Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Niles couldn’t help but feel satisfied with the reaction he had just gotten from the World Chat...

He closed his Chat System and leaned on his steel chair... In the background, the faint sound of generators could be heard...

Apparently, he was in an underground bunker. He reached up and slowly removed the Thousand Faces Mask...

Whoosh~

The enchanted surface rippled before revealing his true face. For a moment, he simply stared at it, the mask lying on the table felt like a trophy. Without it, he looked ordinary...

He had round eyes, lean features, and nothing that screamed ”Phantom Thief.”

And yet, this was the man who had humiliated Shane, the Rank 1 Survivor... or at the very least, he liked to think that he had really humiliated him.

”Time to rest. Wait... I’m actually getting hungry.” Niles muttered as he looked at his surroundings.

The bunker was his sanctuary.

It was built somewhere within Sector 20. It had several barrier generators protecting it but it was also reinforced with layers of enhanced steel and hidden escape tunnels.

Unlike the Zombie-infested world above, here everything was calm.

Shelves lined the walls, stacked with supplies, including dried grains, canned food, bottled water, and crates of Zombie Cores. Of course, he also had various foods within his System Inventory...

However, there was a small garden stretched across one corner, illuminated by light orbs.

There were rows of green sprouting from soil beds like lettuce, beans, herbs, and even a few tomato plants.

He had learned long ago that survival wasn’t just about stealing, it was about sustaining.

Niles stood, stretching his arms, then walked toward the kitchen area.

It wasn’t luxurious, but it was functional...

There stone counter, a core-powered stove, and a rack of utensils he had obtained in this system’s Random Store.

He pulled out a pan, poured a little oil, and cracked two eggs into it. Eggs were extremely expensive right now, but he had stolen a few.

The sizzle filled the room, mixing with the faint scent of garlic he had chopped earlier. Beside him, a pot of rice steamed quietly.

Cooking was one of the few times he allowed himself peace.

Just food and some silence. He plated the eggs, scooped rice, and added fresh lettuce from his garden. Sitting back down, he ate slowly, savoring each bite...

After finishing, he carried a jug of water to the garden corner. He poured carefully, watching the soil darken as the plants drank.

”Grow strong,” he muttered. ”I’ll need your spices soon...”

Once the chores were done, he returned to the main room. It had simple desk where he’d normally tinker on things or organize his items...

As he sat there, he looked at his Chat Messages again...

As expected, there were a lot of messages sent to him.

[ Private Messages: 127 Unread. ]

He smirked. The raid had made several times more famous than before.

He opened the first message that caught his attention.

[ Lesley: I’m sure you’re aware of my existence already... But I’m one of the co-leaders of the Overlord Clan... Phantom Thief, your skills are unmatched. Join us, and we’ll give you command of our infiltration division. We admire how you humiliated Shane. Together, we can accomplish more things. ]

Niles chuckled. Overlord Clan had always been ambitious, but now they were desperate to recruit him. However, if they wanted to recruit him, they should be doing better than that.

Another message blinked.

[ Nikola: Phoenix Phalanx here. After discussing with Sir Alexander, we have decided to take you in under our banner... Although we respect your independence, imagine what you could achieve with our resources. We’ll grant you Legendary Gear, top-grade Enhancement Potions, and even a permanent seat in our council. Your talents deserve more than hiding in Sector 20. ]

He couldn’t help but feel amused. Phoenix Phalanx was known for discipline and order. To think they wanted a thief among them was ironic. Still, they mentioned what things they could give to him. It was a good method to make him reply.

The next one was also one of the Top 10 Clans in the leaderboard.

[ Riven: Wraith Walkers reaching out. You belong with us. Shadows, masks, invisibility... It’s our domain. We’ll give you freedom, missions, and protection. Shane won’t touch you if you’re under our banner. ]

Niles tapped his fingers against the desk. Wraith Walkers were tempting.

