I Am The Swarm

Chapter 429: Self-Destruction

Luo Wen was well aware of what those factions were scheming. The remnants of the Megastructure had been left deliberately.

He had a plan—one that might cause quite a spectacle, making it difficult to avoid the attention of other forces. But paradoxically, this presented a perfect opportunity.

Sometimes, the most dangerous place could also be the safest; under the scrutiny of countless eyes, certain actions were easier to conceal.

A month later, with only three months remaining before the twenty-year deadline.

“Have the notifications been sent out?” Luo Wen asked solemnly.

“Yes, Overlord. The announcements have been made.”

“Good. The plan will proceed in three days.”

In the Riken System, chaos was brewing. Half a month earlier, the Swarm had announced that, given the impending deadline, they were unable to dismantle the Megastructure in time. After discussions within the Swarm royal court, it was decided to destroy it in place through controlled demolition.

The Swarm set a date for the operation, warning all parties in the Riken System to cooperate, avoid approaching the site, and prepare adequate protective measures. Any consequences would be their responsibility.

The announcement caused an uproar. The factions that had been waiting to scavenge the remains were outraged, accusing the Swarm of being wasteful and unreasonable.

“If you don’t want it, why not let us have a look?” they protested angrily.

Attempts were made to halt the Swarm’s actions, but to no avail. The Megastructure was Swarm property, and they held complete sovereignty over it. There was no legal basis to challenge their decision.

Despite this, some determined minds found a new angle. A Megastructure spanning over 2,000 kilometers undergoing self-destruction would undoubtedly release intense waves and radiation.

While the foreign factions could weather such radiation safely aboard their ships, the potential impact on Planet Riken’s atmosphere and lifeforms was uncertain.

Using the pretext of protecting the Riken’s ecosystem, they demanded that the Swarm halt the operation until simulations could confirm no environmental harm.

Of course, stopping was out of the question. With only three months left before the deadline, delaying further would provide these factions with the excuse they needed to expel the Swarm from the Riken System and seize the Megastructure.

The Swarm played their hand well, announcing the demolition just half a month in advance. While objections were raised, the timeframe was too short for any meaningful action under the rules.

Thus, the Swarm turned a deaf ear to the criticisms.

Three days passed quickly. During this time, external factions worked tirelessly to provoke the Riken, urging them to stand their ground and resist the Swarm at all costs. The hope was that the demolition’s shockwaves would cause severe damage to the Riken, giving these factions the justification they needed to retaliate against the Swarm.

However, this plan faced a critical flaw: not only were the Riken’s leaders far from foolish, but their government was already under the Swarm’s covert control. The overwhelming majority of the Riken parliament, from top to bottom, were intelligent entities in disguise, leaving only a token few exceptions.

The Riken made a decisive and wise choice. They declared a system-wide holiday and moved everyone into protective facilities. Civilian and most military equipment were powered down to prevent unnecessary losses.

The Riken’s cautious response frustrated the agitators, who were powerless to coerce them further without exposing their true intentions. Any overt interference would only harm their own credibility.

“Overlord, all preparations are complete,” Sarah reported, her tone composed.

Luo Wen nodded at her words. His consciousness swept through the Swarm Network, issuing the final command.

In the Riken System, the massive Megastructure still loomed in the Swarm’s Solar Orbital Base, its colossal frame extending over 2,000 kilometers. Positioned on the side away from the star, countless Primordial bodies aligned themselves against the structure, exerting their collective strength to push it toward the star.

As the Primordial bodies pushed, the Megastructure began to tremble, its massive form slowly shifting out of its orbit. Gradually, it started moving toward a closer position to the star.

“Didn’t they say it was going to self-destruct? Are they pushing it into the star instead?” one onlooker exclaimed. The idea of a self-destruction event promised salvageable debris, but incinerating it in the star left no chance of recovery.

“The Swarm isn’t holding back. They’re not leaving anything for us,” another muttered.

“Tch, why would they? They don’t owe us anything.”

“Hey, whose side are you on?”

“I’m just here for business and to watch the show. I’m not part of you scavengers.”

The observers’ chatter had no effect on the Swarm’s operation. The Megastructures speed increased steadily, its orbit tightening around the star as it drew ever closer.

“Overlord, everything is proceeding smoothly. The Megastructure will reach its designated position in 20 hours,” Sarah updated.

“Excellent,” Luo Wen responded, his tone carrying a note of satisfaction.

Time passed. The Primordial bodies disengaged from the Megastructure as its own systems activated. Massive amounts of energy began accumulating within it, visibly radiating from the structure. The energy levels climbed rapidly, and soon the Megastructure started drawing power directly from the star itself.

The monitoring equipment of the onlookers went haywire as alarms blared. The Megastructure had transformed into a colossal bomb, teetering on the edge of detonation.

“What is the Swarm trying to do?” the observers questioned, bewildered. “Why go through the trouble of pushing it toward the star and then loading it up with energy? This seems so redundant!”

“Wait, the energy levels are too high. If it detonates now, Planet Riken will take serious damage!”

“Record everything! This will be evidence against them.”

The Swarm, however, had no intention of leaving behind any incriminating evidence. Despite its volatile appearance, the Megastructure continued to hold together for several hours as it drew closer to the star. Its path eventually took it to the far side of the star, out of sight from Planet Riken.

Finally, a brilliant white flash illuminated the system. While the Megastructure was minuscule compared to the star beside it, the explosion it unleashed was monumental. The accumulated energy erupted in a blinding display of light and heat, so intense that even the star could not overshadow its brilliance.

At the moment of detonation, Luo Wen made his move. From his position in a dimension beyond space, he exerted his power, guiding the explosion’s energy to forcefully breach the boundaries of the physical universe.

Under the cover of the radiant explosion, a small black spot emerged at the center of the blast. Deep, unfathomable, and ominous, it resembled an eye staring into the abyss.

From the partially destroyed remains of the Megastructure, a two-meter-wide flesh pod shot out at high speed, hurtling toward the black void. Its trajectory suggested it was meant to enter the anomaly.

However, something unexpected occurred. Just as the pod approached the black spot, the anomaly vanished abruptly. Caught off guard, the pod shot through the now-empty space where the black spot had been.

Without the protection of the Megastructure, the pod’s formidable defenses proved insufficient against the ferocious energy at the blast’s epicenter. Within seconds, it was vaporized by the surrounding chaos.