Author's Note: Next chapter will be the last of Part 1. Every part (except part 5) will have 4 main missions total. Part 1 is very short, only 6 chapters long, because there aren't many side missions in between the 4 main missions. The next part will be called, Killing Pandora's God Part 2. In the description the official title will be, Sanctuary of Vault Hunters.

CH 5: Bullymong Death Structures

Mission(s): Symbiosis * Side Mission

The next morning after the Vault Hunters had acquired some rest, and after a training session – which mostly involved workouts – Salvador held a short meeting asking if there was anything they could do before taking on Captain Flynt the evening that day. Maya spoke up, "Well I've been scouting the surrounding area recently in the time it took you guys to get here. I've found an area well to the left of Liar's Berg called the Southern Shelf; ah Sir Hammerlock might have something for us to do there."

And so that was how Salvador came to asking Sir Hammerlock about a place called Southern Shelf, this is what he got in return, "Would you like to do battle with a midget riding piggyback on a Bullymong? If the answer is yes, please proceed to the Southern Shelf and defeat Mig-Mong for me. If the answer is no, you are sad, and I have no desire to speak with you further."

After receiving the mission from Sir Hammerlock, Salvador lead the group of Four Vault Hunters out of Liar's Berg and down the icy slope. The bandit camp was not only cleaned up but also completely cleaned out. No bandits would be spawning there for a while. After dealing with the bandit camp, the Vault Hunters strike out across the ice and come to the old Crimson Raider safehouse.

The structure built around the ice formation protruding out of the frozen lake has not exactly refilled with bandits. Maya decides to sneak through the structure surrounding the base of the ice formation and provide sniper support while the other three clear the more fortified bandit position at the entrance leading to the Southern Shelf.

Maya provides support from the position she had originally shipped from visiting this spot earlier in the day. Despite the thrashing Maya and Krieg had given the bandits yesterday, the bandits today seemed extra vigilant and keen to keep anyone from getting past their defenses.

As the last of the resisting bandits were eliminated, Gaige moves forward with he shotgun at the ready. Five Adult Bullymongs are waiting near the mouth of a crevice in the ice, there are a couple nests in the side of the cliff wall but theses seem to be guarding the entrance to the Southern Shelf. After taking care of the Bullymongs, Gaige walks back and signals to the rest of the group that the way ahead into the Shelf is clear.

Salvador takes the lead and as a group the four Vault Hunters enter the ice crevice. Salvador finally escapes the crevice and finds two vending machines tied up at one end of the cave like area he emerges in. Maya walks past Salvador and stalks up on ammo.

After distributing a medical hypo to each team member Salvador leads the way out of the cave onto the Southern Shelf. Halfway out of the cave Salvador detects several Bullymong roars and finds a formidable tide of Bullymongs approaching from nests lined up in the ice wall to their left, and coming from around a corner from the right where more nests must be found.

When Salvador and Krieg managed to forge a path to the middle of the Bullymong group, most of them had been eliminated. As Krieg chased after the last few ripping them apart with his buzzaxe Salvador looked ahead past another ice pillar to a path that went toward their objective, and right onward deep into Bullymong nest territory.

Deciding to head along the Bullymong nest path to see if it lead anywhere, Salvador stayed in the rear checking to see if any Rakk showed up to try and swoop down on them. Since Salvador had the fastest reflexes from his many baby Rakk hunting days on Ovejas he was naturally given the task of taking the flying rats out as quickly as possible.

Since Maya and Zero had more experience with the Bullymongs where guns were concerned they stayed in the middle of the group, while Krieg – driven by his lust for the blood of Bullymongs – charged forward entering a group of nests stirring them up to draw them out.

The group travels along going up a slope and passing under an archway, eliminating a nest full of Bullymong Slingers – thankfully everyone was fast enough on their toes to avoid the projectiles. Maya throws a grenade forward after shouting at Krieg to hold back.

The Contraband Sky Rocket grenade explodes and the fireworks effect takes care of most of the many Bullymongs gathered below in ambush. Once all four Vault Hunters drop down however, a Badass Bullymong drops down from a nest high up in the frozen wall. This massive creature has bones stretched across its two font thick limbs like armor.

This Badass takes all four Vault Hunters working in synchronized fashion to take him down, four combined bullet sources hitting the Badass Bullymong at once drops the monster dead quick. After that they come to a wide-open area, with ice paths cutting through the frigid waters.

