Nadir's army pressed forward through the wasteland, flags billowing proudly, a testament to the Faith’s unyielding march toward dominance. ‘The Prophet has promised me that I shall conquer this world for him,‘ Nadir mused, his gaze cold and determined.

Chants of prayers echoed through the ranks, keeping morale high, even as the relentless sun beat down on them. The mutated rhinoceroses, sensing the overwhelming force, led their herds far from the army's path, unwilling to challenge such a mighty force. But the ghouls—feral, undead creatures devoid of sense—cared only for their hunger. In waves, they attacked, screeching as they charged, their numbers ranging from five to fifty at a time.

"Fire at the foes," Nadir commanded without so much as a glance at the oncoming horde.

THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!

Crossbow bolts flew through the air, deadly and accurate, piercing the ghouls with a mechanical precision. The creatures fell in droves, their bodies piling up as the army quickly disassembled the corpses. Soldiers moved swiftly, hacking away the ghouls’ claws—sharp, mana-infused weapons that were perfect for crafting jambiya and spearheads.

But among the recruits, panic spread, a creeping terror.

"Did you see the state of those things?" Yusef gasped, his hands shaking as he fumbled to reload his crossbow. "I thought we were dead for sure!"

Kareem, standing beside him, was wide-eyed, his breathing ragged. “I didn’t agree to for this! Ghouls—no one said anything about ghouls!”

Another trainee, a young woman named Salma, muttered under her breath, her voice trembling, “We’re not warriors… we’re going to die out here. I saw one of them bite Hakim’s leg clean off!”

"Keep it together!" barked Hassan, one of the bearers of Nadir's palanquin, overhearing the frantic whispers. "The Prophet’s watching from paradise judging us! You don’t want to be found lacking in Faith, do you?"

Yusef nodded nervously, his voice shaking. "Right… right, the Prophet. I just… I thought we'd be fighting people, not monsters."

Salma exhaled sharply, her hands trembling as she clutched her spear. “We have to get stronger. If we falter… the Faith will leave us behind.”

Behind them, Malik chuckled darkly, hearing the panic among the new recruits. “Green as grass,” he muttered to Hadi. “They’ll be the first to drop. More glory for us, eh?”

Hadi grinned, his eyes glinting. “Or maybe they’ll be bait. Let the ghouls feast on them while we handle the real fight.”

As the trainees tried to calm their nerves, the seasoned warriors stayed unfazed, eyes already scanning the horizon for the next threat. Nadir, high on his palanquin, cared little for their fear. They would either adapt or perish. The Prophet above demanded victory, and victory was inevitable.

‘‘‘

POV : CELESTIAL WAGER

The Celestial Wager was buzzing with energy. Gorvax’s stone-like body loomed over a betting table, his small red eyes gleaming as he placed another bet, "Finally, some real action. No more waiting around, these settlements are going to war."

Kroxar slithered nearby, his tentacles twitching in amusement, "About time! I was starting to think this entire planet forgot how to fight. I’ll wager heavily on the Faith Settlement—they seem more ruthless."

Lurox fluttered around, his iridescent wings reflecting the neon lights of the casino, "Ooh, it’s exciting! But what about Atlas? He’s been lying low for a bit. Do you think they’ll pull him back into the show?"

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Zeltrax, with their translucent blue skin, gave a soft chuckle, "I hear whispers that the Belief Settlement is considering sending a messenger. Atlas can’t resist getting involved when someone comes knocking."

Virelia, gracefully gliding by with a tray of mid-air delicacies, chimed in, "That would certainly spice things up. It’s been far too quiet lately. I hope they send the message soon. Atlas is overdue for some action."

"Get your bets ready," Gorvax’s voice rumbled. "This war’s going to be good."

The alien crowd murmured in anticipation, eyes flickering to the betting odds, already imagining the battles that would unfold. The prospect of Atlas being drawn back into the fray only heightened their excitement.

‘‘‘‘

POV : BELIEF SETTLEMENT

"Well, we know an attack's coming," Oliver muttered, his brow furrowed, eyes flicking nervously over the settlement. Tension weighed heavily in the air, making even the blowing wind feel unpleasant.

