Anna’s eyes sparkled as she lifted the pouch...

"Beautiful..."

She muttered as she let the glow of the Essence Crystals spill across her workbench.

"Wait... You’re asking if I can handle them? Of course. These aren’t just stones, Shane... they’re condensed spirit itself. With proper refinement, I could use their energy for my research... Well, getting some assistance from the elves would be great..."

"Mhmm? What are you planning to use them for?"

"There’s a lot. But what you’re probably more interested in is the modification I’m doing right now. Think of it as a stabilizer. The crystals would prevent the draconic traits from overwhelming the host, while also amplifying the benefits. Stronger wings, cleaner elemental resistance, even smoother mana flow."

Shane was intrigued...

Well, he was lucky to have awakened Mana thanks to his past life’s blessings.

It was the same for Alex, he had a master named Merlin, whom he hadn’t met yet, and awakened his mana.

However, it was different for the others.

They had no blessings from their past lives or master to help them awaken their talent in mana. Because of that, it could be dangerous for many to obtain Draconic Traits. After all, their bodies weren’t really made for such changes.

"So they’re more than just energy reserves... That’s an interesting take, Anna."

Anna nodded, smiling at his quick grasp.

"Exactly. Most alchemists would waste them on enchantments or trinkets. But if I integrate them into the gene framework, they could unlock dormant sequences. Imagine a survivor not just sprouting wings, but controlling them perfectly like they were birds in their past lives... Hehehe..."

Shane chuckled as he tried to hide his thoughts.

Well, that actually sounded a bit creepy, but since Anna was pretty, he just nodded and accepted that.

"That’s nice... You always think bigger than anyone else. That’s why I trust you with this."

Her expression softened.

"And that’s why I’m not wasting all the resources you’ve been giving me... You give me the freedom to experiment, even when others would call it madness."

For a while, they let the conversation drift.

Anna teased him again about his "date" with Diana, and Shane countered by reminding her of the time she nearly blew up half the lab with unstable dragon blood.

They laughed, the tension of the apocalypse momentarily forgotten...

Still, Shane decided to take her on a date as well.

But as they spoke of lighter things during their meal, they also talked about the food stalls Diana had shown him, then the rare fabrics that still made their way into the shelters, even the idea of someday rebuilding a proper city once the apocalypse ended.

Soon, they visited a tavern with a bard singing and giving them buffs in the process.

The singer may not be Jillian, who had a Famous Bard Talent, but Anna and Shane enjoyed the music.

Anna even admitted she missed the simple luxury of music, while Shane confessed he missed the quiet of forests untouched by war.

After this simple date, they returned to the laboratory and once again, Shane spent the night with Anna...

***

The following day, Shane finally decided to personally meet Merlin and learn whether he was really his grandfather or not...

After all, Shane was really confused about the man’s identity since Merlin was recruited and came through the Gray Fog.

Since Gray Fog was created in this world, there shouldn’t be any way for this fog to capture Merlin, who was from Earth...

’Wait... Unless Grandpa Merlin was here before... That’s actually possible.’ Shane mused as he recalled the regression stones from the bracelet that Merlin had given to him.

Well, since Merlin had basically given him that precious treasure, he was already aware that his grandfather was a person with many secrets.

To be honest, he was only aware that his grandfather was a graverobber. He only thought that the bracelet he had containing the regression stones was just an item that his grandfather had robbed.

However, it seemed like there was more to it than that.

Perhaps, his regression was deliberately arranged by his grandfather, and it wasn’t just luck.

"Alright... Let’s find him for now." Shane muttered as he finally donned simple survival gear. With a vest, cargo pants, and a backpack...

Anyway, he knew that Merlin and Alex had actually left the Floating Fortress through some absurd teleportation ability.

Still, he had a rough a idea about their location as Shane kept in touch with Alex.

Though Alex could only send a message every four hours or so due to his being so busy, it was enough for Shane to know their general direction.

