Previously on Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle...
Tundra's powerful elemental bombs devastated the zombie horde, clearing swathes of enemies and slowing others. Shane also joined the fight, unleashing lightning strikes against the thralls. Despite heavy losses and damage to the fortress walls, the defenders held out through "Phase One" for seven hours until the waves finally ceased. As the defenders regrouped and the Warden Units powered down, "Phase Two" began with the emergence of high-tier zombies, true vampires, and wyverns descending from the sky.
Currently, Shane lacked the temporal luxury to fret over his mainland shelter's defenses.
His immediate concern was the wyverns menacing the skies, lest they endanger everyone!
Yet, a quick glance at Tris revealed a gesture to hold back, hinting at a pre-existing strategy.
'Oh? You believe you can manage this? Let's witness it...' Shane pondered, grasping Tris's subtle signal.
Even the occupants nestled within the evacuation shelter inside the fort could now discern the clamor created by the approaching Zombies, Vampires, and Wyverns.
Tyrants issued guttural roars, Juggernauts delivered earth-shattering blows with their armored fists, and wyverns commenced their aerial patrol, their piercing shrieks disorienting the less resilient...
Tris recognized the urgent necessity to act if he intended to safeguard the forward defensive line!
As the fort's defenders arrayed themselves, Tris directed his attention to the contingent positioned behind him...
"Engage the barrier!" he commanded.
Instantly, a profound resonance emanated throughout the fortress as the Shelter's Barrier sprang to life.
Whom~
A dome of pure mana materialized, cascading over Draconic Fort!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The moment the barrier shimmered into existence, the swooping wyverns found their talons skittering harmlessly against its protective surface!
Their frustrated screeches filled the air, thwarted in their attempts to descend directly upon the defenders!
"Excellent," Tris murmured. "This grants us valuable time."
Now was the moment to unveil how Draconic Fort had weathered the Dragon Awakening Apocalypse!
From the ramparts, colossal ballistae were painstakingly maneuvered into position.
Thirty in number, each armed with bolts as thick as mature tree trunks, stood ready...
The waiting defenders directed their aim towards the heavens, and soon, the commander gave the order to unleash!
"Fire!" Garron's voice boomed.
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
Massive bolts carved through the atmosphere, impaling wyvern wings and vital bodies.
Screee~
One monstrous creature plummeted earthward, impacting the throng below with a sickening crunch.
Another emitted a piercing shriek as a bolt perforated its chest, sending it spiraling lifelessly to the ground.
The ballistae persisted in showering the sky with destruction upon the circling aerial predators!
Nonetheless, the sheer number of wyverns and their nerve-shattering cries continued to unnerve the defenders. Maintaining focus on the terrestrial threats proved difficult with such formidable creatures dominating the sky!
Tris then turned his gaze to Nika. "It is time. Utilize it."
Nika, typically composed and reticent, offered a curt nod.
Raising her hands, she expended all her accumulated Spirit Points.
For a considerable duration, she had fulfilled the role of the Fort's second-in-command, overseeing logistics, documentation, and internal administration.
Few grasped the concealed truth… she possessed a Legendary Talent.
This ability remained dormant until the Fort faced dire peril, as its activation demanded an immense quantity of Spirit Points and incurred a six-hour cooldown period!
"Overturn..."
Nika whispered, and a wave of potent energy propagated outward, blanketing the battlefield within an extensive radius.
There was no need to question its efficacy; the outcome was immediate.
Zombies turned upon their own kind, their claws and teeth rending their fellow abominations.
Spitters unleashed streams of acid at proximate Crushers instead of the fortress walls.
Lesser Vampires and Thralls emitted horrified shrieks, tearing into their own vampire brethren, their fangs sinking deep into pallid flesh!
Even the wyverns succumbed to the effect, initiating mid-air brawls, snapping ferociously at each other!
Their wings collided in a chaotic aerial melee!
The defenders watched, astonishment etched on their faces.
"What… what is this?" Shane stammered, halting the discharge of his Lightning Surge.
Tundra blinked, momentarily distracted from the bombs clutched in his hands. "She just turned them against each other… every single one."
This was undeniably a potent ability in the context of this apocalypse. Its usefulness was beyond question.
"What an intriguing ability… Even the Zombies were affected. I had assumed mind control wouldn't extend to them," Lysandra commented, observing the unfolding chaos.
Numerous other Survivors possessed mind-control capabilities. However, none had managed to truly command other Zombies...
The sole feasible methods involved puppetry or arcane arts, akin to the techniques Asad employed.
At this juncture, Travis's Clone, too, expressed surprise as he witnessed a Tyrant deliver a devastating blow to a Juggernaut, sending the armored undead sprawling.
The spectacle was utterly breathtaking!
"Incredible… So you've kept this hidden?"
Nika, who had been observing the entirety of the event, offered a faint smile.
