitude lay the territory of the Swarm¡¯s primary combat species¡ªthe Space Octopuses. Due to their unique physiology, the ground and low-altitude regions were as impassable to them as walls or swamps. This was why the new Storm Gods served as an aerial platform to bridge the gap for low-altitude operations.


    In the vastness of the higher atmosphere, the true power of the Swarm was ready to be unleashed.


    Now, the Daqi gunships had flown straight into a trap¡ªproving the saying, ¡°There¡¯s no gate to hell, yet you¡¯ve barged right in.¡± Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The close-combat prowess of the Space Octopuses had been tested and proven through countless wars. Any fighters or warships that got within their range never met a good end, let alone the gunships, which were inferior in both defensive capabilities and maneuverability.


    In the high-altitude sky, two brilliant sparks exploded. But with the cloud cover, nothing could be seen from the ground.


    With this, all airborne units from the Daqi underground base were wiped out. Twenty minutes later, the ground vehicle battalion that had broken out from the base was also annihilated. ????§ÑN¨°?§¦S


    Thus, the experimental combat operation for this base was complete.


    Similar scenarios played out across other bases on Daqi Planet. The Swarm tested a vast array of experimental species, gathering immense amounts of data. Luo Wen now understood which units had flaws, which ones were worth further modification, and which ones held no practical value in real combat.


    Years later, the space fleets encircling Daqi Planet departed to the stars near-orbit to replenish their energy. After many years, the Daqi Planet once again appeared on the Interstellar Technological Confederation¡¯s radar.


    However, the planet had transformed into a purple-gray ocean, its surface a vast and lifeless mass. From space, there was no trace of the events that had unfolded over the past few years. The Confederation attempted to send reconnaissance teams to infiltrate the Daqi Planet and search for clues.


    But these reconnaissance personnel disappeared like stones thrown into a well¡ªnever to return, not even a whisper of news.


    Gradually, the Interstellar Confederation abandoned further investigations. They assumed that, even in several years, the Swarm wouldn¡¯t be capable of creating anything significant.


    Both sides fell into a temporary calm. The Swarm entered a period of recuperation, with massive reinforcements pouring from the rear star systems to the front lines, consolidating the territories they had conquered.


    On the Confederation¡¯s side, production and deployment of military forces continued non-stop, day and night.


    As both sides amassed increasingly larger forces, the atmosphere grew heavier and more tense.


    ¡°The Swarm¡¯s forces in the newly occupied zones have reached their critical mass. Based on their patterns and behavior, war is about to start again.¡±


    ¡°So, what¡¯s our strategy this time? Do we hold the line like last time, or go on the offensive?¡±


    ¡°What are your opinions?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve stockpiled close to a hundred million warships at the front lines. If the Swarm invades again, we now have the strength to say no.¡±


    ¡°The warship numbers are still too low. I believe we should err on the side of caution.¡±


    ¡°I agree with that view. If the Swarm attacks with the usual one to two hundred million units, then we do have the strength to resist. But our intelligence has become too outdated¡ªno one knows how many reinforcements the Swarm has hidden across those front-line star systems. If our warships get pinned down, their reinforcement speed will outpace ours. If we lose those ships, we¡¯ll end up even more passive.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? In a few years, the middle-circle civilizations¡¯ vanguard forces will arrive. Then it¡¯ll be anyone¡¯s guess who wins this war. If we keep retreating and contributing nothing, how will we claim any benefits in the future?¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. Besides, our situation is different from the Koya Alliance. They¡¯ve already betrayed their allies once, and their reputation is in tatters. It doesn¡¯t matter if they retreat again. But we are different. Last time, we could say the territory we gave up was a disputed zone. If we back off again, we¡¯ll become a laughingstock.¡±


    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s vote.¡±

 Chapter 489: Mobilization

    The Koya Alliance and the Locke Mutual Aid Society¡ªtwo alliance organizations composed of Outer-ring civilizations¡ªare the closest and bordering powers to the Swarm¡¯s territory.


    When the Swarm launched its comprehensive offensive in the past, these two organizations, despite their longstanding grudges, were forced to meet and form an alliance under the pressure.


    However, the atmosphere at that time was far from amicable. Decades of animosity were not so easily dissolved. Unlike the Swarm¡¯s direct attacks on the Qi 101 and Qi 102 Star Systems of the Daqi civilization, the Swarm targeted the LKDW 286, 287, and 288 Star Systems on the Locke Mutual Aid Society¡¯s side.


    Although numerically speaking, the Swarm attacked more star systems on the Locke Mutual Aid Society¡¯s side, these three star systems strictly speaking did not belong to the Mutual Aid Society¡¯s core territory. At that time, they chose to retreat, which was fundamentally different from the Koya Alliance¡¯s act of relocating the Daqi civilization and ceding territory.


    As a result, during the meetings, the Locke Mutual Aid Society frequently mocked the Koya Alliance for this matter. Over the years, they had consistently maintained the moral high ground, occasionally voicing opinions and jabs about it.


    But as the tables turned, with the Swarm showing signs of renewed aggression, the Koya Alliance, even if forced to retreat again, had little to lose. Already tarnished in reputation, they had no lower to fall.


    The Locke Mutual Aid Society, however, was in a different position. Their previously established image now rendered them more vulnerable. Should they choose to follow the Koya Alliance¡¯s example, the criticism and ridicule they would face would far surpass what the Koya Alliance endured.


    The leaders of the Locke Mutual Aid Society, concerned with their image, found this predicament particularly distressing. In inter-civilizational interactions, apart from strength, face and reputation are paramount. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I agree to resist the Swarm. We must make our stance clear. We are completely different from those cowards in the Koya Alliance. We will not abandon any of our members.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. If we can repel the Swarm¡¯s invasion, not only will we gain greater prestige, but we¡¯ll also force the Swarm to shift its focus to the Koya Alliance.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Let the Swarm be deterred and go teach our old friends a proper lesson.¡±


    At this time, the most anxious parties at the meeting were the civilizations of Zeran and Moto. As newly joined members of the Interstellar Technological Confederation with only a few thousand years of history, they were on the same level as the Daqi civilization.


    Previously, the LKDW 286, 287, and 288 Star Systems were developed by these two civilizations. Being relatively weak, they naturally had little say in matters. With the loss of these three star systems as a buffer, their territories now directly bordered the Swarm.


    If the meeting concluded with the Locke Mutual Aid Society deciding to retreat, they would face the same fate as the Daqi civilization: abandoning their homeworlds, relocating their species, and being scattered across multiple regions, becoming vassal civilizations with little autonomy.


    This was an outcome they were determined to avoid.


    Fortunately, regardless of the reasons, the other members did not wish to abandon them. This allowed their heavily burdened hearts to finally settle, and they even felt a warmth from this rare display of genuine camaraderie.


    The meeting lasted for two days. Ultimately, the majority voted in favor of resisting the Swarm at the Zeran and Moto civilizations¡¯ borders.


    With the strategic direction unified, the entire alliance¡¯s machinery began mobilizing to achieve this goal.


    First, the frontline forces, which were previously debating whether to retreat, settled down and began forming defensive positions, laying minefields, and constructing fortifications. ??N?B¦¥?


    Second, all space factories accelerated their production capacities, deploying stockpiled troops to the frontlines, while other reinforcements hastened their mobilization.


    Recruitment efforts across various species intensified, with soldiers undergoing emergency training before being sent in waves to the frontlines.


    The actions of the Locke Mutual Aid Society naturally could not escape the notice of other foreign factions. The Society¡¯s behavior was met with widespread praise, and the growing media buzz eventually elevated the Locke Mutual Aid Society to an almost mythic status.


    However, as the protagonists of these events, the praised Locke Mutual Aid Society was far from pleased.


    Such high-profile commendations, if given after the Swarm was defeated, would undoubtedly be a boon. But doing so now carried the risk of ¡°killing with flattery,¡± clearly driven by manipulative forces behind the scenes.


    The actual strength of the Swarm remained a mystery to everyone. Up until now, the Swarm had distributed its aggression fairly evenly, targeting no one in particular. But now, by singling out the Locke Mutual Aid Society, they had effectively painted a target on their back.


    Initially, the Locke Mutual Aid Society¡¯s plan was merely to posture enough to discourage the Swarm. According to their calculations, as long as they increased their fleet size to over 150 million before the Swarm¡¯s next offensive, the Swarm would likely avoid direct confrontation.


    But now, with this kind of spectacle unfolding, even if the Swarm wanted to back off, could they still afford to lose face?


    If the Swarm truly redirected its forces to concentrate on a head-to-head battle with the Locke Mutual Aid Society, other factions¡ªespecially the Koya Alliance¡ªwould be laughing uproariously.


    It was not hard to deduce who was pulling the strings behind the scenes.


    While scheming against their rivals, the Locke Mutual Aid Society had been outmaneuvered, finding themselves in a deeply passive position. Internal dissent began to rise, with more members proposing a re-convening to re-vote on whether to temporarily retreat or resist outright.


    Under mounting pressure, the meeting was reopened, and the Zeran and Moto civilizations¡ªwho had briefly felt relief¡ªfound themselves on edge once more.


    Fortunately, after another round of deliberation, the decision to resist was upheld by a narrow margin, and the strategy proceeded as planned.


    Although the plan appeared unchanged on the surface, there were now subtle flaws in its execution. Deliberate delays and procrastination occurred sporadically.


    While external factions continued their power plays, the Swarm stirred once again in the 26th year of the New Era.


    The phrase: ¡°Though I may no longer be in the Jianghu, stories of me still echo through it,¡± perfectly captured the Swarm¡¯s current state. After years of silence, even the smallest movement from the Swarm immediately made headlines, becoming the top news story.


    Reports flooded in, and military analysts appeared on various programs to dissect the Swarm¡¯s strategic intentions.


    None of this concerned Luo Wen. The Swarm was already the sworn enemy of the Interstellar Technological Confederation, so there was no need to pay attention to the opinions or feelings of their adversaries.


    In the 28th year of the New Era, the Swarm, having reorganized its forces, resumed its expansion. This time, the frontlines extended significantly, with nearly 1 billion Swarm troops advancing simultaneously in multiple directions.


    From the Riken system, forces marched northward toward several star systems still under development by the Koya Alliance.


    From the newly conquered LKDW 291, Qi 101, and Qi 102 Star Systems, troops pressed further into the Koya Alliance¡¯s territory.


    In the southwest, using LKDW 286, 287, and 288 as bases, the Swarm expanded toward the Locke Mutual Aid Society.

 Chapter 491: Enemy Movements

    ¡°Your Majesty, regarding the Koya Alliance, their strategy remains the same as before. According to intelligence, the Qi 103 Star System has long been deserted. Several adjacent star systems are also initiating evacuation procedures,¡± reported Tella, briefing Sarah Kerrigan on the situation.


    As Sarah¡¯s former Chief Guard and now a Blade, Tella held independent command authority. However, she often found herself juggling both roles.


    On the Swarm¡¯s side, apart from overseeing the overarching strategic direction, Luo Wen had delegated all other authority to the Blades, allowing them to act independently. After all, with the inevitable expansion of the battlefront, it was impossible for him to manage every single encounter.


    Additionally, Luo Wen¡¯s focus had shifted due to new discoveries on Planet Botian, further diverting his attention.


    Under such circumstances, the Swarm¡¯s Virtual Court was beginning to take on a semblance of genuine functionality.


    ¡°Hmph, they¡¯re quite self-aware. What about the other side?¡±


    ¡°Regarding the Locke Mutual Aid Society, based on their troop movements and intelligence reports, they¡¯ve chosen to engage us,¡± Tella continued her briefing.


    ¡°Good. Their retreat during the first round of attacks was a bit dull. Now that we¡¯ve finally encountered an opponent willing to face us head-on, this should serve as an enjoyable warm-up before the real battle. Tella, what are their plans?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve discerned our intention to advance on four fronts. They plan to split their limited forces into two groups, focusing on defending the LKDW262 and LKDW263 Star Systems.¡±


    ¡°A reasonable strategy. But in that case, what do they plan to do about the LKDW265 and LKDW267 Star Systems?¡±


    ¡°The Locke Mutual Aid Society has begun evacuating the civilian population in those systems. At the same time, they are deploying large numbers of mines around the star systems and mobilizing fast warships for guerrilla warfare, attempting to delay our forces as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that contradict their initial intentions?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Reportedly, this has caused escalating internal conflicts, and the Koya Alliance has taken the opportunity to mock them relentlessly.¡±


    ¡°Ha! No matter how chaotic the Locke Mutual Aid Society becomes, they¡¯re still a hundred times better than the cowards in the Koya Alliance. But do these outsiders take us for fools? If they can adapt, do they think we can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°What are your instructions, Your Majesty?¡± Tella asked.


    Sarah deliberated for a moment before responding. ¡°Stick to the general plan. However, for the LKDW262 and LKDW263 Star Systems, pull back the assembly points by one light-year. Let¡¯s see if they dare to come out.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty!¡±


    ¡ª


    In the 30th year of the New Era, one light-year outside the LKDW262 and LKDW263 Star Systems, spatial distortions suddenly stabilized. A Primordial body emerged from the warp bubble, followed by a second, and then a third¡­ ?????¦­??????£Ó


    Before long, a monitoring radar in the void detected activity in the area.


    ¡°Report! Enemy presence detected!¡± Amid the blaring alarms, an operator rose to deliver the report.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the alliance commander asked in surprise. According to projections, the Swarm¡¯s vanguard forces weren¡¯t expected to emerge from their warp bubbles for another two months.


    ¡°Swarm forces detected one light-year outside the LKDW262 and LKDW263 Star Systems.¡±


    ¡°What? Convene all commanders for an emergency meeting immediately!¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°What? It¡¯s just a reconnaissance force?¡±


    ¡°Based on reports from the frontlines, their numbers are rapidly increasing. It¡¯s highly likely to be the main force.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    ¡°Although this is somewhat unexpected, the Swarm is, after all, an intelligent race. Adjusting their tactics based on our arrangements is perfectly reasonable. However, their previous strategies lulled us into a false sense of security.¡±


    ¡°We can still retreat. Our warships should be able to escape!¡± Internal conflicts within the Locke Mutual Aid Society had escalated, with the division between the pro-war and anti-war factions spreading to the alliance forces.


    ¡°Bullshit! The warships might escape, but what about the civilians?¡± a commander roared in anger.


    ¡°Hah, we can barely protect ourselves, let alone others. If we had followed the Koya Alliance¡¯s approach from the beginning, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess.¡±


    ¡°Babuta! If you make another comment like that, I¡¯ll propose a vote to revoke your command!¡±


    ¡°Babuta, hold your tongue. We can¡¯t stoop to the level of the Koya Alliance,¡± another commander advised.


    ¡°Oh, bring it on! Who¡¯s afraid of whom? Go ahead and remove me! If we lose, at least I won¡¯t be blamed. And what about LKDW265 and LKDW267? Aren¡¯t they copying the Koya Alliance? Or are those relocated civilians on a collective sightseeing trip?¡± Babuta, undeterred by his peers¡¯ criticism, fired back at both of them.


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Enough! From now on, anyone who brings up irrelevant nonsense can see themselves out!¡± A voice boomed across the room, commanding authority. Its owner was a figure over two meters tall, with dark bronze skin and sharply defined muscles that stood out even beneath his combat suit. He slammed a broad, calloused palm onto the table, silencing the room.


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even Babuta, who had just stood his ground in a two-on-one argument, could only grunt in discontent. It was clear that the speaker held considerable status, even among this assembly of commanders.


    No one was surprised by Babuta¡¯s subdued reaction. The imposing figure belonged to a Troi, a member of the most powerful race within the Locke Mutual Aid Society and one of its founders. His words carried immense weight.


    With the disruptive voices silenced, Musa sighed in relief. These anti-war agitators were a constant headache, but everyone in this room represented a faction with vested interests and influence. Otherwise, Musa would have already had them dragged out and executed.


    Fortunately, the Troi race still commanded enough respect to prevent others from overstepping.


    After observing the room and ensuring everyone was seated with proper decorum, Musa cleared his throat. ¡°I don¡¯t care what little schemes you may harbor, but we must unite and fight this battle. Do well, and your futures will be bright. Fail, and you¡¯ll be the ones to take the blame. We¡¯re all in this together, so don¡¯t drag anyone down.¡±


    Seeing that no one dared to voice opposition, Musa nodded in satisfaction and continued. ¡°The Swarm¡¯s assembly point is now located one light-year outside LKDW262 and LKDW263. This deviation from our expectations has presented us with a significant challenge. How should we proceed? I hope everyone will contribute their thoughts.¡±


    After Musa finished, the room fell into an awkward silence. Irritated, he shot a sharp look around.


    The signal from the towering figure was hard to miss, and someone quickly caught on.


    ¡°Ahem, I¡¯ll start. I believe the key issue is whether we choose to strike proactively or remain on the defensive.¡± sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 492: The Strategy

    ¡°The current situation indeed presents us with a tough problem posed by the Swarm.¡±


    ¡°I believe we must go on the offensive; otherwise, splitting our forces would be completely meaningless,¡± a commander suggested as the meeting finally got on track.


    ¡°I agree with taking the initiative. We must disrupt the Swarm before they fully assemble!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. The position where the Swarm is stationed leaves us with very few viable options.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. While our fleets are currently in a state of combat readiness and can head to the target area at any time, how are we supposed to approach them?¡±


    ¡°Of course, using warp travel! Speed is of the essence!¡± The commander who proposed this paused mid-sentence, realizing something and lapsing into contemplation.


