After Surviving the Apocalypse, I Built a City in Another World - Chapter 42

Chapter 42: Speechless
“Where was this?” She asked. Although she had a rough direction, it was better to be accurate the first time.

Harold blinked, curious as to why she was so interested, but just pointed in an approximate direction as requested.

“It was near a mountain, we walked in the opposite direction of the mountain.” After all, their common sense told them cities were generally built on flat lands not near the mountains with beasts.

They relied on this modern ‘common sense’ and hoped they could get to a town or a village at least.

Indeed, she remembered after about a few dozen kilometers the forest was much younger than the one they were in now. It was one of the points that made her determine that direction to go to.

When a forest was too old, there were more dangers, and also a lot more difficult to clear and make houses. It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered tree houses, but she was unclear about the climate here and other conditions. A stable house with foundation was still the best bet.

“We were fine for a few hours of aimless walking…but suddenly we heard growls and a lot of them. We were reminded of zombie waves, and thought they were so.”

“Some of us were ready to defend, while there were still a few who cowered in fear.” Harold mumbled bitterly. “I don’t know how those people survived so long.

“Unexpectedly, it wasn’t zombies—but much, much worse. They were monsters as big as us, sharp teeth, and quick movements. It was still a dozen of them.”

“A level 2 managed to kill one and said it was a level one monster called Hether Rabbit and a few caught some courage to fight harder.”

“We were all level one and there were over a hundred of us, even if one of these things was stronger than an upgraded zombie, we could in fact make up with numbers.

“But who’d have thought a few bastards didn’t fight but only run.” Harold said with gritted teeth. “I saw those cowards use someone as a shield, a few even pushed the people next to them to the mouths of monsters.”

“We cleared them in the end, and everyone who damaged the monsters got a bit of experience, but nearly half of us perished in that battle. Only two level 2s survived.”

Harold sniffed a little. It was obvious he had befriended some of those people that perished. “As we continued to travel we encountered more and more monsters, but…”

Harold’s voice cracked. “How could we, a bunch of level ones, handle it?”

“On the way most of us had lost much of the things in our space to distract the monsters. Not only were people terrified, they are now also hungry and thirsty.

“A lot of us didn’t even have decent weapons anymore.”

He paused, looking at the direction of the hopeless crowd. Their eyes were dead; it was like they became zombies themselves.

“People had lost hope.”

Shiela heaved a sigh of pity, while Althea stared at the crowd.

Although there were obvious bad seeds, they were all Terrans after all. She couldn’t leave them defenseless.

After a few thoughts, she turned her head to Harold. “Call a few able-bodied men and you come with me somewhere.”

“What?” A few exclamations from the crowd sounded. Obviously many people in the crowd were eavesdropping.

“Where are you taking our men?!”

“Don’t think you’re beautiful that our people will just follow you!!” A woman yelled and Althea realized it was the source of that hostile stare. Althea felt she was a little familiar.

She just massaged her temple. “If you don’t want to get weapons that’s fine with me.”

Then she shrugged, as if she didn’t care anymore.

It was Harold who came to smoothen the situation.

“Please help us, miss!” He said, and a few other stared at her, hoping she changed her mind and helped them again.

Most of the others looked at her with mixed emotions, while there were still a few who genuinely hoped she’d change her mind, and appeared thankful for the offer.

Althea sighed in the end, letting things go just this once. Everyone was on edge, after all.

She didn’t want to make the few good seeds suffer unnecessarily with the leeches.

In line with this, she pointed her dainty hand in a direction. “I saw trees similar to bamboo on the way here. We can turn them into weapons.”

“Those who want to get some, must come with me and take one for themselves. As for the others, it’s up to you.”

And she walked to the direction, with Sheila, Fufi, and the Lees’ following closely behind.

The atmosphere was stagnant for a moment, until a few men began walking over, and soon more followed.

About a dozen men followed her in the end. The others, scared of being alone, came with them.

Eventually, they reached the so-called bamboo forest. They indeed looked like bamboos, only they had bluish hued and had thorns on every segment of the Bamboo culms.

“Don’t cut the culms to the roots so it can regrow.”

The men nodded and began choosing their own areas to harvest.

However, before they could cut down a tree, a multitude of scuffles echoed around them.

They could see the upright blue-bamboos shaking, followed by creepy squeaky noises that brought goosebumps to their skins.

Instinctively, their own bodies shook in fear. Some even cried even before the monsters appeared.

Glowing eyes appeared one by one and soon their bodies were revealed from the shadows of the grass.

They were like bamboo rats, except uglier, with twice as many eyes, and were about ten times larger.

The people looked in fear as the few bamboo rats increased to over a dozen, and then to a score.

The creepy things saw them and immediately approached aggressively.

The hostile woman pointed at Althea with malice, as she stepped back in fear. “It’s you! You brought us here to die!!!”

At her signal, there were not a few who stared at her accusingly.

Harold, Shiela, and even little Maya stepped in to stop them, but Althea raised her hand to keep them from making a move.

Instead of responding, she just indifferently walked to meet the attacking rats.

She gracefully waved her hand and a katana slowly appeared in her movement. With each swing, she took down one or two.

It was both a beautiful and terrifying sight.

[Killed Tanto Rat (Lv1): +30 Copper, +30 Experience]

[Killed Tanto Rat (Lv1): +30 Copper, +30 Experience]

[Killed Tanto Rat (Lv1): +30 Copper, +30 Experience]

It took less than a minute to kill the dozens of rats that appeared. Silently, she took note that all the monsters in this area were level 1.

Still a relatively weaker sort than the other level 1s she faced.

However, none of this showed in her face. She only looked coldly at the then-accusing crowd that had now turned pale.

Her deep eyes stared them down, her katana looked particularly sharp and bloody.

“Anything else?”

“…”