Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Shane had no idea what those pills could do, but he still nodded to the Elf Admin since he could appraise the item later on. He wasn’t in a hurry.

Anyway, recruitment stones, especially of this caliber, weren’t something he could find in the continent. He really appreciated this elf’s assistance. With 10 Epic Elves, it could change the course of any Survivor’s journey.

Nonetheless, he kept his composure as he met Anastasia’s gaze.

”Why me?” he asked bluntly. ”What’s with the Fairy Queen’s blessing anyway? Is it just because of that, or do you want me to fix this Apocalypse? What do you want me to do?”

Anastasia chuckled softly. ”I just felt that I had to do this since the Fairy Queen might have led you here in the first place. Hmmm… You may not be aware of this, but you possess the qualities of a leader—someone who can inspire and unite others. So maybe I just wanted to see you again… That’s why I’ve chosen to give you this additional reward.”

Shane could only nod at this as he reached out and took all the rewards, storing them in his inventory.

”I won’t say no to such a generous reward,” he said with a smile at the corner of his lips. ”But I’ll assume there’s more to this than just a gift.”

Anastasia’s expression softened as she confirmed that Shane was acting as she had predicted.

”I understand. But these stones are a token of trust and investment in your potential. Use them wisely, Shane. The challenges you’ve faced so far are only the beginning. Greater threats lie ahead, and I believe you’ll need all the help you can get.”

Shane nodded. She was probably referring to the Vampires. ”Understood. And… thanks, I guess.”

Anastasia inclined her head. ”Good luck, Shane. May your journey continue to be as extraordinary as you’ve proven yourself to be.”

With a wave of her hand, the golden light enveloped Shane once more, and the elegant room faded from his view.

***

At this time, the abandoned town where Shane’s group had decided to stay was eerily quiet…

However, it didn’t take long before the wind swept through the streets, carrying the faint smell of decay.

Vernon frowned as he stood atop a crumbling building, his long-range rifle cradled in his arms. From his vantage point, he scanned the surrounding fields and forests with his enhanced vision, courtesy of his Eagle’s Mark ability.

”We’ve been holding steady for six hours,” he murmured into his communicator. ”No sign of trouble yet, but I don’t like how quiet it is out here. There’s also that smell…”

Down below, Nia walked the perimeter of the Guardian Node. It was the device Shane had left behind to maintain a protective barrier around the central part of town where they were staying.

The invisible dome of energy flickered faintly as she gazed at it for a while. She still couldn’t help but feel amazed by this technology. She had never imagined something like this appearing during her era.

Anyway, with the skills she currently had, she knew that their defense would be incredible. As a matter of fact, her Verdant Bloom spell had already been used to reinforce some of the crumbling structures with thick, living roots, creating barricades.

On the other hand, Kale leaned against a makeshift barricade of rubble and iron spikes near the main road leading into town. His massive axe rested against his shoulder… Well, Kale was previously a Gladiator, and the aura around him hadn’t changed at all.

Vernon and Nia also felt relaxed seeing the Legendary Recruit leading them.

”Relax, Vernon. You’re twitchier than usual. We’ve got this. Zombies are predictable.” Kale said through the radio that Shane had distributed to them.

Suddenly, Vernon stiffened.

Through his scope, he spotted movement in the distance—a horde of shambling figures emerging from the treeline. Indeed, the rotten smell earlier was definitely coming from this horde…

He counted a dozen Walker Zombies with their slow, uneven steps… ”We’ve got company,” he announced. ”Walker Zombies, about a mile out.”

Kale cracked his neck, gripping his axe tighter. ”Finally. Let’s give them a warm welcome.”

However, realizing that it was still a mile away, he remained sitting down. He knew that the Walkers were slow. As expected, it took them quite some time to arrive.

Furthermore, because they didn’t want the Barrier or the Automated Turret to be activated or help them in their defense, Kale decided to move forward and deal with them. After all, he didn’t want the energy of the barrier to be wasted on these weak Zombies.

Soon, the first wave of Zombies arrived, and it was straightforward. The Walker Zombies were sluggish and uncoordinated, perfect targets for Vernon… Of course, he didn’t use his rifle’s precious bullets against such low-level Zombies and simply used a bow and arrows since he could retrieve them later. Anyway, he only decided to kill a few to get some action since he was already getting bored.

On the other hand, Nia stood at the edge of the barrier, her staff glowing for a moment as she summoned a wall of thorny vines with Thorned Barrier. This action didn’t cost a lot of Spirit Points, but she was able to skewer many zombies that got too close.

Finally, it was Kale’s turn. It was to be expected that he’d eliminate all the remaining Walker Zombies…

Sssaakk~

Kale’s axe cleaved through the undead like a hot knife through butter. His strength was just too much against the Zombies, and he even had to adjust or weaken his swings to reserve his stamina for stronger opponents.

As soon as he eliminated them, it wasn’t long before the Runner Zombies appeared. They sprinted from the treeline, but aside from that, none of them were worried.

”I guess what Sir Shane said was true… The Zombies seemed to be aware that the Foreign Survivors were gone.”

”Runners! Get ready!” Vernon reported through the radio as he remained in his position.

He then considered for a moment and decided to shoot a few bullets, but this time, he activated his Explosive Volley skill. With this skill activated, he could kill multiple Zombies in one shot!

Just like that, a few bullets destroyed the formation of the Running zombies to lessen Kale’s pressure…

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions tore through their ranks after using five bullets. He immediately stopped as he felt that his support was enough. He could just rely on Kale or Nia to clear the remaining ones.

”I’ll take care of them…”

Kale stepped forward, his black-and-gold armor seeming to shine as he braced himself.

”Come on, you bastards!” he roared, swinging his axe in a wide arc. He activated Abyssal Slam!

Bam!

A shockwave rippled from his weapon, sending the nearest zombies sprawling.

”Nice!” Kale was happy to see such a strong ability of his. After all, this skill wasn’t something he had during his Gladiator days. At the very least, it wasn’t as long as his previous ability. It was only until the system recognized it as his skill that he could make it even more explosive and deadly.

His battle continued as his body crashed against several Runner Zombies after he activated his Armored Dash!

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The Runner Zombie’s momentum was completely halted with this move!

”Whoa~” Vernon couldn’t help but feel amazed seeing such a bold move. Although he also had the Armored Dash Skill because of their generous leader, he didn’t feel comfortable crushing against those running Zombies.

Meanwhile, Nia immediately acted as she used her Verdant Bloom and enveloped Kale, healing minor wounds and rejuvenating his stamina as Kale held the line.

”Don’t overextend, Kale!” she called out since there was a range in her skill, and she didn’t want to leave the protection of the Barrier.

”Worried about me, Nia?” Kale grinned as he crushed a zombie’s skull with the butt of his axe.

”You’re more useful alive,” she shot back with a smirk.

Anyway, this battle wasn’t that dangerous yet, so they still felt a bit relaxed…

However, they soon felt that they would have a long day ahead of them.

Well, just as they began to regroup, Vernon’s voice came through the communicator once again. ”Heads up! We’ve got Jumper Zombies inbound! Ten o’clock, closing fast!”

The Jumper Zombies were a lot harder to deal with. They were lean, tough creatures that could leap across buildings with terrifying agility.

Thankfully, Shane knew they could also be in trouble, so they consumed the special potion that granted them the Five-Meter Jump Skill. This way, they could catch the Jumper Zombies if needed!

As Zombies closed the distance in seconds, Vernon was forced to change his position and retreat to a more hidden area to avoid being targeted by the jumpers.

Kale, on the other hand, baited himself by planting his feet on the ground, waiting for the Jumper Zombies to come at him.