Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Within the World Chat, there were still a few people who were online and saw Natalie’s message.

[ Natalie (Sector 4): Five Clans have already gathered tonight under the Survivor Pact... New Haven, Dawnspire Order, Verdant Vanguard, Crimson Wake, and Black Iron Pact. More will follow tomorrow. ]

[ Elias (Sector 9): Five already? And they’re all high-ranked Clans... This is no joke. ]

[ Mira (Sector 14): Finally, some balance against Shane. I don’t hate Eclipse Revenant, but no one should have that much power unchecked. ]

[ Rowan (Sector 7): If these five are the starting point, then the Survivor Pact is already stronger than any coalition we’ve seen before. ]

[ Yuria (Sector 11): Don’t forget Lancelot’s Lord Alliance. He gathered twelve Clans already. Maybe even more. I’m just not sure what clans are they... ]

[ Harlow (Sector 12): Yeah, but most of them are Rank 24 to Rank 75. Numbers aren’t everything. ]

[ Cedric (Sector 5): Exactly. Lancelot’s alliance looks big, but their Clans are mid. But Survivor Pact is packing raw strength. Ranks 4, 15, 16, 17, and 18... that’s a powerhouse core. ]

[ Elric (Sector 2): I’ll stay neutral for now. Still, it’s good both alliances exist. Better to have balance than let Shane swallow the world alone. ]

[ Dalia (Sector 13): Neutral or not, you can’t deny Survivor Pact is already more solid. If stronger Clans keep joining, Shane won’t be the only one setting the rules. ]

[ Rogan (Sector 18): Honestly, I don’t care who leads. As long as they establish fair trade and protection standards, small Clans like mine might actually live longer. ]

[ Nisha (Sector 10): True. Survivor Pact or Lord Alliance, doesn’t matter. Just... please don’t collapse like the last ”grand coalition” did. ]

The chat flowed endlessly... There was a storm excitement, analysis, and cautious hope among them.

It was understandable since the Zombies are getting weaker and weaker. Because of that, they could tell that the world would soon be reclaimed by the Survivors. Once that happened, it wouldn’t be surprising if a government were formed.

They somehow believed that once that happened, Shane would start a monarchy or some sort.

Survivors across every Sector were actually awake, waiting for news about this grand event...

They were thinking whether Shane would actually appear to stop this, or some other Alliances, like Lancelot’s Lord Alliance, would try to form friendly relations with them.

Some rooted for Natalie and the Pact to grow into a true counterweight to Eclipse Revenant.

Still, there were a few in the chat who seemed more cautious. They acknowledged Lancelot’s Lord Alliance without dismissing it outright.

But one thing was clear... The world was now split between three great forces... Shane’s Eclipse Revenant, Lancelot’s Lord Alliance, and Natalie’s rising Survivor Pact.

As for the many Clans that weren’t part of any faction, they had decided to just observe for now.

For now, they didn’t want to be enemies of any of them.

***

Shane had just returned from Anna’s office, as he visited her for a quick check-up...

At this time, she was focused on the world chat as he read about the progress of the Survivor Pact.

He just remained as an observer while the flood of chatter about Natalie’s Survivor Pact spread...

He read various messages supporting the pact, doubting it, and even some speculations about its future.

There was also some hopeful talk about the ”balance” it would introduce to the continent.

He couldn’t help but smile at this thought.

Balance?

Shane had no interest in controlling the world outright, but it amused him to see how quickly people assumed power meant tyranny.

Still, he understood. Fear made people dream of counterweights, coalitions, and governments yet to come.

He didn’t type a word in the world chat.

They could only guess what he was thinking right now as everyone was trying to gather their forces.

To many, his silence was louder than anything he could have said.

Nonetheless, there was a series of private messages from various Clan Leaders within his Chat Feature.

[ Vex: Clan Leader of Eclipse Revenant... Shane, I’ll be direct. My clan, Steel Spire, wants to be part of your alliance. Survivor Pact looks shiny, but we don’t trust coalitions. It’s too balanced. There seemed to be too many leaders, too many egos. You’ve proven strength... real strength. Let us stand under your banner. We can work under you. ]

The man had certainly thought this true.

The Survivor Pact that Natalie was about to build seemed like it wouldn’t really be led by her. Instead, it would be a group of Clan Leaders who would still be in control. At most, Natalie would just be a figurehead or a representative.

They believed that she wouldn’t really have that much power if all the other Clans united.

On the other hand, Shane would have the absolute power if he made an Alliance, and Vex wanted that.

It wasn’t just him.

[ Ellen: Greetings, Shane. I am Ellen of the Ember Fangs. We’re Ranked 45th in the Clan Ranking. Yes, we seemed weak, but we’re survivors. We’re battle-hardened and loyal. If you are building something, I’d rather pledge to Eclipse Revenant than throw my lot with Natalie or Lancelot. My people value decisive leadership. ]

[ Orla: Shane. This is Orla of the Silver Ashes. Rank 34 I won’t waste your time. We’ve stayed independent until now, but with these factions rising, neutrality will soon mean weakness. I want to join you before we’re forced into someone else’s shadow. My clan specializes in alchemy and ranged firepower. We’d be an asset. ]

Now, this had really gotten more interesting, and Shane couldn’t help but take this seriously. After all, it would indeed be a waste not to use his connections to get more advantage...

Still, he was worried about many things since he couldn’t really trust these people.

If he was not careful, he might let an enemy enter his den...

’Maybe I should give them a chance...’ Shane mused as he thought of giving them a requirement... That was to live within one of his Shelters for at least a month!