Wasteland Conqueror

Chapter 111 Mount Irish

The surrounding environment was dry just as it was the day before and the many days before that, so once I got going on the hot, sun bleached asphalt, dust and debris that was brought onto the road by the howling nightly winds got kicked up as I hauled ass down the road with my tracked vehicle. My defensive forces, although limited, had been sparsely scattered all throughout this wide, wide valley and all its openings. Thus, our journey south towards the mountainous terrain that surrounded my territory was calm and uneventful... But that wouldn't remain for much longer.

I was considering just taking the route I cleared to Crystal Springs and cutting west from there since the roads up the mountain area are safer, but the girls wanted an adventure so I think I'm obligated to give them one.

As that thought was crossing my mind, my vision raised and centered on the mutated forest that covered a large portion of Mount Irish, if not most of it.

Particularly one hell of an adventure up the wild, overgrown backside of the mountain.

Though it would probably take us longer, depending on what we encountered, I had run this route more than enough times back in my various playthroughs to know what to expect, so the trip through the back roads wouldn't be too dangerous even if the girls were doing everything on their own. Knowing this would be of more benefit to them and their growth, I kept heading south instead of eastward, where the valley exit I had used previously was.

"Umm, did we just miss our turn back there?" Mary questioned as the Wolverine sped past the original route.

"Yes, we did." I answered matter-of-factly.

"..."

"So, are we still going to Fort Kern?"

"Of course, we'll just be taking the more fun route to get there."

The girls looked between each other for a moment or two before shrugging since they didn't care how they arrived there as long as they got there in the end. Seeing they had no issue with my change of plans, I continued as I was and, nearly ten minutes of driving through the desert terrain; we reached the southernmost border of my territory. Once we arrived at this point, I scanned the rocky, mountainous terrain that enclosed the dangerous two-lane road, that led out to Crystal Springs. However, all I spotted were some low-level mutants roaming about in the distance amongst the arid foliage.

I would've taken this route when I first wanted to go to Crystal Springs, but it has a tendency of being filled with swarms of killer hornets since it holds a massive hive dug right into the cliffside walls.

Recalling the terror of my first run through this canyon and the swarms of giant hornets the size of medium-sized dogs that blotted out the sky, I couldn't help but be wary of the area.

Yeah, it was wise I avoided going through here back then, but they will have to be dealt with at some point if not outright exterminated because I can't leave such a large threat lying here on my doorstep. If they were one of the several mutated species of bees that inhabit this state, I would consider leaving them alive and cultivating them, given the honey they produce and the various beneficial properties their type of honey can have. However, these fuckers on the other hand are nothing but a blight, only interested in growing their hive endlessly through increasingly greater slaughter of whatever exists around them.

I mean, if they are given enough time to grow they will inevitably wipe out all life across this area before uplifting their hive and migrating elsewhere to another area with fresh resources, so the sooner I expunge their existence the better it will be for everyone. Plus, their annihilation will provide a ton of exp for my growth, so that's just even more reason to get rid of them.

Adding yet another task for me to take care of, I ignored the threats that lay further down that road and turned the wheel to the right and got going on the Canyon Silver Road. I continued driving along the cracked road as the terrain around us began to transition from a dry, arid environment to a more forest-like one that was more advantageous for the mutated wildlife that called these mountains home. The vehicle's tracks kept moving, and after covering another 4-mile stretch of rough road, we reached the point where our journey would truly begin.

"Alright, we're going to disembark here and walk the rest of the way on foot, so you girls can get some real combat experience in." I said, the moment the armored vehicle came to a complete stop.

"Okay." Alice responded simply.

"Great, I can't wait to get out there." Rei followed enthusiastically.

"You can say that again; I can't wait to stretch my muscles." Mary said last, obviously just as excited as my Asian beauty sitting just across from her, if not even more so.

Seeing that everyone was unbuckling and getting ready to depart, I did so as well and activated the rear door. As soon as it deployed and came to rest on the scarred asphalt, we quickly exited the Wolverine via the rear ramp, propped up our guns, and scanned the area. Alice and Rei observed the surroundings like a couple of hawks, just like we practiced, and even Mary was doing the same, but other than a handful of mutated critters going about their lives, things were quiet thanks to the effects of my stealth field.

"It looks like the coast is clear." My wife commented.

"Mm, it would seem so." Rei agreed.

"They are for now, but keep an eye on your surroundings at all times because I won't necessarily be around to keep you girls out of trouble."

"We'll try our best, but I don't know if that last bit is true because I know you would come to our aid in a heartbeat if we encountered trouble." Alice replied.

"You're right, but it puts my heart at ease if I know you girls can handle your own."

