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

”What’s going on??” Juna asked when her husband got back to the cellar with an even heavier expression than before.

Her husband has always been optimistic. What was this now?

”The Lord asked us to leave, right now. While we still can.”

Fourteen hours were given as forewarning before an attack. In this period of time, no territory can attack the defending side.

It was, indeed, it was the time to flee, should one hope to do so.

The reason why so few actually fled during wars was because they didn’t know where else to go. Not to mention, the dangers outside the walls were not to be underestimated. They were a weak group—most of the strongmen died during wars—and the citizens couldn’t handle mob after mob of monsters on their own.

However, did they have a choice?

At least they had a bit more hope going outside now, right?

So, hurriedly, everyone prepared to leave, albeit with worried faces.

As Mauru tried to figure out the direction to go, he counted the people.

There really weren’t many fighters left and many of the survivors were children who they managed to hide away in small spaces.

There were less than a thousand people left in their territory after all this time. A third were men, a third were women and old people, while the rest were teenagers and children.

Less than an hour later, their spaces and baskets were filled up with whatever they could get—they didn’t own much, but they took whatever resources they could find just in case. As the scurried around, the Lord watched them all.

Mauru paused in his tracks, signaling for his wife and son to continue gathering before going to the lord.

”My Lord?” He asked, eyebrows furrowed. ”Are you not coming with us?”

”No, they will hunt you if I did,” he said. And at this time, the Lord token was still integrated into his body. He couldn’t give it up even if he wanted to.

”But… milord…” Mauru uttered, guilty, and so did many others.

The lord shook his head with a smile. Despite his uselessness, he was still loved like this, and that was more than enough reason to do what he ought to do.

The people made tearful goodbyes to their kind Lord—a very rare type of person, according to what they learned through the years.

There were even a few children that went to hug him, and many adults left him a bit of their little resource for him to take.

His eyes stung and he hurriedly pushed them away. And they did leave, albeit not without stinging eyes and heavy hearts both from guilt and fear of an unknown future.

They stared into the dark forest right outside their flimsy fence. It was even more menacing than usual.

With bated breath, one by one, they took a step outside the gate.

It was terrifying, but a necessary step.

Several people held the torches for the party. Step by step, the group went forward, with more and more people stepping outside following the others.

But as they exited, a flash of sharpness passed in a different direction. This was followed by simultaneous flops around them.

Three people fell down, each with arrows in their bodies.

”WHATT?!”

”ARE THE ENEMIES HERE?!”

”NOOO!!”

Screams were heard and the people immediately ran to the interior of the village.

”What’s going on?!” They yelled and, soon, menacing voices echoed from the forests. This was followed by sinister laughter that sent shivers down their spine.

One by one, dozens of men emerged from the forest with mocking grins on their faces.

They were looking at them arrogantly, particularly proud that their forecast was accurate.

”Hehe, I see you’re trying to escape!” One said, and another cackled.

”Our lord is so smart to have foreseen it!!”

The Mauin citizens’ eyes widened.

What they did not expect was that the enemy would attack before the countdown!

”How?!”

”Hehe. Didn’t you know that Territory Wars are only triggered if more than a tenth of the territory forces are deployed?”

He looked at the few scores of able men left in the territory and sneered. ”We didn’t even have to go to a formal war to kill you all! So weak!”

It was in these cases they had wished they were only a level 2 village. A wide power discrepancy between two territories of the same level easily led to the crushing defeat of the other.

Even with all the rules of the territory wars—they wouldn’t be able to avoid this massacre.

Mauru and the others looked at the hundred men surrounding them.

”A tenth of our two territories!” one of the men said with a smug smile, and it made their hearts fall.

Tome and Hasa village got together this time, and this meant they would really die.

”Tsk, they’re weaker than I thought, I didn’t even enjoy the fun of the hunt…” Another man emerged from the shadows. He had tanned skin painted with weird patterns, and his eyes looked rabid. He licked his lips as he looked at them—especially the women and the children—as if they were delicacies.

It made everyone’s stomachs churn.

This man was Hemepo, Hasa Village lord.

”I told you this would be easy. We spent months weakening them so they could easily be dealt with without wars.”

”But you still triggered it.”

”It was fun to watch them scuttle about…” Tongo said, and then he gave him a weird look. ”And if I didn’t, how would the Token be separated?”

”Oh, right.”

Tongo shook his head, knowing that eating humans must’ve burned this man’s brain even more than it had.

Anyway, the two lords went all the way out here, and it showed just how confident they were in taking down Mauin Village.

Meanwhile, the citizens of Mauin Village could only cry and sob in place, surrounded by stronger guards.

Tongo reveled at the suffering he caused. He even walked over to Mauru’s direction, gripping his chin forcefully. ”Next is you, Mauru,” he said, ”This is what you get for killing my son!”

He then raised his sword, intent on finally beheading this bastard!

”STOP!” A familiar voice yelled. It was filled with urgency, but it shifted to a more comforting tone right after. ”Calm down, crying won’t save you.”

It was their lord. He was limping and looking weak even by normal standards, but it lifted the hearts of his people anyway.

”Milord!”

”Ohmy, look what we have here…” Hemepo grinned, ”You finally showed up.”

”Ready to die?” Tongo added, showing off his disgusting grin and his rotting teeth.

The lord ignored the snide remarks, focusing only on his citizens. ”Calm down, my people,” he said, ”It will be alright.”

The other two lords were never fond of ’uplifting’ messages, and cut it off.

”Any last words?” Hemepo said, ”I mean, I’m still polite like this.”

”Thank you for everything,” he said, ”My last wish… is for all of you to survive,” he said, before turning to the enemies. ”The war has not yet started. This means the token is still integrated with me.”

”I promise not to kill myself now, if you let my people be,” he said, ”Everyone.”

”Heh… interesting,” Tongo and Hemeppo looked at each other in thought. ”Fine.”

They then grinned at the citizens who were sobbing as they looked at their lord. ”Run, as fast as you could,” Tome said with a cackle, ”Don’t trip!”

”Milord—” Mauru said, standing up and walking over to him.

The lord frowned and strongly waved him away. ”NO! It’s useless! This is the best way,” he said, waving, pushing him away. Mauru was pulled by his wife, with them giving slight bows to the lord.

While many had already fled, Mauru wasn’t the only one reluctant to leave. There was actually quite a few.

The lord could see the people’s conflicts and, for the first time, he yelled to the top of his lungs.

”GO! KEEP THE SPIRIT OF MAUIN VILLAGE ALIVE!”