I Am The Swarm

Chapter 396: Mission Report

Luo Wen had considered all these scenarios when devising the method of hiding forces in plain sight. During the Troi Civilization’s military incursion, Luo Wen had nearly been forced to reveal this secret prematurely.

Fortunately, the Troi Civilization acted rationally, and conflict was avoided, allowing the secret to remain undisclosed.

After handling the expansion efforts, Luo Wen’s next focus was on the so-called “head tax”—a term coined by alien civilizations to describe re

“However, throughout the discussions, the Swarm negotiator made significant decisions after only brief moments of thought, indicating a level of authority far greater than would be expected of a major general. This inconsistency suggests his rank may not reflect his true level of power.” Writing this, Bular touched his own shoulder insignia. How could the same rank mean such vastly different levels of authority?

“During the mission, we toured several Swarm facilities. Overall, the impression was one of extreme primitiveness and backwardness; there was no sign of anything resembling modern technology. Furthermore, no other Swarm members were observed, nor were there any signs of habitation. If they were not deliberately avoiding us, the Swarm population on this planet must be exceedingly sparse. Considering that this star system is said to host the largest Swarm garrison and is suspected to be their main stronghold, such low population density is puzzling and suggests the Swarm may have very few individuals.”

“Contrary to the apparent scarcity of Swarm members, their biological weapons exist in vast numbers. These are referred to by the Swarm as bugs, most of which resemble octopuses of various sizes. The smallest measure one to two meters, while the largest exceed hundreds of meters. They are also the most numerous. Regardless of their size, these bugs are extremely lethargic, performing no work and floating aimlessly in planetary orbit like lifeless objects.”

“In addition to these, there are other types of bugs that exhibit high levels of diligence and basic intelligence. They carry out simple, repetitive tasks tirelessly, day and night. Strangely, no supervisors or managers were observed in any of the facilities, yet the bugs never made mistakes, and everything operated in perfect order. This suggests they are far more than ordinary biological weapons.”

“All observed Swarm members and bug designs have been recorded and preserved as visual sketches by the mission’s artists.” Bular’s team was notably professional, with members possessing diverse skills. For instance, both his adjutant and one of the negotiators held advanced artistic qualifications, making sketching the bugs a straightforward task.

“Most areas within Swarm territory are covered in a purplish-gray, fleshy carpet-like substance, referred to by the Swarm as the Fungal Carpet. It is said to create a comfortable living environment for the Swarm. However, since this carpet has been observed in previous Swarm wars, the team suspects its functionality extends far beyond mere comfort.”

At this point, Bular paused, deep in thought. Before his departure, his superiors had instructed him to investigate the Swarm’s marketplace to identify any unique goods that might hold value.

Given the relatively amicable relations between the two sides, it was important to capitalize on this honeymoon period for maximum benefit.

As a civilization that followed a unique biological development path, the Swarm undoubtedly possessed many distinctive “specialties.”

Yet during the mission, Bular hadn’t come across even a small shop, let alone a full marketplace.

This part of his mission, which had been given special attention, yielded no leads whatsoever, leaving him somewhat frustrated.