A dilapidated crowd of twenty-ish people stood before the police outpost, and Roy gazed at this number, his expression that of a scowl.
With the territory bird's-eye view, he had estimated about 150–160 hunters ranging within his territory. He rubbed his head in a vain attempt to banish a headache. "This is going to be stressful," he whispered in dismay.
As of now, humanity was in a race against time, and the only way he could keep himself ahead of the said race was by getting stronger and developing his territory. And there was no way he could accomplish the latter without human resources…
Glancing at his recruitment token, his heart ached. It seemed he would have to resort to using them after all. He had planned on using them to scout elite hunters, which would cost more.
He sighed. He would have to take things a step at a time. First of all, he had to deal with the ones before him.
Most of those that answered his call were mostly those with little to no combat ability, but fortunately they had skills suited for other things. He even saw three builders among them and a medic, which was nice.
But among them, there was one who stood out the most — surprisingly, a young boy clinging tightly to the legs of a man, probably his dad. As for his mum? Seeing his reddened eyes and his father's shaken and lost expression, Roy could already assume what happened.
[Race: Human
Name: Jermy Gordon
Allegiance: —
Level: 0
…
Strength: 2
Agility: 1
Constitution: 1
Intelligence: 4
Ether Unit: 8/8
…
Skills: Waste-to-Wonder (SS), Ultra Fixer (B), God's Touch (B)]
Roy's eyes glistened with gratification. With this little guy around, practically no resource could go to waste. But apart from the young lad, no one else stood out — they were basically all just civilians.
Brows furrowed, he realized a problem. He couldn't be the one managing this many people. He needed a manager of sorts, someone who would deal with territory development and human management. But for now, I still have to address them. After this, I must find a hunter suitable for this next.
Meanwhile, the hunters gazed at him with expectation. Truth be told, most of them responded to the call because of one primary reason — protection.
Previously, before the ascent, they were just a bunch of civilians. They had zero combat experience, zero guts to even face the horrors dwelling in this realm, and the fact that their skills were mostly utility-based didn't help at all.
So Roy offering them recruitment was a lifeline in the midst of darkness. They would do whatever it took to convince this Lord, as long as he didn't throw them back out there.
Their ears perked up and breaths were held — the Lord had begun speaking…
"Most of you must have guessed why I summoned you all here. I understand that some might be grieving losses, some might not have even adapted to this new reality yet, some might even still believe this is a dream…"
Roy's eyes scanned through the shifting expressions of the crowd. Indeed, his words resonated with them. His expression cold, he continued.
"And I'm sorry to burst your bubbles, but this is our new reality. There's no going back. This is a new realm of eat or be eaten. The weak get weaker and the strong get stronger…
There will be no such things as generosity or charity. No — there will only be mutual benefits and profits."
The more he spoke, the more lifeless and dejected the hunters became. This… this was their new reality. Some even began sobbing silently, others losing all strength from their knees.
Even the father and son duo clung tighter. It seemed the Lord wouldn't be accepting them after all…
Despite all these reactions, Roy wasn't shaken. He had to make them understand reality. The faster their mindsets changed, the better their chances of survival. He continued.
"I won't lie to you. I need warriors. I need fighters. But I see none among you… This goes in length to prove my earlier statements. A strong hunter would naturally be unwilling to follow a strong Lord — it would require a strong show of force from my part before I can get their attention."
Depressed sighs rang out from the bunch. The premonition of the Lord rejecting them grew stronger.
Seeing this, Roy hid a smile. All this speech was a military/political tactic — by amplifying their flaws and making them understand that they needed him and not the other way around. This way, the chances of them developing self-entitlement after recruitment would be drastically low.
"But despite the fact that I need soldiers, I also need workers."
As soon as he stated this, they all perked up, their eyes brimming with determination and readiness to put in their weight.
"So now tell me — are you ready to show me your value? Remember, I have no need of the useless. You either prove your worth or you can leave…"
A subordination request popped up simultaneously across their visions. They froze. Were they getting recruited?
Despite their weaknesses?
Their eyes went red, their hearts puckered — they were grateful!
This Lord… he was a good man. No — he was a great man!
They all accepted it quickly, lest he changed his mind. If it was work, they would happily oblige. Anything except facing those abominations out there.
A formless bond quickly permeated the air, as the man before them suddenly became taller and greater in their sights.
Roy nodded. This was good. System, open shop.
He quickly navigated through the purchasable buildings and finally stopped at the most suitable.
[Premium Wooden Civilian Warehouse: 16000 Jp]
He purchased it without hesitation. Right before their eyes, a massive construct bloomed into reality — wood came to life, rearranging itself in order.
"You guys reside here for now. I have business to accomplish… and don't try entering the outpost, because you won't have access." With that, he vanished from sight.
The crowd glanced at each other in awe and astonishment, but obediently they still went into the massive wooden warehouse. And to their shock, there were neatly arranged beds, illuminating lights, and all.
"God, there's even a washroom!" a middle-aged lady exclaimed in astonishment and excitement. God knew when last she took a bath, and without further hesitation, she rushed into it…
Meanwhile, in a clearing, Roy stood, his baton resting lazily on his shoulder. Around him, sprawled on the ground, were a moaning and bruised bunch.
"Tch! Next time, when in someone's territory, you answer when summoned. You can only ignore if you have the bigger fist. Honestly, with how weak you all are, I can't be bothered to recruit you…" he scoffed. Reality churned as he was about to teleport when suddenly…
"You should be more worried about yourself!" a raspy voice croaked from the shadows of the woods.
Roy paused, turning to glance at the source — a group of men, skin coated in tattoos, came into sight, their expressions sinister and fierce.
"We only have one question for you… where the hell is our Boss?"