That evening, while the party was still in full swing children laughing, fires crackling, and the scent of grilled meat lingering in the air Kael quietly called Elder Thomas, Elder Arnold, and Cardo to a table off to the side.
When they were all seated, he leaned forward.
"I've been thinking… Instead of building my guild in City 13, where my old home is, I want to build it here. This people needs place and hunters, real protection. I think a new settlement would benefit more than anywhere else."
Cardo's brows rose. "Mr. Kael… are you really sure about that? You don't have to trouble yourself with our problems. With your strength, you could live comfortably inside the safe zones and make your guild huge there."
Thomas looked just as concerned. "It would be a blessing if you truly insist, but… you must understand. This settlement doesn't have much. No reliable water source, no vehicles, barely enough supplies. We can't give you the kind of start a guild usually needs."
Arnold crossed his arms. "Not to mention it'll cost billions to set up. You'll need an HQ. People will flock near it, so housing will need to be built. It's not a small task."
Kael tapped his fingers on the table, thinking. "Yeah… that's part of the problem. If we're going to do this, we need to be near resources. Do you have a map?"
Arnold called out to his wife. "Lilia, can you bring the settlement map?"
Lilia came over, unrolling a weathered map on the table. Kael scanned it quickly.
"Alright… the best choice here is Mindoro island, two hundred kilometers from Settlement 16.
Near the border of 18 and 19." He circled a spot with his finger. "Flatland.
Used to be rice farms.
Dense forest, full of resources untapped for the past 50 years,Perfect for construction."
Cardo frowned. "That's ideal, but moving there will need vehicles… and a lot of them. And more resources."
Kael grinned. "I can handle that part."
The two elders stood and gave a slight bow. "Thank you for your grace, Kael," Thomas said.
Kael waved his hands quickly, a little flustered. "Ah no, no, don't do that. I'm doing this for myself too. If I'm starting a guild, I want it to mean something."
Arnold tapped the map. "Alright then. We'll need to build the HQ first, then housing for residents. With your strength, the guild could grow fast… but we also have to think big. Strong walls, enough homes, a proper layout."
Cardo added, "We can get timber from the mountains, but… even then, we'll need more. And building walls thick enough to repel monsters… that's going to take real work."
Thomas sighed. "Our manpower is limited. A few hundred able-bodied workers, but not enough skilled builders. No machines."
Kael smiled. "Then I'll hire construction crews from outside and buy the machinery myself. As for the wall, I want it solid. If it can't keep monsters out, there's no point."
He leaned back, rubbing his chin. "Hmm… for funds, I might have to sell the potions I've been making." He muttered it almost to himself, then looked up. "Alright. If you're all on board, let's start planning tomorrow."
Arnold nodded firmly. "If you're truly serious about this, Kael, then we'll give everything we have to make it work."
Announce this to everyone, there's an empty building on the Settlement 16 right, let people of settlement 17 to stay here as of the moment and recruit more survivor.
After the elders agreed to his proposal, Kael stood and smiled at them.
"Alright, inform everyone about our plan. Rest assured we'll start as soon as possible. I'll also bring in some hunter friends for extra protection. The more muscle we have here, the safer the people will be."
Arnold's eyes lit up. "Ohhh, that's really great news, Kael."
Kael pulled out his phone and opened the group chat with three old friends Liam, Paul, and Jordan. His fingers flew over the screen.
Kael: Bastards, I want to meet the three of you.
Jordan was the first to reply.
Jordan: Woyyy, you dumbass. Why are you only contacting us now?
Paul jumped in right after.
Paul: Kael, you bastard, you left without saying anything!
Then Liam chimed in, clearly annoyed.
Liam: And you think we'll just come because you said so?
Kael grinned as he typed.
Kael: If you agree, I'll give you skillstones and treat you to dinner.
Paul and Jordan replied almost at the same time:
Paul & Jordan: Are you serious, fucker? If that's a lie, we'll beat your dirty ass. Hahahaha!
Liam's tone shifted instantly.
Liam: Yes, young master. If I get skillstones, I'll be there. But how the hell did you get rich all of a sudden?
Kael: I'll explain when we meet. Tomorrow, 11 a.m., City 1, Starbucks near the Black Fang Guild.
Jordan, Paul, Liam: Deal.
Satisfied, Kael spent the rest of the evening handing out the remaining meat, enough to feed the settlement for a few more days.
"Guys, once I find more survivors, I'll invite them here. Is that okay?"
