TROA) Bomb Shelter Part 1 (Patreon)

“Not bad, not bad. With this many, I can do a lot!” I was now staring at the twenty or so spiders in my inventory. I think I scoped up every single one I could find. I also grabbed every piece of metal I could find as well, including cars and other things that might be useful to them.

Everything was now piled in the new cage for the spiders. The problem now was to set them all free. Luckily, I can basically kick them all out of my inventory in one go and then let them go to work. I will just need to keep coming back every few days to reduce their numbers and give them more metal. So it was basically like keeping livestock, ones that you harvested every so often.

“That should do it!” I quickly sealed up the entrance to the room and set the barrier on it. The barrier was pretty good. The only thing that could pass through it was me, the caster. This made things easier for me.

I went up to the second floor, peeked out my little sniper windows, and smiled. They were not just sitting around but actually going back to do what they were programmed to do. I dusted my hands off before changing out of my clothes and into a new set. I was starting to feel the heat a little while I was roaming around. My mother was right, the clothes only lasted for four days.

Since I now had spider farm going, I could now go out and search for more people. That was my main reason for even being out here, after all. I left the small base I made and headed back out to look for more people.

After walking for a day, I stopped and looked at the sign in front of me. “A military base? That reminds me that I still need to modify the equipment I took from the one near my house. Let’s see if there is anything of use in this place, then. Or someone hiding out.”

I was not sure if anyone would be around or not, but it was worth a try. I walked past the no trespassing sign or military force would be used and continued into the base. The gate was already broken down, so my guess is that this place came under attack during the first wave.

There were quite a few skeletons sitting on the ground. Some even looked mummified. I looked around to see many things stripped bare. Skeletons of their former self.  “Hmmm…” I pursed my lips and looked around at the husks of what was once a base and wondered if there were any underground facilities.

With a few drones flying overhead, I finally spotted something that looked like an entrance of some kind. I walked over to what used to be a hanger and was now nothing, but some chewed on steel from the spiders. In the center of the cement pad was a metal door, which was strange since the spiders would have tried to chew through it.

This piqued my interest, so I did what any sane person would do and ripped the door right off its hinges, revealing a set of stairs leading down. I was just about to head down when a bullet stood right in front of me. “It’s rude to fire first, then ask questions later, you know!” I yelled down the stairs.

“We have nothing here for you. Leave, or we will be forced to kill you.” A man from below yelled out.

“You can try to kill me, but it won’t do you any favors. How much food do you have? This heat could last a few years. Are you going to be able to survive with so little supplies? Just at this entryway, you got like a good one hundred people.” I could see the heat signatures, many of which were squatting down.

“It doesn’t matter what we have. Now leave!” The man yelled out once more.

I could hear him readying his gun. I sighed and took a step closer to him. “I do not wish to harm any of you either, but shooting people without letting them talk is quite problematic. If you wish to keep these people safe, then you are better off listening to me since I can bring them a place that will allow them to eat and drink. Take showers and live a somewhat normal life.

“There is no such place anymore.” The man’s voice seemed gloomy. I guess he was really getting hit hard with this situation.

“There is. I can provide you with a place.” I answered with confidence. “I am coming down. Shoot if you wish, but you will not be able to harm me with conventional weapons.”

I took another step forward and began my descent down the stairs. There were no more shots fired. When I reached the bottom step, I was met with a line of people. All huddled against the walls. Their cheeks sunken in. Two men in military uniforms pointed their weapons at me as they scanned me up and down.

“Who are you? Why are you unaffected by the heat?” The man’s question was a good one, but I did not plan to answer.

“That is for me to know. What I want to ask is, are you willing to follow me? Food water. Shelter from the heat. You will get it all.”