I Am The Swarm-Chapter 802: The Decision

“If the Ji Race could just go back to how they used to be—spare the life-bearing planets and leave us a path to survival—none of this would be an issue.”

“Exactly. A single life planet doesn’t make that big of a difference to their warship count. They don’t need to wipe everything out.”

“The Ji Race isn’t what it used to be. The Ji Race we’re dealing with now is Lumina’s Ji Race. Otherwise, even the Inner-circle civilizations wouldn’t have declared war on them.”

“Hmph. I’ve said before—Lumina can’t be trusted. Pity no one took it seriously.”

“Maybe you thought it, but I sure don’t remember you ever saying it.”

“Alright, enough grandstanding. We’re out of time—stop wasting it.”

“…”

“The Daibo rep’s got a point. If the Ji Race messes with us, we’ll fight back too.”

“Same here.”

“Count us in.”

Although the Ji Race’s super nanobots developed rapidly, they were still vulnerable in their early stages. EMP bombs and thermonuclear weapons could effectively suppress them.

However, due to their stealthy nature, while early suppression was easy, total extermination was nearly impossible. Once you chose to resist, you were committing to a long-term struggle.

Most importantly, resistance had to begin at the earliest sign. If the Ji Race managed to use a mineral-rich planet or asteroid to develop even a small force, their technological advantage would make them nearly unstoppable. Under their fleet’s pressure, resisting later would be far more difficult. Therefore, the moment a threat emerged, it needed to be crushed immediately.

Still, that couldn’t stop the Ji Race from developing forces in nearby Star Systems and then invading from there. This was the crux of the dilemma. Mid-ring civilizations might just barely manage to destroy a Ji squadron or two if they fought to the death. But for Outer-ring civilizations, a single Ji fleet squad was enough to wipe them out.

And building one of those squads wasn’t difficult.

So while the mid-ring civilizations had spoken out, the Outer-ring civilizations stayed silent. Even though they too possessed EMP bombs and nuclear weapons, their overall weakness meant they had no say in the matter.

“Actually, there’s no need to stress so much. I think there’s a simpler solution.” Just as the room fell into a heavy silence, a voice suddenly spoke up.

“What kind of solution?”

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With both paths laid before them filled with thorns, a third path—even a narrow one—would be welcome.

“Don’t forget why the Ji Race is so desperate. Right now, the Swarm is just as powerful as they are. And their troops are actively hunting the Ji Race. If we find Ji movements in our sectors, I say we call the Swarm and let them play the villain.”

“Makes sense. Let the titans fight—we mortals don’t need to get involved ourselves.”

“But the Swarm isn’t innocent either. Just a few years ago, I found out they had set up multiple sub-bases in our territory.”

“True, the Swarm’s sneaky—but they’ve never openly harmed our interests.”

“Hmph. If it weren’t for the Ji Race forcing their hand, who knows how long the Swarm would’ve stayed hidden? Who knows what they’re really planning? Maybe their goals are no different from the Ji Race’s.”

“That’s possible. But look at it this way—one kills you now, the other might kill you later. I don’t see what other choice we have.”

“It’s a bleak reality.”

“Hmph. One is the first civilization ever born in this Galaxy, and the other is a mighty dragon from an unknown Galaxy. Even if we can’t beat them, there’s no shame in that.”

“Exactly. We’re only at a disadvantage because of when we emerged.”

“…”

“No matter what, the Swarm seems like the better option to me. Rather than go toe-to-toe with the Ji Race, we should cooperate with the Swarm. At least they’re still a flesh-and-blood species—they’re likely more humane than Lumina.”

“We really don’t have any other choices. The Ji Race and the Swarm may both be awful—but we have to pick one.”

“Isn’t it a bit early to pick sides? The Ji Race hasn’t lost yet. Their current expansion might actually be the start of a comeback.”

“Which is why we should help the Swarm finish them off quickly.”

“In my view, the best outcome would be a return to the old status quo—stalemates on the Ji border. Just keep the war away from our lands.”

“Nice idea—but I doubt either the Ji Race or the Swarm care what we think.”

“Yeah… that’s the sorrow of the weak.”

“So then, friends, as the Daibo representative said, let each of us make our own choice—based on our own situation.”