554 Caravan


    Shane was clueless about this sudden notification.


    "Statue?" He was shocked as he realized what this message implied. It seemed that his sculptor had really done something great for him!


    ''So there''s actually a hidden reward like this… Incredible…'' Shane was delighted as he quickly checked the benefits.


    ''Increased Shelter Prestige, Merchant Attraction, Morale Boost, Defender''s Aura, andSurvivor''s Blessing…''


    Thankfully, he didn''t have to guess how good they were since he could easily check their description.


    [ Increased Shelter Prestige – Eclipse Domain''s influence has grown significantly. Neutral shelters are now 50% more likely to seek alliances with Eclipse Domain rather than hostility. ]


    [ Merchant Attraction – The statue has be a symbol of stability and prosperity. Merchant caravans from various factions are now drawn to the Eclipse Domain, bringing rare goods and valuable trade opportunities. Expect an increase in visitors! ]


    [ Morale Boost – The inhabitants of Eclipse Domain feel a deep sense of pride and security. Shelter members gain a 5% increase in productivity and a 10% boost in Willpower Resistance against mental attacks and fear-based effects. ]


    [ Defender''s Aura – The statue exudes a protective presence. Any hostile entity that approaches within a 500-meter radius of Eclipse Domain will suffer a slight decrease in Strength and Agility. ]


    [ Survivor''s Blessing – As long as the statue remains in the shelter, it will provide a Blessing. Whenever Eclipse Domain is under siege, all defenders gain a temporary 5% boost to their overallbat effectiveness. ]


    "This is really good…" Shane muttered as he knew that all the effects were truly helpful for his shelter. Whatever statue was made just now, it must not be destroyed at all.


    As he nned to go outside to see what Victor had made for him, Shane suddenly received another message from the system.


    [ A Merchant Caravan has arrived at Eclipse Domain! ]


    [ A group of traders has gathered outside the shelter''s gates. Their convoy consists of reinforced wagons pulled by mutated beasts of burden, and their banners mark them as representatives of various Neutral Factions. Some of these merchants are independent traders, while others may belong torger factions.


    Will you allow them entry? ]


    Shane smiled after seeing thest question. Needless to say, he would allow them to enter his territory!


    He immediately went outside and as expected, Edwin was already there waiting for him and exined the situation.


    Edwin was standing with his usual impable posture, while his hands sped behind his back.


    "They arrived not too long ago," Edwin said as Shane approached.


    "Are they from one Neutral Faction nearby?" Shane asked.


    "They seem to be from multiple factions, but their leader appears to be a man named Crone..."


    Shane nodded as he scanned the convoy outside the gates using his A.I. and also his high Perception…


    ''Seventy-six people including some powerful escorts…'' Shane thought as he assessed the caravan''s strength.


    As he walked outside, he soon noticed reinforced wagons lined the dirt path. They seemed to be prepared in case they were attacked by Zombies, so it was understandable to see such modified wagons.


    What piqued his interest more was the fact that they were each pulled by mutated beasts. They were massive oxen with thick, armored hides.


    The caravan was also surrounded by 50 or so mercenaries with unusually clean armor. It seemed that they had no issuesing to this area at all. Nheless, these people are all watchful but non-hostile.


    They were very calm even if it was their first timeing here. It seemed that Shane''s title effect was really working well.


    With a wave of his hand, Shane gave the order to the Super Soldiers. "Let them in."


    Soon, the heavy gates creaked open, and the convoy had finally entered the Eclipse Domain.


    Under Edwin''s arrangement, the merchants guided their wagons toward the central za, where ample space had been prepared for visiting traders.


    08:47


    "Whoa~ This is a good shelter…"


    "It also smells great here…"


    "Indeed… No wonder the stars guided us here…"


    "I have a feeling that we''ll earn a lot in this ce. Let''s suggest to stay here for a month instead of a week. We might find some fascinating materials here."


    "That''s true… No Merchant Caravan had even been in this ce. We should also collect as many materials as we can before leaving." The merchants were certainly happy upon seeing the inside of the walls.


    The za itself was surrounded by well-maintained buildings—barracks, storage houses, and even a recently built tavern.


