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

While many things were brewing in very different parts of the human territory, Alterra held yet another celebration.

The Hot Springs have finally opened!

After months of hard work (primarily by the goblins, in exchange for great benefits), this area had finally been opened to the public!

The Western face of the Mountains was divided into two hot spring zones: Public and Semi-private. The public was, of course, the open-for-all (in trade for contribution points) hot spring resort, which featured various amenities.

The opening was marketed well, with the lithography team attaching drawn images in the newspaper as pamphlet-style advertisements.

The tag line was, amusingly, just ”Find Peace with every Steam”. Of course, they also included the contribution point requirements, which were even higher than those of the Bathhouse.

It also had a smaller number of user slots to ensure it never got too crowded. They would also add a non-refundable reservation-only requirement for the peak season.

This way, the hot springs would have fewer patrons and would be conducive to a peaceful and relaxing time there with minimal chatter.

Anyway, as one would expect, the opening of the resort was a massive hit. Hours before the scheduled opening, there were already hundreds of patrons in line waiting, and more were coming in.

The way to the hot springs started out the same as the mountain trekking paths heading to the view deck and Observation tower area. However, at some point in the middle, the path would branch out with clear signs in both languages indicating directions.

The interested patrons would climb up this new path, heading towards another part of the landmass. It was a picturesque path lined with stone pathwalks and abutted by benches and vigorous flora.

Eventually, they would arrive at a towering wooden arch that stood over the pathwalk, marking the hot spring’s entrance.

At the top, there was the artful text ’Alterra Hotsprings’. Not only were various trees and shrubs framing this entrance, but vines were also allowed to crawl up around the posts, as well as the walls that separated the hot springs from the outside.

It was as if whatever was beyond the post was from nature itself.

There, the faint scent of sulfur greeted them, which was a bit shocking at first, but their bodies would adjust and even relax a bit.

The gravel path crunched softly as they approached the entrance building, framed by large trees that had existed there for a while, maintained with care by Alterra’s plant experts.

The main building was a structure built of stone and timber. It had large open windows—made of glass now—showing a large lobby area inside.

Inside this lobby was a rustic and warm atmosphere. It had a patterned stone floor and had a lot of comfortable lounge areas where guests could wait while they were accommodated at the counter. There was also a fireplace there, though it would only open when the temperature was on the cooler side.

There were also bonsais and other indoor plants placed artfully across the space. Some had a variation in elevation, creating a dynamic yet relaxing effect.

In any case, it had a different feel from the bathhouse. For Terrans, the bathhouse had more of a Mediterranean feel to it, while the hot spring had a cabin-slash-oriental effect.

They were both charming and lovely, though in very different ways.

Anyway, the patrons were very curious about how different it would be with the Bathhouse, which also had warm and hot water baths.

They were greeted by a good-looking group of men and women in uniforms, designed like a robe of sorts that fitted their forms. The fabric also looked comfortable and pretty with beautiful nature-inspired patterns.

Judging by the way they carried themselves, it was also obvious that the staff had been trained so that the hot springs would have a feeling of luxury, impeccable service, and attention to detail.

Each one of the staff had accessories that varied slightly for individuality, but there was a sense of uniformity and grace in their movements. Their movements were graceful and controlled, calm and deliberate, and just looking at them made people feel relaxed.

”Welcome to Alterra Hot Springs,” they said, welcoming. ”Where the waters soothe aching muscles, and warmth quiets the soul.”

The difference between the Mediterranean-style bathhouse and this eastern-style hot spring was not just the aesthetic, but also in the experience.

The Bathhouse had an emphasis on indulgence and luxury, with particular focus on relaxation and rejuvenation. There was also the communal aspect of it.

It was why there were so many relaxing lounges and conversational spaces in there.

The Eastern-style hot springs had more emphasis on the contemplative aspect of the mind—of being one with nature, of individual purification, and so on. It was more meditative, with emphasis on balance and rejuvenation.

It had a much quieter atmosphere and even if there were conversations, it was very muted. It was why the number of people inside at one time was very limited, much more so than the bath house. Of course, this meant that the cost was higher than the Bathhouse.

That said, because the number of entries was limited to ensure the experience, the staff made sure that the guests were aware early on.

So, instead of making the people at the back of the line wait for so long, they simply opened up the reservations.

It was also made clear that the access was time-limited, which was usually 12 hours maximum for the public baths. This was already more than enough. Not to mention, for weaker bodies, staying for too long might get dangerous.

Of course, they had to pay half of the money and the contribution points to finalize the reservation. The people didn’t mind. At the very least, they didn’t have to camp and wait for hours or even days just to take a look inside.

By the time the queue cleared up, the reservation was already one month filled.

It had to be said: Alterrans (and their guests) could really live it up.