NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 107: Day Six : P.O.W
CHAPTER 107: Day Six : P.O.W
Amber hurried over, eyeing the ragged group of hippies with a mix of concern and resolve. “Alright, bring them over here,” she said, directing Atlas toward a forest of leg bones that had been driven deep into the dirt, marking a crude boundary within the settlement. The spot was near the front, visible but secure.
“Good job, team,” Atlas praised, turning to the Portal Crushers. “Amber, can you keep an eye on them? Maybe have somebody feed and water them?”
“Alright,” Amber nodded, her mind already ticking over logistics. “I’ll get Snedlie to do it.”
“Great,” Atlas said, satisfied. “Alright, team,” he addressed the Portal Crushers, “we need to get a couple of hours of hunting in.”
“Yeah, we do,” Alexander agreed, cracking his knuckles. “That brewery isn’t going to build itself.”
“Well, actually it is,” John chimed in with a smirk, “as long as we get the coins.”
“Shut up, smartass,” Alexander retorted, but there was a grin on his face.
“Before we head out,” Atlas continued, “can someone make a sign that says Portal Crushers to attach to the dungeon?”
“Do we need to station guards?” Isabella asked, already thinking ahead.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Atlas replied. “We can have two of them and a porter there. Maybe add someone who wants to train to become a hunter stationed there to kill any spawns that come out. That’s the nice thing about owning a dungeon—it’s like Foodgrub but for coins, delivered right to you.”
As the Portal Crushers dispersed to handle their tasks, the hippies began to stir, their fear and confusion giving way to hushed conversations. They glanced nervously at Snedlie, who was trudging around with a sign that read ‘THIEF’ strapped to his back, serving out his punishment on latrine duty.
“Oh my God,” one of the hippies whispered, eyes wide with horror. “Is that what we’re here for? Are we slaves now?”
The murmur of dread spread quickly among the group, the reality of their situation sinking in. They exchanged panicked looks, trying to make sense of their grim new reality.
“I didn’t expect Atlas to do this,” one of them muttered, disbelief evident in his voice.
“Now it makes sense why they cut the slavery subplot and ended Season One”, another replied darkly.
A female captive, fear turning to anger, raised her voice. “Free us!”
The man next to her, wearing a Che Guevara shirt, caught onto her defiance. “Free us!” he shouted, his voice growing louder with each repetition. Soon, the entire group was chanting, “Free us, free us, free us!”
Amber, noticing the rising commotion, gave a sharp command. “Snedlie, grab a bucket and wash them down. Throw a clean bucket of water on them every time they make too much noise. They’re disturbing the crafters.”
Snedlie, looking dejected, approached with the bucket. “I’m sorry, folks,” he said, his voice filled with resignation. “I’m a prisoner too, just like you. I have to do what they say.”
One of the hippies shook his head, his face full of empathy. “Oh, that’s awful, man. No humans should be captured.”
“It’s horrible here,” Snedlie sighed, splashing water on them as instructed.
He took the opportunity to tell his story, voice dripping with self-pity. “Yeah, I tried to make things better for myself, but they caught me. It was just a misunderstanding, really. I mean, they call me a thief, but I was only trying to survive, you know? And now they got me on permanent latrine duty. For what, a hundred something coins? It’s inhumane!”
The hippies listened, horrified and sympathetic. They looked at Snedlie like a fellow martyr, trapped by the same oppressive force.
The hippies exchanged sympathetic glances. One of them leaned closer, whispering, “Maybe we can earn enough coins to free him too.”
A nearby protester stared at the stakes they’d been KrazyBondoglue’d to. “We’re literally stuck here, man,” he groaned, tugging futilely at the hardened glue binding him.
While Snedlie dealt with the captives, Atlas turned to Amber. “Amber, how’s our loot from the Earth’s Children’s Camp?”
Amber began listing off the inventory. “Well, we’ve got ten boxes of Soylent Green porridge mix, eight boxes of protein bars, a bunch of assorted musical instruments, lots of marijuana, some mushrooms—oh, two bottles of what looks like homemade mead, and a ton of books. There were also some guidebooks about eco-friendly living in the wasteland. Oh, and we got our backpacks back.”
Atlas nodded, a small smile forming. “Barbara’s gonna love that. The medical equipment is gonna come in handy too.”
Atlas then addressed the Portal Crushers. “Portal Crushers, I’m gonna be here for a while. Alexander, Isabella, can you take them out?”
