I Am The Swarm

“Do you have evidence?” a captain asked.

“Of course. Please watch these videos,” Dr. Balt replied, operating the device before him. Several videos began playing on the large screen.

The footage, captured at night, showed a group of Swarm creatures transporting prey. They moved in unison, hunting small animals before quickly hauling them back into their burrows.

“These were recorded by our small drones last night, during the battle,” Dr. Balt explained. “The location, however, was on another continent.”

“What does this prove?” someone asked.

“It indicates that their hunting schedule is highly fixed. Perhaps in their era, these creatures were at the very bottom of the food chain. Through long periods of predation, they adapted to hunt at times when losses were minimal, imprinting this into their instincts and preserving it until now,” Dr. Balt elaborated.

Pausing for a moment, he added, “Look at that creature spitting fusion energy. If these bugs coexisted with it, they might not even qualify as food.”

The assembled captains and strategists nodded in agreement. The analysis was logical and grounded.

“If that’s the case, then they’re much easier to deal with,” someone remarked.

“Indeed. But judging from the combat footage, can they really achieve such precise coordination with such primitive communication methods?”

“That’s precisely what makes them terrifying creatures.”

“Hmph, they’re just a bunch of low-level organisms. We were only caught off guard this time,” another chimed in.

“You’re not wrong.”

“Dr. Balt, regarding the research you mentioned earlier, what do you need?” General Masai asked.

“Manpower, as many as possible, and a large supply of experimental subjects, preferably live ones,” Dr. Balt replied after some thought.

“Understood. I’ll deploy troops to take down this nest. Given the heavy losses they suffered last night, the operation should be much easier. I’ll instruct the special forces to capture as many live specimens as possible,” General Masai assured him.

The general’s orders were promptly carried out. Near the original assembly site, the Rikens cleared a large area using incendiary bombs. Transport ships soon began delivering metal modules and soldiers to the new site, which quickly became a hive of activity.

Despite the recent battle nearby, with the blood of comrades still staining the ground and black smoke rising from the wreckage, the new construction crews showed little concern. Confident in their understanding of the Swarm’s nocturnal habits, they deemed daylight operations perfectly safe.

The construction site buzzed with activity. With additional manpower, massive excavators—some over 30 to 40 meters tall—were swiftly assembled and set to work. Enormous scoops dug up hundreds of cubic meters of soil and rock at a time, dumping the material into gigantic metal containers that transport ships then hauled away.

Soon, a massive pit over ten meters deep was carved out. As the excavation progressed, the site’s boundaries expanded significantly. Meanwhile, large contingents of regular troops and special forces stood guard around the pit, ready for any sudden emergence of Swarm creatures.

By early evening, the pit had reached a depth of over 30 meters. The largest excavators were now visible only by the tops of their roofs.

During the dig, numerous underground tunnels were uncovered. Particularly after reaching a depth of 20 meters, the number of passages increased dramatically, creating a dense, interconnected network.

This forced the Rikens to slow the pace of excavation. Additionally, heavily armored soldiers armed with flamethrowers were deployed near the tunnels for close-range defense.

Fortunately, no incidents occurred. The Swarm seemed to adhere strictly to their hunting schedule. Even as their tunnels were destroyed, none of them surfaced during the day.

However, as the hunting time approached, the massive excavators began retreating from the pit. This was standard precaution—no one doubted that the pit would soon become a battlefield.

Under the cover of protective troops, the engineers and machinery successfully withdrew. Soldiers then moved into the pit to set up defensive installations. Unlike the previous night, they avoided using traditional mines. The Swarm creatures were too light to trigger them effectively.

Instead, they deployed sensitive proximity mines, which were less powerful but much more responsive. Once laid, even the soldiers avoided the minefield, as these devices posed significant risks.

“Captain, why don’t we just bomb the tunnels or flood them with molten iron? That’d stop them from coming out,” one special forces soldier suggested over the comms while setting up defenses.

“Are you stupid?” Winter replied with a laugh. “If you collapse the tunnels, how do you know where they’ll dig out next? That’d leave us even more passive.”

“Got it.” The soldier’s respect for his captain grew, his admiration practically radiating through his helmet. Winter, however, felt a bit sheepish—the same explanation had been given to him by his own superiors.

Time ticked closer.

“They’re coming!” A scout monitoring the instruments issued the warning.

“Boom!”

“Boom!”

“…”

Explosions rang out continuously as Swarm creatures emerging from the tunnels were immediately hit by the proximity mines. These small explosives, each about the size of an egg, were among the few remaining gunpowder-based weapons in the Riken arsenal. Despite their size, they packed a powerful punch, with a three-meter kill radius.

The Swarm creatures’ relatively fragile bodies couldn’t withstand such blasts. They either died instantly or were left incapacitated.

“Open fire!” came the order from the commanding officer.

Waves of red energy beams rained down on the pit, striking the creatures relentlessly. The combination of mines and concentrated fire inflicted heavy casualties.

“Hah! Look at these brainless, low-tier creatures. They only caught us off guard before.”

“Exactly. Their fixed hunting schedule makes them ridiculously easy to counter.”

“They’re like fish in a barrel.”

Despite the heavy losses, the Swarm’s numbers remained overwhelming. Regardless of the casualties outside, the creatures continued surging out of the tunnels. The sight of their dead brethren did nothing to deter them.

Through sheer numbers, the Swarm eventually overwhelmed the minefield, climbing up the pit walls and nearing the Riken defensive line.

“Strange—any normal creature would have retreated by now.”

“Maybe they’re too primitive to even feel fear.”

“These alien organisms might not conform to our theories.”

“They’re about to breach the line!”

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