Harvester

The Otherworld was filled with Spiritual Energy and all kinds of radiation sources. Living organisms had faster metabolisms, more active cells, and less stable genes, making it easy for them to mutate entirely new organs and Superhuman Powers.

After death, they were also more prone to decay and spoilage. All kinds of ancient, mysterious germs would multiply explosively inside corpses, take control of nerve cords and muscle bundles that had yet to rot, and turn the bodies into undead creatures like zombies—or even extremely dangerous biological bombs.

Monster corpses were precious resources for Dragon City's development. Under the shroud of fog, they were even its only strategic resource, and had to be harvested against every second.

Once the organs mutated and the materials decayed, the resources recovered would not even offset the resources spent killing the monsters.

Even if all the monsters were killed, they had still lost.

Many times, powerful fighters would battle with complete disregard for themselves. By the time the fierce fighting ended, the monster corpses had either turned into undead creatures and needed to be killed again, or rotted beyond recognition, with every last resource written off.

Worse still, corpses could swell more than tenfold before exploding with a bang, blasting slime carrying deadly germs over a thousand meters away, contaminating the air and water supply, and even triggering plagues.

Over time, the support profession known as the "Harvester" came into being.

They specialized in following behind powerful fighters, racing against time to clean up battlefields, not overlooking even a drop of Monster Blood or a piece of monster dung.

"To me, Harvester was the best support profession at this stage—it could gather rare materials, expand my network, let me meet all kinds of powerful people, and since the moon was closest to the tower by the water, make it easier to get cultivation resources.

"Since I had done it for ten years in my previous life, and awakening and leveling it up would not cost much, why not do what I was already familiar with?"

With that thought, Meng Chao did not hesitate to invest Contribution Points and awaken the "Elementary Harvesting Technique."

As his temples throbbed with pain, every muscle in his face twitched, while countless details surfaced from the depths of his brain.

Harvesting methods for crustacean monsters...

Harvesting methods for mammalian monsters...

Harvesting methods for reptilian monsters...

Harvesting methods for flying monsters...

There were also vast numbers of intricate monster anatomy diagrams, methods for extracting hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys, methods for identifying and collecting hundreds of kinds of slime, acid, and venom, signs that monster corpses were undergoing transformation, and warning signs that they were about to become biological bombs...

There were also countless fragments of memory, all scenes of him harvesting alongside his father.

The innumerable images overlapped, branding the rich experience of a Senior Harvester onto his cerebral cortex.

Pain and exhilaration followed one another like shadow and form. He could not help stretching out both hands, gripping butcher knives and scalpels that did not exist, his ten fingers dancing lightly as he carved and harvested to his heart's content.

Meng Chao realized that he had chosen correctly.

Awakening the "Elementary Harvesting Technique" had cost 998 Contribution Points. Then, with only another 1,355 Contribution Points, he broke through the Ordinary Level and charged into the Expert Level.

Next, the Expert Level "Elementary Harvesting Technique" and Perfect Level "Basic Gunmanship" produced some kind of... effect similar to "coordination." In his mind, they erupted with countless strange and bizarre monster weaknesses and anatomical structures.

They all belonged to entirely new monsters unheard of in this era.

"That's right. To a Harvester, the most important thing is understanding monsters' organs and structures. To an outstanding marksman, the most important thing is also seeing through monsters' structures and weaknesses. These two skills are highly correlated.

"In my previous life, it was precisely because I spent ten years as a Harvester with Dad and dissected over ten thousand monsters that I was later able to master Perfect Level Basic Gunmanship and barely become a Third-Rate Expert.

"Ha! Most of the monsters from my previous life's memories have not evolved yet. Doesn't that mean that when they appear, I'll be the person in all of Dragon City who understands them best?"

Meng Chao grinned.

Then his nosebleed sprayed out again, rushing like a torrent.

Meng Yishan returned home, hurriedly packed up his things, and prepared to leave again. "Suxin, they've wrapped things up down there. Remember to go collect our share from the neighborhood office later. They insisted that I was the one who severely injured the super beast, so they gave our family a particularly large share of Black Beetle meat. This stuff won't keep. Make some for the two kids in the morning, and have them bring some to school too. A Chao, Xiao Cao, go to bed early. I'm heading to the North City Battlefield. They're waiting for harvesters there."