Going along and traveling along a slightly curved path, after coming to a wrecked ship embedded by its side in the ice the four Vault Hunters realize that they're just killing a lot of Bullymongs. Maya finds another incendiary pistol among the wrecked crates from the ship. Maya pulls out the one given to her by Salvador and gives the one she found in the crates to Gaige saying, "Use this instead of your shotgun, the fire will melt through their flesh and fur much faster. I have a feeling like we should kill both Mig-Mong and Captain Flynt today, just so we can continue on to Sanctuary as soon as possible."

The latter sentence Maya addressed to everyone and both men seemed to agree, but in reality they just wanted to kill things. Continuing onwards across the ice formation the Vault Hunters were forced to jump over a gap in the ice. Once they landed Salvador and the rest of them saw they had discovered an iceberg called Ebonflow.

The first part of the iceberg was a bit of a pit area, surrounded by an ice wall that seemed to be un-climbable. Until Maya points out the slope going forward and heading right wrapping around going all around to where they were currently standing. After eliminating the nest of Bullymongs gathered immediately ahead of them, and along the top of the ice wall the four Vault Hunters finally came to the end of the Bullymong nest run.

The last area has a ship half buried on top of the ice – there's a loot chest and a few ammo containers near it – and has a group of formidable Bullymongs milling about. First to rush towards them are 4 Adult Bullymongs and one lone Monglet. After Maya and Gaige take care of them with their incendiary pistols two Badass Bullymongs rush the group.

This time its Salvador and Krieg's turn to step in; each of them claim one Badass. Krieg immediately begins work on one of them with his buzzaxe – severing limbs and providing the creature with many gaping wounds. Salvador pulls out a Torgue shotgun and his revolver.

The two Badasses after a mere 5 seconds both lie dead in the snow with their own blood soaking the snow and staining the ice beneath them. After killing somewhere upwards of 50 Bullymongs the four Vault Hunters go towards their objective marked with a diamond on their minimap.

They come to a bridge contraption spanning across a section of dangerously frigid water. Maya and Gaige step on the small platform and are ferried across. Salvador tight 'rope' walks on the chain hopping up on to the solid ice, while Krieg using his massive muscles just jumps the 15-foot gap.

With Salvador leading this time he leads the Vault hunters over a slope – past a mini campfire and chair – and down to another bridge contraption. This time Maya pulls a switch and a pulley system raises the bridge out of the frigid water. As all four Vault Hunters march across the bridge into the densely packed greatly infested with bandits town, Gaige thinks to herself, I'm sure glad my dad made me wear my good shoes before I got a ride to Pandora.

The area in front of the four Vault Hunters is positively packed with bandits. Luckily Maya has the foresight to warn everyone to get back before she tosses in a couple of Sky Rocket grenades. Now with all the detectable bandits in their immediate area dead the Vault Hunters move forward.

Salvador and Krieg head right around a building and Maya plus Gaige head left around the same building. This allows the Vault Hunters to get a surprise attack on the waiting bandits gathered in what looks like an open meeting place. It takes several minutes but eventually the bandits lay dead among their metal village.

After thoroughly sweeping through the town and eliminating all the bandits they could find. All four Vault Hunters took up positions in various strategic places among the metal bandit houses waiting for Mig-Mong to emerge. When he didn't Krieg sauntered up to a set of doors leading into what appeared to be and ammo store.

As soon as Krieg got near the doors they burst open flying off their hinges. A big Bullymong roars charging out with a Badass Midget riding on its back.

Sir Hammerlock comments, "A what a curious symbiotic relationship. Also the midget looks like a little human backpack and that's funny."

The fight against Migmong is long and hard, it takes at least two hours to take him down and by the end of the fight not one Vault Hunter is smiling anymore. All four of them realize – or at least get an inkling of how hard their journey to Sanctuary will become.

Sir Hammerlock says, "Wonderful that fracas was most helpful in my study of Bullymong social structures. Return to me at your earliest connivance."

It was an hour later – after all four Vault Hunters arrived back in Liar's Berg, stocked back up on ammo and med hypos – before Salvador turned in the mission to Sir Hammerlock.

"Exemplary!" Sir Hammerlock said congratulating the Vault Hunters on a job well done.