I Am The Swarm-Chapter 709: Ambush

The Ji soldiers’ weapon combinations gave the impression of an impenetrable defense, flawless and unyielding. However, while the air cannons and ultrasonic waves were area-of-effect weapons, they only provided surface-level defense, far from offering full 360-degree protection. This gap left an opening for the Swarm to exploit.

A Ji soldier, who had been firing enthusiastically, suddenly let out a scream as a sharp spike shot up from the ground, piercing through his leg bone. The multiple layers of defense provided by his combat suit seemed to offer no resistance, as if it were made of tofu. At the same time, at least five other Ji soldiers were attacked. Except for one lucky individual, the others suffered varying degrees of injury.

“Get airborne!” Initially, to reduce their defensive area, most Ji soldiers had chosen to land on the ground. However, they hadn’t anticipated that the seemingly safe ground would also become a danger zone.

The injured Ji soldier continued to scream in agony. The spike that had impaled him had a hook-like structure at its tip, making it impossible for him to free himself without sacrificing his leg.

The attacker remained hidden beneath the surface, making it impossible to see its full form. The Ji soldiers aimed their weapons downward, but the repulsion weapons were less effective against underground targets due to the terrain.

The soldier reacted quickly, pulling out a tactical dagger. His right leg was impaled, leaving him suspended in mid-air.

Gritting his teeth against the excruciating pain, he leaned forward, causing the spike to tear through his leg muscles and shatter much of the bone. He let out an involuntary scream, his body now hanging upside down.

Most species might have passed out from pain exceeding their tolerance limits. However, the Ji’s special forces underwent rigorous training, with pain endurance being a standard part of their curriculum. Thanks to their advanced technology, most injuries were manageable for the Ji. Thus, broken bones and severe injuries were common in their training.

The soldier took a deep breath, channeling his pain into strength, and swung his dagger at the spike protruding from the ground. The unseen attacker was clearly some kind of Swarm bio-weapon, and its weakness was now exposed: the strength of its weapons was inferior to that of mechanical civilizations, which could freely synthesize materials.

After several powerful strikes, the spike snapped. Caught off guard, the soldier fell to the ground, but this fall was insignificant compared to the earlier impalement.

The thrusters on his combat suit activated. With the ability to fly, the disadvantage of his leg injury was minimized. As long as he stayed airborne, his safety would be assured. The horrific-looking leg injury would heal after a few days of treatment.

But just as his body left the ground and began to ascend, another spike shot up from beneath the soil. Due to his awkward posture from the fall, his most vulnerable area was exposed. The spike didn’t give him a second chance, piercing directly through his heart.

“*&…” Blood seeped from the corner of the soldier’s mouth beneath his helmet. He cursed silently, knowing his fate was sealed. Unless he could immediately return to a warship and receive advanced medical treatment, survival was impossible. But such conditions were not available.

With a final roar of defiance, the soldier pulled out a bomb from his gear—a “glory bomb,” a symbol of ancient honor.

“Boom!” The explosion reduced the soldier and his unseen attacker to dust. The Ji’s advanced technology ensured the scene wasn’t overly gruesome.

On the battlefield, sacrifices were inevitable. Compared to the battles in space, the casualties on the ground were negligible. After all, even the smallest warship destroyed in space carried tens of thousands of lives with it.

However, as the intensity of the ground war escalated, its brutality surpassed even the space battles.

The surviving Ji soldiers had no time to mourn their fallen comrade, as they were now fighting for their own survival. The few soldiers still impaled by spikes were among the only ones who spared a moment to acknowledge the self-sacrifice.

The tragic fate of the self-detonating soldier left a deep scar on their young minds. Ignoring the pain in their legs, they activated their thrusters, determined to put as much distance between themselves and the ground as possible.

But the hooked spikes wouldn’t let them escape so easily. Desperate, they resorted to cutting off their own legs. With Ji technology, losing a limb wasn’t a permanent disability. As long as they survived, they could always opt for mechanical replacements.

However, the attackers lurking underground didn’t give them a chance to escape. A tentacle extended the range of the spikes, turning the Ji soldiers into pincushions before they could free themselves.

Only one Ji soldier managed to detonate a glory bomb. The others were killed instantly, denied even the chance to take their enemies with them.

Meanwhile, the airborne soldiers were far from safe. Out of nowhere, a massive swarm of flying artillery bugs appeared. These small creatures, only thirty centimeters long, had origins dating back to the Genesis Continent era. But after countless upgrades, they had managed to keep pace with modern warfare.

A barrage of projectiles filled the air. These enhanced physical projectiles were not only faster, reaching speeds exceeding ten times the speed of sound, but they also emitted deafening sonic booms upon firing. At close range, they were almost as effective as energy-based weapons.

Moreover, their composition had seen significant improvements. Not only did their speed grant them immense piercing power, but they also retained their traditional trait of being coated in poison. This poison was highly corrosive and deadly. Even a small breach in a Ji soldier’s suit could prove fatal if exposed to the toxin.

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To make matters worse, these small creatures were incredibly agile and equipped with the Swarm’s standard stealth systems. Without warship support, the Ji soldiers lacked the means to detect these invisible threats. The constant sonic booms further disrupted their ability to lock onto the bugs.

The poison projectiles were so fast that even ultrasonic repulsion weapons couldn’t stop them. Only the air cannons could barely intercept these deadly toxins mid-flight.

However, the air cannons’ range was inferior to that of the ultrasonic weapons. Relying solely on air cannons, the Ji soldiers couldn’t defend against attacks from all directions.