After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World

”Are you kneeling or not?”

His head was ringing, knowing full well his sister would feel even worse if he did so. If he could get the medicine some other way—

BANG!

His eyes widened as a young lad—a teenager no more than 13 years old—had his head blown during his moment of doubt.

”YOU!!!” he yelled but his knees had long been weakened. With this catalyst, it completely gave way and he flopped down to kneel on the floor.

”Let them go. Please.” He said, gritting his teeth in anger, humiliation, and worry for his sister and his people.

Unexpectedly, Higson laughed. ”Nyahahah! Why would I?” He said, ”Do you think I’m so stupid? Do you think I didn’t see you were planning on doing something earlier? What? Kick me out?”

Matthew paled, and Higson’s eyes turned red at his reaction confirming his theory.

”I…”

”You will follow all my orders, understood? Like you always did.” he grinned and Matthew’s fist clenched.

He looked down, covering the sharp light in his eyes. But then he thought, he just needed the right timing. He could get rid of them—

But his hopes were quickly dashed as Higson continued speaking.

”We’ve been studying this place, and a person of mine—Cain, smart guy—found that…” He paused, looking in the direction of the aforementioned man amongst his people—the one who pulled in his sister. ”We found that you can sign contracts and stuff—the kind that can’t be taken back.”

Matthew’s jaw clenched, his heart tightening. ”What do you want?”

”Swear loyalty to me. Follow my orders.” He said, ”Both of you.”

”Only if you—and your people—promise not to kill anyone anymore.” He said.

”Sure, I promise that we will not kill anymore. Otherwise, if you find out, you are free to punish the person as you like.” Higson grinned as he said so, waving his sister’s medicine in front of his face. He was holding it so carelessly as if he could drop it any time.

The man’s golden teeth glinted as he stared down at him, the metal reflecting light that blinded him in many senses of the word.

How could he not hear the loopholes in his side of the deal? But… what choice did he have??

Matthew felt his world was darker again.

Would they really see no end??

________________________

[9 days of Protection Period]

Vismont Village, Present

Matthew opened his eyes as he blinked away the remaining lethargy in his body. He shifted his body to get out of the bed, but the sharp aches of his injuries attacked and he groaned in pain.

”Damn it!” He yelled against his pillow, not bothering to get up. Anyway, it was still dark, he ought to rest more.

Maybe this pain would be better by then.

Unfortunately, even getting back to sleep was difficult, because now he felt pain even while he was breathing.

Realizing he really wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep, he decided to do something productive, ideally to distract himself. He got up and laboriously dressed into one of his long-sleeved turtlenecks. It was a pain to wear (literally), but he had no choice unless he wanted to showcase all of his bruises.

He trudged to his office—a refurbished residential unit—next to the village center. Heaving a sigh, he closed his eyes to feel the silence around him, his only light was the sparse torches and the two moons. It took him a while to gather himself and he sat straight up again, arms on his desk.

As he sat on his crude chair, he then looked at the state of his territory.

[TERRITORY STATS

Name: Vismont Villages

Status: Level 2 Village

Area: 12,566,371 square meters

Residents: 907 (67 permanent, 840 temporary)

Total Population: 10524

Base Resources:

Wood: 6700/10000

Stone: 5500/8000

Money: 91 Gold, 12743 Silver, 86097 copper

Reputation: 30

Buildings: Village Center (Lv1), Weaponry Shop (Lv1), Defensive Wall (Lv2), Restaurant (Lv1), Residence Type 1, Well*2 (Lv1), Mansion

Building Slots: 7/7]

He sighed even deeper at his near-empty pockets.

Don’t look at the taxes and donations he managed to solicit, not even half of it remained in his pockets.

Not even the increase in the payment for residency helped, and that took a toll on everyone.

He had worked very hard to convince Higsons to keep the Visitors fee as it was, and it earned him a very hard beating in response.

The doctor said had he not reached level 4 when it happened, he’d have died from the beatings.

On the other hand, the money he had gained went to building houses, restaurants, and wells.

The rest… it went to Higson’s party.

What did the bastard use so much money for, one would wonder? It was to feed himself, his cronies, and his dozens of women until they vomited.

At some point, Matthew just thought to himself that this was paying back the gold he ’borrowed’ back then. He had to do this small brainwashing, so he didn’t die of bitterness and anger.

A pity for all the functions he could’ve added for the territory had he retained all that money.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to upgrade the Village Hall, but he really didn’t have funds. He didn’t know what happened after the upgrade, but the high cost probably meant it had good additional functions.

What was worse was that he also wasted a building slot to buy the mansion, located in a prohibited area in the territory.

The basic armory was forgone because of it.

This special residential estate took about a quarter of the whole territory, and it was all given to Higson as his private estate where he could do whatever he wanted without regard for him, any law, or any moral rules whatsoever.

It was a quarter of the territory, but over half of the crimes committed in Vismont happened here.

In less than a month, a lot of people disappeared within these forests.

They did not even bother burying them, and he had seen plenty of bodies just lying around when he went there.

It was a disgusting place that ought to be burned to the ground.

However, he never lied to himself and gave himself an excuse. Whatever happened there, he was complicit as the Lord of this place.

But… no matter how disgusted he was, he couldn’t do anything. It was either justice for others or his sister’s life. Not to mention he swore to serve, or he and his sister would die.

Not to mention, he had a feeling the territory would fall if he died, in which case that was thousands more lives at stake.

There was no choice at all.

Not until ’those people’ arrived.

Higson’s chaos had to end, lest he lose his sanity and the people lose their homes. And now, with these new visitors, he finally got a chance.

He didn’t know if he’d be entering a deal with the devil with them, but it would definitely be a lesser evil than Higson.

At least… that was what he was praying for.

Anyway, this Altera… whether good or bad, was a catalyst for change, and he was determined to make use of it.