Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle-Chapter 567 : Layla’s Preparation

Soon, Shane made an important announcement to those who would be involved in the upcoming raid.

"In three days, we will march on the Dreadnight Fortress." Shane declared to the group of twenty people in front of him.

There were others who were still not here including Raze's group but they would arrive on the day of the raid.

With this announcement, all the participating Survivors decided to get ready or perhaps, enjoy themselves in the shelter since there was still a small chance that they were actually alright.

Indeed, with only three days until the expedition, every participant moved.

They had their own way of preparing—some trained harder, others stocked up on gear, and a few simply took the time to relax.

Among them were Layla, Laura, and Klara—three powerful Survivors who were joining the raid.

Layla and her Telekinesis Talent may be strong but she still felt concerned about this raid.

On the other hand, Laura and Klara, two of the five girls that Shane had rescued in the Mystic Mirage Clan before had decided to follow Layla… Laura had the Uncommon Telepathy Talent while Klara's Talent was a Rare Elemental Manipulation Talent.

Anyway, the three decided to explore the market district of the Eclipse Domain.

If they were marching into battle, they might as well enjoy a peaceful day first.

***

The market district in Eclipse Domain was lively as always… There were a lot of sales and various promotions going on as the news about the upcoming Raid started to spread.

Several dozens of stalls and small shops lined the streets, selling everything from food and weapons to charms and trinkets.

With more and more merchants entering the domain, it has become more competitive.

Vendors shouted out their products while customers haggled over prices… It felt as if they weren't in an apocalyptic world at all.

"I still can't believe this place exists in the middle of all this chaos," Klara muttered, marveling at a nearby blacksmith's forge where an apprentice was carefully shaping a blade.

"I know, right?" Laura chuckled… As a Telepath, she knew very well what was happening in the shelter. She knew that Shane was on the right track to make this shelter extraordinary.

Layla, on the other hand, just focused on the nearby stalls. She scanned the shops, searching for something special or anything that could be useful in their upcoming raid.

Then—

"Hey, look at that place!" Layla pointed toward a small store between two larger merchant stalls.

The two stalls were selling various weapons like swords, axes, and even shields.

However, the one Layla pointed out was different.

The sign above the shop's entrance read:

'The Curio Collector – Wondrous Trinkets & Artifacts'

It seemed to be a new store as well.

The moment they stepped inside, they knew they had found something unique.

The shop's interior was dimly lit, illuminated only by a single Orb of Light hanging on the ceiling.

Shelves and display cases were filled with unusual items.

Behind the counter was an elderly man with round glasses. He had white hair and a beard and he seemed to be busy reading a book. On his desk, Layla saw the Permanent Merchant Token.

This person must've contributed a lot to the shelter that made Shane decide to give such a token to the old man. Now, Layla felt even more curious about this person.

Anyway, as soon as they arrived, the old man closed the book he was reading and looked at the group.

"Welcome, customers," the shopkeeper greeted them with a smile. "Are you looking for something unique? I'm sure you'll find it here."

Layla smiled and nodded. "That depends on what you've got."

The three split up, each exploring the strange collection of items in the store.

Layla found a set of silver rings labeled "Kinetic Bands", which enhanced telekinetic control and reduced energy consumption.

"This…"

Layla had never expected to find something like this. It was also a good thing that it was only an Uncommon Grade! It means that the item would be cheaper. After all, she had about a hundred Item Upgrade Crystals right now! It would be easy for her to upgrade it instead!

After testing them, she was immediately sold.

"I'll take this…" Layla said after confirming that the price was only 50 Zombie Cores. It was definitely expensive for an Uncommon Grade item but it was very suited for her, so she didn't mind it at all.

Laura, on the other hand, picked up a black choker necklace that boosted her mental defenses, reducing interference when using her Telepathy Talent.

"This store is impressive…" Laura whispered as she realized that items within this store were all incredibly useful!

She couldn't wait to tell the others about this store! After all, despite the items having low quality, they were at least cheaper and they would have to option to upgrade it themselves.

Finally, Klara was drawn to a small glass vial with blue liquid. It seemed like a common potion that Anna could make for rejuvenation but she knew it was different with the faint glow it had.

"What's this?" she asked. After all, there was only a name written on its label but not its effects.

The shopkeeper looked at the item and nodded. "That is the Storm Essence—when consumed, it grants temporary control over the winds. It is a rare potion made from Storm Zombies."

"A potion made from Zombies?" Klara and the others couldn't help but be reminded of Shane. After all, they all obtained a three-meter Jump Skill from Shane! It was a Jumper Zombie Skill that Shane was able to create by using Zombie Blood!

They didn't expect that there were others capable of doing such a thing aside from Shane!

Klara immediately bought it, thinking of how useful it might be mid-battle. Well, she didn't even know that Storm Zombies existed…

In any case, the group continued searching the shop since most of the items being sold were less than 100 Zombie Cores.

With about 500 Zombie Cores each in their possession, they certainly have the money to spend more.

Soon, they also picked up some interesting items.

They found a Firestarter Amulet that creates a small flame when rubbed. A Portable Barrier Stone that deploys a small energy shield for a few seconds. And a set of Engraved Coins that could supposedly boost their luck.

"I hope my looting game will be better with this Coin." Laura muttered.

"You said it… All the items I looted were bad. I'm not even looting anymore. I'm just taking Instant Experience Points." Layla muttered.

"Haha… We're the same. It seemed that Shane had a higher chance of getting Experience Potions." Klara chuckled as she was reminded of something.

As the three obtained their items, they immediately expressed their gratitude to the old man.

"Thank you, Shopkeeper! We'll advertise your store to our friends!"

***

After storing their items inside their Inventory slots, the three headed to a nearby food stall, where they grabbed some roasted meat skewers and freshly baked bread.

"This was fun," Laura said, taking a bite. "I forgot what it was like to just shop and relax."

"Yeah," Layla agreed. "But in three days, we'll be fighting for our lives."

Klara raised her glass of fermented berry juice. "Then let's make this count."

The three clinked their drinks together, enjoying one last moment of peace before the raid on Dreadnight Fortress.

On the second day of preparation, Layla, Laura, and Klara decided that simply gearing up wasn't enough—they needed live combat practice.

With the raid on Dreadnight Fortress approaching, they had to sharpen their skills against a true threat.

Thus, they decided to get more experience outside the shelter.

They soon confirmed the situation outside with the Elven Scouts' help.

Then, after learning about the missions to take out Zombies, the three decided to take action…

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They decided to face two Tyrant Zombies that were lurking near the broken bridge.

Of course, they also hired two Eclipse Guards, armed with rifles that would watch them from a distance. They wouldn't intervene unless the fight became life-threatening since the guards' primary job was to make sure no other zombies interfered.

"We should be able to kill it without a doubt… The problem would be our speed and coordination…" Layla said. After all, they should be able to kill a Tyrant Zombie within 10 minutes or so without relying on high-caliber guns.

However, in the Dreadnight Fortress, there would be numerous Zombies as strong as Tyrant Zombies. They had to learn how to coordinate their skills right now.

"Let's do it!" Klara and Laura said. They wanted to follow Layla's plan.

As soon as they headed out, they had to travel about a mile outside Eclipse Domain to find the two Tyrant Zombies.

"This will be the closest we get to real battle before the raid," Layla said as she looked at the two Tyrant Zombies that seemed to be guarding the abandoned bus in the middle of the road.

"Let's kill it without using those destructive weapons in our hands. We can't rely on it too much."

"Got it! Just our talent and our skills…" Laura replied in agreement.

"Then this will be more exciting. Let's do it!" Klara said with a hint of excitement.