    ¡°Hmph. Our warp technology is no more advanced than the Swarm¡¯s. The Swarm has to split their forces and advance sequentially to avoid interfering with each other. Do you think we don¡¯t face the same issue?¡±


    ¡°True. With warp travel, our warships will also arrive sequentially. Although the distance we need to travel is shorter, there will still be a time gap. If the Swarm exploits that gap, who will encircle whom could very well be reversed.¡±


    ¡°We could first warp to a location 0.8 light-years from the target, wait for all our forces to arrive and assemble, and then proceed to annihilate the Swarm.¡±


    ¡°This plan is feasible, but it comes with significant risks. The Swarm has already reached the target area and has the upper hand as defenders, while we¡¯ve become the attackers. Gathering our forces at a point 0.2 light-years from their position¡ªaside from the time required for assembly¡ªwhat if the Swarm harasses us during that period? After all, at 0.2 light-years, even sub-light-speed travel wouldn¡¯t take much time.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Even if the Swarm doesn¡¯t harass us, by the time we¡¯ve gathered our forces, how many additional troops will they have assembled? At that point, will we still hold a numerical advantage?¡±


    ¡°Hmph. If offensive action isn¡¯t feasible, are you suggesting we defend?¡±


    ¡°Defense is a dead end! The Swarm can simply wait until they¡¯ve gathered an overwhelming number of troops to crush us.¡±


    ¡°So, attacking won¡¯t work, and defending won¡¯t work. What, then, will?¡±


    ¡°Hah. If you ask me, running away is still the most reliable option!¡± After a long silence, Babuta seized the opportunity to interject. This time, no one rebuked him, as the entire room had fallen into a heavy silence. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡ª


    ¡°Your Majesty, the Locke Mutual Aid Society has deployed their forces. It seems they want to test whether they can destroy our assembly point and prevent our troops from forming at scale,¡± Tella reported.


    ¡°A commendable idea, but have they calculated their odds of success?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they must have. But to them, a proactive offense holds a slim chance of victory compared to passive defense.¡±


    ¡°Why not retreat then?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps they can¡¯t swallow their pride. After all, they raised themselves too high before.¡±


    ¡°Such foolishness.¡±


    ¡ª


    At the end of the 30th year of the New Era, an alien warship exited its warp bubble 0.2 light-years outside the Swarm¡¯s assembly point, revealing its form. Soon, more and more warships began to appear in the vicinity. ?¨¢£Î?????¨¨£Ó


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡±


    ¡°Just a moment, sir.¡± Having just emerged from the warp bubble, the communications system was still somewhat disorganized. However, it wasn¡¯t long before the ship¡¯s onboard instruments interfaced with nearby reconnaissance vessels, completing the intelligence update.


    ¡°Sir, the Swarm remains at their target location, completely motionless.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Deploy the disruptors!¡±


    ¡°At once!¡±


    The initial wave of arriving warships quickly dispersed, following pre-assigned tasks to deploy disruption devices around the area. These devices distorted and scattered various wavelengths of light and particle waves while masking the energy signatures generated by warp drives, effectively creating a cloak of invisibility.


    Before this, reconnaissance ships had already placed a limited number of disruptors in the region, but their small capacity restricted coverage. However, the newly arrived warships, with their emptied ammunition bays and cargo holds filled with disruptors, would expand the coverage significantly, blanketing a vast area to prepare for the main fleet¡¯s arrival.


    More and more warships arrived, each approximately 3,000 meters long, elongated in shape, and uniformly styled, clearly the product of a single civilization.


    Suddenly, a massive vessel appeared. At 5,000 meters in length, its disc-shaped structure stood out conspicuously among the 3,000-meter-long ships, unique and unmistakable.


    If Luo Wen and his allies were present, they would instantly recognize this distinctive warship. It was an old ¡°friend¡± of the Swarm, once leading a vast fleet to invite the Swarm to join the Interstellar Technological Confederation.


    Although most of that fleet had remained on the fringes of Swarm territory, its sheer size had warranted close observation and vigilance from the Swarm, making this flagship particularly familiar.


    The arriving warships all belonged to the Troi race. Known for their advanced technology and superior speed, their role was naturally to establish and defend the forward positions. Furthermore, their firepower was unmatched, making them the logical choice for this crucial task.


    ¡°Get moving, everyone! If you¡¯re here, stop gawking and clear the lanes already!¡± roared General Viller from the flagship¡¯s bridge. His booming voice, tinged with irritation, betrayed his foul mood.


    Since leading the effort to successfully invite the Swarm to join the Confederation, Viller hadn¡¯t gained much tangible benefit. However, he had managed to secure a non-aggression pact, claim three star systems, and infuriate the Koya Alliance¡ªa feat that, by any measure, was considered a major accomplishment.


    Due to cautious considerations and intel gathered through clandestine channels, the Troi negotiation fleet had never returned to their homeworld, instead remaining stationed at the border. Viller had also stayed behind, assuming he¡¯d be returning to enjoy his spoils soon after.


    Yet, instead of a hero¡¯s welcome, he found himself stuck as a frontier garrison commander in a foreign region with unfamiliar languages, culture, and aesthetics¡ªand not a single decent place for leisure.


    With nothing to do, Viller eventually chose cryosleep to avoid wasting his life away. But when he was reawakened, it was to the news that the Swarm¡ªthe very race they had signed the treaty with¡ªhad launched an invasion.


    Now, it was war¡ªa prospect that meant death. And like most, Viller had no appetite for battle. Still, he resigned himself to the task, thinking his high status would keep him away from danger.


    To his dismay, the plan called for an offensive against the Swarm, with him leading the charge. Among the entire Locke Mutual Aid Society fleet, no one else¡¯s forces were better suited for the job. But why, he wondered bitterly, did his flagship have to be stationed in such a precarious position?


    Gazing around at the barely 1,000 warships accompanying him, Viller felt an overwhelming sense of insecurity.

 Chapter 493: The Conspiracy

    In the Troi, General Viller held a significant position of power. However, the current battle against the Swarm was led by an alliance of nearly 20 civilizations. His rank was insufficient to qualify him for the position of commander-in-chief of the allied forces.


    Still, the commander-in-chief also hailed from the Troi, albeit from a different camp than Viller. This rival faction harbored animosity toward him. When Viller was awakened for this mission, he had a bad feeling, which was soon confirmed when he was sent directly to the front lines.


    Regarding the battle against the Swarm, Viller didn¡¯t believe the Swarm would ultimately prevail. After all, compared to the forces in the Outer-ring, the civilizations closer to the core regions had longer histories of development and higher levels of technology. If these core powers were to fully engage, the Swarm would stand no chance.


    However, at this stage, Viller did not have high hopes for the Locke Mutual Aid Alliance. He had once come into close contact with the Swarm. They were an enigmatic species, full of mysteries. Many of their behaviors seemed logical on the surface but exuded an unsettling peculiarity upon closer examination. Those who hadn¡¯t encountered them firsthand could never truly understand that feeling.


    The Swarm undoubtedly harbored many secrets.


    From the current situation, it appeared that the Swarm¡¯s secrets had been exposed. Although Viller didn¡¯t know the specifics, the fact that so many civilizations¡ªeven the New Ji race¡ªwere covertly making moves suggested there was an extraordinary reward at stake.


    Perhaps his faction knew something, but Viller, having just been awakened, remained uninformed. Nor did he want to know. Rewards of this magnitude were beyond his reach, and even the Troi could only dream of grasping them.


    Viller couldn¡¯t fathom why those self-proclaimed elite strategists had decided to engage the Swarm head-on. He was a staunch member of the Anti-war faction. Right now, he had no interest in earning military merits or glory; he only wanted to survive.


    This wasn¡¯t to say Viller was a coward. He had ambition and was willing to fight for it¡ªotherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have climbed to his current rank. However, he understood the present circumstances. Dying here would be a waste, with no corresponding rewards or honor to justify the sacrifice.


    He wasn¡¯t being alarmist. Viller grasped a fundamental truth: great rewards often carried matching risks. While this statement wasn¡¯t universally applicable, it held true for most situations.


    Considering the Swarm¡¯s secrets, what kind of reward could attract even the New Ji race? And correspondingly, how great would the danger be?


    Viller didn¡¯t believe this situation would be a rare exception to the rule. If there were no danger involved, the Swarm would have been quietly eliminated long ago, their secrets seized without the need for the Troi or others to intervene.


    Half a month passed. During this time, Viller had accumulated less than 40 hours of sleep in total. Perhaps due to his long period of cryogenic sleep, he managed to endure and even felt relatively fine mentally.


    But this was merely an illusion. He had reached his limit. The constant sense of unease over the past few days had caused an excessive secretion of adrenaline, which had severely drained his stamina. Now, he desperately needed rest.


    Fortunately, nothing unusual had happened during this time. Viller kept a constant watch on the Swarm¡¯s movements, ready to order a retreat at the slightest sign of trouble. He didn¡¯t care if it meant facing a court-martial later.


    When he finally got some sleep, Viller slept for over 20 hours. Upon waking, he felt disoriented, taking a long moment before his memory returned.


    By now, nearly ten million warships from various species had gathered in this region. The vast fleet stretched endlessly across the void. Viller had never seen such a massive assembly of warships in his lifetime. The sight gave him a small sense of security.


    And this was not the entirety of their forces. Reinforcements would continue arriving over the next month, bringing the total to around 30 million ships. While this seemed like a considerable number, it was less than half of the original plan.


    The shortfall was due to a lack of warp-capable ships. Even within the Troi, the prevalence of warp drive-equipped warships had been low. It was even worse for less advanced civilizations, some of which had no warp technology at all.


    Although at the beginning of the war, in order to enhance the combat capability of the Outer-ring civilizations, the Ji race had advanced a portion of the promised rewards, granting all the civilizations access to warp drive technology. Those who already possessed it were able to upgrade their systems.


    However, technology is one thing, and physical implementation is another. Transforming technical knowledge into tangible warships required time. Even in a state of total war, where all newly produced warships were equipped with warp drives, the existing fleets still faced the challenge of retrofitting.


    Thirty years was simply too short. A significant number of warships were still only capable of sub-light travel.


    In this fast-paced blitzkrieg scenario, sub-light warships, no matter how powerful their weaponry, could not participate effectively in missions.


    The actual number of deployed warships was less than half the original plan, nearly jeopardizing the operation. However, the Pro-war faction firmly pushed forward, ensuring the plan went into action. ???¨°?§§????


    ¡ª S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Your Majesty, we have pinpointed the Allied Fleet¡¯s assembly point. Shall we strike now while they are still vulnerable and eliminate them?¡±


    Although the Locke Mutual Aid Society¡¯s coalition forces had employed interference and concealment measures to deceive the Swarm¡¯s reconnaissance systems, the Swarm¡¯s infiltration capabilities were extraordinary. Any plan discussed by the coalition was swiftly exposed to the Swarm.


    Thus, while the coalition¡¯s efforts were commendable, they proved ineffective.


    Sarah considered the situation and made her decision. ¡°Forget it. They¡¯ll come to attack us sooner or later. Let them have their moment of joy for now.¡±


    ¡°As you command, Your Majesty!¡±


    From Sarah¡¯s perspective, launching an offensive at this time¡ªbeing the attacking party in a blitzkrieg¡ªwould undoubtedly result in a disorganized formation. It would be difficult to encircle the coalition forces at their assembly point.


    If the coalition chose to focus solely on retreating, the Swarm might not be able to inflict significant losses on their effective combat forces. Moreover, capturing the assembly point might scatter the coalition¡¯s subsequent reinforcements, making their future movements unpredictable.


    Since that was the case, it was better to feign ignorance. Once the coalition completed their assembly, they would inevitably launch their attack. By then, the Swarm could assume a defensive position, taking advantage of their terrain to deal the coalition a devastating blow. Wouldn¡¯t that be more satisfying?


    ¡ª


    And so, the coalition, believing they had performed well, managed to complete their military assembly under the Swarm¡¯s very nose, feeling quite smug about their success.


    However, Viller thought otherwise. No one had a definitive understanding of the Swarm¡¯s technological capabilities. Over this period, he had revisited every incident and battle involving the Swarm. His conclusion was clear: although the Swarm often presented themselves as mindless beasts, they had never truly suffered a defeat.


    The Swarm was far from incompetent. The idea that they could overlook enemy forces gathering right in front of them was absurd.


    If the Swarm had indeed discovered their assembly, why would they pretend not to know?


    Furthermore, this was not the only battlefield. In the nearby LKDW263 sector, a nearly identical scenario was unfolding.


    For both battlefields to go unnoticed by the Swarm was highly improbable.


    Viller detected the scent of conspiracy.

 Chapter 494: Opening Fire

    Whether out of concern for his own safety or other reasons, Viller couldn¡¯t possibly conceal this intelligence. So, when he sensed something was amiss, he sent the information back and issued a warning.


    However, due to his previous words and actions, Viller had already been labeled as part of the Anti-war faction. His intelligence, which seemed to hinder the war effort, was likely to be watered down and receive little attention.


    But Viller was now on the front lines of the battlefield. To minimize the chances of being detected by the Swarm, the coalition fleet was in a state of silence, reducing all unnecessary communications.


    Even if he wanted to stir up trouble, it would be difficult. And if he went too far, he might be targeted by the military police. If he lost his position, his life would be even harder to protect.


    However, those who had climbed to high positions in the coalition were not without merit. Before Viller reported his findings, some of them had already sensed something was wrong. Unfortunately, the arrow was already on the bowstring, and they had no choice but to shoot.


    Changing the military operation at this point would only damage the already low morale of the coalition. It was better to take a gamble. Moreover, they currently held the advantage in distance, allowing them to assemble their forces faster. If it came to a fight, the outcome was still uncertain.


    As the days passed, Viller looked at the coalition fleet that now filled the surrounding star systems and sighed. It seemed his intelligence had been ignored. From now on, he could only rely on himself.


    The day of action finally arrived. A Troi warship took the lead, breaking out of the range of the interference devices, followed closely by a dense fleet of ships.


    ¡°What a spectacular sight!¡± Viller stood on the bridge of his flagship, looking at the scene outside. His disc-shaped flagship was positioned in the middle of the fleet, with tens of millions of warships spread out ahead.


    The energy streams from the sub-light engines of the warships lit up the void, and the various lights on the ships added to the spectacle. Viller felt as if he were sailing through the Milky Way, and he was a part of it.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Your Majesty, they¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Good. All legions, prepare to engage the enemy according to the plan!¡±


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°How is the Swarm responding?¡±


    ¡°The Swarm has slightly adjusted their formation to face our fleet. Other than that, they¡¯ve taken no other action.¡±


    ¡°Do they not intend to send troops to attack or harass us?¡±


    ¡°Based on the current intelligence, the Swarm has not engaged in such behavior.¡±


    ¡°Could it be that our reconnaissance is inadequate? I¡¯ve heard the Swarm¡¯s stealth technology is very advanced.¡±


    ¡°Impossible, sir. We¡¯ve deployed various monitoring devices around the Swarm¡¯s positions. They couldn¡¯t possibly evade all types of detection.¡±


    The commander pondered for a moment, agreeing with this assessment. If nothing else, the gravitational wave radar alone, in the emptiness of space, was something he had never heard of being completely shielded against. ?¨¢??????§¦?


    However, the Swarm¡¯s approach was not good news for him. Ideally, the Swarm would also take the initiative to intercept the coalition, resulting in a head-on battle where neither side had the advantage of terrain. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But now, it seemed this was wishful thinking.


    ¡°Do we know how many Swarm forces there are?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve jammed our signals, and our reconnaissance ships dare not get too close, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Useless!¡±


    ¡°However, based on the area and density of their clusters, we estimate that the Swarm has between 30 to 40 million octopus-like creatures over 500 meters in size.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The Swarm¡¯s combat forces were roughly equal in number to the coalition, if not slightly more. This wasn¡¯t surprising, as the Swarm had gathered here first.


    But in terms of quality, most of the Swarm¡¯s combat units were between 500 to 600 meters in size, while the coalition¡¯s smallest combat vessels were over a kilometer long. Therefore, the coalition was confident they could defeat the Swarm, even with similar numbers.


    The distance of 0.2 light-years would take months to traverse at sub-light speeds, and the coalition had to maintain their formation, slowing them down even further. As a result, it took nearly half a year for the coalition to reach their designated position, during which time both sides received some reinforcements. The Swarm¡¯s forces grew to nearly 50 million, while the coalition, due to a lack of momentum, only added a little over five million.


    The commanders¡¯ faces were grim. The widening gap in numbers slightly reduced the simulated victory rate and increased the size of the Anti-war faction, affecting morale.


    But since they hadn¡¯t turned back half a year ago, it was even more impossible to do so now. No matter what, this battle had to be fought!


    ¡°According to the plan, the vanguard will charge, the flanks will follow, and the rear will stand by, ready to reinforce at any moment!¡± Since the battlefield was the vast emptiness of space with no cover, there was little room for tactics. Both sides would clash head-on.


    Of course, as the defenders, the Swarm could set up their formation and wait, while the coalition had to charge forward, risking their formation being disrupted in the process. This was the only real difference.


