I Am The Swarm

Luo Wen had once considered secretly replacing a Rat Folk ruler. Technically, it posed no difficulty. After all, the Rat Folk had reached their current form thanks to his clandestine 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—not just managing governance, but also dealing with all the extended familial relationships, such as third aunts and eighth cousins.

As the dignified Swarm Overlord, Luo Wen had no interest in acquiring a large clan of Rat Folk relatives. While great ambitions require pragmatism, Luo Wen had been a recluse in his former life. If he were adept at navigating such complexities, 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-stage laziness.

In the past, he had opted to work behind the scenes, quietly guiding events, and the results had been excellent—far 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-play scenario? Upon further consideration, it occurred 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.

The complication 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—he had reviewed Morgan’s life and hadn’t noticed any such tendencies.

Or was Morgan proposing to replace 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 replace to unify the Rat Folk?”

Morgan was momentarily confused by Luo Wen’s line of thought, pausing before responding, “Replace? What do you mean?”

“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 had completely transformed. To him, only those with a “node” status in the Swarm Network could qualify as “one of us.” The network ensured their absolute loyalty, sparing Luo Wen from political maneuvering—an arrangement perfectly suited to his lazy 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 play 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 relationship with a queen was far too precarious. He couldn’t entrust the future of his long-laid plans and the Swarm’s destiny to such uncertain terms.

Morgan noticed Luo Wen’s hesitation and offered further explanation. “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 replacing 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’s compound eyes, Luo Wen recalled that Morgan had been unconscious when his consciousness was integrated into the Swarm Network and then placed in this body. During the earlier data transmission, Luo Wen had only shared information about the current situation and future plans, omitting details about the Swarm Network.

Moreover, Morgan’s network access was restricted to the lowest level, allowing only basic communication with higher-ups. This oversight was likely Luo Wen’s mistake—but 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 place your consciousness into the body of another Swarm unit, including a Rat Folk,” Luo Wen explained.

“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 become a bug?

“Because there were no spare Rat Folk bodies—only bug bodies available,” Luo Wen said after some thought, crafting a plausible 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 eventually come 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.

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