Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

The shopkeeper was startled, but if what the woman was saying was true, then he would definitely earn a lot of money if this transaction was successful!

Of course, he didn't want to be disappointed either, so he decided to probe for now.

"Titan Serum? My lady, that's not a simple purchase. It's potent, yes, but it's also dangerous in large quantities. Too much and—"

"I know exactly what it does," Raze interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument.

This time, the old shopkeeper whispered, "Are you going to use them for multiple people?"

Raze knew why the shopkeeper was worried. After all, the Titan Serum could be very useful if used by a Survivor.

However, a Survivor should only use it once… If multiple serums were used by a single person, they might become a lot stronger, but the chance was very small. It would be more likely for them to die than to get stronger.

"Do not worry, Sir… My Clan has expanded its territories, and we need people capable of hard labor—breaking stone, building fortresses, clearing forests… Normal humans won't cut it. The serum will make them stronger."

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up after hearing this. He didn't expect that this woman just wanted to create a labor force with the Titan Serum. That was definitely a very unusual way of using such precious serums.

Nonetheless, because he knew about Raze's plan, he might be able to suggest other products for her.

The shopkeeper no longer hesitated. His mechanical fingers twitched for a moment as he started searching for the serums…

"Ahem… Titan Serum enhances strength, endurance, and stamina exponentially, but… it also changes people. Makes them less human. Their tempers shorten, their bodies grow more monstrous with repeated use." He advised as he took out five of them from behind the counter.

Raze leaned forward and looked at the serums before nodding. "Got it… I'm not asking for a lecture. Just tell me the price."

The shopkeeper swallowed hard, then gestured to the five vials of Titan Serum. These vials, with viscous, amber-colored liquid, were also in pristine containment chambers.

Each vial was radiating faint heat, as though they were alive and filled with power. Needless to say, it was completely different from the Titan Serum that Shane and the others could buy in the Reputation Store… It seemed to be more potent!

"One vial costs 400 Zombie Cores and 200 Experience Points," he said. "It's potent enough to turn an ordinary farmer into a laborer who can outwork ten men instantly. How many do you need?"

Raze already knew about this effect, so she simply replied without any hesitation.

"Fifty."

Four hundred Zombie Cores plus 200 Experience Points weren't a small price to pay…

That would be a total of 20,000 Zombie Cores and 10,000 Experience Points!

That was certainly not a small amount!

A collective gasp rippled through the store. Even the most extravagant buyers during the shopkeeper's whole shift rarely purchased more than a handful of Titan Serums.

"F-Fifty?" The shopkeeper stammered, his mechanical hand trembling. "That's… twenty thousand cores and ten thousand experience points! Are you sure?" He asked once again.

Of course, they had no idea that these Zombie Cores were pooled from all members of the Clan. After all, each member of the Eclipse Revenant was able to reach the Level 30 Challenge at the very least.

Well, it wasn't that surprising since even Diana, who was supposedly a production-class Survivor, was able to reach that level and obtain more than a thousand Zombie Cores.

Those who were able to reach Level 35 obtained more than 3,000 Zombie Cores, while reaching Level 40 guaranteed at least 5,000 Zombie Cores.

Needless to say, there were about 12 people in the Eclipse Revenant who were able to reach at least Level 40. They were Raze, Sandra, Lyra, Jaxon, Kael, Tessa, Tundra, and Max, to name a few.

As for the experience points, there was no problem about this either, since she was able to get 15 Instant Experience Potions. Most of them were also provided to her since she was the one tasked with doing this.

"Get it ready. I'll make the payment once I confirm their quality," Raze said. Well, there was no need to show her Zombie Cores in a bag. After all, the payment could be done through a payment orb. They just had to place their hands on it, and the payment would be taken from their inventory.

"Alright…" The shopkeeper then signaled one of the staff to take more Titan Serum from their storage area.

Then, while waiting for the staff, the shopkeeper couldn't help but ask Raze…

"Why not just recruit stronger Survivors?" The shopkeeper asked curiously. After all, if strong Survivors were what Raze needed, he could suggest a store that sells cheaper Recruitment Stones instead.

Raze didn't really want to chat anymore with this shopkeeper… She just wanted to get her items and leave this place. However, she might trigger some kind of quest or perhaps gain favor with the shopkeeper if she answered his question. That was normally the case with the others, after all.

"Strong Survivors have their own ambitions," she said. "They don't follow orders easily, and they're harder to control. But with Titan Serum, I can turn ordinary people into what we need—strong, tireless, and loyal to the cause."

Of course, this wasn't the truth since Shane's talent guaranteed high loyalty. However, she didn't want to explain too much, so she just thought of a reasonable answer for those who weren't aware of their situation.

The shopkeeper gently nodded after hearing this. Nonetheless, he seemed to be talkative and started chatting with her.

"Ahem… This is one of the largest purchases I've had in a while. Few people can afford to spend so freely on Titan Serum, let alone fifty vials…"

Raze folded her arms, as she started getting annoyed. Anyway, she still knew that preparing the many vials of Titan Serum wouldn't be easy. "Spare me the praise. Just make sure everything's in order."

The old man chuckled and nodded. "Oh, don't worry. Your order will be prepared perfectly. But," he added, his tone shifting to one of calculated generosity, "a transaction of this magnitude deserves a token of appreciation."

Raze raised an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?"

Finally, it seemed that she was about to get something by being patient with this old shopkeeper. The shopkeeper then led her to an inner room where large transactions were normally held.

Raze smiled as she sat in one of the chairs. "So, what's this token of appreciation that you're talking about?"

"It's here."

The shopkeeper gestured toward a side door behind the desk. Then, his mechanical arm pulled a lever to open it.

Creak…

The door creaked open, revealing a small storeroom lined with burlap sacks.

"Hmm?" Raze felt confused for a moment as she squinted her eyes. Then, as she confirmed what she was seeing, her eyes lit up.

Apparently, each sack was labeled with neat, faded lettering that named different types of seeds.

"Crops," the shopkeeper said with a grin. "Rare ones at that. This store isn't just about enhancing strength or power, dear customer. For someone like you, who's building a territory, these might come in handy."

As expected, telling him what she planned to do with the vials was a good decision.

Raze's eyes narrowed as she stepped closer, inspecting the sacks. The faint smell of earth and dried herbs filled the air. "Crops? What kind?"

"Not just any crops," the shopkeeper said, a glint of pride in his eye. "These seeds are for enhanced yields. Hardy plants, capable of thriving in even the most challenging environments. Perfect for growing in newly developed territories. There are even some that permanently boost the Survivor's vitality and spirit… Let me show you."

He walked over to a sack labeled "Golden Grain" and pulled a handful of golden-hued seeds from it. "This here is Golden Grain. It grows faster than normal wheat, maturing in just 20 to 25 days. Not only that, but it produces double the yield per harvest."

Raze's expression remained unreadable, but her interest was piqued. "Go on."

The shopkeeper moved to another sack, this one labeled "Crimson Root." He grabbed a small, blood-red seed and held it up. "This is known as Crimson Root. It grows deep and thick… It's quite excellent for fortifying soil and producing a nutrient-rich vegetable. A lot of people love it because it provides stamina even for night activities… Kekeke…"

Then, after some thought, he gestured to a sack labeled "Moonleaf." The seeds inside were small and silvery, almost glowing in the dim light.

"And this," the shopkeeper said as he looked into Raze's eyes, "is Moonleaf. It's a medicinal herb with properties that enhance recovery. Perfect for crafting salves or even teas to speed up healing. Your craftsmen and healers will thank you for it."

Raze was definitely excited after seeing these crops. After all, none of these were available in the system or reputation store!