"Of course! Bring them here," Arnold and Cardo said in unison, while Old Man Thomas gave him a big thumbs-up.
Kael fired up his 1000cc motorcycle, the deep roar of the engine rolling through the settlement. As he drove away, a few young women his age whispered and giggled, their eyes following him tall, handsome, strong, kind, generous… a dream man for any woman in the wastelands.
On the road back to the safe zone, Kael passed a few small settlements. He stopped briefly at each one, introducing himself and telling them about his plan to build a guild in Settlement 17. Many were excited and agreed to head there, some already starting their journey on foot.
He sped through several cities inside the safe zone and reached City 1 in just four hours. It was already 11:10 when he spotted the trio waiting outside Starbucks arms crossed, expressions sour.
Kael waved at them. No response.
He walked closer. "Hoy! It's me Kael."
Jordan squinted. "Kael? Bastard, if you want to lie, at least try harder. Our Kael is fat and stinky."
Paul nodded seriously. "Yeah… and his face was a disaster zone of acne."
Liam smirked. "Also, our Kael was like… fifty percent body fat. Not this jacked guy standing here."
Kael sighed. "Bastards… you want me to prove it's me? Fine. Arnold has a tattoo on his butt. Liam loves watching girl streamers. And Paul Paul has a huge crush on Hunter Cassandra from the Empress Guild."
The three froze mid-step, then quickly slapped their hands over his mouth.
"Bastard, shhhhhh!" they hissed in unison.
Kael tried to talk through their grip. "And also, Liam wan "
"SHHHHHH!"
The three exchanged glances, then finally sighed. "Yeah… okay. Only piggy boy Kael would know that stuff."
Paul looked him up and down. "Alright, we get it… but now you owe us an explanation. Why the hell do you look like this?"
Kael leaned back in his chair, looking at the trio.
"Remember that C-rank dungeon incident a few months ago?"
Paul narrowed his eyes. "Yeah… the one where the boss without a core. ?"
Kael smirked. "That was me."
The three froze.
"I killed the boss while collecting loot and pulling fangs from the other monsters. Turns out, the leader was still barely alive so I finished the job. Got the kill, leveled up… and the rewards."
He paused, letting that sink in before continuing.
"In exchange for the boss's core, I got something… special. Something that changed my life."
Liam leaned forward. "Special how?"
"I made a fortune. And for the last three months, I've been training non-stop. Now?" Kael's smile widened. "I can take down a B-rank Ironhide Boar on my own."
Sam raised a brow. "You're saying you can beat a B-rank monster as an F-rank? Even at level 100, your mana would only 2 thousand. You'd only be able to cast basic skills."
"I have my ways to get stronger," Kael said, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "And I can make you stronger too. Raise your mana stats. I'm starting my own guild, and I want five members. You three are perfect for the core team."
The trio exchanged stunned glances.
"If you can prove that," Paul said slowly, "we'll join you. No hesitation."
"I'll even invite my cousin," Paul added. "He's a D-rank archer."
Kael grinned. "Then take a look at this."
He pulled up his status screen. The moment the numbers appeared, all three of them nearly jumped out of their seats.
"EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY THOUSAND MANA?!?!?!" they shouted in unison.
Every customer in the café turned to stare. The three sat back down quickly, speaking in hushed voices.
"How… how is that possible?" Paul's voice trembled.
"Are you secretly S-rank?" Liam asked, still in disbelief.
Kael shook his head. "No. Even S-ranks wouldn't have this much mana."
They stared at him like he had just told them he could fly.
"Here's my offer," Kael said calmly. "If you join me today, I'll give each of you five elite skill stones. Once I have more funds, I'll add one rare skill stone each. I'll personally raise your mana to fifty thousand. And you'll get ten percent commission from every hunt we do."
The three didn't even read the contract. They snatched it, signed it immediately like men happily selling their souls to the devil.
"What would be the name of the guild?" the three asked in unison.
"It will be Kalza," Kael replied.
The trio immediately stood up and bowed. "Thank you, Guild Master!"
The other customers in the café turned to look.
"Oh, those four are hunters," one customer whispered. "I don't recognize them maybe a small guild?"
"They all look good enough to be models," another added, "especially their Guild Master."
Kael nodded. "Alright, now that it's finalized, let's go buy your skillstones."
The trio's faces lit up with excitement. Even if they worked hard for years, buying elite skillstones was only a dream for them. Yet now, each of them would receive five… and in the future, even a rare one.
They left the café together, stepping into the taxi parked outside..