Exploring Technology in a Wizard World

In the Main Continent, there was a very famous plant called the Mans Four-color Flower.

This plant closely resembled the most common wildgrass found in the fields, yet it could accurately indicate whether spring had come and to what stage of spring it had progressed.

In early spring, at the first signs of life, it would thrust up from the depths of the soil, blooming pale yellow flowers to tell people winter had passed and spring had arrived.

As the weather warmed and temperatures rose, the pale yellow flowers would wither, to be followed by the blooming of pink flowers, signaling to the people it was time to start tilling.

After that, as the weather grew even hotter and the rains became more frequent, the pink flowers would vanish like dreamy bubbles under the nourishment of the sweet spring rain, replaced by bright red flowers. This was the best season for sowing; seeds planted during this stage would yield better harvests than at any other time.

Finally, it would blossom into deep purple flowers, as transparent and crystalline as Crystal, exceptionally beautiful, like a delicately crafted piece of art. It thus informed the Farmers that the sowing season was drawing to its ultimate deadline; if they did not hastily scatter their seeds on the fertile earth, they would have to strive again in the following season for their crops.

That's the Mans Four-color Flower, also known as the Agricultural God Flower by many, due to its close connection with agriculture.

Of course, for some who paid no mind to farming, like Wizards, officials, or merchants, the Mans Four-color Flower was merely one among the many nameless flowers of the fields, beautiful but without any particular use.

...

Main Continent of Mann.

Outside of Tuoke City, in the fields, many Mans Four-color Flowers had bloomed into their fourth color, the large swathes of purple stretching out like a carpet, unspeakably beautiful.

Inside Tuoke City, however, the streets were teeming with people bustling back and forth, like a crowded beehive, lacking any sense of beauty amid the noise and clamor.

Tuoke City was a transport hub in the southern part of the Main Continent of Mann. Although it had no distinctive features of its own, it was extremely commercial due to its central location among many large cities famous for their various resources.

At that moment, most of those coming and going on the streets were merchants from other regions, walking while pondering over how they might earn a substantial profit.

Of course, there were exceptions, like the three women—more precisely, a mature woman with two young girls—who had just entered the city and were not like that.

The mature woman walked in front, frowning slightly as she observed the passersby on the street, deep in thought. The two young girls followed behind her, curiously looking around, sometimes pointing at a certain place and exchanging thoughts, inevitably raising their voices in excitement.

"Senpai, senpai, look, there's a beggar over there; he looks so pitiful."

"Where, where is he, Heidi?"

"Over there."

"Oh, I see him, he does look really pitiful, his face is all swollen, and he has black eyes. Someone must have bullied him, that's so terrible."

The woman leading them couldn't help stopping, turning her head back to look at the two young girls, her expression stern as she said, "Narlyd, and you too, Heidi, what are you two shouting about again? We've been on the Main Continent for quite a few days now; shouldn't your novelty have worn off by now?"

"No, teacher, we're not making a fuss," said the shorter girl weakly, pointing to one side, "We were just a bit puzzled as to why that person looks the way he does."

Following the direction the girl pointed, one could see a man who appeared to be in his twenties, with tattered clothes and a shaky body, looking as if he had not eaten for many days, like a beggar who could not get a meal.

Beyond that, his entire face was swollen like a pig's head, with both eye sockets dark and shining, clearly having received quite a few punches. His right arm was twisted unnaturally, as if it was broken. This was even more miserable than the usual beggar; after all, no matter how pitiful a beggar might be, they wouldn't look like this.

Seeing the man, the woman couldn't help but be stunned, then guessing the girl's thoughts, she said, "Heidi, you want to help him, don't you?"

"That..." The girl looked at the woman and said softly, "Teacher, he looks so pitiful, and although we don't have much money, giving him a silver coin should be okay, right? With it, he should be able to have a few full meals, so he won't starve to death."

"Sigh." The woman let out a sigh. She didn't want to say much else and pulled a silver coin from her clothing, handing it to the girl: "Then give it to him."

"Thank you, teacher," the girl replied immediately, joyfully accepting the silver coin and running toward the beggar. She stuffed it into the beggar's hand and ran back, leaving with the woman and another girl.

On the roadside, the beggar was stunned by the unexpected gift of a silver coin. He lifted his head, watching as the woman and two girls left, and with a grit of his teeth, he lifted his injured right arm, rubbed his eyes, and, after making sure that he really had a silver coin in his other hand, his whole being became excited.

Though he hadn't eaten for several days, a burst of energy surged through his body, allowing him to stand up and spin around in circles on the spot.

Clenching his fists tightly, the beggar uttered some strange words: "It seems I am not destined to keep failing; the setbacks before were only tests. I am so destitute now, yet someone helped me, so I must be able to..."

He didn't finish his sentence when suddenly a "smack" sound rang out, and a heavy hand landed on the beggar's shoulder.

"Hm?" The beggar slowly turned around to see several men with unfriendly expressions surrounding him silently. His eyes flickered as he recognized them; they were pickpockets from a gang in the city.

"What do you want?" the beggar asked nervously, looking at those encircling him.

"Hey!" The man who slapped the beggar's shoulder was a burly fellow about 1.8 meters tall, with a full beard. He was the pickpockets' leader and said unceremoniously, "You're Jia Lie, right? I remember a few days ago, you were trying to steal and muscle in on our territory. What, did you get caught and beaten, and now you've turned to begging? Regardless, whether you're stealing or begging, there are rules to follow. And the rule is simple: this area is under the control of the Iron Blood Association, and whatever you take from someone, you have to give up half. Got it?"

"You!" Jia Lie, the beggar, glared, his voice filled with outrage as he shouted, "You're going too far! I'm telling you, I'm not a beggar, and the money in my hands wasn't obtained from begging; it was given to me by someone. With this silver coin, I won't have to be so wretched; I might even have the chance to turn things around, so... I absolutely won't give it to you!"

"Idiot!" The bearded hulk, after hearing the response, couldn't help himself and ordered his companions, "Beat him up for me!"

"Yes, boss!"

Immediately, several people rushed forward and began to pummel Jia Lie, particularly targeting his already injured right arm. Jia Lie screamed miserably and within moments he lay on the ground, unable to fight back.

"Hahaha, the idiot really is an idiot, his arm is already broken yet he still tries to resist, what a joke," the bearded hulk said aloud. He snatched the silver coin from the beggar's hand and left with his companions in tow.

After a long while, the beggar, battered and bruised, rose from the ground, looked around, and cried out in despair: "It's the same again! Always the same! Why am I always getting knocked down? Could it really be that I am good for nothing? Could it really be that I must return in such a sorry state? But... I refuse to accept this..."

...