Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

After dealing with the elves, Shane sat in his chair within the command chamber of the floating fortress. After a few moments, he reread Tessa’s last report.

A human farm.

This concerned him heavily since he still had a conscience…

He had no attachment to the captives. He didn’t know their faces, their names, or what kind of lives they had lived before ending up in the clutches of the vampires. There may even be some evil people for all he knows.

But that didn’t matter. His conscience burned at the thought of blasting the ruined city from above, possibly reducing innocent people to ash alongside the bloodsuckers.

‘I can’t… not like this.’

From how Tessa described it as a human farm, Shane knew that the situation there was not good.

She didn’t have to describe everything, and he could already imagine it.

He exhaled slowly.

Soon, a map of the ruined city was projected before him with Cloud’s help, based on Tessa’s scouting and the fortress’s scrying devices.

He looked at the northern quadrant where the captives were kept, according to Tessa.

“If I bombard the entire city, they’ll die with the rest… No. They deserve at least a chance.”

Cecil, one of the new pilots, was standing nearby and heard Shane’s voice.

“Then what’s the plan, Lord Shane?”

Shane sighed as he had to make adjustments.

“We’ll strike only one area first. Something loud, something destructive enough to throw the vampires into chaos. While they’re scrambling, Tessa and her scouts will move in. They’ll free the captives and lead them out before we bring down the rest of the city.”

Cecil frowned slightly. “That will be dangerous for them…”

“It’s a risk…” Shane admitted. “But I’ll have them leave the place if necessary. Their lives will still be the priority and not the captured ones.”

Just like that, Shane shared his plan with Tessa.

After all, everything was still up to her. If she confirmed she could do it, then Shane would let her draw the full plan on the ground.

If not, then he could only apologize to those who would be caught in the fire.

***

Down below, in the ruined city itself, Tessa continued to gather more information as she used the shadows to move around.

Her Night Scout Talent was fully on work despite not being that dark yet… As long as there were shadows or any form of darkness, she could move swiftly.

Well, she couldn’t really do this during the night since the Vampires would be more sensitive to her movements.

Soon, she read Shane’s orders through her private channel and bit her lip thoughtfully.

‘One strike for a distraction. That means I need to carve out a clean path before the hammer drops.’

She then moved swiftly and passed a few vampire guards without being noticed.

After that, she took a moment of rest to inform the other scouts who were in her team and just staying at the outskirts of the city.

Indeed, she wasn’t alone in this mission. There were 9 more scouts stealthily moving around to gather more information about the Vampire base.

Tessa then followed the route. The humans were being kept in a cluster of makeshift cages north of the citadel…

As she got closer, she confirmed that it was guarded by at least a dozen Vampire Knights.

She mapped the ground in her head… Broken streets, collapsed roads, and a half-buried aqueduct that snaked toward the eastern part of the city ruins.

‘There. The aqueduct… If we can clear the way, they’ll have a straight shot out of the city.’

She stopped suddenly and pressed her back against a wall, as two winged vampires swept by.

They paused midair with their red eyes scanning the ground.

They were no doubt Vampire Knights as they could move easily even during the day…

Still, her Legendary Cloak held firm… She was wrapped in layers of illusion, and their gazes simply passed over her spot…

She didn’t move and breathe heavily until the pair finally flew off toward the cathedral.

“They’re a lot more serious than I thought…” she whispered.

It was quite suspicious how the Vampires seemed to be guarding the area as heavily as possible. It was as if they were trying to hide something more.

That had certainly caught her attention.

However, she knew that she had to just stick to her plan… This place would be bombarded soon, anyway. Whatever secrets they were hiding, they would just be buried here.

Bit by bit, she drew a mental map. Points of danger, guard rotations, and structural weaknesses. She even marked the location of a toppled watchtower she could rig as a diversion if things got ugly.

Of course, she would ask the other scouts for that to happen.

Just like that, she coordinated everything with the other 9 scouts, so they were updated on the plans.

After thirty minutes of that, she finally transmitted her report.

[ Tessa: Leader Shane, I’ve confirmed the escape route. The captives are held in the northern quarter, near the broken aqueduct. If I can set them free and push them into the aqueduct, they’ll have a straight path out of the city. ]

[ Tessa: I’ll need the bombardment to hit the western boulevard first. That’s where most of the patrols and Vampire Knights are clustered. It’ll draw their attention away from the north. ]

[ Tessa: Once they’re distracted, I’ll strike the cages, lead the humans into the aqueduct, and push them east. I’ll need your help to drop cover fire if any winged vampires pursue. ]

Shane read her message and nodded slowly.

‘Good. Clean, efficient, minimal risk.’

He liked this plan…

[ Shane: Understood. You’ll have an hour more, Tessa… When the first barrage falls, move. Keep those people alive, but if it gets dangerous, prioritize yourselves. ]

[ Tessa: Roger. Leave it to me. ]

With the plan sealed, Shane felt a bit more at ease… He believed that the Vampire Lord wouldn’t know what hit him.

‘Still… I hope I’ll just get a notification that Statham died…’ Shane thought.