Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

After the matter with the Treasure Chest was done, Diana turned his attention to her five Epic Recruitment Stones instead.

She had purchased them from the auction and was quite eager to find useful people for the shelter she was managing.

As she took them all out, she felt a faint energy coming from them, and it made her quite excited.

[ Epic Recruitment Stone: A mystical stone that resonates with the potential of those who wield it. It can summon warriors, strategists, heroes, and leaders of commerce alike, each ready to pledge their service to your cause. It guarantees a Summon with amazing talent!

Note: This item cannot be upgraded. ]

Taking a deep breath, she activated them all at once.

As soon as he did this, the entire Silver Mine Camp was wrapped in a veil of mysterious gray fog.

It was a familiar scene to many, but seeing the darker gray fog, they knew that their Shelter Leader had acquired some high-quality recruitment stones this time…

Soon, even if the air grew colder, and miners stopped their work, staring at the mist that had started to cover their shelter…

Moments later, the fog swirled outside the gates.

Just like before, from the fog’s depths, five figures emerged… Each one had the build of a warrior, and as they drew closer, Diana and the others realized just how tall these recruits were!

The Epic Recruits had arrived.

Diana immediately made her way toward the gate, accompanied by Sandra, Layla, and Max. Together, they stood before the new arrivals.

The five figures straightened as they laid eyes on her.

They immediately knew that she was the Foreign Survivor leading this shelter.

“Whoa… Are you all Super Soldiers or something?” Diana muttered as she couldn’t help but feel impressed with their muscular build. One of them even seemed to be a woman, but her build was still as impressive as the others.

Still, they had different weapons on their bodies.

One wielded twin axes, another carried a chain and hook, another a broad-bladed glaive, while the last two were armed with a spiked mace and a short sword.

It was an impressive lineup.

Their armor seemed worn, but they could still be used. They were the kind once worn for both war and spectacle.

The one who was wielding twin axes was a tall man with bronze skin and a jagged scar across his cheek… He soon stepped forward and looked at the shelter.

“…So, this is where the fog has brought us.”

“You’re… warriors…” Diana said softly, as she looked at them… “Where did you come from?”

The twin axe wielder corrected her… “Gladiators… We’re from the Prince of Love’s Colosseum,” he replied.

Diana and the others paused as soon as they heard this…

‘Prince of Love’s Colosseum?’ They glanced at each other as they felt that the name was a bit too unusual.

Still, the prince of love seemed to be impressive, considering there was a Colosseum dedicated to him.

Before they could say anything, the man continued.

“It’s a place where men and women fought not just for glory, but survival. That was our life… until it ended.”

Another gladiator, a woman with dark braids and steel vambraces, added grimly…

“We don’t know how much time has passed. All we know is that the Colosseum fell. The stands were overrun… waves upon waves of the undead poured in. We fought, and fought, until our blades dulled and our bodies broke. The arena became a tomb…”

As she said this, she couldn’t help but glance at the glaive in her hands.

Her eyes then grew distant as she was still haunted by the memories.

“Just before we were devoured… the gray fog came. It took us, and when we awoke, we were here.”

The five bowed their heads briefly, then looked at Diana.

“And now… we stand before you. We were told only this by the entity within the fog: Foreign Survivors like you are the ones who will save this broken world.”

She then paused for a moment and looked at Diana. “If that is true, then our blades are yours.”

Diana regarded them quietly and nodded.

She could tell that they had a rough past and wanted to change their lives…

Slowly, she nodded.

“…Then stand with us. This shelter is yours as much as it is mine. We will be eradicating all the Zombies and restart this world.”

After that, Diana gestured to Max.

“Show them around the Silver Mine Camp. Let them see their new home.”

“Yes, leader…” Max answered with a firm nod.

The five gladiators followed him inside the walls, and because of their height and clothes, they easily garnered attention.

In the meantime, Max spoke with them, pointing out the key structures of the shelter, the mines, the barracks, the barrier generator, the infirmary, the residential area, the granary, the mess hall, Shane’s monument, and many others.

The miners glanced at the new warriors with awe as they started whispering among themselves.

Diana then asked Layla to secure the quarters for the gladiators. She also made sure they received fresh meals and warm water to wash themselves. They would certainly like that. At the very least, she wanted them to have a peaceful day or two before they really got into working.

With the excitement settling, Diana returned to her own quarters.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, the weight of the day pressed down on her shoulders. From the auction, to the miners, to the recruits… it had been endless.

She swiftly took a bath and found a change of comfortable clothes…

Then, she just rubbed her temples and sank onto her bed, exhaling deeply.

“Just… a little rest,” she murmured as she closed her eyes…

Within moments, the Shelter Leader of the Silver Mine Camp drifted into a much-needed sleep.

***

The next morning, Diana rose early.

After a quick meal, she exchanged her usual outfit for working clothes and a safety helmet, something more practical for where she was headed.

Today, she wanted to see the results of the equipment she had brought back from the Auction, the Crystal-Pulse Drills, Mystic Picks, Loadbear Harnesses, and Seismic Survey Orbs.

By the time she arrived at the main mining shaft, the sounds of labor work already echoed through the tunnels.

There was also the rhythmic pounding of drills, the scraping of the mystic picks, and the rumble of carts that filled the air.

She descended into the mine using a lantern, casting light against the reinforced stone supports. Well, there was really no need for the lantern as it was quite bright here with the numerous Light Orbs in the path.

However, the lantern itself provides not just light, but it also filters the air, giving a cool sensation.

Immediately, she noticed the difference.

A group of miners was gathered around a Crystal-Pulse Drill…

With every thrust, the crystal embedded at its tip released pulses that shattered the stone into manageable chunks.

Ore veins that normally took hours to clear were reduced to half the time.

Not far away, another group swung Mystic Picks in unison.

Clan! Clank! Clank!

Each strike caused faint sparks of bluish light to scatter as impurities melted away with every blow.

‘It really works as described…’ Diana muttered as she felt curious about this…

What was left behind gleamed the strikes were clean, pure Spirit Stone fragments that clinked into baskets…

Further down the tunnel, Diana spotted miners strapping on Loadbear Harnesses.

With their upgraded frames that fit perfectly across their shoulders, the men who would normally struggle under heavy carts now hauled triple the load…

“This is impressive…”

Their movements are steady and unhindered. Instead of slumping with exhaustion, they grinned as they worked…

Diana knew that she had made a great decision.

At the far end, two miners crouched over a glowing Seismic Survey Orb.

Once activated, the sphere sent rippling spirit waves through the ground, forming some glowing lines and outlines in the air above it.

Then, a projection revealed hidden veins, showing exactly where to dig, saving both time and energy.

“This is so cool…”

“Awesome…”

“This thing must be expensive.”

“This is magic!”

“Our work gets easier with this!”

All the miners couldn’t help but appreciate the new gadgets they had.

Seeing their reaction, Diana couldn’t help but smile as she watched all of this unfold.

Productivity had already doubled overnight, and she could see that spirit ore carts were fuller than before, while silver veins were being exposed in record time.

She adjusted her helmet as she stepped closer to a group of miners.

“How’s it working?” she asked, raising her voice over the noise.

One of the men, with sweat dripping down his brow, grinned at her.

“My lady! These drills are a miracle. What used to take us a week, we’ll finish in three days. The Mystic Picks… Hah, it’s like the stone itself wants to be mined!”

Diana grinned at this as she actually had another reason for coming here…

“That’s good to here… Now, I need your help to find me the largest Spirit Stone you can get…”