    The vanguard of the coalition was composed of the strongest warships from the most powerful members. They were larger, had thicker armor, more powerful weapons, and longer range.


    ¡ª¡ª


    As the coalition commander had envisioned, the vanguard was the elite of the coalition. They were to act like a sharp blade, piercing into the Swarm¡¯s formation, breaking it up, disrupting it, and dividing it. Then, the flanking forces would follow, encircling and cutting the battlefield into smaller segments.


    This scenario was exactly what the coalition, with its superior individual combat capabilities, wanted to see.


    Unfortunately, due to the time lost during the march, the Swarm¡¯s numbers had grown to over 10 million more than the coalition¡¯s, making encirclement difficult. It would be hard to prevent the Swarm from escaping.


    However, if the plan proceeded as intended, it would still deal a heavy blow to the Swarm forces. As long as this force was scattered, the coalition could use their numerical advantage to sweep through and achieve their strategic goals.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Swarm was not surprised by the coalition¡¯s immediate charge upon entering the battlefield. The coalition couldn¡¯t afford to waste time. Their reinforcements had dried up, while the Swarm¡¯s forces continued to grow.


    Every moment of delay meant the Swarm¡¯s numbers increased slightly. So, if the coalition wanted to fight, they had to act quickly.


    ¡°Fire two rounds of electromagnetic cannons at them!¡± Facing the coalition¡¯s charge, Sarah Kerrigan issued her orders.


    Tens of millions of Primordial-class Swarm units had long been in combat mode, their bodies faintly glowing with blue arcs of energy. Upon receiving the command, the arcs flared up, and thousands of cannons fired simultaneously.


    The battle line stretched nearly 10 million kilometers, equivalent to over 30 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.


    Along this line, the blue energy arcs from the Primordial-class units seemed to connect, illuminating the entire void in a spectacular display.


    Although the electromagnetic projectiles flew silently, without any visual effects, the dazzling blue arcs in the sky and the frantic alarms from the radar systems served as a stark reminder to the coalition.


    The Swarm had opened fire!

 Chapter 495: The Blade

    Although electromagnetic cannons had the disadvantage of slow projectile speed, they had the advantage of extremely long firing ranges. At this moment, while the coalition forces were out of range of energy weapons, the electromagnetic cannons could easily target them.


    The only condition was that they didn¡¯t dodge.


    But of course, that was impossible! What kind of creature wouldn¡¯t dodge an attack that could severely damage them?


    However, at this moment, the coalition fleet truly couldn¡¯t dodge these electromagnetic projectiles.


    Their formation was too dense, leaving them little room to maneuver. If they focused solely on dodging, they might end up colliding with their allies.


    Moreover, dodging would inevitably cause them to stop advancing, disrupting the overall formation.


    But even if they didn¡¯t dodge, they had a way to deal with such attacks. The Daqi Empire, for example, had repulsion field generators, and now, with forces far stronger than the Daqi Empire present, it was natural that they would have such devices.


    Even if they didn¡¯t, after studying the Swarm¡¯s tactics and knowing their preference for electromagnetic cannons, they would have installed such devices before the battle.


    Sure enough, as the electromagnetic projectiles were still en route, the coalition warships at the forefront activated their repulsion fields. The interconnected repulsion fields were more than enough to neutralize the Swarm¡¯s attacks.


    But the Swarm never expected these two waves of attacks to achieve significant results.


    Repulsion fields were extremely energy-intensive devices and were not typically kept active during normal operations. Most civilizations wouldn¡¯t set up dedicated power systems for them.


    Thus, when the repulsion fields were activated, over 70% of the warships, except for those of the Troi and a few other races, saw a reduction in engine output, and their speed inevitably slowed.


    This revealed a weakness of the coalition: it was composed of a mix of forces from various civilizations, each with different performance parameters for their warships. Combined with a complex and factionalized command system, their coordination was very poor.


    For example, Viller¡¯s flagship was positioned in the center of the formation, surrounded by a few Troi escort ships, while the rest were warships from weaker civilizations.


    When the repulsion fields were activated, those warships hesitated, their speed slowing, but Viller¡¯s ships were unaffected.


    It¡¯s important to note that the fleet was traveling at sub-light speeds. While the warships appeared to be hundreds or thousands of kilometers apart, they could close that distance in an instant. The momentary hesitation caused one of Viller¡¯s escort ships to nearly collide with a foreign warship.


    Similar incidents occurred in multiple parts of the formation, causing some chaos. In one case, an actual collision occurred. These accidents disrupted what had been a relatively cohesive formation.


    This was exactly what the Swarm intended. After two more waves of electromagnetic cannon fire, the unaffected Troi warships surged forward, further advancing their position as the ¡°blade¡± of the formation and even risking separation from the flanks.


    The coalition commander quickly noticed this and ordered them to stop accelerating, but these maneuvers further degraded the formation.


    Shortly after, the vanguard of the coalition entered the range of both sides¡¯ energy weapons. In an instant, both sides opened fire simultaneously. Countless red energy beams filled the dark void, adding another color to the dark void. ????¨¢¦­??¦¥????


    Just like with the electromagnetic cannons, the dense formations left little room for evasion. However, the Swarm fared slightly better.


    First, their pre-arranged formation had a more rational layout, while the coalition, despite starting with a similar layout, had lost it during the charge.


    Second, the Swarm¡¯s units were all Space Octopuses, living creatures. Like humans, as long as the force was within a certain limit, a collision between them wouldn¡¯t cause any issues.


    In contrast, the coalition¡¯s steel warships were like cars. While a minor scrape might not be a problem, their rigid structures made them much clumsier, and it was difficult to control the degree of impact.


    Thus, while the Space Octopuses could make small evasive maneuvers in response to the coalition¡¯s fire, the coalition warships could only take the hits head-on.


    Since the coalition¡¯s vanguard was charging forward while the Swarm was lying in wait, the Swarm¡¯s attacks far outnumbered the coalition¡¯s when they entered firing range. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The coalition commanders had anticipated this issue during tactical rehearsals. As a result, they had equipped the vanguard warships with thick reactive armor.


    As long as the vanguard could withstand two rounds of concentrated fire, the flanks and wings of the coalition could move into firing range and share the pressure.


    However, the earlier coordination errors had caused the vanguard to advance too far, forcing them to endure four rounds of concentrated fire.


    The coalition¡¯s calculations were fairly accurate. After two rounds of fire exchange, most of the vanguard¡¯s warships had severely damaged reactive armor and minor hull damage. A few unlucky ones that had suffered attacks beyond their limits in a short time had their armor penetrated. But these were few in number. Out of the over three million warships in the vanguard, less than ten thousand had been forced to withdraw after two rounds of fire exchange.


    But the third and fourth rounds of fire took a heavy toll on the so-called vanguard. Although the warships of the Troi and other advanced civilizations were highly advanced, in battles of this scale, quantity led to a qualitative change. Unless there was a generational gap of several levels, a slight technological edge was useless.


    After four rounds of fire exchange, the vanguard¡¯s casualty rate skyrocketed from 0.3% to over 40%. Moreover, the surviving ships were heavily damaged, and their combat effectiveness was questionable.


    ¡ª¡ª


    It could be said that a simple command and coordination error had nearly halved the vanguard¡¯s strength, and this was the most elite part of the coalition.


    Now, with the tip of the blade broken, the vanguard was unlikely to complete its mission of cutting through the Swarm¡¯s formation.


    ¡°Damn it, what are the flanks doing?!¡± The coalition commander¡¯s heart was bleeding. The vanguard was mostly composed of Troi warships, the strongest and sharpest fleet in the alliance. Yet, they had suffered heavy losses right at the start of the battle.


    This mistake would lead to accusations of dereliction of duty from within his own race. If the accusations came from foreign races, given his status, he wouldn¡¯t care, as the Troi were his backing. But now, the accusations came from his own backing, which was a serious problem for him.


    However, the future was not his immediate concern. He had to survive the current crisis first.


    When Viller led the fleet to invite the Swarm to join the Interstellar Technological Confederation, there were already multiple voices within the fleet of several hundred thousand warships, representing various interests.


    Now, with nearly twenty races involved, each with its own internal divisions, the complexity of the relationships could tie a knot that would last ten thousand years.


    In the past, the coalition commander could rely on overwhelming strength to suppress these tangled threads. But now, with the losses to his main fleet, his authority within the coalition would rapidly decline.

 Chapter 496: Formation

    Internal strife exists within most intelligent species. However, when faced with external pressure, most species tend to set aside their conflicts and unite.


    Within the coalition, the Troi race demonstrated remarkable unity. Even Viller, who had conflicts with the coalition commander, never publicly undermined his authority, despite being targeted.


    Thus, the Troi military, appearing as a solid bloc to outsiders, provided the coalition commander with overwhelming support. Other races, whether out of fear or other reasons, did not openly show disobedience.


    Of course, this excluded certain Anti-war factions who had already given up.


    But now, the coalition commander¡¯s supporters had been decimated. While this wouldn¡¯t lead other members to attempt a power grab¡ªafter all, the Troi civilization still existed¡ªit would significantly undermine the coalition commander¡¯s credibility on the current battlefield if he didn¡¯t take action. There might not be open opposition, but subtle dissent would surely emerge.


    After all, if the coalition commander was so ¡°ruthless¡± that he could lead his own elite forces into such a disastrous situation, who would dare to entrust their lives entirely to him?


    The coalition commander understood this well, which was why he was now in a state of panic. He had to save face.


    ¡°Damn it, what are the flanks doing?! Push forward! And what about the wings? The Swarm has stopped firing electromagnetic cannons, yet you¡¯re still crawling along with your repulsion fields active?¡±


    The coalition commander erupted in fury, berating the communication channels in an attempt to regain some authority through sheer force of intimidation.


    ¡ª¡ª


    ¡°Your Majesty, the coalition¡¯s wings are accelerating.¡±


    ¡°Send our wings forward to intercept them! Let their central forces advance!¡±


    ¡°As you command!¡±


    Under pressure from the coalition commander, the flanking forces of the vanguard moved up before the fifth round of fire exchange, drawing some of the Swarm¡¯s fire.


    The coalition¡¯s multi-civilization wing forces deactivated their repulsion fields, redirecting energy to their engines, which noticeably increased their speed. Their weapon systems also began charging. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Facing them, the Swarm forces advanced to block their path. Both sides soon entered each other¡¯s firing range, and without further ado, countless energy beams filled the void.


    The entire front, spanning tens of millions of kilometers, was now fully engaged, significantly reducing the pressure on the coalition¡¯s central forces, especially the vanguard. However, their situation remained critical.


    The intense fighting temporarily locked both sides into their formations. The coalition¡¯s formation was convex, while the Swarm¡¯s was concave. The original plan was for the central forces to punch through the concave formation, allowing them to withdraw for repairs while the rear forces moved in to replace them, cooperating with the flanks to encircle and annihilate the Swarm forces.


    But now, the tip of the central forces¡¯ ¡°blade¡± had been blunted at the very start of the battle. A dull blade could no longer quickly complete the task of penetration.


    The coalition commander, along with the commanders of various races, had never experienced a battle of this scale. They wanted to make adjustments but had no idea where to start.


    Without new orders, the coalition could only continue following the original plan. The follow-up forces of the central army moved forward to replace the decimated vanguard, with damaged ships either retreating on their own or being towed to the middle of the fleet for emergency repairs.


    The elite central forces lived up to their reputation. Their ships were far larger than those of other coalition members, with more systematic and superior energy systems, as well as larger and more numerous weapons, giving them overwhelming firepower.


    Under their barrage, the Swarm forces, with little room to maneuver, were momentarily pushed back. After several rounds of fire exchange, the front of the central forces cleared a path, and the surrounding Swarm forces hesitated, unwilling to fill the gap.


    Seeing this, the vanguard commander was overjoyed. Their mission was to break through the Swarm¡¯s formation.


    ¡°It seems the Swarm only has a few tricks at the start, using their terrain advantage to catch us off guard. But now, after just a short time, they¡¯re already faltering.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, sir!¡±


    ¡°Pass the order: follow the original plan, full assault!¡±


    The vanguard commander, immersed in the battlefield, couldn¡¯t see the bigger picture. In his sector, he believed the coalition had gained the upper hand. With no new orders coming in, it was natural to proceed as planned. ???????¦Â??


    The ion beams from the ships¡¯ engines intensified as energy was redirected to increase speed. The entire vanguard accelerated to occupy the vacuum ahead, while continuing to suppress the surrounding Swarm forces with their firepower.


    However, the vanguard commander¡¯s assessment of the situation was somewhat flawed. Across the tens of millions of kilometers of the front line, not every sector had the advanced warships that the vanguard possessed.


    The coalition¡¯s best ships were mostly concentrated in the vanguard and rear forces. The vanguard was tasked with breaking through, while the rear forces were responsible for filling gaps. To maintain the concave formation and face pressure from both sides, they naturally needed stronger equipment.


    The coalition¡¯s wing forces, on the other hand, were a more complex mix of multi-civilization fleets. Composed of over a dozen civilizations, their technological levels varied, their fleet sizes differed, and their command systems were intricate, making coordination difficult.


    In a favorable battle, this might not have been a significant issue. But once the battle turned into a stalemate, many weaknesses began to surface.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The Moto civilization, though similar to the Daqi Empire and having joined the Interstellar Technological Confederation less than ten thousand years ago, was considered weak even within the Locke Mutual Aid Society.


    However, because their territory bordered the Swarm and they had received technological support from other members during the preparation phase, their warships made up about 50% of the multi-civilizational fleet on the left wing, numbering nearly ten million.


    Due to their large numbers and significant presence, they had secured the position of wing commander.


    ¡°Push forward!¡± the Moto commander roared. Compared to the central forces, the wing forces were at a disadvantage in both numbers and firepower.


    Facing the Swarm¡¯s standardized forces, the coalition¡¯s multi-civilization wing forces were being pushed back step by step. The Moto officer in charge of command frequently cursed in frustration.


    ¡°Commander, our fleet is taking heavy losses. If this continues, even if we win this battle, we¡¯ll be crippled,¡± his adjutant whispered to him.


    ¡°Damn it! Those bastards! Tell them to hold their positions!¡± the Moto commander said helplessly. Their race was at the bottom of the hierarchy within the Mutual Aid Society.


    In this wing force, any ally pulled at random outranked them. The Troi commander in the central forces could rely on his race¡¯s prestige to enforce orders strictly.


    But here, his commands only worked within his own race¡¯s forces. Other allies seemed to listen but not obey. To avoid delaying the battle, many dangerous positions had to be filled by their own troops.

 Chapter 497: A Hot Potato

    ¡°Commander, the Xiluo commander says they¡¯ve suffered heavy losses and are requesting to withdraw for repairs.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit! During the charge earlier, they were hiding in the back, not only failing to contribute but also disrupting my formation! If they were from the Moto race, I¡¯d have them executed on the spot!¡± The Moto commander was fuming, cursing loudly on the bridge.


    ¡°How should we respond to them?¡± the adjutant asked quietly after waiting for the commander to vent.


    ¡°Huff¡­ tell them to get lost and find a place to stay. Don¡¯t bother me.¡± After venting, the commander calmed down a bit. The Xiluo race was one of the most powerful civilizations in the Locke Mutual Aid Society, as evidenced by the fact that their main fleet had been assigned to the central forces.


    However, he had also been assigned about a hundred Xiluo warships, supposedly to bolster his high-end combat capabilities. In reality, these were noble offspring from the Xiluo race who had come to gain some military prestige.


    The Xiluo commander was worried that if something happened to them in the central battlefield, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the responsibility. So, he had formed a separate unit with these individuals and sent them here.


    The Moto commander couldn¡¯t really say much about this, as not all of the Xiluo race were avoiding combat. Out of consideration, he had assigned them to the middle layer of the front line, a relatively safe position shielded by friendly forces ahead, so they wouldn¡¯t have to face the Swarm¡¯s firepower directly.


    If they wanted, they could fire a few shots; if not, they could stay put and rack up military achievements. It was supposed to be a safe position. But even so, these individuals still felt threatened and had almost retreated to the rear of the formation.


    To be honest, while the Xiluo race¡¯s technology was advanced, their numbers were too small to make a significant impact on the overall flank. Their combat effectiveness was something the Moto commander didn¡¯t really care about.


    But the negative influence they exerted was severe. He couldn¡¯t punish them, so he decided to turn a blind eye.


    Unfortunately, the Moto commander¡¯s worst fears came true.


    The Swarm was incredibly powerful. On the flanks, as both sides remained locked in a stalemate, casualties continued to rise. In war, some losses were normal, and everyone was mentally prepared. Moreover, with the Moto fleet leading the charge, no one wanted to fall behind.


    But now, a group of privileged individuals who didn¡¯t follow the rules had broken an unspoken agreement. Seeing the Xiluo race violate military orders without punishment made other civilizations uneasy.


    After all, everyone was here to help. If they were fighting on the front lines, why should others get to watch from the back? Were the lives of the Xiluo race more valuable than theirs?


    As a result, many began to follow suit. Fleets from various races started requesting to withdraw from the battle for various reasons.


    This infuriated the already livid Moto commander. These civilizations outranked the Moto race, and he couldn¡¯t afford to offend them. In the end, he had no choice but to tacitly allow their actions.


    But with their withdrawal, the gaps they left had to be filled. Reluctantly, the Moto commander had to use his own fleet to plug the holes.


