TAKE ON ME [Survival LITRPG Apocalypse]

Bo stepped up to the podium and raised his hands for silence.

The Hall gradually quieted.

"Okay. So, we stay then," Bo said, his voice carrying clearly through the Hall as he adjusted his [Volume] spell. "I'll be honest with you, Raintree. We're in for a serious fight. But when I saw those refugees headed our way, I knew that this was the right thing to do. They need our help, or they're all goners. We have five days to get Foundation ready."

There were shocked gasps and frightened whispers.

Someone in the back shouted, "Only five days? You should've led with that!"

Bo raised his hands again. "Hold up!" His voice cut through the noise. "I know that doesn't sound like a long time, but we have unused blueprints and recipes and potential all around us. If we build the correct buildings and time-dilated zones, we can stretch those days into weeks of preparation!"

The crowd was still murmuring, and many faces still had a 'deer in the headlights' look, but the rising panic flattened out to a more manageable level.

"For the next several days, our focus will be on battle preparation, which I'll hand over to Tess. But since I know we WILL survive this, and that we DO have a future here at Foundation, I wanted to point out that I know many of you have taken professions that you might not have wanted or are regretting now." Bo glanced at Tom. "I wanted to thank you, and to point out that, without those choices, we might not have had the food, firewood, stone, clay, or countless other items that have been imperative to our survival. I've been trying to think of ways for Raintree to recognize your hard work."

This caught the attention of many people, who now leaned forward.

"I'll just plant these seeds for you to think about . . . "

"Plant the seeds . . . " Loo murmured, her eyebrows scrunched together.

Bo glanced at her before he continued. "After we survive this upcoming monster wave, I'd like to offer funds to those of you who took on a profession out of a need to help Raintree. We have to hammer out the rules, but I'm picturing starter funds for self-employment. Form a lumber or mining company and pay a crew. Maybe meet up with other new employers and form a Union."

"Guilds," Chloe said out of the side of her mouth.

"Ooo Guilds, that's cool!" Loo said.

Bo grinned. "Right. Form a 'Guild'. Yep, that's much cooler. It would be a lot more efficient if the Kingdom just handed out contracts to, say, a lumber or mining Guild, and you guys handled the schedules and crews, and paid your own employees."

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Several hands shot up, but Bo gestured for them to lower. "Hold on. This is as far as we're taking the idea at the moment. I kinda just sprung that on everyone, including the other Lords and Ladies and Justiciar Bridget. Oh, right . . . "

Bo pointed toward Bridget, who straightened in her chair.

"Bridget has been promoted to Justiciar of Raintree. She's in charge if we're not here. If you want, you can access your citizen prompts and look at all the roles and rights Bridget has been assigned, but basically she runs the place."

Bo was glad to see the other Lords and Ladies nodding approvingly. Bridget was sharp and decisive, and—besides himself—she was the hardest worker Bo knew. She would keep things running.

"After this meeting, I'll be reaching out to those of you I've worked closely with to get key construction processes started. There are a few buildings that we need immediately: [Blacksmith]; [Smelter's Hut]; [Lumbermill]; a [Tailor's Workshop]; the list goes on. I plan to gift the land and the funds to get those buildings up and in production."

More hands raised, and Bo sighed. He looked toward the other Lords and Ladies apologetically. "I really meant to talk to you guys about these ideas first."

Kate shrugged. "This is your fiefdom, and we've been fine with your other choices. This makes sense to me."

A male voice spoke without waiting to be called on. "What if I go get a needed or, I guess, 'essential' profession? Are there still any available, and will I still get the bonus to start my own company?"

"Yes," Bo replied. "With 7000 people headed our way, it would be great to have established companies, housing, food, and a ton of other things ready for when they get here."

Bo desperately wanted to take advantage of the fired-up crowd that was ready to get to work, but Tess and the kids had been right. They should have been training this whole time. They could not afford another night like last night.

"First, though, we prepare for the monsters," Bo stated.

That—of course—triggered a barrage of questions about the incoming monster horde and battle plans.

Bo looked down at Tess.

His daughter visibly gulped, before she stood and joined him at the podium. Bo stepped aside, and a few people cheered and clapped. That seemed to give Tess some confidence. She straightened her shoulders, and gave a long exhale.

"All right." Tess's voice was stronger than Bo had expected. "First things first, be cautious near the woods until the Headless Dungeon is destroyed. I'm forming a plan to handle it, but more to come on that later. In the meantime . . . " Tess looked up and nodded at a few of the admins. "We will be handing out slate boards to everyone who wants to volunteer to fight. Write down your level, your class, and the role you wish to fill. You don't have to put your specialization or powers, but feel free to include as much as you're willing to share."

Bo felt a surge of pride watching his daughter fight through her hesitation and take command. She'd always been a strong-willed kid, but she had grown so much since everything had started.

"The battle masters and I will figure out the training regimen, but—to offer a loose plan—I'm thinking we'll have training sessions in which you work with your assigned group, then move onto a different Training Zone to work with others in the same role, and maybe some weapons or spell work with people who have passive weapons knowledge: whether that's through a spell, like me, or through a training book. I'll commit to having everyone's assignment figured out by tomorrow morning. If you volunteer, be ready to work. We're never going to have another night like last night ever again."

One female voice rose above the others. "What about the giant monster Blake was screaming about?"

Tess didn't hesitate. She pointed directly at Tom. "Don't worry, he's gonna tank it."

Tom's head whipped around to look at Tess, before he recovered and gave an embarrassed wave. The cheers that followed shook the stick walls.

*****

Bo watched the crowd disperse from the Town Hall.

People scattered with a purpose he'd been wishing for for weeks now. Outside, settlers who'd never held a weapon in their lives were sorting through the stockpile of [Crappy] gear, holding up rusty Copper swords and splintered wooden shields with expressions ranging from determination to barely concealed terror.

A few people looked competent: a middle-aged Black woman hefted a short bow, testing its draw. She frowned, set it to the side, and tested another bow.

However, most would be grouped as 'noobs': a young White man—who looked like he'd spent his life behind a desk—was spinning around while trying to figure out how to strap on Leather armor.

The familiar annoying itch of idleness crawled across Bo. He took one last look at the settlers, then made his way toward the time-dilated office.