Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

After tending to the thirty newly recruited artisans, farmers, and laborers, Shane passed them over to others who could further assist them in their daily tasks.

Then, Shane pulled out two Rare Recruitment Stones from his inventory. These stones were emerald green, just like the ones he purchased from the wandering merchant before.

Shane had rarely used Rare Recruitment Stones before, so he was eager to see what kind of talents they would bring to his growing camp.

According to the description, these stones could help him summon a decent survivor with good talent. This description was vague but knowing that it wasn't bad, terrible, or dangerous was more than enough.

As he activated the first stone, a familiar gray fog began to swirl outside the camp… Once again, the gray fog thickened and it obscured everything.

Moments later, the fog receded, leaving behind a tall, silver-haired man in his early forties. He was clad in sturdy, leather gear and carried a belt of small tools and strange vials hanging from it.

'Mhmm? Those vials…' Shane immediately had a guess based on the man's appearance. However, he decided to keep his silence and waited for the man to introduce himself.

Anyway, this person seemed to assessing the place he had entered as well. Based on his expression, it was as if he would leave this place if he realized that his living conditions would be bad.

Nonetheless, Shane could guess that he was someone accustomed to navigating difficult situations. His posture was that of a man who had seen much and survived it all through skill and grit.

Anyway, it didn't take that long before he introduced himself.

"Name's Aric Fletch," He said after approaching Shane. Aside from that, he also offered a steady, confident handshake.

"Herbalist and Apothecary, at your service. Been dealing with rare plants, medicines, and poisons most of my life, so I'd say I can handle a bit of this apocalyptic nonsense."

Shane couldn't hide his satisfaction.

He had Anna and other experts in Springriver Manor. However, he lacked someone similar to Anna in this place.

Most of them are reliant on his Healing Tokens and the diluted blood of Roan.

'Perfect…' Shane thought.

An herbalist-apothecary was a rare find and would be invaluable for creating remedies, antidotes, and possibly even new forms of offense. With the unpredictable threats they faced, Aric's skills could make all the difference.

"Welcome, Aric," Shane replied. "We have an increasing need for your expertise. There are toxins and strange plagues spreading among the zombies—and not many around here who can handle them. You'll be a lifesaver." Shane said as he recalled the Toxic Zombie's section in the Zombie Lord's Territory.

Aric nodded. He knew very well how rare his profession was.

Although he was terrible when it came to fighting Zombies, he could be considered to be one of the best support for those who were in the front lines.

"Just show me where to set up a workspace. I'll need a proper herb garden, some specific plants if you have any, and a few quiet places to gather samples from the surrounding woods." Aric demanded.

Shane smiled, seeing how enthusiastic the man was as he immediately requested what he needed to work.

With a nod, Shane asked Lysandra to assist Aric with the requests that he made.

Shane no longer hesitated as he held up the second Rare Recruitment Stone, repeating the activation process. The gray fog appeared once more, and as it cleared, a short, muscular woman appeared, standing confidently with a hammer slung over her shoulder.

'Ahhh…

Her curly hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and her clothes were covered in grime and burn marks. It was an unmistakable sign of a skilled craftsperson.

"Magda Ironsmith," she introduced herself with a proud grin. "Blacksmith and Weaponsmith. I've crafted weapons for mercenaries and defenses for towns. I know my way around metal—and if there's anything that needs forging, I can probably make it better than it was."

Unlike the ones recruited through normal Recruitment Stones, the ones in the Rare Recruitment Stones or higher had a better understanding of their situation. Shane liked these people who knew how to take initiative in such matters.

'Perfect…' Shane muttered as their current Blacksmith would actually have another helper and this one was even a professional.

'Right… The production of the silver weapons would be faster now.'

Shane's eyes lit up. A weaponsmith of Magda's caliber was an incredible asset.

'This is perfect!'

With her talent, the camp could produce high-quality weaponry, something they sorely needed. Magda's arms looked strong, and Shane could tell she was no stranger to the demands of her trade.
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"Ahem… Welcome, Magda. We've been lucky with resources, but high-quality weapons are still in short supply. We'll need your expertise to equip everyone here." Shane said. After all, he indeed has several more special alloys and ores in his inventory that haven't been used yet.

Magda showed a grin on her face after seeing how Shane reacted despite being the lord of a huge camp.

"Alright… Just point me to the smithy—or the nearest scrap metal pile. It's been a really long time since I entered a forge… I'll have something deadly forged up by the end of the day."

'Aric and Magda… These two are indeed good recruits… However, it seems that non-combants were common among normal and rare Recruitment Stones.' Shane thought to himself.

Anyway, he was still happy with this result since he knew that these two would make an enormous difference in the camp's growth.

But he wasn't done yet; he reached for the Master Recruitment Stone, a vibrant, yellow stone and compared to a Rare Recruitment Stone, this one had a higher density in terms of Spiritual Energy.

Nonetheless, after activation, the gray fog returned, this time heavier than ever before. It one against gathered outside of the camp.

It felt as if the gray fog was actually a forming storm cloud with the power it exuded.

However, after reaching its critical stage, it simply dissipated…

What replaced the fog was a tall figure of a man…

This person somehow remind Shane of Mr. Wadsworth, the butlerof the Springriver Manor and manager of the workers.

This man was dressed in dark, elegant robes adorned with silver thread…

"This is a fine shelter." The man muttered to himself.

Shane observed the man who had midnight-blue eyes. It was strange eyes since it was as if he could see into one's very soul. With his long, dark hair and graceful bearing, he looked more like a noble scholar than a battle-worn survivor like the ones he knew.

Of course, his aura was unmistakably powerful. However, what impressed Shane was how the man could control the aura coming off of his body.

"My name is Jules Ashwind," he announced in a smooth, deep voice. "You can think of me as a Scholar of Magic Arts. My knowledge lies in ancient magic and protective wards. I believe I was summoned to help defend this place and guide it toward prosperity."

Shane was taken aback by Jules's presence. He could sense that Jules's power was leagues above most others he'd encountered.

'Magic Arts, huh…' Shane felt that this Zombie Apocalypse was getting out of control. Nonetheless, he knew that this was happening for a reason.

After all, this world was already accommodating a powerful creature that should be here, the Vampire. Furthermore, there was also foreign Survivors who had entered their Apocalypse World which now they call as a Wild Shelters.

Anyway, Shane was still glad since his mastery of magic would not only strengthen their defenses but also offer a strategic edge they sorely needed.

"Welcome, Jules. I'm not sure how great you are, but we've been needing someone with your… skillset. There's much I want to discuss with you—especially about those Necromancers that shouldn't be here.'

Jules gave a slight nod. Although he was still unsure about the matters Shane mentioned, he knew what he had to do.

"I will gladly offer my expertise. I may also be able to teach those in your camp with latent magical abilities, should they exist."

"That would be great. Please tell me which of them had talents so we can transfer them to you." Shane said after some thought.

Just from these new recruits, Shane felt his camp evolving into something far greater than it had been. Aric's expertise in remedies, Magda's skill in weaponsmithing, and Jules's magic mastery were exactly the talents he needed to expand his camp's strength and survival chance.

'My Silver Camp is almost all set…'

Shane muttered as these were the kinds of people who would help him transform this camp into a thriving stronghold… He felt really excited right now.

Shane considered his inventory. Two Epic Recruitment Stones and one Legendary Recruitment Stone remained.

With these remaining stones, his camp's future had never looked so promising.

'I'll probably lack some recruitment stones once I build my third Shelter, but this should be alright.

Shane muttered as he still had plans to build another Shelter in the north.