The Portal Crushers continued their trek home. The original journey there had taken roughly three hours, including the search for the Slimes' dungeon. The return trip was proving twice as long, hindered by the weight of their loot, the wounded, and their general exhaustion.

Occasionally, small adventurer teams could be seen in the distance—mostly harmless, just trying to survive. Atlas made sure to keep an eye on them but gave no sign of aggression. He knew better than to start unnecessary fights, especially when the team was already worn from the dungeon raid.

After an hour, they reached a small oasis—one of the few places where clean water still flowed. The team stopped to refill their canteens and rest briefly. The sound of trickling water was soothing, a rare break from the harsh silence of the wasteland.

Barbara knelt by the water, splashing some on her face to cool down. She glanced at Atlas, who had stayed on watch even during the break.

“You need to rest too, Atlas,” she said softly.

“I’ll rest when we’re back inside the walls,” he replied, his eyes still scanning the horizon.

Barbara shook her head but didn’t argue. She knew that was Atlas’s way.

***

After the brief rest, the march continued. The closer they got to Fort Bone, the more the terrain became familiar. The jagged peaks of Bone Mountain loomed in the distance, the towering fortress just beyond. As they approached the gates, the guards posted on the walls cheered at the sight of their return.

The massive gates of Fort Bone creaked open, welcoming the team back home. The familiar scent of the fortress—smoke from the blacksmiths, the tang of drying meat, and the earthy smell of packed dirt—greeted them. The settlement was bustling as always, people moving with purpose as they contributed to the life of the fortress.

The moment they crossed the threshold, a weight seemed to lift from their shoulders. The safety of Fort Bone, with its high walls and watchful guards, was a comfort after the dangers of the wasteland.

Amber approached. “Good to see you made it back,” she said.

Atlas nodded, though his eyes betrayed his exhaustion. “We lost two.”

Amber’s smile faltered. “I know. Sorry. We saw their names appearing on the memorial tablet when their linked dog tags were destroyed. They’ll be remembered.”

“They will,” Atlas replied, his tone somber. He glanced at the rest of the team, who were already dispersing—some heading straight for the barracks to rest, others to the armory to unload their gear, and a few to the tavern for a much-needed drink.

Atlas took a deep breath, feeling the familiar ache of leadership—both the pride in his team’s accomplishments and the sorrow for those they had left behind. He made his way toward the council hall, knowing that a debrief would be needed, but for now, he allowed himself a moment of quiet satisfaction.

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Fort Bone stood strong, and so did they.

‘‘‘‘

POV : FORT BONE WILDERNESS

Marnie and Derek had been making a lot of money with their slime farming, and their success had continued unabated for the last two days. On one of his trips back, selling slime corpses to the merchant, Marnie was asked by Abdul, "You guys are turning in a lot of slime corpses. Half of my supply is coming from you, compared to the rest of the adventurers. How are you doing it?"

"We found a really good area to hunt slimes. Don't worry, soon the area around Fort Bone will be completely cleared out," Marnie lied. "There should be no problem with King Pod slimes."

"Well, that's great," Abdul replied as Marnie took the coins and headed out.

After Marnie left, Abdul called over a refugee who hadn’t gotten an official job yet, earning coins for odd jobs. "Hey, follow that guy and see where he's hunting slimes."

The refugee hesitated. He’d only spent a few days in the wasteland and knew he wasn’t skilled enough to handle it. "That's too dangerous. I'm not doing it," he said.

"I’ll give you this sword, and this armor," Abdul offered, holding up a set of old armor he’d been collecting for resale. "And a meal," he held up a token, "and two beers. What do you say? You don’t have to fight anything, just follow him."

Still unsure, the refugee thought about it. ‘With danger comes reward,‘ he reasoned. Fear gripping him, he decided to take the deal and began tailing Marnie through the ruined forest.

***

Marnie, an experienced adventurer, quickly realized he was being followed. After doing a quick loop, he surprised the refugee by springing up behind him.

"Hands up!!" Marnie barked, crossbow raised. This wasn’t his first time dealing with robbers, and he knew his coin pouch was a tempting target.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I’m not a bandit! Hold on!" the refugee stammered, knowing he was seconds away from being shot.

"What other reason would you have for tailing me into a forest?" Marnie growled.

"I’m not trying to steal from you!" the refugee pleaded. "Abdul sent me!" Marnie raised an eyebrow. "Abdul sent you? Why?"

He sold out Abdul quickly. The refugee spilled the truth in a burst, explaining how Abdul wanted to know where Marnie was hunting all those slimes.

‘That motherfucker,‘ Marnie thought. ‘I’ve got to stop selling him slime bodies.‘ He lowered his weapon slightly.

"All right," Marnie said. "You can go—but leave your sword and armor."

"But what if I get attacked by skeletons? Or slimes?" the refugee protested.

Marnie smiled with a shit eating grin. "Well, I could shoot you instead, if you'd like."

"Fine," the refugee grumbled, reluctantly leaving behind his newly earned armor and sword.

Marnie gathered up the loot and made his way back to his partner in their hidden cave.

---

Marnie stormed into the cave, tossing the refugee's sword and armor on the ground. His partner, a grizzled veteran of countless hunts, looked up from his work. Derek wasn’t the brightest but he was tough.

"What happened?" Derek asked, wiping slime residue off his hands.

"Abdul sent some poor sap to tail me," Marnie muttered, pacing. "Almost blew the whole thing wide open."

Derek frowned. "You let him go?"

Marnie shrugged. "What else could I do? He wasn’t worth the trouble. Just some clueless refugee trying to make a quick buck." He smirked. "Got his gear, though."

Derek chuckled, but the tension lingered. "We can’t afford any more close calls. If anyone finds out about the slime farm, we’re screwed. Every scavenger in the wasteland will be crawling through here."

Marnie sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, I know. I think it's time we stop dealing with Abdul. The coins are good, but he's getting too nosy."

Derek nodded. "Agreed. Let’s find someone else to offload the slimes to—someone who doesn’t ask questions."

"Good call," Marnie said, glancing at the cave entrance. "Maybe we should lay low for a while. Keep the farming small. The last thing we need is another tail."

His partner clapped him on the back. "Don’t worry. We will rule the world."

Marnie nodded, though his mind was still racing. ‘We’ve got to be more careful.‘

‘‘‘