Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

[ Reylin: So... We were doing a routine depth scan to check for structural integrity. They’re something Diana shared to us. She bought them in the Auction Event if I’m not mistaken. Anyway, the readings went haywire. At first, we thought it was a Zombie or a leftover anomaly from the Red Night Event. But then the drill team hit something crystalline. It wasn’t gold... so they had it checked and confirmed that it was a Spirit Stone. ]

[ Shane: Did you confirm the type? ]

[ Reylin: Yes. We ran a full scan... They were mostly mid-grade Spirit Stones with a few parts that were high-grade. No low-grade at all. The system registered it as a ”Vein Node”... a natural spirit energy convergence point. We’ve never seen one this close to the surface. ]

[ Shane: How deep? ]

[ Reylin: Only 42 meters below the main shaft. That’s practically shallow. We can reinforce the tunnel and start extraction within the day. I already sent for containment teams and some workers to stabilize the tunnel. ]

[ Shane: How much are we talking? ]

[ Reylin: Estimated yield? Right, we got Sir Hoffman here... He’s Mew’s assistant. He said that if we mine conservatively, we’re looking at 1,200 to 1,500 units of raw Spirit Stone over the next two weeks. That’s not counting refined output. If we push harder, we could double that, but it’ll strain our equipment. Well, if Diana had extra of that special equipment, we wouldn’t have any issues. ]

[ Shane: That’s enough to supply not just our shelters, but others too... ]

[ Reylin: Exactly. However, we noticed that the Zombie concentration was starting to get concerning. So we have Tundra and the others start clearing them up. If we need help, we will ask you. ]

[ Shane: Oh? I will tell Arial to send some Warden Units. They’re probably about to finish their batch of Wardens for this week. Still, you have to check if the Spirit Vein is stable. If the energy spikes too much, the miners could get into danger. Anyway, Mew or his assistant there probably knows better, so make sure to listen to them. They’re experts in mining Spirit Stones. ]

[ Reylin: Yes... They mentioned the dangers of mining them. I triple-checked. I even had the Blood Talon engineers run a resonance test. The readings are smooth. No spikes or anomalies. It’s like the vein was waiting for us. ]

[ Shane: That’s good to hear. ]

[ Reylin: I hope we can start refining Spirit Stone cores immediately. I already contacted the forge team. They’re prepping the special containers that could handle the Spirit Stones safely. We should have the first batch ready in 48 hours. ]

[ Shane: Good work, Reylin. This might be the biggest find since the Red Night. ]

[ Reylin: I thought you’d say that. I already marked the site as a Tier-1 Strategic Resource Zone. We’re locking it down. No one gets in without Blood Talon clearance. ]

[ Shane: Alright... Keep it quiet. If word gets out, we’ll have scavenger clans sniffing around. ]

[ Reylin: Already handled. I’ve got cloaking barrier generators active around the entrance. Within the shelter, we will just call it copper, so even if there are spies, they wouldn’t think it’s a Spirit Stone. ]

[ Shane: Nice... I like it. ]

[ Shane: Keep me updated. Once the siege here is over, I’ll visit the mine. If that vein’s huge, we’ll need to protect it like it’s a vault. ]

[ Reylin: Understood. Blood Talon’s already on high alert. We’re ready. ]

***

After closing the chat with Reylin, Shane returned to the synthesizer interface.

There was still one tab left.

[ Skill Fragment - Requires 50 Fragments ]

[ Confirm synthesis? ]

He had 240 Skill Fragments. That meant he could synthesize four skills.

”Let’s see what the system gives me this time...” Shane muttered.

He confirmed the first synthesis.

[ Synthesizing... ]

[ Skill Acquired: Voice Changer ]

[ Voice Changer Lv0: Alters the user’s vocal signature.

Effects:

Allows the user to mimic any voice they’ve heard for at least 10 seconds

Duration: 60 seconds per use (Cooldown: 5 minutes) ]

Shane raised an eyebrow.

”Is this even needed?” Shane helplessly smiled. Anyway, it could probably be useful for infiltration or psychological tactics.

He then confirmed the second synthesis.

[ Synthesizing... ]

[ Skill Acquired: Super Stomach ]

[ Super Stomach Lv0: Enhances digestive resilience and nutrient absorption. It allows the user to consume any organic or semi-organic material without harm.

Effects:

Prevents hunger debuffs for 24 hours

Grants minor resistance to poison and spoiled food effects. ]

Shane blinked.

”Well... that’s weird. But I guess it’s perfect for long expeditions or if we ran out of food or something.”

That’s probably not going to happen, but he decided to stay positive.

He confirmed the third synthesis.

[ Synthesizing... ]

[ Skill Acquired: Drunken Step ]

Drunken Step Lv0: A movement skill that creates a delayed afterimage.

Effects:

After activating, the user leaves behind a phantom echo that mimics their last movement.

Duration: 8 seconds (Cooldown: 90 seconds) ]

Shane nodded.

”Now that’s tactical. I can use this to bait ambushes or dodge snipers...”

It was definitely one of the best movement skills... After all, Jump Skill and Armored Dash Skill was too straightforward. This Drunken Step could surely help him become a well-rounded fighter.

He then confirmed the final synthesis.

[ Synthesizing... ]

[ Skill Acquired: Iron Finger ]

[ Iron Finger Lv0: Enhances the density and structural integrity of the user’s index finger.

Effects:

Temporarily hardens one finger to near-metallic level.

Can pierce soft armor, zombie flesh, and certain minerals.

Duration: 15 seconds (Cooldown: 3 minutes) ]

Shane stared at the description.

”...Seriously?” he muttered.

He raised his hand and flexed his index finger.

”Well, I guess if I ever need to poke through a zombie’s skull or punch a hole in a wall, this’ll do.”

It wasn’t flashy, but it was the kind of thing that could save his life in a tight spot.

Just as Shane finished reviewing the new skills, he heard footsteps approaching.

It was Diana.

She was wearing her usual coat, stained with dust from the repair work.

”The walls are done. We covered the breaches and created a new wall in some parts. It should hold against Giant Zombies as well.”

Shane nodded.

”Good. That’s one less thing to worry about.”

He followed her toward the western perimeter, where the wall had taken the most damage during the last zombie surge...

Then, Shane opened his inventory and took out something that shocked the defenders, including Diana, behind him.