Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

The next morning, the Ironcrest delegation was permitted to explore Blue Haven Shelter under escort.

Sam and Prius walked beside Wren as they stepped into the bustling marketplace. The night before, they had eaten hot, filling meals... completely different from the dried food in their vessels. That alone had been comforting.

Now, as they gained a clear view of the situation within the shelter, they couldn’t help but feel impressed.

It was hard to believe that this newly built shelter could be so organized and modernized.

It even felt as though no Zombie Apocalypse was happening outside.

The place was filled with chatter, the scent of grilled fish, and merchants arranging their wares. Stalls lined the streets, each one filled with fresh goods.

They saw furniture carved from enchanted timber, accessories glittering with faint spirit energy, clothes made from durable fabrics, and weapons upgraded to at least Exceptional Grade.

”This... this is a nice shelter,” Prius murmured. ”It feels like a city.”

Wren nodded as he scanned the crowd. ”That is the strength of the Rank 1 Clan. They definitely have those exceptional builders. It must be the Mute Builders from the Auction House. I heard those people can build anything fast.”

He recalled the man who had purchased those Mute Builders. Those slaves were exceptional workers, and Wren believed Shane, or at least someone from his clan, had obtained them and helped construct this place.

”Let’s check that out...” Wren muttered as he noticed a beautiful shop near the marketplace.

A very nice scent of coffee was drifting from it.

Indeed, their first stop was the Mana Brew Café, a coffee shop nestled between two larger stores.

The aroma of roasted beans and bread filled the street, drawing them inside.

Behind the counter stood a young woman with sharp features and a warm smile.

Wren used his Appraisal Skill and confirmed that she was not a native of this continent but a Foreign Survivor, someone who, like them, had been pulled from Earth into this world.

Since his Appraisal Skill only cost 10 Spirit Points per use, he didn’t mind using it often...

”Interesting shops... I wonder where they’re getting their supplies of coffee beans,” Wren mused as he looked at the counter.

There, he noticed a small sign near the menu: Owned by Clara, Former Barista of Earth.

Sam blinked in surprise. ”I guess you can really bring your skills here from Earth... I wonder what Talent she has, choosing to be a barista even here.”

Clara heard their conversation and chuckled. ”It’s just an Insight Talent... Anyway, all shelters under Shane’s protection are pretty safe, so there’s no problem doing business here.”

As she spoke, she handed them a menu, and the Ironcrest men stared at the list of coffees.

”Is this your first time having coffee here?” she asked.

Wren nodded. ”Yes...”

Clara smiled, knowing she wouldn’t be compared to other shops this time.

After all, there were two other coffee shops more famous than hers. One was the Gold Star Café, run by Bart, the most popular of the three.

The other was the Zeustify Coffee Shop, originally from the Ivory Gear Neutral Shelter, which had branched out into Shane’s shelters.

Nonetheless, even if her shop wasn’t considered the best, Clara sold something the other two could not, the Elven Coffee Beans, infused with faint mana energy.

She had befriended one of the elves, and thanks to his ability, she was able to obtain a new type of roasted beans and added the name of the Elves to it for obvious reasons.

Soon, the group ordered...

They had a Seabreeze Latte, made with milk and flavored with sea salt.

A Dark Abyss Espresso, bitter and strong enough to jolt even the most exhausted soldier awake, and World Tree Blend, a rare brew enhanced by herbs from the elves of Eclipse Domain.

Prius took a sip of the Seabreeze Latte and nearly sighed aloud. ”This... this tastes like home.”

Wren allowed himself a faint smile. ”I didn’t expect to drink something like this here... This is an eye-opener.”

After paying for the coffee, they left and visited Bart’s Barrelhouse, an alcohol shop run by Bart himself.

They were lucky to meet Bart, since he managed many shops throughout Shane’s shelters.

As soon as they saw him, they all had the same impression, he was a jovial man with a thick beard and a loud voice.

The shelves were lined with bottles of every shape and size.

”Welcome, friends!” Bart greeted them. ”Here, you’ll find drinks for every mood. Low alcohol for the cautious, high spirits for the brave!”

