After Kael had taken care of all the matters needed to start his city, he finally had the means to make it happen.
In the Wilderness
Settlement 16 had changed drastically in just a few days.
The population, once only 980, had exploded to 3,800.
More survivors were arriving every single day, drawn by the rumors — A new settlement is being built… a safe place for survivors… and its founder is a young hunter.
The stockpile Kael left behind had been generous at first, but with so many mouths to feed, the supplies were vanishing fast. They tried to stretch every meal, distributing the food thinly, determined to survive until the promised sixth day.
But with every passing hour, it became clear: it wouldn't be enough.
By the fifth day, the air was thick with anxiety.
"Is it really true…? A new settlement… built by a young hunter?" whispered one refugee, his voice trembling with hope and doubt.
"Bah, sounds like a bad joke. Hunters don't help people like us,I'm only here for a food" an old woman scoffed, clutching her tattered shawl.
The murmurs spread like wildfire. Every corner of the camp was buzzing with uncertainty.
Finally, the food was brought out a small, palm-sized piece of bread for each person. It wasn't much, but it was better than eating goblin meat again.
Then, a young man stood up, voice cracking with desperation.
"Please… my mom is sick. She needs more food, or she won't last the night."
Anna hesitated, then sighed. "Here… take this extra bread. Give it to her."
Almost instantly, the complaints began.
"Ohhh isn't that unfair?! Why do they get more when we all get the same?" the old woman from earlier shouted.
Anna stepped forward sharply. "Her mother is sick. She needs it to recover."
The old woman faked a cough. "Then I should get one too! I'm sick as well cough, cough"
The voices rose, anger building.
Shoving. Complaints. Demands.
Then
BANG!
Arnold slammed his sword into a rock, the sound ringing out like thunder.
"Enough!" His voice boomed, silencing the crowd.
"If all you can do is complain, you're free to leave." His glare swept over them like a storm. "I'm the leader here, a C-rank hunter. This settlement runs under Hunter Kael's rules. If you don't like it, get out."
He cracked his knuckles, eyes narrowing at the troublemakers. "And if anyone here thinks I can't handle problems, you're welcome to test me."
No one moved. Then, slowly, eleven people backed away, muttering, and left the camp entirely.
The tension had just begun to settle when
Vrrrroooommmm!
The deep roar of an engine echoed across the settlement.
Cardo's kid, Samuel, scrambled up onto a man in a sportsbike, eyes widening. "It's him! Big bro Kael is here!"
Heads turned. The anxious whispers melted into gasps of relief.
They saw him.
Kael's motorcycle kicked up dust as it sped closer but that wasn't what made everyone's jaws drop.
Behind him stretched a convoy — massive trailer trucks, sleek expensive cars, and armored transports, all rumbling forward like a moving fortress.
Anna's eyes widened. "Oh… my… god…"
A thousand people gasped at once.
Arnold, the leader of Settlement 17, broke into a grin. "He… he brought it. Mountains of supplies."
The cheers erupted like a wave.
It was as if a hero's parade had entered the settlement.
Elder Thomas hurried forward, his face lit with joy. "Kael! Oh, great to see you!"
Kael dismounted, smiling. "Good to see you too, Elder. Looks like everyone's doing better."
"Thanks to you," the elder replied warmly. "Your food, your vitamins… people are stronger now."
Nearby, children waved excitedly.
"Big bro Kael!" they shouted, their voices full of joy.
Kael grinned and waved back. They look healthier… and cuter… than the first time I saw them.
The Kalza Guild members stood frozen, stunned at the sight not just at how the people welcomed him, but how deeply they loved him. Even the workers Kael brought along exchanged glances, realizing they weren't just looking at a leader… they were looking at someone these people would follow anywhere.
"Ohhh, Kael… who are all those people riding behind you?" Anna asked, eyes darting toward the long convoy of armed figures.
Kael glanced back and smiled. "Them? They're my friends… my guild members. And a few hunters I hired. Their job is to protect civilians while we construct the buildings and walls."
He pointed further back toward another group. "I hired ten more hunters from the Black Fang Guild and additional 10 from Mercenary guild. They'll guard the construction crews against monster attacks while they work."
"Ohhh…" murmurs rippled through the crowd. Seeing Kael wasn't just returning with supplies, but with manpower and a group of hunter to protect the people, gave them a strange sense of relief.
"Alright," Kael clapped his hands once. "We start building now."