Covering his nose, Meng Chao stood up. "Dad, I'll go with you."

"Hm?" Meng Yishan froze.

"Looking like this, I might not do well on the National College Entrance Examination. Instead of finding some random job, I might as well become a Harvester and take a gamble." Meng Chao shrugged.

Meng Yishan looked at his son's "frail" appearance and thought that the boy would most likely fail to get into university.

If he did not go to university, Harvester really was the best job an ordinary person could find.

The danger level was certainly very high.

The battlefield changed from moment to moment. No one could guarantee that new monsters would not come charging over while they were collecting spoils.

Some monsters possessed formidable vitality. Though they appeared to have been dead for a long time, they could still launch a fatal strike.

Corpse transformations, Poison Blood, acid, and lethal spores could all send a Harvester straight to his death.

But the other side of high risk was high reward.

To say nothing else, merely coming into contact with monster remains year in and year out, being nourished by beast blood and exposed to crystal radiation, gave one a higher chance of awakening Superhuman Power than ordinary professions.

Ever since his son had been injured last year, Meng Chao had kept up a brave smile, but how could Meng Yishan fail to see the loneliness in his heart?

As a father, he had constantly been agonizing over his son's future and had long since spoken to the company leadership.

"Fine, I'll take you to see what it's like!" Today's battle had shown the old father how much his son had grown, and Meng Yishan made up his mind.

"Big Brother, are you really going to become a Harvester?" At the door, Bai Jiacao grabbed her brother's hand and refused to let go.

Seeing the little girl's face filled with concern, warmth surged through Meng Chao's heart.

After all, their sibling bond ran deep. Hearing that her brother was going to take such a dangerous job, even the Black Night Witch was a little worried, wasn't she?

"Then if you run into another delicious monster like the Black Beetle, remember to bring some home!" the little girl earnestly instructed him.

"..."

Meng Chao took a deep breath. This was all my fault. As expected, I should not have held such high expectations for the Black Night Witch.

The fog gradually dispersed, and the communications channels became clear again.

The overall situation at the North City Battlefield had been decided. Monster corpses were piled up like mountains, and Harvesters were needed to show their skills.

Military trucks had long been parked outside every residential complex, with the symbol of "Resource Recycling" sprayed on both sides of their cargo beds.

Father and son used safety belts to strap themselves into the truck bed. As the truck jolted over monster corpses, they sped northward.

The farther north they went, the denser the fog became, and the more severe the mutual erosion between Dragon City and the Otherworld grew.

Everywhere, they could see grotesque monster corpses, like bizarre statues giving off a pungent stench.

There were also wildly mutated trees and vines clinging to human buildings. After only a few hours of growth, they had nearly swallowed the structures whole, turning the Reinforced Concrete city into a lush primeval jungle.

Meng Chao also saw a Tyrannosaurus-like giant beast with a hole blasted through its chest by an anti-tank cannon, dark blue blood flowing all over the ground.

Yet it had not died completely. Its blood-filled maw, studded with fangs, still opened and closed.

"A Chao." Meng Yishan suddenly said, "The more I think about it, the more something feels wrong. That super beast just now... it seemed like I wasn't the one who hit it."

"Dad, your eyesight is sharp. It really wasn't you. I blew its head off with one shot." Meng Chao was utterly honest.

"You—" Meng Yishan was speechless, then laughed.

"You don't believe me?" Meng Chao said. "Haven't you heard that people can unleash boundless potential in moments of crisis? For example, a mother without the strength to truss a chicken can, in order to save her child from ruins, move stones weighing several hundred pounds with her bare hands. So what is strange about me awakening Superhuman Power in order to protect my family?"

He began laying the groundwork for his own power.

"That makes sense." Meng Yishan slapped his thigh and came to a sudden realization. "You reminded me—could it be that I awakened Superhuman Power without realizing it while trying to protect you all, and suddenly became stronger?"

"...Dad, I never expected that at your age, you would still have a Superhuman Heart!" Meng Chao clicked his tongue in amazement.

