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Changes have also come to the Fourth World, much like the Third World.

Gone are the days when a shower might fall once or twice during the day, or when the rain and wind would rage on all day long.

Here, the rainy season is coming to an end.

During this time, my daily life saw little change.

I spend about one-third of my day making harvesting machines, and the rest of the time is mostly just my blood being exchanged or napping in a transparent tube.

Ah, there’s one change.

The lower half I had given away for the 2nd generation experiment has returned.

Hello, lower half.

Or wait, should I call it “new lower half”? It was cloned using my somatic cells, after all.

There are even things shaped like a person made using my cells. But those never even stirred. Not even a heartbeat.

The first harvesting machine of the Fourth World.

The artificial human made by Bardrol is still functioning normally and there’s no issue with production.

Theoretically speaking, if I create an artificial human from myself, it should yield an artificial human of Bardrol’s version.

In practice, all the artificial humans created as a comparison functioned normally.

But the artificial human made from my cells didn’t work.

It has shape, but Jeber determined it has no soul.

I could see it too; it doesn’t seem like it would move since it has no light.

So if you asked whether I could move a body made from my somatic cells—

Yes.

It can move.

It can move, but it shouldn’t.

While Jeber was diligently experimenting, I tried to sneak a move myself.

For some reason, thinking it might work since it’s from the same vessel, I gently wiggled my fingertip, and lo and behold, the world seemed to crack.

I couldn’t actually see the cracks in the world, but I heard the sound of something breaking.

So I hastily stopped.

At that moment, the harvesting machine in the lab also heard that cracking sound, but surprisingly, no machines recorded such a sound.

It seems the sound resonates with the space itself.

The difference from before is that, at least in visible locations, there were no cracks in the air.

Neither my body nor even the finger I tried to move showed signs of it.

But the sensation at that moment felt like the world was breaking.

If I’m not careful, the well-functioning Fourth World where the harvesting machines are spreading could disappear too, so I won’t do it again.

Anyway, aside from that, I’ve pretty much figured everything I can about the harvesting machines.

Overall, physical capabilities have increased substantially and regardless of any injuries, as long as I eat well, regeneration is guaranteed. Even parts like the eyes that seem impossible to regenerate.

Life expectancy reportedly increases about two to three times compared to regular beings.

Moreover, they say one can feel and manipulate magic power much more effectively.

This part, however, is beyond my understanding.

If that part were absent, I would have expected becoming stronger as if powered by something like a demon with a harvesting machine…

But it’s magic power, right?

According to Primordial Heavenly Sovereign’s theory, that’s strange.

It should rather get weaker, or at least remain the same despite luck.

Yet, it’s getting stronger.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not having an influence.

There’s evidence of this. Eunjae and the people of Cheonma Church, including Cheonma, used me when employing Cheonma Martial Art.

Especially, Eunjae remembers this vividly.

Eunjae produced small fragments known as magic from a place called Dantian. After I joined, they said they became connected and used me.

Based on Eunjae’s memories and judgments through his eyes, the power of magic and I seem identical apart from output differences.

So I’m puzzled as to why the harvesting machines mutate and grow stronger if they do.

And in the state of being a harvesting machine, warmth still remains in my body. The warmth disappears only when the harvesting machine dies.

Hmm.

Since Jeber is steadily researching, maybe he’ll give me answers someday.

So, let’s wait.

Now, regarding the current situation of the Fourth World.

The overall weather has lost a lot of the humid dampness. Ordinary folks are moving from the hot and humid season, where they’d complain about the heat, to a cooler season.

Looking into the memory of the harvesting machines, this country lacks a season that can be called winter.

The rainy and dry seasons alternate, and even in the dry season, which might be considered “winter,” there’s a slight chill but no frost.

And right now.

Jeber’s territory is thriving.

The weather is nice and cool, and with vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, transportation is smooth.

In terms of logistics, trains are actively running. The one difference from the trains I know is that the engine room isn’t at the front.

At the very front is a weapons compartment for fighting monsters.

They say it’s not solely for capturing monsters but also a railway defense force catching those who would raid the rails.

Both humans and monsters are dangerous.

Excluding world’s faded memories, nearly every world has monsters that can use magic.

Why do I say “nearly”?

Well, for example, in one world, the entire planet is covered in machines. The people living there reside in virtual reality.

It reminds me of some movie, but there, it’s not like they lost to the machines.

