Chapter 237

Through the eyes of the Harvester, I caught sight of a Wizard at work and realized something.

Turns out, this Wizard has a Clone he refers to as his “assistant.”

At first, I thought he called all Clones that, but it seems like the Wizard can actually tell them apart.

Of course, this particular Clone isn’t a Harvester.

Yeah.

It’s kinda cool when there’s someone important around.

If it’s not a Harvester now, then someday an opportunity will come knocking.

While imagining the perfect moment to swallow the Wizard whole, I took a look around this world.

First off, this world is kinda like Earth in the 20th century. The only difference? Communication technology using radio waves never really developed here.

There are cars and trucks running on oil, plus motorcycles and other rides.

And yeah, there are trains too—but they don’t run on steam engines or magic power. Judging by their design, they’re probably diesel-powered locomotives.

None of the Harvesters I’ve absorbed have been super tech-savvy though.

The best I got was a mechanic who worked on fixing cars. There *is* electrical equipment here—it’s just that no one relies entirely on electricity, nor do they fully depend on magical energy either.

Some devices require magic embedded into the engine parts, which function as mysterious black boxes nobody understands.

Apparently, some people tried tinkering with these things but died shortly after opening them up.

So yeah, it makes sense why technological progress has stagnated for over 300 years.

Also, another thing—there’s never been any kind of World War here. Maybe because even though the world is fairly advanced, there are still vast unexplored regions filled with mysteries.

This is a world rich in magic, meaning there are plenty of powerful creatures roaming about.

Humans aren’t the dominant species here. Somewhere along the line, humanity compromised.

Why? Well, think about it—if you had a nation so strong that even a full-scale assault couldn’t kill certain monsters…you’d understand.

Nuclear bombs aren’t exactly top-tier weapons here either.

How much pain would shooting a nuke at a monster made of pure volcanic fury cause?

Could anyone alone turn summer into winter and defeat such beasts?

From the First World to the Fourth World, every realm harbors these kinds of monsters. In comparison, the world from my faded memories feels pretty tame.

It’s almost like a mosaic—a patchwork reality.

And let me tell ya, magic itself is the weirdest part.

Anyway…

This place is way more technologically advanced than what I saw through the first Harvester’s perspective.

For example, the mansion where I stayed used light bulbs instead of magical stones like in the Third World. There were wires connected everywhere, and even transformers lying around.

Harvesters taken from slums knew nothing about electricity, but those from more civilized areas had at least some basic knowledge.

I spent a bit of time pondering why there was such a huge gap in knowledge between people.

Then it hit me—there’s no mandatory education system here.

The state doesn’t provide any formal schooling whatsoever. So if you don’t know something, chances are you’ll never learn it. It’s not necessarily intentional dumbing-down; humans lacking basic knowledge aren’t exactly useful tools.

Imagine asking someone to bring electricity, only for them to grab live wires and die because they didn’t know better. That person would just be a liability.

It’s surprising how much we take for granted—things kids learn in kindergarten are actually lessons taught by society.

So, how much knowledge does this Wizard possess?

I’m looking forward to finding out someday.

In the meantime, among the captured test subjects, there were foreigners whose knowledge expanded my understanding. I threw out the bait of being a Harvester and waited patiently.

—

Meanwhile, life in the Third World flowed smoothly.

The day after returning to my accommodation, I was summoned by Highpion right away.

I thought he might scold me for acting recklessly, but all he did was ask why I went where I did.

I explained everything that happened, including how Victoria had wandered off and I followed her.

King Highpion gave a bitter smile and admitted he’d been too harsh.

He wasn’t wrong, so I nodded in agreement.

Then he asked what became of Victoria, and I told him she disappeared without saying goodbye on the last day.

His reaction was priceless.

It was like hearing two kids argue, then calling one of them over to explain while the other sulks and insists they did nothing wrong.

I found it oddly fascinating.

Isn’t this common knowledge for any parent?

Not really… huh?

Right.

