Shane laughed... The sound even echoed across the battlefield...
He didnât expect that these people would be so shameless.
"You want my name? You want me to show my face?" His voice was cold, distorted through the BioâArmor.
"You wonât live long enough to remember it."
The River Flow Clan warriors charged...
At this point, they would no longer save their Spirit Points or any weapons in their arsenal.
They would have to go all out against this Survivor.
They had already guessed that the man was probably a Ranker... Someone within the Top 100.
However, since he was alone, they should have a good chance of winning!
Soon, their weapons started glowing as they infused them with more Spirit Points.
They were veterans, hardened by countless hunts, but against Shaneâs overwhelming level and talents, they were nothing more than fodder!
Shane moved like lightning...
His Shadow Step blinked him through the nearby shadows, reappearing in the middle of their formation.
It was so unpredictable and annoying!
He then used his Horizontal Slash with his Bone Sword and triggered the cutting aura from Domain Sever as well!
This attack cleaved through four warriors at once with venom seeping into their wounds as electricity surged, frying their nerves!
The combination of Skills was simply brutal!
"Arc Discharge!" Shane roared.
A cone of electricity burst forward, stunning a dozen enemies at the same time!
Their bodies convulsed as lightning ripped through their armor. Shane followed up with several strikes to ensure their death!
Each swing of the bone sword was meant to kill! He had no desire to keep them alive at this moment!
Anyone involved with the Overlord Clan must suffer!
One warrior used a Blink Skill and tried to counter with a heavy axe, but Shaneâs BioâArmor absorbed the blow!
He didnât even think of blocking the attack!
He twisted, driving his blade through the manâs chest, venom and lightning tearing him apart.
Another attempted to cast a binding Skill, but Shaneâs Aura Suppression weakened the effect instantly. His sword cut the caster down before the Skill could finish.
The battlefield became a slaughter.
Every attack Shane delivered carried storm energy, venom, and sword mastery.
The River Flow Clanâs formation collapsed, and in just a few moments, their confidence was shattered.
The others even started helping...
The wolves attacked the nearest enemy, and the bear roared as its chains shattered, and even the lizardâbeast bit into the enemies.
Within minutes, the River Flow Clan was annihilated. Their glowing weapons, probably Epic or even Legendary Grade, clattered to the snow... As for the bodies of the River Flow Clan members, they were all smoking from lightning burns.
Shane stood among the corpses with his sword still dripping with venom and blood. He turned toward the ragged survivors...
"Listen carefully," Shane said, his voice sharp. "Do not touch their belongings. Everything here belongs to me. Their loot, their weapons, their supplies... all mine."
The battered survivors froze, then nodded quickly.
They had no desire to compete with him in the first place!
"YâYes! Of course! We wonât touch anything!"
Another added, "You saved us... We owe you everything. Thank you!"
Shaneâs aura receded slightly as he sheathed his sword.
He could tell that they were sincere and did not plan to attack him.
Still, he needed to warn them.
The rest of the survivors bowed their heads, grateful for his mercy. Then, one of them stepped forward hesitantly.
"We... we have a shelter nearby. Itâs hidden. Only about a hundred of us remain. Itâs not much, but... if you wish, you can come so we can express our gratitude... Youâll be welcome."
As soon as he said this, the others straightened. They were shocked at their leaderâs decision to reveal their base. Still, it actually made sense.
They could tell that the person with this special armor was definitely within the Top 100 Survivors.
Being acquainted with him would be great for them.
Shane tilted his head as he considered their invitation.
He controlled prosperous shelters with thousands of survivors, even a floating fortress that dominated the skies.
Compared to that, a hundred people in an underground hideout were small. But Shane wasnât arrogant enough to dismiss them. Connections and Allies in the Apocalypse mattered.
Perhaps, he could give them a chance.
He nodded.
"Fine. Iâll come. Show me your shelter later... after I finish looting them."
The survivorsâ faces lit up with relief. "Thank you! Weâll guide you there."
Just like that, Shane started looting the people...
Unfortunately, none of these guys had more than 8,000 Reputation Points. It means that he couldnât get half of them or increase in Infamy.
Still, he didnât mind that since he was about to get new Skills and talents.
