I Am The Swarm

The Yellow Earth Ant Legion lacked large combat units, which put them at a disadvantage in close combat. While their larger ants were ineffective in one-on-one situations, their efficiency in group combat was astonishingly high.

Moreover, the Yellow Earth Ants’ hook mandibles were not particularly effective in battle. Hook Soldier Ants, which once held a third of the swarm’s battlefield dominance, had gradually been phased out through continuous combat trials, leaving only a small number in service.

This underscored that the swarm’s Soldier Ants still had a notable advantage in close-quarters combat.

At the rear of the Yellow Earth Ants’ formation, many Worker Ants assumed a familiar posture, launching volleys of “ant acid solution.”

This tactic had once caused Luo Wen immense trouble, but he later developed acid-resistant armor and equipped his entire army with it.

Thus, this round of long-range firepower merely gave both sides a shower and polished their exoskeletons without any real effect.

From the rear of the swarm’s formation, massive Black Beetles emerged. Measuring 30 to 50 centimeters in length, they also assumed firing stances.

As thick plumes of smoke rose, they launched salvos resembling “shotgun blasts,” spraying the Yellow Earth Ant ranks with liquid. This substance was not only highly corrosive but also extremely hot, inflicting devastating damage.

Instantly, swathes of Yellow Earth Ants fell. Many more were burned or scalded; though they lacked pain receptors, their neural responses caused them to curl up and tremble, rendering them incapable of further combat.

Luo Wen was extremely satisfied with the results. These specially designed war machines had exceeded his expectations, delivering an impressive performance in their first deployment.

Initially, Luo Wen had intended to equip Worker Ants with a system similar to the acid-spray mechanism. However, during implementation, he discovered that this new long-range strike system was incompatible with the Worker Ants’ body structure.

This system relied on two glands that secreted and stored different chemical substances. Beneath the glands was a chemical reaction chamber.

The two chemicals would mix in this chamber, and the surrounding muscles could precisely control the dosage. Upon reaction, the mixture would be expelled immediately.

The reaction generated temperatures exceeding 100 degrees Celsius along with intense corrosive properties, inflicting both burns and corrosion on the enemy.

The only drawback was that the discharge emitted thick white smoke and a noxious odor that lingered for over ten days.

Don’t ask Luo Wen how he knew this so well—it was a memory he would rather forget.

Because this system required several new organs, it demanded a spacious cavity for storage, which made it unsuitable for the small-bodied Worker Ants.

As a result, Luo Wen retained the original templates but incorporated several genetic fragments, scaling up their size proportionally and enhancing their firepower and ammunition capacity.

To prevent self-inflicted harm from these chemicals, the original templates also included a protective armor system to resist the high temperatures and corrosive effects. Luo Wen isolated and extracted this genetic sequence, equipping it on Soldier Ants. ŘàΝОᛒÈṠ

However, the older generation of Queen Ants lacked this genetic sequence, and many of the swarm’s Soldier Ants were still from previous generations. Thus, only about 70% of the deployed forces were equipped with the new armor.

This wasn’t a significant issue. Soldier Ants without the new armor were assigned to separate units, and they fought without long-range support.

Even so, due to the secondary effects of the long-range firepower, even units equipped with protective armor avoided direct exposure to the Black Beetles’ support fire. Otherwise, surviving soldiers would be exiled at least 800 miles away for half a month to recover.

Despite both sides having hundreds of billions in reserves, the active battlefront spanned only 200 meters, with just tens of millions of combatants from both armies engaged in direct confrontation.

The swarm’s upgraded Fart Bugs, now larger versions, carried significantly more ammunition, capable of firing over 200 shots consecutively. Each salvo functioned like a shotgun blast.

Hundreds of Fart Bugs unleashed their firepower with rapid “pfft, pfft, pfft” sounds, mimicking the effect of a Vulcan Gatling Gun—though not with blue flames.

The hallmark of a Gatling gun was its rapid-fire rate, and the Fart Bugs didn’t disappoint. Their ammunition reserves were expended in under a minute.

These creatures were incredibly valuable. Their development cycle was lengthy, requiring complete metamorphosis and a molting process to reach their current size.

Thus, they avoided melee combat. After exhausting their ammunition, they retreated to the rear for resupply, a process that would take two or three days due to their oversized ammunition chambers.

Because of their specialized role, Luo Wen had produced only tens of thousands of Fart Bugs. Each one was to be deployed with precision.

Organized into units of 500, the Fart Bugs were mobilized whenever the Yellow Earth Ant density in a specific area exceeded a threshold, maximizing casualties.

As the battle progressed, the battlefield expanded, and more insects joined the fray.

One hundred million… two hundred million… three hundred million… five hundred million… a billion…

After five hours, the war escalated to a scale involving two billion combatants.

With its back to the cliff, the swarm continuously received reinforcements climbing up from below. The battlefront extended laterally, eventually reaching the lake to the east under Luo Wen’s deliberate guidance.

At this point, dark yellow, pancake-shaped bugs entered the battlefield.

These were a new species Luo Wen had discovered recently in certain ant nests. They were fascinating creatures, epitomizing defense to the extreme. Their backs were covered with oval, leather-like shields that resisted cutting, piercing, and other physical attacks effectively. They also boasted impressive resistance to corrosion and acid.

Underneath the “shield” was a recessed cavity where the bug’s body was hidden.

Due to this recess, these bugs had incredibly low ground clearance. When crawling, there was only a 1-2 millimeter gap between the shield and the ground.

This height prevented most ants from crawling underneath. Even the tiniest ants, measuring mere millimeters, were no match for these bugs.

Additionally, their size and weight made it impossible for ants to overturn them.

Their survival strategy relied on their invincible defense. They would brute-force their way into ant nests, feasting and living freely, while the ants were powerless to stop them.

These creatures were true brutes, unlike the Spy Bugs of the past, whose methods involved finesse.

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