Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

After Shane learned a few more things about the Shelter, he couldn’t help but feel curious about it.

Seeing that, Gregor excused himself, leaving Shane to wander freely.

The man had already turned his attention to his wife, Amira, and Shane understood well enough what that meant.

He didn’t linger since he had no interest in intruding. Instead, he stepped back out into the cavern.

His eyes scanned the bustling life of the hidden shelter, and it was not as gloomy as he had thought at first.

Almost immediately, a familiar figure approached him. It was the young man who had owned the massive bear that fought alongside Shane earlier. His clothes were torn, his face seemed bruised, but his eyes showed gratitude.

”Sir... thank you,” the man said, bowing his head. ”Without you, we would have been killed, or worse, captured by the River Flow Clan.”

Shane’s expression remained calm. ”I didn’t like those guys either. They were arrogant... I don’t tolerate that.”

The man straightened. He was relieved to hear that. ”My name is Vince. And you are...?”

”Shane,” he replied.

Vince’s eyes widened slightly. ”Shane... that name sounds familiar.”

He thought for a moment, but he shook his head, dismissing the idea that popped into his head. ”Anyway, would you like to explore our shelter? It’s small, but... we’ve built something here.”

Shane nodded. ”Lead the way.”

As they walked, Shane was already thinking of his plan.

’Blue Haven Shelter is the closest. With the portal system, I could easily transfer them to any of my fortresses. If they’re worth it, absorbing this place would strengthen my network.’

Indeed, with the contribution of that animal summoner, Shane could accept these hundred or so people into his fold.

However, he had to learn more about them first to determine if they deserved to be accepted.

Just like that, the survivors had no idea they were being assessed.

Vince guided him through the cavern. Shane was actually surprised by what he found.

There was a bakery, its ovens fueled by fire crystals, that was probably looted from Fire Zombies. The smell of fresh bread filled the air as well. A woman with soot-stained cheeks handed out loaves to children, and Shane saw their faces light up with joy.

Next, they passed a weaponsmith’s forge.

Sparks flew as a burly man hammered glowing metal. He was shaping blades and spearheads. His arms were scarred, but his talent was obvious.

Vince explained, ”That’s Horace. He has a crafting talent, he can strengthen weapons beyond their grade, though it drains a lot of Spirit Points, too.”

Shane nodded with interest.

’A smith with enhancement talent... useful.

Further along, Shane noticed a small apothecary. Shelves lined with herbs from the Sun Orb fields were carefully sorted into jars.

A young girl with a faint flame flickering in her palms tended to them.

Vince whispered, ”She has a Fire Talent. She can also accelerate growth and purify herbs. Without her, our medicine supply would be nothing.”

’So an Alchemist or something?’ Shane mused.

In any case, they continued deeper. He found a training hall, and it was crude but functional.

It was where survivors sparred with wooden weapons. Wolves and bears sat nearby, watching their partners practice. The bond between humans and beasts here was undeniable.

Finally, Vince showed him a communal hall, where survivors gathered around a central fire.

Some played instruments, others repaired clothing, and a few carved charms from bone and stone. Despite the hardship, there was life here...

Shane’s gaze swept across it all.

A bakery, a smith, an apothecary, even talents tied to fire and crafting... This shelter is small, but it has foundations. If absorbed into Blue Haven, they could thrive even more. And with the portal system, integration would be seamless.

He said nothing yet, only nodding as Vince smiled proudly.

Inside, Shane’s mind was already working.

Now, he just wanted to meet the man with the talent to summon animals.

***

After learning more things from Vince, Shane finally Vince about the mysterious survivor with the talent to call animals.

Vince’s expression softened...

”She’s resting,” Vince explained.

”The last summoning drained her nearly to death. She called a creature... one strong enough to guard us in secret. Without her, we wouldn’t have lasted this long.”

Shane’s curiosity deepened.

The talent was actually a woman.

Furthermore, he realized that Vince was right.

The shelter had barriers and was hidden behind the waterfall, but he hadn’t seen any turrets, nor did the guards carry weapons powerful enough to fend off high-tier Zombies. Most of them had pistols, decent swords, and spears.

Against Tyrant Zombies, Lickers, or Giants, that wouldn’t be enough.

It was clear they had other means of protection.

As Shane pondered this, the ground trembled beneath his feet.

An earthquake? His instincts sharpened instantly, but what surprised him was the reaction of the survivors. Nobody panicked. They carried on as if the rumbling was normal.

Shane felt intrigued...

He was about to activate his detection skills when a faint scratching came from inside his jacket. One of Fiona’s rats emerged, twitching its whiskers.

Just like that, the creature relayed information directly from Fiona, who was observing through her rats outside.

Shane’s lips curled slightly.

”Mhmm? There’s a Zombie Lord outside... above the waterfall?” His voice carried a note of shock.

Vince froze...

”You noticed immediately?” He exhaled, almost relieved.

”Yes... That’s our main protection. Aside from the summoned creature, we chose this spot because three Zombie Lord territories overlap nearby. Since they’re clustered together, no one dares to raid it.”

Shane understood immediately. Just one Zombie Lord required thirty to forty Level 50 Survivors to take down. With three of them together, and if they ever cooperated, the number required to raid them would be astronomical.

’So that’s one of their secrets. They’re shielded by monsters too powerful for most to challenge. Clever... but dangerous. If those Lords ever turned their attention inward, this shelter would be crushed in seconds.’

Then, as Shane thought of this, Fiona gave him another shocking news!