I Woke Up 120 Years After The Apocalypse-Chapter 27: Settlers

"I forgive you... Even though you have nothing to blame yourself for..."

Akram’s vision blurred instantly. The shapes around him dissolved, his eyes filling with tears he managed to hold back for only a few seconds.

Then he broke.

He burst into sobs at those words, crying uncontrollably, his heart finally seeming to empty itself of the crushing guilt that had been gnawing at him since Kra’s death.

"What you went through... What you faced... You did everything you could, Akram. I understand that."

Akram’s throat was knotted tight, so tight that the words that escaped him sounded muffled, almost strangled.

"I’m partly responsible for their deaths... For Kra’s... I could have... I should have done something..."

"No. And I don’t want to hear you say that again. If you keep contradicting me, I’ll punch you."

Akram wiped his tears on the ragged sheets of his bed, slowly regaining his composure, and with it, a fragment of clarity.

"There is only one person responsible for their deaths. And for the loss of your arm."

Akram saw it again, just like in the past. Leyla’s gaze—one that had regained its usual warmth and softness—was once more consumed by blazing rage. Her brows furrowed almost on their own.

"We’ll kill him. Together. You and me. No Yashyn. No outside help."

Akram frowned, clearly unsettled by what she was saying.

"Leyla... do you even realize what you’re saying? Varog is—"

Leyla cut him off sharply with a wave of her hand.

"Don’t say his name."

"Mhmm... sorry. But you don’t understand how strong he is. Barid held out longer than any of us... and he only lasted about thirty seconds!"

"That’s exactly why I said the two of us, Akram."

Akram looked at her, his eyes filled with doubt.

"You’re smart. Probably the smartest man alive right now... You’ll build a weapon to defeat him. One way or another."

Her words, combined with that sharp, determined stare, completely silenced the Vulkan leader, leaving him unable to respond.

It’s not that simple... he thought, unable to say it out loud.

"You do know that I remember absolutely everything that happened while I was a vegetable, right?"

Akram’s already tanned complexion turned pale instantly, as if his soul had just left his body.

"You really enjoyed the view."

Before Akram could even attempt to explain himself, the infirmary door opened abruptly, cutting their conversation short. Elliot slipped inside, appearing like a breath of fresh air, a huge smile spread across his face.

"Akram! You’re awake, man. How you feeling?"

Akram cleared his throat deeply, seizing the chance to change the subject.

Thank God, he thought.

"I’m okay... still a bit weak, I’ll admit."

Elliot’s gaze bounced between the two of them before settling on their joined hands.

"Well damn... looks like you made up?"

Akram and Leyla both looked down at their hands. They jumped instantly and pulled them back, as if they hadn’t already been caught.

Elliot’s joyful grin turned mischievous as he rubbed his chin.

"That’s good. That’s real good... mhehehehe."

"Alright, you’re pissing me off. I’m leaving before I slam him into a wall," Leyla grumbled.

She stood up, gave a quick nod to both of them, then leaned in to whisper a few words to Akram before leaving the room.

"We’ll talk later."

She exited, immediately replaced by Baron, who walked in carrying an entire pile of gifts in his arms.

"Huh? What the hell is all this, Baron?"

"Hehehehehe."

"Huh... yeah...?"

"Hehehehehehehehehe."

Elliot joined in, laughing the exact same way.

"Hehehehehehehehehe."

"Hey, you’re both driving me nuts. Explain."

The two men exchanged amused looks before speaking.

"Your plan worked, Akram!"

"They call you the Cursed One, but honestly... I don’t buy it. You’re more like the blessed type."

Akram froze for only a second before connecting the dots. A smile spread across his face, his eyes lighting up.

"No way... we got new settlers?!"

Baron and Elliot stared at him, stunned by how fast he’d figured it out.

"How’d you guess that? Yeah, jokes aren’t very fun with a genius..."

The Vulkan leader proudly rubbed his chin. Baron quickly shut his friend up by dumping all the gifts into Akram’s arms.

"Uh... and what is all this?"

"You can’t guess that either? Heheheh. They’re gifts from the new settlers, to thank us."

"Thank us? For what exactly?"

