Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Shane could tell that Travis had also earned a lot of Zombie Cores. He believed that the man was hesitating as well.

Shane crossed his arms, pretending to think. ”Maybe. But I’m not sure I want to blow it all here. There might be better stuff somewhere else in this zone.”

”True,” Travis admitted. ”But if you’re going to splurge on something, it might as well be something that’ll make you stronger.”

Shane smirked. ”You make a good point. Still, I’ll hold off for now. I’ve got plenty of time to decide, and I’m not one to rush into things.”

They spent a few more minutes browsing the shelves, exchanging banter, and speculating about the potential future of the continent they were staying at...

With a silent agreement, none of them asked about their lives on earth or, perhaps, whether they could return to their real world at all.

Eventually, Travis purchased a lower-tier stamina-enhancing serum, muttering something about not wanting to fall behind.

Shane was able to guess that Travis’ clone abilities most likely use stamina more than Spirit Points.

As Shane exited the shop, he couldn’t help but glance back at the shimmering vials. The thought of permanent enhancements lingered in his mind, tempting him to return.

”Guess I’ll keep looking around,” he said to himself, stepping back into the bustling waiting zone. ”Who knows what other treasures this place has hidden away?”

Once again, Shane recalled the areas where a lot of people had gathered before…

As he continued walking, Shane wandered past various shops and stalls. Soon, his curiosity was piqued as he approached a peculiar, secluded building at the edge of the marketplace.

Unlike the vibrant exteriors of other establishments that could entice the Survivors, this one was shrouded in an eerie, shadowy aura.

The entrance was flanked by two statues of hooded figures. They even have red stones as their eyes, seeming to pierce into the souls of anyone who dared to approach.

’Wow… It’s completely obvious that it’s a special place… But why are there no other people checking it out?’ Shane curiously thought.

After all, the place was just too obvious to be a special area where they could get some awesome things. It was only after he decided to go here that he noticed a few people checking out the place as well.

Then, Shane noticed that above the doorway, a plaque read:

”The Vault of Chains—Access Beyond Worth.”

Shane knew that this was indeed a place he needed to see.

However, he finally realized why no one was daring to enter the place.

A smaller sign beneath it detailed the entry fee: 10,000 Experience Points and 1,000 Zombie Cores.

Shane stopped and stared at the sign, his brow furrowed. ”What kind of store charges a fortune just to step inside?”

He would probably level down once if he paid this price. For the others, they might even go down two or more levels because of it. There was no way they would sacrifice their levels for that…

Of course, it would not be too surprising if there were desperate people who’d like to gamble and see what was inside the building. After all, opportunity comes with a price, and leveling down might be worth it.

It wouldn’t be surprising if a large Clan would let some of their production class Survivors who didn’t need a high level enter the place to investigate. After all, if top Survivors had to spend 10,000 Experience, it would be a huge blow to the leveling race. They could go down from their rankings after all.

Nearby, a small group of Survivors stood murmuring, clearly just as intrigued but unwilling to part with such a steep price.

”That’s crazy,” one of them whispered. ”No way I’m wasting my Experience and Zombie Cores on something I don’t even know.”

Another nodded. ”I heard someone say it’s a scam. He didn’t say what he saw inside though… Aside from those who gambled, nobody knows what’s inside… None of them ever come out talking about it.”

”I guess there’s a prohibition made after entering the building… It made me really curious… However, I’m not rich enough to pay for the entry fee.”

’So it was like that…’ Shane thought for a moment.

After all, the others may not have extra Experience Points or Zombie Cores to spend, but he wasn’t like the others. He was flush with resources after his incredible run in the Challenge Zone. His curiosity burned brighter than his skepticism.

”Only one way to find out,” he muttered, stepping toward the entrance.

His actions obviously attracted some attention. Nonetheless, none of them stopped him as they were curious whether he would come out dejected or not. After all, if he looked really happy after getting out, they believed that they should also gamble and see what was inside.

After entering the building, Shane realized that the entry fee wasn’t immediately deducted to him.

Instead, he was greeted by a young woman standing behind a sleek, black counter.

Her appearance was quite simple—dark hair, brown eyes, tanned skin, and seemingly incapable of hurting anyone.

However, Shane appreciated her uniform, which was simple yet elegant. It was a tailored black suit with a silver crest shaped like interlocking chains pinned to her collar.

’Interesting…’

”Welcome to the Vault of Chains,” she said in a melodic yet businesslike tone. ”The entry fee is 10,000 Experience Points and 1,000 Zombie Cores. Do you wish to proceed?”

”Can you at least tell me what I can see here?” Shane asked.

”Unfortunately, we can’t do that due to our policy. There’s no exception at all.”

Shane hesitated briefly. This was still somewhat of an exorbitant amount, even for him, but the exclusivity of the place intrigued him. ”Yeah, let’s do it.”

The receptionist nodded and gestured toward a crystalline orb resting on the counter. ”Place your hand on the orb to process payment.”

Shane complied, watching as the orb glowed with an intense light.

Shane hadn’t seen anything like this before, and he couldn’t help but feel impressed. After all, these people seemed to have a connection to the system as they had something that could absorb their Experience Points!

This method of taking payment through the orb was first for him, even during the past two Apocalypses he cleared.

Then, a moment later, he felt the loss in his reserves—both in his Zombie Cores and his hard-earned experience points.

”Payment complete,” she said with a faint smile. ”Please proceed through the door ahead.”

Shane nodded to the receptionist before he stepped through the ornate black doors…

Soon, he was struck by the lavishness of the interior.

The room was vast and dimly lit… Along the walls were golden cages and crystal-like pods. Then, to Shane’s surprise, each of them contained a figure that made him pause for a bit…

”This…” Shane was shocked as he confirmed that the ones in the cages or pods were either creatures or humanoid beings…

At the center of the room stood a fat yet imposing man dressed in black robes.

His face was obscured by a silver mask engraved with intricate designs, but Shane could still tell what he really looked like.

”Welcome, honored guest, to the Vault of Chains, I’m Manager Ash…” the man said, spreading his arms wide. ”I believe this is your first time here. Within this room, you will find the rarest treasures of this realm—living beings of exceptional value and skill, each bound to serve their master faithfully.”

Shane’s eyes widened as he realized what this place truly was: a Recruitment Market or, perhaps, a Slave Market.

His Recruitment Stone may be random, but this place could give him precisely what he needed.

This was certainly an interesting shop… After all, in the A.I. Rebellion and Fairy Realm Invasion, similar Slave Markets were also available, but not through this method.

The ones who had established the Slave Market in those two Apocalypses were an alliance of Clans or an alliance of Wandering Merchants.

’I guess this is supported by the admins, huh…’

The thought sent a shiver down his spine, though he masked his reaction with a neutral expression.

The man gestured toward the nearest cage, where a tall, lithe woman with silver hair and sharp, fox-like ears stood.

As soon as Shane saw this, he immediately realized why this place was special. It seemed that they were selling species that were originally part of this world!

This Waiting Zone seemed a lot more mysterious than he had thought!

Then, the woman’s golden eyes met Shane’s, unblinking.

”This is Kaelira, a Silver-Furred Vulpian. Agile, cunning, and adept in stealth. She would make an excellent scout or assassin. She’s one of our best products here, and normally, she costs 3,500 Zombie Cores and 3,000 Experience Points. However, every customer who paid the entrance fee would have the chance of getting one of our products for free… This Vulpian is my recommendation… However, if you have something in mind or if you want to look around first, feel free to do so…”