I Am The Swarm-Chapter 673: Making Contact

The negative energy blade of the Red Fang Breaker could no longer be described as merely sharp. The energy wrapped around it could neutralize any positive energy, erasing the existence of matter like an eraser wiping away pencil marks.

The location of the control pods had already been marked clearly by the reconnaissance bugs. The Red Fang Breaker, following the coordinates, stabbed into the seemingly empty metal floor, effortlessly ending the lives of those hiding beneath.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of visual feedback and the weapon’s excessive sharpness, this attack had a slight flaw. Although the targets were certain to die, they could still manage to emit some sounds before their demise.

However, such flaws were still within acceptable limits.

The squad reacted quickly. By the time the second team member screamed, they realized they had been exposed for some unknown reason, and the enemy had come fully prepared.

The alloy floor split open, and the control pods began to rise. What had once protected them now became a barrier trapping them inside. They needed to escape as quickly as possible.

But the Red Fang Breaker was even faster. With the control pods now exposed and no longer shielded by the alloy floor, its accuracy improved severalfold.

With each swipe of its claws, the high-strength alloy bodies of the control pods offered no protection. Parts of the squad members’ bodies were erased along with the pods.

Due to the design of the control pods, it was easy to distinguish the positions of the occupants’ heads and feet. This meant that once the pods rose, the squad members inside had no chance to scream before being killed.

The humanoid structure of the Red Fang Breaker granted it exceptional agility and flexibility. Combined with the intentional reinforcement of certain muscle tissues, its speed was astonishing.

By the time the control pods fully emerged from the ground and their lids opened, no living squad members remained to stand up.

In fact, this squad wasn’t the only one attempting to play the hero or take control of their own fate. Among the Komok, there were many such cases. These individuals had not reported to the designated locations at the specified time, instead choosing to hide in what they thought were clever spots.

Unfortunately, after delaying for so long, the Swarm’s reconnaissance system had become fully operational. Their locations had long been silently marked by the reconnaissance bugs.

Once the time was up, large numbers of Swarm units split up and moved out. Most of the Komok hiding spots weren’t particularly difficult to reach, and the spider combat bugs easily found them, delivering a harsh lesson. Whether they could learn from this lesson, however, would have to wait for their next lives.

As for those like the squad members who had hidden in particularly secure and hard-to-reach locations, where spider combat bugs couldn’t quickly destroy them, the Red Fang Breaker had to step in.

Fortunately, each ship had at least one fully equipped Red Fang Breaker. Although it took a bit longer, with the Swarm now in control of the ship’s passages, the Red Fang Breaker eventually completed its task.

The Swarm’s actions left the Komok personnel in the command bridge trembling with fear. Some captains who had initially thought the Swarm’s silence meant they could negotiate for better terms quickly reconsidered and retreated.

This wasn’t unique to the Komok. Similar incidents occurred among other Confederation races. They might not have Z-series squads, but they had J-series squads, L-series squads, and similar units. Those who controlled some form of military power always had bolder tendencies, and they became the primary targets of the Swarm’s cleanup.

Luo Wen showed no mercy toward these races. Soldiers specialized in operating specific types of machinery held no value for the Swarm and weren’t worth converting into intelligent entities.

As for the few researchers among them, however, the more, the better. They were taken deep into the ships for transformation. Of course, they would never reappear before their former comrades.

All surviving members of the Confederation races were gathered at designated locations. Two downgraded Red Fang Breakers were then tasked with communication, directing the Confederation members to maneuver the ships to specified positions.

The gathered personnel were also dispersed. They were allowed to move within certain areas, with few restrictions other than being prohibited from engaging in dangerous or easily misunderstood actions.

The stalled fleet slowly began to move, heading toward the designated positions at a very slow pace. This was due to the Confederation members’ earlier desperate attempts to escape, which had left the ships tangled together. Reorganizing the formation would take considerable time.

Fortunately, the Swarm wasn’t in a hurry. They also needed time. Deep within the ships, near the dark energy reactors, dozens of surrounding compartments had been tightly sealed off, forbidding any prisoners from approaching. Violators would be eliminated without hesitation.

Here, several Brood Queen eggs had already hatched. They absorbed energy fed back from the fungal carpet, growing rapidly. However, their physical size increased slowly, far from matching the growth rate of the mature Brood Queen nearby.

This was because, unlike the mutated Brood Queen, these Queens were of the standard variety. Although their development was slower, they had no lifespan limitations.

The mutated Brood Queen had already completed its task. Although it still had some time before genetic collapse, it wasn’t suitable for long-term deployment here. Therefore, a successor was necessary.

Similarly, all the current Swarm units on the ship were mutants with limited lifespans. They would gradually be replaced by newly born standard versions.

This process also required time, which was why the Swarm allowed the Confederation members to dawdle. Keeping them occupied meant they wouldn’t cause trouble elsewhere.

The replacement of Swarm units was a gradual process, and the existing combat strength wouldn’t diminish. Eliminating the Confederation members would only take a matter of minutes.

Thus, Luo Wen wasn’t afraid of these individuals rebelling. They still had other uses, and he didn’t want them to waste too much of their potential by acting foolishly.

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However, as time passed, the Swarm’s hands-off management and the relatively comfortable life of the prisoners inevitably led some Confederation members to develop ideas they shouldn’t have.

The information channels of these ships couldn’t be completely sealed off. The Ji and the Confederation races would undoubtedly be watching through various means. Some of the captured also attempted to contact the Confederation.

The Red Fang Breaker was merely a biological combat unit, unsuitable for displaying high levels of intelligence or autonomy. Therefore, it was necessary for “true” Swarm members to make contact with the Confederation members.

Thus, a team of a hundred Primordial bodies set out from the Swarm’s Star System One, rapidly approaching the Confederation fleet.