"I think it’ll be easier if we explain everything that happened..."

Baron and Elliot then explained how they’d managed to bring in manpower by following Akram’s plan.

Twenty-two settlers had joined Vulkania, including four children—something the colony had lacked for years.

Baron and Elliot, escorted by Lerius, had used Simeon as a trophy while traveling through the Varang. The Varang, known for its isolation from the major factions, was home to many exiles seeking refuge, building makeshift shelters for their families.

Those shelters, constantly harassed and attacked by sand bandits, harbored deep resentment toward them.

And Simeon was perfect. Among all bandit leaders, he was considered by far the most sadistic and the most hated. News of his defeat spread like wildfire, and the rumor that a new Devil’s Dealer—leader of the Vulkania settlement—had defeated Zarod of the Dunes became a powerful incentive for refugees.

A new name had been born for Akram. The gifts were genuine tokens of gratitude, both for his welcome and for his victory over the bandit faction.

"We brought back about twenty in just one run... imagine doing several," Baron said enthusiastically. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"This is incredible, guys... I don’t even know how to thank you. Let’s start by sharing the gifts."

"Huh? No, those are just for you. We all got our share, don’t worry."

Akram didn’t try to argue. Apparently, he wasn’t that unhappy keeping them.

"I did have one question, though..."

"Go on."

"You did all that while I was asleep... but how long was I out, exactly? Two or three days?"

Elliot and Baron exchanged a glance, this time with a grimace.

"You slept for five days, man..."

Akram froze in place, clearing his throat several times.

"Wait, wait... FIVE, CINCO, CINQ, KHAMSA days?!"

"Yup."

Akram jumped up, throwing the sheet straight at them.

He barely managed a few steps before stumbling and dropping to his knees.

Elliot rushed to help him up while Baron struggled to escape the tangled sheets.

"Don’t rush it, Akram. Five days without moving—your legs need time to adjust..."

"Yeah... yeah... help me get dressed, please."

Elliot complied, preparing Akram’s tunic and protective gear, then reattached the prosthetic to his stump.

As always, the scream that tore through the colony sounded anything but human.

***

A few minutes later, Akram was back on his feet. Moving slowly and unsteadily, he crossed Vulkania, accompanied by the chief logistician and the scout.

The colony had regained its color—and more importantly, a life it hadn’t known for weeks.

The new settlers worked relentlessly to rebuild homes, till the fields, and put their individual talents to use.

Lerius, busy at a construction site, spotted his master staggering in the distance.

He dropped his hammer and nails without hesitation and rushed toward him.

"M-M-M-Master! Y-you’re f-f-finally back. Please take care of your health from now on."

"I’m glad to see you too, Lerius. You’re doing good work. Keep it up."

Akram continued on, leaving behind a Lerius visibly energized by the praise.

The settlers turned one by one as he passed, without daring to approach him.

Maybe it’s still too early, he thought.

They finally reached Akram’s destination: the dungeon.

Inside, Simeon was imprisoned, personally fed by Baron.

"Well look at that—our hero of the day!" Akram said, clapping sarcastically.

Simeon spat at the Vulkan’s feet, still clearly bitter about being used as a trophy.

"Well damn... nasty little beast."

"We’ll keep using him until we’ve fully filled our population capacity. What do you think, Baron?"

"I agree. That’s all he’s good for anyway."

"We should also try to find our former companions... it might do them some good to get revenge for—"

Akram was cut short by a muffled laugh coming from inside the cage.

"Mmmmm... mhahahahaha... P’FWAWAWAWA!"

Akram’s expression hardened as he stared at his prisoner.

"What’s so funny?"

"You really think they’re still alive? HAHAHAHAHA!"

Baron’s fist clenched. So did Akram’s, along with his gaze.

"What, you didn’t know? We went after them as soon as they left your camp, We’ve got scouts too! HAHAHAHAHA!."

Akram struggled to contain his fury, his fingers digging into his palms.

"And... what did you do to them?"

"We killed them, obviously. Had some fun first, though."

Akram couldn’t hold it back anymore. He smashed open the bandit’s cage and lunged straight at him.