I Am The Swarm

As the number of new Queen Ants gradually increased, the swarm’s population grew at an even faster rate.

In just over two hundred days, the swarm had recovered to its pre-war scale. Bases that had been abandoned during the war were restored and rebuilt.

Several armies resumed their expeditions in batches. In addition to the original four armies heading east, west, north, and central, a new southern army was also established.

It could be said that the swarm was now advancing in all directions, with no natural barriers or external forces capable of halting its progress.

Perhaps the war with the Yellow Earth Ant Legion had already touched the ceiling of this region’s combat power. In the days that followed, the swarm faced little resistance, encountering no formidable enemies.

Ant nests like those of the Big-headed Ants, which had once seemed imposing, were now nothing more than minor obstacles to the swarm. When confronted with the exploratory armies, they couldn’t even stir up a ripple.

The swarm’s military strategy was now remarkably straightforward.

For smaller colonies, like those of the Black Ants, there wasn’t much to say—just directly overwhelm their nests. A single exploratory squad could handle them effortlessly.

For larger colonies, such as the Red Ants, which numbered in the millions, multiple exploratory squads would combine their forces to deal with them. Once gathered, they would openly engage in battle at the entrance of the opposing nest.

However, all armies were now equipped with dual-layered long-range firepower units. These units followed the main forces closely, and whenever a squad encountered an enemy numbering in the hundreds of thousands, they would call for firepower support.

Without comparable firepower, most engagements were resolved with a single barrage of covering fire, followed by a frontal assault from the vanguard, ensuring swift victories.

Even when facing Big-headed Ants with populations in the millions, a certain degree of respect was warranted. Nevertheless, the outcomes were no different from those against smaller groups—just a few more rounds of firepower and charges to seal the deal.

Ten kilometers.

A hundred kilometers.

A thousand kilometers.

As time passed, the swarm’s territory expanded continuously. Without any natural predators, the swarm developed at an astonishing pace, growing to an immeasurable size.

Luo Wen had long since lost precise control over the swarm.

It wasn’t because the swarm had betrayed him—they remained loyal to him, and his will still permeated every aspect of the swarm.

The problem he faced was the same old issue: communication.

The swarm lacked an effective means of communication. When the territory was still small, Communication Bugs were responsible for relaying messages. Later, as the territory expanded, faster Transport Bugs were employed to carry Communication Bugs and transmit messages.

Now, however, the Transport Bug remained the fastest unit, but the territory had grown exponentially. For Luo Wen to send a message to the exploratory armies on the borders, even with Transport Bugs running day and night, it would take months before the Queen Ants of the distant armies received the message.

Such inefficiency could prove catastrophic if the swarm encountered an evenly matched enemy.

Fortunately, the swarm was currently too powerful.

Even in Iphieash’s homeland, the land of the transcendent wizards, while a single insect might not be their match—even a million or ten million insects might not suffice—the swarm could still demonstrate what it meant to bring despair without end.

Luo Wen mused that if that green-haired wizard had succeeded in its rebellion, he might have taken an alternative path. Even if individual combat strength was negligible, the collective power of the swarm had already reached the level of city and national destruction.

Of course, these thoughts were merely Luo Wen’s idle musings.

At present, he couldn’t even think of ways to court death.

Everywhere he looked, it was all swarm territory, devoid of threats. He had already experienced free-falling from great heights back when he was the size of a fingernail, and now, he had even learned to dive…

With the constant integration of new genes, things capable of threatening him had dwindled to the point of nonexistence.

Perhaps this was the terror of Iphieash.

As the swarm’s territory extended over the years, environmental differences in various regions occasionally birthed unique ant species and bugs. Whenever they appeared, they added ripples to Luo Wen’s otherwise tranquil life, one of his few remaining sources of excitement.

Most of these bugs, however, offered redundant traits, although a few managed to surprise him.

For instance, a species of red-and-black ants possessed exceptionally developed mandibular glands that ran from their heads to their abdomens. When encountering powerful enemies, they would bite down on their foes, contract their muscles, and self-destruct. The toxic fluid in their glands would splatter everywhere, causing significant area damage with its potent mix of poisonous substances.

Another species exhibited a similar ability. They had two crystalline structures between their thorax and abdomen. When they needed to self-destruct, these crystals would react with secretions from their salivary glands, producing a highly toxic substance. Their explosions were directional, ensuring a one-for-one trade at the very least.

This was a talent Luo Wen had once feared might awaken within him, yet to his amazement, certain bugs actually possessed such capabilities. Incorporating their genes created a new type of unit for the swarm, albeit in limited numbers due to their lack of practical use.

Another interesting ant species lived in trees, carving tunnels into the trunks to build their nests. The entrance was small, allowing only one ant through at a time. With limited territory confined to their trees, their access to resources was minimal, which naturally limited their population.

When faced with invaders, they couldn’t engage in head-on confrontations like other species. Instead, they devised a unique defensive strategy.

Some of these ants developed mutations that gave them rounded or rectangular chitinous shields on their heads. When intruders approached, these mutants would block the nest entrance with their heads.

Invaders often found it difficult to deal with these sturdy shields and would leave after a period of stalemate.

This ability was intriguing but held little value for the swarm, which no longer needed to defend against enemies. Luo Wen only created a few as decorations.

There was also a type of ant soldier whose head sprouted a cannon-like structure capable of spraying a resin-like substance with immense adhesive properties. Though non-toxic and lacking direct lethality, it was an excellent control mechanism.

Luo Wen enhanced their genes with several types of toxins, creating a hybrid artillery bug capable of both controlling and killing. With their elongated barrels, their shots were highly focused, avoiding dispersion. After Luo Wen’s improvements, their range extended to 20–30 meters, with precise targeting at 15 meters, making them perfect for sniping high-value targets.

Now, numerous such artillery bugs served in the border armies.

Additionally, Luo Wen absorbed other fascinating traits into the gene pool whenever they proved useful.

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