    However, the Moto race had only ventured beyond their home planet less than ten thousand years ago. Despite being given a boost before the war, their fleet¡¯s combat capabilities still lagged behind those of other races.


    Thus, although the coordination improved with their own people at the front, the overall decline in quality gradually shifted the balance of the stalemate.


    On the battlefield, the central forces were advancing like a hot knife through butter. Led by the Troi warships, despite their own heavy losses, the Swarm forces were faring even worse. The Swarm¡¯s concave formation was on the verge of being breached.


    But the flanks were being pushed back by the Swarm. A large number of advanced warships were hiding in the rear, while the host Moto fleet had already lost over half its strength.


    This situation made the Moto commander¡¯s heart bleed. Finally¡­


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡± Overwhelmed by anger and frustration, the Moto commander spat out a mist of blood and collapsed heavily onto his back.


    ¡°Commander?¡± Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Commander!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A cry of alarm rang out as the surrounding Moto personnel rushed to his side¡­


    Thus, the first non-combat casualty among the high-ranking commanders occurred after the war began.


    The coalition commander quickly received the news, his face darkening. He had already noticed the decline on the flanks and had sent inquiries.


    But the feedback he received left him with a headache. Putting himself in their shoes, he realized there wasn¡¯t much he could do either. In the end, he chose to turn a blind eye and pretend not to know. ??????s?


    But he hadn¡¯t expected the bad news to come so quickly. In such a short time, the Moto commander had collapsed. What¡¯s worse, the Moto race claimed they couldn¡¯t find a suitable replacement who could command respect.


    Were they treating him like a fool? In a state of war, they were telling him they couldn¡¯t find a replacement? Shouldn¡¯t the deputy commander take over if the commander is gone? And if the deputy is gone, the highest-ranking officer present should step up? This should continue until the last man standing?


    This was clearly an excuse!


    But he quickly understood the Moto race¡¯s dilemma. What was the purpose of this big show they were putting on? Even this play was directed by the commander himself, all to extricate himself from that awkward position.


    Now their plan had succeeded, and in this wartime state, even if they wanted to hold someone accountable, it would have to wait until after the war. So now, this awkward problem had landed in his lap. The flanks couldn¡¯t be left without a commander. Who should take over now?


    The battlefield was ever-changing. While the coalition commander was still considering a replacement, the situation on the battlefield had already undergone a dramatic shift.


    ¡ª¡ª


    Without the Moto commander¡¯s leadership, whether intentionally or under secret orders, the Moto fleet at the front suddenly collapsed.


    A large number of warships retreated from the battlefield, exposing the other races¡¯ forces that had been hiding in the rear. Reluctantly, these forces had to engage in combat. At the same time, accusations were hurled at the Moto commander.


    But the news they received was that the Moto commander had vomited blood and collapsed, and his life was still in danger. When they heard this, they were stunned.


    Is this even possible?


    When they asked who was now in command, the Moto race replied that they didn¡¯t know and were waiting for instructions from higher-ups. So, the accusations were redirected to the coalition commander.


    However, this time, their tone was much more polite.


    But now, the coalition commander was also troubled by this matter. He had privately consulted several qualified individuals, but all of them had declined for various reasons.


    Perhaps before the war, everyone would have fought for this position. But now, it was clearly a hot potato, and everyone was avoiding it.

 Chapter 498: The Central Army

    The Swarm did not give the coalition much time to react. Noticing the anomalies on the flanks, the Blades had already learned some inside information through special channels. Knowing that the current situation was not a trap, they naturally launched an all-out pursuit.


    Without effective command, and with everyone retreating while fighting, hoping to push other groups to the front, the coalition¡¯s flanks retreated over a million kilometers. They even fell back to a position further behind the rear forces.


    But let¡¯s not forget that the central coalition forces were still charging forward. This advance and retreat isolated the entire central coalition.


    The Swarm forces, which had been pursuing the flanks, suddenly turned their spears and cut into the central forces from both sides, separating the central army from the rear forces and creating a situation where the central coalition was surrounded.


    ¡°Push the troops forward! Stop them at all costs, regardless of casualties! Don¡¯t let any reinforcements through until we¡¯ve devoured the central forces!¡± Sarah Kerrigan declared forcefully in the Swarm command center.


    A battle of this scale, involving tens of millions of units, was something the Locke Mutual Aid Society had never experienced before. But for Luo Wen, this was nothing. Back in the day, he had commanded battles involving tens of billions of units. After that battle, the Swarm¡¯s dominance on Genesis Planet was firmly established¡­


    Thus, Sarah, who had been guided by Luo Wen, was not overly panicked despite facing such a situation for the first time. Moreover, the Swarm¡¯s composition and mode of operation meant there were no complicated post-war compensations or other concerns, which greatly reduced Sarah¡¯s worries.


    The coalition¡¯s commanders and staff quickly realized the Swarm¡¯s intentions. Although they reacted swiftly and made countermeasures, it was already too late.


    Endless Space Octopuses blocked their path, and the Primordial-class units released all their Mature bodies and Larval bodies, filling the void.


    Given the Space Octopuses¡¯ formidable close-combat record, the coalition dared not approach them until they were completely cleared. Thus, even though the Mature and Larval bodies had almost no long-range attack capabilities, they still posed a significant threat.


    However, the number of Space Octopuses already exceeded that of the coalition. Now, with the release of Mature and Larval bodies, the numerical gap widened to dozens of times. At this point, even if the Swarm forces didn¡¯t fight back, the coalition couldn¡¯t break through quickly with long-range attacks alone.


    The central coalition forces, now surrounded, had also received orders to retreat. Although the central commander initially didn¡¯t understand why the coalition commander wanted him to abandon the current favorable situation due to limited visibility, he knew that the coalition commander wouldn¡¯t act without reason. After repeatedly verifying the authenticity of the message, he issued the retreat order.


    But only then did they realize that the coalition¡¯s rear forces, which had been following closely, had been intercepted by the Swarm at some point. They also understood the reason for the retreat.


    During the central army¡¯s assault, they faced the strongest pressure, with attacks from the Swarm on three sides. The rear of the central army was defended by the rear forces.


    But when the Swarm cut in from both sides and blocked the rear forces, the central army didn¡¯t pay much attention. Previously, there had been instances where the rear forces fell behind, and Swarm units took the opportunity to cut in. However, those Swarm units were quickly eliminated by the rear forces. This time, the Swarm¡¯s insertion just lasted a bit longer.


    Moreover, at that time, they were already in the heat of battle and didn¡¯t pay attention to what was happening behind them.


    Now, on the battlefield, due to the relentless attacks from both sides and various explosions, the entire battlefield was engulfed in a storm of energy. Many sensitive detection and communication devices had already failed.


    Additionally, the central and rear forces belonged to two different management systems, which naturally created barriers. Now, with communication being intermittent, coordination became even more problematic.


    All these factors combined led to the central army now being surrounded and fighting alone.


    However, there was no time to dwell on where things went wrong. The central commander, fully aware of the critical situation, made a decisive decision. The central army turned around, and after repelling a Swarm attack, they prepared to retreat. ?????????????£Â§§¡ì


    But during the few minutes it took for the entire fleet to turn around, their firepower weakened significantly due to changes in firing angles and ship orientation. The Swarm forces, which had just been pushed back, seized this opportunity to attack again, causing considerable damage to the coalition.


    Brilliant red energy beams filled the sky. With both sides firing beams of similar colors, it was impossible to tell where the beams were coming from or where they were headed.


    From time to time, coalition warships had their armor breached, and their hulls damaged. Thick smoke billowed from the cabins, spreading over a large area and making the scene even more chaotic. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For the damaged ships, those lucky enough to have their energy and propulsion systems intact, only some non-essential compartments were destroyed. They could take cover in the center of the formation, make simple repairs, and continue firing under the protection of their allies.


    But if the propulsion system was damaged, it was manageable during an advance, but during a retreat, reduced speed was akin to a slow death.


    As the saying goes, when being chased by a beast, as long as you run faster than your companions, you have a chance to survive. The same logic applied here.


    Ships with damaged propulsion systems kept falling behind. Those with better luck had nearby ships shoot out hooks, with several ships latching onto one and dragging it along as they retreated.


    Those less fortunate, before they could receive help from their companions, would be overwhelmed by the pursuing Swarm forces.


    Even the ships being towed were not out of danger. The ¡°N-to-1¡± towing mode reduced the speed of multiple ships and also robbed them of mobility.


    Unable to actively adjust their angles to counter Swarm attacks, they were hit by more and more energy beams. Soon, their reactive armor would be penetrated, leaving them in a dire situation.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The most tragic were the ships whose armor was breached and energy systems hit. These ships were essentially beyond saving, either exploding on the spot or shortly afterward.


    ¡°Damn it, what are the other fronts doing? Why haven¡¯t they pushed the Swarm back yet?!¡± The central commander¡¯s blood pressure soared as he watched the casualty rates rise sharply.


    It¡¯s not the god-like opponent you should fear, but the pig-like teammates. The central forces in the middle lane were about to reach the high ground, but the flanks were ganked by the enemy, and then the teammates came back through the river to block the central forces. Where¡¯s the logic in that?


    [T/N: League of legends/Dota reference. A lot of Chinese authors seem to incorporate elements of league of legends in their novels. Ganking means forcing a numbers advantage and essentially ambushing another. The river is a direct reference to the river part of the league map.]


    Even now, the central commander hadn¡¯t considered that his smooth progress and previous victories might have been deliberately allowed by the Swarm.


    As more and more ships were damaged, those with propulsion system failures were being abandoned outright. Members of other races piloted various small craft, fleeing from the ships and darting through the battlefield, hoping to board other escaping ships.


    This was an extremely dangerous move. These lifeboats and transport crafts had no resistance against the main guns of warships.


    A single hit would mean certain death, but at this point, there was no other choice.

 Chapter 499: Despair

    The battlefield was no child¡¯s play, and the situation was not something that could be unilaterally decided. Although the central commander of the coalition had issued the order to retreat, whether it could be successfully executed depended on whether the Swarm would cooperate.


    But the answer was obvious. The Swarm had sacrificed many Primordial bodies to achieve the current situation. How could they easily let the coalition forces leave?


    The Swarm¡¯s central forces, which had been retreating step by step, now fiercely counterattacked as the coalition forces turned around, forcing them to abandon ships with damaged propulsion systems.


    On the other side, the coalition commander was as anxious as an ant on a hot stove. The central forces were the elite of the coalition. If they were lost here, the remaining ragtag forces wouldn¡¯t just determine the outcome of this battle¡ªthey might not even be able to defend the surrounding star systems.


    ¡°The rear forces must push forward and extract the central forces! If anyone dares to falter, I¡¯ll skin them alive when this is over!¡± The coalition commander raged in the command room, while the other commanders and staff remained silent.


    If this were a single race, the hierarchical relationships would be clear, and even internal disagreements could be resolved relatively easily. But in a joint operation involving many civilizations, things worked fine when the battle was going well. However, once the tide turned, all sorts of problems would arise.


    At this point, the coalition commander found it extremely difficult to coordinate the relationships between the fleets of different civilizations. Factors such as closeness, the strength of the civilizations themselves, and the number of troops each civilization had on the field would all influence his judgment and decisions.


    But in the current situation, which civilization¡¯s forces should be sent forward? His own Troi civilization¡¯s fleet was mostly trapped in the central forces, so they certainly didn¡¯t have enough troops to mount a rescue.


    As for the fleets of other races, when faced with his orders, they all responded with various issues, but the underlying message was the same: they refused to go.


    Indeed, the Swarm had gone to great lengths, sacrificing so many units, to encircle the central forces. Now, breaking through the Swarm¡¯s encirclement to extract the central forces would inevitably face the Swarm¡¯s frenzied attacks.


    If they accepted this task now, it was unclear how many troops they would lose in the process. In this situation, everyone was in a ¡°better you than me¡± mindset.


    Especially those members far from the battlefield, who felt that sending troops to help was already a huge favor. Asking them to risk their lives was simply impossible.


    And those farther away were closer to the inner circle, representing civilizations with longer histories and greater strength. Their fleets were concentrated in the rear forces and were the main force for breaking through the Swarm¡¯s encirclement.


    The coalition commander couldn¡¯t actually skin them alive. If he did, it would undoubtedly cause internal conflicts within the Locke Mutual Aid Society. It was possible that before they could repel the Swarm, they would end up fighting among themselves.


    Helpless, he could only report the current situation back to his own race. Fortunately, quantum communication had no delay, and the Troi civilization was also closely monitoring the battle, having formed a remote advisory group.


    The coalition commander¡¯s report was immediately taken seriously. After a discussion among the group of advisors, they quickly came up with a plan.


    The trapped central forces not only included the Troi fleet as the vanguard but also the fleets of two other civilizations serving as the flanks.


    These two civilizations were the most powerful after the Troi, and they were also anxious about their trapped forces. Thus, the three most powerful members of the Locke Mutual Aid Society held an emergency meeting and reached some agreements.


    The Troi alone, while formidable, couldn¡¯t stand against the entire Locke Mutual Aid Society. But with the top three races together, they had the necessary influence.


    Under their pressure, several races in the rear forces, after extracting sufficient benefits, took the opportunity to send their decisions to the front lines. ??????????B?S


    Decisions from their own races carried far more weight at this point than orders from the coalition commander. After all, offending other races could be backed by their own civilization, but displeasing their own race would mean losing their foundation for survival.


    The rear forces¡¯ decline was halted. Not only did they hold off the Swarm¡¯s pursuit, but they also began to assault the Swarm¡¯s lines.


    The change in the rear forces put immense pressure on the Swarm units that had cut in from the flanks, now sandwiched between the central and rear forces. They were being attacked from both sides by the most powerful members of the Locke Mutual Aid Society, and the situation became critical.


    This area became the key point of the entire battle. If the Swarm forces held off the pincer attack, the coalition¡¯s central forces would be devoured, and the coalition would lose its most elite troops. Conversely, if the central and rear forces broke through the Swarm¡¯s lines and joined forces, the Swarm would suffer heavy losses, and their tactical objective would fail.


    Unfortunately, although the two sides were locked in a stalemate in the central battlefield, the coalition¡¯s flanks were simply too weak.


    If the Swarm forces could hold their ground against the advanced members of the Locke Mutual Aid Society in the front, then the same forces would naturally have a significant advantage against the weaker members. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And if the side at a disadvantage also had a chaotic command system, their collapse was inevitable.


    The coalition commander had no good solution for this. The situation on the flanks had already descended into chaos. Unless he could use overwhelming force to suppress it, it would be difficult to regroup. The problem was, he couldn¡¯t spare any troops to do this, and even if he could, it was almost impossible.


    Thus, the already collapsing flanks fell into complete disarray, with Swarm forces chasing them for millions of kilometers. Some member fleets had completely given up resistance, using the loss of combat capability as an excuse to withdraw from the battle early and return to their territories.


    But this move effectively screwed over the coalition¡¯s rear forces. Faced with the fleeing flank forces, the Swarm didn¡¯t pursue. Instead, they regrouped, replenished some energy, and then turned to attack the central forces.


    In the central battlefield, facing attacks from both front and rear, the clusters of Primordial bodies had already released all their Mature and Larval bodies to buy time, but they were nearly exhausted.


    ¡ª¡ª


    But at this moment, reinforcements arrived. The coalition¡¯s rear forces, which had only needed to attack before, now found themselves under attack from both sides.


    Reluctantly, they had to divert some of their firepower to defend against the attacks from the flanks. As a result, their frontal firepower inevitably weakened.


    Previously, the coalition¡¯s central forces had been surrounded on all sides. Because they had to suppress attacks from three directions, their firepower against the Swarm¡¯s inserted forces was minimal. The main firepower against these forces had come from the coalition¡¯s rear forces.


    Now, with the rear forces under attack from both sides, their firepower weakened, and the Swarm¡¯s inserted forces, which had been on the brink of collapse, suddenly found relief. Taking advantage of this, more Swarm forces reinforced the inserted line, strengthening it.


    The coalition¡¯s front and rear forces, which had almost been within sight of each other, were now once again separated by the dense Swarm forces. This situation filled the front forces with despair.

 Chapter 500: Breakout

    The commander of the front forces understood very well that if this breakout failed, the ships trapped here would be in grave danger.


    At this moment, he made a desperate decision: abandon defense against attacks from the other three directions and focus all efforts on breaking through to the rear, regardless of losses. Every ship that could escape was a victory.


    The current formation of the front forces had the Troi fleet, originally the vanguard, now covering the rear. The fleets of the other two civilizations were positioned on either flank, while the center was filled with damaged but still operational ships.


    This decision meant that the Troi fleet covering the rear would suffer heavy losses. But in this situation, leading by example and working together was their only hope for survival.


    Seeing the Troi take on the most difficult task, the other two civilizations had no complaints. The three races quickly unified their efforts and began a fierce assault toward their original direction.


    At the same time, the ships on the outer layer of the fleet switched to remote control mode, and their crews transferred to smaller ships heading toward the inner fleet.


    The outer-layer ships had been abandoned. They would serve as defensive barriers, fighting to the last moment. Meanwhile, the damaged ships that had been hiding in the center of the formation also began to move outward after their crews were evacuated.


    With these abandoned ships acting as shields, the coalition¡¯s defensive capabilities improved. However, every advantage comes with a drawback. These ships were originally meant to block the Swarm¡¯s attacks with their hulls.


