The setting sun was half-hidden, yellow sand swirled, and gusts of wind howled past. Visibility around the convoy was rapidly deteriorating.
"Let's head back first. We'll continue probing once this sandstorm passes."
A researcher spoke up, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the dust storm.
Several people looked up at the distant sky, where rolling sand and dust surged like a thousand horsemen charging, racing toward everything within sight. Though still a considerable distance away, the sight sent a chill down the spines of all who witnessed it.
The dust swirling around them now was merely the "vanguard" of that distant storm.
A shrill alarm pierced the air, warning of the approaching danger. The researchers snapped out of their shock and began organizing their instruments.
The Defense Force had naturally noticed the distant threat long ago, but there was little they could do. Before the power of nature, humanity felt utterly insignificant.
Researchers gradually returned to the convoy. The Defense Force had already set up facilities to withstand the sandstorm—after all, they had come here with purpose, and preparations were thorough.
After some time, everyone huddled inside the shelters, the Defense Force included. The defense structures were robust, specifically designed for this kind of extreme situation. Aside from the stinging sand pelting their skin, most safety hazards had been neutralized.
"This doesn't seem like an ordinary sandstorm..."
The leader gazed outside. The sky was a gloomy, lightless expanse. Endless yellow sand stretched like a colossal beast poised to devour everything, stirring an unshakable dread.
Sandstorms weren't uncommon in the outer regions of New Eridu due to the climate, and he had seen them before. But compared to those he'd witnessed, this one felt far more violent, carrying an indescribable strangeness. It stirred a quiet unease within him.
"Compared to the world outside, humanity still feels so fragile..."
A researcher murmured softly, his gaze fixed on the unfolding scene outside, his eyes holding a hint of bewilderment and a trace of fear.
Though they all knew the facilities surrounding the convoy and the Defense Force could ensure their safety, even that couldn't quell the unstoppable worry. This was the power of nature.
"Yes, compared to the entire world, humans truly are insignificant..."
"No different from insects."
Another researcher sighed, his tone thick with awe. Humans possessed intelligent minds, capable of researching and inventing countless things, even far surpassing other intelligent beings.
But when stripped of their armor of strength, humans were truly too fragile.
If humans themselves were already immensely powerful, combined with their intellect...
The words echoed within the carriage, reaching the ears of the convoy's leader. Unlike the researchers lamenting their insignificance, his gaze shifted from the swirling yellow sand outside to the mysterious figure sitting motionless beside him.
It is precisely because of humanity's inherent smallness that they yearn to pursue the grandeur of "evolution"!
Time ticked by. The sandstorm-resistant structure enveloped the entire convoy like a hard turtle shell. The next instant, the endless sand and wind roared, crashing heavily against this shell. In the blink of an eye, the convoy vanished without a trace, completely swallowed up.
Amidst this raging tempest, far from the convoy's location, at the very heart of the sky-darkening sandstorm—within the terrifying eye of the storm—a tiny black speck moved slowly...
"Is this... the purest, most primordial form of Ether energy..."
Materialized... natural force.
Beneath the tattered black cloak, a pair of magnificent eyes lifted slightly, calm and earnest.
Beside her, a small black sphere floated quietly, while the spirit remained still beside it. Strands of Ether energy flowed out from the sphere, forming a spherical barrier that enveloped Hoshimi Miyabi.
Without it, opening her eyes would have been nearly impossible.