Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

"Right… Did they check on the merchant already?" Shane asked as he looked at the butler.

The butler knew the protocol, so Shinja or some others must've asked the merchant a few questions already. This was especially for Chaloem, who had a higher sense of detecting evil.

"Yes... Sir Shinja and Sir Chaloem confirmed that the merchant was not dangerous. He was simply filled with herbs that hid him from the zombies." Mr. Wadsworth said.

This means that the merchant must've only reached this place thanks to the herbs he was using to avoid being detected by the Zombies. That was quite interesting.

"Then let me see him... I'm interested." Shane said as he finally stood up…

He remained wearing his Crawler Set since he really liked their effects and followed Mr. Wadsworth.

As Shane ascended the rampart to catch a glimpse of the mysterious figure waiting beyond the estate's gates, he beheld the sight of an elderly man cloaked in tattered robes, his weathered face obscured by the shadows cast by the hood of his cloak.

The merchant stood expressionless, but he could tell that the merchant was unafraid of whoever was behind the wooden gate! He remained unbothered while a sizable ransack slung over his shoulder, bulging with an assortment of goods and trinkets.

Shane smiled as he felt that this was another kind of NPC Merchant from the system.

'Mhmmm… I wonder what he's selling.'

Despite his advanced age, there was an undeniable aura of steadiness about the merchant. It was a proof that this person was also strong despite Shinja and Chaloem's claim that he was weak.

Soon, the merchant noticed Shane at the rampart and his weather-beaten hands deftly adjusted the straps of his ransack, revealing glimpses of mysterious herbs and artifacts peeking out from within, hinting at the treasures he carried and the stories they held.

"Ohhh…"

Shane's curiosity surged as he observed the cloaked merchant…

"Gene, kindly open the gates and welcome our esteemed guest into our estate… He must've come from afar, so don't make him wait for too long. That bag must be heavy." Shane instructed, his voice showed a hint of hospitality and curiosity to their guest.

"Mr. Wadsworth, please guide the merchant to the reception room and have Alexa prepare a selection of food and beverages for our visitor…" Shane continued.

It was quite obvious that he was eager to see into the mysterious items that the wandering merchant carried within his ransack.

As the cloaked figure was ushered into the welcoming embrace of the estate, Shane soon found himself seated across from the merchant in the cozy confines of the reception room of the manor.

He was quite proud of this place after it was renovated, and he knew that it was the perfect place to accept visitors.

At this time, however, he was also surrounded by his trusted companions, Raze , and the members of the Eclipse Revenant—Lyra, Jaxon, Kael, and Tessa.

All of them were quite excited since they've never seen or heard about this wandering merchant, even in the Regional Chat.

They were now eager to discover what treasures the old man had brought to their doorstep.

"Thank you for this drink… I've been traveling for quite a while, even before the sun rose."

Gulp~

Expressing his gratitude for the refreshments provided by Alexa, the merchant took a moment to quench his thirst before unveiling his wares.

With a gentle smile, he introduced himself.

"First of all, I am Darwin… Just a nomad whose travels led me to unearth various things, including rare and precious gems or materials I found in some forbidden areas."

After Darwin unfurled a collection of shimmering gems, gasps of awe and wonder from the audience filled the room.

"This looks familiar…" Raze muttered.

"I've seen them before." Lyra also nodded as she realized what kind of precious stones they were.

"Right… They've also been sold in the bazaar before. But I didn't bother bidding on them with their steep price." Tessa added.

Shane also smiled after seeing this.

Each gem radiated with a unique glow, pulsating with an otherworldly energy that hinted at their extraordinary properties.

It only took a few seconds for them to realize that these were no ordinary gems—they were Recruitment Stones of various levels!

"Ugh… I think Shane would need these more since he's the one who wanted to recruit plenty of people to manage his land." Kael said.

Then, Raze spoke.

"I am actually interested in acquiring some of them as well. Just think about it… If the Recruitment Stones summoned an incredible person, you can obtain a strong servant waiting for you. If they're not too good or just average, you can just have this person work for the clan or for the estate.

It shouldn't be a bad idea to have a servant or two following you…" Raze explained as she knew that Roan was growing up. It was getting tiring to clean Roan or to feed him some time.

With some reliable servants, they could become their life-saver as well if they were in a pinch.

"Just think about that monk in the ramparts yesterday…" Raze added.

"Ahhh…"

They had all seen Chaloem in action yesterday! That monk was monstrous! He was like a human version of the Tyrant Zombie, and they all agreed that they wouldn't get on his bad side.

Thinking about it, there was no way they would reject a person of his caliber if he asked to join them!

"Ahem… Well, of course, it's a different topic if we're talking about Chaloem. That man came from an Epic Recruitment Stone after all." Tessa added.

As an assassin, she was used to act alone when killing a target. However, if Chaloem was her partner, that was a different story.

The room buzzed with excitement as the Eclipse Revenant members exchanged whispers and furtive glances, their eyes alight with the prospect of recruiting other people...

Darwin smiled after seeing their reaction to the first items he showed. 'It seems that it's a good decision to show them these stones first.' He thought.

Then, Darwin introduced the seven different types of recruitment stones that he had brought to them.