Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

The stew was a mix of dried root vegetables, preserved meat slices, and a packet of powdered Spirit Broth Base, a rare ration developed in New Genesis Shelter’s alchemy division.

When properly prepared, it restored stamina and spirit points over time and provided a mild resistance buff against fatigue-based debuffs…

Eudora added a few drops of her own herbal extract, a greenish liquid stored in a crystal vial on her own bowl.

Noticing the gaze from everyone else, she immediately explained.

“An elf’s palate can be different. This will enhance my mana recovery rate. Just don’t consume too much, it’s potent. Do you want to try?”

Lysandra raised an eyebrow. “You sure it won’t knock us out instead?”

Eudora smirked. “Only if you’re weak.”

Liam chuckled as he showed his bowl. “Then I’ll take two drops.”

Just like that, they ate in relative silence. The stew was surprisingly good. It was savory, slightly spicy, and warming from the inside out. As the effects kicked in, a soft notification appeared in front of them.

[ Buff Applied: Fortified Breakfast ]

[ Stamina Recovery +15% (4 hours)

Spirit Point Regeneration +10% (4 hours)

Minor Resistance to Fatigue Effects ]

As for the Mana Recovery, they didn’t get something like that aside from Eudora, who had mana to begin with. At most, the others just felt the spiciness of the herbal extract that Eudora shared with them.

Sandra finished her bowl and stood to clean it up herself.

“Alright. Let’s break camp in ten. We’ve got a collapsed highway to cross before noon.”

Bon was already packing up the lamp, carefully sealing the Spirit Stones back into their containment case.

“I’ll scan the terrain ahead once we’re mobile. If the road’s unstable, we’ll need to reroute.”

“I’ll prep the slope…” Eudora muttered as she had previously altered the terrain to make it hard for the zombies to climb up.

Just like that, Jake and Chris began folding the tents, while Chaloem quietly extinguished the fire with a controlled pulse of his aura, leaving no trace of heat or smoke.

Lysandra checked her blade, then glanced at Sandra. “Did you check your Survivor Store? I got a decent item there. I just bought a swimsuit. I think the system knew that we’re heading to a lake and wanted me to enjoy the water.”

Sandra smiled faintly. “Not yet. I’ll check it. But I probably won’t feel confident swimming in deep waters. Just imagine a mutated fish coming for your legs.”

“That’s why you brought Eudora with us, right?” Lysandra added.

Since Eudora was an elf, they would trust her words, whether the lake was dangerous or not.

“Well, I hope it’s a clean lake… I’m sure Shane wanted something like that as well.”

With breakfast finished and their buffs active, the Vanguard Wing then resumed their journey…

***

It took them a few more days before they found the ruined lakeside town they were looking for, and it was half-submerged.

During this time, they have encountered numerous zombies and looted all of them, and even if none of them leveled up, it was not a big deal anymore since they had already consumed a lot of Agility, Strength, and Vitality Enhancement vials that came from the Clan Rewards.

“Hmm… I can’t sense any strong Zombie at the very least.” Bon muttered.

There were certainly zombies around, but they weren’t a threat in his opinion.

Looking around, the lake had surely risen over the years, flooding the lower streets.

But the northern part of the town was intact. A few buildings still stood, and the hydro station was visible in the distance, partially collapsed but still drawing water.

Sandra used her flight skill and hovered above the rooftops, scanning for movement.

“Undead presence confirmed…” she said through the comm. “Mostly low-tier and mid-tier Zombies. No high-tier Zombies…”

Bon’s eyes also glowed as he processed the data.

“Hmmm… This place isn’t as bad as it seems. Although the lake had risen, we can just create a new foundation. For now, let’s eliminate all the Zombies around.”

Chris cracked his knuckles as he already wanted some action. “Let’s clear it.”

The Vanguard Wing advanced into the half-submerged ruins of Rivershade Town… As they got closer, their boots splashed through ankle-deep water and moss-covered stone.

The area was filled with algae, and it was slippery…

Soon, the groan of the Zombies could be heard.

From the flooded alleyways and broken docks, the first wave emerged… They were the Shark Zombies.

They actually seemed like a hybrid Zombie. Their torsos were humanoid, but their head were like a shark’s. It was elongated with three layers of teeth.

Their skin was gray, and their arms ended in webbed claws. Some had dorsal fins protruding from their backs, while others dragged themselves forward with powerful tails…

Well, there weren’t many Zombies like this, but they had heard about them, so none of them were surprised at their presence.

“Targets confirmed… Shark-type undead. They’re mid-tier. They have a strong bite force, so make sure not to get bitten. I know you have Iron Muscles, Chris… But don’t let yourself get bitten.”

Sandra agreed to this as she saw the three layers of teeth.

“They’re also not alone…” Sandra added from above. “I see others, some kind of bloated ones with barnacles. They’re dragging nets.”

“Net Haulers…” Liam muttered. “Aquatic Zombies. They trap prey and drag them under where they could eat whatever they caught.”

“Let’s not get dragged,” Lysandra said while drawing her blade.

The Shark Zombies pounced first, leaping from the water with terrifying speed.

One aimed for Chris, but he caught it mid-air and slammed it into the pavement with a thunderous crack.

Bang!

Another tried to flank Jake, but his Ogre’s Constitution allowed him to absorb the impact without much issue. He then punched it in its face and threw the Shark Zombie away…

“Huh?” Jake was alarmed as it was tougher than he thought. Still, as the Shark Zombie rushed back to him, he crushed its skull with another punch…

Boom!

“They’re tougher than I thought. I used my Crushing Fist on that.” Chris announced…

His Crushing Fist uses 45 Spirit Points with a 10-second cooldown. It means that he couldn’t do it every time.

“Then, I’ll try using Aura.” Chaloem, the silent monk, said as he finally led the charge.