Shane recalled the existence of the Administrators who were always Elves…

They were basically helping him every time by providing him with Elf Recruitment Stones as if they really wanted to populate his territory with their own people.

Of course, this may also be just their way to express their gratitude or perhaps their reverence for the Fairy Queen who had blessed him.

Still, Shane couldn't help but smile as he wasn't actually making a mistake… He remembered the faint energy in the sky. He thought that it was just a strong wyvern or perhaps, another Dragonkin Elder since the figure was filled with mana at that time.

"So it wasn't just my imagination… I'm being observed."

Cloud confirmed.

[ Correct. Observation logs show repeated scans directed at your position.

Conclusion: You were being evaluated.

Purpose: Unknown. ]

Shane sighed as he decided not to think about this anymore…

If they wanted to talk to him, he would always be open to conversation. However, since the figure didn't want to approach him, he could just wait until they were ready…

Around him, survivors were still celebrating, unaware of the silent watcher.

They were all checking their personal system notifications…

Just like, it was finally time to check his.

[ Congratulations, Survivor Shane! ]

[ You have survived and conquered the Cross-Apocalypse Event!

Your individual performance has been logged and recognized by the Lord of the Realms!

[ Achievements ]

- Total Enemies Defeated: 1,584

- Boss Eliminations: 10 Zombie Kings, 1 Vampire Lord, 30 Elder Vampire, direct contribution to wounding a Flood Dragon.

- Defensive Contribution: 47 instances of healing and buffing allies.

- Tactical Support: Coordinated Trident Mech deployment and barrier reinforcement. ]

"Whoa~" Shane gasped at the sight of his record.

The system had never done this before.

It seemed that the Cross Apocalypse was truly different this time.

For a moment, he just stood there, letting the words wash over him.

Nonetheless, a faint smile tugged at his lips.

'Over a thousand enemies… ten Zombie Kings… one Vampire Lord, thirty Elder Vampire… even the Flood Dragon.'

He hadn't realized how much he had done until the System laid it out so plainly.

"Not bad… not bad at all," he muttered under his breath.

'I wonder who got the kill count of the Warden Units… Their creator? Or the one who activated them?' Shane mused but still, he felt proud of his achievement.

The tally of his healing and buffs made him grin wider… forty‑seven times he had kept others standing. That mattered more to him than the kill count.

Tris noticed his expression and smirked. "You look satisfied."

Shane nodded. "I am. We fought hard, and it shows. The System actually recognized it."

Natalie tilted her head, as she also checked her notification... "I got direct contribution to wounding a Flood Dragon… It's a pity we couldn't kill it."

Tris smiled as he heard that. "That existence isn't something you can kill easily, especially if they're within their territory. Even in the Dragon Awakening Apocalypse, they could hardly be killed.

Shane chuckled softly, as he also felt that it was a shame that he didn't get to have a Dragon Slayer Title…

That would sound really cool.

In any case, Shane continued checking his notifications.

[ Hidden Quests Completed ]

[ - Quest: "Slayer of the Advanced Horde"

Condition: Defeat 500 Advanced‑Tier Zombies (Hunters, Lickers, Stalkers).

Reward: Zombie Cores x100, Spirit Stones x50, Item Upgrade Crystals x10

- Quest: "Breaker of Kings"

Condition: Eliminate 10 Zombie Kings during the invasion.

Reward: Zombie Cores x200, Reputation Points +50

- Quest: "Bloodbane"

Condition: Personally kill 50 Vampire Knights.

Reward: Vampire Blood Crystals x15, Vampiric Blood Serum x5.

- Quest: "Exorcist"

Condition: Eliminate a Vampire Lord.

Reward: Bloodline Crystal of the Vampire Lord x1 ]

Shane's eyes lingered on the glowing text as each reward appeared.

"Zombie Cores… Spirit Stones… Upgrade Crystals…" he muttered, nodding.

Those were practical, things he could use immediately to strengthen gear and fuel the shelter's growth. The sheer number made him grin, hundreds of cores meant a massive boost in resources.

But then his gaze froze on the last line.

Bloodline Crystal of the Vampire Lord.

He paused at its sight.

He knew exactly what that was.

He had seen it before after eliminating Statham and getting his crystal.

It was an evolution path!

It was meant for human transformation. A single shard could rewrite a person's essence, turning them into a vampire.

Shane wryly smiled after seeing this…

'This is definitely a great path… But not for me…' Shane muttered as he didn't want to be weak in sunlight…

That wasn't an ideal trait he wanted to have…

However, the idea of wielding vampire powers like blood magic, enhanced reflexes, immortality, was tempting.

