"Sol?" Shane repeated as he found this name quite fitting to the woman in front of him.
"I walk the path between life and death, speaking to those who have passed beyond the mortal circle..." Sol added.
Of course, with the creepy atmosphere around her, they immediately had a vague understanding of what she does.
Nia shuddered. "So you talk to ghosts?"
Sol let out a chuckle as this was a common question she'd always heard.
"Yes… Ghosts, the lingering wills of the dead… The world is filled with wandering souls, seeking rest or vengeance. I help them from time to time."
She tapped her staff against the ground, and although it was invisible, they felt a faint pulse of energy that radiated outward.
It was definitely not the Aura that they were aware of.
"I can guide them… or use them to fight." Sol added.
"Then, are you a Necromancer?" Lysandra asked after some hesitation.
"No… I do not raise the dead or use spells like them." Sol immediately answered. "I am closer to a Shaman, but I was known as Ghostcaller Sol."
Shane immediately recognized the value of her abilities.
'Ghosts, huh… Can we use them as scouts?' He thought.
A Shaman who could control Ghosts as a scout could help them detect threats before they arrived. If she was even better, they might even be able to communicate with spirits to gain knowledge.
Without a doubt, she was a powerful addition to their growing shelter.
"Sol, if you join us, you'll have a home here. We'll need your wisdom and abilities," Shane said.
Sol looked toward the sky, as if listening to something unseen, then nodded. "The spirits whisper that this is where I must be."
And with that, she became part of Eclipse Domain.
After settling her within the shelter, Shane decided to use one more recruitment stone—the Legendary Recruitment Stone.
Just by holding it, Shane could already feel that this one would be different.
As soon as he activated the stone, it seemed as if the entire sky darkened around the shelter…
The gray fog that had appeared before was nothing compared to the dense, almost tangible mist that was surging towards their shelter as it even started twisting like a storm!
"Whoa… This is definitely good." Shane felt excited.
Well, to be exact, he would always feel excited whenever he used the Recruitment Stones since he could always meet new people with unknown abilities.
Everyone in the shelter noticed the strange phenomenon and they couldn't help but stop working for a moment to glance outside.
This was simply too intriguing to let it pass. They wanted to know who could actually create such a phenomenon.
It even seemed as if the mysterious gray fog was having difficulty taking out this new recruit!
The fog struggled for a bit as if a storm was about to happen but thankfully, after a few more seconds, a single figure stepped out.
He was tall and composed, wearing an orange robe with golden embroidery. His muscular body behind that robe was evident. As he walked, his bare feet barely made a sound as he approached the gate.
Finally, there was a string of dark wooden prayer beads hanging around his neck, and his head was shaven, though a few scars marked his scalp.
Yes, what everyone was seeing was a Monk!
He looked at the shelter for a moment before shifting his focus to Shane, who was observing him as well.
However, this Monk's gaze wasn't simple, Shane and the others had actually felt a heavy pressure as if they were standing before a mystical figure instead of a human.
The monk clasped his hands together in greeting.
"I am Shenlong, Disciple of the Endless Path." He spoke with a deep but calm voice.
Shane took a moment before speaking. "Welcome to Eclipse Domain, Shenlong. I'm Shane…"
Shenlong nodded. "You must be the Foreign Survivor seeking to end this hell on our lands…" He then paused for a moment as he glanced at the Ballistas and Turrets at their defensive walls.
"Your shelter… holds promise." He added.
Vernon, who was stationed at one of the watchtowers couldn't help but feel quite intrigued by the Monk.
"I think we just recruited a living legend." He whispered to himself. This was his first impression after seeing such a Monk who was radiating some sort of power he couldn't properly explain.
Shan, on the other hand, had already seen Chaloem before… Because of that, he knew how monks of this world are incredibly powerful…
He knew very well that Shenlong wasn't just strong—he was a force that could tip the balance of battle.
With a respectful bow, Shane extended his hand. "Then stay with us. We could use someone like you."
Shenlong studied his hand for a moment before grasping it firmly. "Then I shall stand with you, until the path takes me elsewhere."
