840: Chapter 840 The Desolate Blackrock City

After the reinforcements helped deal with some of the aftermath, they left.

The post-war cleanup, resettlement, and even the reconstruction of Black Stone City were left to them.

Although there would be further support later, they had to do what needed to be done now and what could be done ahead of time.

It was all troublesome, but many things weren't difficult; they were just tedious and time-consuming.

And there was one biggest problem.

That was the population; Black Stone City had suddenly lost half of its people.

The most critical thing was that the remaining half might not even stay.

Why? With such danger having broken out here, who would want to stay?

Except for those who truly had no way to leave, those who could would likely depart for better, larger, and safer cities.

Previously, they stayed because their homes were here, or because things were stable—whether it was their influence, connections, or simply being used to living here.

But it was different now.

Even if they went to another city to start over, wouldn't staying also mean starting from scratch?

Not to mention ordinary people; even many Professionals wanted to leave.

It wasn't that they hadn't participated in the battle or risked their lives. However, there was no conflict between having fought and choosing to leave Black Stone City afterward.

So, cleaning up the battlefield after the war was a minor matter, and rebuilding Black Stone City was a minor matter, but how to recover was a major issue!

Black Stone City had people and Professionals; with the help of extraordinary powers, especially Earth-element Spells, rebuilding would be quite fast.

Thus, reconstruction wasn't considered a major issue.

The matters that followed were the real problem!

Yet, it was precisely this major issue that was the most troublesome.

The key was that if people wanted to leave, you couldn't stop them.

So, the aftermath was the most lethal part; crucially, the City Lord of Black Stone City was dead, and most of the officials were dead too.

It could be said that the entire government of Black Stone City was paralyzed.

Currently, the Branch Presidents and vice-presidents of the various guilds had taken over temporarily, but they could only handle things in the short term.

They didn't understand these matters very well—how to resettle people or handle the aftermath—and besides, this was ultimately a national matter.

However, these things had nothing to do with Caesar.

"Hey, Caesar, this is your first time encountering something like this, isn't it?" Gis approached and asked Caesar.

"Yeah, it is." Caesar nodded. He took a look; his source points had surged by several million.

It wasn't a lot, but it wasn't a small amount either—enough for him to purchase a starting Talent.

"It's not your first time?" Caesar looked at Gis and asked.

"Indeed, it's not." Gis shook his head slightly, a look of lament on his face; he clearly looked like a man with a story.

"Counting this time, I've experienced three similar events," Gis said with a grin. "I have to say, sometimes I really feel like I'm incredibly lucky to be alive. Once was when I was an Elementary Magic Swordsman, once when I was an Advanced Magic Swordsman, and now this time, as a top-tier Magic Swordsman."

"You really are hard to kill!" Caesar said with a smile. Gis's experiences were indeed rich and had accompanied his entire journey of growth.

Under such circumstances, not only was he fine, but his strength was also steadily rising.

Of course, Gis himself was indeed a super Genius; he wasn't old, just over thirty.

At this age, in this world of extraordinary power, it was nothing; once one became a Professional, their lifespan started at 150 years.

Advancing a few steps further, living for three to five hundred years normally wouldn't be a problem at all.

The real question was whether you could actually live until a natural death.

Internal conflicts, external threats, entanglements of interest... there were plenty of life-threatening matters.

"But about today... Black Stone City is basically finished." Gis shook his head and sighed helplessly.

Caesar nodded slightly.

He wasn't stupid; even if he didn't understand these things, he could see it for himself.

Any normal person could see it.

And that was precisely the problem; if any normal person could see it, it meant it really was nearing the end.

"Sigh, what a pity... Although Black Stone City was small, it actually developed quite well. It had commerce, complete facilities, and few issues—not much intrigue or trouble... It was quite nice." Gis said lamentably, "Unfortunately, because of that damned Qianshen Cult, all of it has been destroyed."

Caesar didn't respond, just listening silently.

"How is the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce? And what about Rhys and Cologne?" Caesar asked Gis, remembering something.

"The Black Gold Chamber of Commerce is doing alright. The manager is fine. Rhys and Cologne suffered some minor injuries, but it's not a big deal; they're just resting because they've overexerted themselves," Gis told Caesar.

"That's good then." Caesar nodded. After all, he was an Enshrined of the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce.

The two didn't say much more.

By the next day, the rest of the reinforcements had arrived.

The newly appointed officials began handling matters as soon as they took office.

They worked for three days straight.

Within three days, with the help of the mages, Black Stone City had completed its initial reconstruction. At the very least, it could house people normally and was open for business without affecting commerce.

However, it was empty, completely different from before.

It couldn't be helped; more than half the people were gone—over a hundred thousand!

Of course it would be empty.

The officials wanted to be busy, but they couldn't be; after finishing this initial burst of work, they really did have nothing to do.

What were they doing while idle? Worrying, of course! What else could they do... They couldn't do anything but lead the city, now with fewer than a hundred thousand people, to begin its recovery.

Fortunately, the Professionals were still there, the Magic Swordsman Guild was there, the Swordsman Guild was there, the Mage Guild was there... the chambers of commerce were there too. What needed to develop would still develop, though no one knew when it would recover.

"I didn't expect you to be a Master Rank Magic Swordsman! I've already readjusted your benefits and reported it..." Manager Reed said to Caesar with a sigh.

The Master Rank Magic Swordsman status had been confirmed, and Caesar's badge had been changed.

Reed lamented that this person he had picked up on the road... was a result of his momentary kindness... This was the style of the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce—you reap what you sow, perhaps that was just how it was!

Because he had recruited a Master Rank Magic Swordsman as an Enshrined for the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce, Manager Reed received significant commendation and many material rewards. Most importantly, his position was promoted; he was now the President of the Black Stone City branch of the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce, as the previous president had died.

He stepped right into the role, his position and power jumping three levels.

Moreover, because he had Caesar, a Master Rank Magic Swordsman Enshrined, his influence had increased considerably.

It could be said that he was now the 'heavens' of the Black Stone City branch of the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce!

"However, the chamber's intention is that you could be transferred to another city with better benefits and luxuries," Manager Reed—no, he should be called President Reed now—said.

He said to Caesar very seriously, "You know the current situation in Black Stone City. Life would be better in the city you'd go to, and with the Black Gold Chamber of Commerce there, you'd get even more. We're all on the same side, regardless of where we are."