Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Chapter 72  Abandoned Mine

Shane retraced his footsteps to the previous tunnel he didn't enter. It was where his A.I. assistant Cloud detected the presence of Walker Zombies.

The tunnel he now traversed was narrow, the air thick with the musty scent of undisturbed earth. Nonetheless, his footsteps were silent. It was the testament to the Shroud of Shadows Cape that draped his shoulders and the Traceless Breath Talent he possessed.

As he approached the area where Cloud had detected Walker Zombies, Shane also felt their presence in his current Perception.

He readied his hatchet. Its blade was still sharp even after the previous battles. He didn't need to worry whether he would have trouble against the zombies wearing hats.

Graarghhh~

A familiar sight welcomed Shane, the zombies, once miners, now shuffled forward with hats still affixed to their heads—a ghastly reminder of their past lives. They were no match for Shane's prowess; he dispatched them with swift, clean strikes, their hats offering little protection against his Master-Grade weapon.

After that, he looted them once again.

[ You have earned 5.5 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 1 Item Upgrade Crystal, 1 Zombie Core, 500mL Water, 100mL Walker Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle ]

[ You have earned 5.5 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 1 Item Upgrade Crystal, 1 Zombie Core, 500mL Water, 100mL Walker Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle ]

[ You have earned 5.5 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 1 Item Upgrade Crystal, 1 Zombie Core, 500mL Water, 100mL Walker Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle ]

One more of these same notifications appeared. Nothing had changed in the items he received from the Walker Zombies, whether they had a miner's hat or not.

'They're not really dropping their miner's hat. What a pity…' Shane mused as he believed that the Miner's Hat was actually a decent item inside this place. It would also be a great defensive item for his subordinates in the estate.

Well, there was nothing he could do about it, so he simply continued ahead. Although the chance was low, he was hoping to get another Treasure Chest. He didn't mind if there was a challenge or a powerful Zombie guarding it at all as long as a reward would be given. Then, it seemed that his prayer was answered!

The silence that followed was short-lived. Cloud's warning came again, this time alerting Shane to a more formidable threat. The Crypt Crawler Zombies had appeared once again! Clack. Clack. Clack…

Their limbs, contorted and elongated, emerged from the shadows with a hissing fervor. There were three of them as well, each one as ghastly as the last, their eyes gleaming with a malevolent hunger.

Graaarrghh~

Shane tensed, his every sense heightened. The crawlers then moved with a disturbing grace. Their bodies felt like they were undulating as they closed in!

Shane didn't wait for them as he pounced the first Crypt Crawler, his first strike was imbued with fire effect and it was swift! The hatchet's burning blade sliced through the air and found its mark in the lead crawler's torso. The creature recoiled, but the others pressed on, undeterred. They didn't care about their fellows' injury!

The battle was a storm of motion. Shane pivoted, ducked, and rolled; his movements were like a dance of survival. It was all thanks to the +20% Movement Speed that he obtained from the Shroud of Darkness Cape!

Since he couldn't use his gun in this small tunnel for obvious reasons, Shane was truly elated with his current fighting ability! He knew that with his current ability, he wouldn't be forced to draw his gun and hurt himself. After all, he still doesn't have a silencer!

Graaarrghh~

The Crypt Crawlers were relentless, but Shane's agility kept him one step ahead. His hatchet was like a whirlwind of death. He may fail to sever their heads because of their size and reach, but he could easily hit their limbs and body. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

The impact of blade against flesh could be heard throughout the battle, a proof of Shane's skill and capability.

[ You have eliminated a Crypt Crawler Zombie. ] [ You have eliminated a Crypt Crawler Zombie. ] [ You have eliminated a Crypt Crawler Zombie. ] As the last of the Crypt Crawler Zombies fell, its body collapsed with a final look at the human who had ended his life.

Thud….

Shane won once again. His chest heaved with exertion while his eyes scanning the darkness for any further sign of movement. "Cloud… That battle took long. Any Zombies coming?"

[ Yes. Three Runner Zombies are coming. ] "Got it." Shane answered. Although he still couldn't hear any sound of footsteps from the Runner Zombies, he knew that Cloud couldn't be mistaken. With this in mind, he swiftly looted them as well. Needless to say, Shane was also hoping to get more set items!

