I Am The Swarm

Within the Interstellar Technological Confederation, the blockade on upward mobility imposed by the Ji race and the inner-ring civilizations had led to many long-standing civilizations developing certain mental issues.

For example, the universally unpleasant personalities of the Rashudia race, or the peculiar mindset of the Daibo civilization.

In fact, the Daibo civilization’s way of thinking was quite common within the Interstellar Technological Confederation. Many civilizations, upon realizing they couldn’t control their own destiny on a macro level, gave up striving and instead chose to focus on controlling their individual fates.

Some individuals within these civilizations chose to immerse themselves in virtual reality games, creating new homes in digital worlds where they could dictate their own destinies.

Others chose to explore the unknown, venturing into the outer reaches of the galaxy. However, due to the high rate of disappearance, this had been banned by most civilizations.

Some individuals opted for exploration within the confederation itself. After all, the Interstellar Technological Confederation consisted of over two hundred races controlling tens of thousands of star systems. Exploring all of them was impossible in a short time frame, and even with cryogenic sleep, most individuals wouldn’t complete this feat within their lifetimes.

However, this activity was encouraged by various civilizations due to its relative safety, as help could be sought from local civilizations within the confederation in case of trouble.

Then there were those who neither liked virtual worlds nor enjoyed wandering. They preferred conducting research—not to advance their civilization, but as a personal hobby.

Some studied sculpture, others culinary arts, some researched methods of hunting fish or beasts, while others enjoyed creating small gadgets.