Lucas, a seasoned soldier from the modern era, stood alert at the watchtower overlooking the entrance gate of Springriver Manor.
As the mist enveloped the surroundings, he observed Lord Shane bidding farewell to the mysterious Merchant, whose figure dissolved into the mist, leaving a sense of intrigue…
'That old merchant must be strong…' Lucas muttered as he realized that this merchant had just avoided several Zombie Traps like it was nothing!
It was no wonder their Lord Shane didn't bother to warn the old man about those traps.
Clutching his Master-Grade Ranger's Silent Crossbow, Lucas maintained his post, scanning the vicinity for any signs of disturbance. Although the Zombie Wave was just completed, there were still several Zombies like Jumper, Runner, and Walker Zombies that would reach their shelter from time to time.
As for the Spitter Zombie that gets attracted to the water, they would be dealt with by the elves stationed upstream.
Well, if they ever noticed some impurity in the river as well, they would wave a flag to signal those in the shelter to temporarily avoid using the river water and change to their stored water until it was clear again.
Perhaps, only the elves could do this job because of their natural affinity to nature…
Of course, Lily and Elsa should also be capable of appraising the water, but they have other things to do.
At this time, Lucas' keen eyes surveyed the estate, taking note of the hard-working Super Soldiers laboring to fell trees with precision and efficiency. The rhythmic buzz of the chainsaw echoed as one soldier expertly harvested the lumbers while another transported the logs to the warehouse, their teamwork seamless and coordinated.
'It's a pity that we lost 3 Super Soldiers. I hope Lord Shane can recruit more of them soon.' Lucas thought to himself.
After all, each Super Soldier was probably equal to a hundred normal soldiers, in his opinion. They had incredible stamina, only needed to eat a single time each day, and also worked efficiently.
They weren't just perfect soldiers but also perfect laborers.
With these Super Soldiers, the estate's defenses were always high.
Across the grounds, Lucas then noticed Monk Chaloem showing his formidable strength…
Channeling his inner aura and employing a Monk Fist technique, he started shattering boulders with effortlessly!
The resounding impact of each strike reverberated through the estate… After breaking these stones, a few people collected them and transported them to the estate with a wheelbarrow.
These people were those who were normally working on the vegetable farm.
Turning his attention elsewhere, Lucas observed those newly arrived from another shelter helping with the fortification of the defenses of the manor...
More traps were set, trenches were dug, and some ventured out to fend off encroaching zombies… Most of the zombies were only Crawler and Walker Zombies, so they were easy to deal with.
"Hmm? What's going on?"
Suddenly, a remarkable shift occurred as the once-obscured area surrounding the estate emerged from the dissipating mist, revealing a fresh clarity that captivated all who saw it.
"The mist dissipated…"
"What happened? Is it a warning or something?"
"I think that another barrier was activated."
"Right… However, it was too subtle… I think it's not that…"
Whispers of speculation circulated among the residents who were near the estate. To be honest, Lucas also thought that it was an activation of a new barrier, but it was certainly quite different.
Little did they know that Shane's actions had triggered this event. It was all thanks to the reward he obtained for obtaining the old map.
The estate expanded its territorial reach by an additional 200 meters!
Meanwhile, Shane didn't care about all of this as he looked at the message that had appeared in front of him.
[ You have leveled up. ]
[ You have obtained 100% OFF Voucher that can be used in both the Reputation Store and Survivor Store. ]
[ Hint: The Voucher will expire within three days, so use it immediately. ]
There weren't any new features or gift packs after reaching level 26, but the 100% OFF Voucher was definitely welcome…
Shane would surely use this Voucher for the most expensive item he could find in the Reputation Store.
Well, the items in the Survivor Store could be bought by Zombie Cores, but the Reputation Potions, although he had hundreds of them, weren't so easy to come by.
After getting the Voucher, he immediately opened his Reputation Store!
Then, after some contemplation, he picked one of them and used the Voucher!
[ Expert's Tattoo: A permanent and artistic mark on the Survivor's skin that can impress or intimidate others. It has a 100% chance of unlocking top-grade Mystical Survivor Skills. The tattoo's design will depend on the unlocked Survivor Skill.
"This is perfect…" Shane had seen several tattoos being sold in the Reputation Store. However, this was the first time he had seen the Expert's Tattoo, and it was perfect for his 100% Off Voucher!
There was no way he would miss this!
[ Do you wish to use your Voucher for the purchase? ]
"Yes…" Shane replied.
[ Please select the Voucher you want to use. ]
[ 75% OFF ( x3 ), 90% OFF ( x4 ), 100% OFF ( x1 ) ]
After some hesitation, Shane decided to use the 100% voucher since it had an expiration date, unlike the other ones.
[ You have used the 100% Off Voucher. ]
[ The Expert's Tattoo Mark will be integrated into the Survivor. ]
[ Congratulations! You have obtained a random Expert-Level Tattoo Mark. ]
After getting these notifications, Shane shifted his focus to his left hand, where a soft light caught his attention.
Needless to say, the mystical tattoo was to manifest at the back of his left hand.
'It's better than manifesting on my face…' Shane thought as he didn't like the idea of covering his face with tattoo marks. It was simply not his thing.
The gentle radiance emanated from his skin for a few more seconds until it enveloped his palm…
Then, it gradually dissipated to reveal the distinctive mark etched upon it.
The tattoo depicted very detailed three pieces of cogs together…
'What kind of Survivor Skill is this?'