Chapter 850: Last Preparations
Time quickly passed, and soon, only one day remained before the Red Night Event began.
Natalie’s Survivor Pact had also expanded from five clans into a gathering of twelve clans, including the Stormcall Assembly and Celestial Circle Clans that were secretly affiliated with the Overlord Clan.
In the meantime, the 200 survivors selected to board the Floating Fortress had all arrived.
They were transported in groups and, needless to say, they were all impressed by the sheer majesty of the Fortress itself, especially upon seeing the Mech Frames, Elves, Warden Units, and even Super Soldiers of the Shelter.
To most of them, stepping into the Fortress felt unreal. It was completely different from all the other Shelters they had visited.
Even the Eclipse Domain alone was already completely overwhelming, seeing how clean and advanced it was.
Now, within the Floating Fortress, they were even treated a lot better than they thought.
However, according to the staff and other residents they met who were members of Shane’s Shelters, this was all just normal to them!
Food, warmth, steel guardians patrolling the halls, training areas that could be freely used, and even an area with a Mana Fountain that was extremely refreshing!
Of course, just like Iona and the others, they needed to brag. Their gratitude spread quickly through the World Chat, fueling both jealousy and admiration across the sectors.
**
Meanwhile, Shane was finishing the last of his preparations. Skill Tokens had been refined. Skill Potions had also been distributed.
Warden Units had new systems and weaponry as they patrolled every part of the shelter and cleared the Zombies around their area.
As a matter of fact, even more Mech Frames had been rolled out, their pilots waiting on standby for deployment.
After helping in all of these, Shane finally had the time to deal with something he’d been waiting for since the auction.
The Void Shard Fragment.
[ Void Shard Fragment: A fragment from the core of a fallen Void Beast. When embedded into a weapon, it permanently enhances its destructive power with Void Pulse, releasing shockwaves upon impact.
It can also be used as a core material in forging advanced magical constructs.
Side Effect: Holding it too long corrupts weak minds with whispers of hunger and violence. ]
He had already asked Borek, the draconic-blooded blacksmith he bought before, to forge a weapon worthy of housing the fragment.
The result was a dark steel blade... When Shane finally embedded the shard into the weapon’s slot that Borek had created for it, it had become a powerful weapon.
He gripped the weapon and activated his Appraisal.
[ Voidfang ( Legendary Grade): A sword forged by a draconic smith, embedded with a fragment of a fallen Void Beast. The Void Shard grants the blade destructive power beyond ordinary weapons, though its energy remains difficult to fully control.
Effects:
Void Pulse: Each strike releases a shockwave of destructive force, scaling with user’s Strength and Aura.
Hunger’s Edge: Slightly restores stamina upon killing blows.
Corruption Resistance: The Void’s whispers are contained, but prolonged usage still tests the wielder’s willpower.
Soulbound Item: This time can only be used by Shane ]
Shane let out a whistle after seeing that it was indeed a Legendary Grade weapon.
"Good work, Borek," Shane murmured. The draconic smith only grunted, satisfied.
With the weapon now complete, Shane turned his attention to the small pouch on his desk...
Inside, several Spiritual Pebbles shimmered faintly, each one capable of storing a skill for single-use activation.
[ Spiritual Pebbles: Each stone can store one Survivor Skill, functioning as a single-use talisman. Originally created to support weak Survivors. ]
Shane wryly smiled after seeing these...
These weren’t for him. His arsenal of Skills and Fused Skills already made him a monster in combat. No, these were for the others.
For survivors who needed just one more chance to escape death. For soldiers and allies who would be stretched thin during the Red Night.
But what should he place into them?
He opened his Skill List. The panel flickered into view:
[ Survivor Skills ]
Lockpicking, Hacker, Fast Swimmer, Mining, Alchemy, Horseback Riding, Lesser Beast Taming, Horizontal Slash, Five-Meter Jump, Titan’s Roar, Underground Burrow, Armored Dash, Poison Resistance, Adrenaline Surge, Double Thrust, Meditation, Mental Clarity, Language Mastery, Sword Mastery, Vortex Spin, Quick Draw, Dust Kick, Fast Learner, Sturdy Stance, Quick Patch, Basic Throw, Tension Control, Resource Gatherer, Pulse Hacking, Blood Oath, Nano Restoration, Faerie Insight, Adrenal Burst, Arcane Veil, Phantom Recall, Energy Wave, Resilience Protocol...
[ Fused Skills ]
Survivalist, Crowd Manipulator, Phantasm Rush, Trap Mastery, Elemental Resistance, Heightened Awareness, Resources Handler, Shadow Hunt, Armament Expert, Brawler’s Fury, Predator’s Edge, Aura Sentinel, Force Breaker, Spectral Tracker, Veiled Step...
There were even more skills not listed since there were just too many of them and Shane had to adjust it a bit more.
Shane tapped his fingers against the table as he looked through this.
Some Skills were useless in a single-use format like Lockpicking or Mining wouldn’t save anyone in the chaos of the Red Night. Others, however, could mean the difference between life and death.
Candidates formed in his mind...
Adrenal Burst for a short, powerful boost of speed and strength. Perfect for escape or a killing strike.
Resilience Protocol for Instant damage reduction and healing factor for a short duration. A life-saving stone.
Energy Wave for a ranged shockwave attack. Could give weaker survivors a weapon in their hands.
Arcane Veil for temporary concealment from detection. Vital for survival.
Quick Patch for emergency wound stabilization. Basic, but effective.
Titan’s Roar for demoralizing enemies, especially zombies with hive instincts and also strengthening their side...
Shane couldn’t help ut pause for a bit as he considered so many of his skills.
"If I spread these among squad leaders, they can hand them down when needed. They shouldn’t be wasted on trivial fights after all...
Shane smiled faintly as he considered his options... Soon, he decided to use the most practical of them, something that could not be replicated by potions or most of his Skill Infused Tokens...