Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Shane was already satisfied with his purchase. The monument alone would surely bring unexpected results to his shelter.

However, the auction wasn’t finished yet. More and more items appeared, and there were even some Barrier Generators that had appeared… They were sold in batches.

They were Bio-Barrier Generators, Force Beacon Barrier Generators, and others… They were all quite good in terms of functionality, but Shane already had the blueprint of Aegis Force Barrier, and he also got those Slave Builders that could build anything with a blueprint.

With those people and the resources that he had, he shouldn’t have had any issues making more barrier generators…

As the auction continued, they finally reached item seventy-seven…

The attendants brought out several crates. Their contents are sealed with metal plating, so they seemed precious.

Soon, the auctioneer introduced the item.

“Next, we present the Spirit Core Fragments and Conductive Alloy Plates. These are critical components to assemble a Spirit Pulse Obelisk, a defensive tower designed specifically for large-scale enemy suppression. Once constructed, a single obelisk can unleash waves of compressed shock-force pulses, capable of neutralizing enemies outright! More importantly, it doesn’t require Zombie Cores or Power Cores… Its Spirit Core could easily accept energy from people or other means like Spirit Stones. Of course, the blueprint comes for free!”

These words caught everyone’s attention.

After all, everyone had Spirit Points. With their current levels, recovering 20 Spirit Points per hour was already slow.

Furthermore, with the existence of Spirit Recovery Potions, Pills, and Spirit Stones, it would be a lot easier to recover them…

“Your only concern now is how you will build it, as it requires high-level skills to do so! The starting bid is 5,000 Points!”

The moment the auctioneer finished, the BidLink Communicator blinked and notified that everyone could start giving offers.

Just like that, the bidding began viciously. Prices leapt from 10,000 to 18,000, then 25,000. It was normal to reach this quickly…

However, it must be remembered that this was already the 77th item. Many of those rich competitors had already spent their money on others…

With the Apex Auction, Market Bazaar, and Survivor’s Exchange that they had already visited… It means that they also spent most of their points already.

Shane, calm and unhurried, only joined when the price hit 28,000.

He started with 30,000 Points and soon, he confirmed that only about eight people were interested.

They already reached 40,000 Points they were still eager to obtain the Spirit Pulse Obelisk’s blueprint and components.

‘I guess I have to spend more than 50,000 here…’ Shane mused as he realized that there were others who seemed really desperate to get this…

Thankfully, when he dropped 52,000 Points in his bid, the other competing bidders immediately paused. First, no one wanted to hemorrhage their points further against an opponent who clearly had deep reserves.

Then, they also the the concern of not having the skilled builders to create the obelisk. Perhaps buying hundreds of mortars or maybe machine guns would be more effective in their case.

After all, the Obelisk was definitely immovable. Once it was built in a specific Shelter, it would just stay there unless they spent a lot of resources to be able to move it. On the other hand, machine guns and other weapons would be easier to move.

With this reasoning, they immediately felt that they had made a good decision to give it up.

“Sold! For fifty-two thousand points!”

The attendants carefully moved the sealed crates, so Shane could easily claim them…

‘Great… I guess I should consider placing it on my next shelter.’ Shane mused as he considered using one of his Beginner Shelter Crystals on the location of his Gold Mine.

His Gold Mine was a bit too far from his Eclipse Domain. That was the reason why he hired those Mercenaries For Hire to work for him and build a road.

They should be completing this road project really soon, but before that happens, he might as well establish an official shelter in that place to increase the protection of the miners and make it more comfortable for the workers.

Just like that, several more items passed, and Shane wasn’t interested in them.

He just let Raze, Reylin, Tundra, Diana, and the others take whatever items were left that might catch their attention.

They purchased smaller essentials like food stores, spare weapons, and hygiene materials, but Shane just watched their excitement.

Well, whatever item it was, they all felt good winning something.

It was also for their entertainment since they lacked one in the Fiend Continent.

At last, the auctioneer closed the event after selling some transport vehicles.

Sixteen hours had passed since they had first entered the Nexus. Now, only eight hours remained before they get teleported back to the Fiend Continent, back to their shelters, back to the endless war against the undead.

But for Shane, those eight hours would not be wasted.

“Let’s go find that Secret Shop…” Shane said to his companions. “The Secret Shop should be somewhere within this Nexus. That’s where unique treasures could be found. Anyone who finds it will be rewarded with two Gold Treasure Chest.” Shane said to motivate them.

The previous Secret Shop that was found more than half a year ago was in an empty stall blocked by an illusion array, making it seem like an abandoned space.

After passing through the illusion, they would see the hidden shop…

This time, however, it might be different, and with the remaining time, Shane decided to ask all the members of his Clan to subtly look for it.

They were not allowed to ask around either, since the other Survivors or Clans might notice. They didn’t want that to happen since the Secret Shop had a limited number of items being sold.

***

Soon, the Grand Auction Hall gradually emptied as survivors left for temporary lodgings, cafes, markets, or other rest stations.

The event had drained most of their energy and points, and the atmosphere was calmer now.

Shane and his companions also exited the Grand Auction Hall in different directions.

No one talked about the locations they needed to search since they had to do this quietly.

Shane’s message was clear.

Do not reveal intent. Avoid unnecessary questions.

The last thing Shane wanted was for rival clans to notice their behavior and catch wind of the Secret Shop.

Reylin and Tundra went together, heading toward the lower market levels where abandoned stalls and closed-off alleys were located…

In the meantime, Diana and Raze took the area around the Survivor’s Exchange Building, where a few stalls and empty spots were also there surrounding the place.

The rest also chose some random spots approaching the boundary of the Nexus.

However, Shane himself chose to wander the plaza… Since the others were already searching a huge area, he decided to start his search at the very spot where they were first transported.

The plaza seemed like an empty, huge space at first, but around its circle were several small stalls with cheap items being sold. They were mostly being ignored because they were the first shops around. People tend to just glance at it to get some reference for the prices.

After all, they might find something cheaper and better deep within the market…

‘I hope I can find it here…’ Shane thought to himself as he really wanted to see the Secret Shop again. He knew that it was just here somewhere.

“Secret Shops don’t appear in plain sight… Should I consider bumping a wall or something too…” Shane mused as he brushed past a group of survivors bidding over the last crates of dried meat.

In any case, Shane used his Faerie Insight as he looked around the walls and floors.

Suddenly, he paused at a corner near the meat depot. A shuttered stall was there and seemed abandoned. Its shelves were empty and covered with dust.

Shane’s eyes narrowed as he used his Insight… He extended his Perception as well, and yes, there was something faint, a ripple where energy did not flow as it should.

Before he could test it, a message pinged from his Clan Chat.

[ Reylin: I think I’ve found something. It’s at sector 4D, lower levels. I pinned it on the map. There’s a basement in one of the bookshops here… There’s an entry fee of 50 Points. ]

[ Diana: Wow… That’s fast, Reylin. ]

[ Reylin: Wait… No, I’m not sure if this is the Secret Shop, though. I’m just letting you know. ]

[ Raze: Oh… Alright… Keep us posted. We’ll keep looking here for now. If there’s a good find there, let us know. Even if it’s not the Secret Shop, we might benefit from it. ]

[ Shane: Normally, the Secret Shop only sells one of every item. It was that rare. Furthermore, you can buy it out immediately. No need to wait for the standard 2 hours. ]

Shane reminded

After all, the shop they were looking for doesn’t really have a name that says Secret Shop.

They only know it because it was hidden or difficult to find.

[ Reylin: Got it. Tundra and I will check it now. ]