I Am The Swarm

If there was any development over the years that could be attributed to the behind-the-scenes manipulator, it was likely the chaos surrounding the Riken.

Although the Swarm had released all the Daqi prisoners, it appeared to gain no gratitude in return. As the only failed invitation case in the history of the Interstellar Technological Confederation, Daqi had become a laughingstock after the story spread, permanently etched into the annals of history.

The returned prisoners seemed to amplify this humiliation, adding a “debuff” to the Daqi civilization and making their shame even more glaring. Perhaps because of this, the Swarm’s relationship with the Koya Alliance—despite no direct conflict—remained strained.

When the Daqi failed to recruit the Riken into their alliance, they didn’t give up and had been engaged in constant minor schemes over the years.

While the Riken were the original inhabitants of the Riken System, they did not possess ownership over the entire system. Their territory included only Planet Riken, Planet Riven, Planet Riwu, and Cloud Return Planet, along with their respective moons. The rest of the vast system was controlled by the Swarm.

This left the Riken with relatively scarce resources. Although the Swarm allowed them to mine asteroids on the system’s periphery, they were required to transport the materials back to their own territory.

However, the Riken lacked the capacity to tow large asteroids, and moving smaller ones required crossing Swarm-controlled regions. This process was subject to layers of approval and regulation, creating a system that was not only highly restrictive but also deeply inconvenient.

Any goodwill stemming from the Swarm’s mercy in the past had long since eroded with time. Adding to the tension, certain unidentified forces in the media stirred public opinion, framing the Swarm as antagonistic toward the Riken.

This strained relationship was in stark contrast to the close bond that had developed between the Riken and the Koya Alliance—a faction that had previously extorted the Riken but was now their ally.