Chapter 804: Shane’s Gift
When Alora arrived in the shelter, she was together with her squad of knights. They then formed a special group, and ever since they started hunting Zombies, they haven’t stopped at all...
They had a tragic past against these Zombies, and they wanted nothing more than their extinction. Because of that, their squad had easily gained attention...
Tundra then recalled the information he had heard before.
"They found traces... Red blood residue, claw markings, and signs of combat that didn’t fit with ordinary zombies..." Tundra explained.
Zombies don’t have red blood at all. They were black, green, or even blue in some cases.
"The pattern matched the feeding grounds of Vampires. Alora even reported seeing a few humanoid silhouettes moving unnaturally fast at night before they retreated."
With all these clues, it should be safe to assume that there were Vampires operating in that area...
If not, then they could be Lurker or Hunter Zombies since those two Zombies were also terrifying at night.
"This is a good start..." Shane muttered. They weren’t one hundred percent sure, but this was definitely informative. They could certainly start with the search in that location.
"That ruined city..." Reylin muttered as she was still unfamiliar with their area... Still, she tried to recall Edwin’s briefing before...
"Ahh... It’s less than three days’ travel from here. If they’ve established a base there, it’s dangerously close."
Shane nodded. "That’s right... Close enough to surprise us with their attacks."
Shane finally made a decision. "Good. Then that’s where we’ll begin. I want a scouting party formed immediately. Not just a glance, but a deep search. I want their nest confirmed and once it is..."
He let the words hang, the unspoken promise of annihilation to everyone...
Raze smirked faintly. "Finally, we’ll be hunting them instead of waiting to be hunted."
Diana was also satisfied with this plan. "If it’s their nest, it won’t just be the Vampire Lord. We’ll need to prepare for a war party. We can’t underestimate them again."
Shane nodded. "We won’t."
His gaze swept over his core members. "We just arrived from the Grand Auction Nexus. Settle all the items you bought... Then, two days later, gather your squads, prepare your weapons, and get ready for the hunt. This time, the Vampires will learn what it means to provoke Eclipse Domain."
***
After the meeting ended, the Core Members dispersed to settle their new items and prepare their squads.
Shane remained seated in the quiet room for a moment, as he wanted to calm his mind...
He soon called for Butler Edwin to settle a few things with the funeral of the dead Survivors. They would do it later today.
At this time, Shane didn’t even have the stomach to eat.
His hand instinctively moved toward his inventory. He still had Platinum Treasure Chests to open, Legendary Elf Recruitment Stones to summon, and other items that could drastically boost the shelter’s power.
But right now... He felt no desire to deal with them.
Instead, his thoughts drifted toward Anna.
The tension in his chest eased just by recalling her face.
She had been the one holding the infirmary together while they fought their battles outside.
Even during the Vampire Lord’s assault, she should still be working...
"Haa~ I should see her first," Shane muttered softly to himself as he decided on what to do.
Without hesitation, he stood and made his way through the infirmary in the east wing of the main estate.
When Shane arrived, the smell of herbs, disinfectants, and faint traces of blood filled the air.
The infirmary was still busy. It was filled with several survivors who were still wounded from Statham’s attack. Most of them had the issue of loss of blood since that wasn’t something that could be easily cured by salves or potions.
Shane saw Anna move gracefully between beds. There were beads of sweat dripping on her face.
Her hair was tied back, and her expression was calm yet determined as she checked patients and gave instructions to assistants.
Despite the atmosphere, there was a warmth about her presence.
Just seeing her, one of his very first companions in this world, eased Shane’s heart.
When she finally noticed him standing at the doorway, she blinked in surprise before a small smile touched her lips.
"You’re back," Anna said gently, though her eyes carried a flicker of relief she couldn’t hide.
She knew that Shane was definitely busy because they had just returned, and there was also the issue of the Vampire Lord’s ambush.
There was no way Shane would just let it be.
Shane stepped inside and nodded. "Yes... I already heard what happened here while I was gone. You did well... as always."
Anna chuckled lightly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Don’t flatter me. The defenders bought us enough time. There were casualties, but I made sure no one helplessly bled out before you came back."
Shane smiled after hearing this.
"No. Without you, far more would have been lost."
For a moment, the noise of the infirmary seemed distant.
Shane reached into his inventory and retrieved a carefully wrapped case.
It was something that he had traded in the Survivor’s Exchange List.
"I bought something for you," he said, handing it to her.
Anna blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting a gift.
Slowly, she unwrapped the case, and her eyes widened. Inside lay a Grandmaster Alchemist’s Kit. It was a compact set of silver-engraved instruments infused with faint spiritual energy.
She immediately inspected it and felt surprised.
Anna could see the delicate crystal vials, self-sterilizing scalpels, and even a portable cauldron that automatically regulated heat and purity levels during concoction.
"This... this is..." Anna’s voice trembled slightly. "The Ivory Gear Shelter had something like this... but it was absurdly expensive..."
Shane smiled faintly.
It was worth fifty thousand points to be exact... However, he didn’t plan to tell this.
"It’s worth every point I used if it makes your work easier." Shane said as he looked into her eyes..