NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 102: Day Five: The Ballad of John the Amputee
Noi was thrilled with her new achievement and title. She hurried over to tell Atlas, practically beaming like a child asking for praise. "Atlas, look at this! I got a title—'Fixer Upper.' It says every building I make is 10% infused with mana now!"
"That's great," Atlas replied with a generous smile, thinking to himself,
‘I'm so happy other people on the team are getting achievements and titles! But I’ve gotta keep using my future knowledge to keep farming them, too.‘
---
The night air crackled with tension as the Portal Crushers prepared for battle. The demon dogs’ growls echoed closer with every heartbeat. The team was decked out in their new armor, purchased with the mana coins they’d earned from their recent dungeon raid. The gleaming level 1 armor gave them an aura of invincibility.
Atlas stood tall, his dark steel armor reflecting the moonlight.
Isabella brandished her twin swords. Isabella, much like Atlas, wielded an arming sword paired with a sidesword. This combination allowed for greater versatility, with the sidesword being lighter and ideal for precise strikes, especially in tight spaces.
Wang Bo held his staff, a new, intricate design that exuded power. The others readied their crossbows, each weapon gleaming with newfound deadliness.
As the demon dogs emerged from the forest, snarling and snapping, the Portal Crushers sprang into action. Isabella darted forward, her twin swords flashing as she engaged the nearest demon dog. She was a war goddess reborn. Her blades sliced through the air, finding their mark with precise, deadly accuracy.
Wang Bo swung his staff in a wide arc, channelling the momentum to send a burst of energy crashing into another demon dog.
“DOG BEATING STAFF LOOKS FOR TREASURE!”
The creature staggered, momentarily dazed by the force of the attack.
“BEGGAR BEATS THE GROUND!!”
Wang Bo pressed the advantage, his staff a blur as he continued to strike.
Atlas, watching with satisfaction, commanded his team. “Crossbows ready!” The team aimed their weapons and fired, bolts piercing the demon dogs’ hide with deadly accuracy. The air was filled with the sharp twang of crossbows and the yelps of the wounded creatures.
The crafters, stationed slightly behind the frontline, launched bone spears covered in KrazyBondoglue. The spears flew with precision, sticking to the demon dogs and causing them to writhe and thrash as the glue hardened and restricted their movement.
John, now fully armed, wielded his shield and sword with practiced skill. He defended against the demon dogs’ attacks, his new armor providing much-needed protection. The monsters snarled in frustration as they faced the relentless onslaught.
The battle was intense but brief. The Portal Crushers, now equipped with their new gear and weapons, worked seamlessly together. The demon dogs fell, first one than the other, overwhelmed by the coordinated assault.
Panting and triumphant, Atlas looked around at his team. “Great job, everyone. Seems like this armor and these weapons are making a difference.”
Isabella sheathed her swords and wiped the sweat from her brow. “I’d say. We’re ready for anything now.”
Wang Bo nodded, his staff still humming through the air. “Agreed. Let’s keep up the momentum.”
With a cheer of victory, the Portal Crushers regrouped, their spirits high and their resolve strengthened by their new gear and the successful battle.
"I thought there’d only be one demon dog," John said, surprised.
"No," Atlas corrected. "Every night, they’re going to build up. It is somewhat random though.”
"But we already turned off the ManaDome of MegaAwesomeness," John pointed out.
"With that dome up, the numbers almost always double every night," Atlas explained. "Without it, they only increase by a couple."
"Oh, that’s much better," John said, visibly relieved.
Atlas nodded. "You have no idea. Believe me, the other settlements that have been using the Mana Dome of MegaAwesomeness—they’re going to be surrounded by demon dogs in a night or two. That’s when our big problems will start."
"What do you mean?" John asked, concerned.
"What do you think happens when demon dogs surround a settlement?" Atlas replied.
"I’m not sure," John admitted.
Atlas sighed. "When the demon dogs surround a settlement, they tend to lurk around it during the day. Hiding in shady parts of the forests. They can ambush hunters during the day. After a few ambushes, the hunters won’t be so eager to go out anymore. And if the hunters don’t go out, that means no more Mana Coins. No more coins, no more food."
"So... they’ll just starve?" John asked, his voice growing more worried.
"No, they won’t starve. They’ll use the teleportation option to flee the settlement."
"That’s how Clark left us," John recalled.
"Exactly," Atlas said. "I turned off that option in our settlement after that happened. People can’t just teleport out anymore, but other settings can still teleport to the front of us, at the secondary teleport point in front of the fence."
"Oh, that’s not good," John said, realising the implications.