With that, the Legendary Monk Shenlong became part of Eclipse Domain.
On the next day, as Shane finished his breakfast, he stepped onto the balcony of the main building, surveying Eclipse Domain as the morning sun greeted them…
The settlement was certainly coming to life.
Near the central well, a young woman filled buckets with fresh water, chatting with a nearby farmer. Across the courtyard, he could the clanging of a hammer from the blacksmith's forge, where Renz and an apprentice worked on reinforcing weapons, armor, or maybe for the fortification of their walls.
On the other hand, from the perimeter walls, the occasional sound of gunfire rang out as sentries eliminated wandering zombies in the distance.
This was definitely a good start for them but Shane planned to hasten up the development of his shelter. After all, he already got some information about the Maggotfall Citadel. He needed to quickly develop his own army.
He pulled out two of the Gate Stones from his inventory.
[ Description: Mystical artifacts capable of creating stable, portals between fixed points. Each Gate Stone can anchor a location, allowing for instantaneous travel. Stones can be reclaimed once deactivated, provided they are intact. ]
Four of them had already been sent ahead—two to Diana in Silver Mine Camp, and two to Layla in Springriver Manor.
They had been waiting, setting up their respective Gate Chambers as per Shane's instructions.
Today, those portals would be activated.
Soon, Shane arrived at the designated activation site, Shane placed the first Gate Stone onto the simple platform that he asked Victor the Sculptor to make.
The moment he activated the gate stone, he immediately got a notification from the system.
[ You are about to activate a Gate Stone.
Target Destination: Silver Mine Camp
Spirit Energy Cost: 1,000 SP ( One-Time Activation )
Maintenance Cost: 0 SP per day
Transfer Capacity: Up to 30 individuals per day OR 5,000 kg of cargo ]
[ Confirm Activation? ]
With zero maintenance fee, the limit of the transfer was limited. However, it should be more than enough.
The Gate Stone pulsed, absorbing the Spirit Energy, and suddenly, a swirling whirlpool of light and mist erupted.
[ Connection to Silver Mine Camp established. ]
Shane also confirmed the message from Diana that she got the same notification.
[ Diana: I'll just recover my Spirit Points and I'll use the other Gate Stone to connect to the Springriver Manor. ]
Shane knew that it would be quick since Diana had plenty of access to medium-grade Spirit Stones in the Mining Site.
Shane then placed the second Gate Stone for Springriver Manor onto the adjacent platform.
[ You are about to activate a Gate Stone. ]
Target Destination: Springriver Manor
Spirit Energy Cost: 1,500 SP ( One-Time Activation )
Maintenance Cost: 0 SP per day
Transfer Capacity: Up to 20 individuals per day OR 3,500 kg of cargo ]
[ Confirm Activation? ]
The second portal was a lot more expensive and had less capacity. However, it was very understandable considering the distance between the two shelters.
After Shane agreed with the activation, the same phenomenon occurred as the portal was formed.
[ Connection to Springriver Manor established. ]
Shane then opened the chat and confirmed that there was no problem from Layla's side and she would also have to recover her Spirit Points to connect the Manor to the Mine Camp.
"Finally…" Shane felt extremely satisfied as these portals would greatly help his shelter's development and even their defense would become more well-rounded because of this!
Shane then noticed that there was another set of notifications.
[ Eclipse Domain has successfully linked two external shelters!
--Silver Mine Camp ( Diana in Command )
--Springriver Manor ( Layla in Command )
Daily Spirit Energy Upkeep: 0 SP
[ Fast Travel Between Shelters Now Available! ]
"It's a pity that there's no reward or some sort." Shane muttered with a chuckle. Well, it wasn't that surprising since the Gate Stones weren't from this world. It came from a different world's apocalypse.
He was already happy with the fact that he could still use such technology.
After all, this was the first major step toward creating a network of strongholds.
Shane then sent a message to Layla from the Springriver Manor.
[ Shane: Layla, send me three Super Soldiers through. ]
[ Layla: Understood, Boss. Sending them now. ]