Chapter 240

In the Third World, winter’s almost over.

Which means it’s about time to head back to the Royal Academy.

Surprisingly, Victoria decided to return to the capital. She was heavily persuaded by Beatrice and Maurice.

It probably would’ve been better if she just gave up and stayed there…

Regardless of my thoughts on the matter, she seems like she’ll be coming back right around the start of the new term.

By the way, some pretty interesting gadgets have started selling in the capital recently.

They’re tools that use life force.

Made using Daegon’s tech.

Apparently, they don’t drain magic power from the surroundings like conventional power devices do. In other words, even if you use a mechanical device, it won’t draw attention.

Still, if you recklessly use mechanical devices, bandits will invade. Grudges once formed aren’t easily erased.

And even if it makes no sense logically, if society deems something evil, then it stays that way.

So tools that bypass this restriction have quietly begun circulating.

Moreover, these tools outperform the ones Maurice made.

Of course, since they’re based on technology from a more advanced world, it’s only natural. But because of that, problems arise.

Problems stemming from copying someone else’s work.

The necessary steps to reach that level of technology were skipped. So many lessons that should’ve been learned during those steps were missed.

For example, safety features like stopping when your body’s vitality drops below a certain threshold—things added after blood has been spilled.

Honestly, I expected Jeongha’s tech to flourish in Bern City.

Given how they had discarded so much progress, choosing to survive amidst ruin, I thought they’d toss ethics aside and develop cruel technologies.

But surprisingly, Bern City adopted the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign’s technology. It’s not like Daegon’s tech wasn’t used at all.

It means they looked at both types of technology and chose the former.

Does this mean they grew by standing on the shoulders of their painful past?

But their closed-off nature remains unchanged, so it’s hard to say what’ll happen next. Closed groups tend to stagnate and fall apart, after all.

I’m curious to see how things unfold.

These are the two places I’m interested in, and this is how they’re progressing.

Looking at the bigger picture, the Harvesting System has successfully integrated into society. Even ordinary people become stronger physically and mentally once they become Harvesters.

Isn’t it natural for exceptional humans to rise to the top?

Harvesters who started early are now surpassing others and climbing to higher positions.

Also, during this winter, many people passed away.

A lot of vacancies opened up, and Harvesters quickly filled them.

Now all they need to do is get married and have kids.

If either parent is a Harvester, their child will automatically be bound by my contract. And the mutation of becoming a Harvester gets passed down too.

Their skin becomes the same pale shade, and their hair turns purple.

By the third generation, it does lighten somewhat.

Though that’s not entirely certain yet, since not many Harvesters have reached the third generation. The traits could intensify in the next generation instead.

Including the First World, very few people have reached the third generation. But in this world, I think we’ll see multiple generations.

And the future looks bright with possibilities.

Oh, and one more thing.

The site where the Mechanical Knight School once stood has now been turned into a memorial park. I know this because a Harvester working as a construction laborer told me.

Inside, there’s a cemetery and a small museum explaining what happened there.

Surprisingly, it’s all factual.

Even though it’s a monarchy, they didn’t omit the parts unfavorable to themselves. Instead, they openly recorded the history: how a major corporation caused this disaster, breaking the mechanical devices and worsening the economy. Then, enraged mobs attacked the Mechanical Knight School.

They also displayed photos of the corpses Victoria collected and the execution of the masterminds the following day.

They managed to stay fairly neutral in their descriptions.

Well, except for the minor fact that the “masterminds” labeled weren’t actually the real culprits.

They were just unlucky enough to get caught.

While they did participate in the mob, they were likely swept up in the collective madness.

There’s a bit of distortion like that.

That said, the nation hasn’t completely abandoned mechanical devices.

Unfortunately, there are no high-ranking officials among the Harvesters. Although Princess Aurora and a few generals became Harvesters, they don’t play a role in running the country.

But they’re not entirely unaware. That’s why the Harvesters knew about the information inside the memorial park.

Harvesters are strong and resilient. Even without special knowledge, they can earn good money working at construction sites like that. And through them, they serve as my eyes and ears.

On the outskirts of the capital.

Near the military base.

A building is being constructed on a vacant lot.

Through a Harvester working there, I learned what’s being built—it’s the Mechanical Knight School.

The original school in the center of the capital has been relocated outside. To prevent similar incidents, it’s now positioned near where soldiers can be quickly mobilized.

They’ve learned from the past.

After all, abandoning mechanical technology altogether would be too disruptive, given how much civilization depends on it.

Even though it faltered once, they seem determined to rebuild the mechanical civilization.

