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Chapter 148: Earth Wasteland Arc (Fourteen)
Chapter 148 Earth Wasteland Arc (Fourteen)
The trio quickened their pace toward the village interior. Feng Bu Jue skillfully grilled Hank about Divine Protection Village’s details as they walked, while Kuangzong Jianying listened in silence.
Though Hank wasn’t a tour guide, Feng Bu Jue’s interrogation method was so refined that the scavenger unconsciously spilled key information.
Divine Protection Village’s residential areas were divided into four districts. The outermost First District, closest to the exit, was an impoverished slum. Hank’s home lay there. His only living relative was his mother, in her fifties, who worked ten-hour shifts at the laundry house six days a week for meager wages.
Hank’s job in the Scavenger Squad paid slightly better, but came with lethal risks. His father and older brothers had all been scavengers who died violent deaths.
The squad’s primary mission was gathering resources in Old Earth’s treacherous environment. While exploring ancient ruins was rare, their daily work involved harvesting Divine Protection Village’s surrounding natural resources—mainly ores, plants, and water sources with manageable pollution levels.
Thanks to the anti-gravity launcher, physical labor was minimal. Scavengers simply packed materials, "lifted" them, and walked back to deposit the cargo in Sharkfish Pod’s hold.
Superficially simple, yet deadly. Even Old Earth’s storm-plagued deserts harbored vicious creatures, and jungles, swamps, and coasts teemed with mutated organisms. Both environment and wildlife posed mortal threats to humans.
Most residents in the outer districts shared Hank’s grim reality. Formal education lasted only three years—basic math and literacy in the first two, practical work skills in the third. At ten years old, they began their lifelong struggle of monotonous physical labor or hazardous jobs. As long as they followed rules and fulfilled duties, they could at least eat their fill.
Crossing into the Second District revealed a sprawling agricultural zone. Roads and housing improved noticeably. Golden wavy-leafed crops resembling corn dominated fields, while coffee-colored tuber leaves emitted a fragrant aroma. Feng Bu Jue questioned Hank, who identified them as Sourmi grains and Sweetfruit tubers—staples of the villagers’ diet. These species were cultivars developed by Divine Protection Village’s early settlers, absent on the original Earth.
Farmers lived slightly better than First District residents. Their homes were more comfortable, attire more colorful. Each household cultivated assigned plots, with harvests strictly monitored and entirely surrendered to the village. Income depended on the amount surrendered. While labor conditions remained fair, agricultural families had educational opportunities—if a household had multiple children, the most gifted could pursue "Higher education." Graduates might advance to the Third District.
The Third District housed technical specialists, numbering around 300. The village’s "public" technological advancements stemmed from this elite group, though even lower-tier residents worked as engineers or administrators. Retired specialists taught students.
Brainworkers dominated here, enjoying stable incomes and spacious living quarters—equal to entire First District family homes. Their white-colored attire marked higher social standing.
The Fourth District housed the Priesthood—the nobility. Their residences appeared luxurious to outsiders, though priests wore standardized robes. Only Kouben family members enjoyed sartorial freedom. Their portraits adorned the village, and children memorized Kouben’s heroic deeds and patriotic songs.
Priests led lives of effortless privilege. Their tables featured ingredients scavengers risked their lives to obtain—luxuries ordinary villagers would never taste. Their tap water was pure, unlike the filtered polluted water used in outer districts.
The priesthood’s sole duty was maintaining the Chosen of God and Kouben Family’s rule. Their children, regardless of talent, had mandatory access to comprehensive education. The brightest learned Kouben’s secret knowledge.
All village departments were governed by priests or their kin. Even unqualified individuals held leadership roles, relying on Third District deputies for execution. Initiatives without approval carried severe penalties.
Beyond these districts stood the Temple—the village’s heart. Patrol officers guarded the first three districts, with intensified surveillance in the sparsely populated Third District. The Fourth District restricted entry to priests and permit-holders.
Elite guards—rigorously vetted personnel—patrolled the Fourth District and Temple. Outsiders like Hank had no chance of joining. Only Second and Third District natives qualified for this sacred duty.
"That’s Third District ahead", Hank said as they reached the Second-Third District boundary. "Can’t we stop here? More patrols ahead might—"
"Keep walking", Feng Bu Jue cut him off sharply. They’d already evaded multiple patrols using the same excuse, though Hank tensed with every encounter.
"Hey! Hank, is that you?" A woman’s voice suddenly called his name.
(End of Chapter)
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