Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Seeing that Shane's gaze was drawn to the woman in the middle, the manager immediately introduced her.

"This is Sona, a Frostborn Arcanist. She is one of the last of her kind, capable of freezing entire battlefields with but a gesture. Her potential is limitless, and she is priced accordingly at 15,000 Zombie Cores and 10,000 Experience Points. Of course, those aren't included in the free product. That's only possible for those outside."

Shane was awed by the woman's price. She must be incredibly strong, which explained why she was being kept here. After asking about Sona's abilities, he realized that her potential was indeed undeniable.

The only concern about her was the fact that she had to sleep for 10 hours a day. To be exact, her body would be forced to sleep that much.

It wasn't really a big deal, since he knew several people in his previous world who slept that much every day. Perhaps it would only become a problem if they were traveling.

"Does it mean that she can't be woken up once she falls asleep?" Shane asked curiously.

"It's still possible to forcefully wake her up, but you have to expect that her abilities wouldn't even be 50% of their original strength," Manager Ash replied.

"I understand… In any case, it's not like I'm planning to make her work 24/7… Ten hours is also quite reasonable," Shane muttered.

"Right… Are you interested?" Manager Ash asked.

"I'll think about it," Shane said as he glanced at the two others.

This time, he felt curious about the golden-skinned man.

Apparently, because of the light, this man appeared very bright due to the reflections. He also had radiant, sun-like markings etched across his body. His amber eyes seemed particularly interesting, as Shane could tell they contained some power.

"Eye-based Talent?" Shane thought as he observed the man's appearance.

Even in the reflections of the light, his long, flowing white hair made him look like a celestial being.

"He looks really strong… I wonder how he became like this," Shane thought.

"This is Otto, a descendant of the Celestial Sunsingers," Ash introduced. He then stepped closer to the golden-skinned figure. "His lineage grants him extraordinary abilities tied to light and fire. He can conjure solar flares, purify curses, and heal wounds at an incredible rate."

"A priest or maybe a magician type?" Shane thought as he gently nodded his head.

Ash didn't wait for Shane to ask about the man's drawbacks and continued. "He's definitely a great helper, but Otto's strength is only at its peak during the day when the sun is up. Although his strength is still great during the night, it would only be half of its peak at most. However, that half is still comparable to powerful recruits, and you can't underestimate it."

"Oh? So he's strong even in a weaker state? That would be incredible. He must be really expensive as well," Shane thought.

Shane raised an eyebrow. "And the price?"

"14,500 Zombie Cores and 7,000 Experience Points. A fitting sum for a being of his caliber," Ash replied.

Shane took a step closer, studying Otto for a bit. The aura of light around him flickered slightly, and for a moment, Shane thought he saw something darker beneath the radiance.

"Interesting…" Shane thought as he heard Cloud's report about Otto.

Anyway, Otto was still too expensive… Although Shane had more than enough Zombie Cores to purchase him, he felt like he would be stretching his resources.

After taking a deep breath, Shane turned his attention to the last figure.

The final figure was perhaps the most mysterious. A tall, lean man with the most normal skin among the others, like a normal human. However, his green eyes were something Shane could say were similar to a reptile's!

"What is it this time? Reptilian? Is he capable of transforming into a dinosaur or something?" Shane thought to himself. However, he was completely wrong this time.

"He is Zephyrion… He calls himself the Abyssal Scholar of the Void. However, we just call him a Necromancer…" Ash said, his voice carrying a note of caution. "His mastery over Necromancy Spells is quite incredible."

"Necromancer?" Shane repeated, clearly in shock. He didn't expect to find one here.

"Perhaps this person is related to those Necromancers in the Wild Shelters?" Shane thought but immediately shook his head. After all, Asad was also a Necromancer, and he was definitely unrelated to them.

Furthermore, instead of staying silent like the other two, this man actually struck up a conversation.

Zephyrion's voice was deep as he spoke slowly… Apparently, he knew very well that people would easily get scared of him after learning that he had such a dark power. There was no way to prove that he wasn't dangerous since he really was. Nonetheless, he knew that he had a chance if his employer was just a lot stronger.

"You fear what you don't understand. I could teach you… if you dare," he said weakly.

It seemed that he also couldn't speak for long and shut his mouth after saying this.

Ash gestured toward the glowing chains binding him. "He is incredibly powerful, but his knowledge comes at a price. Prolonged exposure to his void magic can corrupt those around him. Even his allies must tread carefully."

"Hmm? Corruption?" Shane frowned but, according to his Heightened Awareness, it seemed exaggerated. After all, he had an intuition that this person was capable of controlling his powers.

"And his cost?" Shane asked after a few moments.

"10,500 Zombie Cores and 5,000 Experience Points. His potential is limitless, but so are the risks," Ash replied.

"Hmm… His price isn't that bad. He's a lot cheaper than I thought," Shane muttered.

After all, he was just a bit more expensive than Kain the Werewolf. Furthermore, a Necromancer was basically a one-man army. He had seen some clips of Asad's battles, and they were certainly incredible.

If Zephyrion was also as great as that man, then getting him on his side would definitely be a huge boon for his team.

Anyway, Shane stepped back, taking a moment to process what he had seen.

Each of these beings was extraordinary in their own right, yet their prices were astronomical. Thankfully, their drawbacks weren't a huge problem.

"You have a difficult decision ahead of you," Ash said, folding his hands behind his back. "But know this: owning one of these rare beings could change the course of your journey entirely. The question is, are you willing to pay the price?"

Shane's gaze lingered on each figure…

In the end, Shane decided to take Kain, the Werewolf, as his free product for paying the Entry Fee. Then, he decided to buy Kaelira, which was more affordable. Since her price was only 3,500 Zombie Cores and 3,000 Experience Points.

After that, he also purchased the lesser products. He took Jafal for 1,500 Zombie Cores and 500 Experience Points… Then, after some thought, he also took Borek, who was a craftsman with a draconic bloodline, for only 1,600 Zombie Cores and 800 Experience Points.

Then, he glanced at the chamber with the three figures who were all priced with five digits of Zombie Cores.

They were definitely expensive, so he had to think carefully about this.

***

In the meantime, while Shane was still deciding if he had to purchase more, the situation in the Waiting Zone was still filled with life. No one was sleeping as they all wanted to look around and talk with other Survivors.

At this time, Raze, the one known as the Vice Clan Leader of the Eclipse Revenant, was also one of them… She didn't even have the time to meet with Shane.

Many people recognized her since she also had an outstanding performance in the Challenge Event.

Because of that, she purchased a dark, fur-lined cloak to cover her very noticeable red hair.

At this time, her destination was a well-guarded shop with a glowing green sign above the entrance, reading: "Alchemica Serums & Enhancements."

She already knew about this shop as she had heard about it from others. Apparently, it was known for its exorbitant prices. Nonetheless, she was interested in most of their products since they dealt in transformative concoctions.

As Raze entered, the store's atmosphere shifted.

"Did they still recognize me? Ugh… Nevermind," Raze thought as she unconsciously touched her right arm where a dragon tattoo mark, or Roan, was currently resting.

Anyway, the other patrons instinctively moved aside. Their conversations had even turned into whispers as they watched her approach the counter.

Behind the counter stood an old man with goggles and a mechanical arm.

"Welcome to our shop," the shopkeeper greeted her with a slight bow.

"To what do I owe the honor? Looking for something to amplify your strength, or perhaps to equip your people?"

Raze just nodded and stated what she was looking for. "I'm here for Titan Serum—and a lot of it."

The shopkeeper blinked, visibly startled. It seemed that he was about to have a huge transaction!