Morning arrived quietly.
The oasis was beginning to look less like a temporary settlement and more like a home.
New houses were being built.
The first fields were being planted.
The water channels Noel had created were being expanded.
And Aran had already started experimenting with his new Geo Vision.
Unfortunately—
BOOM!
A wall collapsed.
Noel slowly turned his head.
Aran stood beside the rubble.
“…I may have made the wall slightly too strong.”
Noel stared at him.
“You destroyed it by making it too strong?”
Aran scratched his head.
“Apparently.”
Noel sighed.
“You’re learning.”
The other residents laughed.
For the first time, Noel felt something he hadn’t expected.
He was enjoying himself.
Visitors
That afternoon, a scout suddenly came running into the settlement.
“Lord Noel!”
Noel turned.
“What happened?”
“There are people approaching from the east!”
Noel immediately became serious.
“How many?”
“About thirty.”
The residents became nervous.
Noel walked toward the edge of the settlement.
In the distance, a group of travelers was approaching.
They weren’t soldiers.
They were families.
Children.
Elderly people.
Merchants.
They looked exhausted.
Noel immediately understood.
“They’re refugees.”
The system appeared.
[Potential new residents detected.]
Noel looked toward the people.
“Open the gates.”
The residents hesitated.
One man asked:
Noel answered calmly.
“Then we’ll deal with it.”
He looked at the newcomers.
“But we don’t turn away people simply because they’re afraid.”
The gates opened.
The refugees entered.
Some immediately fell to their knees when they saw the enormous golden statue.
Others simply stared at the oasis.
One woman began crying.
A child whispered:
“There’s water…”
Noel watched quietly.
The settlement had been built for exactly this.
A place where people could start again.
A New Problem
That evening, Noel gathered everyone.
The population had grown rapidly.
Fourteen had become forty-four.
And that created a problem.
Food.
The fields weren’t large enough.
The houses weren’t enough.
The water supply needed expansion.
Noel looked at the settlement.
“We need to expand.”
Aran nodded.
“We can build more farms.”
“Yes.”
Another resident raised a hand.
“We need more stone.”
Noel smiled.
“Then we’ll get more.”
The system appeared.
[Nation Development: 6%]
[Morax Template Synchronization: 1.5%]
Noel looked at the notifications.
“Looks like we’re progressing.”
Then—
He felt something.
A familiar presence.
Noel’s expression changed.
The Tailed Beast connection.
Someone was calling him.
He closed his eyes.
A voice entered his mind.
Noel recognized it immediately.
Kurama.
What are you doing?
Noel looked around at the growing settlement.
Expanding.
There was a pause.
Your population increased.
Noel smiled.
You noticed?
Of course I noticed.
Another voice joined them.
How many now?
It was Gyūki.
Noel answered proudly.
Forty-four.
Silence.
Then Son Gokū laughed.
Forty-four?!
Noel’s eyebrow twitched.
Why is everyone surprised?
Kurama answered dryly.
Because last time you had fourteen.
That’s called growth.
It’s barely growth.
Shut up.
Matatabi’s voice entered the conversation.
What are you going to do when thousands of humans live there?
Noel looked toward the settlement.
His expression became thoughtful.
Build something strong enough to protect them.
Kurama became quiet.
For once, he didn’t make a joke.
Then you’d better become stronger too.
Noel smiled.
I intend to.
The connection faded.
Noel opened his eyes.
The sun was setting.
The settlement was glowing beneath the golden statue.
Forty-four people now called this place home.
But Noel knew this was only the beginning.
He looked toward the endless desert.
“Tomorrow…”
He smiled.
“We build the city.”
To be continued…