***

Meanwhile, in the northern edge of Sector 20, the road was quiet until the distant wail shattered the silence.

Screech~

Alex froze as soon as he heard this... His staff was even trembling in his grip.

"Master... that’s a Screamer."

Merlin nodded. "A shelter is being attacked."

The two of them had been traveling for days, following faint traces of mana through ruined valleys, when they stumbled upon this shelter under siege.

From the hill nearby, they could see survivors scrambling along the barricades, their weapons even seemed useless against the tide of sound‑based zombies pressing forward.

They saw Screamer Zombies as the first wave of zombies... Their throats distended as they unleashed piercing shrieks that rattled the air.

Screech~

Screech~

The sound carried like blades, slicing through concentration and leaving defenders clutching their ears. Behind them, taller figures moved gracefully... They were Siren Zombies...

Their voices were weaving melodies that bypassed the senses entirely.

Even if one covered their ears, the song still seeped into the mind, twisting thoughts and breaking their minds!

Alex grimaced as his face was now pale...

"I hate these enemies. You can’t block sound. The Screamers are bad enough, but the Sirens... even if you close your ears, you still hear them. It’s impossible."

Merlin placed a hand on his shoulder, steady and calm. "Then don’t fight them. Leave this to me."

With a flick of his cloak, Merlin rose into the air... He just activated a flight magic.

The defenders below gasped as the old mage ascended...

"Hohoho... They’re a lot more than I thought." Merlin chuckled.

He extended his staff, and the air itself seemed to bend around him...

As soon as he was ready, he saw one of the Screamer lunging forward, its shriek tearing through the barricade.

"Hey... Don’t destroy their palisade." He muttered.

Merlin answered with a wave of his hand.

Soon, a barrier of mana rippled outward, absorbing the sound and reflecting it back.

Boom!

The zombie convulsed from their own attack before collapsing in silence!

Thud!

Still, the Sirens advanced with their voices weaving together into a haunting chorus.

The melody seeped into the minds of the survivors, driving them to their knees. Alex clenched his teeth, fighting the pull, but Merlin’s voice cut through the chaos.

"Enough."

He raised his staff, and a sphere of pure mana formed above him. With a single motion, he shattered it into dozens of shards that streaked downward like meteors.

Each shard struck a Siren, exploding in bursts of light that drowned out their song.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Just like that, the melody faltered, then died, leaving only the faint traces of magic in the air.

The battlefield fell silent.

Survivors stared in awe as Merlin hovered above them...

They were shocked... No guns had fired, no bullets had been spent... only pure magic had turned the tide.

Alex watched from the hill as he couldn’t help but admire his master.

He had seen his master’s power before, but never like this...

"So that works against these Siren Zombies, huh..." He muttered.

Soon, the cleanup was finished and the defenders dropped to their knees, overwhelmed by gratitude. "Thank you!" one shouted. "We thought we were finished!"

Others followed, bowing their heads to the floating figure.

For them, Merlin was a true savior.

Thud...

Merlin descended slowly, his boots touching the ground quietly.

He then looked over the survivors and shook his head."Stand. You fought bravely. I only finished what you began."

But the people remained kneeling.

They had never seen a spellcaster at this level before. Guns, blades, and crude weapons were all they had known. To witness a man who could fly, who could silence the impossible Sirens with a gesture... it was beyond comprehension.

Finally, Merlin and Alex realized what was going on...

"Wait... There’s no Foreign Survivors here?" Merlin asked curiously.

Even Alex realized this as he looked at the clothes and stature of these people...

Indeed, they were more like indigenous people rather than Foreign Survivors who came from Earth.

"So this is a Neutral Shelter? But something’s off..." Alex wasn’t sure, but this feels too different from the other Neutral Shelters that they had visited before.

Still, after hearing the news from Shane that a shelter from another Apocalypse was transported here, he knew that he had to be open about this.

"Ahem... May I ask what land... or maybe continent where you’re all from?"