Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Niles couldn’t think of a reason aside from having his door open for a moment, and the rats used that chance to swarm inside after smelling his nice bunker.

After all, the bunker was designed to be airtight, impenetrable. Even the ventilation shafts had filters.

”Ugh... Whatever. You all must die.” He muttered as he confirmed that the rats gnawed at crumbs near the shelves, seemingly oblivious to his suspicion.

Just like that, he skewered the second rat with another flick of his wrist...

He continued this a few more times, but paused before killing the ninth one. He studied it carefully. Its whiskers twitched, its eyes darted nervously, but it didn’t look mutated. This was simply too weird.

The fact that it was here meant something had bypassed his defenses after all.

’This isn’t normal...’ He thought.

Niles couldn’t help but look around.

”I have steel walls. Barrier generators. No entry points. And yet... rats.” He clenched his fist. ”If vermin can slip through, what else can?”

The thought unsettled him. He had built this bunker to be untouchable, an underground fortress hidden in Sector 20.

But now, he was actually being troubled by mere rats!

It was unacceptable!

Just like that, he didn’t rest until he eliminated them all.

He cleaned up the remains, tossing them into a disposal chute, but his mind stayed restless. For some reason, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was more than just rats. Something was testing his defenses.

’No way... This place is too hidden... I didn’t leave any traces. I even visited three Neutral Shelters to confuse anyone trying to follow me. There’s no way someone traces me back here.’ Niles thought as he shook his head.

He must be thinking too much about this matter.

As he sat back down, his eyes lingered on the Thousand Faces Mask. Even if he was really discovered, he could just escape and live a new life... Perhaps, this time, he’d consider just staying in Neutral Shelters.

***

Raze stood at the edge of the Eclipse Revenant command hall, her crimson cloak trailing behind her as Shane’s words echoed in her mind.

”Find him. Capture him if possible. Kill him if he resists.”

The order was simple, but would not be easy.

Niles had certainly achieved something impossible, and Shane’s reputation demanded retribution. Raze was chosen to deal with this matter because he trusts her strength.

Well, she was within the Top 10 Survivors after all. Furthermore, she had several talents that made her one of the most dangerous hunters alive.

One of them was the Flameheart Valkyrie. It was basically a talent that gave her a warrior spirit that ignited her body in battle. When her health drops below 80%, she’d gain an additional 30% bonus Strength, Agility, and Fire Resistance. While active, every attack from her would have a 20% chance to leave a Burn, dealing fire damage over time...

Then, she also had a Strong Leader Talent that empowered allies, perfect for her dragon, Roan.

Lastly, her Dragon Knight, already evolved into Skyfire Commander. Because of that, her bond with Roan, the red dragon, gave her unmatched aerial dominance and elemental swordsmanship.

The tattoo of Roan shimmered faintly on her right arm, ready to be summoned at will.

But this hunt would be different.

Niles was slippery, elusive, and clever. Raze knew she couldn’t underestimate him.

***

She left the Eclipse Revenant stronghold at dawn, her boots crunching against the frost-covered ground. Fiona even sent her a trained rat, a small creature enchanted to track scents and disturbances. It scurried ahead, nose twitching, leading her toward Sector 20’s inner region.

Raze followed silently, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. Just like that, they moved through the wasteland as if it knew exactly where to go.

On the way, she passed through Neutral Shelters.

Survivors watched her with wary eyes, recognizing that her set of equipment wasn’t low-grade but high-grade ones.

Many people tried to scam seeing how she looked really rich and asked for fees that didn’t exist... However, she ignored them unless they get annoying and she’d have to deal with them personally.

Anyway, the first neutral shelter she crossed was half‑abandoned, its walls scarred by zombie attacks. A group of survivors begged her for help as a horde of mid‑tier zombies clawed at their gates. Raze didn’t hesitate to help...

Her blade ignited with fire as she activated Flameheart Valkyrie. Wings of flame burst from her back, and she soared above the horde.

She didn’t even need to summon Roan in such missions.

With a single sweeping strike, her sword cleaved through three zombies, leaving them burning. Her aura surged, empowering the defenders behind the wall...

