Rebirth: 100 Days Before Doomsday-Chapter 273: Building a City

Grace stood on the edge of a high cliff, overlooking the field where the first phase of construction would begin.

Below, five hundred people, whom she handpicked, were already at work - wielding axes, shovels, and picks as they removed trees, rocks, and debris from the land.

They had claimed Starfall Isle through battle. And now it was time to build the city.

Though she could have cleared the place just by clicking a few icons on the system, she didn't want to serve everything on a platter to her people. She wanted them to work and earn the future she was offering them.

The field stretched out beneath the cliff, once overgrown and uneven, now slowly transforming under the hands of their people.

Some chopped trees, their axes biting into thick trunks with rhythmic cracks. Others hauled away fallen branches and debris, sweat trickling down their backs as they cleared space for what would soon become their homes, training grounds, and gathering spaces.

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Rune and Davian moved among them, ensuring no one slacked off while also keeping watch for any lurking dangers.

Rune leaned against a boulder, his daggers twirling between his fingers as he observed the workers. "They are too slow," he muttered, his sharp gaze sweeping over the laborers struggling to dig up a particularly stubborn tree root. "We need this area cleared before nightfall."

Davian, who was standing nearby, crossed his arms and smirked. "You say that like they are seasoned warriors. Most of these people have never done manual labor before."

He glanced at a younger man, barely past his teens, who was visibly struggling to carry a heavy log. With a sigh, he stepped forward, easily lifting the log off the boy's shoulders and tossing it onto a growing pile of wood.

The boy looked up at him, startled, before mumbling, "Thank you, King."

Davian nodded, ruffling the boy's hair before moving on. "They'll get stronger. Hard work builds character."

Rune scoffed. "Or breaks them."

Despite their differences, both men pushed the workers forward, correcting their postures, teaching them efficient ways to dig and cut, and ensuring that no one slacked off.

It wasn't easy.

The work was grueling. The cold showing them no mercy either. But no one complained. They couldn't afford to.

They all knew what was at stake - survival.

[Connection completed]

The notification alert from the system pulled her attention toward 2025. The little creature just finished connecting the island with the system. Doing so would allow her complete access to every single part of the island, and making nay changes there would be easy for her.

Now, it was time for her to start her new task. Raising her hands up, palms open wide, she summoned her power and let her energy shoot into the sky.

[Process of Barrier Creation Begins]

[Progress: 1%]

[Strength: 88%]

[Stability: 92%]

A shield of energy started forming a dome like structure around Starfall Island.

Even though her barrier-creating abilities had grown over time, this was different.

Starfall Isle was massive, nearly twenty times the size of Greenstone. Enclosing it in a single protective shield meant stretching her power to its absolute limits.

But she had to do it.

Her amber eyes glowed as the translucent dome of energy shimmered over the landscape, expanding outward in waves.

Every breath she took felt heavier. Every pulse of energy drained her reserves further. Yet she refused to stop.

Her fingers trembled as she pushed past the pain, sweat rolling down her temples despite the cold. The barrier flickered once before she gritted her teeth and strengthened her focus.

It was Rune who noticed her depleting energy level first. From below, he caught the subtle way her shoulders tensed, the way her stance wavered ever so slightly. His sharp gaze darkened.

"She's pushing herself too hard," he muttered.

Davian followed his gaze, frowning. Grace was powerful, but even she had limits.

Still, they knew her well enough. She wouldn't stop, not unless someone physically forced her to.

"I'm Fine."

"You're Lying." Rune was the first to move. One second, he was standing near the workers. The next, he was beside her, catching her wrist before she collapsed.

"Enough," he said, his tone low but firm. "You need to rest."

Grace shook her head, trying to pull away. "The barrier isn't finished."

"You are barely standing," Rune countered, his grip tightening.

Davian appeared on her other side, arms crossed. "You always do this, Grace. Pushing yourself until you collapse."

She opened her mouth to argue, but he lifted a hand and pressed his fingers against her forehead.

"You are burning up," he said, scowling. "If you fall unconscious in the middle of this, the entire thing collapses."

Grace took in a deep breath. She hated showing weakness. Hated feeling like she was still not strong enough.

But then Davian's hand slid down her arm, his fingers squeezing gently. "We are here, Grace. You don't have to do this alone."

She exhaled slowly, allowing herself to lean against them.

"…Fine," she muttered. "Ten minutes."

Rune huffed. "More like an hour."

She shot him a glare, but neither he nor Davian let her go.

With her resting, Rune and Davian turned their focus back to the workers. The field was slowly but surely clearing, but there was still so much left to do.

Rune climbed onto a fallen log and called out over the noise of labor.

"We are behind schedule," he said bluntly. "Pick up the pace. If you have enough energy to drag your feet, you have enough to carry twice as many rocks."

A few groaned, but no one argued.

Because he was right. They weren't just building homes. They were building a future. And failure was not an option.

By nightfall, the first section of land was completely cleared.

As the last of the workers dropped their tools for the evening, exhausted but satisfied, Grace stood with Rune and Davian at the cliff's edge, gazing down at the progress they had made.

The once wild, untamed land was slowly turning into something livable. It would take time, effort, and sacrifice. But this island would be theirs.