Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

However, Shane wanted to be as fast as possible since he needed to obtain the hidden quest reward. Because of that, even if he had to rest, he decided not to take too long and also use it to observe the attack patterns or movement of the Zombies.

Then, after resting for enough time, Shane decided to take the battle seriously.

As soon as the Brute Zombie started to tackle him, he darted to the side to avoid it while also kicking its feet to make it stumble to the ground.

Before he could make a follow-up, however, Shane saw another attack he had to avoid… This attack was actually made by the "squad leader"! It actually jumped at him, hoping he'd get crushed by its weight!

Boom!

The attack hit the ground, leaving a crater where Shane had stood moments before. This Zombie seemed to have overused its strength as well, seeing how it remained kneeling to the ground after its failed attempt.

Unfortunately, Shane couldn't finish it off once again as he used his Five-Meter Jump!

'I'll kill you last…' Shane thought as he launched himself into the air, slashing downward with the Silver Sword to another Brute Zombie.

Thud!

The blade cut deep into the shoulder of a Brute Zombie, and black flesh or matter started spraying out as the creature roared in rage.

But Shane had no time to celebrate. Another Brute Zombie came at him from the side, swinging its massive arm.

"Tsk…" Shane clicked his tongue as he activated Veiled Steps in time, vanishing from sight as the Zombie's punch sailed through empty air.

'They're more coordinated than I thought.' Shane mused as he confirmed their fighting skills were way above the other Zombies.

'Is it because of their squad leader or something? They're definitely special. If I'll be facing 20 of them or even more at the same time… It would probably be better to just take out the Automated Turret.' Shane thought so, but the risk was too high.

After all, the Brute Zombies were tough, and they could also jump high… If they somehow destroyed the Turret, it would deeply trouble him.

Nonetheless, the Great Survivor Set enhanced Shane's endurance and Agility, allowing him to outmaneuver the Brute Zombies despite their incredible coordination.

The set's built-in Energy Recovery effect restored his stamina as he moved, while its Impact Resistance absorbed the shock of near misses and glancing blows.

Shane also used his Shadow Hunt skill to deliver a devastating blow at the back of one of the Brute Zombies…

Thud!

The Silver Sword glowed as he plunged it into the spine of another Brute Zombie. The creature let out a howl before collapsing to the ground.

'This is really sharp…' Shane thought as he smiled at the result of his attack. He knew that he could rely on this Silver Sword. Although this sword wasn't purchased in the system store, it was crafted by Diana herself.

There was no doubt that this item would be incredible, especially after being advanced twice by the Item Upgrade Crystals.

Lastly, it must be remembered that the silver ores they were using were mined on the same underground cave where they found the Spirit Vein!

Shane wasn't exactly sure, but it seemed as if the Silver they were using was somehow "blessed" by the Spirit Vein, making them perfect for forging weapons.

[ Silver Sword ( Epic Grade ): A finely forged blade imbued with a unique silver alloy that shines even in the dimmest light. Its craftsmanship makes it lightweight yet devastatingly powerful, allowing for quick and precise strikes. The blade's silvery finish is infused with magical properties, making it particularly effective against supernatural foes.

Effects: +50% bonus damage against Low-Tier Zombies, +30% bonus damage against Mid-Tier Zombies, +25% Attack Speed.

Special Effects:

Silver Flare: Releases a crescent-shaped wave of silver energy that travels 10 meters, dealing 150% weapon damage to all enemies in its path. Particularly devastating to undead and supernatural foes. Cost: 100 Spirit Points. Cooldown: 5 seconds ]

With such a weapon in his possession, he felt confident against these Zombies!

"Ohhh… You're recovered?" Shane suddenly said as he glanced at his pet.

Silver actually joined the fray, morphing into a spiked ball and smashing into the legs of a Brute Zombie, tripping it.

This is what he liked about this pet. Although it was mostly acting as his armor, it was still a capable pet.

It might not do a lot of damage, but Shane taught it enough to be useful in combat.

"Nice!

Taking advantage of the situation, Shane activated Vortex Spin, spinning with his sword and delivering several slashes that reduced the Zombie to a lump of sliced meat.

The other two Brute Zombies tried to corner Shane, but he used Energy Wave, sending a blast of concentrated energy at their legs, staggering them. With the same movement he used against the other Zombies, he felled the remaining foes, including the squad leader of the Brute Zombies.

[ Level 41 cleared. Preparing Level 42 ]

Just like that, Shane completed the 41st level…

'I wonder how many Brute Zombies next… Will it be eight?' Shane thought…

Anyway, it didn't take long before he got the answer.

[ Level 42 initiated. Opponents: Eight Brute Zombies. ]

"I guess that's the pattern, huh…" Shane muttered as he heard the roar of eight Brute Zombies.

"Come at me!" Shane shouted as he already felt confident to kill them quickly after learning how they had moved from the five Brute Zombies before.

As expected, the Brute Zombies coordinated their attacks, forcing him to constantly stay on the move.

Nonetheless, he was able to easily find their openings with their wide movements. He just had to be careful of his back since the Brute Zombies liked to attack from behind if there were many of them working together.

With that in consideration, he relied on his heightened awareness and Cloud's help to deal with the problem…

With this technique, his Challenge Level steadily rose.