Bart had already heard about their arrival and was curious about their products. He wanted to befriend them, since they might supply him with alcohol unavailable on the mainland.

”This is an impressive collection...” Sam examined the bottles. There were light ales brewed with Spirit Grain, wines infused with coastal fruits, and stronger liquors distilled from enchanted herbs. The most famous was the World Tree’s Brew, a potent drink that shimmered faintly with green light.

Prius sniffed one of the bottles and coughed. ”This one could knock a man out in a single gulp.”

Bart laughed heartily. ”Aye, but it’ll also make him forget his troubles!”

Wren studied the shelves carefully. ”I think this will also sell well on the island. Don’t you think?”

Sam nodded. ”We should consider them for sure... However, we should focus on trading for Spirit Stones for now.”

Hearing this, Bart felt he had found an opportunity.

”Ho? How about we discuss that a little bit...” Bart said, immediately beginning a conversation with Wren and the others.

Two hours later, Wren left the shop with a satisfied smile.

***

Their next stop was the Silver Cauldron Alchemy Shop, run by a group of Wandering Merchants who had decided to establish a permanent branch in Blue Haven.

The shop was filled with shelves of potions, powders, and crystals.

A tall man in a hood greeted them. Seeing that the visitors weren’t regulars, he spoke quickly.

”We sell remedies, enhancements, and some other items you can only find in Neutral Shelters. All safe, all tested.”

Sam picked up a vial labeled Endurance Tonic. ”This restores stamina?”

The merchant nodded. ”Yes. And this one, Clarity Tonic, sharpens the mind. We also sell preservation powders for food, healing salves, and even minor enchantments for weapons.”

Prius examined a small crystal. ”This one’s interesting... What is this?”

”That’s quite rare, since it can only be made by an alchemist. It’s called a Spirit Resonance Crystal,” the merchant explained.

”It amplifies and channels the energy of nearby Spirit Stones. Useful when you need to use multiple Spirit Stones at once. Instead of consuming them one by one, you can use this Resonance Crystal to gather their energy together. There aren’t many uses for it, but Barrier Generators and certain weapons can make use of these crystals.”

Wren’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. ”I didn’t know such a thing existed...”

Realizing that the Spirit Resonance Crystal was only worth 200 Zombie Cores, Wren decided to purchase one to test later.

As they continued through the marketplace, they noticed other shops owned by Foreign Survivors.

A furniture store called Earthbound Designs, run by a carpenter from Japan, displayed tables and chairs carved with intricate patterns.

There was also a clothing shop named Threads of Two Worlds, owned by a seamstress from France, offering durable yet stylish garments.

Accessories, jewelry, and even weapons were sold by merchants who had once been ordinary people on Earth.

It was a fascinating place.

Sam whispered, ”They’re lucky to be protected by Top Rankers... If their starting point had been our location, these casuals would have been dead in the first month of the Apocalypse.”

Prius agreed as he recalled how many Survivors died in his first month in this Apocalypse.

***

After some time, they finally decided to end their tour by going to the dockyard. The sight made them stop in their tracks.

Massive ships could be seen over the harbor...

They saw workers improving the design of the shop.

Then, they saw that cannons were being mounted, and some armor plating was also being added.

Vasco, the shipbuilder, gave orders as his crew struggled to keep up. ”Faster! We need these ships seaworthy!”

But despite the progress, it was clear the work was slow. There simply weren’t enough skilled hands.

Wren studied the ships carefully. ”These vessels... they are unlike anything we have. If it’s completed, they will dominate the seas.”

Sam nodded. ”But they probably lack experts on this matter. Well, it’s a good thing that we established a good connection with them. Let’s make sure not to disappoint this clan.”

Soon, they just walked around the dockyard and appreciated the various ships that the shelter had.

As the day ended, the merchants returned to their quarters, their minds filled with impressions.

They then opened their Clan Chat and sent a message to inform their Clan Leader about the situation within the Shelter...

Of course, during all this time, several rats were watching their every movement.

”So they’re all just normal merchants... It’s kinda disappointing.” Fiona muttered as she finally cancelled her connection to the rats observing Wren’s group.