I Am The Swarm

Currently, every insect in the Brood Nest possessed genes allowing them to consume soil. With this talent, the entire ground became a buffet of solid food. If solid intake was needed, they could eat as much as desired.

Luo Wen’s idea was swiftly implemented.

He began by selecting 500 Worker Ants for an experiment, instructing them to consume soil daily and deposit the resulting bio-fertilizer near designated plants.

The results were remarkable. The same number of Worker Ants consuming soil produced several times more bio-fertilizer compared to their previous diet.

During this period, Luo Wen also ordered the ants to stop assisting the aphids in migrating. Whether aiding plant growth would succeed still required further trials and time. Thus, Luo Wen decided to pursue both paths simultaneously: researching bio-fertilizer while curbing the aphid population.

The bio-fertilizer experiment was a resounding success. Perhaps aligning with natural laws, the fertilizer produced from soil consumption was significantly more effective than that derived from aphid secretions.

Initially, only 500 ants were assigned to consume soil daily, but this mandate soon expanded to include every insect in the Brood Nest—except for Luo Wen himself and the Spy Bugs lazing in the hatchery.

With over 20,000 insects producing bio-fertilizer daily, the output was substantial. Luo Wen hatched additional Worker Ants specifically tasked with distributing the fertilizer across the vegetation within the territory.

Even with the plants being fertilized, the restriction on aphid numbers remained in place. The current aphid population already supplied the Brood Nest’s needs with surplus left over, so there was no need to increase their numbers.

With the vegetation crisis resolved, life returned to a steady rhythm. The absence of independent thought among the insects proved advantageous; they worked tirelessly, day after day, without a hint of complaint.

Luo Wen had taken to climbing the tallest tree in his domain daily, perching on its trunk to observe the orderly busyness of the insects below.

He disliked the damp, confined underground environment where he had once been forced to hide for survival. Now, as a burgeoning overlord of the area, Luo Wen felt no need to remain constantly cooped up.

Suddenly, a commotion on a nearby tree trunk caught his attention.

A group of Worker Ants, seemingly discovering something unusual during their activities, moved closer to investigate. As the dominant force in the area, the Worker Ants naturally took the lead in checking out anomalies.

Whatever they found prompted the ants to release pheromones signaling for reinforcements. Passing Worker Ants stopped in their tracks upon receiving the signal.

The number of ants swelled, encircling the spot as if preparing for a battle.

What puzzled Luo Wen was that the vegetation in question wasn’t far from him. From his vantage point, he could clearly see the Worker Ants, but there didn’t seem to be anything of note within their encirclement. To Luo Wen, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary piece of bark.

In the monotony of daily life, any novelty was a welcome distraction, and Luo Wen’s curiosity was immediately piqued.

He launched himself from the tree in a leap of faith, landing belly-up in the grass below.

However, his seven-segmented, highly agile striding limbs quickly flipped him upright with ease.

He made his way toward the commotion.

As he approached the Worker Ants’ circle, Luo Wen began to notice subtle differences. The piece of bark, while seemingly identical to the surrounding wood, revealed faint insect-like contours under his high-resolution vision.

“Could it be a Camouflage Bug?” Luo Wen wondered, his interest waning slightly. Both Camouflage Bugs and Black Beetles were common in this region beneath the cliffside forest and the desert shrublands beyond.

These insects had flourished here, unrestrained by the restrictions placed on Yellow Earth Ants, and existed in significant numbers.

Despite their proliferation, Camouflage Bugs were weak combatants. Their ambush skills might be top-tier, but their direct combat capabilities were pitifully low.

Their camouflage, while impressive, was useless against Worker Ants, who identified threats through pheromones rather than sight. Once discovered, a few Worker Ants could easily eliminate them.

As for Black Beetles, they were doomed if they didn’t flee when discovered. If the Worker Ants called for reinforcements, they would inevitably be reduced to protein reserves.

Although Worker Ants lacked individual combat strength, their swarm tactics made them the dominant force in the region. They even managed to catch grasshoppers, which had once been a bane for Luo Wen, in significant numbers daily.

Luo Wen, having tasted grasshoppers before, had been unimpressed. The only redeeming quality of grasshoppers was their strong hind legs, whose genes marginally enhanced his own limb muscles—not enough to replicate their leaps.

Lost in his musings, Luo Wen suddenly noticed something unusual about this particular “Camouflage Bug.”

The bark-like pattern wasn’t an external covering but part of its natural coloration, seamlessly blending into its environment.

This was a species Luo Wen had never encountered before.

His curiosity reignited. A new species meant new genetic fragments to collect. Whether they proved useful was secondary; they were worth acquiring.

Quickening his pace, Luo Wen reached the circle of ants. His antennae twitched, signaling the Worker Ants to part and allow him through.

The new insect was smaller and slimmer than a typical Camouflage Bug, with notably sturdy shoulder and dorsal plates. Its coloration matched its surroundings perfectly, with patterns on its back blending flawlessly with the tree bark.

The insect remained motionless, seemingly indifferent to Luo Wen’s approach.

Cautiously, Luo Wen extended a burrowing limb to prod the insect. The sheer size difference was staggering; his burrowing limb alone was nearly as large as the creature itself.

The insect reacted to the touch as if it truly were a piece of bark, showing no response.

Luo Wen applied more pressure, nudging the insect. Though it swayed slightly under the force, it stubbornly clung to the tree bark with its claws.

Luo Wen almost laughed. Did this insect really believe that staying still would fool him?

Feeling his intelligence insulted, Luo Wen swung his burrowing limb in a Luo-style combat technique opener, striking the insect directly.

Despite its slender build, the insect was surprisingly resilient. It withstood the blow with minimal damage.

Realizing its camouflage had failed, the insect abandoned its disguise. Releasing its grip on the bark, it pushed off with its short legs and dropped toward the ground.

Something extraordinary happened. Upon landing, the insect’s coloration shifted rapidly, blending seamlessly with the surrounding grass and leaves.

In an instant, it vanished into its environment.

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