Chapter Six: The Commission

The moment the words “urban development plan” were spoken, the atmosphere in the room grew markedly more solemn. Even Farren looked up with curiosity, fixing his gaze on the old man before him.

The so-called “urban development plan” was not “development” in the literal sense. To put it plainly, it meant that the settlement would dispatch personnel to explore, expand into, and occupy the ruins of cities. At first glance, this might seem straightforward, but in truth, it was anything but. “Urban development” was, in this wasteland world, the most perilous undertaking there was.

For in the wasteland, the ruins of any city were disaster zones of the highest order.

This all traced back to the origins of the Great Cataclysm.

Without any warning, the apocalypse arrived.

It wasn’t the result of war—no one knew why it happened. They only remembered that a few years prior, life had been peaceful and happy. There might have been skirmishes in distant regions, but among the great nations, there had been no tension or conflict worth mentioning. Most people had lived contented, tranquil lives.

Then, disaster struck.

From north to south, east to west, a calamity of unimaginable scale swept the globe without warning—earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, hurricanes, pandemics. Humanity experienced, all at once, every disaster they could name. There was no resistance, for there was no time to respond. Billions perished in the devastation, and naturally, the cities suffered catastrophic damage as well. Towering buildings came crashing down, the earth collapsed, storms and floods raged like the reaper itself, mercilessly sweeping through the cities and slaughtering all life within.

Beneath the shadow of death, people fell, wailing in agony as they died.

But when they awoke again, they had become terrifying monsters.

Why were city ruins forbidden zones to the survivors of the wasteland? The answer was simple: there were too many monsters within.

In modern civilization, it was common for cities to house hundreds of thousands, even millions of people. Some international metropolises boasted populations in the tens of millions. In times of peace, such cities would be bustling, lively, and prosperous. But on the wasteland? Imagine a city ruin, with hundreds of thousands or even millions of monsters wandering its streets—a truly nightmarish vision. The mere thought of tens of thousands of zombies, energy-sucking fiends, and mutants lurking in every corner, all seeking to kill any intruder, was enough to chill the blood. After the catastrophe, the number of surviving humans on Earth was less than one ten-thousandth of what it had been. Even the Ninth District—the largest settlement in the eastern wilds—counted no more than twenty thousand souls, including non-combatants like slaves. The number who could actually fight was perhaps five thousand.

Even if the Ninth District mustered every last man, woman, and child, they could never resist nor eradicate the monsters inhabiting the city ruins. Their combat strength was insufficient, their abilities inadequate, and they were outnumbered by an overwhelming margin. In such circumstances, the wisest course was to stay as far away as possible.

The ruins of the city near the Ninth District, by pre-cataclysm standards, had only been a fifth-tier small city. Yet even so, the Ninth District had never considered exploring or occupying it—this was the reason why. For the denizens of the wasteland, even scavenging on the outskirts of the ruins was to gamble with death. As for venturing into the city center? Not even the most deranged lunatic would dare contemplate or attempt such a thing.

Yet, with great risk came immense reward.

Every city before the disaster had possessed an advanced, comprehensive network. As a result, after the Great Cataclysm, the network energy in city ruin zones was far higher than elsewhere. The Ninth District had spent nearly a decade, expending unknown amounts of manpower and resources, to raise the settlement’s network authority to level five. Yet in the nearby small city, the level five network zone already existed from the outset!

This meant that if one could occupy a city, they would gain the ultimate stronghold against the elements. No longer would they need to fear the disasters wrought by the Great Cataclysm—not even electromagnetic storms could breach their defenses. With a city as their bastion, founding a nation was no longer a mere dream!

And that was just a small city. One could only imagine the network authority levels of the metropolises—perhaps even reaching level ten! To gain authority over a level ten network zone meant not only controlling a city, but perhaps an entire continent.

Of course, dreams are beautiful; reality is harsh.

The higher the network zone’s authority, the more dangerous the monsters residing within. The energy-sucking fiends the scavenger squad rescued by Farren had faced were but mutations lurking at the edge of a small city’s level five network zone. By human social standards, these fiends were the beggars of the monster hierarchy. One could scarcely imagine the horrors prowling the inner districts, their numbers in the tens of thousands…

“Tell me, old man, have you lost your mind? Do you really think all of us together could occupy a city? Honestly, even if everyone here brought their entire retinue and your Blackstone Group’s enforcers besides, we wouldn’t make it into the inner city.”

The “Queen,” seated on the sofa, snorted coldly, her gaze sharp with skepticism as she glared at the elderly man. In truth, she voiced the room’s collective doubt. The Blackstone Group had once considered the nearby city ruins, but after several failed attempts, they had abandoned the idea, turning instead to independent development. Thus the Ninth District had come to be. Now, the Blackstone Group’s executive director was once more broaching the subject of city development, leaving everyone puzzled.

“You’re absolutely right, ‘Queen,’” the old man replied, still smiling amiably. “Indeed, everyone here is an elite of the wasteland, but forgive me for being blunt—even united, you could not conquer those ruins. I’m not goading you; it’s simply the truth. However, this time, we have conducted thorough investigations and preparations…”

As he spoke, the old man extended his hand, and with the gesture, a holographic map was projected before the assembly.

“In fact, we have already sent five reconnaissance teams to explore. As you said, ‘Queen,’ our forces cannot reach the inner city. But even so, we are not entirely without options. Our search teams have discovered a small network zone on the outskirts of the ruins…”

With another gesture, the old man highlighted an area along the city’s edge, marking it in red. The assembled elites all widened their eyes at the sight. None in this room were fools; they quickly understood the old man’s implication. Sensing the shift in the room’s mood, the old man allowed himself a satisfied smile.

“That’s right. As you’ve guessed, the Blackstone Group intends to seize this stronghold and occupy it. If we can secure this area, it will become our springboard for advancing into the inner city! I am confident that, in time, we will conquer the entire city!”

“And what does that have to do with us?” came the indifferent response from the audience. Even Farren, lounging against the wall with a bemused smile, watched the proceedings with idle curiosity. While these people used the Ninth District as their base, they held no particular reverence for the Blackstone Group. The elites maintained cordial relations because the Blackstone Group had managed things well. This was no fantastical world where the ambitious strove for hegemony; in this perilous post-apocalypse, people simply wanted a comfortable life. The Blackstone Group provided that, so others were willing to cooperate. Farren himself, after returning from the wasteland, could enjoy a hot bath and a soft, clean bed—simple pleasures he valued. As long as this quality of life was maintained, he had no qualms about doing his part for the Blackstone Group.

But risking one’s life was another matter entirely. After all, they were not the Blackstone Group’s hired thugs.

The old man seemed to have anticipated this. He clapped his hands lightly, and two men bearing leather cases stepped forward, setting them respectfully before the assembly.

“Of course, I understand your concerns. In fact, we never intended for you to serve us without compensation. This is an official commission—the Blackstone Group entrusts you with the task of clearing that area, eliminating all threats, and securing our control over the zone to establish a stronghold. As for your rewards…”

The old man opened a case as he spoke. Even Farren, who had been watching from the wall, could not help but be caught off guard. He sensed the aura emanating from within—it was…

While Farren pondered, the old man turned the case around, revealing its contents to all present. At that moment, nearly everyone’s expression changed. The old man, noticing this, smiled with confidence. He paused, swept his gaze over the entire room, and then continued:

“This… is the sincerity of the Blackstone Group.”