Indeed, her Talent affected those even from afar!

Whoosh~ Whoosh~

Their arrows flew straighter and faster, hitting more zombies on the ground.

”Hold the line!” she commanded, her Strong Leader talent in full activation...

The defenders rallied, pushing back the horde. Within minutes, the zombies were reduced to ash and corpses.

The survivors cheered, but Raze didn’t stay there for long... This neutral shelter was poor and didn’t have anything she’d need.

She simply nodded and continued with the rat scurrying ahead.

***

The journey was long. She crossed rivers choked with debris, forests where mutated zombies were everywhere, and ruins where the dead still lingered. Each time, her blade would kill such beings.

In one ruined town, a cluster of Hunter Zombies leapt from the rooftops.

This time, Raze finally summoned Roan, her red dragon, in a burst of flame.

Roooaaar!

The dragon roared with its wings spreading wide as it incinerated the Hunters mid‑air!

Raze then mounted Roan, soaring above the ruins, cutting down stragglers with flaming sword strikes!

”Hahaha! This feels really good!” Raze laughed as it had been a long time since she had ever enjoyed fighting.

The bond between her dragon was seamless. Roan’s fire complemented her own talents, and together they were unstoppable.

Survivors hiding in the ruins watched in awe as she carved a path through the monsters.

They soon realized that Raze wasn’t here to save them, she was merely hunting Zombies!

***

Still, Fiona’s enchanted rat never stopped moving around. It scurried through rubble, sniffed the air, and darted toward the west. Raze followed patiently, knowing it was leading her to Niles.

She thought about the thief as she walked.

’Phantom Thief... Niles.’

He had been very successful, but more importantly, he had proven that even Shane’s shelter had flaws.

That kind of insolence couldn’t be ignored.

Raze respected cunning, but she despised arrogance. And Niles had both.

By the second night, the rat led her into an abandoned town. The place was eerily quiet, its streets littered with rusted cars and collapsed buildings.

It was quite uncomfortable since the air smelled of dust and decay.

Raze dismounted Roan, letting the dragon dissolve back into the tattoo on her arm.

Whoosh~

”Don’t complain... You’re too big already.” Raze muttered.

She then crouched, studying the ground.

She tried searching for footprints and found it... They were faint, but fresh. Supplies had been dragged here. Someone had been moving heavy equipment.

It could be Niles or anyone working with him.

Soon, the rat scurried ahead, disappearing into the shadows of a collapsed building. Raze followed, her blade drawn.

She passed through the town carefully, cutting down stray zombies that wandered the streets.

A Slark Zombie lunged from a sewer grate, but she sliced it cleanly in half, flames consuming its body.

A cluster of Crawler Zombies emerged from a ruined shop, but her aura empowered her strikes, and she dispatched them with ease.

They were already too easy for her. Unless she was fighting multiple Leader Type, King Type, or Lord Type Zombies, she’d not be bothered at all.

Still, every step brought her closer to Niles’ base.

Finally, the rat stopped near a cracked pavement, sniffing at the ground.

Raze crouched, pressing her hand against the earth.

She felt faint vibrations... It could be the hum of generators.

Her lips curved into a cold smile. ”Found you.”

She rose, her cloak flowing as she surveyed the area.

The abandoned town was the perfect cover. Beneath it, hidden from sight, was Niles’ bunker.

Raze really had to thank Fiona...

That woman was truly quite scary in terms of finding information. Still, she liked that Fiona was their ally since her ability to search and rescue people would be crucial in many cases.

Raze took a deep breath and tightened her grip on her sword. Roan’s tattoo glowed faintly, ready to be summoned.

She whispered to herself, ”Phantom Thief... you’ve played your game long enough. Now it’s time to pay.”

The rat scurried back to her feet, squeaking softly.

She couldn’t understand what it was trying to say, but nodded.

”Good work. Now, let me finish this... Stay away.”

As she said this, she heard the sound of hidden gates being opened!

As soon as she looked around, she found herself surrounded by ten Warden Units raising their guns and pointing at her!