Millions, even tens of millions—once a nest grew large enough and the production lines entered a cycle, the number of drones became irrelevant. They multiplied even faster than a large-scale battle could destroy them. When the swarm began its jump, there might have been only a few million drones in the formation, but by the time they reached their destination, the endless reinforcements from the various nests had added an entire zero to that number.
Thus, whenever one described a drone swarm that had reached a certain scale, there was only one accurate phrase: beyond counting.
Drones beyond counting entered jump mode. When the warp engines activated, the radiance they emitted made the entire expanse of space churn violently, like an ocean in a storm. Starlight swayed and twisted into clumps, rifts opened across the universe, and this enormous army operated as one under the control of a single command, lunging toward that unmistakable set of coordinates and welcoming their mission with a frenzy akin to revelry...
"This is the first time I've seen someone give F2A this kind of epic grandeur." The Data Terminal's voice was filled with despair. To express its feelings, it had even activated its long-unused "Patian" form—a brain-thrombosis-stricken young woman with long, straight blond hair, lying utterly listless across the control console beside him. "Partner, you only pressed two keys in total. Could you not project this aura of commanding armies on the battlefield?"
Hao Ren rolled his eyes at Patian. "Damn it, don't underestimate those two steps! Timing is extremely important, okay? Besides, I'm just a field cop. Where would I have learned how to command a large-scale battle? The drones know how to fight by themselves. I just box-select them and hit A!"
With that, he lowered his head and continued fiddling with