I'm not looking for a back and forth with the bandit camp up there, so let's activate my stealth field for this battle.
Wanting to get the jump on the bandits positioned on the tops of the cliffs, I engaged my stealth field ability and even though it wouldn't make us invisible to the scum that awaited above it would certainly make it very difficult for them to discover our presence. So, with my stealth field going into full effect, I led the way up the sandy and rocky hillside and slowly but surely made it to just right beside the sheer cliffs.
Although I was already fully aware regarding the bandits' defenses and their numbers, I nonetheless peered over the edge and got a solid look at the state of things with my own eyes. What entered my view was at least a dozen makeshift structures cobbled together from sheets of rusted metal and whatever other junk and scraps they managed to get their grubby hands on.
Surrounding those scrap metal buildings that no doubt held numerous bandits inside were several dozen bandits spread out all across the area. Scanning the region once more, I found a majority of the bandits were hanging out by the cliff's edge by the multiple boulders they had set up in rusted dumpers.
I guess that's what they use to ambush anyone who decides to pass through the valley below... Alright, I've seen enough now. How do I want to approach them? Well, I'm quite far away from home for one, so taking them alive to be used in experiments both scientific and magical in nature isn't really viable right now. I mean, I could call a portion of my forces to move here and retrieve them after I disabled and secured them.
However, that would require a good bit of time to accomplish something of which I'm kind of short on today, seeing how I have to bring my girls back to Undercity 7 to do some shopping. There's also the fact I don't particularly feel like venturing from my base when I've yet to truly secure it and the surrounding area.
Not to mention all the fighting my forces would have to do to reach here and return with their new prisoners... That latter bit definitely has the potential to bring unwanted attention my way, which is something I'd like to avoid till I've gotten more established.
So, since I'm short on time today, it looks like I'm left with no choice but to dispose of them here and now. Haa, what a bummer. I'd much rather make them go through hell before their bodies eventually give out, but there's no way I'm going to leave them alive so they can continue to enact evil upon the incredibly few people that are still surviving in this fucked up land.
Although pissed off with these bandits' luck, I nevertheless let them have their lucky day and got to work by rounding the hillside Mary and I were using to observe the vile creatures. Sneaking around the rough hill, we climbed up the rocks and just as we were about to reach midway, the section of rock Mary was using as footing gave out. But before she could begin falling and let out a cry or even a peep for that matter, I grabbed the lass and prevented a tragedy.
"Careful now, Mary. You got to watch your footing." I told her simply as the chick's lightly tanned, sun-kissed cheeks took on a red, pink-ish hue.
As the cowgirl was looking at me with a certain look in her eyes, I was about to explain what to look out for when scaling this type of rocky terrain but I found myself being interrupted just as I was going to start. "That's the second time you've saved me, huh, handsome? You really are my knight in shining armor."
"Well, I don't know about that since you wouldn't have even needed saving if it wasn't for me having you come along."
"I suppose, but that's besides the point. Anyway, thanks for saving me once again." The wild flower responded with a very specific kind of twinkle sparkling in her rare gray eyes, one that I learned over the years I spent with Alice and Rei, signified that I had conquered their hearts.
Oh, I've seen this before.
Having experienced this all previously with Alice and Rei, I replied casually. "No problem, beautiful, anytime."
With a third beauty having fallen into my hands, I continued my explanation from before and when I was confident; she had understood the gist of it; we continued to climb the rugged environment. Minutes later, I reached the peak and the moment I did; I turned around and gave my partner a hand and helped her up. Now standing on the highest peak directly behind the bandits' crummy camp, I took in the view of the surroundings and asked. "You any good with long range shooting?"
"I have no problem nailing a jackal's center mass from 500 meters, if that's what you're asking."
"Not bad." I complimented.
Whilst a bit of a smile made its way onto her lips, I brought out my FBARC Rifle from my inventory in full view of Mary since I was almost 100% certain she would be joining me on my journey to conquer the wasteland. As soon as I made a pretty substantial energy rifle appear from thin air, her mouth gaped.
