Chapter 298: Impact
Faced with the oncoming barrage of dense artillery fire, the Swarm forces did not adjust course to evade, as the Riken had anticipated. Instead, the entire formation contracted inward, using the Primordial bodies at the forefront as living shields to absorb the attack head-on.
Due to the narrowing of the formation into an irregular cylindrical shape, the area exposed to the assault was extremely limited. Out of the 5,000 Primordial bodies, only 200 to 300 at the very front suffered severe damage in this volley. Despite their battered state, their broken forms were still carried by the swarm, continuing to serve as shields for the second wave of fire.
This sight struck the Riken with awe.
“What a terrifying civilization!” they thought. Imagine if it were them. Could they resolutely place their fleet in harm’s way under such intense bombardment?
Highly unlikely.
Their warships housed not only commanders but numerous soldiers and crew. Even if a captain ordered the sacrifice of their entire ship, whether such a command would be executed in the heat of a life-and-death crisis was doubtful.
In a split-second moment where the tide of battle could shift, even the slightest hesitation would render such a maneuver impossible to execute. Yet, the Swarm’s Primordial bodies at the forefront exhibited no hesitation. Hundreds of them moved in perfect unison, seamlessly forming the defensive configuration.
For the Riken, who had no understanding of the Swarm’s biological nature, this level of cohesion and execution was utterly horrifying.
“What are they trying to do?”