The blazing sun shone brightly over this calm, windless sea.
Amid the patches of dazzling white light swaying with the waves, bubbles occasionally burst forth. Scaled backs leaped swiftly from within before diving beneath the surface once more, leaving only ripples behind.
This was the sea near Red Island.
The Shell Insects had chosen these warm, level waters to create a kingdom of their own.
Although these Shell Insects that lived in the ocean reproduced slowly and remained few in number, it was astonishing that, for some reason, these dull-witted creatures had developed a degree of awareness of social division of labor. Like ants, some Shell Insects capable of powerful swimming on the surface were responsible for hunting, while others that could secrete exoskeletons took on the duty of building homes.
This embryonic ocean kingdom was not inhabited solely by the Shell Insect family.
Over the years, Abigail Flower had absorbed many marine creatures, fusing and restructuring their life forms to create some exceptionally unusual marine insects.
[Glowing Isopod] was a giant, bioluminescent aquatic beetle.
Although they were not servants and possessed no intelligence, they could instinctively help the Shell Insects build their kingdom more effectively.
These insects enjoyed consuming decaying seabed plants. The highly unusual waste they expelled, which contained luminous substances, was rich in nutrients.
When marine vegetation and creatures absorbed these luminous substances, they transformed into an exceptionally special bioluminescent variety.
After these creatures that had absorbed the luminous substances multiplied throughout the ocean in great numbers,
corals and algae alike developed new glowing varieties.
The Shell Insects darted through this glittering bioluminescent sea, using suitably shaped coral harvested from the giant coral forests on the seafloor, along with coral-like exoskeletons shed from their own bodies, as building materials.
Having developed a measure of intelligence, these Shell