I Am The Swarm

With too many missing pieces of information, Luo Wen was unable to connect the dots, though he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. After several days of trying to piece together his thoughts and finding no answers, he decided to set the matter aside temporarily, awaiting more information before drawing further conclusions.

As for the Koya Alliance’s plans, Luo Wen decided to cooperate. His reasons were severalfold.

First, although Luo Wen controlled the Riken, neither the Riken themselves nor the Koya Alliance nor the Ji were aware of this. By all appearances, the Riken had no reason or justification to reject the Koya Alliance’s overtures. A sudden refusal without cause would be highly suspicious and draw unwanted attention.

Second, the Swarm was unable to directly retaliate. Now that the Riken were members of the Interstellar Technological Confederation, they were protected by its rules. The Swarm could not simply wipe them out. Furthermore, the Riken were home to numerous Ji laboratories and foreign teams. Any attack on the Riken would invite chaos and conflict, something Luo Wen was keen to avoid.

Third, the Riken were an essential production base for the Swarm, contributing to Luo Wen’s growth. Destroying them would be counterproductive. Luo Wen had no interest in sabotaging his own plans for strength.

Finally, if the current scheme was merely “Plan A,” it was highly likely the hidden manipulator had additional contingency plans—”Plan B” or even “Plan C.” Allowing Plan A to run its course, even if already exposed, gave Luo Wen the opportunity to better understand his opponent and maintain some measure of control.

Moreover, the Riken themselves, under Luo Wen’s control, were still heavily involved, providing an additional layer of oversight.

Thus, as the Swarm remained silent, the Confederation’s public relations onslaught continued unabated. The Swarm and the Riken, two fringe civilizations, entered the spotlight. Even civilizations on the far side of the Confederation, tens of thousands of light-years away, began taking notice.

The stories surrounding the Swarm and the Riken had now been spun into numerous variations. While the specifics varied, they all shared the same core narrative, the Swarm was a tyrant, and the Riken were a weak, oppressed civilization enduring hardship, humiliation, and despair while courageously seeking protection. The tales were so compelling that even Luo Wen couldn’t help but admire their creativity.

Yet aside from the self-proclaimed “altruists,” few took the stories at face value. Civilizations with think tanks understood that no trending topic reached such heights by accident. For two minor Outer Ring factions to attract this level of attention, there had to be a hidden agenda.

Most observers cared little about the Swarm or the Riken themselves; they were far more interested in the mastermind behind the scenes and their ultimate goal.

As the narrative gained traction and the manipulator’s influence spread, the Ji finally turned their attention to the issue. The Council of Elders convened to address the loophole in the rules, initiating deliberations on how to resolve the matter.

At this pivotal moment, Elder Humes, who had spent nearly a century in the Riken System, made an unexpected visit to the Swarm, requesting an audience.

“Your Majesty, it has been many years, and yet your radiance remains undiminished,” Elder Humes greeted, his piercing gaze filled with curiosity.

Though he had spent over 80% of the past century in cryosleep, the passage of time had still left its marks upon him. Yet the Swarm’s Empress  standing before him appeared completely unchanged from their last meeting.

The highest leaders of civilizations were typically among the first to succumb to the ravages of time. Their responsibilities, filled with endless complexities, rarely allowed them the luxury of extended rest. But this phenomenon seemed utterly absent in the Swarm Empress.

The Confederation was home to a species known as the Potling. They retained their youthful appearance for 99% of their lives, only aging rapidly when nearing death. Time seemed to hold no sway over them. The Swarm Empress’s appearance reminded Elder Humes of this peculiar trait, stirring his curiosity even further.

If the Swarm wasn’t blessed with innate longevity like the Potling, then their lifespans must far exceed ordinary expectations.

The Swarm remained shrouded in mystery. Their members seldom interacted with outsiders or revealed themselves publicly. Their origins, culture, history, societal structure, and even their lifespans were all enigmas.

Some factions had attempted unconventional methods to pry into these secrets. For instance, twenty years ago, a ship carrying Swarm and Riken researchers stopped at a Ji outpost during its journey.

Half of the personnel disembarked there, while the ship continued toward the Ji homeworld. Over the next two decades, nearly 500 Swarm researchers at the outpost mysteriously disappeared.

Considering there were only 1,500 Swarm researchers on the ship to begin with, the loss of over 30% of them was staggering. Disappearing under such circumstances, while on Ji-controlled territory, bordered on absurdity.

Officially, these Swarm researchers had been “sold” to the Ji. Furthermore, the Ji ship’s journey spanned 80 years and at least 500 light-years. Without quantum communication equipment, contacting their homeland was impossible.

The missing Swarm researchers, outnumbered and voiceless, could only endure their fate. However, Luo Wen knew exactly what had happened to them. As node units of the Swarm, their every experience was accessible to him.

Attempts by these factions to extract intelligence from the Swarm researchers through special means were futile. The Swarm’s sophisticated safeguards ensured that no useful information could be gleaned.

Elder Humes was aware of some of these incidents. As the only Ji elder directly engaged with the Swarm, he occasionally received classified information about such events.

From the Ji’s perspective, the Swarm’s genetic achievements were unprecedented. Their unbreakable encryption technology was proof enough that the Swarm might have surpassed the Ji in this field.

The Scherian race, to which Humes belonged, had an average lifespan of just over 400 years—less than 500 even with frequent cryosleep and access to Longevity Serum. For someone like Humes, this was far from satisfactory. He wanted more.

The Swarm, Humes believed, might hold the key to solving the problem of lifespan. The Swarm Empress standing before him was evidence of that potential.

But the Swarm was a tough nut to crack. Humes knew he needed patience to achieve his goals, and the current situation might provide the perfect opportunity.

“Elder Humes, what brings you here this time?” Sarah raised an eyebrow, her tone sharp, clearly expressing her dissatisfaction with the recent spate of slanderous public opinion targeting the Swarm.

Humes merely chuckled, unaffected. Such petty tactics had no impact on someone as seasoned as he was. Did they expect him to feel guilt over such trivialities?

Since Sarah had dispensed with pleasantries, Humes saw no need for further niceties either. He got straight to the point: “Your Majesty, regarding the historical disputes between your civilization and the Riken, our Council of Elders has already begun deliberations. As you surely understand, the current situation is less than ideal for your people.”

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