I Am The Swarm-Chapter 569: Value

Conradus left the medical bay with a heavy heart. The Rashudia were currently the most technologically advanced race on the battlefield, and even in the entire frontline base. His flagship was equipped with the most comprehensive and advanced facilities in the entire Rashudia fleet.

It could be said that within a radius of hundreds of light-years, aside from the Ji race’s military outposts and the Swarm’s territory, there were likely no more advanced medical facilities than those on his ship.

Yet, nothing had been detected. Conradus didn’t know what to say. His emotions were complex—relieved that nothing had been found, but also tinged with a sense of disappointment.

Logically, he should feel completely at ease now. But sometimes, only when a problem is detected and visible can it be addressed and resolved. If nothing can be found, there’s no way to even begin solving it.

Although all the information now told Conradus that everything was normal, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with the Swarm’s Stellar Bomb plan.

He didn’t have paranoia—at least, he was certain he hadn’t before. But now, he wasn’t so sure. Could the stress of the war have caused him to develop such a psychological condition?

After all, this battle, involving nearly ten billion units, was unprecedented not only for him but also in the history of the Interstellar Technological Confederation. As the fleet commander making history, it was normal for him to feel some pressure.

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However, before the actual engagement with the Swarm, he had believed that this war would be relatively easy and straightforward—forcing the Swarm to detonate the Stellar Bomb while also undermining the outer-ring and mid-ring civilizations that had been badmouthing the Rashudia behind their backs. In such a scenario, he shouldn’t have felt any psychological pressure.

But it was hard to say. Perhaps he hadn’t consciously noticed the pressure, but his subconscious had sensed it, leading to a series of issues that made him more sensitive.

No—suddenly, Conradus jolted awake. It was now almost certain that there was something wrong with the Swarm’s Stellar Bomb plan.

This wasn’t to say that the Swarm’s Stellar Bomb plan was fake. After all, the battle had only just begun, and even if both sides maintained a high-intensity exchange of fire, the war would likely last at least a year or two. Even if the Stellar Bomb plan was real, the Swarm hadn’t yet reached a point of desperation where they would need to detonate it.

The reason he believed there was a problem was that everyone, without being able to confirm the authenticity of the plan, had firmly believed that a Stellar Bomb was waiting for the Confederation forces and had deployed strategies accordingly. This was highly uncharacteristic of their usual rigor.

Yet, everyone, including Conradus, had previously seen nothing wrong with this. And that, in itself, was the real abnormality.

Conradus had initially thought that the attitudes of those around him had subtly influenced his judgment and that there was nothing wrong with him personally.

But just now, he suddenly realized that perhaps he really did have a problem. Because he had unconsciously been trying to find a reasonable excuse for this abnormal situation.

Was this thought also something the Swarm had forcibly implanted in him through some means? This kind of self-doubt about his own cognition was even more terrifying than untrustworthy comrades.

Conradus returned to the bridge in a daze. In his hazy state, it felt as if the whispers of demons were murmuring in his ears. His scalp tingled, and he looked at his fellow Rashudia with a somewhat neurotic gaze.

Conradus’s abnormality wasn’t obvious. The adjutant and crew in the command room only noticed that his gaze was a bit strange but didn’t think much of it.

Conradus’s right hand touched his left arm, where there was a slight protrusion. It was something his fellow Rashudia, Mowei, had sold to him. According to Mowei, it was a rare item he had obtained from a black market in the frontline base.

It was a limited-edition piece of Swarm personal bio-armor. Mowei had once acquired one at great cost during an auction in a mid-ring civilization, even offending many influential figures in the process.

Such rare items were incredibly scarce in the rear, but this was the frontline, closest to the Swarm. Many individuals who had done business in Swarm territory had retreated here after the war began, bringing with them some Swarm products.

Mowei, who enjoyed traveling, had been relatively close to the frontline base when the war was announced, so he had arrived nearly a decade earlier than the main Rashudia fleet.

During those years, with his background as a member of the most powerful mid-ring civilization, he had naturally acquired some valuable items. The exact methods he used, however, were known only to him.

When Conradus arrived at the frontline base, Mowei had proudly shown off his collection to his friend. As a high-ranking figure, Conradus was no stranger to rare items.

When Mowei had acquired the Swarm bio-armor at great cost, he had eagerly shown it off to Conradus. Among Mowei’s collection, Conradus immediately recognized the unclaimed set of Swarm bio-armor.

Mowei then recounted how he had obtained this treasure and his plans to auction it off in the rear, determined to recoup the expenses he had incurred last time.

Although the Swarm was now universally condemned, their products were highly praised by those who had used them. So when Conradus saw the armor, he was intrigued.

The details of the transaction need not be elaborated, but in the end, Conradus paid a price and successfully acquired the Swarm bio-armor from Mowei.

Afterward, he couldn’t wait to use it.

The Swarm’s products, which had no negative reviews, naturally satisfied Conradus. Its various functions significantly enhanced his safety. Even in space, the armor could help him survive for a period of time, making it incredibly practical for the upcoming large-scale battle.

But now, the armor attached to his left arm was faintly heating up. After the recent events, Conradus had become extremely sensitive to anything related to the Swarm.

His first thought was whether the issues he was experiencing were caused by this bio-armor. After all, it was attached to his body, and since it had been reported, the instruments wouldn’t alert anyone to its presence.

This led him to wonder—if the armor was indeed the problem, then Mowei, who had acquired a set earlier, might also be compromised.

Looking back now, the price Mowei had charged for the armor was surprisingly low, barely covering the cost of the set he had purchased. Given that the war with the Swarm had made such armor increasingly rare, its value had skyrocketed compared to decades ago.

Yet, the level of goodwill between him and Mowei, at least in Conradus’s current view, wasn’t enough to justify such a significant discount.