Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

The battlefield had immediately become chaotic, but Arden and Eira were no longer in the vicinity... Even their druids and other sky gliders had also retreated.

Furthermore, when the twenty Zombie Kings and five Zombie Lords had clawed their way out of the earth, Arden had immediately realized the danger.

A simple stealth cloak would not be enough to hide their presence.

He might have summoned them, but those creatures didn’t recognize friend or foe. They attacked anything alive.

”Smoke! Deploy the smoke!” Arden ordered with urgency.

This was the only way he could think to ensure that the Zombie Lords and Zombie Kings would not come for them instead and focus on the walls of the Springriver Manor.

After all, even if the Manor had the Zombie Repelling Wards and Zombie Deterring Plants planted everywhere, they were not enough for the Kings and Lords of the Zombie Race.

Eira didn’t hesitate.

She raised her hand, signaling her druids. Thick clouds of alchemical smoke burst from canisters, spreading across the battlefield.

The choking haze concealed their retreat, masking their scent and heat signatures from the undead.

”Awesome!”

”Move silently! Don’t make noise!”

Just like that, the Sky Riders abandoned their broken gliders, sprinting into the cover of smoke. The Green Haven druids followed, dragging wounded comrades with them.

The smokescreen was their salvation... without it, the Zombie Kings would have torn them apart.

Arden glanced back once, his face pale.

The huge forms of the Zombie Lords could still be seen in the distance...

Chains could be heard, toxins spread, and the aura of decay was everywhere. Even Arden felt the weight of their presence.

”Move... We’ve done enough. Let the Manor burn.”

The retreat was frantic, but it was successful. Within minutes, the remnants of the Sky Riders and Green Haven clans had slipped into the forest beyond the battlefield. The smoke covered their tracks, and the undead turned their fury on Springriver Manor instead.

By the time they regrouped, the clans were exhausted but alive.

Arden stood at the center of the camp on a nearby hill that still faintly viewed the Springriver Manor.

Eira joined him, her druids gathering nearby. For a moment, they were all silent. Then, one of the Sky Riders let out a laugh.

”We did it,” he said, his voice trembling with relief. ”Springriver Manor is finished.”

Another chimed in as he looked at the manor from afar.

”Those silver knives... they stopped. Whoever was controlling them is exhausted. The defenders are done for.”

The mention of the knives drew murmurs. Layla’s storm of blades had been the bane of their armies, shredding gliders, druids, and siege machines. But now, the knives had vanished. The defenders had lost their most terrifying weapon.

Arden allowed himself a smile. ”Yes. They’re finished. Without those knives, they’re nothing.”

Eira’s druids cheered, their voices rising in celebration. ”Let’s just wait for the Zombie Lords to tear them apart...”

The clans erupted in laughter and shouts. For the first time since the battle began, they felt victorious. Although they suffered casualties, they were still happy that they were able to become the victor in the end.

”Drink!” one of the Sky Riders shouted, raising a flask. ”To the Overlord Clan! To our victory!”

The clansmen drank, their spirits soaring. They had lost many, but the sight of Springriver Manor collapsing under the weight of the undead was enough to make them forget their losses.

But their celebration was short-lived.

From their vantage point in the forest, they noticed some changes. The silver knives were gone, yes, but something else had appeared.

Ten massive silhouettes emerged from the hangar beneath Springriver Manor.

The clans fell silent, their eyes widening.

”What... what is that?” one of the druids whispered.

Arden’s smile faded. ”Mechs.”

The machines advanced, their mechanical bodies rivaled the Zombie Lords!

Soon, rotary cannons were activated, plasma launchers charged, and camouflage systems were seen being used by these Mechs!

The Juggernauts, Vanguards, and Phantoms moved...

The clans watched in stunned silence as the mechs tore into the Zombie Kings. Cannons shredded limbs, plasma blasts vaporized flesh, and wires sliced through undead bodies.

Even the Lords were forced back, their advance slowed by the mechanical titans.

Eira’s face twisted in disbelief.

”They... they really have machines like that? How?”

Arden clenched his fists. ”It doesn’t matter. Look at them. They’re strong, but not invincible. The Lords are still standing. The mechs are already taking damage. They won’t last forever.”

The clans murmured in agreement.

Relief washed over them again. The mechs were powerful, but they weren’t almighty.

Soon, they watched as the Lords dragged them down, chains were lashing out, toxins spreading, and their mere regeneration alone proved to be too difficult for the mechs.

One Juggernaut was slammed into the ground, and another Phantom was forced to retreat.

”They’ll fall,” Arden said firmly. ”Springriver Manor will still be destroyed. The mechs can’t save them.”

The clans cheered again with their confidence restored.

But then, from inside the Springriver Manor they sensed the arrival of some powerful Survivors.

A wave of energy pulsed outward, visible even from the forest.

The clans froze, their cheers dying in their throats.

”What now?” Eira whispered...

Although she also had a Legendary Grade Talent and believed that she could actually win against a Zombie Lord alone, there was no way for her to defeat so many of them at once. At this point, she was really impressed with their ability to defend this Shelter.

As soon as they saw the presence of several Survivors from afar, they knew that the Eclipse Revenant Clan had finally sent their elite members.

”Reinforcements.” Arden’s eyes narrowed as he could tell that these people were high-level Survivors...

Eira and her druids looked at the situation, unaware of what kind of power these people have....

”We thought they were finished. But I guess they still have something more to show.” Eira muttered as she considered helping the Zombie Lords...

Arden, however, shook his head. ”Just way... The Lords will still crush them. Reinforcements or not, Springriver Manor will fall. It has to.”