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

”This is a village?” Bumi asked, tilting his head in confusion. ”Really?”

”Is it always like this?” Grandma asked, making Cassie chuckle.

”Although our nights have always been lively, it’s much rowdier now during the Extreme Heat. After all, people couldn’t go out much during the day.”

This confirmed that they were still in the Extreme Heat, at least in theory, though the more they saw the harder it was to believe.

For one, in normal situations, normal territories wouldn’t have stalls set up right outside the gate when there was a huge mob trying to get inside.

”Gouji Shake to refresh your day… er… night! 90 copper for a small cup~”

”Refreshing mint candies~ 100 copper a bag!!”

”Have nice minted meat sticks here! 100 copper a stick!”

”Lemon juice, only 120 copper for a big cup!”

The refugees gulped, and their eyes gravitated towards the various stalls selling food and drinks.

Because they killed a lot of monsters, particularly during the past couple of weeks, they did have quite a bit of copper on hand. They had money, but nowhere decent to spend it on.

One could imagine the temptations all these stalls were giving. It was like they were seductive voices calling them from the abyss and they’d be willing to jump down.

Okay, it was not that dark, but not too different.

”You can buy if you want you know,” Cassie said, making the refugees-on-the-verge-of-drooling turn to her.

”...can we?”

When the Alterrans nodded, everyone immediately dispersed towards the stalls. There were hundreds of them so the stalls had queues. At this, the rescuers had to facilitate order otherwise the poor stalls would get mobbed.

Anyway, after that was settled, the Alterrans waited patiently for them to get a few snacks and drinks to sate their starvation and thirst.

Shinho saw they were waiting though so in order not to make them wait too long, he asked his people to make ’groups’. This way, one person would buy more products for others in one stall and the others would do the same in theirs, so they didn’t have to each wait in line.

Bumi asked his grandma to wait on a nice bench while he lined up, teaming up with little Mamu, handing him some money to buy them snacks while he bought them drinks.

There were just a few people in front of them, but it felt like a gorge. Fortunately, the actual waiting time wasn’t actually that long and it was their turn a couple minutes later.

”Okay, that’s six minted meat sticks for you,” the stall owner said with a smile, looking down at the little boy buying food.

He looked weak and his clothes were dirty and full of holes. The stall owner’s heart softened, taking another stick. ”Here, a bonus for you.”

Mamu stared, unsure of what to do. ”Eh?” He didn’t have extra money…

The adult smiled. ”It’s free,” he said, reaching out his hand so the boy could take it. ”It’s a gift for surviving so well.”

…

Anyway, it was a festive time for all refugees, particularly those who had managed to get a hold of their items.

They had killed so many monsters since the Heat Wave began, yet what they could buy was limited. Even if they could, a small bale of plants could cost silvers and not everyone was willing to sell, either! Especially a week into the disaster.

How… freeing it was to buy good food with a bit of money!

They knew they were being assisted though so they only bought what their hands could carry. They were guided along the wonderful avenue, heading to what was called the sidewalk while they ate and drank.

Many people felt weak on their knees at the deliciousness, but they held on, not wanting to be left behind.

Anyway, as the Alterrans said, they’d be living here soon. Eventually, these things would be normal to them.

Just the thought of the future made their spirits rise up.

As they traversed the street though, as they bit their food and gulped on their drinks, they didn’t notice how their tear ducts burst as if they still had so much water in their bodies.

Cassie and the others pretended not to see all the sobbing, and acted as though everything was normal. They simply guided them through the avenue, stopping by the intersections to introduce where the perpendicular streets were heading towards.

For example, they pointed at the streets heading towards the Market Places, before finally reaching the Central Plaza.

The Alterrans also made rough introductions to the amenities in the square: from the large clocks, gardens, and the main shops. The newcomers’ eyes were wide in wonder, sniffing and wiping the tears and snot that filled their faces.

They stopped in front of a large village center very different from what they were used to. It looked so pretty and light…

Unlike theirs, which was barely lit by torches, this place was bright all over. It was so bright they could see all the writings, which was unprecedented at night.

Not that they could read, of course.

In any case, the guards guided everyone to register as they wanted. Since most didn’t have money or the contribution points for residency, they simply took the temporary pass and therefore could only rent out places to stay.

Anyway, now that that was done, the guards’ duties finally ended here.

Mauru saw that Cassie had befriended a few refugees and approached. ”We’ll be separating now. Can I ask you to send them to Dormitory #16?”

Cassie nodded and Mauru smiled, thanking her, before looking at the others. He pretended not to see all the tears and snot, grinning in welcome.

”You are now registered visitors of Alterra Village! Here, unless you’re lazy, you’re guaranteed to have a decent life,” he said. ”Cassie here will be telling you where you’d be staying until you could afford to move out on your own.

”Good luck!”

Mauru said his goodbye and the refugees approached them, with Shinho and the others doing a salute to express their gratitude.

The guards left Cassie to bring the few hundreds of people to the dorms, which was not that near the center, but felt too close because it felt like the journey was cut there.

They arrived at a section filled with big buildings arranged in rows and had shared gardens every few sets of structures.

The refugees looked at her worriedly. This place was so clean and nice. Where would they be able to afford to stay?

Maybe they shouldn’t have bought so much food, after all? They totally forgot about this problem when they were splurging earlier!

She looked at them. ”Do you still have a few copper?” she asked, and smiled when they nodded. ”You must be tired, we have dormitories here that only cost 1 copper per day. I can bring you there right now.”

They flinched.

1 copper!? So cheap?

They all looked at the buildings, wonderful and nice but, at the same time, they could not bear to take a step forward.

As tempting as it was to rest, they shook their heads in the end. ”No thank you, we would like to look around for a bit longer.”

Cassie blinked, puzzled. ”Really?”

”Yes.”

Amazingly, it was a unanimous decision not to step forward (for now), which confused Cassie quite a bit.

Bumi and the others looked at her awkwardly, knowing they were being odd.

In fact, it wasn’t that they weren’t tired.

In contrast, they were dead tired to the point that their legs were shaking.

It was just that… they were afraid.

They were afraid that if they closed their eyes and slept, they would wake up in hell again.