Shane gently nodded as he realized that most of the merchants and many of the other people here weren't actually people from Earth who had selected the eighth apocalypse or Zombie Outbreak.
This wasn't just a simple guess, as Cloud's analysis could already determine the difference between Earth Survivors and this continent's inhabitants. Well, it was all thanks to Cloud's gene analysis after obtaining liters of blood from the scavengers who had tried to raid their shelter and the survivors who thought of claiming his shelter.
Anyway, as they approached a cluster of tents, a young woman stepped forward, her eyes seemed to be inspecting them carefully before she spoke.
"Looking for a place to stay?" She asked.
Shane nodded. "We need a room for two."
The woman smiled. "The rooms for rent are on the eastern side. That will be 10 Zombie Cores. Follow me."
Shane and Lysandra followed and asked questions about the toilet and various other things. The woman answered all of their questions, and they even learned that this shelter was once owned by an old inhabitant of this continent!
Apparently, the leaders of the Nightfall Nexus saved this shelter on time when they were being attacked by a horde of Runner Zombies.
Weeks later, the old leader passed the leadership to Lucian, the Clan Leader of Nightfall Nexus.
"There were probably about 300 of us here, and the others were brought by the new leader… This shelter was previously called Ashburn but was replaced with its current name." The woman explained as they soon arrived to their destination.
Shane then gave the woman a Zombie Core as a tip since he learned a lot about this shelter.
He really didn't expect that they could also take over a shelter from the residents of this continent.
"Thank you!" The woman's eyes lit up as soon as she got the Zombie Core just for assisting the two visitors. If she wanted to obtain one, she normally had to kill 5 to 8 Zombies in order to get a Zombie Core. Her luck was simply too terrible.
Afraid that they might change their mind, she immediately bid farewell after informing the manager of the house about the visitors. Unfortunately, there was only a single room that they could rent, so Shane and Lysandra had to share it.
Shane then handed over the payment and followed the manager to a small, sturdy tent near the edge of the camp. Inside, there was a single bed and a small table. It was simple, but it would suffice.
Shane had his own bed in his inventory, and there was still space, so there was no problem…
Lysandra didn't mind this arrangement since she had experienced something even worse than this. Anyway, the two of them are truly quite dirty, so they immediately use the common toilet and bath. Since they weren't sure where their water came from, Shane decided to use his own water in his inventory and even shared it with Lysandra.
Then, Lysandra wore her Hunter Set while Shane wore his Army Set.
"I'll check the market for some food… I noticed they have some skewers being sold and some that I haven't seen before." Lysandra said as she fixed her holster.
Shane nodded at this as he also planned to visit marketplace as he was curious about what kind of weapons, clothes, or accessories he could find here.
"Mhmm… This place is really cleaner than I thought…" Shane mused as he walked around, confirming that there wasn't any trash or foul smell around.
Soon, he reached the market that they had previously passed by.
This area within the Nightfall Nexus Clan's camp was a bustling hub of activity. The streets were also well-lit since several Light Orbs were around to illuminate the surroundings. It showed that this shelter had truly been here for quite a while since they had already collected a lot of Light Orbs from Flasher Zombies.
Stalls lined the pathways, each one offering a variety of goods.
Shane wandered through the market while his eyes were scanning the wares. He passed stalls selling clothes—tunics, cloaks, and boots in various states of wear.
Accessories like belts, pouches, and trinkets also glinted in the dim light. Simple weapons were displayed prominently like axes, hammers, spears, and swords. But none of them caught his interest.
They were all Common-Grade items, and some were so poorly made they didn't even have a grade.
Shane wryly smiled as he was already used to high-quality items. At this time, it should be better to rely on the System's Market Trading and the System's Survivor Stores aside from looting them from Zombie.
As he turned to leave, a small stall tucked away in a corner caught his eye.
It was manned by a young teenager, no older than sixteen. The boy's face was smudged with dirt, and his clothes were patched and worn.
But his eyes sparkled with excitement as he held up a black egg, cradling it gently in his hands.
Shane approached the stall, and his curiosity was piqued. The egg was like the system-provided Pet Egg!
It was about the size of a melon, and its surface was smooth and glossy. Dark veins pulsed beneath the shell, giving it an otherworldly appearance.
"What's this?" Shane asked, pointing toward the egg.
The teenager's eyes lit up.
"Ahh! I was told that it's a pet egg, sir! Found it myself, I did. It's washed up by the river after the last storm. Never seen anything like it…" The young man replied excitedly, seeing that a potential customer had arrived.
Shane raised an eyebrow. He was indeed right.
"A pet egg… Do you know what kind of pet?"
"Dunno. Could be anything. But I've heard that this egg's requirement to hatch was too high, and no one wants it for my price… But if you want a companion, they hatch into creatures that bond with their owners. It will be perfect for you, sir… Make 'em stronger with you! Some even say they have special abilities."