He turned to the group. "I'll leave five hunters here to guard the settlement. The other five hunters and my guild members will come with me to the site. Mr. Cardo, Mr. Arnold you two are coming with me to help with planning."
Anna stepped forward, worry on her face.
"But, Kael… we've already run out of wheat and rice."
Arnold scratched the back of his head.
"Mr. Kael… I don't want to sound shameless, but since you left, the population has grown so much. Feeding everyone now will cost you millions. One truck might not be enough for all these people."
Kael just waved it off, calm as ever.
"No worries. I brought enough supplies for six months—more than enough for now."
He smirked and pointed toward the vehicles.
"Open the trucks."
The workers rushed to the massive trailers. The doors swung open with a loud clang.
Gasps filled the air.
Inside were mountains of sacks—wheat, rice, and grains stacked so high it looked like a golden hill under the sunlight.
Six entire trucks. All filled to the brim.
Some people covered their mouths. Others just froze, wide-eyed, like they were staring at a miracle.
"Accept these supplies," Kael said firmly. "Let Cardo and Arnold handle distribution later. And consider my help… an investment."
He looked around, his voice turning serious.
"But unlike last time, I'm not giving it away for free. Every able-bodied male, sixteen and above, will earn merit points. These can be traded for the new currency we'll be using—Kalza Coins."
He raised his hand slightly, showing a silver coin.
"Kalza Coins can be exchanged for food, clothes, weapons, booze, gadgets—phones, computers, you name it. For now, you can only spend them here in our settlement… but soon, it will be recognized everywhere."
Murmurs spread through the crowd.
"Each day you work for me, you'll earn 80 Kalza Coins," Kael continued.
"Ten coins will buy you one kilo of rice or wheat. Two coins for a canned tuna. Clothes depends on what you want."
That was a generous amount after all, these were apocalyptic days. Billions were starving, millions dying each year at the hands of monsters and famine. Kael's offer was nothing short of generous.
Men in the crowd roared in approval.
"Sign me up!" one shouted.
"I'll sign right now!" another called.
"I never want to be a freeloader," a middle-aged man said proudly. "I'll earn my keep. I'm a proud man after all. Used to work construction sign me up!"
A woman raised her hand.
"Kael… what about us? What work can we do?"
Kael smiled.
"I'll need cooks. Thirty in total fifteen for the construction site, fifteen here at the settlement. I've got papers ready take a pen, write your name and your skills. I'll place you where you fit best."
He looked over the crowd.
"I also need people with backgrounds in accounting, finance, and management. If you've got those skills, step forward."
He let the words settle before finishing.
"For those who can't work yet, or don't fit the jobs I'll post, each family will receive forty Kalza Coins enough to survive for a month. After that no more free money."
The settlement erupted in a mix of determination and excitement. People were already lining up for papers, shouting their skills, and discussing how they'd spend their first Kalza Coins.
Kael just stood there, arms crossed, satisfied.looking at the people who almost lot their hope a week ago now trying to survive and finding a job.
"Are you boys finished signing the contract for the construction job?" Kael's voice carried over the crowd.
The men roared back in unison, their voices like thunder. "Sir, yes sir!" thousands shouted.
Cardo grinned wide, full of energy. "Good! Then let's get to work, boys!"
In total, 1,100 men had been recruited on the spot. They crammed themselves into the four empty buses Kael had brought. The engines roared to life, ready to roll out.
On top of that, another 2,000 skilled construction workers personally hired by Kael is also in that convoy.
With that, the convoy roared back to life. They drove for 5 hours straight,
And cross the sea using the bridge that was been build 50 years ago to former mindoro island where the city 26 suppoed to be build.
But unfortunately government change plan and abandoned the place, now it was been roamed by monsters.
Cardo grinned wide, brimming with energy. "Good! Then let's get to work, boys!"
In total, 1,100 men had been recruited on the spot. They squeezed themselves into the four empty buses Kael had brought, the engines growling as if eager to hit the road.
Along with them were another 2,000 skilled construction workers, personally hired by Kael from within the safe zone.
The convoy came alive, engines rumbling in unison as they rolled out. For five hours they drove, the long line of vehicles cutting across the countryside.
Eventually, they reached the old sea bridge a massive structure built fifty years ago, connecting the mainland to what was once Mindoro Island. The bridge had stood the test of time, though its paint was long faded and rust crept along its steel bones.
City 26 was supposed to rise there once, a grand plan of the old government… but the project was abandoned when priorities shifted. The place was left to rot, and nature along with the monsters claimed it for their own.