Black Swallow Construction Site (Old Ruins).
The afternoon sun was brutal—white-hot, stabbing—baking exposed rebar and dead-gray concrete until the air itself shimmered in warped heat.
Rust. Grease. Dust. The smell was coarse enough to scrape the throat.
Wise narrowed his eyes and raised a hand to block the glare, gaze locking forward—
Grace was sprinting toward them.
Not her usual languid, elegant glide—this was feral speed, almost ecstatic, arms spread wide, visor gleaming… and her eyes were aimed at one thing:
Eous—round, cheerful, and completely unaware he was about to be "loved" into structural failure.
Wise's pupils tightened.
Zero-point-one seconds before impact, he bent down and scooped Eous off the ground in one clean motion, pulling the Bangboo tight to his chest. The movement was so fast it kicked up a faint gust.
The instant Eous left the floor, Grace froze.
It was like someone hit pause on a running clip—or like a precision machine abruptly lost power.
Her shoes scraped lightly against the rough concrete. The fanatical glow in her face faded at visible speed, replaced by disappointed resignation.
Then she let out a long, unmistakably regretful sigh.
The site fell into a strange silence.
Belle, who had reflexively opened her arms too—assuming the "welcome hug" was meant for her—stayed frozen in the pose for a full beat.
Then she snapped her arms back like she'd touched a hot pan. Her ears turned red in a rush, and her eyes darted away, desperately searching for a hole in the ground.
"Belle," Wise said evenly, voice flat in that merciless way only siblings could manage, "it's time you faced reality."
He adjusted his grip on Eous—tight, protective, unblinking.
"For Grace, unless Qianye and Koleda are both present to split her attention… the moment an intelligent machine exists within hugging distance—"
He bounced Eous once, as if proving the point.
"—she has absolutely no reason to open her arms for us ordinary carbon-based organisms."
It was the kind of statement that sounded like a joke until you realized it was 100% accurate.
Grace didn't get angry. If anything, she looked mildly embarrassed. She pushed her visor up a fraction, forcing a polite smile.
"Belle, I'm sorry," she said, tone recovering its usual smoothness. "When I saw this little one, I… got excited. The exterior design is just… too compelling. If you misunderstood and felt awkward, that's on me."
She turned to Wise, taking the hit with almost disarming honesty.
"And you, Wise—your remarks are always… incisive. Sometimes harsh. But I won't take it personally. You're describing facts."
Wise stared at her, unimpressed.
"…If you could control the very obvious drool-face you make when you're charging, I might believe your apology is more sincere."
His eyes flicked to Eous, then back to her.
"Also, it would prevent my body from reacting on instinct and grabbing him before he gets 'welcomed' into a full-body saliva coating."
Grace coughed lightly, as if considering denial, then chose not to lie.
Once Wise confirmed she wasn't about to pounce again, he carefully set Eous back on the ground.
He rotated his shoulder subtly; his arm was faintly sore.
Not because Eous was heavy.
Because Wise's body—his actual body—was frustratingly, undeniably… untrained.
A thought surfaced: Maybe I should start basic strength work. Pull-ups. A park bar. Something…
Then reality executed the thought on the spot.
A vivid memory: his "pull-up" trajectory was always a perfect despairing arc—chin forever under the bar—his training log eternally reading 0 like an obituary.
He looked up at the sun that could roast a person into jerky.
Wise quietly killed the idea and buried it.
As for "asking Qianye for a miracle drug"?
That thought didn't even qualify as a real option.
Wise could practically hear Qianye's calm, gentle refusal:
"All medicines have limits, Wise. Stimulus or overdraft of potential. There is no injection that turns you into a steroid warrior without an equivalent cost—often irreversible."
Yes. Qianye would say it exactly like that.
Wise sighed inwardly.
A small hand waved in front of his face.
"Brother? Brother?"
Belle leaned in, emerald eyes curious. "You spaced out again. Thinking about complicated formulas?"
Wise shook his head, tossing the whole chain of thoughts out.
He gently pushed her hand away before she poked his nose.
"Sorry. Just… irrelevant things. Did I miss anything important?"
Belle's face lit up. She planted her hands on her hips, puffed her chest, and adopted the unmistakable pose of someone about to exaggerate heroically.
"Oh, you missed a great scene!" she declared.
"While you were daydreaming, Grace took advantage of your guard being down—whoosh!—snatched Eous, and 'worked him over' for a long, long time! Hugging, rubbing, nuzzling—eyes shining like headlights!"
She pointed proudly at herself.
"If I hadn't stepped in and bravely rescued him, who knows how long she'd have kept him!"
Grace offered a sheepish smile, fingers looping around a strand of black hair.
"Right… sorry. The tactile feedback was excellent." She tried to justify herself, gesturing toward Eous—who, to make things worse, seemed completely fine.
"And he didn't resist. He didn't say 'no,' either."
Right on cue, Eous chirped an obliging: "Mm-ne."
Wise watched Grace's face—her "I'm innocent" expression—and also watched the tiny, criminal follow-up gesture: as she set Eous down earlier, she'd absolutely stolen one last quick rub of his little metal ear.
Wise raised a hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.
He decided, consciously, not to analyze Grace's preferences further for his own mental health.
"Fine." He changed the subject, scanning the emptier-than-usual site.
"Why aren't Koleda and Anton here? Belobog's been busy lately. I thought they had new projects."
Grace's expression shifted—pride, fatigue, faint embarrassment, and something more complicated.