“Sounds good,” Alexander replied, and with a nod, he and Isabella led a group out for the hunt.
With the others gone, Atlas focused on Olivia, who was still glued to the pole. “Olivia, come with me.”
She looked at him, her voice laced with frustration. “It’s pretty hard—I’m glued to this pole.”
Atlas smiled gently, not unsympathetically. “You don’t want to get unglued, believe me. It’s painful.”
Olivia sighed. “I guess I’ll just chat with you here, then. What do you think is going to happen next?”
Atlas paused, considering her question. “Actually, this conversation isn’t good with everyone else here.”
A flicker of fear crossed Olivia’s face. “Oh no,” she whispered, her anxiety spiking as Atlas drew his sword. With quick, precise strikes, he chopped through the pole that held her captive.
“Okay, that pole’s done. Now you can follow me.”
Reluctantly, Olivia stood, with the remnants of a leg bone attached to her back. It was no longer stuck in the ground. She had no choice but to follow Atlas as he led her away, his destination clear—the settlement kiosk that decided the governance of their new reality.
Atlas locked eyes with Olivia, his expression unreadable as he handed her the device. “Alright, Olivia. Here’s what I need you to do. Put your thumb on this,” he instructed.
Olivia hesitated but then pressed her thumb onto the device as Atlas requested. “Okay,” she said, her voice trembling slightly.
‘Earth’s Children Settlement leader verified. Instructions?‘
Atlas navigated through the settlement’s interface. ‘Confirm destruction of camp and salvage?‘ The words on the screen were stark and final. He didn’t hesitate—he hit 'Yes.'
The screen flashed with confirmation. ‘Earth’s Children settlement destroyed. 438 coins salvaged. 2.5 leaderboard points available.‘
“Okay, now, Olivia,” Atlas said, his tone firm. “I need you to transfer me those points.”
Olivia’s gaze hardened as she looked at him, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. “I will, if you promise not to rape and kill us,” she said, her voice steady despite the situation.
Atlas’s face remained impassive, but there was a brief moment of silence as he considered her words. He knew there was no point trying to convince her of his good will. “We don’t have any interest in doing that, Olivia,” he finally replied, his voice serious. “You’ll know what we want tomorrow night.”
‘‘‘
Meanwhile, outside the settlement, Alexander and Isabella led the hunting party through the wasteland. The silence was broken only by the sound of their boots crunching the dry earth.
Suddenly, a piercing screech echoed across the horizon. Isabella’s twin swords were out in an instant, her eyes scanning the landscape. “Get ready!”
A pack of dungeon spawn merged from the rocky outcroppings, their glowing red eyes locked onto the Portal Crushers. They stood upright, with misshapen heads and bodies. Some were armed with crude weapons. Some just rushed in with their claws.
With a battle cry, Alexander took charge, raising his crossbow to take aim.
TWHIP!
The first beast dropped, but more kept coming.
“Watch the flanks!” Isabella shouted as she deftly sliced through a lunging creature, its blood spraying across the cracked ground.
Wang Bo twirled his staff with precise movements, blocking and striking in a fluid dance of combat. “Eternal Emperor Who Smashes Through Heaven!” he cried, sending a beast tumbling with a well-placed blow. His style was a mix of wushu and SFB.
Alexander grinned as he bashed a beast aside. “Yeehaw! Home run, baby!” The two-handed sword generated fantastic damage and momentum. ‘It's only downside was that it’s slow.‘ Killing mutated beasts was way easier than slimes for him.
But just as the team gained the upper hand, more creatures spilled from the shadows, a seemingly endless tide of fangs and claws. The Portal Crushers formed a tight circle, defending each other with practiced efficiency.
“Isabella, take the right!” Alexander barked, firing off a bolt. “I’ll hold the left!”
Isabella nodded, her blades gleaming in the dying light as she cleaved through another beast. “We can do this! Just keep them off balance!”
The battle raged on, every strike a testament to the Portal Crushers’ strength and teamwork. Finally, as the last creature fell, the group stood panting but victorious.
“Good haul,” Alexander muttered, looking at the coins on the ground.
BING!
ACHIEVEMENT ACCOMPLISHED
TITLE: SPAWN MASTER
First to kill 50 beast/Humanoid hybrids in one hunt!
Bonus: Extra damage against all mutated beasts. Good Job. Don’t let the SPCA catch you.
Alexander smirked. “Another win for the Crushers.”
***
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