The Portal Crushers had successfully completed their goal. Fort Bone was ready to transform from a settlement to a full fledged empire. And a party was going to start!
Beer flowed, and people celebrated.
As the anthem played, the mini fairies, still a mischievous but beloved part of Fort Bone, flitted around the square, hanging newly bought empire flags that proudly bore the name “Fort Bone.” The flags fluttered in the breeze, a symbol of the unity and strength that now bound them all together.
John looked out over the crowd, ‘Today was a good day.They had laid the foundation for something greater than any of them could have imagined. An empire born out of the chaos of a post-apocalyptic wasteland.‘
Fort Bone was no longer just a settlement. It was an empire, and its citizens were ready to face whatever adversity that lay ahead. Together, they would build a future that was strong, fair, and enduring. And as long as they stood united, there was nothing that could tear them apart.
POV: WASTELAND 20 KILOMETRES AWAY
The wind howled through the wasteland, kicking up dust in swirling patterns around the small group of adventurers. They had been fighting all day, hoping to collect enough mana coins to fund their settlement's growth. Exhausted and wary, they pushed on, unaware that eyes were watching them from the jagged cliffs above.
A pack of bandits crouched low, hidden among the rocks, their ragged clothes and rough appearance a testament to the harsh life they had led since their settlements fell. These were survivors of failed communities, now roaming the wasteland as scavengers and predators.
At the front of the group, a man named Bjorn the former leader from the defunct Sons of Valhalla peered through a pair of battered binoculars. His long, blonde hair was matted with dirt, and the once proud tattoos of his settlement now stretched over sunburned skin. "Looks like an easy hit," he muttered, handing the binoculars to Axel, his second-in-command, and an ex-prisoner from the notorious Cell Block 21.
Some of his men had died after the initial failed raid. Poisonous food had run rampant throughout his settlement. Killing some in sickening agony, and debilitating others. This forced Bjorn and the Sons of Valhalla to have to merge with other bandit groups. Now they were no longer as arrogant. But they were still vicious.
Axel grunted, his face scarred from countless fights inside the prison before it fell to raiders. He rubbed a hand over his buzzed head. “They got supplies,” he noted, eyeing the adventurers’ packs. “And they look tired. I say we hit ‘em now, take what we can, and bounce.”
Bjorn nodded. “Yeah, but we do it quick. Don’t need another group catching wind of us.”
Behind them, Ellie, a former member of Earth's Children, watched with a detached expression. Her beliefs in peace and harmony had died alongside her commune. Now, she wielded a makeshift spear with deadly precision, a cold look in her eyes. "Don’t waste time," she said quietly. "Kill them if they resist."
Bjorn gave her a sidelong glance. "We need prisoners, Ellie. Clark will want information about Fort Bone, remember? They might know something."
Ellie shrugged, her grip tightening on the spear. "Then don’t give them a choice."
Bjorn raised a hand, signaling the others. Behind him, a handful of other bandits—remnants from settlements long gone—readied their weapons. Some had proper weapons like Bjorn. The others wielded rusty knives, a few guns with limited ammo, or homemade clubs. They moved silently, creeping down the rocks like coyotes on the hunt.
---
Down below, the adventurers were oblivious. Rachel, the leader, an experienced fighter with a crossbow, walked at the front, her eyes scanning the horizon. Behind her, Derek, a tall man with a makeshift shield, trudged along, complaining under his breath.
Stolen novel; please report.
“I’m telling you, Rach, we should’ve taken the other route. This one’s too exposed,” Derek muttered, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
Rachel shot him a look. “And run into the demon dogs again? No thanks. We’re almost back to Fort Bone.”
At the back, Simon, a young scout, paused, his eyes narrowing. “Something’s not right,” he whispered, glancing at Nina, a former medic who had joined the group out of necessity. “I don’t like how quiet it is.”
Before anyone could respond, a sharp whistle pierced the air.
Chaos erupted as Bjorn and his bandits descended from the cliffs. Bjorn moved like a beast unleashed, his battle cry echoing across the wasteland. He swung a spiked club at Rachel, who barely managed to duck in time.
Axel barreled into Derek, smashing his shield aside with brute force. The two men grappled, fists flying as they fought for dominance. Ellie circled around, her spear aimed at Simon, who frantically tried to load his crossbow. She lunged, her spear tip grazing his shoulder, drawing blood.
Simon cried out, stumbling backward, clutching his wound. "Get back!" he shouted, but the bandits were relentless.
