NOVEL FROG CHAPTER 69.5
Atlas and his team, pockets filled with coins, quickly made their way toward the ruined castle. The air was thick with tension as they approached a row of shiny, black vending machines, each offering different items.
"Alright, here we go," Atlas said, eyeing the machine labelled Sword-o-Shannara. He quickly inserted the coins and selected C4—Clubs. Each club cost two coins, and with the Red Fairy having only given the group twenty coins, it was just enough for ten weapons.
"Okay, everybody grab a weapon," Atlas instructed, his voice steady.
"But I don’t use a club," Isabella protested.
Atlas turned to her. "Yeah, but we're gonna need them to fight skeletons."
"Skeletons, Dios mio!?" Wilfredo echoed, his voice tinged with disbelief.
"That’s right," Atlas confirmed. "I know we’re not equipped with our usual gear yet, but we’ll use these for now."
John nodded in agreement. "Alright, let’s do this."
"Don’t forget the portal training," Atlas reminded them. "We’ve run through this hundreds of times in the mannequin room."
The team quickly grabbed the clubs from the machine. As the first club dropped into Atlas’s hands, a notification appeared in his mind:
‘‘ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED:‘‘
‘‘TITLE: BLACK FRIDAY‘‘
‘Black Friday is an achievement for the first traveller to make a purchase, you greedy scoundrel!‘
BONUS: Enjoy a 5% discount on any future purchases.
Atlas grinned at the message. “Alright, let’s move,” he said, leading the way.
‘Part one of my time-sensitive plan accomplished!‘
Without wasting time on the other survivors in the camp, the team headed for their next destination.
Atlas couldn't help but grin as he mentally celebrated the achievement. In his first lifetime, he had only heard rumours of someone unlocking the "Black Friday" bonus, but now it was all his. A 5% discount might not seem like much at first glance, but he knew from experience that those savings would stack up over time, especially in a world where every advantage could mean the difference between life and death.
Eager to secure his next reward, Atlas moved swiftly. "Alright, everyone," he called out, gathering the team as they stood in the shadow of the ruined castle. "Remember what I told you during training about the main console in each settlement?"
"Yeah," John replied. "That's where everyone gets to decide the fate of the settlement and the direction it’s heading."
"Exactly," Atlas confirmed. "Normally, there'd be chaos. People would be yelling and screaming, trying to get their way."
Stu chuckled, a memory sparking in his eyes. "Oh God, I fucking remember that. You recall that one dumb cunt of an actress? She spent five minutes wailing and flailing on the floor."
Atlas smirked. "Yeah, that was both an impressive bit of improvisation and pretty close to what would have happened if we weren’t here to take control."
They quickly arrived at the settlement kiosk which wasn’t far from the ruined castle. In the centre of the dilapidated square stood a small kiosk, enclosed in thick, clear glass. It looked like an old-school bank ATM you might find on a city sidewalk, though the architecture was distinctly out of place in this mediaeval setting.
Atlas approached the kiosk and stepped inside. The moment he did, the glass walls turned opaque and dark, sealing him off from the outside world. The console inside flared to life, illuminating a black screen with several choices displayed in front of him:
1. Settlement Governance
2. Settlement Safety
3. Settlement Building
Atlas didn’t hesitate. He selected "Settlement Governance" and inserted all twenty of the golden coins that the Red Fairy had given him. The machine whirred softly as it processed his input.
The next screen offered another set of options: ‘Set up Settlement.‘ A list of names appeared—19 in total, reflecting the people who had portaled through, and had been automatically registered as citizens. One name was already greyed out, a reminder of the Red Fairy's earlier display of power.
Atlas quickly selected himself as the leader, confirming his choice with coins. He repeated the process 20 times, locking in his leadership position. Normally, this would have been a drawn-out process, with each participant trying to make their mark, but because Atlas had taken all the coins, he made every single choice on his own.
‘‘ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED:‘‘
‘‘TITLE: KINGMAKER.‘‘
‘Kingmaker is an achievement for establishing yourself as the first undisputed leader of a settlement in the wasteland. Good job! Ghengis Khan has nothing on you for speed! Ruthless much?‘
Atlas’s grin widened. This world might be brutal, but he was going to make sure he stayed several steps ahead.
As Atlas emerged from the kiosk, his team crowded around him, their faces a mix of anticipation and nervous energy.
"So, what now?" Wilfredo asked, gripping his club tightly.
"Now," Atlas said, "we head into the wastelands."
A collective gulp went through the group. They all knew what the wastelands meant. No safety nets, no SFB tech to bail them out. It was all real out there—no sensors, no simulations. Just them, their weapons, and whatever nightmares awaited them.
“Y’know, all that crossbow training makes sense now,” Isabella murmured, trying to lighten the mood.
“Yeah, sorry to keep you all in the dark,” Atlas said, his tone more serious. “But would you have believed me if I said it was all real?”
John, who had been told it was all real, shook his head, an apologetic look on his face. “Nope, definitely not. But now that we’re here, I’m glad we trained as hard as we did.”
There was a collective nod among the Portal Crushers. Despite their nerves, there was a sense of readiness in the air. They had trained for this—every drill, every exercise had been building up to this moment.
“Alright, listen up!” Atlas barked, bringing the team’s focus back. “We’ve run through this scenario a hundred times. You KNOW the drill. We stick together, watch each other’s backs, and most importantly, don’t panic. We’re the Portal Crushers, and we’re going to crush whatever’s out there.”
“Fuck yeah.” Stu growled.
“Yeehaw!” Alexander chimed in, his trademark enthusiasm breaking through the tension.
“Remember,” Atlas added, his voice low and commanding, “this isn’t just about survival. It’s about dominance. We’re not just here to get by—we’re here to take over.”
The team nodded, their eyes steely with determination.
Atlas glanced around at his crew, his thoughts briefly flashing back to his betrayal, the lost comrades, and the countless battles fought in this unforgiving world. ‘Not this time,‘ he vowed silently. ‘This time, we’re coming out on top.‘
“Let’s move,” Atlas ordered, leading them toward the castle’s main gate.
As they approached the massive, iron-bound doors, they could hear the distant sounds of the wastelands beyond—howling winds, the faint echo of monstrous roars, and the eerie, bone-chilling silence that seemed to fill the gaps in between.
Atlas pushed open the gate, and the team stepped out into the unknown.