I Am The Swarm

The experiment results came swiftly; Luo Wen figured out everything within a few days.

Initially, he thought he’d have to wait for the Queen Ant to lay eggs and for those eggs to develop gradually, which would take at least one growth cycle. It was the same process he observed with male ants before.

Later, he realized his thinking had been constrained. The nest already housed numerous living Big-headed Ant larvae and pupae, eliminating the need to wait for the Queen Ant to lay and hatch new eggs.

He dispatched a few Spy Bugs to care for the larvae and pupae.

By the same day, a batch of adult ants emerged from the pupae.

From there, things progressed smoothly. Driven by instinct, the newly matured ants began to work busily in the nest.

In the spiral corridor rooms, they used the chewed leaf mixture—blended with saliva—to build honeycomb structures on the walls. The white fibrous threads, to Luo Wen’s surprise, were intentionally cultivated by the Big-headed Ants on these honeycombs.

The leaf mixture acted as a fertilizer, while numerous tiny Worker Ants meticulously examined the fibers within the honeycombs, occasionally removing debris as if they were weeding.

Curious, Luo Wen sampled the material. The fibrous components were rich in protein, and within the web-like structures were small spherical inclusions packed with sugar.

If one room could sustain 1,000 ants, then the cross-section Luo Wen observed, containing hundreds of such rooms, hinted at an impressive agricultural system. And who knew how many more rooms were hidden underground?

Luo Wen was amazed. The Big-headed Ants not only farmed crops underground but also maintained over a dozen nests of free-ranging Red Ants outside. It was no wonder a single nest could sustain a population of seven million ants.

Although Luo Wen couldn’t identify the exact nature of the fibrous material, it was likely some type of fungi grown underground. Regardless, this agricultural technique had to be assimilated into the Swarm. Not only would it diversify the Swarm’s production system and fill the gap in farming capabilities, but it would also allow Luo Wen to enjoy safe, sweet sugar.

Having uncovered the secret behind the Big-headed Ants’ ability to multiply rapidly, Luo Wen ordered the Queen Ant to be protected and confined. Then, he rushed back to the Brood Nest under cover of night to update the genetic library.

He began by producing 500 new-generation Queen Ants. Although Luo Wen wasn’t sure if the Worker Ants could learn to cultivate the fungi, it was worth trying. The new Queens would lay eggs modeled on the Big-headed Ants’ genetics, creating Worker Ants specifically for farming. Meanwhile, the original Worker Ants would continue their livestock rearing, primarily tending to aphids.

However, the initial batch of Queen Ants from long ago had limited genetic samples and could no longer keep up with the Swarm’s evolving needs. Luo Wen contemplated recycling them.

After some thought, he decided against it. These early Queens had contributed significantly to the Swarm’s development. Instead, he resolved to send a new Queen to the old base to bolster its resources.

The elderly Queen would be retired, left to live freely. With their longer lifespans, Queens consumed minimal resources if they weren’t laying eggs.

With the Brood Nest’s tasks arranged, Luo Wen didn’t linger. He hurried back to the riverbank, where he had previously discovered unusual aquatic life but had been distracted by the campaign against the Big-headed Ants.

Now that the Big-headed Ants were dealt with, it was time to investigate the river anomaly.

Returning to the location, Luo Wen began scouting the surrounding area. However, as days passed, the mysterious aquatic creatures failed to reappear, like fleeting phantoms.

Unwilling to give up, Luo Wen abandoned the immediate area and continued searching along the riverbank to the north.

A week later, Luo Wen had yet to find anything in the river. However, persistence paid off when he stumbled upon an unexpected discovery at a small pond near the riverbank.

This pond, about half a meter deep and spanning only a dozen square meters, seemed to have formed when the barrier between the river and a shallow pit was breached by water flow. River water had seeped into the pit, creating the murky pond.

The pond, stagnant and poorly circulated, was choked with aquatic plants and floating debris such as leaves and grass. From a distance, it was nearly invisible.

This was Luo Wen’s third time passing by. Unlike the previous two instances during the day, this time, it was near dusk.

And this chance evening encounter led to a new discovery.

On the murky water’s surface, several small black beetles floated leisurely, their unremarkable appearance blending into the surroundings. The dim light did not hinder Luo Wen’s sharp vision; he immediately noticed the anomaly.

Approaching cautiously, Luo Wen observed the beetles up close. Each was oval-shaped and about two to three centimeters long, with a flat body covered by a smooth carapace densely speckled with fine white dots.

Initially, Luo Wen thought they were clinging to the floating debris. But after carefully brushing the leaves aside with one of his legs, he discovered these beetles floated independently on the water’s surface.

Tiny and boat-like, they glided across the surface, capturing Luo Wen’s interest.

Reaching out cautiously with his leg, he extended the sticky hairs of his claw and easily caught one.

Examining it closely, Luo Wen realized its carapace wasn’t a single piece but rather a combination of a head plate and two wing covers on either side. These fit together seamlessly, appearing as one unless inspected closely.

The beetle’s wing covers could lift and spread apart, which it demonstrated while emitting a hissing noise, seemingly trying to intimidate Luo Wen.

The beetle had three pairs of segmented limbs. The front legs were long and slender, while the middle and rear pairs were shorter and flatter, resembling four paddles. When floating, these “paddles” propelled the beetle swiftly across the water.

Most intriguing were its eyes—two pairs in total. While double eyes weren’t unusual, as some spiders Luo Wen encountered had eight eyes, the positioning of these beetles’ eyes was unique. One pair was in the usual place, while the second pair was located on the underside of the head.

From observing how they floated, it was clear the lower pair of eyes was submerged, allowing the beetles to monitor underwater activity.

Luo Wen was impressed. “If surface vision isn’t enough, grow underwater eyes. Animals truly are pragmatists.”

Now, these beetles—and their genes—belonged to him. With their traits, he would soon have specialized waterborne units.

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