Daegon’s method replaces the flawed parts of the power system, while Bern City uses the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign’s method but still relies on mechanical devices as a foundation.

It’s not entirely new; it’s built upon existing technology.

Maybe it’ll branch off in the future, but for now, that’s how it is.

As I pondered the future, I visited a nearby shop. By the way, on the second day after moving, a letter arrived along with a substantial sum of money labeled as living expenses.

The letter was from King Highpion.

Despite all the flowery language, it basically said he was sorry for such a small house and asked me to contact him directly if I needed anything.

So I sent a thank-you note.

Anyway.

While contemplating my fate, the fate of this nation, and whether this world will become my automatic warmth-harvesting spot, I went shopping.

***

Things are precarious in the Fourth World.

It’s been three days.

All supplies have been cut off.

No nutrients are coming through the tubes stuck in my back or abdomen, they haven’t brought any Harvesters for experiments, and there’s no sign of the Chimera that usually tends to me.

My body is drying up, and I was starting to wonder if I’d regenerate after dying when—

Finally, I heard the distant sound of the lab door opening.

Several footsteps approached, including heavy ones that stopped right in front of me.

“Did you rest well?”

It’s Jeber’s voice.

So I recited the contract.

“Still no proper personality, I see. Is the Purple God merely a simple set of rules? Too unintelligent to understand pain and pleasure? Or maybe intelligence isn’t necessary?”

Jeber mutters.

Sorry, but I have proper intelligence and personality. You should realize that when someone makes demands. How could you not notice?

Or maybe you’ve already drawn conclusions and refuse to investigate further possibilities?

Either way, your skills are lacking.

Moving on from Jeber, I hear machine operations around me—clicks, keyboard tapping, and occasional pump activations.

Soon, something flowed into me through the hose.

Judging by how my cells immediately reacted, it’s nutrients.

Is this an experiment?

Honestly, Jeber’s knowledge isn’t worth acquiring at such great risk. I already have Daegon’s superior knowledge.

But I’m deeply interested in this world.

That’s why I’ve been praying for a Harvester to take me outside—but today, there’s an unusual sound.

Light footsteps.

The person is light.

Did they kidnap a child?

But there’s no sound of fear, so it’s probably not a kidnapped child.

Since the Chimera Harvester here is busy with its own tasks and not looking at Jeber, I can’t see who it is.

This is frustrating.

“Dad, can I look at this?”

Then I heard a tender voice.

Dad?

“Yes. Jina, use your mental perception ability to examine this.”

Ah, mental perception? The ability to read minds? At that moment, the Chimera finished its task and turned to look at Jeber.

Standing beside Jeber was a red-skinned girl with horns on her head. She wasn’t the child from the last trio of Chimera caretakers.

This means there are multiple entities produced from the experiments.

Judging by her horns and skin, she might be mixed with demon DNA. Very classical design.

The girl called Jina walked toward me, extended her hands, and closed her eyes.

“Uh… Dad! Can you lower this? I think I need to touch it directly!”

With an energetic voice, Jina spoke, and Jeber instructed the Chimera to adjust my position. The chains attached to my severed arms loosened, and my upper body was lowered to the ground.

Jina placed her hands on my head.

Mental perception.

Can she read my thoughts?

“…Wow.”

I don’t feel anything, but Jina softly murmured.

“What was that?”

Jeber asks again, but Jina doesn’t answer. Instead, her arms begin trembling. From the Chimera’s perspective, it’s not just her arms—it’s her whole body shaking.

“Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold.”

She starts repeating the same word like a broken toy.

“Aaaaah! Dad, help me! I’m freezing! Too cold! Help me! Nooo! Cold! C-c-c-cold!”

Suddenly, the girl leaps up, screaming and running around in panic.

“Grab her immediately!”

Jeber shouts in alarm, and the Chimera rushes toward Jina. The Chimera grabs her tightly, but Jina continues shrieking, her whole body convulsing.

And then—

Her body catches fire.

The flames ignite suddenly, but the Chimera reacts perfectly, pulling water from somewhere and dousing her.

But the fire doesn’t go out.

Rather, it originated from within her body. Like drilling a hole in a wooden pillar and lighting it on fire—though the exterior might look fine, the insides are already burning bright red.

No amount of intervention will stop it.

Suddenly, the screams cease, replaced by silence. Warmth flows into me.

Amidst the quiet, the sound of burning fades, leaving behind only white ash where Jina once stood.

“Spontaneous combustion?”

Jeber mutters, his voice stunned.

Indeed. She escaped the cold by fleeing into death.

Cowardly.

[!– Slider main container –]

---