Spotty continued to observe and noticed that the Red Roach Tribe warriors took flight at dusk, venturing into the dense jungle below the mountains to hunt. Their efficiency was remarkable, as they quickly returned with two decapitated snakes. As twilight descended, ordinary cockroaches living on the mountain began to emerge, forming a crowd around the Red Roach Tribe warriors, waiting and watching. Their numbers were too many, and they were all robust adult cockroaches, leaving no opportunity for Spotty to join in the feast.

Spotty abandoned the idea of scavenging snake meat altogether. Instead, he returned to the nest under the rocks and began to dig. Seeing this, his mother, the cockroach matriarch, joyfully waved her antennae and helped move the soil outside the nest. After much effort, they finally unearthed the buried cockroach corpses.

Spotty vaguely sensed a residual Force within the corpses but wasn't certain if his current constitution could withstand it. However, he remained calm and dragged one of the corpses out of the nest, tossing it aside before observing from the entrance.

Soon, a mature cockroach discovered the corpse and wasted no time in feasting upon it. Others followed suit, and Spotty confirmed that the remnants of Force on the corpses posed no life-threatening danger.

Encouraged, he continued to excavate other cockroach corpses, ensuring they were safe for consumption. He tasted them himself and found that the Force fruit's effects were still within acceptable limits for his constitution.

Encouraging his mother to eat, Spotty repeated his urging until she complied. However, instead of eating, she dragged one of the corpses away, intending to deliver the surplus food to her daughters on another mountain peak.

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Spotty understood the impending arrival of winter, a season that would claim the lives of weak cockroach nymphs and elderly adults alike. He knew that his sisters, born from the last egg sac his mother would produce this year, were in urgent need of meat to grow.

However, Spotty chose not to concern himself with the countless lives of his sisters. Survival in the jungle was a harsh reality, and the weak were naturally eliminated. His only wish was for his diligent "mother" to live longer.

Despite his efforts to persuade her, Spotty's mother insisted on delivering the food to her daughters. In frustration, Spotty watched her depart with a corpse in tow.

Contemplating the inevitability of life, time, aging, and death, Spotty realized that even the most advanced human civilization, with its high-tech knowledge, could not reverse these natural processes. As a mere cockroach nymph, why should he strive for the impossible? He decided to let nature take its course.

With winter approaching, Spotty knew he must complete his ninth molt and become a 10th instar subadult to stand a chance of surviving. He focused on eating, alternating between cockroach meat and decaying tree leaves, maintaining a balanced diet for optimal nutrition.

As autumn advanced, Spotty basked lazily in the midday sun, absorbing its warmth through his black carapace. Nearby, the Red Roach Tribe warriors, though at the apex of the food chain, still suffered from inherent deficiencies, evidenced by their listless demeanor under the raspberry bushes.

Spotty observed their role as protectors, keeping potential predators such as birds, snakes, and rodents at bay. He felt secure in their presence, knowing that the area was devoid of other creatures apart from cockroaches.

Reflecting on the wonders of nature and the ingenious ways even low-intelligence creatures sought survival, Spotty marveled at the spectacle of the red-roofed cockroaches basking in the sun, resembling a sprawling flower garden.

With ample meat and suitable temperatures, Spotty estimated that in about five days, he would molt for the fifth time. Satisfied with his progress, he relaxed and entered a meditative state, preserving his precious energy reserves by avoiding complex thoughts that might lead to the death of brain cells.