This was the first time theyâve seen anything like it.
The obelisk seemed like it was made of alien technology that was advanced and also magical!
Lyle pushed up his glasses and gulped at the sight.
"Some kind of arcane power source? No... no, this is beyond anything Iâve seen. Itâs definitely not from a Survivor Store. They probably unearth some kind of secret treasure." He muttered. However, the truth was simple. It was just an item that Shane bought at the auction.
However, the shock didnât end there.
They finally realized that just behind the great gates of the Eclipse Domain, huge figures stood motionless. As the group moved closer, the full sight of them stunned everyone.
Four Mech Frames.
The siblings clutched each otherâs arms. Even Lyle, usually collected, couldnât contain his awe.
"Mech Frames..." he breathed. "Weâve only heard about them in rumors. And here they areâfour of them! Right in front of us!"
"Whoa~"
"Youâre right... Theyâre here..."
"I wonder if I can apply as a pilot. Iâve played a lot of simulation games like that before."
"That looks awesome. Even a Giant Zombie would not last a minute on that."
What they saw was towering humanoid machines of steel, each easily six to eight meters tall, with weapons grafted to their arms and bodies, standing by.
They werenât moving, but their sheer presence was overwhelming.
At this time, the artisans and alchemists truly felt the weight of Shaneâs shelterâs power...
"This sight is incredible..."
The eight survivors stood rooted to the ground as their eyes locked on the Mech Frames.
Just then, a squad of Warden Units broke formation and approached them. Unlike the patrolling units, these carried long halberds with glowing etchings on the blades.
With those glowing weapons, they immediately knew that they were all at least Master-Grade Weapons.
One of them raised its weapon slightly, then lowered it. It seemed like a gesture of acknowledgment.
Nonetheless, a human officer followed behind them with a clipboard in hand.
"Floating Fortress occupants? Youâve been approved for immediate transfer."
"Transfer?" Iona repeated.
"Yes... To the Floating Fortress," the officer clarified. "Youâll undergo secondary screening inside. Follow the escort."
They thought that they could only board the Floating Fortress on the day of the event. However, it seemed that Shane had no plans to wait for the 3 days at all.
The eight exchanged quick glances, as they all felt excited about this.
They were led across the southern square, where the towering stone obelisk could be seen clearly.
"Hmmm?" Liona and the others also noticed that passing residents bowed their heads as they walked past, as if acknowledging its significance.
âIs it some kind of a deity theyâre worshiping here or something?â This was their initial thought.
Nonetheless, they didnât think too much of it since they finally realized that a few people were looking at the sky...
They immediately followed their gazes and soon, they realized that the hovering above the Eclipse Domain was the Floating Fortress!
They didnât notice this a while ago!
"Whoa~ Is it some kind of stealth mode? How come we only noticed it now?"
"Thatâs obvious. Thereâs no way it doesnât have any form of defensive tricks."
"I wonder how weâre going to board that? Is there a hot air balloon here or something?"
They couldnât help but imagine how they could board the fortress...
Still, the others stayed silent since the sight of it sent shivers racing through their spines. They even noticed numerous turrets at the bottom of the fortress. It was truly like a moving citadel suspended in the sky.
They werenât even sure if it was working with some sort of anti-gravity thrusters or alien technology, but they all hoped they could also obtain something like this.
Then, as they looked around to see if they would drop a robe so they could climb up, the escort led them to an elevator platform that had already descended a while ago. It was a circular stage made of black stone and steel, and could carry five heavy trucks at the same time.
This platform was also surrounded by Warden Units, ensuring that it was protected and would not be tampered with by anyone.
"Step onto the platform, please. You will be lifted in just a few moments."
The survivors hesitated only a moment before complying.
Soon, they felt their bodies being lifted as the platform floated swiftly and arrived at the deck of the Floating Fortress.
Inside, the first thing they saw wasnât machines, but... an Elf.
Tall, elegant, with beautiful silver hair!
The figure wore an elven robe that was also filled with Mana.
His pointed ears marked him as something that shouldnât even exist in this Zombie Apocalypse World!
"Welcome to the Fortress..." the Elf said with a melodic voice...
"I am Eltharion, your guide. Please, follow me."
The eight froze.
"An... Elf?" Lyle stammered, his voice cracking. "That... shouldnât even be possible. This isnât a fantasy game world."
"Then how do you explain him standing there in front of us?" one of the siblings muttered as he couldnât understand how this had happened.
However, they didnât dare ask further questions. They werenât in a position where they could just interrogate the elf. Furthermore, with a Floating Fortress and other absurd Talents of Survivors, it seemed that someone managed to get an Elf Talent.
"I wonder if the Elf Talent is an Epic Grade or maybe a Legendary Grade. I heard that someone with Werewolf Talent was at Exceptional Grade."
"Well... I also heard that a Half-Beast Talent was at Master Grade..."
"Interesting... This must be one of Shaneâs secrets."
They could only guess for now as they soon followed Elf Eltharion...
Soon, the elf led them down wide corridors and realized just how incredible it was.
***
Of course, it didnât take that long before the other lucky Survivors started arriving.
Just hours later, the group of six from the Grace Crafting Clan finally arrived!