Lu PingAn strolled along the wooden pier, feeling the sea breeze carrying a faint sweetness.
The view was almost entirely ocean, save for the sight of a distant giant beast slowly rolling over before being swallowed whole by an even larger giant whale—a stark reminder that this was the Other World, not Earth.
Unlike the modern docks he knew, this crude pier looked as if it had simply been piled together from timber.
Massive plants known as Floating Wood formed the foundation of the city, but also made this urban area seem even rougher and more primitive.
Sitting atop a log in a corner of the pier, Lu PingAn watched the bustling scene below like an outsider watching a play.
A battered tugboat was slowly towing a massive six-legged beast resembling a hippopotamus toward the harbor district. It was a Numa Beast, named by outsiders after the "nunu" sound it made.
A horse? Supposedly, it tasted somewhat like horse meat, hovering delicately between tasty and awful. Lu PingAn found it mediocre, but he could not refuse to eat it either. After all, it was the cheapest and most readily available source of protein here.
Before long, it would be hauled into the meat-processing factory on the pier. Fresh meat would be sold on the spot, second-grade cuts would become canned military rations, and its hide would be turned into barely adequate clothing material.
"How fascinating. This city's economy from 'hunting' and 'fishing' is astonishingly huge."
On the Wasteland, where giant beasts were everywhere, one only needed to gather and hunt to easily obtain vast quantities of "materials." With a stable supply, its industries and processing businesses could naturally earn steady profits.
Lu PingAn rested his chin between his hands and watched the sunset slowly descend. It took a full ten-odd