Soon, he turned to the body that he found to be the strongest among the group. Shane picked up the sword in his hand. Seeing that it was an Epic Grade weapon, he felt a bit satisfied.
Then, Shane proceeded with the systemâs looting process to obtain the manâs inventory items.
[ Do you want to retrieve the loot? ]
Shane answered.. "Yes."
The system responded instantly.
[ You have earned 1,200 Experience Points. ]
[ You have earned 150 Reputation Points. ]
As expected, it had low experience points and reputation points. However, it was fine.
[ Loots obtained: Item Upgrade Crystal x5, Spirit Core Fragment x1, Riverfang Greatsword (Legendary) x1, Chainbreaker Armor (Epic) x1, Thunderstrike Bow (Epic) x1, VenomâEdge Arrows x30, Water Breathing Skill, Venom Burst Skill, Shout Skill, Roar Skill, Spearman Talent (Epic), Archer Talent (Exceptional), Ironhide Talent (Exceptional), Skill Fusion Scroll x2 ]
[ You have reached the limit of Survivor Talents...
There were no extra Talent Expansion Scrolls provided, but Shane accepted them. He didnât like any of the manâs talent anyway.
As for the skills, only the Water Breathing was probably usable.
"Still, this guy has Legendary Sword... Why did he not use it?" Shane muttered as he took out the greatsword.
As soon as he did so, he realized the reason why.
The Legendary Swordâs durability was incredibly low.
It was as if it was attacked by Zombie Lords...
Needless to say, without Legendary Blacksmith, repairing such an item would be very difficult.
Shane then stored it in his inventory, hoping that someone in the Floating Fortress could help him fix it later.
He then continued looting the others.
[ You have earned 900 Experience Points. ]
[ You have earned 140 Reputation Points. ]
[ Loots obtained: Item Upgrade Crystal x6, Spirit Core Fragment x1, Stormpiercer Spear (Legendary), Scalehide Armor (Epic), War Banner x1, Spear Throw Skill, Piercing Move Skill, Rallying Step Skill, Formation Breaker Skill, Spearman Talent (Rare), Mountain Survivor Talent (Exceptional), Stonewall Talent (Exceptional), Skill Fusion Scroll x1 ]
[ You have reached the limit of Survivor Talents...
"Mhmm... Itâs not really a profitable loot." Shane muttered as he saw the skills and talents.
Aside from the items, he didnât find any interesting loot at all.
In any case, theyâre all his, and theyâre all free. He just looted them all, and perhaps, heâd check all of them later on.
"Whew~ Thatâs a lot..." Shane muttered.
Soon, he turned to the ragged survivors who were tending to their wounds and caring for their summons or pets...
"Letâs go!"
Just like that, Shane followed them across the snowy plain...
***
Shane walked with the group of remaining nine survivors across the snowy plain.
They were moving slowly, but Shane didnât mind it... He still had plenty of time left.
Anyway, he noticed that the man at the front carried himself differently from the others. His armor was worn, but his posture was steady, his eyes sharp. Shane noticed the way the others glanced at him with respect.
"Whatâs your name?" Shane asked...
The man hesitated for a moment, then answered, "I am Gregor Voss."
At this time, Shane was still in his Bio-Armor, so he felt a little awkward. However, he didnât dare ask him to show his face. He already saw what happened to the members of the River Flow Clan after all.
In any case, Shane nodded after learning his name.
"Ahem... There were previously more than 800 people in our shelter... But weâve lost many in the previous Red Night Event. Only a hundred remain in our shelter... Weâre so unlucky... Thankfully, we were able to find this smaller but safer shelter..."
Shane didnât reply, but he nodded. He knew how dangerous the Red Night Event was.
The group pressed on, moving through rough cliffs and some frozen streams.
Hours passed, and the sound of rushing water grew louder. Shaneâs senses sharpened... His Heightened Awareness Skill was alerting him to the presence of a concealed structure ahead.
Finally, they reached it.
A towering waterfall cascaded down from the cliffs.
Behind the roaring curtain of water, Shane noticed faint shadows... a hidden passage.
"I see..."
Gregor turned to him and smiled. "Yes... This is our refuge. Few know of it. The waterfall hides the entrance, and the sound masks our movements. It has kept us alive."