Rotten God Kingdom

Terrified screams rang out from the lake shore. The deer-like monsters began to crumble the moment they came into contact with the scorching air. Their hard shells softened, cracked, and burned under the high temperature.

The battle began hastily and ended quickly.

The deer-like monsters slowly sank into the lava; the more they struggled, the faster they sank.

Once their legs were completely submerged, the volcano suddenly disappeared, as if it had never existed.

The world seemed to fall silent. The monster, rendered immobile, was like a lamb to the slaughter, helplessly watching as countless bullets engulfed it.

"I took this photo." The director took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off his face, his voice calm, as if what had just happened had nothing to do with him.

"At that time, I had not yet joined the City of Travelers. My home and family were wiped out in a sudden disaster, leaving only me."

"From then on, I was like a lost soul wandering the world, not knowing where to go. By chance, I came across an active volcano that was about to erupt. Before the volcano completely erupted, I took this photo at the crater."

Director Xiang looked at Jiang Wang and said earnestly, "From that moment on, it seems I found the meaning of life."

"Does the meaning matter?" Jiang Wang asked.

In such times, what could be more important than simply being alive?

"Important." The director nodded emphatically. "Some people consider having children to be the most important thing in life, while others value enjoying life the most important thing."

I've traveled to many places, visited many cities, and met many people living in the wilderness; each of them has their own pursuits.

Jiang Wang remained silent for a moment before asking, "In an era like this, should we still have aspirations?"

The guide pointed to the group of monsters struggling in their death throes and said, "Humans can have superpowers, and these monsters also have superpowers. What's the difference between us and them?"

Is it simply because of differences in body size or race?

The director spoke to himself, his voice rising slightly: "No!"

Before the cataclysm, humanity had already built airplanes and ships, conquered the skies and the seas, and their footprints had even broken through the skies, reaching the vast universe.

But humans of this era, possessing all sorts of supernatural abilities, can only struggle to survive amidst natural disasters and the pursuit of monsters.

"Everyone just wants to survive, what's wrong with that?" Jiang Wang didn't quite understand Director Xiang's thoughts. He himself just wanted to live, and there was nothing wrong with that. Only by living could there be a future and more possibilities.

Even though humanity was so powerful before the catastrophe, they still couldn't prevent it from happening.

"What I mean is, there are some things that someone has to do, even if they seem meaningless and seem foolish to others, just like the first human to try to fly before the cataclysm, who would never have imagined that one day humans would be able to go into space."

Jiang Wang actually understood what Director Xiang meant.

The meaning of the city of travelers' existence is something the guide has pondered on countless sleepless nights.

In this day and age, the most important thing we should do is to unite and find a safe environment to reproduce and develop technology.

When the conditions are right, wipe out all the monsters.

This is a very difficult thing, but someone has to do it.

The existence of the Traveler's City is actually quite laughable.

They ignored their companions falling behind, letting them work themselves to death.

They are not interested in the continuation of their race, but only in pursuing what they call scenery.

But their existence is meaningful.

The difference between humans and monsters may lie precisely in these meaningless things: travel, music, art, and all sorts of other things that have no value for survival.

Humans are curious, thoughtful, and have an appreciation for beauty.

That's human nature.

"I'm sorry, I understand, but I can't do it."

Director Xiang stood there, watching Jiang Wang leave.

……

The battle was nearing its end; the monsters' bodies were shattered, and the travelers were rummaging through the broken amber corpses for valuables.

Some of the more intact and aesthetically pleasing parts were even snatched up by the crowd.

If this were a hunting ground, these monster corpses could be exchanged for a considerable amount of supplies.

"Brother, we've struck gold this time." Wang Ye walked towards Jiang Wang, carrying half a deer antler, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

"What's the use of this thing?" Jiang Wang asked directly, puzzled.

"It has many uses. Monster corpses themselves have research value. Many cities are conducting research in this area. They not only study monsters but also human superpowers. However, so far, there has been no news of reliable research results. Scientists are willing to buy different kinds of monster corpses. The rarer the monster, the higher the price they offer."

"In addition, some cities are relatively wealthy, and some people are willing to collect these things. Coincidentally, this monster corpse is one of those that has collectible value."

Wang Ye offered an explanation, but he quickly frowned, looking distressed.

His motorcycle is so small that taking this half of it means he'll have to lose a lot of things.

But those supplies are necessities; it would be a pity to throw them away, not to mention that life would be difficult afterward.

In this era, a traveler is roughly equivalent to a scavenger.

Their scavenging methods are just very hardcore.

"Hmm... my advice is, if you can avoid bringing it, then don't."

Wang Ye only had one motorcycle. The deer antlers were not only heavy, but also bulky. Strapping them to the back of the motorcycle made it inconvenient to move around.

"Sigh, I think you're right, but I can't bear to part with it. It was so hard to find."

