Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Inside the Blue Salt shelter’s office, the leader sat stiffly behind his desk. His guards stood at the walls, but their hands never touched their weapons. They knew better.

Across from him, a woman in a Phoenix Phalanx uniform leaned casually against the desk.

She seemed to be the owner of the place more than him…

Of course, she wasn’t alone… A dozen soldiers were standing like statues behind her… Their presence was suffocating as their armor seemed to be emitting a powerful aura around them.

The leader’s voice was helpless as he looked at her.

”My guards won’t stop you. They’ll cooperate. But the mercenaries here, the traders, the scavengers… they’ll decide on their own. I can’t control them, Miss Tara.”

The woman, Tara, laughed and spoke with a mocking tone. ”That’s fine. We don’t need their loyalty. We only need their resources.” She sat comfortably as she sipped a tea served to her...

”This shelter will continue supplying us with Spirit Threads. You know as well as I do, they can only be found here.”

The leader’s jaw tightened. Spirit Threads were rare, they were special fibers harvested from mutated plants that grew only in Blue Salt’s soil. They were prized for their resilience, able to bind energy and withstand immense strain.

The woman continued, her tone almost playful. ”Spirit Threads, and a few other materials. We don’t care about your neutrality. We care about what you can produce. And if your people resist…” She gestured to the soldiers behind her. ”…we’ll remind them who owns this place now.”

The leader swallowed hard. He knew resistance would mean slaughter.

***

Meanwhile, at the inn, Jaxon and Kael had finished their meal when the sound of shouting erupted outside.

Kael moved to the window, rifle in hand. ”Something’s happening.”

Jaxon joined him, eyes narrowing. The streets were suddenly filled with chaos after some mercenaries and scavengers didn’t agree on being inspected!

They had drawn weapons, unwilling to bow to Phoenix Phalanx’s demands. The soldiers responded instantly!

In just a few moments…

Steel clashed. Gunfire rattled, and soon, they heard cries of defiance with screams of pain.

Jaxon muttered, ”I knew it… This isn’t going to end well. They’re here to take over.”

Kael’s grip tightened on his rifle. ”And the mercenaries won’t let them do it quietly.”

Outside, the battle escalated. Phoenix soldiers moved with ruthless precision, cutting down resistance with coordinated strikes. Mercenaries fought fiercely, but their lack of discipline showed. One by one, they fell.

The inn’s patrons ducked under tables, terrified. Jaxon and Kael stayed near the window, watching as the neutral shelter descended into chaos.

A mercenary captain shouted, ”Blue Salt belongs to no one!” before being struck down by a Phoenix blade.

Kael cursed under his breath. ”They’re slaughtering them.”

Jaxon’s deck pulsed faintly at his side, but he didn’t draw a card. Not yet.

”We can’t intervene... Not against this many.”

The battle raged for nearly an hour. Fires broke out in the streets, stalls collapsed, and bodies littered the ground.

The Phoenix Phalanx was decisive as they moved like a tide, overwhelming every pocket of resistance.

Finally, silence fell. Survivors who had fought lay dead or injured with their weapons scattered and broken…

The Phoenix soldiers were victorious as they took over the shelter…

Soon, Tara’s voice carried across the shelter. ”Blue Salt is ours. There will be some changes in the entrance fees and cost of living, but we’ll make sure that this shelter will be protected by our Clan, and you will never worry about any Zombies entering this place! This will also give you the opportunity to earn more since you’ll be connected to our shelter! Anyone who resists will share the fate of these fools.”

Jaxon exhaled slowly as he wasn’t sure why the Phoenix Phalanx would want to control this shelter.

”So that’s it, huh. They’ve secured the shelter.”

Kael lowered his rifle and nodded. ”They’re getting greedy, huh. They must be relying on something. The way they attacked Raze despite her being part of the Rank 1 Clan… and this time, they were even taking over Neutral Shelters.”

Jaxon and Kael exchanged a look. They didn’t like the Phoenix Phalanx… Still, it was good to know that they were actually spreading their forces like this.

After all, their target was still the Phoenix Phalanx’s shelter here in Sector 19. They were just the vanguard to see the situation first, while the others were slowly moving with their heavy trucks carrying their Mech Frames, Turrets, and other Siege Weapons.

***

The inn was quiet again, though the tension lingered in the air. Jaxon then soon opened his private messaging system and tapped on Lysandra’s name.

[ Jaxon: The Blue Salt Shelter just got occupied by the members of Phoenix Phalanx. They do not know we’re here yet. We’ll stay here for now until things calm down. Be careful. I think they’re trying to expand their territory so they can detect any attacks coming from us. ]

The reply came quickly since Lysandra was also waiting for information. After all, Jaxon didn’t bring Fiona’s rats with them since they were in a hurry to leave.

[ Lysandra: Got it. We’re moving slowly. We probably need four days to get there. ]

[ Jaxon: That’s fine… We’re planning to destroy one of the Top Ranking Clan’s main shelters. This will not be easy… Even if we get there, it’ll probably take days to destroy them. ]

[ Lysandra: Do you think there’s still a chance to save Roan? ]

[ Jaxon: Yes. A living dragon is more precious than a dead one. They’d be able to collect more blood, scales, and even learn things from him that way. ]

He replied confidently.

Just like that, the channel closed…

***

Far from Blue Salt Shelter, Lysandra’s convoy pressed forward across the highways of Sector 20, leading to Sector 19…

More than 400 fighters traveled with her, spread across tens of trucks and motorcycles that rumbled under the night sky. Each vehicle carried supplies, weapons, and personnel…

At the center of the convoy were trucks carrying the five Aegis Mechs, towering machines of war.

They were the backbone of the assault force, designed to break through fortified shelters and withstand the Phoenix Phalanx’s siege weapons.

”Roan… I’m going to save you.” Lysandra muttered as she looked above and saw the yellow bird guarding the sky for them…