POV : WASTELAND

Nadir had expected this ambush to be like the others—swift and decisive. But as his bandits clashed with the adventurers, it became clear this fight wasn’t going as smoothly as planned. The adventurers weren’t just fighting back; they were putting up a serious struggle. Worse yet, they were cracking jokes in the middle of the whole thing.

One of them ducked a swing from a bandit’s sword and smirked, “This really isn’t how I planned to spend my Thursday.”

Nadir scowled. ‘What kind of warriors joke in a fight?‘

“Kill them!” he shouted, raising his scimitar high. “For the Faith!”

The bandits redoubled their efforts, clashing with the adventurers in a flurry of steel and blood. The air filled with the grunts and shouts of battle, but Nadir could tell his men weren’t used to this kind of resistance. The adventurers moved with a practiced ease, dodging blows, landing strikes, and laughing in the face of danger.

Adam ducked behind a rock, loading his crossbow as bolts flew past his head.

THWIP!

THWIP!

“Well, that was close. You know, I’m starting to think this isn’t a welcoming committee.”

Peter swung his axe with a grunt, knocking a bandit back. “You think? Gee, Adam, real genius insight.”

“Hey, I’ve got my moments,” Adam shot back, peeking out to fire a bolt. “Besides, someone’s gotta keep the mood light, right?”

THWIP!

Tamara, (who her friends called T), ducked a swipe from a bandit and buried her dagger into his side.

STAB!

“Adam, if you get any lighter, you’re gonna float away,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Focus! We’re getting surrounded here.”

“I am focused!” Adam protested, barely dodging another bolt. “I’m just also incredibly witty.”

Peter growled as he slammed his axe into another attacker. “Witty won’t get us out of this mess, Adam. We’re taking hits, and these bandits aren’t letting up.”

Tamara glanced around, assessing the situation. They were outnumbered, and the ambush had already taken a toll on them. “Drop your packs!” she called out. “They’re slowing us down, and we need to move—now.”

Peter groaned but slung his pack off without argument. “Fine. But if I lose my favourite snacks because of this, you’re hunting next time.”

“Deal,” Tamara said, dodging another attack. She grinned despite the battle happening around her. “Though you might have to hunt alone if we don’t make it out of this.”

Adam, finished reloading with his crossbow, fired another shot. “Aww, come on, T. You know we always make it out…eventually.”

“Yeah, eventually,” Peter muttered, swiping at another bandit. “But these guys aren’t exactly pushovers.”

Suddenly, a bandit’s voice cut through the fight: “Fire those crossbows! Don’t let them escape!”

THUNK! THUNK!

The bolts hit their shields.

Adam’s eyes widened as bolts zipped past them again. “Whoa! Okay, time to run—like, now now.”

Tamara didn’t need to be told twice, already moving toward the exit. “Adam, for once, I agree with you. Let’s get the hell out of here!”

As the three of them sprinted away, Peter grumbled, “You know, I was kinda hoping for a quieter day.”

Adam, still grinning despite the blood on his face, shot back, “Quieter days are overrated.”

Tamara, picking up speed, smirked. “You guys can joke about it later. Let’s just live to see that day first.”

With that, the trio vanished into the wasteland, leaving Nadir’s bandits cursing in frustration behind them.

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All that was left was wounded men, and three battered backpacks on the floor.

And just like that, the adventurers sprinted into the wasteland, their figures disappearing into the distance.

Nadir cursed under his breath, watching them go. The adventurers had escaped, and now, word of his men’s presence in the area would spread. They would have to find a new ambush spot after gathering the loot.

The backpacks were full of useless travel sundries, and an absurd amount of Ketchup chips. No mana coins, no potions, and nothing valuable.

If Nadir hadn’t gained the title of : The Coup of Faith he would have faced harsh criticism from his surviving men.

*For successfully overthrowing your leader in the midst of chaos and taking command of the Faith settlement. Followers will now look to you for guidance—whether or not they want to.*

Even though the Faith settlement had fallen he had kept his title.

Still it didn’t help him celebrate because the failed ambush was nothing to be proud of. The win was Pyrrhic, and the jokes the adventurers made mid-fight… those really stung.

‘‘‘

Peter gasped for breath, bent over with his hands on his knees. “I really need to do more cardio. This wasteland apocalypse is bullshit.”

Tamara laughed, slowing her pace just enough to glance back at him. “Yeah, well, don’t worry. A nice 15-kilometer hike will get us back to a teleportation zone.”