Highpion isn’t a father—he’s a king.

Experiencing the everyday struggles of parenthood isn’t typical in his position.

Afterward, he awkwardly dismissed me, suggesting I meet him properly sometime later. He seemed unsure if his decision was the right one.

Of course, I didn’t point that out.

Victoria needs rest.

Or maybe she just needs space from me altogether.

It’s her choice.

Eventually, I’ll bring warmth to her anyway, so until then, she can do as she pleases.

That’s what I expect from my Harvesters too—to pursue what they desire.

Highpion let me go without further questions, so I returned to my accommodations and relaxed.

One thing became clear—I’m surprisingly free here.

Considering how I advertised my Harvester creation abilities to foreigners, it seems they want to use me, but not in a rigid, tool-like manner.

If I had to guess, the Fourth World suits my taste.

If they treated me purely as a tool, they wouldn’t bother studying me. Instead, they focus on what to do with the Harvesters I create.

The emphasis shifts from me to the Harvesters themselves.

Plus, Harvesters have random elements involved.

Humans love gambling—they lose track of everything, even family ties, when addicted to it.

When people talk about wanting to go back in time, it’s not always regret over their ruined lives. Sometimes, it’s just the thrill of reliving the gamble.

Back then, they had money to bet with, after all.

Around casinos, you’ll always find desperate souls willing to trade anything—even their parents—for chips.

Casinos are lucrative places that churn out socially expendable individuals.

They’re great material for exploitation.

Give them a little cash, and they’ll commit crimes easily. Even disappearing won’t raise eyebrows.

You can discard them, send them to mines as laborers, or harvest their organs for spare parts.

Of course, proper nations see casinos as economic drains since they reduce the working population. But twisted societies thrive on them.

Easy money, cheap labor, and raw materials—it’s all there for the taking.

That’s the allure of randomness.

Harvesters gain psychic abilities seemingly at random, though there’s a slight bias.

Even similar powers rarely repeat perfectly.

The longer I observe Harvesters, the more drawn I become to their charm.

Honestly, without them, I’d be done for.

Because I can create Harvesters, the future of freezing underwater forever grew fainter.

And I’m never bored.

Watching multiple Harvester channels simultaneously keeps me entertained.

Sometimes, I wonder if there’s intent behind having these abilities.

But until I confirm whether gods even exist, I’ll keep my eyes closed.

If I find one, I’ll spear it and drag it down to the depths.

Anyway…

I’m being treated better than expected as a guest in this country.

Maybe I could head to a shining place like Atlan Fortress City, occasionally make Harvesters, wear the mask of a sage, and live peacefully for a long time.

Besides, everyone faces danger sooner or later.

It could be illness or an accident.

When that happens, people will come begging me to turn them into Harvesters.

Especially women—if I promise enhanced beauty and slower aging, they’ll find it hard to resist.

Hell, any living being wants to escape aging, and I can grant that once.

On top of that…

The future of this world remains murky.

Chaos that once swept across this land now spreads elsewhere.

Foreigners fleeing their own turmoil flock here—not just from one or two countries, but from everywhere. Turns out, the civilization-supporting technology has a fatal flaw.

And it’s not due to mistakes or lack of skill. Someone deliberately tampered with it.

The collapse of major corporations is inevitable.

Not doing so would defy national interests.

Still, I haven’t figured out what those three companies truly wanted yet.

Honestly?

Even if they staged a dramatic comeback and conquered all nations to form corporate states, I wouldn’t care.

At least something’s gonna happen.

And countless people will die during the process.

As despair grows, some will reach out for help.

Harvesters are stronger than regular humans in many ways—essentially Humanity 2.0. They’ll inevitably rise to prominence.

The biggest issue is whether frightened humans will reject Harvesters as enemies.

But thanks to Highpion’s excellent PR in the Third World…

It’s already a done deal.

Heehee.

Thus, I plan to live quietly, creating Harvesters occasionally and blending in with normal humans.

I hope the Fourth World fares well too.

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