It was hardly surprising that everyone displayed astonishment. After all, this was a Legendary Talent exceptionally effective against overwhelming enemy numbers...
She even ascended the rampart to amplify the effect's intensity!
Upon reaching the summit, she encountered Shane and the other defenders stationed along the wall.
"Is this your doing?" Shane inquired.
"Yes… It is called Overturn. Hostile opponents within a certain range… they engage each other instead. It isn't consistently effective against more powerful foes, but at my current level, the success rate stands at fifty percent."
Shane let out a low whistle. "Fifty percent… across this entire battlefield? No wonder you were so confident. How long will it persist?"
"Around ten minutes, possibly even less," she clarified.
"I see… we can use this time to rest then…" Tundra murmured.
The pandemonium spread like wildfire. Vampires unleashed blood whips, striking even their allies. In the sky, Wyverns tore at each other while ballista bolts brought some of them plummeting down.
The horde had clearly fragmented, their unity broken by Nika's formidable power.
However, since its duration was limited, they needed to join the fray and inflict significant damage while the enemies were still disoriented…
As the effect neared its end, the defenders seized the critical moment.
Pascal, the militia commander, gave the order to charge, following Caesar and the others who had already advanced!
Concurrently, Shane's warriors joined the assault!
"Forward!" Asta bellowed, propelling the Super Soldiers into the heart of the battle!
They swiftly cut down the distracted zombies, dispatching them with greater speed!
Warden Units also advanced in formation, eliminating Zombies and Vampires engrossed in their own conflicts.
Even the Enhanced Warriors leaped from the ramparts, unleashing their Draconic Essence upon the faltering Zombies!
"Well done… The only snag is that the newcomers remained unaffected," Shane muttered, observing another wave of Zombies, Vampires, and Wyverns approaching!
"Hahahaha! That's perfectly fine, Shane! We simply need to gather those Wyvern Cores!" Nika exclaimed with a laugh.
"Wyvern Cores?"
"Indeed! We currently use Zombie Cores for trade, but in our previous Apocalypse, we utilized the Cores from the Dragon Army to enhance our weaponry. Truthfully, we worried we'd never have the chance again. Thankfully, the dragon army has arrived…" Nika stated, a smile gracing her lips.
These were her sincere sentiments.
Evidently, they had exhausted all their wyvern cores, dragonkin cores, draconic mantis cores, drake cores, and other valuable cores brought by the Dragon Army.
Now that the Cross-Apocalypse had commenced, they could finally deploy some of their secret armaments!
They just needed to acquire those cores they believed were lost forever!
"Very well! I trust your judgment! Secure all the Wyvern Cores… Allow me to assist in bringing them down," Shane declared, intending to claim them as well.
Shane unleashed another torrent of lightning, incinerating a wyvern locked in combat with its own kind.
"Alright… I'll handle the ground threats," Tundra announced, having listened intently, and hurled a Fire Bomb into a cluster of bewildered Hunters. The ensuing explosion cremated them, leaving nothing but scorched remains.
"Excellent! Bring them on!" Travis roared, unleashing his Draconic Aura towards the Wyverns!
The potent aura emanating from his defiant shout Flash-froze every wyvern in the sky!
This development made it considerably simpler for Shane to eliminate them all!
[ You have eliminated a Wyvern. ]
[ You have eliminated a Wyvern. ]
…
[ You have eliminated a Wyvern. ]
The stream of notifications continued until the sky was once again clear!
***
Outside the formidable walls, fallen wyvern corpses lay scattered. It was the barrier's efficacy that prevented them from crashing onto the dwellings, directing them instead towards the walls.
At this juncture, their wings were rent, and their bodies bore the marks of incineration, but their condition was irrelevant.
Survivors hurried to salvage what they could, but one figure moved with the stealth of a shadow.
He was among Tris's covert operatives, rarely seen and never publicized.
His Talent was truly exceptional… Core Extractor.
Unlike common scavengers, he possessed the ability to guarantee the retrieval of cores from slain beasts, irrespective of the carcass's state.
With a mere touch of his hands, activating his Talent, a pulsating crystalline orb materialized from each wyvern carcass. One by one, the cores were extracted, brimming with corrupted draconic energy.
"Wyvern Cores secured!" the soldier promptly reported.
Soon, he deposited them into a reinforced chest and rushed it towards Tris.
Tris's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he accepted the chest.
"Excellent. With these, the barrier will no longer be confined to a fixed position."
He raised the chest high, and the cores dissolved into luminous streams, seamlessly integrating with the Shelter's Barrier.
This power was exclusively wielded by the Shelter Owner!
Whummm~
The dome of mana, once a simple defensive shield, began to transform.
Its surface started to ripple, resembling agitated water, before intensifying its glow, and then… it changed.
Even the Vampire Lord, discreetly observing the unfolding events from the heavens, let out an audible gasp!