Sadly, once you become a harvesting machine, the implants inside your body pop out. At that point, it’s judged a strange mutation and killed immediately. Still, they gain warmth and a memory.

Their history goes like this.

As technology advanced, all life forms that could end humanity were eradicated.

However, that didn’t usher in a happy human world. As the technology developed, the environment was severely polluted, leading the wealthy to escape to shelters then to virtual reality. Among those who entered virtual reality, class divisions also formed. After a few civil wars, those with power and those exploited were separated.

Meanwhile, outside, severe environmental pollution wiped out all creatures larger than rats. A few mushrooms, some plants, and a few small mammals and insects survived.

So they had no intention of going into space and just lived within the planet, with some living in luxury and others being ruled.

Those who are exploited were born to be footstools, living miserable lives until death, only to serve as a comparison for those in power.

Yes. Even though there’s enough technology to maintain a life akin to a utopia, it seems people still want to be superior to others and themselves.

Oh dear, I’ve veered off topic.

Anyway.

Monsters exist in most worlds, and there’s a system to defeat them.

This world’s no exception.

Moreover, if a truly powerful monster appears, a wizard comes out to deal with it.

Since that happens every two to three years, it seems the people living there don’t think of summoning wizards.

But these wizards aren’t just protectors of the city; they might even be a source of pride for the town folks.

Upon hearing that their city’s wizard is effectively number one, nothing has changed, yet the status of the town has elevated.

To put it in simple terms based on faded memories, there were cities devoted to serving Chronos, Zeus, and Poseidon. Zeus defeated the former god, Chronos, and became the new god.

Naturally, the city worshiping Zeus’s standing rose compared to the city worshiping Poseidon, which was in a similar position.

Though internally they have various thoughts, the city resembling a capital began to attract people and goods.

Although it’s said to have transitioned to a noble republic, it still holds leadership positions, right?

So this city’s growing more and more.

On the other hand, other cities vary wildly.

In this world, where there’s even internal combustion engines, there aren’t any communication devices utilizing waves.

It may be due to a lack of invention, buried equipment, or perhaps because there are magical communication devices that show both sound and video.

However, the magic is quite troublesome, so wizards usually send letters among themselves.

Anyway, just letters make it hard to know about different worlds.

But luckily, there has been a harvesting machine sent to other wizards, giving me a faint insight into the global situation.

Half of the wizards were dissected upon their return, yet many wizards asked for more afterward.

And Jeber has sent new ones multiple times whenever a wizard requested without asking for reasons.

It seems he doesn’t mind as long as it doesn’t interfere with his research. Whether he thinks the thing could be used to attack him or believes other wizards can’t understand his tech is unclear.

At the very least, this person truly embodies a researcher’s nature.

I quite like that.

Since he sends them so readily, my field of vision widens, right?

Thus, harvesting machines have spread to other cities.

However, being a doll that can’t leave the room, having a broad view doesn’t mean I can obtain information freely.

Once resold to other places, my desires start to surface first.

Yet, an interesting phenomenon occurred.

Seeing as the performance of harvesting machines is superb, wizards started using them like secretaries. You know, doing things you’d expect to see in a raunchy video.

It seems there’s a communication network of sorts among wizards, as it suddenly spread.

The harvesting machines are smart, understand well, and since they’re artificial humans, they obediently follow their words.

Especially the wizards who’ve dissected them once seemed to keep them closer.

Perhaps while probing the insides, they checked if it was safe.

So, I started to see other cities.

Some cities are thriving like Jeber’s, while others are filled with bizarre sculptures, and some have charming decorations.

It reflects the wizard’s taste.

And do you realize this?

When someone’s taste isn’t halted by others, it immediately encroaches upon others’ preferences.

There are people suffering because of that. Moreover, the Rempinion family now employs examples like the ethics of human beings to justify their actions.

Like cracking open babies’ skulls to implant brains to make golems or turning half-alive corpses into half-human half-undead beings by sticking rotten meat onto them while they’re still alive, or sending all children to the fairy kingdom only for them to return as adults.

There are as many diverse magics as the family possesses.

Some cities have become more unfortunate while others have become happier.

As in any other world, here too, it feels like an average world.

Yet amidst all this, I feel I’m going to gain a lot of warmth, and I keep working hard in the Fourth World.

Now, every artificial human made by Jeber passes through me.

Though the number of harvesting machines has significantly decreased due to reduced labor hours.

Well, that’s… unavoidable.

I’m the one who has to understand looking into the future.