Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

After that, she also consumed the Five-Meter Jump Skill.

[ You have consumed the Five‑Meter Jump Elixir. ]

[ You have obtained the skill Five‑Meter Jump. ]

[ Five‑Meter Jump Lv6: Harness explosive leg strength to leap forward or upward. This skill allows you to reposition mid-air.

Effect: Instantly leap up to 5 meters in any chosen direction. Reduces fall damage by 90% when landing from heights.

Duration: Instant activation

Cost: 15 Spirit Points

Cooldown: 15 seconds ]

If Fiona still had some reservations about the two moments ago, they had completely vanished after realizing that the tokens and the skills were all genuine and there were no ties to it aside from being part of the Clan.

She was sure that there were numerous people who wanted to join Shane’s Clan or shelter.

After all, the news of the Floating Fortress and how people were treated inside that place had spread widely in both Regional and World Chat.

It was simply unimaginable that his clan was capable of living in such luxury while many of them were still struggling.

Because of that, it wasn’t surprising that numerous people would visit Shane’s shelters and apply to be a member.

’I guess my Talent is something they need right now... I’m lucky.’ Fiona thought. She believed she could only repay all these benefits she received with her skills or talent.

She’d also benefit if she managed to level up in the process after all.

Seeing how satisfied Fiona was, Alex raised his hand toward Fiona.

”Welcome to the group. From now on, you’re one of us.” His tone was light, but the sincerity behind it was unmistakable.

Alex really liked this new companion of theirs.

Fiona showed a faint smile, still adjusting to the idea of belonging to a clan after so long in solitude.

”For now,” Shane added, ”before we deal with the Overlord Clan, we’ll head to the shoreline. Tundra, one of our high‑ranking members, has established a new shelter there. We need to visit that place first.”

Fiona nodded. ”Understood.”

Just like that, the three decided to stay the night in this Hound Neutral Shelter.

They rented separate rooms and after cleaning themselves, they were able to rest peacefully.

The shelter was a bit noisy with so many dogs, but it was surely safe. As a matter of fact, they easily got used to the constant barking of dogs as they found it strangely comforting...

***

The next morning, they learned something new... Those hunting dogs could actually be purchased from the merchants here. The animals were trained, loyal, and bred for survival in the apocalypse.

Alex looked tempted. ”A dog would be useful.”

Shane shook his head. ”Not now. Our journey will be rough. Better not burden ourselves with extra mouths to feed or something to protect. We’ll visit this place and purchase some of them.”

Fiona agreed silently. She liked dogs, but her rats would never tolerate them.

Instead, the group bought food unique to the shelter. They got some smoked meats, dried mushrooms, and a few rare herbs that were said to boost stamina.

With their supplies packed, they left the Hound Shelter behind.

Snow crunched under their boots as they traveled on foot...

At this time, the cold wind was already biting at their cloaks.

Fiona’s rats, on the other hand, scurried ahead, darting into the road, forest, and ruins, as they seemed to be unaffected by the cold.

”I’ll let my rats scout ahead...” Fiona said firmly. ”But in exchange, you have to tell me your abilities too. I shared my talent and skills with you. It’s only fair.”

”Ohhh... You’re right...”

Alex grinned as he finally decided to share. ”I’ve got three Talents. One of them is Leaper. Lets me jump ten meters high without worrying about fall damage, and I can do it at any angle. Pretty handy when you need to escape or strike from above.”

Fiona’s eyes widened slightly. ”That explains why you move so freely... like gravity doesn’t matter.”

Alex nodded, then added, ”Another one is Martial Arts Master. It boosts my combat instincts, lets me chain techniques together, and makes me sharper in close quarters. As for my last Talent...” He smirked but shook his head. ”That one’s a secret. You’ll find out when the time comes.”

Shane’s gaze remained calm, though he chose his words carefully.

”I’ll share two of mine. First is Swordmaster’s Domain. It makes me... well, super good with a sword. Precision, speed, control... It’s like the blade becomes an extension of me.”

He paused, then continued, ”The other is Stormbreaker. It lets me summon lightning for a short time. Not full storms, but enough to strike enemies or electrify the battlefield. It’s flashy, but effective.”

These two talents were the new ones he had just obtained, not too long ago.

Fiona was definitely satisfied with that already. After all, she also has other Talents and has only revealed her Rat Princess Talent.

”Super cool... no wonder you’re Rank 1. Sword mastery and lightning? That’s a terrifying combination.”

Shane smirked. ”Exactly. And now, with your rats, our scouting range just doubled.”

The three continued down the snowy path...

Perhaps, due to the cold, they really wanted to chat while walking...

Soon, their conversation eased the tension of the journey. Fiona’s rats darted ahead, reporting back through her senses, and made everyone feel safe.

Then, their conversation shifted to the Zombies they had encountered before. The Zombies that Shane and Alex encountered were definitely strong and terrifying, which made Fiona really thankful for not having to deal with them... Especially the Siren King Zombies that Shane shared... the one that had a head like a megaphone...

After some time, Fiona also decided to share something of her own. ”I once encountered a strange type of zombie... a Poison Baby Zombie. Small, but vicious. It spat venom that corroded armor and burned skin. I barely survived.”

Alex paused... ”Poison... baby zombie? I’ve never heard of that before.”

”Neither have I. That’s new.” Shane muttered as he couldn’t help but recall Fiona’s words...

”Right... You mentioned that the Overlord Clan was experimenting with something with the Zombie Virus. Do you know the location of the shelter conducting the experiments?”