Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Since Fiona realized their strength, he had no intention of revealing herself.

The two figures who had passed through the zombie-infested town were strangers, and she didn’t even know their names.

Still, curiosity gnawed at her. She sent her rats to trail them, scurrying through alleys and ruins, moving between the undead, and made them follow the two outside the shelter.

It wasn’t easy.

Several rats died along the way, crushed beneath the feet of Jumpers, torn apart by Runners, or simply lost in the chaos of the horde they passed through.

Yet Fiona didn’t mind. She had more than two hundred under her command, and her Talent would summon more each day. Loss was inevitable, but the swarm endured.

Through their soul link or connection, she began to hear fragments of conversation. Names finally surfaced after several hours.

’Shane andAlex, huh...’

At last, the unknown figures had identities. She repeated them softly, committing them to memory.

When nothing happened on their side, Fiona returned to her daily routine in the bunker.

Shane and Alex were quite boring at times, after all.

Still, life underground was also monotonous, but she had carved out comfort where she could.

She bathed in the small washroom she had fixed with scavenged pipes, the water heated by a crude system powered from her solar panels.

She cooked simple meals, mostly canned goods, dried meat, and occasionally fresh vegetables she bartered for in distant neutral shelters or bought within the System’s Store and Marketplace.

Indeed, most of the time, she’d be checking the Marketplace for the current trend of items being sold and for their prices.

For now, she checked the System Store for supplies, considering her Zombie Cores carefully before making purchases. Sometimes she indulged in incense or small luxuries, filling the bunker with a faint fragrance that masked the damp smell of stone.

Then, the clothes she washed by hand were hung on improvised lines across the shelter. When boredom struck, she entertained herself by sketching maps of the ruined town above, marking zombie clusters and safe paths.

Other times, she simply lay back on her bedroll, listening to the scurrying of her rats as if they were her companions.

Then, if she was really feeling lonely, she’d purchase the alcohol that was being sold in the Marketplace called Bart’s Best.

Nonetheless, she would always link herself to her swarm to ensure that they were eating well and they weren’t being hunted down for meat like what had happened to her during the first days of the Apocalypse Event...

”Mhmm... They can also defeat seven Tyrant Zombies so effortlessly. Nice...” Fiona muttered as though the eyes and ears of the rats, she watched Shane and Alex kill Zombies.

Apparently, she could connect to them at any distance... Even if it was only Epic Grade, her Talent had bridged the gap effortlessly. It was like having a hundred tiny spies scattered across the land...

Days passed as she continued to observe...

Shane and Alex continued their journey, and Fiona’s rats followed faithfully. Then, something unexpected happened.

As she followed the two, she realized they actually stopped and looked so surprise... She then heard them speak.

”Tundra didn’t report this...” Shane muttered.

”Right. They probably used a different path or something... Maybe there was a heavy snow when they passed this road.” Alex muttered.

Soon, Fiona realized what they were talking about as she sent her rats forward...

”Ahh...”

Just like that, through the eyes of the rats, she noticed what was going on... There was actually a shelter, most likely a Neutral Shelter, that was surrounded by large trees...

Even from afar, she could see that numerous dark-skinned Survivors lived there. They had fortified the place with barricades and watchtowers. It seemed small or could probably take about two or three thousand people... but it was still a small shelter that none of them were aware of.

Fiona smiled as she whispered to herself, ”Interesting... I didn’t know a Neutral Shelter was here. I should visit this place and resupply.”

***

Shane finally turned his attention to the rat that had been trailing them.

It scurried along the snowy roadside with its whiskers twitching, probably due to cold... Furthermore, its tiny paws leave faint tracks in the frost, so it was easily noticeable.

”After you fed these rats once with our leftovers during one of our dinners, they started following us...” Alex muttered as he turned to the rats...

Apparently, both of them had known for some time that rats were shadowing their journey. They hadn’t bothered to chase them away. To Shane and Alex, the creatures were only searching for scraps.

