I Woke Up 120 Years After The Apocalypse-Chapter 25: Top Of The World

Sleeping Beauty was awakened abruptly as Akram threw a bucket of water straight into his face.

"Oh fuck, you really needed that, wow. You stink like hell, man!" Akram said, pinching his nose with a grimace.

"What the... Huh? I’m alive? Oh shit... Fuck, fuck, let me go, you bastard, let me go!!" Simeon shouted, thrashing wildly.

"Okay."

"Let me go, I’m telling you, you son of a bitch, I’ll f-... huh?"

"Okay, I’ll let you go." Akram repeated, kneeling at the bandit’s level.

"Uh, okay... Then take these chains off?"

"Nope."

The vein on Simeon’s forehead bulged instantly. He lost his temper far faster than his companions ever had.

"You fucking with me, you little bitch?! I’ll—" he snapped, before Akram cut him off.

"Shht. I’ll let you go, but you’re going to do something for me first."

***

At the same time, Baron, Elliot, and Leyla stood at Runa’s bedside, who had been critically injured during the bandit attack.

Leyla gently held her hand and hadn’t left her side for hours.

"Is she doing better?" Elliot asked, clearly worried.

"Yes... Lerius took care of her like a pro. He did everything he could to ease her pain. According to him, she should regain consciousness in a few days..." Leyla replied, looking exhausted.

"Kra cared a lot about Runa." she added quietly, lowering her gaze.

Baron, visibly uncomfortable, tried to change the subject.

"He can do that, the robot? I mean, isn’t he supposed to be a fighter?"

"Yes!" Akram cut in as he entered the infirmary. "Bot-shinobis were designed to protect their master, but also to provide emergency medical care if needed. They’re quite versatile when it comes to combat medicine."

"Anyway, Elliot, Baron, I need you at HQ. We need to talk." Akram finished, without saying a single word to Leyla.

Elliot and Baron complied and followed their leader out of the infirmary.

Asshole. Leyla thought bitterly.

***

Once inside the main hall of the HQ, Lerius and Yashyn were already there. Akram didn’t waste time and started the meeting immediately.

"Alright, everyone’s here. The trade mission with the bandits was a clear success, despite the unexpected attacks..."

"So the money issue is settled for now, right?" Baron added, continuing the discussion.

"Yes, in terms of Scrips, we’re good. But now we’re facing a different problem." Akram said seriously.

"We’re missing the second most important thing after money... manpower."

"Yashyn is helping us willingly, but at some point, we’ll need to defend ourselves without outside help."

"And for repairs, construction, research... all of that." Akram continued, laying out his plan.

"In our current state, no one will join us. Small colony, weak defenses, partially destroyed... It’s not appealing."

"UNLESS!" Akram suddenly shouted, snapping everyone awake.

"We use our prisoner, hehe."

The Vulkans exchanged looks. Once again, Akram’s ideas had caught them off guard.

He took the time to properly explain his plan, which he named: "Come Join Us."

The idea was simple: use the prisoner’s reputation, along with their trade agreement, to inspire confidence in potential newcomers.

Spreading word of Vulkania’s victory over the bandits, their new technologies, and the truce with the largest bandit group in the Varang would be strong arguments for future settlers.

"Not bad... yeah, that’s clever." Yashyn admitted, impressed.

"Very good idea, Akram... That would definitely reassure people." Baron agreed, nodding.

Akram smiled, satisfied, and went on:

"And why not bring back the people who left us? Now that the bandits are beaten, they might want to return!"

Despite the council’s enthusiasm, Elliot looked far more skeptical, rubbing his chin.

Akram noticed.

"What is it, Elliot? Got an idea?"

"Hm... It might not be that simple."

The Vulkans turned their attention to the logistician.

"Akram, how much do you really know about the new leaders of this world? Not much, right?" Elliot asked in a serious tone, very different from his usual docile demeanor.

"Yeah... I haven’t really looked into it, to be honest." Akram admitted, scratching the back of his head.

Elliot then explained the geopolitical situation of the new world.

The main continent where Vulkania is located is divided into five major regions:

The Varang, arid steppes where Vulkania stands.

The Grand Canyon, home to the major cannibal tribes.

The Underland, a collapsed region made of vast cave networks and underground cities.

The Black Mists, constantly drowned in toxic, electrostatic fog—remnants of old industrial complexes and chemical disasters.

And the Sea of Glass, a former urban desert melted by energy weapons, now an ocean of vitrified sand and crystalline structures.

Two factions stand at the top of this continent, ideologically opposed.

The Sacred Dominion, ruled by Queen Volorea, fiercely hostile to ancient technology, settled near the Sea of Glass.

And the Iron Imperium, ruled by Emperor Raskam XIV, composed mainly of autonomous robots from the golden age, equipped with their own AI—technologically the most advanced faction in this rugged world—based in the Underland.

"These two factions aren’t really our problem right now. Our real issue is..." Elliot began, before Baron cut in.

"The Oathbearers."

"Yeah... exactly, them." Elliot finished, looking almost defeated.

"Okay... and what’s the problem with these ’Oathbearers’?" Akram asked, unconcerned.

"They’re not a large faction, but they’re feared for their individual strength. They’ve ruled the Varang for years..."

"For every new colony in the Varang, their leader, Phaistos, sends warriors and a champion to test the new leader’s worth." Elliot added.

"They already came once. Barid fought and defeated their champion. That’s how we proved our value and earned their peace." Baron said, almost nostalgic.

"Then we’re good, right? We already passed their test." Akram replied.

"Yes... the problem is Barid is dead. And you’re officially our new leader. They’ll come to test you."

"Oh."

"Yes. ’Oh’."

Yashyn burst out laughing.

"Akram’s gonna get his ass kicked by a Bearer Champion! Pwahahahaha!"

"Asshole, you’re gonna train me, I’m telling you!" Akram snapped.

"At worst, we could pretend someone else is the leader. You, Yashyn, or Baron?" Elliot suggested, trying to find a way out.

"No." Akram cut him off.

"What do you mean, no?"

"If there’s a fight to prove my worth, then I’ll do it." Akram insisted. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Akram, you’ve already proven you’re strong and capable. But the Oathbearers are monsters. They’ve trained since childhood!" Baron warned.

"That won’t be a problem... Yashyn, would you train me for five hundred Scrips?!"

Baron and Elliot immediately protested at the price.

"Well?" Akram insisted, staring straight into Yashyn’s eyes.

"Deal, lil’ bud. Let’s see what you’re worth against the Bearers." Yashyn replied, a smile forming beneath his mask.

We’re definitely not done having fun here, he thought, amused.

Akram was about to begin a brutal training regimen under the guidance of the strongest fighter he had ever met.