Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

As Niles studied the task board, a new notice was pinned by an official in uniform.

The crowd stirred immediately, as they were curious about this new task.

Well, since the number of zombies was decreasing at a faster rate than ever, earning Zombie Cores could become harder and harder.

Because of that, many residents were already shifting their main jobs from hunting Zombies to other jobs like construction, nutrition, production, and others.

Soon, Niles saw it...

[ Recruitment Notice: Draconic Squad ]

[ Procedure: Injection of Modified Draconic Gene Serum, obtained from the Cross‑Apocalypse Event. ]

[ Applicants: 50 brave individuals, Level 50 and above. ]

[ Reward: Permanent residence, clan sponsorship, advanced combat training. ]

Niles blinked, reading the words twice. The posting was bold, almost daring...

”Whoa~”

”Draconic Squad...?” someone muttered nearby.

With a huge crowd gathering around, many of those at the back couldn’t understand what was going on.

Then, another survivor explained quickly, ”Shane himself is looking for fifty candidates. They’ll be injected with the Draconic Gene Serum. Risky stuff...”

”Wait. I heard about this before... If I’m not mistaken, Anna, his Head Alchemist, modified it. Now it’s permanent.”

”R-right... The Draconic Gene Serum I remembered wasn’t permanent.”

The crowd erupted in debate.

”Permanent? You mean... actual draconic blood? I guess Anna now has access to real Dragon Blood. It’s not that surprising anymore.”

”Yeah. No more temporary buffs. Once it’s in you, you’ll carry draconic traits forever.”

”Huh? But that means... you won’t be human anymore.”

Niles listened intently.

The serum had once been notorious in the World Chat as well.

It gave temporary boosts with a slim chance of permanent mutation.

Now, Anna’s modification had changed everything. The effect was guaranteed. Those who accepted would gain draconic traits like elemental resistance, heightened vitality, and mana affinity.

But the price was steep... once transformed, there was no turning back.

”You’ll still be humanoid,” a Super Soldier muttered, ”but procreation with humans might not be possible. You’ll be something else entirely.”

Despite the drawbacks, the announcement electrified the plaza.

Survivors surged toward the main office, eager to apply.

The promise of power, sponsorship, and permanent residence was too tempting.

Niles felt the pull himself. The idea of becoming draconic was intoxicating.

He imagined having scales hardening his skin, fire or lightning coursing through his veins. But then he thought of his companions, of the human bonds they shared.

To give that up... to never truly be human again...

He clenched his fists. ”No. That’s not my path.”

Instead, his eyes returned to the earlier posting...

[ Mech Frame Pilot Tryouts ]

He imagined being able to pilot a huge robot... the roar of engines, the clash of steel, the prestige of piloting a war machine... it made him feel excited already.

Of course, it was dangerous, but it was something he’d definitely love to do!

It was a role that demanded skill, and discipline... It was something that he had.

Niles exhaled slowly, decision made. ”I’ll apply as a pilot.”

Around him, dozens rushed to the Draconic Squad recruitment, but Niles turned away, heading toward the mech training grounds.

***

Meanwhiel, inside the Springriver Manor’s Temple where Priests were trying to learn how to use Aura, Shane found himself reading new report within the Clan Chat...

”Hmm?”

His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the name in the report...

Phantom Thief: Niles.

Apparently, the infamous thief had entered New Genesis Shelter. This time, it was not to steal, but to apply as a resident.

Shane’s lips curled into a faint, amused smile.

’Oh well... I guess he must’ve liked my shelter.’

He remembered the chaos Niles had caused months ago. The granary raid, when food supplies vanished overnight. The audacity of stealing Warden Units, machines that were supposed to be untouchable.

At the time, Shane had been furious, ready to brand Niles as an enemy of the clan.

But later, the truth had surfaced. The Overlord Clan had orchestrated the entire scheme, using Niles as bait to draw Eclipse Revenant into a trap.

Niles had been nothing more than a pawn. In the end, Shane had dismissed the matter, too busy with other events to waste energy on a weakling.

Furthermore, Niles had Perfect Invisibility Talent. It wasn’t something he could ignore at all...

Unless he planned to use destructive force, it would be impossible to capture or kill him.

Now, seeing Niles return as a would‑be resident, Shane chuckled.

”Since the thief wants shelter, just let him stay. No need to shoo him away...”

It wasn’t sentiment... it was also his strategy.