"We are busy," she said. "Belobog took an important job—renovating and reinforcing a primary school. Koleda's taking it personally. Safety, learning environment… she's on-site with Ben and Anton right now."
She hesitated, then lowered her voice.
"Actually… with their efficiency, progress should be faster than it currently is."
Belle blinked. "Should?"
Grace glanced around the site edge.
"Sorry. Not a great place to talk."
Belle followed her gaze and immediately spotted several people in other companies' uniforms. They weren't Belobog. They were standing "casually," but their eyes slid toward the group too often—measuring, listening, judging.
Wise didn't react outwardly.
He simply tapped Belle's shoulder lightly—don't stare.
"Let's move," he said. Calm, controlled. "If this isn't private, we make it private."
They walked toward a massive steel elevator lift. Gears engaged with a heavy clunk and a deep mechanical rumble as the platform rose, cutting the watchers' angles off below.
When they reached the elevated work platform, the view opened wide—an entire sprawling construction site laid out beneath them. Wind swept through, carrying away heat and offering something close to privacy.
Grace leaned against the cold metal railing and finally spoke freely.
"Wise, Belle… do you remember Hans, Gretel, and Friday?"
Belle searched her memory.
"Those are… Belobog's self-aware intelligent construction machines, right?" She brightened with recognition. "Gretel was the super 'girly' tunneling machine. Did they… throw another tantrum and run away again?"
Grace shook her head.
"No."
Her smile turned into a complicated, deeply tired one—half proud, half headache, half helpless.
"This time it's not because they're being difficult."
"It's because they're working too hard."
Belle and Wise both answered in sync, completely stunned:
"…Huh?"
Grace exhaled.
"Ever since the prototype issue was resolved, we recovered the core data. That pushed our intelligent machinery tech forward."
She paused when she mentioned the foundation of Belobog's line—built on old shoulders. A shadow crossed her face—then she steadied herself and continued.
"After they came back to work, something changed. With the prototype data being decrypted, they developed… a strong sense of crisis."
Belle's brow furrowed. "Crisis as in… they're afraid of being replaced by newer models?"
"Yes." Grace didn't deny it.
"With the prototype logic recovered, iterative upgrades are inevitable. And as Belobog's reputation recovers—plus Qianye's help on multiple fronts—we're getting more commissions. Bigger ones. Harder ones."
At the name Qianye, Belle caught it—instantly.
Grace's visible joy didn't disappear, but a flicker of anxiety slipped through like the last dying light of sunset: quick, faint, and real.
Belle stored that away.
Grace continued.
"So I planned a full hardware upgrade and software optimization round for Hans, Gretel, and the others."
Wise adjusted his glasses.
"But they refuse," he said, voice precise, almost surgical.
"Because they're afraid an upgrade changes their 'self'—their core continuity. Theseus' Ship problem."
Grace's eyes widened slightly.
Wise didn't stop.
"And the second layer: they want to prove they don't need the prototype's data. They want performance to justify existence. So they're extending work hours and pushing intensity beyond design limits—to defend their value."
Grace's helpless smile deepened.
"…That's basically it."
"They're overworking themselves to prove a point." Her tone darkened. "And that damages core lifespan. That's what scares me."
Wise didn't soften.
"Then state the real reason you called us." His gaze held her. "This isn't just you venting about your machines' workplace anxiety."
Grace inhaled, and her expression turned fully serious—engineer serious.
"I need your help again."
"We need to go deeper into the prototype's storage core. Not just read data—wake the dormant deepest logic chain."
Her eyes glinted with that stubborn brilliance that made her dangerous in a workshop.
"And then—using those original root structures—prove to Hans and Gretel that prototype-derived data isn't an overwrite."
"It's a completion. An enlightenment."
She clenched her fist.
"It doesn't erase who they are. It helps them understand themselves better—like—" she fumbled for a metaphor, then landed on something unexpectedly gentle.
"Like calcium and vitamin D for someone with osteoporosis. You strengthen the bones. You don't turn them into a different person."
"Upgrade is safety. Upgrade is possibility. Not denial."
Grace bowed her head slightly.
"That's the commission. Same rules, same payment structure—Fae…ton's standards."
"Please." Her voice carried real urgency. "Help me again."
Wise and Belle exchanged a look. One glance was enough.
Wise nodded.
"Understood. We'll take it."
Grace's face lit up instantly.
"Thank you!"
And because she couldn't help herself, her arms spread wide again.
"Then let's celebrate with a hug—"
Her eyes and feet betrayed her at the same time, drifting toward Eous.
Wise moved one step, perfectly horizontal, blocking the line like a human firewall. His expression didn't change.
"…Grace."
"Immediately stop reaching for Eous."
"There are many forms of celebration." He raised a hand, palm forward. "Handshake."
Grace sighed.
Wise's voice stayed flat.
"Sighing won't change my answer."
Grace relented, then—almost casually, as if it didn't matter, as if she wasn't fishing for information at all—asked:
"…By the way, Qianye didn't come with you?"
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 139)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter171)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter100)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter184)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 168
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 156
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass 105
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 185
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 160
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 150
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player 76
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 97
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 66
Uma Musume: From Beginner 116
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 75
Uma Musume: I Want All 93
I Can Copy Unique Skills 79
Summoning an Evil God, but the 55
Supernatural Multiverse 75
My Harem Is Indescribable 68
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 70
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 66
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 69
Still playing traditional Honk 49
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 53
What Should I Do After Switchi 42
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 50
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 38
Transmigrated as Sukuna 35
Checking In in Demon Slayer 40
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 55
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