I Am The Swarm-Chapter 650: The Journey

Unlike the Swarm Meteors, first, the Micro-Seeds required a carrier for launch. After being deployed and entering the separation procedure, they would advance toward the target area at sub-light speed.

Secondly, due to their minuscule size and only possessing the most basic developmental modules, Micro-Seeds lacked the ability to steer or decelerate, meaning they could only proceed in a straight line without deviation.

However, this limitation didn’t matter much since quantity could compensate for everything. A single launch could carry billions of Micro-Seeds within a carrier. Compared to Swarm Meteors, Micro-Seeds could achieve true widespread deployment.

Yet, times had changed too quickly. The Swarm Meteors, as one of the earliest methods of exploration and expansion, had become obsolete. Sub-light-speed flight, which could circle a planet several times per second and exit a star system within minutes, seemed impressive but was laughably inadequate when considering the vastness of the universe.

Nowadays, the Swarm’s opponents generally possessed warp drives, with travel speeds measured in multiples of light-years. Star systems that might take decades for Micro-Seeds to reach could be conquered by the Swarm in just a few years. Under these circumstances, both the Swarm Meteors and Micro-Seeds had fallen behind the times.

Moreover, as the number of “insiders” within the Interstellar Confederation increased, along with the expanding coverage of the Swarm Network, having “insiders” carry Hive Seeds for infiltration became a more convenient and efficient method of intrusion.

Thus, Luo Wen’s once-peak creation, shortly after its inception, was rendered obsolete and shelved.

This wasn’t because the Micro-Seeds were weak—it was simply that their delivery method was outdated. Once faster deployment methods became available, they could still create miracles.

However, beyond faster deployment methods, Luo Wen discovered other uses for the Micro-Seeds. Their powerful traits weren’t confined to their original framework.

In battles between two armies, despite weapon ranges allowing for superluminal flight speeds, actual combat reduced movement speeds to well below sub-light levels.

Under these conditions, attaching Micro-Seeds to Primordial-class projectiles allowed them to rapidly and effectively approach enemy fleets. However, proximity alone was useless—Micro-Seeds were originally auxiliary infiltration units, not combat units. Their development speed behind the frontlines had no rigid requirements.

But if they were to be used as combat units, their previous growth rate was far too slow—they needed to develop faster.

There were no perfect organisms; biological constraints were difficult to overcome, even for Luo Wen. But where there’s a will, there’s a way.

If balance couldn’t be achieved, then one aspect had to be prioritized. In warfare, speed was paramount. Micro-Seeds needed to develop faster to form scalable combat power within enemy territory.

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Focusing on this issue, Luo Wen conducted extensive research and eventually discovered a way to accelerate the development of Micro-Seeds. The new version, upon attaching to a target, would self-replicate at an unimaginable speed. However, the trade-off was a drastic reduction in the lifespan—or usable duration—of both the Micro-Seeds and their derivatives.

But lifespan was irrelevant for Micro-Seeds. Victory in war always came at a cost. The consumption of Micro-Seeds was simply categorized as standard battle losses.

The new ultra-fast version of the Micro-Seeds was carried and launched via Primordial-class projectiles. Due to their tiny size, they had virtually no defensive capabilities. Thus, when the Primordial-class projectiles were intercepted and destroyed by the enemy, over 90% of the Micro-Seeds would perish on the spot.

Of the remaining 10%, some would continue flying, though parts of them might have their trajectories altered or their speeds slowed by explosions. If only their direction was changed, there was still hope for survival.

But if their speed was slowed, their fate in the midst of an intense battlefield—being immobile and unprotected—was predictable.

Those Micro-Seeds that maintained the correct trajectory and speed had merely crossed the first hurdle. During their subsequent journey, various explosions, magnetic fields, and shipwreck debris would kill or obstruct them.

By the time they endured all these trials and truly reached their targets, only one in a hundred—or even fewer—remained. And at this point, they had only completed the first step.

Next, they needed to attach to the surface of a warship, absorbing external radiation to replicate themselves. During this process, they would endure further hardships. Friendly fire from the Swarm’s own weapons wouldn’t distinguish friend from foe, so they were often killed by their own side’s firepower.

Meanwhile, explosions, secondary detonations from warships, and other threats continued to endanger their lives. By the time they finally gathered enough energy, their numbers would be further reduced.

The first wave of collected energy was used to mutate mobility organs—a type of sticky tendril inspired by the silk of space-adapted Spider Combat Bugs.

In the near-frictionless environment of space, the sticky tendrils ejected by Micro-Seeds could extend up to two meters. This figure wasn’t unchangeable, but it represented the limit for Micro-Seeds, which had to maintain their nanoscale size to evade enemy detection.

Though limited to two meters, the coordinated use of multiple tendrils allowed for relatively fast movement.

Warships of various races were meticulously manufactured, with few daring to cut corners in this regard. Their high-quality construction left little room for error, but there were always gaps through which nanoscale units could infiltrate.

Though Micro-Seeds were too small to serve as node units and couldn’t connect to the Swarm Network, basic information had already been encoded into their bodies before departure.

For example, they carried detailed schematics of the target warship’s hull structure, enabling them to quickly locate vulnerabilities.

Through open hangars, landing bays, breaches, or even idle gun barrels and launch ports, the Micro-Seeds quietly infiltrated the interior of the warships.

At this point, they were relatively safe—for now. Next, they would absorb energy, replicate more cells, and directly reach the threshold to become node units, linking to the Swarm Network.

Once connected, they would receive new instructions, along with authorization from Luo Wen. Based on the number of Micro-Seeds that infiltrated each warship, they were assigned specific tasks.

They began mutating—some into fungal carpet seeds, others into brood queen eggs, and still others directly into larvae for logistical or defensive units.

Among them, a tentacle-type trap unit gained widespread acclaim for its simple structure, low energy requirements, and rapid development.