Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle - Chapter 954

Chapter 954: Followed
At first, Alex was nervous as the Walkers shuffled past them, moaning softly… Thankfully, none turned their heads after a few seconds, and he felt more relaxed.

Soon, Runners darted by, and their eyes turned to their location, but they just ignored their figures. They even avoided the two of them when they were about to hit each other!

‘Alright… This feels mystical.’ Alex thought.

Shane and Alex watched as Crawlers clawed at the dirt, brushing against Shane’s boots without reacting.

It was such an interesting sight for the two, but neither of them dared to speak.

Although they were being ignored, it didn’t mean that they were completely safe.

After all, there were still cases of Zombies killing other Zombies through accidents or pure aggression. They just want to safely pass through this abandoned town and continue on their path.

Thud… Thud… Thud…

Suddenly, a few Jumpers leapt overhead, landing with bone-cracking thuds, but didn’t attack.

Even the Boxer‑types who seemed so aggressive simply pounded their fists into the ground and moved on.

Alex kept his rifle lowered, just in case, since it also made him feel more comfortable.

Soon, they were about to leave the horde, and Alex now felt a bit more comfortable so he whispered, “This is insane. We’re walking through hundreds of them, and they don’t even care.”

Shane’s eyes scanned the crowd and nodded. “Stay in rhythm. Don’t move too fast. Zombies sense erratic motion. Just move with their pace…”

So they did. Step by step, they were able to pass through the horde and they were almost done… Perhaps just 30 more meters to escape the Zombie’s influence.

The smell was unbearable… There was rot, smoke, and even some kind of deathly energy, but they endured.

At one point, a Jumper landed directly in front of Alex… Alex froze, his finger started twitching near the trigger.

But the creature only sniffed the air, tilted its head, and bounded away.

Alex exhaled slowly. “I swear, if I didn’t have this mask, I’d shoot it.”

Shane smirked beneath his mask. “That’s why I carry spares. Don’t waste your energy on them.”

After a few moments. Finally, the horde thinned, and the road ahead cleared…

They continued to move, and after confirming for some time, Alex already felt relaxed since there weren’t any more Zombies in sight.

“Should I remove this already?” Alex asked.

“Mhmm… We’re already far enough. We should.” Shane replied after some thought…

Although they avoided the horde just now, it didn’t mean they wanted no Zombies at all. They still wanted to hunt them and get some loot or experience points. They just didn’t want the ones near the outpost.

Furthermore, it doesn’t really feel comfortable wearing that mask. Shane didn’t want to use it as much as possible.

Shane then pulled off his mask, and Alex also followed.

“Ahhh… That’s refreshing… I thought a Tier 5 item would be comfortable, but there’s no comfort on that mask. I don’t ever want to wear that thing again. But… it worked.”

Shane chuckled. “Sometimes survival isn’t about killing everything in sight. It’s about knowing when to step aside.”

Just like that, the two finally moved onward, unaware that a group of rats was following every movement they made.

***

The swarm of rats skittered silently through the ruins of the town that Shane and Alex just passed through… They had been following their trail, yet their true master was not above ground.

Deep beneath the ruined town, hidden below layers of rubble and snow, Fiona sat within the confines of an old nuclear shelter bunker.

The place was crude but functional. It had steel walls, System-Store’s furniture, and there was also electricity powered by solar panels she had rigged above.

Furthermore, even if the place looked old, the air smelled really good, like she was inside a hotel because of the incense she bought in the Reputation store…

This was Fiona’s fourth secret base.

Soon, the rats scurried across the floor and pipes… She could feel all of them since each one was bound to her will. Actually, she had more than two hundred now, all summoned through her Talent.

[ Rat Princess (Epic Talent): The Survivor commands the vermin of the world, bending rats to her will.

Passive Effect: Automatically summons one rat per day, loyal to the Survivor.

Control Aura: All rats within a wide radius instinctively obey her commands.

Swarm Instinct: Rats under her control fight with heightened aggression and coordination.

It was definitely an unusual talent, but it had kept her alive.

While others joined Clans, Fiona remained alone. During the Zombie Wave Event, she had hidden in neutral shelters. During the Red Night Event, she had fled through alleys and tunnels after the neutral shelter collapsed.

She just used her swarm to cover her retreat. She had never fought on the frontlines, never pledged loyalty to anyone.

Independence was her desire and her pride.

Above her bunker, the ruined town was crawling with low-tier and mid-tier zombies.

They were Walkers, Runners, Crawlers, Jumpers, and even Boxer‑types. To most Survivors, it was a death trap. To Fiona, it was actually her shield. The undead kept intruders away, serving as her first line of defense.

As a matter of fact, she had brought them here using her Zombie Lure.

She narrowed her eyes as she watched the rats’ vision through her talent…

The two figures moved through the horde above…

For a moment, her heart clenched. She was worried…

‘Are they part of the Overlord Clan? Did they finally track me here?’

Her fingers tightened around the edge of the dress…

The Overlord Clan had been after her ever since she refused their recruitment. Worse, she had interfered with their scavenging runs, sending her swarm to sabotage their supplies. Offending them had been reckless, but she had no choice. She would not bow.

The rats followed the two men closely, but Fiona soon realized they weren’t chasing her. They were moving past, heading toward somewhere beyond the town.

“So they’re not chasing after me…” she muttered, exhaling sharply.

A bitter smile crossed her lips. “Tsk. Offending the Overlord Clan isn’t really good.”

She rose from her chair and walked deeper into the bunker. The dim lights flickered across the walls, illuminating the simple life she had built underground.

A bedroll, a few crates of supplies, and the constant scurrying of her swarm. It wasn’t much, but it was hers.

Fiona sat down again, her rats gathering around her feet like loyal soldiers. She stroked one absentmindedly as she considered what to do…

‘Those two… they’re strong. Too strong to be ordinary Survivors…’