NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 87: The Newbies’ Gamble
The night was dark around them and the camp was growing uneasy.
Atlas stepped to the front of the group, his voice cutting through the murmurs of uncertainty. “Alright, everybody. The Mana Dome of MegaAwesomeness is going to be going down right quick. You can see the demon dogs pacing outside.” He nodded toward the edge of the dome where dark, lean figures prowled just beyond the shimmering barrier. “We know it’s going to be a fight. But today, unlike last night—hell, unlike two nights ago—we’re ready. Portal Crushers, are you ready?”
The seasoned members of the group roared their affirmation, fists raised and weapons gleaming.
Atlas turned to the huddle of wide-eyed newbies. “Newbies, are you ready?”
They exchanged nervous glances, visibly unsure. Finally, Noi spoke up, her voice trembling. “Uh, well, I thought we were just going to hide in the back…”
Atlas shook his head with a grin. “Nah, I’ve got a better idea for you guys.”
The newbies stiffened, panic flickering in their eyes. The very idea of fighting demon dogs was terrifying, let alone being thrust into the thick of it.
“Noi, can you bring up the leg bones you saved?” Atlas asked.
Noi hesitated, then walked over with a stack of long, bleached bones. Atlas took them and handed them out to the newbies. “These,” he said, holding up one of the bones, “are your weapons.”
“What?” blurted one of the newbies, his voice a mixture of disbelief and terror. “We’ll get killed!”
Atlas remained calm, his expression serious but reassuring. “Don’t worry. I don’t want anyone getting hurt, let alone killed. Here’s what we need you to do.”
He pulled out several tubes of KrazyBondoglue, distributing them among the group. “This is KrazyBondoglue. Some of you had a real fun time working with it this afternoon, didn’t ya?” Atlas’s gaze landed on Titus, who was still nursing his skinned fingers.
Titus grimaced, lifting his hand even though it still ached. “Yeah, that stuff will literally glue you to something. Do not get it on your hands.”
Atlas nodded. “And that is exactly what I’m going to have you newbies do. When the dogs attack, I’ll have the Portal Crushers fend them off. Your job is to dab glue on the end of each leg bone, rush in, and stick it into a demon dog. It doesn’t matter if it really hurts them or even if it goes in deep. As long as that leg bone touches the demon dog’s skin, you’ve done your job. Your goal is to get the bone in and get the hell out of there.”
The newbies still looked panicked, but a spark of determination began to flicker in their eyes. This was their chance to prove they weren’t just dead weight.
“What’s that going to do?” Noi asked, holding her bone gingerly as if it might bite.
Atlas crouched down, looking each of them in the eye. “The biggest problem with fighting demon dogs is how agile and fast they are. They’ll pounce from the ground and be at your throats in seconds. What these leg bones will do is throw them off balance. Once they’re stuck in, those bones are going to create unwieldy branches sticking out from all angles. When the dogs pounce, those bones won’t hurt us, but they’ll mess up the dogs’ movements. They won’t be able to shift or dodge without tripping over themselves. And if they try to pounce, a bone might catch on the ground, making them stumble.”
Alexander, who had been watching with folded arms, let out a low whistle. “That’s a crazy idea,” he said, eyeing the leg bones.
Atlas shrugged with a half-smile. “Yeah, it’s an idea I got from the Romans. They used to throw pilums into their enemies’ shields, messing them up so bad they’d have to drop them. That’s kind of what we’re trying to do here.”
‘It’s not something that I thought of the first time though the wasteland, but hey experience makes me better,‘ Atlas thought.
The newbies started to relax, excitement slowly replacing their fear. This wasn’t just a desperate plan; it was something they could actually pull off.
Before they could dwell on their nerves any longer, Atlas straightened up and pointed toward the dome. “Everyone get ready. The Mana Dome of MegaAwesomeness is going to drop in a couple of minutes.”
The Portal Crushers tightened their grips on their weapons, forming up into a loose but prepared formation. The newbies, now armed with their soon to be KrazyBondoglue leg bones, fell in behind them. The tension in the air was thick, but so was their resolve.
