I Am The Swarm

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 fall landed 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 days later, the surroundings of the Tail Lard Rat group were littered with similar 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 population had dropped below a hundred, leaving them with double-digit numbers. At this rate, complete annihilation 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 successfully 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 surveillance 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—particularly the Tail Lard Rats—were exhibiting explosive growth in intelligence.

Luo Wen found this understandable. During the experimental phase, the original version of the Tail Lard Rats already had larger 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.

A large 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 calculating the balance, Luo Wen sent over the additional wild dinosaurs.

From then on, the small dinosaurs launched periodic assaults on the Tail Lard Rat group. The experimental subjects noticed that the newly joined “wild” individuals lacked 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.

Similarly, 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 trap-laden area. Nor did they retreat.

With food becoming increasingly scarce, leaving the area presented too many uncertainties. They chose instead to claim nearby territory, encouraged by a particularly clever “wild” dinosaur among them.

However, settling down wasn’t easy for the small dinosaurs, who lacked 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 of larger chambers. Additionally, they found two more exits, both small and concealed, making them easy to defend or block. The cave was also well-insulated 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 populations replenished, a prolonged war began.

The small dinosaurs continued their intermittent raids on the rats’ base, though the terrain limited their success. Whenever they were on the brink of starvation, they would “stumble upon” some food.

The Tail Lard Rats scoured the underground for plant roots and insect larvae, 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 efficient communication. Some brighter individuals began developing languages 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 accelerate their evolution and development, so the small dinosaurs would continue to receive “miraculous” assistance.

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