I Am The Swarm-Chapter 732: X-576

Although the Ji race had deployed a vast number of high-explosive bombs, the Swarm had also gathered a significant number of Burrowing Worms. These creatures were enormous, and their genetic structure made them remarkably resilient—lacking clear weak points, they could continue moving even after losing half their bodies, albeit with slightly reduced tunneling capabilities.

As a result, a single Burrowing Worm could trigger many of the Ji race’s bombs with its sheer bulk before being completely disabled or killed. Moreover, the concentrated points of impact meant that the bomb density per unit area was limited, making it unsustainable against such relentless charges.

In just a few short minutes, most of the high-explosive bombs painstakingly laid by the Ji forces had been detonated. On the Swarm’s side, over a hundred Burrowing Worms had been killed.

However, according to the Ji detection instruments, there were still at least a hundred Burrowing Worms below. Once these behemoths charged upward, the Ji soldiers, lacking heavy weaponry in their defenses, would be powerless to stop them.

Furthermore, these massive creatures naturally created tunnels as they moved. Upon breaking through, they wouldn’t need to do anything special—wherever the hidden Swarm Empress was lurking, she could seize the chaos to escape further underground.

If the Swarm Empress continued to retreat deeper into the planet, even if the Ji forces managed to intercept her again later, the resources, manpower, and equipment required would multiply several times over. Additionally, this would introduce more uncertainties, while drastically reducing their chances of capturing the Swarm Empress.

Therefore, the Ji race had to exhaust every possible means to prevent the Swarm Empress’s escape.

“Deploy X-576!” Soon, new orders arrived from the Ji combat command center.

In their early days, the Ji race had discovered a substance with extraordinarily strong radiation on a distant planet. At that time, the Ji were still in the nascent stages of interstellar development, with relatively primitive technology.

Their bulky protective suits, designed to withstand cosmic radiation, proved utterly useless against this highly radioactive material, akin to cheap knockoffs offering no protection whatsoever.

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The Ji personnel exposed to this lethal radiation didn’t even have time to evacuate before their bodies deteriorated and they perished. In those less advanced times, dispatching exploration teams to distant star systems was an extremely resource-intensive luxury.

This incident resulted in the deaths of over a dozen explorers, marking it as a major space disaster that shocked the Ji race at the time.

Due to technological limitations, the Ji subsequently sealed off the planet, prohibiting anyone from approaching. As time passed and science advanced rapidly, what was once considered a deadly poison gradually became less threatening.

Eventually, the Ji reopened exploration and research on the planet, leading to the creation of a superweapon known as X-576. This bomb, upon detonation, emitted intense radiation pollution within a short period. Against unprotected carbon-based lifeforms, its lethality was devastating. If deployed in excess, it could even exterminate all life on an ecological planet.

However, by the time X-576 was developed, the Ji race’s technological prowess had reached great heights, with their influence spanning dozens of star systems. In the vastness of space, despite its immense power, X-576 lacked practicality.

It couldn’t penetrate the defenses of warships, and using it against primitive lifeforms on newly discovered planets was excessive. Thus, after its initial test detonation, X-576 remained unused for a long time.

That is, until the Ji race’s Dark Age—a period when factions and planets fought bitterly among themselves. Forgotten for ages, X-576 was rediscovered by some unknown figure.

Consequently, X-576’s first, second, third battles—and many more—all occurred against the Ji race itself. Its terrifying power was unveiled to the world for the first time.

Against this weapon, even hiding deep underground offered no protection. After detonation, X-576 emitted a special type of radiation with extreme penetrative power, capable of passing through thousands of meters of soil. Even ordinary anti-aircraft facilities couldn’t block its infiltration.

Once living organisms were exposed to this radiation, their genes immediately began to collapse. This collapse triggered a chain reaction, causing the organism to die within minutes—or even seconds.

Moreover, after detonation, X-576 left behind intense radiation contamination. Without intervention, natural decay would take millions of years to cleanse the area.

Though the Dark Age eventually passed, the scars left by X-576 could not be erased. Since then, it was sealed away—until the emergence of the Swarm.

Before this war, the Interstellar Technological Confederation had captured numerous Swarm units. Though dissection was impossible, extensive physical and chemical experiments were conducted.

The Confederation found that the Swarm’s combat units exhibited extraordinary resistance across the board. Their spacefaring units, in particular, were absurdly resilient. Some speculated that these creatures were genetically engineered hybrids, combining traits that could never coexist naturally. This unnatural fusion was what made the Swarm so fearsome.

Given the Swarm’s unique method of producing troops—low production costs coupled with minimal time investment—they could quickly field powerful biological weapons. Upon discovering this, the Confederation began seeking weapons capable of mass destruction against Swarm units.

Thus, X-576 was brought back into the spotlight after hundreds of thousands of years. However, subsequent tests revealed that this biological superweapon wasn’t as effective as hoped.

The Swarm’s spacefaring units, though seemingly biological, resisted dissection, leaving their true nature unknown. Surprisingly, they showed remarkable resistance to X-576, even absorbing its energy to bolster themselves.

This discovery was deeply discouraging for the Confederation. However, further investigation revealed that the Swarm’s smaller surface combat units were almost entirely vulnerable to X-576, aligning with their expectations.

Yet, these smaller units were relatively weak fighters, raising debates about whether deploying such a heavily polluting weapon like X-576 was justified. While current Ji technology could mitigate the residual effects of X-576’s detonation without much difficulty, it still required additional effort.

Compared to X-576, there were more efficient alternatives available. Nevertheless, X-576 wasn’t abandoned outright, as people discovered scenarios where it could achieve effects unmatched by other weapons.

Such as now!

Through observations of Burrowing Worms’ reactions to attacks, bodily fluids, and remains, the Ji determined that despite their massive size, these creatures were fundamentally similar to the Swarm’s smaller surface units. They weren’t spacefaring units and thus fell within X-576’s effective range.