Chapter 411: Discovery
The most important revelation for Luo Wen was that he had discovered a true method to enhance his power. The Rat folk civilization, serving as the Swarm’s first production base for Intelligent Entities, had a lineage rooted in Swarm node units and had supplied the Swarm with numerous Intelligent Entities over the years.
Previously, Luo Wen only selected the best candidates, rejecting many spiritual entities that sought to join. However, he now realized this practice was a significant waste. Regardless of the quality of a spiritual entity, all contained an essence of pure, concentrated energy—albeit in varying amounts.
Even those unqualified to become Intelligent Entities could have their essence absorbed by Luo Wen to strengthen himself. The process was simple for him, requiring only the separation of the first half of the Intelligent Entity creation process from the rest.
Beyond this, Luo Wen could also improve his method of absorbing energy from the universe.
He discovered that the growth of the Swarm—through an increased number of node units, expanded territory, and broader network coverage—accelerated his energy absorption rate from the universe. While the increase was minuscule, it was tangible, and as the Swarm continued to expand, this rate would inevitably rise further.
Luo Wen had a premonition that as he grew stronger and the Swarm Network’s coverage reached a critical threshold, he would gain the ability to exert more dimensional influence over the universe—perhaps even altering its fundamental rules.
However, such possibilities lay in the distant future. For now, Luo Wen had to focus on the present and overcome the immediate crises.
Although he now understood himself better, Luo Wen realized that even if the Swarm were entirely annihilated within the universe, he would not perish. His true essence existed outside the universe. However, the Swarm’s extinction would mean losing his anchor within the universe. At that point, he might become lost in the dimensional chaos, drifting into a deep sleep. For Luo Wen, that fate would be no different from death.
Meanwhile, the construction of the Riken civilization’s Trade City progressed smoothly, without any unexpected complications. The two Ji vessels remained stationed in low orbit around Riken’s homeworld. Perhaps due to the unique circumstances, the Ji crew did not enter their usual hibernation state. However, this prolonged waiting was incredibly monotonous.