---
Bjorn’s mind raced as he fought. His motivation wasn’t just survival—it was revenge.
The Sons of Valhalla had been strong once, a proud settlement built on the ideals of Norse legend, but they had been wiped out by those fucking Portal Crushers. Now, Bjorn led what remained, determined to claw back power, one raid at a time.
Axel, meanwhile, fought with the fury of a man who had once been caged. He had been imprisoned in Cell Block 21 on Earth, until a group of them had been portaled to the wasteland. But freedom hadn’t lasted. They had been backstabbed when out on a raid. He swung his fists with brutal precision, landing a solid punch on Derek’s jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.
As the bandits overwhelmed the adventurers, Bjorn barked orders. “Take their gear! Grab their packs!”
Ellie, cold and efficient, knocked Simon’s crossbow out of his hands and pinned him to the ground. Her spear hovered over his chest. “Tell me about Fort Bone,” she hissed.
Simon stared up at her, his heart pounding. “I—I don’t know anything!”
Ellie’s eyes darkened. “Wrong answer.” She pressed the spear down, drawing blood, when Bjorn intervened.
“Last chance dirt monkey.”
“Ok I heard that Fort Bone got their hands on working guns.” Simon whimpered, the spear was deep in his chest.
“That’s bullshit, everyone knows that guns don’t work for shit in the wasteland.” Ellie pressed down with the spear.
“No, I swear it’s true, I heard it in the tavern. They got some sort of special oil from the vending machines that allows guns to work.”
“Hmmm that’s interesting news. Kill him.” Bjorn said to Ellie.
Ellie complied. With a smile.
As the bandits looted the bodies, Bjorn surveyed the scene. The raid hadn’t yelled much—some rations, a few weapons, but very little information on Fort Bone. Still, it was enough to keep his group going a little longer.
“We’re moving out,” Bjorn said, motioning for his band to fall back. “Let’s get back to camp before someone comes looking.”
Axel wiped the blood from his knuckles, a satisfied grin on his face. “Easy pickings,” he said, kicking Derek’s dead body as they left.
Ellie glanced back at the dead adventurers, her face unreadable. “We still should find these guns, ” she muttered, gripping her spear tightly.
The bandits vanished into the wasteland, leaving only the wreckage of their ambush behind. Their hunger for survival—and the desperation to rebuild what they had lost—would drive them to strike again.
‘‘‘‘
POV : FORT BONE
It had been three days since the pledging ceremony and while not everything had gone perfectly, Fort Bone had been doing well.
John had removed all non empire residents from the Fort Bone citizens registry, and also turned off the automatic registration of refugees as citizens. Now they would also have to go through the same steps as tourists to become a citizen of the empire.
"Atlas, we have reports of more and more adventurers being killed," John said, his voice grim.
Atlas nodded, his face set in determination. "We can't let this go on. We need to root them out before they destroy everything we've built."
He made a quick decision. "Send out more guards. This is our new main mission. Get the flares. I want groups of five to blanket the entire wasteland around us. Find those bandits."
Atlas’s strategy extended beyond just sending guards. He handed flare guns to groups of visiting adventurers, knowing the tools were affordable from the vending machines. "Green means you found bandits and can handle them. Red means you need help," he instructed them.
The main army of the Portal Crushers, a formidable force of 100 warriors led by Alexander and Isabella, was ready for battle. But Atlas had a different plan in mind for himself.
"Are you sure you're alright with just you, Wang Bo, and Stu?" Isabella asked, concern lacing her voice.
"I'm good," Atlas replied, a sly smile creeping across his face. "I'm going to be using these guns, which totally work, to lure them out." He gave her a wink, the hint of a larger plan in his eyes.
The night before, Atlas had spent time in the tavern, carefully planting the seeds of a rumor. He had given the actors of the playhouse explicit instructions: spread the word that Fort Bone had working guns. He knew the bandits wouldn’t dare attack the main army, but he hoped his fake hand wagon, supposedly carrying a cache of powerful weapons, would be too tempting for them to resist.
This bandit trap would either work, or it would be a horrible failure. Atlas wasn’t going to sit around as bandits nibbled at his empire’s citizens.
‘The first time around bandit attacks had grown to massive proportions before settlements took them seriously. That is a mistake that I’m not going to make. I’ll wipe them out or kick them out from my territories before they become a juggernaut. Time travel knowledge for the win.‘