I Am The Swarm

Chapter 304: Helpless

The Riken re

When Pres arrived to deliver the research team’s findings, Hamis immediately pulled him into the “group chat.”

After nervously explaining the research progress—or lack thereof—Pres faced Alcer’s angry outburst.

While the laboratory leads were later called to account for the situation, including the two argumentative elders, it quickly became clear that this issue couldn’t be solved by mere scolding.

The real obstacle lay in the Riken’s complete unfamiliarity with and inability to comprehend the alien technology.

Even after the arrival of the research vessels, equipped with cutting-edge instruments and far superior facilities, the problem persisted. Regardless of the methods or tools used, the Riken were unable to bypass the genetic locks of the Swarm’s creations.

If they used tools for purposes other than probing, the alien organisms’ genetic material remained stable. But the moment they attempted any form of analysis—no matter how subtle, even with a needle-thin probe—the alien organisms immediately triggered genetic collapse, dissolving into a foul-smelling fluid.

This paradox perplexed the Riken researchers. If they couldn’t overcome such an “intelligent” defensive mechanism, their efforts would be futile.

What the Riken failed to realize was that what they perceived as a passive defense was actually an active defense system. Within the Swarm Network, Luo Wen had deployed a significant number of Hive Queen consciousnesses to monitor the fungal samples collected by the Riken.

At the first sign of suspicious activity, the queens activated the self-destruction protocols for the fungal strains.

This fundamental misunderstanding rendered all of the Riken’s efforts useless, a source of endless frustration.

While their research efforts stalled, new developments were unfolding on the battlefield of Planet Raze.

Under relentless attacks, many emergency genes within the Fungal Carpet were activated. The continuous cycle of destruction and regeneration led to adaptations, enhancing the fungi’s resistance to the Riken’s assaults.

Though the cost of producing the new defensive structures was higher, the fungal roots had already extended several kilometers underground. This vastly improved energy collection capabilities, enabling them to sustain the increased resource demand.

The new defenses not only resisted the Riken’s energy attacks more effectively but also absorbed the residual energy from explosions at an accelerated rate.

With these enhancements, the purple-gray patches not only survived the intense bombardment but also fully repaired themselves and rapidly expanded their occupied territory.

“They’re growing so fast!” Hamis’s face darkened as he reviewed the data.

In truth, detailed analyses were unnecessary. Simple before-and-after images revealed the stark changes.

“We can’t continue attacking like this. Not only have they become significantly more resistant, but they’re also absorbing the energy from our attacks,” remarked Novaul, the Second Fleet Commander.

While direct data from the Space Octopuses’ interiors was inaccessible, external monitoring tools remained functional.

Instruments deployed on the battlefield detected an abnormal shift in energy flow. When energy beams struck the ground, the explosions no longer dispersed outward randomly. Instead, the energy became directional—concentrated toward the Fungal Carpet.

This anomalous energy flow made it glaringly obvious what was happening.