These people were more like a bunch of assassins and had a very strict recruitment process. Their philosophy matched his own. But he wasn’t sure if he wanted chains.

Anyway, more messages poured in.

[ Patrick: Ironclad Collective here. We don’t care about your past. I know you stole from one of our allied shelter. However, you also stole from Rank 1. That makes you valuable. Join us, and we’ll shield you from retaliation. You’ll receive 5 Legendary Gears, and two Talent Expansion Scrolls with two Talent Crystals. In return, you’ll teach us how to bypass defenses and you have steal something for us. All the details will be revealed if you decided to join us. ]

[ Medina: I’m from Bluemoon Clan speaking. We’ve never made contact with you until today. We really admire your courage. You’ve proven that even legends can get hurt like that. Bluemoon offers you sanctuary, wealth, and women. I’m sure you’ll like them all. ]

Niles laughed softly. He certainly had sanctuary and wealth already... However, women were a different topic. Now, it seemed that he had another great offer.

He closed the messages for now, letting them pile up.

He wasn’t in a rush. The clans wanted him, but he wanted freedom.

He had built this bunker with his own hands, stolen supplies, and clever tricks. He didn’t need their protection just yet...

Standing again, he walked to a shelf and pulled out a flask of tea.

He then poured himself a cup... The steam rose as he sat back down.

He sipped slowly, eyes drifting to the mask on the table.

The Thousand Faces Mask was on the table. It was the item that made him pursue his current career of stealing items from other shelters. He wasn’t really like this before.

Now, he thought about Shane. The Rank 1 Survivor, humiliated in front of the world. Niles had done what no one else dared, and he couldn’t help but like this attention...

’I didn’t know it feels this good.’ He mused.

But here, in his bunker, life was simple. Cook food... Water plants. Read messages... Sleep... and steal from time to time.

He then checked another set of private messages.

[ Ramses: Niles, please sell me one Warden Unit. My shelter is dying. I’ll pay whatever you ask. You’re our only hope. ]

[ Jamie: We don’t have much, but we admire you. Teach us how to bypass defenses. Teach us how to steal like you. ]

He frowned. Not everyone wanted him for power. Some wanted him as a donor or something.

However, he wasn’t a savior. He was a thief!

Still, he couldn’t deny the thrill of being at the center of attention.

***

Two days later, Niles was already deep into planning. The stolen Warden Units, turrets, and mana cannons were all carefully packed inside his special bag...

It was a rare item that allowed him to store things too large or complex for the System Inventory. He had spent hours calculating how much each piece was worth, scribbling numbers on scraps of paper, considering how many Zombie Cores and Item Upgrade Crystals he could demand.

”Ten thousand cores each... maybe more if I bundle them with cannons. The clans will fight over them.” The thought amused him. He had turned Shane’s prized defenses into bargaining chips.

Just as he was about to finalize his pricing, a faint sound reached his ears.

There were tiny movements with some scratching.

His head snapped up. The barrier generator was still active, so nothing dangerous should have been able to enter. His instincts sharpened instantly.

He stood, scanning the bunker.

The noise came from the far corner near the shelves. He moved silently, his hand already twitching with readiness to strike...

Then he saw it... a rat. It was small, ordinary, with whiskers twitching as it sniffed the air.

Niles exhaled, half‑laughing.

”A rat? Really? The barrier must’ve ignored you because you’re not a threat.” With a flick of his wrist, the chopsticks on his desk lifted, darting through the air.

Thwip! The rat was skewered instantly, its body dropping lifeless to the floor.

He turned away, but then... more scratching. Two more rats scurried out from beneath the shelves. His amusement faded.

”Did I have too much leftover food? I should clean up better.” He muttered, but soon, he realized something wasn’t right...

His bunker was surrounded by enhanced steel and sealed. Normal rats shouldn’t have been able to squeeze through. And these weren’t zombie rats, just ordinary vermin.

He crouched, staring at them as they froze under his gaze.

”How did you get in here?” he whispered.