I Am The Swarm-Chapter 776: Demands

“The Swarm must be deployed as soon as possible.”

“The Swarm isn’t in a great position either. That star explosion occurred far too close to them. At least five celestial bodies within their Star Systems have been affected. As time passes, the losses will likely continue to grow.”

“Hmph. You care about the Swarm, but who cares about us? Do you have any idea how many Star Gates the Ji race has out there? Every single Star Gate is now a giant military factory. And don’t forget those Mid-ring civilizations and merchant fleets working for them. If we keep stalling, we’re finished.”

“That’s right. We must explain the gravity of the situation to the Swarm. If we fall, they won’t survive either. Let’s be clear—if we’re talking about pull, they attract more trouble than we do.”

“No matter how powerful the Swarm is, they’re still a young civilization with only a short history. Their intelligence channels are likely extremely limited. They probably don’t have enough information about the current situation to make the right decision. It seems we need to share part of our intelligence network with them.”

“Yes, exactly…”

While hiding near Star Gate XM768, Sarah soon received greetings from her “allies,” along with some shared intelligence. At the same time, they subtly alluded to the current situation, providing analysis and elaborating on what was at stake.

As the Swarm Empress, Sarah quickly picked up on the implications between the lines. In fact, she had recently been trying to come up with a reasonable excuse to offer some assistance to these so-called allies.

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Back when the Ji race and the Inner-circle Alliance had not yet entered a standoff, many of their methods and trump cards were buried deeply. Because of that, the Swarm had also made multiple contingency plans.

But now that the confrontation had begun, many of those hidden cards had been exposed, allowing the Swarm to understand much more. Some of the previously prepared contingencies—like one that could only be activated by Sarah herself—could now be abandoned.

Although a decision had been made, she couldn’t afford to appear too proactive. That would come off as calculated, and even if it didn’t raise suspicions, it would be hard to bargain for benefits.

After some discussion, Sarah stated that she would first consult with the rest of the Swarm to assess the current situation before making a decision.

A few days later, a scout ship from the Inner-circle Alliance appeared in the Neighboring Star System, just outside the Swarm’s royal court. It delivered quantum communication equipment to the Swarm. Given that they were still treating the Empress well, the meeting atmosphere was relatively cordial. However, the very appearance of that ship so close to the Swarm’s court was inherently provocative—at the very least, not friendly.

“I believe this move will do nothing but provoke the Swarm.”

“Hmph. We must make the Swarm understand that the dignity of an Inner-circle civilization demands that even when we seek assistance, it’s not because we are weak, but because our enemy is too strong.”

“Exactly. And they must also remember that their Empress is still in our hands. They should learn gratitude and humility.”

“I still think the Swarm’s mindset is hard to predict. They are the key to victory right now. There’s no need to add drama for ourselves.”

“Regardless, it’s done. Let’s not argue about what’s already happened. For now, let’s just wait for our dear ally’s decision.”

In truth, this so-called contact was just a pretext. The Swarm possessed far more efficient communication methods. However, the Ji-Inner-circle frontline was simply too far from the Swarm’s homeland, and the region was too vast.

The Swarm’s node units hadn’t yet established large-scale coverage in the area. Therefore, many parts of that front remained shrouded in fog from the Swarm’s perspective. Overall, the intelligence shared by the Inner-circle Alliance was actually quite timely.

As for their so-called show of force—that scout ship would never have been able to approach the Neighboring Star System unless it had received secret permission. But there was no need to state that aloud; it might enrage certain touchy individuals.

A few more days passed, and the Inner-circle Alliance contacted Sarah once again. This time, Sarah didn’t refuse to send troops. She even pledged to dispatch Swarm forces stationed near Star Gate XM1209 to support the designated location first. This not only showed support for their allies, but also allowed her to “light up the map” along the way—a move that achieved multiple goals at once.

But while these forces seemed numerous, once spread across a confrontation line spanning thousands of light-years, they didn’t even qualify as a drop in the bucket. Thus, when the Inner-circle Alliance requested further reinforcements, Sarah regretfully declined.

It wasn’t that the Swarm was unwilling—but they simply couldn’t. Due to the effects of the stellar explosion, it was currently impossible to mobilize additional troops from the Swarm’s homeland to reach Star Gate XM1209 in a short time.

However, Sarah subtly hinted that if the Inner-circle Alliance could build a Star Gate deep within Swarm territory—though it would take some time—once completed…