"You can sell it to others at the lowest price and exchange it for some weapons, ammunition, or food. It's better than taking nothing at all."

Wang Ye's eyes lit up.

"You make a good point."

With nothing else to do, Jiang Wang and Wang Ye went to find a suitable "buyer".

Jiang Xin also brought over a large piece of amber: "Brother, look, this is so beautiful."

The amber in Jiangxin's hand was very intact, with almost no extra cracks. Upon closer inspection, there were even a few solidified mosquitoes inside, lifelike.

"When I have time, I can make you a pendant."

Jiang Xin threw the amber on the ground: "What's the point of wearing this thing? It's more practical to hang a bullet on it."

Wearing a bullet around your neck is a waste; you can easily remove it and put it in a magazine if necessary. Wearing jewelry is just making yourself uncomfortable.

"Okay, whatever you want, but you don't have to throw it away."

Jiang Wang picked up the amber that Jiang Xin had thrown away, held it in his arms, and examined it himself.

Wang Ye's words gave Jiang Wang some ideas. To deal with monsters, it might not be enough to just study their weaknesses. They also needed to study how they reproduced and whether they migrated.

Figure out where they come from, and then eliminate them at the source.

Perhaps this is the answer to ending this era, rather than rushing in to fight every monster that appears.

Seeing Jiang Wang staring blankly at the pile of garbage, Jiang Xin didn't disturb him and went with Wang Ye to sell deer antlers.

"You're only giving me a hundred bullets for this quality of shrapnel? I just fired more than a hundred!"

Wang Ye shouted at the middle-aged woman in front of him.

"What? Young man, your stuff is good, but you still need to be able to sell it. Who knows when you'll find someone who's interested in this thing?"

Do you know where our next destination is?

The older woman sneered.

Having lived in the city of travelers for so long, she certainly knew why Wang Ye had come to her door.

It's simply that I don't own a house and therefore can't keep such a large trophy.

She owns a house, which gives her more leeway, so her asking price is naturally higher.

"You're only giving me this much? I might as well just throw it away!"

Wang Ye is too young and not yet able to handle this kind of situation.

"Go ahead and throw it. I'll just pick it up without spending a single bullet." The old woman covered her mouth and chuckled.

Wang Ye's face turned red with anger.

"Oh dear, how can you be so dense? If this place offers a low price, let's go to the next one. Don't you understand the principle of comparing prices?"

Jiang Xin heard Wang Ye and the old lady talking and immediately became furious.

That old lady is awful; she even bullies little kids.

"I see that you are old and faded, ma'am. I'm afraid you can't fight anymore. If you encounter a monster, you can only hide behind it. Sooner or later you will squander your family fortune."

The middle-aged woman raised her eyebrows and immediately rolled up her sleeves, ready to unleash a torrent of abuse: "Who are you calling old and faded, you little brat? When I was traveling all over the country, you weren't even born yet!"

"Hehehe." Jiang Xin made a face at the old lady.

"Oh, are you bullying me because I'm homeless? You can't sell your stuff, so you resort to personal attacks. Honey? Honey, where have you been? Someone's bullying me right here at my doorstep!"

The older woman was most afraid that someone would cover their ears and not listen when she got into an argument with someone.

Sometimes you're not angry at first, but you end up getting angry by yelling at yourself.

"Damn, let's get out of here! It looks like she's going to call her husband to beat us up."

This time, it was Wang Ye's turn to panic.

We can't use guns in matters within the city. We're all in the same boat, so we can sit down and talk things over.

If guns are used, it becomes a matter of life and death. To ease tensions, the city will act as an arbitrator.

The party in the wrong has their property confiscated and is forced to run after the city. If the situation is complicated and difficult to judge, it's even easier: both parties go on a long run together.

Generally speaking, when conflicts arise among residents and they can't get to the point by sitting down and talking, they should put down their weapons, stop using superpowers, roll up their sleeves and fight. Whoever loses has to put up with it.

Wang Ye is young and his body is not fully developed, so he is at a disadvantage when fighting with adults.

"Oh, you call your parents when you can't win an argument? Who doesn't do that?" Jiang Xin said nonchalantly.

Having grown up in the hunting city, I've experienced too much fierce competition and violence among my kind, most of the time it's a matter of life and death.

Jiang Xin alone could handle the couple without Jiang Wang even lifting a finger.

The older woman finally understood that this little girl was deliberately trying to cause trouble.

Her voice grew shriller: "Husband, where the hell have you been?"

Jiang Xin stood with her hands on her hips and her head held high: "Come on, come on, I'll take whatever you want to hit or scold me today."

"Here he comes." A deep male voice came from inside the house.

Jiang Xin felt that the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

But for a moment I couldn't remember whose voice it was.

It wasn't until the man inside poked his head out that we heard him. He looked like he had just woken up, with pillow marks still on his face.

"Wang Jin? What are you doing here? And you've got a wife?"