Tables and chairs were strewn about around the portal as the Guards and their Captain, Jake, stood around it as if protecting the portal from the people inside the settlement. Standing in front of the Guards, was Clair, the elected Mayor of ARK, the official name of the settlement they founded on the other side of the portal.

"Listen. I understand that you want to leave, but we can't let you pass through the portal without a few rules being established, you must understand that...the Earth is not how we once knew it. It's dangerous on the other side, potentially far more dangerous than whatever the Staff could do-," Clair, the Mayor of ARK spoke up, interrupting the men and women before her.

Jake and Clair were amid negotiations with the settlement that the Portal opened up in when a sudden quest notification appeared before their eyes.

/=========+=========\

Warning! A new Quest has been assigned!

Quest Name: Dangerous Intruders

Quest Type: Region

Quest Description: A group of armed individuals has entered the Infinite IKEA within a few miles of your position. These individuals are armed and dangerous.

Quest Option 1: Discover why this group has entered IKEA and assist them.

Quest Option 2: Eliminate the group and steal their supplies.

Quest Rewards 1: EXP and ???

Quest Rewards 2: Supplies, EXP, and ???

\=========+=========/

Surprised by the sudden system notification, the Guards, Jake, and Clair looked between one another and the sudden compass-like arrow appeared in the corner of their vision, seemingly pointing towards the quest's destination.

"Jake, leave me three, take the rest with you, and try to assist them," Clair spoke up, much to the confusion of the normal people in the settlement.

"Wait, where are they going?" One of the people leading the settlement asked as Jake and seven of the other guards left with him, pushing past the people and moving far too quickly than any human could ever hope to achieve.

While they left, Clair called out, getting the people's attention, "Ignore them. Let's focus back on the topic at hand. For an olive branch, I am willing to accept all of you into our home, if you abide by our rules."

...

Meanwhile, the group of Guards who had all varying Combat Classes rushed towards so-called 'Intruders,' using the arrow that appeared in their vision.

[Jake Cobbet - Aspiring Guard Level 26 - Human (Male)]

[??? - Aspiring Mage Level 19 - Human (Female)]

[??? - Aspiring Mage Level 21 - Human (Male)]

[??? - Aspiring Warrior Level 23 - Human (Female)]

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

[??? - Aspiring Hunter Level 20 - Human (Male)]

[??? - Aspiring Warrior Level 19 - Human (Male)]

[??? - Aspiring Warrior Level 24 - Human (Female)]

[??? - Aspiring Hunter Level 25 - Human (Female)]

Following the Integrated with a thread of mana, I carefully guided them toward the armed group of men. With their levels and stats as well as the plentiful cover that the IKEA provides, they should face little trouble with taking down the Foundation with their makeshift crossbows, cleavers, and machetes.

That is if they are not gunned down by the Foundation's superior firepower first.

...

Meanwhile, the expedition had fully set up their temporary camp and deployed four drones that were now high above in the sky scanning everything they could with their cameras and relaying the data back to the expedition.

"Hey, Boss?" One of the men operating a Drone called out, gaining the attention of the only member actually officially a part of the Foundation.

"Yeah? Catch something?" A man in full body armor asked before walking over to the man who was sitting down on a couch with a laptop in hand.

"I think so, it's hard to see with the camera, but I think I see some kind of fortress...built out of furniture," The man operating the drone answered, squinting at the screen.

"Let me see," The man said, sitting down on the couch next to the other man, and looking at the computer.

"What the...do you see that?" The Leader asked, seeing what looked to be a group of...people running as fast as professional athletes towards their position.

"Yeah...Fuck..."

"Everybody up! We got bogies incoming! I want everyone armed and ready, we don't know if they are friendly or not!" The Leader called out before looking over to the Radio Operator, "Call HQ, fill them in on the situation, and ask for directions. How do they want us to handle this?"

"Yes sir!" One of the men called out rushing over to the radio and turning it on.

"Come in, Come in! This is Callsign: Bravo-Theta-Zulu requesting advisement!"

"We read you Bravo-Theta-Zulu, what seems to be the problem?" A voice answered over the radio.

"We have set up a temporary FOB and have noticed inbound locals, they appear to be armed and heading straight towards us, please advise," The Radio Operator called out.

"Have you been discovered?" The Voice on the other side asked.

"Unknown and unlikely. Could be a coincidence, and it's improbable they have any technology that could detect the drones," The Radio Operator answered after the Leader whispered a few things in his ears.

"Roger that, have the locals deviated in their paths at all?" The Voice asked.

"Uknown, but since detection they have not deviated from their path and are still on a straight shot with our FOB, orders?" The R.O. asked.

"Observe, if they get within a mile of your position ambush and interrogate. If useful, use them to complete your objective. If not, eliminate them," The Voice answered.

"Roger that. Will report within 24 hours," The R.O. told the Foundation on the other side before cutting off the radio.

"You heard them, everyone get ready. Mike and Jackson, I want you two to flank them from behind. Julio, and Sam, I want you to take cover behind furniture nearby, get a good spot, and wait. The rest of you, stay here with me, we will face them head-on. We'll try a diplomatic approach, if the meeting goes sour, I want the ones armed with crossbows taken out first, they'll be a bigger threat than some guys with scrap melee weaponry," The Leader called out, receiving a mixed amount of 'Copy that,' 'Roger,' and 'Yes, sir.'

Arming themselves, the ex-military all readied themselves for a fight, everyone rushing to get ready for the incoming bogies and keeping an eye on the unknowns through the Drones.

...

Looking over the Foundation Expedition and how they were preparing for the arrival of my Integrated Humans.

I was considering cutting off their line of communication, but ultimately stopped because if I did so, the likelihood of the situation developing into a hostile situation would exponentially rise, as Humans were...anxious and easily scared creatures.

However, if my Integrated decided to slay the Foundation Agents, I would not stop them. Though I did not doubt that if such a thing did happen, while my Integrated had a good chance of winning with the System on their side, there was also a chance that the party would be wiped completely out and the people of my Dungeon would gain the ire of the Foundation, or this variation of the organization, to be more specific.

Other than that, through my mana threads, I was able to piggyback off of their Radio transmission and now knew the...frequency of the Dimension for whenever I wished to open my Dungeon on a planet with a large population.

I was far from reaching the point where I could accept a large influx of Delvers, so I certainly wouldn't open a new portal soon, but I at least now had the option, so long as that Dimension remains connected to the IKEA.

With great speed, the Integrated Humans soon reached the Expedition.