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

The Alterrans borrowed a house to discuss their opinions.

Who could decide logically when they were being watched by people looking at them as if they were there to save them?

Jake and Reno looked at their companions. ”We need to know who’ll be joining in. For those who didn’t want to join—should the majority decide to go to war—you have to either go back to Alterra on your own, or find a hiding spot in this place.”

Separating at this point was unsafe. There were only 30 of them, after all. However, they couldn’t force people to join in a war if they didn’t want to.

”So, basically, Alterra will be paid if we join in, according to the winnings in the war. If you don’t know, a portion of this pay will be shared amongst us, the participants—if we choose to join in,” Jake said, and it made a few people perk up.

”At the same time, the enemy isn’t weak. They’re aborigines who had lived here for decades. Their average level is probably higher than yours.

”There are real dangers here, and don’t expect we’d go out of our way to protect you—joining in this war would imply you’re ready to protect yourselves.”

”What do you think?”

The other people paused and looked complicated. The rewards were really tempting, but would they be willing to risk their lives for another territory’s war?

Jake looked at the Crow Trio, who happened to be with them this time. Among them, Crow had already awakened as a wind user. He was also an archer, making him much like Loki and Sammy, though his style mirrored more of the former.

Speaking of which, before leaving, Crow had somehow gotten Loki to promise a little apprenticeship with him, though with a lot of promises to treat him food for years.

”I’m up for it,” Crow said, also wanting to test out what he had learned the past few days.

One of the advantages of joining in other territories’ wars was not only the learnings and strengthening that could come out of it, but they would also be able to leave if things got too much for them.

At the same time, they would still get rewarded somehow because there was a minimum amount of payment Alterra would receive, regardless if they won or not.

In this group, Jake was the only one outside the level cap—everyone else could participate directly. However, Jake was reluctant to join in. Yiyi would be waiting for him, after all.

However, it was still understandable that the others would take advantage of this opportunity to grow. They would also know better what it would be like to be on the defending side of a war.

The discussion lasted for a quarter of an hour, with mixed opinions all around. In the end, more than 20 people joined in, while the rest chose to hide in the inn—made from custom houses, though the concept was inspired by Alterra’s.

”I think it’d be worth it,” Reno said after a while and the rest of them agreed.

Jake and the others waited for the counter to end, nervous but also a little excited!

…

[War between Khlack Village (Lv3) and Belluga Village (Lv3) has began!]

”Ready?” Reno asked the archers as he stood on the thin battlement of a level 3 wall.

Unfortunately, only half of these were true archers, even among the hired aborigines of Belluga. After all, those type of experts would choose to get hired in towns instead.

But it was still more than enough, for now.

Soon, they heard the sound of hundreds of people yelling, quickly approaching the gates.

From a distance, they looked like a creepy swarm emerging from the dense forest, and for those who saw such a mob for the first time—it felt heavy to the stomach and creepy to the spine.

The arrows rained down on the crowd, with Reno telling soldiers to be aware of leaks on the other sides.

Although not many would do it, their first war—led by Althea—was abnormally smooth because they sneaked around.

Soon, more and more of the attackers emerged from the forests and Reno looked at them as they attacked the walls head-on. It was like a monster mob filled with brainless beasts, except this one was filled with people.

They attacked with no weapons other than their bodies, and they headed towards the gates in hopes of destroying it by virtue of their numbers.

Reno narrowed his eyes. Although the sentries weren’t as dense as Alterra, there weren’t few, and he just felt stupid they were throwing away their lives like this.

That was until he realized a lot of these people’s expressions were either blank, dazed, or sobbing.

Meat shields.

Slaves.

He wasn’t the only one who saw this and he realized a lot of people stopped shooting.

Reno frowned. ”Don’t let pity be your downfall! If you can’t kill the slaves target their legs!” He yelled, taking a few of his stones from space, and manipulating them so he would take out a few vanguards.

”if you lose, you’ll join them in their next war!”

This seemed to have woken them up and they raised their weapons again. ”Yes sir!”

The battle continued for a while, and it felt horrible to massacre helpless people like this, but what could they do?

The Alterrans also focused on just injuring them, using as little energy as possible. One, to keep energetic when the real enemy came and, second, this was technically not their fight. Why torture their morality and conscience for a war they were only assisting on?

Both Jake and Reno were earth users, and they used their abilities to create little craters in the ground, imbalancing the slaves. Some would fall and imbalance a bit more. While people could still die from suffocation, their chances were stil higher than taking direct hits from sentries and arrow rain.

This went on for a while until Jake saw Raine go down the battlement.

”Where are you going?”

”I’m going to see the lord,” he said, ”She needs to participate in this. We need her.”

Jake looked at him for a moment, before nodding.

He was right. As a lord, although what happened to her was tragic, it was not an excuse to just leave the people—who were depending on her— hanging.

...

Raine walked past the hallways and went deeper and deeper into the house—made with several custom modules—soon reaching the room at the farthest.

He opened the door to see Kimmy curled up in a corner again, trying to scratch herself.

This had been a habit of hers ever since that happened.

He sighed, heart stinging, slowly approaching the girl.

”Kimmy…” he uttered, leaning down next to her and patting her head. Kimmy gave no response, however. ”It’s time to join us,” he said, and to be honest the number of times he had said this the past few days were innumerable.

Kimmy remained unperturbed, hugging herself tightly as if she was guarding against everyone.

He sighed. ”Kimmy, you need to be outside. We need our lord.”

This finally got Kimmy to move. However, to his surprise, she handed him something. It was a small piece of carved stone.

”What is it?”

”Lord Token,” she said. Very bluntly.

”What?” Raine exclaimed, but calmed himself. He cleared his throat as he shakily held her shoulders. ”May I have it? Do you want me to have it?”

”I know you want it.”

This made Raine pause and his eyes widened. He pursed his lips as he looked at Kimmy, who was staring at him with her dulled eyes.

His lips pursed and he looked at her with a complicated expression. He didn’t answer for a while, his eyes glazing as various memories passed through his mind.

However, after a few minutes of silence, Raine’s hand gripped tightly on the token, as if suddenly unwilling to let go. He raised his head with a renewed, more authoritative aura about him.

His eyes reflected the intricate wooden amulet on his hand. It was slightly shimmering, exuding a magical aura about it.

”Yes, you’re right…” he admitted and he looked at Kimmy, whose expression hadn’t changed at all. ”Thank you.”

His grip on the token tightened as he stood up, a more powerful aura seeming to emanate from him.

His pretty lips parted with a smile, whispering:

”Finally mine.”