I Am The Swarm

Reality was not a game; there was no option to disable friendly fire. Sarah Kerrigan’s fighting style made the Ji soldiers extremely uncomfortable.

In the battles between the Interstellar Technological Confederation and the Swarm, the most frequently encountered main combat units were the Space Octopuses in space warfare. Following them were the various models of Modified Spider Combat Bugs, which were active in ground battles, boarding actions, and even space skirmishes.

Sarah’s tactics were strikingly similar to those of the Spider Combat Bugs—both relied on incredible speed for attacks. Using enemies as shields was just a basic maneuver.

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Although the Ji race had not directly participated in the war against the Swarm before, given the frequency of Spider Combat Bugs’ appearances, they should have been a key focus. Developing hundreds of strategies and conducting targeted drills would have been entirely reasonable.

Indeed, they had done just that. In this war, though it was their first time engaging the Swarm in actual combat, the Ji soldiers performed relatively well.

As the primary land combat unit, Spider Combat Bugs were deployed in large numbers. Facing these agile assassins, the Ji soldiers demonstrated balanced tactics. With the help of auxiliary systems tailored with specific algorithms, the Spider Combat Bugs did not pose much trouble for them.

Given this, by all logic, when facing someone like Sarah, especially since she was alone, they should have easily subdued her. However, the situation on the ground was quite the opposite—the Ji squad appeared disheveled.

The reason was that Spider Combat Bugs were stealthy assassin-type units. Though they boasted high attack power and agility, their defenses were fragile. Once an opponent could lock onto their position and calculate lead times, eliminating them was relatively straightforward.

However, Sarah was not only fast and agile but also, thanks to her exoskeletal armor, possessed defenses that were astonishingly robust.

More importantly, as mass-produced units, the Ji race had accumulated extensive combat data on Spider Combat Bugs, mastering many of their habitual movements. They could predict their next actions based on physical details such as limb angles, charge speeds, and trajectories.

But Sarah? She had rarely appeared in battle before, and as an intelligent being, she had the ability to adapt randomly. The existing auxiliary systems of the Ji soldiers struggled to predict her next moves.

“Surround her!” At this point, holding positions from a distance was futile. The squad leader waved his hand, signaling the soldiers to close in on the battlefield while covertly instructing several soldiers to switch weapon components.

“Cast the nets!” On command, at least ten giant nets were simultaneously launched toward Sarah’s position. The angles and timing of the shots were coordinated by the auxiliary system, forming a seamless pocket array. Trapped within, Sarah seemingly had nowhere to escape.

The nets were made of special material. While Sarah’s primary weapon, the high-molecular blade, could cut through this substance, it required time—a luxury the Ji soldiers clearly weren’t going to afford her.

Unable to see the Swarm Empress’s expression through her visor, the Ji soldiers imagined it must be one of despair. After all, they couldn’t conceive of any way to evade this net trap.

In the short time since the engagement began, half of the two groups of soldiers had already been eliminated by Sarah. The remaining soldiers were now also enveloped in the net array.

However, their expressions were filled with joy. The giant nets were powerful control tools without any lethal effects. Even if trapped, they were unharmed. Now, with mocking eyes, they watched Sarah in the distance—the very creature who had just killed their comrades. Hatred and fear swirled within them.

Yet, they had clearly underestimated the Swarm. Sarah, whom the Ji soldiers believed to be cornered, suddenly activated a protective shield over her exoskeletal armor.

Following this, she deliberately charged into the approaching net array. This move left the Ji soldiers dumbfounded—”flying into a trap” perfectly described this scenario.

However, events did not unfold according to the Ji soldiers’ expectations. Upon contact with the Swarm Empress, the resilient nets melted away like ice under the sun.

“It’s a Negative Energy Shield!” Though the sight was miraculous, due to the frequent appearances of the Red Fang Breakers, the Ji race was familiar with this skill. Precisely because of this familiarity, they never anticipated Sarah using it.

“This is impossible! How can she possess such vast energy!” Activating a Negative Energy Shield required immense energy supply. The Red Fang Breakers could use this skill briefly thanks to their Dark Energy Furnaces.

Even with the miniaturization of Negative Energy Generators and Dark Energy Furnaces, the Red Fang Breakers still exceeded six meters in size due to bearing both systems.

But the Swarm Empress standing before them had a normal physique. Where could she possibly house these two energy systems?

“Brother, this isn’t the time for scientific inquiries. Let’s hurry up and capture her so she can personally tell us the answer.”

Though countless questions filled the minds of the Ji soldiers, as this soldier said, now was not the time to delve into this matter. Moreover, likely none among them knew the answer. Only the Swarm Empress could provide it.

After breaking free from the encircling net array, Sarah promptly deactivated the Negative Energy Shield. The auxiliary systems of the Ji soldiers recorded and stored these observations, then transmitted the information back.

Despite the severe interference in their current environment, where ordinary transmission methods would fail, the Ji race possessed miniaturized quantum communication systems. Although these devices were precious, each K2N9 was equipped with one. Through this equipment, recordings from the soldiers’ recorders were transmitted in real-time to the headquarters. Thus, the scene of Sarah breaking free from the net array was witnessed by the rear command and advisors as well.

The exclamations of “Impossible!” resonated like they were in quantum entanglement across locations separated by dozens or even hundreds of light-years. The Ji commanders and advisors harbored the same questions as the soldiers.

“It seems the Swarm has more hidden tricks. Let’s hope the Swarm Empress’s method cannot be generalized.”

“That’s certain. If it could be, her bodyguard wouldn’t have died.”

“True. I suspect this might be a direct relic from that ancient civilization. The Swarm may not currently have the capability to manufacture it.”

“If what you say is true, does that mean the Swarm will eventually have the ability to produce it?”

“Likely yes. After all, the Swarm inherited the legacy of that ancient civilization. Once the prerequisite technologies are met, they might indeed mass-produce this.”

“Their threat would be enormous.”

“Therefore, we must resolve this issue this time.”