    But as these ships were gradually destroyed, losing their ability to adjust their angles, their wreckage began to obstruct the coalition¡¯s line of sight and firepower.


    The Swarm¡¯s assault never stopped. Their biological combat units not only had formidable long-range firepower but also powerful close-combat capabilities.


    Thus, the Swarm wanted to close the distance.


    The coalition, on the other hand, hoped to maintain a certain distance and engage in a long-range artillery duel.


    Space was vast, offering plenty of room for maneuver. If the forces numbered only in the tens of thousands, their high mobility would allow for flexible tactics, making it easy to maintain distance.


    But now, both sides had nearly a hundred million troops on the battlefield. In such a massive engagement, with allies and enemies on all sides, there was no room for maneuver. Flexible tactics were extremely difficult to execute, especially since the coalition¡¯s main force was surrounded by the Swarm, leaving no room for retreat.


    The coalition¡¯s front forces were being squeezed from all sides by the Swarm. To maintain distance from the Swarm, they could only move inward. This caused their formation to become increasingly compact. Initially, the ships were spaced more than ten thousand kilometers apart, but now the distance had been reduced to less than three thousand kilometers.


    The tight formation affected their firing angles, and with the wreckage of their own ships blocking their view, it was only a matter of time before the Swarm closed in.


    Both the coalition commander, far outside the battle zone, and the central commander, trapped within, were frantic but had no good solutions. They could only watch as the Swarm continued to compress their formation.


    Millions of ships gradually shrank into a tight cluster, and the momentum of the breakout was halted. The situation grew increasingly dire for the coalition.


    In the vastness of space, time seemed to stand still. In reality, the two sides had been locked in battle for nearly a month. During this time, the Swarm¡¯s reinforcements poured into the battlefield, while the Locke Mutual Aid Society also sent some fresh troops, but their numbers were limited and couldn¡¯t turn the tide.


    Seeing that the rear forces were struggling to hold their ground and that large-scale reinforcements were nowhere in sight, the commander, watching the Space Octopuses closing in to within tens of thousands of kilometers, ordered the launch of strategic nuclear missiles.


    On some specialized ships, hidden launch silos opened, and massive cylindrical objects rose into the void, trailing white smoke as they flew toward the Swarm.


    These high-yield strategic nuclear missiles were something every civilization¡¯s fleet had in some capacity. They were cheap yet devastating explosives, useful in many situations, such as clearing obstacles or securing passageways.


    But now was not the ideal time for their use.


    Because they were physical projectiles, they were large targets and relatively slow. In the midst of a battlefield filled with red energy beams, reaching their designated detonation points was nearly impossible. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thus, attempting to attack the Swarm with strategic nuclear missiles was nothing short of wishful thinking.


    But the coalition commander had no better options. Conventional methods couldn¡¯t break the deadlock, so he had to resort to unconventional means.


    Nuclear explosions, if not direct hits, didn¡¯t cause significant damage to ships. However, the simultaneous detonation of large-scale, high-yield strategic nuclear missiles could create massive electromagnetic pulses (EMP), disrupting instruments, radar, and fire control systems.


    The coalition hoped to use this massive EMP field to disrupt the Swarm¡¯s forces and buy themselves some breathing room.


    In his view, while the nuclear explosions themselves might not harm the Swarm, the intense radiation and EMP generated by the blasts would likely affect biological units more than mechanical ones. R?N?????§§£Ó


    Additionally, their ships were equipped with defenses against such effects. After considering all factors, he made this decision.


    The void, previously dominated by blue and red energy beams, suddenly erupted with a series of miniature suns. One after another, the explosions lit up the battlefield, their combined brilliance isolating the two sides and rendering all optical observations useless.


    The explosions were closer to the coalition¡¯s side because the nuclear missiles couldn¡¯t penetrate the Swarm¡¯s firepower. To avoid wasting them, the coalition had to detonate them prematurely.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The results were somewhat positive. The explosions did temporarily halt the Swarm¡¯s advance. The intense heat and radiation generated by the blasts made it impossible for even the Space Octopuses, which could convert radiation into energy, to approach.


    Moreover, the powerful electromagnetic fields disrupted some of their internal organs, forcing them to pause and recalibrate.


    However, the explosions also had a significant impact on the coalition. After such a prolonged and intense battle, almost no ships remained undamaged. This left them vulnerable to the pervasive electromagnetic interference, and their defenses were greatly reduced.


    Many ships¡¯ circuitry and electronic systems were fried. Those with backup systems could still function, but those without were left dead in the water.


    But the coalition had no time to worry about that now. They chose to abandon the damaged ships and organize the remaining ones for a full-scale breakout toward the rear.


    As for the crews on those ships, the intense electromagnetic storms made it impossible for them to transfer to smaller vessels. They could only watch silently as their comrades drifted away, leaving them behind to face an uncertain fate.


    Although the nuclear explosions had halted the Swarm¡¯s pursuit, the coalition had lost nearly half of its forces, a devastating blow.


    [T/N: 500 chapters!!!!! Still can¡¯t believe it lol.


    It¡¯s only been two months, and I Am the Swarm has already hit 500 chapters. Feels kind of unreal. When I first started, I wasn¡¯t sure how far I¡¯d get, but now? I can¡¯t imagine stopping. This story has been a wild ride, and honestly, I¡¯m just as hooked as you all are.


    I just want to say a huge thank you. Whether you¡¯ve been here from the start or just jumped in, knowing there are people reading and enjoying the translations makes all the late nights and brain-meltingly long paragraphs worth it.


    If you¡¯ve ever thought, ¡°How does the author keep track of all these military formations?¡± trust me, same. Central forces, rear forces, front forces¡­ the last few chapters had me rereading just to make sure I wasn¡¯t losing my mind. But that¡¯s part of what makes this novel so fun¡ªjust when you think you¡¯ve got it figured out, it throws something new at you lol.


    And this is just the beginning. I want to see I Am the Swarm through to the end, and after that? Why stop here? I¡¯d love to hit 500, 1000, maybe even 1500 chapters in other novels. But not 6000 chapters, i¡¯m not that crazy xD.


    Just wanted to share the excitement and let you know how much I appreciate you all. Here¡¯s to more chapters and as always thanks for being here!]

 Chapter 501: Retreat

    Although the coalition¡¯s front forces had temporarily halted the Swarm¡¯s attacks from the left, right, and rear, it didn¡¯t mean they were out of danger. They still had to break through the Swarm forces blocking the path between the front and rear forces and reunite with the rear forces to achieve even a slight sense of security.


    ¡°Speed up! Speed up!¡± The front forces commander was nearly frantic. With over 50% of his forces lost, even if he escaped this disaster, his future military career would be bleak.


    Moreover, he had just abandoned so many allies. Although it was the best choice under the circumstances, it still weighed heavily on his conscience.


    ¡°Commander, if we continue to accelerate, we¡¯ll charge straight into the Swarm¡¯s formation. Once we get too close, it¡¯ll be hard to break free!¡± The adjutant, noticing the commander¡¯s unstable mental state, quickly reminded him.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m fully aware. Just follow my orders!¡± the commander roared. Then, calming down slightly, he added, ¡°If anyone doesn¡¯t want to, that¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t force them. We¡¯ve already lost so much; a few more losses won¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The adjutant felt conflicted but, after some thought, relayed the order.


    In truth, the front forces commander hadn¡¯t made any mistakes. The front forces were the closest to achieving their objectives, even though it was partly due to the Swarm holding back.


    Because of this, the other subordinate commanders still trusted him. Some of the smarter ones quickly figured out what the front forces commander was planning.


    The engines at the rear of the warships spewed energy streams hundreds of meters long, and their speed continued to increase. While a small portion of the fleet broke away, the majority followed the commander¡¯s orders.


    The Space Octopuses, capable of absorbing and converting various forms of radiation and skilled in electromagnetic manipulation, recovered from the nuclear explosions much faster than expected.


    Once they regained their strength, they quickly gave chase. Some of the ships that had broken away from the formation were already caught, their situation precarious.


    ¡°Commander, the Swarm is catching up again!¡±


    ¡°I know! Fire strategic nuclear missiles at the Swarm formation ahead and shut down all electronic systems!¡± Another order was issued.


    The subordinates, upon hearing this, understood that this was a desperate move, but it might be the only way to escape their current predicament.


    The energy streams from the ships¡¯ engines gradually weakened, and the colorful lights on the ships went out one by one. In an instant, they seemed lifeless, moving forward solely by inertia.


    Fortunately, space offered almost no resistance, so their speed remained high. But with their propulsion systems shut down, they were like arrows shot into the void¡ªunable to change direction or adjust their course mid-flight. They could only charge forward, forward, forward!


    The ships¡¯ main and secondary cannons, now without power, also fell silent. The once crisscrossing red energy beams in space became a one-sided barrage.


    From time to time, projectiles hit the coalition ships, causing damage.


    At the same time, a large number of strategic nuclear missiles were launched from the ships. These massive projectiles had independent engines and power systems, allowing them to attack without relying on the ships.


    The Swarm immediately intercepted these missiles, but because the distance between the two sides was now very close, and the missiles had autonomous maneuvering systems, the interception efficiency was poor. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even so, the Swarm¡¯s sheer numbers made up for their lack of accuracy. In the end, less than 30% of the missiles reached their intended targets.


    But that was enough. Brilliant flashes of light reappeared, clearing a small path ahead. The remaining missiles continued forward!


    Due to the EMP fields generated by the nuclear explosions, only the first wave of missiles was actively detonated. The subsequent ones were set to explode on timers, making their detonations uncontrollable.


    Many missiles, affected by the EMP fields, deviated from their intended paths or simply shut down. Some, due to malfunctioning guidance systems, even turned back toward the coalition fleet.


    Nuclear missiles are a very safe form of attack. They require specific triggers to detonate. Otherwise, even if their casings are shattered, they would only cause nuclear leakage rather than explode.


    Many intercepted missile bodies now floated in space, their propulsion and detonation systems damaged by energy beams, rendering them unresponsive to the coalition¡¯s detonation commands.


    Many of these missile bodies were already damaged, leaking highly concentrated nuclear material into the void.


    Now, the large-scale nuclear explosions reignited these leaked nuclear materials, causing even more violent explosions. Some of these explosions occurred right next to the coalition fleet. ?§¡?¦Ï????§¦????


    Although the ships¡¯ armor provided strong protection, it was still difficult to withstand close-range nuclear explosions. Some ships were engulfed in flames.


    Even worse, the shockwaves from the explosions now had a medium to propagate through. Some ships, severely damaged, veered off their intended paths.


    Keep in mind that there were over a million ships moving in a dense formation, relying solely on inertia. They were like meteors, completely unable to change their trajectories on their own.


    Some crew members from other races screamed as they watched the wreckage of allied ships hurtling toward them, powerless to do anything.


    Fortunately, the continuous barrage of nuclear missiles also pushed the Swarm forces back. Soon, they could see the battlefield ahead, where red energy beams crisscrossed.


    ¡°Push harder! We¡¯re almost there!¡±


    Seeing this, the front forces, having endured so much to break through, were filled with excitement. The forces fighting ahead were the rear forces. As long as they could reunite with them, retreating to a safe zone shouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡ª


    However, the cost was enormous. The front forces that had made it this far had been reduced by another 20%. Now, their remaining strength was less than 30% of what it had been at the start of the battle.


    In the process, millions of ships had been left behind in the Swarm¡¯s encirclement. While most were destroyed on the spot, a small portion had fallen behind due to damaged propulsion systems, and the fate of their crews was unknown.


    But these were no longer concerns they could afford. They still had one final hurdle to overcome.


    ¡°Cease nuclear missile attacks, restart power systems, and activate engines!¡± The front forces commander¡¯s orders were quickly issued.


    The front forces couldn¡¯t reunite with their allies by crashing into them like a meteor shower. They had to regain control of their ships.


    ¡°Click! Click! Click!¡± The lights on the ships came back on row by row, and the engines at the rear slowly reignited, spewing energy streams once more.


    The fleet was back under control, and they slightly adjusted their off-course trajectories. At the same time, the main and secondary cannons turned toward the Swarm forces ahead, unleashing a fierce barrage.


    The Swarm forces that had inserted themselves between the coalition¡¯s front and rear forces had already been thinned out by the nuclear missiles, either cleared or forced to retreat. Now, only a thin layer remained.


    Under attack from both sides, their numbers dwindled even faster.

 Chapter 502: Realization

    The coalition¡¯s rear forces now saw the incoming fire from their allies on the other side. Their morale, which had been flagging under the Swarm¡¯s pincer attack, lifted slightly. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°They¡¯ve broken through!¡±


    ¡°Push harder! If we can pull them out, we can retreat!¡±


    ¡°Full attack!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The civilizations that made up the rear forces had no connection to those in the front forces, aside from being members of the Locke Mutual Aid Society. There were no comrades from the rear forces in the front forces, not even members of the same race. If it weren¡¯t for orders from their own races, they would never have held out this long.


    Even as they held their ground, they didn¡¯t care much about whether they could rescue the front forces. They only intended to stay until the front forces were completely annihilated, at which point they could retreat without further obligation.


    But they hadn¡¯t expected the front forces to break through the Swarm¡¯s encirclement on their own. This gave the rear forces hope of an early ¡°end to their shift,¡± and their morale and energy immediately improved.


    The rear forces¡¯ firepower suddenly intensified. Under the combined assault from both sides, the Swarm forces visibly dwindled.


    ¡°Increase firepower! We¡¯re almost out!¡± the front forces commander shouted.


    However, the front forces¡¯ ships were already battered, and their energy output had reached its limit. They couldn¡¯t increase their firepower any further.


    Fortunately, the rear forces¡¯ firepower was strong enough to finally create a gap in the Swarm¡¯s lines.


    ¡°Charge through!¡±


    The allied forces on the other side had already cleared a path. Victory was within sight.


    ¡ª


    General Viller¡¯s disc-shaped flagship was currently contributing firepower from within the rear forces. As a high-ranking officer of the Troi race, his original position should have been leading the charge with the front forces.


    Unfortunately, the new overall commander, who was from a different faction, had reassigned Viller¡¯s forces and appointed a new commander, effectively sidelining Viller to the rear forces. The original intention was to isolate his influence, as his forces had served under him for many years, and there was a risk of power struggles if he remained with the front forces.


    Ironically, this move had inadvertently saved Viller¡¯s life. His large, round flagship would have attracted a lot of attention, and if he had followed the charge, it would have been difficult for him to return.


    Thus, Viller was genuinely grateful to the coalition commander¡¯s ancestors for this twist of fate.


    However, many of his former subordinates were still in the front forces, and seeing their casualty rates rise continuously weighed heavily on Viller¡¯s heart. £Ò§Ñ?????B??


    Therefore, he was very active in the rear forces¡¯ efforts to rescue the front forces. Unfortunately, his command now consisted of only a dozen or so escort ships.


    With fewer than twenty ships, their style was completely out of place among the surrounding allies. Their impact in a battle involving millions, even tens of millions, of ships was negligible.


    Fortunately, it seemed the front forces were about to break through successfully. However, amidst his relief, Viller felt a hint of unease.


    Although the Swarm¡¯s firepower was fierce, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the Swarm wasn¡¯t particularly enthusiastic about intercepting the front forces or preventing the two forces from reuniting.


    Frowning, Viller pulled up the real-time data and logs automatically recorded by the ship¡¯s AI and carefully reviewed them. Finally, he looked up in shock. His instincts were correct¡ªthe Swarm was indeed up to something. They hadn¡¯t reinforced their inserted forces for a long time.


    This could only mean one thing: the Swarm was deliberately letting them go.


    Was the Swarm really that kind-hearted?


    Viller scoffed. Even someone with their head stuck in a door wouldn¡¯t be that naive.


    Was it possible that the Swarm had grown complacent or was running low on troops? Viller, being in the thick of the battle, had limited information and didn¡¯t know how many Swarm forces remained. But based on previous data, the Swarm couldn¡¯t possibly be so short on troops that they couldn¡¯t reinforce their inserted forces.


    If the Swarm were truly that weak, the orders he was receiving wouldn¡¯t be to rescue the front forces but to reverse the encirclement and trap the Swarm instead.


    So, what was the reason?


    Since taking on the task of inviting the Swarm to join the Interstellar Technological Confederation, Viller had been studying the Swarm. He had gone over the limited data countless times.


    He could be considered one of the most knowledgeable outsiders about the Swarm.


    He had discovered that the Swarm always planned before acting. In every recorded battle, no matter how brainless, irrational, or illogical the Swarm¡¯s early actions seemed, the final outcome always favored the Swarm.


    Therefore, even though he hadn¡¯t seen it himself, he was convinced that the Swarm must have an extremely large and intelligent think tank to strategize every move.


    Just like when the coalition forces were assembling earlier, although there was still no evidence that the Swarm had detected them in advance, Viller had a strong feeling that the Swarm had indeed noticed them but allowed them to gather their forces to lure them into a trap.


    Subsequent developments seemed to confirm this view. The coalition¡¯s every move, the front forces¡¯ seemingly unstoppable breakthrough, the flanks being sniped and suppressed, and then the Swarm cutting off the connection between the front and rear forces¡ªit all felt like the coalition was being played like a fiddle.


    Therefore, the Swarm¡¯s current apparent complacency could only mean one thing: this was a trap, and the Swarm had set a new one.


