I Am The Swarm-Chapter 664: Decision

The catastrophic explosion of the Rashudia ship, though it brought a fleeting moment of schadenfreude to the other races—it was satisfying to see those who had fled first suffer—was quickly overshadowed by the grim realization that followed.

The corners of their lips tightened, and their expressions turned somber. Earlier in the Confederation meeting, representatives and advisors from various races had speculated about what the Swarm was waiting for as they delayed their actions.

Some believed the Swarm was awaiting reinforcements, while others thought they had planted nests aboard the ships and were simply waiting for more units to hatch. Still, others argued that the Swarm was merely biding its time, waiting for the perfect moment to inflict maximum damage on the Confederation forces.

Now, the outsiders seemed to understand.

If their earlier suspicions were correct, then this catastrophic detonation was only the beginning.

Though they didn’t want to believe things would spiral in this direction, reality refused to disappoint. Just as they had feared, an even larger wave of explosions erupted. Within a short span, at least seventy percent of the Rashudia ships accelerating into warp state detonated catastrophically. Only slightly more than twenty percent managed to successfully enter warp.

But even those ships that entered warp weren’t guaranteed true escape. The Swarm’s threat originated from within each ship. If an explosion occurred during warp travel, the results would be even more devastating.

The dire situation of the Rashudia fleet left the other Confederation races feeling increasingly hopeless. Even the formations that had begun separating started to fall back into chaos.

But no one cared anymore. In this scenario, with enemies lurking inside their own ships, there was no way to shake them off. What was the point of separating or scrambling for warp routes? Doing so would only bring them closer to their own catastrophic demise.

Why fight for the chance to die first? A bad death was better than a good one; why not hang on a little longer and live just a bit more?

“What do we do now?” In the virtual meeting room, the previously offline high-ranking officials and advisors of the other races reconnected. They gathered together, chatting idly, savoring what might be their final moments of peace. However, some still wanted to struggle further.

“Cool it!”

“Unless we can eliminate the Swarm units aboard our ships, there’s no way we can escape.”

“We need reinforcements. If reinforcements arrive to assist us, we could even destroy our energy systems ourselves. Then we’d be free to root out the Swarm units without restraint.”

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“But if we do that, we’ll lose power and still won’t be able to leave here.”

“Fool! Didn’t you hear me say reinforcements? If reinforcements arrive, who cares if our ships lose power? The follow-up forces can establish a defensive line here, and we can repair on-site. Or they can tow us away directly.”

“What are you talking about! Hmph, too bad—there are no reinforcements now.”

“Damn it… We all thought this battle was practically won, and with the Rashudia’s firm orders, we followed along. Who would’ve thought there’d be no backup forces waiting for us now.”

“This is a failure of command. The Rashudia race and Conradus must take responsibility!”

“The Rashudia can be held accountable, but whether Conradus is still around is another matter.”

“I saw his flagship enter warp.”

“I hope the swarm on his ship step up and don’t let his flagship exit warp intact.”

“Haha, your words might offend someone. Virtual spaces record everything we say.”

“Hmph, I’m already dead anyway—what do I care?”

At these words, the group fell silent for a moment. Indeed, even if Conradus’s flagship disintegrated, the damage was done—nothing could undo it now.

“Perhaps there’s still a way for us to survive.” A voice, like the whisper of a demon, broke the silence.

“What method?” An eager representative from one of the races asked immediately. He held a high position and great authority. Even if this mission failed, it wasn’t solely his fault. It was a failure of the Confederation’s overall command, so he wouldn’t face severe punishment upon returning. He could still continue living the life he desired.

“You forgot? We just discussed it earlier.”

The group mentally rewound the timeline slightly and quickly recalled the method being referenced.

“Heh, is this method reliable?”

“So what if it isn’t? Do you really intend to go through with it?”

“If it works, why not? This failure wasn’t caused by me. My actions aren’t for mere survival—they’re to preserve the lives of my race’s warriors.”

“Enough with the self-promotion. If we’re actually going to do this, does anyone know the specific steps?”

“Heh, I personally have no experience with this.”

“As if anyone else does.”

“Perhaps we should show a bit of sincerity first to test the Swarm’s reaction.”

“That makes sense.”

On the main battlefield, the Swarm forces had dwindled to less than 100 million. Under bombardment from firepower many times greater than their numbers, they were being annihilated at an alarming rate.

However, after the Confederation decided to retreat, the intensity of their fire dropped significantly, giving the remaining Swarm forces a brief reprieve.

And now, for reasons unknown, the previously sporadic fire ceased entirely. The middle of the battlefield suddenly became illuminated only by the flashes of energy projectiles from the Swarm side.

In the meeting room, the representatives watched the developments on the main battlefield with bated breath. When someone had proposed a course of action earlier, most races hadn’t explicitly supported it—but no one had outright opposed it either. Everyone knew what that meant.

“The Swarm has also stopped firing!” One voice shouted excitedly. Though they had resolved to take this path after much internal conflict, its feasibility remained uncertain, leaving them uneasy. The fact that the Swarm responded gave them some hope—it was a sign of a possible lifeline.

“A ceasefire alone isn’t enough to confirm their intentions. We need further verification.”

“True, but how should we proceed? Should we send diplomatic personnel over?”

“I think even if we decide to do that, we should negotiate. After all, the terms of our treatment depend entirely on what we do now.”

“Haha, do you have any bargaining chips?”

“Aren’t our massive warships and cannons enough? My race’s combat strength is still quite well-preserved.”

“An empty fortress, nothing more. Once energy supplies are cut off, how much of your so-called combat strength will remain?”

“…”