"No, it’s not," Atlas agreed. "By abandoning their settlement, they lose half their points, and they won’t have anywhere safe to go at night. So, they’re definitely going to try to break into other settlements. Remember, most of the people don’t have the upgrade yet, so 20 is their limit."
"What’s going to happen to those refugees then?" John asked, his concern deepening.
"I don’t know," Atlas admitted. "We’re going to have to figure out if we’re going to take them in or not."
"But 20 is our limit," John reminded him.
"We aren’t doing that badly. We’ve got the dungeon now and hopefully we get more upgrades to our capacities before that happens," Atlas said. "If not, a whole bunch of people are going to die."
John took in this grim news, his expression sombre. But then Atlas clapped him on the back. "Hey, that’s a thought for the future. Tonight, let’s enjoy ourselves with a drink. The Portal Crushers put together a little present for you, John."
"A present?" John asked, perking up. "What did you get me?"
"We didn’t buy you anything," Atlas said with a grin. "We made you something."
And then they gathered at the front of the group and sang a song, their voices lifting the spirits of the weary team.
We found ourselves a dungeon
And fought our battles plenty
There were more than ten
And Much more than twenty
[Chorus]
But John got disarmed
John got disarmed
Yes
While we were barely harmed
John got disarmed
[Verse]
The paths were full of turns
And twisty prongs
We Always went right
And Never went wrong
[Chorus]
But John got disarmed
John got disarmed
Yes
While we were barely harmed
John got disarmed
[Verse]
The boss room was scary
The battle was hairy
We gathered up our might
Facing him for a fight
[Chorus]
But John got disarmed
John got disarmed
Yes
While we were barely harmed
John got disarmed
Isabella kept on her toes
Backed by the valiant wang Bo
Alexander the golden god
Helped us win despite the odds
[Chorus]
But John got disarmed
John got disarmed
Yes
While we were barely harmed
John got disarmed
We won the fight
And it didn’t take long
We won the fight
And wrote this song
About our fights and dungeon crushed
We took the treasures
And were not rushed
The battle was valiant
And the glory untold
We wrote this tale to
To let you know how the
Story did unfold.
[Chorus]
But John got disarmed
John got disarmed
Yes
While we were barely harmed
John got disarmed
This ends the ballad of us happy few
and we were happy to sing the tale for you
We won’t charge you a lot to listen
No coins and no fees
Enjoy our ballad together
The tale of John The amputee
The tale of John The amputee
‘‘‘
https://suno.com/song/b3db63bd-043b-444b-9cfa-ed616d746f12
After the song, the Portal Crushers erupted in cheers and laughter, their joy filling the air. John, on the other hand, wore a slightly embarrassed expression. Yet, beneath his bashfulness, there was a glimmer of pride. Despite the song's focus on his unfortunate arm mishaps, he couldn't help but feel a bit honored that there was now an official Portal Crusher anthem dedicated to him.
‘‘‘
POV EARTH’S CHILDREN
Clark rolled out of bed when he heard the morning bell for breakfast. ‘Mmm, yummy, more Soylent Green for breakfast, man am I going to enjoy it, I cannot wait to savour the taste all day,‘ he thought sarcastically.
‘I really need to figure out a way to get some coins and buy myself some beef. I'd kill for a steak right now—haha, actually, I have killed for a steak. I've made enough coins; if I pocket some coins, I should be fine. Yeah, that's the plan, definitely going to save some coins for a private little beef dinner. Just gotta figure out where I'm going to eat it. Hmm, maybe not a steak then. A burger. I can hide a burger and hang out. Yeah, that's the plan, big burger for Clark tonight.‘
He shuffled over to the vending machine, where Olivia and the rest were handing out bowls of Soylent Green.
"Good morning, Clark," Olivia greeted him as she saw him approach.
"Good morning, Olivia," Clark replied, trying to mask his disdain for the meal with a forced smile.
They engaged in the usual fifty word conversation about how their night went. Nothing really had happened, but despite the routine chatter, Clark felt a little worried. Something was coming, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was. A lot had changed for him since his first time in the wasteland apocalypse. The thought of another tasteless meal gnawed at him, and as he walked away with the bowl in hand, his mind stayed fixated on the secret burger plan. Anything to break the monotony.
As Clark pondered his plan for a secret burger, the familiar high-pitched voice of the Red Fairy sounded throughout the camp.
If you are enjoying this book, don't forget to check out my Patreon, which allows you to read up past chapter 160 in advance! Or try the Free Trial to read a big chunk! That’s right, it’s close to 70 chapters that you could read ahead right now…….do it….