The marketplace of Eclipse Domain was always filled with people.

With Shane’s incredibly high Reputation, it didn’t matter even if he had a hundred or so Infamy Points at this stage of the Apocalypse.

Right now, Wandering Merchants visited their shelter almost every other day.

Within the plaza, merchants shouted their prices, survivors haggled fiercely, and the smell of roasted seafood, shrimp, clams, and fish, was everywhere.

It seemed that the Blue Haven Shelter had unloaded another batch of its provisions.

Anna pulled her hood lower while moving through the crowd. "It should be around here..." she muttered while looking around.

She was already a bit too popular within the shelter, probably because she had healed almost every soldier there. She didn’t want to be swarmed with people expressing their gratitude.

Soon, at one stall, she found what she was looking for. She purchased powdered silverroot, known for its ability to neutralize toxins.

It was the material Shinja himself had suggested. He was one of the shelter’s poison experts, and Anna trusted him a lot when it came to the medicinal properties of poisonous plants or anything related to poison.

The merchant, a skinny man with ink‑stained fingers, demanded fifteen Zombie Cores for a pouch. "Too much," Anna said flatly. "Silverroot grows wild in the northern cliffs, right? How about ten cores? You’ve already profited enough with this."

The man scowled but relented at the fair price she had given. "Fine. Ten cores. Please come again..."

At another stall, she acquired dried moonleaf, a rare herb that enhanced spiritual resilience. It was another mutated herb that hadn’t existed until the Zombie Outbreak.

The vendor, a woman with sharp eyes, tried to upsell her. "Twenty‑five Zombie Cores. Moonleaf is scarce this season. There’s also that field destroyed by the typhoon. You can’t get them from other shelters at this point."

Anna shook her head. "Give it to me for twenty each... and I’ll take two bundles."

The woman hesitated, then nodded. "Deal."

Just like that, she bartered for vials of distilled and enhanced water next, since they were clean and pure, essential for brewing.

The merchant insisted on four Zombie Cores, but Anna pressed him down to three. It didn’t work this time. Anyway, she was doing this after learning from Tundra that she must haggle every time.

Every coin mattered, and she wasn’t about to waste resources.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long before she had almost collected all the items she needed.

Since her experiment this time would be a personal one and not a shelter project, she had to spend money from her own pocket. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

She didn’t mind, since she had already earned enough Zombie Cores despite not being a frontline fighter.

As she moved deeper into the market, she passed stalls selling crude weapons, scavenged armor, and charms made from zombie bones. Survivors shouted over one another, desperate to sell or trade.

Around this area, a group of children ran around clutching bread, playing with balls, or even playing hide‑and‑seek. Meanwhile, the guards kept watch from the rooftops.

Anna paused at a stall run by a wandering merchant from Springriver.

She knew about this shop, owned by none other than Alexa, the head chef of Springriver.

This was basically her side business to earn more money. Furthermore, since Alexa was connected to many mercenary survivors, scavengers, and zombie hunters, much of their loot ended up being sold to her. In return, she resold them at higher prices in this Random Item Store.

Still, the shopkeeper had rare reagents displayed in glass jars: zombie eyes, serpent bile, and even a vial of crystallized venom.

The prices were outrageous. Twenty Zombie Cores for ten grams of Zombie Lord Ash, two hundred Zombie Cores for a Zombie Lord red crystal, one thousand Zombie Cores for a Screamer King zombie’s ringing sword, and more.

"Highway robbery," Anna muttered.

The shopkeeper smiled slyly. "Rare goods for rare customers. Ahem... We can always discuss the price."

Indeed, this was the reason why it was always necessary to haggle.

Anna sighed, but still, the items she wanted wouldn’t be that expensive anyway.

Just like that, she bought only what she needed, refusing to be manipulated. She didn’t even hint that what she really needed were those reagents for potion‑making.

By the time she finished, her bag was heavy with supplies.

She stepped out of the crowded street, arms full, and looked up at the sky.

The sun was rising, casting light over Eclipse Domain. It was already getting hot, and she needed to return to her laboratory soon.

She turned toward the tower, ready to begin her work. But before she could take a step, a runner in Eclipse Domain’s uniform rushed toward her, pale‑faced and breathless.

"Alchemist Anna!" he shouted. "You’re needed immediately!"

Anna frowned. "What is it?"

The runner bowed quickly. "A message just came through the portal. Blue Haven Shelter is requesting your presence. They say it’s urgent... someone needs treatment, and only you can help."

Her heart skipped. The important people in that shelter were Fiona, Tundra, and a few others.

She was curious who needed assistance. After all, for them to call her directly meant the situation was dire.

"Who?" she asked.

The runner shook his head. "They didn’t say. Only that it’s critical. The portal is already prepared."

Anna paused. She had just finished gathering reagents, and her bag was still full of supplies for the Corpse Flower medicine. Now she was being pulled into another crisis.

She clenched her fists. "Fine. I’ll go. I just need to bring this to my laboratory... and take my alchemist’s kit."

"No, let me carry them for you. Your assistant, Mila, should be there already, right?"

"Oh? You know her? Perfect. She should be there by now."

Just like that, the runner carried the items and ran toward the laboratory to drop them off. At the same time, Anna moved quickly to follow him. She was slower, after all.

Halfway to the laboratory, the runner was already back, bringing her alchemist’s kit with him.

Then, as soon as they passed through the portal, Anna was shocked to realize that the patient wasn’t alone.

Furthermore, just outside the portal, she saw a huge tentacle attacking the barricade meant to block sea zombies.

The ground shook, survivors screamed, and the air filled with saltwater spray.

Anna’s eyes widened. "Kraken?!"