Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Shane’s expression became grim as Cloud’s fragmented feed showed him what had happened.

”Sylas... Sandara...”

He had watched the entire situation through Cloud’s limited connection, yet there was nothing he could do. The First Citadel’s internal systems were interfering with Cloud’s access, and the barriers separating the groups prevented Shane from reaching them in time.

”Cloud, where are they?”

[ I lost direct access to their location immediately after the facility activated another layer of interference. I am attempting to restore the connection. ]

Shane clenched his fist.

He felt genuine anger toward the ancient facility.

He had expected dangers, but he had never expected the Citadel to deliberately separate his team and capture two of his elite members.

”Everyone, finish this side as quickly as possible.”

The others immediately understood the seriousness in his voice.

The defensive systems surrounding Shane’s group continued attacking from every direction, but now that they knew the weapons were designed to force them into specific positions, they stopped reacting passively.

Tundra planted several invisible bombs along the floor while Max moved through the corridor, destroying the mechanical weapons that attempted to block their movements.

Jillian continuously played her melodies to strengthen everyone’s physical abilities, while Lyra used her talismans to protect the weaker members whenever the facility launched another barrage.

Minerva’s combat precognition also proved especially valuable.

Whenever the facility prepared another attack, she warned the group moments before it happened, allowing them to move before the weapons could lock onto their positions.

Even Travis, who normally stayed away from the front lines, began helping by identifying patterns in the facility’s defensive mechanisms.

Within several minutes, the final weapon was destroyed.

The corridor finally became quiet.

”Cloud.”

[ I have partially restored access. ]

”Find Sylas and Sandara.”

[ Searching. ]

Shane didn’t wait for the result as he needed to find Tieria as well.

”Break through the walls.”

Max immediately understood.

”Finally.”

He stepped forward and activated the Voidpiercer Gauntlet.

BOOM!

His fist smashed into the metallic wall.

The ancient material cracked, but it didn’t collapse.

Max grinned.

”Then we’ll hit it again.”

Tundra joined him, placing several invisible bombs against the weakened section before detonating them.

BOOM!

The wall finally collapsed.

The group immediately rushed through the opening and followed Cloud’s guidance toward the location where Tieria was and where Sylas and Sandara had disappeared.

After breaking through another wall, they finally entered a hidden chamber.

Everyone stopped as they saw Tieria was lying unconscious on the floor.

His mechanical eye was still glowing faintly.

But there was no sign of Sylas and Sandara, as expected.

Shane then asked.

”Did you find them?”

Cloud remained silent for several seconds.

Then its answer came.

[ I cannot detect them. ]

This was a disaster...

Shane frowned as he looked at Tieria lying unconscious on the floor.

”Get him stabilized first.”

Jillian immediately moved toward him while Lyra knelt beside Tieria and began examining his condition. There were no obvious wounds on his body, but his mechanical systems appeared to have suffered severe interference. His mechanical eye flickered repeatedly, and several faint sparks occasionally escaped from the artificial components around his temple.

”He’s alive,” Jillian said after checking him. ”But whatever happened to him overloaded his body. I can restore his physical condition, but his mechanical systems may take longer.”

”Do it.”

Jillian immediately began using her spiritual energy to stabilize Tieria’s body while Lyra placed several healing talismans around him.

Shane remained standing nearby as he looked around to find traces of enemies...

For several seconds, nobody spoke... Then Travis finally broke the silence.

”We should consider retreating.”

Shane slowly looked at him as he tried to understand his thoughts.

Then Travis added. ”I’m not saying we abandon them. I’m saying that we don’t know what we’re dealing with anymore. The facility has already separated us once, and now it has taken two of our elite fighters. If we continue moving deeper without understanding its defenses, we might lose even more people.”

Nobody immediately disagreed.

It was a reasonable concern.

However, Shane shook his head.

”We’re not leaving. If we retreat now, it might be too late to save them. More importantly, if this facility can do this to Sylas and Sandara, then it can do the same thing to anyone else who enters. It’s better for our team to deal with this.s”

He glanced toward the corridor behind them.

”We can’t simply leave this problem here.”

Tundra also nodded as he felt that it was too early to give up.

”I agree. ”Besides, we already came this far.”

Minerva also stepped forward.

”And if the facility is capable of capturing people without killing them immediately, then there’s still a chance they’re alive.”

That possibility changed the atmosphere slightly.

Shane looked toward Cloud.

”Can you detect any biological signals from them?”

[ Negative. The interference remains too strong. However, I have detected several internal energy fluctuations that are moving deeper into the facility. ]

”Could they be Sylas and Sandara?”

[ I cannot confirm that. ]

Shane gently nodded since it was still a good start.

”Then we’ll find out ourselves.”

***

The group continued deeper into the First Citadel after making sure Tieria was stable enough to move.

Nobody suggested retreating anymore...

After several more minutes of exploration, Cloud suddenly detected something unusual.

[ There is a large open space approximately twenty meters ahead. ]

”Anything inside?”

[ My detection remains limited. I cannot determine the contents of the area. ]

Shane immediately became cautious.

They moved forward slowly until the corridor finally opened into an enormous chamber.

Everyone stopped.

The hall was enormous, with a ceiling that disappeared into darkness and walls covered in ancient metallic structures. However, there were no machines waiting for them, no visible weapons, and no obvious exits.

”Dead end?” Max asked.

Tieria slowly examined the surroundings with his mechanical eye.

”There’s nothing obvious.”

”After everything we’ve encountered, this feels suspicious.”

Still, there was no reason to remain in the corridor forever, so Shane eventually stepped inside.

One by one, the others followed.

The moment everyone had entered the chamber, however, the metallic walls suddenly lit up.

Several lines of blue-white energy spread across the floor, forming a massive circular pattern beneath their feet.

Everyone immediately prepared for another attack, but nothing happened.

Instead, a humanoid machine suddenly emerged from the darkness at the far end of the hall.

Unlike the War Automata, Specter Automatons, and Bloodforged Automatons they had encountered earlier, this machine possessed a much more refined appearance. Its body was humanoid and covered in smooth metallic armor, while a faint blue light glowed from the center of its chest.

It walked toward them without displaying any weapons.

Then it stopped several meters away.

[ Greetings, distinguished Survivors. ]

Everyone stared at it. Then, the machine continued speaking in a remarkably polite tone.

[ I apologize for the unpleasant welcome you received upon entering the First Citadel. ]

Max’s expression immediately became strange.

”Unpleasant? You mean the part where your security systems tried to kill us?”

The machine looked at him before replying, [ I understand your dissatisfaction. ]

”You understand?”

”Is this thing serious?”

”Who are you?”

The machine placed one hand against its chest.

[ I am the representative of the owner of the First Citadel. My designation is currently irrelevant. You may simply refer to me as the Representative. ]

Shane remained silent.

The Representative continued.

[ Although your actions have classified you as intruders, the First Citadel recognizes the value of peaceful negotiation. ]

”So you want to negotiate now?”

[ Correct. You will leave the First Citadel, and in exchange, the Citadel will cease further defensive actions against your group, and we’ll offer you a good trade. ]

Shane and the others couldn’t help but frown at this sudden trade...

Still, seeing that they weren’t answering, the Representative continued.

[ We require 200 Spirit Stones a month. In exchange, the First Citadel will provide ten doses of Alpha Gene Serum. ]