    But what exactly this trap entailed, Viller had no idea.


    From the current situation, the coalition¡¯s front and rear forces were about to reunite. Although the rear forces were under attack from three sides, their retreat route was secure. Once they linked up with the front forces, their combined firepower would increase significantly, and if they chose to retreat, the Swarm wouldn¡¯t be able to stop them.


    Now that both sides had played all their cards, if the Swarm wanted to set a trap, they would need some hidden trump card or a large number of ambush troops.


    But in this stretch of void, there was no cover within light-years. The battlefield¡¯s periphery was filled with various allied reconnaissance ships and instruments. Hiding a few thousand troops might be possible, but hiding enough to ambush tens of millions of coalition ships? That was pure fantasy.


    Unless¡­ the ambush was elsewhere.


    Viller¡¯s eyes darted around as a vague idea began to form.


    ¡°No!¡± Viller¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Get me in touch with the coalition commander!¡±


    ¡°Sir, during wartime, we can¡¯t bypass the chain of command.¡±


    ¡°Damn it!¡± Viller was frustrated. His theory needed data to support it, and he had to obtain relevant data to make a judgment. His current superior was from another race, and if he reported through the proper channels, the information would inevitably leak.


    If he was right, it could cause panic in the ranks. If he was wrong, the consequences would be even worse.


    But now, with communications restricted, he couldn¡¯t bypass the chain of command privately.


    Viller paced back and forth in agitation before suddenly issuing an order: ¡°Turn the ship around. We¡¯re heading to coalition headquarters!¡±


    ¡°Sir, what if the other races ask? We¡¯ll need a reason.¡±


    ¡°Tell them the ship¡¯s malfunctioning, the electronic systems are locked up, and we need to temporarily withdraw from combat to get authorization from the commander to unlock it.¡±

 Chapter 503: Return

    The adjutant curled his lips. What kind of nonsense reason was that? Even he found it hard to believe. However, Viller held the highest rank on this ship, and he couldn¡¯t defy his orders.


    But it was just an excuse. Even if the other races didn¡¯t believe it, would they dare to stop them? Besides, they were heading to the command center, not deserting the battlefield.


    Soon, Viller¡¯s flagship turned around and flew toward the rear of the formation. Although the rear forces commander was furious, he was too preoccupied with the critical battle to deal with this.


    Moreover, Viller was only leaving by himself. His escort ships remained to continue fighting. Perhaps there really was some system malfunction, as they claimed.


    He wasn¡¯t an expert on Troi technology and didn¡¯t understand these things well. However, he had heard that the coalition commander and Viller didn¡¯t get along. Maybe this was some internal conflict? Had the coalition commander remotely tampered with Viller¡¯s flagship, and now Viller was flying over to confront him?


    Very likely!


    The rear forces commander¡¯s curiosity was piqued. If it weren¡¯t for the urgent battle situation, he would have followed to see what was going on.


    The coalition command center was located over ten million kilometers behind the front lines. From a distance, Viller could see that a large number of foreign ships had already gathered there.


    These were the forces that had withdrawn from the flanks for various reasons. Among them, Viller spotted the ships of the Troi nobles.


    However, these didn¡¯t hold his attention for long. His mind was racing, piecing together all the clues. Now, he just needed a few key pieces of data to draw some conclusions.


    The command center, far from the main battlefield, was unaffected by the energy explosions and nuclear EMPs. All radar systems were operating normally. Thus, the arrival of a Troi flagship quickly caught the attention of the command center.


    On this battlefield, there were no more than five of these Troi disc-shaped flagships, each representing a high-ranking Troi officer.


    Therefore, Viller¡¯s identity was quickly verified. After stating his purpose, he was promptly connected to the coalition commander.


    Although Viller had left his sector without authorization and bypassed the chain of command during wartime, the coalition commander didn¡¯t make an issue of it.


    While he and Viller belonged to different factions within their race and didn¡¯t get along, he trusted Viller¡¯s professionalism and didn¡¯t believe he would cause trouble at such a critical moment.


    ¡°Viller, do you realize what you¡¯re doing? If you don¡¯t have a good reason, you¡¯ll be court-martialed,¡± the coalition commander said, though he believed Viller had a valid reason.


    ¡°Cut the crap, Difeck. I need some data access,¡± Viller replied bluntly. The two were old acquaintances, and while they usually engaged in political maneuvering and mutual criticism, this was a time-sensitive matter. Viller had no patience for formalities.


    Hearing the urgency in Viller¡¯s voice, Difeck switched the communication to a secure channel. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What have you found?¡±


    ¡°A few things.¡±


    Difeck nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll add you to my intelligence team. Ask whatever you need.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation in LKDW263?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to ours, though with some differences. The situation isn¡¯t optimistic.¡±


    ¡°What about LKDW265 and 267? Have the Swarm been spotted there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they have.¡±


    ¡°Have they invaded those two star systems yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Then where are they? How many are there?¡±


    ¡°One moment, sir,¡± an intelligence officer quickly swiped through the screens in front of him, searching for the information Viller needed. ¡°Sir, the Swarm are currently gathering 0.1 light-years outside the two star systems. The exact numbers are unknown. They¡¯ve driven away our reconnaissance ships and deployed interference fields.¡± ???????????§§?


    ¡°This is bad, Difeck. I suspect the Swarm forces originally headed for those two star systems have redirected and are coming toward us,¡± Viller said gravely.


    ¡°Are you sure?!¡± Difeck was startled and asked in a low voice, while his own mind began reviewing the relevant intelligence.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a hypothesis based on the available data, but I believe the probability is very high,¡± Viller replied, then sent Difeck some selected materials, including his own annotations.


    After quickly reviewing the received data, Difeck let out a soft sigh: ¡°You¡¯re right. The Swarm may indeed have redirected the forces sent to LKDW265 and 267 toward us. But I don¡¯t think this is a crisis for us at this stage.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°When we formulated the plan, we considered the possibility of the Swarm sending reinforcements from LKDW265 and 267. However, you were in hibernation at the time, so you weren¡¯t aware of this,¡± Difeck explained. ¡°We deployed a lot of decoy devices in those two star systems to confuse the Swarm about where our main forces were. According to the reports from our reconnaissance units at the Swarm¡¯s borders, our plan was successful.¡±


    ¡°When the Swarm dispatched their forces, they divided them into four groups, heading in different directions with roughly equal numbers. They didn¡¯t specifically target any particular objective. Before we launched this operation, there were no signs of anything unusual. The Swarm couldn¡¯t have discovered our strategic intentions.¡±


    ¡°And it¡¯s been less than two months since the war began. Even if the Swarm reacted, redirecting their forces would take time. They should still be on their way or just setting out, and it would take them years to reach us. After all, this involves the warp travel of a large number of combat units, which requires precise coordination of routes, rally points, and unit synchronization. So, it won¡¯t affect our current operation. However, I should warn our colleagues in LKDW263. They¡¯re closer to LKDW265 and 267, and the Swarm could reach them faster.¡±


    Viller frowned as he listened to this lengthy explanation. Although Difeck¡¯s reasoning was sound, he still felt something was off. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s possible they foresaw our plan? That the forces sent to LKDW265 and 267 were also decoys, and their main force is already heading here, possibly even about to arrive?¡±


    ¡°Hah, how is that possible? Viller, have you been in hibernation too long? If the Swarm wanted to use the forces sent to LKDW265 and 267 to block us, they would have had to redirect them toward us years ago, shortly after they set out.¡±


    Difeck scoffed. ¡°But you have to understand, back then, this plan was just a proposal. Whether it would be executed was still uncertain. If even we weren¡¯t sure, how could the Swarm have predicted it? Viller, the Swarm are strong, but don¡¯t deify them.¡±

 Chapter 504: Holding Back

    Although Difeck¡¯s reasoning made sense, Viller still had an intuition that the Swarm wouldn¡¯t simply give up the encirclement they had worked so hard to create. They must have a greater plan in mind.


    But what could it be? After hearing Difeck¡¯s explanation, Viller also felt that his earlier speculation was somewhat fantastical. How could the Swarm have prepared for something that hadn¡¯t even been decided yet?


    Moreover, such plans were highly confidential. Even if a decision had been made, the Swarm couldn¡¯t have obtained the information before the plan was fully executed. Only high-ranking officials would have access to such details, and the Swarm couldn¡¯t possibly offer enough benefits to lure them into betrayal.


    And even if the Swarm could offer astronomical rewards, would those high-ranking officials not understand the strength of those powerful civilizations? The strength of the Ji race? Even if they were offered mountains of wealth, they¡¯d still need to be alive to enjoy it. Therefore, Viller didn¡¯t believe there could be traitors within their ranks.


    So, could the Swarm have relied on external reconnaissance methods?


    The Ji race¡¯s previous reports had mentioned that the Swarm could deploy reconnaissance units disguised as asteroids. Therefore, during defensive preparations, the coalition adopted a ¡°better safe than sorry¡± approach, destroying any suspicious asteroids.


    Perhaps the Swarm had other reconnaissance methods¡ªthis was highly likely. Because Viller was 99.99% certain that the Swarm had detected the coalition¡¯s assembly here.


    It was possible that the Swarm had noticed the coalition¡¯s movements as soon as they set out from LKDW262. After all, large-scale troop movements were difficult to conceal. But even if that were the case, it had been less than a year since then.


    A year wasn¡¯t enough time for the Swarm to redirect their forces from LKDW265 and 267 to this location.


    Was he overthinking this? Viller shook his head.


    Seeing Viller¡¯s expression, Difeck offered rare words of comfort: ¡°Stop overthinking it, Viller! I understand how you feel. You¡¯ve been through a lot these past few days. Since you¡¯re here at the command center, why not stay and rest? You can withdraw with the main forces later.¡±


    Viller had come with only one flagship. While the ship was formidable in one-on-one combat, its impact in a battle involving tens of millions of ships was negligible. Moreover, his constant movement disrupted the formation. For example, his departure from the rear forces¡¯ formation had caused quite a stir.


    This operation was clearly a failure. Although Difeck believed his command wasn¡¯t at fault¡ªthe enemy was simply too strong and cunning, and their allies too weak¡ªsomeone would have to take responsibility for the defeat. As the coalition commander, he was the obvious candidate.


    However, as a member of the Troi race, he wouldn¡¯t face severe punishment¡ªat most, a demotion or reduction in authority. Viller, on the other hand, was a high-ranking Troi officer. Being sidelined in this operation had inadvertently spared him from accountability. After this, Viller might even outrank him. Therefore, offering a small favor now to build goodwill was an excellent choice for Difeck. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Viller nodded in acknowledgment of Difeck¡¯s gesture. He did need rest, and he planned to use this time to review the Swarm¡¯s data again.


    Meanwhile, the battle continued. After driving away the coalition¡¯s flank forces, the Swarm halted their pursuit and turned back toward the central forces.


    As for the scattered flank units, Difeck couldn¡¯t reorganize them quickly. Instead, he allowed them to operate independently by race, harassing the Swarm as they saw fit.


    To further complicate matters for the Swarm, he even mobilized the foreign fleets resting near the command center.


    Surprisingly, this approach seemed to rejuvenate the multi-civilizational forces. Their coordination and combat effectiveness improved significantly, increasing their overall strength by at least 20%.


    Facing the coalition¡¯s flank counterattacks, the Swarm reacted swiftly. The forces that had turned toward the central battlefield now reversed course. However, the coalition¡¯s newfound flexibility made them more elusive. They adopted guerrilla tactics, engaging when they could and retreating when they couldn¡¯t, frustrating the Swarm. ??N¨®????¦¥????


    Unfortunately, their overall skill level was lacking. While their maneuvers looked impressive, they didn¡¯t gain much of an advantage.


    On the central front, after relentless efforts, the coalition¡¯s front and rear forces finally linked up. The rear forces commander briefly acknowledged the front forces¡¯ arrival but quickly refused their request to integrate into the formation, citing the difficulty of large-scale adjustments. Instead, he ordered the front forces to cover the rear as the rear forces turned around and began their retreat.


    Since the flank forces had been routed earlier, some Swarm units had slipped behind the chaotic central forces, blocking the rear forces¡¯ escape route.


    The front forces commander was seething with anger. They had fought hard to break through, suffering nearly 80% casualties, and the remaining ships were in poor condition, their combat effectiveness questionable.


    Yet, in this state, the rear forces commander had the audacity to deny them entry into the formation for rest and repair, instead assigning them the dangerous task of covering the retreat.


    During a retreat, the rearguard faced the fiercest attacks. His forces had been fighting nonstop for over a month, and their systems were severely worn, in desperate need of maintenance. Now, they were being forced to endure another round of intense combat. The front forces commander felt a pang of despair. Even if they made it back, there wouldn¡¯t be much left of the front forces.


    But he had no choice. While the foreign forces¡¯ demands were harsh, they were still allies and wouldn¡¯t attack him. The Swarm, on the other hand, would show no mercy. It was a case of choosing the lesser of two evils.


    Just as his frustration peaked, he noticed that the Swarm¡¯s pursuit had weakened significantly. He quickly checked the real-time data and confirmed that the change, noticeable even to the naked eye, was substantial.


    ¡ª¡ª


    The data showed that the Swarm¡¯s firepower had decreased by 30% and was still dropping rapidly. The front forces commander was puzzled. Had the Swarm had a change of heart? Were they showing mercy?


    All radar and detection systems were activated at full power to gather data and determine the cause of the Swarm¡¯s reduced firepower. However, interference from the EMP and energy surges made the effort largely futile.


    Ironically, it was simple optical observation, which required no energy, that provided the key insight. The previously dense swarm of Swarm units blocking the void now had gaps through which starlight could be seen!


    ¡°The Swarm¡¯s forces are thinning out? Are they withdrawing? Are they really showing mercy?¡± The front forces commander was filled with questions. If the Swarm continued their pursuit, they would undoubtedly gain the upper hand. Giving up now could only mean they were holding back.


    Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the Swarm showing mercy¡ªit was his own wishful thinking.

 Chapter 505: Interception

    The front forces commander underestimated the Swarm¡¯s ambition. While he was too immersed in the battlefield to see clearly, the coalition¡¯s reconnaissance ships outside the battlefield had a clear view of the Swarm¡¯s intentions.


    The Swarm forces that had been pursuing the coalition¡¯s rear had now abandoned their chase of the battered front forces. Instead, they accelerated, aiming to bypass the coalition and reinforce the intercepting units at the other end.


    ¡°The Swarm¡¯s appetite is enormous! They¡¯re planning to trap the entire central force of the coalition?!¡± Difeck was incredulous. In his view, while the Swarm appeared to have numerical superiority, the individual combat power of their units was significantly inferior. Overall, the coalition¡¯s combat strength was actually stronger.


    However, the coalition¡¯s complex and chaotic command structure made it difficult to fully utilize their combat potential. In contrast, the Swarm¡¯s coordination was textbook-perfect.


    This disparity, combined with the Swarm¡¯s initial positional advantage, had snowballed into the current situation.


    Although the coalition had suffered heavy losses, the void of space left little room for elaborate tactics. To annihilate a large enemy force, one had to rely on brute force. Therefore, the Swarm¡¯s losses were also substantial. While the coalition no longer had the strength to launch an offensive, they could still retaliate. The two sides were still evenly matched.


    But now, the Swarm was actively intercepting the coalition¡¯s central force, aiming to completely destroy them. Given the Swarm¡¯s current troop numbers, this seemed almost delusional.


    In Difeck¡¯s opinion, the Swarm would be better off organizing their superior force to pursue the retreating coalition, securing greater gains. After all, a routed army and one with its retreat cut off were entirely different in terms of morale and combat effectiveness.


    But the Swarm¡¯s actions must have a reason. Could it really be as Viller had speculated? Thinking this, Difeck shook his head self-deprecatingly. He must be losing his mind too. How could that be possible?


    The Swarm¡¯s somewhat reckless move was actually a boon for the coalition. It redefined the roles of attacker and defender, with the Swarm forces now in a position to be flanked.


    ¡°The flank forces, stop slacking off! While the Swarm is focused on blocking the central forces¡¯ retreat, go in and take a few big bites!¡± the coalition commander ordered, directing the troops forward.


    All available forces were deployed, including Viller¡¯s disc-shaped flagship, which was assigned to a foreign fleet and sent back into the fray.


    Viller had no complaints about this, though he was slightly uneasy about being grouped with a fleet of ships whose captains were barely over two kilometers in length¡ªa far cry from his usual companions.


    The Swarm¡¯s relentless interception made their formations and movements predictable. Combined with their limited room to maneuver while being flanked, their losses were mounting rapidly.


    ¡°Let these damned Swarm taste what it¡¯s like to be flanked!¡± the front forces commander shouted. They had been surrounded by the Swarm earlier, suffering nearly 80% casualties, with many comrades left behind on the battlefield.


    Now, seeing the Swarm in a similar predicament, they felt a strange sense of satisfaction. Unfortunately, their position wasn¡¯t at the forefront of the attack, and their firing angles were blocked by allied ships. They could only vent their frustration verbally and take out their anger on the few remaining pursuers.


    The intensity of the battle, which had waned, now surged again. The previously routed flank forces were now fighting effectively, inflicting significant casualties on the Swarm.