But the cost? He remembered the countless thralls, the twisted hunger in their eyes…

"This… isn't something I can just use casually," he whispered.

Tris noticed his expression and frowned. "What's wrong?"

Shane exhaled slowly. "The System gave me a Bloodline Crystal. The kind that can turn someone into a vampire."

Natalie's eyes widened. "That's amazing… Are you planning to turn into one? Do you want to sell it?"

Lysandra wryly smiled at this. "I think that bloodline can help if you're dying already. Might as well turn to a vampire instead of dying…"

Shane gently nodded. That was a solid reminder.

Becoming a vampire allowed him to survive deadly injuries as long as he had blood and protected his heart…

"I can't decide this now. If I'm going to sell it, I'll contact you again, Natalie."

"Got it."

He then tucked the crystal away…

"For now, I'll keep it. Maybe one day I'll need it."

The other rewards felt lighter in comparison, Zombie Cores, Vampire Crystals, and Serums, all useful, but none carried the same weight as that single crystal.

Still, there were other Hidden Quests he had completed.

[ - Quest: "Dragon's Wound"

Condition: Directly contribute to damaging a Flood Dragon.

Reward: Draconic Core Shard x3, Draconic Gene Serum x5

- Quest: "Unyielding Defender"

Condition: Survive all three phases without escaping or leaving your shelter's territory.

Reward: Superior Gift Packs x5 ]

Shane gently nodded after seeing these…

The serums would probably give some Survivor Skills or maybe mutations… In any case, what he was more curious about now was the existence of the Invasion Points.

There wasn't anything like this in the past two Apocalypses he had entered.

[ Invasion Points Conversion ]

Total Earned: 18,750 Invasion Points

Clan Bonus: +2,000 points awarded for allied shelter survival

[ Rewards ]

- Rare Zombie Recruitment Stones x100

(Allows summoning of elite zombie units bound to your command.)

- Uncommon Dragon Recruitment Stones x10

(Summons juvenile draconic beasts loyal to the shelter.)

- Normal Vampire Recruitment Stones x50

(Summons vampire thralls with blood‑linked abilities.)

- Hybrid Crafting Materials Pack:

Dragonbone‑Zombie Core Alloy (x10), Vampiric Blood Crystal (x10)

- Gene Serums:

Draconic Gene Serum x10

Vampiric Blood Serum x10

- Special Item: Draconic Evolution Catalyst Crystal

- Experience Bonus: +12,000 EXP applied directly to Survivor Shane

[ You have been acknowledged as a key defender in the Cross‑Apocalypse Invasion Event. Your actions directly prevented catastrophic losses within your shelter, clan, and the continent.

Future events will escalate in difficulty.

Prepare accordingly. ]

Shane's eyes widened as the list of rewards unfolded before him.

"Recruitment Stones…" he whispered, almost in disbelief. He had seen them before, but never in such numbers.

A hundred rare Zombie Recruitment Stones meant he could summon an entire battalion of elite undead under his command. They wouldn't be mindless thralls either—bound by the System, they would fight with loyalty!

He clenched his fist, imagining the battlefield.

'With these, I could reinforce the shelter instantly. No more scrambling for manpower when the next wave comes…'

Then his gaze shifted to the Dragon Recruitment Stones.

Ten of them. Juvenile draconic beasts, loyal to the shelter or the location where it was actually summoned…

His lips curled into a grin. "Dragons… even if they're young, they'll grow. And when they do, they'll be unstoppable."

The thought of having draconic allies fighting alongside his mechs and soldiers filled him with a rare sense of security.

The Vampire Recruitment Stones were next… fifty in total.

Shane frowned slightly. Vampires were dangerous and unpredictable, but bound stones meant they would obey.

"Useful… but they're not that strong… Vampire Knights wouldn't have been better…" he muttered.

His eyes then lingered on the serums.

Ten Draconic Gene Serums, ten Vampiric Blood Serums.

He had been getting quite a lot of them already… He was looking forward to testing them for later… 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Nonetheless, each vial represented a path of mutation, a chance to rewrite someone's body.

The temptation was strong.

But then came the last item.

Draconic Evolution Catalyst Crystal.

He had never seen one before.

The System described it only vaguely, but he understood. It was quite similar to the other Evolution Crystal…

'This… this could change everything…'

He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to calm down.

The stones gave him armies, the serums offered transformation, and the catalyst crystal gave the possibility of something beyond human.

Tris glanced at him. "You look like you just won the lottery."