I Am The Swarm

Chapter 241: Research

The Raiders were ultimately just low-tier cannon fodder. After catching the Riken soldiers off guard initially, the weaknesses of a single-unit assault force became increasingly apparent.

The gunships in the sky soon locked onto the tunnels from which the Raiders were emerging. Concentrated fire rained down, scorching the ground with thick red energy beams, obliterating countless Raiders before they even had the chance to surface.

The Raiders already on the ground found themselves without reinforcements and with no path of retreat. Though they had inflicted considerable casualties, their numbers dwindled rapidly under the soldiers’ firepower.

For over a century, the Rikens appeared to have devoted most of their re

“Any further questions or comments?” General Masai asked.

A strategist raised his hand. “General, I have one concern. Does the Swarm exhibit intelligence?”

“It’s something I’ve wondered about myself,” a captain replied. “Their ambush on the patrol displayed precise coordination, suggesting higher intelligence. But today’s battle seemed to show them acting more like beasts.”

“Perhaps their earlier actions were merely instinctive?” another strategist speculated.

“It’s possible,” another captain agreed. “I’ve doubted from the start that such primitive creatures could coordinate on a global scale.”

Dr. Balt added, “One more point: these Swarm specimens lack organs for long-range communication or even basic vocalization. However, we captured a few live specimens for study. Observing their behavior, I discovered they use rapid limb strikes and friction to produce sounds, combined with pheromones, to communicate.”

He paused before continuing. “We might exploit this trait. If we decode the meaning of their sounds and pheromones, we could disrupt their coordination—or even drive them to attack one another.”

“An excellent idea. But you’re saying global coordination isn’t feasible for them?”

“Correct. In simple terms, while these Swarm creatures are the same species, they don’t belong to the same hive.”