As the dome’s glow began to fade, the low growls of the demon dogs grew louder, the creatures itching to charge in. Atlas looked at his team, a fierce light in his eyes.
“Remember the plan. Stick and move. Portal Crushers, protect the newbies. Newbies, don’t hesitate. We’ve got this.”
The final shimmer of the dome dissipated, and with a deafening roar, the demon dogs lunged forward.
The newbies huddled together, a nervous energy buzzing between them. They could hear the distant growls of the demon dogs outside the Mana Dome, and the reality of the impending battle was sinking in hard. Snedlie was especially panicked, his mind racing as he desperately tried to think of a way to avoid the fight. But every escape route he considered was blocked, and he knew there was no getting out of this one.
Lark was pale, her stomach churning with anxiety. She could barely keep herself from throwing up as the thought of facing the demon dogs made her head spin. Meanwhile, Randy’s hands were trembling, but not just from fear. A strange thrill coursed through him—this was his moment. He had always dreamed of being a D&D warrior, and now, in this twisted reality, he was about to live out that fantasy.
“Now!” Atlas shouted.
The battle began.
As soon as the Mana Dome of MegaAwesomeness dropped, the battle erupted. Atlas had already divided the Portal Crushers into two teams. Hank the Tank, fully recovered thanks to a 100 coin treatment in the MedPod, led the first group. Wilfredo, with his usual calm but intense focus, led the second. Their mission was simple: divide the demon dogs, keeping them distracted and unaware of the newbies.
The first demon dog, a monstrous beast with glowing red eyes and sinewy muscles, leapt toward Hank’s group. Hank didn’t flinch. With a roar that matched the beast’s fury, he lunged forward, his Punch Shields smashing into the dog’s snarling face. The impact was enough to stagger the creature, drawing its attention fully to Hank and away from the rest of the team.
“Newbies, go!” Atlas yelled.
The group of six newbies sprinted forward, hearts pounding, gripping their glue-coated leg bones as if their lives depended on it—because they did. They jabbed the bones into the demon dog’s thick hide. The bones didn’t pierce deep, barely scratching the surface, but they clung to the dog’s fur and skin like unwelcome parasites.
The demon dog shook its body violently, trying to dislodge the ugly, awkward appendages now hanging from it. But the bones stuck, transforming the once-agile hunter into a clumsy, stumbling brute. The dog’s movements became erratic, its leaping attacks reduced to feeble attempts at escape.
Hank capitalised on the moment, bashing his Punch Shields into the dog’s head, driving it back. Wilfredo’s group engaged the second dog, using the same tactics. The newbies rushed in again, their fear slowly giving way to stoic determination as they saw the plan working. The second dog, like the first, became a stumbling mess of fur, teeth, and bone.
Atlas and the rest of the Portal Crushers took advantage of the chaos. They struck with precision, bringing down the demon dogs with a coordinated effort that was a world apart from the desperate struggle of two nights ago. The dogs tried to bite, slash, and leap, but the awkward leg bones disrupted their every move. It wasn’t long before both beasts were on the ground, bloodied and defeated.
Hank and Wilfredo, sporting a few fresh cuts and bruises, were grinning. They had taken hits, but nothing like the near-fatal wounds from their previous encounter. This time, they had won with strategy and teamwork.
After the last demon dog was slain, the group let out a collective cheer. The newbies, panting and wide-eyed, looked at each other in disbelief. They had done it—they had survived, and not just survived; they had helped win the fight.
Atlas stepped forward, his voice booming over the noise. “Tonight, we proved that not only can we stay alive, but we can thrive. You guys all kicked ass tonight.”
The team erupted in cheers again, the sound echoing off the ruins surrounding them. The newbies stood a little taller, pride replacing their earlier fear.
But as the cheers began to die down, Atlas’s expression shifted to something more serious. “Now, we’ve got to deal with something else. Something really serious.”
“More serious than demon dogs?” Alexander asked, eyebrows raised.
Atlas nodded grimly. “Yeah, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it's more serious than demon dogs.” He gestured for Isabella, John, and Amber to join him at the front. As they moved forward, the group quieted, sensing the gravity of the situation.
Atlas’s voice was cold as steel. “We’ve got ourselves a thief.”
***
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