Chapter 105: Offers

Gene's curiosity was piqued as he watched the Runner Zombies flail against the unseen barrier.

With a sense of curiosity, he descended the watchtower. His crossbow was left behind as it was the main weapon for whoever was assigned to man the watchtower.

Thud...

The ground met his boots. Then, he approached the gate, his hand steady as he unlatched it.

Stepping beyond the safety of the estate's walls, Gene stood about three meters from the undead, separated by the mysterious force field.

Indeed, there was another three meters "safety zone" outside the wooden wall of their shelter.

He then moved to the side, away from the Runner Zombies.

Then, he reached out tentatively, his fingers meeting resistance as if pushing against a viscous curtain.

With a grunt of effort, he pressed forward, the barrier giving way just enough to allow him passage.

"What sorcery is this? It yields to the living but not the dead." He muttered softly, guessing that only those who weren't Zombies could pass through the barrier.

Graaghh!

Once on the other side, the Runner Zombies, sensing fresh prey, lunged with a guttural snarl.

Gene's reflexes were swift; his Serrated Reaper Blade hummed as it sliced through the air, its edge finding the rotten flesh of the undead.

One, then two, the Runners fell, and their threat ended as quickly as it had begun.

With Gene's current battle experience and set of equipment, these weak zombies were no longer a threat.

'Mhmm... If the Zombies around will only be this weak, I think exploring the outside with Super Soldiers should no longer be a problem.' Gene thought as he felt that over the past couple of days, the number of Zombies reaching their shelter had decreased a lot.

At this point, their collection of experience points, zombie cores, food, water, and item upgrade crystals would greatly slow down.

As he wiped his blade clean, a sizzling sound filled the air.

"Mhmm?"

Gene turned just in time to see two Spitter Zombies emerge from the shadows, their mouths agape with acidic bile.

They spat them out with deadly accuracy!

Gene's eyes widened as he swiftly moved, diving back towards the barrier.

"Not today, fiends!"

The acid splashed harmlessly against the barrier, and protected Gene perfectly!

The barrier actually allowed him to quickly slip through the barrier. It was completely different from his earlier struggle when passing through the barrier!

Once inside, he turned to face the Spitters, now seeming frustrated by the barrier that had saved him.

Well, he couldn't really tell their expressions, but he could feel that they would be frustrated if they had intelligence.

It was as if the Sphere had become an extension of himself, its barrier moving with him, a personal shield against the dangers of the world outside.

He took a few steps, then broke into a sprint. The Sphere matched his pace, its barrier undisturbed by the increased speed.

Shane performed a series of quick dodges and rolls, the Sphere's barrier would actually adapt his form!

Although the toughness of the barrier wasn't as great as the other barriers, this would still be helpful in many situations like ambushes or when being sniped!

"It's like dancing with a shadow. It follows my lead perfectly. It's worth the price!"

Shane smiled as he planned on how to use it. He wanted to have the other Sentinel Sphere as his backup, and the third one would be left in the estate.

He wanted to give his Mr. Wadsworth and allow him to decide who would use it.

"Alright..."

Satisfied with the Sentinel Spheres' performance, Shane knew they would be invaluable assets in the battles to come. They were more than just protective devices; they were symbols of the resilience and ingenuity that humanity still possessed!

"With these Spheres, we're not just surviving; we're fighting back... I think it's time to be on the offensive..."

After settling all of these, Shane then recalled the need for the Power Cores.

It must be remembered that the Reputation Points he used were just enough to fill the Barrier Generators.

The Bulwark Beacon could only last for 30 days with 7 Power Cores. The Sentinel Spheres could only last for a maximum of 10 days with 2 Power Cores. It may also lessen if the shield receives more stress than its normal capacity.

With the Barrier Generators requiring a steady supply of Power Cores to maintain their protective embrace, Shane knew he had to act swiftly.

He didn't immediately make a request in the Regional or World Chat since he would be drowned by private messages.

Instead, he decided to message the four people who had sold four Unhatched Pet Eggs to him before. They were Raze, Caelum, Aria, and Elara...

[ Shane: I trust you're well. I'm currently sourcing Power Cores and would appreciate your assistance. Our previous dealings were swift, so I'm informing you again. In return, I can provide Item Upgrade Crystals. Let's discuss this further if you're available. ]

After sending this message to all four of them, they immediately sent a reply!

[ Raze: Shane, always a pleasure. I've got a couple of Power Cores in stock, been saving them for a rainy day. Your offer of Item Upgrade Crystals has certainly piqued my interest. How about we trade one Core for five Crystals? Let me know if that works for you. ]

[ Caelum: Good to hear from you, Shane. Power Cores are hard to come by these days, but I might have a few I can part with. Your Item Upgrade Crystals are quite the commodity. I'm thinking of a one-to-four trade, Core for Crystal. If that's agreeable, we have a deal. How many do you need?

If you need a lot, we can still negotiate. ]

[ Aria: Hey Shane! Luck is on your side; I recently came across a stash of Power Cores. They're not easy to get, as you know. I'd be willing to trade, but those Item Upgrade Crystals better be top-notch. There was recently lower-class Item Upgrade Crystals being circulated. How about six Crystals per Core?

We can negotiate if needed. ]

[ Elara: Shane, your timing is impeccable. I do have 10 Power Cores, but they're in high demand. I value our past trade, so I'll give you a fair deal. Three Item Upgrade Crystals for one Core sounds about right. If you're in agreement, let's set up the exchange. ]

"Ohhhh..." Shane's eyes lit up after seeing their replies.

Well, they don't really have a reference to use when exchanging items. After all, there are no system-managed stores selling Power Cores for Item Upgrade Crystals.

In the end, Shane had to negotiate for a better price.