    In the void, ships were constantly being destroyed. Amid the flames, countless lifeboats and escape pods fled the scene, while even more Space Octopuses were torn apart by artillery fire, their biological matter scattering in all directions.


    The battle was reaching its climax, with both sides rapidly depleting their forces. However, the advantage seemed to be shifting toward the coalition.


    Just as Difeck was fantasizing about leading his troops to victory in the first major battle against the Swarm, securing promotions, raises, and a path to the pinnacle of his career, devastating news arrived.


    ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve received a report from the rear. A massive Swarm force has suddenly appeared outside LKDW262! Estimated numbers exceed fifty million!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Difeck exclaimed. ¡°How is that possible?¡±


    Fifty million troops¡ªthis wasn¡¯t ancient times. Mobilizing such a large force couldn¡¯t be hidden. The number of troops the Swarm had dispatched from LKDW286, 287, and 288 had been meticulously recorded by the coalition¡¯s reconnaissance ships.


    There might be some discrepancies in the data, but not to the extent of fifty million. Could the Swarm have sent troops from other star systems?


    Difeck immediately dismissed this idea. The coalition had deployed almost all its reconnaissance ships and devices along the border. No matter which star system or direction the Swarm moved from, they couldn¡¯t escape such a dense surveillance network. ????§Ñ¦­§°????¦¥S?


    Unless they had launched their forces from within the Interstellar Technological Confederation itself¡ªbut how could that be possible?


    That left only one possibility: the Swarm had openly dispatched their forces but changed their destination mid-journey. Troops in warp travel were already difficult to detect, and with the coalition¡¯s internal surveillance network weakened, the Swarm could have redirected their forces without being noticed.


    So, where had these troops come from? The answer was obvious. The Swarm had sent forces to the Koya Alliance, but their numbers matched the records. That left only the forces originally headed for LKDW265 and 267.


    Yet Difeck was still reluctant to accept this.


    To evade the coalition¡¯s detection, the Swarm would have had to send their forces toward the original targets, then redirect them after entering coalition territory. But the distance from that point to LKDW262 would take years to traverse, even at warp speed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As he had told Viller earlier, unless the Swarm had planned this from the very beginning¡ªbefore the coalition had even finalized their plans¡ªthe timing wouldn¡¯t add up.


    But how could the Swarm dare to take such a gamble? This was a life-or-death bet. If the coalition had devised a different plan, all their efforts would have been in vain.


    Could the Swarm truly foresee the future?


    ¡°Has there been any unusual activity near LKDW263?¡± Difeck suddenly asked.


    The communications officer quickly operated the instruments. After a moment, he looked up, his eyes wide with shock. ¡°Sir, a massive Swarm force has also appeared outside LKDW263.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Difeck¡¯s tone was more of a statement than a question. The Swarm must have used some method to anticipate the coalition¡¯s plans in advance. Otherwise, their actions wouldn¡¯t be so precisely targeted.


    One instance might be a coincidence, but two couldn¡¯t be explained away so easily.


    At this moment, Difeck finally realized just how terrifying the secret that had drawn the Ji race into the fray truly was. The Swarm was like a bottomless pit, continuously revealing new cards. It was impossible to predict or grasp their limits.


    Perhaps their old rivals, the Koya Alliance, had been right all along.

 Chapter 506: Stealing Home

    From the current situation, Difeck was beginning to think that perhaps the approach of the Koya Alliance was the correct one. Continuously yielding space to allow the Swarm to encroach, thereby buying time.


    Once the civilizations of the middle and inner circles, or even the Ji race, intervened, the Swarm would be pushed back in no time. The lost territory could naturally be reclaimed, and the losses would only be some fixed assets.


    But on their side, the Locke Mutual Aid Society, attempting to block the Swarm¡¯s invasion, had just begun the war, and already, across two battlefields, the number of lost warships had exceeded ten million, with countless casualties among various races.


    Most importantly, despite these heavy losses, no strategic objectives had been achieved. Now, the Swarm was directly attacking their home, and the future losses were still unknown. From any perspective, losing so much for the sake of pride didn¡¯t seem worth it.


    But there was no time for him to dwell on these thoughts. He had to make a decision immediately: continue the battle here or return to reinforce the LKDW262 Star System.


    However, after careful consideration, he realized that he didn¡¯t have many options.


    In the LKDW262 Star System, there were still around 20 million warships. However, apart from a few thousand newly arrived reinforcements, the rest were largely incapable of participating in this operation due to the lack of warp drive.


    Although, as defenders, the presence of warp drive didn¡¯t make much difference. But let¡¯s not forget, if a warship doesn¡¯t even have a warp drive, how good can its other configurations be? Even though there were numerous fixed defense facilities within the star system, their builders, the Moto civilization, were a fringe, lesser-developed civilization.


    The combination of lesser-developed warships and lesser-developed fixed defenses facing 50 million ferocious Swarm troops¡ªwhether they could hold out, or for how long, was a question.


    Among the attacking coalition forces, the strongest first-tier units, composed of the top three most powerful fleets of the Locke Mutual Aid Society, had already lost 80% of their strength.


    The second-tier rear forces had also suffered approximately 40% losses. As for the third-tier flanking forces, though they still appeared intact, it¡¯s worth remembering that at the start of the battle, they had been routed by the Swarm forces, fleeing for over ten million kilometers with heavy casualties.


    Under these circumstances, even if he led his forces back, how much could these remnants really contribute?


    Therefore, faced with the call for reinforcements from LKDW262, Difeck found it difficult to make a decision. But as he was still pondering his options, a sudden change occurred on the battlefield.


    The news of the rear¡¯s call for reinforcements somehow leaked, causing the morale of the Moto civilization, which made up the bulk of the flanking forces, to plummet. As a newly interstellar civilization that had only entered the spacefaring era a few thousand years ago, they hadn¡¯t fully shed their various attachments. The invasion of their homeworld made it impossible for them to remain calm.


    A flood of requests to return and defend their home poured into the command center, but Difeck was in a tough spot. The two sides were now entangled, and even if he wanted to retreat, the Swarm wouldn¡¯t allow it. If they forcibly withdrew, the coalition forces in the central front would suffer heavy losses.


    Moreover, they would be pursued by the Swarm, and by the time they reached the LKDW262 Star System, it was uncertain how much of the coalition forces would remain.


    Furthermore, outside LKDW262, there were 50 million fresh Swarm troops waiting. If they were intercepted, they would undoubtedly be surrounded, and the issue wouldn¡¯t be about reinforcing anymore¡ªit could very well be a matter of total annihilation.


    The command center¡¯s delayed response further exacerbated the Moto civilization¡¯s frustration. They believed that the Troi coalition¡¯s commander-in-chief was deliberately stalling for time. Under the influence of some agitators, a group of Moto warships finally broke away from the battle formation. Their sublight engines at full power, they quickly distanced themselves from the battlefield, and with a blur in space, the entire fleet entered warp speed and vanished into the void.


    Following this example, more and more Moto warships began to leave the battlefield. Despite Difeck¡¯s attempts to appeal to their reason, move them with emotion, and even threaten them, nothing could stop the Moto¡¯s determination to return home.


    Difeck¡¯s own morale was also beginning to crumble. Although the Moto fleet was a major part of the flanking forces, their numbers were already greatly reduced due to heavy losses. Combined with their technological backwardness, their role in the current battle was limited. Even if they all left, if Difeck managed the situation well, the impact on the overall situation wouldn¡¯t be too severe.


    But now, their unauthorized departure had not only significantly affected the morale of the remaining forces but also undermined Difeck¡¯s authority.


    However, Difeck didn¡¯t have many options. In his mind, the best course of action would be to make an example of the deserting ships by destroying them to set a precedent.


    But in reality, for such an idea to be implemented, he would need to head to the infirmary, get a shot, and take a nap¡ªbecause such things only happened in dreams. ????£Á£Î????¦Â¦¥£Ó


    The departure of the Moto fleet, combined with the plummeting morale, significantly reduced the pressure on the Swarm forces. The situation, which had been at a disadvantage, slowly began to turn around.


    Seeing this, Difeck could only sigh. There was no point in thinking about anything else now; he had to focus on the immediate situation. Otherwise, forget about reinforcements¡ªthey wouldn¡¯t even make it through the current crisis.


    Meanwhile, on the other side, the sudden appearance of the Swarm forces had thrown the LKDW262 Star System into chaos. Some advocated for a full defense, others for an immediate retreat, and still others for a proactive attack. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, ignoring the brainless suggestion of the last option, the debate mainly revolved around the first two positions. The Moto civilization, as the host of the star system, was the primary advocate for retreat and also demanded that the coalition fleet help evacuate civilians.


    Population was the hope of a race. If a star system¡¯s population was wiped out in a single battle, what good would victory be?


    At the same time, some civilizations that wanted to preserve their own fleets supported the Moto¡¯s proposal.


    On the other hand, the majority of the civilizations advocating for defense were neighbors of the Moto civilization. They believed that if the Moto abandoned their defenses, they would have to take in a large number of Moto refugees. Moreover, once the Swarm regrouped, they would be the next targets.


    Under these circumstances, they naturally hoped that the coalition forces would hold out on Moto territory for as long as possible. As for Moto casualties¡ªwhen it came to non-allied races, who cared in such critical moments?


    But as they were arguing, the Swarm wasn¡¯t wasting any time. After a brief reorganization, swarms of Primordial-class units charged into the star system from multiple directions.


    The outermost planetary base held out for less than an hour before being overwhelmed by the tide of Swarm.


    The ongoing debate among the allied races was abruptly interrupted by this sudden attack. The Swarm¡¯s proximity made everyone feel the imminent threat.


    If they retreated now, their warships could still leave in an orderly manner, but evacuating the population would be extremely time-consuming and no longer feasible.


    Thus, the Moto, who had initially advocated for retreat, quickly changed their stance and became staunch supporters of the defensive faction.

 Chapter 507: Encirclement

    After the coalition forces in the LKDW262 Star System had largely unified their stance, they quickly organized their defenses. However, it was already too late.


    The surging tide of the Swarm had already destroyed three layers of orbital defense systems. These relatively outdated, low-powered, and immobile fixed defense facilities were systematically picked off and obliterated by the Primordial-class units. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The outermost Moto colony had also fallen, and the Moto inhabitants within had lost contact, their fate unknown.


    With no other choice, tens of millions of warships from various races gathered in the outer orbit of LKDW262¡¯s habitable planet, hoping to rely on the strongest orbital defense system here for one last stand.


    ¡°Has there been any response to our call for reinforcements?¡±


    ¡°Sir, the frontlines have received the message. General Difeck replied that the frontlines are under heavy pressure, and the troops are too entangled to disengage. However, he has managed to withdraw the Moto fleet and send them back to assist.¡±


    The commander nodded. The situation on the frontlines was being reported in real-time, and it was indeed as Difeck had described¡ªthey were in a difficult position. Sending the Moto fleet back was likely the best they could do, and it was unreasonable to demand more.


    However, the Moto fleet¡¯s warp technology was acquired on credit, and they only had the most basic version. Although the frontlines were only 0.2 light-years away from LKDW262, it would still take them at least two to three months to return. Moreover, given their combat capabilities, even if they did return, how much they could contribute was questionable. There wasn¡¯t much to expect from them.


    ¡°What about the other fronts?¡±


    The communications officer shook his head.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± the commander sighed quietly.


    The current situation was dire. The nearest star system, LKDW263, was too preoccupied with its own troubles to help. The coalition civilizations bordering the Moto had already sent large numbers of troops earlier. Even if they still had forces to spare, they were unlikely to deploy them now, as they would need to conserve their strength for when the Swarm turned its attention to them after overrunning the Moto. Although such preparations might not make much difference in the end.


    The commander¡¯s only hope now lay with the major civilizations of the middle and inner circles. Their warships were more technologically advanced, and the faster ones had already set out two or three decades ago. However, without their communication codes, the Mutual Aid Society had no way to contact them while they were in warp travel.


    Thus, only their own races knew where these fleets were at the moment.


    Rescue might arrive at any second, or perhaps it wouldn¡¯t come until LKDW262 was destroyed. This left the commander torn between hope and despair.


    The Swarm, however, paid no attention to the psychological drama of these races and continued to execute their plans methodically. The Primordial-class units carefully and meticulously cleared every corner they passed, showing no change in their approach regardless of the strength or weakness of their opponents.


    Soon, the various Primordial-class clusters converged 5,000 kilometers away from the habitable planet. Arrayed against them were the dense formations of the coalition fleet and their fixed defenses.


    Cold, metallic constructs stood silently, exuding an aura of solemnity. Lights¡ªbeacons, indicators, and warning signals¡ªflickered intermittently, while small vessels darted back and forth.


    Engineering robots and alien engineers in protective suits nervously inspected the operational status of the equipment, maintaining or replacing worn-out components in preparation for the imminent battle.


    The Swarm also temporarily halted their advance. Floating in the void were their combat units, even more densely packed than the coalition forces. Their long tendrils swayed unconsciously, with bioluminescent lights flickering on and off in a mesmerizing display.


    ¡°What a beautiful species,¡± some of the aliens murmured, their emotions complex. Beautiful things often resonated with sentient beings, but the beauty of the Swarm was something these aliens could not afford to appreciate.


    The battle began shortly after. The Swarm had approximately 50 million large combat units, while the coalition forces had just over 20 million warships. Even with all the fixed defenses included, the total number of operational units that could fire was barely 30 million.


    The enormous numerical disparity, coupled with the lack of technological advantage, immediately put the coalition forces at a disadvantage from the start.


    The Primordial-class units charged forward under heavy fire, advancing while simultaneously returning fire. Attacking a cornered defensive force was the Swarm¡¯s favorite scenario. ?????????¨°???


    Both sides¡¯ long-range weapons had similar ranges and firepower, with the Swarm¡¯s being slightly superior. Under these conditions, even in a long-range exchange, the Swarm had no reason to back down.


    However, the Swarm¡¯s close-combat capabilities were far stronger. The coalition, forced to defend critical targets, had no room to maneuver. This gave the Swarm the opportunity to close the distance, and once they did, the coalition forces would be mercilessly overwhelmed.


    The course of the battle unfolded exactly as expected. The fixed defenses, lacking mobility, were prioritized and systematically destroyed under concentrated fire.


    The shattered debris scattered in all directions, and the coalition, with their tightly packed formations, found themselves struggling to deal with the wreckage of their own defenses.


    The remaining coalition warships¡¯ firepower was insufficient to stop the Swarm¡¯s advance. All they could do was watch helplessly as the Swarm units loomed larger and larger in their view.


    But that wasn¡¯t all. Once the Swarm closed to a certain distance, the Primordial-class units released swarms of mature and larval bodies from within their bodies. These smaller units were now within their effective combat range.


    Despite their small size¡ªsome of the larval bodies were less than ten meters long¡ªthey were still a significant threat. Even Viller¡¯s disc-shaped flagship, which was over five kilometers long, would find it difficult to deal with larval bodies at close range, let alone the coalition warships, which were only about two kilometers long.


    The coalition forces, already at a disadvantage, found their situation worsening with the appearance of these mature and larval bodies.


    The coalition warships¡¯ long-range firepower primarily consisted of main and secondary cannons. The main cannons required more energy, had a slower rate of fire, but were immensely powerful and long-ranged, capable of dealing significant damage to all Swarm units. The secondary cannons required less energy, fired faster, but were less powerful. While they were effective against the Swarm¡¯s smaller units, they had limited impact on the Primordial-class units.


    However, the energy generation systems of the coalition ships could only produce a finite amount of energy per unit of time, making it impossible to power both the main and secondary cannons at full capacity. Thus, the challenge became how to allocate energy between them.


    No matter how the coalition forces chose to distribute their energy, the results were equally ineffective. Prioritizing the main cannons meant they couldn¡¯t stop the Swarm¡¯s smaller units from closing in. Prioritizing the secondary cannons was even worse, as they couldn¡¯t halt the advance of the Primordial bodies, and the numbers of mature and larval bodies far exceeded the Primordial bodies.


    For the secondary cannons to have any chance of slowing the Swarm, they would need to achieve the firing rate of close-range defense guns, coupled with perfect accuracy¡ªa level of performance not even the Ji race could attain.


    Following the destruction of the fixed defenses, coalition warships began to fall, and the rate of losses accelerated. The disadvantage snowballed, growing larger and larger.

 Chapter 508: Airdrop

    After intense deliberation by the coalition¡¯s think tank, it was decided to prioritize attacks on the Swarm¡¯s Primordial-class units. Even if the Swarm closed in, these larger Primordial-class units posed a greater destructive threat. As for the smaller Space Octopuses, the coalition temporarily deployed drone squadrons to hold them off.


    However, due to the post-war mobilization, most of the newly constructed space factories were dedicated to warship production lines, and metal smelting was prioritized for building warships. The production of drones had not seen a significant increase, and the shortage of materials further exacerbated the issue. As a result, the coalition fleet¡¯s drone numbers were far from full capacity, with some warships carrying only a dozen or so drones.


    Nevertheless, due to the sheer size of the fleet, the sight of dense drone formations advancing in orderly ranks remained impressive. However, their total numbers still paled in comparison to the Swarm¡¯s mature and larval bodies by several orders of magnitude.


    In the timeless void of space, after several days of fierce combat, the Swarm leveraged its numerical advantage to divide the battlefield and eventually breached the coalition¡¯s defensive lines, pushing into the orbit of the life planet they were protecting.