[ You have earned 9 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 2 Item Upgrade Crystals, 2 Zombie Corse, 2 Bread, 100mL Cryptic Crawler Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle, Pair of Stalker's Boots ]

[ You have earned 9 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 2 Item Upgrade Crystals, 2 Zombie Corse, 2 Bread, 100mL Cryptic Crawler Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle, Cryptic Eye Amulet ]

[ You have earned 9 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 2 Item Upgrade Crystals, 2 Zombie Corse, 2 Bread, 100mL Cryptic Crawler Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle, Night Crawler's Belt ]

After seeing the new items he obtained, Shane couldn't help but realize something.

'It seems that I'll be attending the auction in Crypt Crawler's Set…'

She wryly smiled after reaching this thought. He certainly didn't dislike this set, but he felt that he shouldn't reveal such an incredible set to the public. To be honest, he was considering just using his Survivor Set to attend the auction, but he planned to upgrade it to Tier 5 if possible.

'Whatever… I'll think about it on the day of the event. I'll still be meeting new inhabitants before that date.' Shane thought as he recalled that the next person to visit his shelter should come soon.

Thud… Thud… Thud…

Soon, Shane heard the footsteps of the Runner Zombies!

These were different from the Runner Zombies outside the mine. They were leaner, quicker, and more vicious based on his previous experience with them. Nonetheless, they were still low-tier Zombies and Shane was undeterred. With hatchet in hand, he stood ready.

The first Runner Zombie lunged with a snarl, its decaying teeth bared. Shane was still incapable of defending against bad breath but he was starting to get used to it. Shane sidestepped, his movements a shadowy blur under the cloak of his Shroud of Shadows Cape. The hatchet swung in a swift arc, its blade biting into the zombie's neck with a spray of dark liquid coming out of the zombie's flesh…

Psssttt~

[ You have eliminated a Runner Zombie. ] Before the second Runner Zombie could react, Shane pivoted, bringing his hatchet down in a instant, clean motion that severed its head from its body. [ You have eliminated a Runner Zombie. ] It was a very practiced move since Shane had already killed hundreds of low-tier Zombies. Nonetheless, the third Runner Zombie was undaunted by the fate of its companions. It didn't care about the death of its fellow zombies as they could only act on their instinct.

Soon, it charged with a desperate ferocity!

"Graaarrgh~"

Shane's eyes narrowed, his grip on the hatchet tightening. He feinted left, then spun, the hatchet's blade meeting the Runner's skull with a resounding crack. The creature collapsed, its momentum carrying it forward as it slid to a lifeless halt at Shane's feet.

[ You have eliminated a Runner Zombie. ] His feint just now wasn't useless. It was to see if the Runner Zombie would actually react to it. However, the Zombie didn't react at all, meaning that the Zombie doesn't have any intelligence at all like the higher tier Zombies he encountered before.

"Whew~"

The battle was over as quickly as it had begun.

Shane wiped his hatchet clean and sheathed it, his gaze lingering on the fallen foes. "I guess I'll be exploring for another hour before leaving this place." Shane thought as he started looting the Runner Zombies."

[ You have earned 5.5 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 1 Item Upgrade Crystal, 1 Zombie Core, 500mL water, 100mL Runner Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle ]

[ You have earned 5.5 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 1 Item Upgrade Crystal, 1 Zombie Core, 500mL water, 100mL Runner Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle ]

[ You have earned 5.5 Experience Points. ] [ Loots obtained: 1 Item Upgrade Crystal, 1 Zombie Core, 500mL water, 100mL Runner Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle ]

Similar to the Walker Zombies, it didn't give any new items, but Shane was already content with the addition of the Item Upgrade Crystals and Cores in his possession. With a satisfied smile on his face, Shane continued deeper into the mine…

***

Meanwhile, as Shane was busy exploring the abandoned mine, the Springriver Manor was suddenly attacked by a group of humans!

There were a total of six Scavengers who dared to cause trouble to the estate while he was gone!

None of these people were equipped with firearms, but they were all carrying rusty weapons that could ensure their opponent's death once they got cut!