    There were also a few merchants there, so it was certainly quite a lively ce…


    Since it was also getting cold, there was already arge fire pit in the center. It was encircled by wooden benches formunal gatherings. It was definitely a weing ce for the merchants.


    As thest wagon entered, a man dismounted from the lead cart and walked toward Shane.


    He was a middle-aged man with graying hair. He wore a rugged leather coat lined with protective tes, and a short sword hung at his hip. Despite being a merchant, they also carried weapons around them since they could encounter enemies everywhere.


    Whether they were Zombies who wanted to eat them or humans who wanted to steal their resources, they had to be wary of them.


    "You must be Shane," the man said as he extended a gloved hand.


    "Name''s Crone. I lead this caravan, though wee from different factions. I''ve heard a lot about Eclipse Domain, and I must say—it lives up to the rumors."


    Shane had no idea where he heard the rumors but it must be arranged by the system.


    Anyway, Shane sped his hand firmly. "Crone. I appreciate youing all this way. From what faction are you?"


    Crone chuckled and replied. "I personally run my own independent tradingpany, The Wandering Coin, but many of my fellow merchants belong torger neutral factions." @@novelbin@@


    He then turned and gestured to the various traders setting up their stalls. "We''ve got people from The Golden Pavilions, known for their exotic goods and enchantments, The Ember Syndicate, specializing in weapons and armor, and The Herbalists'' Consortium, who deal in rare herbs and alchemical brews."


    Shane''s interest piqued. "I take it you''ve brought a variety of supplies, then?"


    "Oh, more than you''d expect." Crone smirked, waving toward the merchants as they swiftly arranged their wares.


    ***


    Within the hour, the central za of Eclipse Domain had transformed into a thriving market square. Stalls had been set up beneath sturdy sunshades. Each stall disyed various goods that had be raremodities in this world.


    During this time, Shane already ordered Shenlong, together with the five elves and the three super soldiers in his shelter to patrol the surroundings. This was to ensure that no Zombies would disturb them.


    With Shenlong in the lead, he was not worried that they would have any problems at all.


    Soon, Shane decided to look around the za where a few people were already exploring the ce… Tundra was one of them and he certainly looked so excited. He seemed to have earned a lot of money for Zombie Cores thanks to the previous System Events and his recent raids.


    ''It feels like things are getting normal…'' Shane thought for a moment.


    Anyway, he first walked around the Golden Pavilions'' stalls.


    Just like what Crone had said, theyid out interesting items like enchanted trinkets, mystical scrolls, and even a few relics from before the apocalypse. Rings that granted minor elemental resistance, bracelets that enhanced stamina, and even a few mysterious eggs for sale…


    After asking them where the items came from, they answered that they actually came from the ancient civilization of this world. These merchants seemed to have found some ancient ruins where they collected these special items.


    "We even found items like Recruitment Stones… We don''t even know how to return there unless the Lord Fog would allow us to do so." The merchant selling some mysterious eggs said to Shane.


    "Lord Fog?" Shane repeated.


    "Yes… We don''t know their name but I''m sure there''s a sentient gray fog helping around people. We call him the Lord Fog… He''s like a deity for us, merchants."


    This was definitely a piece of interesting information and Shane confirmed that everyone in the merchant organization knows about this at all.


    ''Lord Fog, huh…'' Shane already knew that the Mysterious Gray Fog was special.


    He tried looking through it before but he just gave up after failing to find anything significant about it. He didn''t expect that this fog would be treated as a deity by these inhabitants…


    Well, it certainly suited the title since it does a lot of things that could not be exined at all. Furthermore, it was definitely an entity that helped them reim theirnds.


    ''A deity… That''s an interesting idea.'' Shane thought as he continued exploring the za…


    Soon, he checked the Ember Syndicate''s stalls or perhaps, armory...


    He found stacks of weapons and some of them were quite decent but there were also those battle-worn swords reforged with steel, reinforced crossbows, and even a few rare firearms that had been restored to working condition.


    Borek, the Eclipse Domain cksmith, was actually in one of the stalls looking around…


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