The watcher on the cliff

While the expedition dealt with the sudden crisis, two insects, one yellow and one white, stood atop a towering cliff in the Black Shell Plains.

Or perhaps they could be described as one copper and one iron creature.

In any case, these two individuals were diligently collecting combat data on the Ashen Clan below.

These two insects were extremely unusual. Not only did they bear the marks of civilization, but parts of their bodies were prosthetics made of copper or iron rather than flesh.

They looked utterly out of place in the barren wilderness, yet their caution proved that they still belonged to this world.

"Wow, did you get all that?" The yellow insect lowered an instrument resembling a telescope and spoke to her companion.

The shock had yet to fade from her face, but her hands were already trembling with excitement, as though she had just watched an earth-shattering performance.

"Yes. Everything."

The white insect beside her also stopped what he was doing and tucked his notes into the backpack behind him.

Compared to his companion, he was more methodical. Every movement seemed to follow the most efficient route, carefully measured out with a ruler.

"This was supposed to be a routine observation of the ecological invasion in the Black Shell Plains, but I never expected an unforeseen development."

"The Black Shell Plains lose some of their beasts to the ecological invasion every cycle. According to our projections, this invasion should have been the last. The Black Shell Plains would have become a breeding ground for the beasts of the Black Nest."

"But..."

At this point, the yellow insect's eyes grew animated, taking on a playful gleam. Clearly, unlike her rule-bound companion, she welcomed unusual developments.

"So? Are you going to report this, or wait a little longer?"

The yellow insect's provocative question received no answer. The white insect remained silent and looked down again. By now, the battle between the two sides was nearing its end.

The anticipated final clash between the Black Shell beasts and the invading creatures had not happened. Instead, an unknown force was resisting the invasion.

The Black Shell beasts, the actual subjects of their observation, had vanished without a trace.

The failed observation was a minor matter. What the white insect truly found unbelievable was that a group of ordinary insects was fighting the beasts of the Black Nest, which their original projections had deemed unbeatable.

Could ordinary insects really withstand such a terrifying ecological invasion?

More importantly, they had reached this level through physical strength alone, without the assistance of any machinery.

"This goes against the doctrine."

Only after a long silence did the white insect slowly utter those words, but his tone made his displeasure clear.

"Ah, I knew you'd say that. You've always wanted to join the Gear Council, after all, so you're especially sensitive about those doctrines."

"Objection. This is not sensitivity, but necessary vigilance. All flesh is weak. Only steel is eternal."

As he spoke, the white insect removed his mask, revealing a face that had already been almost entirely modified.

Special lenses covered his eyes, giving him extremely long-range vision without a telescope, while the various organs in his body had also been modified to varying degrees.

Once he removed his mask, the white insect immediately got to work. Like a radio, the two antennae atop his head began emitting waves as he attempted to contact his superiors.

"Whatever. I don't like having that many modifications. Enough to get by is fine."

The yellow insect remained noncommittal. Compared to her white companion, she had very few modifications. Aside from her two arms, there were none.

While her white companion contacted his superiors, the yellow insect turned her attention back to something else that interested her more.

Watching the Ashen Clan fight, she found their resolute eyes and coordinated movements especially fascinating. It all seemed incredible.

Although those insects' equipment looked primitive, every detail revealed fine craftsmanship.

More importantly, they did not seem to be fighting to resist something, but to protect it.

They were neither cornered beasts nor thieves. Their discipline was strict.

"They look more like... an army?"

In an instant, a bold thought shot through the yellow insect's mind like an electric current. Could it be?! Have they reclaimed the ancient kingdom's lower territories?

"Unbelievable. We were already planning to give up. Logically speaking, reclaiming our homeland was practically impossible, yet they actually did it."

She recalled the stories she had heard since childhood: the ancient glories, the foolish mad king, and the great catastrophe that had ended everything.

The scene before her was like those stories playing out all over again. Once more, a hero had appeared, gathering scattered insects and leading them toward glory.

"Just look at them. They don't fear battle or care about casualties. They're simply working together toward the same goal."

The yellow insect could not help marveling. In those seemingly primitive kin below, she saw something her own people had always lacked: passion.

A fervor that could never be found in numbers and gears.

At least, even after searching her memories over and over, the yellow insect could find nothing else like it.

As far back as she could remember, ever since her birth, all affairs within their territory had been managed by the Gear Council, which consisted of three divisions: the outer ring, the inner ring, and the core.

Those great figures, who had endured from the ancient era to the present, controlled everything in the territory, yet never explained to commoners like her what the so-called great catastrophe had actually been.

Day after day, they merely repeated that, to prevent another possible crisis, erroneous thought had to be eradicated completely, and everything had to be viewed with absolute logic and reason.

Flesh was weak. Steel was eternal.

It was in this oppressive atmosphere that the concept had been proposed.

Material shortages had certainly helped give rise to this philosophy, but its greatest source was the precious wisdom inherited from the ancient era.

It was also thanks to that ancient wisdom that the territory had survived to this day.

Every child born within the territory was strictly controlled. Once insects reached a certain age, they were forcibly required to replace their limbs with metal prosthetics to ensure that they remained forever "pure."

Most insects regarded this philosophy as an absolute faith. Even the few who were dissatisfied would raise no objections.

Except for this yellow insect. She had been born with intense curiosity and a thirst for discovery, and deeply disliked anything set in stone.

Naturally, the Gear Council's overseers considered these feelings a tremendous threat.

But raising every insect in the territory was no easy feat. After every method had been exhausted, with neither discipline nor punishment producing any effect, the council had nominally assigned the yellow insect to this post, while in reality exiling her.

It was called observation, but she was neither permitted to make direct contact nor allowed to leave her post without authorization.

This tedious life of observing the same things day after day was nearly driving her mad.

Yet in the resource-starved lower observation zone, she could not find even a single intelligent insect. What could she do, even if she could no longer bear it?

That was how things had been, at least.

"All right. Our superiors have sent new instructions. I will return to the territory to deliver a more detailed report. You will continue observing here."

"Sure, sure. I know."

The yellow insect's perfunctory response displeased the white insect, but he still spread his wings and left.

Further lecturing did not conform to the doctrine of efficiency above all else.

Once she confirmed that the white insect had truly left and was not coming back, the already halfhearted yellow insect stopped pretending altogether. She leaped off the cliff and fled her post.

Even inside a cavern, the cliff still stood dozens of meters above the ground.

Not long after beginning her fall, the yellow insect adjusted her posture, turning her back toward the ground and beating her wings like a parachute to slow her descent.

The wing cases formed from her hard exoskeleton effectively absorbed the impact of landing, dispersing its energy while preventing damage to her internal organs.

This special survival mechanism left no doubt: the yellow insect was a ladybug, only one with an unusual yellow coloration.

Naturally fond of freedom, the yellow ladybug paid no mind to how dangerous her actions had been. The moment she found her footing, she ran straight toward Bastion City.

That city had once lain ruined and occupied by beasts, but now it had been rebuilt, with light and warmth radiating from its summit.

Unknown things were everywhere: an unidentified army, buildings she had never heard of, and the name they shouted in battle-the Sunfire God.

Everyone in the territory thought of her as trouble anyway. Now that she had found something so interesting, how could she possibly resist going over to investigate?