I Am The Swarm-Chapter 563: Clearing the Path

The Rashudia Race’s subtle maneuvering was more of an open secret. Their deployment strategy wasn’t lost on the other outer races, who were no fools. However, the current situation left them with little choice. Strength favored the Rashudia, and resistance was futile. After a few futile protests that went unanswered, the outer races reluctantly fell in line.

Yet, behind the scenes, the alliances and connections continued. Mid-ring civilizations reached out to the outer-ring civilizations behind them, urging them to maintain as much distance as possible from the frontlines and to spread out their formations. This would make it easier for the mid-ring forces to retreat if necessary.

The outer-ring civilizations readily agreed, as they wanted nothing more than to stay as far from the battlefield as possible. However, the Rashudia overseers ensured that this distance didn’t become excessive. Given the technological disparity between the mid and outer-ring civilizations, if a full-scale retreat were to occur, it was unclear whether harmony could be maintained.

As time passed, the Swarm finally began to react to the approaching Interstellar Confederation forces. Large groups of Primordial Bodies awoke from their dormant state, turned their cannons toward the Confederation fleet, adjusted their positions slightly to form a rudimentary formation, and then fell silent once more.

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The Swarm’s actions further supported the theory of a stellar bomb plan. Only by drawing the battlefield as close to the star as possible could the Swarm maximize the effectiveness of this superweapon.

“Open fire!” Coordinating a fleet composed of nearly a hundred different races was nearly impossible. With over 3.5 billion ships, simply maintaining formation and advancing to the Swarm’s First Star System took more than two years.

In the 82nd year of the New Era, the Confederation fleet reached the outermost asteroid belt of the First Star System. Adhering to the principle of destroying everything in sight and minimizing interference during their eventual retreat, Conradus gave the order to attack.

Energy beams based on controlled fusion and dark energy systems shot toward the asteroid belt in various forms. This massive belt, spanning over 3 billion kilometers in width and encircling the entire star system, contained countless celestial bodies. The largest were over 2,000 kilometers in diameter, while the smallest were no bigger than a fingernail.

This asteroid belt served as a natural barrier, protecting the star system from external threats. Without it, the environment within the star system would be far harsher, making the emergence of life nearly impossible.

Yet now, the Confederation forces intended to destroy this asteroid belt. It was almost unimaginable. To put it bluntly, the number of celestial bodies in the asteroid belt far exceeded the Swarm’s forces.

Although the Confederation forces were only clearing a small section of the belt relative to its total size, it was still a monumental task.

Moreover, the destruction of so many asteroids would disrupt the balance within the star system, leading to numerous disasters. Fortunately, all the confederation races within the system had already been evacuated, or the consequences would have been catastrophic.

Conradus, however, felt no moral burden. Compared to the Swarm’s plan to blow up the entire star, his actions were insignificant.

Asteroids had no consciousness or ability to evade. To the Confederation fleet, they were stationary targets. Even the largest asteroids, over 2,000 kilometers in diameter, could only be shattered under the relentless bombardment of the fleet.

The ships fired at full capacity, with not only their main and secondary cannons but even their point-defense guns clearing the surrounding debris. Despite the fleet’s overwhelming firepower, the sheer number of asteroids meant progress was slow. Clearing a path through the 3-billion-kilometer-wide belt would take at least two to three years.

And that was the most optimistic estimate. Earth’s distance from the Sun was only 150 million kilometers. This asteroid belt was equivalent to 20 times that distance. Even traveling in a straight line would take a considerable amount of time, let alone navigating an obstacle course.

Yet as the days passed, an oddly festive atmosphere began to spread among the outer-ring races’ fleets. Despite the impending battle, the soldiers, in particular, seemed to be in high spirits, as if celebrating a holiday.

Due to the long-standing peace within the Interstellar Confederation, conflicts rarely escalated to full-scale wars. As a result, many soldiers had served for years without ever firing a shot. This mission to attack the Swarm had involved decades of hibernation, leaving them with pent-up energy to release.

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Now, with the ships’ main and secondary cannons firing continuously at stationary targets, almost everyone—even cooks and cleaners—had the chance to take a few shots. Those feeling particularly adventurous could apply to pilot fighters for a sweep, though this required specialized qualifications.

As the cleared area grew larger, subtle changes began to affect the entire star system. Yet, the Swarm made no move to interfere with the Confederation forces’ demolition work, allowing them to proceed unimpeded.

The straight-line distance between the two forces was now just over 7 billion kilometers. Light would take about six hours to cover this distance, while warp engines could do it even faster. Even sub-light engines would only need a few days.

This distance was already very close. If the Confederation forces had chosen to bypass the asteroid belt and launch a blitzkrieg, the Swarm, still basking in the sun, would have suffered heavy losses.

But Conradus understood that the Swarm was waiting for them to come closer. These Swarm units were nothing more than emotionless biological weapons, placed here to die alongside the Confederation forces. They had no intention of surviving, so no matter how many were destroyed in a blitzkrieg, it would make no difference.

The Confederation forces advanced slowly, like a massive eraser gradually clearing a path through the asteroid belt. The Swarm, realizing their plan had been uncovered, seemed to abandon all pretense and halted their reinforcements.

Conradus secretly hoped the Swarm would withdraw all their sunbathing units from stellar orbit, but such a fortunate turn of events was nothing more than a dream.

The joyous period came to an end in the 85th year of the New Era, when the Confederation forces finally completed their mission. They had carved a path through the 3-billion-kilometer-wide asteroid belt.

The Swarm had set no traps at the exit of the asteroid belt, which was hardly surprising. The Swarm wanted the Confederation forces to get as close to the star as possible, so why would they obstruct them halfway?

Now, the Confederation forces were just over 4 billion kilometers away from the Swarm and the dazzling star. The enemy was within sight, but Conradus remained patient. Having spent three years clearing the path, a few more days of preparation made little difference.

Under his orders, the Confederation forces began their final preparations for the impending battle. The prolonged firing had taken a toll on the energy and weapon systems, requiring maintenance and repairs. The external reactive armor, battered during the passage through the asteroid belt, also needed attention.