Four weeks had passed since the arrival of the merchant caravans.
The Eclipse Domain had already transformed in ways that even Shane had not expected. It was actually a lot faster than he had expected.
The roads, once crude dirt paths, were now paved with stone. They were also lined with lampposts with Light Orbs in them that illuminated the streets at night including outside the shelter.
The central plaza where the merchant caravan had settled their wares had become the marketplace place and the secondary training ground had become the main plaza instead.
Furthermore, for hygiene purposes, Shane made sure that Engineer Eliot arranged several toilets after he took care of the shelter’s sewage system.
Of course, with their current manpower, they were also able to have their buildings reinforced. Some new structures had also risen, including a larger blacksmith’s workshop, a new alchemy lab, and a communal inn for travelers.
The population had surged beyond 450, with new recruits joining after Shane used Recruitment Stones to bolster their numbers.
Furthermore, the twenty scavengers led by Gideon who had once sought temporary refuge had chosen to stay, but they still had to meet the Eclipse Domain’s stringent requirements before becoming official residents.
To organize this process, Shane introduced various tokens and one of them was the Eclipse Identification Token—a square-shaped gold coin-sized token infused with Aura Sentinel, Arcane Veil, and Blood Oath Skill that he had.
These enchantments ensured that the tokens could never be counterfeited, as the Blood Oath reacted with each other Blood Oath skill and could detect deception.
Furthermore, this Blood Oath Skill had come from Fairy Realm Collision Apocalypse, so aside from him, no one else should be able to copy it. Lastly, the chance of them having Skill Infuser Talent would also be low, so he knew that no one could copy his mysterious token at all.
Possessing this token means that you are a permanent resident of any of the specific Shelters engraved on the token. It could be the Eclipse Domain, Silver Mine Camp, Springriver Manor, or even all of them.
"It’s still amazing to see it grow this fast." Shane muttered to himself as he watched the shelter develop.
The shelter was becoming a settlement, a safe haven in this apocalypse.
***
Meanwhile, outside the Eclipse Domain, a lone traveler arrived…
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He was about 500 meters away from the shelter and he already sensed three figures scanning him from the Eclipse Domain.
"Impressive detection… Is this a device? A talent? What a monster…" The figure muttered as he wasn’t even visible because of the trees blocking him.
He shouldn’t be seen through binoculars or other simple observation tools at the moment.
"He really created a fortress here… What a brave soul…" Travis muttered.
Apparently, Travis had finally sent a part of himself to visit Shane’s growing domain.
This Clone was dressed in a long, dark coat that concealed most of his body. Of course, they all had effects that helped him avoid detection from both people and zombies. This was also the reason why he was very surprised that three people in the shelter detected him already.
One of them was definitely Shane but he wasn’t sure who the other two were…
’Ahh.. Maybe Raze and his Dragon noticed me?’ He thought.
Since he also has Dragonblood, it would make sense that he was noticed by Raze’s Dragon. As for the reason why he couldn’t detect the dragon, he believed it was due to the layered barriers that the fortress had.
If he wasn’t mistaken, there were at least three Barriers placed around the fortress, so he basically couldn’t use any of his perception or skills to see through the place.
As he continued to approach the fortress, he couldn’t help but appreciate how well-built it was.
The entrance to the shelter or fortress called Eclipse Domain was vastly different from any other shelters he had seen.
They didn’t have just a simple barricade but a reinforced steel gate. He could even tell that the steel they used was high-level. It was most likely made by a legendary Blacksmith.
There were also two intimidating automated turrets, which moved slightly to track every approaching figure. It was quite a scary sight but definitely understandable during these times.
Above, Travis could see snipers manning their posts while patrol squads kept the perimeter secure. These patrol squads didn’t even glance at him as they knew that the snipers and other sentries were already watching his movements.
As he got closer to the gates, a soldier approached Travis’ clone, eyeing him cautiously.
"State your business."
Travis smiled, pulling out three zombie cores from his pocket. "A traveler looking to explore. I assume the entrance fee hasn’t changed?"
It was the fee that he read in the chat.
The guard inspected the cores and then gestured toward the checkpoint.
A Super Soldier wearing reinforced armor stepped forward. He quickly scanned him for bites, infections, or hidden weaponry before nodding in approval. Well, the weapons weren’t really their concern since everyone has it.
"You’re clear. Welcome to the Eclipse Domain. The three Zombie Cores you paid will allow you to stay within the fortress for two days, take this." The guard said as he handed over a square token made of black wood.
"Thank you…" Travis replied as he took the token from the guard.
Before he could inspect it, he heard the gates rumbling as they slowly slid open, revealing a settlement unlike anything one would expect in an apocalypse.
"Impressive…" Travis whispered as this was his first time feeling excited when entering a shelter.
As Travis stepped inside, he was met with a lively atmosphere that was completely different outside.
There were actually children running through the streets, playing with handcrafted wooden toys!
This was a scene he could never imagine in other shelters… Furthermore, children were rare since they were easily eaten by zombies most of the time. It was not easy for them to survive at all.
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As he walked around, he saw merchants selling everything from weapons to exotic herbs gathered from distant places.
There were also vehicles moving along the roads, assisting in construction projects, carrying crates, and even providing street cleaning services. It was an interesting sight…
However, before he was completely drawn to the scene, he quickly checked the item he received from the crowd.
[ Visitor Token ( Common ): A black Identification Token issued to travelers and traders who wish to enter the Eclipse Domain for a short period. This token allows access to the marketplace, trade zones, and inns but does not grant residential privileges.
Effects within Lord Shane’s Territory:
Market Access: Grants the ability to buy, sell, and trade within the Eclipse Domain.
Basic Escort Protection: Travelers with this token are under Eclipse Domain’s temporary protection while within the settlement walls.
Limited Stay: Valid for two days
[ Created by Shadow Strider. ]
[ This item could not be upgraded. ]
The Tokens that Shane created were actually acknowledged by the system. It was as if a System Administrator helped him as they wanted him to make these tokens. When he created it, the system even assisted him with the various options or restrictions that identification tokens could give.
It was such an interesting method but Shane knew that he wasn’t special since the craftsmen actually had secrets. They could actually gain Experience Points even without looting Zombies. Just creating things would allow them to gain Experience Points. However, there seemed to be some sort of level like a Rare or Exceptional level before being acknowledged by the system and giving rewards like Experience Points.
Even the system had somehow adjusted for the miners in the Silver Mining Camp. Those Foreign Survivors who had obtained Level 10 Mining Skills also started getting Experience Points.
It was as if the System was telling them to start developing the world instead of just focusing on killing Zombies this time.
It seemed that after almost a year in this world, the world had started to change in their favor and their objectives seemed to have expanded. It was no longer just killing Zombies every day but also making this world livable by humans again!
It may also be the reason why the System which was giving them various events like Zombie Challenge, Zombie Waves, Boss Raids, and others had become silent.
Anyway, Travis found his token interesting…
He felt a bit curious about the method Shane used to make these tokens…
He was even able to get a passerby to show him his token. Though Travis had to pay for one Zombie Core for that, he was still satisfied to see it. He even learned about the various Tokens he could get.
"Ahem… I’m Fred, a Merchant… So my Identification Token is quite different from yours. Here, have a look." Fred said as he showed it to Travis. He knew he wouldn’t get robbed at all. There were just too many sentries around!
Fred also met Shenlong before and knew that this place would be safe even if a hundred Giant Zombies attacked!
On the other hand, Travis smiled as he saw the Item Description. He couldn’t help but feel impressed at Shane’s ability as a Territory Lord!