Having said what I wanted to say, I turned my stealth field off so the threats on this mountain could actually see us and started walking at a pace that was not too strenuous for the entire group instead of my own ridiculous, inhuman pace. I could've kept my stealth field active and just simply manipulated who and what could see us within its bounds, but I was still getting used to its new evolution, so I didn't want to be distracted and have my attention drawn away from making sure nothing went awry.

It was a straight fact that I had grown a ridiculous amount over the years since I reincarnated in this world but no matter how confident I was in my own abilities and nor how incredibly powerful I was by wasteland standards, even at my almost unstoppable level, I knew from experience that I should always remain cautious and incredibly aware of my surroundings, especially since there were still some threats that existed out there, ones that could give me a run for my money. So even though I was nearly a hundred percent sure things would go just fine, I remained ever vigilant and ramped up my scanning of everything around us just that little bit more as we began our foray into the untamed wilds that awaited us here on Mount Irish.

I haven't spotted any major threats above with my Sparrows, but the foliage is quite thick, so I'm going to have to stay on top of things throughout this whole endeavour to truly make sure nothing goes wrong.

The outer area of the mountain was a bit sparser compared to what awaited us ahead, but still dangerous nonetheless, so the girls kept their heads on a swivel as we began our ascent up the overgrown road that had long been claimed by the local flora. Things remained peaceful for a while longer as we waded through the brush that had nearly taken over the road and the small mutated critters scattered in all directions thanks to the sound of my tracked vehicle following behind us. However, that only lasted a few minutes longer before some of the larger and more threatening inhabitants of this mountainous forest showed up to see what sort of ruckus had entered their domain.

I could tell them that a pack of wolves is surrounding us, but this is a good learning experience for them.

Although I was aware of the present threats that were quickly encircling me and my female companions, I kept my mouth shut and waited to see if they could detect them and what would happen. Thankfully, Rei managed to spot them before they got too close.

"Hey, we have company." She alerted as she raised her drawn plasma machine pistol.

"Rodger." Alice swiftly responded as she tensed up and scrutinized the opposite side.

Well, it looks like they'll be fine if they've already discovered the threat.

Seconds following that thought, the pack of wolves finished their encirclement of us, and the instant they did, the bushes rustled on the left before one of the smaller wolves sprang out from the cover and attempted to have a go at Rei. The large gray wolf, which was the size of a jaguar or even a bit larger, leaped and flew through the air with its maw wide open and ready to wrap around her dainty, armor-covered neck.

Unfortunately for it, such an event would never come to be because as it was coming at her vitals, she zoned in on the beast's head and sent an automatic burst of fire. And the instant the superheated plasma came into contact with the beast, it burned right through the back of its throat before continuing just as easily through its spine and shooting out the back of it. Once Rei had dealt with that Gray Wolf, the rest didn't hesitate to make their move, and neither did Alice and Mary, and so the real fight began.

They should be able to handle this one pack, but if things become too much for them, I'll step in and end it then and there.

Aware that this was a good experience for them, I took a step back and watched the girls respond to the incoming canines with their high-powered energy weapons. Energy weapon fire that included lasers, superheated plasma, and literal bolts of lightning flew about the area as they laid waste to the mutants ambush, and though they wanted this continue for at least a few moments longer, sadly there were only a whole 15 of them, so they quickly met their end at the ruthless hands of my female companions.

"You did great, girls!" I complimented the three victors before giving special attention to the MVP of this little event. "And good looking out there, Rei."

"You see that? I got extra praise." My little seductress smugly rubbed in.

"Oh, did you now? I suppose that means I'll have to outdo you next time then." Alice stated, unwilling to let Rei absorb all of my praise.

"Mm, you're right, sis, otherwise it'll go to her head." Mary agreed, eager to knock Rei down a peg or two.

Uhh, I may have started something big here...

Finding a competitive flame blazing away in all three of their uniquely beautiful eyes, I was about to interfere and attempt to calm things down before they got out of control. But before I could even open my mouth to utter a single word, the three of them took off and began advancing up the mountain on their own, ready to defeat anything that stepped in their path.

Sigh, and there they go... Well, at least they're taking this outing much more seriously now that they've made a competition out of this whole trek up the mountain.

This wasn't exactly the outcome I was expecting from my few choice words, but it seemed like a somewhat harmless turn of events, so I let it be and stood there watching their fleeting figures for a few moments before I decided it'd be a good idea to follow after them.

Welp, I better chase after them to make sure they don't get into too much trouble.

[ Creatures Killed & EXP Gained ]

Gray Wolves (15) Exp 91,080 - Total Exp 91,080