Imprinting that comical facial expression to memory, I gave her a few seconds to process things, and once she did, she asked somewhat doubting what she had just witnessed. "Dom, what was that???"
Taking the opportunity to be playful, I ignored the obvious question. "This is a FBARC Rifle. It's a unique energy rifle I designed a while ago that can fire literal bolts of lightning."
*Sigh* "That sounds really cool and all but that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking you how you made that weapon appear out of nowhere."
"Ohh, you're asking about that."
"Yes."
"That's one of the many powers I possess. I call it item box. It basically gives me the ability to store just about whatever I want up to a certain limit in a space that none can access besides myself."
"...That's one amazing ability you have there. You could become quite the successful merchant with just that ability alone."
"For sure."
We chattered on for a bit before Mary decided to inquire about the rest of my arsenal. "So what other abilities do you got, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Mmm, I don't know. I'm already being quite nice by letting you know about my item box when I don't know for certain whether or not you'll be returning with me when I take you home, so I'd rather not."
"Oh, does that mean you want to bring me back?" The cowgirl asked while staring me down intently.
"I do, but I'm not going to drag you with me… Unless you want me to, of course."
Registering what I said, she got up in my space and looked up into my visored covered crystal blue eyes and said. "Well, if it's you, then I wouldn't mind being taken away."
"You don't say, I guess that's what I'll have to do when the time comes."
As much as I wanted to lay claim to this pretty southern wild flower right here and now, I controlled myself and extinguished the fire that was beginning to bud between us before it could turn into a blazing inferno and directed the conversation elsewhere. She appeared saddened at the fact I didn't continue our bout but refrained from bringing it up and let me bring our talk to the problem at hand, the cliff side bandit camp.
"Okay, so here's the plan: you'll remain up here and provide covering fire for me while I go down there to engage them up close. It's pretty simple, but it doesn't need to be anything complicated because of our overwhelming firepower."
"Sounds fine by me, but if any of those scum try to escape, I'll be sure to send them off to meet their maker."
"I'll leave you to it then."
Having said and stated what I needed to, I whipped out my 7.62 gatling gun Mulcher, threw its monster of a magazine on my back and took off down the small mountain deftly. Hopping from one small stone outcropping to another with skill a normal human was incapable of achieving, I effortlessly made it down to the bandits' camp level.
Still not detected by any of the dirtbags because of the combined effects of my stealth field along with my perk Silent Steps, I produced almost zero noise in my race down that rocky precipice. So the instant I landed, I spooled up my gatling gun and aimed it at the groups of unaware relaxing bandits.
Right as my minigun's multiple barrels came to life and began rapidly rotating, I opened fire on the nearest bandits that were just beginning to pick up on the sound of my heavy weapon. Holding down the trigger, I began directing my weapon's laser sight to the next victim before the very first projectile could rip through its target. The following second I registered the sound of my weapon firing and the first several rounds penetrated through the bandits' armor like a hot knife through butter and ripped up their insides.
Continuing to unload on every bandit in the general vicinity, sounds of thunder started rumbling right behind me. Curious as to how accurate my female friend really was, I looked to the cliff edge ahead and saw a bolt of lightning rip right through one of the poor bastards standing by the edge.
The incredibly destructive blue-ish white lightning bolt blasted a massive hole through his midsection, annihilating everything in its direct path, including the bones, and left the surrounding flesh charred and carbonized. Mighty impressed with my creation's effects, I watched the guy tip over and fall off the edge, disappearing to the highway that lay below.
That's some way to go.
Not paying that particular deceased bandit scum any mind nor any of the other ones, I kept spewing lead and raining death and destruction upon the camp's bandit population, along with my female companion on the small mountain top above.
...
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There are going to be at least four releases this week, so if you guys could vote, I'd appreciate it.