"What kind of talk is that? In Dragon City, who doesn't have a Superhuman Heart? And is your dad that old?" Meng Yishan said unhappily. "Only you young people are allowed to daydream in broad daylight? Why can't middle-aged people become Transcendents?"

"Don't be angry, Dad. That's not what I meant."

Meng Chao gave an embarrassed laugh. "If you really want to become a Transcendent, I'll arrange it. We can find a time another day and make the whole family transcend. Oh, forget my sister. It would be too troublesome if she became a Transcendent. Just you and Mom. Once you become Transcendents, make sure to keep her in line."

"You brat, you're getting more and more unreliable." Meng Yishan could not help reaching out and knocking his son on the forehead. After pausing, he added, "Seriously, being a Harvester isn't easy. You need to be bold, meticulous, and ruthless. Don't get nervous later. Watch and learn."

"Dad, I'm not nervous."

"How could you not be nervous? A real battlefield is nothing like our residential complex. Thousands upon thousands of monsters, a Sea of Corpses and Blood—how could you not be nervous?"

"Dad, I'm really not nervous."

"If you're nervous, you're nervous. What are two fathers and sons afraid of? Back when your old man first became a Harvester, I saw so many monster corpses and smelled that pungent stench that I got so nervous I peed myself. Did you pee yourself?"

"I really didn't... Fine, I'm nervous. I peed myself."

"That's more like it. Let me pass on a secret: the first time you become a Harvester, put an adult diaper in your pants. Really. The smell of many high-level monsters stimulates the human central nervous system, and you simply cannot control your bladder. That's why all rookies wear diapers. Some people wear them for years."

"Dad, where am I supposed to get an adult diaper in the middle of the night?"

"Good son, look, what's this? Once we get there, find a corner and put it on. I'll stand guard for you. Nothing embarrassing about it."

"...Dad, I suddenly feel full of confidence about the National College Entrance Examination. I'm not becoming a Harvester. Let me go home."

As they spoke, the jolting grew more violent.

The explosion-proof tires rolled over monster remains, producing a series of crunching sounds.

The stench seeped into the truck bed like tentacles. Even holding their breath could not block it, and it stung their eyes terribly.

They had reached North City.

The wheels rolled over an enormous crater, sending half the people in the truck jumping into the air.

The smell of gunpowder and blood came in wave after wave, crashing against their hearts.

In the distance stood several shrieking buildings, half collapsed and half ablaze.

By the blazing firelight, Meng Chao saw several disabled six-legged crawling crystal battle vehicles.

Their heavy armor had been torn apart with ease by monsters' Blade Limbs. Quite a few soldiers had been ripped into pieces and scattered throughout the compartments.

Many more soldiers were missing arms and legs, their faces deathly pale as they silently received treatment.

But the monsters had suffered a fate ten times more miserable than humanity's.

Whether snakes, insects, rats, ants, or Jackals, Wolves, Tigers, and Leopards, they had all been burned into charred black corpses and then torn to pieces.

These monsters crushed beneath the Iron Torrent basically had no harvesting value.

"The soldiers' work is far too rough."

The Harvesters shook their heads disapprovingly.

No wonder that these days, the military was only auxiliary in the fight against monsters. The key still lay with Transcendents.

If they all fought like the military, blasting wildly and crushing every monster into mush, it might feel satisfying, but they would waste huge amounts of guns, ammunition, and the precious lives of soldiers while gaining nothing in return.

Within three to five years, Dragon City would run out of resources and be starved and trapped to death alive.

"Today, our company is responsible for Resource Recycling operations around Wufu Road, east of the steel mill," Meng Yishan explained to Meng Chao. "The Transcendents killed several thousand monsters with cold weapons. Their corpses are very well preserved. How many resources can be recovered will depend on us."

The truck stopped outside Dragon City Steel Group.

Quite a few Transcendents flew through the night sky like colorful meteors, continuing farther north to hunt down the scattered monsters.

Harvesters filled the area, flying different banners as they divided up work zones and raced against time.

"Meng Ge."

More than a dozen middle-aged men with dark skin, simple and honest demeanors, and powerful muscles came forward.