Changing Life And Career? I Planted The World Tree At The Beginning

Chapter 462 Scavengers Looking For The Ruins Of The Prosperous Age

"Hey, kid, what are you thinking about?"

A deep voice interrupted Chen Yu's thoughts.

Chen Yu turned around and saw a creepy-looking old man standing behind him, beckoning mysteriously.

The old man was only about 1.5 meters tall, thin and emaciated. His exposed skin was covered in patchy scales and oozing sores.

This kind of horrifying appearance was common among the remaining humans in this small world.

Due to lack of food and the erosion of the Abyss, their physical condition was weak.

For an ordinary person to live to the age of forty was considered good, and to reach sixty was considered a rare antique.

There were plenty of people in their twenties and thirties.

Abyss hunters who possessed Abyss magic had even shorter lifespans than ordinary people because they were constantly facing the erosion of the Abyss.

Only Transcendents of Rank Four or Rank Five had a slightly longer lifespan compared to normal Rank Four or Rank Five individuals, but they still appeared to be short-lived.

"Do you need something?"

Chen Yu asked with a smile.

He had seen all sorts of strange creatures, so he no longer felt disgusted or uncomfortable with the old man's appearance.

"Are you thirteen or fourteen this year, kid?"

"Judging by your strong physique, you must come from an Abyss hunter family, right?"

"Have you not undergone the awakening ceremony yet?"

The old man chatted with Chen Yu in a familiar manner.

"Well, someone as extraordinary as you, how could your family bear to let you become an Abyss hunter? Having children is the most important thing."

In this crisis era, humans had gone through generations of selection, and the time for growth had been compressed to the extreme.

Individuals who matured early in the normal world had become the mainstream humans in this small world.

Males were considered adults at the age of twelve or thirteen, while females were considered adults at eleven or twelve.

Males were responsible for fighting and defending their homes, while females were responsible for reproduction and continuing the race.

Having children was an absolute priority for the humans in this small world.

Because it was too dangerous, the mortality rate for males was very high, so more people were needed to replenish the population.

If a male had a strong and handsome physique, they would receive widespread attention.

This meant that they had a stronger ability to resist the erosion of the Abyss, and their offspring could inherit these traits.

Becoming an Abyss hunter would cause significant destructive changes to the body and result in loss of reproductive ability.

Therefore, strong and handsome males generally engaged in "breeding" work and rarely became Abyss hunters early on.

"You must have a lot of women in your family, right?"

"I have a batch of good ones here."

"They were excavated from ancient ruins."

"Take a look, this shiny thing, the women in your family will definitely like it."

The old man carefully took out something from a bag around his waist, revealing a crystal earring.

"Look, this beautiful thing, hanging in the hair or around the neck, wouldn't it look great?"

Chen Yu wanted to tell him that it was an earring and should be worn on the ear, but it didn't really matter.

The people here had very limited knowledge about accessories.

They couldn't even achieve basic needs like being well-fed and well-clothed, so how could they have the time to study such things?

Only females paid attention to their appearance during the short period of time when they just reached adulthood.

Being beautiful not only brought sensory enjoyment, but also meant good health and a higher probability of giving birth to strong offspring.

The prettier a girl was, the more likely she would be noticed by males who had more resources.

By the way, the concept of beauty here was different from the normal concept of beauty.

In this small world, as long as the skin was a little smooth and there were no extra growths on the face, one could be considered beautiful.

However, this earring itself piqued Chen Yu's interest.

This is a magical equipment!

The engraved runes and stored magic power have been completely depleted, showing no extraordinary abilities.

But it is indeed a magical equipment.

Not only this earring, but there are also other accessories in the old man's bag, all of which are magical equipment.

The remaining humans in this world do not possess the transcendent power of magic.

"I want everything you have on you."

Chen Yu threw a palm-sized transparent red crystal to the old man.

"Is this enough?"

This is an Abyss magic crystal, a common mineral in the Abyss. High-level demons like to use it to build houses.

But in this small world, it is a hard currency. It can not only increase crop yields but also serve as an energy reserve for Abyss hunters.

The old man took the Abyss crystal, carefully observed it, and immediately put on a flattering expression.

"That's enough! That's enough! Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

After saying that, he stuffed the bag to Chen Yu and turned to run, as if afraid that Chen Yu would change his mind.

"Wait--"

Chen Yu's figure flashed and appeared in front of the old man.

A hint of panic flashed across the old man's face, but he quickly put on a flattering smile.

"Sir! Sir, do you have any other orders? I will definitely fulfill them for you!"

"I have a few questions for you. If your answers satisfy me..."

Chen Yu threw another Abyss crystal to the old man. "There will be benefits for you."

The old man's eyes immediately lit up, but he hesitated.

After all, Chen Yu had given him too much, ten times more than he had earned in his entire life.

He had never seen such high-quality magic crystals in his life, let alone those high-ranking Apex Level Abyss hunters.

However, greed eventually overcame fear.

The old man took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Sir, please ask! As long as it is your order, I will fulfill it even if it costs me my life!"

"Don't be nervous." Chen Yu waved his hand and raised the bag in his hand.

"I'm just interested in these things."

"Can you tell me the origin of these things? They shouldn't be something that people nowadays can manufacture, right?"

"Sir, indeed these are not manufactured by people nowadays," the old man said respectfully. "They all come from the distant ancient era."

"It is rumored to be a prosperous era."

"Our entire world was a vast empire."

"With your extraordinary background, you must have extensive knowledge. You should know what an empire is, right?"

"It is a power composed of countless city-states, ruled by a great strongman."

"In that era, there were no demons, no monsters."

"Everyone could eat their fill, and every meal was a divine delicacy. Everyone had soft and thick clothes that were more comfortable than the silk of the decayed ironworm."

"At that time, every woman was beautiful, more beautiful than the lord's wife!"

"They..."

The old man recounted the rumors left behind from that prosperous era.

As he spoke, an infinite longing gradually appeared on his face.

Then, muddy tears overflowed from his eyes.

"Sir, I, I really want to see that beautiful era with my own eyes!"

"Hiss... I'm sorry, sir, I couldn't help it..."

"Because I have been listening to the rumors of that era since I was young, so I have always been pursuing the past of that era."

"We risk our lives at any moment, searching for remnants in the wilderness."

"Under the leadership of the Guardians, generation after generation, we have never stopped..."