Diana would always have a time, at least an hour or two, dedicated to scrolling in the World Chat and the Regional Chat...
It was the same today.
[ World Chat ]
[ Darius (Sector 9): Anyone else hear that rumor about a "Zombie Cure"? Some clan in Sector 3 claims they found a formula. ]
[ Mina (Sector 12): A cure? Donât be stupid. If that was real, the system wouldâve announced it. If youâre thinking of the Anti-Zombie Injector or some other cures from the Shadow Striderâs shelter, then youâre misinformed. Thatâs all a scam. ]
[ Roland (Sector 15): Not necessarily. I think the cure exists even if the Rank 1 do not have it. Maybe itâs hidden tech, like those Relics. Could be clanâexclusive too. ]
[ Yuki (Sector 5): If itâs true, then the big clans will hoard it. Ordinary shelters wonât even get a drop. ]
[ Caleb (Sector 2): Forget cures. Did you see the notice? Zombie Lords are gathering near coastal zones. That means sea raids are coming. ]
[ Aria (Sector 14): My clan fought one last night. It wasnât just a Lord... it had minions that moved like Hunters. We lost half our wall. I think Zombie Activity is indeed low, but if they really started moving, it could be a disaster. Really... ]
[ Viktor (Sector 7): Thatâs why alliances matter. Smaller shelters wonât survive unless they join bigger clans. Merge with our Clan! ]
[ Selene (Sector 19): Easy for you to say. Not everyone wants to bend the knee to those Top Clans. Some of us still want independence. ]
[ Omar (Sector 6): Independence is useless if youâre dead. Choose survival first. Pride later. ]
[ Elias (Sector 21): Marketplace prices are insane right now. Zombie Cores doubled overnight. Even basic traps cost more than weapons. ]
[ Hana (Sector 5): Thatâs because clans are stockpiling. They know something big is coming. ]
[ Devon (Sector 4): If a cure really exists, then this whole apocalypse changes. Imagine turning zombies back into humans. Would they even remember us? ]
[ Mina (Sector 12): Stop dreaming. Focus on defense. Cures or not, the Lords are moving, and they wonât wait for us to be ready. ]
It was quite a normal conversation among those chatters.
Still, Diana was soon stunned as he read a chat from Niles... She recalled Niles before, since he was a well-known robber who wanted to call himself the Phantom Thief. He had robbed many clans before and bragged about it in the chat...
Because of this, many people gave information about him and they soon confirmed that Niles had Invisibility Talent. Unfortunately, no one knows his face as well since he seemed to possess the Thousand Faces Mask.
The last time he appeared in the chat was him telling people that he would attempt to rob Shaneâs shelter and take his Warden Units or androids and sell it to the public.
People laughed at him since Shane was the Rank 1 Survivor!
His shelter was definitely heavily protected...
People then forgot about him and his warning about his plan to rob one of Shaneâs shelters.
For several months, no one heard any update about the man, and no one really cared aside from the Clans who had been robbed by this person.
Well, not until today!
[ Niles (Sector 20): Phantom Thief reporting in. Guess what? I just robbed Shaneâs New Genesis Shelter. Granary emptied, ten Warden Units gone, turrets and mana cannons packed up. And yes... I escaped. ]
[ Devon (Sector 4): WHAT?! Youâre lying. No one can break into Shaneâs shelter. That place is a fortress. ]
[ Mina (Sector 12): Stop trolling. Shaneâs shelter has many barrier generators, elite survivors, and layers of defenses. Youâd be dead before you even touched the gate. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Dead? I walked right in. Iâm sure you all know about my Invisibility Talent, and my Legendary Thousand Faces Mask. You think your walls matter when you canât even see me? ]
[ Caleb (Sector 2): Impossible. Even if you got inside, how did you bring all of those with you without being noticed? Those things are huge. Did you rob their transport crew instead? ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): You underestimate me. Phantom Thief doesnât just steal trinkets. I take what others think untouchable. Logistics? Already solved. Youâll see them in the Marketplace soon. ]
[ Elias (Sector 21): Marketplace?! Youâre selling Shaneâs Warden Units? Thatâs suicide. Heâll hunt you down. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Hunt me? He doesnât even know my face. Thousand Faces Mask, remember? I could be anyone. Maybe Iâm sitting in your shelter right now. ]
[ Aria (Sector 14): This is insane. If Shaneâs shelter can be robbed, then none of us are safe. ]
[ Viktor (Sector 7): Niles, youâre bluffing. Show proof. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Proof? Just wait for them in the Marketplace... Also, I think someone from the Eclipse Revenant is already aware that Iâm here bragging about it. As you can see, no one from their Clan is telling that Iâm lying. ]