    Some mature bodies opened their storage sacs and released a large number of spore pods from the planet¡¯s near orbit. These spore pods were encased in multiple layers of carapace, which helped shield them from external harsh conditions such as extreme heat.


    The layers of carapace were supported by cartilage, providing excellent cushioning during high-impact collisions.


    Beneath the carapace was a sac-like tissue modeled after the Fungal Carpet¡¯s genes. This tissue was reinforced with fibrous structures to enhance the pods¡¯ resilience and filled with small air sacs to further mitigate damage from impacts.


    Inside the pods was a space of about 3-5 square meters, capable of carrying Fungal Carpet seeds, Brood Queen larvae, and various land-based combat units. These were the latest generation of airdrop pods, refined through multiple iterations, and it was these that the mature bodies were now deploying.


    Countless pods descended through the atmosphere in free fall, their friction with the air creating a fiery glow. From the ground, the sheer number of them made it look like a spectacular meteor shower. Some unsuspecting Moto civilians even closed their eyes and made wishes.


    But soon, they realized something was wrong. These ¡°meteors¡± were growing increasingly numerous, filling the sky and illuminating half of it.


    The Moto defenders on the life planet, though unsure what these objects were, knew that a massive battle was raging above. They had communicated with the coalition and learned that these ¡°meteors¡± were not from their allies. If they weren¡¯t from the coalition, it was obvious who their origin was. Even using their toes to think, the Moto defenders could guess that these beautiful ¡°meteors¡± were nothing good.


    The Moto defenders opened fire. A variety of anti-aircraft weapons began pouring fire into the sky, including even old-fashioned kinetic anti-aircraft guns powered by gunpowder. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But these ¡°meteors¡± were not lifeless objects. They could use the air sacs within their bodies to adjust their descent trajectory and even slightly alter their speed. Their small size and high velocity made them difficult targets for the Moto defenders. Except for weapons with advanced targeting systems, most of the other anti-aircraft weapons proved ineffective.


    The ¡°meteors¡± continued to fall. Around the cities on the life planet, where anti-aircraft defenses were strong, most of the pods heading their way were destroyed. However, the Moto couldn¡¯t deploy defenses uniformly across the entire planet. In suburban and wilderness areas, anti-aircraft defenses were sparse and less effective.


    The Swarm quickly noticed this and began directing more pods toward these regions.


    Finally¡­


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    ¡°Boom!¡±


    The sound of impacts echoed continuously. The pods, traveling at immense speeds, slammed into the ground. However, their multi-layered, impact-resistant structures absorbed much of the shock. Some pods even bounced back up, tumbling a few times before coming to a stop.


    Dry forests and hillsides ignited from the intense heat of impact. Amidst the flames, the pods split open.


    Some released a few land-based combat units, while others had Worker Drones carrying Fungal Carpet seeds and Brood Queen larvae crawling out. Some disgorged insectoid units with large digging appendages, clearly adept at burrowing, while others simply released Burrowing Worm larvae.


    After a quick assessment of the surroundings, the various digging units began excavating the ground. Worker Drones, carrying the Brood Queens, burrowed underground and planted the Fungal Carpet. The spore pods themselves were broken down and used as the initial source of nutrients.


    Meanwhile, the other land-based combat units scattered, conducting reconnaissance missions to eliminate potential threats and gather intelligence.


    Although the anti-aircraft defenses around the Moto cities were fierce, a few lucky pods managed to breach the firestorm and land near the urban areas. ???????B¦¥?


    These pods not only endured a harrowing descent but also faced a far more hostile environment upon landing compared to their counterparts in the forests and suburbs. Concealment was critical, and burrowing became the best option. This was why more than half of the ground units deployed in this airdrop were equipped for digging.


    Those units incapable of digging instead charged into the Moto population, creating chaos to cover their comrades¡¯ activities.


    Within less than half a minute, aside from the combat units still causing havoc, the rest of the Swarm forces had disappeared underground. Even when Moto soldiers arrived at the scene, all they could do was curse at the digging traces left behind.


    The coalition forces in space, though aware of the Swarm¡¯s actions, were powerless to stop them. By the time they desperately managed to seal the breach, the Swarm had already completed multiple rounds of airdrops.


    ¡°Commander, we¡¯ve received a message from the ground forces.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the situation? Did they figure out what the Swarm dropped?¡±


    ¡°Commander, the ground forces report that, based on optical observations, the Swarm likely deployed some kind of airdrop landing apparatus. When they inspected the sites, they found a few Swarm units, but the numbers were small.¡±


    After speaking, the communications officer opened several images and videos transmitted in real-time. In the footage, Moto soldiers were seen engaging spider-like creatures and small, ferocious beasts. Although these Swarm units were fierce, their limited numbers meant they were eventually eliminated by the soldiers¡¯ advanced weaponry.


    ¡°Has the research report on these creatures been completed?¡±


    ¡°No, although they¡¯re not particularly strong, the Swarm has still placed genetic locks on them¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it. Tell the ground forces to stay vigilant. The Swarm wouldn¡¯t go through so much trouble just to drop something meaningless.¡±


    The coalition commander in LKDW262, though this was his first encounter with the Swarm, understood that they were far from foolish. This situation was riddled with oddities, and caution was essential.


    The fierce battle in space continued unabated, unaffected by the events on the ground. Both sides fought relentlessly, with entire squadrons of warships or Primordial-class units periodically withdrawing from the frontlines for repairs and resupply.


    As the commander had anticipated, the Swarm¡¯s actions were far from aimless. Within 10 days, a large number of Swarm units emerged from nowhere on the planet, launching attacks against the coalition¡¯s ground forces.

 Chapter 509: The Attack

    Because the Swarm¡¯s ground combat experiments on the Daqi Planet had been conducted under the heavy cover and concealment of their space forces, the Interstellar Technological Confederation had been unable to uncover what had happened. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite their repeated attempts, they were always blocked. To this day, the details of those events remain unknown to the Confederation. Thus, the scene unfolding on the life planet of LKDW262 marked the first time the Swarm¡¯s ground forces had been revealed to the world.


    Night had fallen, and in response to the Swarm¡¯s airdrops, the cities on the Moto life planet had heightened their defenses. Curfews were imposed, and the number and frequency of patrols were increased.


    However, after several rounds of sweeps that eliminated many of the Swarm¡¯s airdropped units, combined with over ten days of relative safety, the tension among the patrol personnel had begun to ease slightly.


    The Moto were a race that valued environmental protection, and the night sky remained clear, cloudless, and offered excellent visibility. In the distant starscape, occasional bursts of light flared up¡ªexplosions from the coalition¡¯s warship reactors. Through an ordinary telescope, one could even see dense red threads dancing across the stars.


    The Moto on the surface understood that the battle in the distance was a matter of life and death for them. As a result, many had quickly adapted their habits, becoming nocturnal to take advantage of the better viewing conditions at night. Though they could do little to help, they hoped to send their blessings to the distant fleet.


    The patrol personnel were no exception. They frequently looked up at the distant sky, silently praying for their comrades.


    Suddenly, a shadow flickered at the corner of a patrolman¡¯s eye. As he focused on it, a sharp pain pierced his left cheek, as if something had pricked him. He raised his hand to touch the spot, but before he could even complete the motion, his body uncontrollably tilted to one side.


    The sound of his fall was startlingly clear in the quiet night. His eyes, now unable to move, could only hope that his sudden collapse would alert his comrades.


    But one after another, the sounds of bodies hitting the ground reached his ears. Though he couldn¡¯t turn his head to see what was happening behind him, he could guess based on his own experience.


    In his final moments, he still couldn¡¯t identify what had attacked them¡­


    The perpetrators were genetically enhanced flying insects, originally part of the reconnaissance units. Their primary role was to provide route guidance, detect enemy presence, mark targets, and offer early warnings for other Swarm units.


    However, they also possessed a degree of offensive capability. Each flying insect had a stinger coated with neurotoxin at the end of its tail. These stingers could be silently launched with pinpoint accuracy, hitting targets within fifty meters.


    Equipped with optical camouflage and silent flight modes, they could easily approach unsuspecting enemies and strike at the opportune moment.


    Comfortable in their familiar environment and lacking experience in combating Swarm ground units, many of the patrol soldiers had not worn fully enclosed combat suits. They became the first victims of the flying insect units.


    Of course, not all Moto soldiers were so careless. Many wore full-body protective gear, and some elite units even had basic exoskeletons.


    These were not opponents the flying insects could handle alone. This was where the ambushers came in. Though the ambushers shared the same basic template as the raiders¡ªderived from the original Spider Combat Bug¡ªthey were a far cry from the stripped-down, expendable versions. The ambushers were the high-end, fully equipped, luxury custom models.


    Optical camouflage, venomous stingers, silk-spinning capabilities, and wing membranes for gliding were all standard features. Their main bodies were encased in chitinous armor, while their limbs were reinforced with exoskeletal plating. This meant they underwent over ten molting cycles from larva to maturity.


    Such a laborious growth process resulted in formidable combat capabilities. Beyond their auxiliary functions, the chitinous armor provided enhanced protection while adding significant weight. With a body diameter of nearly half a meter, each ambusher weighed over thirty kilograms.


    Their exoskeleton-covered limbs were not only incredibly strong but also razor-sharp. Though called ambushers, their frontal assault capabilities were exceptional. A single ambusher could easily take on ten raiders without breaking a sweat.


    Several sentries stationed on a rooftop were unaware of the optically camouflaged flying insects circling above them. On the building¡¯s walls, several heavily armored insectoids, also cloaked in optical camouflage, used the hooks on their limbs to scale the structure silently, guided by the flying insects.


    The sentries, though fully clad in protective gear, were oblivious to the danger. They chatted through their communicators, exchanging non-combat-related thoughts and experiences.


    Suddenly, one of the sentries was slammed to the ground. His decent physical condition was of no use as he struggled helplessly against the force pinning him down.


    Terrified, he tried to shout a warning to his comrades, but as soon as he opened his mouth, something invisible shot into it. Blood seemed to hang in mid-air, faintly outlining the shape of an unseen object.


    The transparent object slowly retracted, then withdrew from the back of his neck. With the obstruction gone, blood gushed forth. The Moto soldier, eyes wide with fear, gradually went silent as his life ebbed away.


    Simultaneously, similar scenes of slaughter befell his companions, spreading across the city and throughout the planet.


    Finally, whether due to the sentries¡¯ prolonged silence or the discovery of their bodies, alarms blared across the city, quickly spreading and awakening all the Moto on the planet. R??§°¦¢§¦?


    As dawn broke, sunlight bathed the land. The Moto, having spent a sleepless night, cautiously opened their doors and stepped outside, as if greeting a new life.


    The previous night had been one of terror. The Moto leadership, having noticed the anomalies, quickly mobilized additional personnel to investigate.


    However, as they moved, more and more individuals went missing. At the scene of each incident, aside from the victims, there were no traces of the attackers. Panic began to spread. The unseen enemy brought to mind terrifying legends.


    But many Moto realized that this was the Swarm, returning to strike again. The night environment was highly unfavorable for them. Only after firing numerous flares into the sky did the killings begin to subside.


    Yet in the shadows, the ambushes continued. Patrols were halted, and people were urgently gathered together. No one dared to rest, and they finally made it through to dawn.


    In the light of day, it seemed as though nothing had happened the previous night. But the bodies discovered everywhere served as grim reminders of the previous night¡¯s horrors. Finally, most of the victims¡¯ remains were collected, awaiting examination by specialists.

 Chapter 510: Countermeasures

    The inspection team arrived, composed of forensic experts, criminal investigators, and renowned detectives. They wore uniformly issued white coats and approached the scene.


    ¡°All victims were killed with a single strike, with almost no signs of resistance!¡±


    ¡°These must be highly stealthy and ambush-oriented combat units. The Swarm¡¯s cloaking technology is incredibly advanced, so it¡¯s not surprising they could create something like this. However, this combat style completely redefines my understanding of the Swarm.¡± To this inspector, the Swarm had always been synonymous with brute force.


    ¡°Then your previous understanding might have been biased. Perhaps this is the Swarm¡¯s true nature, but it couldn¡¯t be fully utilized in space environments.¡±


    ¡°I agree. Early records of the Swarm, especially those from the Riken, describe them as mysterious and enigmatic.¡±


    ¡°Enough of this. What else have you found? Can you infer the appearance and abilities of these Swarm units?¡±


    They exchanged glances and nodded. One of them spoke up: ¡°We¡¯ve made some progress on one type.¡±


    ¡°One type?¡±


    ¡°Correct. There are at least two different types of Swarm units involved in this attack.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    One inspector flipped through the bodies and addressed the commander: ¡°First, let¡¯s talk about the one we¡¯ve made progress on. Look here, here, and here¡ªall these points show signs of being pierced by a sharp object.¡± He pointed to several damaged areas on the protective suits of the corpses.


    The commander stepped forward and examined the damage closely. Indeed, there were abnormal punctures on the limbs and backs of the suits. The edges of the holes were clean and fresh, with some still oozing blood, indicating they had been made recently.


    ¡°Our sentries were stationed in groups, positioned at angles to cover each other. To approach them, these units must have cloaking capabilities and exceptional agility. Additionally, to prevent the sentries from raising alarms, they must possess incredible communication and coordination skills, allowing them to strike simultaneously.¡±


    The commander nodded in agreement. The inspector then positioned himself on all fours around the corpse, mimicking a crouching posture, and said, ¡°It¡¯s likely they attacked from behind like this. But our soldiers aren¡¯t amateurs, so these units must be large, heavy, and possess enough strength to subdue their targets instantly. Then, they¡¯d strike like this¡­¡±


    The inspector extended a hand, mimicking a piercing motion at the wound: ¡°Every action must be swift and seamless. Only then can they silence their targets without giving them a chance to call for help or sound the alarm. They¡¯re elite assassins, machines of slaughter.¡±


    ¡°You mentioned you¡¯ve made some progress on their appearance?¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Correct. We¡¯ve reviewed footage of our soldiers eliminating Swarm airdrop units and noticed a spider-like unit. If we scale it up slightly, it matches the profile of these attackers.¡±


    The commander looked at the bodies on the ground, imagining the inspector¡¯s posture replaced by a giant spider, with the punctures in the suits aligning perfectly.


    He nodded, accepting the explanation.


    ¡°So, how do we defend against them?¡± the commander asked.


    The inspector stood up and shrugged: ¡°That¡¯s a question for the military, but I think sonar detectors might help us spot them in advance.¡±


    ¡°What about the other unit?¡±


    ¡°Take a look here, Commander,¡± another inspector in a white coat stepped forward. He moved to two corpses and pointed out their wounds. The injuries were similarly located, concentrated around the head, but upon closer inspection, the commander noticed a difference.


    One of the deceased Moto had a twisted expression but a normal body posture, with signs of struggle on his clothes. The other, however, showed no signs of struggle¡ªhis clothes were clean, but certain parts of his body were unnaturally contorted.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    The inspector pointed to the second corpse: ¡°This is a clear case of neurotoxin poisoning. He was incapacitated by poison before being killed. The Swarm units must have some form of toxin delivery system.¡± ??¦­?????¨¨S


    ¡°The other unit we discussed is physically strong; it wouldn¡¯t need to poison its targets first. Therefore, we believe the poisoning was done by a different unit.¡±


    ¡°All poisoned soldiers wore less comprehensive protective gear, with some body parts exposed. Those in fully enclosed suits weren¡¯t poisoned before being killed, which suggests that full-body suits are effective against this toxin-delivering unit.¡±


    ¡°Is there more?¡±


    Another inspector stepped forward, flipped the corpse, and pointed to a small puncture on exposed skin: ¡°There¡¯s a tiny needle mark here, almost healed. I suspect it¡¯s from a unit capable of firing venomous projectiles from a distance.¡±


    He pulled out a fine needle and a laser pointer, manipulated them around the mark, and explained: ¡°The attack came from above. If there were no high points nearby, then this projectile-firing unit must also have flight capabilities.¡±


    ¡°If they can fly without alerting the soldiers, cloaking alone isn¡¯t enough.¡±


    ¡°Correct. They¡¯re likely small in size and make minimal noise when flying.¡±


    ¡°How do we defend against this unit?¡±


    ¡°Theoretically, this unit would be physically weaker, with limited combat abilities and ambush potential. Soldiers wearing fully enclosed suits should be able to defend against them effectively.¡±


    ¡°What about the neurotoxin? Can we treat or neutralize it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. We don¡¯t know its exact composition or mechanism. Perhaps we can find traces in the soldiers¡¯ bodies and develop a countermeasure from there.¡±


    ¡°Good. Any other findings?¡±


    ¡°Not for now. Further autopsies might reveal more.¡±


    ¡°Time is of the essence. Proceed immediately, and report to me directly if you need anything.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Commander.¡±


    The inspectors left, and multiple laboratories were hastily established across the planet. Based on the information gathered, the commander ordered the military to implement several countermeasures.


    The Moto didn¡¯t know when the Swarm would strike next, but since there had been no attacks during the day and both units excelled in ambushes, experts concluded that the Swarm would likely attack again at night.


    Soon, darkness fell once more.


    The Moto soldiers were prepared. Everyone was fully covered, and those without fully enclosed suits used other clothing to protect exposed skin.


    Sentinel posts were equipped with additional lighting, sonar detectors, barricades, barbed wire, and heavy weaponry.