Global Awakening: Apocalypse Ender's Chronicle-Chapter 563 : The Oil

Shane shook his head as he glanced at the notes scattered across her desk.

It was all about the Dragon Blood Refinement.

The process she had developed—turning a single drop of pure Dragon Blood into ten doses of Mighty Potion—had been one of the biggest game-changers for the workers and of course, it would also be useful for everyone.

Without it, the construction of the Distillation Tower would have taken twice as long, if not more.

The workers, empowered by the potions, had been able to push their limits without exhaustion, maintaining both strength and focus… Furthermore, the effect of the potion was permanent. It means that these workers may not have the strength as powerful as the Super Soldiers but they were still valuable laborers who could act as soldiers if necessary.

It was indeed a miracle elixir for ordinary people and for those who were already quite strong, they would be some sort of Stat-Boosting Potion instead..

Anyway, the one who had made it possible had pushed herself to the point of exhaustion.

"You've worked hard."

Shane muttered as he pulled a light blanket from a nearby chair and gently draped it over Anna's resting body.

However, as he did this, Anna moved slightly and her eyes started to open. It seemed that he had disturbed her rest.

"…Shane?" Anna spoke and her voice was still laced with drowsiness.

"You should sleep properly. I didn't think I'd find you passed out here." Shane replied.

Anna gave a weak chuckle as she rubbed her eyes. "I just… wanted to finish refining the last batch before resting. But I guess I sat down for a second too long…"

Shane exhaled as he shook his head. "You're pushing yourself too hard."

A playful smirk formed on her lips as she heard this. "Says the man who works harder than anyone else in this shelter."

"That's different. I'm used to it." Shane replied.

Anna was clearly unconvinced but she decided to just leave it at that.

Then, she recalled something.

"…Did it work?" She asked.

Shane chuckled. "You should've seen it. The refinery's up and running, and it wouldn't have been possible without your potions. The workers performed better than ever, and the Eclipse Domain just took a massive step forward."

A look of relief could be seen on Anna's face. She may not have contributed to labor work but she still participated to make this project happen.

Her decision to move from the Manor to the Domain was indeed a good decision.

She knew very well how they had started in the dilapidated Manor and how tough it was to stay there with limited water, food, clothes, and even space at that time.

However, in just less than a year, they have already advanced to such a state.

Then, hearing that everyone had worked out, Anna smiled.

"…Good," she murmured as she shifted slightly under the blanket. "Then it was worth it."

Shane hesitated for a moment before reaching out, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.

She was the first woman he had recruited and she had truly been helpful with the development of his shelters.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "It was."

Anna's breath fastened slightly at the unexpected gesture, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she held his gaze…

For a moment, there was only silence in the room…

It was just the two of them, surrounded by the alchemical scent of the room.

"…Get some proper sleep," Shane finally said.

Anna smiled, closing her eyes again. "Stay for a bit?"

Shane exhaled, then pulled up a chair beside her. "Fine. But only until you're asleep."

He didn't leave for a long time.

***

On the next day, the Distillation Tower at the southern sector of the Eclipse Domain was crowded with people. It seemed that many people including some visitors were interested to see such a tower.

Well, there were metal pipes and vats that looked quite unusual compared to the surroundings, so it could easily attract attention.

There were also workers moving about ensuring that everything was operating smoothly.

At this time, Shane stood atop the viewing platform, observing the day's first batch of refined oil being processed.

This was a monumental step forward.

Fuel.

It was one of the most valuable resources in this apocalyptic world. In most places, gasoline had long since deteriorated, and vehicles were nothing more than rusting relics because of the lack of fuel.

But with this tower, Eclipse Domain was changing the game.

Shane turned as Eliot Mercer approached while wiping his hands on a rag.

The older man wore his oil-stained overalls as he scanned the facility with a mixture of pride and excitement.

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"You did good, Lord Shane," Eliot said with a nod. "Didn't think I'd ever see the day when we'd be refining our own damn fuel in the apocalypse."

"Ahemm… Excuse me for my excitement." He added.

Shane just chuckled at this and nodded. "It took us quite some time, but we got there." He the looked toward the pipes and asked "How's the output looking?"

Eliot leaned against the railing. "We've got a steady production rate, though it's still in its early stages. Right now, we're able to refine crude oil into three main products: Diesel, Kerosene, and Lubricants. We can even get a small amount of low-grade gasoline, but it's not ideal for most engines without further refining."

Shane nodded thoughtfully. If not for Cloud, his Otherworldly Mechanic Talent, and his memories in A.I. Rebellion, he wouldn't really think of using this resource.

"And how long before we can produce in larger quantities?"

Eliot scratched his chin. "If we expand, install a secondary processing unit, and get more manpower? Just a month and we'll be refining enough fuel to power a small fleet. You got to ready your vehicles."

Shane nodded. A fleet. That was an idea worth considering.

After all, he actually found several SUVs before but after their fuel ran out, he could no longer use them. They should still be in the Silver Mine Camp. There should be plenty of them and who knows, he might even be able to purchase them in the store.

'Ahh… Wait…' Shane paused for a moment as he realized that he still had several Rare Gift Boxes!

He immediately opened his inventory and confirmed that he still had them!

[ Food Gift Pack ] x3

[ Medical Gift Pack ] x2

[ Survival Tools Gift Pack ] x3

[ Transport Gift Pack ] x2

[ Rare Weapon Gift Pack ] x1

[ Rare Food Gift Pack ] x3

[ Rare Entertainment Gift Pack ] x1

[ Rare Transport Gift Pack ] x5

[ Random Rare Gift Pack ] x8

"I actually have quite a lot of them." Shane muttered as he didn't expect that he had been this lady. Anyway, he had plenty of food and medicine so he no longer felt the need to open the Food and Medical Gift Pack.

He also has enough items now so the Survival Gift Pack was no longer that important.

Transport Gift Pack just has a bicycle and it wasn't that good when moving in the mountains or forest.

As for the Rare Gift Packs, Shane had simply forgotten about them since he already had weapons and clothes, and he could basically create or purchase anything he needed at this point.

'Maybe the Rare Transport Gift Pack could give me a car or something.' Shane thought.

Anyway, his focus returned to the Engineer as he made a few suggestions…

After listening to his words, Shane nodded.

"You're right, we've got several options on how to use this," Shane said…

They first discussed about the Power Generation. The Eclipse Domain relied mostly on Light Orbs and torches, but having diesel generators as a backup would ensure consistent electricity, especially during long nights or storms.

The second was, of course, their vehicles and transportation.

Shane was sure that if he asked about these vehicles, like trucks, motorcycles, and armored personnel carriers in the Marketplace, he would be able to acquire them if he paid the price.

Of course, they also considered using oil to trade since refined fuel was rare. However, Shane immediately dismissed the idea for various reasons and one of them was the fact that they were still relying on Travis for a steady supply of crude oil.

Well, perhaps if they produced enough, they could trade it to Neutral Shelters and Merchant Caravans in exchange for valuable resources and manpower but that would not happen so soon…

Next was for weaponry or even machinery.

Obviously, with oil, they could have more flamethrowers, incendiary rounds, and even oil-based explosives that they could develop. Oil was indeed a great weapon without a doubt and Shane wanted to exploit this as well.

There was no need to hold back at all.

Lastly, the oil lubricants were just as valuable, as they could be used to maintain and upgrade machinery, ensuring longevity and efficiency.

"Maybe I should make a better version of that Zombie Grinder…" Shane muttered to himself as he recalled the weapon he created in the Silver Mine Camp to survive the Zombie Wave.