[ Lysandra (Sector 20): ...Heâs not lying. New Genesis just got raided. Thatâs really impressive. ]
[ Omar (Sector 6): No way. Lysandra? Youâre part of the Clan, right? Heâs really done it?! Thatâs awesome. Shane is Rank 1. If even he canât protect his shelter, what chance do the rest of us have? ]
[ Lysandra (Sector 20): Lol... ]
[ Jillian (Sector 20): Lol. Itâs a good thing you didnât hurt anyone, though. ]
[ Selene (Sector 19): Lysandra and Jillian... Youâre both in the New Genesis Shelter, right? This changes everything. Did the balance of power just shift? Why are you so calm?! ]
[ Roland (Sector 15): Niles, youâre insane. Do you realize what youâve done? Shane will come for you. He doesnât forgive. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Let him come. I thrive on the chase. Every lock has a key, every fortress has a weakness. I just proved it. ]
[ Devon (Sector 4): Youâre not a thief, youâre a madman. Youâve doomed yourself. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Madman? No. Iâm a visionary. Shaneâs toys will be in the hands of whoever pays. ]
[ Elias (Sector 21): Youâre selling them? To who? ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): To anyone with enough Zombie Cores. Why should Shane monopolize power? Let the apocalypse be fair. ]
[ Mina (Sector 12): Fair? Youâre destabilizing everything. If weaker shelters get Warden Units, theyâll just be targeted harder. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Not my problem. I sell. You survive... or you donât. ]
[ Caleb (Sector 2): Youâre painting a target on your back. Shaneâs clan will hunt you across every sector. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Let them try. Iâve robbed clans before. Iâve robbed shelters before. This is just my biggest score yet. And Iâm still here, arenât I? ]
[ Aria (Sector 14): People laughed when you said youâd rob Shane. Now youâre bragging that you did it. I donât know whether to be impressed or terrified. ]
[ Viktor (Sector 7): Terrified. Definitely terrified. If Niles can rob Rank 1, then more clans can be robbed soon. ]
[ Hana (Sector 5): Good job, Niles! Youâre showing that these high rank clans arenât everything! ]
[ Selene (Sector 19): Heâs not a hero. Heâs a parasite. Remember that he previously robbed even the weakest shelters, which were already struggling to survive. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Call me what you want. Phantom Thief doesnât care. I live free. I take what I want. And tonight, I took from the strongest. ]
[ Roland (Sector 15): Shane will retaliate. He always does. Good luck! ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Retaliate? Heâll waste time chasing shadows. Iâm already gone. ]
Still, after the news of his success spread, more and more people visited the World Chat and soon, it was filled with people supporting Niles!
[ Devin (Sector 4): Hahaha! I canât believe it. You actually pulled it off. Phantom Thief, youâre a legend now. ]
[ Oscar (Sector 6): I donât care what anyone says. Watching Shane lose face like this is the best thing Iâve seen all year. ]
[ Vincent (Sector 7): Finally, someone proved that Rank 1 isnât untouchable. Respect, Niles. ]
[ Eliseo (Sector 21): Youâre shaking the whole system. Everyone thought Shane was invincible. Not anymore. ]
[ Patria (Sector 14): Iâm impressed. Honestly, I didnât think anyone could even scratch New Genesis. ]
[ Lesley (Sector 12): Parasite or not, youâve shown us that the "strongest shelter" can bleed. Thatâs huge. Overlord Clan will welcome you! ]
[ Oscar (Sector 6): Sell those Warden Units fast. Iâll buy. I donât care if Shane comes after me. ]
[ Vincent (Sector 7): Same here. Put them in the Marketplace. Youâll be rich overnight. ]
[ Eliseo (Sector 21): Rich? Heâs already rich. This is about reputation. Niles just became the most feared man in the apocalypse. ]
[ Niles (Sector 20): Thank you, everyone, for your support... I planned to sell it in the Marketplace now, but unfortunately, the System wasnât taking it for some reason. However, I can still sell it in person instead. One Warden Unit will be 10,000 Zombie Cores and 100 Item Upgrade Crystals! ]
The chat exploded. Survivors spammed messages, some cursing Niles, others begging him to sell them stolen units for a lower price, and many simply supporting the fact that Shaneâs shelter had been breached.
Some laughed nervously, others accused Niles of lying, but since Lysandra and Jillian didnât deny it, everyone could tell that this was legit!
For months, Niles had been dismissed as a nuisance, a thief who preyed on weaker clans. But tonight, he had humiliated the strongest survivor in the world!