I Am The Swarm

“Major General, it really feels like a dream. Before we departed, you had us all write our wills, making everything seem so grim. Who would’ve thought this mission would be so easy?” Kayi reminisced about their departure preparations with mixed emotions.

“I didn’t expect it to turn out this way either. After all, the Swarm didn’t even bother to talk to anyone before crushing two civilizations. Their resolve is harder than our muscles!” Bular sighed.

The journey from initial anxiety to complete relief had been nothing short of extraordinary.

“I like tough things. I like the Swarm,” Kayi joked with a smile.

“Then you can apply to become a permanent liaison officer. With this experience on your record, you’ll definitely have an advantage,” Bular suggested.

Kayi quickly shook her head. “No way! As much as I like the Swarm, wherever you go, Major General, I go.”

Bular cast her a sidelong glance and shook his head. How could he not see through Kayi’s little schemes?

Friendly civilizations often maintained permanent liaison officers to facilitate communication. It was usually a cushy job—not only could one travel at the government’s expense, but it was also an opportunity to experience the culture of an alien civilization. If that civilization had particularly thriving industries, one could even witness unique talents from another species.

However, when it came to the Swarm, the experience left much to be desired. It wasn’t that the Swarm treated them poorly—they neither singled them out nor offered any special accommodations. But staying in a desolate cave every day? Who could endure that? Forget culture or local flavor—Bular hadn’t even seen a fourth member of the Swarm since their arrival.

Even though A11 was merely a planetary outpost on the outermost edge of the system, it shouldn’t have been this barebones. Given these conditions, Kayi, who knew the situation, had no intention of suffering through such an assignment.

“Enough. Inform everyone to complete their mission reports before entering cryosleep!” Bular ordered, cutting short the banter with Kayi.

“Understood, Major General!”

At this moment, Bular’s fleet was en route back to the main forces. The basic framework of the agreement had been signed, and his mission was complete. Personnel tasked with finalizing the details had already been dispatched, while he could now return to enjoy the rewards of his adventure.

Before that, however, the fleet needed to compile a comprehensive record of everything they had observed during their time with the Swarm. These reports would be handed over to sociologists and other experts to analyze, in hopes of gaining deeper insights into the Swarm.

Everyone knew the Swarm was hiding secrets. Without the constraints imposed by various powers, a dominant force would have long since moved against them. Take the Troi civilization, for example—if the region only contained the Troi and the Swarm, the Troi would undoubtedly mobilize their entire population to annihilate the Swarm and seize their secrets.

Since direct action was currently impossible, the alternative was to maintain good relations and cultivate a future ally. However, if Troi scholars could piece together the Swarm’s secrets from the tiniest clues, and if a thorough analysis suggested a high chance of success, the Troi might still take the risk.

Concerns about offending the Swarm or other allies? Those were trivial matters. For any civilization, its own strength always came first.

As the leader of this mission and the fleet commander, Bular had his own private quarters on the ship. The room spanned over twenty square meters and was devoid of extravagant decorations. The cold metallic walls were painted with a coat of off-white paint.

All the furniture in the room was made of an unidentified metal. A bed was tucked into one corner, with a desk and chair placed next to it. The room was equipped with basic lighting, along with essential living and work supplies. The entire space felt clean and spacious.

Bular sat in his chair, furrowing his brow in thought. He knew that the mission summary report would largely hinge on himself, Kayi, and the diplomatic personnel. The average soldiers, who had never even left the ship, could only provide limited information.

As the person who had interacted with the Swarm most directly, Bular understood that he was the linchpin. This report would be a test of his abilities—his observations, attention to detail, and analytical skills would all need to shine in it. A well-written report could significantly bolster his accolades, while a poor one could undermine his achievements.

Fortunately, with four or five years remaining before they returned to the main base, he had plenty of time to reflect, analyze, and perfect this report.

“Overlord, what is our next course of action?”

Luo Wen’s gaze pierced the void as if he were already envisioning the vast, unexplored galaxies beyond. The Swarm needed to accelerate its pace. Though speeding up would inevitably lead to flaws and imperfections, there was no other choice at this critical juncture.

Through recent interactions and reflections, Luo Wen had come to realize something. Despite his efforts to keep a low profile, the Swarm’s progress was still too conspicuous. Consider this: what civilization could simultaneously develop and occupy multiple star systems while controlling the territory of just one or two systems?

Such capabilities were bound to attract the attention of many forces, enough to make some take risks. The only reason the Swarm had not yet been attacked was the internal discord among these powers. How long this internal strife would last, or how quickly they would reach a consensus, was unclear due to the lack of information.

Since the Swarm had already provoked their greed, keeping a low profile alone would no longer suffice. It would require the backing of even greater strength.

For instance, the Troi civilization was able to engage in diplomatic talks with the Swarm rather than launching an invasion precisely because of the Swarm’s power. If the Swarm still possessed the strength it had a century ago, it would not have been diplomats that arrived but an overwhelming military force.

However, while building strength, maintaining a low-key approach remained essential. Ignoring this balance would only increase the Swarm’s perceived value in the eyes of others.

It was akin to a hidden gold mine: if only a gold bar were visible to outsiders, they might quarrel among themselves over its limited value. But as more of the gold was revealed, the potential bounty would force those factions to set aside their disputes temporarily and seize it collectively.

Thus, the Swarm’s task was to balance discretion with accelerated growth, ensuring both progressed in tandem without tipping the scales too far in either direction.

Luo Wen pondered, concluding that it was time to rely on traditional Swarm techniques once more.

Before proceeding with the next phase, it was imperative to identify all the “eyes” within their territory.

Over the next several days, the Swarm launched vast numbers of newly developed recon bugs across all occupied star systems. These units were specifically designed to counter the Ji Race’s surveillance efforts on the Swarm.

Utilizing innovative techniques, the density of these units was astonishing. Yet, without specialized detection methods, they were almost impossible to uncover.

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