NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 99: Day 5. Going Right….
As they continued through the dungeon, another path appeared ahead, branching off into darkness. Atlas stopped, surveying the options before speaking up, “We’re gonna go right!” He paused, waiting for the inevitable response.
In unison, the team echoed back, “Because otherwise, we’d be going wrong.”
Atlas couldn't help but smile to himself.
‘I’ve trained them well,‘ he thought, satisfied with their shared sense of humor, even in the midst of danger. They took the right path, moving forward cautiously, but this time, there were no traps waiting for them. The corridor was eerily quiet, the only sounds being their footsteps and the occasional clink of armor.
The first wave of enemies clattered toward them, bones rattling like a macabre wind chime.
“Looks like these guys are ‘dying‘ to meet us,” Atlas quipped, drawing his swords with a flourish.
John chuckled as he smashed forward with his shield, shattering a skeleton’s ribcage. “Hope they don’t mind if we ‘crack‘ a few jokes!”
Amber spun around, her dual daggers flashing as she sliced through a skeleton's spine. “Guess these guys really don’t have a ‘backbone,‘ huh?”
Evalynh whipped her chain flail, smashing a skull into pieces. “They ‘crack‘ under pressure pretty easily!”
Alexander grinned as he bashed a skeleton’s skull with the hilt of his sword. “And here I was thinking they’d have a ‘bone‘ to pick with us!”
“Looks like they’ve been ‘boned‘!” Amber added with a laugh, her daggers cutting through another group of skeletons with ease.
Hank couldn’t resist joining in, “I guess they just weren’t ‘cut out‘ for this life!”
The team moved fluidly, working in sync as they obliterated the remaining skeletons. Bones flew in every direction, clattering to the floor in a pile of defeated foes.
“Talk about a ‘bone-crushing‘ defeat,” John said, wiping his brow as he surveyed the carnage.
“Guess they’re just ‘bone-tired,‘” Atlas said, sheathing his sword with a satisfied grin.
Alexander shook his head, still grinning, “Well, they didn’t have much ‘skin‘ in the game, anyway.”
Amber laughed, wiping off her blades. “These guys really thought they could ‘rattle‘ us?”
The group shared a laugh as they continued forward, leaving behind a heap of broken bones. The fight had been nothing more than a warm-up, but the camaraderie and humor made it all the more enjoyable. They were the Portal Crushers, after all—unstoppable, unbeatable, and always ready with a good pun.
The battles were tough but manageable, though the weight of the loot they were gathering began to weigh on Atlas’s mind. “Man, I really wish I’d brought the porters,” he said, shifting the weight of his pack as they paused to catch their breath.
“Yeah, it would be nice if there were bags of infinite storage, like they have in the books,” John replied, adjusting the straps on his own pack.
Amber chimed in, “Well, I can always go get the porters.”
Atlas shook his head. “No way, not right now. We’ll send half the team back with you to get them when we’re done with this dungeon. No sense in risking splitting up right before the end.”
“Alright,” Amber agreed, falling back in line.
As the last of the skeletons crumbled into a pile of dust and bones, the Portal Crushers regrouped, their laughter still echoing through the dungeon corridors.
“Man, these skeletons used to give us a run for our money,” John said, leaning on his sword. “Now, it’s like swatting flies.”
“Yeah, scary killer flies.” Amber agreed, flicking a shard of bone off her dagger. “Remember the first time we ran into them? I thought I was gonna die, but now... they're practically falling apart at the seams.”
Alexander nodded, “We’ve gotten good. Real good.”
Atlas, who had been silently scanning the room for any signs of danger, spoke up, his tone serious. “I’m glad we’re cutting through these boneheads like butter, but don’t get too comfortable. Keep your guard up. The Wasteland’s full of things worse than skeletons.”
The group quieted, sensing the shift in his mood.
Atlas continued, “You all know the number one killer out here is the demon dogs. But you know what’s number two? People. Other survivors, just like us, who’ll do anything to stay alive.”
John frowned, tightening his grip on his sword. “I thought we were all supposed to be in this together.”
“In theory,” Atlas said, “But reality’s different. There’s no room for trust out here unless you’ve earned it. And even then...”
He paused, letting his words sink in. “Clark used to organize dungeon dives where his group would follow right behind others. They’d wait until the boss fight was over and the other group was exhausted, then they’d strike. Kill them all and take the loot.”
Amber’s eyes widened. “That’s... ruthless.”
“Efficient,” Atlas corrected, though there was a cold edge to his voice. “Clark wasn’t the only one doing it, either. It’s a strategy that works—until you run into someone who’s just a little bit smarter, a little bit faster.”
“Or someone who sees it coming,” Evalynh added quietly, her chain flail dangling loosely in her hand.
“Exactly,” Atlas nodded. “We’ve got a good thing going, but that makes us a target. Don’t let the easy fights fool you into thinking we’re invincible. The real danger comes when you least expect it.”
The team nodded, the weight of Atlas’s words settling over them like a dark cloud. They’d become stronger, smarter, but the Wasteland was unforgiving, and there was always someone or something ready to take them down.
“Let’s move,” Atlas said, his voice firm. “Stay sharp. We’re not done yet.”
With a collective breath, the Portal Crushers fell back into formation, their previous lightheartedness replaced with a steely resolve. The dungeon might be a walk in the park, but the Wasteland was a different story. And they weren’t about to let their guard down—not now, not ever.
They continued until the corridor opened up into a large, ominous chamber. At the far end, a massive door loomed before them, its surface covered in intricate carvings and glowing runes. The air around it thrummed with a dark energy, thick with the promise of danger.
“That’s what we call a boss door,” Atlas said, his voice low and serious. “Behind it, there’s gonna be a huge fight. Sometimes it’s just one giant creature, sometimes it’s a group of mobs. Either way, it’s not gonna be fun. Are you guys ready?”
As they approached the massive boss room door at the end of the corridor, Atlas's gaze lingered on the door. Thoughts of dungeons past ran through his mind.
‘This is it,‘ he thought, eyes narrowing as he studied the ominous entrance. ‘The boss room. The place where things can go south in a heartbeat.‘
Atlas knew that while they’d breezed through the skeletons, the real test was just beyond this door. Boss fights weren’t just about brute strength; they were about strategy, timing, and keeping cool under pressure. One wrong move, one moment of overconfidence, and the whole team could be wiped out.
And this was no game. There were no respawns.
‘We’ve been lucky so far,‘ he reflected, ‘but luck doesn’t last. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that the Wasteland has a way of hitting you hardest when you think you’ve got it all figured out.‘
His mind flashed to Clark’s tactics—how he’d waited until others were at their weakest, ready to pounce and claim victory without lifting a finger during the fight. Atlas had seen what happened to groups that let their guard down after a boss battle, celebrating too early. They didn’t make it out alive.
‘That’s not going to be us,‘ he vowed silently. ‘We’re stronger than that. Smarter than that. But I can’t afford to let them get too confident.‘
He glanced at his team, seeing the determination in their eyes, the trust they had in him. It was a heavy responsibility, but one he carried willingly.
‘This boss could be anything—a hulking beast, a cunning trickster, or worse. We’ve got to be ready for whatever’s behind that door. And once we’re through it, we need to be ready for anything that comes after.‘
Atlas took a deep breath, steeling himself for what lay ahead. ‘We’ve made it this far, and we’re not stopping now. But we’re going to do it smart. No mistakes. No hesitation. We go in, we take it down, and we get out.‘
With a final nod to his team, Atlas stepped forward, his hand hovering over the door.
‘Whatever’s on the other side... it doesn’t know what’s coming.‘
***
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