Chapter 4 Land for The Fortress

"I've found several locations that match the criteria you requested, Sir."

Standing before his director, Aston held out a tablet displaying detailed information about the selected properties.

Revan accepted the tablet and studied the marked locations.

"Each site is over fifty hectares, far from the city center, has good road access, and is close to a reliable water source." Aston paused before continuing. "But that's not all."

Revan looked up at him.

"I also conducted several additional investigations." Aston scrolled down, opening a series of reports. "I tried to determine whether there were any signs of a major disaster. I reviewed astronomical reports, seismic activity, extreme weather patterns, and the latest scientific research."

He scrolled once more. "But the results..." Aston slowly shook his head. "The scientists say there's nothing to worry about. The Earth's activity is still within normal limits. There are no predictions of any major disasters in the near future."

The office fell silent after he finished speaking.

Revan merely smiled faintly. "Of course they didn't find anything."

Aston frowned. "What do you mean, Sir?"

Revan rose from his chair and walked toward the window.

The city looked as lively as ever. People filled the sidewalks, traffic flowed through the streets, and towering skyscrapers dominated the skyline.

No one knew that everything they saw had less than a month left.

"Because the signs haven't appeared yet."

Aston stared at Revan's back. "Then when will they appear?"

Revan remained silent for a few seconds before answering. "In two weeks."

Aston paused. "Two weeks?"

Revan nodded. "A meteor shower will begin across the world."

Aston looked at him seriously. "A meteor shower?"

"Yes." Revan turned around. "At first, everyone will think it's just another natural phenomenon. Something beautiful to admire in the sky. But they won't know..." He paused briefly. "Those meteors are carrying something that will change the world."

Aston didn't answer immediately.

As Revan's personal assistant, he had always approached everything with logic and reason. Yet his director had never been the kind of man to make major decisions without a good reason.

Suddenly, Revan walked over and patted him on the shoulder. "Aston."

"Yes, Sir."

"Let's go see the land."

Aston looked at him.

"The land that will become the beginning of our future."

Several seconds passed before Aston let out a slow breath. He still didn't understand everything. But there was one thing he believed without question.

Revan Sterling never spoke without a reason.

"Very well, Sir." Aston nodded. "I'll come with you."

A faint smile appeared on Revan's face. "Good. Because starting today, we're no longer preparing a business project." He picked up his suit jacket. "We're preparing humanity's last refuge."

The drive to the site took nearly an hour.

Sterling Group's black sedan left the crowded downtown district behind, heading toward the quiet outskirts far from the city's towering skyline.

Throughout the journey, Aston repeatedly glanced at the tablet in his hands, reviewing the information he had gathered about the property.

Meanwhile, Revan remained silent in the back seat. His eyes stayed fixed on the view outside as the scenery gradually transformed into a more natural landscape.

Towering buildings gave way to endless trees. The traffic grew lighter. The air became noticeably cleaner.

To anyone else, this was nothing more than an empty piece of land with little value.

But to Revan, this was where the future would begin.

In his previous life, he had been here before.

Not while the world was still at peace, but after everything had fallen apart.

One of the first meteors had landed here. The explosion hadn't been as devastating as those that struck the city, but the energy released by the meteor had transformed the surrounding area.

The vegetation grew wildly, reaching sizes several times larger than normal, while some of the survivors exposed to the meteor's energy began undergoing an evolution that defied all scientific explanation.

Back then, no one understood what was happening. Not even him.

Now, however, Revan had the chance to prepare long before it was too late. "We're almost there," he murmured.

Aston, seated in the front passenger seat, turned around. "Is something wrong, Sir?"

Revan didn't answer immediately. He simply continued looking out the window. "No. It's just that this place will become incredibly important in a few months."

Aston remained silent. He was gradually getting used to Revan's mysterious, seemingly impossible statements. Yet every word was spoken with absolute certainty.

A few minutes later, the car came to a stop, and both doors opened.

Revan stepped out and stood on the vast stretch of land before him. A gentle breeze swept across the tall grass.

In the distance stood only clusters of trees and a few rolling hills. There were no buildings. No signs of civilization.

Aston stepped out and stood beside him. "This is the location, Sir."

Revan nodded slowly. "Yes." His gaze swept across the entire area. "It hasn't changed. It's exactly as I remember it."

Aston frowned slightly. Before he could ask what Revan meant, his director had already taken out his phone.

"Aston."

"Yes, Sir."

"Contact the best construction company you can find."

Aston pulled out his phone. "For the perimeter wall or the initial facilities?"

Revan looked across the vast open land. "Everything."

Aston stopped typing. "Sir?"

"We begin today.".Revan pointed across the property. "The outer wall. Storage warehouses. Temporary housing. Water supply. Security systems."

Aston stared at him for several seconds. "All of it... today?"

"Yes."

"But a project of this scale usually requires months of preparation."

Revan looked at him calmly. "We don't have months."

Those words left Aston speechless once again.

Finally, he let out a quiet sigh. "Very well, Sir."

Aston immediately contacted the construction company.

Meanwhile, Revan silently surveyed the land before him.

In his first life, he had been too late and lost everything.

This time, the world could collapse, but Sterling Fortress would still stand.

A short while later, Aston lowered his phone after ending the call. "Sir, the construction company will send a project manager along with a survey team this afternoon."

"Good."

"They'll probably think we're building a luxury resort or an industrial complex."

Revan smiled faintly. "Let them think whatever they want."

Aston nodded and silently watched as the young director walked toward a slightly elevated section of the property.

Revan looked once more toward the distant city.

Before long, those towering buildings would be filled with the screams of terrified people, while endless waves of zombies overwhelmed every remaining shelter.

"Aston."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Construction must continue twenty-four hours a day."

Aston froze. "Without stopping?"

"Hire additional crews. Pay them double or triple if necessary." Revan's eyes never left the horizon.

"I don't care what it costs. What matters is that this fortress is completed before the apocalypse begins."

Aston nodded firmly. "Understood, Sir."

A gentle breeze drifted across the field, setting the endless sea of tall grass swaying beneath the calm blue sky.

Not a single person could have imagined that this peaceful land would soon become humanity's last fortress.