I Am The Swarm

Luo Wen quietly observed everything without interfering too much. However, his mind was racing, collecting and summarizing all the information.

As the data accumulated, his anxiety began to ease. The likelihood that the other party belonged to an advanced civilization seemed extremely low. As long as their technology didn’t completely overpower the Swarm, there would still be a chance for a fight.

At that moment, an intelligent entity raised a hand to request to speak. Luo Wen nodded, and the room fell silent.

The intelligent entity, named Tikas, was a protégé in Morgan’s extended academic lineage. Once a Rat Folk prodigy in his era, Tikas had specialized in mathematics and dabbled in numerous cutting-edge technologies.

“Overlord, based on our group’s calculations, the opposing party likely originates from the M37 Star System, 9.7 light-years from the Genesis Star System and 5.1 light-years from the Neighboring Star System.”

“Oh? What’s your reasoning?” Luo Wen asked.

“By tracing the unknown civilization’s vessel trajectory in reverse, the path points directly to the M37 Star System. Furthermore, they’ve made virtually no course corrections along the way,” Tikas explained.

“How can you be sure they didn’t intentionally detour through the M37 Star System and then reemerge from there?” another intelligent entity asked.

“We’ve all fallen into a common misconception—that the entire luminous structure is their ship. But what if this is only their propulsion device?” Tikas proposed, requesting Luo Wen’s authorization to display supporting visuals.

“Take a look. This is from one of our previous research projects, theorizing a propulsion system. We know that light consists of massless photons with kinetic energy. When photons strike a smooth surface, they can rebound, much like a ping-pong ball hitting a wall, exerting force on the impacted object,” Tikas paused to let everyone absorb the information before continuing.

“The thrust produced by a single photon is extremely minute—within a square meter, it would barely amount to the weight of an ant. Therefore, to achieve meaningful acceleration from sunlight, the surface area of the propulsion mechanism must be extraordinarily large and lightweight. For instance, a vessel using such a system would require an enormous sail.”

As the other intelligent entities pondered this, Tikas elaborated further: “This type of propulsion system doesn’t require fuel and can accelerate continuously. However, the acceleration process takes an exceptionally long time.”

“If we assume the unknown civilization’s vessel uses such a propulsion system, many previously puzzling aspects become logical.”

“Firstly, regarding the ship’s size—we may actually be observing an enormous solar sail. Its operating principle would involve absorbing photon impacts and using the reactive force to propel forward. Simultaneously, it would reflect photons outward. Given our reliance on optical detection, which is highly sensitive to photons, this would explain why the observed image appears so dazzling.”

Scanning the room and seeing many entities nod in agreement, Tikas continued, “Additionally, since this propulsion system doesn’t require fuel, it wouldn’t produce an exhaust trail, which matches what we’ve observed.”

“But this is only a theoretical hypothesis. Is such a solar sail even feasible?” one entity questioned.

“This technology was deemed unsuitable for our species and discarded before any prototypes were developed. However, its theory is sound. With advances in computational technology, we’ve conducted simulated experiments that confirm its feasibility,” Tikas replied.

The room buzzed with murmurs. Solar sail technology was a niche topic, and most entities had only a superficial understanding of it. However, Tikas’s argument was compelling.

Luo Wen cleared his throat, restoring order to the room. He motioned for Tikas to continue.

Bowing to Luo Wen, Tikas resumed, “If we assume this is indeed a light-sail-driven vessel, then reaching its current speed from a stationary start would take decades of continuous acceleration. The distance traveled during this time aligns almost perfectly with the journey from the M37 Star System to its current location, with a margin of error under 1%.”

“Given the acceleration constraints of this propulsion method, mid-course adjustments are highly unlikely, as any course correction would significantly reduce their hard-earned speed. The idea that they traveled to the M37 Star System first and then diverted to the Neighboring Star System is even less plausible; their propulsion method doesn’t support such a maneuver.”

“Furthermore, if they can detect abnormal energy fluctuations in the Neighboring Star System, their observational technology must be extremely advanced. They would likely assess the system’s conditions and, finding no threats, have no need for such a convoluted approach,” he concluded, muttering under his breath, “Unless, like the Overlord, they specialize in outsmarting the air itself.”

As the godlike figure in the Swarm Network, Luo Wen naturally overheard Tikas’s mutterings. However, given the solid reasoning behind his analysis, Luo Wen decided to let it slide—for now. РάＮօBΕŚ

Realizing Luo Wen’s attention was on him, Tikas hurriedly continued.

“Moreover, by estimating the dimensions of the solar sail and considering the travel distance, we can deduce that the ship’s actual size might only be a few hundred meters. Although we lack specifics on the sail’s thickness or the M37 Star System’s stellar conditions, this margin of error is negligible. The opposing ship isn’t as formidable as we initially thought.”

After finishing his presentation and bowing again to Luo Wen, Tikas returned to his seat.

Luo Wen sank into contemplation. Tikas’s analysis was logical and addressed previous inconsistencies, making it perhaps the most plausible hypothesis.

However, inter-civilization interactions couldn’t rely solely on speculation. Luo Wen needed confirmation of these findings. Any unexpected variables could lead to catastrophic consequences.

While the other entities continued to discuss enthusiastically, no additional constructive suggestions emerged.

Having made his decision, Luo Wen left the entities to deliberate further and began preparing a response strategy.

It was now certain that the unknown civilization’s vessel was heading straight for the Neighboring Star System. The priority was to ascertain their true capabilities and intentions.

Yet, the Swarm’s forces in the Neighboring Star System were insufficient to conduct effective reconnaissance.

It seemed they would need to remain patient for a while longer.

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