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

Many people very easily got antsy and impatient, saying mean things to them for dragging them into this—as if they didn’t beg for Atlas to take them with him.

”Shut up or I will stab you,” he snapped, looking at the ungrateful people with dark eyes. He didn’t really mean it, but he would certainly do something to keep the bastards quiet.

They fortunately shut their mouth in the end, grumbling under their breaths.

Eventually, they heard noises in a direction—heavy rustles and the sound of humans—and they immediately ran there.

They tried to do it as quietly as they could, though it was harder than they thought after they saw what the array actually looked like.

They gasped when they saw the light, and they had to pull in a lot of people who carelessly got too close. Interestingly, some ran in another direction when they saw the number of enemies pouring out. Those people, they let be. They didn’t need any more noisy burdens.

Fortunately, the enemies were also rushing away from the array—in hopes of finding shade as soon as possible—that they did not notice them there.

They watched as the circle would light up brightly and every time it did so, a large group of people would appear.

If they weren’t so scared, they might’ve found it fascinating. The magic circle was gorgeous in its own right, and the fact that people appeared in a blink of an eye was nothing short of miraculous.

However, their awe turned more and more towards fear as they saw the increasing amount of enemies passing through.

Their hearts beat loudly as they saw more and more aborigine enemies appear within the bright circle, seemingly endless in number, running in the direction of their old territory.

The aborigines’ appearances were not much better than their own. They were also pale, dirty, and unsightly, but their eyes were ravenous—as if they would do anything for a meal.

Their hearts clenched. This would have been their enemy if they had stayed.

And the people left behind… would stand no chance.

…

A meter or two away from Atlas, Hana sobbed a bit. She hugged her boyfriend, feeling complicated in her heart. ”Thank goodness we left,” she whispered. She felt relieved and sad at the same time.

Tim’s heart softened and he patted her back, though they didn’t maintain contact for long because they were too grimy.

Still, despite everything, Hana remained a bit prettier and purer than others, and it made men want to shield her from harm. ”I’ll protect you,” he said, and he meant it.

”I’m so glad I’m with you…” she said, making him smile.

From behind them, Tim’s older sister sneered. Her name was Tilda, and she was an effortless bitch. ”Yeah, you mean attaching like a parasite.”

If Althea was here, she would recognize Tilda as the woman who annoyed her in her first salary job. The one she imagined stabbing when she practiced fencing back then.

Tim’s eyebrows furrowed and Hana looked down. Atlas sighed, just annoyed by the unnecessary drama. ”Shut up Tilda.”

Tilda pouted, looking away. On the other hand, Hana couldn’t help but sneak shy glances in the direction of Atlas, who was currently watching the array closely.

Did he… take her side?

Tilda happened to look at Hana to see her reaction and ended up seeing her dazed look at her ’target’, and her eyes turned red in annoyance.

Atlas was hers! She had been trying to attach to him even before the Heat Wave!! How could she let this pretty leech get in the way, especially not when she already had her brother! How dare her!!

”This

slut

!” She yelled with gritted teeth, and couldn’t help but pull her hair.

Tilda was already quite impulsive in normal circumstances. The heat, hunger, pain, and annoyance just made her explode even faster.

”Ow!” Hana squealed and Tim gasped in surprise. His sister wasn’t starting a cat fight

now

, was she?!

”Stop it, sis!” he exclaimed, pulling the woman’s hand off his girlfriend’s hair. Hana cried in pain, while Tilda gasped—realizing what she had just done. However, she was just so annoyed, and the heat got in her head that she forgot to think.

Anyway, although they were not actually yelling loudly, it still caused a bit of commotion that made a few people coming from the array to turn in their direction.

”Hussh!” Atlas whispered, pushing everyone down to the ground, shaping the soil shade even lower, forcing the people crouching to outright lay down on all fours.

Tilda and the others wanted to ask what was going on, but the former policeman’s eyes were wide as he put a finger over his mouth, signaling them not to make any noise.

Soon, they heard rustles of the dry shrubs sound near them. Their hearts fell as they realized it was getting nearer, and those with some sense of presence quickly covered the mouths of their reactive companions.

”I’m sure I heard people here…”

”Yeah, I heard someone squeal just now.”

Their hearts dropped, knowing that these people would definitely be looking closely at them. Atlas, at least, knew he had to do something.

When the enemies got close enough, Atlas immediately jumped up. He used his ability to propel him high in the desired direction, kicking the two aborigines to his companions.

”Cover their mouths!” He hissed, and the group huddled at them by instinct.

”WHA—” one yelled, but Tim placed whatever he had on hand—a rock—on the man’s mouth to shut him up.

Atlas immediately took out his sword and beheaded the two while they were still caught off guard.

Hana almost screamed, but she buried her head in Tim’s arms, making the man feel capable and protective.

They all turned in the direction of the enemy, their weapons raised in case they attracted more. In contrast, some people crawled far away while they were dealing with the natives, ready to run and leave them at the moment’s notice.

Atlas saw this but didn’t mind. He didn’t take it seriously; few people with heroism actually survived this long.

He ignored them when they came crawling back, simply telling them to keep quiet. Instead, he focused on the array and whatever was in that direction.

”They’re almost done,” Atlas whispered after a few moments and immediately everyone tensed up even more.

Fewer and fewer people came out of the array, and some were stronger than others—the main forces. They knew it would be their time to move very soon.

Eventually, the circle quieted down, and they took it as their signal.

Atlas led the run, running towards the circle as quickly as he could. ”GO!”