I Am The Swarm

The FN Blade’s attack power was exceptionally strong. When it was enveloped in active negative energy and struck a target, any positive-energy material it contacted would be instantaneously neutralized.

It was as if an eraser wiped away the affected area completely, leaving no trace behind. The neutralization effect had an incredibly high priority, rendering physical defenses utterly useless. Against the FN Blade, even the robust defenses of a metallic shell were as fragile as tofu.

However, despite its fearsome offensive power, the FN Blade had significant drawbacks. The most critical issue was the slow production rate of the F-371 negative energy.

This limitation was inherited from its template—the monster genes themselves generated negative energy at a sluggish pace. In initial tests, it took several hours for a test organism to generate a single layer of negative energy membrane. The HF Organ, derived from the monster genes, carried over this inefficiency.

Additionally, F-371 would neutralize any positive-energy material it came into contact with, necessitating magnetic field containment for storage, which made it extremely difficult to preserve.

As a result, the weapon’s battlefield performance was far from ideal. It was a classic case of “charging for ten hours, firing for five minutes.” Fortunately, the FN Blade’s material itself was exceptionally durable and sharp, allowing it to penetrate most defenses even without F-371.

Thus, against ordinary targets, the weapon could operate in standard attack mode, while the energy-enveloped attack mode could be reserved for heavily fortified defenses. This dual-mode approach gave it a degree of tactical flexibility.

For now, Luo Wen primarily planned to use it for logistics-related tasks such as excavation, where sheer numbers could offset its shortcomings.

The first creatures to be equipped with the FN Blade system were a newly designed Swarm beast. These creatures stood about six meters tall in their mature form and resembled bipedal werewolves.

The humanoid design granted them agility and balance. Their muscular limbs allowed them to run on both two legs and all fours. Additionally, the efficient distribution of muscle mass provided them with excellent jumping capabilities.

Their forelimbs featured four fingers, each ending in sharp claws roughly 30 centimeters long—the FN Blades in practical deployment. Tests showed that reducing the energy output per unit time effectively extended the FN Blade’s usage duration. Considering both functionality and combat effectiveness, claw-based weapons were deemed an optimal choice.

Moreover, in standard mode, the claws were not only powerful weapons but also excellent tools for climbing, greatly enhancing the creature’s mobility.

Luo Wen named this werewolf-like Swarm beast Redfang Breaker.

The name itself hinted at its intended role. The Swarm currently faced limitations in breaking through defensive installations such as steel fortresses.

During their previous skirmishes with the Riken civilization, the Swarm had been able to use toxins to quickly breach defenses due to the Rikens’ subpar materials science. However, in future conflicts with the Interstellar Technological Confederation, the Swarm would likely encounter advanced defensive materials, akin to the metallic shell. In such scenarios, the Swarm could not afford to be helpless.

The Redfang Breaker was designed to fill this gap. While the FN Blade’s energy-enhanced mode had limited duration, it was more than sufficient to carve a path through formidable defenses for the Swarm.

Initially, Luo Wen considered making the Redfang Breaker as small as possible, as overly large creatures would struggle to navigate certain passages.

However, the FN Blade’s supporting systems required considerable space. The atomic furnace and HF Organ alone made it impossible for the creature’s body to be too compact.

Despite his best efforts, Luo Wen could only shrink its mature size to six meters tall. This achievement was partly thanks to the experience he gained from miniaturizing the atomic furnace during the second-generation flesh pod design. Without that knowledge, the Redfang Breaker’s prototype might have been as tall as ten meters.

Fortunately, the Redfang Breaker could move on all fours, effectively lowering its height for traversing smaller passages.

As Luo Wen looked at the six-meter-tall humanoid wolf before him, he nodded in satisfaction. The final product was awe-inspiring, exuding a feral, imposing aesthetic. Even from its appearance alone, one could sense its extraordinary combat capabilities.

While the Botians’ mecha warriors might appear far larger and bulkier than the Redfang Breakers, the Raiders would have no problem completely overwhelming them. The two were on entirely different levels when it came to agility and flexibility.

The slow, lumbering movements of the mecha warriors, despite their immense strength, were laughably sluggish in the eyes of the highly dynamic and visually acute Raiders. Their movements were so slow they couldn’t even be described as slow-motion anymore.

However, the Redfang Breaker had another notable drawback: its production cost was incredibly high. It was worth noting that the Swarm’s current primary combat units—the Space Octopuses—were only outfitted with atomic furnaces if they were over 500 meters long and of primordial class.

Yet, the Redfang Breaker not only came equipped with an atomic furnace but also included the even more expensive HF Organ, along with accompanying magnetic field containment systems, energy transmission systems, and more. The resources consumed to produce a single Redfang Breaker were equivalent to two or three primordial-class units.

As a result, the Redfang Breaker, packed with concentrated cutting-edge technology, could only serve as an elite unit.

Yet, the first task assigned to this prestigious elite unit was surprisingly mundane. On the metallic shell, a Redfang Breaker squatted awkwardly, digging a hole. Its motion resembled dog-paddling, with its claws moving so fast that they became a blur, creating a somewhat comical scene.

Unfortunately, in just two minutes, its F-371 reserves were depleted, forcing it to vacate its position and move to the side to recharge. Another Raider promptly took over the digging.

Since Planet Botian was an artificial celestial body, its mineral reserves were far lower than those of natural planets. Consequently, the Swarm’s base on Botian was unable to produce many Redfang Breakers due to the high resource costs.

As a result, the number of Raiders working at the excavation site was relatively small.

Fortunately, the Swarm’s operations in this star system were already well-established. Numerous space bases had begun producing Redfang Breakers simultaneously. Apart from maintaining resources for megastructure construction, all other available resources were funneled into Raider production.

Compared to the primordial-class Space Octopuses, the Redfang Breakers required far less time to mature. Once hatched, they quickly developed into fully grown adults.

Mature Redfang Breakers were transported to Botian aboard Space Octopuses, landing at the High Peak Base. The technological gap between the Swarm and the Botians was so vast that the Space Octopuses could effortlessly enter and exit the planet’s atmosphere undetected.

Since the metallic shell yielded similar results regardless of where it was excavated, the Swarm chose to establish the excavation site at the foot of High Peak Base for logistical convenience. Raiders delivered to the base were directed through tunnels dug into the mountainside, allowing them to quickly reach the worksite.

As more Redfang Breakers arrived, the excavation site grew increasingly active. What began as a small digging operation expanded significantly. Within the pit, over a dozen Redfang Breakers were hard at work, their claws rapidly gouging into the shell in a frenzy of “dog-paddling,” while countless others stood motionless outside the pit, recharging.

The Raiders operated in shifts, swapping every two to three minutes, working tirelessly day and night. The excavation progressed rapidly, with the tunnel burrowing deeper into the metallic shell at an astonishing pace. It wouldn’t be long before the secrets hidden within were uncovered.

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