He flagged down one of the messengers, his voice tight, "Use our kiosk and teleport to Atlas at Fort Bone. Let him know about what's going on with the Faith Settlement. Make sure he remembers the treaty. We need the Portal Crushers, and we need them now."

The messenger looked startled by the urgency, but nodded. Oliver's command weighed on him. Whatever Atlas decided could change everything for the Belief Settlement. He swallowed hard and hurried to the settlement kiosk, using it to teleport directly to Fort Bone's secondary entrance. There, he slipped into a crowd of tourists, his heart pounding in his chest. ‘Gotta get this message out.’

He weaved through the crowd, finally spotting the guards.

"I'm from the Belief Settlement," he said, breathless. "I need to speak with Atlas or Olivia—it's urgent."

The guard eyed him for a moment, then gave a slight nod. "Atlas is out training the trolls, but Olivia's here. Come with me."

Relief washed over the messenger. ‘‘At least I'm not being turned away.‘‘ He followed the guard through the bustling fort until they found Olivia in conversation with John, deep in discussion about policies. Her sharp eyes flicked up as the messenger approached.

"I’m an official messenger from the Belief Settlement," he began, his voice a little shaky. "We’re expecting an attack from the Faith Settlement in a day or two. Your fort has a treaty with us—we’re calling it in."

Olivia’s eyes widened, concern flashing across her usually calm features. "That’s… serious." She leaned forward, her voice soft but tense. "Is there no chance for diplomacy? The Faith Settlement has never attacked anyone else, they usually keep to themselves. What changed?"

The messenger shifted uncomfortably, shrugging. "I wouldn’t know. I’m just the messenger."

Olivia pressed her lips together, thinking. After a beat, she gave a small sigh. "Why don’t you stay here at Fort Bone for a while? I’ll make sure Atlas gets your message when he’s back."

The messenger hesitated, feeling the weight of the looming threat back home. But he knew pushing wouldn't help. "Alright," he agreed quietly, accepting Olivia’s offer of a room at the inn.

Once the messenger had left, Olivia turned to John, her brow furrowed. "What do you think?"

John rubbed his chin, glancing toward the door where the messenger had just gone. "We have a treaty. We should honor it."

Olivia frowned, walking over to the settlement kiosk. "Let me check something." She scrolled through the list of treaties, pausing when she found what she was looking for. "Here it is: Belief Settlement. But..." she scanned it, her expression darkening. "It’s just a non-aggression pact. We have no obligation to defend them."

John frowned. "They’re still paying us 100 coins a day, though—for those soldiers we returned. If the Belief Settlement falls, we lose that income. And do you really want those prisoners dumped back on us?"

Olivia sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead. “No. Not really. Seems like we’ve got a problem."

‘‘‘‘‘

Meanwhile, out in the wilderness, Atlas was busy training the baby trolls. "Alright, Portilla, your turn. Show me what you've got."

Portilla eagerly gripped her club and charged at a nearby skeleton. She swung her club around wildly, landing blows with all her strength. The skeleton staggered, its bones rattling with each hit. Though Portilla was strong for her age, she was still a young troll, not yet as powerful as a full-grown one. She was about as strong as a human woman, but her enthusiasm made up for it.

"Ow," Portilla giggled as the skeleton clawed at her, her body already regenerating. "Take that!" She swung again. WHACK! WHACK!

The skeleton let out a silent scream, clawing at her again, but Portilla just kept laughing, each hit making her more determined. "You hurt me, Mr. Skeleton!" she yelled as she smashed its face, sending its skull flying.

Mana coins scattered to the ground.

"Great job, Portilla!" Atlas called, nodding in approval. "You earned those mana coins. Go buy yourself something nice when we get back."

"Yay!" Portilla beamed, scooping up the coins.

"My turn! My turn!" Crusher called out, ready to prove himself. They spent the rest of the day hunting monsters, the trolls gaining confidence with every battle.

By the time they returned to Fort Bone, hours later, Atlas found Olivia waiting for him.

"We need to talk about the Belief Settlement," she began.

‘‘‘