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

The couple waited for the babies to fall deeply asleep before they gently placed them in their cribs. Althea couldn't help but touch their soft faces and leaning down to kiss, before she joined her husband back on the bed.

He reached out to her, expanding his arm, and she naturally lay down to use him as a pillow.

"What happened?"

"I'm not entirely certain, but I did have a very vivid dream."

"Oh?"

"Hmn," he said. "It's almost like a memory…"

She turned her head and looked at him. "A memory?"

"Hmn, from when we first met."

He told her everything he could remember about the dream, and it also made her wonder a lot about it. She remembered asking Garan where she came from—a common question of kids—back then. He really couldn't answer her, and just told her he was with her for as long as he could remember, too.

The dream felt fantastical, so she reckoned his mind combined a lot of elements and old memories, which might be why he could barely remember when he woke up.

They didn't think too much about it anymore. If it was something that'd affect them, then they'd figure it out eventually.

For now, Garan tilted his head down to look at his wife, who was now staring at him with those large green eyes.

Her body casually rested on him, and his eyes darkened as he felt her softness.

Unsurprisingly, Althea would find herself on her back and under a hovering husband, quickly entering a long, passionate night.

…

The family was allowed the rest for the night before the next Elder meeting was called on to update everyone on what they had lost in the war.

"We had a total of 38 casualties…" Volohov said, voice strained from both sadness and fatigue. "There are three in critical condition, but the hospital is doing its best."

To the new aborigines, this was an awfully small number. After all, the powerhouses of a relatively seasoned Town and Mercenary Team came after them. With just 38 deaths so far, they practically came out of it 'unscathed'.

However, to anyone who stayed long enough in Alterra, they'd understand that even just a handful would cause depression.

Unlike most territories, those were more than just numbers to Alterras. Each one was a life with their own goals and families. The lord, and the entire leading team, saw it like this, and each one broke their hearts.

As always, they'd be giving them the hero's funerals, and for those who died while in service, their bereaved would receive the contribution points as well as some more bonuses.

They discussed the things they needed to repair as well, since they had a number of manual construction as well. As of this date, the landscaping team had also begun to mobilize, restoring their precious parks as well.

They also discussed about the distribution of contribution points, with the powerhouses who held sectors by themselves getting extra.

Althea also told them about the current state of their Town.

[TERRITORY STATS

Status: Level 1 Town

Area: 28, 270,000 square meters

Residents: 17785 (5983 permanent, 11802 temporary)

Total Population: 88924

Base Resources:

Wood: 1300/40000

Stone: 320/30000

Money: 149731 Gold, 499899 Silver, 6598699 copper

Prestige: 2235

Buildings: Village Center (Lv3) , Weaponry Shop (Lv3), Defensive Wall (Lv5), Warehouse (Lv4), Farm (Lv3), Training Hall (Lv4), Bathouse (Lv2), Prison (Lv1), Post Office (Lv1), Pharmacy (Lv1)

Bonus Building: Custom Buildingx3, Armory (Lv3), Restaurant (Lv3), Special Torch (Lv1), Well (Lv3), Barracks (Lv3),

Custom Aether Buildings: Library (Lv1), Lighthouse Watchtower (Lv1), Hospital (Lv1)

Building Slots: 10/11 (+11)]

Their population received more than fifty thousand people in their ranks. There were also a lot more deaths on the enemy's side of course, and there was a growing number of casualties among the new 'slaves' so it was expected this would reduce a bit in the future.

The Prestige seemed to have increased by a lot, as well, and they surmised that perhaps Basset Town had a larger influence than they first thought.

As for the pitiful amount of resources left, they were spent because there was so much to repair, which was the biggest repair cost they ever had to do. Fortunately, the system buildings and walls only needed wood and stone and a couple of clicks from her to repair themselves.

Another summarized report prepared today was what happened in Basset Town. The leaders of the mission, especially Eagle, were called in.

Considering nearly all of the enemy's powerhouses were sent to Alterra, and they made it clear that the spies were to abandon mission if it got too risky. Strictly speaking, except for some accidents, they should not have been in much danger at all.

However, it apparently did. One of Alterra's best assets, Chris, was gravely injured!

"May I know what happened?" Althea asked, tone soft but was definitely disapproving. Eagle and the others looked down, guilty.

Eagle reported everything that had conspired. From how they got the lord there killed, how Chris was taken by Fargo, and how they were rescued by Veronica's guards and Obi's men after going past the arrays.

"There was a prisoner who helped you out?" Garan asked, puzzled. According to the description, the man was a powerhouse with a rare blue fire element. Even if his level was lower (which it wasn't), the overall fighting abilities should not be so. "How'd he get caught by a Town?"

"It must've been due to this," Eagle said, taking out a piece of parchment and opening it up. He didn't want to touch it. "He called it the anti-aether necklace."

"What?" Althea and the others flinched.

They might have developed a poison that could temporarily make it difficult for elementalists to use their powers, but that was only effective (with diminishing effects) to level 20 and below.

Not to mention, its duration was limited to only a few hours and, considering the materials needed to make it, it was impractical to use each time they captured an elementalist.

They looked at the tool in curiosity. Even if it was white at first glance, it was really glimmery, almost like crystal.

"When it is in contact with my skin, I am unable to use my elements or my skills."

Oslo blinked. "What's Basset doing with such a thing?"

At this, they all looked at Oslo. "What is it?"

"It's a magic tool, only found in certain cities, particularly sea-faring ones," he said. "It's a very expensive and controlled material—after all, they're one of the best ways to control elementalists."

They stared at him, waiting for him to tell more. "It has limited effects, however. Judging by the current luster, this would've lasted only another month or two."

When it was still at its best quality, it would be even clearer, more beautiful, as if it could trap light and create glitters inside of it. Oslo had only seen it once, sold in an auction.

"Can I keep that?" Althea asked, and Eagle immediately agreed.

"Of course, Miss Althea, I wouldn't know what to do with it either."

Althea was very interested in this. Rather than its alleged absorbing abilities, it was more likely that the necklace kept it inside the person, containing it.

She would be studying how it worked for a while. Maybe it'd be useful someday.

Garan smiled a bit as he saw his wife so excited before turning back to Eagle. "How is Chris?"

"Unable to recover his leg, sadly," he said.

There was silence in the room, feeling angry in their hearts. They knew that some sacrifices had to be made with certain things, but it was extremely irksome when it was something that could've been avoided.

Garan's eyes darkened, his fists clenched.

"And how is Fargo?"