Seeing every bug present turn their attention his way, the Gear Clan technician gave a slight nod, then smiled as he reached out and pulled away the black cloths.
What lay beneath drew gasps of amazement from the soldiers.
"How is this possible?"
The Centurion widened his eyes and rubbed them hard before looking again, but nothing had changed.
What was he looking at?
A bug's body made entirely of metal?
Although it resembled an ordinary bug, the thing before him had a wholly metallic body. Unlike the prosthetics or components they had seen before, it was something cast entirely from steel.
A flicker of unease stirred in the Centurion's heart. This thing reminded him of the ancient constructs they had fought during the conquest of the Royal City.
He looked back at the still-smiling technician.
Had the Gear Clan, survivors of an earlier civilization, finally set foot on this path too?
These bugs, whose bodies barely had a scrap of original flesh left, were finally planning to turn even their heads into iron?
For a moment, such thoughts ran through the Centurion's mind.
"Hee hee hee hee..."
As though he had noticed the Centurion's confusion, the technician began explaining without the slightest hurry.
"Then allow me to formally introduce the Gear Clan's latest research achievement: the Explorer Type 001!"
"As for its capabilities, you'll see them very soon." The technician deftly operated the system installed on his prosthetic limb.
After a series of tapping sounds and a flicker of electric current, the metal construct rose straight up without any external force moving it.
Every soldier immediately raised his weapon in alarm. This scene was looking more and more like what had happened during the battle for the Royal City.
But the metal construct made no other move. It merely