Well, Shane’s unique talent as Territory Lord meant every resident gained +2 Loyalty Points per day simply by living within New Genesis.

If Niles remained for a month, that was sixty points.

Then, if he discovered the benefits, the safety, the food, and the quality of life, his loyalty could easily climb to ninety. At that stage, Niles would be bound to the shelter, unable to betray it even if he wanted to.

Shane closed the Clan Chat with a wave of his hand...

”Not worth worrying about,” he muttered.

”He’ll either adapt or fade. Either way, he’s mine now.”

With that, his attention shifted.

A message from Diana had arrived earlier... his little sister was at Blood Talon Shelter’s Spirit Stone Mine. They had uncovered something unusual, a special type of Spirit Stone unlike any they had seen before.

Shane rose as he changed his clothes for now... Since he would be entering a mine, he stored his precious coat and wore comfortable clothes.

”Time to see what Diana’s found.”

***

Shane stepped into the Portal Hall of the Manor and found the one connected to Blood Talon’s shelter.

Soon, the gate shifted, linking to his destination...

He then walked through without hesitation as the light was blocked around him, and soon, he emerged on the other side.

Crank~

After passing through the gate and the Blood Talon Shelter’s Portal Hall, he couldn’t help but appreciate this place once again.

This shelter itself clung to the side of a mountain, its walls carved into stone and steel.

Of course, the air was cooler here, carrying the scent of dust and ore.

Waiting at the entrance was Reylin, the shelter’s administrator, who bowed respectfully.

”Lord Shane, welcome. The mining site isn’t far, but I’ve arranged three high‑level survivors to escort you.”

Shane laughed as he found this amusing...

”Escort me? I’m the Rank 1 Survivor. But fine, let them come.”

The group set off, winding along the mountain path until they reached the mine’s entrance.

Helmets hung neatly on racks outside, and Shane took one, fastening it with a casual motion.

After wearing the safety helment, he soon entered.

The tunnel ahead was marked with chalk and lanterns, guiding them deeper. Futhermore, the Light Orbs lit the whole place up, making it easier for miners to know the situation...

Bzzt...

The sound of drills echoed faintly as they followed the marks left by the workers.

Soon, they reached a wide chamber where a massive hole had been opened in the rock.

Over a dozen miners were gathered with their lamps casting long shadows across the walls.

Shane’s eyes immediately found Diana.

She stood at the center, commanding the miners with some gestures... Even her voice carried authority. ”Clear the debris! Keep the passage stable!”

”Ahhh...”

Suddenly, Shane’s focus shifted as a small white ferret perched on Diana’s neck. Its bright eyes were curiously looking at the newcomers.

When Diana noticed Shane, her face lit up with excitement. She hurried over, brushing dust from her gloves.

”Brother!” she exclaimed, her voice warm despite the harsh surroundings.

From her pouch, she pulled out a stone... It was blue in color, but shimmering with a faint purple sheen that seemed to pulse with energy.

She placed it in Shane’s hand. ”This is what we found. Look at it.”

Shane turned the stone over, inspecting it carefully.

The surface was smooth, yet it radiated a strange aura, unlike any Spirit Stone he had seen before. It felt alive, humming faintly against his palm...

”It’s warm...”

Diana nodded as she heard this. ”Appraise it...”

Shane smiled as he planned to do it in the first place. ”Alright... Wait.”

[ Spirit Essence Crystal: A rare crystalline formation born from condensed Spirit Energy within deep elemental veins. Unlike ordinary Spirit Stones, this crystal contains pure essence, capable of amplifying all types of energy output, enhancing mana affinity. When refined, it can serve as a catalyst for advanced alchemy, forging, or item upgrades. ]

”Amazing...

Shane couldn’t help but feel excited after seeing it...

He rolled the crystal in his palm, feeling the faint warmth resonating through his skin.

”That explains the warmth. This thing isn’t meant for simple energy storage... it’s pure condensed spirit. Interesting...”

He glanced at Diana with the ferret twitching on her shoulder.

”If we have veins of these, then this shelter just became priceless.”

Essence Crystals may seem just like any other energy crystals, but Shane knew how the Elves, including Anna wished to have these things!

These stones were even more precious than Mana Crystals!

He knew this from his memory within the Fairy Realm Apocalypse!

Shane’s grin widened. ”Good work, Diana. You’ve found something that could change everything.”