I Am The Swarm

“So this is the so-called ‘anomaly’?” Luo Wen mused to himself.

Well, in a way, it was indeed something unusual—and precisely the sort of anomaly Luo Wen needed. His genetic library hadn’t seen new additions for quite some time.

As soon as the scorpions emerged, Luo Wen’s eyes lit up at the sight of their massive pincers. His Burrower limbs had become somewhat redundant and only functioned as blunt tools for smashing. If he could integrate those powerful-looking claws, his Luo-style combat techniques might gain a few new moves.

The sharp, menacing scorpion tails, likely venomous as per usual scorpion behavior, caught Luo Wen’s attention less.

It wasn’t out of vanity—he had long given up caring about his appearance. Luo Wen had embraced his monstrous form, a patchwork of insect parts cobbled together into a bizarre fusion. After all, nobody was around to judge what this amalgamation looked like.

The problem lay elsewhere. Chitinous exoskeletons had become standard equipment, making the scorpion’s stinger impractical. Besides, Luo Wen rarely engaged in direct combat himself these days, and he already had venomous fangs inherited from a spider. A similar weapon would only be redundant.

Still, these considerations were pointless; Luo Wen had no control over his evolution. For all he knew, he might wake up one day to find a hooked tail sprouting from his rear.

As Luo Wen pondered these thoughts, the lead scorpion seemed almost offended by his disregard for its tail.

When another Transport Bug leapt past it, the largest scorpion struck like lightning, clamping one of the bug’s hind legs with its pincer.

The momentum of the Transport Bug’s jump nearly lifted the scorpion off the ground. However, its low center of gravity proved advantageous; though its body was dragged upward, its clawed feet maintained a firm grip on the stone beneath.

Once the Transport Bug’s momentum faltered, the scorpion yanked it back.

The two began an impromptu tug-of-war, the Transport Bug pulling against the scorpion’s grip. Despite losing one leg’s leverage, the bug’s remaining seven legs still outnumbered the scorpion’s four, giving it a slight edge.

But as the scorpion exerted more force, the trapped leg bent unnaturally, threatening to snap—a situation that ironically worked in the Transport Bug’s favor. If the leg broke, it could escape, albeit with the loss of a limb.

At that moment, the scorpion surged forward, planting its other pincer beneath the bug’s body. Using both claws, it flipped the Transport Bug onto its back, exposing its vulnerable abdomen.

The scorpion’s tail, coiled above its head, struck with blinding speed. Its hooked stinger latched onto the bug’s underside and slowly sank into its body.

Luo Wen observed with interest, finally understanding the tail’s true utility. His experience as an insect was still limited; he had assumed the hook would target an opponent’s back. He realized now how wrong he was.

The evolution of such a tool was far from ornamental. Insects typically had robust back armor that was difficult to penetrate. In contrast, the underbelly, though often protected, was relatively weaker or even soft in some species. The scorpion’s hook could easily pierce through these vulnerabilities.

Furthermore, the scorpion’s low stance gave it exceptional stability in grappling situations. Once it could flip an opponent, the stinger became a decisive weapon.

Meanwhile, the Transport Bug managed to free itself from the scorpion’s pincers, but the tail hook remained embedded in its abdomen. The “tug-of-war” now shifted to the scorpion’s tail.

Unfortunately, the Transport Bug was already succumbing to the venom. Its strength waned rapidly, and it ultimately lost the contest.

As the bug stopped struggling, the victorious scorpion raised its pincers like a triumphant general, flaunting its might. It then moved beside the Transport Bug to enjoy its hard-earned meal.

Luo Wen, having enjoyed the spectacle, decided it was time to end the charade. His antennae flicked, releasing a pheromone signal that sent tens of thousands of swarm troops surging forward.

Luo Wen stayed back, confident that new genes would soon be presented to him.

Although the scorpion had bested a single Transport Bug, it now faced hundreds of them. And the Transport Bugs were merely support units; atop them rode thousands of specialized Soldier Ants, their compound eyes fixed menacingly on their prey.

While the scorpions towered over the Soldier Ants, their sheer numbers rendered size differences irrelevant.

Leading the charge were the Giant Mandible Soldier Ants, the most formidable front-line warriors of the swarm. Refined through countless battles, these units had proven their versatility and strength, surpassing the dwindling numbers of Giant Fang Soldier Ants and Hook Soldier Ants.

The Giant Mandibles surrounded the scorpions in a single charge. Familiar tactics like leg-pulling and eye-gouging were executed with precision. Though their mandibles couldn’t easily pierce the scorpions’ thick back armor, their tails and legs were far less protected.

The scorpions fought back ferociously, each pincer grasping a Giant Mandible Soldier Ant, while their tails sought targets.

But the ants were no pushovers. Their serrated mandibles bit into the scorpion’s tail, penetrating the armor and embedding themselves. The long tail offered multiple vulnerable points, and seven or eight ants attacked simultaneously.

The scorpion’s legs suffered a similar fate.

In mere moments, the scorpion was dismembered, its legs and tail severed and scattered around its body. Thick bodily fluids oozed from its wounds as it lay incapacitated, unable to move or attack.

Yet, even in this state, the scorpion hissed defiantly, baring its fangs at the diminutive ants. Its defiance, however, sounded more like a feeble whimper.

The battle ended so quickly that the other scorpions hadn’t even reacted. Before they could intervene, they were also dismembered and reduced to writhing lumps.

The hissing chorus grew annoyingly loud.

Luo Wen flicked his antennae again. Several Small Soldier Ants, modeled after Red Ants, approached and drove their stingers into the scorpions’ wounds.

Venom wasn’t exclusive to scorpions.

The hissing gradually ceased. The scorpions’ sturdy exoskeletons made them difficult to consume directly, but they could still be processed into a “beverage.”

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