Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

As Shane used his Spectral Tracker Skill to search the area that Cloud pointed at, the A.I. assistant continued scanning the area, and soon, more detailed information was given.

Cloud’s scan locked onto the Stealth Barrier near the collapsed eastern boulder.

[ Estimated Numbers: 55 combatants. Includes Orlando, 4 Steamroller Exosuit operators, remnants of 14 Squads, Surviving Flamecaster units, and others. ]

Shane smiled after getting this information. He swiftly commanded the team behind him. ”Warden Units, flank them from their right. Super Soldiers, push center. Joseph, your Gladiators go wide and cut off escape routes. Snipers will stay high ground and wait for my signal.”

He activated Aura Sentinel again, ensuring that they have enough protection from any ambush...

After all, most of their Safety Protection Tokens were already used up. He had to give them even a little bit of assurance with his skill...

Soon, the Warden Units, the humanoid androids, moved swiftly as if they could already see their opponents.

The Super Soldiers, on the other hand, looked unstoppable with their riot shields and rifles in hand... Their footsteps were even heavier than the Warden Units, and they also moved faster...

Finally, the Gladiators, armed with melee-focused gear, took the outer path, to ensure that no one would be escaping from here!

Just like that, Shane used Veiled Step and Spectral Tracker to approach undetected. The Stealth Barrier shimmered faintly, and it was barely visible to the naked eye, but as they got closer, their barrier became more obvious.

Inside, Orlando was coordinating the defense. Two engineers were trying to reboot a mortar... One Flamecaster was prepping a perimeter burn. The remaining exosuit operators were guarding the rear, their suits were already dented but still functional.

However, as Shane’s group got closer, the barrier trembled as it was attacked by an invisible force!

Shane actually used his very rarely used Mana Bullet!

It was one of the Skills he had learned not from this Zombie Apocalypse, but from the Fairy Realm Invasion. Mana Bullet or even the existence of Mana shouldn’t exist in this universe or realm.

However, with his Special Physique after getting his complete Memory, plus the existence of the World Tree he planted in this world, everything had already changed.

As soon as the Barrier collapsed with his invisible Mana Bullet,

Shane raised his hand and gave his command.

”Now.”

Snipers fired first.

They were clean shots that disabled the Flamecaster’s tanks before they could ignite.

Boom! BOom! Boom!

Of course, the destruction of the canisters resulted in their explosions as well!

Just from this move, they had already eliminated many enemies and created chaos in their midst.

However, it didn’t end there...

The Warden Units got closer, and their arms shifted into blade mode as they cut through the outer defenders.

Thud! Thud!

One operator was knocked flat before he could react. Another tried to counter with a hydraulic punch, but a Gladiator intercepted with a burst shield bash.

Orlando summoned two Golems, one Fire-type, one Stone-type, but Shane was already moving.

He activated Phantasm Rush, closing the gap in an instant, then used Quick Draw to slash the Fire Golem’s core before it could stabilize.

The Stone Golem swung wide, but Shane ducked under and countered with Force Breaker, cracking its leg and sending it crashing into a pile of debris.

”Suppress Orlando!” Shane shouted.

Two Warden Units locked onto him, firing stun guns that disrupted his summoning rhythm. Orlando tried to retreat, but Shane used Underground Burrow to tunnel beneath him and emerge behind his back.

”End of the line...” Shane said.

He activated Titan’s Roar, staggering the remaining defenders, then followed up with Double Thrust, piercing Orlando’s shoulder and forcing him to drop his last Golem Core.

The rest of the Overlord Clan forces were collapsing. The surviving engineers surrendered. The exosuit operators were disabled one by one. The Flamecaster units were either captured or neutralized.

Cloud confirmed the result:

[ All Overlord Clan combatants subdued. Orlando captured. Stealth Barrier disabled. No further resistance detected. ]

Shane stood over Orlando, breathing steadily while he put the Prisoner’s Anklet to him...

”You should’ve retreated when you had the chance.”

Orlando didn’t respond. Well, he must’ve been too shocked by how he was defeated.

Just as Shane was about to secure the perimeter, the Orlando they had captured twitched unnaturally.

Cloud pinged a warning too late!

[ Alert: Abnormal nergy surge detected. Signature mismatch. ]

Shane’s eyes widened.

”Wait—!”

BOOM!

The explosion tore through the camp like a shockwave. The Orlando they had captured wasn’t real!

It was a Golem Clone, rigged with a high-density core and other unknown Skills. A suicide bomb disguised as a prisoner!

Five of Shane’s Safety Protection Tokens activated instantly, shielding him and a few nearby units. But the rest weren’t so lucky.

The blast shredded tents, scattered gear, and sent bodies flying.

The shockwave tore through the area... Warden Units were shredded. Super Soldiers were thrown like dolls. Gladiators were crushed under debris. Even the captured Overlord Clan members, those who had surrendered, were caught in the blast radius. Some were vaporized, and others were left groaning, bleeding, or unconscious.

Smoke and dust blanketed the area as the explosion was truly made to eliminate them!

Shane coughed as he survived the explosion... However, his armor was scorched and he knew that a few of his own people were killed in that cowardly attack...

Cloud’s voice came through, confirming what had happened.

[ Confirmed: Orlando was not captured. Golem decoy used. The real target has escaped. ]

Shane clenched his fists.

”Damn it... Orlando!”

He scanned the area, activating Heightened Awareness, Spectral Tracker, and Phantasm Rush in rapid succession. He checked every heat signature, every energy trail, every possible escape route.

Nothing.

”Cloud! Where is he?!”

[ No trace. Energy trail ends at the edge of the blast site. Possible use of high-level Movement Skill to escape the area. ]

Shane clenched his fist as he couldn’t just accept this situation...

”He played us. He played me.”