They weren’t Zombie Rats, nor infected beasts... just ordinary survivors of the apocalypse.

Since the virus spread, most animals had succumbed to zombification. Only a handful of species remained untouched. Killing them felt wrong, even if they were pests.

So Shane and Alex let them be. The rats had their own struggle, living among zombies. Letting them scavenge scraps was the least they could do.

Hidden far below, Fiona listened through her swarm.

”Whoa~”

Their words reached her, and she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by her emotions...

This was the first time people didn’t see her rats as pests or something that should be killed or left to die in this harsh weather.

’They’re kind... they don’t see my rats as enemies.’

After taking a deep breath, her lips curved faintly... The two had definitely earned some points with her.

***

Soon, the Neutral Shelter became closer.

It was half‑hidden behind a wall of tall, frost‑covered trees.

From a distance, they could see smoke curled upward from chimneys, blending into the gray sky.

The perimeter was also protected by barricades made of sharpened logs, steel sheets, and broken concrete slabs.

Watchtowers rose above the walls, probably built from salvaged scaffolding and reinforced with sandbags.

Torches burned along the perimeter, and even if they don’t seem to be doing well technologically, it looked like a warm place.

Closer now, Shane and Alex noticed some movement inside... Dark‑skinned survivors patrolled the walls and they seemed like hardened warriors.

From the gaps of the fence or barricade, they noticed children darting around and could hear their laughter.

They also heard the sound of hammers echoing as workers repaired barricades, or maybe they were making weapons, while others carried crates of supplies around...

It wasn’t a massive shelter, but Shane estimated it could house two to three thousand people. For a Neutral Shelter, it was not the best, but it seemed organized.

As they approached the gate, several guards stepped forward.

Their rifles were raised, but they were not hostile. It was more a warning than a threat.

”Stop right there, Survivors...” one of them shouted. His voice was loud, but there were no traces of malice. They were already used to refugees or survivors trying to find shelter.

”Entry requires twenty zombie cores each. Payment upfront.”

Another guard added, ”And before you enter, you’ll need a full‑body check. Our doctors will examine you for bites or infection. No exceptions.”

Alex nodded. It was understandable. ”Figures. Nothing’s free these days. Still twenty zombie cores, huh... We should increase our pricing in our shelter as well. You’re still collecting five Zombie Cores, right? There’s already inflation.”

Shane smiled and nodded. He certainly had to increase his price as well. Soon, he was already reaching into his inventory. ”It’s fair. Anyway, this is better than letting the infected slip inside. At least we can feel confident that there’s no Zombies inside.”

Just like that, Shane and Alex cooperated and paid the entrance fee...

Soon, they also got checked by a doctor... or maybe a Shaman with the way he dressed, for any signs of Zombie bites or Zombie infection...

While they were being checked, the smell of cooking drifted faintly from inside... Stew, perhaps, or roasted meat. It was no longer a rare scent in the apocalypse, but nonetheless, it made Alex’s stomach tighten with hunger.

Hidden far below, Fiona’s rats clung to the treeline, watching every detail. Soon, they found the sewers and used them to enter cautiously without being noticed...

”So that’s the price... twenty cores and a clean health check... But that Shaman would touch me everywhere? I don’t feel comfortable being checked like that... Don’t they have a better device or something?” Fiona thought to herself as she watched how Shane and Alex got the Shaman to check their vitals and bodies.

***

Once the shaman finished his thorough inspection, checking their arms, legs, necks, and even their eyes for signs of infection, Shane and Alex were finally able to exit the temporary tent and saw the Neutral Shelter...

The air inside was warmer, filled with the mingled scents of cooking stew and burning wood...

Still, Alex’s eyes squinted as he scanned the interior. Well, the shelter wasn’t luxurious, but it was organized. Lanterns hung from poles, giving some light across the snow-dusted ground.

But what caught Shane’s attention immediately were the dogs.

Dozens of them...