Problem

Although "Luminous" possesses unparalleled hardware facilities, whether for the purpose of defense or simply to monitor its status, the New Epoch Clan has always had equipment to monitor "Luminous" itself.

This means that data such as the energy consumption of "Ying" are monitored and verifiable. The computing power consumed in simulating an intelligent life corresponds to the increase in energy consumption.

While a few instances might not seem like much in terms of energy consumption—even if they amount to tens of thousands—because "Ying" possesses extremely high privileges and can even secretly modify some data without being detected in the short term, what about larger ones?

It's important to understand that accidents can happen anywhere. If every accident were treated as "one of our own," the number of "one of our own" would likely rise to an uncontrollable level.

Most importantly, "Ying's" "own people" have a distinct characteristic: a far greater proportion of Nano-robot in their bodies than normal.

With technology advancing to the level of the Star Sea Alliance, the variety of testing instruments is incredibly diverse. Although "Fluor" can control some of the networked instruments, this will still cause computing power to increase exponentially, leading to increased energy consumption.

At the same time, many of these detection instruments are standalone devices without network connectivity, and Nano-robot are not difficult to detect with today's technology.

This leads to "Ying's" own people avoiding unfamiliar areas unless absolutely necessary, which creates some loopholes.

If the person being controlled is an otaku who lives a secluded life, that's fine. But if it's someone who used to be out and about frequently, or a public figure, their sudden unusual behavior will likely raise suspicion.

Take Cecil, for example. Humins had a great first online chat with her, but suddenly she disappeared. It would be fine if she had gone into hibernation, but instead she went to attend a large gathering like an auction.

There are no secrets that stay hidden forever. If Humins were still that naive Epoch Clan elder, upon learning of this matter and discovering that Cecil was not in hibernation and was not replying to his messages, he would definitely harbor resentment.

After gaining the attention of a peer, "Luminous" will likely face significant challenges in simulating Cecil's actions, even though it can bring Humins under its wing.

However, Humins is currently the only Epoch Clan elder on the front lines of the insect war, and he comes into contact with more people and things, as well as a more complex interpersonal system, which means a huge consumption of computing power and energy. Moreover, given Humins's situation, it is simply impossible for him to remain hidden for an extended period of time without a reason. This is probably why Humins, who has also learned a great deal after his conversation with Cecil, has not yet been investigated by "Ying".

However, if this speculation is true, then it's good news for Rowan. Not because Humins, one of his "own people," is safe, but because Cecil, who should have been in seclusion to avoid showing his face, actually attended a rally.

This suggests that "Ying" doesn't have many usable pieces with significant status, and "Ying" may not be as strong as imagined.

This may be why "Luminous" allows the Swarm to develop unchecked. It needs a new force to attract attention and reduce its own visibility, making it easier and more convenient to develop.

Perhaps "Luminous" already knew about Cecil's plans, and was merely going along with them. However, it later discovered that the Swarm's growth rate was exceeding expectations, and if it continued, it might really do what Cecil's organization wanted. Therefore, it orchestrated a series of events to bring the war against the Zerg ahead of schedule.

Rowan had felt something was strange before; the relationship between the Swarm and the Star Sea Alliance deteriorated too quickly, as if the tide of public opinion had turned overnight.

At the time, Rowan only thought that the forces secretly helping the Swarm had lost the power struggle. Now, thinking back, it's likely that "Luminous" had personally intervened back then.

So now, as Sarah asked, what role should the Swarm play in this war? The Coalition Army have approached the Swarm's No. 1 Star System and are on the verge of securing their first victory in the war against the Zerg.

But in reality, Rowan has other methods, an effective method that could quickly turn the tide. So, should he use it or not?

If the Swarm wins this war, it will undoubtedly attract more attention and scrutiny. At the same time, because it has defeated the Coalition Army of numerous civilizations, both the actual losses and the loss of face will further worsen the relations between these civilizations and the Swarm.

If the Alliance against "Fire" really does emerge in the future, will we be targeted?

Morgan, the Swarm's first Intellect, was a person of extraordinary wisdom in life, and was suddenly pulled into the Swarm Network by Rowan. Unlike "Luminous," Rowan shouldn't work in isolation; sometimes listening to others' opinions can provide a lot of inspiration for his decisions. For example, after speaking with Sarah just now, although Sarah didn't say much, after sorting out some relationships, Rowan came to some new inferences.

In addition, several intelligent Intellect skilled in strategy and tactics were also brought in, while Rowan remained behind the scenes, allowing the Intellect to discuss the matter.

The Intellect quickly learned why Rowan had brought him here. One of Intellect pondered for a moment and said, "If we win this war, then in the future, in a potential Anti-Light Alliance, our Swarm might be isolated."

"So what if we're isolated, a bunch of shrimp soldiers and crab generals?"

"You can't say that. Having more friends means having more options, and taking a step back can open up a whole new world."

"Hmph, that depends on whether they're qualified to be our friends."

"That's right, the Swarm doesn't need friends of that level at all. Besides, we have no basis to be friends with them. Even if we temporarily cooperate because of a common enemy, we can't live peacefully together afterwards."

"Indeed, Swarm and the Luminaries are aliens to those other races. It's just that they find Swarm Luminaries' life form even more unacceptable than the Zerg. But that doesn't mean they can accept the Swarm. Since a war is inevitable sooner or later, there's no need for us to cultivate such a fragile relationship."

"Cooperation is cooperation; there's no need to talk about feelings."

"But wouldn't that be doing Ying a huge favor? You know, we don't have a good way to spread the word about Ying right now. What you're talking about are all things to come later. Have you thought about what needs to be done before that?"

"Indeed, we currently only unilaterally believe that those foreign races will put aside their differences and temporarily ally with us after learning about Ying's situation. But the problem is, they are unaware of this; until then, we are their primary enemy."