Reborn: Earth Online-Chapter 83 - 84: Job offer
Kaden’s face softened at her words, and he let out a quiet sigh. "I’m glad," he said. "It means a lot to hear that." He paused, studying her expression. "I know it sounds harsh, but in this world, we have to do what we can to survive—and sometimes that means making choices we’d rather not have to make."
Niera nodded slowly. "I get it. I really do. If you leave me here by myself, I won’t hold that against you," she added. "And I trust you, Kaden. For what it’s worth."
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Kaden offered a small smile. "You don’t have to worry. I am not planning to leave this place any time soon. I mean, I would probably leave for some time, but I will always come back. This will be my base of operations for a few months, at least. And if you are interested, there is a way you can become stronger and also help me out in the process."
"I will do anything to become stronger like you. Please tell me." Niera’s eyes widened, and she listened carefully.
Kaden leaned back and looked up at the sky. If one observed carefully, there was already a sort of shimmer starting to build around them. "In a few minutes, there will be a barrier erected around this place. The borders of the starting settlement zone will be marked, and the settlement core catalyze will become fully active."
He paused, his eyes tracing the slow, steady spread of the emerald light along the treeline. "Once that happens, the safe zone will be fully established. That barrier will protect us from wandering beasts and whatever else lurks out there for a while."
Niera listened intently, her eyes wide with anticipation and a hint of nervous excitement. "And what about becoming stronger?" she asked. "How do I do that?"
Kaden turned his gaze back to her. "Well, the settlement needs a owner and a manager. For certain reasons, I am going to become the owner, and if you want, you can temporarily take the role of the manager."
"I…" Niera was shocked.
"Being the owner means I have ultimate control over how the settlement runs—I handle the big decisions, like defending our space and managing our resources. But a good settlement needs more than just one person."
"I want you to take on the role of manager, at least until we have more survivors to help out. That means you’ll help keep things organized, especially when more survivors start to trickle in. There will be all sorts of issues like people trying to dominate, take over, or exploit others. I do not have time to deal with these kinds of petty things."
"This might sound like a big responsibility, but it is really not. After all, you will have me to back you up for whatever you need. Just don’t make it a point to call me for every little thing. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"
Niera nodded.
"And I think there is an associated class for the manager along with a Lordship title. I am not sure what your current class is, but a settlement Lord class is a rare tier class, and with enough development, it could even become an epic tier class."
Kaden continued, his tone steady and reassuring. "That will make you extremely strong—if you’re willing to put in the work. It’s not magic that does it all; it’s dedication, training, and a clear mind. With the settlement core’s energy and your efforts, you’ll start to see changes."
Niera nodded and remained silent. Her current class was a mage class. At first, she was excited, but she couldn’t stomach actual combat. She just did not have what it took to stand against a beast like that bear and fight it. She was too weak for that. This sort of manager task she could do it. But what if she couldn’t?
She clutched her hands nervously and shook her head. "I am sorry. This seems… this seems very important to just hand it away to someone like me. I am not an over-achieving person. Even before all of this, I was just a software developer. How can I do something like this? I will let you down. I will mess something up. You will regret ever having saved me."
Kaden’s eyes softened even more at her words, and he took a slow breath before replying. "Niera, listen—I’ve been through a lot of tough choices, and I know what it’s like to feel like you’re not enough." He paused, letting the weight of his own experiences settle between them. "Your past doesn’t define you, and this world isn’t about being the perfect fighter. It’s about surviving and growing stronger in your own way."
Kaden rested his hand briefly on hers. "I’m not asking for perfection, Niera. I just need someone who can help hold this place together until we have more survivors. And I truly believe you can do it. And if you ever feel overwhelmed, I’ll be right here to help you through it."
Niera looked at him, her eyes shimmering with uncertainty and hope all at once. "Do you really think I can manage this?"
Kaden nodded firmly. "I do. We all start somewhere. Sometimes, the best leaders are the ones who have been at their lowest point and still managed to stand up again." He squeezed her hand gently before releasing it. "So, what do you say? Will you try?"
There was a long pause as Niera searched his face, the vulnerability in her eyes slowly giving way to a tentative resolve. Finally, she exhaled and nodded. "I—I’ll try. I won’t let you down," she promised softly.
"Good," Kaden replied with a small, encouraging smile. "Then we start by securing this settlement. You can leave that up to me. For the next several minutes, beasts are going to be coming in here one after another. Don’t worry about anything. Just stand near that core, and I will protect you both."
