I Am The Swarm

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, black 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—long enough for the world outside to undergo seismic changes and for species to evolve.

But if he had traversed, it would mean the genetic 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.

He also speculated, perhaps inspired by lost-world movies, about a hidden continent that harbored these extraordinary species, which later thrived and expanded to conquer other lands.

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 becoming 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—especially 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, multidimensional combat. 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 camouflage 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 flank. Instantly, a barrage of liquid projectiles, infused with high temperatures and strong corrosiveness, sprayed toward it. ɽἁŊȎʙΕʂ

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 claw-like appendage. The claw clamped 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 particularly skilled at it.

After feasting, Luo Wen took advantage of the Big-headed Ants’ relaxed 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 with complex 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 Wen last dug a burrow himself, his skills were far from rusty. Even though he now used his claw-like appendages for digging, his efficiency remained high.

However, his large 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 Wen lay 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 black insect was lost in thought.

“This is still the original planet,” Luo Wen murmured. He suddenly realized how simple it was to verify.

In the sky, two light sources hung high—one slightly yellowish white and the other faintly red. They were unmistakably familiar.

“How long have I been asleep?” Luo Wen fell into contemplation.

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—slowing his body’s state to near stasis—it couldn’t hide its glaring flaw.

Now that Luo Wen was certain of his location and had dismissed those implausible theories, he felt much more at ease.

With his sense of crisis significantly reduced, even digging lost its appeal. The late hour called for rest.

Camouflaging 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.

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