“‘Fuck hiking,” Peter grumbled, straightening up. “Let’s just use our return tokens. They aren’t that expensive. And besides, we might get a reward from the Portal Crushers in Bone Town if we tell them about those bandits.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Adam chimed in, nodding while fiddling with his crossbow.

Tamara shook her head. “Smart. We took a loss on this trip, guys. We dropped our packs, so we have none of the travel stuff or food.”

Adam grinned. “Well, better than being dead, isn’t it?”

“True that,” Tamara agreed with a sigh. She crushed her return token, and with a quick surge of energy, the three of them activated their portals.

BERZOP!

In a flash, they reappeared just outside BoneTown. The bustling settlement was quieter than usual but still much livelier compared to the wasteland they had just escaped.

“So, what’s first?” Tamara asked, dusting herself off.

Peter wiped some dirt off his axe and shot them a grin. “First, I think we need to get a beer.”

Adam raised an eyebrow. “You always need a beer.”

“TRUE! And it’s always well deserved,” Peter said proudly.

“All right,” Adam relented. “One beer. No, wait—two beers. And then we will try to alert somebody about the bandits.”

“Nothing like a cold beer in the Wasted Tavern after almost dying,” Tamara agreed with a smirk. “Besides, having mana coins doesn’t do much good if you’re dead.”

The three of them strolled into the Wasted Tavern, its usual rowdy atmosphere a welcome change after the tension of their recent battle. They ordered beers and clinked their mugs together, the foam spilling over the sides as they laughed and toasted to their survival.

As they drank, the mini faeries flitted about the tavern, screeching, “Fight! Fight! Fight!” whenever two drunks got too rowdy, causing the guards to swoop in and break things up.

Peter took a long sip and sighed in contentment. “Ahh, nothing beats a beer after almost getting skewered by a bunch of lunatic bandits.”

Adam leaned back in his chair, grinning. “See? Told you we’d make it out in one piece.”

“Barely,” Tamara said, laughing as she finished off her drink. “But you know what? This beer tastes damn good after a day like today.”

The three of them sat back, enjoying the noise and energy of the tavern, content in the fact that they had survived yet another dangerous day in the wasteland.

‘‘‘

As they sipped their beers, basking in the glory of their own awesomeness and mentally congratulating themselves for being, quite possibly, the best adventurers in the wasteland, another fight broke out.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" screeched the mini faeries, swirling around gleefully.

This time, it all started with a shove. A tall Chinese guy pushed a female adventurer who had just slapped him across the face. The woman went flying backward, straight into Peter, knocking his beer right out of his hand.

"My beer," Peter said, his voice dangerously low. Peter loved two things in this world: his axe and his beer. One of them had been wronged. His hand instinctively went for the other.

"Don't even think about it, Peter," Tamara said sharply, cutting him off before things could escalate. She knew him too well.

"Fuuuuck," Peter groaned, dragging out the word with a pained expression. ‘Tamara never lets me have any fun‘, he thought, but he dropped his hand from the axe anyway, sulking in silence.

Meanwhile, the female adventurer who had crashed into Peter had also knocked over a pair of adventurers at the next table. Their coins spilled across the floor, scattering in every direction.

"My coins!" Marnie, one of the adventurers, shouted, scrambling to the floor to gather them up.

Adam, always looking to help (or maybe just defuse awkward situations), crouched down to assist. "Here you go, bud," he said, scooping up the scattered coins and handing them back. "Didn’t seem like a great idea to leave those rolling around on the tavern floor."

Marnie eyed Adam warily at first but then gave a relieved smile. Inside Marnie’s head, the fat little mouse carefully polished and quickly counted every coin. ‘One coin, two coins, three coins, ten coins... yep, all the coins are here. The mouse then locked all the coins in a super strong bank vault.‘

"Thanks," Marnie said, visibly relaxing. "That was really nice of you. Why don’t I buy you guys a round of beer?"

Peter’s mood instantly lifted. “That’d be great!” he said, eyes gleaming with excitement.

Peter thought, ‘Anybody who buys me a beer is a friend for life.‘

Marnie flagged down the waitress, and soon enough, another round of beers landed on the table. The group raised their mugs and clinked them together, Peter’s earlier frustration forgotten as he finally got his precious beer.

“To surviving the wasteland!” Adam toasted with a grin.

“And to not spilling any more beers,” Peter added, shooting a playful glare at Tamara, who just rolled her eyes, smiling.

The mini faeries continued chanting "Fight! Fight! Fight!" in the background as the rowdy tavern returned to its usual self. Bonetown didn't have huge amounts of violence, but fights in the tavern among adrenaline pumped adventurers was to be expected.