I Am The Swarm

Not long after, the newly adjusted small dinosaurs successfully produced offspring as well. The successive successes 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 progressively larger 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 several commands, such as sitting, shaking hands, and eating.

But such accomplishments 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?

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 clawed fingers with stiff joints. While they could use tools, their precision in delicate operations lagged 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 they lacked 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 non-combative physiology, they displayed 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 claws.

However, Luo Wen soon encountered another challenge. He wanted to teach the experimental subjects language 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 explained 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 new languages 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 become one of his few remaining pastimes.

But why were stars appearing in broad daylight? A star grew in his field of vision, becoming larger and larger 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 growing larger.

Instinctively, Luo Wen believed meteors were harmless. He even remembered the superstition that if one made a sincere wish upon seeing a meteor, it might come 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 blazing tail streaking through the atmosphere. Behind it, countless smaller fireballs began to appear.

“Damn it.” Luo Wen cursed as the largest fireball rapidly filled his field of vision. In mere moments, it seemed to encompass everything.

Only then did Luo Wen realize the problem. This meteor was far too large. 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 clamped 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.

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