Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle

Most of the work was related to construction, due to the situation of the new shelter.

As the sun dipped low, Arial's work had finally ended and it was his free time. He wasn't too tired compared to other normal Survivors because of his special physique.

However, even if he wanted to work more, he was no longer allowed to, due to Shane's instruction. They could not overwork and they should use their free time to enhance their other skills or talents.

It seemed that Shane didn't want them to become too stuck on their job as construction workers and it was certainly a good idea.

For now, Arial decided to go to the third training yard. There were a total of four training yards and the one he visited would soon be transformed into a Target Range for gun or bow users...

During this time of the day, he knew that no one would practice here, so he decided to use it.

Of course, the main reason he was here was because of Shane's instruction as well. He wanted all the Hybrid Humans like him to take control of their physical advantages.

They may be different since they experimented but if they use it correctly, they would be able to put it to use once their shelter was attacked by Zombies.

"Huu~"

Arial took a deep breath as he flexed his fingers…

Then, in a few moments, the circuitry in his body activated.

Not just that, he saw a projection, a holographic interface in the air. He had already consulted this matter Shane and thankfully, it wasn't something dangerous but something he could use.

"Let's see…"

[ Abilities:

Neural Sync – Interface with machines through touch.Overclock – Boosts reflexes for thirty seconds.Pulse Scan – See through walls for a second. ]

Today's focus was Overclock.

The first time he had actually seen this ability, his Overclock could only give him 27 seconds. However, just barely a week had passed, and his Overclock could now allow him to boost his reflexes for 30 seconds. An improvement of 3 seconds may be low but it was definitely a good sign.

It means that whatever was done to his body, it wouldn't really limit his strength or ability and he still had room for growth!

He set up a row of empty cans on a broken wall and stepped back.

"Fast. Like lightning. I can do this…"

He triggered the ability.

The world slowed.

His body moved before he could think—snatching a rock on the ground and then throwing them all…

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Three cans burst apart just like that!

He then continued to run around the target range and did some acrobatic moves…

As soon as the timer ended, what came was the backlash.

Using Overclock was definitely a life-saving ability but he had to continue practicing it to possibly extend it and create some sort of resistance against its backlash…

"Ughhh…"

Agony seared through him as the circuitry overheated. His vision whited out. He dropped to his knees, gasping…

It seemed really tough but he had no choice if he wanted to get stronger. At the very least, he wanted to extend his Overlock to at least a minute to be truly useful in combat.

After all, once used, he would basically be useless in combat.

"Idiot."

Eve suddenly said who had been watching him from the side. As she watched Arial stabilize after some time, she couldn't help but approach him.

"You're pushing too hard," she said. "Your body's still rejecting the tech. Ease into it."

He wiped blood from his nose. "Don't have time to ease into it."

She studied him for a few moments then shrugged.

"Fine. But if you fry your nervous system, don't come crying to me."

She turned away, but not before offering one last bit of advice, "Lord Shane may have a solution for that system in your body… Once he's no longer busy, visit him. He might find a way to make it hurt less."

"Lord Shane…" Arial repeated as it certainly made sense.

He had actually seen some highly advanced items being used by Shane and other workers. Perhaps, Shane really had a method to help him…

***

By nightfall, Arial was back in the barracks while his arms were aching. He then rested for some time, before he visited the main building where Shane could be…

Thankfully, Shane had just returned from the Eclipse Domain through a portal, and Edwin, the butler working in the Domain and temporarily working here, informed him.

"How can I help you?" Shane asked with a smile as he saw Arial…

Arial was stunned for a moment as he felt that Shane was actually waiting for him.

After gathering his thoughts, Arial then explained his situation to Shane. His Abilities, the Overclock's backlash, and possible solutions that he might have.

"Ohhh… Your timing is perfect." Shane said as he learned about Arial's abilities.

Arial was confused for a moment, but knowing Shane, he couldn't help but feel excited. There must be really something he could do right now.

***

Because Shane would be very busy tomorrow, Shane decided to do this matter tonight…

He led Arial through the reinforced doors of the Command Center.

This Command Center was actually split in half. One part was a high-tech hub that had once been the Eclipse Wraith's war room. It was now filled with salvaged computers, holographic displays, and a centralized AI node linked to Cloud, his A.I. Assistant.

The other half was, of course, the place where the Shelter Crystal was located and protected.

In any case, the walls of the Command Center were now lined with live feeds from the turrets, barrier status reports, and a 3D map of the entire shelter's defenses.

All of this was done in just a week by using the Anima Store, salvaged computer parts, Shane's Otherworldly Mechanic Talent, and of course, Cloud's guidance.

"Incredible…" Arial muttered as he saw what had happened to the room. He was impressed.

This was definitely not an easy thing to do in just a short amount of time. Just like what Eve said, it seemed that Shane's knowledge about the technology used on them was a lot more than they had thought.

"We've been rebuilding this place since we took the fortress," Shane explained, gesturing to the setup.

"But there's one problem—human operators are slow. What we need is someone who can interface directly with the system. Maybe…"

He turned to Arial. There was also a knowing glint in his eye. "That's where you come in."

Arial hesitated, staring at the central console.

"You want me to… plug into that?"

"Not plug in. Sync." Shane tapped his temple. "Your circuitry isn't just for combat. It's a neural bridge. And this system?" He patted the console.

"It's designed to be controlled by someone like you."

Of course, it was really for Cloud. However, it seemed that it would be better for Arial to sync on this, so Cloud's computing power wouldn't slow down. After all, no matter how great Cloud was, it still had limits.

At this point, Arial couldn't help but feel excited. However, he was also worried that something might go wrong. He was worried that the system that Shane had created might be broken because of his imperfect ability to sync on machines.

Arial swallowed hard as he looked at Shane. "What if I fry it?"

Shane smirked. "Then we'll fix it. It can be replaced. We have a lot of resources… But I don't think you will break it…"

Hearing this much, he knew that he could no longer hesitate.

With a deep breath, Arial stepped forward and placed his palms on the console's interface pads.

"Neural Sync… Activate." He softly said as he triggered his ability.

At first, nothing happened. This Neutral Sync wasn't something he could use every time after all. The ability was slow and it could even fail some time.

Then, as he thought that he had failed or he didn't have the capacity to sync, a surge of data flooded Arial's mind!

[ System Detected: New Genesis Fortress Network ]

[ Access Level: Administrator ]

[ Syncing… ]

The turrets' targeting systems unfolded before him like a grid of firepower.

The barrier's energy flow was revealed in his eyes…

Then, every camera feed, every motion sensor, and every defense mechanism of the shelter was now all at his fingertips.

'This is dangerous!' Arial thought that anyone who could access this would certainly control the Shelter. This was the only time he realized that Shane was indeed trusting him so much that it was scary.

After all, he had just handed over the Shelter's life to him, a new resident of his shelter!

This was shocking and overwhelming for Arial… However, this shows that Shane's trust in him was undeniable!

Soon, Arial's vision split into a hundred perspectives at once—seeing through every camera, feeling every automated system.

"Whoa—!" He staggered, but Shane steadied him.

"Easy. Don't fight it. Let the data flow." Shane muttered as he confirmed from Cloud what was happening to Arial.

Arial clenched his jaw and relaxed into the connection.

Suddenly, he wasn't just in the room anymore.

He was the Ballista on the north wall, tracking a stray zombie beyond the barrier.

He was the turret at the gate, with its energy reserves on standby.

He felt like he was the shelter itself—alive, aware, and waiting for instructions….