Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Shane wryly smiled as he didn't expect to do something like this within the Waiting Zone. At most, he was expecting to get special Survivor Skills, Talents, or unique weapons that were only available in this area.

Looking for slaves or recruits wasn't in his mind at all.

Nonetheless, since he had already paid the entry fee, he would certainly find the best or the most expensive one since it would be "free."

"I'll be looking around for now…" Shane said.

He then moved to another display, where a muscular figure with reddish skin sat cross-legged. The person's eyes were closed as he seemed to be in meditation.

"This is Torvak, a Half-Titan. He possesses immense physical strength and the ability to conjure flames at will. He's a true warrior and is priced at 4,000 Zombie Cores and 3,000 Experience Points. The only concern about him was his power… You may not find any loot if he does the killing for you."

'The difference in price wasn't too much, even if this guy was much stronger.' Shane mused as he gently nodded.

His gaze then drifted across the room, taking in the variety of individuals on display: a water nymph in a crystalline pod, a young dark elf with glowing tattoos that pulsed with mysterious energy, and even a hulking beast that resembled a hybrid between a bear and a wolf.

'I see… So that memory during the A.I. Rebellion must be connected to this…' Shane thought as he looked at the masked man.

"Manager Ash… Are these slaves from various realms who had failed to clear their Apocalypse?" Shane asked directly, and his question surprised not just the Manager but also a few of those in their cages.

Manager Ash was stunned as he looked at Shane carefully… He surely didn't expect a Survivor like him to know a lot of things related to this matter. After all, these Survivors should be very busy finding a way to protect themselves, finding food or ways to survive, or even finding a cure or vaccine to stop the spread of the virus.

He could only guess that Shane had somehow obtained missions, clues, or other similar things from the system and learned about how the Apocalypses worked.

However, he was unable to say much about this. He couldn't agree or deny this statement from an active Survivor.

"Their origins aren't something I'm allowed to reveal…" Manager Ash replied.

"You don't know where your products came from?" Shane asked with a frown.

Manager Ash sighed as he slowly explained.

"I am just a mere Merchant of this Waiting Zone… I can only help you with the transactions that you can complete in this store."

Shane then confirmed that the Manager was indeed prohibited by some sort of rule, so he decided to stop investigating. Anyway, he was sure that his guess was close to the truth at the very least.

Manager Ash noticed the change in the atmosphere, so he quickly changed the topic and continued. "Each being you see here is bound by the Vault's contracts. Their loyalty is guaranteed, and their abilities are unparalleled. Of course, such quality comes at a cost."

Shane folded his arms as he considered his options.

"Let me just see a few more of them…" Shane replied.

He then took a slow walk through the hall. His eyes scanned every cage and crystalline pod. The sheer variety of beings here was astonishing, and each one seemed to radiate a unique energy.

Manager Ash followed close behind and waited silently for Shane to show any interest before he would introduce any of the products.

"I'm sorry for taking my time, Manager Ash." Shane said.

"It's my honor to assist you. Take your time, Sir Shane… " Ash said in his deep voice. "Each individual here represents a unique asset, honed by their talents and experiences. Allow me to guide you."

Shane nodded and took his offer. He stopped at a cage where a tall man with pale skin leaned casually against the bars. His dark hair, angular face, and red eyes glowed faintly in his confinement. The figure then smiled at Shane, revealing a set of fangs.

Getting Shane's hint, Ash began… "This is Bradd, a Knight-Class Vampire. His intelligence dropped after becoming a vampire, but he was definitely deadly on the battlefield. Unfortunately, his kind doesn't drink the blood of the Zombies. However, feeding them with Zombie Cores is possible if you don't have any source of fresh blood."

Seeing that someone might be interested in him, Bradd stepped forward to show his clearer appearance. "I can sense potential in you," Bradd said in a friendly tone… Seeing that Shane wasn't reacting, he continued.

"Perhaps I could teach you a thing or two about wielding the darkness to your advantage."

"…"

Shane didn't speak, and his expression was unreadable. However, he could guess that the Vampire must really want to leave this place since he was even trying to help Shane decide to get him.

Manager Ash didn't seem to mind this Vampire's method and continued to explain.

"Bradd's abilities include shadow teleportation, enhanced senses, and regenerative healing…" Ash continued. "His normal price would be 6,000 Zombie Cores and 5,500 Experience Points ."

Shane nodded thoughtfully but moved on.

The next figure caught his attention immediately.

The figure was a woman who sat cross-legged on the floor of her cage. She seemed to meditating or perhaps sleeping…

She had long, dark hair, and her bronzed skin was etched with black tribal-like tattoos that seemed to be filled with a unique aura.

Shane couldn't help but recall Dylan's Tattoo Artist talent, who could make tattoos that could produce Survivor Skills for the bearer.

When she opened her eyes, they glimmered with a golden hue… Shane felt intrigued since he felt a serene yet intimidating aura from her gaze.

"This is Mirai Solis, a Sunmarked Mystic. A warrior-monk blessed by the sun itself, Mirai possesses unparalleled skill in hand-to-hand combat and solar energy manipulation," Ash said.

Mirai remained on her spot, but as Shane looked closer, he confirmed that the tattoos on her arms and legs were indeed showing some fluctuations similar to his Aura.

"I'm curious… Can you share your knowledge about those marks on your bodies?" Shane asked.

Mirai raised her brow as she believed that Shane wanted to use these tattoo marks to make an army of strong warrior monks as well.

"These marks are meant to control my power, not to increase my power…" She said softly. "I can't share it with others, or they'll just be cursed by the power of the sun."

"Ahem… That was rude of me…" Shane replied with a cough. Well, at least he tried.

Manager Ash seemed to have witnessed something similar since he could also feel something strange from those tattoos. He couldn't help but smile after confirming Shane's train of thought.

He then spoke to give more details about the slave.

"She excels in solar-infused strikes, creating blinding flares to disorient enemies, and generating shields of light for defense…" Ash added. "Her price is 7,500 Zombie Cores and 1,000 Experience Points. I decided not to recommend her to you because of her belief… She doesn't want to kill anyone. At the very least, she doesn't want to kill anymore. She might not be as helpful as she could be. If she's not that stubborn, she would be priced that low at all."

Manager Ash said.

Shane was stunned at this since he thought that they were bound by the contracts. It was quite amazing that even if he purchased her, he wouldn't be able to order her to kill.

Seeing Shane's confused expression instead of disappointment, Manager Ash knew what he was thinking, so he continued.

"It seemed to be related to her belief in the sun god. If she decided to go against the will of her god, her strength may disappear. This belief was so strong and seemed to be connected to her soul… She might just die if we tried to use stronger restrictions."
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That was certainly a pity as Shane felt that this woman was really strong… There was no doubt that she was stronger than Chaloem and even Shinja!

Shane could only nod at this as he noted her as one of her options. After all, he didn't mind taking the experience points if she didn't want to.

'I'll just take all the last hits if she doesn't want it.' Shane mused.

Shane lingered briefly before moving to the next cage, where a tall, muscular man stood gripping the bars with clawed hands.

His yellow, wolf-like eyes tracked Shane's every move as if he were gauging Shane's strength. His long, unkempt hair and wild aura set him apart from the others… There was even a faint growl rumbling in his throat as Shane approached.

"And here we have Kain, a Shifter. Unlike most werewolves, Kain retains full control of his transformations, making him a formidable ally both in human and beast form."

Shane nodded at the manager's words and asked, "What about his price?"