The system was not usually one to hand out side-quest requests like this, so it made Rin curious enough to check it out.

So, after making sure everyone was taken care of, Rin decided to take some time for himself and look into the side quest the system had prepared for him.

[Side Quest Request: Cleaning Up the Local Area.]

[There have been a lot of smaller gangs popping up recently, and it’s getting harder for the system to keep track of everyone’s location. So Rookie, won’t you help this dear system out by uniting everyone under one umbrella?]

[Reward: Leadership +1. Diamond +1]

The reward looked promising, and it was exactly what Rin needed at the moment. Plus, one of the rewards was a diamond.

The store would officially open after the next round, which would give Rin the chance to see what discounts he could get with the diamond. And since his goal aligned with the system’s mission, he did not want to miss this opportunity.

"Just to make sure, I don’t need to do this alone, right?"

Rin asked, wanting to cover all his bases.

[Rookie, do you think this system doesn’t know your limits? Of course you can use your minions or whatever other tricks you want to use. We all know you are not conquering any settlements with your fists.]

The system taunted back, making Rin feel annoyed.

’Tsk, just because I am a little weak physically doesn’t mean you have to make fun of me for it...No, I should not get angry. This is an opportunity.’

Rin calmed himself down and started planning how to bring more people under his leadership.

They were currently at the point in the apocalypse where most settlements could be won over with food and resources. But caution would still be necessary, especially with the lack of living space.

"So, the first thing I should tackle is the housing problem for our new people. Collin can take care of that. Next is the food crisis. Thankfully, harvest season is almost here, and we can expand the fields. So now..."

The only thing left was to gather the people themselves.

[Rookie, let this senior assist you. Here is a map of the local settlements. Good luck bringing them under your control.]

The map opened on the system screen, showing Rin all the possible settlement locations nearby.

And there were a lot of settlements around him.

Most of them did not have more than ten members and were barely hanging on. Honestly, it was a miracle some of these settlements had survived this long in their condition.

"So, I should start with the smaller ones nearby. Since they already know about our settlement, it should be easier to get them to agree to work with me."

What most of these smaller settlements needed was a chance to escape their current conditions and work toward something better. And Rin was going to give them that opportunity.

As for the bigger settlements that had already developed egos...he would deal with them later.

...

It was not Rin’s intention to sneak out alone, but with everyone else busy, it did not feel right to ask them to come with him.

So he decided to check out the first settlement by himself.

It was a pitiful place compared to his settlement or even the GBF, but the local people at least seemed healthy and content. They were also alert enough to notice him the second he walked into their settlement.

"Who are you? If you are here to take our food, then go away! We barely have enough to feed ourselves."

The leader of the small settlement quickly stepped between Rin and his people. He was clearly determined to protect and provide for them.

It was a nice gesture to see, although a useless one at the same time. Rin could tell how exhausted these people were just by looking at their posture.

So he decided to change his approach and make himself seem smaller, like a harmless person approaching an injured animal.

"Please don’t be afraid of me. I am not here to take your resources. In fact, I am here to help you. I would like to recruit you into my settlement. I need more people, and in return, you will receive shelter and protection. What do you say?"

Rin offered, but the people in front of him did not immediately accept. If anything, they looked cautious and nervous about the offer.

"You...are offering us shelter and protection? What do you get out of it?"

Rin hated situations like this the most. He did not want to explain that this was because of his ability, but saying he was doing it purely out of goodwill sounded fake and pretentious.

At times like this, a mixture of truth and lies worked best.

"I am doing this for my own benefit. But you can rest assured that no harm will come to you if you join our settlement."

Rin spoke as earnestly as he could, but it was still not enough to fully win the others over.

’Darn it. I should have brought Reina or Amelia. They are much better at persuading people than I am.’

Even though Rin cursed himself internally, he maintained a calm and confident expression on the outside. That alone helped the people relax a little.

"H-Hey, maybe we should accept the offer. Even if it’s a trap, what does it matter? We are not going to survive out here much longer anyway."

One of the people finally spoke, hope coloring her exhausted voice. Her words made the others flinch, and a conclusion was soon reached.

"We understand. We will join your settlement."

Rin sighed in relief and gave them the location of his settlement.

However, he could have sworn he felt chills run down his back as he handed over the address. And he was not the only one who felt that sensation.

Even the leader of the small settlement rubbed the back of his head and let out a nervous laugh.

"Hey, do you feel that too? I...I feel like someone is glaring daggers into my back. Ugh, I’m not going to die, right?"

Rin clapped the man on the back and quickly reassured him.

"Don’t worry. You’ll live a long and prosperous life as a productive member of our society. I can promise you that much."